"Where are you going?" Jessica asked the next evening, following Bill down the stairs.
"I'm running errands," Bill replied absently, grabbing his coat, "you stay here."
"Let me go with you," she begged.
Bill sighed, "There is a curfew out there, Jess," he reminded her, stopping at the door and turning to face her, "and you are in peril." He stepped towards her and cupped her cheek, "I can't take the risk," he told her, before he chucked her under the chin and turned back to the door.
Jessica blocked him, "The night we came back to town, the night Pam staked you, I stayed," she told him. "I was scared of you but I stayed because you said you needed me," she reminded him, moving to block him as he attempted to get around her, "you said that I was the only one you could trust."
"No, Jess," he said firmly.
She narrowed her eyes, "Now that we know it's about my survival you can't ask me to stay here like a little girl."
Bill regarded her for a long moment, she met his gaze steadily and he felt himself begin to waver.
"Don't shut me out," she begged, "you have to let me help."
Bill suppressed a sigh, "There is a professor, he's a scientist; his name is Hido Takahashi. He works at the University of North Louisiana. Most people think that he is the man responsible for synthesizing Tru Blood."
Jessica's eyes lit up, "And you want me to go get him?"
"Yeah, you go get him," he told her with a smile as she drew him into a tight embrace.
In the next moment she was heading back to the stairs, but he called her back. "You should…" he trailed off, his paternal instincts making it difficult for him to get the sentence out, "wear something inappropriate," he said in a rush, "Takahashi has got a thing for young women."
She smiled at him, winking as she disappeared up the stairs. Bill stared after her for a moment, torn between hating himself for serving her up like that the Professor and his confidence in her ability to handle the situation.
He shook his head and reminded himself that he had other things to worry about than what his Child was wearing as he stepped out into the night.