Chapter 7 – Reconciliation

Judith ran her hands over Bill's back to soothe, relieved that he was willing to accept her embrace and her comfort. Sending waves of comfort and understanding through the old bond, she hoped he would accept her blood and allow her to heal him. But first, he needed to let go of the past.

"Now back to you, my dear one," she said, as she held him. "You need to let go of Lorena, let go of all of that sadness and suffering, all of those burdens you've been carrying around since you were turned. One hundred and forty years is long enough, don't you think?"

"I can't forget -"

"You don't have to forget -"

"If you'd let me get a word in edgewise, woman," he offered, releasing her and giving her a half exasperated, half amused expression. She was pleased to see shadows of the old Bill coming through. "I can't forget, because I don't want to lose the memories of those I loved. My wife, my children, all that I've learned, you, Sookie . . ."

"You don't have to lose those memories, Bill. You can just learn to remember without the pain, and without being such a darned old hateful thing that you are sometimes," she said, teasing him and laughing.

He chuckled, too; a deep, rumbling sound that made her smile even broader. "How'd you get to be so smart, and full of salt, to boot?"

"Years of practice," she replied, primly, and then leaned in to brush a soft kiss upon his delectable lips. She remembered all of the wonderful things those lips could do. She hoped to get a nice refresher. Later. Hopefully not too much later. Time to get down to business. "Now, William Thomas Compton, lean back, get comfortable, and let's get you healed."

He bent down to remove his shoes, but it took some time and he winced with the effort. Judith moved to help him back up, but he brushed her off. "Let me hold onto what little dignity I have left, Judy," he chuckled, but she knew that he was serious, all right. He was a proud man, and stubborn as an old mule. She let him take his time to settle himself on the sofa, propping some pillows behind his back. He was exhausted by the time he completed this maneuver, so she let him rest a bit whiled she walked to his kitchen and helped herself to a few bottles of TrueBlood.

She'd fed before visiting Sookie, finding an agreeable gentleman at a rest stop in Shreveport and glamouring him after, but she'd be taking no chances. Bill was going to need a few deep feedings to fully heal, and she wouldn't deny him what he needed. When she returned, he gave her a warm smile, the kind that could keep a human girl warm for a winter, and she hitched her dress up a bit so she could straddle him. She removed her shirt and bra to avoid a mess, not having a change of clothes handy. Sometime, even vampires forget a few essentials. The look of appreciation that Bill gave her made any self-scolding thoughts fade into the background.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful you are, Judy," he said, low and husky. Her blue eyes widened in anticipation. The impending blood exchange excited both vampires, and Judith trembled as she unbuttoned Bill's shirt, pausing to brush his small, masculine nipples. She remembered how much he enjoyed being touched there, and was delighted as he shuddered in response to the pleasure. He groaned, his need and desire evident in his eyes, his taunt body, and his extended fangs.

Removing his shirt, she continued to caress his chest and leaned in to kiss him, their tongues and mouths moving in a seemingly effortless dance, though clearly choreographed with plenty of practice. Two sets of extended fangs always required care. She deepened her kiss, as desperate to feel him inside of her as she was to heal him.

"Slow, Judith, slow . . ." he murmured.

"You're hurting, Bill," she whispered, caressing his face, his chest, his arms. "Let me take the pain and make you whole. Let me love you, William."

His hands found her breasts and kneeded them softly, tracing patterns over her taunt nipples with his skilled fingers. He teased each one lightly with his tongue before suckling her deep within his mouth. She panted, heaving unnecessary breaths, an old habit when loving Bill. He'd been her first after her turning and her reaction to his touch was visceral. In spite of her vast experience since then, he could still bring her back to that first time; the deep urgency, lust, and exquisite pleasure borne of his skill and her vampire senses.

She suddenly stiffened, another old habit that she feel into automatically with Bill. He groaned, bidding her to find her focus as he whispered, "No, my sweet, we don't have to worry anymore." He purred, coaxing her back, "She's gone, Judy, she can't stop us or hurt us. We're safe, Judith, oh my sweet, my sweet . . ."

They both remembered all too well the extent of Lorena's cruelty and depravity. When she'd realized the depth of feeling between Bill and Judith, Lorena became jealous and exacted a terrible punishment. She'd often forced them to 'perform' for her, directing them like puppets to destroy any pleasure they derived from intimacy. Worse, she sometimes joined them. Their own bodies and vampire natures betrayed them as they could not help but revel in the depravity in spite of their revulsion.

They'd still found stolen moments, a form of solidarity and rebellion against the demon who controlled them, but the humiliation had taken its toll nonetheless. When he could bear it no longer, Bill had convinced Lorena that he no longer cared for Judith, had grown tired of her company. Vampires who were 'related' often did, so it was plausible to Lorena, and she agreed to send Judith away. It wasn't difficult to convince her. The price, however, had been heavy for both Bill and Judith. Bill was forced to feign devotion to his maker until she grew tired of him. For a while, anyway, until she'd called him back. He learned cruelty and hatred from Lorena. Lucky for Bill and many who knew him in his second 'life,' he didn't forget love. That was thanks to Judith.

She looked into his dark, beautiful eyes. Her own blue orbs glowed with devotion and passion. She knew that he felt the same. In spite of his illness, she felt him stir beneath her. She reached down to caress his growing erection. Trailing kisses down his torso, she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, freeing him from the confines of clothing. She pulled them off, baring him before her hungry eyes.

If she had breath, it would have hitched at the sight. He was beautiful and frail, almost as might have been as a human man. His force of will and strength in spite of his illness humbled her as much as his stubbornness infuriated. William Thomas Compton was a study in contradiction and complexity, passion and calculation, cruelty and tenderness. The wisdom of many lifetimes and the flaws inherent in all humanity wrapped up in a man she could not bear to lose. Kneeling as he reclined on the sofa, she covered his body with soft, reverent kisses.

He watched as she removed her skirt and panties, and then as she stood bare before him. He took in her curves, oh how he adored curvy women; the curve of her ample breasts, of her hips, her face, all so feminine and lovely to Bill. Modern men are fools. Real women look like women, not like underfed children. He smiled as she moved back on top of him, and he cradled her on his lap as she caressed his chest, his face, and his thick, dark hair.

She was a gift for which he'd never wished, the price he'd paid for clinging to the memory of his human life. She'd seen him through unbearable darkness and moments of brilliant ecstasy. In his hour of darkness she'd returned once more, thanks to another slip of a human woman he'd loved and lost. In that moment, he tasted bittersweet joy and said a silent prayer of thanks for both.

She took his head in her hands and guided him to her neck, brushing his lips and fangs against her cool skin and teasing him. "Feed from me, Bill," she whispered. "Take my blood and let me heal you."

He paused, inhaling her scent and pulling her body closer to his in a fierce embrace before he looked into her eyes once more, asking final permission. Bill plunged his fangs into her neck and groaned as the rich blood flowed from the wound. Judith moaned and writhed, his hunger fueling her desire. She cradled his head and stroked his hair, crooning encouragement. "That's good, William, drink," she murmured. "Drink deep."

After two more deep gulps, he broke contact briefly to kiss her again. His pallor had already improved, beginning to return from ash to ivory, and his cheeks blushed with a hint of rose. "Oh Judith," he whispered. "Thank you."

"You need more," she panted.

"Yes, but I need you, too," he sighed, pressing into her thigh. Blood hunger was inexorably linked to other, equally primal hungers.

She lifted her body, positioning herself over his engorged flesh. Oh how she'd missed his skin, his touch, and his cool voice. They both cried out when she took him inside her, trembling with the excitement of their reunion, their blood bond strengthening the intensity. Their connection ran deep, with their long history, sharing a maker, and now that he'd taken her blood again, she felt him. He was healing, growing stronger. He was also finding peace. She closed her eyes and smiled, letting him flow through her and flowing through him. When she opened them again, she saw him staring up at her in wonder.

She brushed his cheek with the back of her hand. "Bill," she sighed, "it is so very, very good to see you again."

He arched a brow at her, flashing a wicked, fangy grin. "Really?" He asked, adding a powerful thrust that elicited an equally fangy gasp. "How good?"

She bent down, planted a kiss on his forehead, his nose, and his lips. Just before she plunged her fangs into his neck, she whispered into his ear, "This good."

She only took a bit of his blood, lest the residual poison spread to her system. He hadn't fully healed, but she couldn't resist. Their blood exchanged, they moaned and writhed together, moving closer to completing their communion of the flesh. He felt her, too, her joy at their reunion and the depths of her devotion. In truth, he still wasn't sure that he was worthy of such devotion. Yet, he remembered the truth of his words to Sookie. Love has little to do with the worth of the object of love. He felt her gentle chiding, and he smiled at her again. It was a gift, this honesty they shared. They are and were the same, Judith and Bill. He vowed that he will not lose her again, and she smiled at his thought.

"Bill," she panted, nearing her apex, "drink from me, please. Drink from me again!"

They quickened the pace of their lovemaking, and he bit again. The sensation was pure ecstasy and they both fell into a frenzy of synchronized passion. She cried out her release as he drew deeply on the wound, and he followed. With great effort, he detached from her neck and rested his head on her shoulder as they recovered. They remained in this embrace, joined together and swathed in tranquility for a long time. She stirred first, kissing him gently before extricating herself from him and quenching a deep thirst with two more TrueBloods. She placed an open bottle beside Bill and dressed.

"I need to feed now," she said, pulling her shirt back over her head, "I'll be back in an hour. In the meantime, I want you to think about a few things for me."

"What do you want me to think about?" He asked, grinning up at her like a fool.

"Here's the deal, William. I am going to stay with you for a week, so we can catch up." She smiled, giving him a light kiss. "And so I can make sure you've fully recovered. After that, the ball's in your court."

"How do you mean?"

"You have some business to finish here, I'm sure, before you'll be free to travel."

"Travel?"

She nodded. "Yes, travel. I expect you'll want to visit Little Rock, for starters. After that, we'll go to Europe."

"Europe, huh?" He considered. He remembered promising her trips to exotic locales, back when the used to daydream about running away from Lorena.

"Yes, it's about time you met Solomon. And, you owe me a trip to Paris, remember?"

"Oh yes," he replied. "I remember very well."

"Good," she said. "It's about time you quit moping and pining your afterlife away. You still have a purpose, Bill." She grew still and serious. She kept his gaze until he nodded, acquiescing. "The first and most important, at least for the moment," she nipped him lightly on the shoulder before she continued, "is to service my physical needs in every way, shape, and form I see fit."

She teased him, punctuating each word with light nips and kisses. She yelped in surprise when he pulled her down to him and reversed their positions, pinning her beneath him and planting a long, deep kiss on her lips. Seemed he was feeling better and stronger already.

"What about my needs, Ms. Vardamon?" He crooned in his coolest, sexiest Southern drawl.

"Seems like I've been doing a damned fine job meeting your needs, Mr. Compton," she said sternly, before bursting into a fit of giggles. He helped her up and sent her off into the night with a kiss, and with an admonition to hurry back.

Bill sat in his home, drinking his synthetic blood and feeling content for the first time in untold years. He penned a note of thanks to Sookie, deciding to leave it under her front door to find in the morning. As Judith requested, he spent his time alone thinking of many things. He decided his course. He would make peace with Sookie, with his fellow vampires, perhaps even Eric Northman. Someday. Later. He smiled. He would make peace with his dead maker, leaving the dark memories behind. He would make peace with his nature, and, with Judith's help, he would make peace with himself. His course was clear.

Reconciliation.

Fin

A/N – This one was bittersweet, not just because of my angst fixation, but because of how things turned out with Judith in the book universe. Sigh – maybe she'll make an appearance on True Blood. I'm glad I had the chance to write her and delve into Bill's past.

Thanks to my fellow Bill-shippers for the love (and to those die hard Eric fans who've dropped by and shared some love, too – like my dear cyberpal, Duffie, who got me hooked on the books and show in the first place!).

Now off for some more goofy goodness with my funny Bill fic!