A/N: Sorry this took so long! I've been really into my new story! Hopefully this will hold you over for a little bit!
Disclaimer: Not mine? Yeah yeah yeah.
An obnoxious shake jolted Aloysia into sudden consciousness. Upon waking up, she felt her wrists tied behind her back and a thick piece of tape stuck across her mouth, half-assed. Dammit. The nixie was powerless. She had no weapon, no way of defending herself, and now, with this tape over her mouth, her powers of song were useless. She shook her head slightly and began to take in her surroundings. She was in the back of a vehicle – from the size of it, an SUV. The car was moving at a fast pace, that much she could feel. She rolled on her side, trying to be as silent as possible, but froze as soon as she met the intense gaze of one very annoyed, very tired Valkyrie.
"Look who finally decided to join us," Tamsin said with a click of her tongue, narrowing her eyes in Aloysia's direction and cocking her head to the side slightly. The nixie glared back at her but remained silent.
The Valkyrie, resting casually against the back of the seat – also in the trunk, undoubtedly to monitor their hostage – leaned forward slowly until her face was just inches from that of the other fae. "If you even think about screeching one of those earsplitting howls you call songs, I will personally withdraw your vocal chords and your jugular from your body with my bare hands," she spoke menacingly into the woman's face, "are we clear?"
Aloysia simply stared back at the blonde. Suddenly, every nerve in the lover portion of her face was set on high alert as Tamsin tore the very effective piece of duct tape from her mouth. She tried to remain emotionless but couldn't help but let out a slight wince at the sudden pain.
"Time to go home, bitch," Tamsin sneered, leaning back into her previous position with a satisfied smirk on her face and remaining there for the rest of the drive.
The black SUV arrived at the cabin in the woods shortly after. Dyson – who had been driving – exited the vehicle and rounded to the back. He lifted the trunk hatch and nearly fell to the ground as Tamsin practically threw the restrained nixie at him. He gave the Valkyrie a disapproving look, receiving nothing but a shrug in return, and began walking around the back side of the building.
Bo helped Tamsin from the back of the car, holding onto her hand even after she had her feet on the ground. The succubus stared longingly at the cabin, wishing desperately that she could go back to their stay in the small little home. Tamsin laughed as she watched her lover's eyes flash blue, from the memories, no doubt.
"C'mon succubus," the blonde said as she nudged the shorter woman with her shoulder, "we've got work to do so reign in the sex demon and bring out my super-hot, crime-fighting, ass-kicking girlfriend so we can get back home and relive some of those cabin memories, eh?"
Bo felt her stomach doing flips at the suggestion and quickly turned to pull Tamsin down for a quick kiss to her lips before towing her towards the stone pathway behind the cabin to catch up with Dyson and Aloysia. They had decided it best to leave Lorelei at the Dal with Kenzi, Trick, and Hale. Surely Kenzi could keep her entertained, Hale – being a siren – could keep her under control, and Trick could keep any prying eyes from getting too close to the little fae hybrid. I hope.
"Where is Valda? Where's Asvoria," Aloysia questioned as the group reached the wooded path. She had been out cold since Kenzi knocked her top off with the bat back at the Dal. She was unconscious during Tamsin's stabbing and Asvoria's kidnapping of Lauren. Most importantly, she missed nine-year-old Lorelei in all of her anger and confusion, rip the ruby necklace from Valda's throat, turning her to dust.
Bo's thoughts wandered back to that last bit. Lorelei was so young but already so powerful and so willing to kill. At one thought of Tamsin being hurt in some way, the girl had murdered the woman who had practically been her mother since she was born. Who's to say that was even the first life she took? She had revealed no inkling of emotion at the act, rather she just poured all of her concern to the blonde whom she had grown so very fond of in such a short amount of time.
Not only that, but Lorelei had grown so attached to the Valkyrie and the succubus so quickly, Bo wondered if she should be concerned. Granted, Bo worried about anything and everything, but this was something to think about. A child, taking the life of someone who raised her in order to avenge the wellbeing of someone she barely knew? To say that was cause for concern would be like calling the sun dim.
"Is someone going to answer me or do I have to sing for it," Aloysia spat, drawing the succubus from her thoughts.
"The blonde is a pile of dust and the ginger took one of ours in exchange for your useless ass," Tamsin answered, clearly annoyed.
"Wh-" Aloysia tried to process this, the death of her friend and comrade.
"Here. There's the willow...we're here," Bo interjected, seeing the familiar tree in front of them.
Tamsin pushed through the branches first, followed by Dyson shoving Aloysia through. Bo brought up the rear. When they entered the grassy clearing, they were met with a small fleet of ready nixies. At the head of the collective group was a scowling and livid Rikka. Bo's eyes fell directly to Lauren, hands bound behind her back like Aloysia's, held against the same giant rock that Tamsin had been held to when the nixies had taken her hostage.
"Let her go!" Bo demanded, pulling her dagger from her thigh and charging forward a few paces, only to be stopped by Tamsin's arm, coiling around her and yanking the succubus' body behind her own. Just as she was going to protest, an arrow zipped past and stuck into a tree behind where she had been standing. She moved to Tamsin's left this time, muttering "Thanks" before taking her place at her Valkyrie's side.
"How dare you hold my Aloysia captive! My daughter! You must be more dense than you look," Ricarda screeched at the group of fae before her.
"I'm sorry, but if I remember correctly, it was your fish-for-brains daughter who attacked us in the first place. Not to mention your cowardly right hand that took one of ours hostage rather than growing the balls to fight for her herself," Tamsin snarled back. The group of nixies shifted angrily at this jab at their leader.
"Look," Bo said calmly, "let's all just take a step back here and handle this like adults, shall we?" She moved slowly towards Aloysia, dagger still in hand. "We cut her loose and send her to you if you cut Lauren loose and send her to us," the brunette reasoned. She hesitantly cut the ropes away from Aloysia's wrists and gave her a hard kick in the back, sending her forward.
"You idiot..." Tamsin breathed. Bo looked at her nervously with question in her gaze.
Her questions were answered as she heard Rikka's malicious laughter echo through the forest. When she turned her eyes back to the group all she saw was Lauren's figure sinking into the water behind them.
"No!" Bo called in horror, ready to charge the group. But before she could accomplish anything of the sort, the nixies started falling to the ground, one by one. They fell until all were collapsed along the river's bank except for one – Aloysia. The white haired nixie managed to dive into the flowing stream at the last second.
Bo turned around just in time to see the shadows fall from Tamsin's face and Tamsin herself fall to the ground. She rushed to her side in panic – she had never seen the Valkyrie use so much power before. And for Lauren – Bo's ex? She really does have the purest soul.
"Tamsin!" Bo cried, at the blonde's side instantly. She cradled the weakened detective's head in her lap, her face riddled with worry.
"I'm fine, Bo," Tamsin said weakly in an attempt to comfort the succubus. "I'm just not the Valkyrie I used to be, y'know? Doubt like that...it takes a lot outta me."
"Wh- why would you do something like that if you knew it would hurt you!?"
"You love Lauren, as much as I hate it. Even if you're not in love with her, you still love her. It would kill you to see her go," the blonde breathed. "So I needed to at least give her a fighting chance."
"Guys-" Dyson's voice was just background noise to Bo. Her attention was fully and all on her beloved Nordic angel. The chooser of the slain, laying weak in her arms.
"Tamsin, you have to let me heal you," Bo pleaded.
"No, Bo. This isn't something you can fix. I just have to heal on my own. It will take a little longer this way but it's the only way and that's how it has to be."
"Guys!"
Bo's head snapped in the wolf's direction, eyes flaring blue with anger. "What," she hissed.
"That fighting chance you were talking about, partner? Well I think it worked," Dyson said in his baritone voice, grinning slightly towards the water.
Bo followed his stare and was overcome with emotion. Shock, relief, disbelief – she was hit like a tidal wave. Stepping onto the bank, one bone dry and one dripping wet, was Aloysia and Lauren. The nixie's arm was wrapped protectively and supportively around Lauren's waist and the doctor's arms were draped loosely around Aloysia's shoulders. Bo stared in silent awe as the two crossed the clearing and eventually reached the trio, Bo and Tamsin still on the ground and Dyson reaching to scoop Lauren off of her weakening feet and into his arms.
"Change of mind," the wolf questioned, eyeing Aloysia skeptically.
"She has my attention," the nixie replied shyly, looking away. "Like a succubus feels desire, a nixie feels strength and power. It's a very useful ability when looking for a...donor, if you know what I mean."
Dyson grimaced, "I gotcha..."
"This one is strong. Stronger than any human I've ever seen. Such power should never be thrown away, never be wasted like that," Aloysia spoke, her gaze falling on Lauren. "My mother is an imbecile. I know full well that she could feel this one's strength just as much as I could and for her to just end the life of..."
"Lauren...her name is Lauren," Bo interjected, her eyes glazed over both in concern for her lover and confusion about this current plot development.
"Lauren. That's lovely," Aloysia said, spacing out for a moment herself. "I could not let her simply destroy Lauren like that. It's just wrong."
At this point, Tamsin had begun to regain some of her strength and was sitting up, resting her body against Bo's. "So basically you fell in love with the doc's strength and disobeyed mommy dearest to save her?" The blonde snorted a light chuckle.
"Yes," Aloysia said simply, shutting Tamsin up.
"We'd better get moving before the others start to wake up," Dyson said firmly, noticing one of the nixies beginning to stir.
"Um-" the silver haired nixie placed a delicate hand against his shoulder, "may I please accompany you? Please, you're a wolf, you understand the immediate bond when you find your mate...and from what I'm sensing, you also understand the pain that comes when you cannot be with that mate..."
"Fine," Dyson cut her off, not wanting to start anything with the blonde currently rising to her feet with the help of the succubus. Even with the Valkyrie weakened, he had no doubt that she could take him out if she suddenly became possessive.
The group made their way back through the woods, up the stone path and to the waiting SUV in the driveway.
A/N: I was going to make this longer but I got an important phone call! I'll update soon promise! :)
xRiver