AN: For all of you who reviewed Chapter 7, THANK YOU! I set a goal to reach 100 reviews before the end of the story and your reviews helped me reach that goal. Your support, suggestions and questions are most appreciated.

As always, huge thanks go to the redoubtable joyindenver, my beta extraordinaire. She doesn't just help me dot the 'i's and cross the 't's, she really works to make me a better storyteller. She has my eternal thanks.

I also encourage you to read joyindenver's fanfiction work. She's written a total of 9 stories. Her work Unwrapped (complete) followed by its work-in-progress sequel Purple Death are not to be missed. Happy reading y'all!

Previously…

Looking between Freyda and Sookie, Eric seemed satisfied that the danger had passed. Turning without offering his arm to Freyda, he walked toward the elevator and pushed the button. Freyda followed close behind and took his arm that was hanging loosely at his side as they waited for the doors to open. He did not bend it to offer a gentleman's assistance. Since the elevator car was still on the floor it opened almost immediately, and the two of them stepped inside disappearing from view.

Sookie and I stood silently by, listening to the elevator make its descent.

Heaving a weary sigh, she looked into my eyes and took my arm, saying, "Take me home, Bill."

As we took our own arm-in-arm stroll to the elevators, neither of us could have imagined what was coming next.

If my drive to Shreveport with Sookie had been a whirlwind of nervous activity, the drive back to Bon Temps proved to be just the opposite. Our walk to the car had been silent except for the sound of our shoes on the pavement, but Sookie had seemed to hold on to me a little more heavily with each step that we took.

Settling into my seat to start the drive back, I looked over at her to see her resting in her partially reclined seat with her eyes closed. "Sookie, are you alright?"

Still not opening her eyes, she murmured, "Hard to tell right now, Bill." Rolling her head to look at me, she opened her eyes. "It may take awhile for me to figure that out." The adrenaline that had been pumping through her body throughout this whole miserable evening had been replaced with bone weariness and swelling grief.

"Why don't you rest on the drive back? Would you like the radio on?"

She smiled at me, shaking her head slightly. "Thanks Bill, but I think I'll just take advantage of the quiet if you don't mind." Turning her head away from me, she closed her eyes again.

We drove in silence. Even though dawn was still hours away, her profound weariness seemed to be pulling me under as well. I might be going to rest earlier tonight than usual.

Just as I pulled onto the highway I glanced over at Sookie to find that she had fallen asleep. The dew of tears sparkled on her lashes and her brow was furrowed as if in deep concentration. Seeing her so sorrowful, even in her sleep, cut through me and made me regret not for the first time, all that my coming to her had cost her.

Against the hum of the tires on the road, I considered the events that had led me back to Bon Temps and everything that had happened since then. I wondered just how much of my failed relationship with Sookie was because I'm a Vampire with all that that entails, and how much of it was due to my failure as a man.

By their nature, Vampires are not prone to wild swings of emotion and as Vampires go, I am among the least likely to experience them. For decades, prior to the Great Revelation, I found it much easier to keep my emotions shuttered; feeling was simply too risky and forming attachments was not only difficult in pre-revelation days, but the consequences ranged from dangerous to deadly. I'd had occasion to learn that early in my return to Louisiana. The consequences of my one attempt at forming an attachment… of 'feeling'… had left a painful and indelible impression on me.

I came home to Louisiana in 1920; fifty years with Lorena had been quite enough. With so many people from my human life still alive and possibly able to recognize me, I could not return to Bon Temps. So I chose New Orleans where Vampires had thrived almost openly since the city's founding in the early 18th century. The open practice of voodoo and wide-spread interest in the occult paved the way for Vampires to be just one more shadowy ingredient in the city's rich tapestry of the weird and wonderful.

The human population was titillated by popular stories and legends of our creation and existence: being born at certain times of the year, such as a new moon or on a holy day; if a child was born with a red caul, with teeth, or with an extra nipple, these were sure signs the child was doomed to be a Vampire. I was always amused at the extent to which hair factored into Vampire mythology: infants with excess hair, white hair, or red hair faced the specter of vampirism. Red birthmarks or being born the 7th son of a 7th son damned you to becoming a Vampire.

Of course the established methods of 'detecting' Vampires worked to our advantage as well. According to legend, we could not see ourselves in mirrors and were repelled by crosses, allergic to garlic, had hairy palms, an aversion to bright lights, and could not be photographed. Because we routinely proved these legends untrue, we were able to walk among humans with little difficulty. It made feeding relatively easy, and I never wanted for the relief of a quick lay.

While I would not characterize myself as happy in my life in New Orleans, I was able to exist in relative freedom, comfort, and safety. I was settled in my life there: I had a home, a good income, and my own routines. With the exception of one brief relationship, I kept to myself, living a fairly solitary existence enjoying all forms of music, literature, and the occasional foray to one of the many jazz clubs in the city and in neighboring Storyville. I lived peacefully for quite a long time until my Queen decided that I should return to Bon Temps.

I had worked for the Queen for nearly eighty years by the time I was sent back to Bon Temps to investigate Sookie Stackhouse, and if her talents proved to be useful, to secure her for the Queen's use. I arrived in Bon Temps as a man on a mission: locate the subject, test and verify her talent, use whatever means necessary to secure her loyalty, and make sure her services were secured for the Queen. I had no consideration or feeling for the human I was sent to investigate and procure. The plan was to get in and get the job done as quickly, efficiently, and as painlessly as possible. Mission accomplished, I would be able to return to New Orleans and resume my quiet, orderly, solitary life.

I never suspected that it would be me whose existence would be forever altered for having met Sookie Stackhouse. The first night I met her, she saved my life. The next night I saved hers.

She'd risked her life for me; I'd held her in my arms, given my blood and tasted hers. I knew from that first taste that she was something more than human and very extraordinary. Confronted with the awareness of her exceptional and wonderful nature, I kept telling myself that she was just a job that I needed to finish. Finishing it, I could go back to my previous existence…back to what I understood and could control.

As I continued my mission to get close to her, I found myself coming closer to feeling human…being human…as I had in a very long time. I was intrigued by the easy grace with which she went about her mundane job, a job she did with the same enthusiasm and dedication had it been a job of greater consequence or as if she had been making much more money. Sookie seemed to love life and continued to see so much good in people even knowing their worst secrets. And because of that I found myself drawn to her warmth, her spirit, her humanity.

I had not liked these feelings. They unsettled me and made me feel exposed and vulnerable.

Despite my best efforts and knowing that it was dangerous for me, I found myself attracted to her, wanting her. So I retreated into my anger at having been ripped from my orderly life. I resisted my attraction to her by giving into that aspect of my nature that I despised: that of a cunning, deceitful Vampire. I used her, lied to her, and fucked her all the while telling myself it was to secure her for the Queen's use. I played my part well: the attentive, courteous, and courtly 'southern gentleman.' It really hadn't been too hard; I had been that once.

I soon discovered that winning Sookie's trust would hinge on winning her Grandmother Adele's trust. As any southern man can tell you, if you win the affection of the mother, or grandmother in Sookie's case, the daughter was soon behind.

After meeting her it wasn't hard to tell how Sookie had developed her acceptance of things that were different or unusual. What I may have first thought was curiosity born of naiveté in Sookie, I soon learned was genuine acceptance and a deep inquisitiveness rooted deeply in Adele and manifested in Sookie. Adele was simply the older version of Sookie: she did not fear me, she was interested in me. Like her granddaughter, she treated me with an openness and kindness that was unusual for any human, let alone one as old as she.

At our very first meeting, in the way of Southerners, Adele and I talked about our 'people.' I shared stories with her about the early days of Bon Temps and how my people and hers had known each other. Adele had been anxious to know of my involvement in the Civil War, and I had agreed to speak at her DGD meeting to impress Sookie and win her grandmother's affection and loyalty. I was a 'living' history lesson for Adele and a window into a heritage that she treasured. I already knew that Sookie would consider me kindly if I was gentle and accommodating to her grandmother.

I must have been a very good actor, because Sookie fell in love with me in spite of what she knew of me and my kind. As our relationship progressed even with all of the dramatic events of those few months, I found myself falling in love with her.

The stronger my love became, the more miserable I became, and it showed up in a growing remoteness between the two of us. I felt myself growing more distant and taciturn. The more affectionate she became the more withdrawn I became.

I knew that Sookie prized honesty and openness. I became covert.

She valued normalcy, lightheartedness and fun. I countered with isolation and foreboding as I reminded her again and again of the treachery of the Vampire world. I found myself shifting in my seat as the pain of my memories flowed over me.

Sookie stirred. I looked over at her. She was still asleep and her rapid eye movements told me that she must be dreaming. From the tense look on her face, it did not appear to be a peaceful dream.

Focusing my attention back on the road, my mind continued its journey through some of my most bitter memories.

As much as I dreaded it, Lorena's call had almost been a reprieve even though I tried to delay returning to her side for as long as I could. Vampires don't lay awake tortured by stress, dilemmas and conflict, but we feel those things in our waking hours. I had been living with oppressive guilt over falling in love with a woman who could never be mine while answering to the commands of my Queen. While I could not be sure what Lorena wanted with me, a child cannot ignore his Maker's call; a call that trumps even a Queen's command.

On our last evening together as a couple, I prepared Sookie for my leaving. I explained to her that if I did not return in a timely fashion she should safe guard my database in her home, keep it secret, and give herself into Eric's protection for safekeeping. As I spoke, I knew that my businesslike tone was hurting her and that she could not imagine why I was leaving.

Throughout it all she had kept her back to me, doing her best to keep her tears and her sense of abandonment from showing. Her stiff posture and silent nods to my requests gave proof to her pride. She would not beg me to stay. When she walked out the door, the chasm cracked open wide between us, and I knew that we were done.

Of course, Lorena's call had been to get me to Mississippi to exploit my work on the database. Rumors had gotten to Russell Edgington of my interviews with 'living' Vampires. He couldn't be sure of what I was doing, but definitely wanted to know about it. The 'interview' was left to Lorena and some of Edgington's Were guards. As I suffered at her hands throughout those long nights, I thought of little else but Sookie.

I did not pray for my rescue, I prayed that Sookie would believe that I loved her. I hoped she would someday understand that I did not truly leave her by choice. There were times when I wondered if my torture at Lorena's hands was not some exquisite punishment for the wrongs I had done to Sookie. I think I would have welcomed had that been the case.

And then she rescued me.

I thought I was dreaming when Sookie came into the stables that day. In short order she staked Lorena, freed me, and managed to get my weakened body into a waiting car…the car that would be the scene of her near draining and rape at my hands.

My mother used to tell us children that there were 'reasons' and then there were 'excuses'. Reasons simply explained why something happened. Excuses did the same, but could also provide absolution to 'excuse' the action. There are certainly reasons why Sookie was so grievously hurt that day, but none of them would excuse what I did.

And then she forgave me.

It took a little while, but Sookie forgave me for shutting her out, for leaving her, for nearly draining her and for raping her. She forgave me all of that, but ultimately could not forgive me for coming to her under false pretenses. That night at the hospital in New Orleans after she had been bitten by a newborn Vampire, Eric forced me to tell her of my original mission to Bon Temps. That was the well known 'straw' on her camel's back.

There would be no going back for us. The first woman I had loved in over eighty years was lost to me.

Absorbed in my thoughts, I almost missed the turn off to Bon Temps. Turning down Hummingbird Lane, I looked over at Sookie again: still asleep and appearing to dream more peacefully. Her full lips were slightly parted and her left hand lay palm up on the console, her fingers gently curled.

Coming to a stop at the back of her house I debated about waking her up. I would have been content just to sit there, watching her sleep and listening to her gentle breathing. The sound of her heartbeat had always soothed me as it beat a gentle rhythm in her chest.

Knowing that she would rest better in her own bed, I got out and walked around to her side of the car prepared to carry her inside. As I opened her door, she stirred and woke up looking around sleepily. "Are we home?"

"Yes, we are. You slept the whole way here." As she scrambled to put on her shoes, I asked, "Would you like me to carry you inside?"

"No, that's okay. I'm fine…just a little groggy." Stretching as she stood, she continued, "I feel sore, like I've been doing a big spring cleaning."

"The tension of the evening has probably caused every muscle you have to scream in protest." Smiling slightly, I made an observation. "Sookie you have been wound as tight as a two dollar watch." One corner of her mouth quirked upward as she gave me a faint smile.

I walked her to the door and as we stood under the porch light, she turned to look up at me. "Thanks for driving tonight. I know this wasn't any picnic for you any more than it was for me. I really appreciate you being there."

"Sookie you know I will be there for you when you need me." I was a little startled when she wordlessly stepped forward to put her arms around my waist, hugged me, and rested her head on my chest.

"Bill, we have had some hard times, you and I, but you provide a steadiness and calmness that I have really need sometimes." Her arms lingered on my waist; I raised my arms to hug her to me. I had not had this privilege in some time and it felt good as I reveled in the warmth of her body against mine.

With her head resting on my chest, she continued, "There were times tonight when I thought I was going to totally lose it, like I was daring de Castro to do something. I felt out of my mind at the prospect of losing Eric to that smug bitch. Thanks for pulling me back from the ledge."

"Sookie, I am honestly surprised that de Castro held his temper as well as he did, especially with Freyda looking on. I am actually a little curious, almost suspicious, of how patient he was with you." Holding her in my arms made me all too aware of how fragile she was and how easily she could have been punished tonight.

"There is very little Eric or I could have done to stop it had de Castro decided he had been pushed too far." Squeezing her slightly, I warned, "You need to be more guarded in your comments to the King in front of other Vampires."

Holding her in my arms, I felt the warmth of her body slowly invading mine. I buried my nose in her hair to revel in her unique personal scent. Keeping my fangs and my body under control was proving difficult.

Many nights after our return from Mississippi, I had lain in the bed in the upstairs master bedroom just inhaling the small traces of her scent and the scent of us together that pervaded the room. There were still a few of her things in my dresser drawers and like a child with a favorite blanket, I found myself holding them in my hands, letting the soft fabric soothe me. That room and the bed within had been the scene of so many wonderful memories for me; it was many months before I could enter that room without thinking of Sookie. That may have contributed to my inability to lose myself in Judith's arms.

Sookie turned her face upward to rest her chin on my chest. The movement pulled me from my reverie. She smiled slightly as she said, "I'm sure you're right. My mouth has been known to get me in trouble." Giving me a quick squeeze around my middle, she stepped back to unlock her door. "Would you like to come in for a minute?"

Her words welcomed me in, but the tone of her voice begged me to refuse. "No, I need to get home. I have a few things to do before dawn and you need to get to bed." Hoping to see her again soon, I asked, "Are you working tomorrow?"

"I still have bills to pay. So, yes, I am working four 'til close."

"I'll try to stop buy Merlotte's tomorrow night then."

Yawning so broadly that her eyes teared up, Sookie stepped inside her front door. "Wow…excuse me. I need to get to bed before I fall asleep right here in the door." Looking back at me her expression was a mixture of fatigue, sadness, and resignation. "Thanks, Bill…for everything. I'll see you tomorrow."

I waited while she turned off the porch light and the downstairs lights before mounting the stairs to her room. Feeling that she was safe at least for tonight, I returned to my car to take the short drive to my house. My own fatigue was pulling at me, and I knew I would be going to rest earlier than usual.

The next night, I went to Merlotte's about an hour before closing time. There were just a few remaining die-hards left in the restaurant when I arrived so I decided to sit at the bar and talk to Kennedy Keyes, Sam's newest bartender. A very pretty girl, Kennedy; she was a definite improvement over some he'd had in the past even if she did seem to have a bit of an edge to her.

Sookie spotted me as I took my seat at the bar. Walking over to servers' area of the bar she said, "Hey, Bill." Kennedy, I need two Dixie Drafts and a Bud Light." The strain of maintaining her smile was evident…at least to me.

Kennedy nodded her understanding and started pulling the draft beers. "Watcha' doin here, Bill?" Sookie asked.

She came to stand between my stool and the empty one next to me, leaning backward wearily with her elbows on the bar.

"I thought I would come by to see you home. Do you recall that I mentioned it last night?"

"Oh, that's right." Sookie stifled a yawn behind her hand. "I forgot."

"You only have another forty five minutes. I'll just wait at the bar until you are off and then I'll follow you home."

I had gone to rest at dawn with a feeling of vague apprehension and had awoken this night with the same feeling. I could not trace its exact source but it seemed to stem from that conference room in Shreveport. There were several things about that meeting that I could not reconcile in my mind.

"Really Bill, you didn't have to come. She sounded exhausted; even her pony tail looked limp. "I know you've got stuff you need to do."

Kennedy put Sookie's beer order on her tray and called, "Order up, Sookie."

Sookie pushed off from the bar, grabbed her tray and headed out to the table to deliver her order. Kennedy took my order for a Tru Blood and it was warming in the microwave, as I watched Sookie move from table talking to the few customers who were left. Her trademark smile never left her face as she dealt with each table. Finally, about 11:45 the last customer left and she started her closing routine.

Watching her begin to put the chairs on the tabletops, I left the last of my blood on the counter. I knew that Terry Bellefleur would be in soon to start cleaning the floors.

"Bill! What are you doing?" Sookie turned around to see me putting chairs on tabletops. I was cheating a little as I worked at what she called 'vamp speed.'

"I'm helping you finish so that you can get home." She looked absolutely shocked at my words. "You look nearly dead on your feet."

She grinned. "Uh, Bill…it's you who's 'dead on his feet.' You sure you should be doing that?" Her voice lilted upward into a laugh.

I found myself grinning back at her. "Be that as it may, this 'dead man' is moving faster than you. If you have something else you need to do, go do it. I'll finish this."

Her cheeky grin changed to a grateful smile. "Thanks, Bill. I've got to run through my prep for tomorrow. It won't take long." Coming over to me, she braced herself on my shoulders and reached up to kiss my cheek.

Her warm kiss reached to a place deep inside me feeding my love for her. As badly as I had wanted to take her in my arms and deepen the kiss, I was determined to be patient. I wanted Sookie to come to me…I wanted her to choose me.

Sookie moved ahead of me snatching up ketchup bottles, salt and pepper shakers and napkin holders to take to the back. About ten minutes later, I was sitting at the bar finishing my blood when she signaled that she was going out the back door to her car. I paid Kennedy, thanked her and headed out to follow Sookie home.

Arriving right behind her, I pulled in next to her. Meeting her at her car door, she smiled sleepily as she said, "It's a good thing I live just a little bit away from work. I almost fell asleep." She took the hand I offered her to help her out of the car.

Tucking her hand into the crook of my arm, we walked to her door where she fumbled with her keys trying to open the lock. "You need to get to bed." I said, taking her keys from her hand. "You seem especially tired tonight."

"I'm pooped, Bill. Between last night and work today…" She sighed as her words trailed off. It seemed that the stress and emotional toll of last night's events in Shreveport coupled with a full work day today had taken their toll.

"When are you off again?" I was hoping it would be soon so that she could get some rest.

"Not until Tuesday. Tomorrow is noon 'til 6 and then four 'til close on Monday. I am off Tuesday and Wednesday."

"Okay then. I will come to see you home on Monday." My need to escort her home was based on more than just my desire to be with her.

"Bill, you're sweet to be looking after me like this, but it really isn't necessary."

"Sookie, remember that King de Castro has asked me to look after you." I wanted her to know that her safety and well being are not only my concern, but the concern of my King as well. "It is not just my desire to do this, it is his command."

Sookie grunted a weary "Hmpf." She was still unwilling to accept her own importance to me or to my King. "Why would de Castro give two hoots in a whirlwind about my getting home safely? What exactly does he think is going to happen and why would he tie up you trailin' around after me?"

She asked some excellent questions for which I had no solid answer. Until I could figure out why I felt such apprehension about her dealings with de Castro, I was not going to speculate out loud to Sookie. I would just try to be with her as much as possible until that apprehension proved unfounded or its source was dealt with.

"You are an asset of de Castro's kingdom. He guard's his assets." It was a truthful answer.

Sookie issued another annoyed 'hmpf' before saying, "I am getting really tired of being 'the telepath' and' the asset.' I am Sookie, with my own life and my own agenda. I wish I'd never signed that stupid contract."

Her fatigue amplified her anger. It was time to bring an end to this conversation before a full scale fit of temper erupted.

"I understand. Sookie, you are tired and you need to get some sleep; it's been two hard nights for you." Her narrowed eyes told me that she knew I was 'handling' her.

"Is that my cue to 'shut up and deal,' Bill?" Frustration and defiance rippled across her face.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

She pinned me with a glare. As she opened her mouth to argue I interrupted her. "Sookie, you are worn out. Now is not the time to get into this. Just let me look after you for the next two nights and then we can talk more about it on Tuesday evening when you are free."

Sighing irritably she said, "Okay. You're right, but I am not happy about this. I don't like the feeling of being watched and babysat."

I wanted to sigh with relief, but knew if I did she would wind back up again. "I'll just phone you tomorrow evening after I rise, and then I'll be at Merlotte's before close on Monday. Will that be alright?"

Reluctantly she again replied, "Okay, but I'll say it again: I. Am. Not. Happy."

Leaning down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek, all I could say was, "I know. Sleep well and I'll talk to you tomorrow night."

I made sure that she got inside her house safely before heading to my car. As I drove home, I thought about the contract between Sookie and King de Castro. While the King's explanation for it made sense, contracts between Vampires and humans for individual services of this type were rare. The King hadn't had to offer a contract, but he did. He'd gone to a great deal of trouble to get her to sign it and even more trouble with Sookie's contrary behavior to get her to agree to a financial settlement from Eric. The fact that he'd allowed Sookie to act so rebelliously in front of Freyda had made me wary of his motives.

I continued to mull over the events of recent weeks and especially those of last night in Shreveport. As I went to rest, I decided I would need to be on my guard on my next trip to Las Vegas to see what, if anything I could find out. Something just didn't feel right.