Time frame: Years after "From Dead to Worse" and completely ignoring "Dead and Gone".

This is a companion piece following "Family", "Bowling for Vampires", "Leather Underwear", "Reunion" and "Vampire Boogie".

Disclaimer: I don't have any claim on any characters in the Sookie Universe. Please don't sue me. The other characters are my own creation and just wanted to play with them for a while.

A/N: Though I have read D&G I choose to completely ignore it, just like I've ignored anything previously written by Ms. Harris about demons and have adopted my own mythology.

Writer's prerogative.

Victor has been talking to me a lot lately so most of this chapter will once again be from his point of view. Ally and Bill will be in force in the next chapter though- I promise.

As always your reviews are extremely welcome. Again thank you to those who take the time to leave them and for adding me onto your alerts and favorites. They really keep me motivated.

This is another short chapter and once again, I apologize in advance for the cliffie.

I'm not sure about when the next chapter will appear since there are a great many things on my RL plate this week, but I'll do my best.

Enjoy!

Chapter 29

Some things are meant to be, destined. No matter what reality you're in, what variables have been introduced...there are things that just have to happen.

I'm not sure of the reasons why things are the way they are, or who or what dictates what must remain constant. It is defeating to think in those terms because it makes you stop trying. The stubbornness in my nature refuses to do this, because in my mind and in my heart there is always the hope that things can change for the better. That by sheer will we can break out of the path of what may have been to what can be, to what we want it to be.

Still, as a being of time I can appreciate the strange pull of the inevitable. It is what has kept Bill and I together through all of the twists and turns the universe seemed set on laying before us. It is the reason why certain relationships are continuously being forged in the same way either in friendship or animosity, time and time again.

Unfortunately it is also why, despite all of the love I feel and all of the good that's been done allowing me to trust, to forgive and in part forget...that what happens next should not have been a surprise to me.

You can't stop what's meant to be, I know it. But damned if I will sit back and let it destroy someone that I love without a fight.

Who knows? It could be different this time, better.

That could be destiny too...

Couldn't it?

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Victor's POV

Still August 15th

"Tell me you love me, Victor." Her words hung in the air, catching me completely off guard.

"Pardon?" I say as my mind begins to reel. What was she asking me? Could she really want to hear what I want so much to say?

"Will it help if I say it first...Bill?" she says, her face unreadable. I swallow hard.

She knows.

"It was you." she continues softly. "The other night... I'm not sure how, but it was you." She brushes her fingers across my brow her eyes fixed on mine. "Wasn't it?"

"Ally, I..." I hesitate, unable to raise the volume of my voice higher than a whisper. Her gentle touch was driving me to distraction. I was also keenly aware of how close her lips were to mine. I was yearning to just lean forward and into her...

Her eyes narrow for a moment then she drops her hand and turns to face the table just as Bill and Sam come around. Bill's eyes move from me to Ally then gives her a questioning look. She flashes him a winning smile and scoots out. Looking back to me she says still smiling, "Let's move to a bigger table. More people are coming."

Soon after we are all gathered around a large table: Ally, Bill, Sam, Eric, Sookie, Clancy, Pam, Cole and me. After exchanging the usual pleasantries, the bar fell silent, stay for the steady slapping noise from the plastic tarp at the entrance hitting against the edges of the hole it now covered. Eric stands up.

"Thank you all for coming." he says, his eyes sweeping across the table. There is a long pause.

"I'm pregnant!" blurts Sookie and most of us stare stunned at the blond telepath. While we are still processing the unbelievable news, Bill announces, "Ally is pregnant as well." Though his revelation was spoken in a softer tone, the impact it had on me practically knocks me off my seat.

Ally was with child, Bill's child. My eyes fall back on Ally who gives me a small smile.

Cole is the first to stand and shake both Eric's and Bill's hands."Thank goodness the news is finally out. I wasn't sure if I could have held it in much longer." he says with a chuckle. Pam regards him with a narrowed look which he simply responds by winking at her. Eric pats him hard on the back almost knocking him over. Then Cole turns and pulls Ally in a loving embrace kissing her on the top of her head.

"I'm so happy for you Ally." he whispers. "I love you, you know." she says sighing happily in his arms holding him tight. "I love you too, honey" he replies stroking her hair.

Their relationship is truly bizarre. Such closeness and intimacy between them and yet Bill in all of his possessiveness remains unperturbed.

How I envy them.

The rest of us get up and offer our congratulations and soon everyone seems to be offering their assistance and their concerns for how to handle this upcoming pair of miracles:

How will they explain their condition to others? What can we all do to add additional protection to the women as they become increasingly more vulnerable? Such things are important to work out and we all have our theories as to how to proceed. Of course, the women in question seemed adamant on going on with their lives as if there was nothing that needed changing. Heavy sighs of exasperation can be heard from both vampires and I can feel the frustration that they must now feel trying not to press too hard on the subject.

Stubborn women.

Eventually we all agree to leave things be for now. After all, this was a day of celebrating- the details can wait. Hopefully.

Ally and Sookie are arm in arm laughing and smiling at each other outside when I finally make my way to them.

"Congratulations to the both of you. May your children be blessed and your pregnancies be without incident." I say with a slight bow.

Sookie snorts a little but bows and departs to go back inside casting a look of warning to Ally before doing so. Ally sighs resignedly then reaches over and grabs my hand. "Thank you for the sentiment Victor though I highly doubt the last part will happen."

"Why would you say that?" I ask.

"Me, without incident? Not gonna happen." she says with a laugh. I laugh with her. "I admit the odds are slightly against you." I say. "Which is probably why you should listen to your husband and be more cautious."

"What's to say that I might not face danger when home?" she replies. "From my experience, if danger wants you, it will find you no matter where you are. I'd rather face it by my husband's side than cowering at home, thank you very much."

I smile admiringly at her. "There is that." I say and she winks at me. Her face suddenly sobers. "Now about earlier..." she says still holding tight to my hand.

"Ally..."

"It's okay. I'm not mad at you."

"You're not?"

"No I'm not." she says. "I don't think you had intended things to go the way they went, with us kissing and all." She looks off in the distance for a moment. "It's my fault really. You were so good to me when I lost my memory and I was so happy to connect with someone that I may have lead you on somehow."

"You didn't. It just...happened."

Her hand finds its way to my face and I hold it there. "Victor, you deserve so much more than what I can give you. I love you but not in the way you need to be loved. Not in the way I love Bill."

"I know this, Ally. I am under no delusions of the extent of our relationship."

"As much as I value our friendship, it may be best that we distance ourselves from each other. I've dominated too much of your time and perhaps with a little space..."

"No!" I say in panic. "I don't want your distance, Ally."

Carefully, she slides her hand out from under mine. "All the more reason for us to have it, Victor."

"You can't possibly mean that."

"I may be young but I know what needs to be. I refuse to be the reason for your pain."

I open my mouth to argue. A strange chill washes over us, seeking and moving. Conversations inside cease as the others feel it too.

Seconds later Cole comes out. He looks between Ally and I.

"Hey, you okay?" he asks her, darting a suspicious look in my direction.

"Couldn't be better." she replies. "Victor and I were just talking." she adds giving me a warm smile. The corners of my mouth immediately curve upwards despite the fact that my heart felt like it was ready to shatter in a million pieces.

"Uh huh..." he answers. Suddenly he gasps as hunches over in pain. Ally puts her hands on his shoulders. "Are you alright?" she asks with concern.

He looks up at her, his face strained and features tight. "Oh God, Ally..." he gasps. With fear in his eyes and in his voice, he growls. "Run. I can't stop it..." Ally takes a step back her face growing pale.

Through gritted teeth he repeats more urgently, "RUN!!!!" His legs begin to buckle, his body shaking as he grips the sides of his head as if it were about to come off. Then miraculously he recovers, standing calmly in front of her.

He smiles at her. She shakes her head slowly. "No...Cole...not again...please." she whispers as she begins to shiver.

His hand flies out and grabs her by the throat lifting her off her feet. "You are MINE, Ally." he says menacingly. In that instant he looked very much like someone else, someone very powerful and dangerous. I'm not sure why I never noticed before -the resemblance was uncanny. I reach out and grab his arm just as the talons of dark mist surround us. I turn to see Bill bursting out of the door and somewhere on the other side of the darkness, I can hear him screaming Ally's name.

TBC