Title: Hindsight, With a Sixty Percent Chance of About-face

Pairing: Rachel Morgan/Ivy Tamwood

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Just having a little fun.

Summary: Ever since Ivy had told her she was going to move on, Rachel has been feeling a little out of sorts. But it was just a saying; Ivy wasn't going anywhere. Except, it wasn't, and she was.

To say that I wanted Ivy had become an understatement at this point. I was missing her badly and she was only at work, doing what she had done every for the past three years, but now for some reason I was embarrassingly feeling like a clingy high school girl. Though, I knew the reason. The reason was because I had finally stopped turning a blind eye to what had been growing stronger and stronger over the past few years: my love for Ivy.

It was now more than a friendly love. I had begun to crave her, and for that reason, I missed her. I haven't even had the chance to kiss her yet, and I was already having a hard time concentrating on anything, thoughts of kissing her consuming me.

Sighing, I shucked up the window to allow winter air into the house, and Jenks buzzed away in annoyance, flying to the table on the other side. I was feeling antsy, hot, to be honest. Ivy had been gone for over four hours and she was all I could think about.

"Tinks' panties, Rach, it's freezing out there!" Jenks yelled from across the room.

I sighed again, rubbing the tense muscles at the back of my neck. "Sorry, Jenks. I'm just hot."

"More like hot and bothered," he shot back with a snicker. The perv.

He was right, though, and I could do little more than roll my eyes as Wayde snickered from over by the refrigerator. "Is this how it's going to be like from now on, Rachel?" he asked. "You zoning out every now and then while thinking about Ivy?"

Stiffening, my eyes narrowed at the teasing smirk on his face. I chose not to retort, turning back to the counter where my empty splat guns were, waiting to be filled. After all, Wayde had helped me through my muddled confusion about my feelings for Ivy. He got to live. For now.

"You're just getting here," Jenks began from somewhere behind me. "When Rachel has a new lover—" he emphasized the word in a sarcastically sweet voice, "she goes all in. She'll be a walking horndog around here from now on!"

They both cackled loudly behind me in amusement, and I spun around to glower at the two of them in mortification. "Jenks!" I shouted. "Once again, my personal life isn't water cooler conversation!"

He winced, his ears far too sensitive for the volume I was speaking at. Good. Serves him right.

"Oh, c'mon, Rach, give the guy something," he cajoled. "Wayde hasn't gotten laid in—how long's it been, Wayde?"

"Oh, ha-ha, very funny," Wayde replied dryly.

They began exchanging barbs back and forth, and with a huff, I turned back to the counters. Men.

I picked up a splat gun and got to work, trying unsuccessfully to push Ivy into the back of my mind as I worked, filling up my splat guns as the boys argued behind me.

Suddenly, my stomached coiled in tension when I felt it, the change in air pressure in the church.

Ivy was home.

I quickly spun around, and Jenks took one look at me and rolled his eyes. He stood from the table and took flight, whistling ear piercingly loud. "All right, kids, pack it up and head to the belfry. Stat!"

Loud pixy groans of protest could be heard all around me as all of Jenks' children followed his orders, scurrying through the air. It was kind of unnerving how they could be anywhere at any given time.

Wayde stuffed his sandwich halfway into his mouth, grabbed his bottle of Gatorade and walked out of the kitchen, tossing a wink at me on his way out. I suspected he still harbored some kind of crush on me that was only amplified by the fact that I may be potentially getting it on with Ivy in the future. I rolled my eyes.

Picking up on the faint scuffing of Ivy's boots, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end as she appeared by the doorway, tilting her head and leaning against it. Her face was impassive as she stared at me, no doubt gauging my emotions rather than asking. Probably because she knew I was less truthful with my words than I was with my physiological responses.

A smile curled my lips as she continued to hover cautiously by the door. "Come here, Ivy," I said softly, eager to see her after spending all day with Jenks and Wayde making fun of me for missing her.

She grinned, deviously, and pushed off the doorway to saunter over towards me. As soon as she was within reach my arms were curling around her waist to draw her closer. My breath shuddered out of me at the soft feel of her body pressing against mine. I was still getting used to this, getting used to the fact that everything she did affected me so deeply. I kept telling myself not to think, but it was all I could do. Something about being around Ivy made me want to stop and think now that I had come to grips with the fact that I was in love with her. It was probably because she had always been the one in my life to tell me to think before speaking and acting. Now I was listening, sort of.

I cleared my throat, trying to keep from sounding callous as I asked, "Were you able to do it?"

Her shoulders heaved with a sigh as she nodded, resting her chin on my shoulder. Her arms were wrapped around me just as tightly and I was near delirious as thoughts of throwing caution to the wind and kissing her invaded my mind. But, no. Now was not the time. Now was the time to get information before moving forward and taking care of Ivy if she needed me to in case this was too emotional.

"How did it go?"

Ivy pulled back, face full of bemusement as she stared down at me. "Relatively okay," was her initial standard vague-Ivy reply. She then followed up with, "He said he wasn't surprised, per se. That once I had told him you expressed desires of sharing blood he kind of saw it coming," she continued, and I nodded with a wince, feeling like kind of an ass because apparently everyone had known but me. "But he wasn't happy about it either."

Her words were solemn, and I dragged my hands up the soft muscles of her back to knead at her shoulder blades. "Are you okay?" I whispered, pressing my fingertips into her soft skin. I smiled when she sighed and relaxed against me. Ivy liked physical affection, and it was a sure fire way to calm her down most of the time. Check.

She brought a hand up to tuck an unruly lock of red hair behind my ear as she nodded. "Yeah," she sighed. "I'll just have to give him time, I suppose."

"And he doesn't—" I stopped short, licking my lips as long fingers caressing the shell of my ear became distracting. But I soldiered on, temporarily forcing myself to ignore Ivy's soft touch because I needed to get this out. "He doesn't hate us, right?" I asked quietly. I didn't have many friends, and I considered Glenn one of them. Though it was unfair to expect him to still be my friend after I kind of stole his girlfriend, I still didn't want to lose him.

"He doesn't," Ivy assured. "He said that since he saw it coming he's kind of been preparing for it." Her fingers traced from my earlobe to my cheek and she molded her warm hands around them, holding my face in her hands. I trembled as Ivy's eyes darkened. "But he's always known how I feel about you. And he said that he was fully prepared to step aside should you ever feel the same way."

My chest constricted both from sympathy for Glenn and the crushing love Ivy and I had for each other. "I do feel the same way," I whispered.

Ivy's lips quirked upwards into a smile. "I know." Her thumb brushed just under my eye to catch a tear I didn't even know I had cried. "I can't believe I get to touch you this way," she breathed in awe.

And just like that the door was officially shut on our previous conversation, it seemed, as Ivy and I drifted closer towards each other. Her eyes bore deeply into mine as her fingers trailed along my jawline and down my neck. A soft sound lifted from my throat as her hand journeyed toward the back of my neck to play with the wisps of hair there. She leaned in closer, and my lips parted as my gaze dropped down to hers, plump and pouty, begging for me like my own were begging for hers.

Her forehead rested against mine as my fingers tightened in the back of her shirt under her leather jacket. For the life of me I still didn't know how this was going to go, how I was going to adjust with being with a woman. But my want for Ivy outweighed my insecurities and I stood there, feeling heat simmer just under my flushing skin, through my tightly coiled muscles, encase my bones until my entire body felt like it was aching for Ivy to kiss me.

Her nose slid along mine and I stifled a whimper at how close yet far she was. She was teasing, teasing us both; she had to be. Otherwise, why wait? I felt the long, nimble fingers of her other hand begin to knead my tense shoulders, and right then and there I knew she knew what she was doing to me.

"Ivy," I whispered, voice thick and tinged with desperation, and she sighed, pulling back to land pitch black eyes on mine.

"Are you sure, Rachel?" she rasped. Her lower lips trembled as her eyes began to glisten. "Please just make sure—"

"I'm sure." I gripped her shirt tighter and pulled her impossibly closer until her breasts were brushing against mine. I struggled to keep my eyes open as electric jolts shot straight between my legs.

Ivy inhaled deeply and shuddered against me, jaw clenching as she stared directly at me. "You're sure."

I nodded hurriedly, licking my lips. Whole seconds ticked by, admittedly not that many, but Ivy still hadn't moved, so I took matters into my own hands. I rose up on the tips of my toes, one hand snaking up to cup the side of her face, and I kissed her fully.

Her bottom jaw became unhinged with a gasp, and I smiled as I pressed our lips together tighter. Once awareness hit her, Ivy's grip on the back of my neck tightened. She tilted her head while holding mine in place and soft lips slid across mine until I felt heat pulse through me. Her lips were so soft against mine, demanding yet yielding to my own lips as I gave as good as I got, exchanging hot opened mouth kisses like they were going out of style.

I moaned as Ivy plied my lips apart, licking at my bottom one as I panted against her. I opened my mouth just wide enough and her tongue, slippery and agile, slid past my lips. My fingers tightened to dig into her lower back as her tongue curled to stroke along the roof of my mouth, and my knees weakened. A faint groan registered moments later and it was only then that I realized it was Ivy.

She was enjoying this; I could tell by the way her hips began to press into mine, pinning me back against the counter. My hands rose higher to twist my fingers into dark silky strands as I pulled her face closer, starved for more, starved for her. I just needed her closer, always closer.

Our lips parted and Ivy panted against my mouth as our foreheads rested together. Her breathing was heavy in a way that I had never heard it before. It was deep and desperate as her fingers curled around my waist, anchoring me.

I felt consumed by heat and arousal at the sure way she had me pinned to the counter with no escape, her hands holding me in place as I brushed kisses along her jawline. Her skin was so soft that I felt the need to be gentle with her, sucking tenderly on the underside of her jaw as Ivy moaned. The soft exhalation of my name falling from her lips completely did me in and my hips jerked into hers. I was doing this, I realized. I was kissing Ivy.

Ivy's grip on my waist tightened as I kissed a burning trail down to her sensitive neck undeterred by the thoughts. The opposite, actually, they spurred me on to explore more of Ivy. My lips puckered to place a kiss against her long throat, a tingling sensation fanning out along my body at the thought of kissing such an intimate part of her. Before I knew it my teeth were grazing her neck and her hand was winding in my hair, a growl leaving her throat and settling between my thighs as she yanked me back up into a kiss.

My body wanted more of her, I realized as I squirmed. I wanted more of her, all of her. A harsh breath pushed past my lips before I flicked my tongue out boldly against her bottom lip. Ivy groaned and sagged against me as her mouth opened and I slipped inside.

Her mouth was scorching, threatening to burn and I only tried to dig deeper inside of her for more. I ran my tongue along her sharp teeth and Ivy shivered against me as I teased around it. I could feel my nipples hardening in my excitement, brushing roughly against my bra as Ivy's fingers on my waist flexed. I whimpered at the feel of them and the tightness of my jeans teasing against me. I clenched my thighs together. I wanted Ivy to touch me, badly, and everywhere. Every part of me wanted her to claim it. Blindly, I reached down towards her hand and clasped my hand over it. I felt Ivy tense against me and continued to kiss her to calm her down. I wasn't pushing her away; I was pulling her closer. Our joined hands traveled up my ribs and my breath shuddered out of me at the first feel of Ivy's long fingers on the underside of my breast. I dragged our hands higher until she cupping the entirety of it in her palm.

Ivy pulled away with a gasp, staring down at her hand on my breast in awe as if she couldn't believe it was actually happening.

My hand held hers surely against me, and I was pretty sure she could feel my heartbeat thundering beneath my breast as well as hear it.

Ivy licked her lips provocatively, then looked up at me with widened black eyes. "Rachel—"

"Yours," I said simply, voice thick with arousal. I needed her to stop second guessing herself. Everything she wanted she could have, and I needed her to know that. "This is yours, Ivy," I continued, pressing her hand more firmly against my breast. I whimpered and her lips parted in sympathetic pleasure. "All of me is. Please take it."

I would have probably sounded desperate to anyone who wasn't Ivy, but I didn't care. And I knew Ivy appreciated the fact that I was finally ready for everything.

She straightened immediately and slowly pulled her hand away. My jaw dropped in shock, but she leaned down to place a placating kiss against my cheek, nuzzling me as she whispered in my ear, "I think it's time we take this to the bedroom before we give that perv Jenks a show."

A swirl of different feelings sifted through me. Amusement at her statement, mortification at the thought of Jenks walking in, and…arousal, thick and heavy as lead, falling into the pit of my stomach at the thought of us doing enough in the bedroom to constitute a show. With a thick swallow, I nodded, placing a kiss against her jaw before biting her.

Ivy growled softly at the gesture. "We're going to yours."

She pulled back and grabbed my hand, and we were in my room before I could even say I'm horny.

I closed the door and locked it behind me without thought, turning around to see Ivy grip the hem of her shirt. Taut creamy skin teased my vision before Ivy pulled her shirt back down. My eyes snapped up to hers in confusion, and she smiled, sharp fangs making me shiver. "Last chance," she whispered.

My only response was to walk over to her. I grabbed the hem of her shirt, missing what I had just seen earlier, and lifted it up, sliding my fingers underneath. I was ready. Fuck, I was so ready as my fingers grazed over her abs. Her body was deliciously warm to the touch and I wanted more than anything to crawl inside of her. I walked my fingers higher until Ivy's shirt was bunched up along her sternum. My hungry gaze ran over her soft pale skin, up to her breast heaving tantalizingly in a black lace bra, then up to Ivy's face, her lips parted, panting in air as her sinfully black eyes stared back at me.

Slowly, she lifted her arms above her head as a lopsided smirk played across her lips. "I don't usually do this," Ivy rasped.

Unable to help myself, I surged forward to capture her lips in a kiss. "Do what?" I asked against her bottom lip before sucking it into my mouth until she moaned.

"I would have made this special," Ivy continued. "I would have taken you out on a date, bought you flowers if I knew this was happening. But fuck, Rachel, I can't—"

I leaned forward to kiss her again in understanding, to let her know it was okay. She wanted to make this special because we were special in her eyes. But truthfully, Ivy didn't need to buy me dinner to get me to put out. Not anymore and not ever again.

I lifted the shirt above her head and tossed it to the floor. "I love you, Ivy, and you love me," I told her. "That's enough."

Her lips quirked a little as she stood topless in the middle of my room looking svelte and sexy in only a bra and leather pants.

Shaking my head in awe at having this beautiful woman in my room, I pulled my shirt of and was met with her lips the second it was over my head. It landed with a thump over the floor I assumed as all of my senses dulled, the only one remaining being my sense of touch as Ivy's long fingers trekked up my back towards the clasp of my bra.

Her hesitancy was gone as she flicked the clasp undone with one finger and I moaned as her prowess in bed that I had heard about for years began to present itself.

Our clothes melted away and the next thing I knew Ivy was hovering over me, love shining in her eyes as she stared down at me. I heard her ask and I nodded hurriedly, clenching around her fingers as they entered me for the first time. She groaned my name as I shuddered around her, and I couldn't help but think that this was home.

I moaned softly as consciousness tickled my brain awake. The first thing I registered was a dull ache through my muscles that left me feeling content as memories from last flooded back to me. I felt the slight weight of Ivy's arm wrapped around me and sighed contentedly, turning around to see her.

I had fantasized about this.

But it didn't compare to the real thing.

Ivy looked radiant. Her eyelashes rested on pale cheeks as she breathed evenly through her nose. She looked to be the most at peace than I had ever seen her and my heart swelled at the sight. Her arm was tight around me, holding me close in her vulnerable state. I couldn't help it; I had to touch her, so I reached out and traced her thin eyebrows with my index finger. Now that I had the liberty to touch her, which had admittedly only been denied to me by my own self, I couldn't help but want to touch Ivy everywhere. And I had done so last night. A flush crept over me as I remembered how long we had gone at it. Hours. Ivy had amazing stamina, and I wasn't so bad myself, but I knew I would tire out before she would. And I had. After fingering her for what was probably the third or fourth time, I had to tap out. It amused Ivy to no end how exhausted I was as she scooped me in her arms and I fell asleep with my head on her chest.

I wanted to be perfect. I wanted to learn her, because I had never been with a woman before and I wanted to please her. I had learned that Ivy was a little tricky, but I suspected all women were. It took more than simply touching her to simply please her. I had to appeal to her body as well as her mind, and when I did…to feel her crumble apart below me was unreal. To hear her whisper my name so reverently as she orgasmed was something that I wanted to hear from the rest of my life.

I traced her upper lip with care, remembering all the ways it had brought me pleasure last night. Ivy was…agile. She had looked like a panther as she hovered over me, her trim form thrusting into me as forcefully as I demanded and as gently as I begged for.

And the first time she nestled between my legs and placed her lips against mine—

I gave a start when I felt even teeth close in around my thumb. Coming back to the present, I saw I watched Ivy's eyes flutter open as she smirked at me with sleep-cloudy eyes. I smiled.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked, suddenly feeling like a creep for ogling Ivy in her sleep.

"Few minutes," she rasped. "Around the time you were tracing my cheekbone."

I blushed in embarrassment at having been caught and averted my eyes to the minimal space between us. Ivy was naked, the thin sheet around us threatening to expose the hardening nipple I could see poking through. I was nude, as well, and relished the feel of our legs rubbing together when either of us moved.

Ivy tucked her fingers under my chin and lifted it until I was looking her in the eye. They were a warm brown on a beautiful Thursday afternoon. "No regrets?" she asked softly.

I shook my head. "None." My gaze turned critical as her eyed her. "What about you, though?"

A lone eyebrow rose along her forehead. Damn, I wish I could do that. "Surely, you're joking."

"I'm not," I whispered. I wanted to make her happy. And of course on some level I knew that I did, but, "Glenn, he was a good guy. He was good for you, stable."

"Rachel," Ivy sighed.

"I'm just saying…you took a risk on me, you know?" I licked my bottom lip nervously. I wasn't this girl. I wasn't insecure in my means to make my partner happy. But this was Ivy. She had wanted me for years and I hated to think that I wasn't good enough, or that I would disappoint her. I had spent years making both of us wait, puttering her through so much pain, and all I wanted no was to make her happy.

Ivy's eyes rounded to softness once she realized through the near panic levels of my hushed voice that I was serious. Her thumb brushed along my jawline as she cupped the side of my neck. Her mouth quirked into a grin. "You are a risk," she teased, and I rolled my eyes. Her voice dipped into a rumbling purr as she murmured, "A risk that I've been waiting years to take."

I felt a responsive tightening in the pit of my stomach as I licked my lips. "No regrets, then?"

"My only regret is that it took you so long," Ivy responded lazily.

I smiled self-depreciatingly as I watched stretch back on the bed like a jungle cat, the sheet finally slipping away to expose rock hard dusky nipples to the room. My tongue dragged along my lower lip as I considered whether or not we had time for another round. "Yeah, well, I'm a little slow sometimes."

I leaned down to envelope Ivy's nipple with my mouth, and relished in the way she groaned and grappled for my hair.

Her voice was little more than a breath as she admitted, "You're not too quick on the uptake." With a huff, I bit the nipple in my mouth and twisted the other one until she writhed beneath me. "Fuck," Ivy breathed. "But when you learn, you learn."

I graciously accepted the tall cup of coffee Ivy walked over to me with a toothy smile, already wondering when we would be able to get out of here and go home. I just wanted to lounge around all day with her and do…more adult things that our new relationship called for. "Thank you."

It was interesting when I realized that outside of the bedroom, not much changed. Over the years personal space had gradually diminished between us until we did nothing but hover over one another when we were in proximity and when Ivy wasn't so hungry that her instincts threatened to ravish my neck. We were still practically attached at the hip now as Ivy stood in front of me with minimal space between us. "You're welcome," she murmured.

She had the silliest, most in love grin on her face and it was so new and amazing to see Ivy this way. I wanted to touch her. It had been a near constant mantra for over twenty-four hours now and I doubted that it would ever end. I reached out to grab her hand when I caught Glenn stepping into the room from my peripheral. I turned to look at him, a deer in lights expression on my face, and Ivy did the same once she saw my attention divert.

He hesitated, gave a small wave, and continued on into the room without a glance back. Awkward.

"So, that went well," I chirped sarcastically.

Ivy reached forward and grabbed my hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Just give him some time."

I sighed, knowing it was the best thing I could do for him but wishing everything was different. I didn't want to lose his friendship, and I didn't mean to break his heart because Ivy chose me, but I loved her.

She gave my hand one more squeeze and leaned down to brush petal soft lips against my cheek. "I'll be back, okay?"

I nodded, frowning once her back was turned and she walked away to help the crime scene. I was once again relegated to waiting on the outskirts because everyone feared I would screw something up. Whatever. We all knew who was really going to be the one to solve this case. It would be me, Ivy, and Jenks, as always.

Speaking of Jenks—

"Rach, I found a sugar cube!"

I darted back in surprise as Jenks wings worked twice as fast in his sugar high. I sighed. He was going to be a piece of work today.

"Hey, Jenks?" I prompted. "Why don't you put the sugar down and search the premises."

"Already did," he chirped. "Twice. Got everything. Though, I should probably check a third time because these fairy fart agents couldn't find evidence if you gave them a map."

He was speaking a mile a minute and my ears began to hurt as his voice rose higher and higher. My vision focused past him, however, when I saw Ivy squat down with a baggie to retrieve some evidence. Her body was amazing, more than now that I had gotten the chance to actually see her naked.

"Are you going to spend the whole time ogling Ivy like always, or are you gonna do some work?" Jenks asked.

I gritted my teeth and shot him a glare. "I did not always ogle Ivy," I defended.

He waved me off and took another lick of his sugar cube. "Whatever. You're boring me, Rach. I'm gonna check around again. See ya!"

He was gone before I could even say goodbye, and I shook my head good naturedly at the thought of how pissed off Ivy was going to be on the car ride home with him.

With both Ivy and Jenks busy, I found myself venturing towards a lonely chair in a corner of the room away from everyone where I could still ogle Ivy. She had since straightened, long legs splayed slightly apart in a show of dominance in the crowded room full of people.

I saw Nina walk into the room and immediately rolled my eyes. It was the undead vampire inside of her that caused her to smoothly glide across the room and saddle up beside me. I turned to Ivy to already find her eyes on me, her back straightened painfully as her eyes narrowed.

I smiled and started to give the kiss kiss gesture, but hesitated, not wanting Ivy to get the wrong idea. I settled for a disarming smile to let her know that I was okay.

Her gaze was on us for a long moment until Glenn grabbed her elbow to get her to look at a piece of evidence.

A surge of irrational jealousy wounded through me before I stomped it down. Ivy and I were together, and there was no need for that. She loved me and I loved her.

I cocked my head to the side to stare at Nina and distract myself. "You're late," I said, teasing the undead vamp whom I had come to respect after the in depth conversation about Ivy I had had with him.

Nina smiled toothily, eyes sparkling as they swayed from Ivy to me. "I was busy."

"I bet," I replied sarcastically.

"Why, Ms. Morgan," Nina spoke with missing a beat, "you look positively radiant today. Any special reason?"

I knew Ivy could hear us. I could practically see her ears perk up like a puppy as she turned just to side eye us.

My lips trembled with a small smile as I stared at her. "A special reason," I mumbled, almost shyly. "She's very special."

When I saw Ivy's lips lift into a smile before she turned away, I knew she heard me.