NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL:

TITLE: All About Us

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: K+

SUMMARY: Al is in hiding, while Rachel finally gets the answer to one of her questions.

SPOILER: Sequel to You Don't Always Get What You Want and Sometimes You Get What You Need. It is set an undetermined amount of time afterBlack Magic Sanction. You need to read at least Sometimes first, because I'm not going to give too many explanations, so if you haven't read the story before this you probably aren't going to understand everything that's happening here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of clarification, My Immortal and its sequel, Through Her Eyes, are a separate timeline from my other four Hollows stories, which-if you wanted to read them all-belong in the following order: You Don't Always Get What You Want, Love and Vampires, Disturbing, and Sometimes You Get What You Need.

"So do you believe him?"

Rachel and Ivy had told Jenks about their talk with Al and as usual, the pixie got straight to the point.

"I mean, I know you said demons don't lie, generally, but Tinks' panties Rache, talk about an untrustworthy source!"

Rachel nodded. "Oh no, you're absolutely right, and I have no doubt he's hiding something. I just don't know if he was trying to deceive us or because there were certain details he doesn't personally know."

"Which would make him look less informed," Ivy added. "I guess even demons can be victims of the male ego."

Jenks crossed his arms. "Hey!"

"Present company excluded, of course," said Rachel. "You're all man."

Ivy nodded. "Albeit a tiny one."

"Tinks' diaphragm!" Jenks fumed as best he could while trying not to smile. "Sometimes I really hate the both of you."

Rachel shook her head, and went to get some more coffee. "Honestly, I think what you said before is true, Jenks. I'm not sure that any of this helps us. Even if Al's information is accurate, and that's a big if, finding out the vampires are distantly related to the banshees, which we all kind of figured anyway, doesn't bring me any closer to saving Ivy's soul."

"It may explain something Newt said." Ivy cleared her throat as Rachel and Jenks looked at her expectantly. "Remember, before she became your teacher, she showed up bat shit insane and moaning something about not wanting you to fix me, cause she didn't want to bring them back? I'll bet she was talking about these Paragons."

Rachel nodded. "I do remember. That was the closest I've ever seen Newt to being scared."

"You're saying these uber-vamp things are so tough they frighten the psycho bitch queen of the ever after?" Jenks shook his head. "Remind me not to invite any of them to dinner."

"I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry," said Ivy. "The elves and demons joined forces to get rid of them. A union like that, I doubt anything could have survived."

Rachel groaned. "I really wish you hadn't said that."

"Why?"

"This is the part of the horror movie where one of the characters says 'I guess it was just the wind', right before the slasher steps out of the shadows and guts them. With our luck, a Paragon's gonna come crashing through our door."

All three turned and looked around.

Nothing happened but, secretly, none of them felt particularly relieved.

Somewhere in the ever after Newt slept.

Eyelids fluttering, she thrashed from side to side. A stray thought passed through her mind.

'Paragon.'

Nearby, the ground cracked. A black, leathery hand erupted upward.

THE END

For now