Tonight was the night...Tonight was the night that Sophie would be returning to Mel so that she would take her to her new family; Mr and Mrs Clarke. Mel had send Bill a fax that they would adopt Sophie and that everything was in place and that she would be turning up to take Sophie to her new home. Bill felt a little dis-heartened that everything was happening so fast, he just wanted things to stop. He needed them to stop, even for just a moment. He glanced out at the night sky, clouds gathering only darkened his sour mood that he had put himself in. He had developed a feeling inside of him that he never thought possible to exist in a vampire, or even himself for that matter, he had grown to care deeply for the human child more over the past few days that she had spent in his home.
He believed at the beginning that he was keeping his promise to Marie by caring for her only child. But as time had passed he knew that was not the case. Was he that selfish enough that he wanted to keep the child with him? What kind of life could he offer her? A parent that only appeared in darkness, never being able to experience the light with her. He could give her everything that she wanted, everything that she needed. A warm home, a loving mother and father she would never want for anything.
He was being selfish to want to take her away from the light, everything that a human child needed. With his position in the Vampire world, he would become a primary target, she would become a primary target for others who wished to end him. He could not let her be subjected to what his world brought, she deserved a lot more that he could offer a child. But yet he felt like he was breaking inside, a part of him had awoke deep inside his cold core. His heart had grown warmth inside it, through the thick coldness that clung deep into his brooding soul. A human child had awoke something in him that he believed dormant, dormant since that fateful night that Lorena snatched from him.
"Read...Read Bill" a high pitched giggle that shook him from his gloomy trail of thoughts.
"Of course, where were we? Ah yes....Once upon a time There was once a woman who wished very much to have a little child, but she could not obtain her wish. At last she went to a fairy, and said, "I should so very much like to have a little child; can you tell me where I can find one?" "Oh, that can be easily managed" said the fairy. "Here is a barley-corn of a different kind to those which grow in the farmer's fields, and which the chickens eat; put it into a flower-pot, and see what will happen"
"More...More" she giggled.
"Then she went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large handsome flower, something like a tulip in appearance, but with its leaves tightly closed as if it were still a bud. "It is a beautiful flower," said the woman, and she kissed the red and golden-colored leaves, and while she did so the flower opened, and she could see that it was a real tulip. Within the flower, upon the green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little maiden. She was scarcely half as long as a thumb, and they gave her the name of 'Thumbelina'"
"Thum....Thumbelina" she chuckled.
"Yes Thumbelina sweetheart" Bill smiled as his shifted Sophie so that she was now sat on his lap at his desk as he balanced the book in his free hand.
"Mommy liked this...Thu-Thumbelina" she said softly.
Bill sighed, he had not spoken about Marie to her, and now that she was bringing her up, and Bill had already had a conversation about her new family.
"Sweetheart...Your mommy loved you very much. She wanted you to be happy. And your new family will love you just as much as your mommy did" he said softly.
"I want to stay here with you" she said sniffling.
Bill felt every in him break, her words stung him. He was lost for words he knew what he wanted to say but still could not find himself the courage to speak. After a few moments he knew what he had to say.
"Sophie...I would love for you to stay here with me. But its not allowed. You need to have a mommy and a daddy who can take care of you" he whispered.
"K-Kiara can be my mummy" she muttered.
"Kiara loves you very much as do I. And we would love to have you here with us. But its not allowed. But I promise you we will come and see you all the time" he whispered.
"You promise?" she asked.
"Yes, I promise Sophie...I have something for you"
Bill smiled as he reached with his freehand into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.
"A present?" she giggled.
"Yes, a present" he smiled as he opened the box and inside was a platinum locket. He took the locket out of the small box and draped it around her neck and did up the small clasp as it hung around her neck.
She suddenly wrapped her arms around Bill and hugged him as hard as she could with her little arms. Bill could hear her crying, Bill fought hard to let himself crumble beneath his false facade.
"Now where were we? One night, while she lay in her pretty bed, a large, ugly, wet toad crept through a broken pane of glass in the window, and leaped right upon the table where Tiny lay sleeping under her rose-leaf quilt. "What a pretty little wife this would make for my son," said the toad"
"Your Majesty?" a member of his staff interrupted Bill.
Bill looked up from his book and looked on ignorantly as he had already instructed not to be disturbed.
"Yes" he said sternly.
"Sire, I have a Mrs Jackson here. Shall I send her in?" he asked.
"Yes, send her in" he instructed.
"Yes your Majesty"
As he exited the room, this was it. Mel was here to collect Sophie. He thought he was prepared for this, but it seems that he wasn't. Bill closed the book and slid it on to his desk.
"Why don't you go and collect your things Sophie. Mrs Jackson and I need a talk" he whispered as Sophie slid off his lap and ran into the arms of another member of staff.
As soon as Sophie was out of ear's reach, Mel was escorted into his office.
"Bill, such a pleasure too see you again" Mel beamed.
"As always to see you Mel" as said as he plastered on a fake smile.
"So how did it go with Sophie?" she asked curiously.
"She is a very exquisite child" he replied.
"Yes she is. A very special child. You made the right choice Bill" she smiled softly.
"I hope so...I have taken the liberty of setting up a trust fund for Sophie" he walked around to his desk and into the drawer and picked up a file and walked back around to hand it to Mel "All the information is there, and there shall be a donation funded to the center that will be through by the end of the week" he smiled.
Mel looked on astonished as she quickly scanned the file and the fund that had been set up for Sophie when she turned twenty one. And all her school fees would be paid and any extra's funds would be given to her new parents to help in her upbringing.
"Bill, this is so...I am speechless" she said flabbergasted.
"Anything that i can do for Sophie. And anything I can do for the center" he smiled.
At that moment Sophie returned with a small bag and her old tattered teddy bear and ran into his office and ran straight into the arms of Mel.
"Hello darling, have you had fun with Bill?" she asked.
"Yeah...yeah" she chanted.
"Good, shall we go? We have people waiting for you?" she grinned.
Reluctantly she nodded and extended her arms out towards Bill as she practically jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I-I love you Billy" she cried.
This was happening, he only had a little longer to hold up his strong front, he was chanting to himself silently.
"I love you to Sophie" he said softly.
Sophie then produced her small old tattered teddy bear in her hand and handed it too Bill.
"He-He will keep you safe...His name is Teddy. He my best-est friend" she handed him to Bill.
"I shall guard him with my life" he smiled.
Bill held her in his arms for a few moments longer as time was up, Mel had to go, take her to her new family. Bill let Mel take Sophie into her arms as she started to cry. Bill hated when Kiara cried, and now seeing Sophie cry was like a dagger to his un-beating heart.
"Thank you Bill" Mel whispered as she turned on her heel and exited his office and out of the mansion as Bill did not follow as he did not think he could bare the sight of Sophie leaving.
Bill could hear the engine start and the sound of car disappearing into the distance and then there was no sound at all. Bill had never thought that a child could cause so much of a stir in him. He walked across to his drinks cabinet and poured himself a glass of True Blood and then proceeded to the large double set patio doors that opened up onto a porch and stared out into the night sky once again. The clouds had started to clear, and the moon was now just breaking beyond the clouds to illuminate the empty sky.
He believed himself that he was doing this 'good deed' for Marie, but in helping Marie he helped himself, melting away a part of his un-beating heart that he believed no longer existed in him. Staring into the darkness of the night, he was alone in his own silence.
A 'good deed' could change the world, it could change anyone who had the heart too do so. But it took a man to realize that a child could do their own 'good deed' to help another. So it wasn't a farewell to Sophie, it was until another time. A good deed can bring you closer together, it can change the world. Or it could change who you are...not for the worse. But for the better.
He believed at the beginning that he was keeping his promise to Marie by caring for her only child. But as time had passed he knew that was not the case. Was he that selfish enough that he wanted to keep the child with him? What kind of life could he offer her? A parent that only appeared in darkness, never being able to experience the light with her. He could give her everything that she wanted, everything that she needed. A warm home, a loving mother and father she would never want for anything.
He was being selfish to want to take her away from the light, everything that a human child needed. With his position in the Vampire world, he would become a primary target, she would become a primary target for others who wished to end him. He could not let her be subjected to what his world brought, she deserved a lot more that he could offer a child. But yet he felt like he was breaking inside, a part of him had awoke deep inside his cold core. His heart had grown warmth inside it, through the thick coldness that clung deep into his brooding soul. A human child had awoke something in him that he believed dormant, dormant since that fateful night that Lorena snatched from him.
"Read...Read Bill" a high pitched giggle that shook him from his gloomy trail of thoughts.
"Of course, where were we? Ah yes....Once upon a time There was once a woman who wished very much to have a little child, but she could not obtain her wish. At last she went to a fairy, and said, "I should so very much like to have a little child; can you tell me where I can find one?" "Oh, that can be easily managed" said the fairy. "Here is a barley-corn of a different kind to those which grow in the farmer's fields, and which the chickens eat; put it into a flower-pot, and see what will happen"
"More...More" she giggled.
"Then she went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large handsome flower, something like a tulip in appearance, but with its leaves tightly closed as if it were still a bud. "It is a beautiful flower," said the woman, and she kissed the red and golden-colored leaves, and while she did so the flower opened, and she could see that it was a real tulip. Within the flower, upon the green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little maiden. She was scarcely half as long as a thumb, and they gave her the name of 'Thumbelina'"
"Thum....Thumbelina" she chuckled.
"Yes Thumbelina sweetheart" Bill smiled as his shifted Sophie so that she was now sat on his lap at his desk as he balanced the book in his free hand.
"Mommy liked this...Thu-Thumbelina" she said softly.
Bill sighed, he had not spoken about Marie to her, and now that she was bringing her up, and Bill had already had a conversation about her new family.
"Sweetheart...Your mommy loved you very much. She wanted you to be happy. And your new family will love you just as much as your mommy did" he said softly.
"I want to stay here with you" she said sniffling.
Bill felt every in him break, her words stung him. He was lost for words he knew what he wanted to say but still could not find himself the courage to speak. After a few moments he knew what he had to say.
"Sophie...I would love for you to stay here with me. But its not allowed. You need to have a mommy and a daddy who can take care of you" he whispered.
"K-Kiara can be my mummy" she muttered.
"Kiara loves you very much as do I. And we would love to have you here with us. But its not allowed. But I promise you we will come and see you all the time" he whispered.
"You promise?" she asked.
"Yes, I promise Sophie...I have something for you"
Bill smiled as he reached with his freehand into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.
"A present?" she giggled.
"Yes, a present" he smiled as he opened the box and inside was a platinum locket. He took the locket out of the small box and draped it around her neck and did up the small clasp as it hung around her neck.
She suddenly wrapped her arms around Bill and hugged him as hard as she could with her little arms. Bill could hear her crying, Bill fought hard to let himself crumble beneath his false facade.
"Now where were we? One night, while she lay in her pretty bed, a large, ugly, wet toad crept through a broken pane of glass in the window, and leaped right upon the table where Tiny lay sleeping under her rose-leaf quilt. "What a pretty little wife this would make for my son," said the toad"
"Your Majesty?" a member of his staff interrupted Bill.
Bill looked up from his book and looked on ignorantly as he had already instructed not to be disturbed.
"Yes" he said sternly.
"Sire, I have a Mrs Jackson here. Shall I send her in?" he asked.
"Yes, send her in" he instructed.
"Yes your Majesty"
As he exited the room, this was it. Mel was here to collect Sophie. He thought he was prepared for this, but it seems that he wasn't. Bill closed the book and slid it on to his desk.
"Why don't you go and collect your things Sophie. Mrs Jackson and I need a talk" he whispered as Sophie slid off his lap and ran into the arms of another member of staff.
As soon as Sophie was out of ear's reach, Mel was escorted into his office.
"Bill, such a pleasure too see you again" Mel beamed.
"As always to see you Mel" as said as he plastered on a fake smile.
"So how did it go with Sophie?" she asked curiously.
"She is a very exquisite child" he replied.
"Yes she is. A very special child. You made the right choice Bill" she smiled softly.
"I hope so...I have taken the liberty of setting up a trust fund for Sophie" he walked around to his desk and into the drawer and picked up a file and walked back around to hand it to Mel "All the information is there, and there shall be a donation funded to the center that will be through by the end of the week" he smiled.
Mel looked on astonished as she quickly scanned the file and the fund that had been set up for Sophie when she turned twenty one. And all her school fees would be paid and any extra's funds would be given to her new parents to help in her upbringing.
"Bill, this is so...I am speechless" she said flabbergasted.
"Anything that i can do for Sophie. And anything I can do for the center" he smiled.
At that moment Sophie returned with a small bag and her old tattered teddy bear and ran into his office and ran straight into the arms of Mel.
"Hello darling, have you had fun with Bill?" she asked.
"Yeah...yeah" she chanted.
"Good, shall we go? We have people waiting for you?" she grinned.
Reluctantly she nodded and extended her arms out towards Bill as she practically jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I-I love you Billy" she cried.
This was happening, he only had a little longer to hold up his strong front, he was chanting to himself silently.
"I love you to Sophie" he said softly.
Sophie then produced her small old tattered teddy bear in her hand and handed it too Bill.
"He-He will keep you safe...His name is Teddy. He my best-est friend" she handed him to Bill.
"I shall guard him with my life" he smiled.
Bill held her in his arms for a few moments longer as time was up, Mel had to go, take her to her new family. Bill let Mel take Sophie into her arms as she started to cry. Bill hated when Kiara cried, and now seeing Sophie cry was like a dagger to his un-beating heart.
"Thank you Bill" Mel whispered as she turned on her heel and exited his office and out of the mansion as Bill did not follow as he did not think he could bare the sight of Sophie leaving.
Bill could hear the engine start and the sound of car disappearing into the distance and then there was no sound at all. Bill had never thought that a child could cause so much of a stir in him. He walked across to his drinks cabinet and poured himself a glass of True Blood and then proceeded to the large double set patio doors that opened up onto a porch and stared out into the night sky once again. The clouds had started to clear, and the moon was now just breaking beyond the clouds to illuminate the empty sky.
He believed himself that he was doing this 'good deed' for Marie, but in helping Marie he helped himself, melting away a part of his un-beating heart that he believed no longer existed in him. Staring into the darkness of the night, he was alone in his own silence.
A 'good deed' could change the world, it could change anyone who had the heart too do so. But it took a man to realize that a child could do their own 'good deed' to help another. So it wasn't a farewell to Sophie, it was until another time. A good deed can bring you closer together, it can change the world. Or it could change who you are...not for the worse. But for the better.
