Author's Note: Thought I'd give this a try, I might turn it into a series if it gets good feedback. Still, enjoy and leave a review if you like. Please forgive any mistakes, spelling or plot-wise - I started watching True Blood a week ago and have only seen a bit of season 6 and 7.

The night cloaked her in its welcome, cold embrace as Jessica strode over the grass of the Bellefleur's estate, completely ignoring the pile of ash that was the only indicator of what had occurred the night before. She hurried over the lawn where she and the infected vampire had stood in a motionless battle for Adilyn's life. Jessica's fists clenched as Adilyn's desperate voice echoed in her head again.

"I invite you in!"

"Fuck," Jessica cursed quietly, just like before, at Adilyn's actions. She had been foolish. Jessica had warned her. But the fact that the girl didn't want her to die, despite the terrible things she had done not so long ago; to Adilyn, to her family, was worth more to Jessica than Adilyn would ever know. It was still stupid and foolhardy beyond belief, to invite a young, green vampire with very little self-restraint into the house of a faery Halfling. It was like shoving a recovering alcoholic into a bar with free booze, or waving a lit cigarette under the nose of a smoker. But Jessica could not, would not succumb again. She would fight her instincts with everything she had. Hell, she'd chain herself up on the other side of town if she thought that would help. But Adilyn needed her now. This was her chance to prove that she was serious about not hurting her, and protecting her. It was the least she could do for Andy and Adilyn, given their pain was her fault. She didn't deserve Adilyn's forgiveness, nor did she really want it, but she appeared to have it. Or at least was one step closer to obtaining it. A small smile crept across her face as she remembered Adilyn's words, that she didn't hate her. She should, she really should. But she didn't. Before Jessica had unleashed hell on Andy's family, she had liked Adilyn. She had liked all of the sisters, but Adilyn she had favoured slightly more. They could have been friends, if she hadn't –

"Can you track her?" A voice from behind wrenched Jessica from her thoughts as she stopped, turning around to see Andy trudging towards her, gun in hand. But the barrel was not aimed at her, for which she was grateful. "Y'know, smell her?" asked Andy, a little awkwardly as he came to a halt a respectable distance from her. Jessica wasn't offended by the suspicious edge to his tone.

"No," replied Jessica honestly. "Not from this distance. We'll have to look the old-fashioned way until I can pick something up." She silently cursed her abilities for not giving her a specific location.

Andy Bellefleur nodded, holstering his weapon. "Start with the town. See if anybody saw what happened to her." He turned and walked towards his car, the blades of grass crunching beneath his boots. Jessica could hear his teeth grinding quietly as he grumbled anxiously to himself. "You comin'?" he asked as he pulled open his door, pausing before he ducked inside. Jessica frowned at Andy's uncertain expression. Jessica knew she must look exhausted. Sleep had re-energised her a little, but she needed to feed soon. Hopefully not around Adilyn.

"That's – that ain't necessary," she replied quickly, wringing her hands absently. "I can run –"

"I need to keep my eyes on you, lady," Andy replied, pointing an accusing finger at her. He also couldn't help but feel a small amount of pity. Jessica had done nothing but try to atone for her sins towards his family. And he needed her to find Adilyn. It would be better if they stuck together. "I'd feel much better if you were in my sight at all times, in case you –"

"Fine," snapped Jessica, darting over to the car and wrenching open the door. Andy jumped at the sudden movement, causing Jessica to instinctively back away from the car, arms raised above her head as she spotted Andy's hand on his gun. There was a moment of tension as they stared at each other, before Andy let go of the gun and Jessica lowered her arms. Andy climbed inside and pulled his door shut, Jessica mirroring his movements. Settling into a comfortable position, Jessica wondered why Andy wasn't moving already. She glanced at him to find his eyes fixed on her, a strange expression on his face.

"What?" she asked defensively, her fists clenching.

"Ain't you gonna put your belt on?" he muttered as he started the engine. Jessica rolled her eyes, leaning her arm against the window and resting her head on her palm.

"I'm fucking dead, Andy," she replied curtly. Andy shrugged and began driving in silence, leaving Jessica to lean her forehead against the cool glass of the window and stare into the night as the scenery flew by, the muffled hum of the engine the only noise.

"What the fuck?" blurted Andy as they approached the police station. Jessica straightened in her seat, anxiety rising in her. A crowd of townspeople, most of whom were armed with guns, strode around the station building and the surrounding road, as if standing guard. Jessica could hear confident shouts and hollers.

"Shit," she cursed, glancing to Andy, who looked equally worried but anger was bleeding through.

"I leave for a few fucking hours…" he grumbled as he pulled over nearby and kicked open his door. Stepping out, he hitched up his belt, glaring at the souls milling around. Jessica remained inside, unsure if these people would take kindly to a vampire wandering amongst them. Andy leaned back down, poking his head inside.

"You see what you can find. Stay out of sight though. These folks don't seem to be in a vampire-friendly mood right now." As if to back up this statement, a loud blast sounded followed by a triumphant whoop of delight. Jessica jumped, startled by the sudden loud noise. Andy narrowed his eyes and scanned the crowd for the source.

"Try and take us now, fucking vamps!" came a loud yell, receiving a few cheers from the others. Jessica bit her lip, running a hand through her hair.

"I'm gettin' that vibe," she sighed, slipping out of the car and meeting Andy by the front bumper. "Just call for me if you need something," she added, looking around for a place to start her search.

"Will do," nodded Andy. "If you find Adilyn, you get her home first then call me. If you start... slipping out of control, you get the fuck outta my house and come straight to me. You got that?"

"Loud and clear," saluted Jessica before darting away in the blink of an eye. Andy let out a long breath before turning and striding towards the gathered crowd.

As soon as Jessica caught the wind, she could smell her. Very, very faintly, but she knew that smell anywhere. It called to her, begging her to take it, just a single drop. Adilyn was close. She could feel it. Circling the station, she found no way in that was unguarded. Though she could easily charge in and tear them all apart, she would stay out of sight and do this as subtly as possible. But if it came to it, Jessica would cut down anyone between her and Adilyn. Creeping in the shadows, she sped along the wall, behind two men armed with shotguns. They turned, but she was long gone, leaving only a breeze rippling in her wake. With a leap, she sailed through the air and gripped the low roof pulling herself up easily and darting to the large windows. She peered inside, looking at the people milling around below. With a sigh, she moved on, darting across the roof and scurrying to one of the office windows. Adilyn's scent was much stronger now. Jessica peered into another window, seeing a pair of men inside. Biting her lip, she decided to try another one. In the next room, she found a young woman with a small pistol clutched in one hand, her phone in the other, typing away madly. Jessica rapped on the window and ducked out of sight. She waited, listening intently as the woman approached the window peering out curiously, the gun held tightly in her shaking fist. Squinting into the darkness, Jessica heard the woman turn and walk back across the room. Reaching up, she tapped on the window again, whipping her hand out of sight quickly. This time, the woman stomped across the room and stared at the surrounding trees. Jessica remained in her crouch as she heard the window roll open. "Hello?" called the woman again with a bemused expression, her long black hair framing her tanned face.

"Well, hi there," grinned Jessica as she darted to her feet, leaning casually on the mantelpiece. The woman withdrew quickly, her mouth open to scream. Jessica gazed at her, catching the woman's brown eyes. "Don't scream," she urged, her glamour radiating towards the woman. Her mouth closed slowly, though the fearful expression remained on her face. Her hand shook on her gun. "I ain't gonna hurt you," Jessica soothed. "All you have to do is invite me in." The woman looked dazed as her hand settled, her eyes glassing over slightly. Jessica let out a harsh sigh. "Invite. Me. In." She pushed harder. She could feel her glamour taking more effort than usual – she needed to feed soon.

"Come… come in," stuttered the woman, looking a little confused. The woman's mind was beginning to fight back.

"Thank you," smiled Jessica, hopping in through the window. The woman stared at her. "And I'm sorry for this," she added with an apologetic grin as her fist snaked out and whacked the woman in the face. She collapsed to the floor at Jessica's feet, unconscious. Jessica made to step over her body, but paused, looking down at the woman's nut-brown skin. Jessica could see her pulse beating beneath the skin of her neck. Jessica found herself gazing at her veins longingly, before shaking her head. "No," she said, stepping over the body and heading for the closed door. "No, no, no." She was hungry. But she could last a while longer. She needed to feed. But if she didn't, wouldn't she find Adilyn so much more appetising? Running her hands through her hair, she dragged her nails across her scalp as she wrestled with this decision. "Fuck it," hissed Jessica, crouching next to the body. Her fangs emerged and she plunged her teeth into the woman's wrist, feeling relief as the warm liquid gushed over her lips and into her mouth. Once she had drunk her fill, she withdrew from the body. The wounds were oozing slightly, but she dug her tooth into her thumb and squeezed a few drops into the woman's open mouth to heal her. Satisfied that she would be okay, Jessica darted to the door, pressing her ear to the wood and listening for movement. The pair next door were still talking, but the corridor was clear. The vampire quickly and quietly let herself out and scurried along the hallway. Her nose guided her to a set of stairs, where she darted down and heard a group of people entering the downstairs corridor. Jessica froze, glancing around for a place to hide. Moving faster than the human eye could see, she kicked in the door to a storage cupboard and slammed the door shut, resting her back against it and listening. The group continued towards her door, talking calmly – they hadn't seen her sprint inside. Impatient now that she was so close to her goal, she clenched her fists, tapping her foot.

"Fucking hell," she cursed, irritated when the voices refused to fade. She was half-tempted just to barge out and blur down the hall, snatch Adilyn and run, but that could lead to more trouble sooner than she'd like it. So she waited. Two men and a woman were speaking, walking slowly past.

"… I don't trust that faery bitch," said the woman, followed by the click of a rifle. Jessica's breath caught in a gasp before she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"I know. Did you see what she did? That ain't right," replied one of the men.

"Yeah, that's some weird alien shit right there," said the other. "What do you think they'll do with her?"

"I don't know, do I?" snapped the first man, followed by a dull thud – like one of them had been hit. "They'll probably just lock her up for a bit."

"What if she can hear us?" asked the woman. "I bet she's been readin' our minds ever since she's been able to speak…" Jessica bit her lip as the trio's voices faded away. Hearing nothing else, she pulled open the door and crept out, sneaking deeper and deeper into the station. Finally, the sweet scent became almost too enticing as she rounded the corner and was met with the sight of Adilyn chained to a chair in one of the jail cells. Wade was similarly trussed up in the cell next to her. Jessica hurried to the bars, grasping the cold metal in her finger as Adilyn's face lit up, a strangled sound struggling to get past the… sock… tied around her mouth.

"Don't you worry, Adilyn," said Jessica in a reassuring but low tone. Adilyn struggled against her chains, trying to speak. Wade too was attempting to communicate, but Jessica was more focused on freeing Adilyn. And not succumbing to the hunger and lust for sweet blood that arose within her. Gripping the bars, she held them tightly and pulled them apart, slowly bending them enough for her to step inside. She darted to Adilyn's side, untying the gag from her mouth. "You're safe now," she smiled. Adilyn returned the grin as Jessica began pulling the chains apart. The beautiful scent radiated from Adilyn in waves, washing over Jessica's senses and tempting her, but she bit her lip, concentrating on her task. She glanced up, smiling, only to suddenly hear a muffled roar from the cell next door, and Adilyn's eyes widened. Jessica quirked an eyebrow, confused, until she saw Adilyn staring at her mouth. Running her tongue over her teeth, she realised her fangs had made an appearance.

"Aw, fuck!" she swore, holding a hand over her mouth to hide them. Wade was straining against his chains, probably cursing beneath his gag.

"Shut up, Wade!" hissed Adilyn, shooting him an angry look. "You'll get us caught!" Jessica looked up at her, bursting the last set of chains and pulling them off of the girl. Holding out her hand, Adilyn took it with only the tiniest hint of hesitation.

"You came," said Adilyn in a hushed tone as she stepped over the pile of chains, Jessica leading her over to the bars.

"Course I did. I said I'd protect you, didn't I?" Jessica replied with a wry smile. Adilyn nodded, glancing at her feet for a moment, before Wade said something unintelligible.

"We need to go," hissed Jessica, regarding Wade with a sour expression. "You aren't safe here." She turned, heading towards the door, before she felt a warm hand on her wrist.

"What about Wade?" asked Adilyn, retracting her hand quickly as Jessica spun around and stepped towards her. Jessica quickly realised she had startled the girl and backed away a few steps, bowing her head slightly. Her fangs had retracted, thank God.

"He'll slow us down," said Jessica quietly, keeping her ears focused on the corridor outside. She had scanned the room – no windows to escape through.

"We can't just leave him here!" cried Adilyn, watching the poor boy struggle against his bonds.

Jessica rolled her eyes, staring at the ceiling for a moment to gather herself. She couldn't take them both, and her priority was Adilyn.

"I need to get you out! He ain't a faery, so they won't kill him! Besides, if he's caught with us, they'll know he was involved. He's safer in here. If I leave him, then he's in the clear, right?"

Adilyn looked from Jessica, whose wrist she still clung to, to Wade, who was looking at her pleadingly.

"We're runnin' out of time!" growled Jessica. "Let's go!"

Adilyn nodded, allowing Jessica's hand to latch onto her forearm and guide her towards the door. Jessica listened for a moment, just to be sure, while a loud muffled cry came from the other cell.

"I'm sorry, Wade!" whispered Adilyn guiltily over her shoulder. Jessica pursed her lips and turned to Adilyn.

"Come here," she said quietly, holding out her arms to Adilyn. The girl stepped forwards but paused, withdrawing her hands as they brushed Jessica's shoulders.

"Are you – are you sure?" asked Adilyn, looking fearful. Jessica took a deep breath, deliberately ignoring the sweet, intoxicating smell as she stepped closer.

"Yes," nodded Jessica, sounding much more confident than she felt.

"Okay," replied Adilyn. With a swift, fluid motion, Jessica swept Adilyn up into her arms as easily as one would pick up a doll and darted out of the door and down the corridor, her footsteps tapping quietly against the floor. Throwing herself into the first door she saw, she shouldered her way into a small office with a desk and some filing cabinets. It was uninhabited, thankfully, and she sprinted to the window setting Adilyn down on the ground.

"You okay?" asked Jessica, holding onto her shoulders and deliberately focusing on her eyes, not allowing her vision to stray to her neck. Adilyn was trembling slightly under Jessica's touch, but she nodded. "Good. It'll be fine," she assured her, squeezing her shoulder before darting out of the window. "Come on." Adilyn clambered out of the window, allowing Jessica to help her balance before the vampire picked her up again and darted a short distance away, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the armed people wandering around. Jessica tore her attention away from her tender but firm grip on Adilyn's sides, one arm looped under her knees, the other grasping her back and determinedly wondered if the rabid vampires would be back – all the more reason to get Adilyn home as soon as possible. Though she felt she should tell Andy, she remembered his orders to take Adilyn home and make sure she was safe before doing anything else. Glancing down at the girl in her arms, who was clinging to her, arms wrapped around her neck, her heart pounding. Jessica was glad she had fed beforehand. She made her decision and darted away again, heading towards Adilyn's house.