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Title: Return to the Hollows
Author(s): Jaina
Fandom: The Hollows aka Rachel Morgan aka that series by Kim Harrison
Characters: Rachel Morgan, Ivy Tamwood,
Genre: Drama, angst, romance
Summary: Rachel is always making mistakes. One day things go too far. Some mistakes can't be fixed or gone past. Some mistakes are lasting, and some have consequences that can change lives.
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.
Spoilers: Goes through White Witch, Black Curse, although I don't think they're particularly glaring or massive.
Notes: My thanks to my beta for this one,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
infinitlight She was awesome enough to look over this massive fic for me, and I really appreciate the time, effort and level of detail that she put into looking over this.
This is the next to last part, guys. I hope you've enjoyed it. I've really enjoyed seeing what all ya'll have had to say about it. :D
Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six || Part Seven || Part Eight || Part Nine
Part Ten
Over the years, I'd had plenty of practice at sneaking out of hospitals. With Mom's help, I had pretty much become an expert on the subject by the time I was twelve. Sneaking into a hospital was a little bit more difficult, especially when you looked like you needed to be in the emergency room already.
There weren't words to describe how badly my throat was hurting. I hadn't had a chance to find a mirror yet and see how bad the bruises were. From some of the looks I was getting from nurses and orderlies, I had a feeling it was pretty bad. The limp didn't help.
Ivy was in Room 206. I had gotten that much out of a nurse who felt sorry for me. Unfortunately she hadn't felt sorry enough to let me go up to the second floor. It had taken me twenty minutes just to wait for her to get distracted by someone else. Then I had discovered that Ivy was in a private room. Of course. That also happened to be directly in front of the Nurses' Station. It was the worst possible combination for sneaking in.
But I wasn't going to let a little thing like a few nurses stop me from seeing Ivy and making sure she was okay. I'd had a hard enough time getting away from Glenn. Pissed off didn't even begin to describe his mood when he had gotten to Trent's office, but at least he hadn't immediately let Trent go. He had gritted his teeth long enough to read Trent and Quen their rights and have them escorted down to FIB Headquarters. Then he rounded on me, yelling at me for going behind his back and for tagging Trent - again.
He had calmed a little bit when I showed him the recording Ivy and I had been able to make. He wasn't familiar with the spell - a variation of the amulet that I had used to listen into his office - but it was a common, if very difficult spell, and after verification from the Witches' Council that it had been properly made and not tampered with, it would be admissible evidence.
That had made Glenn slightly more willing to not throw me in jail and keep Trent there instead. He still hadn't wanted me to go. Finally, I hadn't been able to listen to him complain about my etiquette and inexcusable actions any longer. I had to know what was going on with Ivy.
As tough as she was, she had been lying on the floor, still and unmoving, when I had gotten to her. Not caring what Trent or Quen had thought, I had held her in my arms, stroking her damp hair back off her face, and begging for her to not die on me, reminding her that she had a son who depended on her and she couldn't let him down.
She was still in my arms, growing colder with every passing moment, when the FIB and an ambulance had arrived almost simultaneously.
"Ma'am!" The voice from behind me cracked like a whip. "You can't go in there! Stop, Ma'am." Something primal in her voice made me freeze with my hand on the door to Ivy's room. Part of me wanted to pretend that I hadn't heard her and force my way inside the room, but I didn't want to get completely thrown out of the hospital either.
If security was watching out for me, it would make things even more difficult.
I pivoted slowly on my heel to face my nemesis. She looked stern and disapproving. I wouldn't sway her by pleading my case and begging. She was immune.
"Only family can visit, miss," she said firmly. She pointed down the hall, frowning. "You'll have to wait in the lounge."
I knew it wouldn't work, but I had to try. "I have to see her."
The thin line of her lips compressed even further.
"Miss -"
"It's okay." Marion's voice quivered as he stepped out from behind the nurse, but he was standing tall and straight, facing her displeasure bravely.
"Oh?" the nurse prompted him, skeptically.
"I'm her son. Ms. Tamwood's, I mean," he stammered, choosing now to act nervous. "Ms. Morgan is her shadow. Shadows count as family. You have to let her in." He leaned on the word with childish emphasis. He didn't know that this woman didn't have to play by the rules, didn't have to do anything. His knowledge of that would only come with time and experience, but hopefully it wouldn't come today.
His small, slightly clammy hand found mine, as he smiled brightly. I could only imagine how it looked, but I tried to smile back, like I had met this kid more than three times, like I really was his mother's familiar shadow and someone to be trusted.
Any other time I would have protested like hell at being called Ivy's shadow, dismissed as something less than a person. At the moment, I was happy to take advantage of it, if it would get me inside that room.
"Is that true, miss?" the nurse asked, her voice raised as if she were speaking to someone too stupid to understand what she was saying.
I bristled, but the warm hand clutching mine tightly was enough of a reminder to make me nod my agreement. "Yes, it is."
With a dismissive shake of her head, she gave in.
"Fine, then. Go on in. But she needs complete rest and quiet. No exertion," she said pointedly, her disapproval still written plainly across her face.
I squeezed Marion's hand tighter, willing myself to hang on to my temper.
"Thanks," I muttered under my breath before I reached behind me for the door to Ivy's room. I pushed it open, without taking my eyes off the nurse, and scooted Marion in ahead of me.
Letting out a breath of relief as the door closed, I took a deep breath before I faced Ivy. Her skin was an unhealthy shade of gray, and her long features were drawn tight.
I moved toward Ivy and stopped, glancing down as I realized that Marion hadn't let go of my hand yet.
"She'll be okay," my voice keyed to a whisper by the somber quiet that permeated the room. This was a place where laughter seemed to be impossible.
Marion swallowed, but didn't let go or look up at me.
"C'mon," I encouraged, gently leading him closer to the bed.
"You don't know that," he said, so softly that I could barely hear him.
"You're right," I agreed, startling him into looking up at me. His wide brown eyes always made me think of Ivy. "But I do know that your mom is the strongest woman I know, and she's going to be fine." Suddenly realizing something else, I looked back over at him. "Hey, why are you here by yourself? Shouldn't you be with Erica?"
A sudden surge of hot anger welled up in me. Erica had always been bright, loud and innocent, where Ivy was serious and cautious, but I never would have suspected her of being careless where her nephew was concerned. Ivy would pitch a fit when she found out.
Marion shrugged. "She had to go call Grandmother and calm her down. It's still light out and she was flipping out about not being able to leave the house. I said I wanted to stay with Mom and she let me."
My anger cooled - slightly. Erica had probably thought him safe in the middle of the hospital, but the ease that I had snuck up here had disproved that. I would just have to stay and make sure that he was safe, until Erica came back. I owed Ivy that much.
I pulled up a chair and sat beside Ivy, silently offering him a corner of the chair. He declined with a shake of his head and pushed himself up onto the foot of the bed, drawing his knees up to his chest, and tucking his chin behind them. I dropped my eyes and studied the long fingers of Ivy's hand as they lay limply by her side.
As if thought brought motion, I found myself drawing my thumb up over the back of her hand and across the sweep of her knuckles.
"Wake up, Ivy," I said softly, bending over so that my lips were by her ear. "Please wake up. For me and for Marion."
If I was hoping for some Sleeping Beauty moment, it wasn't going to happen. Ivy stayed stubbornly unconscious, and I sighed, resigning to a night of staying at her side, at least until the rest of her family arrived and kicked me out.
"Okay, then," I said softly. "Sleep, lazybones. See if I care."
"Her eyes fluttered," Marion's excited voice broke in.
I looked over at him sharply. "Are you sure?"
He rolled his eyes. "Of course, I'm sure."
"That means she can hear us." I grinned over at him. "Talk to her."
He shot me a doubtful look, but he eased forward.
"Mom?" His voice quivered like he was hoping she would answer him that easily. "Mom, wake up." His voice hitched. "Please? Grandma is really upset." He shot me a quick glance, and then whispered. "I miss you."
His quiet, halting words pierced my heart with their aching simplicity. Turning my head, I swiped at the tear that had slid down my cheek and hoped that he hadn't seen it.
The door creaked and I stood without thinking, sliding into place between Marion and whoever was coming in. Relaxing when I saw that it was Erica, I sank back down into a seat on Ivy's bed.
Erica looked startled when she saw me, her eyes going wide. I braced myself for her reaction - positive or negative - it would be loud.
"That was fast." The first words out of Erica's mouth weren't quite what I had expected. "That was really fast. Since when can you move like that?"
Irritated by her sudden interest in something so trivial, I shrugged. "I don't know. Just motivated I guess." I paused, glancing behind me at Marion. "What did the doctors say?" If Erica wasn't kicking me out just yet, I would take advantage of it while I could.
Her eyes flicked to Marion as well. "They're still consulting," Erica said slowly. Translation: they had no idea what was wrong with Ivy. "It seems like deep exhaustion, maybe. But they're not sure what might be causing it and they're worried about the underlying cause. Did Ivy get hit by any spells or curses?"
The fight was still a blur in my head, but slowly I shook my head.
"No, I don't think so. At least I didn't see her get hit with any." I remembered the way that she had slumped over onto Trent, and frowned. "Actually, Erica, something did happen."
For once, Erica listened attentively while I talked, describing everything I could remember about what had happened.
"Maybe he did something to her," I said slowly. "But he never touched her and I would have felt it if he had used a ley line to attack her."
Erica shook her head quickly, a look of relief flashing over her expressive face. She grasped my arm and squeezed excitedly.
"He didn't do anything to her." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but it was Ivy." She drawled her sister's name out slowly. "I can't remember her ever having a shadow before you. At least not one she was willing to bring around and introduce to family."
I frowned, not liking being relegated to being a mere shadow, like something that was less than a person. It was one of the things that I had hated most about what Piscary had done to Ivy. Pushing my irritation away, I focused on what Erica had been saying.
"So, what's wrong with her?"
Erica's eyes wouldn't quite meet mine, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
"How much did Ivy explain to you when she bound you?"
"Nothing. It wasn't like we had planned it."
"Normally, this is supposed to be explained." Erica sighed. "Damn it, Ivy is not going to like this." She paused and looked directly up at me. "The connection between a vampire and the person bound to them is very strong. It usually favors the vampire, but it's a connection that can work both ways. Just like we gain something from the bond with our shadows, usually our shadows gain some of our characteristics, like speed and strength. At times this sharing can even be done consciously, or if there's great need, and the vampire is willing it can be done without any conscious thought, just the need. What Ivy did was give you her natural speed and superior strength. You needed that to fight Quen."
It was a lot to process. All the things I hadn't known were leaving me reeling, and wondering what else I didn't know about this connection between Ivy and me. I remembered the burst of strength and speed that I'd had when I was fighting the group of weres in the warehouse. It had been unusual enough for me to notice it. Had the connection that Erica was talking about been involved? Is that why I had apparently thrown myself through the lines to wherever Ivy was? I had so many questions, and not nearly enough answers.
"So why did she pass out? And why hasn't she woken up yet?"
Erica bit her lip. "I think she gave you too much."
"Too much?"
Erica shifted on her feet. I could see her wondering if she should tell me more.
"Ivy isn't dead," she blurted the words out quickly. "She's not as powerful as an undead vampire, so when she gave you all that she did, she gave you too much of herself. She doesn't have enough left to keep her own heart beating. If something doesn't change, she'll die. I've seen it before," she added softly.
Her words left me reeling. Ivy, dead? That couldn't be right. Ivy had just passed out. She would be fine in a couple of hours when she came to, wouldn't she?
"Rachel?"
It was only when Erica caught my arm, her fingers pressing tightly into my skin, that I realized I had been falling, my knees going out from underneath me. I looked up at her.
"She's really dying?"
"If nothing changes," Erica said. "But you can change that."
"How?" I asked quickly, clinging desperately to the brief hope that she had given me. "I'll do whatever it takes."
Erica shook her head. "It's nothing like that. You just have to give her back some of what she gave you."
"Okay. How do I do that?"
Erica opened her mouth and then closed it. For a second time she started to speak and then shook her head. "I can't tell you how, Rachel. It's not a formula. I've heard it described many different ways. You just...do it."
"Great," I muttered, "Just freaking great. So you're telling me that Ivy's going to die, because I don't know how to do something you can't even describe? It's not fair!"
"Mom's going to die?" Marion had been so quiet behind us that somehow I had managed to forget he was even there.
My head hit the wall hard enough to hurt as it lolled back. Darkness gave me the illusion of blocking out everything around me for a brief instant. Then I opened my eyes and turned to face him.
"No, she isn't," I said firmly. "Ivy isn't going to die." I took a deep breath, and hoped to hell I wouldn't regret this for the rest of my life. "I promise."
He looked so scared and small, sitting at Ivy's feet. I knew what is was like to sit with a parent in the hospital and watch them slip away, knowing that there was nothing you could do to keep them there. I would do anything to keep him from facing that. I wrapped him in my arms, carefully. Part of me expected him to pull away, so I was surprised when he fell against me, wrapping his skinny arms around me tightly.
I brushed his hair back from his face and pretended not to hear the brief, muffled sobs that he let out. When he finally let go, Erica was waiting.
"Why don't I take you home for a little while? You need to get something to eat, and we can bring some things back for your mom. It will give Rachel a chance to concentrate."
Marion didn't look convinced. Instead he gave me a pleading look.
"I won't let anything happen to her," I said softly, hoping that it was a promise I could keep. I didn't know how, but I wasn't going to let Ivy go.
*** *** ***
I paced back and forth around Ivy's bed, racking my mind for anything I might have seen or heard that might tell me how to do this. Nothing was springing to mind. With each circuit around her bed, I eliminated more and more possibilities, and Al kept springing to mind. He was my last resort, but if I had to, I would go to him for Ivy.
I stopped pacing, and sat down again. Thin beads of sweat had broken out on Ivy's forehead. The nurses had taken her temperature the last time they had come into the room, and they had said she was running a fever. It was just another sign that her body was straining to keep her alive.
I brushed a lock of slightly damp hair back away from her face, and cupped her cheek. That simple touch reminded me of how Ivy had once used her aura to shield mine, when a banshee had stripped it away, leaving me vulnerable.
She had helped me then, and now I had no idea how to return the favor. We had stumbled upon that by accident. If only it could be something so simple. I closed my eyes and concentrated. When I reopened them, I was seeing double, my second sight laid over the room. It was dizzying, knowing that the solid hospital bed was underneath me, but simultaneously seeing nothing but air, and the ground two stories below me.
I forced myself to focus on Ivy. Her aura was as pure as I had remembered it, and between us lingered that faint chord that I had only glimpsed once before, just after she had bound me to her. The connection between us was vibrant, and seemed almost alive. I tried to will energy, life, from me to Ivy through that connection, but nothing felt any different. Sighing, I gave up and let my second sight slip away. It had been a long shot. There was nothing wrong with Ivy's aura. It was something deeper and more integral that was missing.
I lingered on Ivy's face, tracing the lines of her face with my eyes. Unconsciously, my fingers followed the line of my sight, stroking down her cheek, cupping her chin, and brushing across her lower lip. My thumb traced the softness of its perfect shape.
Bending over, I pressed my lips gently to hers, my eyes falling shut involuntarily. Her lips were still against mine, even as I savored the sweetness of them, pouring everything that I felt for Ivy into that simple gesture, hoping that in some small way she could feel me and understand.
Hot tears were rolling down my face when Ivy's lips moved under mine. I jerked back startled, but I had only gotten a hair's breadth from her when long fingers threaded gently through my hair, guiding me back down to her.
Forgetting for a moment my surprise, I was only aware of how glad I was that she was alive. I caught her lips, tasting them again and again. I couldn't get enough of them and of her. Her tongue swiped gently against my bottom lip and I opened to her without hesitation, deepening the kiss.
The heat of her mouth was intoxicating, and the feel of her hands running through my hair, and at the small of my back, pulling me closer to her, was driving me crazy.
When she fell back on to her pillows after several long, exquisite moments, my chest heaved as I panted for breath. My heart was racing and I felt like I had just been run over by a hyperactive were under a full moon.
Ivy's eyes were closed, but I could see the steady rise and fall of her chest, slightly faster than it should have been.
"Ivy?" I asked tentatively, suddenly afraid that this had all been a fevered dream, that she really was still dying on me.
"Yes?" She said breathily, rolling her head so that she could look over at me.
Relief flooded through me, and I let my head fall to rest on the rail of her hospital bed.
"Nothing," I said thankfully. "Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to die on me."
Ivy let out a small chuckle. "You're good, Rachel, but not that good."
I snickered as I sat up, flashing her a huge smile.
"That's what you think, Tamwood. It's been years."
Ivy regarded me under hooded lids, staying silent long enough for the moment to slip from silly to serious.
"We could change that," she offered finally. "If you want."
The enormity of what she was offering caught me off guard. I was just so damn relieved to have her back. She wasn't going to die on me tonight.
"I - I don't know, Ivy."
Her thumb stilled where it had been making aimless circles over my knuckles. Her eyes never leaving mine, she delicately picked my hand up and brought it to her lips. The dry warmth of them pressed into my hand briefly before she let go.
"Just think about," she said softly. "Please, Rachel."
I nodded once, and stood up, brushing my hands against my pants and then shoving them in my pockets. Hopefully she wouldn't even notice the way I had been shaking.
"I should go call Erica," I added, jerking my head back toward the door. "She just took Marion home and he's really worried about you."
She was silent, so finally I turned to leave. Indecision gripped me for an instant. I wanted to kiss her goodbye, hug her and reassure myself one more time that she was okay, but it wasn't fair. Not when I wasn't sure. Finally I pivoted on my heel and forced myself to walk away. Way to look like an idiot.
"Rachel." Ivy's voice stopped me just before I had pulled the door shut behind me.
I swallowed and turned back to face her, not sure what I would say if she asked me again. Not because I was bound to her, but because she was Ivy.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
I tilted my head quizzically.
She smiled, and it was genuine even if I could see the sadness behind it. "For everything."
I shook my head, words deserting me. How she could still thank me after everything that had happened between us, was amazing. No matter how many years I knew her, Ivy would always continue to amaze and astound me in the best possible ways, and I just continued to screw it up.
It was too much. I turned and walked away.
Author(s): Jaina
Fandom: The Hollows aka Rachel Morgan aka that series by Kim Harrison
Characters: Rachel Morgan, Ivy Tamwood,
Genre: Drama, angst, romance
Summary: Rachel is always making mistakes. One day things go too far. Some mistakes can't be fixed or gone past. Some mistakes are lasting, and some have consequences that can change lives.
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.
Spoilers: Goes through White Witch, Black Curse, although I don't think they're particularly glaring or massive.
Notes: My thanks to my beta for this one,
infinitlight She was awesome enough to look over this massive fic for me, and I really appreciate the time, effort and level of detail that she put into looking over this.This is the next to last part, guys. I hope you've enjoyed it. I've really enjoyed seeing what all ya'll have had to say about it. :D
Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six || Part Seven || Part Eight || Part Nine
Part Ten
Over the years, I'd had plenty of practice at sneaking out of hospitals. With Mom's help, I had pretty much become an expert on the subject by the time I was twelve. Sneaking into a hospital was a little bit more difficult, especially when you looked like you needed to be in the emergency room already.
There weren't words to describe how badly my throat was hurting. I hadn't had a chance to find a mirror yet and see how bad the bruises were. From some of the looks I was getting from nurses and orderlies, I had a feeling it was pretty bad. The limp didn't help.
Ivy was in Room 206. I had gotten that much out of a nurse who felt sorry for me. Unfortunately she hadn't felt sorry enough to let me go up to the second floor. It had taken me twenty minutes just to wait for her to get distracted by someone else. Then I had discovered that Ivy was in a private room. Of course. That also happened to be directly in front of the Nurses' Station. It was the worst possible combination for sneaking in.
But I wasn't going to let a little thing like a few nurses stop me from seeing Ivy and making sure she was okay. I'd had a hard enough time getting away from Glenn. Pissed off didn't even begin to describe his mood when he had gotten to Trent's office, but at least he hadn't immediately let Trent go. He had gritted his teeth long enough to read Trent and Quen their rights and have them escorted down to FIB Headquarters. Then he rounded on me, yelling at me for going behind his back and for tagging Trent - again.
He had calmed a little bit when I showed him the recording Ivy and I had been able to make. He wasn't familiar with the spell - a variation of the amulet that I had used to listen into his office - but it was a common, if very difficult spell, and after verification from the Witches' Council that it had been properly made and not tampered with, it would be admissible evidence.
That had made Glenn slightly more willing to not throw me in jail and keep Trent there instead. He still hadn't wanted me to go. Finally, I hadn't been able to listen to him complain about my etiquette and inexcusable actions any longer. I had to know what was going on with Ivy.
As tough as she was, she had been lying on the floor, still and unmoving, when I had gotten to her. Not caring what Trent or Quen had thought, I had held her in my arms, stroking her damp hair back off her face, and begging for her to not die on me, reminding her that she had a son who depended on her and she couldn't let him down.
She was still in my arms, growing colder with every passing moment, when the FIB and an ambulance had arrived almost simultaneously.
"Ma'am!" The voice from behind me cracked like a whip. "You can't go in there! Stop, Ma'am." Something primal in her voice made me freeze with my hand on the door to Ivy's room. Part of me wanted to pretend that I hadn't heard her and force my way inside the room, but I didn't want to get completely thrown out of the hospital either.
If security was watching out for me, it would make things even more difficult.
I pivoted slowly on my heel to face my nemesis. She looked stern and disapproving. I wouldn't sway her by pleading my case and begging. She was immune.
"Only family can visit, miss," she said firmly. She pointed down the hall, frowning. "You'll have to wait in the lounge."
I knew it wouldn't work, but I had to try. "I have to see her."
The thin line of her lips compressed even further.
"Miss -"
"It's okay." Marion's voice quivered as he stepped out from behind the nurse, but he was standing tall and straight, facing her displeasure bravely.
"Oh?" the nurse prompted him, skeptically.
"I'm her son. Ms. Tamwood's, I mean," he stammered, choosing now to act nervous. "Ms. Morgan is her shadow. Shadows count as family. You have to let her in." He leaned on the word with childish emphasis. He didn't know that this woman didn't have to play by the rules, didn't have to do anything. His knowledge of that would only come with time and experience, but hopefully it wouldn't come today.
His small, slightly clammy hand found mine, as he smiled brightly. I could only imagine how it looked, but I tried to smile back, like I had met this kid more than three times, like I really was his mother's familiar shadow and someone to be trusted.
Any other time I would have protested like hell at being called Ivy's shadow, dismissed as something less than a person. At the moment, I was happy to take advantage of it, if it would get me inside that room.
"Is that true, miss?" the nurse asked, her voice raised as if she were speaking to someone too stupid to understand what she was saying.
I bristled, but the warm hand clutching mine tightly was enough of a reminder to make me nod my agreement. "Yes, it is."
With a dismissive shake of her head, she gave in.
"Fine, then. Go on in. But she needs complete rest and quiet. No exertion," she said pointedly, her disapproval still written plainly across her face.
I squeezed Marion's hand tighter, willing myself to hang on to my temper.
"Thanks," I muttered under my breath before I reached behind me for the door to Ivy's room. I pushed it open, without taking my eyes off the nurse, and scooted Marion in ahead of me.
Letting out a breath of relief as the door closed, I took a deep breath before I faced Ivy. Her skin was an unhealthy shade of gray, and her long features were drawn tight.
I moved toward Ivy and stopped, glancing down as I realized that Marion hadn't let go of my hand yet.
"She'll be okay," my voice keyed to a whisper by the somber quiet that permeated the room. This was a place where laughter seemed to be impossible.
Marion swallowed, but didn't let go or look up at me.
"C'mon," I encouraged, gently leading him closer to the bed.
"You don't know that," he said, so softly that I could barely hear him.
"You're right," I agreed, startling him into looking up at me. His wide brown eyes always made me think of Ivy. "But I do know that your mom is the strongest woman I know, and she's going to be fine." Suddenly realizing something else, I looked back over at him. "Hey, why are you here by yourself? Shouldn't you be with Erica?"
A sudden surge of hot anger welled up in me. Erica had always been bright, loud and innocent, where Ivy was serious and cautious, but I never would have suspected her of being careless where her nephew was concerned. Ivy would pitch a fit when she found out.
Marion shrugged. "She had to go call Grandmother and calm her down. It's still light out and she was flipping out about not being able to leave the house. I said I wanted to stay with Mom and she let me."
My anger cooled - slightly. Erica had probably thought him safe in the middle of the hospital, but the ease that I had snuck up here had disproved that. I would just have to stay and make sure that he was safe, until Erica came back. I owed Ivy that much.
I pulled up a chair and sat beside Ivy, silently offering him a corner of the chair. He declined with a shake of his head and pushed himself up onto the foot of the bed, drawing his knees up to his chest, and tucking his chin behind them. I dropped my eyes and studied the long fingers of Ivy's hand as they lay limply by her side.
As if thought brought motion, I found myself drawing my thumb up over the back of her hand and across the sweep of her knuckles.
"Wake up, Ivy," I said softly, bending over so that my lips were by her ear. "Please wake up. For me and for Marion."
If I was hoping for some Sleeping Beauty moment, it wasn't going to happen. Ivy stayed stubbornly unconscious, and I sighed, resigning to a night of staying at her side, at least until the rest of her family arrived and kicked me out.
"Okay, then," I said softly. "Sleep, lazybones. See if I care."
"Her eyes fluttered," Marion's excited voice broke in.
I looked over at him sharply. "Are you sure?"
He rolled his eyes. "Of course, I'm sure."
"That means she can hear us." I grinned over at him. "Talk to her."
He shot me a doubtful look, but he eased forward.
"Mom?" His voice quivered like he was hoping she would answer him that easily. "Mom, wake up." His voice hitched. "Please? Grandma is really upset." He shot me a quick glance, and then whispered. "I miss you."
His quiet, halting words pierced my heart with their aching simplicity. Turning my head, I swiped at the tear that had slid down my cheek and hoped that he hadn't seen it.
The door creaked and I stood without thinking, sliding into place between Marion and whoever was coming in. Relaxing when I saw that it was Erica, I sank back down into a seat on Ivy's bed.
Erica looked startled when she saw me, her eyes going wide. I braced myself for her reaction - positive or negative - it would be loud.
"That was fast." The first words out of Erica's mouth weren't quite what I had expected. "That was really fast. Since when can you move like that?"
Irritated by her sudden interest in something so trivial, I shrugged. "I don't know. Just motivated I guess." I paused, glancing behind me at Marion. "What did the doctors say?" If Erica wasn't kicking me out just yet, I would take advantage of it while I could.
Her eyes flicked to Marion as well. "They're still consulting," Erica said slowly. Translation: they had no idea what was wrong with Ivy. "It seems like deep exhaustion, maybe. But they're not sure what might be causing it and they're worried about the underlying cause. Did Ivy get hit by any spells or curses?"
The fight was still a blur in my head, but slowly I shook my head.
"No, I don't think so. At least I didn't see her get hit with any." I remembered the way that she had slumped over onto Trent, and frowned. "Actually, Erica, something did happen."
For once, Erica listened attentively while I talked, describing everything I could remember about what had happened.
"Maybe he did something to her," I said slowly. "But he never touched her and I would have felt it if he had used a ley line to attack her."
Erica shook her head quickly, a look of relief flashing over her expressive face. She grasped my arm and squeezed excitedly.
"He didn't do anything to her." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but it was Ivy." She drawled her sister's name out slowly. "I can't remember her ever having a shadow before you. At least not one she was willing to bring around and introduce to family."
I frowned, not liking being relegated to being a mere shadow, like something that was less than a person. It was one of the things that I had hated most about what Piscary had done to Ivy. Pushing my irritation away, I focused on what Erica had been saying.
"So, what's wrong with her?"
Erica's eyes wouldn't quite meet mine, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
"How much did Ivy explain to you when she bound you?"
"Nothing. It wasn't like we had planned it."
"Normally, this is supposed to be explained." Erica sighed. "Damn it, Ivy is not going to like this." She paused and looked directly up at me. "The connection between a vampire and the person bound to them is very strong. It usually favors the vampire, but it's a connection that can work both ways. Just like we gain something from the bond with our shadows, usually our shadows gain some of our characteristics, like speed and strength. At times this sharing can even be done consciously, or if there's great need, and the vampire is willing it can be done without any conscious thought, just the need. What Ivy did was give you her natural speed and superior strength. You needed that to fight Quen."
It was a lot to process. All the things I hadn't known were leaving me reeling, and wondering what else I didn't know about this connection between Ivy and me. I remembered the burst of strength and speed that I'd had when I was fighting the group of weres in the warehouse. It had been unusual enough for me to notice it. Had the connection that Erica was talking about been involved? Is that why I had apparently thrown myself through the lines to wherever Ivy was? I had so many questions, and not nearly enough answers.
"So why did she pass out? And why hasn't she woken up yet?"
Erica bit her lip. "I think she gave you too much."
"Too much?"
Erica shifted on her feet. I could see her wondering if she should tell me more.
"Ivy isn't dead," she blurted the words out quickly. "She's not as powerful as an undead vampire, so when she gave you all that she did, she gave you too much of herself. She doesn't have enough left to keep her own heart beating. If something doesn't change, she'll die. I've seen it before," she added softly.
Her words left me reeling. Ivy, dead? That couldn't be right. Ivy had just passed out. She would be fine in a couple of hours when she came to, wouldn't she?
"Rachel?"
It was only when Erica caught my arm, her fingers pressing tightly into my skin, that I realized I had been falling, my knees going out from underneath me. I looked up at her.
"She's really dying?"
"If nothing changes," Erica said. "But you can change that."
"How?" I asked quickly, clinging desperately to the brief hope that she had given me. "I'll do whatever it takes."
Erica shook her head. "It's nothing like that. You just have to give her back some of what she gave you."
"Okay. How do I do that?"
Erica opened her mouth and then closed it. For a second time she started to speak and then shook her head. "I can't tell you how, Rachel. It's not a formula. I've heard it described many different ways. You just...do it."
"Great," I muttered, "Just freaking great. So you're telling me that Ivy's going to die, because I don't know how to do something you can't even describe? It's not fair!"
"Mom's going to die?" Marion had been so quiet behind us that somehow I had managed to forget he was even there.
My head hit the wall hard enough to hurt as it lolled back. Darkness gave me the illusion of blocking out everything around me for a brief instant. Then I opened my eyes and turned to face him.
"No, she isn't," I said firmly. "Ivy isn't going to die." I took a deep breath, and hoped to hell I wouldn't regret this for the rest of my life. "I promise."
He looked so scared and small, sitting at Ivy's feet. I knew what is was like to sit with a parent in the hospital and watch them slip away, knowing that there was nothing you could do to keep them there. I would do anything to keep him from facing that. I wrapped him in my arms, carefully. Part of me expected him to pull away, so I was surprised when he fell against me, wrapping his skinny arms around me tightly.
I brushed his hair back from his face and pretended not to hear the brief, muffled sobs that he let out. When he finally let go, Erica was waiting.
"Why don't I take you home for a little while? You need to get something to eat, and we can bring some things back for your mom. It will give Rachel a chance to concentrate."
Marion didn't look convinced. Instead he gave me a pleading look.
"I won't let anything happen to her," I said softly, hoping that it was a promise I could keep. I didn't know how, but I wasn't going to let Ivy go.
*** *** ***
I paced back and forth around Ivy's bed, racking my mind for anything I might have seen or heard that might tell me how to do this. Nothing was springing to mind. With each circuit around her bed, I eliminated more and more possibilities, and Al kept springing to mind. He was my last resort, but if I had to, I would go to him for Ivy.
I stopped pacing, and sat down again. Thin beads of sweat had broken out on Ivy's forehead. The nurses had taken her temperature the last time they had come into the room, and they had said she was running a fever. It was just another sign that her body was straining to keep her alive.
I brushed a lock of slightly damp hair back away from her face, and cupped her cheek. That simple touch reminded me of how Ivy had once used her aura to shield mine, when a banshee had stripped it away, leaving me vulnerable.
She had helped me then, and now I had no idea how to return the favor. We had stumbled upon that by accident. If only it could be something so simple. I closed my eyes and concentrated. When I reopened them, I was seeing double, my second sight laid over the room. It was dizzying, knowing that the solid hospital bed was underneath me, but simultaneously seeing nothing but air, and the ground two stories below me.
I forced myself to focus on Ivy. Her aura was as pure as I had remembered it, and between us lingered that faint chord that I had only glimpsed once before, just after she had bound me to her. The connection between us was vibrant, and seemed almost alive. I tried to will energy, life, from me to Ivy through that connection, but nothing felt any different. Sighing, I gave up and let my second sight slip away. It had been a long shot. There was nothing wrong with Ivy's aura. It was something deeper and more integral that was missing.
I lingered on Ivy's face, tracing the lines of her face with my eyes. Unconsciously, my fingers followed the line of my sight, stroking down her cheek, cupping her chin, and brushing across her lower lip. My thumb traced the softness of its perfect shape.
Bending over, I pressed my lips gently to hers, my eyes falling shut involuntarily. Her lips were still against mine, even as I savored the sweetness of them, pouring everything that I felt for Ivy into that simple gesture, hoping that in some small way she could feel me and understand.
Hot tears were rolling down my face when Ivy's lips moved under mine. I jerked back startled, but I had only gotten a hair's breadth from her when long fingers threaded gently through my hair, guiding me back down to her.
Forgetting for a moment my surprise, I was only aware of how glad I was that she was alive. I caught her lips, tasting them again and again. I couldn't get enough of them and of her. Her tongue swiped gently against my bottom lip and I opened to her without hesitation, deepening the kiss.
The heat of her mouth was intoxicating, and the feel of her hands running through my hair, and at the small of my back, pulling me closer to her, was driving me crazy.
When she fell back on to her pillows after several long, exquisite moments, my chest heaved as I panted for breath. My heart was racing and I felt like I had just been run over by a hyperactive were under a full moon.
Ivy's eyes were closed, but I could see the steady rise and fall of her chest, slightly faster than it should have been.
"Ivy?" I asked tentatively, suddenly afraid that this had all been a fevered dream, that she really was still dying on me.
"Yes?" She said breathily, rolling her head so that she could look over at me.
Relief flooded through me, and I let my head fall to rest on the rail of her hospital bed.
"Nothing," I said thankfully. "Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to die on me."
Ivy let out a small chuckle. "You're good, Rachel, but not that good."
I snickered as I sat up, flashing her a huge smile.
"That's what you think, Tamwood. It's been years."
Ivy regarded me under hooded lids, staying silent long enough for the moment to slip from silly to serious.
"We could change that," she offered finally. "If you want."
The enormity of what she was offering caught me off guard. I was just so damn relieved to have her back. She wasn't going to die on me tonight.
"I - I don't know, Ivy."
Her thumb stilled where it had been making aimless circles over my knuckles. Her eyes never leaving mine, she delicately picked my hand up and brought it to her lips. The dry warmth of them pressed into my hand briefly before she let go.
"Just think about," she said softly. "Please, Rachel."
I nodded once, and stood up, brushing my hands against my pants and then shoving them in my pockets. Hopefully she wouldn't even notice the way I had been shaking.
"I should go call Erica," I added, jerking my head back toward the door. "She just took Marion home and he's really worried about you."
She was silent, so finally I turned to leave. Indecision gripped me for an instant. I wanted to kiss her goodbye, hug her and reassure myself one more time that she was okay, but it wasn't fair. Not when I wasn't sure. Finally I pivoted on my heel and forced myself to walk away. Way to look like an idiot.
"Rachel." Ivy's voice stopped me just before I had pulled the door shut behind me.
I swallowed and turned back to face her, not sure what I would say if she asked me again. Not because I was bound to her, but because she was Ivy.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
I tilted my head quizzically.
She smiled, and it was genuine even if I could see the sadness behind it. "For everything."
I shook my head, words deserting me. How she could still thank me after everything that had happened between us, was amazing. No matter how many years I knew her, Ivy would always continue to amaze and astound me in the best possible ways, and I just continued to screw it up.
It was too much. I turned and walked away.
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