Tamsin is sitting in a bar with Dark and Light fae alike. It's some bar she heard some nymph mention that allows in any fae and their human subjects. It's not the swankiest of places; in fact, it feels more like a dive bar in 1800 Ireland if her memory serves her correctly.
She's new in Toronto, having been relocated at her behest. She's pretty much a pawn in the game of fae chest. She hates it, but there really isn't much of an alternative. She has guaranteed safety as long as she is with Evony and the higher power, Odin.
Tonight, she nurses a fae beer the Egyptians invented while eyeing every being walking into the bar.
There's the all-too-common shifter and the occasional sprite. Honestly, it's not very different than any fae bar across the globe.
So, she just sits with her beer while declining every guy's attempt at courting her. Girls, too. Fae aren't really so uptight about gender. It's all about who you find attractive and if you think they can get you off.
"Hey, Tamsin," she hears. She looks and narrows her eyes at Dyson, her new partner. He's attractive and wholesome, and it makes Tamsin want to barf. Could he be more of a typical wolf shifter?
"How's the puppy doing this time of night?" She replies cheekily.
Dyson chuckles and sits at the opposite side of the booth she occupies. Tamsin internally groans; she really doesn't want any company. Especially not the goody goody wolf that is Dyson.
"Trying to enjoy my alone time. I guess my luck has ran out," Tamsin adds before gulping down half of the beer she has in hand.
"We may not be on the same side, but we have to work together, Tamsin."
Tamsin snorts and gulps the rest of the beer before she spots the newest customers who enter through the front door. At the same time, Dyson smiles as he turns toward the same customers. Tamsin notices his sudden change and asks, "Friends of yours?"
Dyson picks at his beer and says in a dejected tone, "That.. That's my mate and her girlfriend."
Tamsin raises her eyebrows in response. Wolf-shifters are notoriously possessive, especially when it comes to their mate. Seeing him with his tail between his legs is fucking awkward. She's never known a wolf to let his mate run along with a...
"Shit. She's human," Tamsin whispers as she finally realizes Lauren's person.
She drags her eyes up and down Lauren in pure curiousity.
And, fuck. This Lauren chick is gorgeous. Her skin is flawless. The way she carries herself speaks volumes of confidence, and that alone attests to her personality in the midst of a fae world. She doesn't look intimated in the least as she walks up to the bar to order Buckthorn shots.
"She's drinking fae liquor," she says outloud.
Dyson is shaken out of his daze, still enamored by Bo. He hums and concludes, "Yeah, she's something alright." He takes a long draw of liquor, and it wouldn't take a genius to see his pained gaze at the brunette.
"Wow this is some dramatic shit. Who knew Canada could procure such a thing?" Tamsin joked.
Dyson is talking, making small talk, but Tamsin's eyes are focused on the blonde human who talks animatedly to Bo, who looks slightly bored.
..
Because The Morrigan made some deal with The Ash, she has to work with Lauren on her cases. Lauren's brilliant, and it intrigues Tamsin's mind, because the last time she met such a brilliant woman, fae or not, was over three hundred years past.
They are captured on an assignment and living in a run-down dungeon.
"I told you to stay away from any solvents that were not from the three primary colors," Lauren chastises.
Tamsin scoffs and rolls her shoulders back, causing the metal cuffs and chains to clink loudly.
"I said I was sorry. I was only trying to help!" Tamsin shouts.
"Are you deaf? Do you have a death wish, because I had three rules. Three important rules: Don't eat anything, don't leave my sight, and don't touch any liquids, especially ones that are not primary colors!" Lauren says smoothly.
"If I die, I'm going to fucking haunt you!" Tamsin yells back.
"Stop talking," Lauren whispers, "We're probably being monitored, and they are most likely waiting for us to get our guard down."
Tamsin sits, thinking. Maybe it's curiosity, or some form of freudian torture, but she leans toward Lauren and hastily places her lips on the human's.
Lauren kisses back immediately, and when Tamsin leans back, she asks, "What are you doing?"
"Letting my guard down," the valkyrie mutters.
Lauren can't tell if shes talking about her own personal feelings or about a plan to get out of captivity, but she doesn't want to ruin anything...any plan, so she kisses back. She's surprised that she wants this. She's surprised at her level of arousal and that Bo isn't the cause of it.
...
Dyson is on edge. Weeks after she and Lauren's captivity, Dyson is sulking and more irritable than normal. He growls often, and Tamsin has to remind him that humans are present and growling isn't normal.
Two weeks later, Dyson smiles again. He howls off hours on the way to the Dal and hums at the station.
Tamsin finds this disturbing and incredibly annoying.
One day, she walks to the Dal, alone, and sits at the same booth she always occupies and orders the same drink. She enjoys the scenery around her until she spots Lauren sitting solo at the bar. She feels the despair coming off of Lauren in waves, and it's painful and feels a lot like heartbreak. So, she walks up to the human and orders Buckthorn for them both. Tamsin understands when Lauren just smiles sadly and raises her glass to cheer.
...
Lauren and Tamsin get stuck on another assignment. They must parade as a new couple for a black market deal.
They do the job smoothly. In celebration, Tamsin kisses Lauren.
"You were perfect," Tamsin says.
Lauren blushes and replies, "You weren't so bad yourself, officer."
...
It annoys Tamsin that Bo and Lauren seem to be on again. In addition, Dyson is sulking and annoying again.
It grates the valkyrie that Lauren lets Bo kiss her and hold her while days before the succubus was sucking face with Dyson.
...
It happens out of nowhere. Tamsin can't sleep, tossing and turning in her truck. It's 2am by the time she finds herself at Lauren's front door.
"Tamsin!" Lauren declares in surprise.
"Hi, Doc," Tamsin replies.
"What are-" Lauren begins.
But, Tamsin rushes forward and captures the lips she's been dreaming of for weeks, and she whimpers when she feels Lauren return with the same enthusiasm.
Her hands find their way into Lauren's thick, blonde locks and her mouth moves in synch with the doctor.
Lauren pulls away, breathing heavily, as she asks, "Tamsin?" Her tone indicates a mountain of questions.
Tamsin breathes and licks her lips before answering, "Please. Give me a chance."
Lauren only nods and returns to kissing her.
..
She's meeting Lauren at the Dal for a date - their fifth- when she sees Bo approach Lauren. Bo's wearing a dress that clings to her form perfectly, and she looks apologetic. Tamsin chances a glance at Dyson, and just like she suspected, he's looking forlornly at his drink.
Her hackles rise.
Bo is trying to gain Lauren's love back. Her body posture and the gleam in her eyes are tell enough, and it scares the shit out of Tamsin. Within seconds, Bo's leaning forward with her hand on Lauren's thigh. Tamsin is about to lose control until she sees Lauren forcefully remove Bo's hand. Something the doctor says sends the succubus away with a rejected look on her face, and Tamsin smiles.
...
"Be mine?" Tamsin asks.
"I thought I was," Lauren replies with a smirk.
"I mean, officially. Be mine."
Lauren inhales deeply and responds, "But the Light/Dark aspect of it?"
"I worked it out. I made a deal with Evony. I paid The Ash enough money. You are working for the Dark now, babe. We can be together."
"Excuse me?!"
"I mean, I had to claim you for-"
"Claim me?!" Lauren shrieked. "I am not property. No one owns me, Tamsin. I thought you'd understand!"
They fight and stop talking for a month. Tamsin drinks herself to sleep everynight. Lauren cries in her new Dark Fae lab.
...
There is an attack on the Dark Fae. A group of Fae try to overtake Evony but fail miserably. One of the fae tries to capture Lauren, but once he saw her Dark Fae insignia necklace, he bailed.
Lauren sees the fae politics in a whole new manor.
"I want to be yours," she tells Tamsin one day. She just walks up to her in the middle of an archery lesson and declares her decision.
"What?" Tamsin asks, slightly hopeful and slightly confused.
"Yours. I want you to own me." Lauren concludes firmly.
Tamsin lowers her bow, smiles, and hugs Lauren.
She tells Lauren, "Don't you get it? You own me. I'm yours..body, mind, and soul."
..
They hold hands as they walk into the Dal as an official couple.
Hardly anyone pays attention, but Bo is fuming as she sees them enter. She can tell by their auras of their pure attraction. And it pains her.
"Lauren?" She asks as she gets her alone.
Lauren shifts awkwardly before placing a forced smile.
"Hello, Bo," she replies.
Bo swallows and gazes into Lauren's darkened-honey eyes.
"I... I just. God, I'm sorry. I-I love you. So much. And, I think-"
"Babe, they've got the most amazing honeysuckle ale you've ever...oh...Hi, Bo," Tamsin says.
"Tamsin. Congratulations. Don't hurt her. Ever," Bo threatens as she walks away.
Lauren chuckles humorlessly and turns to Tamsin.
"Don't let her get to you, sweetheart."
Tamsin shrugs and pulls Lauren close. She kisses her temple, her jaw, and her lips.
..
"Don't even try to kiss me right now!" Lauren says through clenched teeth. She's tired and hungry despite the fact they've been in captivity for six hours. She looks toward Tamsin, who looks surprisingly calm.
"Baby, I just want to comfort you. And you know how I get if I don't get any lovin'" Tamsin whines. This is not going according to plan.
"It's because of you we are in this predicament -again. We are hostages, how in the world can you be in the mood for kissing!" Lauren yells.
Tamsin shifts, not in handcuffs this time, and places her hands on each side of Lauren's face.
"Think about us. Right now. Our lives will never be normal."
"No shit."
"Lauren!"
"Fine. Keep talking."
"I just..." Tamsin panics and bites her lower lip.
"You just...what!"
"We aren't captured," Tamsin responds.
"Uh, yes we are. Do you have a fever? Come here, lemme check" Lauren rushes out. She reaches forward to feel Tamsin's forehead but is stopped.
"Oh my god, this is a fucking disaster!" Tamsin exclaims through an annoyed breath.
"What is?"
"My fucking proposal. God dammit!" Tamsin yells.
Lauren stills for a moment and then smiles a megawatt smile.
"Proposal?"
"Yeah, whatever," Tamsin smiles and says in response.
"You.. you want to marry me?"
"You're it for me, Lauren. So, yeah. Will you be my wife?" Tamsin's eyes are flowing with insecurity and uncertainty.
"Tamsin," Lauren begins, "I want to be yours. I am in Fae terms, but yes. Marriage wise, yes. I will marry you."
They clash together, in love. They meld their lips together in perfect harmony. They make love like it will be the last.
..
"I'm pregnant."
Tamsin just stares at nothing. She hears words, but they do not resonate within her. It takes a few slaps to get her to take in the gravity of the situation.
The fae genetic procedure worked. The baby will carry both their genes.
Lauren is pregnant with their baby.
Their baby.
A BABY.
..
She's sitting at the bar at the Dal, internally panicking. No one else knows this news. In fact, they've been avoiding everyone in any social settings. However, tonight, her meeting with Bo is urgent according to the succubus,
So, she sits at the bar, worried about Lauren and her kid because the due date has past.
"Hey," she hears. It's Bo.
"Hi."
"So, I know we came here for a job. I, uh..I lied," Bo admitted.
"Excuse me?"
"I wanted to let you know that I won't allow this. I won't let you use Lauren anymore."
"What the hell are you talking about, succubus? I love Lauren."
"No. You don't. You play people and use them and they dont know-"
"Why the fuck would I play with someone if they were having my child?" Tamsin challenged.
Bo's eyes welled with tears and they streamed down her face once Tamsin mentioned a child.
"Child?" Bo cried out.
"Yes," Tamsin replied. "She's having my child...with my genetics. Fae stuff."
...
"It will prolong your life by several hundred years. You won't be fae, but you will live a long time," Lauren read outloud. It was her own research, and she concluded that living a long, long time would be beneficial to her and the family. So, Lauren takes her own injection.
...
Lauren is pregnant with Ivan six months after she injected herself with the fae serum.
Tamsin comes home late from work, celebrating her recent case completion. Her noises bring Lauren downstairs.
"What are you doing, Tamsin?" Lauren asks, her hands on either side of her pregnant stomach.
"Um.. I'm craving orange juice?" Tamsin offers.
"You should be catering to my cravings!" Lauren whines.
"What is that?" Tamsin asks.
"You. I need you. I need sex, Tamsin! Is that too much to ask?"
"Oh.. be right there!"
...
Lauren gives birth to Ivan on a Tuesday.
The nurses bring him out to Tamsin, who's a nervous wreck.
"What if I twitch and drop him?" She asks nervously.
Kenzi, who sits right beside her, calmly states, "I've been dropped a bunch of times when I was a kid. Believe me, they are bouncy."
Tamsin shoots Kenzi and incredulous glare until the nurse announces that the Dark/Light approval forms came through so that Tamsin was legally allowed to be there.
Lauren was in so much pain that Tamsin cries out in pain. She tries to ignore the pain and attends to her wife.
All the nurses and doctors are shouting "push" but Tamsin can't focus on their voices. All she can focus on is the unbearable pain that Lauren feels while giving birth to Ivan.
..
Ivan is three and ridiculously smart.
"Okay, sweetie. Remember, you don't have to correct other classmates if they don't understand basic alegebra," Lauren tells Ivan as she straightens his tie.
"Are we sure private school is the way to go?" Tamsin asks before adding, "I mean, that sounds really nerdy."
"Mom? Am I a nerd?" Ivan asks.
Lauren gives Tamsin a stern look and responds with, "No, honey. You're perfect. Thanks to advanced genetics, you are perfect. You have half my genes and half your mothers."
Ivan smiles at his mothers.
He can't think of a better family.