ime frame: Years after "From Dead to Worse"

This is a companion piece following "Family", "Bowling for Vampires" and "Leather Underwear" Please read the end of Family or you will be extremely confused.

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

A/N: I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be of this particular story, but I'll be summing things up soon. There will be another story coming after that, although that will probably be it for Ally and Bill's storyline. We'll see...

Bloodstone is used to help you become more knowledgeable in the ways of the world. Bloodstone is also believed to be a very magical stone. In ancient times, it was used as a healing stone and was known to purify the blood.

I was in a nutty mood (shocker!) when writing this. You should know by now that when I'm nutty, Ally's nutty.

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Chapter 26

I stand and watch with amusement as Bill steps towards the lake with dried blood on his tank top and pants, a big gaping tear in the middle where the knife had gone in. Although his face appears serious, I could tell he's excited by the gleam in his eyes. He's going to be learning something new, something useful and he's practically jumping out of his skin in anticipation as toes the edge.

He is such a geek.

The surface of the water begins to flicker in white hot flames heralding her presence. Her white gossamer robes flow around her as she emerges from the depths. Her hair was golden like the summer sun, held back by a veiled circlet crown and swept down to her feet. I straighten my posture as she looks at us, her eyes were iridescent and sparkling with power.

She gives Bill a soft smile.

You are a hard one to locate William. My dear Merlin had begun to doubt that you would ever emerge.

Bill bows his head. "My sincerest apologies, my dear lady. Had I known that my presence was required, I would have strived to make it so for you."

I roll my eyes.

It appears that the flattering tongue is an attribute for all of your kind. I had hoped that Merlin would be last to have that particular skill.

I put my hand over my mouth to stifle a chuckle. Both Merlin and Bill turn to give me a reproachful look. I bat my lashes innocently at them.

Ah, it appears that your goddess concurs with me.

I grin at them. They shake their head in disbelief and turn their attentions back to her. She makes a sweeping motion with her hand and a stone altar appears on the fiery water in front of her. It looks very old with strange scribing symbols along the outer edge of it.

Approach, young apprentice.

Bill makes to take a step forward and hesitates. Vampires aren't a big fan of fire and his natural instinct for self preservation is keeping him at bay. He looks across the surface at the altar.

I resist my need to give him a nudge. I know he must do this himself but as the seconds tick by, I start to get nervous. Even though I doubt that my emotions have any bearing, I lock myself into healing mode, allowing peace and calm to take over my body in an attempt to separate myself from him.

Finally he steps forward.

He walked on the liquid surface as he would on solid ground. His stride remained steady as the flames pass through him. When he reached the altar, the flames vanished.

The Lady of the Lake looks at him steadily. She holds out something in her hand. It looked like a rock of some sort. With Bill obscuring my vision, I couldn't be sure.

Are you ready to claim your destiny?

"All my life." he whispers.

Once taken, there is no going back. All the knowledge of the Ancient Ones will flow through you. All of the knowledge and all of the pain. Think well on this before you hold the bloodstone.

"Will it change me?"

You will be more powerful. You will have the guidance of all who were before you. Yes. You will be much changed.

His hand trembles as it poises over the stone in her hand, then drops it to his side. "I can't. I can't do this."

Both Merlin and I looked at each other in shock. What in Hell was Bill doing?

She puts her empty hand on his shoulder.

You truly are worthy of the gift. Fear not vampire, claiming the stone will not alter your heart nor will it alter hers. The stone has no bearing on how you feel. Your love will remain for as long as you wish for it to remain.

"I want it to remain forever." he said softly his head still bowed.

Then you both must strive to make it so. Your love will flourish or fail through no fault of what you are about to become.

My hand clutched my chest, my heart in my throat. He was willing to turn his back on this. All of this- for me.

He is so getting lucky tonight.

Her head jerks up and she looks at me for a moment then everything around us shakes as she laughs. Merlin gives me the "what did you just do?" look. I shrug my shoulders.

Wonderful. I was curious as to your pairing, but now it is very clear as to why the Fates chose you two to be together. Power and wisdom of this magnitude is very dangerous without a little humility to keep it in balance. It can overwhelm you, corrupt you if you do not have an anchor to hold you steady and keep you from getting swept into the darkness. Your love for each other will be that anchor. Draw from it, it will keep you focused.

Keep your love strong. Keep your love safe. It will save you all.

Now where did I hear that before?

Bill turned his head to look at me, his face revealing nothing of what he could be thinking. He stood there like that for what seemed like an eternity, though it was probably only ten minutes. Ten minutes of someone staring blankly at you could drive anyone nuts. Okay, it was driving me nuts. So much so that I did the only thing I could think of doing. The only thing that a situation this serious would warrant.

I scrunched up my face and stuck my tongue out at him.

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Bill's POV

Things are going to be changing. When the scales are tipped, something always comes around to tip it back to balance it. That is the nature of things. If I believe that what I'm being offered is something good, something powerful, then its counterpart will emerge if I accept it. Should I accept? Should I invite the badness into our lives?

I turn to look at Ally for guidance. She stares back at me, her green gaze unwavering. I could not bear it if I lose her and I almost did. It wasn't an all powerful entity that almost took her from me, it was a mere man. A pathetic man who in one stroke, shot that arrow into Eric forcing her to act. What will happen if something bigger, something stronger comes? Will we be able to survive it? Will we be strong enough?

I was lost in my inner debate when Ally does it. I've come to expect the unusual from her, but I had not anticipated this particular reaction.

She sticks her tongue out at me as if to tell me to get on with it, and you know what?

She's damned right.

Why worry? Who's to say that the badness won't come anyway? Wouldn't it be better if she and I were both fortified to take them on? I've been debating over nothing. As usual, she has shown me the light.

I turn back around and with pure conviction I take the stone from her hand.

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Ally's POV

Bill glows for a second and then fades back to normal.

That's it?

I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Maybe a whirlwind of purple mist or some lightning flashing on the water. Something that would signify such an epic event.

I was thinking this when it suddenly grew dark all around me. Even my enhanced vision could not break the cloak of blackness. I tried to concentrate on my surroundings, hoping to hear a stirring of movement.

"Bill?" I whisper out my voice echoing around me. I cast about in my mind searching for him. Searching for his life force.

Then I felt him wrap his arms around my waist. My body lurched slightly as he held me tighter. We were being propelled into the night. I could see reels of images flashing around us, spinning. His cheek brushes mine as he whispers in that smooth sexy voice of his,

"Where to, my goddess?"

I loop my arms around his neck lacing my fingers together as I look up at him. His eyes are still as deep and as dark as ever but now I see a rim of gold flashing on the edge of that darkness. He grins at me and pulls me up on my toes, his mouth finding mine in a possessive kiss. It felt strange, the slight warmth that I felt on his lips and tongue as he dove deeper. He didn't feel as warm as a human and his skin and body still felt hard and smooth like it always did to my touch. He was still my Bill, with a little something extra. I could get used to this.

Enveloped in his kiss I suddenly thought of the roar of the ocean, with the waves lapping at our toes as we walk on the powdery sand. I thought of us, him and me alone under the moonlight. I thought of us making love on the sand, in the water, our bodies glowing in a dreamy haze. We would think nothing of what lay before us and we surrendered to each other, taking and needing with the rest of the world far, far away...

He breaks the kiss and lowers me back to the ground. I let out a sudden squeak as I felt the water touch my toes. Stepping back I turned to look around. We were at the beach. He had taken me where I had wanted to go and I hadn't spoken a word. I looked wide-eyed at him.

He read my mind.

I wonder what else he could do now?

"There's eight hours until dawn, Ally. Are you up for it?" he says kissing my shoulder softly.

I press my palm against his chest and push him back from me. Smiling at him, I strip quickly. Then grabbing a handful of his tank top I pull him into a possessive kiss of my own. As soon as I felt his fangs run down, I broke free and sprinted into the water diving in.

"Come on in, Bill. The water's perfect." I shout waving him in.

Bill grins and takes his clothes off to join me.

I have to admit that we didn't do much swimming, but we did do everything I had imagined we'd do and even some of the things that I didn't.

I told you he was getting lucky.

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From the darkest depths of the earth it came. It clawed and writhed, sinuous and evil to the surface. For centuries it lay in waiting and now its moment had arrived.

The Supreme Sorcerer of the Light has emerged breaking the seal that had held the entity prisoner.

Soon all will perish in a sea of blood. The air will be filled with their futile screams as their Great One looks upon them in despair.

It hissed and smiled at this prospect gathering its strength. The ninth day will come and on that day he will be whole.

TBC