CHAPTER 1 :

I guys, so it's my first fanfic, hope you enjoy xxx

Julia Hoffman was an alcoholic.
She was.

Even though she would never admit it, she tended to drink a bit too much. Julia was also a therapist. She was working for the Collins, in Collinwood. A rich family that had recently welcomed a new -and attractive guest. Barnabas. Barnabas Collins. A vampire, he had said. He was a vampire.

Everyone seemed happier since he was there. Business was getting better. People laughed more. Even Carolyn, that frustrated teenager, was smiling more often. Everyone seemed to find him helpful. Everyone seemed grateful. Everyone seemed to care.

Funny thing : she didn't.

The only thing that really mattered was her drinks. That's all she got right now and what she always did. She didn't care if people around her felt better -course, that was selfish, she clearly knows it, but Julia wasn't the type to really care anyways.

Her day had started as usual : hangover. She didn't actually remember last night so well and to be honest, maybe it was better this way. At 10, she was up. Everyone was done eating breakfast at this hour. Of course, she was late. But she couldn't care less.

Julia almost rolled her eyes when she walked in the living room, seeing Barnabas telling Victoria how "deliciously magnificent" she was. Kneeled down, he was kissing her hand under the overly sweet look Victoria was giving him. She couldn't help and shouted "Do you guys even have sex?" They both looked at her coughing. "What?" Victoria asked. "Ah, nothing love. You probably don't even know what it means." Julia rolled her eyes again and walked to kitchen.

She opened the fridge. God, she was so thirsty. Orange juice? Nah. Milk? Never. Coffee? Hell no. Tea? She would rather die. She sighed heavily. Vodka. That's what she needed. But obviously, the bottle was empty since yesterday.

Elisabeth suddenly walked into kitchen at this instant. "Morning!" Julia didn't even manage to answer. "I see someone had been drunk all night, Elisabeth said raising an eyebrow. You should be grateful I still allow you to be David's therapist." Julia just sighed, not wanting to argue. "So, she started, there's no more vodka here right?" Elisabeth shook her head. "You won't ever change, will you?" Julia had to smirk at that. Of course she wouldn't change. Why would she? That's not like she had to. Not like she needed to impress someone. And anyways, if ever a man was interested by her, he would have to accept her for who she was, right? Was that cliché? No, just realistic. Because honestly, did she really give a fuck if she was loved or not? Surely no. That's why she wouldn't change.

Knowing she would eventually argue with Elisabeth, Julia went downstairs to her office. As if she was about to start working she heard a knock at her door. "Come in", she mumbled. Barnabas entered the little room, looking around. "Mrs. Hoffman", he said nodding. She looked up slowly. "Barnabas, she said sighing, what do you want?" "I'm here to talk about this little incident..." "Incident?" She raised and eyebrow. "Yes, yes..." he coughed, obviously embarrassed. "You know... Doctor/patient confidentially..." If she wasn't so tired, Julia would have laugh at him but she hadn't the energy to do it. She just rolled eyes and started to work. "Oh, you enjoyed it love, don't deny it, she said writing down some notes smirking a little. You enjoyed it a lot." His face became red. "It... It can't happen again..." Julia looked up, amused. "Why? Why not!" "I'm with Victoria for god sake!" he told her, swallowing. She shrugged. "Yeah. Sorry. I forgot. You two are so quiet. As if... Nothing was never happening... Nothing... No sound at night in the bedroom..." She smirked. "I don't think it's really enjoyable Barnabas." She made a seductive pout. "I'm doing this for you. The pleasure. I'm... The enjoyable part." She winked. Barnabas looked at her biting his tongue. "You know what, he said, I think you're jealous." She laughed, despite the hangover she was going through. "Jealous? Of what? I can't be jealous, Barnabas. There's nothing to be jealous of. You're couple is boring. No freaking sex." He bit his tongue harder and came to the table putting his hands roughly on it. "Maybe we have sex. Maybe not. But that's not the point. And you, since when did you sleep with someone, uh?" The room went silence for a few seconds. She was taken aback. She didn't expect him to ask her such a question, he was usually so easily embarrassed. "I... I... I mean...", she started. "Ah, fuck, she thought. Fuck!" It was now Barnabas's turn to smirk. "You're not better than all of us in this house, Doctor. You pretend to be above all of this, above love, as if you could control your emotions, as if we were all weak and you were so strong. But you're wrong Julia. You're so wrong. You're the weak one. Believing that closing your heart is being strong is the weakest thing to think I've never known." He had said it so dangerously, so sure about himself.

Barnabas left the room, leaving a speechless woman behind him.