Disclaimer: I do not own the Hollows!

I feel really stupid. I had accidentally posted the rough draft for chapter 8, not the final draft. I didn't realize until I was going over the chappie so that I could start writing chapter 9. So, I'm sorry, and I hope you like this version better. Trent's POV is pretty much the same, but Al's isn't.

TPOV

My lips were on her breast, and I swear I felt as if I was going to burst. I hadn't thought that this was what would happen if she came over to my spelling hut. And I certainly wasn't going to complain. Rachel's breath blew into my hair as she held onto me, panting, her chest rising and falling quickly. I savored the taste of her skin underneath my tongue, shifting my head lower to kiss her stomach. "Trent," she moaned, as I ran my tongue and lips over the flatness of her tummy. A soft noise escaped me when a wad of energy was thrust into my chi, igniting more passion in me and I rushed to capture her lips with mine own. I shivered when her fingers traced along my spine over my shirt. My hand griped at her breast, massaging the tip.

"Sa"han?"

My head shot up, and I reddened at Quen staring at us with eyes wide open. Heat spread to my ears and neck. Rachel was gaping at him, too. Quickly, I rolled off of her and set my feet on the floor, pulling Rachel's shirt down to cover her exposed breasts. Though by Quen's pointed gaze firmly on me, I'm sure he had caught a glimpse. Of course it wouldn't be the first time, seeing as she had gotten naked in front of hundreds of cameras, including him and I. Rachel sat up, making a pained sound.

Turning from Quen, I took Rachel's hand and helped her stand. The thumps of her boots seemed to echo in the silence. She let go of my hand, and I let her. She plastered a chagrined smile on her flushed face, looking at Quen. Giving him a wave, she said, "Hey Quen. Whatcha up to?"

The older elf shook his head as if to rid him of the image Rachel and I had probably burned in his mind. "Ahh, I came to give Trenton his mirror." His voice was a bit raspy.

"Oh, okay." She walked to him slowly, limping slighty. "Are Ray and Lucy asleep?"

"Yes." Following her lead, he began to tell her how hard was to settle Lucy down.

I came even with them, trying to seperate myself from the passion Rachel had instilled in me. "She's getting better." I said in my daughter's defense. "Ellasbeth had her up when she should have been sleeping. It's not Lucy's fault."

"Speaking of Ellasbeth," Quen began, his eyes hardening at the corners. "May I speak with you, Sa'han?" He handed Rachel my mirror, walking stiffly outside. Anger rose high in me. I did not want to hear him lecture me. I know my duties; nothing has changed.

I looked to Rachel as she went back to the cot. All I wanted was to close the damn door, lock it, then continue what Rachel and I had started and, hopefully, this time we'll finish it. But then Quen would kick the door down. I knew him. He was fine with Rachel as long as we kept our relationship from developing from the "friends' zone." But beyond that . . . .

"Rachel," I said the same moment she said my name.

She gave me a beautiful closed lip smile. "It's fine. I'll just call Al and tell him what you found."

I stared at her, the need to kiss her almost bringing me to my knees. "Alright."

I went outside, glancing back at her and her floating hair as she tapped a line and called her demon. This should be fun, I thought dryly.

Closing the door behind me to prevent her from overhearing, I straightened my slumped shoulders and faced Quen, who was standing in the shade of a tree. I went to stand before him. His anger and disappoinment was clear on his face. "Trenton," he began, his voice hard, "Why on God's green earth would you kiss Morgan if you are to marry Ellasbeth in a year?"

Not breaking away from his gaze, I said, "I didn't mean for that to happen."

"I know when you lie, Trenton."

I ground my teeth together. "I am not!" I almost hissed at him. "Kissing her hadn't been my intent to bringing her here. It just happened."

Pointing an arm to the closed door between us and Rachel. "Okay. Then why did you continue to kiss her? Why hadn't you stopped yourself from touching her? Kissing her is one thing, Trenton, touching her intimately is another."

Running a hand through my hair, I replied,"She's a beautiful woman. I am a man. I couldn't help myself." I wasn't embarrassed to say that to Quen. The man had changed my diapers. He'd been one of many to raise me. One of two who are still here for me. The man was a father figure to me.

"I understand your infatuation with her, Trent," he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "But remember that you have a duty to your race. And especially your child. I do not like Ellasbeth one bit. Though as spiteful as she can be, she is your daughter's mother and if you do not marry her, she will fight for Lucy. Do not put Lucy through that."

I knew he was right. And I depised that. It was true. My feelings for Rachel have tempted me to just turn a shoulder on what was expected of me. The lines blurred when it came to my species. Lucy, however, made things as clear as the water that flowed in my fountain. For her.

Quen gave me a stern look, and I nodded. We entered my hut, stopping when Rachel wasn't where I had left her. My mirror was on my bed. "Perhaps her demon took her to his side of the lines."

Frowning, I picked my mirror up and sat on the cot. I was going to call her demon, just to make sure.

APOV

A sneeze erupted from Algaliarept seemingly out of nowhere, interrupting the Latin that he had been chanting. He was in his spelling kitchen, twisting curse after curse. He really ought to get himself another familiar. It was hell having to twist his own bloody curses and preparing his own bloody meals. He hadn't been lying when he had told his itchy witch that all he knew to make was cheese sandwiches. Of course he did conveniently drop in on her as she either prepared lunch or dinner. And his student did have magnificent cooking skills.

Al tilted his head to the side, waiting for the next sneeze, and hoping it didn't come. Irritation furrowed his brow and he frowned when another sneeze blasted from him, quickly accompanied by a third, then a fourth. Holy water pus bucket, she's worse than even my mother when she had still been alive, he thought, glancing at his mirror that was across the room, comtemplating whether or not it was worth hearing what his student wanted to tell him, and walk over there. A fifth sneeze shook him, and he grimaced.

Sighing, he set his ceremonial knife down on the table and went to get the damn mirror. Placing his fingers on the cool surface with a hurried motion, Al opened his mind, barking, "What do you want?"

Al! His itchy witch exhaled. Through their connection, he sensed her discomfort.

"What is it now, Rachel?"

Can you bring me across? she asked, ignoring his question.

Without a thought, he grasped her and pulled her to him. A moment later, she stood before him, shivering in a short pair of shorts and crimson shirt. "Well, this is quite a surprise." Al drawled, popping a blanket from his bedroom and handing it to her. "Miss me, itchy witch?"

"Don't flatter yourself." she said smoothly, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. The stopped curse caught her eyes, and she walked to the table. "What were you doing?"

He set his mirror down and took the vial she had picked up, setting it back in place with the rows of curses. "Cooking," he replied. "Why did you ask me to bring you here? Angry with your elf?"

He watched as she frowned. "What?" she answered teasingly, "I can't visit my teacher?"

Grinning at her, he said, "I told you you'd come to me."

She was about to answer him when he sneezed. Quickly, he sneezed again. Growling, he picked up his scrying mirror again. His fingers on the right symbols, he answered, "Who is this?"

Al, it's Trent Kalamack, the elf said.

Raising an eyebrow and meeting his students eyes, he echoed, "Trent Kalamack?" Rachel made a sour face.

Yes, is Rachel with you?

Yes.

Why?

She asked to be on my side of the lines, elf. Al told him, then closed their connection. Rachel's eyes were wide in question. "He wanted to know where you had gone, is all, itchy witch." he said before she could ask.

"Okay." She looked endearing with her slightly pouting lips.

"So what was you wanted to say to me?" Because that is bullshit you just wanted to visit.

"I came over to tell you what Trent found." His itchy witch frowned, going to sit on the hearth before the fire. Her hands went out close to the flames in her attempt to warm them.

"It wouldn't be anything I don't already know." he grumbled, returning to his curses.

"He found the curses that may be on you and I. And another on him and me. We just need to untwist them with all our blood, the guy who cursed us included."

"I already knew that, student."

"Not the specific curses on us."

He turned to look at Rachel. "I already know the curse on us is called ,'Graviditate.' It is used for when a woman is untouchable, so the demon curses them both and gets her pregnant. Before we had realized the damn elves cursed us, we had used that one repeatedly." he said the last sourly.

"Yes." she said. "All we need to find is the person who cursed you and me."

"I already know who cursed you and I."

"What! How? Who?"

Al sat a spot away from his student, watching her closely. "It was Dali." Al had gone to see Dali shortly after he sent Rachel to her church. After informing the older demon of the new trouble his student got herself into, Dali had confessed, not at all guilty.

"What!" she screamed, finding her feet and her face became animated with rage. "Dali! Why?"

"He wants a demon-born brat. Newt can't procreate. You are the only one left. But Newt threatened to kill any demon who has sex with you, and Dali believes you are ready enough to be a mother."

"Why you and I?" she asked, holding her hip. "Why didn't he just curse himself and me?"

"He doesn't want a child with you. He had children before, itchy witch, and they died. He thinks its best for the child to have parents who are familiar with each other. That's you and I." Still hunched in pain, she stared at him with shock. Annoyed, he healed her with a simple motion of his hand. She yelped as her stitches burned away. "Dali didn't know that Trent and you have also gotten cursed. He only cursed us." Al and Rachel's eyes met. She looked frightened. "I'm assuming Trent had something in that spell hut of his?"

"Umm, yeah," she muttered, "we're good until the next time you . . . ah-"

"Dream-fuck you?"

Red coloring her cheeks, she said," Yeah. How did you know?"

Making a show of sniffing her, he leered, "You smell like his magic. And him, especially."

Glaring at him, Rachel asked, "So, when is he going to remove the curse?"

Al got up, standing toe-to-toe with her. She wasn't going to like this. "He isn't."

For all of three seconds, Rachel stared opened mouthed at him. Then, she exploded. "What in the turn! That stupid fairy fart! Who does he think he is! I do not want to keep having Trent burn your sperm out of me! It hurts as all hell!" She ranted and ranted. Al let her. He had been spitting mad, too.

Finally, she asked, "Is there a way to get his blood?"

He laughed a bitter laugh. "In a way. You do remember how you stole my name, don't you?"

Brightening, she exclaimed, "Yes! Then all we need to do is wait until night and get Jenks so he can get past the statue." Al shook his head, and her short moment of happiness froze. "What?"

"It'll be pointless. The blood we need will have to be given to us willingly, and we need his approval."

"What! Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I forgot." he growled, frustration and tiredness pulling his shoulders tight and blurring his vision.

He took a breath to tell his student more, but it got stuck in his throat when her face was moved to the side, and her hair flared out as if she had been slapped. Her hand covered her face in shock. Startled, he gripped her chin and turned her face to see a bright red large hand print on her left cheek. The fuck? His itchy witch reached for him, but then her head was snapped back. Al gripped her to his chest as she let out a scream in pain.

The fucking elf! He fell asleep!

Rachel choked. He looked at her face as it swelled up and went red. On her neck, hand prints formed. Panicking, he picked her up and ran for his mirror. "Trenton!" His student body's was beginning to shut down with the lack of oxygen. He could tell. A "Do not disturb" sign flashed in his mind. "Damn it all to hell!" he yelled, anger swelling deep in him. He sat on his cold, black marble floor, Rachel in his lap. Grabbing her shoulders, he shook her fiercely. He'd kill the fucking elf! He'd rip his head clean off. The veins in her eyes were popping. In a blind effort, he touched her neck, feeling for hands he knew only she felt. Her neck was bruising, and he caressed it, praying to her God to give her a breath of much needed air.

His heart pounding, he shifted his position, laying her flat on her back and touching his lips to hers. He blew the air in his lungs to hers. Feeling her chest rise, he took another breath, then gave that to her. Over and over again. Damn that elf! Scaring the shit out of him and she jerked, eyes flashing open. She gasped, holding on to his shirt front.

"Itchy witch!" he whispered, hugging her to him.

"Al." she rasped. "Slap Trent for me please."

"With pleasure."A small smile tugged at his lips. "The next time I see him." he promised her.

Laughing breathily, she didn't make a move to leave his arms. She was tired. Al lurched to a stand and popped them to her room. He lay her down, tucking the covers under her chin. She sighed. "Thanks."

Glad it was over, he brushed a strand of her hair off her face. She closed her eyes. Leaving her to rest, Al went back to his kitchen. He was folding the cover he'd given to Rachel when a piercing scream echoed through the kitchen. He froze for a second, then popped back to Rachel. Blood was seeping through the slash running across her neck. As she choked on her own blood, Al rushed to cover the deep cut by pressing his hand to it. In a panick, his other hand made a sharp motion and her wound healed. His pulse pounded loud in his ears. His breath was coming fast in and out of his lungs. With relief sagging his shoulders, he closed his eyes. "Itchy witch," he sighed.

He opened his eyes when he heard no sound from her. Her eyes were staring blankly at the ceiling.

And again, I apologize:(