A/N: I've already written the story out but typing it is such a pain that I don't know when I'll upload the whole thing. If anyone cares.

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. They belong to Kim Harrison.

Ivy woke in the cool darkness of her room. She lay there staring at the ceiling wondering what made her wake up. She froze when she felt movement beside her on the bed. She looked over and saw Rachel asleep curled up beside her. Rachel snuggled closer mumbling in her sleep. Ivy lay still not daring to breathe. She had thought last night was a dream, a dream like so many she had this past year. As she stared at Rachel's face Ivy slowly exhaled the breath she was holding.

"Ivy?" Rachel murmured.

"I'm here," Ivy answered softly.

Rachel opened her eyes smiled then closed them again.

Ivy wished she could lay here forever just watching Rachel sleep. But today was the day Rachel went to the ever-after with Al. She still wasn't comfortable with Rachel going someplace where she wouldn't be able to protect her. Despite Rachel insisting that she could take care of herself.

Ivy sighed. "Rachel, Rachel wake up."

"What," Rachel mumbled in a sleepy voice.

"It's time to get up, we overslept. You have to go to the ever-after today,"

Rachel groaned. "Just give me five more minutes."

Ivy frowned. As much as she'd like to stay in bed it wasn't practical. Ivy thought back to how Skimmer used to wake her up when she had to go to class. A feeling of recklessness came over her and she leaned over and started kissing Rachel.

Feeling Ivy's lips on hers, Rachel's mouth turned up in a smile.

"Alright, alright I'm up"

"Then I'll go make coffee," Ivy said getting up and walking to the door.

"I could get used to waking up like this," Rachel said.

Ivy turned back with a shy smile on her face before leaving the room. After Ivy left, Rachel lay in bed looking at the ceiling. She sighed. "I guess the hunt's over, huh." Rachel got out of bed and stretched. Then Rachel headed to her bathroom to take a shower. She idly wondered if the perfume Ivy gave her would still work to separate their scents now that they had slept together in the same bed.

Rachel finished dressing and left her room. She followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen. She found Ivy sitting at the table checking her e-mail. She had two mugs of coffee beside her. Rachel plopped down in her chair. Ivy passed her one of the mugs

"Bless you," Rachel said.

Ivy quirked an eyebrow and smiled.

Rachel took a sip and sighed in pleasure. "I wish coffee tasted like this in the ever-after."

Rachel looked up in time to see Ivy's frown before she erased all expression from her face. Rachel winced inwardly. Rachel knew Ivy already worried about her going in the ever-after. There was no need to shove it into her face.

"Do you have everything ready?" Ivy asked.

"Yeah," Rachel replied.

"Do you need anything else?" Ivy asked.

"No, don't worry this will just be another regular day in the ever-after," Rachel answered. Never thought I'd hear myself say that.

Rachel sneezed.

"That'll be Al. I better go he's more impatient since Pierce got away-AH-CHOO_," Rachel said.

Rachel took one last swallow of her coffee, picked up her bag and headed out toward the graveyard. Just before she stepped in the line she turned back to see Ivy standing on the steps. She dropped her bag and ran back toward Ivy.

"Did you forget something?"

"Yeah"

Ivy gave an exasperated sigh. "Rachel I asked you twice. How could you _"

Whatever Ivy was about to say was interrupted by the kiss Rachel gave her. Rachel put her arms around Ivy.

""This is what I forgot. I'll be back. Don't worry too much," Rachel whispered in Ivy's ear.

"Okay," Ivy said with a startled look on her face.

Rachel let go and walked back to the ley line. When she stepped on the line she found Al leering at her.

"Well, well my itchy-witch should I take this to mean that you and the vampire are together now. Hmmm, I'm glad you are no longer my familiar. It's hell working around the gnomon-scion relationship. I mean what's the point of buying a familiar when it's going to turn into a vampire or die from blood loss," Al said.

"I'm not Ivy's scion," Rachel said.

"Oh well that's good then," Al said.

"Wait, what_" Rachel started to ask. Then Al grabbed Rachel around the waist and they traveled through the line. Rachel had long since had the knack of keeping her consciousness together and no longer suffered nausea after traveling ley lines.

"Here we are Mistress Algaliarept," Al said with a smile on his face.

They had arrived in a set of rooms the size of a motel room. One room was a cooking area and living room combined. The other room, if it could be called that, was the size of a closet a cot was squeezed in.

Rachel sighed. It's hard being the student of a very poor demon. Rachel turned back to Al.

"Still in debt," Rachel stated not really needing to ask.

Al's face lost its smile.

"Come on, switch names with me. Don't you want your name back? You need to make money. There's no way you want to keep living here," Rachel argued.

Al arched an eyebrow. "Are are urging me to go back into the familiar trade?" Al asked in a phony shocked tone.

Rachel frowned. "No….,"Rachel said slowly.

Seeing Rachel's indecision, Al interrupted her.

"No, no my itchy- witch. You'll just have to bide with that name for awhile longer. Besides it's a perfectly good name," Al said.

"Arggh, so what will you do for money?" Rachel asked.

"I'll just sell the curses you're about to help me twist. I suggest we get started, a lot to do before you go back across the lines, unless you want to stay over?"

"No chance. Anyway where would I sleep?"

Al looked around with a sheepish look on his face before he turned back to Rachel waggling his brows.

"Share the bed," Al replied with a leer.

"Ugh," Rachel said with a look of disgust. "And you probably only want to rush because you rented these rooms for only a short while," Rachel said.

Al's face changed hues.

Hah. Rachel thought.

"In any case let's get started," Al said adjusting his cuffs. "Take out your spelling equipment."

Rachel took out her large spelling pot.

"Ok add the ingredients I have left out. They're arranged in the order you put them in. Now this curse should be simple even for you. You've seen Ceri twist a curse right?"

"Right," Rachel nodded.

"Normally this is a curse for changing one's eyesight like enhancing your vision. But once we twist it the curse should allow the person that quickens it to influence what the person who takes in the curse sees."

"Are you talking about illusions?" Rachel asked.

"Yes a personal illusion indistinguishable from reality. You can make a person experience anything whatever that person wants. I once saw a fellow die when trapped in an illusion where spiders were crawling on him. Must have had arachnophobia," Al said.

"That sounds… devilish even for you."

"Well it is an unsanctioned curse. But a demon has to pay the bills."

"What? You're breaking the law again! Uh uh. I'm not helping you. Who knows what punishment I'll get for this?"

"What? Are going to go running to Dali? Do you think he doesn't suspect what I'm doing to turn a profit but unless I get caught he'll ignore it. Also after selling a few of these I'll have my old rooms back in no time. No more RENTING."

Rachel now regretted making that snide remark about Al renting these rooms. Rachel rubbed her forehead. "I'm getting a headache," Rachel said.

"Not to worry," Al said putting a finger to Rachel's forehead and muttering some Latin.

Rachel felt a prickling sensation. "Hey what did_," Rachel started to ask.

"Feel better?" Al interrupted.

Rachel thought about it and realized the headache was gone. "Yeah," Rachel said begrudgingly, feeling shocked and suspicious.

"Good now let's go back to work. I already got buyers lined up. We'll meet up with them later," Al said.

"Let me guess at a party," Rachel said.

Al smiled. "I wouldn't say a party just a gathering of likeminded individuals," Al said.

The demonic criminal underground, Rachel thought, just great