Author's note:

Hi everyone, I know I always gush here, but I can't help it, you are all really amazing. I can't tell you just how much your reviews, follows and favourites all mean to me! I read all of your reviews and love them so much, they really help me to keep the story flowing in a good direction.

After all our heartbreak from Anna Silk's announcement, I thought a nice long chapter was in order.

Well, this chapter. Oh boy. It took me a little longer because it's a bit of a roller-coaster and really went somewhere unexpected for me. I hope you like it.

Chapter 7 - Bond

"It's definitely her, I can feel it" Evony declared once she was safely through the doors of the Ash's Light Fae office. Throne room might have been more accurate and the Dark Fae leader wondered if the Light were ever going to come into the current century. She quickly realised that if she was right about Lauren, it would be a moot point, there would be no more Dark or Light fae, only one fae nation, united.

"What makes you so sure?" Trick stared down at The Morrigan from his throne like seat behind an oversized and jeweled marble desk that was placed upon a stage with stained glass windows allowing the light in behind it. "One attack does not a saviour make"

Evony ascended the stairs to be level with The Ash and took a seat across from the small statured man. Leaning back and crossing her legs as if her only concern was appearing in the best light at the best angle, the leanan sidhe waved her hand dramatically "darling, the attack merely helps confirm what we already knew. Besides, I did a little... Reconnaissance last night" Evony smirked knowingly across the desk "the whole sunshine gang was present except for my little Vexie, which reminds me, I'll have to let him come back from London if this is all going down" she examined her perfectly manicured nails as if lost in thought.

Trick scowled towards his opposition "may I enquire as to what your little spy mission uncovered?"

"Of course deary, we're working for the same team now, remember?" Another smirk came across her face as Trick's displeasure was evident in his posture and frown "as you know, I can sense talent. Sitting with all of them, I have never felt so full. I could feel their talent for battle, the cumulative intelligence which seemed to permeate from our dear healer as well as more passion than I've ever known... Quite the aphrodisiac, if you know what I mean" The Morrigan leaned across the desk and winked at the Blood King. "I would have come earlier but I had a definite itch to scratch..."

Trick winced at the crude words before shaking it off "We're not on the same side yet, and be careful who you say that to, or the elders will have us both killed before we can even utter the word 'peace'..." The Ash instinctively looked around the empty room for anyone who may have heard before remembering they were completely alone "are you saying my granddaughter was present? Are her and Lauren back together?"

"I'm not sure about that one, I'll leave the prying into the succubus' love life all up to you. If Lauren is indeed the one, we'll need to ensure their relationship is strong, I won't become a slave to the underworld because the scissor sisters can't get their shit together" Evony was being cruder than she normally would be, but The Ash's visible discomfort was just too delicious to leave be.

"Isabeau certainly loves Lauren, I know that. She is just... Unfocused and I hate to say it about my blood kin, but she can be selfish. I fear she has done too much damage to repair. I will however, try... To guide her in the right direction" Trick spoke although it was more him thinking aloud "I have also asked Dyson to provide extra protection to the doctor"

"Dyson!" Evony exclaimed causing the Blood King to jump in his seat "could he be the warrior? He has far more experience in battle than your insolent granddaughter!" The Morrigan beamed as though she had cracked a great equation "the two of them have been getting close lately, I saw it last night!"

Trick couldn't help but laugh at the assertion before reigning himself in when he noticed the unimpressed look staring back at him. "I think we can cross that union off the list of possibility. Dyson sees Lauren as more of a sibling and, well... He lacks a certain... How shall I put this?" Trick drummed his fingers together trying to formulate his words.

"Lauren is as straight as a circle?" Evony interjected before Trick could continue with his lacking explanation "I know, believe me... I know" there was that smirk again "I thought maybe she, well, I thought she may have had broader horizons like your granddaughter. Honestly, I'm surprised she doesn't! It's certainly not the fae way to limit yourself in love and pleasure!"

"Even fae are born with preferences Evony, and whilst I know it would be a completely foreign concept to you, some even show such a thing as restraint!" Trick scolded as though the fae across from him didn't match his age, or maybe even surpass it. "But yes, I don't believe the doctor would change her romantic preferences, even for the sake of a prophesy. Actually... Especially for the sake of a prophesy!"

"Fine, fine. Hell, maybe it's me?" Evony mused pursing her lips before letting out a chuckle "who am I kidding? Monogamy never suited me, I'd be a terrible mate for the healer of our people. Besides, whomever it is will have to deal with losing her, and I pity their poor soul for it... Anyway, her love life isn't the highest concern. If she is the healer, more attacks are coming, and I have reason to believe they will increase in severity as we draw closer to the rising of Hel. That bitch... I don't know if the wolf and my valkyrie are enough to protect her, especially if they don't know what's coming. Don't you think it's time to let her in on her own destiny?"

Trick had listened intently through Evony's jokes, musings and ideas. Taking a moment to consider his answer the Blood King breathed deeply before answering "I know many signs are pointing towards the fact that it is her, but attacks are not rare in our community, unfortunately. This could be an isolated incident and we would risk revealing the prophecies when they are totally irrelevant to our time, showing our hand and risking ourselves in the process. I think we should wait until we have a better understanding and confirmation. I feel that we should both seek council from our sides seer's as to whether they sense a stirring in the fates and reconvene at another time."

"Fine. I am almost entirely convinced Lauren is the one, but we can both seek confirmation... Oh, and sorry about this, but we must keep up our appearances my dear" Evony said as she rose, grinning as she made her way towards the exit of the Ash's office. while Trick followed her with his eyes and a confused look plastered across his face before The Morrigan opened the door and turned back towards him yelling out "listen you little fuck-knuckle! Your little Light minions may bow to you but I sure as shit won't! Summon me again with no fucking reason and I will melt you where you sit!" Evony surveyed the outside of the office taking note of a few fae all frozen in their place watching intently as the Dark leader exited the office. Satisfied that she had caused enough of a scene she gave the now irritated Ash an exaggerated wink behind the door before strutting away from the Light compound to her waiting limo.

Both leaders were still reluctant to fully believe that this was the foretold time. Not only would it mean battle, it would also mean they would lose their positions of power and all they ever knew would change. They could only hope that if they aligned themselves correctly, there would still be a place for them in the new world.

...

Lauren perked up to a light knocking at her bedroom door. She hadn't set an alarm after the party at Evony's insistence as she had left, but old habits die hard so Lauren found herself waking at 7am on the dot, still a sleep in by her standards. The rest of the uninvited guests were probably still strewn around her lounge area, all having had way too much to drink to even consider driving. Even with their fae metabolisms, the buckthorne and bottles of aged scotch would be enough to bench them for the night as well as maybe ensure hangovers all round this morning.

Knowing that it could be anyone at her door, Lauren pulled her bed covers over herself instinctively, despite the fact that she was wearing her Schrodinger's cat t-shirt and sleep pants, before clearing her throat and quietly speaking "Uh, come in"

Light blonde hair poked through the door followed by a tall, athletic body in a tight black singlet and loose grey track pants leaving a small line of smooth skin exposed. "morning doc, how are you feeling today?" Tamsin asked from just inside the doorway, looking slightly uncomfortable with her surroundings.

It was actually the first time Tamsin had seen Lauren's bedroom and was amused to find that it was nothing like the rest of her ordered life. Books and notes were strewn all over the expansive desk under the window as well as throughout the over-full book shelves lining the open wall of the the room. She had the same wardrobe and en-suite set up that Tamsin did and her bed looked large and comfortable, especially with the thick grey-toned coverings that matched the soft headboard bunched up from having been slept in. There were piles of books on each side table and as Tamsin looked around, she noticed multiple pairs of glasses meaning the doc must have kept losing track of them and replacing the pairs before finding them again.

"Morning Tamsin. Actually, I almost feel completely better, the headache is gone and I'm just a little stiff, but that could be because I haven't gotten out of bed yet" Lauren replied while stretching to check her body and to wake up fully. She closed her eyes to do so, meaning Tamsin wasn't caught biting her bottom lip while taking in the doctor's lithe physique. "I think I'm almost at fighting form, I'll probably go a bit crazy if Evony sticks to banning me from the lab until Monday!" Lauren pouted slightly while remembering that Evony had insisted that Lauren still take the weekend off despite having had Thursday and now Friday off.

A mischievous smile broke out on Tamsin's face before she responded "well, that is good to hear..." The valkyrie stated while looking like she was hatching a criminal plan, rubbing her hands together and all.

"I'm not sure I like the look of what you're doing right now... C'mon, out with it! What are you scheming about over there?" Lauren had noticed the amusing looks coming from the taller blonde's face and hoped that she wouldn't regret asking.

"Well..." Tamsin pushed herself off the wall she was leaning on beside the door, closing it as she approached Lauren's bed and sat on the end of it facing the doctor as she sunk into it's softness "I was wondering if you wanted to join me in a little... Prank mission?" Tamsin's eyes gleamed as she leaned forward placing her hands on either side of herself. She was obviously already planning the trick she wanted to play, hoping the lovely doctor would join her.

Lauren sat up and smiled widely at the idea, leaning closer to Tamsin as if they had a secret to be kept. She bit the side of her bottom lip in thought before facing the valkyrie "a mission you say? I think I could be recruited for a cause I truly believe in... What's the battle plan?"

Tamsin clapped her hands excitedly in front of her face and darted quickly from the room leaving Lauren dazed and confused until the taller blonde returned with a medium sized box in her hands, dropping it on the bed in front of her before resuming her earlier position "well! I may have a small amount of... ammunition" Tamsin grinned again, she was going to wait for Lauren to guess what she had but got too excited "it's firecrackers! I have a crap-ton of firecrackers, enough for a little wake up call for our sleeping beauties downstairs!"

The doctor giggled at the school-girl behaviour her fierce protector was displaying before taking on a more serious not "hang on, won't that set the place on fire?"

"That's the glorious thing of all things fae - these puppies are loud and bright, but completely harmless! You can set them off in your hand if you want and you wouldn't feel a thing!" The valkyrie was bouncing because she was so pleased to have a partner in crime. "So, you definitely in?"

"Definitely. Let's do it!" Lauren jumped from her bed and waited for Tamsin to lead the way.

"I was hoping you would say that... Alright, well, I've already done some recon on our targets. Hale and Kenzi are to the right on the floor, Dyson has the arm chair and Bo took the couch. I say we each light as many as we can hold, I'll take Bo and Dyson, you take Hale and Kenz and we'll do the drop and run!" Tamsin started loading the miniature sticks that looked like dynamite into Lauren's hands and filled her hands too, all up they both had over 20 crackers each. "You ready for this, soldier?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Lauren mock saluted with a full hand "Colonel Lewis reporting for duty!"

Tamsin was taken aback for a second "hang on, you were a Colonel?"

"Uh... Yeah. Anyway, we doing this or what?" Lauren shuffled nervously realising that she had revealed something she hadn't meant to.

Tamsin vowed silently to herself to learn more about the doctor, she had a feeling what she knew of her was only the tip of the iceberg "Okie dokie! When I light them we have 30 seconds to offload, plenty of time, follow me!" Tamsin led them both to the bottom of the stairs where they could see the sleeping group all exactly where the valkyrie had said they were. Although, Lauren noted, she hadn't mentioned that Dyson was only wearing his underwear. Maybe the wolf was getting a little too comfortable in her home if Captain Underpants was his sleepwear of choice.

Tamsin moved the crackers she was holding all into one very full hand before pulling out her lighter which looked more like a miniature blow torch and started it up. It made a hissing sound causing the two women to dart their eyes towards the lounge area to make sure they weren't caught before they even started. It looked like Kenzi had stirred slightly but she promptly shuffled further into Hale's arms and remained asleep. Seeing they were in the clear, Tamsin mouthed 'ready?' to Lauren before receiving a nod and quickly lighting the crackers all in one fluid movement.

The hissing grew louder as Tamsin and Lauren quickly took their positions on either side of the area and promptly dropped their payloads onto the intended targets and darted away back to the kitchen to watch the ensuing chaos with glee.

Suddenly, dozens of bright explosions followed by loud bangs echoing through the loft went off. Bo was the first to her feet, it took her only seconds before she had her dagger in hand and was frantically scanning the room. Kenzi and Hale jumped up simultaneously with the small goth shrieking russian curse words while Hale brushed the explosive residue off himself in a panic.

The perpetrators stood in the kitchen laughing hysterically, their favourite reaction being Dyson's who had leapt into the air and shifted into his wolf instantly and was whining and pacing back and forth, struggling to keep his footing on the polished floor boards before he bowed his head and narrowed his eyes at the two blondes clutching each other and their own stomachs in fits of laughter.

Bo spun to face them and lowered her weapon as she realised there was no danger, but she held a firm scowl on her face towards the two criminal masterminds who had yet to stop their celebrating of a mission completed.

Tamsin held her hand to her mouth faking a walkie-talkie "kssh, kssh, come in Colonel Lewis. Over"

Smiling and going along with the joke Lauren responded in kind "kssh, kssh. This is Colonel Lewis reporting a successful mission, all targets have been neutralised. Over" she said in an exaggerated accent.

"Kssh, kssh. Mission accomplished, bring it in! Over!" Tamsin replied holding her hand up for a high five which was enthusiastically met by Lauren before they both broke out into laughter again.

"holy-fae-hangover Batman! That is NOT an alright way to wake up a fragile woman after a night like that!" Kenzi exclaimed towards the two pranksters while gripping her forehead.

"I agree lil' mama. I think you two better watch you back, this means war." Hale shook his head before turning to Kenzi "want the siren special my love?"

Kenzi nodded in response "hit me!" Hale promptly whistled into her face causing Kenzi to smile widely. "Oh boy, will you marry me? Anyone who can cure a hangover like that must be mine!" Kenzi threw her fist to the sky and brought it down as if grasping something while Hale just grinned in amusement at his loves' antics.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Kenz, I on the other hand may have just lost a century of my life thanks to our 'lovely' hosts over there!" Bo complained causing both the blonde's to laugh even harder.

"Aw diddums! Was the mighty succubus afraid of a little lightning?" Tamsin mocked in between giggles.

"Oh, you two are so paying for that one!" Bo responded before all of them looked towards Dyson as a wolf who was snorting, grunting and, wait, was he whining?

"Hey, Dys. It was a joke, no danger! Plus, I'm so not allowed pets here so back to man shape please!" Lauren spoke directly to Dyson who bowed his head.

He was kicking something with his paw trying to get Lauren's attention by waving his head at her and looking at her with, well, puppy dog eyes. As she approached to see what he was playing with she burst into another fit of laughter.

"Oh Dys! That's what you get for shifting without thinking first!" Lauren giggled again while Dyson growled lowly at her.

"What's his problem? Why won't he shift back?" Tamsin called over.

Dyson stared Lauren down as if pleading for her not to say anything before she spoke up and he bowed his furry head with an imperceptible shake. "Well, if you recall, Dyson was wearing his underwear while he was sleeping... They're shredded at his paws and he's naked as the day he was born! I think he wants us to look away" Lauren was joined in her giggling by everyone else in the room.

"Aw D-man, it's nothing we all haven't seen before, your wolf junk is old news!" Tamsin exclaimed causing both Lauren and Bo to curiously narrow their eyes towards her, obviously both wondering when she had seen his 'wolf-junk'. Kenzi and Hale just snickered, both aware of the few almost meaningless encounters that their friends had kept relatively quiet.

Dyson continued to pace and look at Lauren pleadingly who finally took pity on the poor wolf. "Fine, fine. C'mon, go into my room, I'll bring your clothes up for you" the doctor spoke as she collected Dyson's jeans, shirt and vest from the floor, bypassing his socks, she didn't need to touch those, nor was she going to touch the shredded men's underwear on the floor.

As Lauren followed Dyson up the stairs Tamsin spoke to the others 'so! Who wants breakfast?"

She was met with all affirmatives and soon all that could be heard from downstairs was the beginnings of team work as everyone pitched in to make the meal. Lauren waited outside her room for Dyson to emerge, as a dressed man this time.

She grinned at him and suppressed a giggle before Dyson turned on her "oh! You think this is funny huh! I'll show you!" Lauren yelped as Dyson put Lauren into a firm headlock and began ruffling her hair "how do ya like that? Huh? Huh? The famous Lauren hair all messed up!"

"Let me go wolf or the next time you shift I'll tranquilize you and neuter you while you're under!" The doctor threatened causing Dyson to let go immediately and take a step back away from the now terrifying human.

Looking at her with a timid expression he ducked his head "you wouldn't really, would you?" he asked in almost a whisper.

Lauren couldn't help but giggle "of course not you oaf. I'm not THAT Dark!" she joked as she lightly punched his arm and tried to fix her hair.

The pair descended the stairs with arms around each other trading barbs back and forth as they joined the others for a family style breakfast. Everyone present was far too proud to say out loud how much they each enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to spend time together as if they really were a family. They all spent the early morning filling their stomachs and overflowing their hearts. None of them would have guessed that there were forces stronger than them pushing them together and strengthening their bonds. No, these were just six friends enjoying a home cooked breakfast after a night of fun and drinking.

...

Bo, Dyson and Hale all had work to attend to shortly after breakfast but were kind enough to help clean up the loft from the chaos their visit had caused before leaving. Lauren was certainly appreciative especially when Dyson disposed of his destroyed tighty-whities himself. Kenzi had stayed behind to discuss wedding plans with Lauren and Tamsin before heading off to join Bo on whatever P.I case the 'hotvestigators' had in the pipeline.

Lauren was still nervous to be leading the wedding ceremony while making it respectful to Hale's fae family and Kenzi's gypsy roots compounded with the unique tastes of the goth girl and her stylish fiance. Tamsin was just griping about having to wear a matching dress to Bo and attend as Dyson's dance partner. Bo would be paired with Vex who was also to be a groomsman on the day. They all silently acknowledged that this was to avoid making Bo and Dyson have awkward contact at the wedding as no one was sure what their situation would be by the time the wedding rolled around. Everyone had concerns about having Vex up the front, but he had become a valued friend to the group, despite his volatility at times.

Once Kenzi was gone, Lauren and Tamsin sat curled up on either end of the coach in comfortable silence enjoying cups of warm tea and each reading their material of choice. Lauren had to laugh that while she read the American Medical Journal's latest issue, Tamsin caught up on the most recent celebrity gossip in her small stack of magazines.

It still surprised the doctor to see the valkyrie so at ease and uninhibited. She had a feeling that in her former life cycle, the harsh warrior would never had made room for such frivolity, preferring to spend her free time drowning her many sorrows away at the bottom of bottle, but this Tamsin was so free and full of joy that even Lauren couldn't help but feel happier around her. A feeling she wasn't used to especially seeing everyone she had in her life seemed to come with their own brand of drama that either brought their relationships down or nearly got someone killed. Well, sometimes not even 'nearly'. She found herself focussing on the curve of Tamsin's lips as she slightly smiled or giggled at whatever she was reading instead of the newest released research on the link between hereditary genetic markers and cell longevity and reproduction.

Realising that she wasn't getting anything out of her time on the couch, Lauren cleared her throat to attract Tamsin's attention who held a finger up and bit her tongue while she rushed to finish the page she was on before looking up at the doctor "did you know that the stars are all getting some kind of saline/collagen mix injected into their lips before a night out?" The valkyrie pursed her lips outwards before she continued "how do you think I'd look with a hollywood pout?"

Lauren giggled and shook her head "as a doctor, I can't recommend frivolous procedures like that, and besides your lips are perfect just as they are" the doctor blushed realising the nature of her compliment which was only met by a shy smirk from the valkyrie. She stumbled for a moment before pressing on despite the slight embarrassment she was now feeling "anyway, I was going to ask... How about that help with my fighting that we talked about? We could grab some lunch at a cafe or food truck or something, then head to the gym later and finish off at the Dal for Friday's with everyone... I know we just saw them all, but happy hour is happy hour and all!"

The light blonde smiled widely and nodded enthusiastically "sounds like a great idea, I'm feeling a little cooped up too" she stretched out treating Lauren to a more substantial view of her toned stomach causing the doctor to gulp audibly and widen her eyes before looking away.

Getting up, Lauren stretched herself, missing Tamsin focussing on her form intently before speaking "awesome. Well, I'll go get changed and pack a bag for later and meet you down here in say, half an hour?"

"Make it a whole hour, I still don't know which celebs have actually gotten the injections and I still need to find out what Bradgelina are naming their newest adopted baby" she smirked waving her magazine in the air and settling back into the couch as Lauren shook her head and made her way up the stairs.

...

"Time out, time out!" Tamsin huffed out holding up her gloved hands to block the onslaught of fast punches Lauren had been throwing her way. Leaning onto her knees she panted before raising her head and her eyebrows towards Lauren who was standing tall and barely breaking a sweat. "Damn, doc! Where did you learn to assault like that?!"

Lauren grinned, rather proud of herself for having put a strong fae like Tamsin on the ropes. "Actually, it was something I learned with... Someone from the army." Lauren looked away from Tamsin obviously not wishing to divulge any further.

"Hey, where did you just go?" Tamsin asked gently rising and moving to stand closer to Lauren while ducking her head so she could catch the doctor's downward facing eyes. "Who was that someone?" Tamsin waited a few moments before pushing further. She gently placed her gloved fist onto Lauren's shoulder "Lauren?"

As the doctor lifted her head to look at Tamsin the valkyrie noticed her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, clearly this was a memory the doctor would rather keep buried. Tamsin was glad she had remained silent beyond that point for if she hadn't, she wouldn't of heard the whispered words that came from her fighting companion "Daniel... My uh... My brother"

"Shit doc. He didn't make it. I'm so sorry" Tamsin was sympathetic as she led Lauren out of the ring, through the empty gym and towards the deserted locker room where she indicated for a bench for them to sit on. It was never a busy gym, but especially in the middle of the day it wasn't uncommon for there to be almost no one around. "Do you want to tell me about it?" It was an offer that Lauren would usually decline instantly, but something about the kindness in the valkyrie's tone and the gentleness in her face compelled her to want to pour out her heart then and there. They both went about removing their gloves and hand wraps as Lauren began to speak.

"It was a while ago, we both served in the same unit in Iraq. I was a surgeon and he was a technician. Mostly with bombs. Until he wasn't. Until he stupidly wouldn't walk away from an IED that he couldn't diffuse in time." The doctor was obviously caught up in the memory as she continued "I can remember everything about the day his team came back without him. The way the sand felt whipping my face. The smell of his blood on his Private Second Class's fatigues. The way no one would look me in the eye while they told me he didn't make it..." Lauren wiped the stray tear falling down her face before shaking her body as she straightened up to throw off the feelings that came with what they were talking about before making a slight deviation from the topic. "He told me that if I thought I was outmatched in a fight, to hit first and don't stop hitting until they're down" she let out a sad chuckle before looking at Tamsin who was sitting beside her looking shell shocked and like she was trying to solve a complex problem in her head.

The valkyrie turned to Lauren and and frowned slightly before speaking "Captain Daniel James Lewis died in combat on the 23rd of February 2005 on the outskirts of Baghdad." Tamsin spoke as if she was merely a computer reciting a report. She suddenly realised what she had just blurted out and went to take it back "Lauren, I'm uh... I'm sorry, I don't know why I"

"How do you know that?" It was barely a whisper but was accompanied by pleading eyes brimming with tears threatening to fall.

Tamsin bowed her head and furrowed her brow as she considered what she was going to say next. "We get a moment... As valkyrie's, we get a moment. As we mature into a new life cycle, we don't get all of our memories back until we have finished our maturation. From that time, our moment is over..." Tamsin took another deep breath as a pained expression crossed her face. Lauren was gracious enough to listen without interruption despite her burning question still being unanswered. She only hoped that Tamsin was merely taking the long way there. "After that, we remember it all. All the time. The name of every fallen warrior we carry to the afterlife. We remember their wounds, their pain, screams, their final acts and their parting words as we deliver them beyond their gate"

Tamsin looked sheepishly at Lauren wondering if she was following along and hoping she was filling in the blanks. The doctor looked pensive telling the valkyrie that she was trying to decipher what she had heard. After a tense few moments Lauren looked up to speak "you took him to Valhalla" she said as the realisation hit.

"No. Not Valhalla" Tamsin admitted.

"What?! You took my brother to Hel?!" Lauren screamed before Tamsin jumped to her feet and started pacing in front of the doctor.

"No, no, no! That's not where I took him Lauren. I swear to you, he died a hero and heroes do not go to that, that demon!" The warrior fae was raising her voice from the stress of the situation.

"Then where did you take him?! If he's not in Valhalla and he's not in Hel.. Wait... With Hel? Is Hel a demon not a place? Anyway, where is he?! Did you just leave him in some purgatory, lost and alone?!" Lauren matched Tamsin's tone and stood facing her head on.

"Gods no Lauren. Firstly, Hel is both the demon queens name and her domain. Secondly, there is more than one heavenly hall for the greatest warriors to rest until they are called upon by the gods to battle again." Tamsin lowered her voice as she knew the situation was getting out of hand "Brave warriors go to Valhalla... Honourable warriors, warriors who willingly die to save others... They go to Folksvangr... To Freya."

A wave of understanding washed over Lauren and she relaxed and sat back down on the bench, now looking paler like she might be in shock. "So, he's basically alive... Just in Folksvangr? Awaiting some battle, but he's just... There?"

"Yes"

"So you can take me to him!" Lauren thrust her hands upwards with the idea.

"No, Lauren. I can't..."

"Why not? You managed to take Bo to get Kenzi, why not me?!" Lauren asked exasperated.

"Lauren. You know that was different. First of all, Kenzi was pretty much stolen to Valhalla as bait when she closed the Hel gate that Odin was trying to open for gods know what. Bo was Odin's blood kin meaning she was allowed to pass through the realms uninhibited, I was merely her guide. As for getting Kenzi and Hale back, well, that took a great battle which Odin lost and honestly, we basically slipped out the back door in the chaos afterwards. If I took you there uninvited, it would be a one way trip... Maybe for both of us" Tamsin declared sadly.

Lauren sat motionless while she assessed all the taller blonde had said. She took so long that Tamsin took her seat beside the doctor again and watched patiently trying to see any sign of what the beautiful dark blonde was thinking.

Finally Lauren spoke up in another barely audible whisper. "I get it" she husked before looking deeply into Tamsin's eyes hesitating on the question pushing itself out from the depths of her pain "tell me about it"

The fae's shoulder's dropped in relief at hearing the doctor speak to her again "I'll tell you anything. What did you want to know" she said not quite understanding what it was the hurting woman beside her was asking.

"You said warriors that sacrifice themselves for others go to Freya. That means you were there and you know what happened. I was told that he just wouldn't walk away from the bomb" Lauren stated hoping the valkyrie would hear the question behind it.

Thankfully, she did. "What they didn't see, because they were standing behind him, was the little boy and girl taking refuge in a shallow trench not 3 metres from the bomb. Daniel didn't even see them until it was about to go off. He knew it would kill them, so I watched, cloaked invisible to all but him if he had only looked to his side, as he made the choice to ignore the cries of the other soldier's to leave it and lay himself over the bomb, taking most of the blast into himself" Lauren burst into full tears at Tamsin's words but her eyes pleaded with her to continue "he saved their lives Lauren, and I know that they're both still alive today thanks to him... It was over quickly too, he didn't feel any pain as it happened so fast and he was so at peace with his decision that he died with complete serenity"

Lauren sniffed and smiled weakly at Tamsin's words "all this time I was so angry at him for not just letting it go. I thought he died because he didn't want to leave a puzzle unsolved. I thought he left me for something so stupid, but he didn't. He's a hero and nobody knew... Except for you, you were there..." The doctor looked at the ground while she spoke out her epiphany.

"The rest of the troupe was so afraid from the blast that they backed up and drove away. They never saw the lives he saved" Tamsin revealed to which Lauren shook her head sadly "there's something else..."

Lauren looked at Tamsin with a worried expression "just tell me. You've come this far, whatever it is, might as well get it out" she steeled herself for whatever was about to be revealed.

"We can speak to our charges before they pass they gates and they can speak to us. A lot of them take that time to deal with their death or beg to go back, some even ask us to deliver messages, which we can do, but it is often very hard to find the person they asked about, or in human's cases, it's hard to explain how we got the message without breaking the fae codes." Tamsin paused to see if Lauren had anything to say but found that the darker blonde was listening intently to every word that was coming out of her mouth, so she continued "all Daniel said to me was 'I wish I wasn't leaving her alone. She's amazing and she can do anything in this world that she sets her mind or her heart to. She will always be there, doing the right thing to the very end whether anyone notices or not. I wish she wasn't losing the one person who always saw her, I wish I knew she would be alright' Lauren he was so brave, and so caring even after the end for him... I, I thought maybe he was talking about a wife or a girlfriend or something, but he wasn't was he? It was you." Tamsin stated with finality and regret in her voice. She was wishing she had connected the dots sooner and delivered that message years ago when she first met Lauren.

Lauren chuckled with a guttural sadness before speaking through the tears that were flowing freely now "he always used to say 'I see you!' whenever he thought he had caught me. Like if I was working after hours or if I did his chores when he had forgotten so he wouldn't get in trouble with Mum and Dad. Or this one time I had been sneaking some of my rations to a child that would meet me at the edge of our base and would take the food back to share with his two younger sisters, technically it wasn't allowed, but I couldn't let them starve. He followed me one night and as I was walking back he stepped out and all he did was give me a hug and said 'I see you'. It was better than any pat on the back, medal or award when my big brother would smile and tell me that he saw me, that he was proud of me... Gods I miss him, he really was the only one who could actually see me. I've spent almost 10 years basically invisible most of the time. It was like that in the Congo and then with the Fae. I'm only seen when I'm useful to whatever end is in sight. He was the last person who just saw... Me."

At this point Lauren lost all her resolve and started to sob into her hands not caring what her protector saw. The valkyrie could feel her own heart breaking at the pain she could see in her... Friend. Her own eyes began filling with tears and her throat was threatening sobs at all that had been revealed. Gently grasping Lauren's chin she lifted her face so that she could look into her, albeit puffy, eyes. "I'm so sorry that he's gone and that I didn't know to tell you this until now. But I want to say, and I know it doesn't make it better or take away the pain of losing him, but you're not invisible. I see you and you're just as amazing, if not more, as he said you were" in a bold move even for the valkyrie, the tall blonde shifted forward and collected Lauren into her arms encasing her in a tight hug.

Lauren was taken aback by the sudden gesture but found herself quickly allowing herself to be comforted by the embrace as both women sat sobbing into each others arms. Years of heartache lifted off Lauren's shoulder, as if carried away on Tamsin's own wings. They couldn't tell how long they sat there like that, but when they separated after all their tears were spent they gazed at each other with a mutual respect and understanding, giving each other peaceful smiles as they looked calmly into each other's eyes.

"Thank you." Was all Lauren said, squeezing Tamsin's knee before wiping her face and moving towards her locker to retrieve her change of clothes before she went to shower and get ready for the rest of the night the two of them had planned.

Tamsin remained seated trying to process everything that had just happened. She felt drained from all of the exercise followed by the emotional exertion, but mostly she just missed having Lauren in her arms. Shaking her head as she made her way to her own locker she muttered to herself "shit. Kenzi was right. I'm in trouble."

There we have it! What did you think?

Also, for all you copdoc shippers out there, check out the sneak peek from the panel that the cast just did, Tamsin and Lauren ARE IN A ROOM TOGETHER. Oh my god guys, it's happening, they LOOKED at each other *heavy breathing*.

See you in the reviews and for the next chapter.