Chapter Six: Bittersweet Symphony Part. 2

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" Kate asks playfully as she comes up behind me, hand resting on my lower back, pulling me from my thoughts back to the crowded hall.

"Yes," I answer softly turning around with a smile. "You make sure to tell me everyday,"

"Is that a complaint?"

"Anything but," I lean in placing a quick kiss to her lips.

"Good," she says with a smile, this time she steals a kiss. "I missed you last night. I wish I would have been there with you, it must'a been horrible." she continues, gently brushing my hair from my face and suddenly my genuine smile turns into a forced one.

"It was,"

"I don't like you being alone with her," she pauses to smile at a fellow detective waving as he walks into the auditorium. "Not because I don't trust you, I do I just know how upsetting it is."

"You trust me that much huh?" I ask softly, pain pulling at my heart.

"Of course baby, I know we've had some ups and downs but I've never doubted your faithfulness nor you honesty, don't ever think that."

Looking into her eyes I see nothing but love and trust and it actually physically hurts me. She really is a like a big puppy, a life size Labrador. She was so loyal and trusting sometimes I just wanted her to be a little less perfect, a little less everything something everyone would want. She had a past, everyone does and she had flaws like her refusal to use a towel after showering but they weren't real flaws-not like Bo's—not like my own.

My lips part and the pain ripping through my chest makes me want to tell her the truth and beg for forgiveness but—but Bo and Dyson have seemingly magically appeared next to us again—i need to get them a bell or something.

"Kathrine. Lauren." he says slowly with this smug smile and I really, really wish I was the type of woman who would order their significant other into a fight.

"Dyson. Bo." I smirk and look over at Kate who is his mirror image. Wolf thing I guess except when he does it he is a dick, when she does it its cute.

"Do you two plan to duel now or," she trials off looking between them and refusing to meet my gaze.

"Don't be silly Bo," he says looking over at her. Don't be silly? Really he just seriously said that to her like a child? Wow. Least mine talks to me like an adult.

"Detectives," the four of us look over at Doctor Foster who is waving them over.

I watch as Dyson forces this awkward kiss on her lips before giving me this death glare that makes me smirk. Kate waits for him to take a few steps away before she places a gentle kiss to my cheek, knowing proper, adult etiquette in this type of situations.

"Why are you here?" I ask almost accusingly as soon as they are out of earshot.

"Well hello to you too doctor," she snorts shaking her head with this scowl. "Ethan mentioned he was preforming tonight."

"And you decided to bring your future husband here to see MY son's performance?"

"Why do you feel the need to mention that all the time? Like you think I'll forget if you don't remind me? And I was going to come to support Ethan since he asked me too, and Dyson mention that Gabby wanted to try and get into the one in December so he wanted to come."

"How sweet of him," I'm not completely sure her sentence makes sense but with the way she keeps looking between me and Dyson over there, I don't think she cares.

"I'm sorry, did you open up a fresh batch of venom tonight?"

"This is my son's recital I don't want any issues."

"There won't be."

"Mom, did you see what Kate got me for winning the competition?"

I turn to see Isa beaming ear to ear holding out her left hand, a watch identical to mine. Her right arm wrapped around Kate's shoulder's. I can't help smiling, it was sweet she had got me one for winning my award and now Isa a matching one for her achievement and she probably had one for Ethan too. It was little sweet, considerate things like this that made it bearable to forget about Bo sometimes. I just happen to glance over and notice Bo is scowl at the pair.

"Hey Bo, it's cool right?"

"It is," she says softly with a smile actually looking at it rather than acting like a spoiled child.

"Told you she was amazing," Isa whispers leaning toward Bo as if that would make it so the rest of us couldn't hear.

"You did." she says softly, fake smile on her lips as she leans into Dyson's body as his arm wraps back around her.

"Come on," Kate lets out as the lights above begin to flash giving us the minute warning.

Kate leads the way in and like a trail of unhappy, dysfunctional ducks we follow all the way to our reserved seats in the front row and apparently the unwelcome twins have followed us. Settling in I focus more on my original group rather than the tag alongs.

"That was sweet," I whisper leaning into Kate.

"She deserved it."

"She does but still,"

"You can thank me later," she smirks hand resting on my knee.

"I plan to," I place a kiss to her cheek and rest my hand atop of hers.

"We are proud to bring to you our special guest of the night, the fourteen year old, two time Yehudi Menuhin award winning violinists, Ethan Patrick Lewis preforming a unique rendition of Bittersweet Symphony."

He finishes my son's introduction to a round of roaring applause, his hand held out toward the chair where my son sat so intently focused on what he was preparing. The blazing light that only illuminated the area around him rather than the whole stage.

I forgot they tend to say the middle names with these things, I look over subtly at Bo as the applause die down but she is none the wiser, just smiling away up at my son. Fair enough, I turn back toward the stage as silence engulfs the room and for a minute he doesn't move. He positions himself just the way he needs and lets his eyes drift closed, reaching up his left hand with the bow resting it in position before falling perfectly still once more.

I look over at Kate and my daughter wondering if they think something is wrong as well, but just as Kate turns to me to whisper something the sound of the first cord cuts through the silence.

In honesty I wasn't a fan of classical music much which for some reason was a surprise to most, but my son's ability was hard to deny. I didn't like the song he picked either but it was original, daring—well I should clarify I didn't care for the singer's voice, I loved the beat and now even more so.

I steal another glance at Bo who is now sitting up in her chair rather than leaning back comfortably, her eyes intently on him.

Shaking my focus off of her and back to my son. He looks so intent almost to the point of being angry, his brow furrowed almost as much as it was when he 'kicked' Dyson out of our house. His lips parted just a bit in true Bo fashion. He has his hair slicked back—for the most part and it only makes him look more like her.

I glance back over at Bo who is sitting further up now. I wasn't aware she was so into classical music.

I feel Kate shift beside me and I smile at her worried she's noticed I was looking at Bo but she hasn't, her full attention is on Ethan. Looking back up at him I watch as the intensity of the cords build and he stands. Several more cords and he is taking four steps toward the edge of the stage all the while his eyes remain shut and I can't help but worry he is going to fall. I wasn't even aware he was going to move during this—I didn't know it was allowed.

I look back at Bo who is near the edge of her seat, this harsh, intense look on her face as she stares at him and had I not known her I would have asked her to stop looking at my son like that. I find myself watching Bo now more than my son and I can't tell exactly what is happening. She looks so inquisitive —angry possibly—I'm not sure.

I hear the mark I know is about to be the last strech so I look back up to him, and watch with pride forgetting all about Bo. When the song concludes Bo is the first to jump up but she isn't standing for him, she is almost running down the isle toward the exit, Dyson the next to follow all before anyone else has a chance to stand. I feel a nudge to my arm and I stand looking over at Kate who is now giving me a scowl that says 'forget about them and pay attention to your son,'

Ignoring whatever fit Bo was managing to have I clap along with the rest of the roaring audience as he takes his bow, the applause lasting several long seconds after he is off stage. Once they come to an end the three of us try our best to inconspicuously sneak out from the side isle rather than the main one.

Sure I felt bad about skipping out so soon but I just didn't have the patients to sit through four hours of back to back performances of classical music especially since most of these teenagers decided to do the same song, last year I stayed for two hours and heard Moonlight Sonata seven times, it would have been eight had one young girl not cracked under the pressure of preforming in front of two hundred or so people.

"You did amazing baby," I say as Ethan emerges into the hall where we were waiting.

"Did I? I think I was flat in-"

"You are too critical," Kate laughs throwing her arm around him. "It was perfect. If you don't want to follow in your mother's footsteps you could have a great career as a violinists," I smile at her words when he looks at me but glare the second he looks away and she just gives me this smile which I know well, its the one that means 'calm down'.

"It was amazing baby brother,"

"Baby brother?" he looks over at Isa who is now holding onto me as we are making our way to the car.

"Yes, I was born seven minutes before you. Makes me older."

"You two really don't have to compete for everything,"

"Yes we do mom," they say in union looking at me as if I had just personally insulted them. Chuckling I look at Kate who is walking around to the driver's side and she just shakes her head at me like I should know better—i should. I guess Bo's words got to me more than I had thought.

We pile into the car and I just look out the window staring at nothing in particular, unable to describe what this weird feeling was that had been coming over me, trying to consume me. I'm not unaware of what is going on, I can feel, see Kate continue to look at me worried, her smile fading after each glance. I can hear my children in the back arguing over this seven minute ordeal. I wasn't upset-not really, I'm not even thinking about Bo's childish little tantrum over God knows what. I just find myself not feeling quite right. Something is off, maybe it was just building guilt over last night, maybe it was the fact I hadn't ate since the morning, maybe it was—maybe it was-something.

"Do what you want with my body!"

I look back startled at my kids giggling singing. Maybe I had been a little distracted. Staring at the giggling duo struggling to sing along with the song. I laugh to myself knowing this song was out before they were even born but it's a fact that doesn't seem to matter to them much. I lean back in my seat trying to focus on the fact that they are just goofy and not singing along to a catchy song about being used for sexual purposes. I look over at Kate who is already looking at me and there that annoying twinge of pain in my heart is again. Her lips slowly begin to curve into a smile, and she nods as if I asked her a question, I'm not sure why-ah clever, I get it she is being suggestive along with the song. Ha.

"You can't have my heart and you won't use my mind,"

I have to turn away as she joins in with the giggle pair in the back, the three of them singing along with the song so loud and laughing so much it doesn't even really sound like singing any more. Thank God it's raining so the windows have to remain up so no one can ever hear this, NEVER.

"Don't look at me," I laugh.

"Come on mom!" they yell from the backseat and she is managing to smirk at me with wiggling eyebrows.

"Watch the road."

"Mom!'

"No." I laugh out turning away from them and looking out of my window praying we don't catch a red light. "I won't do it. I won't." I chuckle as I feel Kate grabbing my hand in her own.

"You're no fun!" Isa yells and tosses something at me that I'm not quite sure what it is since it falls into the dark space where my feet rested.

See this is exactly what my point was yesterday. Bo was walking around on her high horse thinking I kept them from having any fun at all. Like I am some fun-sucking warden. They had fun, they were goofy once they relaxed around you, true Kate had a big part in their more crazy, occasional behavior but none the less. I probably should have told her that yesterday.

Speaking of Bo what was her problem? Running off like a child for no reason, it was disrespectful to Ethan, to me—and God help me for saying this but to Dyson too. Oh and her little glare at Kate when she saw her with Isa. I mean you want to have a flashback, jealousy moment with me and Kate and Dyson fine—don't do it with my kids—our kids.

I sigh aloud and realize she has let go of my hand, oddly irritated with that I look up to find we are pulling into our parking spot—well guess she needed that hand to park. I try to bring myself out of this dizzying fog I can't explain but it's useless the whole walk to the house, and the whole time I say goodnight to the kids my mind remains clouded. I mean heard them playing around and what not, I kissed them goodnight and congratulated Ethan once more but I just felt like I was on auto pilot, like I wasn't in control, like I didn't know what I was thinking let alone feeling.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," I answer kicking off my shoes as I take my watch off setting it on the bedside table. "Why?"

"Well after Ethan's performance you kinda shut down on us,"

"Yeah I don't know I just don't feel right."

"This about Bo?" Yes.

"No, I just don't feel well. Maybe I got exposure," I chuckle turning around to face her, she is standing there on the opposite side of the bed, the exact side, exact spot in which I was laying in as I allowed Bo to fuck me. I look up from the bed to her and feel my body freeze realizing I hadn't changed the sheets. A benefit of being such a mature wolf was that she could control her abilities such as smelling, and if she wasn't looking for something she didn't use it, now I just need to make sure she doesn't have a reason to go sniffing around—such as me acting like a crazy woman after spending last night around my ex.

"Exposure? You were out there for like two hours," she laughs pulling the comforter down.

"Well it was a rough two hours," I say with a pout. If she focuses on me she won't focus on the smell of Bo in the room—on the bed. "Maybe you should take my temperature,"

"I think you're being a bit over-" she trails off eyes widening picking up on the flirtation in my voice, now hopefully she doesn't realize it's forced. That was wrong to say, it wasn't forced—it isn't a bother to flirt with my girlfriend my motives were just—odd. "Are you saying I get to play doctor tonight?" she chuckles starting to crawl across the bed toward me.

"Mm-hm, I even have my stethoscope around here somewhere, you can use."

"Mm props? I like," she lets out, hands going to my hips pulling me against the bed. "Well in this case I think you need a full work up," she runs her eyes over my body and leans in for a kiss.

Her lips cover mine and I don't bother with teasing not tonight. She doesn't react to my forcefulness right away, but she works into it. It's passionate, it's sweet—it's wrong. Wrong on so many levels, wrong because I am doing this to hide what I did, doing this because of someone else, doing this because it wasn't about us—but part of me was taking an odd pleasure in it.

Shaking the thought off I deepen the kiss, moaning into her mouth. She was an amazing kisser—maybe better than Bo—i just didn't react to her the way I did to Bo. I slide my hands under her shirt grabbing her breasts over the bra earning a moan that takes my thoughts away from a certain succubus.

It was terrible but this was hot, the forcefulness, the newness, the danger, the pain—it was a weird mixture that had me reacting to her in a whole new way. Ignoring every moral I have I pull her shirt off almost hurting her in process but neither of us care, not now. I can't help but moan against her lips as she pulls my shirt of with equal force, lips only parting long enough to allow the removal.

Her hands drop to my hips and I'm more than ready for her to pull my pants off but instead she flips me around, a growl escapes from deep within her chest, sending another wave of heat to the pit of my stomach. She kisses down my neck, along my shoulder blades, hands roaming over my stomach wildly.

"Kate...baby," I moan out letting my head fall back as she kisses down my neck. "Hey," I pout, eyes opening as her mouth comes to a halt. "I know I have a tendency of making you cum quickly but," I joke playfully turning around and the smile wipes off my face instantly.

She is just looking at me confused, tears welling in her eyes and it's a scary sight. This was Kate, my Kate—she didn't cry.

"Baby what-" I say reaching out to cup her cheek but she leans away. "What's wrong?"

"Guess last night wasn't as awful as you made it seem."

"What?" I look down at myself following her line of sight and feel my heart stop. I had forgot. I was so worried about the bed and the smells that I forgot Bo had bit down when she came. My collarbone heavily bruised in the form of a bite just low enough that the shirt hid it. "Baby,"

"Don't," she says quickly shuffling off the bed. "How-how could you—she-I-"

"I didn't mean-" I'm cut off at the sound of the doorbell being run three times in a row. "Ignore it. Baby talk to me,"

"Stop! Stop calling me baby. How can you—son of a bitch," she growls as the bell goes off again and then again.

"Where are you going?" I ask as she pulls the door open.

"To get the door before the asshole at the door bothers the kids."

"Without a shirt?" I ask quickly picking mine up and putting it back on, it's inside out but oh well that is the least of my concerns at the moment. I swear to God whoever keeps ringing this doorbell is going to get punched. "Stay here. I'll get it,"

"Expecting your girlfriend?"

"No I just don't believe you'll come back up to talk to me if I let you go."

"So she IS your girlfriend then, nice." she growls again as she picks her shirt off the floor. I start to argue but the sound of the door bell being manically pushed once again forces me away.

Almost running down the stairs and through the darkness of the living room, I jerk the door open with such a force it slips from my grip slamming into the wall.

"What the hell is your problem," I bark not even caring who was standing there. "Bo? What is your problem? Why are you abusing my doorbell," I continue to argue with a surprisingly silent succubus.

She looks so scared, so angry, so hurt and—soaking wet. I look behind her through the pouring rain, a flash of lightening illuminating the sky but I don't see Dyson's car, I don't see any car other than mine. Did she walk here? I turn my attention back to her and she is just watching me like a lion would watch it's prey.

"Who is Ethan's father?"