A/N: So this is a fic requested by LorelaiSquared as a perk for an Indiegogo campaign my friend and I did. It picks up right after Groundhog Fae. Special thanks to my friend Sally for reading it through for me before I uploaded. :)
"I just wish you would have given it to me."
Bo sighed, staring at the blonde doctor sitting across from her in the corner of The Dal. She wasn't angry with her lover. (Former lover? She wasn't sure what they were right now.) She was just tired of everyone keeping things from her. And the mysterious box had found on Bo's bed after the Yule party certainly fit in that category of unnecessary secrets.
"Nobody knew what to expect when you got back, Bo. You don't know what state of mind you were in when you sent that. Or if somebody else forced you to send it. We don't know anything!" Lauren protested, leaning forward in her chair to get closer to the succubus. "I was only trying to look out for you."
Bo set her drink down on the table between them and slid her hand over Lauren's. "I know," she conceded. "And I love that you care about me, but I don't need protection right now. I need answers. No matter how scary they might be."
Lauren turned her eyes downward, not sure what to say. After a moment, she felt Bo lightly squeeze her hand and she looked back up, forcing a goofy half-grin onto her face. "Are you upset with me?"
The scene felt so familiar, and the brunette fae knew it. Someone she loved would go behind her back under the guise of just trying to do what they thought was best for her, only to subsequently beg for her forgiveness and understanding. And she always gave it, time and time again. And it wasn't just Lauren, though she was well-versed enough in the doctor's particular iteration of this dance. Which meant she also knew how it played out.
"No. No, of course not." Bo smiled at Lauren reassuringly, a smile the latter quickly returned in full now that she knew they were okay once again.
An over-exaggerated groan cut through the short-lived silence as Kenzi flopped down in a comfy chair between her best friend and her fellow human, immediately curling up into a tired ball of leather and lace.
"Don't stop the dark-on-dark mega googly eye action on my account," the small human mumbled without bothering to look up. "Mama Kenz is just sneaking in a 30 second recharge so we can get this party started. Pretend I'm not even..." She trailed off, already starting to doze.
THWACK!
"Ow!" Kenzi unfurled herself back into a sitting position as she rubbed her leg where Bo had just smacked her. "Okay, I'm sorry! Your eyes are totally the appropriate amount of googly."
"Where have you been all day? You were supposed to help me patch up the hole in the wall this afternoon. You know, the one you made after you and Tamsin decided it was a good idea to blast Spice Girls and practice sword fighting in the middle of our living room? You zig-a-zig-ahh-ed right through the freaking drywall."
"Tamsin?" Lauren's brow furrowed in confusion. "She's not still living with you two now that she's back to being, well, Tamsin again, is she?"
"Of course she is, doc," responded Kenzi. "Where else would she go? Can't have my girl living in her truck anymore. Do you remember how gnarly her under-eye circles got last life-cycle?" Kenzi grimaced. "Besides, it's useful having her around. Especially on nights like this when I am TOTALLY GOING TO FREEZE ALL HER THONGS WHILE SHE SLEEPS."
The last part was directed, loudly, towards the other side of the room, causing both Lauren and Bo to look over and see Tamsin glance up from where she was chatting with Trick.
"We went paintballing today. Big mistake." Kenzi rolled her shoulders in discomfort, insinuating how much exertion the outing had taken. "Hence why I was not there to help with your hole. Anyway, can't you just get Dyson to do it? The wall, I mean."
"We should be able to patch a hole in the wall ourselves. It's not like we aren't used to it by now," she replied, pointedly ignoring Kenzi's double entendre. Squinting, she changed the subject: "I think you've got some paint..."
Bo motioned at her own face, trying to point out to her friend where the evidence of her and Tamsin's excursion remained. Kenzi swiped at her face, completely missing it.
A familiar hand reached around the chair and harshly scrubbed the red mark off Kenzi's forehead.
"OW! God! What is with people trying to hurt me today?" protested the girl.
Tamsin leaned against the chair and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Don't be so dramatic. I'd hate to see how you deal with an actual injury."
"Hey! I have totally been stabbed, I'll have you know. And there was only like, minimal screaming involved," Kenzi defended herself. "Most of which was Hale, anyway."
"Oh, I'm well aware. That's how I ended up sleeping on the couch last week practically smothering myself with a pillow to drown out the noise." Tamsin smirked as the little goth tried not to act flustered.
"I meant with a sword," she mumbled.
"And the two of you thought it would be a good idea to play with guns together?" Bo joked.
"Paintball guns," corrected Tamsin. "Totally safe."
Kenzi scoffed. "Says the fae who went all Tambo on everyone's asses. I'm lucky I got out alive."
"It's not my fault humans bruise so easily," grinned the valkyrie. "Besides, you should know by now that everyone's always better off playing for my team." As she finished her sentence, she threw a quick glance at Bo, something that was not at all lost on Lauren.
"Team Tamsin. From here to infinity. I swear it on my lucky knee highs," Kenzi relented.
"You know, a number of psychological studies have suggested that obsessions with guns and violence are often considered to signify feelings of inferiority and impotence. Especially among those who use them to attempt to exert dominance and gain control over a world that would otherwise essentially cast them aside for their weakness," offered Lauren, finally rejoining the conversation.
Tamsin shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with the direction this had taken.
"Big gun. Tiny penis. Yeah doc, I think everyone has heard that one," replied Kenzi.
"I just think it's fascinating, that's all." Lauren leaned back in her chair, her gaze flitting up and down Tamsin before settling on Bo. Kenzi followed Lauren's eyes, frowning slightly.
"My walking wikipedia," Bo smiled, oblivious to the doctor's intent.
"Actually, wikipedia is notoriously-"
"And that's my cue to start drinking," Tamsin interrupted. "You coming, short stuff?"
"I'll catch up with you in a sec. Tell Trick I want something with alcohol in it."
"You got it." The dark fae spun around and headed back towards the bar.
"And Red Bull!" Kenzi yelled after her. Turning back to Bo, she lowered her voice: "She's been acting kinda strange since she's been back. Have you noticed anything?"
"Tamsin?" asked Bo. "That girl is practically a different person every time I see her. Often in a literal sense."
"She's gone all quiet and broody lately. We're basically an existential voice over away from a '90s teen drama," Kenzi persisted. "Was she like that last time? You know, before..." Kenzi mimed Tamsin and Dyson driving off a cliff, ending in a big explosion and a very unpleasant-looking death face. "You spent way more time with her than I did."
Bo thought for a second. "She was always hot one minute and cold the next. I never really knew what to expect from her."
"Then it sounds like nothing has changed," Lauren interjected. "She certainly seems exactly the same to me."
"I'm just worried about my little Tamzy," Kenzi continued to address Bo, ignoring the blonde. "Something's not right."
"Maybe she's just been spending too much time around Dyson," the succubus joked, earning a distinct 'I'm-being-serious' look from her best friend.
Bo looked over to the bar. Sure enough, the valkyrie was leaning up against one of the stools, staring down at the floor, arms wrapped around herself, presumably lost in her own thoughts as she waited for Trick to finish mixing their drinks. Exuding anything but the brash confidence they had come to know the year before.
Bo sighed. "She just got her memories back, Kenz. Lifetimes upon lifetimes of memories. I think it's a safe bet that it's not all glitter-winged butterflies and tap-dancing unicorns. It's not easy to discover you're capable of awful things. It's gotta be even worse discovering you've actually done them. Give her some time to adjust."
Kenzi was still staring at her new friend across the room as Bo finished. "Yeah. Sometimes your memories are the worst place you can be." Her BFF was right, of course. But giving Tamsin time didn't mean Kenzi had to leave her by herself. The goth girl hopped up from her chair, trying to shake some energy into herself. "I think I'm gonna take Tamsin's mind off whatever eons of faetal destruction and bad hair days she's remembering with a little booze and a little pool."
The succubus smiled at her friend's unwavering insistence to be there for anyone she cared about when they needed her. It was one of the things she loved most about Kenzi. She was always limited in what she was able to do for her fae friends due to her humanity, but what she lacked in powers, she more than made up for with heart.
"I think that sounds like a great idea," Bo agreed, standing up as well. She turned to Lauren, "You up for doubles?"
"Oh, I don't know," Lauren started, not loving the idea of spending the rest of the night with that particular mixture of people. Especially when she had come out to spend time with Bo.
"Two fae, two humans. Two blondes, two brunettes. The fairest of fair match ups," pressured Kenzi.
"You wish," Bo scoffed. "Come on, Lauren! It'll be fun." The brunette smiled at her, and she knew she was beat.
"Oh, alright," Lauren smiled back and pushed herself up out of her chair. "But you're buying the next round of drinks."
"Deal."
"Dibs on Tamsin!" Kenzi shouted, rushing ahead of them.
"Nailed it!"
Kenzi threw both her hands up in the air for a double high five, which Tamsin immediately granted her. "It's all about the real skills, baby. Can't succubust these balls to get what you want."
"Wow. You are so annoying when you're winning," Bo teased her friend. "How did I manage to forget that?"
"Because you lurve me." Kenzi threw her arm around Bo's shoulder. "And I lurve you too, Bo-bear. But not enough to refrain from kicking your bootylicious ass. Again."
Bo removed herself from Kenzi's grasp. "Game's not over yet. Lauren?"
On the other side of the pool table, the doctor was staring intently at the layout of the remaining balls, muttering something to herself about angles and theorems. The other three waited as she sized up her best shot, finally grinning as she looked up at Bo.
"Don't worry, I've got this."
"We have one ball left to sink. You've got five," Kenzi pointed out. "Hate to break it you, but the odds are ever not in your favor tonight."
"Actually, they are. Pool is about math. Plain and simple. If you understand how to calculate the correct degrees and the appropriate amount of force, you'll make your shot." Lauren finished chalking up her cue as she explained. "And the 6-ball over there, when bounced off that side of the table at the right angle, will fall into that pocket right over there, forming an obtuse triangle," she pronounced, calling her shot. "And I happen to know a thing or two about obtuse triangles."
Not waiting for any acknowledgement of the overtly not-actually-about-pool comment, Lauren leaned down to take her shot, carefully lining up her stick with the cue ball.
SMACK!
The stick rattled as it sent the cue ball colliding into the six, which ricocheted off the side of the table exactly where Lauren had said and...
...hugely missed the corner, bouncing off another side, and another, and ending up almost exactly where it had started.
Lauren backed up with a disappointed huff at the same as Kenzi let out a whoop of joy.
"Looks like your triangle turned into a rectangle, doc," Tamsin smirked as she moved around the table to look for her next shot. "Maybe you just didn't use enough force."
"I know how to assess mathematical situations," Lauren retorted in frustration.
"Maybe the floor's uneven," Bo offered supportively. "It was a tough shot. And it's just a friendly game. Even if our opponents would never win any awards for good sportsmanship."
"Don't hate the playa, hate the game," Kenzi threw back playfully. "Actually, don't hate the game either because I want to kick your asses at least three or four more times tonight after this round."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, roomie." Bo watched Tamsin studying the table and subtly began shifting towards her. "It's just one ball, Tams. Afraid you won't make it?"
"Doubt's my thing, succubus. Stick to your own strengths," Tamsin said, not taking her eye off the ball as she lined up her shot. "Besides, I was just deciding what the most impressive way to win the game would be."
Bo couldn't help but notice that there was a fluidity to the other fae's movements that served as a sharp contrast to Lauren's rigidly careful posture just moments before. It was distracting and strangely enchanting to watch, undoubtedly a result of Tamsin's many years spent as a warrior, learning how to move gracefully with any weapon serving as an extension of her own body in battle. Even if that battle was now simply a game of pool.
"Uh huh. And?"
"3-ball, off the right side, then the left, down to the end, right again, off to the left, back up to me, and finally landing in the far right pocket."
"Cocky, aren't we?" teased Bo, leaning right up next to her now.
"Not at all. Just good with my hands."
Bo leaned forward, whispering, "Oh, I bet you are." She let her fingers casually graze Tamsin's shoulder, sending a pulse of her charm surging through the valkyrie.
Tamsin could feel the heat radiating from the younger fae. She knew what Bo was doing, but wasn't prepared to resist her power. Even if she had been, or even if Bo hadn't used her fae abilities, Tamsin knew that light touch still would have thrown her off her game. She flinched and let her eyes flutter closed for a brief moment, just as she moved to strike the ball.
Sending the cue ball directly into the side pocket. Scratch.
"Just not as good as I am with mine." Bo pushed away from the table, smirking at her small victory.
"Cheater!" Kenzi yelled, appalled. "Cheater, cheater, sex chi eater!"
"Don't hate the player," Bo shot back.
Tamsin took a second to catch her breath before standing back up, willing away the shiver that threatened to travel down her spine. She'd already allowed the succubus to see how capable she is of getting under her skin too many times; she wouldn't do it with Kenzi and Lauren around. Especially not with Lauren around.
"Fine!" retaliated Kenzi, continuing the friendly argument with the other brunette. "If you can fae out, then Tamsin can totally go all death face on you next turn. Right Tam Tam?"
"Oh please." Tamsin quickly slipped back into the banter the group had going. "Bo's little parlor trick barely even registered. I just got dust in my eye. No surprise, this place is still kind of a dump." She switched her gaze to Bo, defiantly, wanting to make sure she understood just how much her touch hadn't effected her. "Besides, if I went full valkyrie on our little baby fae here, she wouldn't just miss her shot. She'd end up sobbing in a corner questioning everything from her favorite flavor of ice cream to whether Ke$ha spells her name with a dollar sign or an emoticon of a dolphin."
Bo moved closer her verbal sparring partner, unsure whether the subconscious shift in proximity was more to intimidate the other girl or because using her powers had left a residual need to be close to another person (any person, she told herself). "Uh huh. Well, I seem to remember it didn't end so well for you the last time you tried to cast me into the shadows of doubt."
Kenzi cocked her head, shooting a questioning look at her otherwise occupied friend, and then over to Lauren, who returned her confusion. They both knew Tamsin had used her powers on Dyson to an extreme effect once before, and Kenzi knew from one of their "bonding sessions" (aka Kenzi throwing out every valkyrie-related question she could think of at the newly reborn fae) that Tamsin preferred to only show her true face as a last resort, in any lifetime. So when had Tamsin used her powers on Bo?
The blonde fae matched Bo's step, determined not to let the succubus get the best of her, even if it was only in fun. "You caught me on a bad day. I'm better than I was. New life cycle, stronger powers."
"Better isn't always good enough, blondie," scoffed Bo. "Some things just don't change."
Tamsin's already somewhat tenuous grin faltered and her body tensed, Bo's words resonating too deeply with her in more ways than one. She saw a flicker of concern in the succubus's eyes as the other woman immediately took note of the change in Tamsin's demeanor.
Couldn't have that.
Not wanting to give Bo even a millisecond more to respond, verbally or otherwise, Tamsin plastered a smirk back onto her face. "Lucky for you, you don't have to find out." She switched her attention to Kenzi: "We don't need powers to beat these punks. We'll be fine on our own. Now if you'll excuse me, I think it's time for another round of drinks."
Without waiting for any responses, Tamsin set her cue against the wall and started for the bar.
"The rest of us aren't done with the last round!" pointed out Lauren.
"Then drink up!" the other blonde called back over her shoulder.
"That's my girl!" affirmed Kenzi, spirits raised now that the promise of more alcohol hung in the air. "But you!" she pointed at Bo. "No more seduction distractions. Play nice."
Bo vaguely registered Kenzi's demand, focusing instead on the girl walking away from them. Tamsin had kept up her trademark confident strut until she put enough distance between her and the pool table, but Bo couldn't stop from noticing her walk change after that. Her shoulders sunk a little lower, her hips swayed a little less, her steps in general seemed just a little heavier. She was still putting on an act with them.
Still? Or back to?
Things were different this time around, in spite of what Bo had teased not a minute earlier. The valkyrie had, in a sense, grown up with them in this lifetime, as compressed as her "childhood" had been. They had given her a place to stay, taken care of her, protected her. She had told Bo her part in The Wanderer's mysterious kidnapping of the succubus, and Bo had made sure Tamsin knew that was all in the past. There was no bad blood between them. Not from this life, not from the last. She was part of their family now. So why was the valkyrie building up her walls again, after all of this?
Maybe Kenzi was right. Maybe there was something to be concerned about.
"Earth to Bo!" Kenzi called her name, startling her out of her thoughts. "I want a verbal declaration of a peace treaty. Human pool only. On second thought, human pool sounds like something the fae would probably interpret in a very demeaning and pain-inducing way. I just mean-"
Lauren interrupted the rambling goth, smiling: "What she means is that your abilities, amazing as they are, put Kenzi and I at a disadvantage, compared to you and Tamsin, and she- we- would just appreciate a more even playing field."
"Yeah. Of course," Bo agreed easily, gaze drifting back and forth between the conversation in front of her and Tamsin once again hanging out at the bar. "No powers. I'm gonna hit up the little girls' room. Lauren, play for me?" She smiled at the doctor, and, much like Tamsin, left the table without waiting for any response.
"Well, there we go. Human y human." Kenzi snatched Lauren's cue up from its resting place.
"Human A human," Lauren corrected automatically. "It's a play off mano A mano. Hand TO hand. Not hand AND hand. It's a common faux pas."
"Whatevs," shrugged Kenzi, tossing Lauren her cue.
Turning to catch the stick before it fell past her, Lauren caught a glimpse of Bo approaching Tamsin at the bar. Her brow furrowed at the sight, troubled as to why Bo would say she was going one place but then go talk to the valkyrie instead.
Oblivious to where the other human's attention was focused, Kenzi hopped up on a stool facing the pool table, grabbing what remained of her drink. "Your move, doc."
Tamsin tipped her head as she tossed back a shot, relishing the sting of the vodka sliding down her throat.
"Trading one shot for another?"
The valkyrie held her eyes shut for an extra moment, allowing herself a deep breath to maintain composure as she registered the voice coming up next to her.
"If you're here to make me miss this one, you're too late," she replied, slamming the empty shot glass down onto the bar.
Bo hesitated, not sure how best to proceed with the other woman. The outcomes of their interactions had always been so unpredictable.
"Look, I was just messing around before, with the game, I didn't mean to-"
"You're fine, succuslut," Tamsin cut her off, sliding one of two remaining shots over to her friend. "If you weren't using your shit to get what you want, you wouldn't be you. Our abilities are what make us who we are."
Bo frowned. "Our abilities are part of us, but they don't define us."
Tamsin shrugged, fiddling with her shot glass, refusing to look up at Bo. "You say tomato..."
"I don't want to be someone who just uses my powers to get what I want all the time," Bo continued. She rested her hand gently on Tamsin's knee, trying to encourage her to meet her gaze. "And I don't want you to think that."
"I don't," sighed Tamsin, finally looking back up. "You know that."
Bo smiled, and Tamsin couldn't help but return the expression. Bo's happiness was contagious like that.
"I also wanted to see how you were doing. We haven't talked much since Yule and Krampus and that whole freakish candyland of horrors."
Saying they hadn't talked at all was probably closer to being accurate, Tamsin thought. Beyond a passing greeting if they ran into each other at the clubhouse, the two hadn't exchanged any words over the past week. Yet another instance where so much happened between them and they just completely swept it under the rug. The kiss, Tamsin's confession about her role in everything, the other kiss, Bo's fears, more kissing... it was pretty much like none of it had ever happened.
But Bo was dealing with a lot. Tamsin understood that. And when it came down to it, she wasn't sure which one of them was avoiding the topic more. Or maybe dealing with a fucked up valkyrie who kept trying to get you killed in between unexpected face-sucking sessions just didn't register on Bo's list of things to have heart-to-hearts about. It's not like she had any shortage of enemies, or any shortage of lovers. This was just another drop in the bucket for her, all around.
Tamsin downed her last shot, buying herself a couple seconds before opting to just get straight down to business.
"Well I'm assuming since nobody's kicked my ass, you didn't tell anyone about the whole getting-you-kidnapped-by-The-Wanderer thing?"
"No," Bo shook her head. "Everything you told me, everything that happened, that's between you and me. None of that matters. Besides, the last thing we need right now is unnecessary complications."
Tamsin felt her heart sink. Bo wasn't just talking about her confession, she was sure of it. Unnecessary complication. Yeah, that about summed up her role in this group. In Bo's life.
She wished she had another shot.
"Right," she flashed a quick smile. "Thanks."
"What is it with fae holidays turning into complete disasters, anyway?" Bo asked light-heartedly. "It's like every single one turns into a rescue mission of some sort."
"Well, thanks for not letting me get crushed into a bunch of heart shaped candies stamped with variations of 'Text Me, Lover.'"
"That would have been difficult to explain to Kenzi," agreed Bo.
"Nah, that girl loves her candy," Tamsin grinned.
Bo laughed uneasily, immediately calling to mind Tamsin's earnest declaration during Yule that at least everyone would like her if she were candy. She wasn't sure if the valkyrie's most recent comment was simply a joke, or if there was more to it than that.
The events at the candy factory had unnerved Bo, though she wasn't fully willing to admit that to herself. Seeing the other girl spiral so deeply into her regret - even if it was at least partly due to being under Krampus's mind control - had been frightening. A part of her worried that if she pushed Tamsin to talk about anything, they'd lose her back to whatever emotions had overtaken her before. Maybe she'd run, maybe she'd snap back to the Tamsin she'd been when they met for the first time, it was hard to predict. Bo wasn't really sure she wanted to find out.
She opened her mouth with the intent of at least letting the blonde know that she was here if she did ever want to talk about anything when a yell from across the room cut her off.
"Yo, Tammers! Where's the juice?" Kenzi waved her empty glass around wildly, a look of playful impatience on her face.
"...almost as much as she loves her alcohol," Tamsin amended her earlier statement about the human and sweets.
"I am so not gonna be the one staying up all night hate-watching Dance Moms with her if you get her drunk," warned Bo.
"If she gets that drunk, I don't think either of us will have much of a say in the matter."
"True," Bo accepted. She searched the valkyrie's face for a brief moment, but, realizing the window for her attempt at reassurance had passed, opted instead to toss back the shot Tamsin had given her earlier and bring the conversation to a close. "See you back at the table?"
Tamsin gave a curt nod as Bo finally took off for the restroom.
"That was depressingly easy," Kenzi remarked.
It hadn't taken her and Lauren more than a minute to finish up the game of pool after Bo had walked off. Kenzi had sunk the final ball for her team immediately after Lauren's turn. It wasn't as fun to brag without her other two friends around, though, so she settled for a sardonic declaration.
"Best two out of three," challenged the doctor.
"At least," Kenzi confirmed. The night was young, she was barely feeling buzzed, and as tired as she was from the day's earlier activities, she still felt like a night out was the best plan. She had meant what she'd said about hoping to distract Tamsin from whatever was going on with her, and for the most part, in spite of the occasional tension between her and Lauren, the valkyrie had seemed to loosen up and enjoy the hangout time. And while Kenzi would have preferred to take things back to the clubhouse and have a roommate pj party with booze and trashy TV, part of her was worried that if she suggested it, Bo would blow them off and stay out at The Dal with Lauren.
Which was totally fine. She knew her BFF had a lot of unresolved issues with the good doctor, and Kenzi was very much trying to give Lauren the benefit of the doubt on all things these days for Bo's sake, but that didn't mean she didn't miss her fae pal. Between Lauren, and Dyson, and this new allegiance to the dark, and all the Wanderer crap, and Kenzi's own blossoming relationship with Hale, not to mention her essentially raising Tamsin for awhile, she felt like she never really got to spend any time with Bo anymore. She tried not to think about it too much, about what it might mean, but in her heart, she knew it sucked. And that she missed Bo, a lot. And she was pretty certain Tamsin did, too.
She looked over to see if Tamsin was on her way back yet. Instead, she saw Bo had joined the blonde fae at the bar. Bo had her hand on Tamsin's knee and the conversation looked a little serious. Kenzi smiled to herself. If anyone could figure out what was going on with the most recent addition to their gang, it would be Bo. Her bestie was good like that.
"That doesn't look like the ladies' room to me," she heard Lauren mumble nearby. Kenzi glanced over and saw Lauren had also turned an eye to the bar.
"Not jealous, are you, doc?" the dark-haired human teased innocently.
"Don't be absurd," Lauren rolled her eyes. "Bo and I aren't even together right now. Kind of. And it isn't like anything serious would ever happen between Bo and Tamsin. She's dark."
Kenzi frowned. She didn't particularly want to argue with Lauren, nor did she necessarily disagree with the doctor's assertion that there was nothing romantic going on between Bo and Tamsin, but she immediately felt defensive of the valkyrie upon hearing Lauren's obvious dismissal of the girl.
"Tamsin? Or do you mean Bo? Because, in case you forgot, they're both dark these days. And so are you, for that matter. Being dark doesn't equal being bad; I thought we'd all agreed on that by now."
"It doesn't exactly make you good, either."
"Baby Tam isn't as bad as you think, Lauren," Kenzi asserted. "She's been there for Bo. A lot. And for me. She's got our backs. All of us."
Lauren shrugged, not wanting to push the issue any further.
"Starting with buying our next round of drinks. Supposedly." Kenzi turned back towards the bar and called out: "Yo, Tammers! Where's the juice?"
She waved her empty mug around, grinning as both of her friends rolled their eyes at her before turning back to their conversation. She saw Bo walk off a second later and hoped she hadn't interrupted anything important. She wanted them to be able to talk, but she figured getting Lauren riled up before they came back wouldn't do any good either.
Stepping up to the pool table, Kenzi began grabbing the balls from their resting place and sliding them gently back down to the other end of the table.
"So, how badly do you wanna lose this time?" she teased Lauren.
"Oh, it's on," the doctor grinned back at the girl.
"Hey Trick, can I get another round?" Tamsin turned back to the bar after Bo's departure, trying to get Trick's attention.
The bartender didn't even bother to look her way as he pushed a napkin in front of another fae a few stools down. "You just had another round," he reminded her.
"Those were shots," Tamsin corrected. "And they were for me."
Trick sighed and shook his head, hiding a smile. "Kenzi's going to have to wait a few minutes while I serve my PAYING customers."
"Hey! I pay!"
He promptly shot her an incredulous glance, daring her to stick to that story.
"I have a tab, anyway," she amended. "It's not my fault I'm between jobs at the moment. This whole dying and coming back to life again thing kinda sets a girl back a little."
"You'll get your drinks, Tamsin. Just let me finish up these other orders."
She grinned appreciatively at the older man. "Thanks, Trick."
Turning back towards Kenzi and Lauren, she held up one finger, signaling to the brunette that she'd be back over in a minute. When Kenzi feigned exasperation at the wait, Tamsin gave an exaggerated nod back towards Trick. She saw Kenzi roll her eyes and say something to Lauren as she leaned her pool cue up against the wall.
"Tamsin."
The blonde jolted her attention to the man sitting on the other side of the empty stool next to her. He looked to be about 25 (not that that actually meant anything in the fae world) and had a scruffy and unkempt beard lining the bottom half of his face. A gray woolen coat covered most of his body. It was the kind you could tell hadn't been replaced in years, though neither his overall appearance nor the way he held himself gave off the impression of being poor. Just careless, perhaps.
Tamsin raised an eyebrow at him. "Do I know you?"
He took a swig from the glass of what she presumed to be whiskey in front of him and stood up slowly, never taking his eyes off of her. The man himself didn't seem too threatening - average height, average build, average all around. Plus, very few people, fae or otherwise, tended to be threatening to a harbinger of death. But something about the way he was conducting himself caused Tamsin to feel slightly uneasy. She pushed herself further back against the bar, committing to staying seated, not wanting to let this stranger see any signs of her growing apprehension.
The young man studied her intensely. He already knew her name. He already knew who she was. It was as if he was trying to look deeper into her, to find an answer to a question her name alone couldn't answer.
"Hello?" she waved her hand in front of his face obnoxiously. "Can I help you with something?"
He blinked. "I've seen you in every place I've gone for the past forty years. In every face I've stared into for too long. But this... after all this time, it's really you."
"Okay, so, did we sleep together, or...? Because I gotta tell you, I'm not big on the whole nostalgic 'one that got away' trope."
"The life cycle of a valkyrie. To die, and to be reborn. Over and over and over again. Hundreds, thousands of years. What it must be like, to meet so many people that none of them matter. To live so long that life itself becomes meaningless."
Tamsin stared at this unfamiliar man, completely clueless as to what to say. He knew she was a valkyrie, so he must legitimately know her, or at least know of her.
"I've waited almost four decades to give this back to you." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out something he then thrust towards the confused valkyrie. She held out her hand instinctively, accepting the object.
An arrowhead.
Still uncertain as to what was happening, she flipped it around in her hand. On the other side was a carving. A symbol, shaped like an arrow pointing to the north, that Tamsin knew as the Old Norse symbol for the letter "T."
Now she recognized it. She used to inscribe this mark into her weaponry during one of the wars, centuries ago, so she would know which kills were hers. It was a pride thing, not uncommon of valkyries. So this was her arrowhead. Why did this boy have it?
Unless...
Tamsin jerked her head up to look at him another time. His eyes burned cold, a dark blue filled with an intensity and determination she knew well. The face was different. The skin younger. The body unscarred from countless battles. But the eyes.
She had looked into those eyes lifetimes ago as she decided whether or not the one they belonged to was worthy of her trust, her respect as they fought side by side.
She had looked into those eyes centuries later as the fire within them was extinguished, permanently.
Her own eyes grew wide, her mouth opened with no words prepared to leave it, and she could feel the blood draining out of her face as she realized who the man standing in front of her had to be.
"'This will keep you safe,' you told me," he said to her, confirming what she already knew. "'This will keep you safe just as it kept him safe.'" He trembled slightly, years of emotion finally coming to a head, but he kept going. "Your word is as empty as the space beneath your ribcage, Tamsin." He spat her name out as a familiar curse this time, as if he'd practiced it over and over again in the darkness of his mind.
It felt to Tamsin as if they were trapped in a bubble, just the two of them, with the world around traveling at a hundred miles an hour while they endured every millisecond as if it had no end. The coldness of the arrowhead digging into her palm drew her attention, and she brushed her thumb over the rust-colored stain of blood dried into the crevices of the engraved rune before standing up and locking eyes once more with the man in front of her.
He stepped back slightly, fear crossing his face for just a brief moment before he regained his composure. She remembered a time when her presence had made him feel safe, feel happy. But she understood why that had turned to fear, and how.
Tamsin took a shallow breath. She pushed back the tears she worried were nearing. She wasn't as skilled at controlling her emotions in this life yet, and unfortunately she seemed to keep having so many of them. The blonde gripped the arrowhead tightly, shifting her focus to the sting that shot threw her hand as the point pierced her skin.
Drawing another breath, she stared into this familiar face and, even though she knew it couldn't possibly ever mean enough, willed her sincerity to come through in her voice.
"Brecken-" she began.
"Never speak his name!"
The force behind the fist that immediately crashed into the side of her face sent Tamsin spinning. Her torso slammed against the bar and she vaguely registered the crunching sound of shot glasses shattering under her forearms as she doubled over onto the counter. She squeezed her eyes shut, a weak defense against the throbbing that quickly accompanied the blow.
In no time, a small body pressed up against Tamsin's, placing itself between her and the angry fae.
"Back the fuck off, dude." Kenzi. Tamsin panicked. What did the girl think she was doing? She had to get her out of the way. She had to keep her safe. She knew these things, but her mind was foggy, and she couldn't figure out how to make her thoughts translate into actions.
"The things this...disease of a creature did to my family...a fae family..." the now familiar male voice trailed off momentarily, and Tamsin felt her friend back further into her as he continued, sounding closer this time. "You don't even want to know what she's willing to do your kind."
Tamsin could feel Kenzi shiver slightly against her and, ignoring the pounding in her head, finally connected her brain to her body and pushed herself up off the bar as quickly as she could. She couldn't risk Kenzi getting in the middle of the situation; this was between her and him, and she didn't know what he would do if Kenzi persisted in standing in his way. But the sudden movement caused the room to blur, and the valkyrie to sway clumsily where she stood. She felt Kenzi put a firm hand on her back, steadying her, and cursed herself again for letting the human be so close to danger.
"There will be no fighting in my bar!" Trick demanded from behind them. "Leave."
Carefully shifting herself in front of the other girl, Tamsin blinked furiously, trying to regain clarity in her vision. She could feel Kenzi resist the change in positions, but Tamsin forced her back, knowing it was her job to protect her young friend, not the other way around.
Every eye in The Dal was on the three of them now, watching, uncertain as to how the fight started or where it would go next.
Tamsin was almost nose-to-nose with the man in the woolen coat. She could taste the alcohol on his breath as he exhaled rapidly, angrily in her face. Had it been anyone else, she would have hit him back, shown him he had no power over her, and that he was certainly not allowed to speak to her friend the way he had. But he wasn't anyone else. And she wouldn't fight him as long as he kept things between them, as long as he didn't drag the people she cared about into it any further.
He looked past her, to Trick, and then to Kenzi, and then back to Tamsin once more, staring into her in the same unnerving way he had before he made his identity known.
"You may still somehow command loyalty where you deserve nothing, but make no mistake, valkyrie. Your true face will reveal itself. It always does. And one day, someone will be quick enough to see it coming and to put you down. It may not be me, it may not be them, but it will happen. And when it does, you will finally know betrayal the way my father did."
The man drew back, refusing to break eye contact. Waiting. Almost as if he was daring Tamsin to retaliate.
Her lips had parted slightly during his speech, even as her jaw clenched. She stared back at him. She wasn't sure if she was breathing. The only thing she was sure of was that there was no next right move. Not in this. Not for her.
"OUT!" She was shaken out of her immobility as Trick yelled again, but still didn't look away.
But he did. He smiled, a term that could only be applied to the way his lips curled up, because the same steely hatred remained in his eyes. And then with a mocking nod of acquiescence, he turned and walked out of The Dal. Shoulders back, head held high, steps light. The exit of a man who knew he had just come out of a confrontation somehow superior to his opponent. And he had.
As soon as the echoing of his footsteps against the hard floor faded away, the room returned to normal. There was nothing left to see, no excitement on the horizon. Patrons went back to their beers and conversations, with the exception of the few who kept one eye turned towards the three still standing at the bar, just in case.
Kenzi immediately directed her attention to Tamsin, gently pulling her down onto the stool behind her. For her part, the valkyrie barely registered the human's guidance, focusing instead on nothing more than closing her eyes, if only for a moment.
"Trick." Kenzi looked up from where she had loosely grasped Tamsin's arms to sit her down. Blood had smeared and stained across the blonde's skin, and appeared to still be seeping out from several locations. Nothing too serious, but enough that it needed to be cleaned up. Trick followed Kenzi's train of thought right away and passed over a clean towel from under the bar, followed by a new glass which he quickly filled up with water.
Kenzi dipped the cloth into the glass and hesitated, looking over to her friend. Tamsin still had her eyes closed and hadn't acknowledged anything around her. Kenzi set the towel on the bar and moved her hand up to the other girl's shoulder, slowly, not wanting to startle her.
"Tamsin?"
Her eyes shot open and Kenzi thought she saw confusion flicker through them momentarily, as if the fae had forgotten where she was, or who was with her.
"I'm going to clean you up, okay?"
"I'm fine," Tamsin rasped unconvincingly.
"Well, you might feel fine, but I'm sure Trickster here is generally more comfortable with his bar being a blood-free zone, am I right?" Kenzi looked back at Trick, who merely smiled encouragingly, knowing the human was much better equipped to take charge of the situation.
Tamsin glanced down at her arms, frowning slightly, like she hadn't even noticed they were bleeding.
The brunette took that moment to began dabbing at the drying blood with the wet rag. "I don't see any glass, but let me know if you feel any, okay?"
No response.
"I've never seen you go down like that," continued Kenzi, hoping to provoke some sort of response. "Not that I've seen you go down other ways. That's not what I-" She took a quick breath, pushing aside her natural inclination to dig for the joke in everything. "Sorry. Not the time."
"Brute strength," Tamsin explained, her voice hollow, giving away nothing. "It's part of his fae ability. Like his father."
Kenzi paused, wanting to question her friend further about everything that had just happened, but unsure if she should.
Unfortunately, that pause, that brief lapse in care, was enough to break Tamsin out of whatever it was that had kept her complacent for even that long. She stood up unexpectedly, startling Kenzi into loosening her grip and allowing Tamsin to withdraw from the other girl's careful touch.
"I said I'm fine," her tone was sharp, decisive. "I just wanna get out of here."
"Okay, yeah, sure. We have a much better first aid kit at home anyway. And ice cream," agreed Kenzi. "Actually, we might have to stop for more ice cream, I think I ate it all."
"You can go out the back," Trick offered. "Probably better to avoid another potential encounter for the time being."
"Good thinking, pops." Kenzi whipped out her phone. "Just let me text Bo..."
"No."
The human looked up from her phone at Tamsin's remark, perplexed.
"I just need to be by myself for awhile." The valkyrie's tone was still so controlled, Kenzi wasn't sure how to read it, other than that she knew that whatever Tamsin was feeling, she wanted to keep it to herself. She wanted, as she had just said, to be alone. And Kenzi didn't like that idea at all.
"No, you need to be with your friends. With people who care about you. Tamsin, I don't have the slightest clue what just happened here, but you don't have to pull away from us."
Tamsin shook her head fervently, refusing to go along with her friend's assessment.
"You're upset, and you're injured. Let me help you," Kenzi pleaded. She reached for the blonde only to have Tamsin recoil violently from her touch, as if she was afraid it would burn her. Or, possibly, as if she was afraid coming into contact with her would somehow hurt Kenzi.
"He was right, Kenz," Tamsin said, backing away. "You have no idea what I'm capable of." She pushed through the door that led to the back exit.
"Tamsin!"
Kenzi watched helplessly as the door swung shut behind Tamsin, cutting off the conversation. She knew going after the valkyrie would be pointless. All she could do was hope Tamsin would come home soon. And that she wouldn't do anything stupid. The concern that had already made itself apparent on Kenzi's face increased at that last thought. She knew of the former detective's self-destructive habits in her previous life. She hoped they hadn't carried over to this one, but it was becoming clear that the past wasn't something that was easily discarded. Even for valkyries.
The door swung back open and Kenzi's heart leaped. But the person who walked into the room was a brunette succubus. A very bewildered brunette succubus, taking in the shattered glass, the serious expression worn by her grandfather, the blood on Kenzi's hands, the suddenly absent blonde fae, one by one.
"What did I miss?"
Trystan inhaled deeply as the cool night air replaced the suffocating atmosphere of The Dal. So many years, he had hoped for that moment. For the time when he would cross paths with that wretched valkyrie once more. He hadn't sought her out or tracked her down, as much as he wanted to avenge his family. He knew his father wouldn't have wanted him to waste his life seeking out revenge. But he had always hoped he would stumble upon it by chance. His father couldn't begrudge him that.
The door he had just come through creaked as it opened again behind him. He turned around slowly, preparing for whoever it might be.
A blonde woman. Not the valkyrie. Human, by the smell of it.
She looked him up and down, curiosity gracing her features.
"What do you want?" He broke the silence himself, not interested in playing anymore games that night.
"What did Tamsin do to your family?"
He laughed. "You were with her. I saw you. Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"I was in her company," the woman nodded her head, taking a step towards him. "But that doesn't mean I'm with her."
He had grown fairly adept at reading people over the years, a defense against the lies that had cost his family their lives, but that also meant he recognized when someone was skilled at masking their intent from people who looked too closely, manipulating their outward appearance to be exactly what they wanted others to see. And this woman was quite skilled at that indeed. She exuded an air of trustworthiness, of good intent, but he wasn't sure what to make of her.
"I work for the Morrigan," she continued when he stayed silent. "I'm a doctor. I help people. Fae. I might be able to help you."
"I'm not sick," he replied.
"And I'm not interested in watching my friends get themselves killed for someone we know hardly anything about." Her response was immediate, and filled with conviction. He liked that. Though not as much as he liked the idea of being able to do more than just sit around and wait for the valkyrie to meet her fate by someone else's hand.
He pursed his lips, blowing warm breath into the cold air, considering this woman and what she may be able to offer him. At last, he gave a slight nod, agreeing to continue the conversation.
If it pleased her, she made no show of it. She merely took another step closer and looked him straight in the eye.
"Tell me everything."
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