Chapter 36 - I Don't Take No for An Answer: Part III
10:55pm - Target Store A
"I do have a question for you-" Bo whispered as she stared at the Toyol.
"Yes, I know. What is a Toyol? I'll explain later. Let's not lose him," Tamsin whispered back, her chin pointing at the thief who had just finished looting and was about to leave.
"Follow the Toyol, and locate his master, got it."
11:20pm - Down in the Sewage
Although they closely followed the Toyol all the way out the store and down into the old sewage system, they eventually lost him because be crawled into a pipe so narrow that only a baby could fit in.
"Oh, this is so fucking great!" Tamsin cursed. "I can not believe we lost him like this!"
Bo grunted in agreement. Then she turned to the Valkyrie and asked, "So, what is a Toyol?"
"It's an undead creature raised from the corpse of a baby or a very young child by a Shaman master. Usually the younger, the better," Tamsin explained. "Once they are raised, they act like the Shaman's pets. They listen to the Shaman's commands and run errands for him."
"And, in this case, he steals for him," Bo said.
"Mhm," Tamsin nodded. "Thanks to a narrow pipe, now we have a dead baby crawling all over town stealing shit, and, we still don't have a clue who his master is."
12:15am - Bo and Tamsin's Apartment
After taking a quick shower, Bo threw herself onto the couch to do research on Toyols and re-read the case files, hoping that after today's events she might notice something new.
"Wow, someone's incredibly devoted," Tamsin said as she wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck from behind, a little surprised that Bo seemed extremely into this case. "Found anything yet?"
"Well...it says here that a Toyol is always raised from the corpse of a fetus that has never been born, or a baby or a young child who has died tragically. The more tragic the death, the more powerful the Toyol is. After being raised, a Toyol has the look of a baby or a young child, and behaves like one too, " Bo said. She paused there for a while, before she continued, "Hey, maybe we could check birth records, hospital records and funeral home records?"
"That's a lot of work, sweetheart, especially when most of them don't include a photo," Tamsin said as she sat down and snuggled into Bo's side. "And, we don't even know if this corpse is from our city. Corpses are smuggled in and out of town everyday by all kinds of black magic practitioners. Even if he was local, his death might not have been documented. Also, don't forget that a Toyol never ages, so he could have been dead for a day, or 500 years."
"Then what do you propose, sweetheart?" Bo asked, her tone a little taunting.
"Hey, you can't just beg for answers with your puppy eyes every time you hit a dead end on your investigation," Tamsin said with a smirk.
"Fine, I'll just go discuss my case with Kenzi tomorrow, and you-" Bo replied with a lip biting smile, "-are not invited." She almost breathed those last few words into the Valkyrie's mouth as she leaned over for a kiss.
"I think I smell a hungry little Succubus..." Tamsin murmured in a chuckle, before she started to unzip Bo's dress.
10:10am - The Clubhouse
"This is so not fair!" Kenzi complained as she downed her coffee. "The giant spider, the Kikimora, and now Chucky?! "
"It's not Chucky, Kenz," Bo corrected her.
"How come you get all the cool shit, all the time, and all I get is...a huge pile of crap stuck to my shoe while you two fight a giant spider queen...confinement to a hospital bed while you two get to deal with the Kikimora...cauliflower ear listening to Dyson talk all night long about his newest female conquests while you two get to see Chucky, up close and personal stealing?!"
"It's not a Chucky," Bo repeated. "It's a Toyol."
"Whatever, dude! It's a freaking baby thief crawling around stealing shit with goggles, suction gloves and mini tools!"
"Hey, look on the bright side. At least you didn't have to wear those babes-" Bo said as she pointed at Kenzi's heels, "-down in a disgusting sewer for half an hour chasing an undead baby."
"Speaking of which, since you two lost the baby, how are we gonna find him again, and his master? Wait for him to rob another store?" Kenzi mumbled, checking her calendar. "The next day that is best to perform black magic is...the last day of next month."
"Great, I'll never be able to get the ring back before I propose," Bo grunted.
"Hey, relax. We are not done investigating yet, are we? Let's keep working on it. What do we know so far? " Kenzi said, dragging Bo down to sit on the couch next to her.
"Well, now we know who stole the jewelry, how the thief got into the stores and how he travels around the town," Bo said. "What we don't know is, who his master is, and how we can find him."
"Why don't you tell me about what you saw last night again? Maybe we missed something."
"Sure," Bo replied. "Well, I think I heard him coming through the vent first. He unscrewed the vent and crawled out. Then he went straight towards the camera, which was right next to the vent, and cut the cord-"
"And?" Kenzi asked, frowning when she saw Bo suddenly become quiet and serious.
"He went straight to the camera..." Bo murmured. "How the hell did he know where the camera was when he just crawled out from a vent? Unless-"
"-he already knew."
"Or, his master knew exactly where the camera was," Bo said. "And, he told the Toyol where to look for it."
"Then the question becomes, how did the master know where the camera was?"
Bo bit her bottom lip and furrowed her eyebrows. Then, something occurred to her. "Maybe he cased the stores before the robberies and checked out where everything was. No one would be looking for this person, since the Toyol was the one who actually did the stealing at the crime scenes. I bet if we check the videos taken before the robberies we might be able to find this Toyol's master because he will appear in the other store's surveillance videos as well.
11:00am - In the Precinct
"Have you picked a date yet?" Dyson asked while organizing his paperwork.
"A day to kick your ass? How about today and every day there after?" Tamsin answered him absentmindedly while her mind was focused on the crime scene photos on the computer screen ."You know what I am talking about, Tamsin," Dyson said. "When are you gonna propose?"
"OMG Dyson, do I look like your high school BFF who shares everything with you?" Tamsin said.
"Oh, come on, Tammers," Dyson pleaded.
Tamsin sighed and rolled her eyes. "Probably on our anniversary," she said. "Otherwise she'd figure it out the moment she walks into our apartment."
"Oh, so it's gonna be in your apartment instead of some fancy restaurant?"
"Please, like I would get down on one knee and say some embarrassing shit that makes me sweat and flush in front of a billion asshats who neither of us will ever see again in our lives," Tamsin grunted.
"How are you gonna do it then?"
"I don't know, shit. Probably cook her some nice dinner, give her the damn ring and be done with it," Tamsin said. "Now can we quit gossiping and do some real police work?"
"Wait, wait, one last question."
"I swear if you ask what type of wedding dress I'm gonna wear, I'm gonna punch your furry face."
"That's not what I'm gonna ask, but since you brought that up, what are you gonna wear?"
"What do you think a Valkyrie would wear to her wedding?" Tamsin retorted.
"You-" Dyson said, a little surprised. "You decided to propose the Valkyrie way."
"Mhm," Tamsin said after a slight nod. "So, it's gonna be my Valkyrie armor."
"Hey, good to know, and I get to be the best man right?"
"Noooope, 'cause there ain't gonna be one," Tamsin answered, "but, my maid of honor position is totally open. I'll make sure you wear a pink, fluffy dress with Kenzi."
Dyson choked, totally forgetting about what he was going to ask.
- Meanwhile Outside the Precinct -
"So, it's gonna be on your anniversary?" Kenzi asked.
"Yeah, I mean, I could wait, but, I really don't want to," Bo replied.
"Cool," Kenzi said, nodding. "How are you gonna do it?"
"I guess...just order stuff from her favorite restaurant, make it look like a normal anniversary dinner, and...wait for the right time."
"Not gonna cook yourself?"
"Oh, Kenzi, I'd be very surprised if she said yes after eating the stuff I cook," Bo said, rolling her eyes.
Kenzi nodded again. She tried to act normal but after a few seconds, she couldn't hold her poker face anymore. She burst into tears as she threw herself at her best friend, congratulating her in a ragged voice filled with emotion.
11:30am - In the Precinct
"I think we've just made a breakthrough in this case, detectives," Bo said to Dyson and Tamsin, her eyes staring at the Valkyrie.
"Spit it out, sweetheart," Tamsin replied.
"We figured that the suspect must have visited all the stores before the robbery since Chucky was really familiar with where things were in the store. So, we went through the video tapes from the two stores that have surveillance cameras," Kenzi said as she laid out a few printouts on the desk. "Long story short, we've identified three people who have been to both stores and we think one of them might be our suspect."
"Okay, I guess we'll go interview them again," Tamsin said.
"Yes, Team Bo vs. Team detectives this time," Kenzi said.
"No," Tamsin said to her. "We," she added, her index finger moving back and forth between herself and Dyson.
"I'm sorry, but, I thought this was my investigation," Bo said teasingly.
"Well, unless you two can manifest badges right now, you can not just go around questioning suspects in this case," Tamsin retorted.
"Let's just split into two groups like last night," Dyson said. "I'll go with Kenzi, and then you two…."
2:10pm - Outside the Suspect's Apartment
"I can't believe your pet picked two out of the three because she thought she'd have a better chance to see Chucky," Tamsin said after she parked the truck.
"Well, maybe she'll get lucky this time," Bo said. "She got that creepy looking I-am-the-king-of-serial-killers guy after all."
"Yeah, the guy who spent hours comparing two engagement rings in one store," Tamsin said. "He's not our guy."
"So, it's either the old lady she picked, or this college girl we have," Bo said.
"Or, the little sexy Succubus got the whole case totally wrong and had her brave Valkyrie drive her all around town wasting gas," Tamsin said teasing. "If that's the case, her Valkyrie is going to get very mad at her later, and make her pay."
Bo chuckled. "We'll see about that," she said. She was about to get out of the truck, but Tamsin stopped her. The Valkyrie tucked her hand into Bo's pocket and grabbed a few pieces of chocolate mini bars.
"Hey, those are mine," Bo complained. "And, since when do you eat candy?"
"Relax, it's for the case," Tamsin replied. Then, she laid a very light kiss on the brunette's lips and added, "I'll give you something much, much sweeter later."
12:25pm - The Suspect's Apartment
The girl who opened the door took a glance at Bo and Tamsin. "Whatever you guys are selling, I am not buying," she said, before she tried to close the door.
"Not so fast, missy," Tamsin said as she wedged her foot between the door and the frame. "We are not selling anything," she continued, lifting one side of her jacket a little to reveal her badge. "Investigating a series of robberies, and you were recorded on tape at two of the scenes. Can you explain that?"
"I have an alibi," the girl said simply, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "I was with friends last night."
Bo huffed. "No one said anything about last night's robbery. In fact, it hasn't even been released to the media. So, I'm very curious how you know something happened last night?"
"Hey, it's how you cops do things," the girl said in a taunting tone. "Shit happens, you run around harassing people the next day."
"Yeah yeah blah blah blah," Tamsin said, impatiently. She peeked at her apartment through the opened door, and continued, "Wow, spacious two bedroom apartment. Just for you?"
"Is that a crime?" the girl scoffed.
"Nope, certainly not," Tamsin replied. "Just curious though, why is the second bedroom so dark with all the drapes down and shit? You're not harbouring a vampire, are you? Cuz that, my friend, is a crime."
"That's none of your business, officer," the girl scorned.
Tamsin smirked, before she glanced at the living room. "Hey, look at those toys," she said, her eyes staring at the girl closely. "I bet you have a small kid living with you. Or is it a pet? 'Cause you can't tell me you'd let a kid drink from a bowl that's placed on the floor, right?"
"Can we take a look at your apartment?" Bo asked.
"Not unless you have a warrant," the girl said with one corner of her lips raised, as if she knew that neither Bo nor Tamsin had one.
"Oh, we'll get one," Tamsin scoffed. "Although, I'm pretty sure every one of us here knows what you have in your apartment, little girl."
"I don't know what you are talking about, and I'm not interested," the girl said as she tried to close the door again. "Want to enter my apartment, get a warrant."
"Yeah, and when we get back with that warrant, we'll find nothing but an empty apartment," Tamsin replied. "Let me just be blunt. Do you or do you not have a Toyol in the house?"
The girl flinched a little, but still managed to give Tamsin and Bo a huff. "I've never heard of that. And, I think I'm gonna ask you two to leave now."
Bo took a step forward, and reached her hand out, wanting to charm the girl, but Tamsin stopped her. "Watch this," the Valkyrie said as she tossed the small candy pieces she got from Bo into the apartment.
The girl started to panic and tried to close the door but, before she could they saw a toddler, looking very dead, stumble out from the dark room. He giggled, wiggled and crawled across the floor to reach for the candy pieces even as his master kicked them away from him and ordered him to leave. He scooted around, searching for the chocolate pieces, before he stopped. Then he lay as his master's feet and started making a purring sound.
"So you really don't know what a Toyol is, huh?" Tamsin said to the girl sarcastically. "And this little guy right here...I'm guessing he was just made of wood and one night he magically became a real dead boy."
"And, last time I checked, Fae Law specifically forbids raising a Toyol, not to mention using them to steal valuable things," Bo said. "I suggest that you surrender right now, or things are gonna get a lot uglier."
1:00pm - Outside the Apartment Building
Bo watched the other cops taking away the suspect. Then, she turned to Tamsin and said, "So, that was why you took my candy? To lure the Toyol out? You knew she was the one?"
"I suspected," Tamsin replied. "In the video tapes, she seemed to have paid more attention to the cameras than the products. And then, when I saw those toys and that milk bowl, I just knew."
"Glad she didn't have the time to command him not to come out to get the candy then."
"Oh, sweetheart, she couldn't. Even a Toyol's master can't stop their child-like behavior. You toss candy out, fucker goes crazy."
"What's gonna happen to the Toyol, since his master was arrested?"
"Well, as you've read, the practice of raising a Toyol is no longer legal. After the case is closed, they are just gonna-"
Kenzi interrupted her by yelling "Oh my God, he did have a full set of baby thief gear!" the moment she got out of Dyson's car. She did not seem bothered by the dead child look of the Toyol at all, and made faces at him. The Toyol imitated her, and they both chuckled.
"And, I don't even know if that's funny, or creepy," Tamsin said, rolling her eyes. Then, she turned back to Bo. "Anyway, after the case is closed, they are gonna reverse the magic, and put him to rest for eternity."
"Yeah, I think he deserves to rest in peace," Bo replied.
- A Few Days Later -
"You haven't found Trick's, I mean, my grandma's ring? How is it possible?!" Bo yelled at Dyson in frustration, after she learned that even though the case was closed the police still had not found the ring.
"Whoa, calm down, Bo," Dyson said as he raised both of his hands in front of his chest. "She sold whatever she stole from those stores on the black market, and she didn't keep a log of her inventory, so what's gone, is gone."
"She must remember something! That ring is like...one of a kind!"
"She doesn't remember," Dyson said. "You've interrogated her yourself with your power. Did she tell you anything useful?"
"No," Bo said in defeat. "She had no idea what I was talking about."
"Well, she's not an expert of jewelry, and she sold too many pieces to keep track of just one, I guess."
"How the hell am I gonna get that ring back then?!"
"Well, I think all you need right now is patience, Bo," Dyson said. "You'll find it, sooner or later."
Bo frowned, when she saw that subtle smile on Dyson's face, but she was too upset to pay much attention to it. "Fine," she said. "I'll ask around and see if anyone has seen or heard of it, 'cause someone must have."
"Oh yeah, I'm sure someone must have."
- Bo and Tamsin's Anniversary Day -
Bo came home with takeout from Tamsin's favorite restaurant. She also bought a bottle of champagne on the way home. She checked the dagger she got for proposing one last time before she walked into her apartment.
The Valkyrie was lighting some candles on the dining table, and she looked a little startled when she saw Bo. She straightened herself, and with her hand, covered the pocket where she kept the ring in reflex, then immediately moved it away so Bo wouldn't notice.
Bo did not notice because she was too nervous to realize that Tamsin was equally nervous. She took a glance at the dining table, and said in surprise, "You...cooked all my favorite dishes for one dinner?"
"Hey, it's an anniversary dinner right?" Tamsin replied. Then she looked at the champagne in Bo's hand and said, "You didn't tell me you were gonna get that."
"Hey, to celebrate our anniversary right?" Bo said, not noticing that she was mimicking Tamsin's tone. "I...didn't know you were gonna cook, so I got some food for us…."
"Wow, you raid the whole kitchen of that restaurant or something?" Tamsin asked as she looked at all the takeout boxes in Bo's hand.
"Well, I guess we'll have plenty of food then. Maybe too much food," Bo said with a small laugh. "I guess I'll grab a plate for myself," she added, afraid that if she did not sit down right now, she would not be able to hold herself upright because her legs were about to give out.
"Mhm," Tamsin nodded, too preoccupied to say anything else. She got a plate for herself and started to eat too.
Both of them chewed and swallowed silently and absentmindedly, instead of enjoying the amazing food. They were both just waiting for the right time to pop the big question.
Or maybe I shouldn't do it today. Bo thought as she secretly caressed the weapon she hid under her tanktop. I still don't have that ring, and that would make things imperfect, she thought as she glanced at the Valkyrie. Something was burning in those blue eyes, along with the reflection of the candle flames, and it took Bo's breath away. That was the moment she decided that she could not wait any longer.
Grabbing the dagger tightly in her hand, Bo took a deep breath and stood up.
Like being spooked, Tamsin flinched a little. She looked up at Bo, wondering why all of a sudden the brunette was anxious and sweating. Then, she gazed into those heart melting brown eyes, and they seemed to grant her the strength she had been lacking earlier. She stood up too, nervously reaching her hand into her pocket. "Bo, there's something I kinda-"
"Actually, Tamsin, I have something to say too," Bo said.
"Oh, okay," Tamsin said, nodding while thinking Bo was probably gonna say something about their anniversary. "After you then."
Bo nodded and opened her mouth, but froze there trying to figure out what to say next. She never thought proposing would be this hard until right this minute and she finally understood what butterflies in your stomach meant because she had like a billion of them fluttering in her gut right now. She had no idea why she felt so nervous. She thought she had everything well planned, and she was sure Tamsin was going to say yes to her, but a tiny piece of her mind kept asking herself, what if she doesn't trust me enough to accept the proposal in the Valkyrie way?
Oh God, how do I even start? Bo asked herself. Should I just show her the dagger first, or should I say something first? She thought for sure Tamsin was about to mock her, since she had been standing there like an idiot for too long now.
However, the Valkyrie did not. She just muttered, "if you are gonna just stand there like that, how about letting me-"
"Oh no, me first, please," Bo said. Looking into the blonde's beautiful eyes, she bent one of her knees hesitantly, till it reached the floor. Then, she took the dagger out and laid it flat on her palms. "Tamsin, I...this is for you," she said.
"Emmm...do you even know what are you doing?" Tamsin asked, frowning, not sure if Bo understood the significance of her presenting a weapon to a Valkyrie on a bent knee. Then, her heart suddenly started racing like crazy, as she asked herself is my little Succubus proposing to me?
"Yes, of course I do. Tamsin, I-" Bo said after taking a deep breath. "I want you to accept this dagger…." I want you to accept this dagger? Shit... that is the lamest thing to say when proposing, period! She thought.
After staying absolutely quiet for a second or two, Tamsin sighed. "Bo," she said. "I can not accept this.
"What?" Bo asked shocked, raising herself from the floor so fast that she almost hit the Valkyrie's chin. She stared at the blonde, wondering if Tamsin was just fucking with her, but immediately realized that even someone bitchy like Tamsin would not be joking at such a serious moment. Standing there feeling like she was having the shittiest moment in her entire life, Bo tried a few times but could not get a single syllable out.
Tamsin sighed again when she saw how shocked and hurt the brunette was. She realized that what she had just said sounded like nothing but a turn down to Bo's proposal. "You ignorant sex demon," she said. "I meant I can not accept this particular piece of weapon."
"What? Why? You don't like it? It's a nice piece, forged by...by-" Bo stuttered. Shit who the fuck forged this damn dagger again? She thought in frustration.
"When you propose to a Valkyrie," Tamsin said as she spun Bo around to put her on the chair instead, "you don't just offer her some random weapon. The weapon you present her has to be the one you use the most." She pulled Bo's dagger out and put it in the brunette's hand. "It symbolizes that once the Valkyrie accepts your proposal, she becomes your weapon."
Bo tried to digest the information with only five percent of her mind functioning. She nodded blankly, before she eventually said, "emm...okay...why don't you...emmm...I'll just...I-I can…."
"Why don't you just sit there and be all pretty and cute, and I'll do all the talking?" Tamsin suggested. She then got down on one knee, and looked up at Bo's face, her hands lightly holding Bo's. "Bo, from this moment on, take me as your Valkyrie. Allow me to be your sword and your shield, to protect you, to guide you and to fight by your side. Allow me to be your closest friend, your lover, your companion and your partner. Bo, allow me to be your Valkyrie, for the rest of my many life times." After pausing for a second or two while watching the stunned brunette, she added, "I don't take no for an answer."
"I'm not gonna say no!" Bo exclaimed after recovering from the fact that Tamsin had proposed to her instead.
"Then say yes," Tamsin demanded.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Bo repeated in overjoy. Then, she did the one thing and the only on her mind, leaning over to give her Valkyrie a long, passionate kiss, not even realizing that she was kneeling on the floor again.
"Now, I have something for you," Tamsin said as she took out the ring and put it on the speechless brunette's ring finger.
"This is-Tamsin!" Bo exclaimed. "How-I mean, where the hell did you find this ring?"
"Emmm...I asked Trick for it and he gave it to me?" Tamsin said, not sure why Bo looked so surprised.
"But, it was lost in the robbery case! And Dyson said-" Bo stopped talking when she finally realized what had happened. "Oh, I am so gonna kill them!" She growled.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Tamsin asked, confused while caressing the brunette's ring finger.
"Nothing, nothing important," Bo said. She held the Valkyrie tightly to her chest, and stopped talking as her heart drowned in happiness.
"Don't cry on me, Bo," Tamsin warned in a low voice, her arms around Bo's waist and her face buried on the brunette's shoulder.
"I won't," Bo murmured, yet she immediately choked in her tears.
Tamsin sighed. "Do you know what your grandmother's ring does?"
"Yes, it makes a Succubus use Chi more efficiently."
"Do you want to wipe your tears and try it? And by wipe I mean not on my shirt."
"Sure, of course" Bo said with a chuckle. She paused a second or two, before she added, "Hey... I will get you a ring too. A really nice one I promise."
"That can certainly wait," Tamsin replied as she pulled the brunette closer for a kiss.
"And I have to-" Bo murmured, breaking the kiss. "-I have to call Kenzi, and Trick, and Dyson, and...everyone!"
"Oh, it won't kill them if you call them like a hour later, or maybe tomorrow!" Tamsin fussed as she brought Bo's face closer and kissed her again. And this time, the kiss never ended.
A/N: Hope everyone likes the proposing part in this story!
And something about the Toyol. It is a very popular legendary creature in south east Asia countries, as well as south east part of China. However, the rumors are quite different in different places, some places they are like ghosts, other places they are like baby zombies. Some people believe they are vicious, and they only do bad stuff, whoever controls them eventually get the bad karma too, while other people say Toyols can do good deeds and can protect their masters. In this story the Toyol is more of a mischievous baby zombie type of creature.