Title: "Magick"
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Feedback address: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Date in Calendar: 30 November 2005
Word Count: 2660
Date Written: 19 October - 30 November 2005
Pairing: Alex/Rachel
Rating: NC17 [to be safe]
Summary: Rachel helps Alex get over her nervousness the night before a major procedure.
Series: Starting Over
Sequel to: "The Longest Night," "Give and Take," "And All Our Tomorrows"
Warnings: n/a
Spoilers: n/a
Archive: This is a ShatterStorm Productions exclusive piece. Contact the webmistress for archive options.
Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/
Website: ShatterStorm Productions’ Doggie Duo’s Fanfic & FemSlash Advent Calendar
Advertisement: Part of the FSAC:DW05

Disclaimer: This story is an original work of amateur fiction, and is written purely for the private entertainment of P:TL fans. This story is no way affiliated with Trilogy, MGM Worldwide Television or the Sci-Fi Channel. The characters are their property, and this story is not meant to infringe upon the copyrights of MGM, Trilogy, or anybody else who owns an interest in "Poltergeist: the Legacy".

Author's Notes: It's become something of a [self-imposed] tradition to start out each of the Solstice Calendars with a story from this particular series. It gives me a chance to bring out two of my most favorite muses, who always do what they can for me.

Author's Notes, the Second: The runes information given, including some slightly different names, all came from http://www.kenaz.com/notes/runes.htm.

"Magick"
by A. Magiluna Stormwriter

I watched Alex nervously pacing as the shower heated up. Without a thought, I pulled her close for a tight embrace. "Relax, sweetheart," I murmured. "This isn't helping matters at all."

"But--"

"No buts, Alex," I reprimanded lightly. "Dr. Timm told you to relax, and you're going to relax if I have to kill you to do it. Getting upset isn't going to help with the procedure tomorrow."

She squirmed for a moment before dropping her forehead against my shoulder with a sigh. I was almost as nervous as she was, but it wouldn't do to tell her that. Not until we were certain the baby was coming. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if maybe we weren't taking this whole thing a little too seriously. Especially Alex. It wasn't that she was overly serious, like me, but more that she was putting a little too much emphasis and energy into getting pregnant, making this whole family situation a reality.

"Rachel?" Her soft voice brought me out of my thoughts. "What if it doesn't work again?"

"Then we try again until it does work." I pulled back to look at her, letting my fingers wander through her riotous, silky curls. "This is our third try, sweetheart. That's nothing. It took me forever to get pregnant with Connor. Kat was easier, that's for sure. But I was so worried about everything before Connor was conceived. And then Patrick…" And then I realized what I needed to do.

"And then Patrick what?"

I felt the grin spreading across my face and bit back an almost giddy giggle. "Go take your shower before the water goes cold. I'll tell you when you're done." She pouted…until I took matters in my own hands and kissed said adorable pout from her face. Chuckling at her moan, I pushed her toward the shower again. "Take your shower, Alex. If you get cold water, you can't blame me for it."

She muttered under her breath as she stepped under the spray, but all I caught was something about revenge being sweet.

+++ +++ +++

When she finally emerged from the bathroom, I finally had everything taken care of. I'd arranged the room in much the same way as when Alex had initially asked me about having this baby nearly six months earlier. I knew exactly what made Alex relax, what she would need to be calm enough for the IVF to work this time. And I intended to make it work this time.

Sensing my lover behind me, I grinned and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before turning to face her. Putting on my best smile, I pulled Alex close for a long, silent moment. It felt good to hold her, feel her solid warmth against my body, smell the lavender-peppermint shower gel she coveted so. While I stood there, I let my mind wander back to how my own body had changed with pregnancy; those images superimposed themselves over Alex's body.

"Have I told you lately how incredibly sexy the thought of your pregnancy is?" I murmured, nibbling at her earlobe, my hands wandering lightly over the damp, body-warmed satin of her robe. "And if we're both lucky, your pregnancy will spike your libido like mine did. There was a point where I honestly thought I'd die from the constant thrumming arousal."

Alex groaned softly, shifting even closer to me. "Has anyone told you you're a damned tease?" she muttered halfheartedly. "Or were you actually planning to show me what it's like?"

I chuckled and nipped at her earlobe again. Instead of speaking, I simply pulled back to level her with a heated glance, hands moving to undo the sash of her robe. I carefully pushed the material down her arms, watching it pool at her feet. I took a step back to take in her beautiful body, those earlier images once again superimposing themselves over her lithe form, bringing a smile to my lips. I gestured to the bed with my eyes, licking my lips in anticipation.

With a barely restrained grin, she climbed onto the bed to stretch out on her stomach. "I'm gonna do this as much as I can now, since I won't be able to when I'm as big as a house," she muttered good-naturedly and rested her cheek on her crossed arms. She was silent as I moved to straddle her hips and begin a gentle, even massage from hairline to hips. "Rachel, is it painful?"

"What? Pregnancy?" I asked, not breaking my concentration on her back. "For the most part, it's more a feeling of being ungainly, sometimes uncomfortable. At least it was with Connor. I was so scared that anything I did would hurt him. And he was a restless baby, too. Kept me up more than when I'd done my residency. And Kat gave me heartburn like you wouldn't believe. Quiet baby, never moved much, but boy she certainly made sure I knew she was there."

Alex chuckled and relaxed further under my hands. "What about the delivery?"

I reached for the bottle of oil on the nightstand and retraced my path down her back. "I won't deny that the birth can be painful. But it's a good pain, as crazy as that sounds. Because when it's all said and done, you forget about the pain. All you remember is the baby in your arms that you'd been waiting for so long, and everything else fades into the background. Believe me, it's something you'll never forget."

I lost myself in memories of holding Connor and Kat, fingers moving by rote down along the smooth column of my partner's back. Her skin was soft, pliant under my massaging hands. It felt wonderful to know she was relaxing because of what I was doing. She'd done this for me on so many occasions in the past. I was more than happy to return the favor.

"Rachel? Are you trying to put me to sleep here?" Her voice was soft, muzzy with the exhausted remnants of her anxiety.

I leaned over her, stretching out across her back, to murmur in her ear, "Maybe I am. Would it be such a bad thing?" She mumbled her dissent, making me chuckle. "Just relax, Alex. If you fall asleep, it's okay. At least you won't be so tense then, right?"

She mumbled again, but didn't tell me to stop. Grinning broadly, I grabbed for the oil again and shifted to start working on her legs. Long, lovely legs. I'd always been attracted to Alex's legs. Well, I'd always been attracted to Alex, period. It just took a lot of strange circumstances to get us together. But as I continued to work the oil into her legs, I couldn't help but tease her just the slightest bit, brushing the tips of my fingers between her legs. I wasn't surprised to find her aroused by what I was doing. My Alex had always been a tactile person, sensual in ways I still didn't completely understand. But I certainly enjoyed it, more and more as our relationship continued. She brought out things in me that I didn't realize were hiding, as clichéd as that sounds.

Alex whimpered softly and rolled over onto her back, reaching for me at the same time. "C'mere?" Who was I to deny my lover anything? I stretched out next to her, pulling her close. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. For what?"

"For being you." She grinned at me sheepishly. "Did I really just say that? I sound like a sappy Hallmark card."

I shook my head and pressed playful kisses across her face. "No, you sound like someone in love with her partner. And I happen to like it when you get all sappy like this. It makes me feel special. And it makes me want to make you feel just as special," I said, shifting up to grab for the oil again. "Which is why I'm going to pamper you tonight and make you feel like a queen. So just relax and enjoy it, okay?"

"Well, if you're gonna put it that way," she replied with a grin and shifted to get comfortable.

I shook my head in amusement and moved to continue my massage, starting at her feet. As I worked the oil into her arches, she shifted up onto her elbows to watch me. I met her gaze with a smile, didn't hold back anything of what I felt for her. The silence held as I worked up to her hips, one leg at a time. Without thought, Alex spread her legs as I inched up her thighs. With a sly grin, I settled myself between her legs, slipping them up over my shoulders. "Oh my," I drawled lazily, lightly tracing a finger up one lip and down the other. "What have we here? Looks like someone's got a bit of a problem." Her moan made me chuckle huskily. "Maybe you should see a doctor about that? Oh wait, I'm a doctor."

"Rachel," she half-whined, half-reprimanded.

I chuckled again but took mercy on my lovely partner. Leaning in closer, I let my tongue follow the same path my finger had just traced. Alex's moan spurred me on, like always, and I tugged at her hips to pull myself closer. Grinning broadly, I flicked the tip of my tongue across her clit teasingly. I enjoyed making her whine like that. Two fingers slid easily home into her wetness as I sucked her clit between my teeth. I hummed lightly, timing my fingers to move in counterpoint to my flicking tongue tip. It didn't take long to hear that delightful keening that signaled Alex's impending orgasm. I redoubled my efforts, sucking on her clit as if my life depended on it, until she spasmed under me with a hoarse cry. I continued to stroke and suck throughout her orgasm, forcing as much pleasure out of her as I could.

"Please," she whimpered, pushing weakly at my head. "Uncle! Uncle, for God's sake!"

I chuckled and gently lapped away the sticky sweetness before stretching up to press a tender kiss just below her navel. "Feeling better?" I asked lightly, fighting to bite back a knowing smirk.

"As if you didn't know," she shot back, lightly tugging on a lock of my hair. "You're an evil woman, Rachel Corrigan."

"Yes, but you love me anyway," I retorted, moving up to kiss her deeply. Finally pulling back for air, I smiled down at Alex and carded my fingers through her hair. "Will you let me finish my massage? Or were you wanting something more?"

Her face lit up in a bright smile. "Oh, I'm wanting something more, but I think I can wait until you've finished your massage. I'm betting you've still got something up your sleeve for me, right?"

I shrugged and grinned. "Maybe."

"Maybe, my ass," she snorted. "You're really not that good a liar, Rachel Corrigan."

"Neither are you, but I won't hold it against you," I teased, reaching for the oil once more. Settling next to her, I smoothed the oil over her face, massaging it across her forehead, into her temples, down over her cheeks, and under her chin to stroke lovingly along the column of her throat. I continued down along each arm, even massaging each joint of each finger until Alex practically purred under my touch.

"Have I died and gone to heaven?" she murmured drowsily, barely cracking an eyelid open to gaze at me.

"Nope, but you can expect more of this when you're pregnant." She nodded and shifted her hand to squeeze mine. I knew the gesture for the reassurance it was. "It'll happen, sweetheart. I have faith."

She nodded and let out a breath on a sigh. I could feel that minute tension releasing again, and smiled. Getting more oil, I finished the massage, moving slowly and deliberately from neck to hips, coaxing small moans and sighs from my partner as she relaxed more into the mattress. I leaned over to lightly tease each nipple with a gently sucking kiss. She squirmed under me, fingers stroking my hair in encouragement. I silenced her with another kiss, twining our fingers together. When the need for oxygen was too great to ignore, I smiled down at her and squeezed her hands before letting go. I climbed off the bed, still holding her gaze, and pulled off my camisole and panties. I straddled her hips again, hands warming a bit more oil in one palm.

Alex looked up at me curiously. "Rachel, what are you doing?"

"Something I've learned living with you. I hope I don't mess it up. I've never done this before."

A look of understanding crossed her face. "You've been planning this for a while now, haven't you?" When I nodded, she smiled and stroked my cheek. "Then it'll be fine. And I'm honored you'd do something like this for me."

I grinned at her and took a deep breath, trying to remember everything I'd researched. "Alexandra, you are woman, friend, sister, lover, mother, angel, devil, earth, home, completion to me. You are my everything, and I want you to have what you desire most."

Dipping a finger into the oil, I traced Mannaz over her third eye and temples. "May you always seek knowledge, as knowledge begets knowledge, of the self and of others." Next, I traced Algiz over each eyelid. "May you always be able to protect yourself against harm, or find someone who can help you and the child you'll bear." Ansuz and Hagall across her lips and the hollow in her throat. "May you never lose the ability to communicate your thoughts, wishes, and needs." Dipping back into the oil, Jera and Wunjo glistened against the skin of her breasts. "May you always know comfort in abundance, for yourself and your family." Kenaz and Gifu were traced over her heart. "May you always know the passion of a loving partnership." I bit back the irrational fear that she might find that with someone else, but quickly tamped it down to return to what I was doing. Giving myself another second to regain my composure, I dipped my finger in the oil again and shifted to trace the final runes below her navel: Beorc, Jera, Ing. "May your womb be fruitful and bring forth your greatest treasure." I leaned over to press a kiss over the Jera rune, and felt a tear slip down my cheek onto her skin. "Believe in the positive outcome, Alex, see the goal. See yourself pregnant; see the baby in your arms. It will happen, just have faith," I murmured, resting my cheek against her stomach.

We lay there for a long moment in silence before Alex tugged at my hair lightly. "Come here, Rachel," she murmured huskily. I moved slowly, stretching out along her side, and rested my head on her shoulder. She grabbed my chin, tipped my face up to look me in the eye. "Why the tears? That was beautiful, love."

I shrugged, ran a hand through my hair. The movement allowed me to look away for a moment. "Just got to me, I guess."

"Rachel, you don't have anything to worry about, okay? I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, love," she said, kissing me tenderly. And then she put my hand over her stomach, hers on top. "You're stuck with me and baby we're gonna have one of these days. Look, I know I'm being paranoid about tomorrow. What you just did reminded me that things happen when they're supposed to. If it doesn't work out tomorrow, you're right, we'll try again. I love you, Rachel."

"I love you, too, Alex," I murmured thickly, letting the tears fall. I wrapped my arms tightly around her, just holding her. "I'll be right by your side, every step of the way."

…tbc..