Bill gently kissed the bruises on Sookie's face. God. What that monster had done to her...what he had almost done....Bill wished Rene still lived so that he could have the pleasure of making the man's last moments on earth as painful and terrifying as possible.

He must have spoken out without realizing, for now Sookie said "Shh...." and covered his mouth with her own. He wanted her so....no...she was bruised and battered and exhausted. Bill lifted her easily in his arms and headed for the stairway, Sookie's lips still on his.

"What...?" Sookie asked in surprise as he sat her down in the bathroom. Turning on the spigot, Bill felt for the temperature and watched the tub begin to fill.

"This is what you need." He said. He took the bubble bath from the side of the tub and poured some into the flowing water. He checked the temperature again and turned to Sookie. Gently, he helped her out of her clothes, struggling not to show his growing anger as he saw even more evidence of what she had been through. He took her hand and supported her as she stepped gingerly into the tub, gratefully sinking beneath the foam.

"Ohhh," she sighed. "You're right. This is exactly what I need. How did you know?" She smiled up at him.

"I'm a firm believer in the healing properties of a hot bath."

"I wish we were at your house. Then you could get in, too."

"That might be counterproductive to you relaxing." Bill observed wryly.

Sookie playfully splashed soap bubbles at him, then leaned back, sinking further into the water. She grew quiet. Bill felt sadness rolling off her. He knelt beside the tub.

"What are you thinking?"

When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I killed a man today, Bill. I mean, Rene was a bad man, a murderer...he killed Maudette, and Dawn, and.." her voice broke "Gran, too..but still. I killed him." Her wide eyes searched his face, for what he wasn't sure. For a brief moment, he considered telling her everything. Sharing the burden of Jessica, telling Sookie what had happened at the tribunal would be such a relief. But he shook off the desire to confess.

"I remember the first man I killed," Bill said. "In the war. Our regiment was attacked while we were waiting for supplies. Bullets were scarce and I ran out. When a Union soldier came at me, I struck out with the only thing I had, flinging my rifle with the bayonet at him like a spear. It ran through his chest and pinned him to the ground." His hand rested on the side of the tub and Sookie covered it with her own.

"I had to recover my rifle, our weapons were precious to us and not easily replaced. He was not quite dead, this man in blue. Dark hair and eyes. My age, maybe a bit older. There was nothing I could do for him. I took my rifle and returned to the fighting but I thought about him for days. Had I widowed his wife? Left his children fatherless? I had no way of knowing. But I knew that if I hadn't killed him, he would have killed me. And you can know the same. If you had not..." Bill inched closer and stroked her cheek, pulling her in for a kiss. "You did what you had to do. Do not doubt that."

They sat in comfortable silence for a long time. When the water cooled, Bill helped Sookie from the tub, wrapping her in a towel and gently rubbing her dry.

"Nightgown?"

"Hanging on the back of the door."

He turned the quilt back on the bed and Sookie crawled in, turning on her side. "Stay." She said.

"I'm not going anywhere." Bill slipped in behind her and pulled her against him, linking his fingers through hers and burying his face in her hair. She smelled clean and fresh and so human. His heart ached to beat when he was with her. He felt her relax as she drifted to sleep. "I love you," He whispered.

He didn't see her smile.