DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NADA OF THE HOLLOWS SERIES BY KIM HARRISON

RPOV

"What the hell do you mean there isn't anything you can do?" I yelled at Al, fisting the hand that wasn't currently keeping him and I in communication by way of a scrying mirror. "Aren't you going to press charges?"

I can and I have, but that is all, love, Al stated, his voice hard.

Damn it. He was calling me, "love." I sighed, trying to reel in my anger and disappointment. After all, it wasn't his fault that even if he had in fact filed charges, and I don't doubt it for anything, the greedy bastard, against Newt, seeing as Nick is her familiar and therefore her responsibility, apparently if Nicky didn't want to remove the curse he put on my ass, the curse that was put on my ass was staying on my ass until further notice. Damn Al anyway, damn it.

"Rache?" Jenks buzzed by my ear, reminding me that he was still in the kitchen. He landed on the counter, feet spread wide and hands on his hips. He was looking up at me, and even though he was only four inches tall, I could see his tiny features bunched up in fury and concern. He hated Nick as much as I did, maybe even more, seeing as the stupid son of a bastard had turned Jenks's eldest son, Jax, into a thief. Thank God Jax got out of that no good life and went to start a garden of his own.

I unclenched my fisted fingers and held one up, a silent motion for hold on a sec. "Al," I pleaded. "Please. There has to be something else."

Itchy witch, he said slowly, if you can think of another way then I'm all ears, but as I've told you twice now, if that fucken human refuses to gift you his blood to undo what he did, then there. Is. Nothing. We. Can. Do.

I bit back my snotty remark. He is just as pissed as you are, Rachel, I told myself, breathing in deeply. Calm your ass down. "I understand that, Al, but can't we beat a willing blood donation out of him?" Did I really want Al and God knows who else to torture my idiot ex-boyfriend? In the moment, yes I could.

Al chuckled in bitter amusement. As much as I would love to beat a willing . . . blood donation out of his ass, it wouldn't be honest. So no. Otherwise, I'd have done it already.

"But you demons do it all the time!" I exclaimed in disbelief. And since when are demons honest? I asked myself.

When?! He asked, incredulous.

"You beat people until they give you the okay to pull them across and use them as familiars!"

Again Al chuckled, and I got the happy image of the time Al dragged me on my ass in the snow. Now that's different, itchy witch. When we force potential familiars into submissive, it doesn't matter if they really don't want to. All we need is the yes that allows us to pull their sorry asses here. Now, if we beat Nick Nicky, he might give us the blood just to get us to stop, but he wouldn't really want to, deep down. And the result is you'll be sucked into your elf's head. Al lost the giggles as he explained.

"Okay, okay," I said, looking down at Jenks. "But there has to be something else, right? Anything else?"

Sorry, Rachel, but there isn't.

"Well, then maybe we can give him something? What if I buy him from Newt?"

And then what? You'll release him into the wild? I rolled my eyes. I don't think either one of your elves would be too keen on the idea, itchy witch.

I leaned forward until my elbows and one forearm rested on the cool surface of the counter. "What if you take his soul? You can force him to give us the blood."

Al sighed, and through our connection, I felt his exhaustion. I don't think he's slept since I woke him up two days ago. Well, maybe a bit when I had passed out. I had found him in bed with me. Itchy witch, that would still be cheating.

"Well, I don't hear you coming up with anything!" I complained. Al didn't respond, most likely just waiting for me to come to my senses. I drummed my fingers on the counter. Think, Rachel, think. "Am I allowed to see him?"

What for?

So, I can beat the snot out of him. I told him quietly, a smile almost breaking through my crappy mood when Jenks gave a sharp whistle. "Just to talk, Al. Like I said before, maybe he wants something from me? From Trent?"

Dead, maybe. Let me see what I can do. And he broke the connection.

I let go of the line immediately and raised my fingers from my mirror. "Well, that was fun." I said sarcastically.

"Tink's titties, Rache, what did you ever see in that stupid moss wipe?" After giving Jenks a Don't start look, I went to pour myself some coffee.

"I'm serious, Rachel."

I went to sit at the table, my steaming mug of coffee in my grip. "If I'm not mistaken, Jenks, you liked him just fine, too."

"That was before he twisted my son." he said angrily. He flew to where I was sitting, landing a few inches from my mug. "Maybe you should call Ivy."

I snorted. "Why? She hasn't seen Glenn and Daryl in months." I lifted the coffee to my lips inhaling deeply. I needed to go to Junior's soon. I miss my raspberry Italian blend. "Besides, it's not like she can do anything," I added bitterly. Stupid moss wipe, indeed.

"I guess your right. She'll be back in a day anyway."

I smiled at him. Yup. No point in actually calling if she'll be getting back tomorrow. "So-o-o," Jenks drawled out in a hitch pitched voice, drawing my eyes to his face curiously. "Do you want to tell Uncle Jenks what happened back at Trent's?"

My smile went away. "No way."

"C'mon, Rache!" he whined, walking closer to me. I ignored him, and took a sip. The hot liquid felt nice going down my throat, but damn it, it wasn't my raspberry Italian blend. "Rache!" Jenks's annoying voice made my eyes ache. "Rache-e-e-el! Ra-a-a-ache!"

"Oh my God, Jenks, shut up!" I complained. He darted back when I flicked my finger at him, and flew right back to sit on the stack of magazines near on the table. "Noth-"

"Don't say nothing happened, because we both know something happened."

I glared at the little twit. I so did not want to talk about Trent right now. "It's nothing, Jenks." I said flatly.

He held up a hand, counting. "You come home stinking of him, his shampoo and conditioner, and tears. Sure nothing happened."

"You know I was in the ever-after. I took a shower in his bathroom to wash the stink off. And I used his brush to brush my hair."

"Fine, then explain the tears. You were crying a lot before you came here."

I thought back to when I had sat at the floor of Trent's shower, hugging myself as I cried an entire two hours. If the water had turned cold forty minutes in like it does here, I would have gotten out sooner, but the stupid water remained hot. I hadn't even noticed the time until Quen was knocking at the door asking if I was alright. Shifting my attention to Jenks and feeling the heavy coldness in my chest, I whispered, "Trent's in love with me."

He was silent for all of a second, then gave a happy laugh. "He finally told you? Well it's about time!"

I stared at Jenks dumbfounded. He knew? "Yeah, I know he loves you, Rache." he said grinning form ear-to-ear. "Ivy, too. And Quen. All of my kids. Probably Ellasbeth and Al."

"Ellasbeth?" I asked. God, no wonder the woman hated my guts. Her freaking fiance was in love with me! "You all knew and didn't tell me?!"

"You wouldn't have believed us," he swore, holding his hands up. I just stared a him with wide eyes. What else did they know? "Anyways," he drawled out lazily, if not a bit eagerly. "Are you guys going to start boinking?" My face reddened. "Tink's a Disney whore! You already did, haven't you?" Jenks laughed merrily, holding his stomach. "Took you two long enough! How was he?"

I gaped at him. He thinks Trent and I did the nasty? "Jenks, we didn't have sex!" He smirked at me, as if saying Yeah, right. "We didn't! Smell me, Jenks!"

"Why would I want to smell demon and elf sex on you?" Yet despite his protests, Jenks walked along the table towards me, taking a deep breath and making a face. "You didn't?"

Relieved, I sighed, "No."

Eyeing me from under his blond curly hair, he asked, "Did you want to?"

"No." It came out to fast though, and Jenks knew otherwise.

"So, let me guess," he began, "you two are waiting because you want it to be perfect?"

My face felt hot, like I could boil water on my forehead. "We didn't get together. I'm still single and he's still going to marry Ellasbeth." I said as emotionless as I could. "Nothing's changed."

"But he told you he loved you?" Jenks persisted, taking an aggressive stance.

"That doesn't change anything." Tears burned my eyes, and I forced my chin still when I felt it beginning to quiver. "He has responsibilities to his race."

"Do you love him, Rache?" He asked, bluntly.

Blinking at him, I hesitated. I did not love Trent. I knew this down to my soul. Sure, I liked the guy a lot, but that was just it. I did not love Trent. I couldn't afford to. "No, I don't."

His eyes widened. "You're not lying to me, or yourself." He walked closer to me and tilted his head back to look up at me. "You seriously don't love Trent?" I shook my head no. His face pinched in pity. "Poor guy."

"I have feelings for him, though, and that's bad enough." I muttered. Perhaps it's this whole we can't be together fiasco that pulls me to him. That he's off-limits is what pushes those damn buttons. Or maybe I just felt sorry for the man? What woman in her right mind wouldn't? A man that gives so much, sacrifices everything in life to save his species, even if it meant he would spend the rest of his days a lonely man. Or maybe it was his nice perky ass? Trent did have a sexy ass on him, and I love a good man ass.

"Do you want to be in love with him?" He asked, taking me out of my drooling over Trent's backside.

"Hell, no."

He buzzed his wings, a look of sudden-enlightenment on him. My gut twisted. "That's why you don't love him," he stated. "You won't let youself."

Not letting myself? If it was love, wouldn't I not have a say in the matter of whether or not I wanted to love him? "What?"

"You're holding yourself back because you're afraid it would end badly. It's not about Lucy, or the elves. You're scared that he's either going to get hurt, or die because of you. That's why you'r refusing to love him." Jenks grinned at me before flying up to my face. "You're terrified of falling in love again."

"That's not true!" I yelled, slamming my hand down on the counter. "He needs to marry-"

"That bitch of a woman, I know, Rachel. However, that isn't the real reason you two stupid lunkers won't hook up. Hell, he's probably just using Ellasbeth as an excuse because he's just as scared as you are."

Almost cross-eyed with him inches from my nose, I snarled, "He should be."

"Rache," Jenks whined, flitting down and placing his feet on the table. "He is not scared of what could happen to him if you two date. He's scared because he's never been in love before."

I blinked several times, hoping to clear the tears forming, but one managed to spill. "I could get him killed, Jenks, and he has two little girls that need him." I wiped the tear away with my knuckles. "Besides, he was the one who told me we couldn't have a relationship."

"Well, then he's stupid, Rache."

I took a gulp of my coffee, nearly spitting it back into my mug when I sneezed. I grimaced, glancing at my scrying still on the counter. That was quick, I thought as I got to my feet and went to the mirror. I wasn't really in the mood to talk to Nick, but anything to stop having this conversation with Uncle Jenks.

Jenks beat me to the counter, facing me as he stood with his hands on his hips. "Maybe you should start dating again, Rache."

Surprised, I stared at him for a good five seconds. "Beg pardon?"

"You should date someone, and when Trent sees that you're moving on from him, he'll end things with Ellasbeth and try to bring you back to him." He smiled evilly. "The cookie maker is the possessive type. Gets jealous easy." Huffing in annoyance, he added, "Wayde told me that Trent told him to back off in not so much words."

"He what? When?" Wayde never said anything to me. . . ?

"The day he gave you that ring. He'd seen how you and Wayde interacted with each other, and with body language, he told him to back off. Right in front of you, too."

I recall that day. But I don't remember Trent doing anything inappropriate. Trent had gotten jealous of Wayde? Why? Nothing was definitely going on with him.

I sneezed again, and clearing my thoughts of Trent and Wayde, I let Al into my head.

Itchy witch! Al fumed. What took you so long?

"Forgive me, your royal highness, I was talking to my roommate." I said dryly. "Do I get to see Nick?"

Yes, I've got him in a box. You can speak to him right now.

On a sudden thought, I said, "Let me call Trent."

Mother pus bucket, what for Rachel? Al complained, annoyed.

"He has every right to talk to Nick. He spelled him after all."

Fine, Al snapped.

I pulled my cellphone out from my back pocket. "Let me call him first."

Al sighed. For crying out loud, call me when you're done. And he hung up.

I turned to Jenks. "I'm going to the ever-after to talk to Nick."

"Say no more, Rache. How long until I call your mom to summon your ass back?"

Nick might agree to releasing us if I buy him and set him free, but that would take time. "Give me twenty-four hours, Jenks." I flipped my phone open. "I'm just calling Trent to see if he'd like to come, then I'm off."

"Maybe you should wake Bis up and take him with you."

"Let the little guy sleep. I'll be fine," I said.

I scrolled through my contacts, hitting Trent's cell number. I knew he'd want to go, but I wasn't going to have Al pop us in his living room unannounced. Either way, if he came along, or not, tonight ought to be interesting.

Finally! A chappie 14! I am SO-O-O very sorry that it took awhile. I had writer's block, and when I FINALLY GOT AN IDEA like around a week ago, my brother got me. He got sick from another little kid from school. The whole stuffed/running-nose, cough, fever, achy breaky sore throat, and headache. I refused to take my medicine at first( I know others will agree that that stuff is just horrible and icky), but I felt to much like crap. I have gotten better, but I still have the running nose and I'm almost out of tissues.

Anyways, I finally figured out where I wanted to take this story. Sad to say, but this entire time, I was only writing blindly. I've finally got an ending in mind, and it could lead into a possible sequel. That depends on all y'all. That being said, a few chapters more, and this story is complete! Hooray! :)

Oh, and I forgot to mention, next chappie is Trent's point of view:)