Dying is a strange sensation.

Now, of course, MJ couldn't speak for everyone in the world and say they agreed with her about that, but for her…it was strange. For MJ, dying…dying was like being stuck in quick sand or – or a tar pit trying to pull her under.

MJ fought against the pull, she refused to succumb to it because she wasn't done living yet especially when Sookie was in danger. But despite all her efforts to keep herself from being pulled into the dark depths it took hold and dragged her down.

But then…something happened. MJ didn't know how it happened but she felt as if a hand had grabbed hers tight and yanked her from the dark depths until her strange world came into view again…

Sookie stood watch over MJ's unconscious body while Bill left for a short while in order to replenish what he had given MJ and herself. Before he left, Bill told her that it would take more time for MJ to heal than it did for her because of how close to death MJ was.

Silence filled the air around them with the exception of the sounds of crickets and frogs around the watering hole nearby. If it wasn't for MJ's unconscious, bloody, yet healing body nearby this would have been like many other nights where she and MJ just needed a moment of peace after work and they would sit there to watch the reflection of the moon on the water.

Sookie had allowed herself caught up in the silence, so when MJ awoke with a gasping breath and bolted upright it made Sookie jump right out of her skin before going right over to MJ.

Sookie placed her hands on MJ's shoulders to keep her centered and calm. "It's okay, MJ. You're alright."

"Sookie?!" MJ gasped and threw her arms around her. "Are we dead? Oh lord, Sookie, are we dead?"

Sookie shook her head as she pulled back from MJ's embrace. "No, MJ, we're not dead. Bill gave us his blood to heal us. You were so close to death I was afraid you wouldn't wake up."

MJ's hand instantly went to her stomach to find no traces of her stab wounds then to her mouth and found some residual blood there. "Are we Vampires? I swear if he turned us into Vampires!"

Sookie placed her hands on MJ's shoulders once again to try and physically calm her down. "No, no. It's not like that. We're healed."

With Sookie's help MJ got to her feet and looked around to find they were near the watering hole not too far from Merlotte's. She wanted to ask Sookie what happened to the Rattrays but there was something else she wanted to know more about first.

"Bill's blood healed us?" MJ rubbed her face with her hands before pacing a little. "Don't take this wrong, because I'm grateful we're alive, but if Bill ever forces his blood into me again I'll stake him." MJ wondered for a moment if her weird dream or whatever it was when she was unconscious had something to do with Bill undoubtedly having to touch her to give her his blood.

MJ pushed that thought aside for a moment to say something else to Sookie. "With that said - Do doctors know Vamp blood can heal people like that?"

Sookie had asked Bill the same question. "No, they don't. And the Vampires want to keep it that way. So please, MJ, don't tell anyone."

"It's their business whether they want people to know or not." MJ really didn't want to try and figure just how Bill's blood healed her but there were people out there who wouldn't stop until they knew. So, yeah, MJ wasn't going to say a word, but there was something she wanted to know. "What are the side effects? We're no strangers to blood side effects."

Sookie realized she hadn't thought to ask Bill that. "I don't know. I didn't ask." She smiled hoping MJ would forgive her for that. "But he did agree to speak at Gran's Descendants of the Glorious Dead meeting. Gran was hoping he would." Yeah, by the look on MJ's face that nowhere near made up for not knowing what Bill's blood could do to them. She opened her mouth to speak again but didn't get a chance to say a word.

MJ prevented Sookie from saying anything else when she looked down at her hands and found her scars were missing from the palms. "Where are my scars?" she asked a bit frantically then reached out and took Sookie's hands to find her scars were missing as well. "Where are our scars?!" Those scars meant something to MJ, they represented the blood-sister bonding she shared with Sookie.

Bill had heard what MJ asked and answered as he approached them. "They healed. My blood heals new and old wounds."

Sookie didn't need to be able to hear MJ's thoughts to know what she was thinking. She quickly took MJ's hands and squeezed them tight. "This changes nothing, MJ. You hear me? We are still blood-sisters. Our scars being healed doesn't change how my blood flows through your veins and yours through mine."

Bill watched the ladies with interest because, while Sookie had told him she was telepathic, he wondered what effect the ladies' blood sharing had on one another since Sookie didn't say a thing about MJ having abilities as well.

Bill cut into their moment to say, "It's time I escort you ladies back to your cars." Now that MJ was awake and he had previously conversed with Sookie, it was time for them to depart.

After everything that had happened the last thing MJ wanted to do was split up, so she asked Sookie in her mind, "Can I ride with you?"

Sookie nodded and voiced aloud, "Of course you can," as she linked arms with her. She then looked to Bill with a smile, "We'll be carpooling tonight."

Bill bowed his head respectfully as he stepped aside to let them pass. "I will escort you both to your car then."

MJ rolled her eyes a bit at the whole 'Southern Gentlemen' thing Bill seemed to have going on before she unlinked her arm, grabbed Sookie's hand, and practically pulled her along with her. There were a lot of things MJ needed clarified about what happened that night and was going to wait until they got home to do it.

The following morning during breakfast, MJ poked at her eggs while Sookie watched the news featuring a Vampire interview. She didn't even hear any of the dialogue coming from the set because MJ had so much else on her mind. MJ kept thinking about how Bill had…'taken care of' the Rattrays. Sookie shared the memories of what happened and MJ couldn't get them out of her mind. It was like watching a movie scene replay over and over in her head that was only paused when Gran spoke to her.

"Something bothering you, honey?" Gran was going to give MJ some more eggs but found she'd hardly eaten anything as it was. "You haven't touched your food."

"Sorry, Gran. Long night at work." To appease any worries Gran might have, MJ took a big bite of egg and honestly thought they were more delicious than they normally were.

"Did someone touch you? I found some long costume gloves in an old box the other day. I'll get them for you."

"You don't have to do that, Gran, but thank you." MJ smiled as she proceeded to finish her meal. Eventually she realized that Sookie was staring at her. "What?"

Sookie replied in the same telepathic manner as MJ. "Do you feel any different?"

"Other than feeling like Gran's worry is gonna hit me like a freight train any moment now, no." On that note, MJ turned to Gran and smiled, "On second thought, I'd love to try out those gloves, Gran."

Gran smiled in relief and gestured to the other room, saying, "I'll be right back."

Once Gran left the kitchen, Sookie turned to MJ. "What did you mean her worry was gonna hit you?"

"That's what happened last night with Mack," MJ made sure to keep her voice low so Gran wouldn't hear. "It was like his thoughts and feelings took on a physical form or something. It was like I touched it or it touched me and I could see what he was planning and felt the rage behind it. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before, Sookie."

"Weird – but if it's another side effect of our blood sharing then it makes sense. You've always been a very tactile person." Sookie wasn't too worried about it because she knew MJ was strong enough to handle anything.

Gran came back into the kitchen with a pair of elbow length black gloves in her hands. "The fabric isn't too think so hopefully the heat won't bother you too much."

MJ smiled graciously and accepted the pair from her. "They look perfect. Thank you, Gran." She pulled on the gloves and oddly enough they were a perfect fit. "Now that I have these and we know Jason was released from jail I have nothing more to worry about."

Yeah, sure she didn't…

In town MJ had heard nothing but talk about how a tornado had touched down where the Rattrays were living and completely destroyed the area along with crushing the Rattrays beneath their trailer. MJ knew for a fact that wasn't the case because Sookie let her in on how Bill actually dealt with them. Apparently this tornado story was his way of covering up his tracks.

Well MJ got curious as to just how well Bill's coverup attempt was so she drove out the Rattray place. The entire area was taped off with yellow police tape and it did look as if it'd been hit by a tornado but nowhere else looked like it had been. "Well that's not suspicious at all."

MJ had just ducked under the yellow tape when she heard a call pull up and turned around to find it was Sookie. Once Sookie got out of the car, she gestured between them. "Seems we were thinkin the same thing."

"And not even on purpose." Sookie also ducked under the tape and went over to MJ. "Some tornado."

MJ stared at Sookie with a blank expression on her face as she blinked at her several times. "We both know this wasn't no tornado and it wasn't well thought out either. Tornados touch down in more than one place, Sook. I doubt I'm the only one who knows that." Since MJ had nothing left to do or say there, she headed back to her car.

"Where ya going?" Sookie thought MJ might want to stick around a little longer or something.

"I saw all I came to see." MJ turned around long enough to add in, "I wanted to see if I was right." She got into her car, leaned out the open window and called over to Sookie, "See you later, Sook!"

Sookie just rolled her eyes a little with a smile as she waved goodbye to indicate that she'd been heard, all the while hoping the police wouldn't realize that this 'tornado' wasn't what it appeared to be like MJ had. Bill getting in trouble was the las thing she wanted to happen.

That night Bill was going to 'call upon' the Stackhouse residence. It didn't surprise MJ that Jason and Tara invited themselves to meet him as well. If MJ didn't have to go into work that night then she likely would have done the same.

Before heading into work, MJ sat with Sookie, Jason, and Tara in the kitchen. She accepted the bottle of beer Jason offered her and listened to him as he went on and on about how Bill was just going to end up sucking all the blood out of Sookie if she kept doing what she was doing.

Finally MJ chimed in with, "I really don't see the big deal, Jay. So what if he's a Vampire. Being a Vampire does not instantly make him a bad guy. There are good and bad vampires out there just like there are good and bad people. You're just being a speciesist."

Jason had no idea what that last word she said was. He looked at Tara for an answer but she clearly had no clue either. "A what?"

"A speciesist," MJ repeated then explained, "When you instantly hate them because of their species. Really? Did that need an explanation?" She rolled her eyes as she set the beer bottle onto the counter behind her and went into the living room to tell Gran she was heading out, but she did manage to catch Jason saying,

"Don't tell me she's gonna hook up with a Vamp now, too. I thought she had more sense than that."

Per Sam's request MJ kept her gloves off during her shift but the capris were staying put. MJ wasn't going to budge on that. No way was she going to risk some grabby guy's hands touching her legs or anything of the like. MJ didn't really mind being at work that night because, thanks to Sookie openly letting her know what was going with Bill and them back at the house, it wasn't like she was missing much.

MJ went to the bar to get her customers their drinks when Sam approached from his side and leaned on the bar in front of her. Before he could even get a word out, MJ said to him,

"Don't bother asking me about Sookie. You want to know what she's up to you can ask her yourself. The phone's right there." MJ gestured to where the phone hung upon the wall behind him and proceeded to load up her tray.

"I wasn't gonna ask you about Sookie," Sam countered. "In fact I was going to ask how you were doing, Jeanne. You look like you're somewhere else tonight."

MJ didn't believe him but she wasn't going t touch him to find out, so she just went along with his words. "Maybe that's because in my mind that's exactly where I am." She left it at that and went ahead to deliver the beverages before going to take the order from a couple who just came in. MJ was poised and ready to take their order but had to excuse herself because Sookie warned her that she might want to be alone when she's filled in on what Bill just told her.

MJ smiled politely at the customers with a, "I'm sorry. I'll be back in just a moment," before going into Sam's office in the back. 'This better be important, Sookie.'

'You wanted to know about the side effects, MJ,' Sookie mentally replied. 'Bill says we'll have keener senses, he'll be able to feel if we're in danger, and…'

MJ didn't like it when Sookie just trailed off like that. 'And?'

'…And our libido will be more active.'

MJ threw her hands up with a heavy scoff. 'Are you kidding me?! That's worse than Bill's spidey-senses when we're in danger!'

Sam – who had seen MJ hurry away from their customers – went into the office to find her the first chance he got. He went in without warning, closed the door behind him, and could clearly see she was distraught. "Jeanne, talk to me. What's going on?"

"Oh nothing," MJ snapped back without really thinking about it because she was so irate. "Just that I can't physically touch anyone but for the foreseeable future I'm going to be a goddamn horn dog." If that was the case then she really couldn't be alone with Sam or else MJ might act without thinking so she quickly moved around Sam and tried to leave the office but he quickly put a wrench into that plan.

Sam rushed to the door and held it shut. "I'm worried about you, dammit. Now you're not leaving this room until you tell me what the hell is going on with you."

MJ had to back up because Sam's worry seemed to take on a form outside of himself that could touch her at any moment. She crossed her arms and looked away from him for a moment before saying, "I'm not a germaphobe, Sam."

Sam's worry started to lessen a little bit because now she was talking to him but that worry was replaced with confusion. "Then what's with the gloves and the not touching people?"

If this was anyone else then MJ wouldn't have said a word but this was Sam and she couldn't keep it from him anymore. "I'm like Sookie. I – I can hear people's thoughts but only if I touch them. The longer I touch the more I hear or see and it's overwhelming. It's so overwhelming. It started after Sookie and I did our blood-sister-bonding when we were little. Sookie is the only person I can touch without hearing their thoughts or feeling their feelings."

Sam dragged his hand down his face after hearing all this. It explained so much if he was to be honest but he also felt a little offended. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" A part of Sam felt like MJ didn't trust him.

"It's not something I want to shout from the rooftops. I see how people treat Sookie because of what she can do – I know what they think about her. It may be selfish but I don't want people treating me like that, too. Besides, it's none of their goddamn business anyway." MJ rolled her shoulders a bit and straightened her posture to emphasize she was standing her ground.

There was a heavy silence filling the room now. Finally MJ couldn't take it anymore and gestured to the door. "I kept up my end of the bargain. Now are you gonna open up the door and keep yours?"

Sam didn't reply to that with anything more than opening the office door to let her leave and get back to work. His mind was still going over what he had just learned and how it sure was something but complicated just about everything.

End Season 1 Episode 2