[Hollows Fic] Let Sleeping Vamps Lie - Part Five

[jaina47]

Title: Let Sleeping Vamps Lie
Author(s): Jaina
Fandom: The Hollows aka Rachel Morgan aka that series by Kim Harrison
Time frame: Post-Outlaw Demon Wails
Characters: Rachel Morgan, Ivy Tamwood, Jenks, Skimmer, etc.
Genre: Romance, action, drama
Summary: Rachel is forced to confront things that she'd prefer left undisturbed.
Beta: Know why you need a beta?  They tell you things like putting ice on burns is not good first aid.  This is more important than grammar, kids.  At least in my frequently burned book. Props as usual go to infinitelight  and racethewind10 .
Disclaimer: All characters, and the universe that they go with belong to Kim Harrison. I'm just playing in the sandbox. No infringement is intended.
Prompt: #6 Dread
Notes: Some of the formatting on here is a bit wonky. I worked with it for a while and couldn't get it to do anything different so my apologies for the weirdness.

Part One || Part Two II Part Three ||  Part Four

 

Part Five 
 
The faint, familiar smell of coffee woke me up as it drifted lazily through the halls of the church and into my room.  I smiled and stretched slowly, easing muscles aching from staying in one position for too long as I'd slept.  The smell of coffee meant that Ivy was up and about.  I hopped out of bed with more enthusiasm than I usually showed when I was woken up before noon, and pulled on a pair of jeans and my favorite Takata t-shirt.   
 
The thought of Takata, however, brought me up short.  Just thinking of him with my mom...well, I tried not to think about it most of the time. She was young for a witch, young enough that she should be out enjoying her life.  I was grateful that Takata, or Donald as he insisted that I call him, seemed to make her happy and make her actually live.  She had shut down and gone crazy after Dad died.  But it was still strange to think of him with my mom.  I wondered how Robbie was handling it.  Probably not any better than I was.  Probably worse.   He hadn’t been home to see how bad it had gotten.  It would have been nice to commiserate with him, but no such luck.  He had stopped answering my phone calls a long time ago.   
 
I wrinkled my nose and pulled the t-shirt back off.  Now that I knew who Donald was, it just seemed way too weird to be wearing that shirt.  I replaced it with another clean one and, taking in my limited choices, made a mental note to do laundry later.  Still, I couldn't seem to stop smiling as I opened the door and stepped out into the hall.   
 
When I entered the kitchen, Ivy was seated at her usual spot at the table in front of her computer.  She cradled a bowl of cereal in one hand and guided the mouse around with her other as she checked her email.  As she heard me come in, Ivy glanced up.  Her expressions were usually guarded, carefully concealing what she was really feeling from those who didn’t know her well.  This morning, even I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. 
 
"Hey," I said my earlier good mood fading under nervousness at seeing her.  Suddenly I was at a loss for how to act.  Falling back on the comfort of routine, I headed towards the coffeemaker.  Steam curled up from the obviously fresh pot.  My hand was shaking as I reached for my familiar mug, but it steadied when I saw Ivy’s favorite mug still sitting in the cabinet beside my own.  I smiled tentatively and snagged her mug too.  Fixing us both coffee was a comforting morning routine.  It made me feel good to do something, even something that small, for Ivy. To my surprise, it didn’t feel different from any other morning when I’d done the same thing.   
 
Carrying the coffee over to where she was sitting, I straddled the chair next to her carefully, hoping that I could manage it without burning myself on the coffee.  For a kick-ass runner, I tripped over my own feet all too often. That was the last thing I needed right now.  Okay, scratch that, Newt showing up would probably be worse.   

Mentally crossing my fingers, I hoped that didn’t count as tempting fate.  I'd done enough of that lately.  
 
Holding out Ivy's mug of coffee, I waited for her to reach out and take it. She'd been watching me the whole time, first out of the corner of her eye and then more directly as I’d come toward her.  Her fingers brushed against mine as she took the mug from me.  It was the lightest of touches, but as Ivy’s eyes burned into mine, I knew the contact had been deliberate - her small way of testing me, to see if I’d flinch away from her touch.  I hadn't forgotten the doubts that she'd had the night before, and it seemed that she hadn’t either. At least she’d trusted me enough not to leave. 
 
Setting my coffee down on the table next to us, I held Ivy’s gaze.  "I haven't changed my mind, Ivy," I said softly, but firmly, willing her to believe me.  Of course, actions always spoke louder than words, and I'd always been one for action.  
 
With both of her hands full and with her awkwardly stuck in place between her chair and the table she was effectively trapped.  Which gave me an advantage as I leaned forward and kissed her. 

I could really get used to this.  The thought startled me, but not enough to stop kissing her.  The night before had only whetted my appetite for Ivy and now I wanted more.  The kiss began to grow more heated and Ivy growled in frustration at not being able to touch me. The sound vibrated against my lips and I smiled almost wide enough to break the kiss.   
 
Ivy blindly reached out to set down her mug of coffee and knocked it roughly against the table.  Predictably the scalding liquid spilled over the edge.  She hissed as hot coffee splashed onto her hand and jerked back from me.   
 
Her lips pursed together until they went white with the pressure and I could practically see her biting back four-letter words.  It wasn't like Ivy to curse, though, unless she was truly pissed off.   
 
"Ouch," I said in commiseration. I took her hand gently, and rolled it over until I could look at the burn.  Her normally porcelain skin was already bright red.  "That doesn't look so good," I added.  "Let me get you some ice." 

“Rachel.”  She caught my wrist with her other hand.  “Wait.”   

Slowly I dropped back down on my seat, dread suddenly coiling into a knot of tension low in my stomach, and waited.  Patience wasn’t my strong suit, but for Ivy I would try. 

She looked down and I followed her gaze to where our hands met.  I had unconsciously threaded my fingers through hers after she’d loosened her grip on my wrist.   

“Why now, Rachel?” she asked, with disbelief.  “I don’t understand.  After everything, why do you suddenly want me now?” 

It was a fair question.  I’d spent so long running away from Ivy and what I felt for her, I couldn’t really blame her for being cautious.   

“Does it matter?” I asked, fighting the urge to bite my nails nervously.  It was a bad habit that I’d spent years trying to break, apparently without much success. 

A flash of hurt crossed Ivy’s face before her expression became guarded again.  She straightened abruptly, pulling her hand away from me.   

“Yes, it does, Rachel.  It matters to me.  I won’t be your experiment.”  She shook her head, the golden tips of her hair falling forward into her eyes.  “I told you once before, if you came to me, it was all or nothing.  I still mean it.  I can’t do this if you’re not sure.” 

I shot to my feet, anger suddenly burning through me to replace the cold fear that had been welling up within me.  “That’s not fair, Ivy.” 

“Nothing’s fair, Rachel,” she snapped back.  She stepped closer to me, and I refused to back up even as she towered over me.  She might be trying to intimidate me, but her pupils were only dilated slightly more than normal.  Ivy would never hurt me and I wouldn’t let her see me back down.  “You should know that by now.”  Frustration bled into her voice.   

It felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff and Ivy was asking me to jump.  Everything in me screamed no, but this was Ivy doing the asking.  I remembered how safe, how cared for I’d felt with Ivy’s arms wrapped around me like a shield protecting me from the rest of the world.  Ivy was home when I had no where else to turn.   

But there were reasons I was scared of Ivy.  I was terrified of losing myself in her, of what I might become if I let myself go with her completely.  Ivy made me feel things that I’d never felt with anyone before and that scared me.  If I gave her more control over me than she had already… 

Into the middle of this internal debate, the phone rang and I jumped at the sudden intrusion of noise.  It made me wonder at Jenks’ absence. I hadn’t seen him since the three of us had gotten home the night before. I wondered if Ivy had said anything to him or if he was just trying to give us some space.  I was so caught up in my thoughts and in the tense moment stretching between Ivy and I that I didn’t move to answer the phone.   

Ivy slipped past me in a blur of motion, using vamp speed to catch the phone before it went to the answering machine.  All I noticed was the barely-there warmth as her skin brushed against mine.  

“Rachel, it’s for you.”  She held out the phone.  I took it slowly, noticing that her eyes were still hard and glittering.  That look hurt more than anything else.   

“Morgan,” I said harshly, into the phone, turning away as I willed the tears to stop burning behind my closed eyes.  

“Rachel, honey, I’m so glad I caught you at home.”  

“Hi, Mom.”  It felt like I was choking as I struggled to sound okay for her.  If I sounded upset it would only worry her needlessly.  Still, I suddenly wanted to be home – at the home I’d grown up in – and have her tell me that everything was going to be okay. I wanted to believe that again.  Of course, back then nothing had been okay either. 

“Donald and I got back last night. I wanted to see if you could come over for brunch this afternoon?”  she asked breezily.  Mom sounded like her old self, but better.  It was the best thing I’d heard all day. 

“Yeah, Mom, that would be nice,” I said, with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. Even the prospect facing Donald didn’t seem so unpleasant at the moment, if he was truly making her happy.  “I have to go finish a few things first.  I’ll see you then, okay, Mom?”  

After saying her goodbyes, Mom hung up. I tried not to obviously rush her off of the phone, but Ivy and I still had to settle this.  Things had been left hanging between us too many times before. I didn’t want to make that mistake again.  I couldn’t risk Ivy running away and not coming back. 

Ivy stood there, leaning against the stainless steel refrigerator, her arms crossed over her chest.  She looked like a wounded predator, hurt but ready to strike out at the slightest provocation.   

I remembered the promise I’d made to her the night before.  Already, I’d broken it.  It was no wonder that Ivy couldn’t trust me.  I’d proven her right.  Maybe it was too late; maybe I’d finally pushed Ivy too far this time, but I still had to try to convince her to stay.  

“I’m sorry, Ivy.”  I hoped she could tell how much I meant those words, even though I knew they wouldn’t be enough by themselves. “You asked why,” I said, finding the words slowly.  “Why now? I don’t know why.”   

Unshed tears filled my eyes, as I struggled to find the words.  “I wanted to kiss you.” 

For an instant, the tense lines of Ivy’s face softened.  It eased the aching tightness in my chest and I took a step closer to her.    

“I want to kiss you.”   

A smile slipped across her usual solemn features.  It was the smile I loved the most.  Shy, slightly vulnerable and pure, unguarded Ivy.  It made my heart ache in the best way.   

My lips brushed against hers, getting a lingering hint of bitter coffee.  Her smile grew.  Leaning closer, my breasts brushed against hers.  Shivers prickled down my spine.  Ivy gasped, and I claimed her lips for a longer, deeper kiss.   

We stayed that way until both of us were breathing hard and Ivy’s hands were wrapped around my waist holding me tightly to her.  Her pupils were wells of darkness.  She saw me meeting her eyes and looked away quickly toward the light, trying to shrink her natural response to arousal.   

Instead of frightening me, it made me feel powerful and desirable.  I snuggled closer to her, and boldly dropped a kiss on the hollow of her throat before I looked up at her again.  

“My mom wants me to come over for brunch this afternoon,” I said in that low voice reserved for lovers and libraries.  “Come with me?” 

Ivy glanced back at me quickly, obviously surprised by my request.  

“As my date,” I added, wrapping my hands together behind her neck.  

“Are you sure, Rachel?” Ivy asked, looking away again.  She shrugged.  "If you take me to your Mom's, it means something.” 

My breath caught.  Heart-stopping panic clenched in my chest.  Her arms tightened around me.  It was the same embrace that had calmed me when the memory of Kisten’s killer had panicked me, the same arms that had helped me up from where Skimmer had dropped me, the same hands that had cradled me when I’d woken from the nightmare of Kist’s death.   

“I’m sure.”

 

Comments

[racethewind10.livejournal.com]

Eeee! *squeals like little fangirl*

I love the ending! (Also, i do not remember reading that part, so I'm either losing it for real, or you added something) anyway, i love it. As always, I love the way you write these two. The voices are perfect, and LOL Rachel's mom's timing is perfect.

*bounces happily*

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

You aren't losing it. Well, at least not in reference to this. :p You made that comment about the back and the forth and I'd originally wanted to get this part to this point or past it actually, and so I just changed some stuff up to make go better, so I'm glad you liked it!

(On a NCIS note: it's totally all your fault that I'm stuck halfway through this stupid fic right now with no idea of how I want to finish. Totally your fault for putting ideas in my head of femslashing up this season. :p )

On yet another note: Your icon! *snickers*

[racethewind10.livejournal.com]

lol yeah, other things...I'm probably nuts.

I loved it. It really evened things out and made it flow better.

LMAO! Nice. You're welcome ;p Hey, it could be worse, I totally made serenitymeimei write me Gibbs/Ziva season premier fic and she's been agonizing over it. (Because as much as I love the girlslash with Abby/Ziva...tehre was some serious Gibbs/Ziva potential there)

Isnt that fabulous? jayden_scott made it. and its TRUE!

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

Meh. It's getting better. I think. Maybe. I'm in that headspace where I've been staring at the fic too long and think everything sucks. I've already started the fic over once, at 2,000+ words in. *glares at the fic* It shall be written...eventually.

Also, give me a heads up when she posts that Gibbs/Ziva fic, because I would totally love to read that too. It's weird but where I have unending loathing for Tony/Ziva I actually kinda love Gibbs/Ziva. Did you read rainne post Judgement Day Gibbs/Ziva fic? I would highly reccomend it.

[racethewind10.livejournal.com]

I totally know what you mean about staring at things too long. Its never worked for me. Either the muse is there, or she's off screwing and drinking. There is no in between. Hence BTB being slow ;p

Oooh I have not, *goes to read*

and I will let you know. She's good, but her muse is even lazier than mine ;p I know what you mean though, I totally don't do Ziva/Tony - though i do not loathe it - but I do have a secrit little love for Gibbs/Ziva. Just don't tell, I'll loose fangirl points ;p

[racethewind10.livejournal.com]

Er, do you have the link? I don't know where to find it.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

It's just no fair when your muse is off having a grand old time and you're here pulling your hair out. :p

Here's the link: http://xdawnfirex-fic.livejournal.com/57090.html?mode=reply

[nikkiandnora.livejournal.com]

WOW great ending thank god she has realised that it does mean something. can't wait to read the rest. they make an excellent pair.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

I think one of my awesome betas said it best: Rachel's heart knows what it wants, her head just hasn't figured it out yet. :D

[erinya.livejournal.com]

I ♥ this fic. It's one of the best I've read in a long time.

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

Why thank you, Ma'am (presumably, you may be a Sir for all I know. If so, my bad!)! I'm really glad you're enjoying this. :D

[widget007.livejournal.com]

*flails and squees and just melts into a puddle of happiness*

You so rock with this fic, you really, really do! You write these two so well and so very believably.

Your fic is one of 3 WIP's that I totally squee about everytime I see an update. I cannot wait for the next update!

Thank you so much for writing this!

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this. :D I'm having a lot of fun with it too!

Speaking of WIP's...are you over on Rhombus too? There's an awesome fic over there with this French title that I have no idea how to spell that is probably one of the best Hollows fics I've ever read. If you're not reading it yet, you should definitely check it out. *nods*

[widget007.livejournal.com]

Oh, I can tell that you're enjoying it. It really shows in your writing.

Hm, no I'm not ... I'll have to rectify that! *grin* Thanks for the headsup!

wow

[kalxxel.livejournal.com]

I think I have died and gone to heaven. I recently read all the books in the series and have been searching for a story like hours for a while now.
Good work. I an eagerly awaiting an update. :-)

wow

[(Anonymous)]

Will there be more to this story after this? I hope so, you have done a wonderful job capturing these two.

Re: wow

[jaina47.livejournal.com]

Yes, there is. Just click the #6 dread tag up there at the bottom of the fic and it should take you to the other four parts of this fic. It's still a work-in-progress after that, but as I said there are a few more parts already written.

I'm really glad you've enjoyed this so far.