The world can be a very strange place. Of course the level of strangeness depends upon the perception of the person, but still, the world can be a very strange place and not just where the people are concerned.

Marie-Jeanne Boudreaux , lifelong resident of Bon Temps knew this for a fact. How? Well, to put it lightly she was one of the strange people in the world right along with her 'blood sister' Sookie Stackhouse.

If one looked back far enough then they'd see Marie-Jeanne didn't always fit into that category but that all changed the day she and Sookie sliced their palms, clasped their cut and bleeding hands together, and vowed that they'd be sisters forever. That's when Marie-Jeanne crossed the border into Strangeville.

For as long as Marie-Jeanne could remember, Sookie had been able to read people's thoughts and after they became 'blood sisters' Marie-Jeanne….well, she'd been able to take part in that ability of hers too…

Marie-Jeanne finished tying her waitressing apron around her waist as she walked through the kitchen at Merlotte's. Unlike her coworkers, she didn't wear the shorts Sam requested they wore but wore black capris instead.

Lafayette chuckled at her usual choice of attire as she passed through the kitchen. "Sticking it to the man again? Or would you prefer if the man was sticking it in you?" He knew Marie-Jeanne has had a thing for Sam Merlotte for years but never did anything about it because of how Sam had feelings for Sookie.

Marie-Jeanne smiled sweetly as she flipped him the bird while walking backwards through the doorway to the dining area.

Lafayette called out to her, "Love you, too, baby!", in reply.

"You're late again," was Arlene's greeting to her that night. "I'm keeping all the tips from your tables since I had to cover them."

Marie-Jeanne wouldn't have expected anything else. "No argument here, darlin. Thanks for covering."

"What were you doing anyway?" Arlene asked as she picked up the tray of food and handed to Marie-Jeanne since it was for her table and sighed as she watched her pull on a pair of black gloves. "The gloves again?"

"I don't like germs," Marie-Jeanne reasoned once again as she took the tray from Arlene and went to the directed table. Of course germs had nothing to do with why she wore the gloves but it was easier to say that than say whenever she touched anyone she was hit with all their thoughts. That was one of the side-effects of the blood-sister bonding she and Sookie did when they were kids but had learned to deal with it. More or less anyway…less than more actually. It tended to be more of an avoidance tactic than an actual dealing with it one.

After delivering the food to the table, Marie-Jeanne turned around and saw Sookie standing in the middle of the dining room with a look that she recognized; Sookie was trying to block out all the voices. This was something she could help with. Marie-Jeanne removed her glove as she walked over to Sookie then placed her bare hand on Sookie's arm. Another little side effect – while touching anyone else bombarded Marie-Jeanne with their thoughts, touching Sookie didn't and it also silenced Sookie's gift as long as they touched. This reprieve gave her friend time to put the walls up for herself.

Sookie let out a breath of relief when she felt her friend's hand on her arm and smiled at her. "Thanks, MJ. I needed that."

"It's nice to know I'm good for something," MJ replied as she returned her glove moved to another one of her tables.

Sookie followed her saying, "Hey now. I will not listen to you talking down about yourself like that, you hear?"

MJ bowed elaborately in Sookie's direction then smiled at the customers seated in front of her. "What can I get you folks this fine evening?" She said that to everyone every night whether the evening was fine or not. It got real old real fast for MJ, but it was a little normal routine as she tried to navigate herself through their strange world.

MJ went through the motions with a smile she didn't mean and a peppy voice to match whenever she dealt with customers but in her head she kept thinking 'kill me now'. Of course she kept those thoughts to herself and never directed them to Sookie – which was something she could do if she wanted to. Another little side effect – Sookie could only hear the thoughts Marie-Jeanne wanted her to hear and they could communicate with each other just by thinking whether in the same room or across town from each other. That certainly came in handy sometimes.

After taking the order from the dullest people to ever pass through Bon Temps, she went to the counter to clip the order slip just in time to hear Arlene say to Lafayette,

"Not everyone wants to have sex with you."

Without missing a beat or even knowing the conversation that led up to that point, MJ answered with, "I do. Who could pass up such a beautiful example of the human form?"

"You," Lafayette answered as he waved a pointed finger at her. "Because of all the germs that get exchanged during sweet, hot, dirty fucking." His tone became more playfully seductive with each word he spoke.

MJ started fanning herself as her voice went into 'Southern Belle' mode. "Oh Lafayette, you're getting me all hot and bothered and making me cringe inside at the same time. I'm so confused!" With a dramatic sigh, she placed the back of her hand against her forehead and fell back into the wall next to the kitchen door in a faux-fainting motion.

In the blink of an eye she was standing upright again and walking away like she hadn't done or said a word.

'Really, MJ?' Sookie thought in MJ's direction.

MJ turned around and grinned while thinking back, 'You know it'. She was just about to head over to a table when Sam waved her over to the bar. MJ took a breath to compose herself and changed her direction. "Yes, boss?" she asked him sweetly.

Sam gestured to her gloved hands she had placed on the bar. "We've talked about this, Jeanne. The customers don't like it. You haven't even been here for an hour yet and I've already gotten more complaints and questions. They think you got a disease or something."

MJ removed her hands from the bar and crossed her arms. "You know why I wear them." At least he knew the reason she told everyone else. Sookie, Jason, and their Gran were the only ones who knew the truth.

"I do, which is why I got you this." Sam presented a small bottle of hand sanitizer. "Use this instead of wearing the gloves."

MJ hated how sweet she thought this was. He was actually trying to help her with what he believed was germaphobia and that made her feel warm and fuzzy because he cared enough to try but it also pissed her off. It wasn't what Sam had done that pissed her off but how she felt about it. MJ knew as well as anyone what he felt for Sookie so she knew she never stood a chance. Besides, it's not like she could be in a physical relationship with Sam – or anyone else for that matter. Damn this strange world.

MJ was going to downright refuse but when Sam looked at her with what she called his puppy dog eyes and asked her, "Please?", she became Jell-O. MJ's defiant shoulders slouched before she slipped off her gloves and shoved them into the pocket of her apron. To keep of the germaphobia façade, she used some of the sanitizer before putting the bottle with the gloves.

With this all done she asked him, "Happy now?"

"Happy isn't the word for it, Jeanne, but thank you." Sam knew it would be a struggle for her but he believed she'd be able to handle it.

MJ waved a finger around to gesture to Sam's face. "One day that puppy dog look won't work on me."

"We'll see," Sam grinned and returned to tending the bar.

MJ rolled her eyes a bit in reply, thinking if she wanted to get any tips that night she better get back to waiting her tables.

Marie-Jeanne had managed to keep physical contact out of the equation that night so it wasn't too bad not wearing the gloves but she missed the comfort of them. Yes, she knew her arms were exposed even with the gloves, but still. Thankfully it was a relatively quiet evening – quiet meaning nothing rowdy but MJ just had a gut feeling that the tide would change and she was right about that.

In the middle of taking an order, MJ just happened to look over as a man with dark hair and pale skin entered Merlotte's. It took her, and probably Sookie, only one second to realize he was a Vampire. Yep, Vampires existed and they had 'come out of the coffin' a couple years ago but it wasn't until that moment that she'd ever seen one in person.

Luckily for MJ she was able to keep peeking over towards the Vampire's table and finish taking her customer's order at the same time. After dropping it off at the kitchen, she went straight to the bar. "That is a Vampire, right?"

"It is!" Sookie answered excitedly. "Merlotte's has gotten its first Vampire. I've been waiting for this moment ever since they came out of the coffin." She giggled, picked up her order pad, and went straight over to the Vampire's table in her section.

MJ let out a deep sigh as she slid onto a bar stool beside Tara, took a sip of Tara's margarita, and thought aloud, "As if my world wasn't strange enough."

Tara's eyes widened because of what MJ just did. Since she was also told that MJ was a germaphobe it shocked her that she drank from a glass that had been previously drank from. "You do realize I've been drinking from that, right?"

"It's touching that's the problem, remember?," MJ answered then turned her attention towards the overly giggly Sookie as she talked to the Vampire, and added in, "I can't touch anyone." That was true despite the incorrect reasons she let everyone believe.

MJ's attention was pulled away from Sookie and placed upon when bar when she heard a shot glass being set down in front of her. Upon seeing Sam fill it up, she raised a brow at him but didn't question it. Instead she downed it, hopped off the stool, and went back to work.

Sam cleared away the glass and leaned on the bar with a deep sigh. "Not being able to touch anyone? That's gotta be rough. I don't think I could handle that."

"Me neither," Tara admitted. "She didn't used to be like that though. And now Sookie is the only person she can touch without freaking out."

"Strange world." Sam couldn't help but agree with MJ's previous sentiment.

Tara raised her margarita glass and concurred. "Strange world."

Later that night MJ went outside for a quick break. It was nice and peaceful out there until suddenly her head was bombarded with Sookie's mental freak out. Sookie's sent out thoughts were going a mile a minute but MJ was able to figure out that the asshat Rattrays had taken the Vampire somewhere to drain his blood and Sookie was going to find them.

"Bloody hell." MJ couldn't believe Sookie was putting herself into the middle of this mess but after a brief exchange of location she went to help Sookie anyway.

MJ made sure to put her gloves back on as she sprinted to Sookie's location in a semi-secluded spot beyond the parking area, just in case things got physical. Oh who was she kidding? With the Rattrays involved things were absolutely going to get physical.

It didn't seem like Sookie even needed her help because by the time MJ got there, Mack Rattray was on his knees with a chain wrapped around his neck and Sookie had Denise Rattray at knifepoint. "Damn, Sookie. And here I thought you needed my help."

"You seriously gonna stand by and let this cunt threaten me like this?" Denise shouted at MJ.

MJ came right out with, "Yes," as she moved closer, took the knife from Sookie's hand and aimed it right at Denise's throat. "But if you ever call my sister a cunt again I will slit you open six ways from Sunday."

Denise scoffed and went over to get the blood bags they'd taken from the Vampire but Sookie wasn't going to let her leave with those.

"Uh uh," Sookie firmly said to her. "You get away from that blood."

Denise was pissed beyond words. "I'm going to kill you both for this. This – this ain't over."

"Oh, but it is, sweets. Now get out." Marie-Jeanne didn't lower the knife until both Denise and Mack had gotten the hell out of there. Now she turned her attention to Sookie who was helping remove silver from the Vampire. "Am I gonna have to start worry about you, Sookie? Because I haven't had to worry about you for a long time now."

Before MJ could get her answer, Denise Rattray sped her car straight towards them so they had to get out of the way. MJ darted out of the path while Sookie pulled the Vampire to safety along with them. "Fucking bitch." MJ drove the knife into a nearby tree, narrowed her eyes at the Vampire, then turned to Sookie. "Like I asked before – Am I gonna have to start worrying about you?"

"You can go, MJ. I'm fine. Promise." Sookie appreciated MJ coming to assist her, but she really didn't need for her to stick around.

MJ would give Sookie that but had something to do before she left. She crouched down in front of the Vampire and made herself abundantly clear. "If anything happens to Sookie while she is within your vicinity the Rattrays are going to be the least of your goddamn worries. I will hunt you down myself." MJ plastered one of her sweet smiles, patted the Vampire on the head, and with her peppy voice said, "Have a nice night," and stood up straight.

Sookie shook and amused head MJ's way. "You'll know if I need you."

"Damn right I will." MJ had no worries about that and that was the only reason why she headed back into Merlotte's and left Sookie alone with the Vampire at all.

Upon MJ's return into the building she held up her once again ungloved hand to keep Tara – who was tending bar oddly enough – from asking her any questions and went back to work. If Sookie wanted to tell Tara what happened then that was on her, but as far as MJ was concerned she was done with it.

At least she thought she was done with it. While delivering a pitcher of beer to a table MJ almost dropped it because of Sookie's laughing voice in her head saying practically screeching with amusement,

'His name is Bill! I'm talking to a Vampire named Bill!'

MJ had to give her that. It was pretty funny. One would think a Vampire would have a more…not really exotic but superior, perhaps, name. Like Vladimir, or Anthony, or even Eric. Anything but such a simple name as Bill.

With a genuine smile gracing her features she delivered the beer to the table and her smile grew at the perplexed expressions upon her regular's faces. Perhaps their reaction could be explained by the fact that not until that moment in any point in time had they seen Marie-Jeanne truly smile.

Sam – who had just returned from talking to Sookie outside – instantly noticed this as well. He met MJ at the table she was presently clearing off. "Something's got you smiling."

"The power of a name," MJ giggled before sighing, "Oh what a strange world this is." She grabbed the last plate off the table and moved around Sam to add it with the other dirty dishes, not even pausing when she heard Sam say to her as she went,

"Well it's nice to see a real one for a change."

He's only saying that to stay on my good side for brownie points with Sookie. That's what MJ thought to herself and only to herself as she continued on with the rest of her shift. There was no point in dreaming of a possibility that she knew would never come forth into reality.

Before Sookie went home for the night she 'downloaded' her memories of the conversation between her and Bill. All but the part about the silver since she had promised not to tell anyone about that. It was so nice to just sync up with someone like that and not have to talk when she didn't want to. And to only hear MJ's thoughts when MJ wanted her to was always the greatest thing. Sookie hadn't experienced that with anyone else before until she met Bill. Now that was going to be a conversation for later since her shift was over but they could talk about it easily enough whenever they wanted – Talk about it in their minds that is.

MJ was glad whenever Sookie shared memories with her that she was able to differentiate her own memories from Sookie's. If it ever ended up where MJ couldn't tell then she'd stop it from ever happening again. Her head was messed up enough at times, she didn't need to be confused about who she was and what her memories were on top of it.

Since MJ came in late that night she offered to stay late to make up for in. She was giving the dining room a thorough cleaning when Sam called over that her brother was asking for her. MJ didn't have a brother of her own but she knew Sam was talking about Jason. Ever since they were kids Jason would tell everyone he had two sisters even though everyone knew he biologically only had one. There were some people who believed they were all related though. Maybe it was because of how close they always had been or maybe it was because they were all blonde?

"You here for the twenty I owe you?" That's what MJ thought it was about anyway.

"Wrong sister!" Jason hollered in Sam's general direction before MJ's words clicked. "You took that twenty from my wallet?!"

MJ batted her eyelashes innocently and apologetically as she handed over enough of her tip money to pay him back. "Sookie already went home. Want me to deliver a message to her?"

Jason plucked the money from her hand and slipped it into his pocket. "Naw. I can just call her later." Jason still didn't trust the mental conversations MJ and Sookie could do because he was never sure if they were making it up or not.

"Calling on the phone. How archaic," she teased before returning to her cleaning. MJ could have easily talked with Jason longer but she figured Tara would want to talk to him. MJ knew Tara had feelings for Jason and while she believed nothing would ever become of it because of just how Jason was, she didn't try to stop it either. Who knows, maybe they'd end up surprising her?

Once MJ's shift was finally done and over with, she drove herself home. In this point of her life home was none other than the Stackhouse residence. After MJ's mother died a few years back, Gran invited her to move in with them seeing as how there was no other family MJ had but them. MJ had no reason in the world to refuse so she didn't.

All the inside lights were out so MJ made sure to be quiet as she went into the house and straight up to her room. She didn't bother changing out of her clothes and just plopped herself face down on her bed to sleep. As soon as she drifted off a dream that wasn't her own entered her mind. She awoke with a gasp and went straight to Sookie's room with an unamused expression on her face as she looked at the awake sitting upright Sookie.

Sookie new what that face meant. "You saw that?"

"Yeah, I saw that. If your dreams are going to end up in my head try not to dream of having Vampire sex."

Sookie gasped, "We were not having sex!"

"But you wanted to and don't even try to deny it. We both know that ain't gonna get you anywhere." MJ turned around on her heels saying, "Goodnight," as she went and returned to her own room.

Since she was already standing she decided to change out of her clothes and into her nightclothes that consisted of a pair of shorts and an oversized t-shirt. That was bedtime comfort as far as she was concerned and she hoped that comfort would stay constant as she climbed into bed and covered up.

MJ was just about to close her eyes when she heard Sookie's voice say,

'I can't hear his thoughts. Bill's thoughts, I mean.'

Okay…MJ wasn't expecting that. 'Weird. Must be nice though, not having to keep your walls up around him.' She felt dumb for saying that to her because of course it must be nice. How could it not be nice? MJ would give anything to be able to touch someone without getting hit with every thought they've ever had, well not to that extreme but that's what it felt like and if she did touch someone long enough that's what would end up happening. If MJ longed for someone like that then of course Sookie would want someone whose thoughts she couldn't hear.

Sookie wasn't going to rub how nice it was in because she knew how MJ felt whether or not MJ realized she knew, so she ended it there. 'Goodnight, MJ'.

'Goodnight, Sook'. This time when MJ fell asleep she didn't get any dreams from Sookie's side but there was no guarantee that Sookie didn't get ones from her.

MJ's alarm didn't go off the following morning so by the time she got up and dressed and downstairs, Sookie and Jason were already done with breakfast. "Jason if you ate all the bacon I will rip your head off."

"As long as it's the one attached to my neck I can live with that," Jason grinned as he popped the last piece of bacon into his mouth.

Neither Sookie or MJ new if Jason realized what exactly he said but it didn't matter. The duo shared a laugh about it and MJ dug into whatever food was leftover. During the loading of the plate process she was going to ask where Gran was but her unspoken question was answered when she came into the kitchen to inform them Maudette Pickens had been found strangled in her apartment.

"Holy motherf…" MJ trailed off and put of forkful of food into her mouth when Gran's expression told her not to finish that sentence.

Sookie couldn't believe what happened either. "I can't believe it. A murder? Here in Bon Temps?"

"Why are you surprised?" Jason asked them. "Now that we've got ourselves a Vampire."

MJ swallowed her bite of food before responding to that. "A Vampire who strangles someone? If they said she was completely drained of blood then I'd be inclined to agree. But not strangulation."

"Since when do you know so much about Vampires?" Jason shot back.

MJ thought Jason was getting slightly defensive on this topic but answered him anyway. "It just makes sense, Jay. Why would a Vampire give up a free meal like that?"

Gran gasped at her words. "Marie-Jeanne Boudreaux, that is no way to speak of the dead."

MJ looked at her apologetically and meant it. "I'm sorry, Gran. I was just trying to make my point as candidly as possible." In other words, she was trying to say it in a way that Jason would easily grasp onto and not question. Not that she thought Jason was dumb, it wasn't that, he just processed things differently in his mind.

Sookie sided with MJ here. "Just because he's a Vampire doesn't mean he's a murderer."

Jason threw down his napkin on the table with a scoff. "Come on now. Fang Bangers go missing all the time in Shreveport, New Orleans. They never find them but everybody knows the Vampires are killing them and disposing of their bodies."

Gran didn't understand some of what Jason said there. "What's a Fang Banger?"

"A Vampire groupie," Sookie explained and MJ added in,

"Men and women who get their rocks off by getting bitten."

Gran gasped, "My stars," upon hearing that.

Something clicked for Sookie so she asked Jason, "Maudette was a Fang Banger? How do you know that?"

Jason hit the table, speaking mighty defensively. "I don't know, Sookie. The way you just know things sometimes."

If Jason somehow managed to start hearing thoughts MJ doubted that'd be something he be able to keep to himself. Nope, Jason was deflecting something. That was made even more evident when he started talking about something he read in a magazine about hookers who specialized in Vampires. The conversation segued into how much and how that would work.

Finally MJ chimed in with, "I could never have sex with a Vampire. With their lifetimes of memories they'd fry my brain." The point she couldn't have sex with anyone at all thankfully wasn't brought up. MJ brought her dishes to the sink saying, "On that note I have a few errands to run. Thanks for breakfast, Gran." She blew Gran a kiss before grabbing her purse from the counter and heading out the door.

Jason looked after her with raised brows asking, "Now why did Vampire sex remind her of an errand?" As soon as he said it aloud, he shook his head. "Nope. I don't want to know."

In all honesty, MJ didn't have any errands to run. At least not really. She did got into town to buy a bouquet of flowers then returned to the cemetery near the Stackhouse residence. Every grave she passed she set a flower down until the entire bouquet was gone. MJ never had enough flowers to go around but she always visited those that were missed the next time around.

Ever since MJ was a kid this was a little tradition of hers. Once a month she'd bring flowers to the graves who didn't get them anymore or hadn't gotten them for the longest of time. Such a small act of kindness towards the forgotten brought her a little peace inside.

After the final flower was placed, she sat down in the middle of the cemetery before laying back and looking up at the trees and sky above her. MJ closed her eyes and felt the grass touching her skin. She had always been a very tactile person and since she couldn't have the physical contact she desired from another person she found it elsewhere. Whether it was from the grass, or silky sheets, or a soft teddy bear she'd try to appease her need of touch with those but nothing could ever compare to the touch of another person.

MJ must have fallen asleep in the cemetery again because the next thing she knew it was time to get ready for her shift at Merlotte's. As odd as it was, she would have much rather had stayed there laying in the grass then spend a whole night avoiding people's touch but finally she pushed herself off the ground, saying, "Fuck it," and returned to her car to change. Since she always kept spare clothes in the back of her car she didn't see the point of going back home. Besides, it's not like there were people around to watch her change anyway.

As soon as MJ arrived at work that night Sookie came right over to her asking, "Did you know Jason got arrested?"

"If I knew you would have known a second later." That was true. If MJ had heard anything about that she would have sent Sookie a message instantly. "What happened?"

"That's what I'm going to find out." Sookie took MJ's hand and pulled her along to the pool table area where Arlene, Hoyt, and Rene were all playing a round. Sookie wasted no time asking, "What happened to our brother, Rene?"

Rene replied with a drawn out reluctant "Awwwww…hell" before saying, "I promised him I wasn't going to tell ya-you."

MJ crossed her arms and stared them down, asking, "What happened?"

Hoyt adjusted his cap before answering. "Oh, uh, well, uh, Bud Dearborne and Andy Bellefleur, uh, they asked him some questions and then they just threw him into the back of the squad car."

MJ turned to Sookie, thinking for her to hear, "Can you believe this?"

Sookie heard her loud and clear. Addressing Hoyt and Rene, she asked, "So you don't even know for a fact that they arrested him?"

Rene stammered a little, "Well, they – they didn't cuff him or nothing."

Arlene emphatically add in, "Sookie, Marie-Jeanne, I am so sorry."

"For what?" Sookie demanded to know. "Y'all are already acting like Jason's been convicted of killing Maudette and we don't even know what they were talking to him about. Bud Dearborne just made a mistake, that's all."

MJ didn't feel the need to add anything onto that because she agreed with Sookie and so she just pointed at her in a 'what she said' fashion.

"Yeah. Yeah, it has to be." Hoyt replied affirmatively. "Because Jason's a real stand up guy."

MJ couldn't help but scoff a chuckle at that. "No, he's not, Hoyt. He is selfish, egotistical, and a complete horndog, but he is not a murderer."

Now it was Sookie's turned to point at MJ in a 'what she said' fashion because she couldn't have said it any better herself.

MJ was about to add something else in but lost her thought when she felt the Vampire's presence – when she felt Bill's presence in Merlotte's. Seeing how captivated Sookie was with Bill made MJ point to her eyes then move them towards Bill in a way that told him she was watching him. It was clear she wasn't the only one watching him because all eyes seemed to be turned in Sookie and Bill's direction.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what the people were thinking around her. MJ hated that Sookie was probably hearing it all and was also glad she couldn't hear them herself. Then again, maybe Sookie couldn't hear them. Did the whole not being able to hear Bill thing block the other voices around her, too? MJ made a mental note to ask Sookie about that later.

MJ was loading up her tray with drinks at the bar while everyone still had their eyes locked on Sookie and Bill making plans for later that evening. She scoffed at all their behavior, muttering to herself, "Y'all need to get a goddamn life or a TV or something if their conversation is the most fascinating thing to ya." She had no idea if anyone else heard her but Sam apparently did since he turned around and looked right at her. MJ stood her ground with her opinion, saying right at him, "Well it's true."

Sam walked straight for her and once they were close enough, he said, "Sookie is gonna get herself killed making dates with a Vampire. You have got to understand that, Jeanne."

"The only way Sookie would ever get killed is over my dead body." MJ was more than serious about that and didn't say another word as she moved away from the bar and delivered her drinks before finishing up the rest of her shift for the night.

Closing time finally rolled around so MJ and Sookie left Merlotte's together. They said a brief 'good night' to Sam as he went to his trailer across the way then headed for their cars since Bill was nowhere in sight.

"He's an idiot for standing you up." MJ linked her arm with Sookie's as they walked.

"It wasn't a date or anything," Sookie laughed in reply. "It was just supposed to be a conversation." They took a couple more steps together before MJ suddenly stopped, making Sookie stop abruptly because of it. "What's the matter?"

MJ pointed towards a nearby tree. "The knife's not there anymore." She thought for sure that was the tree she drove the knife in the night Sookie saved Bill.

Sookie looked over to where MJ was pointing then back to her. "It's probably in a different tree. Don't worry about it, MJ. I'll see you at home."

MJ was semi-distracted because she would swear that was the tree, but managed to answer anyway. "Yeah, I'll see you at home." She unlinked her arm with Sookie's to walked down to her car while Sookie crossed the parking lot to get to her own. MJ was just about to put her keys in the door when suddenly she felt a heaviness in the air – a heaviness that hit her like a brick wall, making her see and hear the thoughts coming from Mack Rattray. He was nearby and was going to go after Sookie.

MJ had never experienced anything like that before but she didn't give it a second thought. She whipped around to warn Sookie but instead she saw Mack stalking right over to her. "Sookie!" MJ screamed and started to run over but gasped in pain when Denise appeared right in front of her and drove the knife from the tree into her stomach.

Denise pulled out the knife and drove it into MJ again before leaning forward to say, "I told you I was gonna kill you bitches."

MJ took in a deep gasping breath as Denise pulled out the knife and walked away. She tried to get to Sookie but didn't even make a step before collapsing to the ground. Tears streamed down MJ's face as she helplessly watched Mack and Denise beat Sookie until finally her world went black…

MJ swore the only way Sookie would die was over her dead body, but she didn't think it'd happen so soon.

End Season 1 Episode 1