Familiar

Chapter Seven

The Difference

Disclaimer: Yeah... we've been over this.

A/N: Smut here! Get yer smut! Also have some WAFF on sale!

What would happen if we kissed
Would your tongue slip past my lips
Would you run away, would you stay
Or would I melt into you
Mouth to mouth, lust to lust
Spontaneously combust

~Meredith Brooks, What Would Happen If We Kissed


It was a month later and Rachel felt awesome. She had bagged Trent's problem, and Maeve was being carted away to Alcatraz from what the paper trail said. Trent was still getting her emotions, but understanding about it. He said he could deal for it for the next year, as long as she didn't get a boyfriend. He was swearing off dating for a while, and she understood. She had talked to Al about the whole thing, and he told her Maeve was a prospective familiar and he couldn't hold a grudge against him trying to rebuild his fortune. Besides, she never said she cared about the Elf, so he was fair game. Rachel grudgingly agreed, but warned on further spells. Al had said any spells he wanted to put on Trent had already been placed and he had no further use of him. She felt pacified, and the moment she brought up the emotion spell he popped out again. Oh well...

Jenks had even laid off all the Trent badgering he had been doing and instead encouraged Rachel's down time (Like he ever stopped that one...). Mom was good, Demons were gone, Ivy and Glenn were hitting some stride and Ivy was much more pleasant to be around.

Life was awesome.

She heard a knock on the door and the pixie children rushed to announce, "Ceri's here!"

She smirked and felt bad all at once. When she opened the door, Ceri was still big and starting to look a bit frazzled.

"I'm not an aunt yet?" Rachel teased.

Ceri waddled past, "I'm beginning to wonder if it's terrified of Demons and refuses to come out."

Rachel snickered and rubbed Ceri's belly, "It's okay, stay all nice and warm and safe as long as you want." She met Ceri's baleful gaze with her chipper smile.

"And why are you so pleasant?" Ceri asked.

"Why shouldn't I be happy? Life is great! It's boring! You know how long I've waited for boring?"

Ceri gave a small smile, "Yes, I think boring is exactly what we all need right now. Although you may want to think about hitting the gym."

Rachel frowned and held her stomach, "I know, I'm getting a bit of a pouch." She smirked and held her chest, "But maybe it's not all bad! I went up to a B." she smirked, "Well, it fills out the B-cups now."

Ceri sat down and have a deep sigh, "I swear, if this child doesn't get out of me by the end of the week, Heaven help me!"

Rachel smirked, "I heard—yanno—helps hurry things along."

Ceri waved her away, "Tried." she realized what she said and blushed, "You never heard me say that."

Rachel mimed zipping her lips and walked in the kitchen, "I am having the damnedest craving for pizza. You want any? I have some left over pepperoni in here."

Ceri paused in thought, "No, I think I'm okay."

Rachel walked back in eating her pizza. "How's Trent doing?"

"Business, as usual." Ceri gave a sigh, "I asked Quen to try to get him out of his compound, but he refuses. After everything that happened, it's like he's shutting himself off."

Rachel pursed her lips, "We could go rollerskating?"

Ceri sighed.

"Maybe not... What activities are good for women who are preggo?"

"There was a movie Quen thought I would like to see. He said it was a horror movie about Demons." Ceri smiled, "He thought it would make me laugh."

Rachel snickered, "I think Trent has had enough Demons, even the stupid ones."

"There's one about a group of young men going across the United States in an old van. Perhaps he'd consider it?"

"Trent and stupid comedies? Nah, He'd be more in opera."

"An opera! What a magnificent idea!"

Rachel paled, "I hate operas..."

Ceri looked at Rachel with her doe-eyes, "But this is for Trenton!"

Rachel frowned, "More of a reason to say no?"

"Help me up so I can take you home and find something fitting, I'm calling Quen immediately!"

Rachel stood in the doorway, holding her pizza protectively, "If I keep you on the couch, can we skip the opera?"


Rachel fidgeted nervously. She felt self-conscious since she couldn't fit into Ceri's old clothes and had to borrow one of the maternity skirts Ceri first started out with. Usually, she'd feel like a queen and Trent should kiss her feet. But now she felt like a blimp. Ugh, maybe Ceri was right and she'd need to hit the gym soon.

Trent came in with Quen, who was helping Ceri navigate the seats in their private box. Trent looked at Ceri, "An opera was a wonderful idea."

Ceri gave him a haughty look, "Actually, it was Rachel who suggested it."

He raised a brow at Rachel, "Will you be playing games on your phone all night?"

Rachel stuck out her tongue at him. "Come and snuggle next to me!"

He gave Ceri a tired look and she gave him a pointed one back. He sighed and sat next to Rachel.

"Have you ever seen an opera?" Trent whispered as the lights dimmed and the curtains began to part.

Rachel shook her head, "Boooring."

Trent rolled his eyes, "Well, this is Madame Butterfly, a masterpiece. Try not to snore."

Rachel glared at him. She looked back to the scene and saw an officer and a Japanese man beginning to sing in Italian. "Huh, I didn't know there were American's in it. Why are they singing in Italian then?"

Trent whispered, "That's Pinkerton, a Navy Officer, he's marrying Butterfly."

Rachel nodded and whispered back, "Well that's nice of him. What are they doing now?"

Trent leaned closer, smelling the redwood scent coming off her skin, "He's telling the Japanese marriage broker that he owns the house for 999 years and that he has the option of getting out of the lease every year, and says his marriage is much the same. He's explaining he finds Butterfly mysterious and beautiful, but knows she will not be a real wife to him."

He could make the outline of a frown on her face, "Jerk!"

Trent smirked, "He is."

The opera went on that way all the way through. Trent was surprised as Rachel began to actually enjoy the opera and looked shocked and saddened when the little boy was brought out. He explained the child's name was Sorrow, and she will change it to Joy when Pinkerton comes back. He could feel the sadness rolling off Rachel. At the end of the play she had the let the tears run freely down her face, "Oh, that was beautiful..."

He helped her up and she stumbled into his arms. He smiled softly at her, smiling at her enchantment of the play and her clumsiness. Same old Rachel.

It was when the old yet familiar pang of desire shot through him he saw her in a different light. He opened his mouth to speak and closed it, as if questioning his next action. He wondered if he would taste the salt of those tears on her lips...

The lights rose and Rachel moved out of his reach slowly, "Thank you, for catching me."

He gave a nod of his head and held out his arm, "Heaven forbid you trip down the stairs to the car."

She rolled her eyes at his comment and took his arm without thinking. They went back to Trent's place for dinner where Maggie had prepared a large leg of lamb and though it was massive, it was elegantly prepared and easy for people to take portions off. Besides it were rolls with whipped honey, an assortment of vegetables, and several sauces. She nearly chocked when she saw how much everyone put on their plate.

Trent smirked at her, "Elves, remember?"

"Right, I'm in a whole room of 'em..." she muttered, grabbing a portion of what they had left behind in their destructive wake. No wonder Trent needed his own cook, the boy put food away like a team of adolescent boys! Quen seemed to match, and Ceri... well, that Elf was eating for two!

They chatted around the table pleasantly for a while, and soon they all began to relax and joke. Rachel was astounded; she had never seen Trent laugh so openly and for so long. His eyes lit up and his whole face was just amazing. She found his laughter infectious and soon began to compare this dinner like the pizza parties she had at home with all the pixies that usually descended into a food fight.
Hmmm...

Quen was joking about Ceri's new waddle, which was adamantly denying. She had turned it into joking about how easily Quen freaked out about every little pain Ceri had. Tears were full in Trent's eyes as he laughed at their antics.

He never saw the spoonful of mashed potatoes arcing gracefully towards his cheek.

There was dead silence at the table before Quen and Ceri began their fits of laughter. Trent's eyes sparkled, "Is that how you wish to play, Witch?"

Rachel was laughing too hard at Trent's earlier shocked expression to have heard him. It was the spoonful of gravy he catapulted at her that went down her cleavage that gave her a cry of indignant outrage. She countered it with a handful of potatoes she threw at him.

Ceri joined it, laughing as she threw peas at Rachel and surprised when Quen threw a handful of sweet potato fries at her, also ending up down her shirt. Ceri gave a startled laugh and attacked Quen full force with the remains of the salad on the table.

Rachel was backing up into the media area with her hands up, "I give up Elf, put down the stuffing!"

Trent cradled the silver bowl that was half full of stuffing and smirked at her, "You never can finish what you start, can you?"

She let out a battle cry and charged Trent's stomach, plowing him down to the ground and the stuffing landing on both of them.

Rachel smiled at Trent, pinned beneath her, "Ha! I won the food fight!"

He gave her a mischievous look that was purely Elven and crammed the fist full of stuffing he had grabbed off the ground down her shirt. She squealed and rushed to get off him, but he grabbed her around the waist and kissed her. She kissed him back, giggling.

It was when he inadvertently slipped his tongue against her demon mark that she went frigid.

"Succurre mihi, Deus." Trent whispered against her lips. Their lips echoed a kiss full of sadness.

Rachel felt Trent's fists clench at her waist and she brushed some stuffing out of his wispy nearly white hair, "I guess I should go home."

Trent raised his eyes and looked at Rachel. His eyes were dazzling and something was hard in them now, "You are home." his whispered fiercely. He got up and picked her up.

"Trent, what are you doing?!" she squeaked.

"Doing something I should have a long time ago." He carried her as easily as if she weighed nothing. Rachel was too stunned to say anything, her mind racing.

We kissed. I don't know who kissed who, but we were kissing, then, then he said I was home. I... this isn't home. This is Trent's home. And now he's carrying me. Oh, wow, the look in his eyes when he said that... where are we going? He said I was home? Is this home now?

Her thoughts were interrupted when he placed her unceremoniously on his bed. She always wondered what his room looked like, but it was hard to think because the moonlight was silhouetting his body and his wispy hair almost looked like a halo. When he took his shirt off she was paralyzed by the beauty of Trent looking that handsome over her. She opened her mouth and closed it. Then opened it again. What was he waiting for?

He almost seemed to read her thoughts, the confused emotions, anyway, "I'm not having you blame this on me." he said softly, "This will not be anyone's fault, anyone's mistake. This is you and me."

He was breathing hard and his brow was knit in stubbornness and worry, it reminded her of Trent as a child and she could only give a faint smile at the memory.

Trent frowned, "As a man, I can say that laughing at me right now isn't very helpful."

She snorted, "No, no..." Her smile softened, "It isn't... you reminded me of when you were a kid and you were worried about getting your way."

He frowned, and his shoulders sagged, "You hated me when we were kids."

"You hated me too."

He looked at her in surprise, "I picked on you as a kid."

"I know, and?"

"I thought you would have understood, you, Jasmine... I had crushes on both of you back then."

Her mouth took on an 'o' of surprise. He looked hurt and sighed, he turned and grabbed his shirt from the floor, "This was stupid, I don't know what I was thinking..." he paused at Rachel's hand on his when he went to pick up his shirt.

He glanced at her, her face was red, "I didn't say no."

Trent gave a small chuckle and touched her cheek, "So this is the one place you feel unsure of yourself? Where was the woman ripping my shirt off on the plane?"

She fidgeted, "I was mad."

He smirked, "You aren't now?"

"A little!" she said stubbornly, "I didn't come for... this!"

He crossed his arms, his naked arms flexed easily, "Why are you here?"

"You brought me here!"

"You haven't left?" He said pointedly.

She sat on the bed and sighed, "Right, we're going to have sex. Crap on toast, I'm going to have sex with Trent Kalamack..." she started to unbutton her shirt, like a woman walking to the firing squad.

He put his hands on hers and kissed them, and then touched his lips against hers. "This will not be a fault, a duty, destiny, or anything else we don't walk into with our eyes open Rachel."

She nodded, mostly just to touch her lips to his, "I understand."

He pulled back and looked at her, "Say it, Rachel."

She looked up at him earnestly, "I want to be with you Trent." she licked her lips nervously. "I just... I don't know what that means."

He nodded, "Baby steps."

She gave a small nod of her head before he put his hands on either side of her face and... he didn't kiss her so much as caress her lips with his. It startled her, that such tenderness came from him. She pushed him back suddenly, and he was beginning to look frustrated.

"Before we go one step further, what did you do to me on the plane?"

The angry look changed quickly into one with a smirk, "Oh, the Elf thing."

"Yes, the Elf thing."

He sat on the bed next to her and began to unbutton her blouse. He looked up at her, "Really Rachel, a breast enhancement charm?"

She blushed, "I've gained a little weight! Back to the question before I button my blouse back up!"

He grinned, "'Senti' is what's known as a focus word. I'm sure you've learned about them with all the ley-line magic you've been doing?"

She started to button her shirt.

"It means 'feel'. I've told you I'm an expert at manipulation, haven't I?"

She looked at the bed and back to him with an eyebrow raised.

"Fair enough. Well, it's not just people I can manipulate Rachel..."

"You can manipulate my body?"

"The spell is old, very Elven. It manipulates the nerves, makes them much more sensitive." he paused, "Remember when I said I didn't really need your vampire bites?"

She nodded.

"I can turn your entire body into an unclaimed vampire bite. Not the aura sharing part, but the sensation of it. It's not permanent; pretty much until I go to sleep and break my concentration." he paused, "That's another thing. An Elf will never be someone who goes 'all night'."

"What? Metabolism wears you out too quick?"

He reached out and caressed her cheek, "We get it right the first time; you won't be able to have a second because you'll be nearly comatose after you pass out from pleasure."

She swooned at the thought as he went in to the un-bitten side of her neck, "Oh, wow. Wait, didn't you say something else before the 'feel' thing?"

"Lover's gibberish." he murmured into her ear. She was about to question it when he sucked sharply and the world gained a nice little halo of pleasure to it. "Will you stop talking now?" he said softly, and then licked the spot he had sucked.

She nodded mutely, her hands moving into his hair as she moaned.

"Good girl." he whispered back. He leaned back and grabbed the sides of her shirt and ripped it open.

"Hey, that was Ceri's!"

He gave her a pointed look.

"Right, shutting up."

He did the same to her bra with a small growl. Rachel thought she heard the metal moan under his hands. God knew she was! He tossed the bra to the room at large and she was started to get pissed, how dare he ruin her clothes? Other guys never ruined her clothes! She tried to take his belt off, and it kept getting stuck in the loops until he pulled it out and threw it. She tried to rip his pants off, but the expensive engineering that evidently went into them frustrated her, "I want to destroy your clothes." she whispered against his hair.

"I have a whole closet full, feel free in the morning." he pushed her back on the bed and began to kiss down her neck at a leisurely pace.

Rachel was contented with the answer, and ran her fingers up his arm. She was admiring how flat-out amazing he looked and finally instead of wanted or wondering what it would be like to touch Trent, she could. The feeling was freeing, almost making her a touch possessive. He reached her collar bone and swirled his tongue at the hollow there, smiling against her skin she she arched her back, showing him her budding breasts. He leaned back, giving them a contemplating look.

Rachel's eyes fluttered open, "What are you doing?"

"Deciding how to attack them."

"Well, do it!"

He raised an eye at her, "I'm savoring the moment."

"Savor later!"

He gave an impatient sigh, "I'm trying to be romantic."

"Who asked you to be?"

He gave an aggravated sigh and gently bit between her breasts, causing her to gasp and arch again. He put a hand against her knee and used the other for support as he tightened his grip on her leg before tracing his way to her left breast and tracing his way up her hip to her other breast with his finger tips. He pulled the tight bud into his mouth and lightly pinched the other with the same pressure.

Rachel's hands began to curl in the sheets, as if trying to push her body closer to Trent. He released her nipple, blowing on it and making Rachel moan at the sudden contrasting temperatures. He moved to the other breast and sucked it while the evening breeze kept the other firm and sensitive.

"I need..."

He knew, and had purposefully neglected that important area. His mouth went lower, his hands held her hips firmly in place as he kissed down her belly, giving light nips at the unyielding flesh there. His hands grazed lower until they held her thighs and Rachel opened like a flower to him.

She cried out when Trent's breath came warm against her. She was nearly coming out of her skin and waiting to feel the length of him against her. She was wondering if he was wearing underwear yet, if he was going commando at the opera, or was already in his birthday suit? She didn't know because he was keeping that part carefully away from her.

He kissed and sucked on her thigh and she dug her fingers into Trent's hair and then remembered... she forced her hands to relax and caressed his ears. His breath went in quickly and he stayed still, his breath warm against those sensitive parts. He gave a shuddering growl and she heard silk ripping apart and saw what used to be sage green boxers tossed among the clothing.

A little voice in her head happily rejoiced in Trent's new-found naked state. He moaned, and raised his head, "Let me finish."

"But, I want--"

"You'll get your chance." he said, he went back and kissed from the inside of her knee back to the spot that was so close, and yet so far. His hand caressed her mound and she arched against him, nearly begging. He slipped his finger against her and she nearly came unglued. It slid lower and felt the wetness there, and she could hear the smirk in his voice, "I think you're just about there..."

She touched his ears again and he went still. She pulled herself up until his head rested in her lap and she was able to get a good look at him.

If she was ready, he was nearly there! The head of him nearly lay on his stomach at the angle gravity had pulled it. He wasn't overly large, or wide, but it was still a bit more than what she was used to! She had never thought of that part as being elegant, but there went Trent, throwing her ideas of masculine beauty to the winds! He was tight and ready and it bobbed slightly as he turned and quickly, reached up and was kissing her for all he was worth until she lay back against the bed and Trent's weight was pinning her there. She could feel him against her hip and while she mewled deliciously against his mouth, she shifted herself so he lay flush against her cleft.

He turned his head and whispered against her ear, "Are you ready?"

She bucked against him, "Please..!"

"Senti." he whispered against her ear.

Rachel wasn't prepared for the overwhelming shock of it, and nearly came from the utterance of those words alone! It was as if every part that Trent had touched, kissed, sucked, and nibbled were still being manipulated by his clever mouth! While he lay against her like a red hot poker.

"Easy," he whispered, he hadn't expected the bond they shared to backlash against him and it was as if his body was thrumming with pleasure. He nudged Rachel's legs as she panted and squirmed and was rewarded with them opening further.

He pushed with tip of himself against her opening and watched her, frantic with need, and frantic for him.

"Please, Trent!" she moaned. Lights were going off in the distance of her eyes and she knew if this lasted much longer she'd die of pleasure. She would die happily, in Trent's arms. The plane had been so quick, such a strong rush she hadn't known what was happening, but this was a torture of pleasure that she would gladly beg for! She had never known!

Everything jumped a gear when he barely penetrated her. She knew he was gritting his teeth to stay in control, but, by everything that was holy, how could her body take all this? She could hear him pant softly that he was almost there and she began to cry as he slid himself fully in her.

"Oh God, Trent! I never knew..."

She felt him kiss her tears away, and then he pulled out, and she screamed her pleasure when he went back in, but the climax never stopped, it just continued to grow and push everything else out.

She locked her ankles behind Trent's back, her nails dug into his back and she cried out in pleasure as his momentum built. Would she survive this? How could anyone survive this?!

It was like a bomb went off, everything went white and eerily quiet as her body touched something she never thought possible. Trent's dull shout, she knew was probably deafening, barely reached her.

Then, it all faded quickly, and she was released into a welcoming darkness.


She woke up to the sound of Trent's strangely soothing snores and basked in the afterglow.

Wow, was all her mind could comprehend.

The next thought was, how the hell did Elves ever even come close to being an endangered race?

She felt Trent shift beside her and she snuggled into his chest. Wondering how long Elf sex afterglow lasted. It was dark when they had finished, and now it was midday. Afterglow like that had to be a record.

She heard Trent yawn, running his fingers up her bare back, "Sleep well?" he asked softly.

"Like a baby."

"More like a dump-truck." he muttered.

Her ire tried to raise, but the afterglow beat it into a pulp, "You snore too." was about all she could counter.

He snorted, "Do not."

She smiled into his chest, "Mmm." non-committal, but still had that condescending way of going, 'Whatever you say.'

He stretched and Rachel felt all his muscles straining as the blood rushed into them, "What do you normally have for breakfast?"

"I miss Maggie's waffles." she murmured.

He reached blindly for the cordless phone near his bed. Rachel saw this and her fingers were a few scant inches closer and she grabbed it, looking at him mischievously.

He smirked and began to tickle her ribs. Her laughter was infectious and soon Trent was laughing in-spite of himself and nearly forgot about the phone until his stomach growled. He snatched it up and dialed the kitchen's extension.

Rachel tried to pull away to the shower but without breaking his voice as he put in their breakfast order, he grabbed the sheet and pulled her back into bed, and firmly locked her waist in the crook of his arm. He hung up the phone and pulled Rachel against him until she settled back against him. One arm held her, the other tracing her arm and down her chest, making lazy circles on her breast, "For the record, and not trying to further any gains... I was impressed by your performance last night."

She leaned up and kissed him, lingering there a moment, "That was pretty amazing."

He went back to studying the curve of her neck, and the even coloring of her skin, "I wasn't prepared for the bond kicking in... it was a pleasant experience."

She kissed his shoulder, "I'm glad you had fun."

"We must do this again sometime, what are you doing this evening?"

She raised a brow, "Why, Mr. Kalamack, are we going to make this a regular thing?"

He smirked at her, "Unless it cuts into you're busy schedule?"

"Does this mean we're dating?"

He looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment, "Probably."

"You aren't using me for anything?"

"Just sex."

She snorted back her laughter, "That's fine, I think I could use you for the same." she stretched, her body pale in the morning light and Trent watched the way her skin became nearly translucent, showing the dark veins beneath it's surface.

A nagging feeling began to develop, he had seen that in the not-so-distant past... In the lab...

Rachel caught his gaze, studying her outside of bedroom parameters, "What is it?"

He placed a finger to her lips and studied her body. He frowned and put his analytical mind to the puzzle and studied her the way a doctor would. He touched her head, it felt fine. Her eyes were fine, lips were swollen, and he gave a ghost of a smile as his mind kept going lower.

"Trent, what is it?"

"Something isn't right..." He looked at her breasts. There was something there too, nagging him. They were fuller than the time on the plane, her stomach not nearly as flat and her hips were slightly rounder. She was gaining weight, it made sense there hadn't been much to do as of late and everyone was taking a bit of a break. His hand touched her stomach lightly, then added pressure. It didn't feel like the normal spare tire some women carried. It felt harder, almost as if...

He paled as the figured began to match, "Rachel, have you been with anyone else in the last few months?"

She frowned, "I was with Pierce two months ago, just before we broke up. Two weeks before we broke up I think. The whole 'family' thing... Why?"

Trent's face was one of someone who's brain was moving far too fast, "Did you use protection?"

"Of course I did, I can't get pregnant! I'd have Demons all over me!"

"When was the last time you had your period?"

She blinked and put a hand over her mouth to stop from laughing, "You think I'm pregnant?" her face froze, and she looked a bit upset, "You think I'm fat because I'm pregnant?"

He gave an impatient sigh, "Rachel, not now. When was the last time you had your period?"

She shrugged, "I never have a regular period. I'm usually too active. Maybe a month or two ago? I never keep track unless I'm sleeping with a witch."

He rubbed his face in thought, "You're right though, absolutely right." He tossed his legs over the bed, "But just to be sure..." he reached for the phone that had fallen on the floor in their playful scuffle, "Quen, bring the HCG kit."

Rachel pulled the sheet against her, "Trent what's going on?"

"I just need to be sure." He said softly as he set the phone on the nightstand.

"You think I'm pregnant?"

"You haven't had a period in two months, you're gaining weight, your veins are starting to fill with a higher blood concentration. Have you been having nausea?"

"No! I've been fine!"

"Cravings?"

"Not that I'm aware of!"

His lips pursed, "Not all women have all the signs... even then, it could be Pierce's..."

Rachel put a hand on her hips, "I'm not pregnant!"

"Let me rule it out, please?"

She blew out a errant curl, "Fine, do you have a pregnancy test charm?"

He frowned, "You have too much magic, I don't trust them."

Her eyes widened in realization, "Oh no, you can't be serious!"

"It's a harmless test, I just prick your finger--"

"No!"

"Rachel, it can tell me if you are, and even an idea how far you are!"

"I'm not pregnant!"

"Please, Rachel." his eyes were begging her, and she set her lips to a thin line.

"One test. Just to prove how stupid you are."

He set his jaw and kissed her cheek impetuously right as someone knocked on the door. "It's Quen." he said softly.

"You sure?"

"Maggie takes her time." he said idly, grabbing a robe out of the closet and giving Rachel one last flash before he was semi-dressed. He opened the door, murmured something and shut it. He returned with a laptop and a few beakers filled with a harmless looking blue liquid.

He sat next to her and pulled a finger prick from his nightstand and held out his hand. Rachel gave it a squeeze before turning it over palm up. "This is ridiculous. Ow!"

He squeezed a few drops into a beaker with some of the blue liquid and swished it around as he used his one free hand to turn on and begin typing in the computer. He took a probe out of a side compartment and placed it in the liquid. He held his breath.

"46,584 million international units of HcG..."

Rachel's breath caught, "What does it mean Trent?"

He shut the case of the laptop and looked at Rachel with a face that was blank, it was as if his mind was a million miles from his body.

Rachel grabbed Trent's forearm, "What does that mean?"

He turned to face her, his face still unreadable and far away, "You're pregnant Rachel, at least six weeks... The trip back from Napa... maybe even Pierce, if the sterilization potion you last took was faulty... But I'm an Elf, there's no way... Not with a witch..."

Rachel's grip would have been painful, if Trent was aware of it. "Pregnant? No, there's... that can't be possible!"

Trent shot up, "I have an ultra sound in the lab downstairs. I can tell you exactly how far you are and that should determine..." he trailed off, and he begun to pace.

"I have no clothes." Rachel said woodenly.

He went to his closet and grabbed a shirt and threw it at the bed, "I think the skirt is still okay."

Rachel balled up the fabric of the shirt, barely registering that it was there. Finally, she looked down at it. She took it out of it's ball and grabbed either arm and tore it down the middle.

Trent didn't say a word, and took another shirt out and handed it to her. He watched the tears fall down her cheeks silently. She took the new shirt and ripped it in half as well and gave a muffled sob. She tore at it again and again, her sobbing getting louder until the shirt was in pieces and she was crying her eyes out, giving great baleful sobs. Trent put his arm around her shoulder and she buried her face in the silk of his robe and cried as Trent put his arms around her and whispered soothingly under his breath and rocked her gently.


He had told Quen he wanted the compound evacuated internally for the rest of the day and stationed guards at the outsides of all the doors. Quen had asked if Rachel was alright, and Trent could only say then that he didn't know.

They stood in silence as the private elevator went down the floors to the basement lab. Rachel was wrapped in one of his shirts, her eyes red and puffy. His own felt hollow even though he hadn't shed a tear.

The door opened, and he moved down the hallway, until he found the door he wanted and pressed his palm to the keypad, and it opened immediately. He ushered Rachel into a room painted Mauve with a raised and slightly inclined bed next to the ultra sound. He helped Rachel up without a word and took out the gel.

"What will you be looking for?"

Trent swallowed dryly, "A pregnancy at 9 weeks will look something like a bean with arms and legs, it will be Peirce's then. If it looked like a small circle attached to a larger one, it will be at six or seven weeks."

"And it would be yours."

He pulled up Rachel's shirt to expose her stomach, "Elves can't have babies with Witches, it's been tried, it doesn't work. The genetics just don't work." He paused, "It's going to be cold."

She nodded, but still squirmed when the cold gel hit her abdomen. Trent pulled out the wand and turned on the monitor. He did a slow methodical search until he found the spot. He sat back in his chair and nearly dropped the wand. The fetuses were too small to be Pierce's...

He heard Rachel's quick intake of breath, "The little dot there, it's fluttering... is that...?"

Trent nodded softly, "It's heart."

"I'm..."

Trent dropped the wand and picked it back up quickly out of reflex and moved it back to the spot. He frowned, and readjusted it.

Rachel's eyes widened, "No way!"

This time he did drop the wand, "That can't be possible!"

"Did I see what I thought I saw?"

Trent stood up and began pacing, "For the love of God, it's not possible!"

"I'm not supposed to be possible either, and I'm here," A note of hysteria was in her voice, "Did I see it right? Did I see that?"

Trent nodded mutely, and rewound the video footage and paused it just before the screen went black. Rachel grasped for Trent's hand and he tightened it around it hers as they stared at the screen with wide eyes at the two little spots on the screen that fluttered ever-so-slightly.

Trent's hand was rubbing his jaw, his eyes seemed impossibly wide and glued to the monitor, "Yes, Rachel... We're going to have twins..."


* 'Succurre mihi, Deus' – God save me (At least, I'm pretty sure that's what it means...)

A/N: I did dice rolls, certain things cannot be planned. So I was just as shocked as Rachel and Trent when it came up with twins! I was a little shocked at what else the dice told me to do... but that's genetics for ya; a crap shoot. ;)