Chapter 37 - An Inevitable Misfortune
7:35pm - Tamsin and Bo's Apartment
When Tamsin called Bo during lunch hour, the brunette did not answer her. Then later, when she sent Bo texts about what to have for dinner and who should pick up milk from the store, she again had gotten no reply. Thinking maybe Bo was too busy dealing with her client, Tamsin shrugged and went back to work.
When Tamsin got home after her shift and realized that Bo had not come home, nor had she replied to any of her calls or texts, she started to get worried. She called Bo again, and this time the computer automated voice answered her, telling her that the number she was calling was unreachable.
Tamsin frowned as she stared at her phone, wondering whether she should take it as a big deal and do something. She hesitantly scrolled down to Dyson's number and decided to give her partner a call... maybe just to make him aware of this situation. Just when she was about to dial, the door opened.
Bo stumbled in, with bruises, scratches and dirt on her face. One of the sleeves on her jacket was ripped, and her pants were torn too. However, from the look on the brunette's face, Tamsin knew Bo was not in any life threatening danger. Although, she could not figure out why Bo look so confused, like she had just experienced something super weird, and was still in shock.
"Who did you piss off this time?" Tamsin asked as she took the brunette into her embrace. She immediately checked her for major injuries and was relieved when she found none.
"No one! I've had the weirdest day!" Bo said, her eyes wide open.
"Weird how?" Tamsin murmured absentmindedly as she gently ran her fingers on the brunette's bruised waist.
"Tamsin, I...I met my father today."
8:20pm - In the Bathtub
"Okay, now can we talk about your day?" Tamsin asked as she stared at the brunette who was on top of her. The Succubus was doing her overfed giggling, with a pair of bright blue eyes and a satisfied grin on her face.
"Sure," Bo replied, after she gave her Valkyrie a kiss. Then she submerged herself into the water, her body closely pressing against Tamsin's. She raised her head after giving the blonde another kiss on her chest, and said, "God...where should I start? The cat...no, the cop...I mean, Trick's car, oh and that girl's motorcycle…."
"Any chance you have some brain damage that was not healed by my Chi?" Tamsin asked teasingly.
Bo chuckled. She tried to organize the things she wanted to say as she ran her fingers on the Valkyrie's neck. Then she said, "I- why don't I just start with me going to the Dal this morning…."
- Earlier that day -
8:15am - The Dal
Trick greeted Bo with a nod when he saw her coming in. After Bo sat down beside the bar, he gave her an envelope. "Payment from that old friend of mine. She's really satisfied with what Kenzi and you have done for her," he said.
Bo opened the envelope a little and counted the cash in it. "Wow, look at this big, fat bonus she gave us..." she murmured in excitement, before she closed the envelope and tucked it into her jacket pocket.
"Mhm," Trick nodded. Then he smiled at Bo and asked, "So, how do you feel? You know, about your-" He glanced at the ring on Bo's ring finger.
"You mean my engagement? Good, great, fantastic," Bo answered as she stole an olive from the jar that was in Trick's hand, "but, I am really starting to get tired of all these how's your engagement questions."
Trick nodded again, a little embarrassed this time. "When-"
"Oh, and also... I think I've heard too many when is the big day," Bo said, watching her grandfather choking. Then she chuckled and continued, "Look, we haven't decided on a date for the wedding yet. Once we do, you'll be the first… well, maybe the second or the third person to know, okay?" Then she asked for a glass of water and pointed at the corner table with her thumb. "Now, I need to go talk to my client over there."
"Sure," Trick replied with a smile.
10:45am - Outside the Dal
After talking to her client, Bo left for her next appointment, went outside and got into her car. Then she noticed that something was moving under the hood. When she popped it open, she found a cat comfortably sitting inside.
"Oh no, Mr. Brownie, not now," Bo groaned as she looked at the cat. It was the cat who had appeared around the Dal recently. He spent most of the time running around in the alley behind the bar, sometimes approaching customers for a treat. Kenzi sometimes bought him canned cat food had named him Mr. Brownie because of his thick, silky chocolate color coat.
Bo talked to the cat in a soft, coaxing voice, hoping that he would just come to her like he always did, but the cat did not move. He just half closed his eyes and mewed at her, before he started to purr.
"Please, please, please, go find somewhere else to take your nap," Bo continued. However, the cat seemed to enjoy that warm spot he was in so much so that it was obvious he had absolutely no intention of moving at all. He tucked himself tightly into a narrow space in the engine compartment, and curled up for a nap.
Bo tried to get him out, but she could not reach him. She considered trying to shoo him away by turning the car on, but was afraid that the cat would get frightened and might hurt himself trying to escape.
Bo checked the time, and figured she had to leave now, so she ran back to the bar. "Hey, Trick, I need to borrow your car!" She yelled. "Mr. Brownie is sleeping behind my engine and I can't get him out of there!"
"That's weird. He's smarter than that..." Trick murmured.
"The keys?" Bo asked with her palm facing up.
"Emm...sure," Trick replied hesitantly. He handed Bo the keys, before he said, "I am having trouble with the autolock though. Whenever I get out of the car and close the door, all the doors lock themselves automatically, even if the engine is off. Make sure you grab the keys before you close the door, okay?"
"Sure, of course, absolutely," Bo answered absentmindedly while checking the time on her phone again.
11:30am - On the Way
Bo was in a hurry, and going over the speed limit. She was too preoccupied to notice a police vehicle that was parked on the side of the road. She hit the brake hard the moment she saw it, but it was too late. The police car immediately turned on its siren and tailed her.
"Ughhhhh!" Bo grunted. She checked the time on her phone again impatiently, and saw a missed call from Tamsin, but had no time to return that call. Taking out her license and registration, she glanced at the police officer who approached her in her rear view mirror, hoping that he would just be like the other police officers who had pulled her over in the past and become distracted by her beauty and not give her a hard time or a ticket.
It was normal at first. The cop checked her ID and the car registration with a polite smile, telling her that she had been speeding. Then he handed those things back to her. Bo tossed them on the passenger seat, thinking he would just let her go after writing her a ticket. Mesmerized by her smile, he cautioned her not to drive over the speed limit again. Bo nodded at him, smiling again while rolling up the window. When she was about to break eye contact, the police officer's face suddenly changed as he recognized her.
"I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to ask you to slowly step out of your vehicle, Ma'am," the officer said politely, yet nervously, his hand slowly reaching for his gun.
"Huh?" Bo murmured, confused.
"Out of the vehicle, now! Hands where I can see them," the officer demanded.
The moment Bo exited the car, she was slammed against the door and was cuffed. "What the hell?!" She yelled as she turned back and stared at the police officer.
"Bo Jones, you are under arrest..." the officer announced as he read her rights, but Bo drifted off when he called her name and she did not even catch what she had been accused of doing. It took her a few seconds to recall that Bo Jones was the alias she had used when she had run away from home. She had committed a few crimes under that name and the police had been looking for her since.
Oh great! Bo thought, unable to believe that after these many years she just happened to run into one cop who recognized her. She had no choice but to charm him and make him forget about her.
After staring at her sillily, the officer uncuffed her and walked back to his car. He waved at Bo with a blank smile on his face before he left. Bo sighed with a relief and pulled on the driver side door.
"Fuck!" Bo cursed when she realized that the door was locked. It was then she remembered what Trick had told her when lending her the car, and remembered that the police officer had closed the door after she had gotten out. The keys were still inside, and so were all of her personal items. The only thing she had on her was her phone.
Bo slammed her hand on the car in frustration as she wondered what she could do if she still wanted to make her appointment on time. She thought about calling triple A, or even Tamsin, but did not have a single bar of signal on her phone. And she knew even if she could call someone, it would take them a while to get here and help her.
Bo went to pick the locks of the car, but all her tools were in her purse and her purse was locked inside.
What am I gonna do? Bo asked herself as she looked around desperately. She had not seen anyone drive by since she had driven into this secluded road, and that was at least half an hour ago. There were no houses around either. The only thing that she could see, within walking distance, was a tiny gas station down the road.
12:20pm - In the Gas Station
Bo saw a motorcycle parked outside the gas station. She thought about stealing it, but that idea made her feel guilty, especially since recently she had almost been arrested for something she had done in the past during her darkest days. After deciding against taking the bike she entered the store.
The cashier girl flushed and gave Bo a shy smile. Bo hesitated for a few seconds, before she charmed the girl and made her agree to lend her that motorcycle.
Feeling guilty about taking advantage of other people, Bo promised her that she would return the motorcycle to her as soon as she was done with her client.
1:25pm - At the Client's House
Bo was relieved that even though she was late for her meeting, her client was very understanding after she explained what had happened. They discussed the details of the case Bo and Kenzi would work for him, and negotiated the price and the payment method. Then Bo waited for his assistant to print out all the files she needed for the investigation.
After she got everything she needed, Bo left his house. She checked the time again on her phone, and noticed that Tamsin had sent her a few texts. She chuckled when she saw her Valkyrie telling her "If you don't make a decision before dinner, I'll have you for dinner". Wanting to hear Tamsin's voice, Bo tried to call back but before she could her phone died.
Bo sighed and got on the motorcycle, thinking that she'd just return it to the gas station cashier, and borrow the phone there to call someone to come over and pick her up. Then she'd just go home, fix some dinner and wait for Tamsin to come home.
4:20pm - On the Way Back to the Gas Station
Bo realized that today was just not her lucky day when she came up on the intersection. When she tried to stop at the red light, she realized too late that the brakes were not working.
Oh no! Bo thought, panicking. She tried again, hoping they would work eventually, but it didn't. She ran through the red light and tried to maneuver around the panicking drivers. Loud honks echoed all around until she was hit by a car.
The last thing Bo remembered was her being thrown from the motorcycle. She thought she could hear sirens, and the EMT people asking her questions, but before she could said anything, she blacked out.
5:45pm - In the Hospital
Bo opened her eyes and realized that she was lying on a hospital bed. Although in pain and feeling really weak, she knew she was not in critical condition. She pressed her hand tightly against her waist and moaned in pain as she sat up searching for her things. She found her ripped jacket and pants in a chair beside her bed, along with her shattered phone.
Bo groaned and lean back on the bed. She hit the call button and waited for a nurse or a doctor to come by but none showed up. She pulled the curtain aside and wanted to find someone to borrow a phone, but found all of the doctors and nurses busy resuscitating someone that had just been sent in.
Bo turned to the other side of her bed, and pulled the curtain on that side. The man lying on the bed behind the curtain opened his eyes and turned toward her.
Bo found the look in his eyes weird but she didn't have time to think about that. "May I borrow your phone?" She asked with a smile.
The man answered her by raising both of his hands, letting Bo know that they were cuffed on the side bar of the bed. "Sorry," he said in a low, husky voice, "that's one of the many things I am not allowed to have."
"Oh," Bo murmured when she saw that the man was shackled to the bed, obviously a prisoner. She gave him another polite smile as she curiously wondered why he did not have an officer with him.
"He's out for a cigarette," the man explained, like he had seen through Bo's thoughts. "Hey, I am not gonna go anywhere," he said as he raised his right foot a little and showed Bo the tracking anklet he was wearing.
"Well, you...have a nice day I guess," Bo said as she grabbed her things. She was about to leave and find a place to get changed, when the man said, "I heard that you wanted to see me?"
Bo frowned. She turned around and stared at the man. "Huh?"
"You have some questions about your brother, do you not?"
Bo froze. She opened her mouth, not even realizing that she had dropped her things on the floor. "Who are you?" She eventually asked, even though she had already figured out the answer herself.
"I think you know exactly who I am," the man said. Then he smiled at her, his smile blooming so slowly like he was so afraid that he would somehow scare her away. "Look at you," he said. "Last time I was with you, you were still a little baby."
Too shocked by such a surprising encounter with her father after a very weird day, Bo stay in silence as she stared back at the man. Her father looked at her with a relieved look in his eyes, and that made Bo suspicious. She somehow felt that this man had already known that they would meet like this, and that made her a little angry. "What the hell is this?" She hissed. "Did you do this to me?" Then she paused, finding her accusation ridiculous, because there was no way this man could have foreseen all the things that had happened today.
"I'm afraid that we don't have time for that," the man said. He took a glance at his iv fluid bag, before he continued,"you are looking for your brother and you have a lot of questions about him, aren't you?"
"Oh so we don't have time to talk about how I got here, but we do time to talk about my brother? Are you actually gonna tell me something useful?" Bo asked, her tone a little impatient and angry.
The man smiled, like he was amused by Bo's attitude. "In the water tank of the second stall in the men's room at the end of the hall, you will find a package," he said.
Bo nodded in reflex, her eyes still staring at the man. She still couldn't believe that he was her father, but she also realized that that warm, loving look in his eye were too genuine for anyone to fake.
Her father gave her a subtle smile. Then he went quiet just like Bo did. He gazed at her like he had a million things to say to her, but didn't know where to start. Eventually his eyes moved to her ring. "I didn't know you were-" he said, his voice shaking a little.
"Oh, yeah," Bo said as she glanced at her ring. It brought a little smile to her face because it reminded her of Tamsin.
"I wish I could tell you to bring your fiancé over for a Thanksgiving dinner or something," the man said. Then he let out a long sigh, before he continued, "maybe...some other time."
Bo suddenly felt her heart shattered by that sigh. She took a step forward, but not sure what she should do. She had dreamed of meeting her father for her entire life, yet she had never thought it would be so unexpectedly. She pictured Tamsin, her, and her parents sitting together having dinner, and she realized that as cheesy as it might seem, a small part of her actually longed for something like that. No mysteries, no murders, no lost father or crazy mother, just a family enjoying a nice dinner together. She swallowed hard and murmured, "Yeah, maybe...some other time."
The man nodded at her, right before a correction officer came in.
"John, you are supposed to talk to people," The officer said as he glanced at Bo, his voice low and his face nervous.
"Relax, she was just asking if she could borrow my phone to call her fiancé," the man replied as he turned to the officer. "She's just a patient here."
"Oh," the officer replied. He glanced at Bo's hospital gown, her patient bracelet and the injuries and bruises on her face and arms, like he was trying to figure out if he had been told the truth. Then he lifted his cap a little, before he put it back on and adjusted it on his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am, he can't help ya," he told Bo.
"Yeah, he has just told me that," Bo replied. "I guess I'll just...go find a nurse."
Before Bo left, she took one last glance at her father, and he gave her a barely there blink as his goodbye.
9:00pm - Tamsin and Bo's Apartment
"Okay, so let me get this straight," Tamsin said after Bo finished her story. "Your father is an inmate, who was probably...receiving some sort of medical treatment in a hospital. And you were admitted into that that exact same hospital after a car accident and assigned a bed right next to his in the ER?"
"Yeah, I know, right? I got hit by a car because I was on my way to return that damn motorcycle with a broken brake. I could have avoided it if Trick's car didn't lock on itself. I could have avoided that if the cop didn't pull me over and close the door. And-"
"You could have been driving your own car, not speeding, if that damn cat didn't take over your convertible," Tamsin finished what Bo was about to say.
Bo frowned and said, "so Mr. Brownie's morning nap triggered all these things? And whatever happened today is just...a big coincidence? But, he has the package hidden for me, which means he knew I would be there, or-"
"-or it was the biggest coincidence I've ever heard in any of my many life times," Tamsin said. "Your little butterfly effect story aside, I'm more interested in that package your father asked you to get."
"Then let's take a look at it together."
9:30pm - Tamsin and Bo's Apartment
Bo took out a plastic bag from her jacket pocket, and unwrapped it. In the bag there was a cassette tape.
"Who the fuck still uses cassette tapes?!" Tamsin grunted.
"I don't know, my father?" Bo replied. "Do we even have a walkman here?"
"Unless you've hidden the one your elementary school boyfriend gave you, no," Tamsin answered as she grabbed her pants. "We do have a player in the precinct though."
Bo nodded as she started to get dressed. Then she help the Valkyrie hooking her bra as she laid a kiss on her shoulder.
10:25pm - The Police Station
With Bo sitting on her lap and one of her arms around the brunette's waist, Tamsin pressed the play button on the cassette player.
The audio started with a short period of an old song. Then there were a few seconds of white noise. Then, they heard Bo's father's voice.
"Hello, Bo," her father said calmly. "By the time you are listening to this, we should have already met." He paused for a second or two, before he continued, "I wish we could have this conversation in person, but I'm afraid that when we meet, there won't be enough time."
"Your brother is one of those...cursed ones. That is how we used to call people like him in my family, someone born with Fae power and an evil soul. It was a tough decision, to send you away, because your mother was convinced that if we didn't he'd hurt you. After that, your mother and I spent years trying to help him, but we couldn't. Your mother blamed herself, and me, so much that she eventually became mentally unstable. One minute she'd want to kill him, the next she'd become overprotective of him. Our marriage fell apart inevitably, and she left us. I've exhausted every help, every resource and every method, trying to help your brother, until I realized that there was nothing I could do. I had no choice but to send him to a facility which specialized in helping with his condition. Unfortunately, an accident happened to that facility two years after he went there, and I haven't seen him since. You will hear the address of that facility at the end of this tape."
The man paused for a few seconds, and let out a deep sigh. "Bo, I wish we had made a different decision back then. It is just..." Instead of finishing his sentence, he went quiet, leaving Bo's heart hanging. Then he said, "we will see each other, very soon."
After a few seconds of white noise, a synthesized voice said, "the coordinate you requested is 35 17 and -83 40." Then, the recording ended.
Bo stayed quiet for a few seconds, before she frowned and asked, "did you just hear that?"
"The coordinates? Yeah of course, I bet it's the latitude and the longitude of that facility. If we google it we should-"
"No," Bo interrupted Tamsin. "I meant, the last thing my father said. We will see each other, very soon. He knew we were going to meet!"
"Probably just figure of speech," Tamsin shrugged as she looked up the coordinates online.
"No, I don't think so," Bo said. "It's just...the way he said it. And also the way he acted and the way he looked at me when we met today. And of course, the hidden package. He had this all planned, but how? How could he have known that we were going to meet there?"
"Foresight maybe?" Tamsin murmured. "Hey I've got an address. Hmmm...it's 15 hours drive one way, I guess I'll have to request some time off before we go…."
Bo nodded absentmindedly, still thinking about how her father could have known about their reunion ahead.
- The Next Day -
8:50pm - The Dal
Bo was sitting at a corner table waiting for Tamsin while sipping her drink. She was checking out the guests in the bar, when someone approached her.
"Is this seat taken?" A woman asked her with a smile so warm that it could melt the snow.
"Actually it is," Bo replied, finding the woman stunning, yet there was something in those hazel eyes that she wanted to stay away from.
"It's okay. I'll be quick," the woman said in a wink. "Tamsin won't be here until 9:28 anyway."
Bo frowned when she heard that. She stared at the woman. Somehow she had a feeling that she had seen her somewhere, but she had a hard time recalling when or where. "Do we...know each other?" Bo asked.
The woman nodded with a teasing grin. Then she said, "I'm sorry I had to put you through that car accident. That had to happen."
"What?" Bo asked, her eyebrows furrowed. She unconsciously reached for her dagger, as she asked, "what did you just say?"
"I had to put you in that car accident so you could meet your father," the woman replied.
"How could you-" Bo asked, frowning. "What did you-you couldn't have possibly made that happen! How could you put me in that car accident?"
"Through a series of events. The cat. Trick's car. That cop. The motorcycle," the woman said slowly. "Then, the car accident."
Bo huffed out a light laugh. "There is no way you could have known about all those things," she said.
The woman smiled. She licked her bottom lip and turned to the bar. "In about five seconds there, your grandfather is going to give away a free drink," she said.
Yeah, right. Bo thought as she glanced at Trick. To her surprise, Trick accidentally spilled beer over a customer's clothes and so he offered him a free drink.
"How the hell did you know that?!" Bo exclaimed as she stared at the woman, wondering if it was some trick she had played on her grandfather.
"Simple. That faucet on the beer dispenser has gotten loose, so he filled up the mug with more beer than normal. He had dropped a bottle on the floor earlier, but had no time to pick it up. He got the beer, turned to his customer, stepped on the bottle and lost his balance a little. He could have avoided spilling, if the mug hadn't been that full. So, the wet customer got a free drink."
"Okay, that's ridiculous. How do you even know that dispenser has gotten loose?"
"Because," the woman grinned mysteriously. "I just do. It's kinda my thing."
"Who are you?" Bo asked again. "And why did you...arrange the meeting between me and my father?"
"Your father asked for my help. He didn't want you to be involved in his...quote unquote, deep shit trouble. He didn't want anyone to know that you were his daughter, and that you two would meet. He wanted it to look like two people randomly encountered each other at some public location, so no one would suspect anything."
"But, but-" Bo mumbled. "How? How could you possibly-"
The woman shrugged, before she stood up and walked to the back door.
"Hey wait!" Bo exclaimed as she followed her.
"Relax, your Valkyrie will go through that door in about 10 seconds, and she'll explain everything to you," the woman said to her before she exited the door.
Bo rushed out, but saw no one in the back alley. She only saw Mr. Brownie at the corner. The cat glanced at her, before he disappeared.
That was when Bo figured out why that woman looked so familiar. She had the exact same eyes as that cat.
"Mr. Brownie…?" Bo murmured as she went back inside with a stunned look on her face. Then she met the Valkyrie's curious blue eyes.
"What did I miss?" Tamsin asked.
10:02pm - In the Dal
"Wow, you've probably encountered a fate Fae. She has to be a Dola," Tamsin said after Bo finished telling her about that woman. "They are extremely rare, like...there are probably only a handful out there. They have many forms, men, women, animals, and that's why she can appear as a woman, or that dumb cat Kenzi feed everyday."
"So they can see the future or something? Like a foresight?"
"No, it's more like...they know every single things that has happened before and is happening right now, no matter how trivial or insignificant it is. And they use them to make a...some sort of prediction of the near future. That's why she could arrange that meeting. She knew certain things would trigger other things, and she kinda...connected the dots to form a route for you, leading you towards your father," Tamsin explained. "I'm willing to bet that bitch did the exact same thing to your father, so he could appear at that hospital the same time you did and no one would suspect a thing."
"But-" Bo murmured, trying to digest all the information she had just heard. "Okay, I get it. She changed to Mr. Brownie to take my car away from me, but how could she be sure that I'd ask for Trick's car?"
Tamsin raised her eyebrows, before she chuckled mockingly. "Who else could you have possibly turned to for help in the early morning? Me, who was a hour away? That Ogre cleaning guy who drools over you every time he sees you?"
"How did she even know I'd be speeding then?"
"'Cause that's what most people do when they are running late for a meeting!" Tamsin said.
"What about that cop then?"
"Well, she knew his daily routine, how he would react to certain things, and his habits and stuff. She's a Dola. She just knows things, but it's not a foresight. Everything they know, is a prediction they made from some previous knowledge."
"Okay," Bo nodded. "Still weird."
"You know, most people whose lives were intervened by a Dola would just consider those things as fate, because otherwise they can't explain why those things have happened that way."
"Fate, huh?" Bo said, huffing out a light laugh. "Actually I never really believed in things like fate. I believe in possibilities, choices and consequences."
"Well, I think it depends how you really look at it," Tamsin said as she leaned forward, her lips almost touching Bo's. "How do you know that the same shit wouldn't happen to you even if you made different choices? It's not like you can just go back, make a different choice and see if it has changed anything."
"So you think things happen because they are supposed to happen," Bo said.
"Could be," Tamsin replied.
Bo chuckled, before she said, "then what about you falling in love with me, hmmm? You were just gonna fall for me no matter what huh?"
"Hey, ain't my fault you are this hard to get rid of," Tamsin replied, before she gave Bo a kiss on her lips. "And no, you are definitely not my fate," she added teasingly.
"Then what am I, hmmm?"
"An inevitable misfortune?" Tamsin said with a chuckle. Then she pulled the brunette closer for a deep, long kiss.