Life's Deadly Lessons

So much had changed within the past decade or so. I survived one of the biggest challenges I had ever faced in my life. My bonded Eric Northman had become King of Louisiana and had married the Queen of France. It hurt me immensely. I was beyond devastated. For a brief time, I had thought that life was no longer worth living. But then he found me; my Marius. He not only showed me how to live again, but also taught me that I could love again. I needed to end everything with Eric. But I knew that wasn't going to be easy. So again, I became entangled in Vampire drama. I thought I was going to lose everything again, but little did I know it was only the beginning. I had gained new powers from my Fae ancestry. I fought for what I wanted. I fought for myself. In the end I chose Marius and he chose me.

He had become King of New York after the passing of his son Martin. I left Bon Temps to join him there. He asked me to marry him in both human and vampire customs. Within the year we had both wedding ceremonies. He took me to various places around the world; places I never thought I would see in my lifetime. He shared everything he had with me. I also spent time with the last of my Fae kin who stayed in our world. Claude helped me to understand my powers and to hone my skills. Within a few years I was successfully able to defend myself from attacks. I also spent many hours learning different fighting techniques from many different experts. I knew I didn't want to be in a vulnerable position ever again after having been attacked so many times before.

Yes, the past decade was full of joy, full of hope.

How could any of us had known it was going to end?

A few years ago, there was news circulating that humans were dying in China from some unknown disease. People were dropping like flies on the streets. It was called Covid-19. But the human governments and the Vampire Council told us there was nothing to worry about. Within a few months after the initial outbreak, the disease had spread throughout the world. Humans were getting sick and some were even dying.

"We vampires, do not have nothing to fear from this virus, it is a respiratory illness," the AP said on television as Marius and I watched from our penthouse in New York. I looked at him and could feel through our blood bond that he felt assured.

Several months later, the virus spread seemed to get worse. Though humans were getting sick and some dying, the virus took a major toll on the vampires. It seemed that every vampire who caught the virus met their final death.

Emergency meetings were held with the Vampire Council after the AP died from Covid. Marius had gone to the meeting as well.

"I do not want you going outside," he said to me as he was leaving. "We do not know what we are dealing with."

This was the first time I could sense his worry, his fear. He was the oldest, most bravest vampire I had ever known. He was scared.

"I won't go anywhere," I told him reassuringly. "I promise."

Later that evening while I was eating dinner, my assistant Tanya came in.

"Hi Sookie. I picked up the books you requested," she said.

"For a city that's supposed to be on lockdown, there are a lot of people out there," she said as she started coughing.

"Excuse me," she said. "I've been coughing on and off all day. But do not worry, I have been wearing my mask and sanitizing my hands."

"That's alright Tanya," I told her. "I wear my mask all the time. Can't be too careful," I said as I pointed to my face mask.

"Maybe you should go home and rest," I told her.

"Thank you Sookie. I'll go and lie down for the night and be back tomorrow."

I was tired and drained.

Marius returned home the following evening. I laid in our bed. I had no energy. I could feel something different in my body.

"What is wrong Sookie?" he asked.

"Stay away!" I yelled. "I think I'm sick."

"I'll call for the doctor," he said seeming worried.

Sure enough the doctor diagnosed me with Covid-19. He told me to stay in bed and rest. He told me to keep drinking fluids and to take pain medication for the fevers and body aches.

"Would it be better if my wife had my blood?" my husband asked as he stood at the doorway.

"I don't think it will have any effect. According to the cases that we have been monitoring in the city, vampire blood does absolutely nothing to the virus."

"Will my husband be okay?" I asked. I could barely keep my eyes open.

"If he stays away from you for the next ten days, he should be fine," the doctor smiled.

But he wasn't fine. After two days, more of our household help got sick. Then the vampires who worked in our building started to collapse.

By the fourth day, I felt so much better. It felt like the virus had given me a beating. I was pale and dehydrated. I slowly got up from the bed and went to the kitchen to get more apple juice. As I entered the hallway, one of the vampire guards, Damian, was leaning against the wall. He looked up at me with blood in his eyes.

"I don't feel good Mistress," he said.

He was a three hundred year old vampire.

"Oh my god!" I said quietly. I went to go look for Marius. I knew he was isolating in our secondary bedroom. I went to the elevator, put my palm again the security pad, and went up to our other bedroom.

"Marius!" I yelled out quietly when I reached the floor.

"Sookie," I heard him say.

I looked down the hallway, towards the bedroom. The door was open.

"Oh no," I trembled. I walked and stepped to the doorway.

He was lying in the bed with his eyes closed. There was towels and tissue stained with blood around him.

I walked to him, sat down and held his hand. I started crying.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I wept.

"I did not want you to worry. You were already battling the disease. I wanted you to get better."

"You should've told me," I said. I straddled him and held both of his hands. I focused all my powers on him. I could feel the energy around us as we started shining brightly.

"Please let this work," I whispered. "I can't lose him."

After a few minutes the light dimmed and the energy faded. I looked down at him and he was still very gray.

He opened his eyes and they were red.

"I do not think you can save me this time," he said slowly.

"Of course I can. I just need to try harder," I lamented.

For several more minutes I tried to share my light with him but every time, it just dimmed and he stayed the same.

"No, No, No," I exclaimed in exasperation.

"Sookie, it is time," he said.

I laid down beside him as he laid on his side to look at me. We held hands.

"I want to remember you just as you are. My wife, my bonded, my love," my husband said.

I started weeping. A wave of sadness filled me. "You're not supposed to leave me. You said we were going to live a life together. It's too soon!"

"We have lived a life together Sookie. And we will again in the next life. I will wait for you there," he said. "I will love you always."

He closed his eyes and never opened them again. For ten minutes I kept shaking him, willing him to wake up. He was a vampire, he had no pulse and I couldn't check his breathing either. I kept telling myself he was going to open his eyes and be with me again. I spent several hours holding him, waiting for him to wake up.

The next several days, the vampires who caught the virus and never re-awoke were all lined up in their coffins. We buried them outside the city.

I looked at my Marius lying his coffin. He looked as though he were sleeping. I couldn't bear to bury him. I clung to a hope that he would still wake up.

"We have to bury him, Sookie," his second in command, Sonya Previn said. "His body will deteriorate if you keep him here."

Reluctantly, I had to let him go. We decided on a funeral pyre. As I watched his body burn that evening, I could feel my heart and soul being ripped in half again. This time it felt worse.

Six months after Marius' final death, vampire scientists created a vaccine but it was too late. More than 80 percent of the world's vampire population had perished.

Over the next three years, I lived a solitude life. Sonya had been made the Queen of New York. Marius had trusted her during his short reign as King. I had learned to trust her as well. She was a friend. Marius had left almost everything to her. He had left also left me financially secure. I owned properties in various countries and more money than I needed. Sonya had placed me under her protection. As long as I was a resident, no vampire or supernatural could harm me.

But I didn't care. I woke up every morning. I ate. I watched tv. I slept. I was living, but at the same time, I wasn't.

I was broken.

As I laid on my couch, my phone started beeping. I decided to ignore it and continue on with my show. Ten minutes later a guard comes into the room.

"Excuse me mistress but there is someone waiting for you downstairs," he said. "She knows you and she said she wants it to be a surprise."

"Tell whoever it is I don't want to see anyone this evening," I said flatly.

As soon as he left my phone started buzzing again. I picked it up and threw it across the floor. I laid back down and continued on with my show.

"You cannot be in here!" the guard says loudly.

I looked up and it was Pam.

My eyes widened, "Pam? What are you doing here?"

She raised her eyebrow as she looked down on me, "I came to see how you've been. Obviously you haven't been good."

"Thanks," I said dryly. "But really what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to ask you a favor. You need to come with me back to Louisiana," she said.

"Oh," I looked down. "I can't go back. I don't travel anymore. I don't leave my home. The virus can still kill me."

"Jesus Christ Sookie! Are you turning into Howard Hughes? Pretty soon you will growing your nails long and having a hunchback! You're already paranoid!" she exclaimed.

"It's not that simple and easy Pam. I just can't get up and go to Louisiana. There's still vampires out there who want to kidnap me and use me and drain me and do god knows what else to me!" I was exasperated and tired,

"Sookie, Marius wouldn't have wanted you to live this way," Pam says sternly.

"You don't know what Marius wanted Pam!" I yelled angrily.

I went to the window and looked out towards the city. "He's waiting for me. I don't know where but he's out there somewhere," I said quietly.

"But you know that he would not have wanted you to be sitting on your couch, watching Netflix, waiting for him," she says.

I wipe away a tear. "I know. I know. I know," I say repeatedly.

I look back at her. "Why do you need me to come to Louisiana?"

"I can tell you on the plane," she says.

I let out a huge sigh. I didn't want to go but I owed her. There was a time when she and I were close. Although I knew she was loyal to Eric, I could still trust her.

"Fine I'll go. Let me just pack some things."

"Your assistant already packed your things," she says quickly.

"What? You knew I was going to come?" I huffed.

"Well if were adamant on saying no, I was just going to knock you out and drag you on the plane," she smirks.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine let's go."

AN: Hey all! I grew up. I left uni and I started to live in the real world. So all my life priorities shifted to work, marriage, kids, bills, my home, etc. I had covid last week and during that time on the couch, I started watching true blood again on hbo. I hadn't watched it in a long time. It renewed my interest. I started reading fan fiction. Net again. SO many stories on there that I hadn't read in years also renewed my interest. SO I started writing a sequel to my first fan fic. I want to finish this one before I continue on with my A/H story. I had a summary of what that was going to be about but my old computer crashed and died. I can't remember where I was going with that story so now I got to remember where that story was heading. Ugh! I'll try and update regularly. But you know how things are. Work and kids come first. And they take up so much time….