10. Niall's Plan
As October moved into November, the news about Steve Newlin's pending trial in January swamped the news networks. He had hired the best legal team money could buy. They had advised him to shave his beard, cut his hair and dress like a business man. Despite their best efforts to get Newlin out on bond, he was stuck in jail until the trial was over. His spokesmen were all over TV trying to paint the fanatic in the best light possible. They were able to convince quite a few people.
"It was all a mistake! Steve Newlin never killed anybody, and he never ordered anyone killed either." his hired guns ranted. Newlin himself gave several interviews to major broadcast networks; he came off as a meek, if slightly eccentric, minister who preached only tolerance and love for all God's creatures. Newlin had been naturally blessed with the gift of charisma, yet was able to seem like the neighbor next door at the same time. His ability to get weak minded people to trust him is what got many to follow his crazy ideas in the first place.
Newlin claimed he was being framed by the feds because he chose to live areligious life separate from the public. He had many people convinced that the federal government was behind all the bombings, killings and other act of violence, at least here in the U.S. There were no more acts of terrorism during this period and Newlin claimed that just proved his point.
Prosecution witnesses to his murderous conspiracy started disappearing or changing their stories. Newlin's lieutenants began a quiet campaign of threats, extortion and blackmail to get witnesses to change their testimony. Some of them claimed to be "born again" and wanted to repent of their sinful ways. They claimed that they had lied about Steve Newlin and wanted to correct the record.
By Thanksgiving, the government's case against the fanatic seemed to be falling apart. In early December, his attorneys got the judge to stay the trial for six months while the defense looked for supposedly favorable witnesses, but they still couldn't get Newlin out of jail. The American public was angry and fed up about the weakness of the Justice System and complained loudly in editorials and on the public was afraid that Newlin would beat the rap and be out again soon.
No one wanted to own up to the fact that they had once been part of the Fellowship of The Sun because of the public anger. Threats were made against FoTS members. Steve Newlin's lieutenants went underground again to rebuild his organization and plot anew. They were smart enough not to cause any trouble while Newlin was in jail.
Back in Bon Temps, after he met Delaney, Bill made it a point to get to know the big fae man much better. He no longer had the usual vampire reaction to fairies: Fairy pheromones drove vampires mad. If a vampire ever managed to catch a fairy, they were consumed by an irresistible need to bite them drain their blood completely; fairy blood was irresistible to vampires.
Delaney's fairy smell did not entice Bill any more than anyone else. Delaney felt very comfortable with Bill too; they both knew that was because Bill's own fae genes were much stronger since he mated with Carolyn. The two men had much in common and liked each other. Delaney Brigant became one of Bill's first fae clients. He bought the most expensive security package Compton Security Systems offered; it had all the bells and whistles. Claude, Sookie's other fae cousin, bought a security system too.
On Christmas Eve, Ramona and Delaney were married. Ramona looked beautiful in a light blue dress that highlighted her blue eyes. She didn't look like she was eight weeks pregnant and carrying Delaney's son. With her jet black hair and creamy, light complexion, Ramona looked like a woman in her mid thirties. She was radiant as any bride could be.
Delaney was gorgeous too. The butterscotch blonde who stood 6'2'' towered over his petite bride who was 5' in her stocking feet. The contrast in their coloring and height made a striking picture. They were all the more attractive because of their obvious love for each other. Carolyn and Mel both served as Matrons of Honor, Claude served as his cousin's Best Man. Bill gave his mother-in-law the, bride, away.
The wedding was a large affair held at an exclusive club in Shreveport. All of Ramona's family were there including many distant cousins. Although Niall did not attend, Claude and Sookie, who were Delaney's family too, sat with Eric, JJ, Justin, Antoinette and Uncle Jake. The older children: Bradley II, Jake Jr., Robbie, Mae and Max sat together at a table close to the dais.
By now, the whole family accepted the two teenage vamps as part of their clan. Mae and Max got a chance to meet their young adopted cousins and found that they had many common interests, especially rap music, video games, comic books and sports. Bradley and Uncle Jake's twins talked about school and Mae and Max were envious Never the best of students, the two of them never thought they would miss school. Will and Maggie, along with Sammy and some other guests babies, were being tended carefully in the hall's family room by supe maids.
Amy Ludwig, many of Delaney's human and fae friends and business associates including a large contingent of Louisiana's social elite attended the festivities. Ramona could not have cared less about the guests, she only had eyes for her bridegroom. After the ceremony, the bridal couple danced and made the rounds from table to table as usual. Then Ramona,, Carolyn and Mel went into the Ladies Room; the girls wanted to help their mother change into the clothing she would wear on Delaney's private jet. He owned a villa on the beach in the Bahamas and they were planning to spend their honeymoon there.
While the women were occupied, Bill was dancing with a human woman who happened to be the wife of one his supe clients. He was enjoying himself and laughing at a joke the older woman told. He could see, Delaney, Claude and Amy sitting at a table in the corner of the room. It looked like they were having very serious conversation. The three looked over at him and Delaney beckoned him. His dance partner saw it too, and Bill excused himself. As he walked over, he could feel anger, anxiety and fear rolling like waves from the fae men and the human/Mhair fae doctor. He knew something bad was up.
"What's going on? Is everything all right?" Bill asked. Delaney and Amy looked miserable and guilty; Claude just looked angry. Within minutes, the three told Bill about Niall's plans for Bill to lead an army of human/fae children to fight older fae during some future war. "Even though he is our prince, he has not ruled well. He has created many enemies because of his schemes and manipulations. Many of us are tired of his wars and fighting." Delaney said.
Claude continued the story. "Grandfather is right about one thing. Faery is dying and his old enemies will fight to prevent the dilution of our blood lines with human mates. They think humans are an unworthy species. They have not found out what gradfather is doing yet because most of them never leave our world. A war will eventually come, but grandfather won't be able to raise a large enough full-blooded fae army this time. So he is trying to create his own human/fae army; an army that would be loyal only to him." Both Claude and Delaney spoke of many other fae males and females who had been matched to humans by Niall. Many human/fae children had already been born from these unions.
"I'm sorry Bill; I should have told you the night Niall appeared at your party." Amy guiltily said. "But he is my prince, and I was afraid. I'm still afraid, but I don't want my children and grandchildren to be cannon fodder for that evil old man!" She shivered with loathing and fear as she said it.
Delaney told Bill that his grandfather had ordered him to seduce Ramona and to get her with child because of her ancient genes. He thought their children would be especially strong and would be leaders in his future army. Bill's mind reeled at what the three told him. He was so furious he could barely contain his rage.
Bill acknowledged that he owed Niall Brigant a debt; one that he could probably never repay. Niall helped him save Sookie from certain death at the hands of Neave and Lochlan and later fought side by side with them to defeat Breandan's savage fairy warriors. Niall and his warriors helped the rebels during the vamp war. They recently killed members of Steve Newlin's cult on Niall's orders. But the price the old fae prince expected Bill to pay in return for his debt was too high.
"I will never let him have my children!" Bill vowed. The thought of his children and other human/fae children fighting and possibly dying to fulfill Niall's evil schemes angered him more than anything in his life. He had never particularly liked the manipulative, arrogant fairy prince, but at this moment Bill hated him with a deep passion.
Claude confirmed that for most fae, unless they were already mated, the possibility of having children with another full-blooded fae was almost non-existent due to the decreasing fertility rate in fae women. Even many mated fae couples were childless. Niall schemed to overcome the decreasing birth rate, but he had not counted on the power of love. Niall did not expect that the fae would ever grow to love their human mates and their half human children as most of them did. Claude said that he and his male partner wanted a child, but that he refused to use a surrogate to pass on his genes because of his grandfather's plans. That made Niall very angry with him.
Bill wondered if they could use that hatred to their advantage. Then he asked, "Does Ramona know about this?"
"No. She doesn't even know that I am fae unless one of you told her. I didn't want to do what grandfather ordered. I didn't intend to fall in love with Ramona, but I did. I wasn't supposed to love my half human son, but I do. Niall doesn't care about the human/fae children; they are just grist for his mill. Well, I am not going to lose Ramona or sacrifice my son so my grandfather can create an his army to fight his old enemies! They won't stand a chance against full-blooded fae warriors; even if you lead them, Bill. I know my grandfather well, and I think he has something else up his sleeve. I don't know what it is, but I am going to find out." Delaney said fiercely.
Bill said. "As far as I know, no one said anything about what you are. We all felt it was up to you to tell her that. Furthermore, I don't intend to sacrifice my wife or my children either, Delaney. I know Eric feels the same way. We have to find a way to defeat that evil old man."
He continued, "You must tell Ramona everything tonight. Don't let her find out from someone else. Don't make the same mistake I did." He had started to like and respect the older fae male, now he pitied him. He was surprised that he wasn't angry with him, but just a few short years ago, he had been in a similar position with Sookie. He knew from experience what it was like to be ordered by your regent to seduce a human woman. He also remembered the disastrous results. He didn't want either Ramona or Delaney to go through that.
"I am afraid Ramona won't understand, and she'll leave me." Delaney replied. He was devastated by the thought. His eyes were haunted with guilt.
"She loves you and she's stronger than you think, Delaney. You must give her a chance to make up her own mind. If you are the kind of man I think you are, you will tell her tonight." Bill said. At that moment, Ramona came through the door into the ballroom with a happy smile on her face. She kissed Delaney and said she was ready to leave. Before Delaney left, Bill shook his hand and whispered to him, "Look, I hope you understand, but I must tell Carolyn, Sookie and Eric what you have told me." The two fae male and Amy Ludwig nodded in understanding.
A few minutes later, Bill asked Sookie and Eric, Justin, Mel, to join him and Carolyn in the family room and locked the door. All the children in the room were sleeping. Bill explained everything the fae said to them. The human women went white with fright; the other vampires just wanted to kill Niall on sight. Sookie admitted there were times when she thought there was something not quite right about Niall. Now she wanted to kill her great grandfather too. The six of them started to plan.
Around four in the morning, Carolyn and Bill were in their bedroom making love when they heard the sound of loud banging on the front door. When they turned the living room lights on, Carolyn could see her mother standing there still dressed in her traveling clothes. She had a suitcase with her and she was crying.
"How could I have ever trusted that fairy bastard!" She sobbed as she told them what Delaney told her. "I never want to see him again!" she vowed as tears ran down her face. She felt betrayed, and she felt like she was being ripped apart. Carolyn took her mother upstairs and put her to bed. She stayed with her until she fell asleep.
In December, Sookie's divorce was final and she and Eric wed on New Years Eve. It was a small wedding at the Stackhouse home. Pam stood up for her maker. Carolyn was Sookie's Matron of Honor. Sookie and Eric never looked happier than they did that night. Mr. and Mrs Eric Northman spent two weeks in London and Paris for their honeymoon while Carolyn and Bill watched Sammy.
When they returned, the three pregnant women, Carolyn, Sookie and Ramona spent a lot of time together; they tried to get their appointments with Amy schedule back to back. Carolyn and Sookie felt confident and happy, but Ramona had some concerns because of her age. Dr. Ludwig assured her she was doing fine, and her pregnancy would be normal as long as she took her vitamins and took care of herself. Her child would be born in a normal thirty eight weeks. Bill and Eric gave their wives small daily doses of blood to ensure their health and the health of their babies. Carolyn and Sookie both craved rare or raw meat, and ate very few vegetables. Amy said that was normal too.
Over the next few weeks, Delaney tried to talk to Ramona, but she would not speak to him. Carolyn and Bill tried to get her to meet with her new husband, but she refused. She was miserable and moved around the Compton house like a lost soul for weeks. One day, Sookie took Ramona out to lunch. In the last year and a half, she had gotten close to Ramona, she felt almost like another daughter to Carolyn's mother, so she talked to her from the heart. She talked to her in a way that her own daughters couldn't.
"Do you love him, Ramona? Do you think he loves you?" Sookie asked.
"Yes, but how can I trust him. He betrayed me." the older woman replied. Those words sounded so familiar to Sookie.
"Does it really matter why he met you? He loves you now, and you love him. Anyone can see that. Isn't that all that really counts? Let's face it, Ramona; you are still a beautiful woman, but you are almost fifty years old and pregnant. Do you think there's another man out there who will want another man's baby now? Do you think there is another man out there who will love you more than Delaney? If so, go and God Bless. If not, don't let false pride get in the way of your happiness. I almost did it twice, and it almost killed me. Don't make the same mistake." Sookie said flatly as she told Ramona her story.
Ramona did not know all the details of Sookie's history with either Bill or Eric. She listened intently to the blonde telepath. Her story struck a nerve. That evening after five, she drove over to her house. Delaney was in the bedroom packing his things; he had a pile of underwear in his hands and was ready to place it inside a large suitcase; the suitcase they had planned to use on their honeymoon. Delaney had given up hope of Ramona ever returning, and he was in such emotional pain. She walked up to her husband, took the clothing out of his hand and put it back into his dresser drawer.
"I love you, Delaney; please don't go. I want to come home!" she was crying as she held out her hand to him. The big fairy male was crying himself as he picked up the tiny woman who controlled his heart. "I'll never leave you, Ramona. I love you." He laid her down on the bed, and the newlyweds were busy for quite a long time.
The next morning, Ramona radiated happiness as she stopped by Carolyn's. She said that she and Delaney were leaving later that day. They were going to the Bahamas for their own honeymoon. She wasn't sure when they would be back. Carolyn couldn't be happier for her mother. Later that day, she told Sookie. "I don't know what you said to her yesterday, but it worked. Sookie smiled happily herself. She had known from reading Ramona's mind that her talk was effective.
The two of them were sitting in the Sookie's living room watching the twins and Sammy play. All three of the children were weaned from the breast by now. Carolyn was glad, both Will and Maggie were teething and both had grown two tiny fangs. Carolyn had to constantly replace the nipples on their plastic bottles; the two half vamp children shredded the things to pieces.
Sammy was a year old now and walking quite well. He was a curious child who got into everything. He squealed in delight as his little legs pumped up and down when he plodded heavily from room to room. He was a happy baby and Carolyn had rarely seen him cry even when teething. Sookie said she was being run ragged chasing him.
At ten months, Will was much bigger than Sammy. His vampire nature helped his coordination and he was waling too. But the little half vamp he was not quite as sure on his feet as the little half shifter. Still he managed to get around. Both boys were trying to talk. Maggie crawled, but she hadn't tried to walk or talk yet. Walking or talking just wasn't her thing. Maggie was a beautiful happy child, but she didn't like to expend too much energy. She didn't have to.
Carolyn had already felt the beginnings of her first born daughter's psychic gift. It delighted her. Maggie was going to be a strong telepath with telekinetic abilities. Carolyn often spoke to her with her mind; Maggie understood every word she said. As the two women sat there, a baby bottle filled with juice flew off the coffee table into Maggie's little hands; her delighted squeal tickled Carolyn and Sookie. Then the dark haired beauty began to suck away contentedly.
Both Ramona and Bill had seen this happen at home a few times. Bill was delighted with his little princess, but fear of the old Delong Curse fear caught Ramona. She remembered how hard it had been for her sister Maggie when she was little, and she mentioned it to Carolyn. "Its okay, Mom. I want her to develop her gift and not be afraid. Just let her be."
One night in January, Carolyn sat on the sofa beside Bill and rubbed her pregnant belly. She told them both a piece of news that shocked her mother. "This little one is going to be a telepath too. I already feel her mind." Bill was happy about that as he got down on the floor to play with Will and Maggie. Carolyn was too big to get up and down easily now.
Playtime was a ritual Bill performed for an hour each night before he went to work. He rolled on the floor, tickled and rough-housed a little with Will to his son's delighted laugher. Sometimes he would toss Will slightly up into the air and catch him as he came down. Will loved this and giggled hard as he lay on his father's chest afterward. Carolyn's heart caught in her chest every time she saw Bill toss Will in the air. "Don't be so rough, Bill." she would caution. 'He's half vampire, Carolyn, and I would never hurt him." Bill said as their son always begged for more.
With Maggie, Bill was much more careful. He tickled and played with the delicate little girl, but he never rough-housed with her. When he was done, she liked to lay on his chest too. Bill tried to encourage her to walk, but Maggie was stubborn; no walking for her, at least not yet.
Before he left for work, Bill held both babies in his arms and sang and old lullaby to them as the drifted off to sleep. Bill had a rich, deep voice that always soothed his children even after an exciting day. Both children adored their father, and seeing her vampire play with them was always the part of day that Carolyn loved the best.
One March 8th, exactly one year to the day after the twins were born, and after six hours of labor, Carolyn gave birth to Ramona Sarah Compton. The long, little blonde baby girl looked exactly like her mother. She didn't have little fangs like Will or Maggie. Again Bill performed the bonding ritual with his second daughter and cleaned her with his tongue. Amy nudged everyone out of the bedroom as Bill cleaned Carolyn the vampire way once more. He then gave her some of his blood bonding the two of them even more tightly together.
Later that night, as Carolyn nursed Mona, Bill sat with is arms around them both; Bill was thrilled that his daughter looked so much like her mother. Mona's little green eyes looked directly at them both. Carolyn felt her baby's innocent mind inside hers. She felt the strong psychic bond between mother, father and daughter. She felt good because she knew Mona felt secure and loved. Through their shared bond, Bill felt the same thing; it would never ceased to amaze him. He was even more determined to save his three children from Niall Brigant's sinister plans.
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