A/N Hey guys! I'm so so sorry for the delay, I'm in the midst of quitting my job/packing/moving/trying to figure out my life, so things have been really crazy. But I'm hoping to have a lot more time to write very soon, so the next update will not take as long to get to you, I promise! I hope you guys are still enjoying the story, let me know what you think =]
Tamsin's phone buzzed on the nightstand next to the bed. It buzzed for several minutes and then stopped. There was a moment of silence before it started up again. She groaned and rolled over, trying to quiet it. She looked at the display.
Dr. Lauren Lewis
Tamsin slipped out of bed, tiptoeing downstairs. She picked up the phone.
"Doc, it's 3am."
"I know, I'm sorry," Lauren's voice was frantic. She was speaking quickly, sounding like she had injected caffeine directly into her bloodstream. "I found something. In your tests. I think I may have...can you please come over? I can show you better than I can tell you. The lymphocytes...and then your platelet count..."
"Ok," Tamsin interrupted her. "You'll just make me fall asleep again. You need to do this now?"
"Please, Tamsin."
She sighed. "Fine. I'm on my way." She tiptoed back upstairs, pulling her clothes on and grabbing her shoes. She glanced at Bo. If the Succubus woke up and found her gone, she'd go postal. She moved to the side of the bed and breathed Bo's name. She opened her eyes, staring at Tamsin gently.
"Hmm?"
Tamsin smiled at her. "I'm sorry to wake you, Succu-babe. I've gotta run out, I just didn't want you to freak out if you woke up."
Bo, in her sleepy daze, was struggling to make sense of what Tamsin was saying. "What? Where are you going? What time is it?"
"It's late," Tamsin told her. "Everything is ok. I just have something I need to do. It's all good."
"I'm coming with you," Bo said, trying to sit up. Tamsin pushed her back down gently.
"No. You're going back to sleep. I'll be back before you know it." She kissed her forehead sweetly and squeezed her hand before standing and walking out of the room quickly. Bo tried to clear her head, but found herself drifting back to sleep. She was dead to the world before Tamsin's truck started in the driveway.
Tamsin drove to Lauren's slowly. The doctor had sounded crazed. Either she found something really good or really bad. Tamsin was hoping for the former, obviously, but she couldn't tell from Lauren's voice over the phone which it might be. She parked outside the apartment and walked inside. She reached the door and raised a hand to knock, but it flew open before she had a chance and a hand pulled her inside.
"Woah, Doc. Calm down."
Lauren was pacing back and forth, holding a thick ream of paper. She stopped and looked at the Valkyrie. "Tamsin this...this is huge."
Tamsin grabbed her shoulders, glaring at her. "Ok. Then explain it."
Lauren took a deep breath. "I was going at this all wrong. I thought it might have been something in your DNA. I started running comparisons." She gestured to the computer. "It's still running, it will take a few days to go through all of your DNA. It found a few irregularities, but nothing that explained anything. So I started looked at your blood more carefully." She looked down at the papers in her hand and began reading out loud. "Red blood cell count: 4.01 million cells/mcL. Hemoglobin, 134 grams/L. Hematocrit: 36%. White blood cell count: 5,700 cells/mcL. Platelet count." She paused. "900,000/mcL." She looked at Tamsin seriously.
Tamsin just stared back at her. "Sorry, is any of that supposed to mean anything?"
Lauren rolled her eyes and started pacing again. "With your elevated platelet count, coupled with low levels of cytokines...everything else is normal..." At this point, she was just muttering to herself.
"Hey! Doc! Mind filling me in?" Tamsin was getting impatient.
Lauren whirled around and stared at her. Her expression was pained. She began to speak, slowly and carefully. "Tamsin I've...I've gone over the numbers over and over again. I don't know how I missed it before." She sighed and sat down on the couch. Tamsin remained standing. "As a Valkyrie, you're physiology is obviously different from a human's. But the changes are small; slightly elevated white blood cell counts, high platelet counts. The changes allow you to heal quickly, fight infections more easily. You have a higher red blood cell count, which helps account for your strength. This is all obvious in your blood before you met Bo." She paused for a moment before continuing. "After meeting Bo, your blood seems to have adapted. I had a weird theory, so I actually compared your blood with Bo's. Before you were reborn, your blood was almost identical to Bo's. Valkyrie and Succubi both have advanced healing powers, so it was a fairly subtle change. Your body adapted easily." She sighed again. "After your rebirth, however, after you gave up your love..." She stopped.
"Come on, Lauren," Tamsin snapped. "Just tell me."
Lauren looked her dead in the eye. "They made you more human."
Tamsin's jaw dropped. "What?"
She sighed. "They didn't actually make you human. But all of your blood counts are in a completely normal range for a human. Which is unusual for a Valkyrie. I cross-referenced the changes they made in your blood to the irregularities in your DNA. I assume I'll find more, but they point to an attempt to create human DNA from Fae." The scorn in her voice was clear as she continued. "A clumsy attempt, certainly not what I would expect from these supposedly powerful beings, but an attempt nonetheless."
Tamsin shook her head, still trying to understand. "They made me...human?"
"No," Lauren responded. "They couldn't make you fully human. I don't think that that was their intention. I think that the bond is such a huge part of who a Valkyrie is. I believe that their intention was to simply remove the part of you that is capable of bonding. And by doing so, they inherently removed some of you...Valkyrie-ness." Her voice trailed off. They were moving into territory outside her comfort zone. She dealt in numbers and facts. She was now attempting to speculate what the Valkyrie Elders had intended, but she had no way of knowing if she was right. Tamsin hadn't responded yet, so she continued. "You're weaker because your blood is now more like human blood. I cross-referenced this with accounts of other Valkyrie who gave up their love. The general trend seems to be..." she took a deep breath. "There aren't many other accounts. But the general trend seems to be that, after giving up their love, their lives do not last as long as they had previously lasted. The Valkyrie were not as strong as they had been in previous lives. I think that what the Elders don't tell you about giving up your love is that you're also giving up some of your strength, some of what makes you a Valkyrie."
Tamsin let out a short, harsh laugh. "Yeah, I guess I missed the fine print on that one."
Lauren took a deep breath, reluctant to continue. Tamsin noticed her expression. "What? There's more?"
Lauren sighed. "They also...your platelet count is way too high. It's twice what would be normal for a human and it's higher than I've ever seen reported for a Valkyrie. I think..." She paused for a moment before continued, the end of the sentence rushed. "I think they gave you a kill switch."
Tamsin raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"You know," Lauren continued awkwardly. "Like, in case of emergency." She looked a little pained. "Do you know what thrombocytosis is?"
Tamsin shook her head.
"It's...platelets are what are responsible for clotting. It's normal for them to be a little higher in Valkyrie, it's why your wounds heal faster. But when they are too high, they can cause thrombosis." She paused. "Blood clots in your vessels. They can kill you. I've never seen this in a Valkyrie before. I'm pretty sure a platelet count that high had to have been an intentional move on their part."
Tamsin narrowed her eyes. "You're telling me that those assholes are trying to kill me?"
"Not...actively, I don't think," Lauren responded. "I think they gave you the condition just in case. In case they think you'll be more useful dead than alive at some point."
Tamsin smirked and nodded. "Great. Anything else?"
Lauren gave her a small smile. "Actually, yes." She stood up and walked over to where Tamsin was standing, arms crossed. "Tamsin, how do you feel about Bo?"
Tamsin's eyes got even more narrow. "What?"
"How do you feel about her?"
"Is this relevant?"
"Yeah, I think it is."
Tamsin sighed and looked at the ground. "She's..." she glanced up at Lauren. "She's the most amazing person I've ever met. She's so beautiful. She's beautiful on the outside, obviously. But I've never met anyone who's heart is so caring and strong." She blushed and looked down again. "I just want to take care of her. I just want her to be happy. I just want to make her happy." Her voice trailed off and she looked up to see Lauren staring at her, a genuine smile on her face.
"Tamsin," she spoke gently. "That's love."
Tamsin glared at her. "What are you talking about?"
Lauren's smiled widened. "I think their plan backfired a little bit. They took away your ability to bond like a Valkyrie. But I think they gave you the ability to love like a human. You've never felt like this before?"
Tamsin shook her head. "No, of course not."
Lauren nodded. "Tamsin, the way you feel about Bo...that's love. You love her. You do have the ability to love." She shrugged. "You just can't bond yet."
Tamsin looked at her sharply. "Yet?"
Lauren shrugged again. "I'm still working on it. If I can recreate the way your blood was after you met Bo and before you gave up your love, we might be able to figure something out. I don't know for sure yet. But I'll keep trying."
Tamsin felt a little dizzy. Her mind was racing. Love? Was it possible she had fallen in love with Bo and didn't even know it? She knew the way she felt when she looked at Bo, knew what her heart did when Bo smiled at her. But was that love? She looked up at Lauren, who was still smiling at her. If they had made her a little human, then it would make sense that she could experience human emotions. Like love. She shook her head.
"I've gotta get back to Bo."
Lauren nodded. "Of course. I'll keep going, I'll let you know what the computer finds in your DNA."
"Sure," Tamsin replied, but her head was elsewhere. She was back in bed with Bo already. She turned to go.
"Tamsin?" Lauren called before she made it to the door. Tamsin turned to look at her. "Don't wait too long to tell her, ok?"
Tamsin nodded and walked out the door.
In a daze, she drove back to the apartment. She walked inside, climbed the stairs, and slid into bed beside Bo. She gazed down at the sleeping Succubus. She had never, in hundreds of thousands of years of existence, told anyone that she loved them. She had never loved anyone. She had known that the only time she would was if she bonded. When she gave up her love, she thought she was giving up her only chance. But if what Lauren told her was right, she was already in love with Bo. She kissed her lightly on the forehead and smiled. The brunette looked so sweet when she was sleeping. Tamsin felt her heart fill as she stared down at her. She had never felt like this before. If this is what human love felt like, she might be able to get used to it. She snuggled down into the bed, pulling Bo to her. In her sleep, the Succubus obligingly wrapped an arm around her waist and inhaled gently. Tamsin smiled and closed her eyes.
"I love you, Bo," she whispered gently, before trailing off into a deep sleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This time, the buzzing of Tamsin's phone woke Bo up. She groaned, rolling over and swatting at the Valkyrie.
"Make it stop!" she protested. Tamsin grunted and sat up, silencing it. She lay back down. but in just a moment it started buzzing again. Bo groaned.
"Just answer it."
Tamsin looked at the display which informed her that The Morrigan was calling her at 8am. What with her late-night errand, she was not feeling particularly well-rested or prepared to deal with Evony's bullshit. She silenced the call again, but it immediately flashed Evony's name again. She groaned and picked up.
"This better be good," she snapped.
On the other end of the line, Evony just laughed. "My, not a morning person, are we?"
"What do you want, Evony?" Tamsin asked through gritted teeth.
"I'm just trying to uphold my end of our bargain, my dear. Vincent is back in town. He has agreed to meet you for breakfast at the Dal. One hour. I assume you're bringing the Succubus as well?"
"Yeah," Tamsin agreed, glancing down at the tangled mess of brunette hair buried underneath the pillow next to her.
"Very well," Evony responded, "then he'll be bringing a second as well."
"A second? This isn't a duel."
Tamsin could almost hear Evony's smirk. "Whatever you say, my dear." She paused for a moment and when she spoke again, her voice was almost free of sarcasm. "Please do be careful. Vincent...well, there's a reason he was hired to take care of our most unsavory business."
"Yeah yeah, we got it," Tamsin replied before hanging up the phone. She looked back down at Bo. "Hey, babe?"
Bo grunted in response.
"We have to meet Vincent at the Dal in an hour. Wanna take a shower?"
Bo rolled over, removing the pillow from her face, and Tamsin was surprised to see her eyes burning blue. "I have a better idea."
Tamsin smirked as Bo sat up and kissed her cheek lightly. She reached around, threading her fingers through the already-tangled brunette hair, and pulled Bo's lips to hers, parting them gently. As she slipped her tongue into Bo's mouth, she ran her hand down her back and pulled the brunette's legs forward, pushing her backwards until her head was on the pillows again. Tamsin threw her leg over her, sitting astride her torso and running her hands down her chest. She quickly pulled off the t-shirt Bo had worn to bed and leaned over, clutching at the exposed bare skin beneath her. Bo ran her hands up Tamsin's sides, taking the take top with her. She sat up, leaning against the headboard, the blonde's legs still tight around her waist. Her eyes were glowing, and Tamsin's breath caught in her throat. The primal need radiating from Bo's face was intoxicating; the Valkyrie felt like she was drowning in desire.
She kissed Bo, feeling soft lips whispering against her own.
"I love you, Tamsin."
Her heart raced and she pushed Bo away, grabbing her legs and pulling her downwards towards the edge of the bed. She trailed kisses down her neck, running her tongue lightly over her nipples and feeling them harden at the touch. Bo moaned as she continued moving downwards, nipping lightly at her stomach. She slid off the bed and onto her knees, sliding Bo's underwear off and spreading her legs wide. Bo pressed her hips into the air, whimpering softly, The Valkyrie took her time, biting roughly on Bo's inner thighs and trailing her tongue in light circles in the crease of her legs. Bo arched her back, grabbing the sheets and panting as Tamsin finally dipped her head and pressed her lips to Bo.
Swirling her tongue over Bo's clit, she marveled at how good the Succubus tasted. She dropped her head slightly, pressing her tongue fully inside of her, eliciting a low moan from the brunette squirming above her. She ran her hands upwards, squeezing Bo's hips tightly and digging her fingernails into skin. She felt Bo reach down and clamp a hand tightly into her blonde hair, tugging her upwards. She reluctantly allowed herself to be brought to Bo's level and the Succubus kissed her furiously. Their tongues curled together and Bo whimpered into her mouth as she tasted herself on Tamsin.
"Fuck me," Bo moaned desperately. "Please, babe."
Tamsin grinned. Magic words.
She trailed her fingers lightly down Bo's side, feeling goosebumps raise along her skin as she went. Bo quieted as she moved slowly towards her center. As she walked her fingers up her inner thigh, Bo was nearly shivering in anticipation. When she slipped a finger inside of the Succubus, she cried out and immediately brought her hand to Tamsin's, pressing two more of the Valkyrie's fingers inside her. Tamsin smirked as she began moving in and out slowly. She knew what Bo wanted, and she'd give it to her. But she'd have a little bit of fun first.
As Bo rocked her hips trying to establish a rhythm, Tamsin just moved her fingers in and out, slowly, tantalizingly. Bo pulled Tamsin's face to hers, turning her head slightly. Tamsin felt hot breath on her ear and neck as Bo moaned. The Succubus tried to remain stay patient as her Valkyrie teased her opening, occasionally flicking a finger upwards to graze her clit. When she could take no more, she reached down and pressed Tamsin's hand into her as hard as she could. Tamsin finally complied, curling her fingers and increasing her speed. She propped herself up on one arm to give herself a better angle as she pounded into Bo furiously. The brunette responded by arching her back and lifting her hips, her knuckles white as she gripped the sheets. The moans were coming in machine-gun bursts now, Bo's body tense and her eyes rolling back into her head. Tamsin felt her beginning to clench around her hand and when she came, it was like her hand was caught in a bear trap. She grinned as Bo let out a cry that turned into one long, low moan, her chest heaving as her hand flailed uselessly, searching for Tamsin. The Valkyrie scooted closed, lower her head and pressing a light kiss to Bo's lips. She could hardly respond; her body was spent. But Tamsin felt a gentle tug at her center and whimpered lightly as Bo drew out small amounts of her chi. Tamsin kept her eyes open, watching the energy flow between them, bright blue streams of light that matched Bo's eyes perfectly. Eyes that were suddenly wide open and staring back at her.
Tamsin pulled away, startled and a little embarrassed at having been caught. Bo just smiled coyly.
"Hi," she said softly.
Tamsin couldn't help but return the smile. "Hey there," she replied, kissing her gently. She leaned on her elbow and gazed at Bo. "God, you're gorgeous," she blurted out.
Bo's smile just widened and she pulled her in for another kiss. They kissed for several minutes, laying on the bed facing each other, before Tamsin broke away. She glanced at her phone and groaned.
"What?" Bo asked.
Tamsin sighed. "We have to be at the Dal in twenty minutes."
Bo grinned at her. "Well, then, we better hurry." She rolled off the bed and stood up, letting the sheet fall to the ground. Tamsin just watched in awe as the beautiful brunette walked naked towards the bathroom. She shook her head, forcing herself to remove her eyes and get dressed herself. She pulled on yesterday's clothes and turned around to find Bo, now fully clothed, staring at her.
"You know, you can leave an extra change of clothes or something here, if you want."
Tamsin rolled her eyes gently. "Do I smell?"
"Never!" Bo replied, clutching her chest as if she were scandalized. She smiled at Tamsin. "You know, just in case. I can even clear out a drawer for you."
Tamsin smirked at her. "That's a big step, Succubus. I've seen your wardrobe, I'm not sure there's any room for even one of my shirts here."
Bo shrugged. "I'd get rid of some of my clothes." She walked over and kissed Tamsin softly, staring into her eyes as she continued. "I want you to feel at home here."
Tamsin blushed and nodded. "Alright. I'll think about it." She pulled away and grabbed Bo's hand. "Come on, Succubus. We're going to be late."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Vincent was already at the Dal when they got there. He was sitting at the bar, looking a bit impatient. He looked the part of an Italian gangster. His black hair was slicked back and creeping over the collar of his leather jacket. Tamsin immediately noted the outline of a handgun underneath his shirt. She grabbed Bo's hand, pulling her back gently so that, of the two women, she was in front. They approached the bar cautiously. Seated next to Vincent was one of the largest men either woman had ever seen. His muscles bulged beneath a skin tight black t-shirt and his hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He didn't appear to have a gun on him, but it didn't matter. His body was his weapon, not to mention whatever Fae powers he undoubtedly possessed.
"You must be Tamsin," Vincent said smoothly as they approached.
"What gave it away?" she asked him sarcastically.
His nose twitched. "I could just tell." He gestured towards the seats next to him. "Please. Have a seat."
They sat, Tamsin directly next to Vincent.
"What can I do for two lovely ladies such as yourselves?" he asked.
Tamsin hated this guy already. "What can you tell us about Heather Frankel?"
At the sound of the name, his nostrils flared and he took a quick breath. "I'm afraid I don't know who that is." He stood up, and the giant next to him stood as well. "Is that all?"
Bo stood, taking a step towards him. "You might have a daughter. And she's in trouble." With her words, she sent a tiny wave of persuasion through the air, thanking the Fae gods that she had practiced this so many times on Tamsin. His knees buckled, just for a moment, before he stood up and smiled at them.
"Why thank you, Succubus. That was very helpful." His eyes suddenly flashed blue and Tamsin had a realization.
"Shit. Bo, don't use your powers on him again."
Bo shot her a curious look but didn't ask any questions. Tamsin once again stepped between Bo and Vincent. "You sure you aren't going to help us?" she asked him, cocking her head. Bo thought she might be preparing to cast doubt on him, but she didn't. She just watched him carefully. When he shook his head, she smiled. "That's a shame. We'll have to do this the hard way."
Before anyone could react, she swung at his face. Her fist connected solidly with his nose and it immediately began to bleed. The giant stepped forward, but Vincent held up a hand. He smiled through the blood.
"Oh dear. That was a mistake, sweetheart." He turned and walked out of the Dal, the giant following close behind.
Bo immediately stepped forward and grabbed Tamsin's hand. "Are you ok?"
Tamsin carefully pulled away. "I'm fine," she said, holding up her hand. "Come on," she continued, gesturing towards her fist, still covered in Vincent's blood. "We better get this DNA sample to Lauren."