Ghost of Demons Past

After leaving Bill's in such a hurry I peeled out and drove like a maniac. I heard him say "I saw her." What the hell could that mean? Who did he see? Lilith? That was my only guess. And then Kiara mentioning Russell Edgington...something was seriously wrong. Then hearing my father's voice and seeing him faintly....I was losing my mind. There was no other explanation.

The radio fuzzed in and out and I looked down at it for a second. Looking back out at the road, I gasped and slammed on my brakes, skidding to a halt. There he was, his eyes meeting my own same crystal blue. The one thing I inherited from him. "D-daddy?" The next thing I knew he had vanished from in front of me and appeared next to me in the passenger seat. His eyes were blank and empty.

"Surprised to see me? After all you did kill me..."

He looked solid, like an actual living person, not like some ghost. I felt like my throat was closing and moved away from him so much that my back pressed up against the door.

Why was I scared, I had no idea. But deep down I was terrified, truthfully I was terrified to face what I'd done. I did this, I lost control and let my inner demons control me. I enjoyed killing him, watching him suffer. But now, the guilt overwhelmed me. Seeing him here, blaming me for his death...a sudden surge of anger came from me and I narrowed my eyes, refusing to be scared of him any longer.

"You.deserved.it."

I spat out coldly to him. Opening the door I got out of the car and stood in the middle of the empty road, the fog rolling in and the night air dropping the temperature a few degrees. I felt his breath on my neck as he whispered, "You're just like me you know. You'll never be happy unless you're hurting someone emotionally."

"Screw you! I'm nothing like you. I would never hurt my own child just because they have different beliefs, or want to actually live their life! I'm not a drunk who hits his wife just because he can!"

"Oh no? Well, you've done a great job at hurting Hoyt...the one man who accepted you whole heartily, no questions asked." He grinned and came around to face me. "And what did you do? Broke his heart into millions of pieces by sleeping with his best friend."

"You take that back you...you take it back!" My anger was boiling now.

My hands balled into fists and I went to punch him when he seemed to vanish. "Hit a nerve did I?"

"I'll never let you control my emotions or me again. Screw you. Go to hell where you belong."

"And then there was his best friend, Jason...right?" He laughed like he used to when he hit mama. "He loved you too, no matter how stupid he was. And what did my little slut daughter want? Nothing but sex. Now he hates you and you've moved on...after you broke his heart too."

I felt the tears roll down my cheek, he'd hit the nerve right on target. "Sh-shut up. Why are you doing this to me?"

"I'm just returning the favor for killing me. I begged you, pleaded....I loved you Jessica. But I'll just go on the list with every other man who has loved you."

I fell to my knees and sobbed, then looked up to see no one there and a cars headlights shining in my eyes. I raised my hand to block the bright light and stood, wiping at my eyes. I looked around and saw no one as the car passed me.

"You alright miss?" I smiled softly and nodded.

"Yes, thanks. I'm fine. Thank you." He nodded and continued on. Getting in my car I headed to Quinn's place. I was going crazy...something was happening...my dark side was itching to come to the surface now.

Pulling up to the estate, I took a slow deep breath and calmed myself. My hands were still shaking as was my entire body.

I used my key and walked in, looking around. Vincent came forward and saw my face. "Is everything okay, Miss Hamby?" I just nodded and pointed to Quinn's office and he nodded.

I walked to the door and stood there. He sat at his desk holding a photo and looking down with deep concentration. I could feel many emotions coming from him, then again I didn't know if it was just my own. "Quinn..." I sniffled and wiped my eyes once more.

He heard the car pull up but was too lost in thought to bother turning. He continued to stare at the picture. Had it been real? a daydream? something else?


He picked up Jessica's scent as she came down the hall, but continued to stare at the picture...

I approached slowly, he seemed lost in what he was looking at. I could hear my father's chuckle in my ear. "So he's next on your list I see?" Closing my eyes tightly I tried to ignore it. "Quinn...I..."

"...I might be..." I was close to his desk when my eyes caught sight of what he was looking at. A picture of Salome and him in the Authority. I remembered those chambers. I swallowed hard and looked at him staring at the pic. "I uh...Quinn, what's going on?"

"Can't you tell, looks like he misses her. Maybe she was better than you...you were a replacement for the one he lost but you don't add up."

I bit the inside of my lip hard and tasted my own blood.

"Quinn...I...I might be...I uh...Quinn, what's going on?"

Quinn laid the photo face down. He would go back to it later. He turned, pasting a smile on his face.

"Hello Jessica....sorry I have not been...the last few days have been a bit...odd...."

He stood from the desk, pulling a file folder over the frame and walked to her, resting his hands on her hips.

"What's up? you look a bit frazzled..."

I closed my eyes tightly when he touched me and tried to ignore the words playing in my head. "I...I um..." I shook my head to get my thoughts together, but only one came to mind. "Why were you looking at that photo?" I blurted out and opened my eyes to look at him.

"Why don't you save him the trouble and just hurt him now..."

"I...I um...Why were you looking at that photo?"

Quinn paused as he heard Salome whispering ~Awww...she's jealous you were thinking about me.~

"Just thinking about the past, hon. I've been going through some of the archives I retrieved from the Authority Headquarters and came across the photo. I would be lying if I told you some small part of me didn't miss her. She was a big part of my life for a long time, but she is my past...and you are my future..."

~...and I always will be part of your life, Jonathan...~
"...but enough about the past. What have you been up to?"

"He's just trying to make you feel better. Did you tell him how you killed me, how you tortured me until you had my blood on your hands."

I closed my eyes again and looked down, my fists clenching his shirt. I took a slow breath and tried to block it out. My words were no more than a whisper, "I'm going crazy...I'm...." I shook my head.

"Aw, don't be sad now. A little too late for that don't you think?"
"Quinn, something is wrong with me." I opened my eyes and looked up at him with fear. "And Bill...I think...I--"


"Bill...the man who made you this monster and you praise him. But what more could I expect from a whore daughter like you. If you hadn't ran out that night--"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled and fell to the floor, bringing my knees to my chest and rocking. "He gave me blood...what if...if she...he saw...I'm...losing my mind." I continued to rock.

"I'm going crazy...I'm....Quinn, something is wrong with me. And Bill...I think...I--"
Quinn watched in surprise as she dropped to the floor.
"SHUT UP! He gave me blood...what if...if he...he saw...I'm...losing my mind."

Stepping close and kneeling down, he looked to her...
~Little minx is cracking under the pressure. She could never replace me, Jonathan. She will never be me.~
"Jessica....you're not making sense...what's wrong?"
~Little ginger bitch is gonna run~

Quinn stood and turned toward the bay window where the voice came from.

"Get out of my house, you vindictive bitch!!"

Quinn grabbed a paperweight off the desk and threw it at Salome, then dropped to his knees, his eyes wild as he tried to make sense of things. Vincent came running in with several guards armed with silver weapons, staring shocked as both of them were on their knees and the shattered window gave no explanation to the scene.

I covered my ears and continued to whisper 'shut up' but his voice kept getting louder and louder, bringing up things I wanted to bury. The night I killed him, the guilt I took out on him for not helping my friend from Mr. Gary.

"And then you watched them pull me from the lake and did nothing. Did you like seeing my rotting corpse?"

I growled and uncovered my ears to hear Quinn scream out, "Get out of my house, you vindictive bitch!!" I gaped at him and heard the guards rush in. My heart sank and I felt numb and broken. Shattered even. I saw Quinn's face...then it turned to my father. My eyes turned cold, dark. My lip curled into a snarl as he looked back at me with a grin.

"What's the matter, princess. Can't handle it?"

I lunged for his throat and screamed out. "I KILLED YOU ONCE YOU SON OF A BITCH! JUST DIE!"

The next thing I knew searing pain was in my back as I screamed out at the pain of a silver netting.

"I KILLED YOU ONCE YOU SON OF A BITCH! JUST DIE!"

Quinn watched in disbelief as she lunged. The guards acted automatically, throwing the silver net over her, restraining her while Vincent came forward with the leather case Quinn kept for this kind of thing. He extracted three vials as the guards bound Jessica carefully, forcing block-guards into her mouth once she was secured. Quinn pulled out a needle, drawing a vial of his own blood and added it to the others. He poured the vials together into a small cup, and looked to Jessica. He winced at the sharp smell of the silver on her skin.

"I am sorry beloved, but it must be done."

He gripped her chin firmly and poured the mixture into her mouth. He then removed the blocks and forced her mouth closed, holding it shut until she swallowed, tears in his eyes.

~Bet she'll just love you for this one, Jonathan.~

He ordered the others out of the room and waited for the mixture to take effect.

I felt him pry my mouth open and call me something only Quinn did. It was then I realized it was Quinn I'd attacked. My skin healing from the silver, but my heart still ached at what he'd said. And now he was drugging me. He really did hate me.

I felt the liquid go down my throat and my father gave a shrill laugh. "Looks like he hurt you before you could hurt him." He bent down next to me and shook his head. "You would've made me proud someday, Jess. But seeing you like the monster you are...I realize now I lost my daughter a long time ago."

Replaced by sadness, my anger went away and I felt the tear roll down my face. I reached up for him as my vision blurred. "I'm sorry...daddy. I--I'm a monster." My lips barely moved as I whispered the words and watched him turn his back to me then vanish. My fingers reaching for him. I felt woozy and drunk. My eyes tried to find Quinn but couldn't, I could smell his scent close to me and I shut my eyes as the tears fell. "I'm--sorry..." I was a monster...and I'd always be one. I hurt those I loved...Bill was right.

And with that blackness over took me.

"I'm sorry...daddy. I--I'm a monster. I'm--sorry..."

Quinn watched her body go limp, her words confusing him further.
~Well now...and I thought I had daddy issues. You sure know how to pick them, Jonathan.~

He tried to ignore the voice as he removed the netting, watching her skin heal from the burns. The vials would not keep her under for long. He moved her to the bedroom, nodding when Vincent came in with steel binders. He locked them into the bedframe and closed one on each of her wrists. He had to be careful. There were too many people here she could harm if she had not calmed. He moved to the cooler and removed two packets of blood, warming them slowly, then pouring them into a cup. He pulled her chin down a bit, pouring the crimson liquid into her mouth and sat next to her on the bed, waiting....

The warm liquid slid down my throat as memories of me killing my father plagued my mind. My eyes jolted open and I went to sit up but found my hands retrained to the bed. "Quinn?" I turned my head to see him sitting next to me on the bed. My face fell.

"Is he gone?"

"Quinn? Is he gone?"

Quinn looked to her, brushing the hair from her face.

"Is who gone, princess?"
~She's looking for her father, Jonathan. Guess you are not man enough for her.~

He pushed the thoughts from his mind, stroking her cheek gently.

"I'm sorry, beloved, but they had to defend me. Why would you attack me?"

"It wasn't you...it..." I shook my head and pulled my hands which were bound by reinforced steel. I sighed and laid back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. "It was my father I attacked....or so I thought." I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together.

After a moment of silence I turned my head to look at him and opened my eyes. "Quinn...I think I'm going crazy. And Bill might be seeing Lilith, and my father is...he's...haunting me...and..." I felt the tear roll down my cheek, remembering his words. "I'm a monster...I--"

"Quinn...I think I'm going crazy. And Bill might be seeing Lilith, and my father is...he's...haunting me...and...I'm a monster...I--"

Quinn looked at her curiously for a moment...thinking to himself.
~the ginger bitch has lost it, Jonathan. I told you she was never going to replace me.~

"Beloved...you are no monster...and I don't think you are going crazy. You asked before about the picture. I have been hearing her voice. Ever since I began going through the archive from the headquarters. I do not have an explanation, but you are not alone in hearing things."

He stroked her cheek gently, leaning in to kiss her forehead.
~I can't believe you would still give a damn after she tried to have you for lunch!~

"we'll get through this, Beloved."

I listened to his words and felt slightly better knowing I wasn't alone in seeing these things. "But I...how is it possible. Earlier I wasn't just hearing him. I could see him...touch him. It was....real? No...it couldn't be real. I'm so confused." Sighing I went to wipe at my face only to be pulled back by the chains.

I looked at my restraints then back to Quinn. "You weren't calling me vindictive were you?"

"But I...how is it possible. Earlier I wasn't just hearing him. I could see him...touch him. It was....real? No...it couldn't be real. I'm so confused. You weren't calling me vindictive were you?"

Quinn chuckled.

"Who do you think I threw the paperweight at, hon. I saw her by the window. She was taunting me again and I was tired of it. I was speaking to her. I let you out, you're not going to try to make me a snack, are you?"

He grinned at her as he reached for the key on the endtable.

I giggled and shrugged, "Well, good point. I guess we both had a few...issues earlier. I'm sorry about attacking you I just...reached my breaking point." Sighing I shook my head. "I can't believe I let him get to me like that."

Raising my head at his question I grinned. "Not unless you want me to...." Biting my bottom lip I was thankful for the silence of not hearing my father's voice anymore.

"Well, good point. I guess we both had a few...issues earlier. I'm sorry about attacking you I just...reached my breaking point. I can't believe I let him get to me like that. Not unless you want me to...."

Quinn chuckled at her response as he released the cuffs.

"Something has been going on. It is like our dark pasts are trying to haunt us. We just have to stand strong together and make it through this. It is not like this is the first strange thing to happen in Bon Temps..."

He spoke as he released my hands and I let them fall. Looking down at them as I rubbed my wrists I smiled. "There's always something isn't there?" I shook my head at the realization that there was always some kind of threat on the horizon. Bill's sanity hung in the balance...my own was being tested. Our pasts haunting us...literally.

Looking up to meet his eyes I smiled and rushed into his arms. "I'm so sorry I attacked you...I...I'm sorry. I don't ever want to hurt you or cause you pain."

Quinn smiled as she crawled into his arms.

"I'm so sorry I attacked you...I...I'm sorry. I don't ever want to hurt you or cause you pain."

He held her, kissing her softly, stroking her back, just enjoying the closeness. He missed this sometimes. Just being together. This is when they were at their best. Together, they were unstoppable and unbreakable.

"Without pain, we do not treasure those moments when we experience pleasure..."