Chapter 28

Sookie stood at the dock with Ellie and Beau following behind her. Looking around her, Sookie knew she had made the right decision. Even though she was a little more comfortable onboard, thanks to Bill being so sweet to her and helping her with her fear, this morning Sookie decided to get off the ship and take a break. She could use some solid ground beneath her feet for a while. Without Bill's loving and tender encouragement, she knew all too well that their vacation would have ended before it truly began. Bill was so proud of her progress and that made her feel wonderful but it wasn't easy to just forget about a lifetime fear. Still, she had taken some huge steps to overcome her phobia and she took pride in that.

She had checked the ship's port schedule and found that today the ship would be making a stop at Vicksburg and a military park nearby. Their status as VIP's meant the cruise line provided everything needed to enter the park, which included the tours. After some consideration, Sookie decided to wait until the Sunset Tour. After all, a tour around the Military Park would be more fun with Bill along. But Sookie decided that she'd do some gift shopping on shore and later take a nap so she would be well-rested to take the tour with Bill later that night.

As she and her team left the ship and walked among the shops and such, her stomach growled. She'd only had a small croissant and coffee earlier so she decided she should eat something more substantial and began looking around for a café or restaurant.

"Where would you like to go, Sookie?" Beau asked.

Sookie turned to him. "I should eat first so let's look around and see what looks good…" Sookie trailed off when she noticed someone walking not far away. It was Alice. She was alone, looking around and biting her lip. She looked lost.

Beau turned to follow Sookie's line of vision. "Do you know her?"

"Yeah, sort of… We met the other day." As she said this, Sookie had already started walking toward the young woman. "Hi!" She greeted her cheerfully. "Alice, right? I'm Sookie. We met outside the theater the other night, remember?"

"Um, yeah… Sure…" Alice answered quietly, avoiding any eye contact with Sookie.

"Where are you going?" Sookie asked her with a kind smile.

"Uh, I don't know…" She mumbled.

Seeing how uncomfortable Alice was, Sookie decided to try and make her more at ease. "Well, would you care to join us? We're going to get something to eat; I'd love to have someone else to talk to, no offense guys." Sookie grinned at Ellie and Beau and both grinned back.

To Sookie's surprise, she saw a flash of panic on Alice's face. "I, do… you, uh, if… you want me to join you?"

"Of course I do!" Sookie said kindly. "Any preference food-wise? I'm not big on Italian… I hate not being able to eat the garlic bread!" Sookie giggled a little and after a slight look of surprise flashed across Alice's face, she smiled back shyly.

Alice said, "Anywhere you choose is fine."

After a bit, they came upon a small café that seemed to fit the bill and they all went inside. Sookie asked Alice, "Are you going to the Military Park later?"

"No… Mr. Hopkins doesn't want to do that." Alice answered her.

"I see…" Sookie offered her a small smile and forced herself not to 'listen in'. Sookie found Alice's demeanor a little odd but it would be rude to read Alice's mind.

The four of them made their way inside. The restaurant wasn't crowded and Beau directed them to a table in the corner. Sookie couldn't help but smile… she'd gotten used to being placed in a corner. It was a tactical advantage for the bodyguards knowing there would be no threat from behind them and it had become second nature to Sookie.

After they were seated Sookie looked around in wonder. The restaurant was bright and gave off a homey feeling. The walls were adorned with picture frames and upon closer inspection; Sookie realized that the pictures were of some of the celebrities that had eaten there. Some were well known and it made Sookie smile.

As she and Alice sat, a waitress approached, greeted them warmly and asked if they wanted to order their drinks right away. She gave Sookie and Alice menus, looking oddly at the two still standing as she'd brought four menus. Sookie looked at them and then insisted that Ellie and Beau join them.

"We're on duty, Sookie." Beau tried to explain to her in hushed voice.

"On duty or not, y'all still got to eat, don't you?" Sookie shot back; raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, but…" Beau stopped talking when he noticed Sookie's expression. "Alright then." He gave in and signaled Ellie to sit down as he took his seat beside Sookie.

Satisfied, Sookie turned her attention to the menu. A few minutes later, they'd placed their orders and while waiting for the food. Sookie looked at the girl sitting in front of her and attempted to start a conversation.

"So where are you from, Alice?" Sookie asked.

"I'm from Jackson, Mississippi." Alice replied. "How about you?"

Sookie's smile faltered slightly. She remembered that place all too well. She almost died and she almost lost Bill too. But Sookie quickly dismissed the thoughts. "I know it, I was there once… I'm from Bon Temps. It's near Shreveport, in Louisiana."

"Oh…" That was all she said. "I'm sorry, I guess I knew that." She added meekly.

"Really?" Sookie said a little surprised. Few people knew of Bon Temps when they lived as far away as Alice did.

"Of course, you live with the King of Louisiana; it was a silly question to have asked you."

This really surprised Sookie and it occurred to her that Alice's Mr. Hopkins had a very different relationship with Alice than Sookie did with Bill. It touched a place in Sookie's heart and she felt sorry for the young woman. Sookie didn't think of her as one of those pathetic fangbangers that hung around places like Fangtasia, but she knew deep down that this girl may not have fully realized what it was like being the human companion to a vampire. It made Sookie want to take the girl under her wing and befriend her, it seemed like it was something Alice could use.

"Well, Bill and I don't live together. I live a little ways from his place. His being King keeps him busy but we're working hard on our relationship. It's one of the reasons we took this vacation… so we could have some quality alone time." Sookie winked at Ellie and Beau before adding. "Well, as alone as we can be with security every step we go!"

Alice was beginning to feel a little more relaxed, Sookie was so outgoing and friendly, and it was hard not to smile. Especially considering how Sookie was with her security team. Mr. Hopkins issued orders to his security and there was holy hell to pay if they didn't ask how high when he said jump! Mr. Hopkins also never gave any thought to protecting her during the day. Of course, he didn't have the kind of clout the King did.

The waitress approached their table balancing a tray. "Here you go..." She placed their food and drinks on the table.

"Thank you." Sookie smiled up at her. She knew first-hand how it was like to be a waitress and she knew a simple 'Thank you' could make someone's day.

"You're welcome." The waitress flashed Sookie a bright smile before walking away.

"Oh my stars… This is so good! Don't you think so?" Sookie closed her eyes as she chewed on her sandwich.

"Yes, it's very nice." Alice was eating chicken salad.

For a few minutes, nobody said anything as everyone seemed to enjoy their food. After a while, they finally finished eating and asked for the check. Alice took out her wallet, but Sookie insisted that she would pay for everybody.

Afterwards, they left the restaurant and they looked around.

"You don't have to go back just yet, do you? It's gonna be another few hours before our vampires wake up." Sookie used her hand to shield her face from the sun. "It would be such a shame to be inside on a day like this. With the sun shining so brightly, don't you just love the sensation of it on your skin?"

"No, I don't have to go back. Mr. Hopkins knows that I'm outside. He doesn't require me to be with him during the day." Alice said.

Sookie frowned slightly at Alice's choice of words, but she let it go. "Where should we go now?" Sookie looked around for ideas.

Beau pointed at the directory board nearby. "Let's take a look at the directory."

"Hey, look, there's a park nearby. Should we check it out? According to the map, it's just five minutes' walk from here." Sookie asked. "We just have to follow that path." Sookie pointed at the path at their right.

'I guess a park is nice." Alice said.

Sookie was glad to see that she had loosened up and not as timid. They started walking toward the park. Ellie walked in front of Sookie and Alice, and Beau followed closely behind.

"What do you do, Alice?" Sookie asked casually as they strolled along the path.

Alice hesitated slightly before answering, "I, uh, I used to work as a waitress." She cast her eyes downward, in… shame? Sookie wasn't sure.

"A waitress? Wait, you used to be a waitress? What about now?" A slight frown appeared on her face.

"I… quit." Alice said, still refusing to look at Sookie. She was sure Sookie would look down on her now that she knew she used to work as a waitress.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you quit?" Sookie asked curiously.

"Because... I didn't think it was the right job for me. I just couldn't seem to fit in with everyone else." She said.

"I see… Hey, you should come by to Merlotte's and apply for a job there. The pay ain't that high, but we're like family there." Sookie smiled widely as she told Alice about her own workplace. It did feel like a family and Sookie felt like she belonged there.

"Merlotte's?" Alice finally looked up at Sookie.

"Yup. It's a bar in Bon Temps. I work there. I'm a waitress too…" Sookie said with a bright smile. Alice suddenly stopped walking, forcing Sookie to halt as well. "What?" Sookie asked as she noticed Alice was staring at her in shock.

"You… You're working?" She looked at Sookie with a mixed expression of confusion, disbelief and wonder.

"Of course I'm working." Sookie gave her an incredulous look. "How am I supposed to pay for my stuff like my bills if I'm not working?"

"But, you're the King's human…" Alice said. She didn't understand. "Why would you need to work? Isn't the king supposed to pay you for your 'service' and buy you stuff?"

Now, it was Sookie's turn to look shocked. "Whoa! Pay me for my 'service' and buy me stuff?! You may think of me as his human but I'm not a kept woman. We are in a relationship and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my day-to-day life, not to mention buying my own stuff!" Sookie said indignantly.

Alice was stunned and wasn't sure what to do other than stammer a sincere apology. If Mr. Hopkins learned she offended the King's lady, she shuddered at the thought of his punishment! She once more begged forgiveness from Sookie until Sookie shook her head. It was now very clear to Alice that Sookie had a considerably different relationship than she had with Mr. Hopkins.

"It's ok. Sorry I yelled at you. Bill and I, well, we're not like that. We're not in, um, that kind of relationship. Not that there is anything objectionable about it." She said, trying to put Alice at ease and not sound superior. "As for buying stuff, well, yeah, he buys me things, sure, but mostly for my birthday or Christmas. The ones I love best are the surprises. Other than that, I buy my own things. We take care of each other and I know he's a king and all, but we're equal. I don't know how to explain it to you, but Bill is like a… a boyfriend." Sookie finished lamely. For her, Bill was so much more than just a boyfriend. But she couldn't find the right word to describe their relationship.

Alice looked at Sookie with wonder. She had always thought that being a vampire's human was a job in itself. In fact, Mr. Hopkins was the one that demanded she quit her former job because being a waitress was a 'disgrace' and he wouldn't allow her to damage his reputation. But Sookie was altogether different. Sookie was a vampire's human too, and certainly not to just any vampire. She was a vampire King's human! But, she was also a waitress. A waitress! The fact that the king actually allowed Sookie to keep her job in the first place surprised her, especially now that she knew what Sookie's did.

"Hello? Alice?" Sookie noticed the blank expression of Alice's face and waved her hand in front of her face to gain her attention. "You ok?"

Sookie's voice brought Alice back from her musing. "What? Oh, yeah… I'm fine. I'm just surprised."

"Surprised?" Sookie repeated. Alice nodded. "Why?"

"Because of what you do. Mr. Hopkins doesn't allow me to work, especially as a waitress. But you're working and you're the king's human…"

They stood there in silence as Sookie mulled over Alice's words. She knew that they had different relationships with their respective vampires, but Sookie also noticed that not once did Alice refer to Mr. Hopkins by his given name. It stirred her curiosity. So, deciding to take a big risk, Sookie asked, "Alice, may I ask you a very personal question?"

At Alice's nod of consent, Sookie continued, "How long have you been Mr. Hopkins' uh, human?"

Alice thought about it, "About five months…"

"Alice, I don't mean to be rude or anything. Whatever arrangement that you have with Mr. Hopkins is none of my business. But I just want to know, does Mr. Hopkins, ah, take a good care of you? I mean, is he treating you well?" Sookie knew that she might have overstepped her boundaries by asking these questions, but she felt something was not right and Sookie wanted to know if there was something else behind the arrangement that Alice had with this Mr. Hopkins.

Alice hesitated. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to answer that question. But, for some reason, she felt at ease with Sookie. So, in a very low voice, she replied, "Uh, yes… I suppose. He, uh… he bought me stuff and pays me quite well." Alice looked down again. She remembered what Sookie said earlier about being a kept woman and now, somehow, she felt that it was just a kinder way to say what she'd felt like more than once during these past five months. She was little more than a glorified call girl than she was a kept-woman; at least a kept woman had a modicum of genuine emotion with her partner.

"Are you happy?" Sookie probed gently.

Alice was silent. She started walking and Sookie easily fell into step beside her. Was she happy? "I…" She paused. "I guess so…" Even as she said it, she wasn't sure if she meant it. "He purchased my wardrobe and such so I look the very best when he takes me out. Image is everything to him and he also paid for the hospital bills…" At this point, Sookie stopped her.

"Hospital bills?" Sookie asked horrified. Never in her life had Sookie prayed so hard to not hear the words that Mr. Hopkins was abusing Alice as she did right now.

Alice nodded. "Yeah. Nine months ago, my mom was diagnosed with cancer and we spent all our savings paying for the hospital bills. My brother and I worked very hard, but medical cost is very high. We borrowed what we could but eventually, nobody wanted to lend to us their money anymore. Then I met Mr. Hopkins six months ago. He offered to pay for all the medical bills and clear all of our debts, in exchange of my service as his human… uh, companion."

Sookie fell silent. So, this was the real reason. "I'm sorry to hear that, Alice. How's your mom doing now?"

"The doctors said they've done everything that they could. Right now, it all depends on her. If she's strong enough, there's a chance she'll survive. If not…" Alice trailed off, not wanting to go down that line of thinking.

They continued to walk in silence. Sookie was thinking about what Alice had just shared with her, Beau and Ellie were doing their best not to be intrusive, and Alice just walked without even seeing where she was going.

"Where's she now?" Sookie suddenly broke the silence. "And what about your brother?"

"She's in a hospital in Jackson and my brother is staying with her. He's working as a security guard at the bank, but that doesn't really pay much." Alice replied.

"Do you see them often?" Sookie asked gently.

Alice shook her head. "I haven't seen them in weeks, but Mr. Hopkins said that they're doing okay." Alice was dying to know how they were doing. Then continued, "but Mr. Hopkins has forbidden me to have any contact with them while I'm in his 'employ' he said it would affect my ability to serve him properly."

"And you believed him? You agreed to that!?" The words were out of Sookie's mouth before she could even think about it.

"I… don't know…" Alice admitted. "I want to see them, but he said I'm his now and I can't see them anymore. He said that it's part of the deal." Alice couldn't stop the tears that started to make their way down her cheeks. She missed them badly, and she couldn't even talk to them.

Sookie offered her some tissues, which Alice accepted gratefully. "I'm sorry… That must be hard for you." Sookie said sincerely.

"Sometimes…" She paused, "Sometimes I wonder if I can continue to live like this much longer. But when I think about my mom and how much she had suffered because of the cancer, I know that I've done the right thing."

"You must miss them." Sookie said sympathetically. They found a bench and sat down. Beau and Ellie stood unobtrusively near the bench ready to spring to action at any second.

Alice just nodded. "I'm sorry, Sookie. I shouldn't have burdened you with all this." She wiped her tears with the tissue.

"Oh, no… That's fine. I know it must be difficult for you to talk about it, so I want to thank you for trusting me with this. And I'm so sorry for what you're going through right now, Alice." Sookie offered her a kind smile. Sookie felt sorry for the girl and she was also angry at Mr. Hopkins for the way he treated Alice.

"Thank you…" Alice gave Sookie a teary, yet genuine smile.

"You're welcome…" Sookie nodded. They continued to talk about Alice's family and Sookie also shared with her about what happened to her parents.

"You're very brave. If I were you, I wouldn't get anywhere near the water, let alone getting on a ship!" Alice said. Being able to talk about her situation apparently had helped her in many ways. Her tone was lighter and she seemed to be more at ease.

"Yeah, it's all thanks to Bill. He is very supportive and he, well, if it wasn't for him, I never could have stepped on that ship. He knows I'm scared of the water and he didn't force me to go on this cruise. In fact, he said we could plan something else. But I knew he wanted to go and I also knew that sooner or later, I'd have to face my fears and this was as good time as any. Besides, I really have nothing to fear. Bill is with me, 100% and he would never let anything happen to me. And I also have these guys." Sookie gestured to her guards with a grin.

Alice looked at Sookie. "You must love him very much."

"I do." Sookie's face brightened and her smile widened when she thought about her love for Bill.

"I thought that one day I would find someone too." Alice played with the bracelet on her wrist, "But now, I know it's not going to happen. I'm not stupid. I've known for a while now that sooner or later, Mr. Hopkins will get bored with me. What will happen to me then? I've got no money, no job, nothing. I don't even know if my family are still alive."

Sookie pointedly ignored the alarm bells clanging loudly in her head as she reached into her purse for the smartphone. "Here." She said firmly as she held the phone out for Alice to take.

Alice stared at it like it was a rare and priceless jewel, she stammered, "I- I couldn't!"

Sookie reached over, took one of Alice's hands and pressed the phone into it. "Call your Mom, Alice. Or your brother. I'll be over there," she nodded toward Ellie and Beau. "And give her the number, I'll pass along any messages if they'd like." Sookie gave Alice a bright smile then stood and walked to where her bodyguards waited.

Because of her shaking hands, it took Alice three tries before she punched in the right numbers and her face exploded with happy tears when she said, "Mama? Is that you?"

A half hour later Alice motioned for Sookie to come closer, when she did Alice asked, "Can I really give her this number?" her eyes full of hope.

"Certainly!" Sookie answered, then dug out a piece of paper and a pen from her purse. "Here you go." She handed the paper to Alice.

Alice read the numbers off to her mother and then signed off. Before she knew it Alice was on her feet and had Sookie in a bear hug, "Oh thank you Sookie! How will I ever repay you?!"

"What's to repay? This is my number. If you need anything, just give me a call, okay? I know we live in two different towns, but I'm just a phone call away."

Alice was stunned as she looked at the scrap of paper in her hand. "Are, are you sure? You've done so much already." The uncertainty was back in her voice. "You barely know me…"

"I'm sure. You're not alone, Alice. I want to be your friend." Sookie assured her.

Alice closed her fingers around the paper. "Thank you, Sookie." And to Sookie's surprise, Alice reached out and hugged her fiercely once again.

"You're very welcome." Sookie said, hugging her back.

They hugged for a few more seconds before pulling away from each other. "We better head back to the ship; the sun will be going down soon." Sookie said. Alice's smile faded and she nodded.

Fifteen minutes later, they said goodbye as they headed for their rooms.


Sookie was standing in the walk in wardrobe when she felt a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist from behind.

"Good evening, my dearest…" Bill whispered and bent down to pepper her neck with feathery kisses.

Sookie turned around in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Good evening, Your Majesty. Did you have a good rest today?"

"Yes, I did. Although I wish you had stayed with me." Bill leaned down to kiss her nose, making Sookie giggle slightly. "How about you? Did you have a good day?"

Sookie hesitated and it didn't escape Bill's sharp observation. "What is it, Sookie? Did something happen today?" He asked; his voice full of concern.

"Kind of…" Sookie frowned slightly. "Tell you what, go and take a shower, I'll tell you all about it over dinner, ok? Oh, and speaking of dinner, I thought we could have our dinner ashore, if that's alright with you. I checked earlier and they said there are restaurants nearby that have vampire dishes on their menus. Then we can go to the military park for the evening tour. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a perfect plan." Bill pressed his lips on hers in a quick kiss before disappearing into the bathroom.

Sookie sighed happily. A nice, quiet evening with her vampire was exactly what she needed right now. Earlier, she had thought a lot about Alice's story and she had decided that she had to do something to help the girl. Maybe she could find out more about her mother and go and pay her a visit, so that at least Alice would know that her family were alright. Happy with her decision, she had taken a shower and now, she was deciding what to wear for the evening.

Fifteen minutes later, Bill emerged from the bathroom, one towel wrapped around his waist as he was drying his hair with another.

"Honey, I've laid out some clothes for you on the bed." Sookie said without turning her attention away from the mirror. She was putting on the finishing touches on her make up.

Bill casually dropped his towel and walked toward the bed to get dressed. From the mirror, Sookie could see his reflection and she paused as she admired the view of his backside.

"Like what you see, ma'am?" Bill asked laughingly.

"Why, yes, sir. I do, very much." Sookie's smile was miles wide as she said this.

Bill laughed at that. He got dressed slowly, no doubt for Sookie's benefits, and ten minutes later, they were on their way out of their suite. Hand in hand, they exited the ship, with Nick and Curt following behind them, the additional four team members had gone on ahead of them.

The walkway along the dock was bright with special, Civil War-style street lamps along the way. There harbour was bustling with people, even more than it had been during the day. Sookie could see couples and even families, walking around, chatting and generally enjoying themselves. When Sookie looked closer, they seemed to be heading in one general direction. "Wow! It's so crowded. What's going on over there?" Sookie asked curiously.

"They have a night bazaar. It looks like there's a carnival too." Nick explained.

"Do you want to go and take a look?" Bill asked Sookie with a smile.

"Can we? I mean, there's gonna be a lot of people there and I know it could be a security nightmare." Sookie looked at Nick and Curt.

"That's fine, as long as you and His Majesty stick together. We'll stay close to you two at all times. The others will take care of the rest." Nick assured her. "Just try to avoid the spots that are densely crowded."

Sookie's smile got brighter. "Okay, stick together, avoid all shoulder to shoulder crowding. Got it." She nodded with happy compliance. "Let's go!" She grabbed Bill's hand and dragged him toward the crowd. Sookie missed the quick look and grins between Nick and Curt as she led their King into the throng of people.

They walked around in the carnival, looking around at the various booths. They even found a booth that sold TruBlood. The vampires bought bottles for themselves and Sookie also bought a huge pink cotton candy cloud from a nearby booth and as they walked, she plucked the candy loose and popped it into her mouth.

"Bill, look, that's so cute!" Sookie pointed at a stuffed animal that was on display on one of the booths.

"Do you want it?" Bill asked. He scanned the booth. It was one of those game booths where you could win prizes. Apparently, the teddy bear that Sookie wanted was one of the prizes being offered.

"Ooo, yes!" Sookie said excitedly.

They approached the booth and Bill handed the vendor some money. He was supposed to throw three tennis balls, one at a time, to knock down the stacked cans.

"C'mon, Bill!" Sookie cheered him on.

Bill threw the first ball. It knocked down the top half of the can tower. On his second attempt, Bill managed to knock most of the remaining cans, leaving one can in the middle. He picked the last ball and took his aim carefully before throwing the ball. When the ball hit the last can and knocked it over, Sookie jumped up and screeched, "Yes!"

Bill chose his prize and presented the teddy bear to Sookie. "Here you go, sweetheart…"

Sookie hugged the bear with an arm and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you, Bill…"

Never before had anyone won a prize for her in a carnival. As a teenager, Sookie had seen boys win prizes for their girlfriends at the carnival and she couldn't help but envy them. But she had Bill now. Even though it was just a cheap teddy bear, but it wasn't just about the teddy bear. It was the reminder of how much Bill cared about her and even though it was silly, especially for a vampire, to participate in such game, he did it for her anyway, just because she wanted the prize. It made her feel ridiculously happy and loved.

"I love you so much!" Sookie told him with a big smile.

"It's just a teddy bear, Sookie." But he felt her utter joy through their bond so Bill smiled back at her and said, "But I love you too." He bent down to kiss her and her lips were pink and cotton-candy sweet.