I left the dal early, leaving the others celebrating the new house and whatever Kenzi made up to cheer shots with. I was due at work sooner than I wanted, but it would be my last night before I was rewarded with a long weekend off. Since Bo was buzzed, Kenzi and Dyson on the road to completely drunk, Tamsin was the only one who could and offered to drive me to the hospital. She was sticking to her two beer minimum and looked for any reason to leave the small party. Her burden was becoming a heavy cloud that hung and moved around her. The only time I would see the Valkyrie in a light mood is when her and Kenzi would be engage in one of their many bickering matches.
Tamsin stared at the steering wheel in her truck, "think of what I said, captain." She looked at me slowly, her icy blue eyes filled with sadness. I nodded, "I will, but I want other options before I decide." I patted the few books in my lap. Trick let me borrow some of his texts on fae imagery and the complete history he had about the Valkyries.
Tamsin nodded silently, I could feel so much from her but I pushed out what the feelings wanted to tell me. She was struggling with a lot and was doing her best to stay strong. I respected her as much as I didn't know how to help her through this. She was very closed off and I didn't know if prying deep into places I knew very few saw, would push her away. I stepped out of the truck, "thank you for the ride."
She smiled, "when are you ever going to get a car of your own, hotpants? You have doctor money and live like a first year medical student. Go buy a BMW or a Mercedes, shit, buy me one and you can have Betsy here." she tapped at the dashboard of the raggedy truck.
"you named your truck?" I tried hiding the smile that was threatening to break across my face along with choking back a giggle.
"um, yeah. I also name my guns and knives, big deal." I could see she was starting to blush. Tamsin threw the truck into drive, "buy yourself or the succuwife a nice car. Live a little, captain." the look in her eyes was a mix between joking and serious. She sped off before I could throw a comment her way.
When I walked into the hospital I was completely overwhelmed with the feelings and thoughts of everyone inside the hospital. It caught me completely off guard to the point I instinctively reached up to cover my ears, trying to shut out the onslaught. I knew my powers were intensifying over the last few months. I could feel bo and Tamsin distinctively, Bo's thoughts I could read clearly and I was starting to pick up pieces of Kenzi's at random times. I had managed to keep them at bay, controlling what I let in and what I kept out by using some of the techniques my mother told me helped maggie. But this was a first, it was intense and foreign to me, there was too much too sort through. It took me a moment but I was able to gain some focus and walk to the on call room. I changed my clothes and sat on the small bench, focusing on my own thoughts, which in turn faded the rest of the noise in my head out. I was able to keep things at a minimum level. I took a deep breath and went to the nurses station and met up with Ann so we could start the shift.
The night started early and ended early. At around two in the morning, all patients were stitched up, bandaged up and medicated. I signed off on charts and made my escape to my lab to look over Bo's blood work. I rubbed at my eyes before sliding my glasses on, I hadn't been to sleep in close to thirty six hours, but lack of sleep was something I had gotten used to in Afghanistan. I could work for hours on end with little sleep and feel nothing, but as I glossed over Bo's results I felt really worn down and slightly nauseous. I sipped at water and kept reading over blood work results, hoping that occupying my mind would take the edge of the desire to vomit that kept creeping in.
Bo's blood work appeared fairly normal aside from spiked levels of what I compared to as testosterone, fae testosterone. Her hormone levels, especially the ones that mimicked human testosterone were running high along with her white blood cell count. All would explain her increased irritation, sex drive, and her incredible strength and healing. I made a few notes, it was a possibility that her testosterone had received a boost during the energy transfer in the desert. I sighed, and suddenly had to move quickly.
I was quick to grab the trash can before I threw up all over my desk. It came from nowhere, the sudden spell of losing my stomach contents. I leaned my forehead against the cold steel edge of the table. Maybe it was food poisoning from the sketchy chicken wings Kenzi showed up at the house with before we all went to the dal, or it could be a side effect from lack of sleep and all of the stress I had been under. In my full doctor mode, I took a blood sample to run. If I had food poisoning it would show up in the blood, if it was something more I would have that as well. I had not been feeling like normal over the last day or so, maybe I had the flu or something else. I sighed, my stomach was settling so I returned to my work, but it didn't last long. I threw up two more times while trying to read up on what the mysterious man in black meant.
One of tricks fae imagery books mentioned figures dressed in black appearing to people, in dreams or daytime visions, alerting of death approaching. The book continued on, stating that if the figure in black appeared with symbols, it would mean death was bringing something with it. In the case of what Tamsin and I saw, the symbol of the key meant a catalyst of spiritual birth. A death would be bringing a intense change to our world. The key meant a total rebirth of some sort and that Tamsin and I were the keyholders to this intense change. We were the first steps in a catalytic event. Whether it was good or bad, it would only be determined after the event was set into motion. The man in black with the key, was a warning and a message to us both. I instantly felt it had something to do with my mother and the orders from Odin.
I took my glasses off and set them on my notebook, I felt another wave of sickness fill my body. I went to stand up as I felt my pager rattling around in my pocket. As soon as I stood up, I had to grab the trash can again as the second wave hit hard. I took a few breaths and stared at the floor past the trash can, I cringed as I felt a strange sensation in my stomach and lower abdomen. I absently ran my hand over it, silently cursing what ever devil chicken was destroying my insides. The pager went off a second time and I was able to collect myself to make it back to Ann without throwing up.
The page was for a simple fracture, I steeled myself as I spoke to the patient and set the fracture, I was even able to get him up to a orthopedic within the hour to check him completely. I did have very little patience and less sympathy than normal for this drunk kid sitting on the bed in front of me. It was usual, but as he told me that he tried to jump over a moving car, and slipped, getting clipped on the side of the leg, I had to clench my jaw as another wave of nausea came at me. I filled out his chart after throwing up one more time in the nurse station trash can. I signed off the rest of my patients to one of the other on call doctors and told Ann I had to leave. She eagerly agreed after watching me retch into her trash can. I was certain it was a bad case of food poisoning ravaging my system. As I shuffled out of the hospital I made a silent promise that I would make Kenzi eat nothing but vegetables for a month and hold out on her getting more of my infamous cupcakes.
I called a cab to take me home, I didn't want to bother Bo. My head was swimming and pounding, making me wonder if my amped up powers was also helping with how sick I was now. I arrived home, paid the cab driver and trudged into my new house, that was very empty. Bo had left a note on the fridge letting me know that her and Kenzi were on a case overnight. She also apologized that Dyson would have been the one to pick me up in the morning. I left the fridge on the note and sent Dyson a text letting him know I was hone early.
I climbed the stairs and collapsed into the middle of the giant cloud bed I had yet to enjoy fully. I curled up, clutching my stomach hoping the strange sensation would ease away as I slept.
That night I had wild, vivid fever dreams. None of them made any sense to me, even when there was a quick glimpse of the man in black, without the paper with the key on it, he held his hands out to me as if he was waiting to embrace me. I shot awake, jumping off the bed and making it to the bathroom just in time. After I had finished giving up what felt like most of my actual stomach, I slid down to sit on the cold tile, leaning against the equally as cold porcelain tub. I felt my own forehead, I had no fever even though I was sweating from the exertion of losing everything I had eaten in the last week. I leaned my arm on the edge of the tub and held my head. I whispered to no one but the toilet, "what the hell did I eat?" I searched my mind for other culprits than the chicken wings, but the thought of food made my stomach roll. I kept my eyes shut, I felt absolutely terrible. I was slowly beginning to drift off to sleep from pure exhaustion of being sick for the last couple hours, when I felt Bo. She crouched down next to me, brushing my sweaty hair away from my face, "oh honey, are you ok?" I could feel her concern radiating out of her, I smiled weakly to get her to relax. "I think Kenzis wing-a-ding special did me in."
Bo laughed, "that is why I stick to the celery and only the celery that comes with the special." Bo bent and kissed my forehead, "lets get you changed and back to bed. I will take care of you for the rest of the night." She scooped me up and carried me to the bed. I instinctively snuggled into her, suddenly loving even more than usual, the feeling of her against me. Bo helped me change out of my scrubs and I could feel her desire as she saw me naked. Her fingers lingered around my breasts, I sighed. As awful as I felt, I was just as equally turned on by her. I smiled, whispering, "you do things to me that I will never understand." I ran my hands up her shoulders, slipping fingers under her tank top straps. Bo smiled and let out a labored breath, "Lauren. You do the same to me, and I don't ever want to understand it, its too incredible and surprises me every time." I watched her jaw clench, "and I am having a hard time controlling myself from leaving you naked and breaking in the bed." she scanned my body as her eyes flashed blue, "you're really sick and I don't want to risk you barfing on me." she raised her eyebrows, "sexy I know, sorry."
I laughed and cringed as the strange sensation in my stomach returned. I pulled on the shirt and pants Bo brought over to the bed and laid back onto the bed. I curled up and looked back at bo, "cuddle?" I sounded like a little kid, I was not one for a ton of PDA or one to be clingy, but I wanted Bo to smother me in her arms and help ease the terrible feeling in me.
I had managed to sleep a few more hours without getting sick, the sensation in my stomach eased away and when I woke up I felt even better when I saw Bo had not left my side. She was sitting up in the bed in her usual pajamas of a tight black tank top and tiny black underwear, reading the book on Valkyries I had borrowed from Trick. I rolled over and placed a hand on her very warm thigh. "you should wear glasses, complete this sexy librarian look you have right now."
Bo smirked and looked at me sideways, "I could look into that for you, Doctor." she set the book down and ran a had through my hair, "how are you feeling?" she still looked concern.
"better, I think the worse of it is out of my system. I have never been that sick, even after eating army food for three years." I ran my hand over her thigh, "I didn't know you were interested in Valkyries."
Bo sighed as she felt my hand on her, "Lauren, you are driving me nuts doing that." She took a deep breath as my hand stopped in its place on her thigh, "i saw it in your bag and I wanted to stay awake in case you got worse." she flipped through the pages, "its actually interesting and has given me a deeper understanding of Tamsin. The Valkyries are tough women who are burdened with an incredibly lonely life." Bo looked down at me, "I can kind of understand why she has latched onto you and us."
I smiled, "you are starting to warm up to her?"
Bo shrugged, "maybe, its hard to ignore how dedicated she is to reversing the orders on your mom, and as much of a pain in the ass she is, she has been there for us a lot. And it is nice to see Kenzi meet her match." Bo laughed lightly. I laughed with her until I felt my stomach wobble, I pulled my hand from my wife's thigh and held it against my stomach. Bo noticed and put her hand over mine, pulsing lightly. The pulse she gave me took the feeling away and left me warm and hazy. She bent over and kissed me on the forehead, "that should help, my touch is good for other things than turning you on."
I held her hand against me as she went to pull it away, "i need to get up and shower, I keep smelling the remnants of last night." I smirked at her, "will you help me?"
Bo's eyes flashed blue, "i will make sure I get every nook and cranny." she left the bed and came to my side, helping me up. I did feel immensely better and steadier as we walked to the bathroom.
The shower and the activities inside of the shower made me feel almost normal. Bo had pulsed me a few more times, and it was an added bonus to our lovemaking. I was finishing getting dressed in the bedroom as Bo was downstairs trying to make me a mild breakfast of toast and juice, when I heard the front door open and Kenzi's loud greeting.
I smiled as I was eager to get to Kenzi and tell her the consequences of her wing-a-ding special. I finished pulling on Bo's lilac tank top, I was really attached to her over the last few days and her vanilla scent on everything. I wanted to be close to her at all times and prayed silently that I was becoming clingy in my weakened state. I walked downstairs to the kitchen and stared at Kenzi as she was digging in the freezer for the waffles she made me buy last week. She closed the door and winked at me, "sup doc! Waffle?"
"no thank you. I have a bone to pick with you, my Russian friend, a chicken bone."
Kenzi looked at me like I was speaking my nerd speak, the look on her face was the same, "uh hotpants, I will save you some? No need to get hostile moms on me."
before I could say something in return, I heard my mother say, "again, what is with this hotpants nickname you have placed on my daughter?"
I suddenly forgot all about running Kenzi through the ringer when I saw my mother coming out of the pantry handing Bo a canister of oatmeal. I smiled and immediately went to hug my mother, "mom, when did you get in?"
My mother squeezed me hard, our connection deepened ever since Tamsin delivered the words, "just now, dear Kenzi picked me up from the airport." she pulled out of the hug and looked at me concerned, "Ysabeau told me you were sick last night? How are you feeling?" her hand immediately went to my forehead, checking for a fever.
I smiled as I pulled her hand down gently,"i am better." I then shot a look at Kenzi, "i ate some bad chicken wings, food poisoning." Kenzi paused in mid waffle bite, "what? It so totes wasn't my wing-a-ding special, I ate more than you did and I am super fine."
I stared at her, "no cupcakes for a month."
Kenzi frowned as she dropped her half eaten waffle, "oh come on doc! I told you the wings were spicy, I cant help you have a delicate tummy." she looked to my mother, "help me out here momma Lewis!"
My mother laughed as she took my hand, making me sit at the table, "Kenzi, there is nothing I can do. Lauren rarely ever gets sick, so I can imagine how horrible it was for her. I cannot overrule her in her own house."
Kenzi tried hard not to pout as she returned her focus to the waffles, piling the plate up, "i will be downstairs, mourning the loss of cupcakes with some zombies." she grabbed the giant bottle of syrup and went to go downstairs. Bo yelled after her as she set down some toast in front of me, "don't get syrup on the floor or I will take away the TV."
Kenzi yelled back, "you two are really mean moms!" I heard the basement door click shut out the rest of her half English half Russian gripes.
My mother chuckled, "its like you already have a child."
I nodded in agreement, "a full grown child that says shit a lot." I took a tentative bite of the toast. I was not at all hungry, but I knew I had to try. Bo came over with a cup of tea for my mother, "the guest room is set up for you, its unfortunately over the garage. But we have yet to get to the rest of the rooms."
My mother smiled, "its perfect. I do love this little house you two have. Its nice to finally see you living together and settling into life." The idle chit chat was just a cover, I could feel what Bo and my mother were. I decided to cut to the chase.
"mom, we are still working on the situation with Odins orders. Tamsin has found one way and I was working on research when I got sick last night. I know you want to talk to Finnegan, but I want to avoid that. I still haven't chosen a side within the fae and I want to avoid owing him anything."
Bo and my mother both fell quiet. I spoke again, "also I know what you are both feeling, my powers have been increasing over the last few days. I was overwhelmed at the hospital last night, heard and felt everything from everyone in the hospital." I looked at my mother, "the techniques you taught me helped, but I am going to need more help with that."
My mother grabbed at my hand, "of course. When you feel a little better." I felt something from my mother but I couldn't place it, it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. I smiled, "so, now that is out of the way." I set down the half eaten piece of toast, it was holding in my stomach so far.
Bo shifted in her seat nervously, "Lauren, maybe its time that Tamsin and Elizabeth meet. I read somewhere in that book, that when a Valkyrie meets the one they are too guide, it provides an opportunity for the Valkyrie to offer protection." she paused as I smiled at her mini nerd out, "maybe if they meet, Tamsin will connect to her like she did you, and it could be just as simple as that."
"i think Ysabeau is on to something, it couldn't hurt to try. I would also like to meet this woman properly. I only met her for a second at the wedding."
I swallowed hard and cringed slightly, I was feeling odd again, "i will send her a message, she usually appears shortly after." I stood up, "i am going to go lie down, I am still feeling off." Bo stood up and went to my side, I waved her off, "sit with my mom for a minute, I am just going to lie down for a little bit." I bent and kissed Bo on the cheek before going upstairs.
I curled up again in the middle of the bed and closed my eyes, I fell asleep quickly. The dreams came as quickly. I was standing in front of my mother and she was standing next to Finnegan. He was speaking but I couldn't understand what he was saying. I was focused on my mother and that her eyes were a strange gold color, and glowed like Bo's and mine. "mom, your eyes? What's wrong?"
My mother smiled and stepped closer to me, placing a hand on my stomach, "you will revive the family, the true Lewis family." she looked at her hand on my stomach, "the secrets end with you."
I reached and placed my hand over hers, "its not possible." that's when Finnegan appeared next to my mother, "it is more possible than you think, my daughter." My dream ended there, I woke up sweating, my heart pounding. I tried to get up, but I was too weak from my intense dream or vision and passed out.
TBC! I am bouncing between this one and the other AU. so Please be patient as I navigate two tales! And reviews! post them cause I love them!
