Charlaine Harris owns all these wonderful characters, I just like playing with them.
A/N Thank you so much for the enthusiastic reviews. The writing for this is going really well, there will probably only be one, maybe two more chapters max. For those who've asked, I've got the next chapter of Nesting Instincts about 1/3 done.
I kind of pushed this out a bit since I'm going into the hospital tomorrow. Nothing life threatening, but it's something I can't put off, especially since my health insurance will run out soon from the job loss thing. Hopefully, I'll be back at home recovering on Thanksgiving Day, although I probably won't be in the mood for the usual feasting from what they're telling me.
enjoy!
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"Good evening Mr. Compton. We have just a few more questions for you."
Bill had been hearing that for three nights now. He'd been brought to a nondescript, gray office building on the outskirts of Houston, Texas. He had been told he would be answering some additional questions, but not that it would take several nights. As soon as he rose for the evening, he would hurriedly drink a True Blood and be hustled into a barren wood paneled office that looked like a leftover from the 1970's.
There were two vampires that Bill didn't know, standing at the door. A rotating pool of generically suited men came in and out of the room as they lost their voices from speaking. They would ask him questions all night, pushing him right up until the sun was almost up. Then the next night, they would ask most of the same questions again; questions about his human life, his vampire life, places he'd been, people he'd met. Bill wasn't sure what they were trying to achieve.
Then, this night, he realized where they were going.
"Mr. Compton, would you say that vampires had a right to kill in the past? After all, your kind was hunted for centuries," asked gray suit number one.
"I'd say that any being has a right to defend themselves from harm, wouldn't you?" Bill asked back.
"True, but what if the vampire wasn't in any danger?" gray suit number two asked.
"I can't speak for what others do. Humans often hurt and kill others as well."
"Mr. Compton," gray suit number three paused for a moment. "Our government has decided to not pursue many of the violent acts of vampires committed before the Great Reveal, just as they ignored the lack of taxes being paid. In a manner of speaking, vampires were able to start fresh."
"But this does not mean we ignore acts committed after the Great Reveal," gray suit number two declared. "Mr. Compton would you care to confess to any illegal violent acts made after the Great Reveal?"
"This session is not being recorded," gray suit number one offered. "You have no lawyer present and we have no jurisdiction with regards to law enforcement or prosecution. We are merely trying to clarify what sort of man you really are. Space Command can't be wrong about you. Too much is riding on this."
"I'm not a man," Bill said. "I haven't been a man for a very long time, I barely remember what it was like to be a human being. I have attempted, to the best of my ability, to live my life with some honor, decency, and some sort of ethics. I wish I could say I have always succeeded, but I have not. Like anyone, I struggled with doing the right thing as a human and I've struggled with it as a vampire."
"And what about killing?" gray suit number two asked.
"I killed many men while I was still alive. It was only pure luck that kept me from being one of the many bodies I saw being thrown into the mass grave sites."
"Yes, your service with the Confederacy has been checked and rechecked. We're satisfied with your conduct during a most difficult war," gray suit number three said. "But that isn't what we're asking is it?"
"Have you killed humans after you were Turned?" gray suit number two asked.
Eric had hired a team of lawyers for Bill once his candidacy had gotten more serious and it appeared he might actually be selected. The number one thing they had advised Bill was to never …EVER…admit to killing anyone once he was a vampire. Sometimes good advice has to be ignored.
"Yes, I did."
"Why?" gray suit number one asked.
"I was hungry. I can't explain to you what vampire hunger is like. It takes over and when you're a newly turned vampire, it consumes you. I was young and inexperienced. I didn't kill on purpose."
"And there was no True Blood to take the edge off back then…"gray suit number one said.
Bill wasn't stupid. They were playing good cop, bad cop with him. Trying to trip him up. They thought they had worn him down and he was confessing. But he wasn't. He was telling them because he wanted to enter this program with the minimal amount of skeletons in his closet and with an understanding of who he was. Otherwise, they'd forever think he was some mindless animal. He wondered why gray suit number four was sitting quietly and not asking questions like the other three. None of them were taking notes either.
"So, these deaths took place a very long time ago…say 19th century?" gray suit number three asked.
"Yes"
All three flipped through their files. Here it came.
"We're seeing here that you dated a young woman…a Sookie Stackhouse…right after moving back into your ancestral home, correct?" gray suit number three asked. He pronounced her name wrong.
"It's pronounced Sookie, like cookie," Bill corrected.
"Oops! Sorry, it's an unusual name," gray suit number three smiled, like he and Bill were best friends.
"Her Grandmother was murdered," gray suit number two stated.
Bill looked at him directly. "Yes, she was. A disturbed local man was the murderer. He's still locked up in an institution I understand."
"So, that death had nothing to do with you," gray suit number one offered with a lingering tone.
"No. I would have no reason to hurt Adele Stackhouse. She was a lovely person and very kind to me when I moved back." Bill said. "It was a shame. I would have liked to have gotten to know her better."
"That's nice," gray suit number two drawled. "Adele Stackhouse's brother is a different story though huh?"
Bill froze and kept his face neutral. "What do you mean?"
"Well, it just seems to be a pretty odd that you move back into town, Adele Stackhouse is murdered, then barely days later, her brother is killed when someone breaks into his house. That's a hell of a bad streak in one family don't you think?"
"I wouldn't know," Bill said, shrugging. "I never met the man. Sookie wasn't close to him."
"Well, she had good reason didn't she?" gray suit number three said.
"I don't follow you."
"Sookie Stackhouse, she had good reason to not be close to her great uncle."
Bill's mind raced. How could they have found out? Or were they just fishing? He and Eric had gone over anything they could think of that could be brought up and they'd covered tracks as perfectly as possible. Eric had even thought to send Bubba out of the state to stay with Russell Edgington while the review process was going on. Bubba liked Bill a lot and had been very excited to hear he might become an astronaut. It was too risky someone with a camera or recorder would see him , or worse talk to him.
But Eric didn't know about the Uncle Bartlett thing, unless Sookie had told him. No, Eric wouldn't have told anyone anyway. Eric could be a snake, but he would never rat out a vampire ally to human law enforcement. And if he even knew about Bill arranging Bartlett's tumble down the stairs, he probably would have approved, once he knew why.
Sam? He had trouble believing that Sookie would tell her shifter boss even as close as they were. Fae relatives? No, this was too personal for Sookie ..only a family member….which left Hadley. Maybe Hadley had told someone about issues with Bartlett and these men were putting two and two together. Or maybe…JASON! He had to have known what was going on since Sookie didn't even attend the funeral.
This all went through Bill's head in the matter of seconds. "Why don't you explain what you're referring to ?" Bill asked politely.
"There is evidence that your friend suffered from abuse by her great uncle when she was a child. Were you aware of this?" gray suit number three asked.
Bill debated with himself for a second. "Yes, I am."
"Would you elaborate?" gray suit number two asked.
"It was told to me in confidence, so I would rather not," Bill replied.
"You may want to rethink that decision. Let me tell you how this looks. We have reason to believe that when you started seeing this Sookie Stackhouse, she told you about her abusive great uncle and asked you to kill him as retaliation for the suffering he'd put her through as a child." Gray suit number two declared. "Do you have any comment to make?"
"That sounds like a huge leap to me," Bill said, keeping his voice calm. What if they decided to question Sookie? What if it got out and the newspapers got involved? What would happen to her? How much did these men really know?
"Did you kill this great uncle?" gray suit number one jumped in.
"No"
"Then you had someone else do it." Gray suit number one retorted.
Bill sat silently.
"Bill," gray suit number two started. They were on a first name basis now? "Bill, we know you're involved. The only thing we don't know is how involved this Stackhouse woman is. Did she order you to kill her great uncle?"
"No"
"You're sure?"
"Yes"
"Because we can bring her in and ask her. So, she didn't order a hit on him?"
"No!"
"No? Did she ask or imply she wanted this to happen?"
"No, she had nothing to do with any of this." Bill blurted, then froze. Shit, they had him.
The gray suited men sat back, and nodded towards the fourth gray suited man who hadn't said anything thus far. Now he spoke. "Mr. Compton, you're pretty much admitting having this man killed. Could you please explain why?"
It was too late for him. There would be a trial and he'd get to choose a form of execution, staking from another vampire or meeting the sun. Staking would be quicker Bill thought. But seeing the sun again might be nice too.
Eric was going to be mad as hell since he was practically rubbing his hands together in anticipation of all the merchandising deals he would put together if Bill was selected. Well, too bad, he couldn't allow them to victimize Sookie all over again. Not after everything she'd gone through.
"Mr. Compton?" the fourth man asked again. "Why don't you tell us what happened?"
Bill couldn't believe this. His Maker had tortured him for days and nights and commanded him repeatedly to give her information. He'd fought that and managed to resist until he was rescued. But these boring gray suited men had managed to get him to blab incriminating information that would now get him tried for murder. Of course, the reason he'd been able to resist his Maker was the same reason these men had succeeded, by threatening his Sookie.
He could hear his father's voice," William! No use crying over spilt milk, hold your head up and just get on with business!" Yes papa, he thought.
"Mr. Compton?" the fourth man prompted again.
Bill sighed. In for a dime, in for a dollar, he would just lay out the cards and see what happened. "Miss. Stackhouse had told me about the abuse her great uncle had inflicted upon her. It went on for years and its impact was severe. Even while speaking to me about it, she became distraught. It caused rifts in the family that were permanent and I'm sure she felt unnecessary guilt over that as well. I felt….I felt so incredibly enraged at this evil man hurting innocent children, in his own family no less! She wasn't the only victim you see. And even now, this woman I loved was suffering so….I contacted someone. Miss. Stackhouse knew nothing about it. I acted completely on my own."
"Did you tell her afterward?"
"No"
"Did she suspect?"
"Yes, but we never really discussed it. She was so relieved that this horror from her childhood was gone."
"So she approved?"
"No, she was just so relieved. And she told me I could not take actions from things she said. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to trust me and talk to me."
"So did you do this?"
"Yes, I have tried to do as she asked." Even as I screwed up in dozens of other ways, Bill thought.
"How do you see what you did now?" the fourth man asked.
"What do you mean?" Bill asked.
"When you look back on your actions, are you sorry? What would you do differently?"
Bill wasn't sure why he was asking this, so he answered honestly. " Do I regret it? Yes and no. He was a feeble, sick old man and quite ill. I should have allowed him to slowly suffer and die a long drawn out death. But I was so …upset…over Sookie….Miss Stackhouse's reactions while speaking of it….I reacted impulsively and took action. I shouldn't have done that. Am I sad or sorry about instigating his death? No, not really. The man was a monster. I have little patience or pity for those who prey on children."
"Interesting, you using the word "monster"," the fourth man observed.
"Perhaps," Bill replied. "I'm sure to some, it would be seen as irony."
"Would you say most vampires feel as you do?"
"No, most vampires are indifferent to children. And these days, everything has changed. Children are valued more than they used to be. It used to be common to see orphaned, homeless unwanted children wandering the streets. They would do whatever they needed to do to survive and they were victims of all sorts of atrocities. Preyed upon by adult humans, fellow children and some vampires; many never made it to adulthood. "
"Were you one of those predators?"
"No, fortunately I was never in a situation where my survival depended on hurting a child. I'm not sure I would have allowed myself to live afterward."
"Why? Why Mr. Compton does it matter? You've seen so many countless people die in many pointless and random ways….to the point that those of us sitting at this table can never fully fathom. Why would a single child matter?"
Bill thought for a moment.
He took an unnecessary breath. "Because, what separates a savage and a civilized man is how they value the weak members of their society. A savage abandons them and leaves them to die, only thinking about survival of their tribe. A civilized man knows that there can be no civilization if the strong don't protect the weak. I viewed myself as a civilized man when I was alive. Going to war almost destroyed that and when I made it home alive to my family, I promised I would never allow myself to be otherwise. Then I was taken and turned into something savage. But a part of me has managed to retain that element of civility and as long as I can still find that man inside of me….I can manage to get through another night." Bill paused. He wasn't sure what he was trying to say was getting across. Maybe there was no way for him to say what he truly felt. He wished he were better at speeches. "I wish I had some grand statement about children being the future and the tragedy of innocence being destroyed. I actually like children, but am no longer in a position to be around them very often. I'm sorry. I'm sure this isn't very clear. "
"Actually, it's quite clear," the fourth man said. He looked down at his file again. " I see here you're related to a member of the local law enforcement, a detective Andrew Bellefleur."
"Yes," Bill answered, a little puzzled at the change in topic.
"He and his wife had a baby and named her Caroline Compton Bellefleur. Was this in honor of you?"
"Yes"
"How did you feel about that?"
Well, color Bill confused, this man was all over the place with his questions. Why weren't they just carting him off to an underground bunker somewhere? Were they going to do something to Andy and his family? Bill couldn't allow that. " I was flattered and pleased of course. Why are you asking me about them? Detective Bellefleur doesn't know about the situation with Sookie…Miss. Stackhouse's great uncle and it would be unfair to implicate them in any way."
"The questions aren't related. I was just wondering how you felt about the baby carrying your name. Do you have a relationship with them?"
Bill had no idea where this was going, but decided to play along. "I've been trying to build one with them, yes."
"And they let you see the baby?"
"Yes, I am pleased to say that they allow me to spend time with her."
"And how was that?"
"It was enjoyable. Like I said, I like children in general. I haven't spent any time with babies for a very long time," Bill paused, smiling softly. "But it's like riding a bike."
Bill thought about the last time he had seen baby Caroline. Halleigh had met him at Merlottes and he'd watched the baby at one table while she had a glass of wine with some teacher colleagues at another. It was kind of like chaperoned baby sitting and it had gone well. Caroline hadn't cried or been frightened of Bill's white face or cool touch. He had read to her from a soft colorful book with various touchy feely things on the pages. He would read a page, then put her hand on the appropriate item. She'd stare wide eyed and fascinated….then shove her tiny fist in her mouth, getting drool everywhere. And she wasn't the only one wide eyed. Sam had to deal with people walking into the bar all night, coming up to warn him about a vampire sitting with a baby at a small side table, not realizing the mother was sitting twenty feet away and perfectly relaxed about the situation. It had amused Bill to see Sam, who wasn't exactly a vampire fan, becoming offended by the ignorant comments and retorting back.
Sam warmed up a small bottle of milk for the baby and a bottle of TruBlood for Bill. The vampire and the pink clad baby had sat watching the activity at Merlottes as they drank their dinner. By the time Halleigh was ready to leave, Bill was reluctant to hand Caroline back. The baby gripped his shirt as tightly as her chubby fists could and she squawked when she was handed back to her Momma. " I think she likes you," Halleigh had laughed, as she strapped the baby into her car seat. When Bill went back into the bar, he could hear Halleigh's friends talking in an amazed way at how good he was with the baby.
All that would be gone, Bill thought. He wouldn't get to see her grow up and he would forever be the creepy murdering vampire ancestor that no one wanted to talk about.
"Do you have a picture?" the fourth man asked.
Bill frowned. Why would they need a picture? But they could find out the information easily enough, so there was no point in refusing. "Yes, I have a picture," he replied.
"May I see it?
Bill slowly pulled his wallet out and flipped to the pictures. Taken at the Sears store family photography studio in the mall in Monroe, one was of Andy, Halleigh and baby Caroline sitting on her lap. The second was just of the baby, dressed in her baby best of a pink frilly dress and perched next to a teddy bear that was as large as her. Bill had never had photos in his wallet until Halleigh had given him these two. He had been unexpectedly moved and trimming the photos and fitting them into his wallet had been strangely satisfying.
The man leaned in, looked, and smiled. "Cute as a button," he said.
Bill couldn't help it. He smiled too and looked at the photo again." Yes…yes she is," he murmured.
"She appears to take after her mother."
"Her father hopes so," Bill commented dryly.
This generated a chuckle. "Do you have an opinion about her future?" he asked.
"I hope she has a happy life. Women can do anything they want now. She can become whatever she desires. Her parents don't know it yet, but I've had a trust fund set up for her education and any additional children that may come later."
"So, you wouldn't want her to be a vampire then?"
"Absolutely not….unless it was something she really wanted, but that would be up to her. Hopefully, she'll have a family and children of her own."
The man nodded thoughtfully to that comment. "Thank you Mr. Compton for your time." And with that, he stood up and left the room.
Gray suit number one said," Mr. Compton you'll be taken back to your room for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately, you'll be needed for one more night."
When Bill was back in his room, sipping another TruBlood from the mini bar he debated his options.
He could run.
Years of hiding and knowledge of old vampire hideouts meant he could safely get away and never be caught. But he'd have to live as some of the older more eccentric vampires did. And he'd never get to see any of his current human acquaintances and friends again. He'd have to wait until everyone who knew about this was dead and then risk coming back later. This assumed that vampires wouldn't come after him for ruining an opportunity for a true vampire hero to bolster their image with the humans.
After debating the various possibilities for several hours, he decided to let the chips fall where they may. He had done the best he could and it hadn't been good enough. For the short time he had left, he would just have to live with it. He had known this would be a possibility when he'd signed up. That something from his past would come out and bury him. He went to his rest regretful and resigned.
The next night he was taken into the same tedious room. This time there were no vampires standing at the door and there were several men from NASA that he knew mixed in with the gray suited men. One of them, Carl Wheatley was the final word on astronaut selection.
This was it, Bill thought. They had told Carl about what Bill had done and he would be informed that he was no longer a candidate. He straightened up for the bad news when Carl sat him down at the table.
"Mr. Compton, good evening."
"Good evening Mr. Wheatley."
"I'm going to ask you something and I need a very honest answer."
"Alright"
"When the various permutations of this mission were being discussed , one of them was the One Way Option. Do you remember discussing it?"
"Yes, of course."
"Well, the decision has been finalized. NASA is going to bite the bullet and go with this option. Just about every scientist and engineer we've consulted has stated this option will significantly raise the possibility of success. It will lower the cost by %60 and give us a permanent solid goal. So, I need to know right now….are you still willing to be a part of this mission? I know you originally said you would still do it, but if you've changed your mind…please…please ..just say so. It'll be perfectly understandable if you no longer wish to go under those conditions."
Bill sat stunned, stunned that everyone was acting like he was still a candidate and being offered a position. The One Way Option essentially meant that the astronauts would leave Earth, go to Mars and not come back. It was a permanent settlement option as opposed to a go away and come back in a year option. It was much less complicated, easier to engineer, and much cheaper. The only reason NASA had been balking was the problem of selling the idea to the public. It had a "suicide mission" element to it that would be a hard sell. Like all the astronauts who had raised their hand to volunteer, Bill didn't see it that way.
"Yes, I would still want to go," he answered.
"You're sure?"
"Yes"
"You know how some will see it. As a suicide mission. Do you see it that way?"
"No, but being a pioneer involves sacrifices and I'm willing to make them for such an amazing opportunity, both for myself and for humankind and vampirekind alike."
All the men present began to smile and the tension began to ebb out of the room. "I thought you'd say something like that. Would it surprise you to find out that you've been selected as the newest member of the NASA astronaut family?"
Bill was silent. He wasn't sure he'd heard him right.
All the men stood up. Carl put out his hand, forgetting vampire protocol. "Congratulations Mr. Compton and welcome to NASA."
If Bill had been human, he would have been unable to stand from dizziness. He stood up and shook the hand offered him. There was a stream of handshakes and gray suits. Someone opened a double door at the end of the room and they went through into another equally boring 1970's conference room. There was a larger crowd of people in this room. A number of them Bill recognized from the various tests and training exercises he'd been through already. When they came through, a few cameras went off . Carl gestured towards Bill and said, "I'm pleased to introduce our newest astronaut!" Applause erupted in the room.
The rest of the evening was a blur. There were well wishes and more photos, including one of Bill signing his official contract to work for NASA. There was a layout of appetizer trays and drinks on the tables, so everyone was nibbling as they chatted. He ran into the two vampire door guards at a tray of TruBlood. "Who do you work for?" he asked, casually.
"Officially, we don't exist," one vampire answered, raising an eyebrow at Bill significantly.
Bill realized he would never know how the gray suited men had found out the information about him that they did. Perhaps that was just as well. The fourth gray suited man had entered the room and was talking to gray suit number three in the corner. He pointed him out to the vampire. "Is it alright to ask who he is?"
"Oh, he's rather famous in certain circles," the vampire replied. "His name is John Douglas. He's retired from the FBI. He invented the profiling that their behavioral science unit uses to catch serial killers."
"Oh, I see," Bill said. He wasn't sure if he should feel insulted or complimented.
The vampires moved off and Carl ended up taking their place next to Bill. "If I were to describe your demeanor, it would be dazed," he said, sipping his drink.
"After the last few days, I guess I'm a bit surprised that I was offered a position," Bill commented. He wondered how much Carl knew about his interview. Carl answered the question on his own.
"Well, we decided to have some specialists come in who might be better at assessing the candidates than us. Vampire backgrounds are somewhat….unique..and not typical of the type of person we normally check out at NASA," he smiled. "We explained our concerns and gave them free rein. We only asked for their final assessment based around mission goals and not the specifics of the interviews."
"Interviews?"
"Yes, you don't think you were the only one going through this do you?"
"So….you don't know anything that was discussed?" Bill asked.
"No, and I don't want to know. They weren't allowed to record the interviews with any form of device nor take notes. That's why the interviews were here. We own this building," he said while gesturing around them. "It hasn't been redecorated since the 70's. Can't you tell?" he laughed, as Bill smiled back.
Bill had to know. As he chatted with others, he slowly edged his way towards the man John Douglas. Finally, he managed to get next to him and make it look natural, or so he thought.
"You could have just walked over instead of taking the long route," the man said, popping a tiny pastry in his mouth. His eyes flickered around the room. When the eyes settled on Bill, Bill realized the man was able to really see him. This was not a human who could be easily fooled. Bill relaxed his face into as neutral an expression as possible.
"I'm sorry. We were never properly introduced," Bill commented.
"This is true. But, that's not why you walked over here. What is it you want to ask me?"
Bill started. He wasn't used to humans being able to read him.
"You behave like a human very well. It's almost like performance art in a way. But once one knows what to look for…." Mr. Douglas explained with a shrug.
Bill thought of how to express what he wanted to know. Many people were leaving and they were in a corner on their own. But he had to know. "I thought….I assumed they had decided …" he began.
"You thought you were going to be arrested and charged with murder," the human finished.
"Yes"
"I'm retired and all the men who were in charge of these interviews are no longer active members of law enforcement or related agencies. We were brought in for a specific reason, to determine if you would be a danger to your fellow astronauts during the journey and after you get there. What you had done before was less important than why and your attitude regarding your actions."
"I guess I'm a little surprised."
"You should be. You should be charged with murder and put on trial, but this mission has been determined to be of such high importance, that certain things are being overlooked. I'm sure you're aware that governments often allow injustices against individuals for common good."
"Yes, I'm aware of many things. I've seen injustices repeated so many times it hardly surprises or shocks me. Some of the things I've seen humans do to other humans…."
"I'm sure it would shock even me and I've seen some of the worst humanity has to offer. I understand. I'm hardly in a position to judge you and your life, nor would I want to. But there are some things I was able to see quite clearly."
Bill was almost afraid to ask. "Like?"
"Your evolution. You've reinvented yourself more than once and you're still doing it. You're not just copying what you see around you and pretending to fit in. Once vampires made themselves known, I've studied your various behaviors to assist law enforcement. You understand we have to be able to tell vampires who are truly dangerous from those who are making the effort not to be. One thing I've noticed, especially the older the vampires become is a lack of growth. Oh, they learn new tricks, change their clothing, mannerisms, adapt to technology….but there's very little personal growth. Maybe, it's the lack of aging that causes it, I don't know. This was essential for this mission."
"And what else? You were asking about my descendents and the baby."
"One way in that dangerous vampires are similar to sociopaths and serial killers is a lack of empathy. There's very little emotion there and almost no feeling for others. You were impacted emotionally into taking revenge on someone for a very old crime. And you have some feelings of regret regarding your actions. You were also worried we would drag the young woman into it, I could tell. That's unusual for a vampire."
Bill was silent. He knew the man was right.
"As to the Bellefleurs. Again, evolution. You haven't had a family for a very long time and yet you're attempting to rebuild family relationships with these people. That's unusual for vampires, especially older ones. We're seeing it with the young vampires, but older ones? Never. You're interested in your family's future as evidenced by your interest in a relationship with the baby. Also unusual. And with all the vampires I've ever interviewed, I've only met a few who had personal photographs in their wallets."
Bill stayed silent, absorbing what the man was saying and unsure of how to react.
"You don't enjoy being a vampire do you?" Mr. Douglas asked, with the air of someone who already knows the answer.
"I have learned to accept who and what I am…" Bill began.
"That's not the same thing," the man interrupted. "You don't embrace being a vampire as some do."
"I guess not…sometimes…there are moments, but I just can't completely let go of who I was."
"It's a burden for you I'm sure and yet it's what ultimately won you this position. You still value humanity for its own sake. "
"Thank you," Bill said.
"What for?"
"For talking to me and explaining all this to me. You've given me a lot to think about."
The man smiled. "Well, I guess there's truth to the old adage that we all learn something new every day."
"Yes," Bill smiled back. "I can assure you. That is completely true."
"Well, it's true for those with enough wisdom to grasp it. And in the long run, that will be your saving grace."
He bade Bill good night and good luck. Everyone cleared out, as Carl introduced Bill to a PR person who had been assigned to him. Bill would be introduced around the next day and the news announced on TV the following night. There was much to be done.
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"Look! His mouth is hanging open again," Grace cried, pointing at him with her free hand.
Bill clicked his mouth shut and looked directly at Eric. "Could I speak with you for a moment?" he asked, gesturing toward his bathroom's door. After winking at the women, Eric slid out of bed and followed him slowly. The two vampires crammed themselves into the tiny bathroom and Bill lit into him. "What the hell are you doing?"
"What?"
"You're trafficking in humans now? Have you decided to go back to your roots and practice full on slavery as well?" Bill couldn't help it. He could feel his fangs sliding down. It was like Eric had showed up just to push every single button he had.
Eric's bold face shifted as dark as a thunder cloud and his fangs started sliding down in response to Bill's aggressive posture and the tight space they were standing in. "I'm not trafficking! Don't be an idiot."
"Did you think it would please me to have women forced into having sex with me? Have you learned nothing in hundreds of years?"
Eric pulled himself up to his full height, so he could look down at Bill. "I'm not forcing them to do anything. They wanted to come to Mars, but didn't have the money. I told them I wanted to show you a good time for your birthday. Like everyone else, they'd seen your pictures… you're famous…they offered to give you a good time."
Bill was confused. "So, they don't belong to you?"
"Not exactly, we have a semi exclusive arrangement. We don't have sex with anyone else without the other's knowledge and consent. I feed on others of course. You noticed their scent?"
Bill nodded. Of course he had.
"Their blood is even better," Eric said smiling. He adopted a more relaxed stance, "Look, they agreed to do this on two conditions. One, they found you attractive and non creepy."
"Non creepy?" Bill asked.
"According to them, some vampires are just plain creepy," Eric explained with a shrug. "Two, I didn't leave them alone with you. I assured them that I had never known you to be deliberately abusive towards your female companions, but they asked, so I promised."
Bill stood silent for a moment. "If you're going to be present, are you participating as well?"
Eric's fangs slid down again, as he smiled flirtatiously. "Bill! How sweet! I didn't know you harbored such tender feelings for me."
Bill closed his eyes and counted to five. "No, I'm just trying to figure out what the parameters are."
"You can have sex and feed on them anyway you like and anyway they'll allow. They're pretty free spirited about sex in general, but they both have their little quirks. You've probably noticed that Paloma is a bit more aggressive. If they don't like something , they'll say so. I'll participate if they want me to…or you do." Eric smirked, batting his eyelashes.
Bill ignored the flirtation. "What makes their scent so different?"
Eric rolled his eyes toward the tiny bathroom's ceiling. "Bill! There are two gorgeous naked women waiting to make your one thousandth birthday a memorable one. The question is why are you standing in here talking to me. And an even better question would be WHY do you have a BATHTUB in your private bathroom when we were assured on the ship that the only bathtubs were in the medical center only?" He glared behind Bill, at the small Japanese style sit down tub."
Bill ignored his second comment, turned and marched out of the bathroom, with Eric slowly following, doing the little stomping walk Bill had shown him. Both women were still reclining in the bed, looking bored.
" I thought for sure you two were having sex in there," Paloma quipped.
"May I ask you both a question?" Bill asked. They frowned at his serious tone and nodded. "He isn't making you do this is he?"
Both women burst out laughing.
"Was that why you were in there? You were worried he was making us do this? Paloma laughed, her small breasts shaking.
"You were worried about us? That's so CUTE!" Grace said, walking up to Bill. She reached out and gingerly touched one of his sideburns, like she thought she might offend him.
"You were right, he is different," Paloma said, calming down and glancing at Eric who had plopped himself down in Bill's favorite chair.
"I told you," Eric mock complained, throwing his hands in the air. "No one listens to me."
"That's because you're usually full of shit,"Paloma retorted. She stuck her tongue out at Eric and marched over to Bill, next to Grace's side. "I think we need to take your clothes off Bill. What do you say?"
"That sounds like an excellent idea," Bill replied, since his concerns had been alleviated.
The two women cheered and they started pulling off his clothes. They took their time, caressing each section of his body as it was revealed. Bill ran his fingers into their hair, leaning in and immersing himself in their scent. He was rubbing his face back and forth into their hair while their hands ran over his chest.
"Just enough hair to play with," Grace commented.
"I might say the same about you," Bill responded, and he gave the little patch of red hair between her legs a friendly pat. She giggled.
"Now I wish I hadn't removed mine," Paloma pouted. She was bare down below. Bill slid the middle finger of his other hand between the smooth lips and gripped her labia with his fingers so hard she gasped.
"Oh, I think we'll find something to do with these," he murmured darkly in her ear.
"We need to move to the bed," Paloma suggested, a little breathlessly.
"Another excellent idea," Bill said.
Paloma glanced over her shoulder in Eric's direction. "I think I like him better than you. He agrees with me." A loud snort was the only response.
They shuffled back towards the bed and Bill gently pushed their shoulders, so they'd sit on the edge. With their faces at such a convenient height, they both leaned in and kissed his cock. Bill held completely still watching the two women. His fangs started extending out, long, and white, not unlike another body part. Paloma had one hand gripping one of his back cheeks, the other held the back of Grace's head. They kissed deeply, then continued kissing with Bill's cock head caught in between the warm lips.
Lovely.
Eric was completely silent behind Bill thank goodness. Bill hoped he stayed that way.
Paloma took Bill's cock completely into her hot wet mouth and sucked, as her hand clawed into his backside. This lasted for a minute, then they switched off. Grace's pink lips opened wide and played with around the ridge for a moment. Then, Bill wrapped his hand into her silky red hair and gripped her head firmly. The blue eyes gazed up at him a little confused.
"Open your mouth and hold still," Bill murmured.
"Okay," she replied softly.
He took control of Paloma's black hair with his other hand, lest she try to interfere. Pushing his cock into Grace's mouth slowly, he watched her eyes carefully. Once he got towards the back of her throat, there was a bit of a panicked look and he stopped where he was. He kept them still like that for a couple minutes. Paloma was getting impatient, her eyes slitted, licking her lips and shifting on the bed. Bill gave her hair a good hard tug. She got the hint and held still. At first, Grace looked frustrated, her blue eyes rolled up at Bill pathetically. He gazed back down at her, smiling with his fangs still extended. Then, she started to relax, with an air of 'I can do this all night'. Bill was pleased.
He pulled out and directed them to lie down on the bed. Bill already had a feeling of how each woman liked sex and as he leaned down into their warm bodies, he planned a couple things in his head. In general, women (and men) who liked sex with vampires typically enjoyed being dominated in some way. It was a simple matter of how and by what degree. Some simply liked the vampire to initiate and be in control of the sex, while they took a passive role. Others had various fantasies in their heads of being utterly controlled by a more powerful creature, complete with role playing. Bill had his own preferences, but being on the station for so many years, he'd learned to accommodate various tastes from the limited number of partners available to him. He'd be able to accommodate these women easily enough.
Stretching out on top of them, he wrapped his arms around them tightly as he alternated kissing each one. Then he began working his way around and down both bodies with his hands and mouth. Judging by the squirming and little cries erupting from the women's mouths, they were happy with this development. Having vampire speed was very helpful and he tried to be fair with his attentions.
Physically, the two women were quite different. Grace had a full hip and bottom to go with her large breasts. Paloma's body was lithe, almost athletic and couldn't seem to stop moving, whereas Grace seemed to enjoy being passive. When he got down to their legs, he tapped them to get their attention.
"Put your legs together and lift them. Grab your ankles if you can, so your feet are back near your face," he directed.
Quickly, they obeyed and he had a lovely vignette of wet, reddened pungent female displayed between round buttocks. He pushed their hips as close together as possible and reached one hand into each set of swollen lips. His long white fingers disappeared into the hot soaked abyss and moans erupted from the other side of the extended legs. A couple fingers slid into each women as his thumbs rotated over the excited clits. The smell of the sweat pouring off the women, combined with their moaning drove Bill to distraction. He wanted to just plunge his cock and fangs into each woman, pounding until his inner vampire's hunger was sated….but he'd had too much practice in self control. And if he'd learned nothing else, the anticipation was almost as good as the reward.
The debate of which woman to stick his cock in first was answered by Paloma disobeying his instructions. She let go of her ankles and spread her legs apart, grabbing her breasts frantically. "Come on Bill, just fuck me!" she begged.
He took a calculated risk. "I didn't tell you to spread your legs," he said flatly and he swung the hand that had been fucking her up and slapped right down on the wet exposed pussy. Her reaction was what he expected. She let out a surprised yell, but her green eyes flashed excitedly and she obviously wasn't afraid. He'd pretty much figured Paloma liked it rough. Grace let out a disappointed cry when his other hand pulled out of her. He grabbed Paloma and flipped her on her stomach over his knees. The spanking he gave her wasn't meant to be a slow fun buildup, but immediate, shocking, stinging pain.
"Ah!" she yelled.
He flipped her back over, his stiff cock impatiently hovering over the naked pussy. "Is this what you want?" he asked.
"Yes! Now, Bill, now!" she panted, and grabbed at her own breasts again. He wasn't having that.
"I didn't tell you to play with yourself, now did I? " he asked harshly, and pushed her hands away and slapped both breasts several times.
She was figuring things out now, and she kept her arms above her head with her legs spayed in front of him. Her sweaty body, panted and shook as she stared at his cock like it was the most important thing in the universe. "You never said he was this much fun," she commented in Eric's direction.
Bill grabbed her and flipped her over again. Even with her olive skin the redness on her bottom was obvious. It was even more obvious as he slapped her with his hand, causing some real sounding "OW"s.
"What did I do?" she asked, as he flipped her over again onto her back.
" No speaking to the peanut gallery," Bill said.
"What's a peanut gallery?" she asked breathlessly.
Bill flipped her again, and this time a couple "Oh my God's" came out when he spanked her again. She was shaking and quivering when he flipped her onto her back this time. Her face begged to know the answer, but now she was afraid to open her mouth. He answered it. "That was for not knowing what a peanut gallery is."
Behind him, Eric roared with laughter.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Grace still obediently had her legs up. "Grace you may lower your legs now," he said.
"Thank you!" she said, exhaling and lowering her trembling legs.
"Keep them apart for me please," he ordered.
"Okay," she answered and kept her legs askew with her arms relaxed over her head. Perfect.
Bill looked down at Paloma. "I'm going to fuck you and bite you now. Does that sound acceptable?" he asked, like there was any doubt.
"Hell yeah!" Paloma cried, pumping her fist in the air.
He looked back over at Grace. "I'll be getting to you shortly," he said, winking. A smile of anticipation spread across her face and her toes waggled happily.
Without any warning, he plunged into Paloma's hot opening. She was more than ready. "AH!" she screamed. "Yes!" She screamed a few more 'yes's as he slapped her breasts a few more times, then grabbed the dark nipples tightly between his thumb and forefinger and twisted. She was really close and her yelling was getting irritating, so Bill pulled out. Her sweaty hands clutched at him, but to no avail. He flipped her over again, but this time on her knees. Then he shoved his cock into her again, holding her slender hips tightly so he could pound as quickly as he wanted without losing contact. Her hands were clutching at the bedclothes, her face buried into the mattress, so her yells were muffled.
"Grace, scoot over here, keep your legs spread," Bill ordered, jerking his head towards her friend. He wrapped his hand around Paloma's dark hair and pulled. "Paloma, put your face down there and eat her." He pushed Paloma's face into Grace's wet pussy, but pulled her hair tightly with his hand. Grace arched back, her blue eyes half closed, her ample hips wiggling from the licking and sucking going on below.
He resumed his pounding and Paloma was practically yelling into her friends pussy that Bill was pushing her face into. He felt the familiar tightening of muscles around his cock. Pulling her head to the side, he buried his fangs into her neck as she screamed. His hips convulsed automatically as he came with her and the blood shot down his throat. It was hot, flavorful, spicy, and fresh in a way he hadn't tasted for years.
He was careful not to take too much, mindful that Eric was feeding on her regularly. Her body was shaking as he licked the little wounds and pulled her into his lap. She was taking big breaths like she'd just completed a marathon.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Uh, huh…., um..give me a second to catch my breath," she panted.
He licked the juices on her face and they kissed a few more times. "Here, why don't you rest a little?" Bill said. Lifting her easily, (which on Mars was even easier than Earth being one third gravity) he nodded at Eric, who took the hint and leaned forward with his arms out. She slid into his arms and curled up in Eric's lap still trembling slightly.
"Are you cold?" Eric asked.
"No, I'm fine. I'm just still in shock, you big fat liar."
"You just had a screaming orgasm and you're complaining? What now?" Eric demanded.
"You warned me that I'd probably be bored having sex with him. You're so full of shit."
"Oh …..that," Eric said, looking innocently at Bill.
Bill just glared back at him. He was in too good a mood now to argue with Eric. And Paloma's blood was buzzing along, lifting his spirits. And it was time to turn his attentions to Grace.
He reached out and gently pulled her foot towards him. She stretched out, lying quietly waiting to see what he'd do. Massaging the foot, he observed her for a minute. If given the choice between the two women, he preferred Grace's physicality. Even after hundreds of years, he still preferred women who were physically like the beauties of his human teenage years. It was like that body type had been imprinted on him.
The breasts were large and natural, judging from the large pink nipples. It was time to tackle those first. He stretched himself out on top of her. "Are you alright?" he asked.
She giggled a bit. "Yeah, this lower gravity thing can be kind of neat. You don't feel like you weigh that much."
"Very good," he replied. "I'm think I'm going to have a little fun with these first. How about that?"
She nodded, looking excited and anxious.
He pulled his upper lip back to expose the fangs that were down again. He wasn't going to draw blood, but he'd been wanting to bite those large round breasts since the moment he'd seen them. Firmly grasping them in his hands and shoving them together tightly, he buried his face into them. Her scent was extraordinary and his inner vampire danced with anticipation of how good her blood was going to taste. Fangs dragged across the tight skin, and the nipples started hardening, so he opened his mouth wide and bit down. A tiny high pitched cry sounded in his ears, not asking him to stop, but go on. Careful to not break skin just yet, he bit and sucked some of the most gorgeous natural breasts he'd seen for a very long time.
When he started feeling like he was on the verge of hurting her, he pulled back and moved his way down. Nuzzling the little patch of red hair with his chin, he growled, " I want you to spread your legs, so I can eat your pussy."
"Oh!" she said, looking nervous again. Bill suspected she did not have the same amount of experience as her friend, or she didn't have her bravado. The nervousness fled her face once he had his face down there and his tongue flickering rapidly. She was dripping wet and Bill knew she wanted him inside her, but wasn't as aggressive as her friend. He'd have to get her to talk.
He stopped pleasuring her with his mouth and sat up a bit. His cock was hard again of course, impatiently waiting to join in the activities. There was a tiny 'no' that seeped out of her mouth.
"Grace," he said casually. "Would you like me to put this in you?" He pointed down at his cock, which was hovering over the glistening, wet red hair patch.
"Yes please," she murmured, almost quivering with anticipation. Her pale cheeks were flushed, which made the brilliancy of her blue eyes stand out even more.
"I don't think you're that interested," he drawled. " I don't think you really care."
"Oh, I do!"
"Then beg for it," he ordered, lowering his voice
She looked surprised for a moment, then embarrassed.
"Don't worry about them," he said, jerking his head back towards where Eric and Paloma were sitting. "This is just us. I want you to beg for my cock."
"Please Bill, I beg you."
"Beg me to what?"
"Beg you to ….fuck me." She said, her voice very quiet.
"A little louder please."
"I beg you to fuck me. Please fuck me, I beg you."
"Show me where you want my cock to go."
She raised and lifted her legs back, spreading completely. Reaching down, she pushed the swollen lips apart and pointed towards the opening there.
"Good girl." Bill rubbed the head of his cock around the outside of her opening, watching her wiggle, trying to get him to push inside. He was enjoying teasing her. Just when she looked like she was about to have a stroke, he pushed in….just part way.
"OH!"she cried in frustration.
He slung her ankles up around his shoulders. "Do you want it more like this?" And he slammed into her, like a car going from zero to sixty, he thrust into her wet, tight, space, rapidly. The heat being generated from the friction alone was dizzying. The large breasts shook back and forth as he pounded into her.
"Oh!" she called out, this time not from frustration.
He leaned forward, allowing her legs to wrap around him. He buried his hands in her long hair, his tongue down her throat, and his cock into her pussy. She was ready to climax.
They both were.
When she was on the edge, his fangs found their way into her neck and his cock released into her as his mouth sucked the lifeblood out of her. She might have been screaming, but his ears were buzzing from the incredible explosion of hot blood down his throat. It was incredible, but her blood was even better than her friends. It was sweet, fresh, and reminded him of meadows of flowers in the sun for some reason.
He reluctantly stopped drinking, and licked the wounds on her neck.
"Are you alright?" he asked, gently smoothing her hair.
"Wow, oh yes….never been better," she gasped. Her warm arms were still wrapped around him and he rolled them together, so they were more side by side. The large breasts were pressed against his chest and he ran his hand down her hip, patting and clenching the meaty bottom. She was wrapped around him, her pulse vibrating through his body.
Her breathing started slowing down and the body slacked a bit as she seemed to doze off.
He glanced at Eric and Paloma. Eric was sitting relaxed with his legs stretched out. Paloma was curled up and looked…asleep. Her head was resting on Eric's shoulder as his large hand caressed her shoulder. Bill gestured towards the bed, so Eric stood up holding Paloma in his arms. He carefully walked over and set Paloma down in the bed on the other side of Bill where there was room. Then he did something that surprised Bill. He pulled the loose sheet up over the three of them, in effect tucking them in.
Paloma snuggled next to Bill's back and murmured, "When I wake up from this nap, I want someone to explain what the hell a peanut gallery is." Then she drifted off again.
Bill chuckled and Eric sat back in his chair laughing too.
Eric meet Bill's eyes. "Admit it. I give great birthday presents."
"Alright, I admit it," Bill said reluctantly.
TBC
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A/N John Douglas is an actual person. I was watching a show with him. He's probably done more for catching serial killers than anyone, but he's paid a price for it. It occurred to me that if our vamps were real, he'd probably be one of those guys they'd consult about them. It just seemed an interesting angle for the story, but I don't konw the guy so who knows what he'd actually have to say.