Sorry for the delay, I was dealing with MS related fatigue. I don't know quite how to feel about this update honestly. Thanks again for reading!
"Hecuba?" Lauren was now even more confused. She couldn't remember all the patients that she treated, her blood ran cold when she thought of the one individual that had taunted her before Bo's arrival at the prison. "She was a guard, wasn't she?"
Her reaction didn't go unnoticed by anyone, with her arm still wrapped around her, Kenzi could feel the shudder that traveled through the blonde. It caused her to tighten the hold around her.
"Yes," Dyson stated softly, "she was found murdered a few months ago. Is there anything that you remember when treating her?" He was troubled by her reaction since she had covered herself in skunk ape secretions, he didn't understand as no one knew she was human until the end.
She cleared her throat before continuing, "I know that today, hell the past few weeks have been difficult, so we're all going to sit down and eat this delicious meal. Bo," she addressed the succubus to get her mind from wondering about that time period, "grab those plates behind you and set the table. Babe, you mind getting the drinks?" Lauren asked without really looking at her as she moved from her embrace to gather a few other necessities together for their meal.
Dinner was a reserved affair, everyone complimented Lauren on her culinary skills, while Bo regaled them stories of the fae drama from past investigations. Dyson did his best too to distract the doctor with some tales from his time before modern technology. Lauren appreciated the effort everyone made and found herself enjoying the various topics of conversation. She had forgotten how silly Bo could be and how fascinating it was that Dyson had lived through several pages of history.
Kenzi watched as her fiancée became enraptured about the wolf's version of medical knowledge, and how he had watched it advance over the years, both laughing at some of the antiquated measures. She smiled to herself, relieved that the weight of their worries could take a back seat for now. Kenzi was concerned about how much more Lauren could take as she had shouldered the burden of late, she had to let her know that it wasn't hers alone to bear.
"I think Dyson and I can manage to clean up, after all you did the cooking," Bo stated during a lull in the conversation. "Besides, we'll all think with clearer heads after a good night's rest. That seems to be Trick's mantra anyways." She chuckled before getting up to start clearing the table.
"I'll show her to the guest room, and D-Man here can take the couch. Lucky for you," she said nodding in his direction, "that it's a fold out and not the uncomfortable kind either. And you, my dear," as she leaned over to give Lauren a quick kiss, "I'll meet you in our room in just a few. I want to check on Tamsin one more time and yes I'll make a plate for her too incase she wakes up."
With a nod to show her appreciation, she wearily made her way to their room.
The food and conversation helped Lauren relax but soon, under the spray of the shower, she felt her tension return. Part of her wished that she could just escape with Kenzi somewhere, leave everything far behind, but at the same time she enjoyed feeling part of a larger family too. They had so much here and when she envisioned a future for this house, it included raising a child here too, complete with a family pet, and there will always be a room for Tamsin.
She worried too for Kenzi. She had already been through so much and where was that asshole anyways? Dyson stated that the fae security detail might not have caught him, but that there was no register of fae either. How can the fae not find a human? Her thoughts began to drift to whoever had a vendetta against her and Bo. Who could they have enraged so much that they sought not only their demise, but suffering too?
Lauren was engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice Kenzi until she slid her arms around her, feeling light kisses along her shoulder. "I've called your name for the last few minutes, want to talk about it?"
"I'm exhausted, Kenz" she stated softly as she turned in her arms, "I just want to live our lives together. I know that living among the fae that there will always be something of importance, but this almost feels like too much. Last year was wonderful, then the hammer dropped and it was all we could do to keep Evony at bay. We go away on this wonderful vacation only to return to one thing after another. I love our lives here but part of me wants to run away from it all. How do you feel about eloping?" She teased lightly, not wanting to bring the goth down with her.
Pulling away as she applied soap on her loofah, agreeing with Lauren's words. "We do have quite the shitstorm at the moment. I don't know why either, babe, but I do know we'll get through this...together. If you want to leave after all is said and done, then that is what we'll do. We can always make a home somewhere else, better now than before we have a kid. We know Bo would follow us anyhow."
"You would do that?" Lauren had honestly expected for her to have at least a few issues with the idea.
"Listen, Lauren, I know how unfair I was to you this last month. I'm sorry if I made you doubt my feelings, and how committed I was to us, but yeah I would follow you anywhere. Despite what an ass I was, you're still stuck with me." She grinned towards her as she rinsed off, careful not to get her hair wet as she had just washed it that morning.
"You weren't an ass you were only hurting, and it makes sense-"
"Whether it makes sense or not, it doesn't change that I hurt you." Catching Lauren's chin before she could look away, waiting to speak until their eyes met, "For that I am truly sorry. You didn't deserve it."
While Lauren knew the reasons behind her behavior, it still meant the world to her that Kenzi openly acknowledged how it affected her. She was deeply appreciative of that and that they somehow had managed to come through another obstacle together. She leaned forward to kiss Kenzi lightly but it soon turned into more. All the stresses of late, and the blonde soon had the her pressed against the shower wall before she slowly backed away.
"Kenzi, I..." She nodded to herself as thought of the words she wanted to say. While they had resumed being intimate, Lauren had held back, being as gentle as she could with her given the horror of Kenzi's past. "This isn't me rejecting you but...I don't know if I can be..." She watched in confusion as Kenzi turned the water off, throwing her a towel as she grabbed her hand, leading her to their bed before she unceremoniously pushed her back on it.
"I don't want you to be gentle either," she said as she kissed a trail up Lauren's body before moving on top of her, "if anything..." she leaned forward as she whispered something in the blonde's ear before she felt herself being flipped over.
"Well, if that's the case..."
"You know if those whole detective thing doesn't work out Trick is always looking for some kitchen help," Bo teased as she handed Dyson another dish to dry. They had made short work of clearing the table after Kenzi had left, putting away a plate as promised for Tamsin. The fae in the room were pleased to see that Kenzi was no longer in the grips of depression, and wanted nothing more than to find this Rainer person. He would never see the inside of a court room or jail cell.
"Thanks but I think I'll keep my day job for now. How are you handling everything? I know it hasn't been an easy year for you."
She couldn't help but scoff at his statement, "Easy? Far from it, Dyson." She took a deep breath before she continued, "I've made peace with many of my feelings about..." she motioned with her free hand at the space around them "...this. In a lot of ways, I see where Lauren and I were too much alike. Both of us tried to prevent the other from being involved when we should have worked together. Kenzi is good for her the same way that Tamsin is, or was, good for me."
Dyson watched as Bo's mood dropped, a certain sadness taking place. He understood what it was like to lose the woman you love to another, but he knew the additional layer to it as she worried that Tamsin wouldn't come back to her.
"I'm sure once Tamsin regains her memories that it will be different, Bo. Just try to be patient with her and then later when she returns, kick her ass."
She stopped washing the plate she held, giving him a look that said she wasn't sure she would even have the chance. "That's even if she comes back. Sure she might for Kenzi and Lauren, but me? She might not even give me the time of day. I don't get it either, Dyson! We were starting to make progress then she's been all weird since she walked in on a feed." Seeing his incredulous expression, she let out a sigh, "Not that kind of feed." She simply thought it was because of the way a younger Tamsin had saw her feeding off Lauren, and that it may have triggered that same response. "What if she comes back and realizes that I'm no longer who she wants? I don't know that I could handle that."
Before the wolf could say anything, Bo watched as he stopped drying suddenly, seemingly frozen in place. She looked around trying to find the source of his discomfort, but was only more confused. Taking the dish from his hands she placed it on the counter afraid that he might drop it. Returning to the dishes, she soon stopped as the sound of loud thump caught her off guard. Quickly drying her hands on the dish towel she started to move out of the kitchen before Dyson stopped her.
"It's okay, Bo, let's just finish these dishes and watch the tv. Loudly." He muttered the last part under his breath, now understanding how Kenzi must have felt when he and Bo were first together.
Not catching on, she tried to get past him concerned that something might have gotten past the team outside. "Dyson, I just want to make sure that they're okay. I don't exactly have much faith in the security detail outside."
"I assure you that there is," he winced slightly before continuing, the sounds of his friends upstairs making him more uncomfortable,"no imminent threat. Trust me, okay?"
"If there's no threat, then why are you acting so weird?" Bo demanded not understanding how they could go from talking to his now weird behavior.
Before he could say anything to her, Bo soon had her question answered as she heard Kenzi scream in Russian followed by a long moan, and then another sound that she recognized all too well when she was with Lauren.
"Oh...oh..." She could only stutter as reality soon dawned on her. She suddenly empathized with Kenzi over all the times she had brought her feeds home, interrupting her friend's sleep, or as she was so often reminded the dust that fell into her food. "On second thought, Dyson, I'll let you finish up here while I go...yeah..." She nodded to herself as she quickly walked towards the guest room.
Luckily for Dyson there were only a few more dishes before he too could escape the sounds coming from upstairs. Based on his hearing, he only had a few minutes before they started up again.
Sometime Later
"Wow," Kenzi whispered as she hugged Lauren who still rested on top of her, both catching their breath, "we're really good at that, ya know?" It hadn't been since their vacation that they had that much time together without interruptions. She briefly wondered if the shifter had heard anything earlier when the dresser hit the wall, but it soon passed when she felt vibrations of Lauren laughing against her.
"I agree, in fact, when all this blows over I just want to spend a week in bed with you, deal?"
"Deal," a yawn interrupting her from speaking further. She nudged Lauren so that the blonde would move to lay on Kenzi's side, directing her head to her shoulder as she kissed the top of it, "It feels good holding you for a change, babe." She whispered softly as sleep began to claim her.
It was moments like this that she appreciated how self-aware Kenzi was with her. She knew that Lauren had extended herself during that time period, and by offering to hold Lauren wasn't just her attempt to balance the scales, but to make her realize that she didn't always have to be the strong one. Lauren allowed herself to melt in the embrace, allowing the stress of their relationship worries to fall away.
Tamsin will be back in the next chapter. I know this one is shorter than the others, but I wanted to give them a bit of a reprieve after everything. Feel free to let me know your thoughts! Thanks again for reading!