AN: I'm testing out the waters for this story so to speak, yeah I know bad pun but I'm going to enjoy it =) This is based after Pale Demon and I hope you like. I do not own them, but Ivy can own me... just saying.

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Chapter One

With my head hanging over the side of the couch I scratched Rex between her ears. Ever since we found out Pierce was watching us in Ghost form she had stopped staring blankly at me from across the room and let me hold her. Seriously she looked like a demon cat with her eyes wide and tail wrapped around her little body... it was pretty freaky. She purred rubbing her face into my fingers as I let out a sigh.

Let's recap my life so far; I've quit the I.S. and survived their death threat, tried to bring down a council man for trafficking the drug Brimstone, was in the city's underground rat fights as an contestant, survived multiple Demon attacks, nailed a Master Vampire in jail before he died, not in literal terms, and caught a Banshee. That doesn't account for keeping balance between the Vampires and Weres and helping in repopulating the Elves. Oh and did I forget to mention I found a way to prolong one of my partners life by using Demon Magic and that the man who I thought was my father wasn't? Yeah there was that too. And you know what the most challenging out of all of that was? Living with Ivy.

She and Jenks have been my partners for the past two years and after everything that has happened I wouldn't change a thing. I love them. I'm not ashamed to say it, well to myself anyway... Jenks has started to be a father figure for the both of us but that could account for him having his own family living in the garden, he had like what? Fifty some odd kids? He was always looking out for us and as he loves to point it out, keeping our asses above the grass. He's the best backup I've ever had and whom I trust my life with.

But Ivy, God Ivy... For the past two years I've been dodging her advances claiming to be straight. Hell I still think I am straight but I can't deny that I have feelings for her. At first I thought it was because we're friends, good friends and that she needed me to keep her sane. But after what happened three months ago on the coast, that goodbye kiss, I've been second thinking everything. It was hot. And deep. Mind blowing. And I know I wasn't the only one feeling that.

Sighing I stretched and she stayed firmly planted on my stomach. My green eyes traveled to the silver bracelet around my wrist, it stopped me from tapping a line but it otherwise left me dead to the Demons. Which I'd totally like to keep that way but without tapping a line I was only half the Witch I could be and was. Sure I could still do my Earth Magic, well the less complicated ones, but without the Ley-Lines I couldn't even set a protective circle around myself to stop Jenks kids from throwing acorns at me when playing war in the garden. Since having this thing on me and the slow word of having my shunning revoked I haven't had a lot of cliental coming in... So I spent most my time cleaning and helping out in the garden, until that is Jenks yells at me for being a lunker and kicks me out... but I'm good for target practice! But if something interesting didn't happen soon I was going to take this thing off, I didn't like the feeling of Elven Magic running through me, to wild.

Hearing the huge wooden door open in the sanctuary I immediately heard the familiar buzzing of Jenks dragonfly wings and Rex left me for her four inch master. "Hi kitty kitty." He cooed the orange fluff ball only a few feet away before coming to buzz by the side of my head, "What you doin' Rache?"

I heard the sharp clicking of Ivy's heels as she walked in and headed towards my favorite place in the whole church, the kitchen. It was the only place I could call mine, well a good portion of it was mine along with Ivy and her maps. She takes the fun out of runs with all her planning. I held in a smile when I heard the fridge door open, she always drank some orange juice after a run. "Just thinking..."

"Oh God Ivy! Rachel is doing it again! Make her stop before she does something stupid!" Jenks called out to her and I swatted the back of my hand at him, I never even got close.

"Rachel you should leave that to the professionals." She said with the mouth of the carton to her lips, you could hear the hidden smile in her tone if you knew her well enough. Just that made me warm.

Sitting up annoyed I pouted at her, "Thanks a lot. I was just think of getting this thing off soon... I can't live like this, I feel like I'm in a freaking cage!"

They both exchanged looks and I sighed, "I'm not saying I'll do it today or even tomorrow, just soon. All I do now and days are cook and target practice and its not even fair." Standing I ran a hand through my knotted red hair to straighten it out a little, it wasn't fair that ivy had naturally straight black hair either.

Jenks snickered as he flew around my head in circles, "But your cooking skills have improved. You're becoming quite the little house wife." Ivy made a soft noise that could barley be recognized as a small laugh. But when I looked over at her her eyes snapped to the carton of orange juice that was still to her mouth and turned back to the kitchen.

Its been like this ever since we got back, I've wanted to talk about that kiss but as usual Ivy doesn't. Finding everything to be easier if she just ignored it, to tell you it really pisses me off. But I was working on my way to figuring out how deep my love for her was and when I'd tell her. Frowning I followed and leaned against the door frame, "So how was your run?" Since I haven't been getting any I've been living my adrenaline through Ivy's runs, I think she knew that which is why she was always so coy on telling me.

Putting the carton back she stopped to take a breath of air, I don't think she could smell me well with the scent of taco meat and salsa thick in the air. Like Jenks said, with all this time I can't help but perfect my technique of little house wife. I think this would make my mom happy. Moving over to her I stirred the meat and started over a small pan with oil in it to make the shells.

She moved to sit on the counter to my left while I put the first one in. "Followed the lowlife to a club, he tried to loose me in there but I found him quick enough with my owl waiting at the backdoor."

"Did this one slip on the pellets?" I asked earnestly turning the tortilla so it half lay on itself.

Ivy gave me a pointed look, "Do you want to hear it or not?" At my frown and nod she went on fluttering her hand at me as in telling me to shut it. "He got onto his own bike and I chased him down on mine."

"Oh man you were in a chase scene? So unfair!"

"Making a few sharp turns and a sudden detour through a thick forest he lead me to his old abandoned house in the forest where he had been taking the underaged girls," she continued ignoring me and my outbursts, "I could smell about seven different girls..."

Ivy was hundred percent against older Vampires preying on the young, but so was everyone else. It was just sick and wrong. Someone so young wouldn't be able to resist in indulging when someone pretty paid attention their way. But a satisfied look came over her face as she picked up one of the tortilla chips and dipped it into the salsa.

"Its always an abandoned house somewhere lost in a thick forest." I muttered.

"Swept my foot under him and he went crashing, Jenks pixxed him in the eyes," I winced. That was not a pretty thing, "and I beat him to an inch of his second life." She paused with what I doubled as dramatic effect to crunch a chip between her teeth. I shivered when I saw a slip of teeth, memories of them once in my neck pooled liquid heat into my middle that traveled down to between my legs. "So what did you do today?"

I felt her eyes slide to me as I tried to extinguish the heating feeling and I could have sworn I saw the rim of brown around her eyes shrink a little. Trying not to clear my throat I shrugged a shoulder almost done with the shells. "Helped the children in the garden-,"

"You were in the garden?" Jenks shouted shooting up with a column of dust left behind and quickly darted out the pixy hole in the screen.

"Thats not nice Jenks! I'm a Witch for crying out loud, I know my way around a garden!" I shouted after him as I stomped my foot. Huffing I turned off the heat and let them cool off leaning back against the island. "Besides that we watched South Park. Do you know how stupid that is? I think my IQ went down because after awhile I started to like it. Cartman was making his left hand talk and called her Jay Lo. Man these kids are messed up but I couldn't stop watching it, he's such a raciest little freak," I laughed getting plates down and shaking my hips a little as the songs came into my head.

As if hearing my thoughts one of the older kids came down and started to sing, "What kind of song do you want?" He asked mimicking the man.

"Something hot and spicy!" I said in my best and closest accent to it as I could get. He stared to make similar sounds to what had came on until the last one and the rest dropped down from my handing pans to dance a little like me as we all started to sing in squeaky voices.

"Burrito. Taco taco. Burrito. Taco. Taco taco. Don't think just because I got a lot of money, I'll give you taco-flavored kisses, honey. Fulfill all your wishes with my taco-flavored kisses." Their high voice made my eyes feel like they wanted to burst but I looked less stupid if they joined me and I have to say we pulled it off pretty well.

Ivy was staring and I laughed with the kids then winced when I looked down at the food, "Um I'm impressionable?" Was that the reason why I was craving it? They darted out of the room now chasing Rex who skittered on the hardwood floor which had Jenks, who magically appeared out of nowhere, to chase after them. "I need to get out of the church, I'm not meant to be domestic." I sighed as I started to fill myself three tacos. "Oh by the way this meal is very greasy."

God I love grease~ Purring I took my first bite, we were sitting in the living room now finding that to be the dinning room since Ivy's runs overran the farm table in the kitchen. "Wha ou tink?" I asked around a hot mouthful.

After giving it a few second to cool she took a bit nodding, which was a great sign! "This is really good, thank you for making dinner."

"Mm thank you for getting the ingredients." I smiled a little as I licked the grease off my thumb. Word of my shunning being revoked had been slow and I was still having a hard time going out and getting anything. And since the little spat with Vivian at the Human store I wasn't allowed there anymore so Ivy has had to buy the groceries. The only way I was getting by now was with the money Trent had given me from his little Elf quest.

"The tomatoes are great, I bet Glenn would love your tacos." She commented, I don't think she actually realized she said it.

They had been going out for a few months now and it was driving me insane. I'll admit it, I hate this situation. I do. With every fiber of my being. "Hey Ivy..." I started off slow knowing the slightest indication of this conversation would make her run.

"Rachel, don't..." She quickly told me looking at her food. Shit she was good. She took a deep breath and I wasn't sure if it was meant for me or her, "I told you how I felt and you told me how you do. I'm moving on. You should too."

"I wasn't thinking I know... but I've been doing a lot of thinking lately." I interjected and I cursed at the little sound of wishfulness in my voice. "Ivy please just let me-"

"No Rachel, I don't want to talk about this." She sighed as she got up and moved to the kitchen with as almost vampy speed, I heard her computer boot up.

"Damn it Ivy you never want want to talk about anything." I growled under my breath but knew she could hear me. With my anger growing I moved myself outside, it was a warm night and by tomorrow morning it would be sweltering as it always was in the summer in Cincinnati.

Jenks landed on my knee without a word as I forced myself to eat my tacos. But of course that sweet semi silence from only nature around us was to much to bare for him. "You're not being fair to her."

"I know!" I snapped at him then took a deep breath counting back form ten to calm down. "Sorry. I know. I'm just figuring everything out too late. I've tried letting it go but I just can't... I want to try but I wont force her, look how well our attempt at a blood balance went." I frowned at my food but ate it anyway, it now tasteless in my mouth. "Just forget it."

He gave me a look before shaking his head his hands on his hips in his natural Petter Pan pose. "You both need to give it some time and see where it leads. Haven't you guys seen how you work together? You're going to end up with one another sooner or later but the roles have switched. Now she's the one in control over how the both of you could end up instead of you. Seriously you two are like children, grow up. But then again I don't want the both of you lezing out on me either."

"Thanks Jenks." I said sourly as I finished up then just looked up at the sky. I laid out on the concrete that gave me a little warmth as I stared at the stars and blinked when I realized two of them were red, "Hey Bis, nice night huh?"

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AN: I know slow but I promise it may get better lol plz tell me what you think~