Her Happiness
Thanks you all for your reviews, favorites and alerts. I apologize for not posting for a couple of days but I had to do some work at work and around the old homestead. I will do my best to post daily. Anyway, you all are appreciated.
"The reason for this conference call is that your queen needs you all here in New Orleans tonight. Make sure that you're here before the dawn." Bill looked at the clock on the wall and added, "You all have an ample amount of time to make it here for a one on one sit down with your new queen. It is only an hour past dusk."
"Excuse me for speaking out of turn but I thought that she was to meet with Peter Threadgill tonight? We weren't expected until a few days later but a very good move on your part, Bill in calling this meeting sooner than later. I've always thought it a little odd that we wouldn't be there when she met her vampire husband for the first time …alone. I don't trust Threadgill. I never quite trusted Sophie Ann but he's worse than she was. He rubs me the wrong way," Arla Yvonne stated.
"I feel as you do," Bill stated. "But it was Sophie Ann's last order to her child; to marry him. You all are expected this night because Threadgill had some business that came up that he needed to take care of. So it's been decided that this night would be used so that she will have the chance to meet with each of you. She needs to be sure that you all will stand with her."
"And this is Sophie Ann's last surviving child? Is she anything like her maker?" Cleo Babbitt asked. "Since we've all met Sophie Ann and if they are anything alike, there is no need in meeting her. We'll know to fall in line and do as ordered. We all know too well what it means to cross Sophie Ann." Every vampire in the state knew what would happen if Sophie Ann was crossed in any way.
"From what I've heard, she's practically a human. She looks human. She acts human. She doesn't associate with her own kind." Gervais then grunted, "If she's not proud of what she is, how could Sophie Ann even think to make her the queen? I don't even remember her being present when her maker was named as the queen of Louisiana."
Bill spoke as coldly as any of them had ever heard him. "Neither of you know her or know what she's been through with her maker. She doesn't have to prove herself by surrounding herself with her kind. Her name is not Sophie Ann. You do not know what is expected of you until she tells you. You will respect her as you would any other vampire royalty or you will be punished."
"What are you, Bill …her second?" Gervais asked snidely.
"No. I'm her friend. Make your position known and confirm that you will be attending," Bill stated angrily.
"Sheriff of Area 2 will be in attendance," Arla Yvonne stated.
"Sheriff of Area 3 will be in attendance," Cleo repeated.
"Sheriff of Area 4 will be in attendance," Gervais stated.
Then there was silence.
"Area 5, did you not hear the order that was given to you by your queen?"
"He'll be there," his lieutenant stated.
"Where is he, Pam?"
With a smug sound, Pam said, "He had to step out for a minute. Diantha is here to see him to discuss his last visit at the royal residence but he'll be there. Sheriff of Area 5 will be in attendance. Is that better, Bill?"
"Now, because you've all wasted time, you're down fifteen minutes that you could have used to prepare for your trip to meet with your new queen. You all will be here before the dawn. There will be no exceptions and no excuses." Bill spoke with authority and he handed down the order without pause. He hung up the phone without giving any of them a chance to speak anymore. Just as he hung up the phone, Sookie came into his office.
"Good evening, Bill." Sookie was as fresh faced and as beautiful as ever.
Bill was instantly kneeled before Sookie. Her hand was in his and his forehead lightly touched it. "Good evening, my queen. I went to your room upon rising but you weren't there. You must get up early. I've always heard that older vampires can do that. Anyway, Mr. Threadgill won't be able to make it this night. His second, Jennifer Cater, called to say that unfortunately, he has some other business that he needed to take care of."
"What's a second?"
"A second is the royal's most trusted, my queen. They take care of appointments and such for their king or queen. They are there when they are needed. Everything else in their existence plays a close second."
"Hmmm," Sookie said. "Bill, we need to get something straight. You will only bow to me when there are others around us and you only have to call me queen when it's necessary …like when there are others around us. When we are at home, you don't have to call me queen, okay? You can call me Sookie as you've always done."
He didn't hear any of the other stuff. Bill only heard 'when we are at home'. He had to know if it was a slip of the tongue. "Home?" he asked.
"Yes, home. My second can't live in another place. I need you by my side. I trust you. I know for a fact that you're a great fighter and I know that you will stand with me. You will be my second won't you?"
Bowing her to her once more, he said, "Yes, my queen. I would be more than honored. Thank you."
She sighed and shook her head. "And I want to add that it is quite unfortunate that I can't meet Peter tonight. I think I'll go into my bedroom and shove tacks down into the beds of my fingernails. I will not eat until I meet my future husband. I will protest until he makes his presence known to me." She bit her knuckles and winced as she fell back onto the leather couch in Bill's office.
"Your sense of humor is priceless." He meant it; though he didn't smile.
She rolled her head over to the right and looked at Bill. "So, I have a free night? I've been here for three weeks and this is my second free night all to myself."
Bill shook his head.
"No free night?" she asked.
"You have to meet your underlings. It was going to be set a couple of nights after the meeting with Threadgill but since he can't make it, I've ordered them all to be here to meet with you tonight. They barked about it being done on such short notice but they will be here. I think that it's quite imperative that they meet with you before you meet Threadgill. You need to meet with these vampires as soon as possible. You will also meet with the leaders of other supes that reside in the state. If you all work together, they will come in handy if you ever need their assistance. They will be here tomorrow night."
"Why so soon?" Sookie asked. "As queen, I think that I deserve a break."
"In time," he replied. "As queen, there is a lot that you need to know. You have dominion over the vampires in the great state of Louisiana. It's important that you know of your subjects. That means the everyday vamps to the sheriffs and lieutenants. Let me ask you a question, my queen?" He leaned forward on his elbows and looked at Sookie. "How many vampires had you met when you moved to Bon Temps?"
"One," she said.
"Me, right?"
"Yes," she said.
"Why is that?"
"I didn't know that I had to report to anyone when I moved to Bon Temps." Sophie Ann told her that she could live anywhere in Louisiana and she didn't need to check in with the sheriff as the others had to. She said that she had told the sheriff and his lieutenant that Sookie was not to be bothered and no one was to go near her home. And they all obeyed Sophie Ann's orders. That was a perk to being the child of the queen. No one bothered her.
Bill soon back pedaled. "You didn't. I'm just saying that you never made yourself accessible to others of our kind. You wanted to be left alone and that is what you got. You can't have it that way anymore Sookie. You can't be alone anymore."
"Bill, vampires can't tell that I'm a vampire. I don't glow the way that you all do. You know that. I look human. I'm warm to the touch. My skin is tanned. I always smell of summertime and sunshine. I'm different and they don't know how to take me. They fear me for no reason. Do you remember your first reaction to me? You wanted nothing to do with me. You thought that I was human until you saw my fangs."
"That's not why they don't want to be around but they all are very good reasons. The reason they don't approach you is because you don't make yourself available to our kind. You don't make yourself available to anyone but those you choose to be around. You think that we're all like Sophie Ann. They think that you're like Sophie Ann."
Sookie thought of what Bill had said and she understood what he meant but instead of telling him that, she hunched her shoulders and asked, "What's your point?"
"My point is that you need to get out there! Meet your vampires. Meet your humans. Meet the other supes in your state other than the ones in Alcide's pack. You're a queen. Do you even know that there are over four hundred vampires that owe you fealty?"
"No," she said nonchalantly.
Bill couldn't believe her reaction. "You are too much, Sookie." He could only stare at her because he could think of nothing else to say on that particular subject so he moved on to. "Okay, now on to something else that's just as important. Let me ask you …do you have a last name? You need to have a last name. Queen Sookie just doesn't have that certain oomph to it."
Sookie had never really thought about her last name. Her family name was Christensen but she dropped it so that she could keep her family protected. Even though she'd never met them, she needed to keep her brothers' sons and daughters protected. Anyone could try and use them against her. She could have used the family name of Stackhouse but she didn't want to put them in any danger. There were a couple of Stackhouses remaining in Bon Temps but she'd never met them. Using Sophie Ann's last name was definitely out of the question. When she thought about it, she didn't have a last name to use. She was just Sookie.
"I don't have one," she finally answered.
Bill went over to the couch and sat beside of her. He stared at her for a minute. "I have a suggestion. You can shoot it down if you'd like but hear me out. I have the perfect last name for you. You could use your would've been husband's last name. You can honor him in that way. You could carry on the name of Northman; Queen Sookie Northman of Louisiana."
Sookie smiled broadly. "You think so?" She repeated the full name aloud. "Sookie Northman, the queen of Louisiana. It does have a certain ring to it, huh?"
"Yes it does, my queen."
Sookie giggled.
It gave Bill total and complete joy to see her so happy. He couldn't help but think that the look that she had on her face at that exact moment was the same look that she had on her face when Eric first met her. He couldn't help but know that her eyes and her smile were what he fell hopelessly and helplessly in love with because at that exact moment, Bill fell in love with her all over again. To know that her eternal happiness was just around the corner was all that mattered to him.
"When I contact Vista Print, should I have the invitations read Sookie Northman?"
Biting her bottom lip and smiling at that same time she said, "Yes. They should read Sookie Northman. Be sure to have the company print invitations that will also show that you will be announced as my second as well." Just like the eternal teenager she would always be, she jumped up and down and giggled. "You're the best, Bill."
"I can't understand why it took you so long to see that." Both of the old friends began to laugh. "Now, you go and get dressed in your finest; which I've already picked out. Your subjects will be arriving within the next couple of hours."
Sookie jerked Bill up from the couch and hugged and kissed him. "I do love you, Bill. You're my friend. Thank you so much. You've made me so happy." She kissed him on last time and walked to the door. As she was leaving, she repeated her new last name over and over again.
When she was gone, Bill fell back onto the couch and let bloody tears fall from his eyes. She finally said that she loved him. Even if it was only as a friend, she finally said that she loved him. Tonight the only thing that matter was her happiness and he was going to make sure that her dreams came true. Just as he stood up from the couch, there was a knock at his office door. "Come in," he called out as he sat behind his desk.
"William, I see that you are waiting for me," Mr. Cataliades replied.
Pointing to the seat in front of his desk, he said, "I'm so glad that you made it. Do you have everything?"
Placing his briefcase on his desk, Mr. Cataliades smiled. "I have everything."
Both the daemon and the vampire smiled at one another. They were both going to make sure that Sookie got the happiness that she'd waited for over a thousand years to have.
A/N: I hope that you enjoyed.
Oh, I'm making Bill a better vampire than he was in the books and on the TV show. Sookie deserved more than what she got from him on either. I wanted to give Bill a better personality and not make him so cold and heartless when it came to Sookie. I wanted him to love her for real for once w/o any hidden agendas on his part.