unexpected sabotage, RSkarFr, Valkubusbluey, zigfiction, keyatwin, and my guest, Thank you for the reviews!
Kenzi sat down dramatically and said out loud, to no one in particular, "Finally a drink!" She decided she had earned it. Over the past few weeks, Acacia and Cara had been relentless in her training. From dawn until dusk, she had learned to use every weapon imaginable. But the hand to hand combat was the worst. Acacia and Cara fought dirty.
Cara came over to join her, clinking her glass with Kenzi's before chugging it. Kenzi followed suit. Kenzi lazily pointed her finger at Cara, "You know, if I didn't know I was already dead, I would swear you bitches were trying to kill me!"
Cara just smirked at her "Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you didn't talk so much while we were kicking your ass. Do you have any idea how incessant it is to hear the constant babble? It only makes us hit harder! I still don't see how Tamsin let you survive with all of the talking!"
Kenzi interjected, "Lil T lurhves her Momz, she thinks I'm adorable. And maybe you three need to let go of some of this anger, I mean, really, it'll give you a heart attack one day."
Cara just rolled her eyes, glared at her and sarcastically said, "Oh you're so right! I don't want to die!"
Kenzi said, "Oh yeah, right...hey! I know…..Let's drink!" She poured them another as she nodded towards Acacia, who was now arguing with one of the bartenders. "So, what's the old bitch's story, why is she so grumpy all of the time?"
Cara turned to look at her, then laughed as she looked back at Kenzi, "I think she may have been born that way".
Kenzi raised her glass, "I'll drink to that." Cara met her glass with her own before they both downed the liquid.
Cara leaned forward and said "She's actually more protective than you would imagine. It seems that when Tamsin…" She looked away for a moment, but quickly collected herself and looked back at Kenzi, "….when Tamsin turned away from the Valkyrie ways, Acacia followed. She even took up bounty hunting to keep an eye on her, for Freya."
Kenzi asked, "For Freya? What about you?"
Cara looked visibly uncomfortable as she downed another drink. 'More talking.' she thought, as she rolled her eyes.
She sighed, "Well, at first, Acacia acted as a go between...but Tamsin. Well, it only made things harder for her and even with the magic here, it was hard for me, too. Freya and the Council decided to disallow communications between Valhalla and Earth. When Acacia told her about it, Tamsin disappeared. For several centuries, Acacia couldn't even find her and when she finally did, Tamsin was a different person. Whenever Acacia would return, Freya would always look concerned. Even though Acacia never spoke about her to me, I could always tell by her demeanor, especially if she tried to avoid me. After some time, Freya would relay things to me and over the past earth year, Acacia started to tell me again. She told me about you... and Bo."
They sat silently and watched as Acacia fought with a couple of the other patrons, before Kenzi said, "So, I know you said that you wanted her to be happy and all, and I give you props for being the bigger person, but really? You're okay with it?"
Cara laughed out, "Well, surely you have figured out what it's like here and you also have to consider that the time I lived with Tamsin, was very different from yours."
Kenzi sensing a story, perched up on her chair. Her eyes looked excited as she smiled encouragingly. Cara looked at her strangely and said, "What is that look? What are you doing?"
Kenzi said, "Well, the only way to get me to stop talking is to tell me a story, so come on, blondie! Put up or shut up!"
Cara looked over at Acacia, hoping for a reprieve, but Acacia was now in a full blown fight. Naomi was flirting with the bartender and would, throw a punch every now and then without even breaking eye contact with him. She looked back at Kenzi who was staring at her, intently. She sighed out again.
"Fine. Back then, there were three different types of people. Royalty, villagers, and warriors. The villagers were the ones that raised families and lived the life that you would call somewhat normal. Tamsin and I, we were warriors. Sure, many warriors had families, but they were families that they only saw between campaigns. Their families came second. Battle was our way of life. Sometimes warriors would be gone for long periods of time, sometimes they didn't come back at all. Warriors would sleep in the woods for weeks, months, even years at a time, moving from battle to battle. Tamsin and my situation was slightly different, because we weren't separated for extremely long periods of time. But when we were in battle, we behaved just as the men did. We certainly weren't virtuous…"
Kenzi stopped her, "So, hold up, you two were in like an open relationship?"
"I don't know what you mean by open. Our relationship was much deeper than the physical. I always knew that I was to be only a part of her life, not all of it. She knew this, too, deep down, but she would never admit to it. That knowledge allowed us to keep our life in perspective and enjoy the things that mattered. The time we spent together…" She smiled, "It was what living was about."
Kenzi was looking at Cara with a dreamy look on her face that kind of irked Cara. Then breaking the mood, Kenzi said, "What is it with Tamsin being drawn to sex. I mean there's you, with all this..." motioning towards her cleavage, "... And Bo, with well, pretty much the same thing going on."
Cara laughed. "Oh, Kenzi! It's not Tamsin that is drawn to sex, it's sex that is drawn to Tamsin!" she laughed harder at the disgusted look on Kenzi's face, she added "You could ask Naomi about that one."
Kenzi said, "You mean?" Cara just nodded her head, but didn't get to say anything else. She heard Acacia's brash voice behind her, followed by the slap on her back, that she was not so happy about. She angrily turned her eyes up to Acacia. Acacia said, "So what are you slackers talking about? I don't know if you noticed or not, but there was a fight going on and you pansies were missing in action!"
Cara rolled her eyes at Acacia, "Old woman, since when do you need help?"
Acacia laughed, "Who said I needed help? I needed a couple more asses to kick!" As she broke down in laughter, Naomi walked up, still glancing over her shoulder at the bartender.
Kenzi just sat smiling to herself, trying to picture Tamsin, the way she was. All she knew was that her life wasn't much different then, than it was now.
A short while after Tamsin had left, Bo heard her phone ring. She smiled when she saw it was Tamsin's number. When she answered Tamsin said, "Yeah, I meant to ask...I mean say, that I would be having lunch across the street from the station at one, so yeah... If you show up, I might buy your lunch". Bo smiled into the phone as she twirled her hair, "Why Tamsin, are you asking me on a date?" She heard some unintelligible noises before Tamsin replied, "What? A date? Pssssh, nooo! Of course not. It's lunch! You eat lunch right?"
Bo smile grew bigger as she laughed out, "Okay Tamsin, I'll see you if I see you, how's that?" Tamsin, replied "Yeah, so one then, I have to get to the station now." And she hung up. Bo stood there staring and smiling at the phone before calling the contractor and telling him she was up, and the door would be open. She headed upstairs to change. She had an even busier day now.
Tamsin got off the phone, but her reaction was a little different from Bo's. She smacked her palm against her head. 'A date.' she thought. She had seen it in movies, knew it existed, but had no personal experience. Her "dates" were always as simple as a text with a time and place, ten minutes of her time and then business as usual. But Bo? A date with Bo? Great, now she had to figure out how to plan a date and do it right. Tamsin rolled her eyes as she got off her bike and walked into the station.
Tamsin and Dyson had closed the case she had been helping him with. She looked at her watch, 12:45. Perfect. Since she technically wasn't on the force anymore, she didn't have to do paperwork. She looked at Dyson and slapped him on the shoulder as she motioned to the papers and said "Well wolf, glad it's you, not me. Later!" And left, before he had the chance to say a word.
She took her time walking to the diner. Bo was already there, she shook her head and straightened up, pulling her jacket down to straighten it out before walking over to the table, "Fancy meeting you here." She said, trying badly to hide her anxiety. Bo just stood up, glanced around, then kissed Tamsin, in the process relaxing all of her fears. She snapped out of self-conscious mode and wrapped her arms around Bo, squeezing her. They sat and ordered their lunch, talking about mundane, random things. The beauty of their conversation was the laughter that others around heard coming from the table.
Someone stepped up to the table. They both looked up at the same time to find Lauren standing there, smiling. Tamsin was confused, and slightly wary. She had heard about her pipe bomb experience. Her wide eyes turned towards Bo's as Lauren scooted Tamsin over to sit with them. Bo was just as confused as Tamsin. Lauren laughed as she looked at these two powerful Fae that were now speechless. Then she said, "Dyson told me, that if I saw you two together I would understand. I didn't believe him, but now, I do." She reached across the table and grabbed Bo's hand "You are genuinely happy, Bo. Even with everything else, it still comes shining through and that's all we can ever hope for, for the people we care about." She looked to Tamsin, "I can't promise I will be on my game every day, but know that I respect what you bring out in her."
Bo was searching for something to say, but Lauren had not intended on starting a discussion, so she quickly got up, told them to enjoy their lunch and went back to her table.
Tamsin looked at Bo, surprise still etched into her features and finally said, "See if this was a date, THAT would definitely never have happened... right?"
Bo had the same look of surprise, but there was also relief. She just shook her head yes, finally shaking it off. She told Tamsin she had an undercover gig that afternoon, but that her gym at the clubhouse was ready.
Tamsin had clapped her hands together and rubbed them. It was time to get her weapons!
Tamsin went to the clubhouse and was excited when she walked down to the basement. Those Brownie contractors worked fast! Even a full functioning shower in a room she hadn't even known was there.
She went to the cave. Half way through gathering her weapons and consolidating what she was taking back into two trunks, she started to feel strange, weakened almost. She went outside to get some air and found herself standing around the pile of rocks. She absentmindedly reached into her pocket, pulling out the necklace as she remembered what Cara had said to her in that note, "Honor me then, by sharing that heart that I adore, that heart that healed me, that heart that loves me." She squeezed the necklace in her hand. She didn't just share her heart with Bo. It was becoming clearer now. She was going to have to go see Trick.
She went back in and kneeled down next to the chests. Her wings unfurled and she was gone in an instant.
Tamsin had appeared in the gym, she began opening the top chest and ended up dropping a heavy piece of armor on her foot. She cursed out loud. Then she heard a male voice in the distance, "Tamsin is that you?" And footsteps before she saw Dyson's fear riddled face. "Tamsin! Come on, Bo's hurt!" Tamsin almost knocked Dyson over trying to get up the stairs faster.
She shouted rhetorically, "What the hell happened? I was only gone a couple of hours!" As she sprinted over to the couch. She only barely registered Lauren's presence, holding pressure on a towel over Bo's chest. She was immediately on her knees beside her stroking her forehead, pushing the sweat and blood-matted hair out of her face. She paid no mind to Dyson or Lauren as she leaned down and kissed Bo, murmuring unintelligibly into her lips as she continued caressing her skin around her face. Bo moved her lips, awoken by the only voice she wanted to hear. She withdrew Tamsin's Chi slowly as Tamsin continued gently kissing her, until the pull finally became so strong that she froze, staring into Bo's now fully revived eyes. Bo moved back in for a passionate kiss before Tamsin broke it off, remembering they had company.
She looked back at Dyson, angrily. "What the hell, Dyson? Why didn't you heal her?" He looked hurt as he said, "I tried Tamsin, but she refused!"
Tamsin huffed out a laugh and said, "You mean you gave her the whole..." She dropped her voice down to a deep whisper imitating Dyson, 'But, Bo you need to feed. You could dieeee.' And she still refused?"
Lauren giggled, "That's a pretty good imitation there, Tamsin", she high fived Tamsin over Bo's now confused face.
Bo said, "Woah?! What do you mean why didn't Dyson heal me?"
Tamsin looked at her with concern still in her features but she was more irritated now. "Bo, if you are hurt, I don't care who you feed off of, the melodramatic wolf, the weak ass human, or the entire Fae community! You are no good to me dead, now are you? You are a succubus. What kind of idiot would expect you to be picky when you are dying?"
Bo put her hand over her mouth trying to stifle a giggle as Tamsin looked around at the looks on Dyson and Lauren's faces, then added sheepishly, "Oooh… My bad… Um, Damn..." She thought for a second about how she could make what she had just said not be so harsh, then gave up with a shrug, "Well, there's no way I can fix that, so deal with it, you two… and you!" Pointing at Bo before pulling her up to hug her and whispering, "Whatever it takes, I don't care. Just come back to me, every time."
While Trick was rifling through his chest looking for the book Tamsin had asked for, he saw the portrait of Isabeau, he smiled as he handed it to Bo. Tamsin looked at the portrait with a surprised expression on her face. She stared at the woman in the portrait as Bo held it. Bo looked at Trick, "Is this her?"
Trick smiled a gentle smile and nodded his head, "Yes, that's my Isabeau, your grandmother". Tamsin's eyes went wide as she chuckled to herself silently. Trick didn't notice, but Bo did. She looked at Tamsin, curiously as Tamsin shrugged and mouthed "What?" Then Trick said, "Well the book I am looking for isn't here. Perhaps it is in the attic." He looked up, his eyes moving back and forth between Bo and Tamsin, who were having a silent argument. He started to speak again, but just shook his head and headed up the stairs.
Bo finally said, "What is it?" Tamsin glanced down at the picture and then back to Bo. "It's nothing really, I just recognized her. I never knew her name actually. The Fae world just seemed quite small when he said it was your grandmother." Bo looked back down at the picture, and a thought popped in her head and she jerked her head back up to look at Tamsin, "Did you… You know… Please tell me you didn't!" Her face had turned horrified.
Tamsin immediately got her meaning and said quickly "NO!" with a perturbed look on her face, but she still couldn't refrain from chuckling. Bo tilted her head slightly and said, "Yeah, that didn't sound guilty at all".
Tamsin started laughing as she put her hand on each of Bo's shoulders and faced her dead on, "No, Bo, I did not fuck your grandmother." She laughed a little because it sounded kind of funny to say it. Seeing Bo's expression start to change to anger, she stopped laughing and calmly said, "We were in the same battle, I had been badly wounded and I was on my knees, about to have my neck sliced open, when your grandmother killed the guy with an arrow through his skull. An amazing shot, too".
She smiled at Bo, who's previous expression had morphed into one of fascination. Tamsin continued, "I never even knew her name. Because of my armor and sword, she must have figured I was a Valkyrie. The reason I was laughing is because when she reached her hand out to help me up she said, 'You never know when saving a Valkyries life may come in handy.'" Tamsin started laughing again as she stepped closer to Bo and reached around grabbing her ass with both hands and said in Bo's ear, "I guess she was right. I turned out to be pretty handy for her, in a round about way…" She squeezed her cheeks tighter for emphasis, causing Bo's eyes to close for a moment as a moan vibrated in her throat, "… After all, huh Succubus?" And she leaned in to place a kiss on Bo's neck. She pulled away, moving her hands up to her face as she looked into Bo's eyes, shaking her head, "I did not fuck your grandmother Bo, I promise."
Bo smiled as she shook her head, then leaned in to kiss her. After a few moments of losing themselves in each others lips, behind her, she heard Trick clear his throat. Tamsin backed away, as she internally cursed herself for allowing Trick to enter the room without her knowing. Trick handed her a book, and said, "I think this is what you wanted" Tamsin flipped through it as Trick stared at Bo, who was looking at the portrait. Then he said, "Would you like to keep it Bo? It will go well with the new changes to your home." Bo looked at Tamsin before turning back to Trick and smiled, bending her knees excitedly, "I would love to! I wouldn't have anything I have now without her."
They had gone back in to the bar. A little later, Dyson joined them and he and Tamsin went to play pool. By the sound of it, Dyson was winning, for a change. They were trading barbs all the way over to the bar. She sat next to Bo, with Dyson sitting next to her. They downed a shot simultaneously before Dyson insisted on continuing to rub her loss in. So Tamsin decided to strike back the only way she had available at the time.
She waited until Trick had moved away, then squeezed Bo's thigh as she looked at Dyson and smirked at him, the evil intent all over her face. She leaned back slightly so Dyson would have a full view of Bo as she turned to her and said, "Hey Bo, Dyson here thinks it's funny that he and I fucked right here in this bar, do you think he should laugh about that? It isn't really funny, is it?" She winked at Bo, whose eyes flared blue at the gesture, before turning and whispering teasingly to Dyson as she stood up, "You're in so much trouuuble!" Bo was already yelling at Dyson as She walked towards the restroom, laughing.
A short while later, Tamsin came out of the bathroom. She didn't see Bo, but Dyson's head was down on the bar. Trick didn't look alarmed. So, she walked over to Dyson and slapped him on the back. He didn't move. She leaned over and said "Hey buddy, she wasn't too hard on ya, was she?" Dyson still didn't move. She thought, 'Oh hell.' Bo knew it was a joke, right? Just giving Dyson a hard time. She wouldn't have drained him of his Chi over that! She shook Dyson, who still remained motionless. Tamsin glanced around, but no one was even looking her way. She started to panic a little and it was evident in her voice. "D! Buddy! Come on, it's too early to be passed out drunk! Buddy? Partner?"
Suddenly Dyson jumped up, Tamsin stepped back, instinctively bringing her fists up. Dyson was laughing, "You DO care about your partner!" Tamsin's face dropped. She had been duped by the wolf. She said exasperated, "You know what? Just… Damnit" And punched him square in the face, knocking him unconscious. Trick started walking over. Tamsin just looked at him innocently with a grimace on her face, "Yeah, well, he had it coming. Where's Bo?" Trick just shook his head, pointing to the door he said, "She said she was going home, and she would see you when you got there."
Tamsin looked at Dyson for a second and laughed to herself. She patted him on the back, leaned down, and in a low voice said, "Yeah, I care about my partner, ya dumb ass." And with a wave to Trick, holding the book he gave her up, she turned and walked out.
