Death Comes To Us All

Bill did not want to believe that this was happening, that he was loosing his youngest progeny Brianna. This was not happening, as much as he tried to force himself to wake up from this nightmare he believe he was having. But he knew it to reality, he had not heard from Kiara and did not know what to say to her about this. How could he explain that he had let his guard down and now Brianna was paying the price, he knew Isabel had something to do with this.

Take out those who he cared about to prove her superiority over him, but she would pay. Perching himself on the edge of Brianna's bed as he fought back the tears that were threatening to fall, he had to be strong for her. She was asleep, as least he hoped that she was. He now knew how Eric felt over the lose of Nora, now he was going through the exact same thing.

Brianna drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness as she found herself falling into a deep slumber as she fought to stay awake but her body would not allow it. She felt a hand in her own as she turned her head to see Bill sitting with her, faking a smile across her face as she attempted to move but pain coursed through her every time she did.

"You could at least try to smile" she whispered.

Bill could not help but smile at her remark as he had to admire that she tried to see the light in this dark time. He did not know how long she would have left, but he would not let her die alone. He would be there until her last breath.

"I find it difficult to see the light of this situation sweetheart. I have never....I did not think...." he could not say what he was thinking, he couldn't.

He did not know what to say in this situation, Brianna was dying and there was nothing that he could do to stop it. He could not save her.

Brianna attempted to sit up again but her body failing her.

"Help me up...The pain is less if I am sitting up" she stated.

Once Bill had helped her sit up more she let out a sigh of relief as the pain was not leaving her, it was only getting worse. 

"I thought becoming a vampire sucked, but this tops that. Feel like I have been hit by a train" she whispered "Do you think it will hurt?" she asked, wanting to know how death would feel.

Bill did not know what to say, what could he say to make things better? He couldn't. There was nothing that he could say. There was no cure for Hep V, it was out of his hands and he could not stop her from dying. But when she questioned him about if it would hurt, he did not know what to say to her. He could lie and say it would like falling asleep, but then he remembered Nora, the pain in her face.

"...I do not know Brianna....There was only one other vampire that I know off that died of Hep V....She was....She was in a lot of pain....in the end....She was at peace" he told her honestly.

Brianna listened to every word that Bill told her and she believed every single word, she did not want to hear lies now. She wanted honesty and she could tell by the way that he was speaking that he was telling the truth. Gripping his hand tighter as she allowed her tears to flow.

"....I don't wanna die Bill....I don't want to die" she cried.

He was breaking and he knew it. He could barely hold himself together, Brianna's words were tearing him in half as he had to fight to keep some sane like composure.

"....I promise you Brianna...It won't hurt much longer....It will be okay...Everything will be okay...Trust me" he whispered hoarsely.

He was lying through his teeth, as he moved from sitting in front of her to sit next to her as he pulled her into his lap so that her back was against his front as he gently kissed her hair.

"It won't hurt much longer....Brianna...I promise" he promised her. 

His free hand slid behind his back as he held it there, as he slowly pulled out a sharp piece of wood, a wooden stake that he had made.

Brianna rested in Bill's lap as she tried to fight through the pain, hissing through her teeth as she tried to shut it out, but she couldn't. She didn't have the strength too.

"I don't want to die Bill...Please, just make the pain stop....Please" she begged.

He was loosing himself, he could not bare to see Brianna like this any more. He gripped the stake tighter in his hand as he held it at his side. He knew what he needed to do to make her pain go away. He knew it was the right thing for her but he could not bare to do it. He could not kill his own progeny, no matter how much he knew it would ease her pain. He slowly returned the the stake to his side as he wrapped his hand around Brianna's.

"You won't be in any more pain...You will be free" he whispered.

Free? Is that what it meant to be free? Free from pain, loss and love? She didn't want it, she wanted to stay.

"...I don't want to be free...I want to stay here with you and Jessica" she cried.

Feeling a surge of pain take over her as she lurched forward as the pain burned through her as she let out a hurling scream.

Bill was forced back as Brianna lurched away from him as another wave of pain consumed her as he attempted to hold her still. His arms holding on to her shoulders as he tried to help her but he knew that he couldn't. All he could do was wait for it to pass, he knew that she did not have long. The pain would pass and death would come. Feeling her slump against him again as her voice had been become ragged as she struggled to speak.

"....Shhhh Brianna....It will be over soon...." he whispered again.

Bill did not know how much longer her pain would last, but he knew that it would be soon. He could not bare to see Brianna in this much pain.

Feel the pain leave her body again as it gave her a temporary reprieve she knew that it would only last moments before it started again.

"Tell me something Bill...Tell me about the world Bill" she begged him

Bill continued to cradle her in his broad arms as she rested into him as he pondered her question.

"The world....The world has changed...It is a beautiful place, such warmth and peace...The world is filled with such beautiful people, it can be a cruel place. Filled with death, but in that death there comes light" he whispered in her ear. 

Bill had to stop, his voice was cracking as he had to hold his breath to keep himself from breaking.

Brianna smiled softly as she heard Bill's words about the world, she would have loved to have seen the world. To travel any where, to see the ocean. She had never been any where when she was a child, her dream was to always see the ocean.

"...It sounds...beautiful...I miss the sun, to bathe in its light...Do you think I will see my mother again?" as she slowly craned her head around to gaze at Bill.

Her mother, would she see her mother again?

Stroking her hair with his hand as he tried to keep her calm and rested, he did not want her in any more pain.

"I think you will see whoever you want to see Brianna" he told her.

Truth be told he did not know what happened to a vampire after the True Death, it was never something that he considered. But he hoped that one day when it was his time to come...that he would see his wife Caroline, his daughter Sarah and his son Thomas...His brother Edward. His family.

That would be nice, to see her mother again. She could barely remember her mother, all she could remember was her smile and her eyes. She would be with her family. Even though that thought alone gave her some joy, she didn't want to die. She wanted to live.

"Bill...I am nineteen years old...I don't wanna die" as she allowed her tears to flow from her eyes.

Hearing her words broke him, he could not fight it any longer. His eyes brimmed with red tears as he felt them trickle down his cheeks as he used his sleeve to dash them away. Brianna was paying the price of his war with Isabel. She had and was taking the one thing that she knew would hurt him the most. His family.

"Rest Brianna....Rest my child....my daughter...Sleep" he wilfully encouraged her. 

Feeling her slump into his arms as he just held her there whilst she rested, he did not know how much time she had left as he had only ever seen this with Nora...But Brianna was now Hep V's new innocent victim.

Bill would have his vengeance.