The next few chapters will be in Mattie's POV. Bill's POV would be pretty boring right about now since he's asleep. I also wrote her in first person. She seemed like that kind of character. I know I've had a lot of plot and no GOOD STUFF yet, but I'm getting there. Mattie's complicated and Bill's not quite the opportunist that Eric is :-)
I do not own any of the characters from Southern Vampire Mysteries. They all belong to Charlaine Harris. Bless her for sharing them with us. Mattie is my very own.
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Chapter 4
I woke alone on Bill's couch covered in a thick, comfy blanket. I looked over at the clock and saw that it was 2:15pm. The rain was hitting the windows at an angle, leaving streaks down the glass. The sky was a mix of dark gray and purple. If the weather stayed like this to block out the sun, Bill would rise early. I was looking forward to that. Well I had certainly wasted most of my day sleeping . I hadn't done that in so long. It would really be easy to slip into keeping those hours again. Bill could definitely make it easier to do just that. There was a note on the side table and I reached out to pick it up. It was written in a formal script.
Mattie-
Please make yourself comfortable and stay in my home if you wish. I regrettably do not have much in the way of taking care of your human needs, but you are welcome none the less. I look forward to seeing you here when I rise.
Bill.
I laughed at the "human needs" bit. Why was it that vampires always felt the need to mention that all the time? It's been a few years since I've heard that. Vincent had said the same things to me from time to time. I miss him. He was really gone and never coming back. I tried to block him out of my head. I really wanted to be done crying over what had happened. Time to move on. I got up and walked into the kitchen foraging for sustenance. Bill was right, he really had squat in the way of food. It wasn't a terrible surprise at least. I picked up my shoes and coat and put them on slowly. I really didn't want to leave him, but I was also not very fond of starving. I jotted down a quick note to Bill so he wouldn't wonder where I was, grabbed my tiny red cell phone out of my purse, and left the house. At the very least, I could walk across the cemetery to pilfer food out of Sookie's fridge.
The smell of fresh wet grass hit my nose while I skipped down Bill's steps. The rain had let up a bit and not much was getting through the dense trees, so I made my way over to the house through the cemetery. Creepy! Although I am far from easy to frighten, the thought of walking through a cemetery alone in an area known to have supernatural creatures was kind a freaking me out. Good thing it was daylight. I picked up the pace and turned my mind to other things. It must have been convenient to have your boyfriend be your next door neighbor. A heart-to-heart with Sookie was inevitable if I was going to spend any more time with Bill and I was soooo planning on spending more time with him.
As I walked up to the house, one of my cousin's roommates was sitting on the porch and she appeared to be reading. It was Amelia. I had only met her once, but she seemed nice enough. Sookie seemed to be surrounded by such a motley crew. Between the two roommates whom she told me were witches and the shifter boss, it was a veritable supe fest at the Stackhouse home. Not to mention the hulking vampire boyfriend. I cringed a little at the thought of Eric sort of being part of my family. It was vampires like him that I couldn't stand dealing with. I felt a heat begin to rise in the pit of my stomach like a ball of flame and the need to suppress it became stronger at the thought of him. I took a deep cleansing breath and thought of Bill, which did wonders to calm me down. I suppose that running away from my problems routine wasn't going exactly as planned. The Viking was definitely going to make that more difficult. I just really didn't like the guy. Or was it that he reminded me of another vamp I hadn't liked? I wonder why Bill doesn't have that same effect on me. I climbed the steps up to the porch.
"Good afternoon Mattie. " Amelia smiled as she greeted me. Sookie's in the kitchen. She just got up. She was up late again last night with Eric." She waggled her eyebrows. "From the looks of it, you haven't gotten much sleep either."
"Oh joy! Is he still here? I mean, does he sleep here?" I asked inquisitively. I would be lying if the thought of finding him and rendering him finally dead wasn't on my mind. Relax Girl, you're not having any more of those thoughts about him. Family. Remember? Amelia told me he had left for Shreveport sometime during the night as he usually did. I thanked her for the info and moved on into the house.
"Mornin" Sook. I mean afternoon. I suppose I slept my whole day away again." I said yawning. "Man that's easy to do when you end up in the right company after dark. Am I right?" I supposed Sookie knew that I had been spending a fair amount of time with Bill. We were after all living in a small town. Then again, maybe she hadn't noticed. I hoped it wasn't going to be a big issue.
Sookie stared down into her paperwork which appeared to be bills and nodded knowingly. When the thought registered her head, she looked up at me and started in with the questions. "What exactly do you mean? Where were you last night anyway? Did Jason set you up with one of his loser friends? Come to think of it, how did you get here? I didn't even hear your car?" OK, guess she wasn't really paying attention to where Mattie had been lately. Not that I really expected her to. Sookie had her own life and it's not like she had to keep tabs on mine. I took a deep breath and started to explain the situation.
"Well I walked here actually. Driving didn't really seem worth it and I like the smell of the rain. Not much of it was getting through the trees so it sort of seemed like a good idea. At the time anyway."
"You walked here from town?" Why aren't you soaked? It was raining pretty hard when I got up and you had to have been walking at least that long. How long did it take you to get here anyway?"
Oh boy, here we go. I took a deep breath. I knew what was coming next. I would much rather tell Sookie myself than have her discover it in some other way. Small towns had a way of making gossip travel faster than the speed of light and about as accurately as an elementary school game of telephone. It was now or never. "Well Sook, I didn't stay at Jason's last night. I was actually a lot closer. Like…say…. just across the graveyard closer." I winced and waited for Sookie's reaction like a child who had just confessed something to her parents and was waiting for the punishment that was sure to follow. It was deathly quiet in the kitchen. Sookie didn't speak. She just sat there for what seemed like forever, but it was probably closer to 30 seconds. I guessed it was time to break the silence and take what was coming to me.
"So am I to assume that this uncomfortable silence means you're a little sore with me about where I ended up sleeping last night? Or I guess this morning really since I didn't nod off until after 4. Um, I'm actually there a lot, I just usually go home." Sookie's eyes were closing into little slits. " It was really harmless Sook. No funny business I swear! I woke up on the couch all by my lonesome this morning. Not so much as a button undone." OK so that wasn't true of every night, but it was last night. For the most part Bill was the perfect gentleman and had barely even kissed me let alone taken me to bed with him. Bummer.
Sookie took a deep breath. I could tell by her silence this wasn't going to be good. Suddenly the swell hit and there was no turning back. Sookie jumped up out of her chair and yelled, " How could you? He trusted you and left you in his house at his most vulnerable time and he doesn't even know what you are. How could you do that to him? It's just so irresponsible!"
"Wait a minute, that isn't fair. I've had relationships with vampires before with no desire to sneak in and take them out in their sleep. Besides, I don't even know where he sleeps. I like him Sookie. A lot. I like talking to him and hanging out with him. He thinks I drive like a maniac, but doesn't everyone? He makes me laugh and I haven't laughed in so long. I'm tired of hurting and I want to move on. I think he enjoys being with me too. I plan on going back there later and spending tonight with him since it's my night off and all."
"I can't believe you can play this kind of dangerous game Mattie! You need to tell him about you. He needs to know that you hold his existence in your hands every time you are alone with him. It's not fair to him to keep him in the dark! This didn't work out very well the last time and I don't want that to happen to Bill!" Sookie very clearly had anger rising up through her blood. She looked as though she was about to wrestle me to the ground and kick my ass. I wasn't sure how strong this blood bond thing really made her, but I was NOT interested in finding out. I'm strong, but maybe not viking strong.
"That's not fair Sookie! You didn't need to bring up Vincent. You know I'm still having trouble with that whole situation. I didn't do that on purpose. He got in the way." The conversation was going downhill rapidly. "OK, let's just calm down." I took a moment to compose myself and spoke a little softer. " I didn't even have to suppress the urge at all around Bill. It was like it never even existed. That counts for something doesn't it? So far I have only had to fight my nature around that huge boyfriend of yours, although it probably helps that I don't like him very much. I might be tough, but I'm pretty sure I'm no match for him even on my best day. Please relax! I am totally in control of the situation."
Just then Amelia came in from off the porch wondering what all the shouting was about. Sookie turned to her and pointed back at me. She was speaking very clearly now and I felt a little shudder run through me. "She is putting Bill's life in danger. He has no idea that he spends his nights entertaining a slayer!"
The three of us were just standing there for a while in the dimly-lit kitchen in total silence. Amelia looked over at me and then at Sookie before she moved her body closer to me. I looked up into her eyes. She didn't look upset and I relaxed a bit assuming that she would help calm Sookie down a bit. Wrong! Amelia opened her mouth and with a booming voice starting yelling at me.
"What the FUCK were you thinking!?! You went out with him and spent the whole night at his house and weren't even the least bit concerned about what you might do? I mean really Mattie, what the fuck? What if you decide to go to bed with the guy? Do you think you can stay calm enough between the sheets not to rip off the bed post and stab him with it?"
"Be serious. I would never do that. He isn't even on my radar that way. I mean it. I have been in control the whole time. He just acts so human. Honestly, the thought never once crossed my mind and I've spent most of the last 2 weeks with the guy! And by the way, what makes either of you enough of an expert on my situation to think I can't take care of it?"
"As an apprentice, I encountered several slayers in their line of duty. I have seen the blood lust they carry for the vampire and watched them work." She turned to Sookie. "It was kind of like a police ride along for supes. Know your enemy and that sort of thing. At the time I didn't really know any vampires and assumed what the slayer did was kind of like hunting an over population of deer. " Sookie slid back into her chair, but remained tense with regard to the situation. Amelia turned her attention back to me. "It wasn't until a few years later that I discovered their true nature. Most I have encountered are blood thirsty bounty hunters with only one goal in mind. To take down the vampire they are hunting by any means necessary. They don't care why, they don't care how, they just have to. You're a predator by nature Mattie. Just as dangerous to a vampire as the vampire is to a human."
"If you know so much about my kind Amelia, you must know of our ability to choose our path? We are not all like that you know. Just like not all vampires are blood thirsty killing machines." Sookie looked up to hear what I was about to say. This was a discussion we had before and She knew full well my opinion on the subject. "I have opted to deny my nature as my mother did before me. I have no desire to commit random acts of violence against the vampire race. I learned the hard way that the lifestyle doesn't suit me too well. There are good and evil of every species and I don't see the point in taking down a vampire just because he is simply that. I was told that the only way I could assume my true position was to be accepting of it. Many of the women in my family have been, but that's not the path I have chosen for myself."
"So you're saying you've never killed a vampire?"
"Well no, I didn't say that exactly. I mean….. I don't mind taking down the random jerk if need be. What else can I use these fabulous senses and reflexes for? Driving can't be the only excitement in my life. It isn't like I'm getting any action..... at the moment." I smiled a quick grin over in Sookie's direction and she rolled her eyes back at me. "I'm not going to use my powers for evil if that's what you thinking. I am so not going over to the dark side." I laughed a little to lighten the mood, but mostly because I found my joke pretty funny. Neither Amelia or Sookie laughed. Fine, you have no sense of humor. " I will never accept the nature and so therefore I am not a threat to any of Sookie's friends. Or mine for that matter. I won't ever let myself get into that situation again. It hurts too much."
Amelia and Sookie went on talking about the various reasons they didn't think it was wise for me to be alone with Bill all the time. They were treating me like a teenager that needed a chaperon. Sookie told Amelia about my previous relationship and it's disastrous outcome. I tried pleading my case, but I was getting tired of them babying me, so I got up and went to lie down on the sofa. I wasn't used to this strange sleep pattern I was entering into and needed to shut me eyes for a minute anyway.
Apparently I drifted off for quite a while because when I woke up, Sookie's door was closed and I could hear the shower running. It must be after 5 since She would need to be at Merlotte's by 6 pm for her dinner shift. I picked up my phone to give my mother a quick call. Maybe she could explain to me again how easy it had been for her to suppress her gift when she wanted to have a husband and a family. Blood lust and motherhood didn't seem to go hand in hand. Lucky for mom she hadn't been dating a vampire. Damn. I got her voice mail and left her a message. She'd call me back and we could talk it over. It was probably better that no one heard that conversation anyway.
Sookie came out of the bedroom grabbed her coat and a bottled water and headed toward the back door. I jumped up to follow her. I caught up to her just as She was opening her car door. "Just do me a favor and talk to him about this before you go any further with him. He's important to me."
"I will Sook, I promise. Just promise me something too OK? Let me tell him. I don't want him to hear it from anybody but me. OK?" Sookie nodded in agreement. "I'll make you a deal. You don't tell Bill about my little secret and I promise that I won't try and kill your boyfriend. Deal?"
"Deal." Sookie rolled her eyes and threw me a backwards wave as she jumped into her car and drove off.
I walked slowly back over to Bill's and it began to rain again. Harder this time. I was soaked to the skin by the time I got back to Bill's front porch. He opened the door and stared at me for a moment. I must have looked like a drowned rat because he had to stifle a laugh. He scooped me up into his arms and carried me into the bathroom. He set me down on the counter and began to draw a warm bath. He grabbed a towel and draped a fluffy white bathrobe across the chair next to the tub. I was slightly embarrassed as I surveyed my appearance in the mirror. I looked like Billy Idol the morning after a really good party. Just great Mattie, let's scare him away.
"Why don't you get cleaned up and warm and then I will take you out for something to eat. Would that be good?" I nodded and Bill turned and walked out shutting the door behind him. I got undressed and eased into the tub. My god that water felt good. I let out a long, loud sigh as I slipped under the water. Just as I started to relax, the door flew open. I popped up out of the water as Bill stood there for a moment taking in my appearance. I noticed as he was looking at me that his fangs had come down a bit and his eyes flared with lust. "Geez Bill what's the problem?" I shouted at him. He composed himself quickly muttering that he thought I was in some kind of trouble from the noise I had made and left the room obviously mortified by his actions. I wasn't sure why he seemed so flustered until I turned to notice my reflection in the full length mirror. A little smile crept across my face. The water wasn't quite deep enough to cover all of me and from where he was standing he had gotten a fairly decent view of the top half. Oops! I chuckled and slid back down into the water to enjoy it's liquid warmth.
I laid there in the tub for about 20 minutes before the water started to cool, so I pulled the drain and jumped out. The big fluffy robe was like heaven against my skin. It felt like snuggling up in a cloud. I have to get myself one of these! I rummaged around and found a brush in the drawer next to the sink and raked it through my hair. I peeked out into the hall and sitting up against the door was my toiletries bag and some of my clothes. It seemed as though Bill had gone over to Jason's to get some things for me while I was in the tub. I smiled and shook my head. What a sweet guy.
I stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later to the strains of Bill playing the piano. He played well and his fingers slid across the keys effortlessly. My mother was the musical sort and the sound of an instrument being played in the house was a very welcoming one for me. Bill stood up when he saw me come in the room. I could see he was admiring my appearance. He had brought me a tight black cashmere sweater, a pair of red cigarette pants, and low sling back heels. He had actually done a pretty good job putting this outfit together and I twirled around to show off his handy work. When I completed my turn, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me to him, forcefully pressing my breasts up against his chest. His lips found mine. He kissed me gently at first and then with a growing intensity that seemed to say how much he needed me close to him. He slid his hands up under my sweater and slowly ran his palms down the soft skin of my back. My stomach was doing a few flip-flops. I let out a sigh at Bill's touch and it made him melt into me all the more. I felt his fangs graze sharp against my lip and tasted the metallic warmth of my blood. Bill slid his tongue across my lip and licked off the blood. Could he taste the slayer in me? Was that even possible? When he didn't miss a beat and kept his mouth pressed to mine, I relaxed. Apparently he was none the wiser. Bill pulled his face away and looked down at me.
"You are radiant. It will take every fiber in my being to turn around and walk you out that door right now."
"So don't. I don't have any place I need to be." My eyes smoldered up at him wishing he would cut out the chivalry routine and carry me upstairs like Rhett had carried Scarlet.
"No, you need to eat." He paused for a moment before he continued. "You taste…..vitamin deficient."
I laughed and agreed I was more than a little bit hungry. Sookie's fridge had been devoid of anything substantial and I spent most of the time getting yelled at while I was there anyway. Bill and I walked out to his car and drove off down the road.