Author's notes: I'd like to place blame on Bioware for Mass Effect 1 and 2 + Dragon Age Origins for distracting me from The Hollows.

The End?

Once upon a time, my father told me I was going to marry a princess. Being 12 years old at the time, my imagination ran away with that. I pictured her being beautiful, kind, charismatic, and caring, you know all those things that Walt Disney envisioned. She would be madly in love with me because we were elves and destined to be together. When I met my princess, she met those expectations. Her father called her Ellie, and she was a typical 'daddy's girl'. Her friends call her Elle, a spoiled and sophisticated fashionista with a cold laugh and gossiping nature. I used to call her Beth. She was my princess, and I approached the idea of marrying her at first with the optimism of that 12 year old innocent boy. I loved her when we first started dating. I can admit that much now. I was truly mad about her. Her friends and family never saw my wild and passionate Beth. They never saw her insecurities, her fears. Together we were strong. We talked about saving our people. We talked about having a family.

She cheated on me first and I responded in kind. If I had any doubt I was my father's son, that night erased them all. The sound of my hand hitting her face and the feeling of her nails raking across my cheek, are still as fresh in my memory as the night it happened. After that incident, she cooled to a point where she was no longer my Beth and became, Ellasbeth, a woman who was carved from ice and accepted me as if it were some duty to her family and our species.

Ellasbeth never asked me for anything. I guess that's why I found myself in his office chair, eyes peeled on the driveway as the sunset. Lee would be home soon after being released because I dropped the aggravated assault with magic charges.

My palms felt sweaty. I killed before, but it was always for protecting me or gaining another step toward my ultimate goal. I shifted my posture in the chair. The chair was really uncomfortable and the straps from the shoulder gun holster were beginning to annoy me. Why was I doing this? I remembered seeing Ellasbeth's bruised face and the way she shied away from me. I wanted to blame the demon, but it was Lee who bartered Ellasbeth as payment for a curse. I felt guilty, thinking that I should have talked with her about the blood sample instead of relying on Jonathan. She got hurt because I was too busy being the selfish bastard and nursing old wounds between us. She asked me to take care of Lee. I was of half a mind to give him back to Rachel's demon, but the other part of me wanted a more permanent solution. Friend or not, he was dangerous and posed a threat to my businesses and to people I cared about. Jonathan gladly volunteered, but I stepped up.

After Ellasbeth left, I called Lee's father. I wanted validation that this was the appropriate step to take. Once I explained what had happened, I knew what the answer would be. Lee's family was perturbed that he was locked up and did not want to deal with any other potential embarrassments.

I glanced at my watch. I almost jumped up when I saw headlights coming up the driveway. It was about time. I sat still, waiting for Lee. I heard the front door open and then footsteps on the staircase. The boards creaked underneath the worn carpet as he approached the closed door. The doorknob turned and the latch clicked. He opened the door greeting me, "Hey old man. I was kind of expecting you to be here."

"Hello Lee." I swung around in his office chair, as he flicked the light on. "How was your stay in prison?"

He blinked, pushing the black bangs away from his round face. "The food was awful, but at least I didn't have a cell mate." His lazy smile spread across his lips. "Your lawyers are good at holding things up. How are you doing?"

"The insanity curse was impressive. I am lucky that Ms. Morgan is becoming quite skilled with demon magic."

"You two definitely make for strange bedfellows." He walked over to his flimsy, cheap looking bar cart. "Drink?"

I shook my head no. "Speaking of interesting alliances, Ellasbeth is doing well." And maybe after a few more years of therapy, she may be able to let me be in the same room as her without having a panic attack.

"That's good to hear. I find myself having a soft spot for her." He made a gesture, touching his heart twice with his hand. "So here we are old man." I hated when he called me that. Lee added ice cubes to his drink.

"Yeah, so here we are." I repeated.

"Guess I should thank you for dropping the charges." He took a sip from the glass. He frowned and added more alcohol to the glass. "It was all her idea you know."

"Of course." I kept my eyes on him.

"You look really tense. How about you remove the gun you think you're hiding?" Lee flipped his bangs out of his eyes. "We both know you're not here to have a make up session over martinis and chess. You're becoming predictable, Trent."

I reached inside my jacket and placed the pistol on his desk. "Satisfied?"

He shook his head, "Tsk-tsk. Now what would Rachel think? She ought to change her taste in men. A human that plays with demons, Piscary's dead scion, and now you."

I sat silent as he gulped the remainder of his drink. "So old boy, how do you propose we resolve this?"

"I don't know Lee. How about we give you to the demon for a few nights and see how you like it."

Lee shivered. His posture tensed and he wrapped his arms around his torso. The color drained from his face. He shook as he stood up and stumbled over to the drink cart. He tried to pour another drink and spilled vodka over the cart. " I don't feel right. You elf bastard...what did you do?" Lee collapsed to his knees, wheezing and coughing. I went to him and his skin felt cold and clammy. His hands wrapped weakly around my neck.

"Lee, I didn't do this. I wasn't going to …."

He chuckled, "Saint Trent the liar. I deserved better." His hands slipped away from my neck. His breath wheezed in and out a few more times and then, he was gone. I eased his kneeling form to the floor and sat back down in Lee's chair. I stared at his dead form for what seemed like hours until Jonathan showed up.

"Shall I take care of the body, Sa'han?"

"Yes Jon. Make the arrangements." Jonathan examined Lee's body and looked at me. "There are no bullet wounds?"

"Someone laced his alcohol with poison." I watched Jon's expression. "It was you?"

He slung the body over his shoulder. " As a back-up plan, Sa'han. "

"Thank you Jon."

Jonathan snorted. "I didn't do it for you. It was for her, in case you went soft because of your witch."

I gathered myself. Ah yes, my witch. How was I going to explain myself to her this time.

Author's notes:

Dear readers, thank you for your patience. I am not sure if this is the end or not. I am reworking Ch 6 and adding in some of the missing pieces. I would like to do another chapter to wrap up with Rachel's reaction, but more and more with the way KH is going its getting harder and harder to ship Trench. Maybe there will be another chapter in another year. :)

Thank you again for staying with me for the ride.