Another side

She chuckled as she sat back down on the couch. “No baby… you cannot eat the whole cake” she said, having an ‘argument’ with Sophie over the phone.

“Because good girls don’t eat all of that. Your uncles want some too you know” she said as she leaned back. She chuckled again. “How about we make a deal, you listen to your uncles and don’t eat all the sweets and mommy will take you on a run with the wolves when you get back” she said and chuckled again. “Of course mommy will go wolf, I know how much my baby likes to snuggle”

She broke into a wide smile as she continued her phone conversation with Sophie. It was a rare time that she felt so happy and relaxed despite being locked in the mansion with Bill who was in full war mode.

Bill had been working endlessly through the night as soon as he rose from his day rest, his mind had been severely clouded with tactics and planning his next moves to combat against Isabel's cruel attacks on his progeny. Bill was not about to let this go without putting up a fight, he would not be seen as weak.

He would show that he would not take this lying down.

As he glanced at the clock on the wall, he was waiting for a call from the Queen of France - Alexandrie, his first move would soon be taking place along with the help of the Queen. He would start with isolating Isabel with her allies.

Kiara shook her head "Not yet baby... it isn't safe here. Mommy would never put you in danger" she said as she sighed a bit.

Sophie wanted to come home and she couldn't blame her but with this war going on and the fact that she'd yet to re-introduce Bill and Sophie she wasn't about to chance anything.

"I promise once everything is safe we'll be together and we'll live together" she said with a smile, wanting to re-assure Sophie.

As Bill glanced to the clock again he knew that Alexandrie was always late, she could never keep up with her time skills. It was one of many things that irritated Bill but he would need to be patient if he was going to make this work. He would attack from one side at a time, his plan would work slowly at Isabel's assets. He had ordered the guards at the gate that he was expecting a delivery from John Quinn, he ordered it to be inspected and delivered to his armoury and he would he give a thorough inspection.

Still nothing.

Deciding that he would give her some extra time before he called her again, he quickly linked his home phone to his cell as he slid out from behind his desk as he exited his office as he caught the sound of Kiara's voice in the lounge as he followed her voice as a predator stalking his prey as he stopped himself by the open double set doors to see her on the couch as he remained hidden listening to her conversation.

Kiara chuckled again. It was a warm heart filled laugh, displaying an innocence she never displayed around anyone, not even Bill.

"Well...I promise I'll talk to santa for you ok? But you still have to be a good girl" she said in a half stern half happy tone. A few moments later she smiled.

"I love you too baby. Remember that mommy is always looking out for you" she said, her voice a bit shaky as if she were fighting tears.

Another moment later she hung up and sighed, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

Bill listened to and hung on every single word that he could hear of Kiara's conversation as he could not help but feel guilty for intruding on her phone call. He remained silent and still as he waited for her to end the call, he could feel the emotions flooding from her into him.

"You should go to her" he told Kiara.

He hated that he was the one that was keeping them apart, Kiara wanted to be with Sophie and vice versa.

Kiara lifted her head then shook it.

"I can't... I would rather die first than put her in danger. She's safe for now. Once this war is over and Louisiana is a safer place... I'll bring her home" she said with a sad but steady smile.

She stood and stretched, several joints popping. "Is everything ok? I hope my conversation wasn't too loud..I know you've been busy"

"Kiara this war may never be over....And if Sophie needs you, you should go. I can give you everything that you will need to keep her safe" Bill told her.

Leaning against the door frame as his arms folded in front of his chest as he cocked his head to the side and smirked a little.

"Of course not. I am waiting on a call from the Queen of France. She has very poor time keeping skills as well as many other things. But she is the weak link in Isabel's chain, if I can persuade her to join me then I shall have a slight upper hand in my first attack. But until she calls I am at a loose end, she can be distracted very very easily" he smirked again "How is she?" he asked Kiara.

Kiara smiled. "She's doing good... very bright child. She'd being home schooled by my two best friends and she's giving them a run for their money" she said as she wiped her hands on her skirt and stood there.

"Oh... I should mention that I called all my contacts... There should be two trucks arriving tomorrow night with... well anti-vampire weapons for short. Anything that the governor used, ordered or requested is coming over"

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Theres some technology in there that... well I wouldn't use it unless it's a last resort"

"Thank you. Quinn is also sending over what he has access too. I cannot take any more risks that Isabel will try something else. That is why I am taking extra precautions with Jessica and Brianna. Quinn has agreed to let Brianna remain with him on a semi-permanent basis until I feel it suitable for her to return. As for Jessica, I have yet to talk to her about anything as she is still resting" he told Kiara.

He knew that Jessica was not going to be happy, but he had no choice.

"You have to understand something sweetheart. You know that this is going to be a war. You have to be prepared for every outcome. I may not survive this, in war there is always death. You need to be prepared for the outcome that I may not live" he whispered as he walked towards her to tower above her.

She blinked and chuckled. She didn't mean to make light of his warning but it struck her as funny in more ways than one.

"Oh Bill... I'm sorry" she said as she covered her mouth. "I've been surrounded by death nearly my whole life... having people die on me is not something new" she said as she looked up at him.

"Don't worry about me... I've been prepared for a while"

Bill was a little confused at her laughter outburst at his comment about his demise. It had him a little shocked at her reaction. 

"Well...I guess that is good to know" he muttered.

Turning from her as he walked towards the small drinks table that was stationed in the corner of the room as he poured himself a glass of blood from the stock that Quinn had delivered as he took a large mouthful from his crystal glass.

She smiled and walked over to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Really Bill... I'll be alright...and so will you. I doubt Isabel will get the upper hand" she said softly.

She could see the stern look on his face like either he wasn't convinced or wasn't willing to let go of all the stress even for a moment.

"Godric chose Isabel as his successor for a reason Kiara. She is deceptive and as cruel as any vampire can be. She will not go down without a fight I can assure you of that" he reminded her.

He hated to admit it, but Isabel had the upper hand when it came to many things, but he hoped that with his surprise attacks.

"War is the last thing that I wanted, but she has left me with no choice. Attacking you was the first sin against me. Now she attacks my progeny and orders their fangs to be sent to her as a trophy. I will be the one that has her fangs" he growled.

She smiled and touched his cheek, unable to hide a sort of pleasure she got whenever Bill growled like that.

"Well...I'm sure before too long you'll have two nice fangs decorating your mantle" she said, getting close to him but keeping about an inch or so of space between them.

"They shall be a warning to all those who attempt to strike against me, my Kingdom or my family. The news will spread of her demise and everyone will know that I do not back down from threats" he growled again.

Feeling his cell phone buzz in his pocket as he pulled it out and spotted a number that he did not recognize as he answered.

"Bill Compton speaking.....Really?....An interview?........I did not expect anything to come of it.....I shall leave word for someone to come around....Until then" as he quickly ended the call.

Turning his attention back to Kiara once again,

"Apologies sweetheart...." he apologized.

Kiara raised an eyebrow. "Interview... is there something I should know?" she asked, her curiosity peaking since Bill was a very private man and vampire so interviews were not a thing in his life.

She then shook her head quickly, dismissing her own question "Nevermind... if I don't know it now perhaps it is best I don't know at all"

Bill could not help but chuckle at her remark. He had not told anyone what he had been doing, but he had felt the need to.

"All my life...everything is just memories in my mind. When I thought.....when I believed you to be...I wrote everything down, a company have published what I have written. Everything, nothing held back. It is all there black and white. They wish to interview me about it" he told her.

It had been a surprise for even him that anything had come from it, but he needed to get his word out there. He needed to gain trust from those he had hurt in the past.

She blinked. "You.. an author?" she asked. She could see the good and bad of it. On one hand it may dispel a lot of myths and things about vampires, but on the other hand.

"But I though... vampires didn't like their weaknesses made public.. physical or otherwise" she said, looking up at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"That is true....But in order for us to try and regain some familiarity with the human race they need to be able to know of our weaknesses, that many of us do not mean them harm. But in order to do so they need to be able to trust in our kind" he recited.

Taking another mouthful of his blood as he drained the glass and placed it back on the table next to him.

"It is merely my way of starting that process"

She nodded "Fair enough... I suppose building trust is important with the human population" she said as she moved to lean against the nearest wall.

She wondered how much of Bill was in that book that he had never told her. How much he expected her to share of her life yet he told her nothing of his. Again she shook her head, dwelling on those thoughts wouldn't be helpful.

As though he was reading her mind, he almost knew exactly what she was thinking.

"You can read it one time.....Alone. Everything that you have ever wanted to know is in there" he smirked.

Every single thing that he had ever done, thought or spoken was written in the pages of his past. Things that he did not ever talk about. 

It was all there.

She shook her head. "I guess... I was more hopeful the man himself would tell me... instead of finding it out from a book" she said with a shrug.

She managed a small smile "Perhaps I'll read the book though"

"Sweetheart it was already too much too much remembering those events, some you may not like to hear at all. Hardly something that you would like to hear from me" he joked.

Turning around as he perched himself on the edge of the couch as he gazed at Kiara.

"Things will be difficult around here for a while. I may not be around as much as you want me to be. But I will always make sure that you, Jessica and Brianna are safe" he told her.

She shrugged "You've never allowed me to keep anything to myself Bill... there is no dark corner of my past that you haven't set out to explore... whether our of curiosity or just the need to control" she then offered him a small smile. "but I suppose it was foolish enough of me to expect the same openness from you....after all you're a vampire... and we're not equals"


She then shrugged at his comment of not being around. She really didn't know what to say about that. It felt too blunt to say she wasn't expecting him to be around, that she'd known all along that something, no matter what it was would always be more important to him, so instead she settled on a more neutral answer. "You do what you must"