Author's Note: Hey guys, since it took me so long to get that last chapter, and this one up, I am going to try to start rolling them out faster again. Just bear with me, as my real life has become a bit hectic recently. Not to mention, this fic is very hard for me to write now, since they killed our beloved little human in the show. I am going to do my best to get this finished though.
It was starting to get hard to see the road ahead of them as a thick, wet snow was falling from the sky, covering everything it touched. Kenzi had settled herself under Tamsin's arm, the lingering doubt still messing with her head. She knew, deep down that Tamsin did love her, she could feel it from the beginning of the bond forming. But Astrid's doubt had been so strong that she couldn't help but be affected by it, though hours had passed since the encounter.
The blonde hadn't said much during the last little bit of the drive, as she was trying to concentrate on the road during the snowstorm. She was also starting to get sleepy, which wasn't helping. After all, they'd been on the road nearly sixteen hours now, only stopping a couple of times. Tamsin looked down and realized that they were getting low on fuel again, and there was still another four or so hours to go.
"We are going to have to stop at the next gas station babe." the blonde broke the silence, causing Kenzi to look up at her with a scared look. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving you alone again. You'll be coming with me. Besides, we could definitely use the chance to stretch our legs for a while."
"Okay, Tam." Kenzi told her, clinging tighter to the blonde. "But I am not leaving your side. At all."
"I don't want you to. Not for a second." Tamsin told her holding tighter to the brunette, reassuring her.
Tha Valkyrie pulled off on the next exit a couple of miles down the road. She started digging around through her bag and pulled out a heavy coat, handing it to the human, knowing that if she were cold, Kenzi was most likely going to be freezing when she stepped out of the truck.
"What about you, Tamsin?" Kenzi asked her as she shrugged the coat on over the hoodie of Tamsin's that she was wearing. "Aren't you cold?"
"Yeah, a bit." Tamsin told her, honestly. "But I'm used to it. I've dealt with colder, sweetheart. I just want you warm."
"Thanks, Tam." Kenzi told her, before reaching up and hesitantly kissing Tamsin's lips. It was the first sign of affection, other than the clinging, due to Kenzi's fear, that she'd shown the Valkyrie since Astrid had attacked. Tamsin immediately reciprocated, pulling the human in closer to her to deepen the kiss. She wanted to show Kenzi that she loved her, and just how much. She wanted the brunette to feel what she felt, that she was her everything.
Kenzi finally allowed herself to relax in Tamsin's embrace, as the feeling of her love through the bond, overpowered any of the remaining doubt that was there. She smiled into the kiss as a tear fell from her eye. Tamsin noticed and broke the kiss, but continued to hold Kenzi close, wiping her tear away with her thumb, then continuing to caress her cheek affectionately.
"What's wrong babe?"
"Nothing, absolutely nothing. Tamsin I am so sorry I doubted you." Kenzi told her.
"It wasn't your fault. I know that you know, that I love you." Tamsin assured the girl.
"I do know. And I love you too, Tam." Kenzi replied, smiling.
Tamsin smiled in response, relieved that her Kenzi was back. She opened the door to the truck as a bitter cold hit them. They begrudgingly got out into the cold. Kenzi stayed as close to Tamsin as she could, never out of her sight. While they were waiting for the gas to pump, Tamsin wrapped her arms around Kenzi to try to help keep her warmer.
"S-shit T-T-Tamsin! It's f-f-freaking c-c-cold out here." Kenzi shivered as she huddled up to the Valkyrie, who was only wearing her leather jacket. "Y-you must be f-f-freezing."
"Not gonna lie, it's pretty damn cold." Tamsin agreed as she rubbed her hands up and down Kenzi's back. "I wouldn't even want you out in this if I weren't so scared Odin would send someone else after you."
"I know, b-b-b-baby. I d-d-don't w-wanna be alone."
Tamsin finished pumping the gas, and the two women went inside the convenience store, which, luckily, was nice and warm. They looked around for a few things, their snacks having long since been eaten. Kenzi got a hot chocolate for herself and made Tamsin a coffee the way she liked it, while Tamsin paid for everything. They went back out to the truck, getting settled in, and Tamsin pulled away from the gas pump but into a parking spot so that she could eat the sandwich she'd bought.
Tamsin was exhausted from driving so much. All she wanted to do was curl up with Kenzi and sleep for a little while, but she knew that wasn't an option, not right now. They were in too much danger and on such a strict time schedule that she couldn't afford to take the risk.
"Tam, you want me to drive for a while?" Kenzi offered, she could see how exhausted her Valkyrie was, and it worried her a little.
"Nah, it's okay baby. You should just relax."
"Tamsin, you've been driving for sixteen hours! You are exhausted. You can barely keep your eyes open. I've been napping, and I am fine."
"I know babe, but you don't know where to go."
"How much longer are we on this road?"
"About another hundred miles."
"Let me drive the remainder of this road, and then I'll wake you up. I promise. Just get a little nap baby, please?" Kenzi begged.
Tamsin sighed and relented, too exhausted to argue. She set the trip meter on the truck, and switched places with the human.
"When the trip meter gets to ninety miles, wake me up." Tamsin told her, getting comfortable on the passenger side, knowing that if she fell asleep against the human it would be a distraction, and she was going to need to concentrate on the road during the snow. She covered herself with the blanket that Kenzi had been using when she napped.
"I will, I promise. Get some rest baby. I love you." Kenzi told her, reaching over and kissing her gently on the lips before settling in behind the wheel.
"Tam, baby, wake up." Kenzi persuaded. She'd pulled off to the side of the road after reaching the ninety mile point as Tamsin instructed. She gently ran her hand up and down Tamsin's arm, not really wanting to wake her exhausted girlfriend. Kenzi decided to crawl over next to her, after securing all of the doors, leaning up against her, causing the blonde to stir.
"Kenz, is everything okay, babe?" Tamsin asked, looking around, realizing they were on the side of the road. "Did we get a flat or something?"
"No, I just couldn't wake you while trying to drive in this mess." Kenzi told her. "So I pulled over."
"Sorry, I was sleeping pretty hard I guess." Tamsin apologized, stretching as best as she could in the truck. "What time is it?"
"A little after midnight."
"Well, we only have a couple of hours to go. I'll finish the drive, then we can both rest until time to meet Freya. We have until noon."
Kenzi only nodded in agreement, maneuvering herself over Tamsin, so that the Valkyrie could take the wheel once again. She scooted back next to the blonde, hesitant about cuddling to her due to the snowfall.
"Come on short stack, you better get back in your place. I won't be able to drive without you under my arm. I've gotten used to it." Tamsin told Kenzi with a smile, pulling her in close, much to the human's delight. Kenzi turned her head to kiss Tamsin's shoulder when out of the corner of her eye something caught her attention.
"Tam! Look out, go, drive!" she panicked as a large beast charged toward the truck. Tamsin looked up and saw what Kenzi was panicking about, and stepped on the gas, just as the beast made contact with the tail end if the truck, sending it spinning out of control.
"Shit! Kenz, hold on to something!" Tamsin told her as she felt herself lose control of the truck over the slippery ground. Kenzi reached over to the passenger side and grabbed the bar above the door and strapped herself in. The truck spun around several times before Tamsin was able to straighten it back out again, trying to get away from the thing again by punching the gas.
The creature jumped into the bed of the truck, and roared loudly, causing Kenzi to yelp in fear. Tamsin hit the brakes, throwing her arm out to brace Kenzi as the creature stumbled in the truck bed. She slammed the gas again and he tumbled out to the ground. Kenzi looked behind them at the monster, who was starting to get up and chase after them.
"Shit Tamsin, it's coming back!" she exclaimed, causing the blonde to drive faster. She knew it was unsafe to be driving at this speed in the slippery conditions, but it was either that or they would be eaten by a freaking Yeti. She preferred to not be eaten. They drove the rest of the stretch of the highway continuosly checking to make sure they were clear of the beast.
Tamsin pulled the truck off on the exit that they needed to go on to get to their final destination, before finally slowing down to a safer speed.
"What was that thing?" Kenzi asked, unbuckling and scooting back into the blonde's embrace, nuzzling into her.
"That, was a freaking Yeti. Of all damn things..." Tamsin mumbled, holding her love tight, kissing the top of her head.
"Dude, like a tauntaun?" Kenzi exclaimed, earning a look of confusion from the blonde. The brunette's eyes widened in shock. "Oh come on babe, you have to know Star Wars."
"Yeah...not so much. Sorry babe."
"Like Han had to slice one open and use it's insides to keep Luke warm in the snow on Hoth." Kenzi told her, as if it were common knowledge. "It was in The Empire Strikes Back."
"Sorry love, never got into the sci-fi bullshit. There is enough of that in my reality, I don't need to see it on a movie screen too." Tamsin told her with a chuckle, relieved that they seemed to lose the Yeti. She grabbed her coffee, which thanks to the sealed lid hadn't spilled everywhere, taking a long drink. There was no way that she would be getting any more rest before seeing Freya. She was going to have to be alert at all times to keep Kenzi safe.
"Tam-Tam, I got news for you. If you are gonna be with the Kenz...you gotta get schooled in the movie department." Kenzi joked, trying to ease the stress of the situation.
"Good luck with that babe. I don't watch much TV. Only when I am around you, to make you happy."
"Awe, it's cause you lurve me, isn't it?" Kenzi giggled.
"Pshh...I'm just trying to get in your pants is all." Tamsin joked back, the arm around Kenzi tightening a little, her hand resting on the girls forearm, absently stroking her thumb over the skin.
"Well, with that attitude I don't think you'll be getting any of this anytime soon." the brunette laughed, gesturing to her body.
"Well, I guess I'll have to find another beautiful brunette to bond to in your place then." Tamsin told her with a chuckle, eyebrow raised.
"Good luck with finding anyone who looks as good in your clothes as moi. Or with the uncanny fashion sense..."
"Or with a bigger ego." the blonde cut her off, smiling, causing the human to scowl. "Nah. I think I'll keep ya. I wouldn't trade you for anything, babe." she told the girl, planting her lips to Kenzi's temple for a brief second, before looking back at the road.
"I love you, Tamsin. I wouldn't want to be with anyone else." Kenzi responded with a soft smile, leaning in to kiss Tamsin's cheek.
"I love you too, Kenzi. And in less than twelve hours, we will be bonded for eternity. Nobody will ever be able to tear us apart. Odin will have no claims on me and if her were to attack either of us, it would be considered an attack on Freya. Which even he won't dare do. Especially since if he were to kill one of us, he'd be sending us both to Valhalla."
"Did I mention that I love you? Also, can you tell me a bit how this is going to go? I mean you said that she will test our love, make sure there are no doubts?"
"Yeah, then she'll carve a symbol over our hearts. Of our choosing. Which reminds me...do you have any ideas?"
"Well..I thought of one, but you might think it's cheesy." the brunette admitted.
"Tell me baby."
"Wings...like, Valkyrie wings, but they form a heart. Like the tips at the bottom come together to make the tip of the heart. The tops of the wings form the rounded part. " Kenzi told her, blushing a little.
"Hmm, I like it, actually. It sounds perfect. Because you own this Valkyrie's heart." Tamsin told her with a loving smile.
Kenzi nuzzled back into the blonde's side as she finished the drive. They arrived at the spot that she would have to park, resting for a little while before starting the walk to get to the warp point to Valhalla. Curled up together in the truck, with the doors locked, Tamsin set an alarm on her phone, in case they fell asleep. She tried to stay awake to keep alert, but she was exhausted, and with Kenzi curled up on top of her as she relaxed in the truck, she eventually lost the battle with herself and dozed off with the brunette.