Blood & Juniper

"Ash, what's wrong?"

I'm back to the present. The bike is stopped. Sam is standing beside me, his expression is crunched in anxiety and very close to mine. His snapping fingers gain my attention. The other hand is steadying me.

How long was I out of it?

He sees my response to the snapping and his shoulders relax, "What happened? You were squeezing me and went cayatonic for a good ten seconds."

I gawk at him and almost cry seeing him in one piece. *What happened*? What's *going* to happen!

His thumb rubs across my shoulder in those circles that are usually comforting, "Say something, you're worrying me."

"I can walk from here," I choke out.

I hop off the bike, still in a daze. 'What, when, how?' on a manic repeat in my head.

He grabs my hand, "Slow down, you look like you're in shock. Will you tell me what's going on?" he tilts his face, struck with a sudden realization, "Did you see something?"

His beautiful face transforms as I get a snapshot of what could be. Those green eyes so pale and clouded over, staring through everything, his skull smashed in and dark blood trickling in lines over his face.

My lids peel back wider as I stare at him. I feel like I'm going to throw up.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Ash, you're starting to freak me out. Are you ok?"

I *have* to keep them away from each other.

"Yes," I pull away with a cough, clearing my throat and rubbing my face. Both palms press into my sockets until I see white spots as if to gouge out the mental imagery, "I just need to go get my stuff. I'll be back."

"Yeah, I don't think so. Explain what that was all about?"

"Not now, Sam," I need to leave, I'm barely holding it together, "I can meet up with you in about an hour."

"I'm not meeting you anywhere. I'm coming with you."

"NO!" I impulsively panic.

He steps backwards out of alarm, genuinely concerned and startled as he stares at me.

"No, no," my voice is betraying me, shaking, "You can't come with me. You have to stay here or meet me somewhere else."

"Not a chance in hell. I'm not letting you go by yourself."

"Please, I'll explain later," I plead with him.

He considers me, scanning me thoroughly, "No, I don't feel right about that. You're acting frantic, you need to breathe. Take a breath."

"Sam!" I exasperate, pushing my fingers into my eyes and actually taking a deep breath just like he suggested. I'll admit it's helping clear my head.

I peek at him through my fingers with narrowed eyes then slowly lowering my hands, "What are you planning to do at the cabin?"

He shifts positions, confused, "What do you mean? I'm coming with to protect you if it comes to that."

"And what about Juniper?"

He frowns, "What about her?"

"What are you going to do if you see her?"

He shakes his head acting confused. No, he's *too* composed. Too controlled.

I push him for an answer, "Tell me you're not planning to hurt her."

His eyes narrow into slits, "Not unless I have to."

"And by what standard are we running on here!" I exclaim, "What constitutes as "have to"?"

"Anyone who threatens you is reason enough."

This is all very eye opening, I think there's more to this. This is… premeditated! I stare at him stunned like I'm really seeing him for the first time, "How long? You've been wanting to do this for a long time, haven't you? You're planning to kill her."

He blinks like the accusation is ridiculous, I'm not fooled.

"I already killed one woman today, what's one more?" He remarks callously. I want to say he's joking but it's so dry I'm not completely sure.

"Sam! Tell me you're not actually considering starting a fight with her."

"She caused this, Ash," he pushes back on the defensive, "The mess you are in right now is because of her. The Thorn are after *her* and she's using you as cannon fodder for her problems!"

"That's not true! She's not using me. She came clean with me."

"Only because she couldn't hide it from you. She doesn't care about your wellbeing."

"You don't know that! You don't know her!"

"Do you?" he snaps, this argument is escalating into a yelling match, "Do you even know who you're staying with? She'd feed you to the wolves if it increased her chance of survival!"

I'm shocked and stumble on a retort, completely outraged, "What! You think you know her better than I do?"

"Yes! Because I'm not being emotionally manipulated and have no attachment so I can see it clearly," he clenches his teeth, "I see it in her eyes! Because I know what vampires like her do. I *know* a monster when I see one."

"You're wrong about her, Sam!"

He screams, eyes dangerous and wild green, "You're naive, Ashlen!"

I step back a little afraid, he hasn't directed such hot aggression at me before. He closes his mouth tight with regret for losing his temper, easing back.

"You know what," my voice trembles as I swallow back tears burning to surface, "Maybe. Maybe I'm stupid and naive and don't know *you* or *Juniper* at all."

"You don't put people you care about in harm's way," he continues to argue his point, his volume and dialect level once again.

"Harm's way, like Derek and Betsy?" I bite out, then bite my tongue realizing what a low blow that was. I didn't mean it like that. I see the guilt immediately consume his feature.

"That's… Damn it," I attempt to back peddle, "I'm trying to say it's outside of her control, just like those things were outside of your control."

"I should have kept you out of danger," he laments looking away, then his face becomes hard and his tone turns into an order, "and that's why I'm going with you to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"No! You're not coming with me!" I shout.

"*Yes*. I. am."

I want to rip my hair out!

"So you'll kill her then? Fight until you both drop dead, is that your plan!"

"It would certainly solve the problem if I did."

I scoff, I can't believe what I'm hearing, "*Solve problems* if you both end up dead?"

"You'd be better off."

"I'd have no one!" I scream, "I'd see two people I care about crush each other into bits and I'd be alone!"

"I can't understand why you waste so much empathy on monsters, Ashlen! She is going to get you *killed*!"

"You're not coming," I put my foot down, I'm done arguing with him, "You can wait if you want but you are not coming with me!"

"This isn't a negotiation. It's not safe. I'm keeping you in my line of sight and nothing you can say will change that."

"You're right it's non negotiable! So you'd better hope you can catch me because if you dare follow me I'm staying in that cabin and I *won't* come out and I *won't* invite you in."

Now he's really getting angry, he growls, "Don't be stupid. I won't have you in danger."

I step back, keeping him at a distance, "Well, I won't risk another fight tonight! And it's not really up to you, Sam. I'm not yours, you're not responsible for me."

He's fuming, a furious blaze of emerald. I can see him running through all his options, cooking up his next action, grinding his sharp canines into his bottom lip. I'm a little worried he might try to physically prevent me from going. I rise on the balls of my feet backing up just in case he tries to grab me.

"Twenty minutes," he seethes, "You have twenty minutes to get what you need and get back here or I'm in coming after you."

"No that's not-"

"Twenty. minutes," Sam enunciates with finality. He folds his arms looking thoroughly displeased and absolutely serious.

I stutter out a few incomplete sounds of outrage before throwing my hands down in frustration and sprinting into the brush. I can hardly stand him right now!