Claire walked into Lucas' place keys in hand, ready to take him to the hospital like he texted and asked.

"Babe, I'm here! You ready?!!" She called from the bottom of the stairs, playing with the trinkets on the side table near the door.

"Yea. Be down in a sec" Lucas said.

Only moments passed before Lucas came down and smiled at Claire. Claire smiled back just as warmly. He grabbed his jacket and threw it on as he walked up to her and pulled her close "Ready" he whispered, making Claire laugh a bit.

"You're awfully chipper to be going to the hospital to visit your friends" Claire said, making him laugh a bit.

"I'm not. I'm chipper because I have you. Otherwise, I'm not so great. I'm choosing now to only focus on you" Claire couldn't resist the blush and large smile that spread on her cheeks at that. She leaned up and placed her lips gently on his. The kiss lasted mere seconds before Julius was against the wall with a piece of wood at his throat.

"Julius" Claire said simply.

"I've gotta say. You're much quicker than Val was. I completely fooled her. Either she doesn't know him well or you've got a problem" Julius said, pushing the wood out of his face.

"Why are you here?" Claire said venomously.

"Why else? I'm out traveling the world and I hear that the only woman I've ever loved is dating someone. And not just anyone. A double. Clearly, you've missed me. Don't say you haven't" Claire sneered.

"I've lived 10 lifetimes and I promise you it will be 1000 more before I even begin to think to miss you" Julius feigned hurt.

"Come on, love. You're gonna pretend that grabbing a boyfriend that looks just like me doesn't make you look like a liar? Because it does. If you really hated me. You wouldn't be able to want him, " Julius backing her into a corner.

"I do hate you. You lied to me. Manipulated me. " Julius rolled his eyes.

"You forced my hand. I never wanted to lie to you. You made me. Now that we're the same, you can't tell me you don't understand why. Now I just want us to go back to the way things were. How is that a crime?" Julius said inches away from her now.

Claire's upper lip twitched slightly in disgust, and she pushed him back hard enough to hit the wall he'd moved from. "I'm not playing with you. I refuse to be your chess piece again. We were once apart of your grand fucked up scheme and I will not be apart of another one. Besides you've come to the wrong sister if you wanted to be greeted with open arms" Claire said making Julius shrug as he fixed his shirt.

"That may be. But I'm willing to work for it to get back to you my love. I always have been. Don't worry, I understand this might be jarring after thinking I've been dead this whole time. So I'll give you some time to adjust. I'll be back for you" he said, placing the quickest kiss on her cheek and then rushing out before she could react. Claire breathed heavily, taking it all in before she let out a frenzied scream. She barely breathed through her anger. All she could see was red. The nerve of that man to come back after all this time. After everything he did to her and dare to make it seem like it didn't matter. Like time passing absolved his sins despite how many there were. Claire was so angry her skin was fire red, and tears ran down her face as she tried to calm her boiling blood.

Later that morning, Lucas Claire and Val all sat in Lucas' kitchen trying to go over the details of last night.

"What did he say he wanted?" Lucas asked with his arms crossed. He was antsy. Had been ever since Val pulled him aside and told him Julius was back. How do you keep it together when you have an evil twin going around fucking up your life?

"Me" Claire said simply. Val bristled but said nothing as she turned to look out the window.

"Vindictive bastard" Val said.

"Ok. What do we do? How do we keep him away from you?" Lucas said running down possible scenarios in his mind.

"Nothing unless you want to die. If it's true that he's back then we can't do anything until we know what he really wants. Because let's be real he didn't come back for you" Val said trying her best not to sound as bitter as she kind of felt inside.

"What do you think he's here for then?" Claire said intrigued by how jealous Val seemed.

"I don't know. But Julius is a game player he wouldn't just come out with his endgame. He'd start with something else to throw us off." Val said. She wasn't totally being an asshole, part of her knew Julius probably did come back for Claire. However that didn't make anything else she said wrong. Julius has never been upfront. And Val refused to believe that 150 years had changed that. Julius was hiding something and they would find out what.

"Then where do we start" Lucas asked.

"Lori. She ran into Julius first and he cut off her fingers. I'd like to know why" Claire said making Lucas nod.

"Alright let's go talk to her then" Lucas said earning a nod from Claire.

"I'm going to... ignore the bastard. All the theatrics, he's just looking for attention. So fuck him. I'm not playing into his game" Claire raised an eyebrow at Val but said nothing. If Val thought she could handle this then Claire wouldn't argue with her.

"What happened last night? Between us?" Lucas asked suddenly making Val inwardly sigh. She wished he would've just let that go.

"Yea I want to know too because Julius mentioned it. You know he's going to try to rip at us. That's what he did the first time. He likes us better separated" Val knew that well. But she wasn't sure how Claire would take what she said next.

"Well, nothing special. We just talked... and then... we kissed" Claire sneered and suddenly Val was up against the wall "What happened to sticking together?" Val said with a slight smirk as Claire's grip tightened.

"I don't know. You're the one testing me" Claire said wanting to dig her fingers deep in Val's neck.

"Claire. Babe it's fine it wasn't me" Lucas said pulling Claire off Val.

"That's not the point. She thought it was and did it anyways" Claire said making Val shrug.

"That's surprising. I'll say that" Lucas said making Val roll her eyes.

"Is it so surprising that I find you delicious?" Val said making Claire sharply turn to her. Lucas slid between the two women and he shook his head.

"No actually. I'm just surprised you'd think I'd even let that happen." Lucas said honestly. He loves Claire and couldn't imagine being with anyone else. Especially if that someone was Val. Not after everything she'd done. And still does.

"Well, looks like we've all got some clarity. We got our parts. We'll handle Julius. After that leave it alone. You're lucky he didn't kill you when he's had the chance. In the meantime, you should stay with us. It's the only way you'll be safe while he's here " Val said desperately wishing she had some alcohol. Lucas shook his head.

"No, he might go after Nadine because he can't get to Lucas. I think we shouldn't make any other big decisions. Julius will take advantage if we play our hands too early" Claire said making Val want to roll her eyes harder. Val didn't give a damn about a Nadine. Lucas was the one Julius would rip to pieces. Because he dared to touch something that was his. Julius wouldn't let that stand without punishing them both for it. Val knew that much about him and with that in mind she couldn't shake the fear that Lucas might not make it past Julius' visit.

•••

When Val got home, the very first thing she went for was a bottle of bourbon. She didn't bother with the glass. She wasn't in the mood for a civilized drink she just wanted to be sad and drink in peace. As she opened the bottle she narrowed her eyes. Then with a rush of speed placed the bottle down and threw a glass at Julius who stood in the window. Julius caught it with ease and gave Val a look.

"That was rude" he said rolling the glass back and forth in his hand "Unless you meant it as more of an invitation" Val laughed.

"Oh man. Men have the most hilarious way of turning 'Get the fuck out of my face' into 'Come closer'. I would so appreciate time alone so if you could just find... I don't know anywhere else to be that'd be... oh that'd be great" Val said instead pouring herself a large glass of bourbon.

"What happened to my Val" Julius said rushing up to be right behind her. Gently tracing his fingers along her arm up to her face. Val growled a bit and turned sharply pushing him effortlessly into the wall.

"You've gotten lighter on your feet" Val said leaning against her mini bar and taking a drink.

"You're being a bitch. I've come here to talk to you and you can't even allow me that" Val laughed and slammed her glass down the liquid going everywhere.

"You were just with Claire telling her how you'd come for her. After the many many many years you spent out of the tomb free as a bird. Neither of us have any interest in someone who destroyed our lives and never looked back" Julius sighed and rolled his eyes straightening his jacket.

"Destroyed is a bit dramatic, don't you think? And I knew where you were. Both of you. I'd watched Claire for quite a while. You see, I just thought that you needed time. Time away. Now that you had it, I'm back" Val wasn't falling for it. He worded everything he said carefully. She knew him better than to sit there and eat up his lies.

"So you watched me too then? Did you see how much I missed you? Did you watch me cry some nights and beg to see you again, if not for just a hug? Did you watch me and Claire fight over the things she'd said about you? I was devoted to you. And if you watched me and still didn't come back... what makes you think I give a fuck now" Val said her rage bubbling up higher and higher.

"Are you going to lie and tell me that there's nothing left here for us? Can you look me in the eye and say you want me to leave" he whispered as he pushed some hair behind Val's ear. Val bit her lip to keep it from trembling and looked down "Look at me love" Julius said pulling her face up to meet his. He placed a possessive kiss on her lips wrapping his fist in her hair and pulling back to have as much as access as he wanted. Val melted into him kissing him back with as much fervor. This was the feeling she'd clawed back to. And as it filled her up she couldn't control the the way her heart opened back up for him.

Val pulled away "Please tell me you didn't come back for her. Tell me that you came for the only one of us who actually cared about you. Nothing you had was real. Tell me you're mine" Val whispered desperately against his chest. What she couldn't see was how annoyed he was that she even asked. He grit his teeth and pushed her back against the wall hand at her throat.

"Come now love. You know I hate putting feeling into words" he said going back for another kiss.

"No. I need this Julius. I can't pretend like everything didn't happen... not so I can be in the same back and forth war with my sister from years ago. Please just... if you love me you'd give me this" Val could feel the tears she'd held in all this time make their way to the surface.

"If that's what it takes then let me truly be honest. I've never loved you. I couldn't. Your sister was everything I could've ever wanted. There was no room for you with me. And if you're here now asking me to choose between the two of you then it should go without saying that it would be her. It's always been her. Though I can't deny that you've always understood me in a way she doesn't seem to. You get it. Understand the darker impulses welcome them at the best of times. It's why we work. Can you truly say that that's not worth it?" Val was at a loss for words. She couldn't put together a snarky comment or anything at all.

He'd said all he did and still didn't understand what it meant to her. How he'd cut through her soul. All that time. Claire was truly right. He never cared. He never loved her. She was an ornament to his life at best. Val couldn't put into words how that felt. What that made her feel. So instead, she just backed away and when she rushed back up to him steak in hand, he just sighed when he caught it. Julius grabbed the steak from her and stabbed her in the back, breaking the tip off somewhere near her spine. Julius then dropped her and shook the blood from his hands.

"Such a shame" he said rushing off soon after.

Once he was gone Val let her tears flow freely as she crawled to her phone and called the only person she wanted to be around.

"Fine. I'm on my way" they said in response.

•••

Claire and Lucas were on a different journey. They'd found Lori's hospital room and Lucas braced himself. He imagined whatever he heard next would change his idea of Lori forever.