Chapter 3

Barnabas slowly returned to where his family was. His reasoning for disappearing involved a lost button on his jacket and it being most important to find. He found it alright—On his jacket.

His conversation with Julia had been brief, yet utterly unnerving. He knew she had liked him… Why else would she have so willingly explained the whole "Doctor/Patient Confidentiality" thing?

But love… He never saw that coming. He read it in her eyes that she was not lying. But he was courting Victoria. And his heart did not belong to Dr. Hoffman. Did it?

Julia ran until she couldn't breathe anymore. She had run all the way to the outer edges of Collinsport, and still could not shake her own words from her mind. Why did I confess that? I have always been so much smarter than that she stated as she internally chastised herself. Finally being able to breathe again, Julia wandered back down to the city.

She didn't make it far, however. A lowly drunkard had crossed her path. Bloodlust consumed her almost immediately. Within 8 seconds, the large, drunk man lay dead at her feet. Her poor dress covered in blood. She then realized that her entire wardrobe must have been destroyed. Adding yet another thing to her list of things to worry about.

With a heavy heart, she trudged her way to town. Stopping at a hotel where she checked in and went up to the room, after hypnotizing the clerk. Crawling across her bed, she flopped down and closed her eyes to what, hopefully, would be a peaceful sleep.

"We're staying in a hotel? Elizabeth, please tell me you're joking," Barnabas said.

"Not in the slightest. The children have their own room, I have mind, Vicky has hers, and you have yours. Unfortunately, they're quite scattered. You're on the eighth floor, I'm on the seventh with the kids and Vicky is on the fifth," Elizabeth replied.

Barnabas growled lightly. However, he grasped Vicky's hand and they all began their decent to the town. Away from the only place that had ever been home.

Upon getting settled in, Barnabas kissed Vicky goodnight and bade her farewell until… nightfall. He climbed the stairs to his room and just as he approached the door, the room across from him opened to reveal a very haggard looking Julia.

"I don't have a reflection," she stated plainly. "How the hell am I supposed to A. Know how I look and B. get this God-forsaken blood out."

Barnabas grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room. "Shut up," he hissed in her ear. "You're being so loud."

Once in the room, Julia began to pace… A full fledged panic attack about to take place. She noticed a mini fridge in the corner of his room and grabbed out a bottle of wine and started to open it before Barnabas said, "Alcohol is going to be quite different now that you're like me." Julia's eyes widened and tears hung dangerously in her eyes. Threatening to spill over at any time.

Barnabas stepped closer to her and wiped her eyes. He understood. Adjustment is so hard at first. He knew the confusion, the hormones, everything. But, he knew how strong she was. She could handle it.

"Julia, I know we had a discussion about Doctor/Patient confidentiality once before. I was curious as to how, exactly, I could thank you for explaining it to me," Barnabas said, grabbing her chin.

Julia stood there, open-mouthed, for several minutes before she said, "I know exactly how you can thank me."

The end. Hahaha. Only kidding. (: R/R!