A/N: My lovelies, your compliments never cease to make me turn into sappy goo. I'm really happy you are all enjoying this story and tagging along for the ride. I'm going somewhere with this, even though I'm kinda winging it chapter by chapter. I will approach the whole Dawning situation, but with a slight twist, make it a bit more action oriented. Until then, avoid sharp objects. They hurt.
Sirens, smell of gun powder in the air and sharp pain in her left shoulder; this was supposed to be a quiet Saturday spent working out and trying not to think of Lauren, in her bed, naked and on top of her. Those expectations, although very noble, were quickly replaced by the reality of being a Detective on call, and possessing the mind of a horny fourteen year old boy.
Someone had tipped the police station on the location of two wanted drug dealers. The two partners, whom were assigned to this case, were immediately called by operations to make the arrests. After the two gangsters were pronounced dead, courtesy of a few 8 millimetre rounds, the parameter was secured and cleared, leaving the coroners to do the clean up.
Hand wrapped around the bleeding wound on her shoulder, Tamsin swiftly dodged the paramedic crew and made her way to the unmarked vehicle patiently waiting for her. Unconscious of the Wolf hot on her heels, her dreams of being home free were shattered as a strong hand gripped her arm, twisting her around.
"Are you out of your mind?" Growling, he released the arm as a cringe of pain appeared on the blonde's face.
"Is that a trick question? Because I'm sure I was never physically in my mind to being with." Smirking at the exasperated facial expression he made, Tamsin wished she had hidden a flask of strong liquor somewhere in her jacket. The bullet was still searing her skin from the inside, and even though it was numb, she could feel the dull ache.
Searching for her eyes and hoping to hold her gaze, his gravelly voice was laced with concern for his partner. "You could have gotten seriously injured, Tamsin, or worse."
"Newsflash, I wasn't. Can't say that my shirt was as lucky though." Sighing, she sadly stared at the rolled up sleeve of her white blouse. There was a small hole, the outer rim coated in blood. The crimson liquid stained most of the sleeve on its way down her arm, only stopping at her wrist as it pooled around her watch. The diameter of the entrance wound indicated it was a higher calibre than what both Detectives were packing.
"You shouldn't have taken that bullet for me, that's what flak jackets are for." He referred to the bulky, protective vests they were both wearing over their shirts.
"That bullet, Dyson, was heading straight for your chest," Nose and brow crunched up, she roughly poked her finger over his heart.
"Fuck me if I'm wrong, but you know as well as I do that the impact of a bullet on a vest can still cause major internal damage. My arm is far less vital than oh say, the organ keeping your ungrateful ass alive." She snapped.
"That's not what I meant," Eyes gazing the bloody mess on Tamsin's left shoulder, he let his warm hand rest against Tamsins', which was still tightly pressed against the open wound.
"I don't want to see you get hurt because of my own mistakes."
"The fact that you're still acting like it's the 16th century, and that you, for some fucked up reason, think I'm some kind of damsel in distress is really vomit worthy."
"I can't lose you." Was whispered sincerely, and sweetly. Unfortunately, Tamsin didn't have much of a sweet tooth.
"My blood alcohol level is not nearly high enough for me to simultaneously endure your sappiness and your scolding. Pick one." Judging she was handling the situation a little too harshly, and was perhaps acting out of fear, the unpleasant edge to her voice disappeared completely.
The Wolf wasn't fooled by her sarcastic nature, not anymore. He saw in her what no one else did; the split second that she let her walls down, softness flashed in her smile and resonated in her eyes.
Tamsin would never let him know how much she actually appreciated his concern, just like the older brother she never had. Besides, Dyson wasn't suicidal enough to admit that he saw right through her act.
"Look, Dyson, I can handle myself. Let me be your knight in shining armor from time to time." With a smile, she bumped her good shoulder against the taller man's arm.
Chukling, her returned the smile. He grew more appreciative to the fact he was probably one of the few lucky individuals who've gotten to experience a genuine 'Tamsin smile'. "Only if you buy me flowers and chocolate first."
"You'll be waiting a long time, sad wolf. I like to skip past the courting bullshit and go straight to the fucking."
"Did it hurt, when you fell from the sky?"
"Funny you should say that, Valhalla is a long way up." As their laughter died down, Tamsin walked around to the passenger's side, slipping inside. It felt a bit awkward, not driving her own cruiser, though she knew it was in good hands.
Closing the driver's door shut, he settled in the seat and clipped on his seat belt. Dyson reached across the center console to give Tamsin a hand with her own belt, only to be shot down by a death glare. "I know that you're a strong and capable woman. You have my back, and I have yours. So let me drive you to the nearest hospital-"
Green eyes grew wide with horror, but quickly narrowed as her brow furrowed. "Fuck no." Was sharp and quick, effortlessly slicing her partner's sentence much like a finely sharpened Katana cutting a piece of paper.
Starting up the car, he quickly glanced at the Valkyrie before driving away from the chaotic scene. An event sure to make the local new later tonight. "The bullet is still inside and you're still bleeding." His attempts to reason with her were not surprisingly shot down.
"Dyson, I'm not going to a," A pause; jaw clenching from the pain that shot up her arm from the pot hole they just hit. "Fucking hospital." She continued through gritted teeth.
"Then let me take you to Lauren."
And the award for worst fucking suggesting ever goes too…Not only was in a bad idea, it was an extremely bad idea. Lauren and herself would be in a room, alone, in very close proximity. There would be semi-nakedness and skin to skin contact involved. All of those which are very important ingredients in the recipe, which would ultimately lead to losing the small amount of self-control she has around the Doctor.
What if the Bo would walk in on them? After seeing what I can do, she would be ashamed to call herself a Succubus. Unaware of the smirk she had on her face in that moment, she ignored the look Dyson gave her from the corner of his eye. Her brave face was back up as quickly as it came down.
"The thought of digging in there and getting the bullet out myself seems more appealing."
"We're going." A statement, a command, an answer. It was all of the above.
"Fine." Sighing, she immediately added: "Not because I want an excuse to see her or anything...I'd like to not bleed out, and it would be a shame if my ass would never have the opportunity to perfectly fill a pair of tight jeans ever again."
For the most part, Dyson was impressed with the recovery. He knew she knew, she knew he knew. It was all just as confusing as that last sentence, but it made sense. Just like the base and foundation of their relationship: unspoken truths and understanding.
"Such a shame." Smirk on his face and sarcasm in his words, the Wolf's heavy boot crushed the gas pedal, speeding off into the direction of the Light Fae compound.
A smart ass and witty retort was fighting to come out, burning on the tip of her tongue, yet its short lived journey ended quite abruptly. Her body's natural supply of endorphins couldn't keep up with the throbbing pain Just like a wave slowly building up and crashing down forcefully, the twinge was felt in every inch of her arm and ran all the way down to tips of her finger.
It hurt, it fucking hurt. Every bump in the road caused the bullet to ground itself deeper into the tender flesh; rubbing and creating unwanted friction. Her hand gripped harder, yet blood still managed to pass between her fingers, coloring her entire hand scarlet.
"Faster please." Tamsin sing-songed, teeth grinding against each other.
Blue latex glove pushed the patient's eyelid upwards, flashlight aimed into his quickly constricting pupil. Pulling back, Lauren dropped the flashlight in her lab coat's pocket. Her voice came out muffled, behind the face mask she was wearing, as she verbalized her diagnosis: "What you've been experiencing is a common cold," A pause, a sharp inhale and she continued: "Times Fae." Although her smile was hidden you could see it reflect in her soft brown eyes.
"No kiddin', little lady." The man was about Trick's height, his face was however, was considerably youthful.
Not bothering to point out the irony in his statement, Lauren held up a bottle filled with tiny, yellow pills. "Take these, twice a day. Drink lots of water and get some rest."
She would have never thought helping a Cherufe* down from the examination table to be a dangerous affair or even all that much adventurous. That is, until he sneezed and fire spurt out of his nose. No, I'm serious. Literal fire shot out of his nose. Thankfully, she was quick enough on her feet and steered clear of the flames.
"Sorry." Sheepish smile on place as his legs touched the ground, "Thank you human." Respectfully nodding his head at the blonde, he scarfed down two of the pills before marching out of the lab.
"This human has a name you know…Not interested? Well then." Before Lauren had time to remove her gloves and mask, Dyson burst in the lab. Tamsin's arm around his shoulders, as she rested most of her weigh on the Wolf instead of her weakened legs.
"Oh my God…What happened Dyson?" Ripping the gloves off in a rush she ran towards the pair. Her hand gripping the blonde's wrist as she mimicked Dyson position.
"There's no time to explain, she already lost a lot of blood." With the help of the Doctor, Tamsin was safely and rapidly transported onto one of the empty beds.
"What's with the mask, Hannibal Lecter?" Her voice was as shaky and weak as her legs, like bricks were weighing her limbs down. Her body was lifted and a soft surfaced welcomed her backside, cushioning itself around it.
Leaning down, Lauren grasped both of the Detective's legs; lifting them up and over the bed as Dyson gently pushed Tamsin down on her back, hand on the back of her head. "I just treated a patient with a contagious flu."
"Did you torch it out of him?" A weak smile played on her lips as the Wolf unsnapped the flak jackets' straps. He lifted the front piece over her head while simultaneously pulling the back section out from under her.
"Excuse me?" Face mask crumpled in her hand, she absently threw it on a table somewhere. Lauren grabbed a pair of scissor and proceeded to finish off Tamsin's blouse, cutting a path inches beside the trail of buttons, previously holding the garment together.
"Why does it smell like you burned something?" Her stomach twitched, as the metallic pair of scissors brushed against her warm and sweaty skin. She wanted to yell at Lauren for fucking up her shirt more than it already was, wanted to tell her she could take care of herself. The Valkyrie simply lacked the energy, and the blood, to engage in this strenuous activity.
"My last patient was a Cherufe." The sharp edges of her scissors now attacked both of the sleeves, cutting them right down the middle.
"Oh," Craning her head towards Lauren, a sudden wave of dizziness hit her as if she had smashed her face against a baseball bat.
"Where-where does the yellow brick road lead to? Wait, where am I? Dyson?" Confusion and panic graced her features. A large hand softly turned her head, her green eyes meeting the sad Wolf's stare, and a sudden wave of security rushed through her body.
"I'm here." His worry was expertly hidden behind his smile.
Discarding the scissors, the tips of her index and middle finger rested along the woman's slender neck. Looking straight ahead, a frown creased her forehead as she noted Tamsin's straining heart and the unusual pale color of her skin.
The concern never once faltered as she turned to Dyson. "She's not making sense. As you stated earlier, she lost a dangerous amount of the blood. I suspect the bullet pierced the artery in her arm."
"Is she going to be alright?"
Lauren has seen this facial expression being directed towards Kenzi and Bo countless times. It was solely reserved to the individuals whom Dyson cherished the most. To see it surface because of Tamsin was not surprising, as the pair spent every waking moment together. She wondered if deeper feelings had been developed over time and if they were mutual.
Though, now was not the time for such thoughts. There was a beautiful Valkryie to save and time was of the essence. "I'll take care of her, Dyson." Placing a comforting hand on his arm, her fingers squeezed the muscle below.
"Go." Was whispered softly, motioning her head towards the door.
"I trust you." With a confident nod, he gazed at his partner before making himself scarce.
Taking a deep breath, her eyes scanned around for a staff member. "You," She pointed at one of the nurses, motioning for them to come closer with her hand. "Prepare the morphine IV. She'll also need a blood transfusion. Quickly." She pressed.
"Can a homie get a double-dose?"
"Homie will take what I give her, because homie needs blood more urgently than sedatives."
"Homie sad."
"You'll sleep it off." Lauren reassured with a sarcastic smile, flicking her finger against the Morphine-filled needle in her hand.
Lauren busied herself with recording Tamsin's vitals down on the clipboard as she stood right next to the sleeping blonde. The slow beeping of the machines had become an oddly comforting sound for the Doctor; it was their eerie silence which unnerved her.
Rustling and groans came from the bed, breaking the woman's concentration. A small smile tugged the corners of her lips as her gaze fell on the groggy blonde. "You're awake."
Propping herself up on her right elbow, Tamsin raised an eyebrow at the Doctor's obvious statement. "Your observation skills are out of this world." The dryness of her throat caused her voice to emerge rough and grave.
"Can you sit up?" Setting down the clipboard by the heart rate monitor, Lauren stepped closer towards the bed, slipping both of her hands in the pockets of the patented lab coat.
"I don't know, but I'll try." The 'mock insecurity exaggeration' act perfectly intertwined with her sarcastic nature.
She relocated most of her weight on her right arm to push herself up in a sitting position. Every muscle in her body burned with rage as she moved them, the throbbing headache behind her eyes wanted to make her bash her head against a wall until she knocked herself out unconscious. Having a hangover knowing you didn't drink a drop of alcohol is like fucking and not having an orgasm: a waste of time.
Giving a quick glance in the direction of her ruined shirt, pain contorted her features as she moved her wounded arm, letting her hand rest in her lap. Looking around, Tamsin observed that she was without wolf.
"Where did D-man go?" Was asked curiously. Green eyes eyed the Doctor, whom invaded her personal space. Her knees brushed against Lauren's covered stomach as delicate fingers slid along her collar bone, slowly peeling off the blood soaked pad. The sharp ache could not compete with the electricity Lauren's touch created against her pale skin.
You're a grown woman, you can control yourself and you can do this. She forced herself to believe this self-talk bullshit, as her hand clutched the bed sheets tightly. Lauren didn't seem to be having a difficulty with their close proximity, or perhaps she was just better at controlling her physical impulses.
"He was getting restless," Laying the pad down, Lauren wiped the dried and crusted blood on the soft skin below. Her eyes darted upwards, momentarily staring at the Detective through her eyelashes.
"So he left to fetch you a change of clothes." Her voice exuded professionalism as she focused on the task at hand. To say she ignored her own racing heartbeat and the tingling sensation down low would be best known as a white lie.
She fought to remain in 'Doctor' mode; and Tamsin was her patient, which she repeated over and over in her head. She's here as a patient and you're helping her as a Doctor. Though, nothing was ever that simple.
Clearing her throat, Tamsin craned her head away, finding the heartbeat monitor suddenly very interesting. "I don't know what's worse: a morphine hangover or a dog sniffing through my underwear drawer." Her face crunched up at the thought.
Shoulders shaking from laughter, a wide smile spread on her lips. Her face grew suddenly serious as she held the Valkyrie's gaze. "Bo could heal you, Tamsin, completely."
Eyes wide, eyebrows bouncing upwards, she lifted her hand up in front of the Doctor's face. "I'm going to stop you right there, Doc. Getting a Succu-STD is not on my bucket list."
Lauren nodded. She understood it was a line that perhaps didn't need crossing any time soon, especially since the situation certainly wasn't life and death. At least not anymore, thanks to the Doctor's expertise.
"You'll need to change the bandage a few times a day. Clean it thoroughly; you wouldn't want an infection spreading. If your immune system does its job, which it probably will, then you're looking at four to six weeks 'till a full recovery." Cautiously bandaging the wound, she heard the sigh coming from her impatient patient, and she just knew there was an eye-roll thrown in the mix.
"Great," Her boots came in contact with the ground as she hopped down from the bed.
"At least it's not my gun hand." Looking down at the hand she flexed, she hadn't realized how close the two women were. So close in fact, she could feel the rise and fall of their chest against one another.
A pair of hands rested on her naked stomach, palms flat against the toned surface. Brown mixed with green, chocolate and emerald. No one made any effort to move.
Tamsin titled her head downwards, while Lauren did the exact opposite, inclining her head upwards. Their nose grazed, at first, then slid against each other. Lauren's breath crashed against her lips in short bursts.
With little ounce of control she had left, Tamsin inched her head sideways so their lips wouldn't touch, as she rested her forehead against the Doctors'.
Wrapping her fingers around Lauren's wrists, her face mirrored pain and uncertainty as she gazed into the Doctor's eyes; eyes which were filled with questions, aching to get answers.
"What happened?" Was whispered so softly it was almost muted, and would have been, if not for their current position.
"I stepped in front of a bullet." Tamsin chose to pretend she didn't recognize the true meaning behind Lauren's question.
"Us," She swallowed hard, her mouth agape as the words gently spilled from her mouth. "what did I do wrong?"
"Nothing." Was whispered back sincerely, squeezing Lauren's hands between her own.
"Then why-" Her inquiries were cut short, as a cough behind them caused both women to instantly jump away from each other. Dyson stood behind the twosome, red blouse in hand.
"Red?" Tamsin caught the garment that was thrown at her. Holding it up, she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her partner.
"So you won't stain it." He grinned. Even if he had just caught them almost kissing, there wasn't a word spoken about it.
He did everything in his power to not turn this situation incredibly awkward and Tamsin loved him for it. Sometimes, it brings a tear to my eye, and then I realize, why am I not drinking right now? And the feeling goes away, thankfully.
"And here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor." Smirking, the blonde carefully lifted her aching arm, slipping it through the sleeve, then the other. Well that wasn't so hard.
The blouse, however, remained opened, still needing to be buttoned. Or not. Fuck. Buttoning up shirts was already the most daunting task on this planet when you could use both of your hands, doing it with one hand was probably a suicide mission.
"I'll be waiting out in front." Dyson quickly studied both of the women's faces before turning on his heels and crossing the threshold of the lab empty handed, once again.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled awkwardly at the Valkyrie. A steady hand grasped the clipboard. "I will request a leave of absence from your duties and a period of two weeks for rehabilitation therapy." Her pen scratched unreadable words down on a small piece of paper.
"Back the fuck up, pause and repeat." This sucked, this fucking sucked. What was she going to do for the next six weeks? File papers for Dyson? Over her dead body.
Smiling, she stepped in front of Tamsin, whom desperately tried to pop the first button into its respective slit. Lauren couldn't help but think how, the usually badass woman, looked fascinatingly adorable.
"The bullet didn't break any bones, but it damaged nerves and ligaments in the deltoid branch region." Reaching her hands out towards the frustrated blonde, she pushed Tamsin's hand down and began working the buttons, one by one.
"Can you dumb it down enough for a simple Detective to understand?"
"Your arm will be stiff for a little while after the wound heals fully. You'll need to slowly build back up your strength. "
Sighing, Tamsin attempted to ignore the shiver running down her spine every time Lauren's fingers swiftly grazed against her torso. "He'd better buy me the biggest fucking bottle of Whiskey ever made."
She's just as good at buttoning them as she is at ripping them apart, she thought, looking down at the Doctor's handy work. "Thank you, Lauren, for everything." Escaping the truths she dare not speak, Tamsin grabbed her weapon and badge from the table, starting towards the exit.
"Tamsin, wait." It was desperate, her tone, but she just simply needed to know. Lauren couldn't go on beating herself up over something she had very little insight into.
She turned at the door, taking a deep breath before saying: "It's not you. I'm a Valkyrie." And she was gone, leaving the dumbfounded Doctor to delve into her own thoughts.
Lauren's knowledge of Valkyries was mostly based around the mythology, yet she had never gotten up close and personal with one. Well, unknowingly, anyways. She didn't need to seek a fortune teller's wisdom to foresee that there would be a lot of researching in the near future.
*Cherfue: A mythological creature created from rock and magma. It is said to be the source of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.