'Any more news on how many and where they are?' Bill asked as he came to a halt next to Sam standing outside Merlotte's and surrounded by all the Bon Temps citizens he could muster. Mixed amongst them were their vampire protectors and those vampires that were on Bill's payroll but even so, looking around the car park Bill did a quick head count and knew without saying that more than likely they were going to be hopelessly out numbered. Sam's face was drawn into a picture of concern as his eyes met Bill's and a multitude of unspoken words lay between them. Neither one of them needed to say what they were both thinking – this could very well be their last stand, one last make or break desperate attempt to fight off what was coming.
'What the fuck?' Jason's raised voice broke into the night. He came striding over like a bull in a china shop to stand toe to toe with Bill. 'Not smart man. Why did you bring Sookie here?' he demanded. 'Jason!' Sookie intervened, 'I insisted on coming, this isn't Bill's doing. If we are all going to die then I would rather die with the man that I love than on my own somewhere hiding like a frightened little girl. And besides,' she drew herself up looking determined, 'I don't intend to go without a fight.'
Jason opened his mouth to reply, looked at Sookie then at Bill. 'Right, well that's all right then,' he nodded. 'Let's do it then,' and he let out a whoop that sounded very similar to the battle cry of an age gone by, not heard in those parts since Bill was in a very different kind of war, one that was very familiar to his ears and just as penetrating then as it was now ….the rebel yell.
'They're coming,' Willa alerted them as she sped up the car park from her lookout post to stand next to Jess, Violet, James, Pam and Tara. Bill immediately barked out orders assigning humans and vampires in a manner that used to be of the most benefit in the battle campaigns he had been part of so long ago. His keen eyes never leaving the tree line at the bottom of the car park, the direction he was expecting the hordes to emerge from.
'Stay close to me, don't leave my side. I want to know where you are at all times,' he looked down at Sookie. 'Don't worry, I will.' Her face was pale but resolute as she said this. She meant what she said. She would rather die at his side than be separated again.
There was a blur of movement in the shadows and then they came. Infected after infected stood lining the edge of the area all looking to one vampire for leadership, a huge hulking thug dressed in what was once a biker colour of some now defunct club. His skin may have shown signs of being in the later stages of Hep V but there was no doubting his remaining strength and the leadership of the mass surrounding him. As he scanned the small crowd of opponents facing him he almost sneered until his eyes focussed on Bill and narrowed. Sniffing loudly his eyes then shifted through the folds of his grossly pudgy skin to rest on Sookie standing at Bill's side.
'Well, well, well, what have we got here, if it isn't that mother fucker that thought he was king and a god,' he was sneering looking Bill up and down, 'and what is that fucking incredible smell at his side? Looks like we are in luck boys and girls, we just hit the Louisiana jackpot.' Growls, hoots and clamouring came from the mob. 'Ain't he the one that killed Tex and the others over at our hangout in Shreveport Hank?' a weasely little runt of a vamp asked. More clamouring from the group was heard. 'You know I think that you are right. Now isn't that just the icing on the cake. It is going to be even more fun than I thought taking out this bunch of low life mother fuckers,' he roared. 'At 'em,' he commanded and with a rush the battle of Bon Temps commenced.
Everything seemed to move in a blur to Sookie. Try as she might it was hard to follow what was happening and stay close to Bill. For a while it looked like they might have had a chance but they were taking heavy losses. Their group seemed to be getting smaller but she didn't really have time to think about it. It wasn't until she saw Violet explode into a pile of goo at Jason's side that she realised they were in deep trouble and knew that she had to do something, anything that would turn the tide. In the split second that she had thought this, two things happened.
Hank may have espoused attack to his motley group but he sure wasn't going to be risking himself. Even though he had derided Bill to the others, he was no fool and he knew that whatever Bill was before he had been a god and still emitted a powerful presence so with that in mind, after the charge of the others he had very cleverly hung back and skirted around the skirmish, waiting his chance on the periphery of the battle. So it came as a surprise when he attacked from behind where Bill and Sookie were fighting.
Lunging at her he managed to grab a handful of hair and pull her backwards away from Bill's side, flipping her head back and exposing her neck. In the heat of the battle it may have gone unnoticed as Bill fought off infected after infected but Hank just couldn't help himself when her Fae scent overwhelmed him and he grunted loudly in his appreciation. 'You smell delicious.'
Bill had been in the middle of fighting off a group of infected that was hell bent on getting to Sookie when he heard him and spun around. That split second of distraction was enough for the overwhelming numbers of infected to gain the momentum and jump on him.
'No,' Sookie screamed when she saw Bill covered by them, pinning his arms, stakes in their hands and with their fangs drawn out for the kill.
Time stood still. Everything seemed to stop for her. She stared in horror at the scene. Her eyes found his and locked onto them. All the love that they had ever shared between them poured through the gulf of time and embraced her with a longing that hit her like a fist to the stomach almost making her reel. Then as though coming from a million miles away she heard his voice calling to her. 'Sookie, do it. Use your powers, do it now.' His eyes pleaded with her, begging her to end it.
She knew what he wanted her to do. By blasting them it would kill him but at the same time save him from the agony of what was to come at their hands and always thinking of her, even at the last …. it would set her free. Once and for all she would be rid of the burden that had made her life such a misery since childhood. He loved her that much that he was willing her to do that and sacrifice himself into the bargain.
No, there must be another way. She couldn't, she just couldn't bring herself to kill the one person in her life that she truly loved. There had to be another way to keep him and for them to be safe and for her to be normal.
Normal… something about that thought stirred within the back of her mind. What was normal? Nothing about her life had ever been normal. Normal maybe for a Fae but hell, she didn't even really know what it was really like being a Fae princess for god's sakes. Then it hit her. 'He's a good man and he loves you so much. You know what you have to do.' The words blazed out in her mind, the parting words that Niall had whispered on the wind as he left and the dream or apparition she had experienced that seemed like an age ago now even though it wasn't.
'Grandfather,' she screamed at the top of her voice, 'Grandfather I need you. Please come… Niall.' She reached out in her mind and could feel him rather than see him. He was close and getting closer. 'Sookie,' Bill cried out to her again as Hank's fangs drew closer to the artery in her neck, hoping that the residual of the blast would knock him off his feet and give her some space to escape, 'don't wait, just do it.'
'I love you Bill Compton,' she declared, tears streaming down her face and with all the strength and determination that she had left in her, she broke her arms free and held out her hands to form the ball of her light, her pure Fae essence.
'You are the love of my life. I have never loved, nor will I ever love as I have loved you,' he whispered to her one last time, his voice fading into the ether as she threw out her hands and a blinding flash of light lit up the whole battle ground. The shock wave was like a blast of blue light and fire that rent the air asunder with the magnitude of its power.
She felt herself fading, life ebbing out of her, her spirit diminishing with each slowing heartbeat and she sunk to the ground in a crumpled heap. Her last thoughts were of Bill as tears finally blinded her and she knew no more.