Bill had been sat at his desk for a couple hours now, with his phone placed to his ear, the dribbling conversation that he had been having with the Sheriff of Area 3 had gone on longer than he expected. It was his usual duty to call the Sheriff's for updates in their area as being King of the state of Louisiana. But somehow it had turned out into 'memories and do you remembers' he had found it quite irritating and it had begun to grate on his nerves. The manor had become eerie in these last previous weeks, Jessica had been working at the Shifter's bar more frequently and when the news had reached him that Sookie and Eric had begun a relationship had broke him. It etched into his un-dead heart to know that she had given her love to another, and especially to Eric. He had known since their trip to Dallas that he had begun too loose her after hearing that she had ingested some of his blood. That had been the first string to disintegrate between them, only he had refused to believe it at that time, Eric had been the wedge to begin their relationship's demise. He could remember it vividly as though it was only yesterday.
~FLASHBACK TO DALLAS, TEXAS
The incessant ringing of his cell phone had begun to grate on Bill's nerves; it had been ringing on and off since he had risen earlier in the evening. As much as he would have liked to, he knew he couldn't just shut it off, so he continued to let his voicemail pick it up as he made his way into Merlotte's.
He knew who it was calling him and he was deliberately ignoring the call, something he could get into trouble for if it was ever proven. At that time it was a risk he was willing to take. He didn't want to talk to anyone from Fangtasia until he had a chance to reconcile with Sookie.
His relationship with Sookie had become strained while they were in Dallas. She had been exposed to a side of the vampire world that he had tried to shield her from; he had done everything in his power to show her that the other vampires were sadistic in nature, selfish to the extreme and that he was the only one she could trust, the only one that was different. He had managed to assert a great deal of influence over her in the short time they had been dating. While he couldn't control her like he could a regular human, he was able to influence her emotions through his blood inside her.
Before Dallas, Bill had been successful in his plan. He had maneuvered her into situations he knew she would be uncomfortable with, making her rely on him so he could gain her trust. He had intentionally exposed her to Malcolm, Liam, and Diane; having once shared a nest with them he knew of their penchant for cruelty.
He realized showing that side of his world to her would go a long way towards gaining her trust and showing that he was different. The three of them played their parts brilliantly, even if they didn't know they were doing it. They had acted like the animals that he knew they were, engaging in sexual acts in front of the virginal Sookie, shocking and disgusting her. He had to hide his smile when Sookie declared that she was his to all of them, not understanding what it meant in the slightest.
When her brother became a suspect in the death of two fangbangers, Sookie told Bill she wanted to go to Fangtasia; he had been hesitant to take her. He hadn't wanted to expose her to the Sheriff of Area five, Eric Northman, but what he wanted and what he got were two very different things. He knew regardless of whether he accompanied her or not, she would go to the vampire bar in Shreveport. Their trip to Fangtasia had proven to be a gamble.
Bill knew that Eric would know of Sookie the moment Pam set eyes on her; it wasn't long after they sat down that Eric summoned them to him. He hadn't failed to take in Sookie's own reaction to Eric; Bill knew that if she hadn't his blood in her body she would have been more susceptible to Eric's advances.
He could scent her arousal as she stood her ground against Eric, enticing him further; when she revealed her telepathy to him, Bill was almost convinced that it was all over. However, Lady Luck was a fickle mistress and one that had favored him that night.
Eric may have discovered Sookie's telepathy, but a raid on the bar had made it possible for Bill to sweep Sookie out of the building and back to Bon Temps. Eric was forced to stay in Shreveport and deal with the authorities, giving Bill the time he needed to ensure that Sookie wouldn't act on the attraction he knew she felt towards Eric.
When he rose the following night, he was surprised that Sookie was not beside him. Upon further inspection he discovered that she wasn't in the hotel room; he suspected that she hadn't been back since she left to go find Godric. His mind whirled with endless possibilities of what could have happened to her: his mind conjured up images of Eric kidnapping her and forcing more of his blood on her, of Lorena returning and hurting her.
Bill ignored the fact that he couldn't sense any fear coming from her, but instead, she seemed to being feeling content. He was convinced she was in danger and raced out of his hotel room, intending to track her through the blood he had in her body. As he stepped into the hallway, he realized that she was closer than he first thought her to be. He moved across the hallway towards the door opposite his and Sookie's room: Eric's room. Just as he was about to barge in, the door swung open and Eric stood in the doorway, a towel wrapped around his waist beads of water sliding down his chest.
"Good evening, Bill," Eric greeted. "Did you rest well?
Bill stared at Eric in shock. Of all the things he had imagined, what he was seeing was not one of them. He knew Sookie was in the room; her distinctive scent hung heavy in the air.
"Where is Sookie?" he asked.
"She is sleeping. She had a busy night," Eric replied with a smirk.
"Busy night?" Bill questioned. Seeing Eric's undressed state, Bill's eyes narrowed, "Sookie is mine, you had no right touching her. Where is she?"
Bill crossed the small space and walked to the side of the bed, leaning over. "Sookie," he called as he shook her gently.
The sound of someone calling her name roused Sookie from her slumber. Her eyes darted around wildly as she struggled to remember where she was; the events of morning came tumbling back as they finally landed on Eric. Rubbing a hand over her eyes, she mumbled, "I hoped it was just a nightmare."
"Sookie," Bill said more forcefully, getting her attention.
"Hey Bill. What time is it?" she greeted, surprising him. He was expecting her to start stammering out excuses about why she spent the day sleeping beside Eric, not ask what the time was. He regarded her carefully; he could see no hint of embarrassment or guilt in her delicate features. Bill was unsure of what to make of Sookie's new sense of self-assurance.
"It's after sunset," he answered a touch of reprimand in his voice.
"I kinda knew that already," she said with a small laugh. "I guess I slept the day away."
"Were you injured this last night?" Bill asked.
"No," Sookie replied, puzzled.
"Then why didn't you return to our hotel room?" Bill asked. "Why did you spend the day with Eric?"
"Godric met the sun this morning," Sookie explained tearfully.
"What does that have to do with you staying with Eric?"
"Bill!" Sookie cried. "Eric's Maker decided to meet the sun and I wanted to make sure he was okay. I know what it's like to lose the most important person to you; it might not be the same as when I lost Gran, but no one deserves to suffer that kind of pain alone."
Bill had scoffed at the idea that Eric needed anyone; he knew that he was a heartless bastard, and he was sure that he was just using the final death of his Maker as a way to manipulate Sookie.
"I'm sorry Sookie, but you don't know Eric like I do." Bill told her. "He was taking advantage of you, using your grief to manipulate you. Preying on your naivety."
"You're wrong," Sookie stated firmly. "You weren't there; his grief was real, and he was hurting. He couldn't fake that."
"Eric is quite the actor," Bill sneered, "Or have you forgotten how he tricked you into taking his blood?"
"I haven't forgotten."
"You have no idea how devious Eric can be, Sookie," Bill said. "Or how the Supernatural world works. Eric didn't get to be Sheriff by playing by the rules."
"You're right, I don't know how the Supernatural world works," Sookie admitted. Bill smiled, thinking he had won, but the smile was wiped off his face as she continued. "Because you've never told me. The little I do know is because others like Eric or Sam have told me. I know you don't want me to be part of it Bill, but I am part of it. If I'm gonna survive, I've gotta learn how to live in it. You can't protect me anymore Bill."
Bill had been struck speechless by time she'd finished; he was expecting her to tell him everything, not for her to basically speak against him. He was losing control of her and he didn't know what to do. She was supposed to seek his protection and guidance, not chastise him for trying to shelter her.
Blaming Eric for her new attitude, Bill swore to keep her away from him at all costs. Bill didn't want to involve Sophie-Anne Leclerq, the Queen of Louisiana, unless it was absolutely necessary, but he realized he might not have a choice. Eric was interfering in his mission, even if he wasn't really following the Queen's orders anymore.
He had no intention of handing Sookie over to Sophie-Anne, which was the original plan. Sookie was his now, and he wouldn't give her up for anything or anyone.
Bill continued to push Sookie, wanting to know what happened the night before with Godric and Eric. However Sookie remained steadfast in her refusal to tell him what transpired on the rooftop of the hotel Camilla. All she would say was that she made a promise to Godric, and one she intended to keep. As much as Bill tried, he was unable to get Sookie to tell him what the promise was. She had stood firm in her resolve, telling him that it was between her and Godric and no concern to him. Bill had been unhappy that she would willingly hide things from him, but as things stood then, he knew Sookie would not tell him.
Bill was not going to put up with the way Sookie talked to him or the new bond she seemed to be developing with Eric. He hoped he would be able to talk some sense into her when they returned to Bon Temps, but a delay in their travel plans meant that it was daytime when they arrived, and he was dead for the day. It was in those few days in Dallas, he could feel her begin to slip from his grasp and something that he could not repair.
~END OF FLASHBACK
He was overjoyed when the Sheriff on the end of the line had decided to call it for their conversation as they departed politely and gracefully, he placed the phone down, he reached for his glass of blood and as the rim of his glass touched his lips there was a knock at the door and Marie one of his members of staff entered.
"Sir, there is a Deputy Stackhouse requesting too see you. Shall I send him in?" she questioned.
"Send him in" he sighed, what could Jason want with him? Was it about Sookie? Or Jessica?
~FLASHBACK TO DALLAS, TEXAS
The incessant ringing of his cell phone had begun to grate on Bill's nerves; it had been ringing on and off since he had risen earlier in the evening. As much as he would have liked to, he knew he couldn't just shut it off, so he continued to let his voicemail pick it up as he made his way into Merlotte's.
He knew who it was calling him and he was deliberately ignoring the call, something he could get into trouble for if it was ever proven. At that time it was a risk he was willing to take. He didn't want to talk to anyone from Fangtasia until he had a chance to reconcile with Sookie.
His relationship with Sookie had become strained while they were in Dallas. She had been exposed to a side of the vampire world that he had tried to shield her from; he had done everything in his power to show her that the other vampires were sadistic in nature, selfish to the extreme and that he was the only one she could trust, the only one that was different. He had managed to assert a great deal of influence over her in the short time they had been dating. While he couldn't control her like he could a regular human, he was able to influence her emotions through his blood inside her.
Before Dallas, Bill had been successful in his plan. He had maneuvered her into situations he knew she would be uncomfortable with, making her rely on him so he could gain her trust. He had intentionally exposed her to Malcolm, Liam, and Diane; having once shared a nest with them he knew of their penchant for cruelty.
He realized showing that side of his world to her would go a long way towards gaining her trust and showing that he was different. The three of them played their parts brilliantly, even if they didn't know they were doing it. They had acted like the animals that he knew they were, engaging in sexual acts in front of the virginal Sookie, shocking and disgusting her. He had to hide his smile when Sookie declared that she was his to all of them, not understanding what it meant in the slightest.
When her brother became a suspect in the death of two fangbangers, Sookie told Bill she wanted to go to Fangtasia; he had been hesitant to take her. He hadn't wanted to expose her to the Sheriff of Area five, Eric Northman, but what he wanted and what he got were two very different things. He knew regardless of whether he accompanied her or not, she would go to the vampire bar in Shreveport. Their trip to Fangtasia had proven to be a gamble.
Bill knew that Eric would know of Sookie the moment Pam set eyes on her; it wasn't long after they sat down that Eric summoned them to him. He hadn't failed to take in Sookie's own reaction to Eric; Bill knew that if she hadn't his blood in her body she would have been more susceptible to Eric's advances.
He could scent her arousal as she stood her ground against Eric, enticing him further; when she revealed her telepathy to him, Bill was almost convinced that it was all over. However, Lady Luck was a fickle mistress and one that had favored him that night.
Eric may have discovered Sookie's telepathy, but a raid on the bar had made it possible for Bill to sweep Sookie out of the building and back to Bon Temps. Eric was forced to stay in Shreveport and deal with the authorities, giving Bill the time he needed to ensure that Sookie wouldn't act on the attraction he knew she felt towards Eric.
When he rose the following night, he was surprised that Sookie was not beside him. Upon further inspection he discovered that she wasn't in the hotel room; he suspected that she hadn't been back since she left to go find Godric. His mind whirled with endless possibilities of what could have happened to her: his mind conjured up images of Eric kidnapping her and forcing more of his blood on her, of Lorena returning and hurting her.
Bill ignored the fact that he couldn't sense any fear coming from her, but instead, she seemed to being feeling content. He was convinced she was in danger and raced out of his hotel room, intending to track her through the blood he had in her body. As he stepped into the hallway, he realized that she was closer than he first thought her to be. He moved across the hallway towards the door opposite his and Sookie's room: Eric's room. Just as he was about to barge in, the door swung open and Eric stood in the doorway, a towel wrapped around his waist beads of water sliding down his chest.
"Good evening, Bill," Eric greeted. "Did you rest well?
Bill stared at Eric in shock. Of all the things he had imagined, what he was seeing was not one of them. He knew Sookie was in the room; her distinctive scent hung heavy in the air.
"Where is Sookie?" he asked.
"She is sleeping. She had a busy night," Eric replied with a smirk.
"Busy night?" Bill questioned. Seeing Eric's undressed state, Bill's eyes narrowed, "Sookie is mine, you had no right touching her. Where is she?"
Bill crossed the small space and walked to the side of the bed, leaning over. "Sookie," he called as he shook her gently.
The sound of someone calling her name roused Sookie from her slumber. Her eyes darted around wildly as she struggled to remember where she was; the events of morning came tumbling back as they finally landed on Eric. Rubbing a hand over her eyes, she mumbled, "I hoped it was just a nightmare."
"Sookie," Bill said more forcefully, getting her attention.
"Hey Bill. What time is it?" she greeted, surprising him. He was expecting her to start stammering out excuses about why she spent the day sleeping beside Eric, not ask what the time was. He regarded her carefully; he could see no hint of embarrassment or guilt in her delicate features. Bill was unsure of what to make of Sookie's new sense of self-assurance.
"It's after sunset," he answered a touch of reprimand in his voice.
"I kinda knew that already," she said with a small laugh. "I guess I slept the day away."
"Were you injured this last night?" Bill asked.
"No," Sookie replied, puzzled.
"Then why didn't you return to our hotel room?" Bill asked. "Why did you spend the day with Eric?"
"Godric met the sun this morning," Sookie explained tearfully.
"What does that have to do with you staying with Eric?"
"Bill!" Sookie cried. "Eric's Maker decided to meet the sun and I wanted to make sure he was okay. I know what it's like to lose the most important person to you; it might not be the same as when I lost Gran, but no one deserves to suffer that kind of pain alone."
Bill had scoffed at the idea that Eric needed anyone; he knew that he was a heartless bastard, and he was sure that he was just using the final death of his Maker as a way to manipulate Sookie.
"I'm sorry Sookie, but you don't know Eric like I do." Bill told her. "He was taking advantage of you, using your grief to manipulate you. Preying on your naivety."
"You're wrong," Sookie stated firmly. "You weren't there; his grief was real, and he was hurting. He couldn't fake that."
"Eric is quite the actor," Bill sneered, "Or have you forgotten how he tricked you into taking his blood?"
"I haven't forgotten."
"You have no idea how devious Eric can be, Sookie," Bill said. "Or how the Supernatural world works. Eric didn't get to be Sheriff by playing by the rules."
"You're right, I don't know how the Supernatural world works," Sookie admitted. Bill smiled, thinking he had won, but the smile was wiped off his face as she continued. "Because you've never told me. The little I do know is because others like Eric or Sam have told me. I know you don't want me to be part of it Bill, but I am part of it. If I'm gonna survive, I've gotta learn how to live in it. You can't protect me anymore Bill."
Bill had been struck speechless by time she'd finished; he was expecting her to tell him everything, not for her to basically speak against him. He was losing control of her and he didn't know what to do. She was supposed to seek his protection and guidance, not chastise him for trying to shelter her.
Blaming Eric for her new attitude, Bill swore to keep her away from him at all costs. Bill didn't want to involve Sophie-Anne Leclerq, the Queen of Louisiana, unless it was absolutely necessary, but he realized he might not have a choice. Eric was interfering in his mission, even if he wasn't really following the Queen's orders anymore.
He had no intention of handing Sookie over to Sophie-Anne, which was the original plan. Sookie was his now, and he wouldn't give her up for anything or anyone.
Bill continued to push Sookie, wanting to know what happened the night before with Godric and Eric. However Sookie remained steadfast in her refusal to tell him what transpired on the rooftop of the hotel Camilla. All she would say was that she made a promise to Godric, and one she intended to keep. As much as Bill tried, he was unable to get Sookie to tell him what the promise was. She had stood firm in her resolve, telling him that it was between her and Godric and no concern to him. Bill had been unhappy that she would willingly hide things from him, but as things stood then, he knew Sookie would not tell him.
Bill was not going to put up with the way Sookie talked to him or the new bond she seemed to be developing with Eric. He hoped he would be able to talk some sense into her when they returned to Bon Temps, but a delay in their travel plans meant that it was daytime when they arrived, and he was dead for the day. It was in those few days in Dallas, he could feel her begin to slip from his grasp and something that he could not repair.
~END OF FLASHBACK
He was overjoyed when the Sheriff on the end of the line had decided to call it for their conversation as they departed politely and gracefully, he placed the phone down, he reached for his glass of blood and as the rim of his glass touched his lips there was a knock at the door and Marie one of his members of staff entered.
"Sir, there is a Deputy Stackhouse requesting too see you. Shall I send him in?" she questioned.
"Send him in" he sighed, what could Jason want with him? Was it about Sookie? Or Jessica?