Title: Things Both Strange and Beautiful
Author: Janine
Fandom: True Blood
Pairing: Jessica Hamby/Adilyn Bellefleur
Rating: Mature/Explicit
Words: 8,244
Summary: Jessica and Adilyn get to know each other over a series of talks on the porch while Jessica guards her, and their relationship grows in ways neither expected.

Part I

Adilyn sat on the floor underneath the large window that overlooked the front of the Bellefleur house. On the other side of the window, Jessica sat on the porch, her long legs stretched out before her while her back rested against the wooden front of the house. The window was open, allowing them to hear each other, but they were not talking and they had not talked since Jessica had returned to the house after fleeing from the attic the moment the sun had set.

Presently, they had the property to themselves again, as they had the night before. Bon Temps remained chaotic as the infected vamps launched a new wave of attacks through town, and Andy had been forced to once again leave his daughter's safety in Jessica's hands. With an invitation to the house already given, Adilyn had anticipated Jessica walking inside after her father had vacated the premises, but for the better part of an hour, Jessica had remained outside of the house, able but unwilling to enter.

Adilyn sighed deeply from her spot under the window. Jessica's silent sentry routine had been difficult for Adilyn accept the night before, but after everything that they had been through in the early hours of the morning, Jessica's renewed aloofness surprised her, and, well, hurt her feelings a little.

Bracing her hands on the floor, Adilyn used them to help push herself up onto her feet. She then tentatively approached the window and leaned out.

To her surprise, the porch was empty.

"Jessica?" Adilyn called into the night, turning her head to the left and then the right, searching for her vampire protector. "Jessica?"

Nothing but silence greeted Adilyn for a few moments, and a feeling of disappointment began to rise inside of her, but then, in her periphery, she registered a blur of movement. It startled her and she blinked, her eyes closing for only a fraction of a second, but when they opened again, Jessica was standing in front of the window, tall, dashing, and radiant in the moonlight.

"I'm here," Jessica said softly. "I heard a noise," Jessica continued, turning her head towards the left, her eyes focusing out into the darkness for a second. "It was just a couple of raccoons," she continued when Adilyn's eyes widened in alarm. "Are you okay?" Jessica asked, her wide blue eyes roving over Adilyn, looking for any signs of harm that might have come to her.

Blood rose to Adilyn's cheeks as Jessica's eyes traveled over her body, and she shifted her stance, pressing her thighs together as a wave of intoxicating heat coursed through her. Having Jessica's eyes focused on her so intently reminded Adilyn of the dream she'd had when she'd finally fallen asleep around 7 a.m. that morning. Unbidden, graphic and intimate images from the dream started flooding Adilyn's brain. They were just memories of a dream, but knowing that the images were solely the product of her mind did not stop Adilyn's body from responding to them. Adilyn had woken up wet and throbbing around 11 a.m., and as thoughts of Jessica sucking hard on her nipple as Jessica's strong arm wrapped securely around her, supporting her weight as Jessica's fingers pumped inside of her warm, dripping pus-

Adilyn's sex clenched, trying to clamp down on imaginary fingers, and her checks flushed an even deeper shade of red when she became aware that her thoughts had made her wet again. The knowledge embarrassed her, and she instinctively took a step back, moving away from the window and Jessica before the vampire's heightened senses could pick up on her arousal.

"Adilyn?" Jessica inquired softly, her tone equal parts concern and sadness as the girl jerked away from her.

"I'm fine," Adilyn breathed out. She forced a small smile onto her lips. "Sorry, I'm just…"

"Scared of me," Jessica finished for her, cutting her eyes to the side so that she wouldn't have to see the fear she was sure she inspired in Adilyn writ across the girl's face.

"I'm not!" Adilyn exclaimed immediately, but Jessica made a soft little scoffing sound and continued to refuse to meet the Adilyn's gaze. "That's not what I was going to say," she continued as she took a step forward, closing the distance she had just put between herself and Jessica.

"It's true though. Isn't it?" Jessica asked morosely.

"Maybe a little bit," Adilyn admitted, placing her hands on the white frame of the window and leaning out. "But I wouldn't have invited you in last night if I didn't trust you, and I wouldn't be talking to you right now if I didn't still trust you," she added quickly. "Come inside," Adilyn offered kindly. "If you're going to watch over me, you could at least be comfortable."

"You'll be safer if I stay out here," Jessica replied, her voice full of regret and shame because she knew that she was disappointing Adilyn by turning her sweet offer down. However, as much as she wanted to accept it, and she did want to accept, she couldn't. She just didn't trust herself enough to spend an extended period of time in close quarters with Adilyn and her scent, and she would rather Adilyn be disappointed with her than be dead by her fangs.

Adilyn's lips parted to respond, and from the fierce look in her eyes Jessica was sure Adilyn was going to argue with her about how dangerous she was.

"Please don't," Jessica said quickly, before Adilyn could try and defend her. "Don't try and make me feel better. You don't … you have no idea how badly I want you," she continued, dipping her head down shamefully.

Adilyn knew that Jessica didn't mean the words the way she wanted her to, but nonetheless, Jessica's words sent heat coursing through her body and unleashed a new wave of memories from her dream, setting her heart racing a new as a pleasing pressure built between her legs.

"You smell so fucking good," Jessica continued, just managing to hold back the click of her fangs when she breathed in and Adilyn's scent filled her. "Whenever I'm near you all I want to do is touch you … and taste you," she whispered lowly, her voice taking on a rough, raspy quality that made Adilyn shiver and shift her stance, pressing her thighs together to try and relieve the throbbing Jessica's words were making more and more intense.

"I know you trust me," Jessica went on, finally forcing herself to meet Adilyn's gaze. "But I don't trust me. I won't risk hurting you, even if it makes you hate me."

Silence descended over the porch for a few moments as Jessica's words hung heavy in the air between them.

"I don't hate you," Adilyn finally murmured. She lifted her arm up and stuck it out of the window, extending it towards Jessica. "And maybe that makes no sense, but that's how I feel. Like earlier, when you left so suddenly … I was, well I was worried about you. I was scared something would happen to you and I'd never see you again."

Jessica took a tentatively step towards the window, and then slowly reached out to grasp Adilyn's hand. It was small, and warm, and soft, and lovely, just like the girl it belonged to, and Jessica squeezed it carefully but firmly for a few seconds before she released it and stepped back again.

"I won't be as easy to kill the second time as I was the first," Jessica swore, her pale eyes shining with conviction as she looked Adilyn in the eyes. "I worry about you too," she continued, her voice gentling and becoming a little shy. "I won't leave you. And I won't let anything happen to you."

"But you won't come inside," Adilyn said.

"No," Jessica replied, her tone resolute.

"Okay," Adilyn sighed, disappointed by Jessica's response but accepting of it. "Can we talk to each other at least?" she asked a moment later, her tone and gaze beseeching. "If I stay in here and you stay out there?"

Jessica's face lit up as a bright smile touched her lips.

"I'd like that," she breathed out a moment later, shy but clearly pleased.

A large smile touched Adilyn's lips in response to Jessica's words, and the sight of Adilyn's smile made Jessica's larger and more confident.

Jessica took a couple steps towards the window, and then leaned herself beside it, against the wall of the house.

"What was your friend's name?" Adilyn asked when Jessica angled her head towards her. "How did you meet?"

"Her name was Tara," Jessica replied softly, her eyes welling with tears, even though she was grateful to Adilyn for asking her about it and giving her a chance to talk, because as she started to speak, Jessica realized that she desperately needed to. "We didn't get off to such a great start, Tara and I, but as baby vamps we sort of realized it was in our best interests to stick together and, as time went by, she sort of became my best friend …"

Part II

They fell easily into a routine after that second night spent together, talking through the open window at the front of the Bellefleur house. Their nights always started with Jessica showing up on the porch and politely ringing the bell. This was always followed by Andy opening the door and grumbling darkly at the sight of her. Despite the poor greetings he gave Jessica however, Andy always left the house shortly after Jessica arrived, trusting Jessica to keep Adilyn safe though the history the two of them had together stopped him from being able to verbalize it. Then, once Andy had left the property, Adilyn would open up the window and she and Jessica would smile at each other before Adilyn launched into catching Jessica up on the latest gossip and insanity from town.

On nights where no infected came near the house, they would spend hours talking, and star-gazing, and listening to music, and watching videos on Adilyn's iPad, until around 1 in the morning when Jessica would send her to bed. "You can't sleep all day like me," Jessica would always say when Adilyn would claim that she wasn't sleepy. "Andy's not gonna let me guard you if I leave you sleep deprived every morin'," Jessica would continue, and Adilyn would sigh but always agree to head to bed because she wasn't willing to risk her nights with Jessica to her daddy's moods. On more than one night however, when Adilyn's sleep was interrupted by a noise or a nightmare or the need to pee, she would creep to her bedroom window and look out, checking to make sure that Jessica was still there, and she always was, sitting there on the porch steps, watching the darkness for signs of trouble.

On nights when an infected vamp did stumble across the property, they didn't get to talk much, but Adilyn did get to watch Jessica in action. Jessica always scented trouble coming far before Adilyn could see the threat, and Adilyn had become used to Jessica suddenly zooming to her feet with vampire speed. A few nights into Jessica's campaign to 'Keep Adilyn Safe', Andy had brought a couple handheld UV lights from the station for protection, and most of the time, hitting an infected with the lights the moment they set foot on the edge of the lawn was enough to chase them off, but the really desperate ones and the really curious ones sometimes lingered, and Jessica would have to stand off against them, holding her position on the lawn until the first rays of dawn began to make them smoke. Then, Jessica would quickly retreat into the house through the door Adilyn always held open for her, and she would take to the safety of the Bellefleur's attic, leaving the infected vampire to its fiery fate.

During the first few nights Jessica spent as Adilyn's guardian vampire, they stayed by the window where they'd had their first talk, but eventually they realized that talking through the open front door was easier, because it allowed them sit and still keep sight of each other.

Presently, they were sitting together, legs stretched out parallel to each other on opposite sides of the doorway. They'd been talking earlier but had lapsed into silence a few minutes before. The quiet didn't concern them however, for over the many nights they'd spent in each other's company they'd become used to these lulls and did not mind them.

"What?" Adilyn finally asked, tearing her eyes away from the night sky so that she could focus her gaze on Jessica. "Have I got something on my face?" she asked, as a self-conscious little smile touched her lips.

She'd been staring up at the stars, but Jessica had been staring at her, and it had gone on for long enough that Adilyn was starting to feel a bit insecure.

Adilyn's words jolted Jessica out of her revere, and Jessica blinked a few times, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Was I starin'?" she asked a bit sheepishly, looking at Adilyn through her long lashes before she shyly angled her head down, hiding her face.

She'd been staring and she knew that she had been.

"Yeah," Adilyn replied, though she didn't sound upset about it. "Have I got something on my face?" she asked again, reaching up to discretely to pat her cheeks and nose, checking for strange protrusions or stray crumbles.

"No," Jessica breathed out, shaking her head faintly. "Nothing on your face. I promise. It's perfect … as usual," she continued awkwardly, knowing that if her undead heart was still capable of beating that it would have sent enough blood to her cheeks to produce a truly mighty a blush.

Adilyn, whose young heart still beat strong and true, couldn't stop the flush that Jessica's words brought to her cheeks, but despite her embarrassment she offered Jessica a warm smile.

"If my face is okay, then … why were you lookin' at me like that?" Adilyn asked when her cheeks had finally stopped burning.

"Like what?" Jessica asked softly.

"Like…" Adilyn paused, not sure how to describe exactly how Jessica had been looking at her. "Like … you've never seen me before," Adilyn finally settled on, though from the way her brows creased, Jessica could tell that she wasn't quite happy with the answer she'd given. "I mean, you just looked like you were seein' me for the first time or somethin'. I don't know. I'm probably not makin' any sense."

Adilyn looked away from Jessica then, too embarrassed to maintain eye contact. She hadn't been this awkward around Jessica for some time and she didn't appreciate the return of her nerves.

The first few nights they'd spent together, talking through the window, had been tough for Adilyn. She'd wanted Jessica to be there, but the strangely explicit dreams she'd been having about Jessica had made it really difficult for her to relax, because the moment she did she was bombarded with thoughts of Jessica's mouth between her legs, or her mouth around Jessica's nipple.

As the nights went on however, the frequency and intensity of the dreams Adilyn had been having lessened, and without the constant barrage of sexual thoughts, Adilyn had been able to relax and let her guard down more while in Jessica's presence. She still occasionally found herself looking at Jessica's lips with longing, or staring at Jessica's hands and wondering what they would feel like running over her naked skin, but with the dreams almost all but gone, Adilyn had believed that her days of nervously stuttering around Jessica were gone.

At the moment however, she was as nervous and awkward as she had ever been, and she didn't like it.

"It made sense," Jessica replied softly, drawing Adilyn's eyes back over to her. "I was … before, I mean, when I first started comin' here, I couldn't really look at you for long. It seemed to make your scent stronger somehow, lookin' at you. It made it harder to stay in control so … I didn't. But now…" A small, pleased smile touched Jessica's lips as she gazed at Adilyn. "It's not so hard, anymore. Bein' around you is like bein' around Sookie. I can still smell the difference between you, and her, and a human, but it's not so overwhelmin'. So, I guess that I was lookin' at you like I'd never you before. I mean, I don't think I have … not so clearly."

"So, you're not scared of hurtin' me anymore?" Adilyn asked, her eyes shining with hope.

"No," Jessica replied and it was mostly true.

The complete truth was that there would always be a part of her that was scared of losing control around Adilyn. There would always be a part of her that was scared of what lurked inside of her – now that she knew what she was capable of doing when she lost herself to vampire instinct. But she also knew that Adilyn's scent no longer made her feel crazed with hunger. For multiple nights now, she'd sat across from Adilyn breathing her in and she hadn't had to zoom out of sight even once to clear her mind. She hadn't had to ball her hands into fists so tight that her nails cut her palms, she hadn't had to imagine Mrs. Fortenberry naked, or do any of the other things she'd tortured herself with during their first week of porch chats in order to stay in control of herself.

"Will you come inside then?" Adilyn asked, unable to stop the excitement she felt at the prospect from showing through in her voice.

Jessica nodded her head as a smile turned up the corners of her lips. She was proud of herself for the progress she had made, and the idea of being able to spend time with Adilyn inside, like a person, instead of outside like a rabid animal who couldn't be trusted, greatly appealed to her.

Adilyn smiled widely and immediately scrambled to her feet, offering her hand to Jessica once she was up.

Jessica accepted her hand and allowed Adilyn to help her to her feet. The aid was unnecessary, but she was touched by the gesture, and she couldn't deny that the contact was pleasant. She hadn't come from a very demonstrative family, and with the exception of Sookie, the people she'd ended up associating with after being turned hadn't been very affectionate either. She'd gone days without touching another person, and Adilyn trusting her enough to touch her now, made Jessica's cold heart feel warm as apple pie.

"Come on," Adilyn said, and still holding hands, they made their way into the house.

Part III

The television was on, playing a ridiculous movie about man-eating comets space landing on earth, but neither Jessica nor Adilyn was paying attention to it. When they'd first settled in the den, Adilyn had tried to sit beside Jessica on the couch, but Jessica had tensed at her proximity, so Adilyn had shifted over and settled herself at the other end of the sofa. Much to Adilyn's delight however, after they had been lounging in the den for half an hour or so, Jessica had shifted closer to her on the couch, and short while after that Jessica had encouraged Adilyn to stretch out and rest her feet in her lap.

"Why don't you talk about him anymore?" Adilyn asked softly, her voice little more than a whisper as she lay with her eyes closed, drifting in that wonderfully hazy ether between sleep and wakefulness, her body beyond relaxed as Jessica's strong, vampire fingers idly massaged the feet Adilyn had resting in her lap.

"Talk about who?" Jessica asked distractedly.

"Your boyfriend," Adilyn replied.

During the first few nights they had talked on the porch, Jessica had spoken about James a lot, but Adilyn hadn't heard her mention his name in over a week now and she'd been wondering why.

Jessica shrugged as she kept her eyes focused on Adilyn's feet, watching her fingers as they pressed into Adilyn's flesh.

"We haven't seen much of each other lately," she finally murmured.

"Because of me?" Adilyn asked softly.

Jessica looked over at her, turning with supernatural speed, but Adilyn didn't so much a flinch. She'd gotten used to Jessica's vampire speed over the past couple weeks, and seeing displays of it no longer frightened her.

"Is he mad that you're spending so much time with me?" Adilyn continued when Jessica failed to speak.

"No," Jessica breathed out tiredly, not wanting Adilyn to feel guilty about anything. "He's not mad. But even if he was, it wouldn't matter. I'm an independent vampire, I make my own decisions, and I want to be here. Nothing could keep me away," she continued strongly and firmly, not wanting Adilyn to have any doubts about that. "Besides," Jessica sighed, her manner gentling again. "He's been spending a lot of time with his human." She paused and shrugged. "They've grown close. Really close," she added, and even though Adilyn had not been in the world for long, she knew what that meant. "He's really just my friend now."

"I'm so sorry," Adilyn said, rising up into a sitting position so that she could reach out and take Jessica's hand. "It's his loss."

"I'm not so sure about that," Jessica muttered, lowering her head. "I'm not exactly a catch."

"You are a catch," Adilyn insisted immediately. "You are," she added forcefully when Jessica gave her a dubious look. "You're caring, and gentle, and protective, and brave, and funny, and now that I've gotten to know you, I wouldn't trade you for the world. I'm sorry he hurt you," Adilyn continued, "But I'm glad you're here, with me."

"Are you really?" Jessica asked, blinking rapidly in an attempt to hold back the tears that had started forming in her eyes. "How can you be? After everything I've done?"

"I … I know you didn't mean it. What happened with my sisters," Adilyn said, looking down and away from Jessica, though she kept hold of the vampire's hand. "And everything you've done includes a lot of good things, not just bad. You risked my daddy's wrath and the wooden bullets in his gun to keep me safe. And you nearly met the true death trying to keep me from that infected that first night. And you put yourself at risk night after night, all to keep a girl you barely knew safe from harm. And … well, you talk to me … and listen to me. I've never really had that before, I've never really had a friend, and you're a good friend Jessica. You're more than that one night, you know. You're all of the good, and brave and kind things you've done too."

Jessica stared at Adilyn for a moment wide-eyed and overwhelmed, and then she squeezed her eyes shut as the tears she had been trying to hold back slipped past her eyelids and began to trail down her cheeks.

"I was beginning to think people like you didn't exist anymore," Jessica sniffled a few seconds later, wiping hastily at her eyes and smearing blood across her cheeks in the process.

"People like me?" Adilyn asked, adjusting her position so that she was resting close enough to Jessica that she could reach out and help Jessica's wipe away the tears that dotted her cheeks. "You mean fairies?"

"No," Jessica breathed out. "I mean good people," she continued, meeting Adilyn's eyes, "kind people. I used to think the world was full of people like that, that most of us were decent and well-meanin'. But I've … I've learned over the past couple years how rare those people actually are. How precious," she continued, reaching up to brush her fingers lightly across Adilyn's cheek, though she quickly pulled them away when she realized she was leaving behind a trail of her blood on Adilyn's smooth cheek.

Adilyn caught her hand before it could far however, and she drew Jessica's hand back up to her cheek.

"I'm getting' blood all ov…"

"I don't care," Adilyn interjected before Jessica could continue. "I've already drank your blood. A little on my cheeks won't hurt," she continued, offering Jessica a sweet smile. "It's okay."

Jessica watched her for a few seconds with an awed sort of disbelief.

"You treat me better than anyone I've dated," Jessica breathed out, speaking before she could think better of it.

"If that's true, the men of Bon Temps are complete idiots. You should … forget them. You should … date me instead," Adilyn replied softly, her words coming out more haltingly and softly at the end.

Jessica's first instinct was to take Adilyn's words as a joke, but Adilyn looked and smelled serious, and Jessica knew that Adilyn was being sincere.

"What about Wade?" Jessica asked, though even as the question fell from her lips she realized that she had not heard Adilyn speak about Holly's son in quite some time.

"Daddy let him come over a few times during the day, but … I don't know. When I first met him, he seemed like the most interesting person in the world. I wanted to spend all my time with him, and I wasted hours imagining the things we'd do together, and what we'd say to each other, and all of the fun we'd have. But … I guess I hadn't met many people back then, and I'm not tryin' to be rude, but … he's actually pretty boring and kinda dumb," Adilyn whispered, as if Wade was nearby and would have his feelings wounded by her words if she spoke them at normal volume. "It turns out we don't really have much to talk about and don't really like any of the same things. I like spending time with you way more … and …" Adilyn paused for a moment and blushed. "You're much prettier, way smarter, and smell a heck of a lot better."

Jessica smiled brightly at that, more touched by what Adilyn said then she could put into words, and Adilyn smiled back at her just as warmly.

A few moments later, Jessica moved her hand to rest on Adilyn's thigh and then trailed it up her leg until it was resting on Adilyn's hip.

A shiver ran through Adilyn's body at the contact and she breathed in sharply, but a quick scenting of the air told Jessica that Adilyn's responses were not caused by fear and that gave her the confidence to make a more decisive move.

"Oh!" Adilyn gasped, when Jessica became a blur beside her and she suddenly found herself in dizzying motion. "My," she breathed out a second later, when she was still again and realized that Jessica had placed her on her lap.

"Is this okay?" Jessica asked, both of her hands on Adilyn's hips now, her thumbs lightly stroking Adilyn's stomach as she gazed up at Adilyn's face.

"Almost," Adilyn breathed out, unable to stop herself from smiling as she looked down at Jessica. "It'd be better if you were kissing me," she continued, her smile only growing when her words made Jessica's fangs pop.

"Sorry," Jessica exclaimed, lifting her hand up to cover her mouth. "I'm not hungry, I swear. I would never … they just do this sometimes, when I …" Jessica stopped talking abruptly when she realized the embarrassing truth she was about to admit to.

"When you what?" Adilyn asked, stroking Jessica's cheek tenderly.

Jessica looked away from Adilyn when the question fell from her lips, and she was silent for so long afterward that Adilyn began to think she was never going to answer. However, just when Adilyn was beginning to truly despair that she had ruined things, Jessica looked up at her and whispered, "When I get excited."

Adilyn's cheeks flushed with pleasure upon hearing Jessica's words and she shifted slightly on the vampire's lap as the throbbing between her legs became more intense.

"Please kiss me," Adilyn breathed out, just barely suppressing the urge to shift on Jessica's lap again.

Jessica did not need to be asked a third time. As soon as Adilyn's words perfumed the air, Jessica surged forward and upward, her arms wrapping around Adilyn to help support her back as she brought their lips together in an eager, hot kiss she hoped would convey to Adilyn just how badly she longed for her.

"Heavens," Adilyn gasped minutes later, when their lips finally parted. Her eyes were wide, her pupils heavily dilated, and her lips were kiss swollen and glistened fetchingly in the light. Every part of her felt warm and tingly, and the urge to shift her hips was stronger than ever. "Again," Adilyn breathed out, licking her lips as she stared deeply into Jessica's eyes. "Please."

Jessica's hands clutched at the material of her shirt, and once again her fangs popped. One of her hands moved away from Adilyn to hide her fangs again, but before she could, Adilyn caught her wrist and lowered Jessica's hand until it was resting on her hip.

"You don't have to cover them," Adilyn whispered softly, gently. "They're a part of you."

"I wish to God they weren't," Jessica muttered, looking down morosely.

"But they are," Adilyn told her firmly. "And I don't mind them none," she continued, the words earning her a quick but relieved look from Jessica. "Can you kiss with them out like that?"

"Yes," Jessica replied softly, "but I shouldn't. I … I don't want to cut you," she continued, hiding her face. "I've gotten used to your scent, but …" Jessica's eyes closed and she went completely still for a few seconds before a hard shiver ran through her. "I can't ever taste your blood. Ever," Jessica insisted, opening her eyes and searching out Adilyn's so that Adilyn could see how serious she was. "Never give it to me, no matter what."

"What if…"

"No," Jessica interpreted strongly, "Never. If I'm dyin', you just leave me to die," she continued, gentling her tone though her eyes remained as serious as they had been before. "If I ever hurt you, I'd have to face the sun anyway. I couldn't live another night knowing I'd harmed you," Jessica rasped, not able to force herself to say the word she really meant, the word that would truly convey what she'd end up doing to Adilyn if she drank from her, 'killed'.

Seeing the firm conviction in Jessica's eyes and hearing it in her tone, Adilyn took Jessica's words to heart and nodded her head. She'd seen firsthand, after all, what Jessica was capable of when she lost control of herself, and she had no desire to meet the same fate as her sisters.

"Can we still, you know …" Adilyn tapered off, though the hungry look in her eyes as they roved over Jessica's body left no doubt about her meaning. "If you can't bite me?"

"Yeah," Jessica breathed out, smiling a little now that she knew she hadn't turned Adilyn off of her with her warning. "Of course. If you want to. We don't have t..."

"Oh, I want to," Adilyn cut in before Jessica could finish. "I definitely want to," she continued, her eyes dropping to take in Jessica's lips as she finally gave in and shifted on top of the vampire. "I'm actually …" Adilyn leaned closer to Jessica, until her lips were pressed against the vampire's ear. "I'm really wet for you."

Jessica groaned and leaned forward, licking the underside of Adilyn's chin and then carefully kissing along her jaw.

"I can make you wetter," Jessica purred into Adilyn's skin as her hands slid behind Adilyn and clutched at her ass strongly, pulling Adilyn into her body until their breasts were pressed together.

"Oh," Adilyn moaned. "We should…" her hips bucked against Jessica, unconsciously seeking relief for the throbbing between her legs, "go to my room," she gasped breathlessly.

Jessica nodded, and then before Adilyn could so much as smile, Jessica scooped her up into her arms and raced up the stairs with her.

Part IV

Once the door to Adilyn's bedroom was closed and locked, they were nothing but a flurry of quick, heated kisses, and lifting, tugging, grasping hands as they stumbled backwards towards Adilyn's bed. It was only when they had both been stripped down to their underwear and they lay tangled up together on the mattress, that they slowed down enough for their brains to once again form words.

"I've never actually done this before," Jessica whispered, dipping her head down shyly which caused a curtain of redhead to fall in front of her face, partially hiding it from Adilyn. "Sex, I mean. Like sex with a girl," she added, perhaps unnecessary, but she was nervous and she babbled when she was nervous.

"Me either," Adilyn said, her lips curving up into a gentle smile as she reached up to brush the hair that had fallen in front of Jessica's face behind her ear. "But what we've been doing so far is really nice. I'm sure we'll figure the rest out."

"Okay," Jessica breathed out, a relieved smile touching her lips before she was in motion again, leaning down and bringing their lips together.

The truth was Jessica did actually have a few ideas about what they could get up to. She hadn't really had an eye for girls when she was human – at least not that she had been willing or able to admit to herself when living under the Hamby's roof – but since she had been turned vampire she had definitely felt the stirrings of attraction when she gazed upon, and touched, and especially fed on other women. What seemed like eons ago, when she'd been staying at Fangtasia with Tara and Pam, she'd wanted to talk to Tara about the feelings that she had been having, but everything had gone to shit so quickly that she'd never had the chance. She'd had a fast internet connection and her own laptop when she'd been living at the mansion with Bill however, and the world-wide web had given her access to plenty of videos, and websites, and pdf's, that gave her a pretty good idea about what Adilyn would like, and how to not completely suck at giving it to her.

Jessica's hands roamed, tracing and grasping and exploring any part of Adilyn she could reach as they continued to kiss. For minutes on end, they remained joined at the mouth as their hands searched and their bodies arched and strained against each other. Then, Jessica's fingers teased along the underside of Adilyn's bra and she pulled away from the girl's lips.

"Can I?" she asked, fingering the material of the bra again, her meaning clear.

Adilyn nodded her head, and Jessica bit down on her bottom lip as she reached behind Adilyn and managed to undo the clasp to her bra without embarrassing herself. Once the bra was unclasped, Jessica brought her hands to Adilyn's shoulder and the straps that lay on them.

"Go ahead," Adilyn breathed out when Jessica hesitated and looked down at her.

Jessica nodded faintly as her gaze slipped from Adilyn's face down to her chest. She bit down on her lip again, and then she proceeded to lower the straps. Adilyn lifted her arms at the right time and Jessica slipped the bra off of her, leaving Adilyn fully exposed from the waist up.

"Wow," Jessica breathed out, her lips curving up happily as she got her first look at Adilyn's bare chest. "You're fuckin' beautiful," she whispered reverently, not entirely aware that she was speaking as she lightly ran her up Adilyn's stomach, cupping Adilyn's breast in her hand when she reached it.

Adilyn gasped and her eyes closed when Jessica's cool hand took hold of her, and when Jessica's thumb began to stroke experimentally over her nipple, teasing it to hardness, Adilyn's stomach muscles tightened and her hips rolled up into Jessica's body. The motion drew a deep moan from Jessica because she knew what it went meant. She knew what Adilyn wanted, what Adilyn needed. She knew because it was the same thing that her body wanted; friction, something to hump.

Jessica braced her arm firmly on the mattress and then shifted so that her thighs rested over Adilyn's, and her thigh rested between Adilyn's legs.

Adilyn reached up with her own hand and covered the hand Jessica had on her breast, pressing down, encouraging a rougher touch, and a shiver of raw desire ran through Jessica's body. As Adilyn's eyes closed in pleasure, and her other hand moved to her chest to pinch and squeeze at her other breast, Jessica had just enough time to think that Adilyn touching herself was the hottest thing she had ever seen before a groan tore its way past her lips and her fangs popped.

Adilyn's undulating hips had found Jessica's thigh and pressed against it, and she was so wet that Jessica could feel her slick warmth through her panties.

"Fuck," Jessica panted, her eyes burning down into Adilyn's as she tried to make her fangs retract. She couldn't kiss Adilyn again until they did, and she really, really wanted to kiss her. Adilyn kept moving her hips however, rubbing herself against Jessica, and it was driving Jessica too insane with desire to control her fangs.

Eventually, Jessica was forced to slip her hand between their bodies and grab hold of Adilyn's hip, forcing it down onto the mattress gently but firmly.

"My foner'll never go away if you keep doin' that," Jessica murmured embarrassedly, barely managing to keep holding Adilyn's eyes as she spoke.

Fangs were so fucking humiliating sometimes, they really were.

"Foner?" Adilyn asked distractedly, her attention mostly on how adorable Jessica looked when she was embarrassed.

"Fang boner," Jessica whispered dejectedly, and there was no doubt in Adilyn's mind that if Jessica had been able to blush her skin would have been as red as her hair.

Adilyn laughed softly. "Is that really what people call it?" she asked, eyeing Jessica's fangs curiously.

Jessica sighed deeply and then muttered, "Unfortunately."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Adilyn asked softly as Jessica's chest began rise and fall in a deep steady rhyme.

Jessica did not need to breath to live anymore, but when she was little her mother had taught her how to keep herself calm by measuring her breathing, and it was still the most effective way she knew to regain control of herself.

"No," Jessica breathed out, a short while later, finally answering Adilyn's question.

Her fangs retracted.

"I'm okay now," she continued, bending down to place a kiss on Adilyn's cheek. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" Adilyn asked, following Jessica with her own as the vampire tried to hide from her.

"Ruining the moment," Jessica said, giving up and meeting Adilyn's eyes when it became clear to her that Adilyn wasn't going to let her hide.

"It's not ruined," Adilyn whispered, lifting her hand to cover Jessica's cheek. "All you need to do is bend down and kiss me."

Adilyn's words fanned the embers of Jessica's desire into flames once again, and Jessica obeyed her and leaned down, joining their lips together as her hands moved behind Adilyn and gripped her ass, helping Adilyn as she began to ride Jessica's thigh again.

When Adilyn's movements became more anxious and her breath fell in nothing but harsh pants, Jessica adjusted her position so that she could slip her hand between Adilyn's legs and stroked along the length of her through her panties.

"Ohmygod!" Adilyn exclaimed as pleasure flooded through her. "Jessica!" she gasped, her eyes wide and pleading as they stared up into Jessica's baby blues.

"Can I …"

"Yes!" Adilyn cut in eagerly. "Whatever it is, yes!"

"You shouldn't sign a contract without reading through it first," Jessica breathed out, smiling down at Adilyn teasingly.

"I told you already," Adilyn began, reaching between their bodies for the hand Jessica had between her legs and taking hold of it. "I tr…"

"Trust me," Jessica breathed out, her jaw clenching and her eyes hooding in pleasure as Adilyn slipped their joined hands beneath her panties, giving Jessica her first feel of Adilyn's naked desire. "God, you feel as good as you smell," Jessica purred.

"You said … I smell … like heaven," Adilyn gasped, just managing to get the words out before Jessica's fingers moved, and the shock of pleasure that coursed through her robbed her of the ability to do anything but moan and arch into the touch.

"You do," Jessica whispered into Adilyn's shoulder as she peppered it with kisses. "You feel like heaven too," she said, the last word falling from her lips a moment before she slid a finger inside of Adilyn.

"Oh," Adilyn sighed, and Jessica smiled down at her softly.

"Okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Adilyn breathed out. "Don't stop."

"I won't," Jessica purred as her lips curled up in a wicked grin, and then she leaned down and brought their lips together in a heated kiss.

It didn't take long for Adilyn to reach her breaking point. She'd been waiting for Jessica's touch for a very long time and her body was impatient for satisfaction. As her pleasure mounted, she clutched at Jessica's hips and her nails dug into Jessica's pale flesh, but the flare of pain her nails caused only drew a deep, content groan from Jessica and her fingers began pump into Adilyn with vampire speed.

As Jessica's fingers brought her closer and closer to the edge, the vampire kissed Adilyn's breasts, her collarbone, her shoulders, the underside of her jaw, and her cheek before finally bring their lips together again, though Adilyn was too close to the edge to contribute much. Adilyn was on the verge of coming. Jessica could feel it in the way Adilyn's inner muscles tugged at her fingers. She could see it in her closed eyes, in the furrowing of her brows, and hear it in her panting voice.

Jessica brought her left hand up and cupped Adilyn's neck with it, supporting the girl.

"I've got you," Jessica breathed out.

Adilyn's eyes fluttered open at the sound of Jessica's, its sweet tones calling to her like the song of a siren.

"Please," she managed to gasp.

Jessica inhaled deeply, taking in Adilyn's scent, and then she thrust her fingers deep inside of Adilyn and stroked her thumb over Adilyn's clit, causing the girl's eyes to slam shut and her hips to buck into Jessica's hand, as she crashed into orgasm.

Part V

When Adilyn woke up, she was alone in her bed and the discovery caused a pang of disappointment to course through her. However, as she became aware of the sunlight streaming into her room from the window, she knew that Jessica had had no choice but to leave her side.

Adilyn rolled onto her back and closed her eyes as she smiled up at the ceiling. She was sore and exhausted, but as memories from previous night (and the early morning) came back to her, she smiled to herself as she stretched, never so happy to be aching and tired.

She luxuriated in the sunlight for a while as she thought about what had happened on her bed the night before. She thought about how strong, yet tender Jessica had been, and how hard Jessica had made her come. She remembered flipping Jessica over, and hastily ridding her of her bra and panties before she'd leaned down and taken a pink nipple into her mouth, sucking on it as Jessica rubbed herself along her thigh…

Adilyn moaned softly, squeezing her thighs together for a moment before she slipped her hand between her legs and cupped herself. She could, but…

She looked up at the ceiling again, her mind focused on the attic above it and the woman asleep there.

Adilyn slipped out of the bed and pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, then left her room. She didn't think her father was home, the house was far too quiet, but she crept downstairs to look around, just to be safe.

Andy was nowhere to be found, and Adilyn let out a little sigh of relief. Her father had no doubt been called in early that morning to deal with another crisis, and though it didn't make Adilyn happy that things in town were so out of control, she was glad that she and Jessica were alone in the house and she quickly made her way to the stairs.

To Adilyn's surprise, when she opened the door to the attic and slipped inside, Jessica was awake and sitting up, seemingly waiting for her.

"You're … awake. I didn't think you'd be awake," Adilyn said, blinking a few times in confusion though she immediately began to walk over to where Jessica was sitting.

"You woke me up," Jessica breathed out, her lips curving up a little as Adilyn sat herself in her lap. "You were thinkin' about me, weren't you?" she continued, her smile growing when Adilyn looked at her in surprise. "You were thinkin' about last night."

"How did you …"

"The same way I knew you were in trouble, weeks ago," Jessica murmured. "My blood is inside you. I can feel your strong emotions."

Adilyn shook her head, but a small smile touched her lips even as she did.

"That's kinda creepy … yet, somehow still sorta romantic," she breathed out, and Jessica smiled up at her before leaning up to press her lips against Adilyn's.

Adilyn lifted her hands to cup Jessica's face and for some minutes after that, they sat there in the darkness of the attic kissing until Adilyn gasped in alarm when something wet and cold touched her fingers.

"Jessica!" Adilyn exclaimed fearfully as she looked at her hands.

There was blood on them. Jessica's ears were bleeding, and the trails dripping from them had gotten on Adilyn's hands where she cupped Jessica's face.

"It's okay," Jessica said, taking Adilyn's hands into hers and squeezing them in an attempt to calm the halfling down. "It's just the bleeds. It happens when vampires stay awake when the suns up. It's kinda gross, but I'm okay. I promise."

"You don't look okay," Adilyn observed dubiously.

Blood was dripping from Jessica's eyes as well, and she looked pale, even for her.

"Yeah, I know. I should probably go to sleep," Jessica admitted. "I'm not old enough to stay awake for much longer without the bleeds becomin' painful."

"We can't have that," Adilyn murmured, leaning down to bring their lips together, heedless of the blood that stained Jessica's. "Go to sleep. It's okay. I'll be waiting for you when you wake up," Adilyn promised as she pulled back from Jessica's lips, stroking Jessica's cheek softly before she slipped off of the vampire's lap and back onto her feet.

Jessica's eyes searched her face uncertainly for a few seconds, and then a small, shy, smile touched her lips.

"Okay," she breathed out. "Thank you. That would be nice. Will be nice. It'll be nice. To see you. When I wake up," she continued awkwardly, talking too much and knowing it, but not able to stop herself.

"You're really cute," Adilyn murmured as she smiled down at Jessica, utterly charmed by her rambling as she always was when Jessica got nervous and tongue-tied.

Looking down at Jessica, the redhead made entirely too adorable a picture for Adilyn resist, so Adilyn had no choice but to bend down and press her lips against Jessica's cheek one more time, the sweet kiss drawing a bashful, but happy smile to Jessica's lips.

Adilyn straightened up and made her way over to the attic door.

"I'll see you later," she called from the doorway, turning to face Jessica as she said her final goodbye.

"Later," Jessica repeated, looking happy and content despite the streaks of blood trailing down her face. "You should get some sleep too," she added when Adilyn lifted her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn.

"I will," Adilyn promised, and she meant it. She wanted to be well-rested for that night. She had plans for her vampire.

Adilyn slipped out of the door after that, and Jessica curled up on the bed she had made for herself a week before using blankets and Granny Bellefleur's old furs. She couldn't have imagined that things between her and Adilyn would work out the way they had when she had first planted herself on Andy's porch and sworn to him that she would keep Adilyn safe, but she couldn't have been happier about the way things had turned out. She was thankful for Adilyn, and for the faith Adilyn had in her, and for the desire Adilyn had for her, and shared with her, despite what she had done in her past. Jessica wasn't sure that she deserved Adilyn, or the tenderness and care that Adilyn showed her, but one thing she knew without a doubt was that she would cherish Adilyn and protect her with everything she had for as long as Adilyn would have her.

The End