A/N: Totally stuck in Hollows-land and I just found some of Kim Harrisons short stories. One with Kisten - Bridges of Eden Park - (I love Kisten. Kisten is my hero and third fave in the book. Or maybe fourth if you count Jenks.) and one from Ivy' POV - Undead in the Garden of Good & Evil - (which I had read before but re-read and was totally depressed/impressed with. I mean it totally changed my whole view of Ivy the first time around and was just terrifying in is horribleness the second time around.) I also own (and proudly have it on display) Blood Works, the graphic novel, and while it's way too short for my liking it's still amazing!

Now for some shameless self promotion! Go and check out the excerpt of my young adult urban fantasy novel Running with Wolves on Amazon! I'm one of 250 people left in the Amazon Break Through Novel Award contest (considering there was 5000 to begin with I think I got a right to be a little bit proud.)

Listening to: Walk This World by Heather Nova


-Two-

- Deep Down In The Murky Water, I Touch The Soul That Wanders In Eternity -

"Hello Rachel," Ivy said in her silky voice. It sent shivers all over me. It was like it was midnight instead of barely one o'clock. I remembered the first night we had spent in the church, the way she had been using that same voice before…something had happened. I just couldn't remember what.

"Ivy, what are you doing here?" I asked. I was sure that her being there was a bad thing. A very bad thing. All the things Piscary had done to her…

I remembered it then, as clearly as if it had really happened. I remembered her during Trent Kallemack's wedding, the way she had looked. Like she wasn't my Ivy at all.

I remembered the night Piscary had raped her and I had found her on our doorsteps bloody and broken. The nights she had gone out to do Piscary's biddings, after he had made her his Scion.

The nights after Kisten's death when she blamed herself, but didn't tell me.

The times she had bit me. The feel of her teeth sinking into me. The pleasure of it. Our auras merging.

The times she had saved my life.

I remembered the little things, too, living in the church with Jenks and all his kids.

I remembered something I knew couldn't ever have happened. I barely knew Ivy. I would never let her or anyone else bite me. Or would I?

I mumbled, "I need to sit down." It was all too muddled and my brain felt fussy.

"Ms Morgan?" Glenn caught my arm as I felt my knees start to wobble. He led me to the table Ivy was standing behind and popped me down in one of the old chairs. "Are you alright?"

"Skimmer," Ivy's voice had changed character. "Get Ms Morgan something to drink," she snapped. "And get the rest of us something too." She sat down across from me, her silky dress swishing. Ivy in a dress? That didn't happen very often.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Ivy again. She turned her brown eyes to me and the lack of emotion in them scared me.

"I'm afraid I don't understand your question Rachel," she said tilting her head slightly to the side making her look even more predatory.

"I don't understand either." I wasn't sure what I remembered. Wasn't sure what was real. "Did we ever live in a church?" Ivy looked momentarily stunned. Just then Skimmer showed up with three glasses and a bottle of red wine. Ivy only noticed her when she started to pour the wine. Then her head snapped up.

"Rachel can't drink red wine," Ivy told the blond vampire. "It gives her migraines. Bring something else." Skimmer didn't seem the least bothered by Ivy's tone or the way she was ordering her around. She simply backed off and did what she was told.

I was surprised Ivy knew about my sulfur allergy while another part of me felt a horrible sense of déjà vu. That part of me was sure Skimmer, Ivy and I had had this conversation before.

"How do you know about the church?" Ivy asked as she pulled the large silver cross she had given to Ciri out from beneath her shirt. I was surprised Piscary would let her wear it. But he had always liked that Ivy wouldn't do what he wanted. He had liked to punish her for it.

"I don't know," I answered, feeling Glenn's eyes move between me and Ivy, a look of morbid curiosity on his face. "I remember all these things," I put my head in my hands, feeling totally stupid. We were her to sign a paper not so I could have a mental break down, still I continued."Things that never happened. At least I don't think they happened." I looked up and nearly fell off my chair.

The man in the cloak stood right behind Ivy's chair. His hood was still up and he looked menacing. "Rachel Mariana Morgan," the hooded figure said reminding me a little of how Al used all my names.

"Stay back," I cried jumping to my feet. The chair hit the floor behind me and Ivy stood up as well, looking around. She was staring right at where the cloaked figure was but she wasn't seeing him. I could tell because her eyes weren't focused on him. It was like she was staring at air.

"I'm here to collect you," the hooded man told me as he reached out a hand. "This is not the place for you. Come with me."

"No freaking way," I took several more steps back until I was pressed against the wall.

"No," someone cried. "You bring her back. You fix her. You keep on trying."

I frowned. I wasn't sure where the voice had come from. Lots of things weren't making sense at the moment.

"You can't run from me," the figure calmly said. I shook my head and Ivy suddenly appeared next to me.

"What is it, what is wrong? Did I do something?" I turned to Ivy. There was the shy look I remembered seeing on her face only a few times. A vulnerable look. Something I rarely got to see on Ivy. It was nearly painful to know I had put it on her face. Painful in its beauty and sadness. I remembered the way I had known her, felt her own self hated, her guilt, when our auras had merged. How beautiful that moment had been. For a second it was all I could think of then the world caught back up with me.

"No," I reassured her. "It's him." I pointed to the man in the cloak but I knew she couldn't see him. Still she followed my finger's direction with her eyes. I noticed that to the left Skimmer had just walked in, a bottle of white wine in her arms. I looked away from her and back to the figure.

Only he was gone.

"He's not there anymore," I said suddenly feeling very stupid. Glenn and Ivy exchanged looks. I remembered how jealous I had felt when they were together. How much I had wanted to be the one to be happy with Ivy. Or just happy with someone. I frowned. I could have been happy with Josh, couldn't I? Only I couldn't remember much about Josh at all. It was all so jumbled, like my brain was filled with clutter.

"Are you alright?" Glenn asked walking over to stand on my other side. "Do you need something? Food? A doctor?"

"I, I don't know, no." I shook my head. "I have to get out of here. I have to leave." Glenn reached for my arm but I slipped out of his reach and turned for the door.

"Rachel wait," Ivy cried. I didn't listen, didn't stop and she didn't chase me. She never would here. The thought of that made me sad, for no good reason at all.


Thanks for Reading and Reviewing! Also don't expect the next chapter as quickly as this one :P I have a life you know...or maybe not. But I do have homework!