chapter twenty-

eight

                Sky and Rachel got out of her little mini cooper and stood there looking at the building. They walked up to the front door of the middle office and peered in. “Well, it looks like a great reception office. Now one of these offices is the physical rehab offices, and that has huge rooms in it that would be perfect for you new yoga and health food place. There are even showers in it according to this paper,” said Sky.

                “I have always wanted showers,” said Rachel.

                “And then there was a counseling center, with all of these private offices in them. And then there is a place that is completely empty, I haven’t figured out what it was yet?” said Sky.

                “It was a medical store. People could like order hospital beds and canes and wheel chairs and stuff. You could have vampire stuff in it. Books, magazines, special interest stuff. Or you could have like a vampire science reading room, so all the folks who have like spiritual stuff they can have readings and lectures there and sell things,” said Rachel.

                “We could,” she said. “What do you think.”

                “How are you ladies today?” said a voice. They turned and saw Andy Bellefleur, getting out his police car, hitching up his tans.

                “Hey there Andy. We came to check out this building,” said Sky.

                “You wanting one of the shops Miss Westnight?” he asked, resting his hands on his hips, one on the butt of his gun and the other on his radio. Rachel thought this was reminiscent of John Wayne.

                “No, I want the whole strip,” she said. “We have a project we want to start.”

                “Man, if you could take this white elephant off my hands that would be a blessing. I have had this building up for auction three times and no one wants it,” he said.

                “I do. What would it take?” she asked. “I mean, would it be difficult to just do a deal for it?”

                “Not difficult at all,” he said. “The asking price is $500.000 but I swear the city would take 3, maybe 2 ½ for it.”

                “Two hundred and fifty thousand?” she asked.

                “Yeah,” he said. “Fifty down, you can finance the rest.”

                “What if we wanted to do it as a cash sale?” asked Sky.

                “Cash? Two hundred thousand,” said Andy.

                “Can you authorize the sale?” asked Rachel.

                “All you have to do is bring the cash. Bud has more or less given me this burden,” he said.

                “Can you hold it 24 hours?” asked Sky.

                “At this rate, I can hold it till Rapture,” said Andy. “I will prepare the sale and the deed and hold it, just give me a call, even if I am home and we can do the deal. Just hand over a certified check to the Sheriff’s office, properties department, and it’s all yours, I will hand you the deed and be well rid of it.”

                “Andy, I love you, when you run, I will guarantee I will canvass Bon Temps for every vote,” said Rachel.

                “Well, I will be happy to see this place be used again,” said Andy. “Frankly it was about to become a nuisance.”

                “We’ll call you tonight,” said Sky.

                Sky was quiet as she drove Rachel home. “What’s the matter?”

                “Eric wants to get married,” said Sky. “He says he loves me but he also said this was tactical as well. He being regent and married would give me more safety because he would do it both by human law and by vampire law. He wants De Castro to perform the ceremony the same night he is invested.”

                “Well, I can see how that would concern you,” said Rachel. “What do you want to do?”

                “Well, it isn’t like you and I are planning a wedding together and some matchbook preacher was going to do it, but this prick wants to kill Eric and Bill. I am not real happy about it. I understand, Eric has to do whatever to get his authority, but….” She said.  “At the same time, I don’t want to insult De Castro.”

                “Well, you can always just go along with it. As it is, Bill and I will be at the JP’s getting married. I can’t get any church to open their doors to marry me to Bill because he is a vampire. A Unitarian minister said his church is actually thinking it over, but he was unable to help us until they came to a conclusion sometime this summer. I mean, I knew it would be impossible for my church to do it,” said Rachel.

                “Catholic, huh?” said Sky.

                “Yeah,” said Rachel.

                “Well, once Eric is the regent, he could marry you,” said Sky. “Well he could marry you now but he would have to put down Reverend, Church of the Loving Spirit.”

                “Oh God,” said Rachel. “That is the least thing I would expect about Eric.”

                “Yeah, boggles my mind,” said Sky.

                “What is so silly is there are churches, like my home church, that has a vampire organist and choir master, but they won’t marry me to Bill,” said Rachel.

                “Then that is what our center is all about, we have to help people with things like that,” said Sky.

                “Only ask Eric for half, I will ask Bill for half,” said Rachel.

                “I’ll just ask and whatever he gives us, that is what he gives us,” said Sky.

                After she dropped Rachel home, she went to the house to see the progress. The outside of the house was painted a beautiful pale sand color. The decking was up and the canvas shade sails were already up. She chose a turquoise canvas for that so it would pop. She drove her circle drive and parked. She went to the door and there stood Alcide.

                “Hey there Sky,” said Alcide. “Well, besides a few touches your house is finished.”

                “It’s beautiful Alcide, you have finished it in record time,” she said.

                “The landscapers will be here tomorrow to put in your grass and flowers and bushes. I understand Eric is importing some Irish black thorn bushes to plant at the bottom of his wall,” said Alcide.

                “Yeah, apparently they are really dangerous to fall into,” said Sky. “Thanks for everything Alcide. Oh, you know that health clinic out by the girls and boys club?”

                “Yeah, it was a pill mill,” said Alcide.

                “Well, Rachel and I are about to buy it for a project we are working on,” said Sky. “If we needed you, could you come out and give us advice, make referrals?”

                “I sure can,” said Alcide. “Bill called me about the house he might be building for Rachel. So I am on…retainer…I guess.”

                “Well, that can be a good thing to be,” said Sky. “Thanks for the house and everything you have done.”

                “Not a problem,” said Alcide. “Give me a call.”

                “Wait Bill, wait,” she said. ”I can’t catch my breath.”

                “That is the way I like you, breathing heavy, your heart beating hard and fast, your body pressed against me,” he said, pulling her clothes away. His head went to her breast and nipped her playfully. She tried to struggle away and he let her get away a few inches until he pulled her back. His fangs snicked out and she playfully nipped his shoulder.  He laughed low in her neck growling. He kissed his way down and put his mouth on her. He was a little rough, demanding which made her wiggle a little more. He grabbed her hips and held them still, making her cry out with pleasure. He came back up to her and kissed her. She pushed him back and wiggled down his body and returned the favor. He never asked her for it, but she enjoyed reciprocating oral pleasure and she took her time. He was now the prey and she the predator and this was a turn on for the usually shy somewhat timid girl. Finally, Bill pulled her up to him and she straddled him and slid down over him. He loved to watch her above him, her sweet breasts firm and high and her little hands, pulling on him, her cries of pleasure. He loved being her slave and submitting to her will. He loved the way she put his hands on her, and this was usually his cue to take over.

                He gently moved her off him and pulled her around in his favorite yoga position, down facing dog, and he slid back into her. He filled his hands with her hair and pulled her head back gently. She put her arm behind her back and he took it and lovingly restrained her. They went on like that for some time till they both came together, Rachel falling exhausted on the surface of the bed and Bill resting his head between her shoulder blades, stroking her gently, calming her. When he finally shifted away, he pulled her against him, spooning her, relaxed. “That was wonderful sweetheart,” he said softly, kissing her shoulder.

                “You weren’t too bad yourself,” said Rachel, pulling him closer to her. “I love you.”

                “I love you too,” he said. “Want to bathe with me?”

                “Sounds delightful,” she said.

                Sky was brushing out Eric’s long hair, drying it as she went. “And you think this is the place for you and Rachel?”

                “This is a perfect place,” she said. “I think it will make a wonderful outreach center.”

                “And how much did Andy say it was?” asked Eric.

                “Two hundred thousand if we pay cash on the barrelhead,” she said. “It was originally five hundred thousand, but he said they were looking to unload it.”

                “I will stop by and look at it and have Maxwell Lee write a cashier’s check for it and I will give it to you and you can take care of it tomorrow, but I don’t want you ladies to start working in the offices until after Bill and I come back from Baton Rouge. In fact, I want to have a security firm come and design the system, inside and out so hold off. Mustafa Khan will be with you,” said Eric.

                “Aye milord,” said Sky, rolling her eyes. She thought Eric was being over protective.

                “Do as I ask, please,” said Eric, turning to look at her.

                “I will Eric,” she said.

                “Then we can move into our house,” he said. “I can ravish you in front of the fire.”

                “Pillage my village?” she asked. He nodded.  

“When we go to New York, Pam and India will oversee the packing of the house. I know we shall have new things, but you can use these things as well.”

                “Absolutely,” she said. “Besides, I like that couch.”

                “Call Rachel and tell her she has her building,” he said.

                “I have a rough draft of our mission statement and a bare bones budget,” she said.

                “What number did you come to?” he asked.

                “Three million,” she said. “But that includes remodeling, purchase of furnishings, moderate landscaping, phone and computer system and salaries for me and Rachel and her staff from Whole Body, plus a receptionist and I hope to get the professionals for the counselors for pro bono or for special rate.”

                “Ask for five, and I will put out feelers for vampires who want to do the counseling for our kind if you find the humans,” he said.

                “Sure you can get that much?” she asked.

                “Bill and I will put it up and then take the money we get and put it in escrow for you in a foundation to support the work on going,” said Eric. “But I will buy the building and give it to Rachel as a wedding gift.” Sky threw her arms around her vampire.

                “Thank you, Eric,” she said.

                “I plan to take it out of your beautiful hide,” he said. “I never do anything absolutely free.”

                Bill sat across from Eric in the office of Fangtasia. “Are you sure you would not want me to pay for half of the building?” he asked.

                “No, I want to give this to Rachel as a wedding gift,” he said. “Sky and I will be married at the same time I have my investment as Regent at the Winter Solstice. I want to make sure De Castro has no misunderstanding about our relationship, not like Victor Madden and Sookie.”

                “How does Sky feel about it?” asked Bill.

                “She does not care for it,” said Eric. “But she understands this is meant to protect her. When Christmas is over, I will be honored to marry you and Rachel. Sky tells me no human churches will perform the ceremony. I can’t give her a religious service, but I can give her a legal one and a tasteful one.”

                “Thank you, I will mention it to her,” he said.

                “Are you still looking for some land?” asked Eric.

                “I am,” said Bill.

                “When you see the building, you may be interested in a piece of land behind it. It is large and flat and ready for just about any building you can come up with,” said Eric.

                “Thank you Eric,” said Bill. “Now, I set our meeting for the 10^th of December with the governor. I don’t anticipate it to be very fruitful, but I think we will know something about how the land lays with the Deadacrats. Have you heard anymore from our friend in De Castro’s court?”

                “Yes, he is still wining and dining humans who are either in the casino business or are in politics. He is spending a lot of money in Oklahoma; Christian Baruch is setting up a casino with the local Native Americans. I smell Hot Rain’s hand in this. But I could care less so long as he stays on the Rez,” said Eric.

                “Anything else?” asked Bill.

                “We are all in place to get rid of De Castro’s shills, and get my kingdom back to work the way it should,” said Eric. He looked at Bill.

                “Your kingdom? What changed your mind about being in the higher levels of our politics?” asked Bill

                “I woke up one evening, my head full of Sky talking to me about vampire rights, and vampire laws and vampire society. I have the opportunity to do something about it. When I was with Sookie, she never encouraged me to have respect for my own kind. To take responsibility. I think it was to try to limit her contact with other vampires. Nevertheless, Sky says vampires need one another. It has finally penetrated my thick skull she is right,” said Eric.

                “So, whatever happens, you plan to remain the King of De Castro’s empires,” asked Bill.

                “No, I am going to gift Nevada, Oklahoma, and Arkansas to suitable vampires. I just want Louisiana,” said Eric. “Would Sky be welcome to stay with Rachel in her home?”

                “Of course,” said Bill. “Heidi should come and guard them during the evening and Khan in the day.”

                “That can be arranged. We have heard from all our friends?” asked Eric.

                “We have,” said Bill. “They are just waiting for your order.”

                “Whatever happens, from now on, we are at war,” said Eric.

                “And everyone knows that,” said Bill.

               

                The next week, Rachel oversaw the teardown of the remains of Whole Body and paid the bill to have it torn it down. She had bought the building as a sheriff’s sale for taxes the same day she bought her house, both for $50k. She also watched the removal of Bill’s offices. The double lot would bring a pretty penny from the right developer. She paid Pearly Gates Security to put up a chain link fence up to keep the worst of the riff raff out until she and Bill could decide what to do with it.

                When that was finished, she went with Sky shopping at the newly opened Tara’s Togs. Sky had been revolving the six or seven outfits Pam had given her. They were quite nice, plain outfits to wear to work, mostly slacks and blouses and sweaters and a good leather jacket, matched with hastily purchased panties and bras and socks. Eric made fast work of her panties, ripping them to patches and rags.

                Tara was excited to see them come in. She showed them all sorts of new merchandise and gave them catalogues to browse through when they could not find it. Sky bought jeans and slacks and skirts and blouses and tops and more sweaters to go with what she had and then picked out a couple of sweaters as a gift to Pam for the clothes she gave her. Rachel picked out some things. There was a pretty baby doll blouse in purple and she matched it with a pair of purple leggings and then she chose a black sheath dress with tiny little jewels of red around the yolk with little delicate red heels. This would be for Sky’s wedding.

                Then she saw the dress. She put her hand to her chest and stood there. It was simply cut. It had a tank style bodice and empire waist in a creamy antique white lace embellished with silk ribbon.

                “See, I knew someone would like that dress,” said Tara. “I ordered it for this girl in Clarice and she changed her mind. I could have had it shipped back because I think it is so old fashioned looking no one else would possibly want it. But you…That dress is for you.” Sky came over and looked at it.

                “Go try it on Rachel,” said Sky.

                “I don’t know, I think it is too soon to buy a wedding dress,” she said.

                “You better get it or else it will get snapped up,” said Tara. “Go try it on and see if there are any alterations to be done.” Rachel took it down and took it into the dressing room and slid on the dress. She peeked out of the dressing room. She winked at Tara and they shared a secret smile. Sky had seen the dress in the shop a few weeks ago and asked Tara to hold onto it and put it out for Rachel.

                “Come on out,” said Sky. Rachel came out. She stood at the mirror. “It’s like it was made for you. And you are marrying an old fashioned guy.”

                “Real old fashioned, though not as old as yours,” said Tara, smirking.

                “The only thing he is primitive about is sex,” said Sky, winking. “But that dress came through a time machine for you.”

                “I think so too,” she said. “I will take it.”

                “I will get you a wardrobe box for it and pack it in tissue,” said Tara. “Just keep shopping.”

                Rachel chose some antique white lace up boots to wear with the dress and ordered a flower crown and a veil to go with it and she was pleased she had that first detail selected.  “Come back after Thanksgiving, the Christmas lingerie catalogue will be in and I can order your under things.”

                “I will Tara, thank you,” said Rachel. She packed Rachel’s things up and then began to total Sky’s things up.

                “Wow,” said Tara.

                “What?” she said.

                “You bought a lot of clothes,” said Tara.

                “I needed them, I lost my clothes in the fire,” said Sky. She looked at the total and pulled out the credit card Eric had given her to spend.

                “Oh my God!” she gasped. “A black AmEx card!”

                “Yeah, do you accept them?” asked Sky. “You take American Express, right?”

                “Oh yes, ma’am,” she said. She zipped the card and got the receipt and gave it to Sky to sign her name to. “You come back now.”

                “I will,” said Sky. She looked puzzled as she put her purchases in her car. “Was there something weird about that card?”

                “Only that it is a bottomless credit card,” said Rachel. “I had a lady who would come in and buy vitamins with hers.”

                “Wow,” said Sky. “I need to give this back to Eric.”

                “Why?” said Rachel.

                “I don’t need a black card,” said Sky.

                “I don’t think Eric has anything else,” said Rachel. “Bill told me Eric has more wealth than any other vampire he knows. He says Eric began using banks when the Templars began their banks. He has just made sure his wealth stays spread out so he never loses all his eggs.”

                “I knew he was wealthy, but not like that,” said Sky.

                “Well, imagine when he was made and had nothing in the way of personal wealth, then when he was freed, he went to work to make his money. Money to vampires is freedom,” said Rachel.

                “I guess so,” she said. “That dress was perfect. Eric wants me to pick out my dress for our wedding in New York.”

                “Well, that will be fun,” she said. “The full shopping experience.”

                “Are you ready to go and see your parents and introduce them to Bill?” asked Sky.

                “Yeah, they have been getting my room ready, making it light tight,” said Rachel. “Dad and Bill have talked on the phone and mom calls me at night hoping Bill will answer and she will snag him in some little small talk. It’s really sweet actually.”

                “Well, I can’t wait to meet them,” said Sky. “Have you and Bill closed on the property?”

                “We did, at first I was not that excited about living so close to the center but I thought well, at least I can walk to work and if I want to work there on Sundays in my lady bug house shoes, I can,” she said. “We have chosen  an arts and crafts style plan with a huge deep porch with an attached gazebo and a huge back yard with an outdoor room and a koi pond and a bamboo wood meditation and tai chi/yoga platform. Oh, Alcide said he could do the same at the center, have a large out of doors garden.”

                “Very nice,” said Sky. “So, I got a line on two or three vampires who can’t get jobs because they are vampires. They are psychologists, I guess the AMA thinks they would just glamour the humans. But they are licensed and can work with other vampires so that is cool. Now we have to find them a house.”

                “Eric could rent his old house out,” said Rachel. “I think that is what I will do with my house when we build our house.”

                “That would be great, I will mention that Eric,” said Sky. “And I have two human psychologists who want to work with the project for free as long as they can use the clinic as place to do internships for students.”

                “Well, as long as they supervise them,” said Rachel.

                “Oh yeah,” she said. “These kids have to have like a semester’s work of practicum before they go to LSU to do their last two years.”

                “Cool,” said Rachel. “I can’t wait to start on it. Alcide and I did a walk through, there isn’t too much to do on the inside. Hey, did you ask the kids in the art department if any of them want to do some art? I need windows painted and wall murals.”

                “Yeah, they want you to go to an art show and sort of talk to the students and see which you want to work with and explain to them what you are looking for. They don’t want money, just buy their supplies and let them photograph their work for their portfolio,” said Sky.

                “Sounds like a deal,” she said. “Can I interest you in a dinner at Crawdad’s?”

                “Sure,” said Sky.

                When Sky was not working with Rachel to put together the center, planning advertisements and programs and activities as well as both the day and evening openings, she was in the classroom. She was a popular professor and well thought of by her colleagues. She was reminding everyone to get their final papers with works cited posted on their blogs and discussing the final projects. She liked to set up a huge project on one topic area for all her classes. They would do research and meet with members of the other classes and when they finished each part of the unit, it would become a chapter of her text with all of the students credited for the research. They had to make the graphs, get the photos, set the offsets and do the layout designs for each unit. They would follow it through with individual research papers.

                “So we will be having a meeting and setting up the working groups. We have from now to December 10^th. This is a part of a paraprofessional portfolio and if any of you want to go on to master’s studies, then you can use this as your base work for your thesis,” she said.

                “Professor, is there any word about the PhD program? Have they set down the criteria?” asked Antonin, a four hundred year old vampire who was fighting the board of regents for his degree since he had degrees from several time periods and several universities worldwide.

                “They are voting on it after Christmas, so we will know for next fall,” she said. “Anything else?” no one answered. “Okay, see you Thursday night.”

               

                Her students filed out and she heard the excited giggling of several of her girls. It could only be Eric, walking in like he had all night, a graceful stride only after years of practice can be seen on the runways of Paris and Milan, clad in a leather jacket and Fangtasia tee shirt and blue jeans looking like the man you mother warned you about.  Of course he was that. He stopped to speak to Antonin in Italian and Antonin bowed and called him commendatore. Sky shook her head. Her man was a political animal. He came in and leaned down and kissed her.

                “Hello teacher, am I late to class?” he asked.

                “You are,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

                “I came to take you home,” he said.

                “Did you fly?” she asked.

                “I did,” he said.

                “Then you are not taking me home, I am taking you home,” she said.

                “A matter of semantics,” he said.

                “Here commendatore, carry my books,” she said.

                “So disrespectful,” he said. He took the books and walked along side her to her office. She took the books and put them on her shelf and Eric noticed the little candy like violets on her desk. “Your plant has resurrected beautifully.”

                “It has,” she said. “All it needed was a little love.”

                “You have that effect,” said Eric. He helped her into her jacket and she grabbed her purse and he shouldered her brief case by its long leather strap and took her hand. As they were walking down the hall there was a voice.

                “And behold, the Scarlet Woman will ride the beast and drink the blood…” Eric turned faster than anyone could blink. It was Nelson Reynolds.

                “Actually you are quoting that passage incorrectly,” said Eric.

                “Call it a paraphrase,” he said.

                “I call it shit,” said Eric. “You are the bastard who speaks so…eloquently…of my fiancée. You should stop. It could be bad for your health.” Eric’s nose wrinkled a little and his lips curled up in a smile, a dangerous smile. Sky backed up a tiny step.

                “Be careful Mr. Northman, you could find yourself on the business end of a sharpened mop handle,” said Reynolds.

                “Whenever you feel lucky, Mr. Reynolds, I am at your service,” said Eric.

                “I’ll send you a message,” he said.

                “I will look forward to it,” he said. “Sky, shall we go?”

                “Nothing would please me more,” she said.

                She walked with Eric to her car and got in. Eric could feel her anger in the bond. He sat down in the passenger seat. She started the car and pulled out. She got on the highway. “What is wrong lover?”

                “Please promise me you will not kill Reynolds. He is not worth it,” said Sky.

                “I will make no such promise Sky. One night, that fat disgusting man is going to find himself all alone with me and I will show him what it feels like to be made a meal in the belly of the beast,” he said. “I am vampire, Sky, please don’t try to defang me.”

                “I don’t mean to defang you,” she said. “I just don’t want you to get killed over a few hard words.”

                “I am a thousand years old. Do you think it very likely I would allow myself to be given the true death by a filthy unwashed human?” he asked.

                “I am sorry,” she said. Eric looked away.

                “No, I am sorry,” he said. “I had hoped we would have a quiet evening without a lot of drama and we could go home to our new house without anything tainting the occasion.”

                “Our new house?” she asked.

                “Yes, I had the house moved while you were at work and the last room they packed was my bedroom and they have been working under the command of Pam, who wields a considerable lash,” said Eric. “I know you will move things around and there are things in boxes, but I wanted us to be in our house.”

                “I don’t know what to say,” she said.

                “Just say you will forget everything that was bad this evening,” he said. “I even ordered you something from your favorite Chinese restaurant.”

                “What did you know to order?” she asked.

                “I called Rachel, she told me what to order,” he said.

                “I am a paragon of forgetfulness,” said Sky.

                Rachel stretched and stood up, feeling as though the computer chair had grown to her back. Bill was at the call center. She went downstairs to get a bottle of juice. Her house was quiet and a little lonely. She turned on the radio in the kitchen and Duran Duran came on. She smiled. She was such a nerd, she loved all that 80’s music.  She was singing along about being hungry like a wolf when something startled her. A thumping sound. She went to the kitchen window and peered out. She could see nothing. She went through the house and grabbed her cell phone. She went to the front door and peered out of the ancient fish eye peephole. The peephole was blacked over.  She went to the front window and she could see dark smears of what looked like blood on her porch. She ran to her door and opened it wide and stopped abruptly. There were the words ‘One Good Vampire’ smeared on her door and something gruesome on her festive Thanksgiving mat.

                Andy was there in seconds. He knocked on Rachel’s door. “Miss Westnight, it’s Detective Bellefleur, open the door for me,” he said.

                “I’ll unlock it and step away, I don’t want to see that,” she said. She held her cell phone in a death grip and unlocked the door and stepped away back into the living room. Andy stepped over the thing and walked in.

                “Miss Westnight, Rachel, that ain’t what you think it is,” said Andy.

                “I can’t get a hold of Bill,” she said.

                “That ain’t him on your porch,” said Andy.

                “Then why can’t I get a hold of him?” asked Rachel.

                “He is in that call center ain’t he?” asked Andy. She nodded. “That building is a dead zone, excuse the expression. It was build with a lot of steel, and they never put a grounder on it so they could get a signal. But listen, that ain’t a vampire out there.”

                “What is it?” she asked.

                “It’s a cheap Halloween skeleton that has been burned up some and wrapped in pig guts and blood to make it look that way. I have seen dead vampires before, that’s not what they look like, not really,” he said. “I’m going to stay here till Bill gets in touch with you, is that okay?”

                “That would be wonderful, can I get you some coffee?” she asked. “I have a coffee cake too?”

                “Now that would be nice,” he said. Rachel sniffed and led him to the kitchen and brewed a pot and cut him some cake. He asked her about her help center and listened to her, trying to keep her distracted. She poured herself a cup of coffee and picked at a piece of cake, her hand still gripping her phone. It rang and she answered it.

                “Where are you?” she said.

                “I am on my way home,” said Bill. “I felt something in the bond but I had to leave the building to call you. What is wrong?”

                “Come home, Bill, just come home,” she said.

                “Are you alone?” he asked.

                “No, Andy is here,” she said.

                “Okay, I am on my way home,” he said.

                Bill pulled in and sprinted onto the porch. The thing that had been on her porch was gone and Kenya and Kevin were photographing the door. He went into the house and was attacked by Rachel who flew at him. She held on to her vampire in a death grip. “It’s okay sweetheart,” he said. “Andy, what was it?”

                “It was a cheap Halloween skeleton made up to look like a vampire that had been killed, with pig guts and blood. They wrote on her door as you saw, gave her a good scare, especially when she couldn’t get you on the phone,” said Andy.

                “Fuck,” Bill swore softly. This shocked Andy because he never heard Bill swear. “Thank you Andy, for staying with her till I got home.”

                “It’s fine,” he said. “Rachel, thank you for the coffee and cake. Now, you try not to let this bother you, and try and get some rest.”

                “Thanks Andy,” she said.

                “Call me if you all have any more trouble,” he said.

                “We will,” said Bill. Andy showed himself out. Bill held Rachel to him and she really started crying hard. “Hey, hey, don’t cry I’m fine dearest, I’m safe and sound.”

                “I thought it was you,” she said. “I just looked at the door and I saw that thing and I thought it was you, that they brought you home and put you at my door.”

                “Shhhh, I know it was scary, sweetheart,” he said, rocking her back and forth. “Come and sit down baby, you are trembling all over.”

                “Bill, I want to go away from here,” said Rachel.

                “Where would you like to go?” he asked.

                “There has to be a better place than here, where I worry and am afraid all time,” she said.

                “Shhhh, be calm sweetheart, we can’t run away from our problems, we have to fight for our place. You are doing so well, you and Sky, that program is going to mean so much to so many of our kind, but none more so than me,” he said. “Rachel, if this is too much, I can let you go, and then you could go away and maybe you would be safe.”

                “I don’t want to go without you,” she said.

                “Okay, then you have to be brave, because no matter where we might go, you will always see people like this who will do this sort of thing, just because of who and what I am,” he said. “Please sweetheart, just be brave a little while.”

                “Then let’s get married, we can get a license and Eric can come and say the words and I would have your name, I would be yours to the whole world,” she said.

                “I would marry you tonight sweetheart, but let’s not do this because we are afraid. Let’s do it to celebrate the love we have,” he said. “I want to see you in a beautiful dress, carrying flowers, being beautiful just for me. I want our friends and your mother and father there. I want it to be a human marriage, not a vampire wedding, all rushed and no sentiment. I want it be special because you are the last human I will ever love.”

                “I love you Bill,” she said, beginning to cry again. He just held her till she stopped. He picked her up and put her in bed and slid in beside her. She held on to him in her sleep as a woman who was drowning would hold on to a floating log. He needed to call Eric, but each time he moved, she tightened her hold on him. He lay there all night, holding her to him, wishing he could make it easier for her.

                The next day things seemed brighter. Rachel dipped her plastic gloved hand into the hot soapy water and pulled out the sponge and scrubbed it across the words on her door. The more she scrubbed the better she felt.  Sky pulled up.

                “What the fuck happened here?”

                “Someone’s idea of a bad joke,” she said. She told Sky about it.

                “Why didn’t you call me and Eric?” she asked.

                “I didn’t want to bother you, I knew you were being moved into your new house,” she said.

                “Well, I know Eric wants me to stay with you, but I think you should come and stay with me at our new place. You can help me put some of the things we have up and we can make supper, and get drunk and sleep late. We can get on line and virtual shop.”

                “That would be nice,” she said.

                “Well, make Bill bring you by when he comes to get Eric,” she said. “Want some help getting rid of this?”

                “Yeah,” she said. “Thanks.”

                Once the door and the porch were clean, Sky headed to the school to get a few things and meet with one of her students. Rachel went back in, feeling much better, and after locking her door, she went up and took a hot bath and relaxed. She felt cowardly after last night. She felt as if she had insulted Bill, made him feel like she was ashamed of him. That wasn’t it at all. She was very proud of him, and she looked forward to the night she would be married to him.

                She got out of the tub and went into their bedroom, wrapped up in a towel. She dried off and unbraided her hair and brushed it out. She stopped in mid stroke and sat here, looking at the bristles of her brush. She didn’t look up till she saw his slender beautiful hands reach down for her hair brush and Bill began to brush out her hair.  He took long even strokes, followed by his fingers. She closed her eyes and felt his touch. He stopped and he put his arms around her shoulders. He looked at them in the mirror, and kissed her. “It will be okay, Rachel. I will make it okay. Do you believe me?”

                “Yeah,” she said. “Sky wants me to stay with her tonight. I think that would be a good idea. I think I would be afraid to be here all alone all night.”

                “I think that would be a good idea,” he said.

                “You and Eric…you told me once that Sookie made you two promise to take care of each other. Did you guys mean it?”

                “We did, we swore it with the blood,” said Bill.

                “So you would take care of him and he would take care of you,” she said.

                “We would,” he said.

                “Bill, I want you to know that I am so proud of who you are,” she said. “And I am proud to be with you. And I am proud to be seen with you and I am proud that people know we are together. I just wanted you to know that.”

                “And I am proud of you,” he said. “You care about people, whether they are warm or they aren’t or if they have two natures. You care about people’s health and well-being, their minds and bodies and their souls. How could I not be proud of you? Just have some faith in me and when you are afraid and you think I am in trouble, just send me all of your love and spirit through our bond.”

                “I will,” she said.

                “If I have that, then I am invincible,” he said, kissing her again. “We don’t have much time, let’s get ready so I can hide the most precious treasure I will ever have.”

                “I think Reynolds was the one that got those people to scare Rachel last night,” said Sky. Eric was getting dressed and she was watching him.

                “I agree,” said Eric, nodding. “I will repay him in kind.”

                “Do you mind that Rachel is staying with me?” she asked.

                “Of course not,” said Eric. “She is your very good friend. She has been a friend to us both.”

                “Be careful tonight, be careful on the road. I want you home in one piece,” she said.

                “I will,” he said. The door chime went off. Sky scooted off the bed and went down stairs to open the door.

                “Hey Bill, Rach,” said Sky. “Come on in.” Bill and Rachel came in. Bill sat her case down and walked in. “Eric should be down in a second. He is getting dressed.” Bill looked up.

                “He has asked me to come up,” said Bill.

                “Well, go, I will show Rachel the kitchen and the dinner I am making for us,” she said. “Come on, I will pour you a glass of wine.” Bill was already gone.

                Eric was putting on his boots, pulling the laces tight. “Are we ready? Do you have the lists of the people we are taking care of?”

                “Yes,” said Bill.

                “Marcus is sheltering us this morning,” said Eric.

                “Seems like a good trust worthy person,” said Bill.

                “How is she?”

                “Scared,” said Bill.

                “She will be okay,” said Eric. “Heidi and Rasul are here, watching over the house and Khan and Sky’s office assistant will be here for the day.  I want you start another list. These are people I will be taking care of personally.” Bill pulled out his phone and opened the notebook. “Nelson Reynolds. He is the creature who scared Rachel last night.”

                “How do you know?” he asked.

                “It was a retaliation, I threatened him after he said something nasty to Sky,” said Eric. “I am sorry; I didn’t think he would go after Rachel”

                “You couldn’t have known,” said Bill.

                “It won’t happen again,” said Eric.