Disclaimer: I don't own True Blood or any of its characters. All I own is Justine.

Chapter 8

Justine mumbled sleepily and curled further into her couch. It was a sharp prick that jerked her back to reality. Jumping to her feet, she held a hand to her cheek and saw the blood. The carving knife clattered to the floor, unforgotten once again. Grumbling, she picked it up and chucked it into her sink before rushing to her bathroom. She needed to be more careful, how could she have been so stupid to forget she fell asleep holding a knife? The gash was small, but it was bleeding pretty good. Cursing under her breath, she held a towel to it and dug her phone out of her pocket, dialing the familiar number.

"Merlotte's Bar and Grill, Holly here! How can I help you?" Wow, the new girl sure was perky.

"Hey, Holly, it's Justine. Is—?"

"Oh, hey, honey! How you doing?" she asked, sounding deeply concerned. That made her take pause and she cleared her throat.

"Um, fine. Thanks," she replied nervously. "Listen, could you just tell Sam I won't be in today? I'm just not feeling very well."

"Oh, you don't have to explain yourself to me, sweetie," she told her wisely. "You take all the time you need. I'll let him know when he comes in." Justine thanked her, dabbing a cool towel at her cheek. "Have you seen him, by the way?"

"No," she toned slowly, curious. "Why?

"Well because he almost killed a guy in here last night!" she blurted. Just as Holly was in the middle of cursing herself for her big mouth, Justine hung up and immediately called Sam's cell. No answer.

"Sam, it's me. What the hell happened last night? Call me back!" she exclaimed into his answering machine and hung up.

Returning to the bathroom, Justine fished around the closet for her tiny first aid kit. The moment she yanked it out, disposable razors, extra soap and hair products fell onto the floor. With a frustrated sigh, she ran a hand through her hair before lightly massaging her head. She could feel a headache coming on and her cheek still stung. Slamming the kit down in the sink, not caring if it made a mess, she knelt down and started cleaning up the mess, wondering just what had happened at Merlotte's last night, where Sam was, if he was okay, if whoever he attacked was okay, if they even deserved her wondering that last thought. It didn't make sense, none of it. Out of the two of them, Justine was the one to fly off the handle, not Sam; he was the was mediator. Rising to her feet, Justine put everything back in its proper place with a sigh and hoped he called. Turning around, ready to start cleaning her scratch, she immediately yelped and slammed back against the closet door.

"What's the matter, baby?" Coot asked, smirking at her. "Look like you've seen a ghost."

Justine snapped her eyes shut and slide down to the floor, shaking her head and muttering to herself. He wasn't real, he wasn't real, he wasn't real, he was dead, Alcide shot him, Alcide killed him, it wasn't possible, he wasn't here, he was dead, definitely dead. Taking a few sharp, deep breaths, Justine calmed herself down and cracked her eyes open. Nothing. Her bathroom was as empty as it had been before. Running a hand through her hair, clenching at the roots as she went, Justine vowed to stop drinking before she went to bed. It was the persistent knocking on her door that had her scrambling off the bathroom floor.

"Bill? What are you doing here?" she inquired, perplexed.

"Have you seen Sookie?" Despite how worried he sounded, Justine just sighed, rolled her eyes and told him no. "I left her with Jason, but she escaped."

"Escaped? Is she your pet now?" she asked sarcastically.

"I am not in a joking mood, Justine!" he shouted at her, making her jump. "Jason rescinded my invitation into his home and I cannot find her anywhere!" He looked so panicked that she thought he was about to pace. She'd just been about to assure him that she'd keep an eye out, even though she certainly wouldn't, when he froze in place. "Sookie," he mumbled and sped off.

Rolling her eyes, she cursed under her breath, "Fuck. Why can't I just keep my nose out of his business?" Quickly stepping out of her clothes, she quickly shifted into her usual Catahoula and raced after Bill's scent. She chased after and followed as fast as she possibly could. After five minutes, she recognized the direction Bill had been heading and, with a painful realization, she quickly shifted into a owl. The trip to Fangtasia went a lot fast after that. The moment she landed, Justine burst into the barm naked, and found both Bill and Pam in stand off.

"Well, well," Pam greeted with a leer, fangs out and eyes roving her naked body, "don't you look absolutely delectable?"

"Shut the fuck up, Pam," Justine snapped angrily.

"You should not have followed me," Bill told her and she promptly told him to shut up as well.

"No, he's right, you really shouldn't have come."

"Look, you're a reasonable person, Pam."

"Thank you," she replied sarcastically, hands on her hips.

"We both know that Bill wouldn't be here unless Sookie was here, which means Eric has abducted her, so just hand her over to Bill and I won't have to rip your face off for ruining my night off with this bullshit."

Eyes narrowed, Pam snapped, "Why don't you put some clothes on? The smell of that swamp you live in is ruining my night." With that, Justine made her way to the bar and grabbed an extra large Fangtasia shirt, eyes never straying from the two vampires.

"Where is Sookie?" Bill hollered at her.

"This is not just about your relationship, you infatuated Twain," Pam told him. "There's a bigger picture."

"Not for me." The two speed at each other and attacked, Bill tossing Pam to the ground. "Sookie!" he shouted out to her, hoping she would answer and he could find her, save her.

"Don't you want the key?" Bill turned back to her, only to be sprayed in the eyes. Justine took the smoke coming off his face as her cue to join in the fight and charged at Pam, who backhanded her. Landing with a crash on the stage next to Eric's throne, she tried to regain herself while Bill screamed in pain. Agonizing pain. Justine stumbled to her feet and leap from the stage, making her way to Pam, whose back was to her as she straddled Bill and continued to spray him with what she could only guess was liquid silver. The instant she had her hands on Pam, Sookie appeared from the back with one of the dancers and strangled Pam with a silver chain. Bill pushed Pam off of his so hard that she landed on the mini-stage of one of the dancer's poles, Yvetta, Justine discovered, immediately rushed over to hold the silver in place.

"Secure Pam!" Bill instructed urgently. "We can't let her call, Eric!"

"I secure," Yvetta assured him and tightened her grip. "I secure, no kidding!" Sookie immediately grabbed the vial of liquid silver spray and pointed it directly the vampire's face.

"Why did Eric throw me down there?" Pam remained silent, ever loyal to her maker. "Answer me, or I'll spray you!"

"You were supposed to be a gift for Edgington," she answered begrudgingly, groaning as Yvetta coaxed her into answer. "Now we're all gonna die for one freaky little human."

"Good!"

"We have to go! Eric may come back!" Bill told them, rushing towards the door with Sookie close behind.

"Don't leave me alone with his idiot immigrant!" Pam called after them and Yvetta scoffed, laughing quietly under her breath.

"Idiot? I am a cardiologist," she stated smartly and pulled the chain tighter, enjoying Pam's screaming. Bill called out for Justine to hurry, but she just told him she'd be fine and to go on without her.

"Justine—" Sookie called frantically.

"Just go!" she shouted angrily. "I can take care of myself! Don't worry about it!" The couple hesitated at the door, sharing a soulful look. "Oh, Jesus Christ! Get the fuck out of here!" she shouted impatiently. "I'll secure Pam and get Yvetta out of here, just go! I'll be fine. Fuck!" Bill nodded at her and quickly dragged Sookie out of the club. Sighing to herself, Justine turned back to Yvetta, who was enjoying hurting Pam a bit too much. "I'll get more chains."

Pam screeched painfully, "Eric plans on giving you to Edgington, too!"

"Is that supposed to make me want to help you?" she retorted sarcastically, wandering into Eric's office. Down in the torture chamber basement, Justine cringed in disgust at the smell. She had to cover her mouth from vomiting and tiptoed through all the muck, cringing even more with every step in her barefeet, as she grabbed more chains.

"You stupid Shifter!" Pam shouted at her as she reentered the club. "You betrayed Edgington, same as Eric! You should be helping him regain favor and save your own skin!"

"And why would I do that? Huh, Pam?" Passing one of the chains to Yvetta, to secure Pam's hands, Justine started restraining her feet. "I'd rather be skinned alive than do anything to help Eric. Now shut the fuck up!"

"If you don't help him, he will kill you!" she warned.

"Let him try," she replied calmly. Yvetta pulled the chains tighter, making Pam shriek in pain.

Once her legs were secure, Yvetta passed her control of the chain around Pam's throat and quickly rushed to the bar. "What the hell are you doing?" She watched the dancer empty out the register and sighed. "You gotta be kidding me," she mumbled and tied the chain. Just as she finished, Yvetta came running out of the office, presumably with more cash stowed away in her bag.

"We go now?"

"Yes, we're going now." Yvetta grinned, laughing gleefully as she rushed out the door. Sighing, Justine turned back to Pam, who was scowling at her through the smoke rising form her skin. "I wish I could say it was fun seeing you again, Pam, but…" Justine strutted to the door and was promptly hit in the face as it swung open. "MotherFUCKER!" she howled in pain, holding her face in her hands. She squinted at Ginger, the dumb fuck waitress that worked for Eric.

"Who the fuck are you? Where was Yvetta going?" she screeched frantically at her.

"Get the gun and shoot her, you imbecile!" Pam ordered and, obedient slave that she was, Ginger rushed to get the gun. Just as Justine got in front of her, Ginger fired twice, shooting her in the knee and foot.

"YOU BITCH!" she hollered, crying and writhing in pain, a bloody mess on the floor.

"Good girl. Now untie me." Shakily, Ginger did so and, the second Pam was free, she called Eric and told him what happened. Justine had been trying to get to her feet but, unable to stand, settled for crawling to get to the door. Unfortunately for her, Pam sped over after feeding on Ginger and stomped on her back. "Now, where do you think you're going?" she asked sweetly, immediately wisking Justine to the pole she'd previously been tied to and returned the favor. From the blood lose, Justine wasn't sure how much time passed when she regained consciousness but, when she did, she saw Sookie being pushed back into the club by Russell.

"Well, well, Miss L'eveque! How lovely it is to see you again!" the ancient vampire greeted jovially.

Panting and glaring at him, she spit out, "Fuck you!"

"Oh, now don't be like that!" he told her. "If I recall, we never did get a proper goodbye." Russell walked over, fingered the gunshot wound in her knee, causing her to groan and writhe in pain, and licked his bloody finger like a lollypop. "Still scrumptious," he added with a sickeningly sweet smile.


"You seriously expect me to believe she's fairy?" Russell questioned skeptically to Eric. He had finally returned, Pam diligently standing by his side. All three were staring at Sookie, who was confined to a chair, Bill beside her looking suspiciously calm. "A species extinct for a millennia? If they ever existed at all," he added with derivative snort. "You think I wouldn't have noticed if there were fairies bouncing around in the world?"

Eric shook his head and responded, "I didn't say she was full fairy. She's a human-fairy hybrid, which helps save her from detection."

"Oh my God," Justine toned miserably. "This is explains so fucking much." She shook her head and laughed hysterically, hissing in pain in between laughs.

"Do you care to contribute to the conversation, Miss L'eveque?" Russell called over his shoulder.

"Not really," she told him. "Just felt like pointing out the fact I finally understand why so many men and women, dead or alive, are lusting after a fucking no account waitress from some backwater redneck town, whose just as much of a redneck as the people she serves, not that she believes it."

"Screw you, Justine!" Sookie sneered angrily.

"Superiority complex," she pointed out mockingly. "Now I know why. It's her blood. Any supernatural, doesn't matter what kind, they just all flock to the scent of fairy." At least now she knew why Sam had fawned over her so much, constantly worried about her. Same with Alcide. The thought made her laugh to herself once again. She owed the wolf an apology now, it seemed; he couldn't help but be a little bit attracted to Sookie because of the scent of her blood. She could accept it, maybe even forgive it, but it didn't mean she had to like it. "This town is so fucking fucked up! I never should have come here!"

"Back to the point," Eric stated, getting all eyes back on him, "she may well be the last of her kind. Your only chance to walk in the sun."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the ancient king mumbled in disbelief. Eric just told him to drink her blood and see what happened.

"Now that's just nuts!" Sookie shouted. "Nothing in my blood is a supernatural sunscreen for y'all! Why would you even think that?" Eric stared at Bill, who shifted nervously before turning to his lover.

"Sookie, you're wrong. What Eric says is true."

"No!"

"I never told you."

"You're lying!"

"No, he isn't!" Justine interjected, frustrated and annoyed with the spat.

"What the hell would you know about it?" Sookie sneered with a glare.

Ignoring her, Justine just looked at Russell and told him, "I lived and traveled with a Maenad for quite some years." Turning to Sookie, she sharply added, "In case you forgot, you stupid fucking bitch." Sookie opened her mouth to spout another insult but the shifter just looked back at Russell. "You learn a thing or two when you deal with something that's older than even the oldest Vampire. What Eric says is true."

"Bill's experienced it for himself," the bar owner added.

"Oh, well that's reassuring! A testimonial from the audacious Mr. Compton!" Russell exclaimed sarcastically.

""A new beginning"? "We'll start over"?" Sookie accused to Bill, who had the decency to look ashamed.

"I can't force you to believe it," Bill said, completely ignoring Sooki. "You'll have to see for yourself." Pitifully, helplessly, Sookie asked him why he was doing this to her. Bill desperately responded, "We've tried fighting him. We'll never win. If he has a taste of your blood, he might let you live."

"Bill, please!"

"So?" Eric asked.

With a scrutinizing look at Sookie, Russell answered, "I'm intrigued."

"Excellent."

"I hate you!" the waitress growled at Bill. "I hate you all!"

"My heart is breaking," Justine replied sarcastically.

"On one condition." Eric assured Russell that condition could be whatever he liked. "You go first."

With a devious smile, he replied, "I'd love to."