Soooo the Hawthornes decided that the triplets should be allowed to meet their mortal parents based on their behavior the other night.

I haven’t told them about the biting incident with Jess. I don’t know what to say about it. She’s so excited to see her parents. And like it wasn’t even like… bad after that thing happened. It’s not like I stormed out of there, you know? It’s not like I made any indication that I was freaked out.

I mean I did tell her to stop drinking my blood and she didn’t. But then I slept in their big ass bed with them and everything was fine so like… fuck I don’t know what to do. And like we were drunk. I don’t want to keep her from seeing her parents because of a stupid mistake. It’s not like I kicked and screamed or anything.

Also I mean it’s not like she dragged me out into that hallway!!! I definitely was trying to make out!! Like she’s a vampire what was I expecting to happen?

Fuck listen to me. Facts are I genuinely don’t know what would have happened if someone hadn’t happened to walk into that alley. Hahaha ok like even writing that feels super dramatic. I probably would have been fine!!!!! What was she gonna do, drain me dry???? (maybe)

LATER

Oh god I made a mess of things. Oh god oh god

So the whole parent interview was all set up. It was like almost six, the sun was almost down and Leopoldo gathered the triplets upstairs in the airy part of the mansion.

“Alright,” he said, looking seriously between them. “When you see them you’re going to feel a great rush of emotions. It’s hard to interact with people from our past lives. They bring up old feelings, often magnified. It may strain the self control you’ve been learning these last years, but from what the Hawthornes have seen and from what I have seen, I think you’re ready.” He smiled. “You’re not going to hurt them.” Then he gestured for the woman behind him to come forward. She was carrying a pitcher of dark viscous liquid. “That said,” he continued, “I thought you’d like to drink before your parents arrive. Just to be safe.”

Valentina and Caitlin got eagerly to their feet but Jess just smiled serenely and said, “that’s alright. I’m not thirsty.”

Leopold beamed at her and patted her cheek proudly. Jess winked at me conspiratorially and my stomach clenched.

“Neal?” I said quietly, turning to face him. “Can I talk to you?”

“This thing’s about to happen,” he replied. “Give me like —”

“Right now,” I said and he pricked an eyebrow and glanced down at me. Then he nudged Julian and they both followed me down the tall, white halls and out into the front yard.

“What’s up?” Julian asked, totally casual. Neal looked a bit impatient.

I didn’t know how to begin. I cracked my knuckles and hugged myself. I was fidgeting and couldn’t make eye contact and I knew it was making me look guilty but I couldn’t stop.

“Shiloh?” Julian said. I found myself smiling apologetically.

“Okay,” I said. “So the other night —” I began and saw their expressions darken, as if they already knew what I was going to say. The Panic amped up.

“What happened?” Neal growled.

I took a deep breath and said goodbye to ever being allowed to come on a case again. “I let Jess drink from me,” I said, pulling back my collar to show them the mark. “I was drunk and… and I wanted to know what it would be like so when she asked I said yes.”

“Jesus, Shiloh —” Neal began but Julian must have understood faster because he held up a hand and Neal shut up.

I took a deep breath and spoke to Julian. He was very calm. “It was okay at first, but then I sorta panicked and asked her to stop? And she didn’t?” I didn’t know how explain the crushing terror that she was going to drain me like an otter pop, or the intense relief when someone came into the alley and she had to stop, but luckily the silence must have explained on it’s own.

“Okay,” Julian said after a moment. “You did the right thing telling us.” He looked me right in the eye when he said it and I felt a rush of relief. But then I looked at Neal and saw The Rage and wanted to dig into the earth and stay in there with the worms.

Julian must have noticed too, because he turned away from me to speak to Neal. “You got it?” he said quietly.

Neal nodded mutely and strode purposefully inside.

“Wait, I mean she did stop eventually —”

I started to follow but Julian intercepted me with a hand on my shoulder.

“I think it’s best you stay out here,” he said gently.

“What’s he going to do?” I asked.

“Put a stop to this meeting,” Julian said. “The girls aren’t ready.”

Que the wave of guilt. “It wasn’t her fault,” I said. “I let her drink.”

Julian took a moment before he bent to get a good look at me. “Look,” he said. “I understand you want to take some responsibility. But agreeing to let her drink was not license for her to take whatever she wanted.”

“But she wants to see her parents,” I said. I thought I might cry and really didn’t want to.

“She will, someday,” Julian said. “When she’s ready. But if she can’t listen to you, she’s not ready. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but that doesn’t mean she won’t, and until we can be certain that she has complete control over herself under any circumstance she’s not ready to be around people.”

I looked up at the huge house. Behind me in the street a car pulled up. “I feel terrible,” I told Julian.

“It’s not your fault,” he said.

“I don’t think she’s a bad person,” I said. “Or… vampire, or whatever.”

Julian shrugged. “That’s not really for us to judge,” he said. “But she hurt you, whether she meant to or not.”

He was right. Even then I felt a bit woozy.

“Come on,” Julian said. “Let’s go.”

“We’re not going back in?”

“Nah,” Julian said. “Neal will handle it.”

I don’t know how it went in the house. Neal was tight lipped and angry when he met us at the car. He slammed himself into the seat and started the car.

“Everything handled?” Julian asked.

Neal nodded tightly. He caught my eye in the rearview. “Good?” he asked. I nodded and he pulled off the curb and we drove away and that was that.