A/N: Y'all are really bloodthirsty, ya know? I hope this meets with your need for a bit of Bill-bashing. I really think he's more inept than evil, but he still deserves some punishment!
Disclaimer: If it was mine, I wouldn't be a poor graduate student.
Duplicity n deliberate deceptiveness in behaviour or speech
Eric gently pushed me off his lap and was instantly on top of Bill, holding him by the throat against the door. "Compton, you have just signed your own death warrant. I have been waiting for this for a very long time and am most definitely going to enjoy it. You will suffer more than you ever thought possible and you will beg for me to end it, but I will not. I can torture you for months before you begin to go insane from the pain and lack of blood. Then I will let you recover and begin again." The scary thing was, Eric was in perfect control during this, remaining calm and speaking in a slow, careful cadence, albeit through glistening fangs. "Not only have you once again gone behind my back in one of your schemes, but you could have seriously injured my bonded. As it is, you have insulted her greatly tonight. So much for your great love. You do not know that emotion. And you have now lost the opportunity to ever learn it."
I stupidly, but bravely, stepped in. Laying a hand on Eric's forearm, I spoke up. "Eric, let him down for a second, ok? I want to know why. I think I deserve that much."
Eric never looked at me, but pulled Bill away from the door and placed him on the sofa, without letting go of his throat.
"Eric, you're going to have to let him go so he can talk." He shifted his hand to Bill's shoulder, and I could hear his collarbone protest against the tight grip.
"Ok, Bill, I'm only going to ask once before I let Eric do whatever he wants to you. I forgave you for only being interested in me because you were ordered to, even forgave you taking my virginity when you didn't love me. I forgave you for raping and nearly draining me in that trunk." He looked worriedly at Eric. "Oh, don't worry, Eric already knows about all of that. See, he actually knows me. You never really did, especially if you thought that you could make me run back to you after everything you did. So, spill!" I commanded.
Bill cringed at the force of my anger, since I was raging hot to Eric's icy cold. "I was just supposed to make sure you felt like leaving Louisiana. Russell claims I 'owe' him for not letting Lorena stake me on sight, and he has long desired to have you work for him. Once Russell learned about Eric's attempts to free you from obligation to Felipe, it was the perfect time to strike. He actually induced Felipe to accept Eric's proposal and helped work out how to get Barry away from Stan, figuring that if you were free from your responsibilities here and I could convince you Eric was up to no good, you would be more inclined to leave. Russell suggested that Stan turn to you as a plausible offer of replacement, since thought he could convince Stan to give you up or share you, which is how I was aware of the request for you to move to Texas. Russell just knew he needed to get you away from Eric, so that was my objective. You were mine, before, and then Eric stole you by dazzling you with his charm. I thought I could have you again if I showed you that Eric was going to abandon you when it suited him, but I was loyal and would take care of you. Then you would trust me and obey my telling you to go to Texas." Eric was snarling throughout this speech, and I could tell he was rapidly losing his composure.
Once again, I was reduced to property in Mr. Compton's mind. For a half second, I was really tempted to let Eric go at him, but then sanity returned, or at least my last dregs of compassion. "You know what, Bill? You're not even worth it. All you can do is follow the orders of someone above you. You claim to care about me and all that, but the instant somebody with more power tells you to do something regarding me, you can't even think to just tell me about it. You're spineless, Bill, and for all your 'mainstreaming', Eric and Pam are twice as human as you, since they can actually be said to have friends and treat them right. And you honestly thought I'd just leap into your arms? When have you ever been able to order me to do anything?" I was disgusted that it had taken me so long to see through him. And angry at both him and Russell for trying to move me around like I didn't have a mind of my own. "And you thought a spell would be the right way to 'convince' me that Eric was going to hurt me? Just who did you get to perform it, anyway?"
As soon as I said it, both Bill and Eric shook their heads.
Bill was spluttering, "Spell? What spell? Sookie, I didn't do any spell."
"No, I said before, the spell does not fit with Compton's methods. We are missing something." Eric seemed to have gotten past his protective, possessive instincts, at least to the point where he wasn't going to tear Bill's head off right away, in favour of this new mystery. Did that mean someone else was after me, too? I really couldn't deal with this right now.
Pam spoke up from where she was sitting daintily on the edge of Eric's desk. Since the bar wasn't open tonight, she was dressed in her typical pastels, wearing a lovely lavender cashmere sweater top and cream trousers that looked stunning but entirely out of context, especially with the predatory gleam in her eyes, not to mention the extended fangs. "Master, I think I'm missing some of the events of last night. As far as I have been informed, Sookie was still under the effects of the spell causing her to react against the bond and you, and she had declared her intention to leave for Texas. Am I to understand that the spell is no longer affecting her?"
"Very well, it seems explanations are in order. Compton, you will attend carefully to what I am about to say and when I am finished, you will tell me everything of your arrangement with Russell. If I even suspect your involvement on the fringe of the greater events, you will not have many more nights to rise." Even I was getting chills from the frigid tone to Eric's voice.
"Sookie's reactions yesterday were driven by a spell, just as the witch and shifter suspected. However, she also accepted our blood bond before coming here last night, which broke the compulsion over her. Unfortunately, it was apparently rigged with an emotional trap and forced her into deep despair, which is why she was willing to take Stan's offer and why she was able to be captured so easily. According to the witch, the bond was also fogged by the remnants of the spell, which would have prevented my reaching her before she would have gone insane from the negative emotions, if not for the spell to track the bond." Eric paused, and I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around him. I could feel both his physical trembling and his anger and remembered terror. I just looked up at him as he nearly crushed me to him. Our eyes met and he calmed at the fact that I was still there, with him. Stroking my hair, he obviously remembered we weren't alone. I watched a mischievous gleam appear in his sapphire gaze and smugness permeate the bond. I sighed and rolled my eyes at him, feeling his amusement. He couldn't resist gloating even under the circumstances. He continued, "Fortunately, the spell the witch performed last night not only allowed me to reach Sookie in time, but also created a deeper bond that overrode the effects of the compulsion spell, especially after she ingested my blood."
Looking directly at Bill, but keeping me within his arms, Eric practically puffed out his chest. "Apparently, we are not simply bondmates, but soulmates, as the witch's spell caused our bond to deepen in a way particular to those who share souls. We were destined for each other and I will brook no interference from anyone who wishes to take Sookie from me."
Bill seemed to flinch at the direct threat in Eric's voice. It was interesting that Eric hadn't mentioned anything directly about the soul transfer or our new ability to contact each other mentally. I guess that was something that shouldn't really be advertised and if we weren't sure about Bill's reliability, it was a good idea not to give him more information than necessary.
"Now, Compton, you will explain in detail your instructions from Russell and how your actions figured into the events of last night."
Keeping his eyes averted from either me or the sight of me in Eric's arms, Bill spoke. "I was supposed to re-establish myself in Sookie's life and attempt to seduce her back to belonging to me." Pam snorted, loudly. "In the event that I failed, I was to sabotage your relationship with her by proving that you couldn't be trusted or wasn't able to protect her. Given that you'd had little contact with her since the take-over, I thought it would be easy to force a wedge between you, so I began telling Sookie how often I'd seen you with various fangbangers or spending time socializing with the king and his entourage."
Well, it's not like I had totally believed him, although his little jabs had definitely plagued my mind and had come rushing back out when I first confronted Eric. I had to keep focusing on what Bill was saying so I wouldn't let my hurt and anger at his deception overwhelm me.
"So you were trying to play mind games and failed pretty miserably?" Pam was loving this, I could tell. I wondered why she hated Bill so much, but knew better than to ask.
"Pamela." Oo, full name!
"Yes, Master. I apologize."
"Continue, Compton."
Bill slid his eyes over to me then flicked them away again. "When I saw that Sookie was going to Fangtasia last night, I knew that I had been unsuccessful and that you would manage to charm your way back into her bed, so I activated my back-up plan. I had previously called the local Fellowship cell and anonymously notified them that an extremely dangerous vampire and his willing human slave would be visiting Fangtasia sometime soon and that they would need to plan an attack to be activated when the date was confirmed. I called to confirm the attack, leading to the bombing. I thought Sookie would have been able to pick up on their thoughts and gone to investigate. They were supposed to keep watch for a blonde human female and capture her for their supposed 're-education', which led to Sookie's abduction."
Oh my God. How could I have not seen this coming? Why did I always put my trust in the wrong people? Eric was right to want to cut Bill out of my life after I'd finally discovered the full extent of his previous betrayals. Geez, listen to me, thinking about 'previous betrayals' like it was no big deal! Was this my reward for trying to forgive and forget? Maybe the vamps had it right and it wasn't worth the pain to turn the other cheek and act with compassion.
Then my traitorous ex-boyfriend looked at me, beseechingly. "Sookie, I swear, they were not supposed to hurt you! They were only supposed to capture you so I could rescue you before Eric, proving that I would look out for you while he couldn't! I don't know why they went against the plan, but you must believe me that I would never want you hurt."
All three of us scoffed at this.
"Bill, you've done nothing but hurt me since I met you! I can't believe you!"
Eric abruptly released me and in one blurred movement, had grabbed Bill off the couch and thrown him fully against the opposite wall. He streaked over to where Bill had fallen in a heap and slammed him bodily into the wall. He punctuated his words with slamming Bill's head against the wall, causing dust to fly as the force knocked a hole through the drywall. "You…fucking…waste…of…space! I…should…have…staked…you….years…ago!"
Not content with the blood running down the back of Bill's head, Eric picked him up and threw him facedown on the desk, practically breaking Bill's neck as he ground his face into the papers on the surface of his desk. "How dare you risk Sookie's life in an attempt to turn her against me! You actually trusted those Fellowship scum to not injure her? If I had not stepped in when I did, the consequences would have been dire. As it stands, you have not only betrayed Sookie, but have broken your oath of fealty to me as Sheriff of the Area and I find you guilty of treason by inciting an attack on my property, as well as purposefully attempting to damage my bonded. I would be well within my rights to stake you right now."
If Eric had been human, he would have been panting with rage. As it was, I was buffeted by the waves of fury that poured through the bond and would probably have fallen over if Pam hadn't suddenly appeared to hold me by the shoulders. She could most likely feel Eric's wrath, too. It would have been terrifying if I couldn't tell that he was more upset at the fact that I was hurt and could have been killed than anything else.
Bill didn't say anything. He probably knew his time was up, whether from Eric or from Russell for screwing up their plans.
Eric continued, "Despite the provocation of your actions, I will not end your miserable existence as yet. I want to know all the details of your arrangement with Russell. And I want Felipe to bear witness to your perfidy, along with Russell's machinations as they played out in his territory. There is also the matter of discussing how you will compensate me for the damage done to Fangtasia. Therefore, you will spend at least the next week in a silver-wrapped coffin in the basement, shut off from the world and unable to feed. When next I question you, you will tell me everything you know and in return, I will tell you what the king has decided on in regard to your fate."
Eric's rage hadn't abated in the slightest, but he seemed to be controlling it. I wanted to say something to Bill, but wasn't sure what could be said. Anything I said would just be twisted in his mind. Besides, I couldn't trust my voice to work, sad and hurt as I was at this final betrayal.
Eric practically dragged Bill out of the office, heading for the basement with its silver chains. Pam spoke up, glee in her voice. "Soulmates? Oh, wonderful! Now he'll be even more insufferable in proclaiming that you were 'meant to be his.' So many opportunities to tease him! Well, Sookie, welcome to the family!" Pam's voice was heavy with sarcasm at the last bit, but abruptly turned deadly serious. "You do plan on remaining with my Master now, do you not? I do not joke when I say it will kill him for you to accept him and then later push him away."
"Oh, no, Pam! I mean it, really. I don't think I could live without Eric, either, and with this soulmate thing, we're so tightly bound together that I don't think I would even want to! But really, I don't think I can thank you enough for lighting a fire under my stubborn ass yesterday. I really needed to hear what you said. I do want to apologize for how I've been treating you lately as well. I, well, I'd like to say we're friends and to move on from there." I wasn't sure how Pam would take this, but I definitely wasn't expecting her expression to soften a bit. On her, it was practically a grin.
"Sookie, I would like to call you friend. For a human, you are not particularly annoying and interesting things always seem to happen around you. Besides, now you can join me in tormenting Eric. It is ever so much fun to get him worked up and he'll let you get away with so much more than I ever could." That Pam. I just laughed and rolled my eyes. At least she was distracting me from what was going on beneath us. I'd have time to think about it later, but right then, I just wanted to curl up in Eric's arms and forget the world for a bit.
Eric was back more quickly than I expected. He took one look at my wan expression and visibly tried to calm himself. Punishing Bill, although doubtless less bloody than he would have liked, must have taken some of his anger. "My lover, I need to confer with Pam about the reconstruction of the front and address the authorities, and then we can be on our way. Will you stay here, in my office?"
I nodded. "Sure, Eric. Can I have some water, though? I'm a little worn out." Pam darted out and returned with a bottle of water before I could sink onto the couch. Eric, apparently not liking what he was feeling through the bond, sat and wrapped his arms around me. I retreated into a numb state, slowly sipping my water, while Eric and Pam tossed around ideas about remodelling versus complete reconstruction. I wasn't really upset, just sad that yet again, Bill had the power to completely disrupt my life. I barely felt it when Eric stood up, giving me a kiss on the forehead and left to go talk to the police and insurance people out front. I couldn't even say what thoughts were going through my mind, if any. The next thing I registered was Eric picking me up and carrying me out to his car.