Chapter Nine - The Awakening

Bill Compton was falling in love. Already his heart could feel those first stirrings of longing and need that he remembered so well from his human days. He was also running late. He had told Miss Stackhouse that he would be happy to meet with her after she finished her late night shift at Merlottes. He had told her he would be there at 1:30. And he was not. He had decided to take a long walk after he left Merlotte's earlier in the evening. He was so keyed up, so excited that he just couldn't go back home and read a book. He had become so lost in his thoughts that he failed to keep track of the time. Smiling and putting his hands in his pockets as he walked Bill began to whistle one of his favorite tunes "On The Street Where You Live". Bill had a secret. A secret that not many, with the exception of a vampire acquaintance named Malcom, knew of. Bill really liked show tunes. He felt his face break into a grin as he contemplated the wisdom of divulging this information too quickly to Miss Stackhouse. Bill's poor, sad heart had not felt so alive, so awakened in so many years. Like dry, parched earth when the soft gentle rains of a warm summer shower fall, Bill could feel his heart begin to open up like fertile soil ready to spring forth life. He realized that he was feeling something he didn't think possible a few days ago. He felt happy.

Suddenly, he stopped whistling. He thought he heard something. He listened intently. There, he heard it again. Although he was at least 2 miles away, his finely tuned sense of hearing allowed him to hear what mere mortals could not. It was a sound that Bill had heard far more times than he cared to remember. The sound of someone's fear and pain and suffering. Other more omnious sounds came slicing through the night air. The sound of leather boots destroying flesh and bone, assaulting tender organs. Then something else even more chilling to Bill, something every vampire recognizes instantly. The powerful and unmistakable aroma of fresh human blood. With a sick pounding in his heart, instinctively Bill knew who's weak cries of pain he heard, who's warm blood he could smell in the damp night air.
Bill had never been this angry. Moving so fast that he was but a faint blur to the eye of these two loathesome creatures, Bill felt his rage boiling up from somewhere deep inside. All he could think of was killing them. As he felt their bodies leave his strong hands, as he watched their broken bodies fall to the earth, Bill found himself for the first time in 143 years actually glad he was vampire, glad that he possessed the strength to end these two sorry, worthless lives.

Bill could feel himself growing weaker as she finally began to drink of his life-saving blood. But he didn't care. He would offer her every drop of his blood if necessary. What had happened to her was all his fault. Once again he had failed someone he cared about. As he watched her sleeping he thought about how much he had come to care for her and how badly it would hurt if she made the decision to discontinue their friendship. Even before he had finally summoned the courage to meet her face to face, even while he had loved her from afar, she had filled a desperate need in his life. As she began to awaken, he could feel her dark eyes silently watching him as he slowly slid his tongue across the large wound in her head. Although his saliva would hasten the coagulation of her blood and it's healing, that wasn't the only reason he gave the head wound such undivided attention. So intoxicating was the taste and smell of her blood that Bill felt the same light headed sensation he remembered from his human life after a glass of fine brandy. This blood was completely different from any blood he had ever smelled or tasted. Yes, Sookie Stackhouse was different alright. And he had to know why. Her question as she awakened caught him by surprise. It was as if she already knew that she was unique and strange. But it was her answer to his question that caught him completely off guard. The idea that she could perhaps read his mind actually terrified him. He found himself desperately hoping the answer was no. He wasn't prepared to open himself up in such an honest way. No, not quite yet. Even in his human life Bill had never been the spontanous type. He had always moved at a deliberate, slow pace about everything.

As he walked her to her car, they began to talk. He was so delighted that she was not shy or reluctant to ask him all kinds of questions about himself. No human he had ever encountered had been so interested, so inquisitive of Bill's vampire life. In truth, a great deal of Bill's vampire life had become but distant memories. He hated to think about most of it. It just caused too much sadness for him. When she asked about his war years, Bill silently screamed at himself for being so outspoken and cranky. She didn't mean any harm. But those war years when not only he, but others had suffered so terribly were a part of his past that he just couldn't bear to think about. But she wanted him to do her a favor. Oh Sookie, if you only knew that I would do anything in the world for you!

That next evening Bill stared into his own deep blue eyes as he combed his hair. What on earth was he thinking? Had he finally, completely gone insane? Here he was, a vampire, as excited and hopeful has he had ever been, getting dressed to come calling on a beautiful young lady who was not only mortal, but more than 100 years younger than he. Yes, when you put it that way, he decided, he was indeed insane. But in that same frame of thinking, he decided that he just didn't care. He was so tired of the lonliness, the sadness, the yearning ache to have someone in his life. Someone to care for and who would care for him in return. Whatever the cost, whatever the consequences, he had made up his mind to pursue Sookie with all he had.
Bill was enchanted by the sweet spirit of Sookie's grandmother. It was obvious where Sookie inherited her open, accepting nature. He was invited into their home and made to feel completely welcome and at ease. The only problem seemed to be Sookie's rather dimwitted brother and her bitter, angry friend. Unfortunately, he had a lifetime experience of dealing with people like them. He had the feeling that they would be trouble down the road. Well, just let them. He would do what he had to do to have Sookie.

My, but Sookie knew how to ask some strange questions! He didn't believe he had ever been asked such frank, inquisitive things by anyone about his vampire life. He knew it wasn't nosiness, but a refreshingly candid curiosity. He found he didn't mind answering her questions, actually he found it quite enjoyable. It was so invigorating, so refreshing to find someone to talk with, to take a walk with, who liked and accepted him. Not even the shifter lurking in the bushes could aggravate him tonight. For tonight he intended to revel in the company of this lovely young lady he had yearned for from afar. He hadn't had anyone to talk with who actually treated him with respect in far too long. He had really missed that. They had such easy banter, sometimes teasing, sometimes serious as they began to learn each other. As they began to talk and open up to each other, Bill began to realize that Sookie was in many ways as damaged as he was. She had her demons and hurts too. As he stood there in front of his home looking at her, he realized he had never wanted anything more in his life than to feel her hair in his hands, to bury his face in it's fragrance. With a sudden shy reluctance, he heard himself ask her to take it down. When she complied and shook it loose, Bill could no more stop himself from reaching out and touching it than the ocean can stop the tide. As he buried his face in it and inhaled it's wonderful softness and essence , Bill senses were suddenly drenched with something he had not smelled in so long. It was something he had never, in all his 143 years as a vampire, stopped missing. He felt his heart and soul breaking once again as he remembered the feeling of sunshine on his face, the way sunshine smelled when he walked outside in the morning before he began his day's work. He could smell all of this on Sookie's soft, tanned skin. He suddenly felt his emotions getting the better of him and wanted desperately to turn away. And then, there she was. She was pulling him to her, her soft lips finding his. His passion came flowing up like a tremendous wave as he tasted her mouth on his. She felt so wonderful in his arms.

He abruptly pulled himself away and in shame turned his head. What would she think? How on earth could she still want to be with him now? Oh, but he hated what he was! In a sudden desperation born of shame, he began to walk her home. He didn't say anything . His shame was such that he didn't trust his emotions or voice. Although she seemed a bit puzzled by his sudden change in demeaner, she said nothing. As he escorted her up the steps onto the porch, his thoughts were of only one thing. That this would surely be the last time Sookie Stackhouse would want to be with him. Then, she turned her pretty dark brown eyes up to him, and with a smile as big as a new moon, she kissed him sweetly and gently on his cheek and told him that she had a wonderful evening with him and would love to see him again.

That was all he needed. He was as happy as he had ever been. Yes, he was falling in love. His sleeping heart had finally awakened from it's long, sad sleep.