A/N~ So the next chapter is going to be a little longer and more emotionally challenging for me to write. So it may be a little late being posted. Hopefully not more than a week late though. Bear with me please. Thanks for the reviews, and everything. I do appreciate them. Please read, enjoy and review. ~A
Two Worlds Apart
A couple of weeks later:
Dyson came to the clubhouse and had the good manners to knock on the door. He didn't usually take the time. He may not have been born in a barn…a cave yes but he was trying to be a little more of a gentleman, lately.
Bo answered the door in her silk kimono, holding a glass of wine. Her hair was up in a messy bun, she looked a little tired but beautiful as always. She smiled at the wolf and said, "Hi, wanna come in. Having a little red wine, care for some?"
He followed the succubus into the shack and asked, "So have you guys eaten yet? Thought we might order some pizza, watch a movie, my treat." Dyson offered, looking around.
"Afraid I probably wouldn't be very good company tonight. Lauren and I broke up after the last case." Bo said morosely.
"Yeah I know. I ran into Lauren at the Dahl Riata, she told me." Dyson admitted.
"You saw her, how is she?" Bo asked a little desperately.
"She's fine, a little beat up naturally." he said soothingly before adding honestly, "Sad and probably suffering from a mild case of PYSD. It's all to be expected under the circumstances." the wolf added.
"What do you mean to be expected?" the succubus asked suspiciously.
The wolf stared at her for a moment and said, "She did nearly die Bo. She is human and she was attacked by a psychopath who was influenced by one of our kind."
"Do you think that's what it is?" Bo asked with a strange look on her face.
"I doubt that's all it is," the wolf replied, "but I'm sure it's probably a contributing factor. Didn't you ask her when you broke up?"
The succubus drained her glass of wine and went and poured herself another glass as she answered, "No, I thought we…I thought we were good actually. I even thought we were going to have "glad to be alive" sex."
Dyson actually flinched and said not unkindly, "Didn't go so well?"
"No, not really." Bo said in a depressed tone.
Realizing something Dyson said, "Where's Kenzi? I haven't really seen either of you at the Dahl lately."
"Oh yeah, she's made a few human friends. You remember the juvies from the camp. Apparently she's been hanging around with them quite a bit." the succubus said fondly. "Oh she still spends time with me, especially since Lauren and I have broken up. we've had quite a few Ben and Jerry Fests, but you can only hang around a Sourbus before you start losing some of your positive energy."
"They asked her several times to come hang out with them before I finally made her go," Bo admitted with a sad little smile. "She even confessed to them that she was actually a little older than they were but they still think she's really cool."
"So she's out with them now?" asked the detective trying to decide whether he should do in depth background checks on the campers as he added, "And no natural disasters, or serial killers have sown up yet?"
"Dyson," she said, smacking him in the shoulder lightly, "she's not that much of a trouble magnet." She took a sip of wine and said, "Besides I'm not entirely sure she had all of this trouble before she met us."
"Oh she got in enough trouble before she ever met us , and that's just from her record. I've got a feeling there was a lot more from when she didn't get caught." he said affectionately and with a hint of pride in his voice.
"She is a survivor, alright," Bo said, raising a glass to toast their absent friend.
XXXXXXXXX
Kenzi is at the mall with Trudy, explaining the pros and cons of several different articles of clothing. Including why one color was more suitable for Trudy's coloring than others. Teddy had been a trooper during the whole situation, hanging with the girls even during the accursed shopping. Kenzi had even encouraged him to buy a few cool looking adult clothes.
When Kenzi had suggested the more adult look both teens had been a little leery. Until she told them that she could make them look adult but still badass. Teddy although he still had the baby face look, looked a little sleaker and definitely more badass in the clothes she had gotten for him.
Trudy was looking a bit more model-like. She was already slim and statuesque but the clothes Kenzi had encouraged her to try out, showed off her curves and coloring to perfection.
As a matter of fact they had drawn an appreciative audience as the younger woman had continued coming out of the dressing room. The three young men had followed them to the food court and had been remarkably respectfully had asked the trio if they could join them for lunch.
Of those three, two soon became part of their group. Scott and Max were actually pretty cool although Scott could be a little obnoxious at times. He always did it with a sense of humor and apologized if he went too far. Isaac was a little on the quieter side, but incredibly bright when it came to any kind of hacking or technology.
Scott and Isaac left about an hour later, having to go to soccer practice. Kenzi took Trudy home, then as she was driving Teddy home she could tell he was trying to work up to something so she relaxed and let him get around to it.
It took Teddy up until they got to his home before he finally blurted out, "Would you like to go out with me?"
Kenzi was surprised and then tried to think when the last time she actually went out with anyone was, not counting Bo of course. When she got past several months, she decided to stop. She reminded Teddy that she had explained to the campers that she was older than them, when she had come clean about not really being a camper but being a semi-reformed delinquent.
Teddy was determined, he had a cherub's face, blond hair, blue eyes, he was a bit taller than Kenzi, but then most people were. After the whole misadventure at camp he had cut his hair. So now instead of curls he had a military style haircut, The cut with the new more adult cloths actually looked good on him and made him look more mature.
Kenzi asked if she could think about it and he agreed easily. When Kenzi wrinkled her brow and asked him, "Why do you still seem happy? Usually when guys get asked if the girl can think about it, they get depressed."
He simply smiled and answered, "I'm just glad your considering it. I thought you'd say no right off the bat because of the age difference."
When she agreed to go out with him a couple of days later, his response was surprisingly mature. He asked her what she would like to do, explaining, "I already made plans for our dinner, but you can decide what we're going to do after dinner."
Kenzi was charmed and said, "I would love to go dancing later." Teddy had agreed and had actually arrived right on time with a succulent house plant for Kenzi.
When he saw her though his mouth actually hung open charmingly before he finally managed to get out with a huge smile, "You look breathtaking," and you could tell by the literally breathless tone that he used that he meant it.
"Thank you kind sir," Kenzi said with a grateful smile. Truth be told she had thought Teddy was kind of a geek when she first met him, but her opinion was definitely changing for the better as time went on.
Bo was taking the proud mama position and had even taken pictures of the pair. Poor Teddy blushed adorably and said, "I should have brought a corsage or real flowers."
"Don't be silly, the plant is a lot better. Not dying and less likely to be dead, cause I have a black thumb. So hopefully I'm less likely to kill it in the first week." the young brunette said with a smile.
Teddy had actually chuckled at the pronouncement and relaxed considerably as Bo took their picture. The succubus had snarked with amusement, "Speak for yourself. I wouldn't have minded a few spring flowers to brighten up the place."
He took the opportunity to open the car door for her and help her into the car. He took her to a Russian restaurant and they enjoyed the delicious food, and Kenzi monopolized the conversation with reminisces of home and family from the old country.
Teddy asked very thoughtful questions and actually listened to her answers. When they went dancing she discovered that the younger man was actually an incredible dancer. He could do ballroom, swing and wasn't afraid to let loose to the more modern music. Kenzi had a really good time.
She agreed to a second date before they even left the club. When they got back to the shack she discovered from Bo that Dyson had been by to visit. She felt her heart flutter a little at missing the wolf, but pushed it down as she still hadn't quite forgiven him for locking she and the teens in the barracks. Especially since they now knew that Nelson was one of the killers.
Teddy and she went out on several more dates, he made sure that every time they did go out he would bring something, usually flowers for Bo. The first time earned him a smacking kiss on the forehead by the succubus. She found the blush that followed utterly charming and threatened to steal him away but instead took more pictures of the pair.
They were going on a date to a swing dance club that night, and were dressed appropriately. They did several things together including going to an indoor white water rafting school and to a flea market, where he brought her a painted leather bound trunk for her room. She in turn took him dumpster diving and to her favorite hole in the wall café. They of course also went and hung out with their friends.
Several times Bo mentioned that Hale had come by or that she had run into him at the Dahl. After the third or fourth time this had happened she had begun to study her human friend with a hint of concern in her affectionate gazes. After the sixth she demanded a girls night out, just the two of them.
Realizing she had been neglecting her "bestie" of late. Kenzi quickly agreed to a night at the Dahl followed by a bit of dancing at Carpe Noct. The pair dressed in their usual black leather. Kenzi realized as she concealed her third knife on her person that she really was two different people.
The person who hung out with Teddy and Trudy and was a normal if somewhat criminal person. While the person who was trying to figure out a way to conceal her crossbow, while going out on a night on the town with Bo. That was the newer and more dangerous her. A person who knew about and had fae friends and dangerous adventures.
She had set aside the more adventurous Kenzi for a little while reconnecting with the old Kenzi. When the pair got to the Dahl and Trick greeted them enthusiastically and saying, "Haven't seen you in some time, Kenzi. I was beginning to wonder if you were avoiding my establishment."
Kenzi realized at that moment she was eventually going to have to decide between the two worlds and the two people at conflict within her. Somehow she knew the fae world being what it was the decision was probably going to have to be made sooner rather than later.