Realizing what it means

After Alcide left I spent the night reprogramming my safe rooms with new codes. The one in the bathroom was a smaller emergency one meant strictly for hiding things, the one down in the basement I didn't know I had was complete with a bed, fridge stocked full of different blends of blood and a microwave. A television was also there thankfully. If I had to stay down here for long periods this would be a great place to hide out. I could get used to this.

In the bathroom I hid some weapons in case I needed to get to them quickly, things from Quinn and Kiara to use on other vampires if the need to arose. I couldn't be too safe now a days. After locking that up, I went back to the living room and placed my thumb on the pad and typed in the new code. Something no one would guess. Closing up behind me with my laptop in hand I went down and rested it on the bed. I don't know how he accomplished a wifi and cell phone signal down here but he did. Staring at the large briefcase on the desk I tapped my chin and decided now was the time to look through it. Bill had given it to me months ago, even though I kept it hidden I hadn't yet looked in it. He said it was everything that meant something to him plus more for me. I didn't quite understand what that meant.

Putting my human birthday in the dials I unlatched it and opened the lid to see many things. On top, photos. One that was aged was of Bill and his family from when he was human it appeared.



I ran my finger over the old photo and smiled softly.

The next photo was of him in the army over a hundred years ago. He still looked the same. It was amazing holding pieces of his history like this.



Underneath that was photos of me when I was a senior in high school, pictures I'd had in a photo album of my room, or thought I had.





I felt a tear on my cheek and wiped it away. He'd kept me with him always and I didn't even know it. Underneath that was a deed to the mansion and I looked confused. Why was he giving this to me? I continued digging and found statements to five different banks, two that were somewhere in the Cayman Islands somewhere and the totals made my eyes go wide like saucers. He was...loaded. Listed as beneficiary to all this money and property was me...but I'd never signed anything. What was going on, why was he giving me this?

Underneath all that was a key to something. I remembered when Marie had given me a large lock box from Bill and she told me he said to keep it safe. Looking down on the floor I saw the gray steel box and looked at the key.

I went to my knees and unlocked the box and slid the key back into my jean pocket. Opening it I smiled at the Tiara and giggled at the note attached. {Only for the Princess of Louisiana.}



Setting it aside I looked at an old looking envelope with my name written across in Bill's handwriting. Next to it was a necklace with what looked like a vial of blood.



I held both in my hands and wondered what it was. Setting the necklace aside I opened the envelope and unfolded the letter that looked aged a bit.

I began to read it as tears brimmed my eyes from his words, my heart ached.

{Jessica,
If you are reading this, then I am no longer with you and have met the True Death. Do not mourn my death, as nothing is immortal, everything ends one way or another. It is no easy task being a Maker to a child, if it was to be honest with you. I did not ever wish to become a Maker, as a child learning from my own Maker, it was the cruelest punishment i could ever wish upon a human. I failed you as your Maker, and for that I shall always be haunted for the distance I forced between us. You are my child, my progeny. My one great accomplishment as my time on this earth, my blood runs through your veins. You shall carry on our blood line as one day you shall become a Maker and our bloodline shall continue to grow. For me its the end, for you a chance to go on and someday do a better job with your own progeny as i failed to do with you. I let you down as your Maker, caused your pain, brought death into your life. I don’t ask for your forgiveness or for you to forget. Times will change and you shall move on, live your life as you want to live it. Times will be hard, but never forget that I am always with you Jessica. I love you all the same, as I've always loved you and always will. You will have everything that you ever need, you shall always have what you want. You had a father's love, when I believed my chance had gone, and for that I thank you Jessica. Live Jessica. For me.

William Compton}

I covered my mouth and let the tears fall from my eyes. This was a goodbye letter, but why? Was he expecting to die soon? The rest of the box was filled with expensive looking jewels and a small note card that read: The necklace is of my blood, so I'll always be with you. Wear me close to your heart.

I cried harder and buried my face in both my hands. Why had he given me all of this if everything really was okay? I went to put everything back so I could call him and noticed a hidden compartment at the bottom. It was a false bottom but needed a key to open. It could easily be missed as the lock looked just like the bottom color of the box. I tried the key I used to open the box and it didn't fit. That was weird. I wiped my face and placed everything back in the box except the necklace. Holding it in my hands I knelt there and wondered what Bill was keeping from me and what doom he was expecting.