"Where'd Lauren go?" Tamsin asked, glancing toward the end of the warehouse. She was still on the dirt covered ground, her back now leaning against Bo's chest as the succubus held her upright.
Dyson and Bo both followed Tamsin's gaze to the end of the warehouse, which stood still and empty in the early nighttime darkness. "Lauren was here?" Bo asked, a twinge of sadness to her tone. Her grip on Tamsin tightened. "This just isn't like her…" she murmured.
Tamsin groaned, letting her head fall back against the brunette's shoulder and slamming her eyes shut as she waited for the wave of pain to pass. Bo reactively took Tamsin's hand into her own, pushing heated waves of her 'charm' into the blonde, who immediately relaxed in the succubus' embrace.
"You alright?" Bo asked, concerned.
"Better now." Tamsin opened her eyes, resting them on Bo, her head still set back against the brunette's shoulder. "Thanks." She paused, scanning Bo's expression before rolling her head and turning her gaze towards Dyson. He knelt down beside her, trying his best to convey his guilt through his expression. They had yet to really delve into his sudden change in attitude, but he felt the conversation was to come soon. There was a sort of anxiety set upon him surrounding the subject, he wasn't really sure what to say.
"Tamsin, I—" He began.
Tamsin feebly held up a single hand to silence her partner, lightly shaking her head. "I know."
"You do?"
"I didn't understand, at first… had Bo maybe mentioned Dr. Let's-kill-the-sexy-blonde-detective before I decided to come out here and get the shit beaten out of me, then perhaps I wouldn't have come at all."
"Why did you come?" Dyson asked. "You knew this was a trap."
"I came because I thought that, with some wicked luck, I could convince you to let me tell you the whole story. Or, at least, I would finally be done with all of this…" She trailed off, her gaze moving back to Bo.
"What?" Dyson asked.
"Be done with all of this guilt," Tamsin answered solemnly.
"No," Bo said, squeezing Tamsin's hand, a light wave of her charm still washing through the blonde, "none of this is your fault."
"Let's not talk about this," Tamsin responded quickly, "we have bigger problems than my emotional state, in case you haven't noticed."
"You mean the assassins? We can handle—"
"Not the assassins." Tamsin paused, taking a moment to truly consider the situation. "Well, yes the assassins. But there's more than that."
"You mean your boss?" Bo asked. Tamsin could see a hesitation in her eyes, as if she knew where the valkyrie was planning to go with the conversation at hand, but desperately hoped she wouldn't. The pure emotion behind the succubus' brown pools was almost enough to silence her, but Bo had to know. She had to tell her.
"No. I mean Lauren," Tamsin said, a knowing gentleness to her tone. "Dyson. Everyone, really."
"I… I don't understand. I mean, Lauren's not—"
"Like I said before, I didn't understand at first—I didn't see the signs… not until today, with Dyson."
"What do you mean?" Dyson asked.
"The way you first snapped… it was so—I don't know—sudden. One moment you were happy with the sexy beast that is me, the next you had your hands around my throat. And then here, earlier, you were about to partake in some valkyrie-beating, but you stopped—"
"I just looked into your eyes… and suddenly all of my anger just started to—"
"Melt away. I know, no need to get all sappy."
"You do?"
Tamsin nodded. "I should've seen it, I don't know why I didn't, but… it's an ability."
"Ability?" Bo asked. "As in… a fae ability?"
"Exactly that." Tamsin swallowed, taking in a deep and steady breath before continuing. "I've only heard of the power, I don't have a name to go with it, but it's something like a valkyrie's doubt, except it's… it's more like the user is planting a will into the mind of their victim. In this case, the will is to kill… me."
"Well, if that's true that must mean that Lauren is under this—whatever's—ability. Dyson shook it off, so maybe…"
"Bo," Tamsin said, her voice laced with a weariness that commanded the attention of all who heard it, as she let her head drop forward, "Dyson's fae."
"A-and?" Bo prompts. Tamsin could hear the growing fear behind her tone, but beyond that was a demand for more. Bo wouldn't settle until she had her answers.
"We're stronger than humans, our minds are capable of handling much more prodding… Dyson's loyalty to me, our friendship, combined with the fae inside of him. That's why he was able to break through. "
"And Lauren…" Dyson said, catching on, "Lauren doesn't… she and you don't have a bond."
"And she's human." Tamsin raised her head.
"She's stronger than she looks," Bo stated, a pleading look in her as eyes as she glanced between the two detectives.
"Let's hope her strength is enough, then," Tamsin muttered.
"What if—"
"Bo, I don't know much else. I don't have the answers," Tamsin declared, a tiredness to her voice that Bo had only just noticed.
"Right," Bo breathed, realizing Tamsin needed her attention at the moment. There wasn't anything she could do about Lauren at the moment. "I'll call Trick later… maybe he knows something more."
"Mm," Tamsin agreed meekly, going back to letting her head rest against Bo's shoulder.
Bo glanced up at Dyson, her concern for the valkyrie reflected on her face. "It's getting cold," she said, "we need to get Tamsin back inside."
"I'm right here," Tamsin noted, "And a little cold won't kill me."
"You plan on driving back?" Bo asked, "You look like shit. The worse-than-before kind."
"Gee, thanks."
"You think you can carry her?" Bo looked back to Dyson.
Dyson nodded. "What about her truck?"
"I'll come by with Kenzi and pick it up tomorrow—"
"Oh, hell no!" Tamsin said, suddenly rather awake.
"We can't just park it here until you're better, and you're not driving it back tonight."
"I don't want you or the half-pint driving my truck—"
"Yeah well, you'll be unconscious, so you won't have much say in the matter."
For the briefest of seconds, Tamsin considered attempting to shove Bo away and crawl to her feet, but the idea was quickly snuffed out as Bo's hand moved from Tamsin's and reached into the pocket of the blonde's leather jacket, her light waves of charm ceasing to pulse through the valkyrie's body and allowing for the pain to return. "Shit," Tamsin gasped. "Ouch!"
"Sorry, forgot," Bo apologized, pulling her hand out from the blonde's jacket pocket, a set of keys in set upon her palm. "You actually fight with your keys in your pocket?"
"I like them close by." Tamsin, giving into her role as the damsel in distress, weakly raised her arm up, lightly waving it at Dyson. "C'mon then, wolf."
Rolling his eyes, Dyson took Tamsin's outstretched arm and wrapped it around his neck, holding it by her wrist in his left hand as he slipped his right hand behind the blonde's back and pulled her closer. "Ready?" He asked, releasing her wrist from his grasp as he prepped himself to lift the valkyrie up.
"Not until you buy me a drink," Tamsin muttered, gripping the shoulder of his shirt.
With a smile, he slipped his arm beneath her knees and slowly lifted the valkyrie up. "After you're all better, you bet," he said.
Bo rose with him, quickly placing her hand on Tamsin's arm, sending red waves of energy through the blonde to relieve any pain the wolf may have been causing her during the lift. "Take her to my car, passenger seat," she instructed, slowly decreasing the intervals of energy she was passing through the valkyrie until, a few long seconds later, she had ceased the soothing gesture all together. With that and a slightly pained smile from Tamsin, Bo walked over to the entrance of the warehouse, scanning the large space for any sign of Lauren. She wasn't sure how long she stared, but she was awoken from her daze when a hand rested on her shoulder.
"We'll find her. We'll figure this out," Dyson's voice sounded behind her, his tone sincere.
"I know we will." Bo turned around to face the wolf. "We have to."
A light smile appeared on Dyson's face, but his eyes betrayed a sadness that Bo knew to be uncertainty.
"Tamsin's settled in. She's still pissed about her truck, but she's resting I think."
"You drove here, right?"
He seemed to think about this for a moment before nodding. "Parked around back."
"Good. Meet you back at my place?"
"Briefly. I'll help you carry Tamsin in, but I'm in desperate need of a drink and I think Trick and I need to have a chat."
"Alright. See you soon, then." Bo began to walk past Dyson.
"Bo, I am sorry."
She stopped. "You have nothing to be sorry for." At that, she continued her tread to her car.
After the three had arrived back at Bo's place, Tamsin was set on Bo's bed again and Dyson scanned the entirety of the shack, assuring no dangers lurked around any of the corners. Once he was certain the girls would be safe there, he said his goodbyes, made one last attempt at an apology to Tamsin, and then left, headed to the Dal.
Bo entered the bedroom, a glass of iced water in hand. The water had a dark bluish tint to it, a colour that was dimly reflected in the icy droplets that ran down the side of the glass. "Thirsty?" Bo asked, taking a seat beside Tamsin on the bed. The blonde groaned. Her eyes were clenched shut, one hand clutching at the sheets, the other gripping at the shirt cloth that covered her pained ribs. "Here," Bo said, resting her free hand on the valkyrie's forearm, light red waves of energy flowing from her own fingers to the soft, warm skin beneath them.
Tamsin visibly relaxed, the pain quickly devolving into dull, manageable pulses. "That's a neat trick," she said through mildly heavy breaths, her eyes opening to the wooden ceiling that she'd grown somewhat accustomed to. It was odd, in the small amount of time that she'd spent in Bo's room… in her bed, she felt strangely comfortable. She felt at home.
"Yeah, comes in handy sometimes," Bo replied, nodding to Kenzi to help Tamsin lean forward. The girl complied, sliding two hands beneath the blonde's back and gingerly pushing her up into a sitting position. "Water?" Bo asked, one hand still gripping Tamsin's forearm and the other offering the glass to the blonde.
With a hesitant hand, Tamsin reached out, taking the glass and pressing it against her lips. The moment the cool liquid began to trickle down her dry throat, she tilted the glass back further, taking gulps of the icy fluid at a time, desperately attempting to quench the thirst that had been plaguing her for a few long hours. There was a strange taste to the water, something bitter that sort of tingled on her tongue, and burned as it traveled down her throat. Every gulp sent small ripples of pain through her ribs, but as she continued it seemed to fade away into a sort of numbness that slowly, after she handed the empty glass to the suspiciously gleeful succubus, began to consume her. "What the hell are you so happy about?" Tamsin asked as she rested her head back against the pillows.
Bo's gleeful smile only grew larger, which would normally be adorable to Tamsin, but at the current moment, she was just a bit hesitant as to what it meant. There she was, lying in a bed, bruises and broken bones lining her tired body, and the person looking out for her is smiling like she knows some hilarious secret. It was unsettling to Tamsin, who maintained her confused and suspicious gaze until her vision began to blur and her mind became a fog.
"How ya feeling?" Bo asked, leaning closer.
"Shit, Bo." Tamsin struggled to keep her eyes open. "You fucking drugged me."
"I told you why I was going to see Trick," Bo replied, adjusting Tamsin's blankets so that they rested just atop her ribs. "I got some high powered, valkyrie approved blue liquid drug stuff. Figured you wouldn't want to take it, so I took the liberty of slipping it to you."
"You—"
"Oh, don't be pissed. Do you feel any pain?"
Tamsin wearily rolled her eyes.
"I'll take that as a no, which is a good thing. Soon you'll fall asleep—"
"Soon I'll be dragged into unconsciousness, don't you mean?"
"Same difference. Anyways, as I was saying, and you'll be able to rest again. You need it, since you don't seem to enjoy giving your bones and bruises a chance to rest."
"Fuck!" She groaned, feeling the strings of her consciousness falling away one by one. She was growing tired, the fog in her mind consuming her thoughts and actions, the numbness enveloping her body, her eyes growing increasingly heavy with every second that passed.
"Sh," Bo began in a hushed tone, still leaning closer, "'you can't resist it forever, babe… you want to succumb.'"
"Oh, fuck you," Tamsin murmured.
"Maybe later, blondie." At that, Tamsin's eyes finally fell closed, her head bobbing to the side as the darkness of her own inner consciousness enclosed around her. It was clear to both the succubus and the human that she'd been pulled into a deep sleep.
"Well, isn't that shit effective?" Kenzi joked, enthusiastically patting Tamsin's shoulder.
"It would appear so," Bo said. "Let's hope it keeps her down long enough to heal her body a bit."
"From the looks of it, that won't be a problem."
The smile on Bo's face returned as she stood from the bed and nodded towards the door. "Let's go, I need a drink… or ten."
"Let's get drunk, bitches!" Kenzi ran over to the doorway.
"There's only one bitch here, babe, and it surely isn't me."
"Oh, low blow, Succubus. Low blow."
Bo only smiled a mocking smile at Kenzi as she slipped past her and down the stairs.
"And I'm the bitch…" Kenzi mutters, following the succubus to the kitchen.
Dyson held Trick's sturdy gaze, his hand gripping the cool mug of beer.
"Dyson, this is all very serious," Trick said slowly, a hint of fear in his eyes.
"I'm well aware."
"Bo could be in real danger, here."
"You know where I stand on that one. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe."
"And Tamsin?" The short elderly man asked.
"I trust her," Dyson answered quickly. "But something—or someone—doesn't want me to. I may have been able to break through their hold on me, but—"
"Lauren."
"I'm afraid that she may not be strong enough."
"Bo won't accept that as an answer."
"She may have to."
Trick let his eyes wander over the bar, a nervousness settling upon him. "It's nothing that any of us wants to hear… or wants to accept—"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, old friend."
Trick smiled, nodding lightly at Dyson's remark. "We'll find a way."
Nodding in agreement, Dyson raised the mug to his lips. "We have to."
"For Bo."
"For Bo."
"You had the perfect opportunity," came a chilling voice that seemed to suck the very warmth from the air. "She was weak. She was broken. She was yours to take!"
"I thought the idea was to make her suffer?"
"Suffer? Ah yes, that was the plan, wasn't it?"
"The battle did her more damage, and soon I'll make my move. She will pay for her betrayal."
"Her betrayal to whom, my dear doctor Lewis?"
Lauren hesitated, shaky thoughts roaming about her frazzled mind. "Betrayal. She betrayed Bo…" There was something so right, yet so incredibly wrong about these words. It wasn't Bo that Tamsin betrayed… no, it was worse than that. She searched around in her scattered thoughts for the answer she knew was there… it had to be there. And then it came to her, like a scream in the darkness that surrounded her, a scream that shattered her eardrums and forced her to look the shadowy, chilling figure in the eyes. "The valkyrie betrayed you, sir."
The coolness in the air seemed to let up a bit, warmth returning to the shadowy realm. "Yes. The valkyrie betrayed me, and by betraying me—"
"She betrayed Bo."
"Because?"
"Because you have nothing but Bo's best interest in mind," Lauren answered, though she wasn't quite sure where the answer had come from. It was rather mechanical, as if it had been placed in her thoughts, and summoned forth from her throat and out of her mouth.
"Very good. So, you have a plan, I assume?" The voice asked. It was a rough voice, deep and thick with a darkness that left all who heard it with a sort of emptiness that they couldn't place. It was both incredibly unnerving and hypnotic.
"That I do. One to free Bo from the clutches of the valkyrie's betrayal." She paused, a tad shocked at the words that were slipping from her mouth, but oddly comfortable with them. This just felt right… though somewhere inside of her she knew that was wrong. "A plan to make the traitor beg for your forgiveness." Though she couldn't see much through the shadowy, musky air that surrounded her, she could practically feel the sickening smile form on the figure's grim face.
"Very good." He raised his bony hand, pushing it through the shadows. A thicker, darker shadow escaped from his palm, circling Lauren, trapping her. When it cleared, she stood in her apartment, a burner in her hand.
A/N: So, thanks to QuickLookBusy for, and I loosely use the term, 'debating' Lauren with me. It was because of our conversation that I decided to go along with this... thing that I just revealed. I don't know what to call it.
So... would another sly smile be appropriate here? I kind of feel like it would be.