I realize...

She groaned. Something was pulling her back from the darkness she'd come to accept before. She felt warm, and...what was that taste in her mouth?

Slowly turning her body she opened her eyes. She looked confused and it took her a long moment to realize that she was still alive and still in bed. "What...?" she whispered, her voice sounding tired and dreamy. As she slowly tried to sit up, she began to recall everything

She pulled her arms from under the covers and rubbed her eyes. It was only then that she noticed there was someone else in her darkened room, not to mention the smell of fresh dirt which confused her for a second. She took a moment to sniff the air. It didn't smell like any of her coworkers, and the distinct smell of death and fresh earth gave it away as a vampire.

"Bill...?" she asked. Even as she sat there she began recalling all she'd seen in her near death state and it was really the only reason she was still quite calm despite being unsure as to who else was in her bedroom.

Bill had sat soundly in his chair on the far side of Kiara's bedroom, his hands folded together as his chin rested on them. He had been perched in this very spot since he had found Kiara slumped in her bed, on the brink of death. Forcing his blood into her mouth, praying silently that he had gotten too her in time. He had remained silent in his chair as he could hear her stir from across the room, silently rejoicing as he heard his name being called from her. He was still heavily covered in dry dirt as he had refused to return home too change, wanting too be here if she woke up in his absence.

"Bill...?" she called out too him.

He stood from his chair, with only a dim light illuminating his figure in the dark as he strode towards her bedside, becoming clearer into her view.

She blinked, having to adjust her eyes to the darkness. Soon he came into focus and she managed a small, but soft and kind smile all the same.

"It is you..." she said as she extracted herself from under the covers. Still clad in a simple loose blouse and shorts she slowly got out of the bed, hesitating when her feet touched the floor only to make sure she could support her weight in this stage.

She managed to stand before him and chuckled at his appearance "You're covered in dirt... did you sleep in the ground?" she asked.

"It's me.....A-And I wanted too be close by....I didn't make it back to my home...." he spoke softly as she stood before him as she now stood before him. His face was still clouded with dried dirt, his clothes still thick and heavy with the hidden clumps of dirt.

"I wanted to be here.....for when you woke up" he said solemnly. His hands ready to catch her as he noticed that she was still unsteady on her feet.

She smiled softly, cupping his face in her hands. "I am sorry for having made you worry" she whispered gently.

"While I was in bed... I had strange and powerful dreams, and they have helped me to see things I couldn't before" she began. "I think I know what I must do now"

He listened to her speak, he was worried about her, although she would think him foolish for worrying about her, but in deed he was, every scenario he could thin of running through his mind.

"Worried? I have never been so worried in all my years......I thought I had lost you" he whispered softly.

She smiled and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "You need not worry anymore Bill. I've realized that I can't fight what I was born into" she said. At his puzzled expression she elaborated.

"My father's line is a long line of wolves who have served vampires. Not as slaves, but as equals. We were the day, the vampires were the night and for centuries vampires granted my bloodline protection. However when things began to get more modern such a tradition fell apart, and with that so did the pack. But now...I believe I must embrace that part of me again, and return to the side of the only vampire whom I've ever cared for deeply"

"But now...I believe I must embrace that part of me again, and return to the side of the only vampire whom I've ever cared for deeply"

He wasn't sure what this all meant.....he was stung for words as his mouth hung low as he couldn't find the words to form together.

"I-I-I don't understand..." was all the words that he could form together.

She smiled and leaned in close "Maybe this'll explain it better" she said before she tilted her head and kissed him gently. Having seen her parents in her near death experience had answered so many of her questions and doubts that she was overwhelmed by the inner peace she now felt.

When she pulled her lips back she kept her face close to his "I love you Bill Compton... and I hope you and I can try and heal the scars that mar our past"

It wasn't until he felt her warm lips press gently against his own, it seemed that even with this show of affection, he was still very unsure. Was it even real? Until the words passed her lips 'I love you Bill Compton'

Peering back at her, his hand slowly raising to cup her cheek delicately, afraid to break her in her fragile state that he believed she was still in. His eyes searching her's as he felt so dumbfounded. He felt the same for, he always did.

"I love you Kiara.......I always have" he said softly.

She smiled before she stumbled a bit and hurridely sat back down on the bed. She gave him a sheepish smile. "guess I'm still a bit out of it" she said softly.

She didn't regret confessing her feelings to him. It had taken so much for her to come to this realization that she didn't want to waste another second without coming clean.

"You are still very weak sweetheart.....Would you like me to get you something too eat? Something to drink?" he asked her as she dropped back down on her bed, worriedly he perched down in front of her.

"I can make you anything you want....You just name it?" he smiled at her, as his hand wrapped around her's.

She chuckled. "My kitchen is empty Bill. I guess I'll just order out" she said, touched by his concern for her. "you however look dirtier than a pup after its first day out. Why not take a shower in my guest room?"

"If that would be alright? I did not have time to make it safely back home....and I didn't want too leave your side" he spoke softly.

"Would you happen to have a change of clothing *points to his own* Seems mine should be thrown away" he smirked at his attire.

She giggled "There should be a robe in the guest room and clothes in the closet, if not I'll call one of my employees to deliver some" she said as she scooted over to her night stand to grab her phone. "Should I call in a donor as well for you?"

"No thank you....True Blood will be fine thank you....I should go shower" he smirked at her, already knowing where her guest bedroom was he bowed to her and turned to head towards the guest bedroom to use the shower.

Entering the guest bedroom he quickly found the shower, he began peeling himself of his clothes as he dropped them into a heap on the floor. He reached into the large shower and turned on the hot tap as watched as hot steam filled the cubicle. Stepping inside the hot shower, he let the hot water wash over his body as the dirt swirled in a pool by his feet.

Kiara smiled before she rang up a nearby italian place. She ordered some food to be delivered to her home. Then she called one of her employees to bring over a case of true blood and drop it off at the door. Once her two call were done she slowly maneuvered her way to her master bathroom to freshen up. A splash of water on the face did wonders to shake the remaining dregs of exhaustion from her.

He had found some cleaning shower products inside the cubicle as he washed himself from all the remaining dirt on his body, satisfied that he was clean, he turned of the hot tap, stepping out of the shower he found a black bathrobe hanging on the back of the door. Wrapping it around his body, he proceeded to make his way back to Kiara's bedroom, not wanting to pry around in any of her rooms. He entered her bedroom and noticed that she was not there.

"Kiara?" he called out after her.

Kiara stepped out of the bathroom. Her shirt was a bit wet from washing her face. She looked more alert and less wobbly on her feet.

"I'm right here" she said as she dried her face. "I ordered food and true blood and it should all be here soon" she said as she went to sit on her lounge chair in her room. "I hope the shower was good. I apologize I didn't have the guest room stocked"

"The shower was excellent...Thank you" the robe wrapped tightly around his body as he slowly walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down.

"I did not know I would still be here. I underestimated my time yesterday...I stayed close by" he said quietly.

Pulling the robe tighter around his body.

She nodded. "For next time, know that there is a light time room on the ground floor, just look for the room with no windows. That is if you wish to spend the day here, I'm sure you'd be busy with other things" she said softly as she leaned back. Despite looking a bit weak, she was still pretty in a simple way, no make up or adornments to speak off.

"I did not wish to disrupt you...and I was on watch until the sun came up....I didn't want to......I wanted to be close" he nodded "I shall keep that in mind for future reference" he smiled at her, admiring how calm she was...when inside he was nervous.

She smiled and nodded. When the door bell rang she slowly got up, reaching for her wallet which she had already on her desk. "I would assume that is dinner for the both of us" she said with a kind smile as she made her way out her bedroom slowly to pay the delivery boy. On her way down the hall she turned on a few lights just to make it easier for her to see, but still dim enough that they wouldn't bother his light sensitive eyes.

He watched her leave to answer the door, assuming it would be her food and his True Blood, he waited until she returned. His mind processing the events that has happened. He remained sat on the bed, until he remembered that she had said there was clothes in the guest room. Speeding over to the guest room, leaving the door ajar, he walked over to closet and pulled out a shirt and a pair of jogging pants.

After a short while she was setting food on her counter and bringing a warm bottle of true blood up to the guest room. She knocked twice on the opened door, catching Bill just as he slipped on a shirt over his bare skin. "Hungry?" she asked with a sweet smile. She was at least glad there were clothes in the guest room, but if truth be told, he looked way better in his usual clean pressed suit than he did in a shirt and jogging pants.