Disclaimer
All rights go to Charline Harris and Allan Ball. I only own my original plotlines and characters.
❝ What doesn't kill us
makes our drinks stronger. ❞
- Unknown
THE CAR WAS silent as the four occupants sat inside. For a long while, no one said a word of the events that had transpired at Jessica's house. Bill had come in at the right moment and fixed everything, glamouring Jessica's family time forget before ordering the three girls into the car and speeding off.
Juliette sat in the back seat with a sobbing Jessica, her hand gripping the 'oh shit' bar as Sookie finally spoke up, pleading with Bill to slow down.
"Bill, slow down, please!" Sookie pleads, "Stop this. You're scaring me."
Before Juliette could get involved by threatening to make him slow down, Bill turns the wheel, the tires squealing in protest as he pulls over to the side.
Bill's hands were tight around the wheel, looking straight ahead.
"I'm sorry," Sookie says, "She promised she was just gonna look in the window, I know I made a mistake, but they're her family."
"She is a vampire! She has no family!" Bill snaps, still not looking at Sookie.
"I'm a monster, and I'm gonna be alone forever because of you!" Jessica wails, "I hate you so fucking much!"
"Be quiet," Bill rumbles.
"Eat shit!" She snaps back.
Bill finally whirled around and glared at Jessica, "I said, be quiet!"
Juliette wanted to speak up to defend Jessica, but she knew it wasn't her place, so instead, she just placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Jessica immediately lurched forward and started sobbing into Juliette's shirt, and the blonde's eyes widened as she froze.
Unsure of how to console the sobbing girl, Juliette gently yet awkwardly patted Jessica's back.
Having missed half of Bill's lecture to Sookie, Juliette managed to catch the ending. "...if I had not glamoured them within an inch of their sanity, our lives would have been shattered!"
"I know," Sookie said, "I'm sorry."
"You keep saying that!" Bill exclaims, "And I am expected to what? Forget this ever happened?"
"What else would you like me to say? I know she asked me to take her, I should say no, but all I could think about was Gran and what I'd give to see her again."
Juliette both simultaneously softened and grew annoyed at her sister's words. Part of her understood where Sookie was coming from, for she would also give anything to see Gran again, but the other part was annoyed because Sookie should've understood Jessica has completely different circumstances, and if Sookie had thought about the consequences, all of this could've been avoided.
"That does not give you the license to behave like an irresponsible child," Bill snapped, "She is a loaded gun, Sookie! Not a doll for you to dress up and play with."
Juliette couldn't help but agree with Bill's words, but Sookie flinched back as if she was slapped in the face, staring at Bill for a moment before opening the door and storming out of the car.
"What are you doing?!" Bill exclaimed.
"Walking!"
Juliette let out a curse as she gently pushed Jessica out of her arms before unbuckling her seat belt and rushing after her sister.
By the time Juliette had stumbled her way out of the car, Sookie was surprisingly a good distance away, and the older Stackhouse let out a grumble before chasing after her sister.
"Oh, for god's sake Sooks, get back in the damn car!" Juliette yells.
"No! I said I was sorry!" Sookie snapped angrily, whirling around to glare at Juliette.
Juliette, who finally had managed to catch up, let out a sigh, "He knows you are, but you need to understand this could've gone a completely different way, and no amount of sorry's could've undone what Jessica would've done." Juliette explained, dropping her usual brash attitude for a more gentler approach.
It seemed to work as Sookie let out a defeated sigh, "I didn't mean to."
Not wanting to rile Sookie up again, Juliette nods, "He knows that. You both are just angry, take a few deep breaths and let's go back to the car, you two can talk later when you're both calm."
With another sigh, Sookie nods, and Juliette wraps an arm around her, leading her back in the direction of the car, only to freeze when they hear a twig snap.
Both girls turn, and their eyes widen when they catch the sight of a horned humanoid silhouette. The creature lets out a growl and starts rushing towards them. Juliette's protective sister instincts kick in, and she turns, pushing Sookie in front of her, urging her sister to run.
"Run! Run!" Juliette yells as they both start sprinting.
Juliette could hear the steps getting closer, but she didn't turn around, focusing on making sure that they would make it back to the car.
Suddenly, a scream tears through Juliette's mouth as she feels blinding pain going from her back all the way to her side. Juliette crashes to the ground, the pain being too much.
"Juliette!" Sookie screamed as she rushed back towards her sister.
Through blurry eyes, Juliette could see the creature advancing towards Sookie, and she tried to yell for Sookie to run, but nothing came out. The last thing Juliette heard before she passed out was her sister's scream.
When Juliette starts to come too, the first thing she feels is the searing pain, eliciting a whimper. Juliette forces her eyes open, and they land on an older woman in scrubs.
"S...Sookie?" Juliette croaked
"She's right beside you," The lady, who Juliette assumes was the doctor, said.
Juliette weakly looked over, another whimper escaping her lips as more pain erupted in her back, and saw Sookie was in the same state as her. Immediately she starts weakly pushing the doctor away, her worry for her sister overriding the pain she was in.
"H...help her," Juliette whispered, trying to fight the doctor.
"Someone help me hold her down!" The Doctor barked, and Juliette immediately felt a pair of cold hands restrain her.
"No! H-help, Sookie" Juliette tried to fight against the grip, but they were unyielding.
She felt something being poured over her wound, and Juliette let out a bloodcurdling scream as the pain increased tenfold. The last thing she saw was blue eyes looking back at her before she once again fell unconscious from the pain.
The next time Juliette came to, she saw Eric's face.
"Here," Eric offered, holding out his wrist, but Juliette shook her head.
Even in pain, there was no way in hell Juliette was drinking Eric's blood or any vampires. She refused to be bonded to him.
"Drink dammit! If you don't, your back will scar," Eric growls, but Juliette once again shook her head, keeping her mouth firmly shut.
"Stubborn woman," Eric snaps, moving away.
"Well, missy, get ready your once again about to be in a world of pain," She heard the doctor say.
Juliette didn't even have time to ask the doctor what she meant before her back once again flared up in blinding pain. Another scream tore through Juliette's throat until she finally once again passed out.
The final time Juliette woke up was by a loud scream.
"What the fuck?!" Juliette yelps, startling awake.
She let out a hiss of pain as she sat up, looking towards the source of the screaming to see it was Ginger due to Sookie holding a gun at her.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Juliette exclaimed or at least tried to, but it came out hoarse from all the screaming she had done before.
"They have Lafayette. I'm the basement," Sookie said. Without waiting for Juliette, Sookie forced Ginger to show her.
Juliette opted not to follow. It wasn't like she'd be much good anyway. Instead, her eyes caught the sight of a bottle of Advil and a glass of water.
Popping two extra-strength pills into her mouths, she washed them down with water. The lukewarm water instantly soothing her aching throat. Juliette drank the entire glass before shuffling over to the bar and filling up her glass with more water.
After downing that glass, she grabbed a bottle of vodka and cracked it open, waiting for her sister and Ginger to re-emerge.
Sookie appeared several minutes later to confirm that Lafayette was indeed chained in the basement. Since Juliette couldn't go down to see him in her state, she just fills up a glass of water and gives Sookie a couple of Advil pills to give to him.
Sookie stayed with Lafayette till nightfall, while Juliette alternated between drinking and napping till the vampires finally woke up.
Juliette slowly shuffled over to her sister as she confronted Bill about Lafayette, only for the dark-haired vampire to deny knowing anything about it.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bill said, the distress and confusion clear on his face.
"She's referring to the human in my basement," Eric said sauntering in, "The human that traded sexual services with a vampire in order to sell his blood. Which, as you know, is a grave offence."
Surprisingly, Juliette wasn't upset as much as she should've been. Some part of her, the part still angry for hooking her brother up to V, was happy Lafayette had gotten his punishment.
Sookie, however, was seething, "His name is Lafayette, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself for what you've done to him."
Sookie pulled her arm back to slap Eric, but before Sookie's palm could making contact with his face, a strong hand gripped her wrist, halting her motion.
Sookie whirled around to see that it was Juliette who had stopped her from slapping Eric. Juliette, still gripping Sookie's wrist, moves in front of her, blocking her off from Eric before letting go of her wrist.
"Enough, Sookie," Juliette orders tiredly, her face pulled into a slight grimace from the pain that shot through her body.
"Yes, Sookie, listen to your sister," Eric mocks from behind Sookie, but his eyes had drifted to Juliette for a split second, having heard her noise of pain.
Juliette's jaw clenched when she heard the mocking tone Eric used, combining with her exhaustion and pain, Juliette's anger flared and before she could stop herself, she whirled around and decking him across the face.
"Careful Eric," Juliette warns, her nails digging into her palm to distract herself from the pain in her back, "Or we might just go to the police about this. I'm sure they'd love to hear about a human being tortured by a vampire," Juliette sneers, and Eric immediately reacts.
His fangs click out, and in a blur, he had grabbed Juliette by her hair, tilting her neck to the side, and Juliette, despite the extreme amount of pain she was suddenly in, barely flinched, her jaw clenching to hold in any cries.
She met his glare head-on. "Do it, I dare you," She growls, her eyes blazing in fury, taunting him to try and take a bite out of her.
There was no way she would let Eric try and show dominance over her.
"Eric!" Sookie screamed, fear building up in her at the sight of her sister in Eric's grasp.
"Eric, let her go!" Bill demands his voice also on the verge of panic.
"I don't respond well to threats," Eric states calmly, looking down at Juliette.
"And I don't respond well to my friends being chained up, so I guess we're even," She replies back steadily, her eyes colder than the Arctic.
Juliette and Eric stared each other down for a few more tense seconds, neither willing to back down before finally he let go just as she jerked away, straightening up, trying to hide her grimace of pain.
"Perhaps we all can come to some sort of arrangement," Eric says before gesturing over to the tables, "Please."
For a second, no one moved before Sookie finally let out a huff and stomped towards the tables, Bill following. Juliette, however, made her way back to the bar to grab her bottle of vodka.
Eric narrowed his eyes, and she raised an eyebrow daring him to say something, but he didn't. Instead, he clenched his jaw and turned away, joining Sookie and Bill at the table.
"So if I agree to go to Dallas to help look for the missing vampire, you'll let Lafayette go?" Sookie questioned.
"No," Bill denied, "You nearly died last night. You are not going to Dallas."
Juliette snorted at Bill's words. Even she gave up trying to convince Sookie it was a bad idea. As much as Juliette hated it, Sookie was old enough to make her decisions, and if she wanted to go, Juliette wouldn't stop her, no matter how idiotic she thought the idea was.
"Bill, I can make up my own mind," Sookie glared.
"I will pay all of your expenses, of course," Eric adds, "and yes, I will release your friend."
"And I want 5 thousand dollars," Sookie states.
"Sookie," Juliette snaps sharply.
"We've missed a lot of work, and we need a driveway," Sookie explained quietly.
Juliette's eye twitched in annoyance. Silently, Juliette questioned whatever higher power listening, asking how her siblings had become so idiotic.
Eric studied Sookie for a moment before quietly speaking, "Your human is getting cocky."
"She will take Ten thousand, and I will escort her," Bill states.
His words earning a huff of disbelief from Juliette. She honestly couldn't believe the pair.
Eric clenched his jaw in annoyance before speaking, "Fine, I will accept your terms on one more condition..." Eric's gaze drifts to Juliette, "Juliette also has to agree to go as well."
"No," Juliette immediately protests.
Sookie turned to give her sister a pleading look. "Juliette, this is Lafayette we're talking about, your best friend," Sookie snaps.
Juliette turns her glare on Eric, "Sookie and Bill go to Dallas and you free Lafayette, forget about the money," Juliette says.
Eric shakes his head, "That deal is already off the table. Either you come or no deal."
"Varför vill du att jag ska komma?" Juliette demands, switching to Swedish to give her and Eric a little more privacy.
Why do you want me to come?
"Två personer med förmågor är bättre än en," He responds with a shrug before a smirk appears on his face, "förutom att jag fortfarande tänker göra dig min."
Two people with abilities are better than one. Besides, I still intend to make you mine.
"Över min döda kropp," She snaps, crossing her arms.
Over my dead body.
"Som kan ordnas," Eric smirks, flashing his fangs, and Juliette scoffs.
That can be arranged.
"Tryck inte på det, vampyr," She warns.
Don't push it, vampire.
Sookie and Bill looked between the two, their heads turning back and forth like watching a tennis match. Neither had any idea what the pair were saying and were growing increasingly nervous as they watched the pair argue back and forth.
"Så har vi en överenskommelse?" Eric asks, a smirk playing at his lips.
So do we have a deal?
"Jag vill inte ha dina pengar," Juliette states.
I don't want your money.
"Vad vill du då?" He questions, raising an eyebrow.
Then what do you want?
"Glöm att min bror var beroende av V, jag vet att du vet," She responds. Her tone was firm and leaving no room for arguments. If she was going to go, then she was asking for something more meaningful than money.
Forget that my brother was addicted to V, I know you know.
Eric's face sobers up. "Han begick en allvarlig brottslighet," Eric responds seriously.
He committed a serious crime.
"Det här är mina villkor," She states unwaveringly.
These are my terms.
Eric sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration before calling Pam, telling her to bring Lafayette up in Swedish, and Juliette leans back with a smug expression. Seeing the look on Juliette's face, Sookie quickly figured out that she had gotten Lafayette free and cheered in happiness.
"Pleasure doing business, Mr. Northman," Juliette smirks.
"You surprise me for a mouth breather," Eric states.
"And you disgust me for a vampire," Juliette retorts, but there wasn't any of her usual bite to her tone.
"Maybe, I'll grow on you," Eric replies back, his lips curling back up to a smirk.
"Hmm, I'd rather have cancer."
Both Juliette and Eric's eyes shined with something that neither could understand, but for a brief moment, they felt drawn to the other. That moment was broken when the door slammed open, and Pam tossed Lafayette in.
Juliette stayed back, letting Sookie and Bill help Lafayette. Her eyes were back on Eric, but both of them had their walls back up.
It was only when Sookie gently tugged her arm did she break eye contact and leave. Juliette's pinched the bridge of her nose when the reality of what she agreed to sunk in.
She was going to Dallas.
