Bo was pacing the back room at the Dal. She was trying her hardest to follow her wife's request not to go after Mr. Lewis. It was suicide, she knew. No doubt he was hiding behind his political seat and resistance lackeys. He would know Bo would be after him. Maybe that's what he wanted.
It's exactly what Bo wanted to do.
He had come to their home and tried to shoot his own daughter. Tamsin had noticed first, fae instincts and all, and jumped in front of the bullet. Lauren explained that it punctured the woman's lungs and some other organs; she had also lost a lot of blood, and they lost her once on the operating table. Lauren had apparently gone badass on the Light fae in the room when they were going to give up because Tamsin was Dark.
Bo felt pride that her wife would stand up for something so strongly like that. The fact that Tamsin was there at all was bad enough. Fae politics about clans shouldn't have been anybody's concerns when there was a life on the table. Bo decided to be more proactive, taking to heart what Lauren said Mr. Lewis told them before he pulled a weapon. So, she went to see Trick, hoping he would have some answers on exactly how to get this throne acceptance ritual thingy started. The sooner she did it, the sooner the resistance would be annhilated by default. She wasn't stupid, though; even if that resistance was defeated, there was a bigger chance at a much larger and more dangerous resistance once she went to change the fae laws again. Much like Trick had done when he rewrote the laws with his blood.
Lauren was busy taking shifts back and forth with Dyson over who watched Tamsin. Surprisingly, Lauren's old apartment at the compound was still vacant but still furnished, so Lachlan didn't protest when they just moved themselves in for a few hours to get some rest. They just seemed to settle there.
Lauren felt guilty and responsible, so she had barely moved from Tamsin's bedside. It had been four days, and the woman still hadn't woken up from surgery. Lauren refused to let her wake up alone in that place, so she took shifts with Dyson and would only go rest in her apartment for a few hours, making sure to take care of Briann and Bo.
Lachlan never bothered them or visited once. Bo thought that was suspicious, but she figured he was just trying to ignore the situation for political reasons. If he didn't see a Dark fae in his medical facilities, then he could claim ignorance if it came back to bite him in the ass.
Lauren worked out of the Light Fae compound these past few days, too. While there, she was watching over Tamsin, who she had moved into the lab with her so she could monitor the woman, still be there, and still do her work and see patients. She apparently didn't really trust anyone else to take care of her friend.
Lauren had actually called Tamsin her "friend." It wasn't just Tamsin or the detective. She called her "friend." That meant a lot to her wife, Bo could tell. Even with all of the running she had done over the years, Bo understood she didn't make friends because she moved around so much. Lauren stayed rooted in one spot and had no friends. Not until Bo entered the picture, where she got Kenzi by default. That didn't count as much, though, because they were lovers and Kenzi was actually Bo's friend. Then, Nadia entered the picture, but how do you open up to an ex who still has feelings for you but you don't feel the same? Tamsin being in Lauren's life was actually a great thing. Even though there was an intense attraction from both ends, Tamsin was the first friend Lauren had outside Bo's circle who she hadn't been intimate with before, and Bo trusted they would never be intimate.
Tamsin definitely proved she was a good friend, too.
Bo had never been happier that her wife brought the detective into the fold. She definitely earned her stripes, and if she survived this, then Bo was going to try and give her less grief. Anybody who took a bullet for her wife was okay in her book. Bo could learn to overlook the fact that the woman wanted to jump her wife's bones.
So now, she was here at the Dal. She was being proactive. She was working with Trick to send her on this reflection trip thingy as soon as she was confident her family was safe from the resistance and would be for the required 24 hours she would be off grid. She wanted Tamsin, Dyson, Hale, and Vex all ready to protect Lauren and Briann. She wanted Kenzi and Alexie safe, too.
Bo was going to become Queen once and for all and stop dancing around with it.
It was time to decide.
It was time to make a choice.
She was being proactive, and it was scaring the shit out of her. Kenzi had the kids back at the compound, guards surrounding the apartment. Lauren was probably taking a sleeping shift now; maybe even playing with Briann while she was there instead of taking care of her own needs first. That meant Dyson would be with Tamsin. Hale had his crew on extra guard at the farm. Vex stayed with Bo when she wasn't at the compound. Evony had even called, saying she heard about the incident and being helpful in her way by adding intel to watch the Prime Minister's every move. If he took a shit, some weird fae was right there with him, sending back information so they knew exactly where he was at all times.
Bo was glad he was scared. He had extra security detail added, too, proving just how scared he was. He should be scared. He just pissed off the Fae Queen, and he did it in the worst possible way. Whoever was pulling his puppet strings was really going to pay for ordering an assassination on Lauren; twice. To send her own father to do the job made it so much worse.
Bo wanted to do something. She had to do something because nobody was messing with her family again like that.
So, she had to result to pacing in the Dal's back room. Vex had since fallen asleep on the job, but Bo couldn't really scold him for it. He had already put in enough hours and deserved a break. She wasn't going to do anything stupid, and she also knew Lauren had insisted on him being here to make sure that didn't happen. Bo really wanted to tear Mr. Lewis a new one, but she could stay calm. Okay, so calm was the wrong word.
Control.
She was proving her control right now.
She was on high alert, too, which was why she held the knife at the ready when she heard the door open. She relaxed and realized she could use a nap, too. Trick came in, forlorn smile on his face, as he laid down a tray full of tea and cookies for them.
"I thought you could use a break." He chuckled lightly as he poured some tea into an ornate ceramic cup. "Actually, my floors could use a break, too." He handed her a teacup, and she almost didn't want to take it, too afraid of letting down her guard. She relented when she saw her grandfather's worried expression, so she accepted the cup and sat down on the couch next to him. "Lauren, Kenzi, and the kids will be fine. They're safe there. Even with Lauren's position changed, Lachlan will not deny her anything she needs. Nor you, for that matter."
"Yeah, well, you wouldn't know it. He's been MIA. I tried calling him, left several messages, and even interrupted one of his meetings, but I have yet to talk to him. Lauren hasn't even sent a report to him or Evony since we've been back. I'm surprised they've not come banging down our doors like they did last time." Bo recalled how Lauren became so engrossed in her research once, early on in the farm lab's first months, and had not given reports to the two leaders for over a week. Neither of them were fans of that and had came by the farmhouse, thank goodness at separate times, to threaten them all if protocol wasn't followed. Lauren never missed a report since unless it was approved or unless some major crisis existed. Neither Evony nor Lachlan would consider a Dark Fae detective getting shot as high priority crisis. She hadn't given an official report since before they left, and granted she only had one week's worth of work to report, but they would still have been trying to figure out why she didn't send them anything. "I'm actually worried about him, but I know he's there. He keeps telling me to get Lauren to set up an appointment with him, as though that's the pressing issue right now. That's all he'll say before he takes off or hangs up with me."
"Wait, when was the last time Lauren went to see Lachlan?" Trick narrowed his eyes, looking to the side as though thinking about something. He wasn't hiding anything, but he obviously knew something.
"Not since her sister's funeral; well, we saw him there, but we didn't really speak. So, I guess she saw him before that officially." Bo actually had to think about that. They had been so engrossed in their drama the past few months that phone conversations were the only correspondence either of them had with Lachlan or Evony. When Lauren called to make her request for vacation leave, he told her she wouldn't be paid for the two weeks, which was strange enough since he rarely talked money issues, but he had also started his "Lauren needs to come see me right away" diatribe back then.
"He's right. She needs to go see him right away." Now Trick had apparently joined in. "And before you ask, because I know you, she has to go alone, and it's not my place to tell you why. Just know that it has to be done this way or not at all."
"I'm really not in the mood for this, Trick." Bo laid down the teacup and wrapped what she could of her face into her hands, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. She squeezed and took deep, calming breaths.
"This is actually a good thing, Bo. Trust me. Go call Lauren and tell her it's important." Trick placed his hand on Bo's shoulder, trying to comfort her. She had to admit it worked a little. She took another deep breath and moved her hands to her thighs. "I thought she had already gone, from the way you were talking and acting, or I would have said something sooner."
"This better not be some extra work crap. That's the last thing she needs on her right now." Bo pulled her phone from her pocket and flicked her thumb to turn it on. As she was dialing, she looked at Trick when she heard it ringing. "And he better not threaten to punish her, either, or I'll take out all of my stress right now on his testicles."
"Hello?" Lauren sounded exhausted, and Bo gave the evil eye to Trick, knowing her wife had probably just gotten to sleep. Her panicked sleepy tone indicated as much. "Bo? Everything okay? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I'm sorry I woke you. I'll leave here soon and come over. I'm sure Kenzi is tired, too. I can take baby duty." Bo knew it was only the afternoon, but they all deserved a nap right now. "How's Briann?"
"She's right here with me; asleep finally." Lauren sighed into the phone; no wonder she was being quiet. "She has an ear infection, so I didn't want Kenzi to have to put her down for a nap. Poor Kenz is already exhausted, and Alexie is keeping her hands full right now enough as it is. He's apparently finally hit the terrible twos. With Bri being the rotten booger she is, we need to really do something huge for Kenz for taking care of her so much."
"Long ass spa weekend where we take care of the kids coming right up." Bo was more than appreciative of her best friend. "Listen, I'll let you get back to sleep, and I'll come over here in a bit, definitely before Briann wakes up. Just, remember how Lachlan has been riding us about getting you to meet with him these past two months?"
"Yeah, I was going to do that while I was here, but I've been so…I got a little sidetracked." Lauren sighed into the phone, her voice muffling, which meant she fell further into the pillow.
"Well, Trick is on me about it now, too. When you get up, why not give his Ashiness a call? I can take over a Tamsin shift for you, if you need." Bo knew Dyson would volunteer to stick around more, too. He was worried about his partner, Bo could tell. There weren't any romantic feelings there, but she could sense a fondness and appreciation for what the woman had done. It was something Bo could definitely understand. "Right now, get some sleep, okay? I'll be there soon."
"Okay." Lauren didn't protest, which proved her exhaustion was winning over her drive and need to be other places and doing other things. They exchanged quiet goodbyes and "I love yous," Bo blushing slightly when Trick looked at her with a teasing smirk on his face. She looked over at a sleeping Vex and decided not to disturb him, either.
"I'm heading back to the compound. Briann has an ear infection, and Lauren finally passed out from exhaustion. Don't worry; she'll go see the Ash." Bo stood, nodding her head toward the snoring Vex. "He won't bother you if he stays?"
"I hate to admit I've kind of gotten used to him anymore." Trick rolled his eyes in amusement, as he stood to grab the tray. "Call me and let me know how it goes, okay?"
"I'm not sure I want to know how it goes." Bo knew it was the truth. Any time Lachlan requested an audience, it was never a good thing. No matter how much Trick seemed to believe the opposite was true.
Lauren wanted to react, but she didn't know how to yet. She was already overly tired and stressed from monitoring Tamsin. At least Briann's ear infection was clearing up nicely, and Bo was being extra helpful yesterday and today.
Her meeting with Lachlan was scheduled for this morning, before she made her way down to the lab to take over from Dyson, who had probably already left. She had brought the last two months' worth of work and notes with her, expecting to be scolded for not reporting much. She was preparing her already exhausted emotions to be ready for getting into trouble. Lachlan wasn't stupid enough to put her in the dungeon right now, which very well could have happened considering she was using Light resources to harbor a Dark patient.
She wasn't prepared to react to this, though.
Lauren didn't know whether to feel intense relief or anger. Possibly a combination of both? Right now, she was going to focus on the pissed aspect. This went beyond the worst move he could ever make, claiming he had to follow protocol and it was up to her to follow through. He could only request the meeting, but she had to be the one to actually show for it.
That asshole. Ashhole, Kenzi called him.
Lauren was free. She hadn't been enslaved to the Light for the past two months. It explained quite a bit about their interactions lately, but she was focusing on the pissed and allowing that to expel from her body first so she could react accordingly and actually revel in being completely free and what that meant.
Two months, though? She had to waste two extra months believing she was indentured to the Light, all because of protocol. He couldn't tell her this over the phone? Better yet, he couldn't tell her this at Hadley's funeral, considering they were both there and it was the exact reason she was no longer owned by him?
Lauren understood why Bo felt the urge to punch walls sometimes, but she didn't think her hand would survive the compound's structural defense.
She wanted to scream, but she didn't think all of the fae walking around her down these halls would appreciate her outburst. Besides, she was cool and collected Dr. Lauren Lewis. She didn't have outbursts; not even for this. Since she was already on her way to the lab, she could bury her anger in work for now. That would calm her down. She should call Bo and tell her, since it was obvious her wife was worried and sending a lot of those vibes through the bond. She was no doubt even more worried now that Lauren was reacting with such strong anger. Still, Lauren knew that if she saw Bo, she would release her anger completely and go right into despair, and she refused to break down in front of her colleagues.
So, she shot Bo a quick text that everything was okay and not to worry. As an afterthought, knowing her wife too well, she sent another message that she would tell her everything once she calmed down but that it wasn't a bad thing. As another afterthought, she sent another message to tell Bo not to go attack Lachlan. It wasn't really his fault because he did follow the fae laws and procedures regarding these things. The fact that he requested her necklace, which she wasn't even wearing and she let him know exactly why, had been the moment she realized how real this was.
As she walked into the lab doors, the very doors she had walked through for the first time nine years ago, Lauren saw this place with a new lens. Once upon a time, she had thought of this as home, often spending more hours in here than her actual apartment. She rarely came here anymore, but the fact that she came here today, when she got her official release papers made her actual freedom more realistic. It was something Bo had fought so long for, and here it was. In a way, Bo had been the one to bring about this moment, but in the end if was Hadley's hatred and despair that had been her savior. Her death made the deal null and void. Lauren didn't like the way she had to get her freedom; if it meant bringing back her sister, giving her back her old happiness and life, then Lauren would recommit, even if Hadley had been nothing but awful and ungrateful.
Now, though, she had more to worry about than her sister. Lauren felt her anger dissipate and be replaced by concern as she approached Tamsin's bed. As she suspected, Dyson was gone when she got there. He had to get back to work today, but it was obvious he hadn't been gone long. Lauren didn't like Tamsin being alone, even for ten minutes. The beeping from the heart monitor indicated her rate was increased. Lauren came over to check out that things were okay and was relieved to find the familiar signs of someone waking up after their body experienced a traumatic event. Everything was clear and the wound was already healing, but her internal organs would still feel raw.
Lauren moved on instinct to prepare for what would happen next, wanting to give the other woman a complete checkup and put more salve on the wound. Tamsin's body was covered in a few scars, and Lauren didn't want to presume she would want them gone. The Valkyrie was a proud warrior, and she probably was proud of her battle scars. It's why Lauren didn't use her scar reducing cream on anything but the new wound; she made the medical decision not to give the woman a constant reminder of what happened since this wasn't a scar gathered from the battlefield.
Once she was ready for the woman to wake, Lauren knew she just had to wait, so she sat by her bed and read the latest medical journal articles online that she had missed this past month. She was halfway through an interesting article on percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary-artery bypass grafting when she heard the hard breath and ruffling from the bed. She looked up to notice Tamsin was trying to adjust her eyes to the harsh lighting in the lab. Lauren winced, realizing she had forgotten there was no dimming the lights much in here. There were still people working outside of the privacy curtains, so she couldn't exactly ask them to stop what they were doing or ask them to do it with less light.
Instead, she laid down her tablet on the table and smiled, feeling relief that the woman was finally awake. She was a doctor first, but Lauren could admit she was happy from a friend standpoint, as well. Not to mention the fact that this woman had saved her life.
The fact that the bullet hit not far from where Emily had stabbed Lauren was not lost on her.
She came to sit on the bed next to her friend, hoping that the woman wouldn't be stupid and try to move too much.
"Oh, damn. What was in that bullet?" Tamsin was still trying to adjust her eyes. When she finally had them half open, she looked at Lauren and smiled. "Good to see you up and well, though I'm seriously rethinking saving your ass again if this is what I get for it."
"Thank you." It was all Lauren could think to say. She placed her hand on Tamsin's exposed arm, careful not to disturb the needle sticking from it or the various wires surrounding her. "Thank you."
"Mmm…so…you found me out. I'm the 'Sleeping Beauty' type." Tamsin tried to lift her head but decided better for it as she let it fall back into the pillow. Lauren just smiled at her, glad the woman felt well enough to joke around. "Yet, I sense a distinct lack of kissing, so I'm guessing that was a dream."
"Probably a good thing considering the five day morning breath." Lauren let out a sigh through her smile. It was good to see the woman's deep blue eyes return to the waking world. "How much does it hurt?" Lauren grabbed the stethoscope from around her neck and pulled back Tamsin's robe to check her heart and listen to her lungs. "You're healing perfectly, but your body underwent some shock. Your lungs, stomach, and pancreas were punctured, and the bullet was lodged in your liver. You coded once, but you were only gone for thirty seconds. We had to do extensive surgery to stop the bleeding and repair the damage; you lost quite a bit of blood, but I managed to get you here in time."
"Where is here exactly?" Tamsin barely moved her head as she noticed the makeshift hospital room.
"The Light Fae compound." Lauren felt her smile falter as she moved to start checking some more vitals. She could do a better workup on her healing now that she could get physical and verbal reactions from her patient. "Before you panic, they know you're here, and nobody is going to bother you."
"Did you say I was out for five days?" Tamsin tried to sit up, and Lauren knew the woman would be stubborn about it so she compromised and helped her make the bed sit upright more where she was still keeping pressure off from her wounds and bandages. "That's some intense beauty sleep. I better look 50 years younger when I look in the mirror."
"I can have someone help get you bathed after this, but unfortunately, I'm keeping you on the feeding tube and colostomy bag for another day or two so I can better monitor your healing." Lauren went about finishing her checkup, and she noticed the woman stiffening her jaw and fighting back tears when she would touch certain spots. She was trying not to act weak.
"Well, there goes that hot date I had with Channing Tatum." Tamsin's voice was coming back to her, and she was starting to sound more like herself instead of a woman who had been in a mini coma for the past five days. "Though, waking up with you watching over me might have made up for that a little."
"Flirting with your doctor doesn't get you very far in here." Lauren made some notes on her chart before putting it back on the end of the table. Since she was finished, she came to sit in the spot beside Tamsin on the bed again, gripping their hands together. "Seriously? Thank you."
"What happened with your father? I imagine Bo has his head on a stick in your front yard about now." Tamsin seemed amused by this, and there was a look in her eye that indicated if Bo didn't do it, she would be doing it as soon as she was able. Lauren closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She felt the exhaustion in her body hit her again. "Hey, you okay?"
"You just woke up from a five day coma recovering after major trauma surgery, and you're asking me if I'm okay?" Lauren took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before finally expelling the air. "What my father said about you being trash couldn't be further from the truth."
"He probably sees me that way. Hell, most fae see me that way, even the Dark. Even Dyson at first. It's who I am; no sense in denying it." Tamsin squeezed their hands. She was obviously fighting through her pain, and Lauren stood to grab her some extra pain medication. "I've never felt what you have with Bo. I'm not really capable of it. I've tried, but it never works out. Like I said before, we could have been mildly happy pre-Bo, but I don't trust anyone. It makes my job harder. Between the two of us, we would have imploded more than anything in our relationship. I guess you can say I'm the bad seed in my family. I want more and try to rebel, and I keep getting punished and thrown in the gutter for it."
"Tamsin, you need to rest."
"I've been resting for five days. I can stay awake for a while."
"You don't have to tell me this, and I don't want you to become distant once you do." Lauren knew that was what she would have done. Hell, it is what she did on numerous occasions. She had done it in all three of her relationships at some point. At least Bo was stubborn enough to fight through it until she was comfortable with this new emotional response way of life. Lauren highly doubted Tamsin was thinking clearly right now, and she didn't want to lose her friend if she didn't give her an out right now.
"It's not that big a story, really. I've always been the ultimate definition of a Valkyrie. I just don't take shit, and that makes people uncomfortable. So, I question authority one too many times and get thrown in prison down in South America." Tamsin didn't even seem like she wanted to apologize for anything, but Lauren couldn't imagine the woman doing something bad enough to be imprisoned. "I was there for twenty years until one day, the Morrigan calls me up for a special assignment. I'm supposed to take care of an important client, and I'm the only one badass enough to do it. She puts me on some weird cop thing with Dyson, and I'm there to keep watch on Bo as much as possible, except it turns out…we don't like each other. Makes my job difficult. Then, I meet you, and it all makes sense: why Bo and I never got along; why Bo fights the way she does; why she's so frustrating. It's because she knows she has something so big in her life to fight for. Being around you and Bo these past few months, I get that. It makes me proud that I fought for my freedom all those years ago, and it makes me proud to fight and protect you now. So, if someone shoots at you, I'm going to jump every time. End of story. Okay?"
"Okay." Lauren closed her eyes and let the story sink in. Without saying the words, Tamsin declared her loyalty to them. That was something a Valkyrie wasn't supposed to do; they were always supposed to remain impartial because it could be their friends they had to face or take with them on the battlefield. It's why she wasn't saying the words directly. "I'm going to get the nurses in here to help bathe you. I'll be by to check on you every so often. I know Dyson is dying to know you're okay, so you may see him appear before I check on you next. Is that okay?"
"Eh, send in wolfboy. He can't do any damage." Tamsin went to laugh but ended up coughing and heaving from the pain instead. Lauren checked the pain dispenser monitor and upped the dosage a little before standing up next to the bed, still staring down at her friend. For some reason, Lauren looked at this woman with a newfound respect. She no longer felt an intense attraction to the woman; somehow, it had shifted into an intense respect and admiration. Without dwelling too much, Lauren leaned over slowly and kissed Tamsin lightly on the lips, ignoring the bad smells and focusing instead on conveying her emotions through a simple touch of lips. When she pulled back, Lauren chuckled at Tamsin's closed eyes and still puckered lips, which turned into a huge grin. "Well, I know that if I don't heal, I can die a happy woman now."
"If you need anything, call me. Your phone is beside your bed, fully loaded and ready to go." Lauren smoothed back greasy blonde locks from the woman's face, letting out a deep breath. "You're going to be better in a few days, but you'll need to take it easy and listen to doctor's orders, okay?"
"If the succubus doesn't kill me first." Tamsin still only smirked. They both knew the kiss didn't mean anything other than conveying that they had found a place together finally. Bo would know that, too. There was no need to hide it from her. She would probably be pissed for a few minutes but would realize how much easier it would be for them all to move on from the unnecessary jealousies and focus on the more important things. Lauren double checked that Tamsin didn't need anything before she left the nurses to their job.
It was time to go and celebrate her official freedom with her wife.