A huge thanks to those that have continued to follow this story!
The next morning, Lauren found herself struggling to move as she began to wake up. Cracking her eyes open she found the reason why as Kenzi was sprawled on top of her still very much asleep. They never did make it to their room last night. Memories began to filter in from yesterday and she had to catch her breath at the sharpness of the pain that she still felt. She knew it would be time before it would move to a dull ache but at least this time she wouldn't be alone.
"Kenzi," she said softly running her fingers through her hair. "I need to get up so I can get ready."
"Mmm but I like you where you are now." She murmured softly against her skin. "Five more minutes at least." After the intense emotions of last night, the goth was reluctant to have Lauren away from her. She knew that she would need to head into work, but was hoping that maybe she could get her to call in late or better yet take the day off.
Laughing lightly the blonde tightened her arms around her. "If you insist, then I guess a few more minutes." Kenzi's only response was to burrow her face further into her girlfriend's neck.
"It's bad enough that you ruined my couch, but now I have to wait to?"
Startled at first by the voice she responded "Jesus Tamsin! How did you get in here anyways?"
"Seriously?" She asked as she moved to the armchair from the kitchen. "I've been picking locks since...never mind that's not important, but I did bring coffee. Oh and here" she said she tossed them both robes "bad enough I had to feel her naked body against mine, I don't need to see it too."
Hearing this bit Kenzi with her face still buried felt the best response was to raise her hand to flip off the valkyrie.
Laughing at the gesture "You wish."
"Why are you here?" Grumbled Kenzi not content at having the remainder of her time interrupted.
"Practicing for when I'm reborn and can interrupt these moments more often." She teased before turning serious. "Bo caught me up on what happened yesterday."
"I'm sure that's all she did too." Lauren quipped as she and Kenzi shared a laugh.
"Ha ha...maybe it would be better if I was raised by wolves." Tamsin stated flatly.
"Well, we can always ask Dyson." Lauren mused. "I'm sure he'll do wonderful with those heart to heart talks."
"Lets commune with the great wolf spirit to seek guidance on the ever sacred and mysterious cycle of menses." Kenzi said in her best Dyson voice. "Where's Bo anyways? Aren't you two like together or whatever."
Choosing to ignore their teasing she decided to answer Kenzi. "She said that she'd be by later with breakfast. I don't know...some pancakes from a diner?"
"Sweet!" Kenzi exclaimed as she jumped up temporarily forgetting her state of undress until she heard Tamsin curse under her breath. Quickly throwing on her robe, she decided her best course of action was to head to the counter for the coffee.
Carefully putting hers on too, Lauren stood up to join her at the kitchen counter. "This is great, Tamsin. Not that I don't appreciate it, but what's the occasion?"
"I heard from one of my contacts that Evony has some fail safe plan to come here. She's not going to stop and seems to be amping up her game." Tamsin said before looking down not quite knowing how to bring up the next subject.
"You're right. Especially after yesterday I think it's best that I stay here." Confused by the other blonde's mannerisms she asked "Is there something else that's bothering you?"
"Lauren..."
"You never call me by my name so this must be serious." She joked but stopped once she noticed that it didn't receive a laugh from her.
"Bo told me everything that Evony said to you yesterday. I know you made a promise but I won't hold you to it." She said finally making eye contact with her. She was aware that Lauren had been through a lot during her time with the fae, but that was something even she didn't expect. The doctor is truly remarkable for a human and knew that she would benefit if Lauren still upheld her promise.
Holding her hand up to stop the other woman. "Tamsin, this will be the only chance I'll have to be parent even if it is short term." Clearing her throat before her emotions got the best of her. "Anyways, I better get cleaned up before Bo arrives with our food." She turned to Kenzi who seemed more interested in her coffee at the moment. "Care to join me?"
"I'll be up in a minute as soon as I finish my coffee." The brunette said looking with a smile before resuming to drink her beverage.
"Okay, don't be too long."
Puzzled by her choosing to stay behind. "Kenzi?"
"Hmm?" She asked as she looked up.
"I know the coffee is good but it's not great." She said giving the girl a knowing look. "I know Lauren agreed but do you have an issue with it?"
"What? No, Tam-tam it's just...I would give her the world if I could you know?" The Russian said as she looked away for a moment "But I can't exactly make it possible for her to conceive. I don't want you to be the only chance she feels that she has with this."
"Have you said anything to her?"
"I haven't had a chance to yet. But I'm afraid to offer her something and then have the fae take it away again. I don't think that she could take another loss of that magnitude." She sighed frustrated at wanting to make the ache Lauren held better, but at the same time not to set her up for a greater heartache.
"You know I'm not one for sentimental shit but I'll tell you this...if you're serious about making it happen for her then I promise you that I'll be sure to do whatever necessary to protect whatever hell spawn you two bring forth." She finished with a smile.
Chuckling at the valkyrie's words. "And there is the end of our hallmark moment. Seriously though, if that's your way to be in the running as one of the godparents you need some work."
"I didn't think that you'd make it up here." Lauren teased as she was joined in the shower. "Is there any coffee left? Kenzi?" She asked as she noticed that her girlfriend seemed to be lost in her thoughts.
Looking up at her she wrapped her arms around her "I love you, Lauren."
"I love you too." She smiled but was still confused by the seriousness. "What is it?"
"Yesterday..."
"Ah, that" Breathing deeply "I can't even begin to say how much I appreciate you being there for me. I know it's a process and in time I will fully let go of that dream. Besides we need to make plans on where to go-"
"Do you still want to?" Kenzi interrupted her.
"Vacation? Of course! I say we more than deserve it."
Shaking her head "No, babe I mean the whole having a kid thing."
"Doesn't matter. Besides I'm sure after helping out with Tamsin that we'll be more than ready for a break."
"I could." Kezi said quietly.
"Could what?"
"I could carry when we're ready. After our vacay of course when we get back and settled."
Lauren finally understood what her girlfriend was trying to say. Taking one of her hands she used her thumb to stroke Kenzi's cheek. "I love you all the more for it, but have you honestly ever thought of having kids?"
"I never really allowed myself to think much of anything other than the day to day survival, but with you...I kinda feel that anything is possible. I didn't have the best childhood and frankly it scares me. I don't want to be anything like my mother and the whole fae aspect." She sighed deeply before looking back at her doctor "But there is a bigger part of me that wants that with you. The thought of an incredibly smart yet fashion forward child running around that's ours. I don't want you to let go of this dream, just give me a chance to live it with you."
She searched her girlfriends eyes for a moment and saw the truth that reflected in them. Too overwhelmed with emotion, Lauren lunged forward kissing Kenzi trying to convey all the love that she felt for her. "As long as this is something that you want too, then yes." She said she rested her forehead against hers. "Just when I think I know what direction my life will go you have a way of surprising me."
"Good, I hope to keep surprising you. But in all honesty, the only thing I ever want with you, Lauren...is more time." She said and allowed herself to be lost in the moment with her. "Anyways, we better finish before Tamsin sends a search party for us."
"I think she can wait a little longer, don't you?" She smiled at her as she backed her against the wall in the shower.
"About time you two!" Tamsin said as they made their way downstairs but was happy to see them both hand in hand with smiles on their faces.
"I think we should be lucky that they made it at all." Bo teased looking up as she set the table.
"Oh Bobo, you shouldn't have!" Catching the look of disbelief on her friend's face as she walked towards her "I mean you should do this more often." Leaning in further to Bo so that she wouldn't be heard "Please tell me you brought syrup that has sugar in it."
"Of course I did" she whispered back as she pulled a bottle out of a bag as though it was prized contraband.
They turned around in time to catch both blondes rolling their eyes at their not so secret exchange.
"Now that is just creepy." Kenzi said to Bo who only nodded in agreement while looking at the blondes in front of them.
"You do realize that we're standing right here and not half way across the room, right?" Lauren motioned with her hands to illustrate how close they all were together.
"Uh oh, I know that look, Kenz. We're either going to get a lecture on how sugar intake affects the body..." Seeing Lauren's raised eyebrows "...which is fascinating by the way because science is neat." She smiled in order to placate Lauren before throwing a look to Tamsin for help.
"Nah," the lighter blonde said while scrunching her nose "you're on your own." She enjoyed seeing the succubus in a mild form of distress.
"Please by all means continue, Bo. What else does my 'look' mean?" She had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing at Bo's attempt to smooth things over.
"It...uh...means that we should..." Bo trailed off after seeing the look in Lauren's eyes. "It's not fair that you're human yet can give a look more terrifying than any fae I've encountered." The succubus grumbled as she took her place at the table.
While they discussed possible options to enact their plan, Lauren had been at her desk to create a backup serum just in case. She didn't want to leave anything to chance. Looking up for a moment she watched as they were all engaged in conversation. The looks that passed between Bo and Tamsin didn't go unnoticed either. Smiling to herself as she watched Kenzi laugh with them, the way that her eyes would light up, and ever so often the blonde could feel her eyes on her. She was still on an emotional high after their conversation in the shower. She wanted to be cautiously optimistic as there were other factors in play, but just to know that there was chance was more than enough for her.
A knock on the door caused them to quiet down all looking at one another as to how to proceed. Slowly, Lauren rose from her desk while motioning for Kenzi to hide upstairs to maintain the facade that she had yet to heal.
"Hale? What brings you by? I called to let my staff know that I'm working from home today."
"I need to see Kenzi. I was unaware that she had previously made a request of the Morrigan that left her with a favor to owe. Needless to say-"
"I would like my debt fulfilled. She gave me her oath and has to abide by it." Evony interrupted as she strolled into Lauren's place with Hale right behind her. If she was surprised to see Tamsin and Bo she didn't show it.
"A little hard for her to do anything seeing as you're the one who put her in her current state." Bo fumed as she came to stand by Lauren.
"Then prove it succubitch...oh wait you can't." She smirked back at her. "Since she owes me a favor of my choosing, she can continue to heal at the dark fae compound."
"Like hell she will!" Bo declared stepping even closer to her as her eyes began to glow blue.
"Bo," Hale said "she is within her rights to do so. I cannot intervene on this matter."
Lauren couldn't believe the sudden turn of events. Why was it that when her life seemed to be going in a direction that some fae was there to take it away? Happiness was well within her grasp and the threat of having it removed from her again was too much to bear. How did Evony keep showing up before they even had a chance to plan anything? She was sure that Kenzi overheard the discussion taking place upstairs and could only imagine how she felt about it too. The thought of her girlfriend being upset and afraid in anyway angered her to the point to where she began to physically shake.
She looked up to find Evony smiling in her direction. "You think you've won, Evony?" She asked in a voice that gave everyone pause, even Bo stopped glaring at the Morrigan long enough to look at Lauren. She knew the doctor a long time but had never heard that tone from her.
"Honey, I always win. Do you have any idea how long I've been the Morrigan?"
"No, I don't know when you started but" she said she walked a few steps closer "I do know when your reign will come to an end."
"Oh, doctor you are hysterical!" She whirled around to look at Hale behind her that she didn't notice Lauren's fist coming towards her until it was too late.
I honestly struggled with this chapter. I wanted to capture a little bit of humor to mix in with the emotions from the last chapter. Plus, I think it puts Lauren in a to hell with it mood since Evony has been rather persistent. Anyways, I hope this turned out well. Thanks again for reading :)