The ride home had been uneventful, mostly because the day had taken its toll on my healing body and exhaustion had caused me to fall asleep. The last thing I remember was my internal battle on how to bring up what had happened back at the FIB. It wasn't just the fact that the Were who had beaten me bloody had been released, but more Ivy's lack of response to Skimmer about her feelings for me. I had a strong suspicion that despite her goodbye and remarkable kiss in San Francisco, and only to myself could I admit that it was incredible, I knew where we stood with one another.

"Wake up, Rachel." I opened my eyes and for a moment I wasn't sure where I was. Ivy's fingers on my shoulder set my skin on fire. Again, it was like a thousand tiny fingers were poking at me, making me aware of her presence. I instantly woke up, the haze from my nap completely gone, as I stared into her eyes and heard the voices once more.

"She's yours!"

"Take her, it's the only way!"

I blinked to block out the voices as my mind began the familiar hum that seemed to happen each time Ivy came near me. I shook my head again and she backed up, hands in the air with her palms facing me in mock surrender, waiting for me to react. The moment she backed away, the voices disappeared and it seemed my facial expression did as well by the look that came over her face.

"We're home." Ivy sounded completely defeated and I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat as guilt washed over me. I watched her turn and disappear into the church. I was mildly shocked at the fact that she didn't even try to help me inside.

"No really, I got this," I mumbled sarcastically to myself since she was already out of my sight.

After biting my lower lip in determination, I was able to get out of my car and make my way up to the door, grateful Ivy had left it ajar.

"Are we simply not going to talk about what just happened?" I announced, kicking the door closed behind me.

Ivy turned around with a look of confusion on her face.

"I don't know how to respond to what just happened. You can't tell me what's going on and since I can't get close enough to figure it out without your body and mind rejecting me, I'm not sure there is anything left to say. It's obvious that what you couldn't vocalize before is simply manifesting itself in different ways now."

"That's not fair!" I chose to ignore the way Ivy's eyes began to become enveloped in black as I raised my voice. "First you know it's not anything I can control or even understand myself, so that was really a shitty response! Second, you know what I'm talking about and it isn't this….whatever these episodes are."

Ivy raised her eyebrow in question, almost amusement, as she stared at me waiting for my outburst to conclude.

"I'm talking about Skimmer!"

"What about her?" Ivy gracefully walked toward the kitchen, quickly opening the refrigerator and taking out the orange juice. Truthfully, I wasn't mad that she simply ignored all etiquette and drank from the carton. I was angry that she was so aloof about the fact that her "friend" had just stalled our case.

"For starters, she completely ruined our case." I started to tick my fingers off to count all the infractions I wanted to blame on Skimmer; I felt my rage rising to match my now piercing voice. "She got him off without even letting us talk to him. We'll never have the trail so hot, you know how cases go!" I walked up and cornered Ivy as she drank from the carton of orange juice more rapidly now. Even I had to admit that it wasn't the brightest idea to corner a vampire who was already fighting her instincts. "How the Turn did she get out anyway? I now know the answer when people ask me what's happened to make the world like it is, people can simply kill someone and just decide when they get to walk out of jail!"

"I told you," Ivy's voice was firm but controlled as she stepped around me to put space between us, "Skimmer is an amazingly intelligent attorney. I'm shocked she stayed in jail as long as she did, and personally I think it was just to prove a point to me."

"What? You're not really saying that she's trying to manipulate you in any way are you?" I did my best to sound shocked while obviously mocking the idea, since I knew that was exactly what Skimmer did on a regular basis. I capped off my performance by putting my hand on my chest and allowing my mouth to gape open.

The corner of Ivy's mouth turned up as she fought a smile before answering, "Skimmer loves me in her own way, Rachel. At times that way is what I need."

I ignored the way her voice changed to a soft whisper as she admitted what she felt was a weakness.

"It isn't what you need!"

"And how would you know, Rachel?" Ivy turned to me, her eyes growing darker by the moment. It never occurred to me to feel fearful of her reaction in any way. Perhaps I had hit my head harder than I realized as she began to walk around me. She reminded me of a panther cornering their prey, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

"Because I know you, and being manipulated by someone is not the way to be loved. You're a token to her, Ivy; Skimmer doesn't give a shit about you!"

"Funny." Ivy's voice was dripping with sarcasm catching my attention and holding my gaze locked to her own. "Skimmer says the same thing about you."

"Fuck her!" I spat as I turned around and stormed into the family room, dropping down onto the couch to effectively pout. "It isn't like you're overly happy about your interaction at the FIB with her either. You're making me feel like I'm some kind of freak for being upset at her interference in our case!" I watched Ivy as she started to settle into our recliner opposite the couch, looking completely relaxed and peaceful despite me screaming. "I don't buy it anyway, Ivy. Doesn't it seem like too much of a coincidence that she ends up defending the Were that attacked me? I was born at night, Ivy, just not last night."

"I don't really want to talk about Skimmer," Ivy said as she began to thumb through the information David had given her earlier.

"What, is that your theme for the day?" I let my mouth hang open, shocked at my boldness to press a topic I usually avoided like the plague. Apparently I wasn't the only once since it took Ivy a few moments of silence to recover from me broaching the subject.

"Why, Rachel," Ivy's sarcasm was back and she placed her hand on her chest as I had just a few moments ago to make a point, "whatever do you mean?"

I was stuck; I knew I couldn't back down after she had given me a chance and I blatantly ignored it. I knew she had me stuck in this conversation now and what was worse was that Ivy knew she had me stuck in the conversation. Whether I wanted the discussion to continue or not, I couldn't jerk my best friend around like that yet again, I had to respond.

"You never answered her question," I shot back as I settled back into the couch and defiantly crossed my arms over my chest hoping I seemed more confident than I felt. I hated to let Ivy win.

"What exact question do you want answered, Rachel?"

Ivy's voice was like silk, wrapping itself around me, making it almost impossible for me to concentrate. Normally what happens when she starts throwing pheromones is that my scar lights up like the 4th of July and I can barely contain my desire. But this time, my entire body felt tingly, aroused in a controlled sense and I didn't understand the different reaction. I had no choice, with Ivy's smug smile and cocked eyebrow; I refused to let her win this round so I pressed forward.

"You never answered her question about your feelings for me."

I tried hard to hide my smile as I trumped Ivy's confidence with my own. What began as a simple contest of wills was becoming increasingly interesting, and I felt, for the first time, a sense of excitement over the prospect of discussing our relationship. I could have blamed the accident, claiming delusionary behavior due to the beating I had received. I could have blamed the bracelet, I'm not sure even Trent knows how it works so that would have been an easy excuse to blame my odd behavior on. But for the moment I didn't blame anything, I was reveling in watching Ivy stammer.

"Well we might as well put it all out there." I tried to continue with a self-assured tone in my voice. "You kissed me in San Francisco. You said goodbye, and yet that kiss was not a goodbye kiss."

"And you've chosen now to discuss this while someone is out there desperate to prove a point to you?"

"No time like the present." I smiled smugly now, I couldn't help feeling that I was on better footing during this conversation than Ivy and I had to take advantage of it. "You don't have to admit shit to Skimmer, I could care less about her, but don't you think you owe it to me to tell me about your feelings?"

"They haven't changed." Ivy forced herself to hold my gaze and, for that reason alone, I couldn't look away. "But you knew that didn't you? Is it a game, Rachel? To see how many times you can get me to open my heart so you can step on it?" I watched in horror as she simply flipped her file open and began to peruse it once again. "I said goodbye to you in San Francisco because you wouldn't say it to me. It's like a chess game that never ends; someone finally had to make a move to allow a checkmate."

"So you told me goodbye to manipulate me into admitting I love you?"

"No, I said goodbye to you in San Francisco so that I could move on and stop wasting my time on something that is never going to happen."

"Because I can't love you like Skimmer does?" Even I heard the disdain in my voice as I spoke Skimmer's name.

"Because you don't love me period," Ivy said sadly, "you're not wired that way."

Her words hurt, the same words that I had uttered, the same words that likely crushed her hopes and desires, crushed me hearing them back. I'd come to hate those words, and this was the second time today they were thrown back in my face. I felt so many emotions and finally noticed that I felt dizzy. It was like my entire system was on overdrive and I was running to catch up.

"Feel better?" I shot back in anger. "I'm trying to have a conversation with you, not piss you off although I can't say the same for you!"

"You're the one screaming," Ivy pointed out, quickly taking back control of the conversation, which just served to anger me more. "Do I seem pissed?"

"You kissed me!" I ignored the pain that shot through my body as I jumped off the couch quicker than I should have and pointed my finger dangerously close to Ivy's face.

"If you were so offended by the kiss why didn't you stop it?"

"I never said I was offended!" I yelled back not even hearing what I was saying. Any filter I had once possessed to keep the thoughts in my head from coming out of my mind was in fact gone at this moment. "We just… we never got a chance to talk about it, and instead of taking the small chance we did get when we came back, you ran and blabbed your feelings to Skimmer instead of trusting me with them!"

Ivy looked thoroughly confused, and frankly I didn't blame her, but it didn't stop me from walking toward her as she rose from the seat and walked into the kitchen must faster than she normally would have.

"You shouldn't have kissed me goodbye!" I truly felt like I was having in out-of-body experience as I cornered Ivy once more in the kitchen.

"And why is that, Rachel? Did it bother you that much to feel my lips on yours?" Ivy's voice was pure seduction and she looked confident right up until the point that I stood in front of her, invading every inch of her personal space.

"Because after that kiss," I paused, ignoring the voices that were starting to come back. I anchored my hand on her hip and they instantly went away, replaced with a hum that radiated through my entire body. When I placed my other hand around her neck and held her head still, the hum went away just as it had when I had launched myself into her arms earlier in the day. "Maybe I don't want to say goodbye."

Her eyes were instantly enveloped in black, her head trying to pull back to look at me, as if I were a complete stranger. Her back was up against the counter and she spread her legs slightly to steady herself.

"I can't explain why, but I'm done fucking around, Ivy."

I had no idea where this was coming from, but it felt so good to be touching her and, in traditional Rachel Morgan style, I didn't stop to question my actions or think things through.

I leaned forward, and I wasn't sure how it happened, but I felt my tongue slowly escape my mouth and lick Ivy's lips gently. I started at her upper lip, exhaling through my nose when Ivy first placed her hand on my hip. When she moved her hand and ran it down up back, I stepped even further into her spread legs. I licked Ivy's bottom lip, not allowing her the pleasure of her tongue touching mine; I was in control, or at least I pretended to be.

Finally, Ivy overpowered me, her hands went to my back, and she pulled me fully into her body. Our lips met, I could taste the orange juice residue and despite the fact that I don't normally drink it, it truly felt like the drink of the gods. I could smell Ivy's scent, that unique blend of incense and cinnamon mixed in with what I thought was the scent of her arousal. I grabbed onto Ivy's face as our lips remained active, walking backward with my hands on her cheeks to try to find the couch.

"God you're beautiful," I whispered as I broke free from the kiss to take a much needed breath. I didn't recognize my own voice, it was husky with desire, but not in any way that it had ever been before. "You're not leaving me."

Ivy's lips brushed against mine once more as I continued to walk backward toward the couch. I knew at that moment, that no matter what happened, I would never forget the small smile that crept over her talented lips, the lips that promised so much more when I whispered "you never cease to amaze me" in my aroused voice.

When we finally descended onto the couch, my fingertips gently caressed the skin that was now exposed between Ivy's shirt and the waistband of her jeans. This was not like the kiss in San Francisco. For that kiss, I was almost paralyzed not knowing what to make of it all. This one was different, I was an active participant if not the initiator and the sound of her moan against my mouth when my fingers inched higher was exciting and arousing.

"You're shaking," Ivy whispered as I moved my fingers around to her side and flexed them against her perfect alabaster skin.

"I know." I breathed heavily, not even bothering to turn my head when the shrill of the phone broke into our conversation. I ran my hand down Ivy's thigh, not certain why the feel of it was so surprising. It was solid, muscular, yet feminine all at the same time; a combination that truly was the essence of Ivy.

She leaned forward and nipped at my bottom lip, not hard enough to break the skin, but it sent shock waves through my body as I closed my eyes in delight. I ignored my own voice ringing throughout the church to announce that no one was able to take the incoming call and the options were to leave a detailed message or call back when we were available.

It hardly dawned on me when I heard Glenn's voice, whatever he had to say it truly wasn't important as Ivy's tongue slipped into my mouth and began caressing my own. To say Ivy was a perfect kisser would have been the world's greatest understatement. I was about to tell her that fact when I broke free to take a breath and heard the words that effectively doused my arousal.

"Your Were was just pulled out of the river. He's dead."