Title: Little Talks
Author: hbomba
Rating: M
Summary: Back from Hel, Kenzi has trouble adjusting to life without Hale while Bo and Lauren revel in the doctor's new successes until tragedy turns the tables again.
A/N: A direct sequel to To The Bottom. Please read that first.
A/N2: A sincere and heartfelt thank you to my editor lonejaguar. She pushed this fic out of the mud it was stuck in for weeks.
The vodka ran dry two days ago. Kenzi had been on a self-imposed lockdown since coming back from the realms and Bo and Lauren had been along for the ride, except their unending sex romps had begun to overshadow Kenzi's downtime. The only time Bo and Lauren would emerge from Bo's bedroom was in the evening when they'd gamble for cookies or watch a movie. It was a strange little life that Kenzi had found herself in. She loved Bo. Period. And she had even grown to appreciate Lauren, but she was ready for liquor and Shifters and Valkyries, oh my. Mostly, she was ready for a break from all the moaning.
She opened the front door to the Dal slowly-no heads turned when she stepped into the mass of drunken patrons. She kept to the walls, pushing past a couple canoodling and a drunk guy that looked primed and ready to toss his cookies. She was three feet away from Dyson, about to cover his eyes, when he sniffed the air and spun around on his stool to confront her.
"Kenzi? He said, baffled by the sight of her. A moment later he was wrapping her into his arms. Holding Kenzi against his chest, he smiled. "Kenzi," he said gruffly. "How did you-?" He inhaled deeply, releasing Kenzi quickly as he lurched at Lauren. She straightened but did not back away. "You, you're Fae?" he asked incredulously.
Bo pushed Dyson back onto his heels. "We've got a lot of catching up to do."
Tamsin hopped off her barstool and leapt at Kenzi, absorbing her into another hug. Together, they bounced around in front of a small crowd of on lookers. It was a jubilant expression of love and affection and Kenzi ate it up, smiling into Tamsin's shoulder.
Bo leaned back against the bar, watching the scene unfold as Trick began filling pint glasses. He abandoned the round of pints and disappeared below the bar for a moment before reappearing with his best Buckthorne for Kenzi. "Trick, I think I love you," Kenzi grinned as she poured herself a shot.
"Nothing but the best for our Russian warrior."
Hours passed in a series of beers and shots and whiskeys. Kenzi was the belle of the ball, flitting around the Dal like a very real Cinderella that hadn't yet lost her slipper. She was having the time of her second life.
Bo raised her shot glass, arm slung over Lauren's shoulder. "To the bottom!"
"To Hel and back again," Kenzi added, from her seat on the bar.
"I can't feel my lips," Lauren touched her mouth.
"Shut it down, Dr. Lewis, shut it down," Kenzi slurred.
"What about you?" Dyson chimed in with a toothy grin. "Losing your taste for the drink, kid?"
"Who me?" Kenzi acted offended. "I'm just getting started," she said with a lopsided smirk.
Lifting a frothy pint to her lips, Lauren sighed as Dyson encroached on her personal space once again. "I knew you could, I mean, after Taft, but I never thought you'd experiment on yourself-" he stared at her with envy. The one thing he had always had over her was gone. His last hope to be with Bo lay crushed at her feet. Lauren had won. She could spot the moment his heart broke when his adam's apple dipped as he swallowed.
"It was a matter of science," Lauren slurred.
Trick's eyes gleamed from behind the bar and Lauren could feel the weight of his disapproving stare even as she stood next to Bo.
"When you didn't come around, I just figured you needed some time-I never thought you'd show up two weeks later with Fae Lauren and Kenzi back from the dead."
"What can I say? I've been busy," Bo smiled.
"You must know the implications of what you've done, Lauren?" Trick said.
"It's only temporary," Bo defended. "We just don't know when it's wearing off."
"So it could be permanent," Trick said.
"Or it could just be lasting a lot longer than anticipated, right Lauren?"
When Lauren spoke, all eyes fell on her. The expectancy in Dyson's eyes was back and the doubt in Trick's was overpowering, while Tamsin sat a few feet away, comfortably judging her from a bar stool. She swayed as she explained the source DNA-that of the descendant of Eir-combined with the longevity serum had reacted unexpectedly. What was only meant to last a few days had now lasted a few weeks.
"Do you have any idea what consequences this will bring?" Trick chastised her for even attempting such a stunt. "What were you trying to prove?"
Lauren puffed up, steadying herself on the bar. "I did it for Bo and for Kenzi and I'd do it again."
She had proven she could not only take Fae powers away, but she could also bestow them, albeit temporarily, on deserving individuals. She wielded great power and that made the Blood King uncomfortable. Lauren sipped her beer, looking over the foam at Bo.
Kenzi shook her head at the scene unfolding in front of her. "Too much drama for this mama." She threw back another shot of Buckthorne. "C'mon, put away your petty differences long enough to get hammered."
But Lauren was not backing down from Trick, who stood in judgment of her. She knew he had little recourse and Lauren had hidden her raw data well enough that there was little fear it could fall into the wrong hands.
"Nevermind the ramifications to the Fae," Trick said. "You acted recklessly," he accused. "And I doubt even this neutral territory will be enough to protect you."
Kenzi waved a hand between the two and threw back another shot of Buckthorne. "Easy, Trickster," she said. "Lauren's pretty cool as far as Fae go." He looked away at the glass he was polishing as Bo leaned across the gap between them and whispered something in Lauren's ear. She smiled. "I know that look." Kenzi tip toed away from the pair. "Yo D-man, Tammy, how much you wanna bet I can still kick your butts at pool half in the bag?" Kenzi swayed her hips, throwing herself off balance, she lead the way to the pool table across the bar. She steadied herself on the table when she reached it.
Trick disappeared into the back room leaving Lauren and Bo to their own devices. They spoke in hushed tones, sipping from their pints, flirting with one another. Kenzi needed a break from the Bo and Lauren show so she was glad when the cue ball rolled to the opposite end of the table and she no longer had to look at Bo's sex face. A crack of pool balls and the ball stopped just short of the pocket.
Dyson smiled and chalked his cue. "The Russian racket is a little rusty," he teased. Kenzi's eyes drifted away from the table to another place. Dyson watched her features change and knew exactly where her mind went. His long arm wrapped around Kenzi's small frame. "I miss him, too."
Oblivious to their moment, Tamsin leaned over the table and snapped a shot into the corner pocket, putting a hand on her hip to pose before pocketing another shot.
Bo was whispering in Lauren's ear again and Lauren could feel Dyson's eyes on them. Jealous and impatient. Lauren felt more astute with the Fae beating in her chest. She wasn't always a good judge of character but these realizations were cherry-picked from the ether and still Lauren knew they were accurate.
"He's watching us," Lauren said as Bo's lips fell to her neck.
"So let him watch," Bo said, her lips scraping along Lauren's neck.
"I'd rather not," Lauren hummed.
"That makes two of us." Trick appeared behind the bar and dropped a crate of liquor on the floor. He pulled two more pints and spun them in front of the women.
It went on like this for hours. The crack of balls against one another, the uproarious cheers of victory and defeat, the quiet corner that Bo and Lauren found themselves in and the booze the kept flowing.
The longer Kenzi played with Dyson and Tamsin the weirder the vibe became between them. She looked over at Bo and Lauren who were in a heated argument-probably about who gets to top who next- and Trick, who watched it all begrudgingly. She looked over her shoulder at Tamsin who had crept into Dyson's personal space a bit too far and if she didn't know any better...
Kenzi spun around. "You're doing it?" She said, not yet sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Bo looked up and watched as Tamsin draped an arm over Dyson's shoulder.
"We are." Dyson smiled and scratched his beard nervously.
"Since when?" she pressed. "Before or after Kenzi?"
Tamsin bowed her head. "B.K."
"You guys!" Tamsin and Dyson flinched as Kenzi swatted their arms simultaneously. "Look at you, getting your groove back," she poked at Dyson. "And you, my little pierogi, all growed up!" A collective sigh of relief covered the pool table. Kenzi looked to Tamsin who looked to Dyson who looked back at Kenzi. "Would ya lighten up already, I get it, you're doing it. It's not a big deal. I live with them." Kenzi pointed an accusatory finger at Bo and Lauren who were still talking dangerously close.
"Lauren's living with you?" Dyson asked.
"The Doc sorta moved in after I came home. The Morrigan is pissed about something-don't ask me-and you know Bo, she just wants Lauren safe."
Dyson cleared his throat. "Yeah."
Tamsin furrowed her brow and watched him try to hide the pain. She knew it well. In fact, their love of Bo was a uniting quality in them both. Tamsin knew that Dyson still loved Bo and while Dyson may not truly know the depth of her feelings for Bo, he had an inkling. But they were good together, minus Bo, too. The sex was rough, his hands were greedy, the afterglow was tender, yet fun, and she was learning about what really made Dyson tick. His motivations, still being hung up on Bo after all this time and most importantly his character. Tamsin had lifetimes of assholes, she wanted to start fresh this life and Dyson seemed like a good place to start.
Bo was leaning back in a chair balancing on two legs, her feet kicked up onto another chair and Lauren sat beside her, her head in her hands, asleep. Kenzi howled and smacked her hand on top of a stack of cash sitting on the edge of the pool table. She had just cleaned Dyson and Tamsin out of a month's pay.
"It's good to have you home but I can't afford to play with you anymore," Dyson slurred and put his wallet into his back pocket.
"I'm afraid I'm tapped out too," Tamsin said, dropping into a leather arm chair that flanked the table.
"C'mon!" Kenzi stomped her foot and looked around. "What the Fae? I mean, look at all of you!"
Kenzi scanned the room, Bo had nodded off precariously balanced between two chairs, Lauren had passed out hours ago, her head down on the tabletop, Tamsin was holding herself up on the pool table and Dyson was leaning against the wall next to her, eyes blinking slowly. She threw her hands up in disgust. "Trick, call the cabs." She looked around for him. "Trick?"
"Sweetie," Evony pouted. "I'm afraid you're going to have to do this one thing for me."
"But Marco and Jimmy never came back from the forest."
"Focus, Jack!" She snapped her fingers. "You're going to bring the Doctor to me, or-"
"Or, what?" The Ogre said seriously. "What are you gonna do about it, Human?" He challenged.
Evony's face fell. "We'll, I'll tell ya. I'm going to get my hands on the Doctor one way or another so I suggest you get on board." She paced. "Or when the good Doctor restores my powers, people might start calling you One Eyed Jack."
The gigantic man flinched at her words, knowing that she meant them. "What do you want?"
"I want the Doctor. And if you capture the Succubus, I won't take both your eyes."
The rabble had finally cleared out and Trick was catching his breath after such a busy night. He stood polishing a glass, which he discarded for the phone receiver, dialing the familiar number of a one-time enemy.
"Having nightmares about your troll again, Trick?" Evony said on the other end of the line.
Trick set his jaw. "We need to talk."
"Now? Sorry, I'm waiting for my real booty call to arrive."
"It's about Lauren."
"Oh!" She said, delighted. "Finally heard about her amazing now you're Fae, now you're not, act did you?"
"We have to protect the Fae."
"Whatever are you suggesting?" She said with great amusement in her voice.
Trick sighed. "Just take care of it."
"Don't want your hands getting dirty, eh, barkeep? What are you going to do when your dear old granddaughter learns that you put a hit on her girlfriend?"
"She won't," he grumbled.
"We'll see about that." Her smile touched her voice.
"Evony-" he started. "Make sure that my granddaughter remains unharmed."
"I make no promises. Play with the Dark and things have a way of not turning out how you'd expect. Remember that, old man."
The front door was wide open when the cab pulled into the laneway. Kenzi was the only one that saw it initially. She paid the cabbie and marched ahead of Bo and Lauren and into uncertainty. The entire clubhouse was overturned. She righted the stools, the tables, and the couch as Bo ran upstairs to make sure they were alone.
"All clear," Bo said returning a few minutes later.
Lauren picked an array of magazines off the floor near the couch and fanned them out on the coffee table.
"What were they looking for?" Kenzi asked as she swept up some broken glass.
Bo looked at Lauren, who fluffed a pillow before tossing it onto the sofa. "Something they're not going to find."