DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HOLLOWS!

TPOV

I stared up to my ceiling in shock. Sitting in a rush, I pushed my covers off of myself and gazed about me. I was in my bedroom alright. My head pounding from my sudden movement, my hazing mind began to realize what had happened. It was a dream, I thought. No, I mentally corrected, it had been a nightmare. Groaning, I eased myself slowly back on my pillows. Sweat covered my face, neck, and my bare chest. Moving my head sideways to see my bedside clock, I saw it was 3:40. Damn, I hadn't even slept for a half hour.

Though I knew it was a lost cause, I shut my eyes and tried to drift back to sleep. Lucy and Ray have been nearly impossible to control. Well, Lucy, anyways, I admitted. The girls were asleep in their shared room; Quen was at his usual station while he waited for me to get some shut eye, then he'd take a nap.

Rolling onto my side to stare out the live video feed of my gardens, I replayed my nightmare; I clenching my fists as I thought of Ku'Sox. The bastard was as good as dead. His reappearance had startled me. I pushed my thoughts past him and focused on Rachel. Of course my worst fear had to come out while I slept. If I married Ellasbeth, I risked Rachel walking out of my life. I don't think I'd be able to handle that. Thank the Goddess she adored Lucy and Ray and was their godmother. The last time I'd kissed her, she'd let me, but in my dream, she hadn't. Sitting up again, I scooted off my bed and went to grab my robe from across the room.

I walked out of my room and into my living room, going towards the small kitchen. I needed a cup of tea. Glancing at the clock hanging on the far wall, I grabbed the tea kettle, briefly remembering Ceri. It was 3:46. Not waiting to think if it was a bad idea, I set the kettle down and grabbed the cordless phone on the counter, dialing Rachel's cell number and pressing the call button.

Holding the phone between my shoulder and ear, I listened to Rachel's ringtone and filled the kettle with water from the faucet. As I set it on the stove burner, there was a click and then I heard a high pitched voice answer," Rachel's cell. Can I take a message?" It was Jenks, and he sounded a tad annoyed.

"Jenks," I said, my mood taking a lighter feel speaking to the pixy," It's me, Trent." I heard his wings buzzing as he yelled to someone that it was me. I smiled and turned the stove on. Gripping the counter with one hand and lifting myself to sit on it, my other hand grasped the phone and pressed it to my ear.

"What's up, cookie maker," Jenks said. My grin widened, and then deflated. Why was I calling? I wondered.

I cleared my throat rather noisily and replied," Just wanted to talk to Rachel, is all."

"Right," he laughed, "that's why you called. Hold on."

I heard air pass through the receiver, and then Rachel's voice spoke," Trent?"

"Hi," I said," is this a bad time?"

She cleared her throat and sighed," Uh, in a way, yes, it is."

Nervous, I tried to apologize, but she just cut me off saying," It's fine."

"Oh," I faked a cough and continued, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Rachel didn't say anything in response, and her silence was telling, so I asked, "You're alright, right?"

"Well, yeah, I'm alive, but I'm gonna need one of Jenks's kids to stitch me up."

I straightened up in my seat and slipped down to place my bare feet on the cool floor. The kettle began to whistle, and as I turned the stove off, I demanded, "What happened?"

She took a deep breath by the sounds of it, and said, "Honestly, I don't know. And now my hip is cut."

With fury riding on my shoulder, I insisted, "Rachel, tell me what happened!" Why won't she tell me?

"I don't know!" she yelled, "I was sleeping when something hurt me!"

"Sleeping?" I echoed, doubtful.

"Have you been sniffing fairy farts?" she raged, "That's what I said!"

"I'm coming over," I announced

"What?" Rachel seemed taken back.

I was already in my bedroom and headed for my closet. "I'm coming over." I said and hung up on her, tossing the phone on my bed.

RPOV

"Ow!" I hissed as Jih, Jenks's oldest daughter, finished her sewing on my last slash. We were in my bathroom, me gripping onto the dryer as she stitched me up. It was only us two in my bathroom because I wasn't in my undies. Jenks had gotten her because of that. He hadn't wanted any of his younger daughters seeing me like that. I agreed with him. The damn slashes began half way on my ass, curved around my hip, and ended just above my womanhood.

Jih flew up to my face; her expression telling me to grow up. It wasn't my fault I only had one Tink blasted pain amulet. And it was weak to begin with. I'd been meaning to make more, but I've been lazy. What can I say? At least I finally put in a light bulb in the foyer and a peephole in the front door.

It has been thirty minutes since I got off the phone with Trent. I was curious as to why he was coming over. When he'd called, he'd said that he was just calling to check up on me. Maybe he knew what was going on?

"Thanks, Jih," I said, as I struggled to put on a clean pair of undies.

She smiled,"No problem. I'll be going now. Bye."

"Bye!" I replied as she flew under the door.

I was pulling my legs into my old cut off pajama pants when the church bell gonged, echoing through the church, and probably the whole block. He was fast. Pixies shrilled and I came out of the bathroom. I walked towards my room after I heard Jenks yell that he got it.

A few minutes after Trent said hi to the pixy kids, he stopped at my door with Jenks sitting on his shoulder. I was sitting on my bed. Trent was wearing fitted jeans, boots, and a v-neck black shirt. I tried to keep my eyes from the blond chest hair being exposed, but Trent grinned, so I think I failed. But I didn't really care. Even as I denied its presence, a small part of me wished that Jenks wasn't here and that my hip wasn't injured.

TPOV

I smiled when I saw Rachel trying to keep her eyes up at my face. I had a feeling I should of worn something that covered my chest hairs, but seeing Rachel's ogling, I wasn't regretful. She rolled her eyes, and I chuckled.

"May I come in?" I asked.

"Tink's dildo, you know she wants you to," Jenks laughed, adding,"she probably just wishes that I wasn't here."

Rachel flushed, saying,"Shut up, Jenks. Come in, Trent."

I ignored the rude noises the pixy made at Rachel, and stepped into her room. Her bed was messy, boots were left casually about, and there were dozens of perfume bottles on her dresser. Her birthday is in a month. . .

Clearing my throat, I leaned against her dresser, careful so as to not knock over her perfume. "What happened?" I asked.

Huffing, she replied,"Like I said on the phone, I was sleeping when something cut my hip."

"Show me," I said, coming closer to her.

"No," she stammered, crossing her arms,"I'd rather not."

Hands on my hips, I insisted," I'd rather you did."

"Fine," she said spitefully, getting up really slowly. I came closer, and she took my offered hand. Rachel's face pinched up in pain, even as I saw she was wearing one of her pain amulets. Her breath was coming fast.

"It hurts that bad?" I whispered, my fingers around her cold ones.

"Just when I get up from sitting," she panted.

Jenks flew from my shoulder, and I flinched. I had forgotten he was here. "That's nothing," he began," you should have heard her when Jih was stitching her up. Son of a Disney whore, I have never heard her be so loud, well except when she's making sparkles shift."

Rachel jerked from me, and she yelled," What in the turn are you talking about Jenks?" I was puzzled by what he said, but by Rachel's glare, she probably knew what he meant.

Jenks just laughed," You think I can't hear you?" Rachel ignored him, her face flaming. I looked at Jenks questioningly, but he just shook his head.

Rachel moved a step away from me, and my gaze sharpened on her when she carefully peeled her pants off her hips. Heat raced over my face and neck. I stared at her black, lacy underwear, thinking that the dark color accented her light skin tone nicely. It looked tremendously sexy. On her right hip, her fingers slipped in her panties and she slowly lowered them. Blood pounded in my ears and I was ready to throw her back on the bed and . . . well . . . Do that. She moved the thin fabric lower and exposed a stitched cut.

I coughed roughly and stepped back, covering my face with my hand. Hell's bells, I needed to control myself.

"Trent?"

Her voice brought my head up. "I'm fine," I muttered,"I just didn't realize that your injury was close to your, uh . . ." Man, that sounded lame.

"Yeah, well, I don't like it either," she said.

"I'll bet," I murmured. She lowered her panties even more, and saliva filled my mouth. I gulped. " Ah, that's fine," I pleaded, grasping her hands in my own,"I think I've seen enough." Not enough, actually.

Jenks was laughing at me, his high voice suggesting that he knew what I was thinking. I grimaced and stared at the wall as Rachel put her undergarment and pants back where they belong.

"Okay, I'm decent," she proclaimed," Would you like some coffee?"

I thought back to the tea kettle I had left on the stove filled with water. " Yes, if you don't mind."

Rachel smiled and led me to her kitchen. Pixy kids were playing hide and seek in her spelling pots and pans; the noise of their screams and wings were making my teeth ache. Jenks gave a ear-splitting whistle, shouting," Alright you lot! Out!" The kids gave a few complaints, but none dared to refuse their father. They left, some of the pixy girls pausing in front of me to say hi.

After the coffee was made and then served, Rachel, Bis, and I stood at the counter. Bis was actually stood on the counter. Jenks was in one of the pots above us with Belle, the fairy. Their cat, Rex, was twining around my feet. Taking a gulp of delicious coffee, I wondered if Ray and Lucy would like to have a cat. I know they loved playing with Rex when they came over to visit their Aunt Rachel.

We were all trying to come up with what was going on. My mind kept straying to my nightmare and the undeniable coincidence that Rachel has the same injury she had sustained in my nightmare. I'd worry if Ku'sox had appeared and cut her, but the psycho was dead, so how could he? Maybe I should tell them, I thought, looking at all their faces deep in thoought. If I kept it from Rachel, especially, she'd doubt her trust in me again. Well, I certainly don't want that to happen, now do I.

"There's something I need to you guys," I said, and all eyes turned to me.

How was I going to explain this?