Fair warning, this chapter is a bit steamy and well just fair warning. I will be writing more soon, but it might come in bits and pieces as I have a busy week ahead. I think this book is coming to a end and it may be the complete end of the stranger series. depends on how I feel about it all. Also forgive me for Tamsin in this, the idea is that she is so quiet because Sera makes her basically speechless in the amount of love she feels for her. Anyways enjoy! I hope the few of you still reading this enjoy it!

my tone was quiet, doing its best to hide the shock in it as Tamsin stood in front of me, smiling her infamous smirk.

She held out the gifts and the bottle. "happy anniversary." I took the offered gifts gently, setting them down on the side table. " cant say that I am not shocked to see you, Tamsin. How is Valhalla?" I glared at her for a second, I was at a loss as what to say to her. I had been used to her coming and going in my life, but it was usually with a decent amount of notice and a goodbye.

"its boring compared to what I used to get myself involved in down here." she was still standing in the doorway. "Why do I feel like I am crashing the party?"

"perhaps because you are."

Tamsin looked down as I heard small feet running through the house, Ayn came around the corner, smiling wider as soon as she saw Tamsin. "Hi Valkyrie!" she stopped at my side, instinctively grabbing my hand, as she looked up at me, "Look mummy! Its your friend! She came to your party!"

Tamsin smiled as the little girl waved at her excitedly, "thank you again for inviting me, Ayn."

I glanced at Ayn, "Ayn, how do you know my friend?"

Ayn swung around me as she held on to my hand, "Fi and I called her on the street while we were shopping, I invited her and she came!" she smiled at me, "surprise!" she started giggling as she reached for Tamsins hand, "We are going to have cake now!" She yanked Tamsin in the house as she let go of both of our hands so she could run back outside, giggling.

I couldn't help but smile at my little ones excitement, it was infectious. I kept my eyes on the back door, "So I guess you and Sera have already seen each other?" I turned to look at her, "I knew there was something she wasn't telling me."

"Lauren."

I held up my hand to stop here, "Tamsin, you cannot keep doing this. Especially to Sera, dropping in and out of our lives like this. This last time was, it was hard." I looked in her cool blue eyes, "I can deal with you leaving, I am used to it, but it is slowly destroying my daughter. That is something I will not allow to continue." I was upset with Tamsin had been more for what her leaving had done to my daughter more than losing one of my closest friends when she was needed most.

Tamsin smirked a little, "Funny, Sera kinda told me the same thing, but in reverse." she sighed, "She told me about the pregnancy, after I assumed Ayn was hers. I am sorry that I wasn't." she paused, "it was selfish and dumb of me to leave, leave her and you." she fidgeted with her hands, "i only have a few days before I have to go back."

I shook my head, "tamsin, it might not be a good idea you are here. The entire family is out back, Kenzi and Sera. I don't want my daughter swirled up into you again." I let out a sigh, "she has not gotten over you and she needs to move on, she is going through life on autopilot since you left and its killing Bo and I to sit back and feel helpless." my words were slow and deliberate, I could see them have the correct effect on the Valkyrie. "I was always your champion, your cheer section when I realized you two were in love, but then you took the easy way out like you always do, left her at the worst moment. I honestly don't care that you abandoned our friendship, I care more that you broke her heart." I clenched my jaw, "I think it would be better if you left before Sera sees you."

Tamsin swallowed hard, I could see her eyes glass over as she nodded slowly, "yea maybe you are right."

"I want her to stay, mum." we both turned to see Sera standing behind us, "She should make the most of her few days here." Sera smiled as I watched her meet Tamsins eyes, "i am surprised you came back." I lightly caught my daughter's hands holding the wing necklace.

Tamsin and Sera held their gaze so intensely I could see that nothing had changed between them other than time and distance. I know knew why Sera had been distant over the last little while, she let me look in on there late night conversation, Tasmin had been back in my daughters life longer than I thought, the love between the two was still there and as upset as I was, I could not bring myself to interfere with this, hoping it would bring some closure to Sera. I walked to Sera, placing my hands on her arms, she looked at me, "mum, let me have this. When she leaves, I will move on, she made me promise." she smiled and kissed me on the cheek, "go back outside, mom is wondering where you are."

I sighed, looking back at Tamsin, "there is food in the kitchen, the bits Kenzi didn't eat." I shook my head, it was hard for me to hold my ground when my daughter asked something of me. Tamsin spoke up, "thanks captain, but I don't think I am going to stay long." I could tell the words that we exchanged had hit home, taking the wind out of her sails of her surprise visit. I watched as Sera's face dropped, I took a breath. "Whatever you think is best, you will continue to be missed old friend." I walked quickly over to her, grabbing her in a hug as I whispered, "I missed you, Tamsin. If you hurt her again, its not bo you will have to worry about breaking your arm." I felt her arms squeeze me back, "I know captain, and I will gladly let you do it." As I pulled back I held my hand against her face, "let her go, if you aren't going to keep her heart like she deserves, give it back and let her go."

Tamsin flinched as she swallowed hard, nodding lightly. I smiled as best as I could and walked away, back out to the party, picking up the box of wine and as I left the two women in the kitchen. My heart was heavy as I walked out to see my smiling wife with Kenzi. I took a breath and did my best to smile as she winked at me, I was afraid of my wife's reaction if she knew the Valkyrie had fallen from the sky and landed at the front door of our party.

X

My mum had done a amazing job holding back her temper as I felt Tamsin come to the house, I had rushed in, hoping to cut Tamsin off but was too late as I saw the two standing in the foyer talking, I let my mum have a few moments. Knowing there was a lot that she wanted to say herself, I was surprised when she kept the focus on me and me alone. I had to smile as my mum did the same thing I did, not care about our own feelings when it came to the blonde, only pointing out how much she had hurt the other in her actions.

After Tamsin and I were alone, my mum leaving us, I held out my hand to her, "Come, you look like you need a drink."

Tamsin smiled weakly, "I told you, I don't drink anymore." she looked down at my hand, "I think I am going to leave before any one sees me."

"Could that anyone maybe be my mom?"

"yes, I have always been afraid of her." she looked in my eyes smiling a little, "mainly your mum was right, I cant keep dropping in and out of their lives, your life."

"no you cant, she is right about that. But for tonight, I will allow it." I waggled my fingers at her, "At least let me walk you back to your car." I wanted her to stay, and I would do anything to make sure that I spent as much time with her before she left again, knowing when she did I would have to let her go. It hurt too much to hold onto the hope of having her completely and wholly with the decision she made to live out her days in solitary.

"I didn't drive here." Tamsin was being stubborn. I walked to her, grabbing her hand, "then let me give you a tour of the house."

Her fingers slid into mine, she swallowed hard, "why are you doing this."

"because you are here, I am not going to let you get away as easy as you want." I held onto her hand, "besides I want to show you my favorite part of this place." I pulled her after me, she was reluctant to follow but did.

We walked out the side entrance that opened up onto a small trail that lead a few feet down to a small guest house. The guest house was on the edge of a small pond that faded into the curve of the large forest that sat at the back of my property. It was one of the reasons I bought the cottage and the property, I smiled as I walked us towards it, "before you say it, yes, it is where I do most of my work. Not exactly like mums garage lab, but it is my sanctuary."

I pushed open the door, the guest house looked like an ancient medieval library on the inside, bookshelves lined the walls and there was a loft upstairs where I kept a desk and a functioning guest room. There was a small fireplace and large leather chairs facing a table that was covered in my notes and diagrams for my current project. I dropped my hand from hers as I rushed to clean up the mess, "I apologize for the mess."

I looked back and watched as Tasmin walked to the fireplace mantle where I had set her helmet as the one focal point of the entire space. She reached out and lifted it up, holding it in her hands, "I have a new one now, not one scratch on it." she turned to look at me, "its boring, no stories on it anywhere." she ran her fingers over the scratches and dents, "it reminds me of what I gave up." Tamsin set the helmet back down on the mantle, "for years I craved a peaceful, easy life, where I could wake up and not worry about anything more than what was for breakfast, no longer worry about weaving through battle, trying to avoid getting new scars." she folded her arms, "then when I got what I thought I always wanted, I realized it was the last thing I really wanted." she turned to look at me, smiling as she broke away from my eyes and looked around the room, "I can see why you spend a lot of time in here, its peaceful."

I set down the stack of notes in my hand, my heart hurt at what she just told me. "Tamsin, why do always forgo what you want and replace it what you think others want you to do?"

She sighed, "maybe its my way for making up for all the hell I caused in this world for so long, I was very selfish, very destructive and hurt everyone I ever loved because I always put what I wanted first." she walked over to one of the leather chairs and sat down on the arm, running her hands over her dress trying to smooth it down.

"Can I ask you a question." I moved closer to her. "was going up to Valhalla permanently what you really wanted?"

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with sadness, "sure." it was a short but curt answer, covering up the truth.

I smiled as I stood in front of her, "tell me what you really wanted, what you really want now. I cant read your thoughts, but I think you at least deserve to be honest with yourself and me, you never shy away from anything other than being honest about your feelings." I sat down on the edge of the table so I could look up in her blue eyes, "what does it matter anymore? You are only here for a matter of hours, give yourself to that freedom completely."

Tamsin stared in my eyes, taking a deep breath, "what I really wanted." she paused as she looked around the room, "what I really wanted was to stay here, stay with you after I killed Arden and never leave your side. To hold you and never let you go, to wake up everyday with you by my side and tell you how much I love you. But I couldn't have that."

I wiped away the tear that slid out, "you could have, all of it."

She shook her head, "no I couldn't, I cant, because I didn't know I actually wanted it until I saw you on the street with Ayn, it was too late." she smiled suddenly, "its life telling me I have made my bed and I need to lie in it." the old clique was ringing in my ears.

I whispered, "you had all of me...you still do." I didn't wait for her to answer as I reached for her, my hand going to her cheek as I pulled her into a kiss. It was tender at first, slow and tentative as all of our intentional kisses had been, I felt her hand on my shoulder and move to my back, her hand splayed across it as she pressed me close. I whispered against her mouth, "We should head back to the house." my desire for the woman was reaching an all high time, and I didn't think could resist another moment more without wanting to kiss her as I pulled her clothes off, the feel of her against my body was too much.

Tamsin swallowed hard as she looked in my eyes as I moved back and stood up, holding her hand in mine as I pulled her to stand up with me. She held onto my hand, "I don't think I want to go back to the house." she looked at me with heavy eyes, I swallowed, "then what do you want, Tamsin."

Tamsin pulled me close, "I want to spend my last night here with you, just you. I want to finally give myself to you completely, I want to wake up in the morning with you in my arms, I want to kiss you, feel you against me and know what its like to have you completely."

I looked down at our hands and then back up into the cool blue eyes that tore holes into my heart and soul, my heart pounding to a stop as I dropped her hand from mine and move closer to her. We reached for each other at the same time, coming together in a clash of lips, the tenderness of our earlier kiss was gone, replaced by long ignored need and desire. It was nothing like I had ever felt before, the heat that I felt as her hands found the areas of bare skin on me, made me crave her more. Under the heat and desire I felt safe and completely trusting in the woman in my arms. I broke away from the kiss, my hand finding hers, I pulled her behind me and up the loft stairs to the small cozy bed.

I turned around to face the Valkyrie, she was nervous and it made me smile. I reached up and traced my fingers down her cheek, "You are so beautiful Tamsin, so beautiful its hard for me to breathe."

She said nothing, she held my hand against her cheek, slowly turning it so she could kiss my palm before she pulled me closer against her. Her hands went to the back of my dress, finding the zipper and sliding it down. Letting her hands graze against my skin as her hands moved back up. I gasped at the warm, soft touch of her fingers on my skin, I pressed into her and reached up to the straps of her dress sliding them down her shoulders. Laying soft kisses along her neck, pulling the softest moans I had ever heard from the woman. I stepped back as I let the dress fall to the floor, I let my eyes take in the angles of her collarbone, her perfect breasts covered by a thin strapless bra, I ran my hands slowly down the soft smooth skin of her stomach, stopping at the thin fading scars that dotted her body. I smiled at the soft ridges of her toned stomach.

I whispered, "you are so soft, so strong."I bent and kissed the space between her neck and shoulder, pulling another moan from Tamsin, I smiled against her skin. Tamsin stepped back, freeing me from my dress she pulled me to the bed, delicately pushing me down. Following me as I laid back, laying next to me, her hands ran over my legs, my thighs and over my stomach, torturing me with soft swirling fingertips. She was moving so slow it was driving me insane, but I knew she was trying to savor the moment as much as I was. She swallowed hard, "No one could ever compare to how beautiful you are." she bent her head and laid soft, hot lips against my tattoo right above my hip, "I love you." I gasped at the sensual moment, I squirmed against her, trying to increase the contact of our bodies. She looked up and smirked at me as she skimmed her lips across my stomach, I reached down and held my hand in her hair. She kissed her way back up the middle of my body, pausing as she looked in my eyes before our mouths met again, soft, slow kisses making me ache more for her.

I ran my hand down her arm, from her shoulder to her side, my hand slowly coming to her breast, covering it as she sighed into the kiss. I ran my thumb over her nipple, feeling it react under the thin material of her bra. I smiled at her body's response, telling me that I was not alone in how much she made me feel as our skin touched.

Tamsin took a breath, "I don't want to hurry this..." she whispered, I smiled nodding, "me neither, but I don't know how much more I can take." Tamsin closed her eyes, "I forgot that you, have needs..."

I reached up and held her face in my hands, "this isn't about the succubus in me or what those needs are. Its about me and you, nothing else. I want to make love to you as me, but I don't know how much longer I can wait without seeing you naked." I smiled and kissed her quickly, biting her bottom lip, "you are wearing far too much clothing."

I pulled her against me as I reached and pulled off her bra, pushing her up as I kissed her neck, and breasts as I pulled off the rest of the clothing that remained between us. My hands ran down her body as returned the favor to my neck and breasts, I slid my hand between us, feeling her desire I took her breath away, so much she had to pause her movements. She reached down and held my hand against her as she looked in my eyes and moved slowly, it didn't take long until she shuddered and I felt her tighten against my fingers. Tamsin held my hand tightly as she recovered, laying forward on me. The feel of our naked skin touching for the first time, made me shudder, I was close to my own release.

Tamsin kissed my neck, we said very little, letting our bodies and the pent up desire and need speak for itself. She took her time, her hands finding places on my body that lit me on fire even more, her mouth and tongue leaving trails of electricity as she moved down. I felt no nervousness or hesitation, I just felt complete and whole, and wanting more of this woman. I came quickly with a smile and a large moan as her fingers found where I wanted her with as her tongue moved across me painfully slow. I had never been with a lover like this before, slow and so intense.

The tremors filled my body, and still lingered as Tamsin moved back up my body. She ran a hand over my hair, kissing my forehead, "you are perfect." She held herself over my mouth, our labored breaths matching in rhythm, I leaned up and captured her mouth pulling her back down to me as I ran my tongue over her bottom lip. I groaned against her mouth and rolled us over so I could be on top.

I didn't wait for her to object, I laid hot kisses down her chest, my hands finding her breasts in between my tongue rolling over her nipples, pulling the most delicious sounds from the Valkyrie I smiled and continued.

When she felt my tongue against her wetness, she gasped hard as her hips reacted and pushed against me. I laid my hands on her waist, steadying her as I continued my slow movements until she came against me. I kissed the inside of her thighs as she caught her breath, listening to her heart slow back down to a normal rate, I moved up against her body, loving the way our skin felt together. Tamsin looked in my eyes as her hands ran through my hair, a single tear fell down her cheek. I bent and kissed it away, "no tears, I love you Tamsin." she pulled me against her, our bodies molding together in a way that felt like she would never let me go. She whispered in my ear, "I love you, forever." I kissed her softly, as my own tears fell.

After a few more hours of giving into each other completely, I fell asleep in her strong arms, afraid to let go knowing what was to come in the morning.

I woke up to find the Valkyrie was still in my arms, I smiled as I kissed her bare shoulder and brushed some of the long blonde hair away. I snaked my arm around her waist and pulled her closer, sighing contently as I felt her fingers lace with mine holding my hand against her tighter. I mumbled a morning to her as I kissed her arm. She rolled over and laid her hand against my cheek, smiling as her eyes searched mine. We held a complete perfect silence, our eyes locked, her eyes dropped to the wings around my necklace, they had been slowly glowing gold since I woke up. Her brow furrowed and with two fingers she held the wings lightly on fingertips, "how long have they been doing this."

I went to say something when I heard the guest house door open, "Yo! Yo kiddo! I am the search party sent in by the moms!" AK was yelling as she traipsed around the lower floor, "hotpants told me that Blondie blew back in and out of town and that you would be sulking."

Tamsin looked panic, I grabbed her elbow and shook my head as Kenzi ran up the stairs, "you missed one sweet party, I got your mum drunk, Ayn got Hale to use his siren skills to make everyone trance our into giving her all the cake." she came up to the top of the stairs, her face buried in the comic book in her hands, "Get your ass up, breakfast is in the house and your moms want you to come join them." she looked up as she said, "I swear if I saw Blondie I would have kick her in the kooter..." she paused as she saw Tamsin trying to cover herself with the blanket, "Hi Moscow."

The comic book fell out of AK's hand as she blinked, her face covered in blank questions. I rolled out of the bed, pulling on a shirt and shorts, I hustled over to AK, she met my eyes and smiled wide, "looks like you have been doing your own kooter kicking, kiddo." she winked, "if you know what I mean."

I rolled my eyes as I pushed her back towards the stairs, "we will be down in a minute, go back in the house, try not to tell mom right away?" I gave AK a look as she winked at me, "You finally got your girl, I am proud of you." AK slugged me in the shoulder, "take your time, I will tell the mom brigade that you are a little hung-over."

we reached the bottom of the stairs, "thanks AK."

AK turned as she opened the door, yelling back upstairs, "Yo Blondie, its about time you finally shit and got off the pot." AK laughed as she walked out the door, winking at me one more time. I locked the door and ran back up the stairs, Tamsin was out of the bed, picking up her dress as she pulled on clothes. "Sorry about that."

Tamsin shook her head, "It's not anything I have not experienced before." she pulled on her dress, she looked at me, "I need to get back."

I reached out and grabbed her hands, "Stay, stay for breakfast. Stay for the day, stay until you have to absolutely leave." I knew I was pleading, begging, but I wanted her more than anything to stay. I smiled tightly, "besides, AK just told my parents you are up here. You might as well have breakfast with us, apparently my mom has a lot she wants to say to you." I looked in her eyes, "and I think you should hear it."