In the month since the couple's less than perfect (but definitely more than awful) debut at The Dal, Lauren had made a very precarious peace work between Bo and herself. With Bo teaming up with Dyson more (which Lauren didn't read too much into, but every once in a while it nagged at the back of her mind – not so much out of jealousy, but more so out of knowing that she was always just an in between step for the succubus), she had been needing the doctor's help more and more. That peace meant easier times for her and Tamsin, too, which they thoroughly enjoyed – they went out more, to The Dal, to police functions, and on more than one occasion to group nights out with the 'happy sunshine gang' (Lauren asked Tamsin to stop calling them that to their faces, which she begrudging agreed to – she preferred to chipperly refer to them as weirdos anyways).

This particular afternoon, Tamsin was lounging on Lauren's comfy couch doing a crossword while the doctor happily bounced around the kitchen. The valkyrie, the least observant detective Lauren swears to have ever met, doesn't look up from her newspaper through pots and pans clattering, thought timers going off, or to Lauren's directionless mumbling about the effects of her chosen baking ingredients on one another. She does however very lazily look over her shoulder when she hears Lauren opening the closet by the door to get a coat out and grabbing her keys.

"Where ya going, doc?"

Lauren smiles, and holds up a tupperware container filled with freshly baked cupcakes – so that's what she's been up to this whole time, Tamsin thinks.

"It's Kenzi's birthday."

The valkyrie rolls her eyes at the doctor before averting her gaze back to her crossword.

"And?"

"And", Lauren walks up and places a gentle kiss on Tamsin's forehead, "we are going to bring her these cupcakes."

"What? No. I am not going over there. The succucunt wouldn't want me there anyways."

Putting on her best pout, and knowing it will work, Lauren circles around the couch and pulls the newspaper out of Tamsin's hand. She begins to protest, but immediately stops when the doctor straddles her. A smirk on the valkyrie's face, she raises her chin at the doctor – if Lauren is really going to make her do this (she knows that Tamsin can't resist that pout... damn it), she is at least going to get something out of it.

"It's going to take more than a pout to get me to be such a masochist. We both know she hates me. And I'm not exactly president of the Bo Fan Club over here."

Lauren returns Tamsin's confident smirk, knowing where the valkyrie is going but more than ready to accept the challenge. She leans down and places gentle kisses and nips right on Tamsin's pulse point, smirking again when she hears her take in a sharp breath at the contact.

"What if", Lauren whispers in her ear, "I promise to let you do whatever you want to me later?"

"Anything I want?", the valkyrie breathes, her mind already racing with all the things she could do to the doctor tonight – tomorrow is Sunday, after all, meaning neither of them has to wake up for work. Which means she can keep the doctor up all night. Mulling it over for all of 30 seconds, she sighs. The doc really knows how to push her buttons.

"Fine. But I'm cashing that in the second we get back here tonight."

Satisfied, Lauren leans back and smiles at the valkyrie – this was the best way to win an argument with Tamsin, she's learned. She thinks she won, but in all reality it was a win-win situation for the doctor from the get-go. Lauren quickly gets up, ignoring Tamsin's frustrated groan from the lack of contact, and throws Tamsin's jacket at her.

"Let's go, detective."

They arrive at the shack, as Tamsin decides to call it, and Lauren has to practically drag the valkyrie to the front door. Lauren elbows her in the ribs lightly, and Tamsin puts on her best fake smile as the doctor knocks on the door. She can't help the 'of course' that escapes her lips when Bo pulls open the door to greet them – she smiles at Lauren, but drops the facade when her eyes reach Tamsin standing behind her. Tamsin waves, her best shit-eating grin on her face, to which Bo rolls her eyes at before ushering them in out of the cold. Much to the detective's dismay, the whole group is inside – Dyson and Hale and playing video games on the couch, Kenzi is judging them harshly from the armchair adjacent, even Trick is there, sipping on a glass of wine in the kitchen. Everyone turns and greets them couple as they walk in but quickly go back to their activities.

"Lauren", Tamsin grabs the doctor's hand and gives her a pleading look, "please. Cupcake delivery and the amscray?"

Lauren rolls her eyes, but leans forward and places a gentle kiss on her lips before nodding. She leaves a very awkward valkyrie standing by the door way as she goes to give Kenzi the cupcakes – from what Tamsin can see, Kenzi is very happy to receive them. She goes wide-eyed and jumps up off the chair to wrap the doc in a large hug. Lauren looks a little uncomfortable, but happy, and that alone makes Tamsin smile. She decides a few minutes won't kill her, and walks over to the drumset in the corner to lean against it and wait for Lauren to greet everyone. It doesn't take long for Bo to saunter up to her – Tamsin again throws the succubus her best shit-eating grin, hoping she would just turn around and walk away, but (again, much to her dismay), the succubus goes to stand next to hear and leans against the drumset with her.

"So."

Tamsin rolls her eyes, even though Bo isn't looking at her. Great.

"So."

"Lauren looks happy", Bo says simply, and surprises Tamsin by looking at her and offering a gentle smile, "and so do you. I'm glad."

Not sure how to react, Tamsin replaces her shit-eating grin with an actual one.

"She's pretty great", Tamsin says before looking back out at the group, smiling bigger when she sees Lauren trying her hand at the video game Dyson and Hale are playing, "but you already know that."

Bo doesn't say anything. Tamsin sees her look down out of the corner of her eye and suddenly realizes that Bo really does know Lauren is great. The valkyrie wonders why she would ever break up with someone like Lauren – sure, at first Tamsin herself was a little less than interested, but now that she knows how great of a person she really is, the valkyrie can't imagine just giving that up for now reason.

"Bo, can I ask you something?"

The succubus looks up, eyebrow raised, and nods at the valkyrie.

"Why did you leave her? She either doesn't know or just won't tell me. And I couldn't-", she pauses, choosing her words carefully, "I don't see why you did it."

"Tamsin", Bo turns to face her fully, her dark eyes serious, "do you know what it's like to wake up every morning and have to pray that the body next to you is still warm?"

Tamsin definitely doesn't know what that's like – until recently, she didn't even really know what it was like to actually sleep in the same bed as another person. She cocks her head at the succubus, not sure what to say.

"Every time I had sex with Lauren, I could have killed her. There were times I thought I did, there were times I almost did. I couldn't do it anymore."

Tamsin places a hand on Bo's shoulder, actually feeling bad for her. She softens her voice as she speaks, hoping the succubus knows she is putting her usual bitchy attitude towards her aside.

"I'm sorry, Bo. I can't imagine."

"It's okay", Bo says, forcing a smile, "all that matters is that she's happy now. That's all I really wanted for her, you know."

They both turn when they hear Lauren say Tamsin's name. She looks confused, and a little worried, but both women smile at her before facing each other again. Bo extends her hand to Tamsin, which she accepts and shakes. Before the valkyrie walks away, Bo grabs her shoulder.

"If you hurt her, Tamsin, I swear to God I will make you regret it."

The valkyrie smiles, not willing to break the eye contact with Lauren, and pats the hand on her shoulder with her own.

"Don't hold your breath, succubitch."