A/N~ So lots of naked Dyson but only sexual innuendo mentioned. No actual sex involved. There might be a little mild cursing but not too much. So seriously if you wanted to have a sustainable living situation from a cave what would you guys do for a garden. I had a few ideas but would really like some input. PM me and let me know, what you think. ~A

Chapter 14

Dyson woke up naked and alone in the cave. He was able to smell the scent of his mate nearby and then he heard her speaking quietly with someone else outside. They had built a fire right along the fissure that went through the ceiling it was an odd crack that was geological and so not exactly even but it went up through the rock to the outside. Any smoke that was created went through that and was swept away by the winds higher up on the cliff face.

Kenzi ended the conversation as she stepped back into the cave, she slid the phone into her back pocket. As she moved closer to the fire and put a little more wood on, Dyson climbed out of the bed stealthily. He got within ten feet of the tiny human when her voice said quite clearly into the surprisingly dry air of the cavern, "A little warning wolf, frightening your mate when she is handling a pan with hot grease in it and you're completely starkers may not be the brightest idea you've ever had. I'd reconsider."

Dyson paused mid-stride literally and then sniffed the air. Sure enough he smelled the tantalizing aroma of sausage cooking. Not quite done yet if his nose was any indication but still hot enough to produce the sizzling of grease. He placed both feet flat on the ground and said in a very well heeled voice, "May I approach my very beautiful mate and give her the good morning kiss she so richly deserves for preparing breakfast for her very ill-mannered wolf?"

Kenzi considered for a minute as she expertly moved the meat around the pan and finally said, "You may."

The werewolf moved in behind her and squatted to wrap himself around her kneeling form and gnawed playfully but gently on her neck. She giggled at the tickling of his whiskers but was working too hard on their meal to relax into his embrace. He noticed she had already plated up some toast, and had eggs waiting to go on after the sausage was finished. He moved to sit across the fire from her, comfortable in his nudity, and Kenzi certainly wasn't going to complain.

As she plated up the sausage on the enameled plates they were using, and poured the hot grease into a cup just for the material. The wolf cocked his head to the side and asked thoughtfully, "How did you know?"

"How'd I know what?" Kenzi asked distractedly as she began cracking the eggs into the hot pan, one-handed. Once she had all the eggs in, she began scrambling them vigorously with a fork.

"How'd you know I was sneaking up on you?" the werewolf asked, only to have the young human shrug her shoulders at him as she added salt and pepper to the eggs. Before continuing to scramble and then plating the eggs up too. She added the buttered toast and forks to the plates before joining him on his side of the fire.

She handed him his plate and then said, "Oops, nearly forgot, hold this," as she handed him her plate. Went back to the other side of the fire and picked up two cups. He set his plate on the ground for a minute before trading her plate for his cup. She sniffed deeply of her own cup, still not quite the nectar of the gods that coffee is but it'll do in a pinch."

"Kenzi how did you know I was sneaking up on you?" he repeated.

Kenzi took a bite of the sausage and chewed thoughtfully before her eyebrows actually drew together in concentration. She looked over at him as she swallowed and said, "I could feel you back there and I could feel…your mood. Mischievous." She took a bit of egg and asked, "Is that supposed to happen?"

He leaned over and said, "Yeah, yes it is, not usually so soon, my ma and da said it didn't happen for them till after my brother was born. Me da was really happy about that he said ma had a terrible labor with him."

Kenzi listened as he started telling stories of his past, his accent grew heavier, then she realized what he had said about the labor pains and a frown crossed her face.

When he asks her what's wrong? She replies she doesn't like the idea of him potentially feeling her pain. Can you shut it down if you start to feel my pain? Dyson reluctantly tells her that yes he can if its something that he doesn't need to feel he doesn't tell her he hasn't got any intention of doing that though.

"So how goes the plan for getting Bo's heart back?" the wolf asks before digging back into his food.

"Oh my cousin is going to go pick up the cure today from the Norn?" she said absently as she continued to eat breakfast. Changing the subject she added, "I can already feel my arteries clogging with all the cholesterol. After this I need a good shot of alcohol to clean the back out."

Dyson gave a grimace as he ate the food, "Please don't ruin my appetite, with the choice between cirrhosis of the liver or hardening of my arteries."

"You don't have any right to complain D-man you have the body of an Irish god and a smile that would curl any woman's toes." Kenzi said as she cleaned her fork thoroughly with her lips. Dyson wasn't sure whether the motion was meant to be suggestive or not but certain parts of him were definitely interested.

Kenzi actually giggled as she said, "If you intend to carry through with what you're offering Detective Thornwood, I suggest that you finish your breakfast, you're going to need your strength."

The werewolf nearly choked as he did his best to inhale the breakfast his mate had prepared for him. While Kenzi's giggling turned into full blown laughter as she watched.

~O~

Trick hadn't been seen at the Dahl Riata in several days. His granddaughter was getting frustrated. She had been there to see him on several different occasions and so far hadn't been able to catch the pub owner on the premises. The bartender told the succubus that although he had called her twice to check on things. She hadn't seen the fae in about week now and no she had no idea where he was.

Bo wasn't really worried about her grandfather, not much really. Ok maybe a little after all the pub owner rarely left his way station and then it was only for a few hours at a time. For him to be gone for a solid forty-eight hours was highly unusual and yes a little concerning for everyone. Especially his stand in apparently who had classes coming up, yes apparently fae attend college,. The upshot being he wasn't going to be able to cover the bar for the next few days because these classes were a review in preparation for mid-terms.

On top of that they had a fae flu bug going around that required Lauren to be at the Light Fae Compound constantly. So she had moved back into the cramped quarters there. No room for a succubus lover, even if she were still welcome in the compound. Which she wasn't.

Then of course there was the fact that Dyson was still on leave, Kenzi apparently with him. That was all she had been able to find out about Detective Thornwood, before his boss had caught sight of her and threatened to have her arrested for stalking the good detective.

Ok yes she could admit, she could get chi from just about anyone she wanted but she was lonely. Which is part of the reason she reassured the fae student that if he left her the keys and refreshed her memory about where some things were she would be happy to take over for him, while her grandfather was gone.

It took some convincing but the younger woman agreed and actually thanked the succubus. With the reassurance that she would come back tomorrow to refresh the other faes memory. The student closed up behind the experienced bartender, a fact that hadn't hurt the succubus, the younger fae was safe from snacking though. Draining of chi probably wouldn't have helped with the review for the rest of the week. So Bo thought at least I have something to keep me occupied for the next couple of weeks.

As she walked home her thoughts randomly turned to Hale. The siren had been a good friend and his loss had affected them all differently.

For Trick it had been the loss of a young fae he had actually seen grow and mature into a good man. For Dyson the loss of a partner and friend. For Lauren the loss of someone who she respected and who had set her free of the enslavement the previous Ashe had enforced on her. For Kenzi it had been the loss of her first true love, a loss before they had even truly started a life.

Bo oddly enough had never really thought they were meant to be lovers or life partners. Although the pair were well matched as partners in crime and friends, it had really surprised her when they had gotten together. She stopped mid-stride as she remembered the odd little meeting she and Dyson had interrupted.

The one where the pair of them had apparently just announced their relationship to Hale's father. To say the older noble fae had been incensed would be putting it mildly. To say that Dyson had been unsupportive and unhelpful to his partner, almost.. As if he had his own agenda. Now she knew that maybe he did, the agenda had been Kenzi.

~O~

Trick was still trying to figure out how Kenzi would be Bo's downfall. The young human was as far as he could tell still the same loyal and loving human she had been when she sacrificed herself for her friend.

He stumbled slightly as he stepped outside into the daylight two days after stepping into the archive. The blinding sunlight actually blinded him for a minute or two. "Trick, are you all right?" A cool hand rested on his forehead for a moment. It finally registered with the Blood King, he recognized Laurens voice. Even as her hand moved from his forehead to check his pulse.

"I hope you haven't caught this flu bug that's been going around. How's your appetite?" she asked professionally but still managed to sound concerned for the older fae.

The fae actually accepted her help to a bench set near the entrance to the archive. His head had actually started to ache whether from the blinding light or the fact that he actually hadn't eaten or drunk anything in the past two days, or yes he supposed it was possible that he had caught the bug the human doctor was talking about.

"What type of flu is it?" he asked worriedly.

The blond replied easily. "A variation of Therus flu, but your color while pale isn't sallow and your not acting at all like a drunken sailor. My assistant finally got it this morning. Hopefully he'll be the last, no one should be that shade of yellow." She said with a shudder.

It was telling, the length of time it took for the elder fae to figure out she was actually joking. The laughter it elicited from the keeper of the Way Station seemed to relieve a slight tightness she had around her eyes though. She studied him for a minute longer before she took his elbow and helped him off the bench. "Come on Trick. I have survived the past several days on snack machine food and power drinks. If I don't get some real food in me soon, I may turn into a zombie fae just for self preservation sake,"

She said walking towards the parking area used by the employees of the compound who actually used vehicles. As they walked past a rather impressive looking motorcycle it actually made a whickering noise at them. Lauren whispered conspiratorially to the older fae. "It's owner, master whatever you want to call it is actually one of the fae who caught the flu they're recovering now. I tried to come out and feed it, it didn't react well," she said with distaste.

"It's a fae horse, they don't actually require food," Trick explained gently.

"Yeah I got that. After it sprayed oil or something on my brand new shoes." As the Blood King opened his mouth to answer, she added, "and no I do not need to know what the 'or something' is if it wasn't oil."

~O~

"Dyson," a voice called and the werewolf merely snuggled deeper into the warmth of the furs. "Dyson," the tempting voice called again but he was warm and the bed smelled of sex and his mate. "Why would I want to leave," he thought just a tad grumpily.

"Dyson!" and that shout he had no choice but to wake up and literally jump out of bed. Didn't mean it was a graceful exit from slumber. Oh no, once again nude, he stumbled to the entrance of the cavern and saw an odd sight. His mate was standing in front of the entrance surrounded by ravens.

The birds were huge even for ravens and nearly came up to his mates knees. He looked around at the strange sight and asked, "Why is there an unkindness of ravens on our front step?"

"A what?" Kenzi asked barely glancing up at her mate as she stepped out of the way of an approaching avian. She was trying to keep an eye on all of the birds but there were at least a dozen of them.

"A group or flock of ravens is called an unkindness," Dyson supplied helpfully as he stepped forward and lifted the young human into his arms and placed her at the entrance to the cavern.

She tilted her head at the fae as he stood there once again in his al together surrounded by a bunch of huge black birds and asked curiously, "How do you know they're not crows?"

"Crows are smaller than ravens and crows can't fly this high," he said as he squatted to study the birds more closely. "Kenzi come look at this."

Kenzi moved forward and confidently stood next to her mate as he indicated the raven he wanted her to look at specifically. "What is that?" She asked and the wolf reached out to let the bird climb up his arm before he removed the capsule that was attached to its leg.

"Ever heard of carrier pigeons?" Dyson asked as he coaxed the bird to walk back down his arm to the ground. He handed the capsule back to the young woman standing with her hand resting on his shoulder.

"You mean someone just sent me the fae equivalent of an owl?" She released him and studied the capsule to figure out how to open the little device and finally popped the end off.

"For all intents and purposes, yeah." Dyson said as he scratched the birds head affectionately.

A small roll of rather sturdy paper slip out of the tube into her palm. She opened it and there in a rather chicken scratch scrawl was a page with a diagram describing a spell. She studied it and said, "So hon, you got anything planned for the Vernal Equinox?"

.