Chapter Twenty-Six

AN: Sadly, we have come to the last chapter of this story. This has been such a wild ride and I'm really going to miss it. But there is a sequel in the works, once I can figure out an overarching plot. Suggestions welcome.
I just want to say an enormous thank you to everyone who's been following and kudos-ing and commenting. I owe an especially heartfelt thanks to mightychipmunk for staying with me for months and months as I made my way through this story.
This chapter was written to the song "All Souls Night" by Loreena McKennitt and one other song to be revealed.

Compared to the chaos of preparing for an impending apocalypse, the days leading up to Samhain crawled by. Bo didn't mind; it gave her time to grieve.

For two days after Dagda's defeat and the sealing of the veil, Bo lay curled around Tamsin in the bed they shared, sobbing onto the Valkyrie's shoulder for what was taken from her and what she was forced to take from herself. Tamsin held her close through all of it, rubbing her back and stroking her hair and murmuring soothing words of reassurance and comfort. When words ran out, Tamsin began to sing. In a voice low and husky and sweet, the Valkyrie sang Old Norse lullabies her mother had once sung to her, then moved on to the songs she'd learned in her many lives – tunes spanning the world and the ages. Tamsin was heartened when Bo began emerging from her grief to timidly ask for her favorites. The Valkyrie complied until her voice was hoarse.

Outside the bondmates' emotional haven, the sealing of the veil had a greater impact on the Fae world than anyone had anticipated. Trick's leadership on the battlefield had earned him the title of Acting Ash and he'd barely held the position for an hour before sídhe were coming to him with proposals for change. The unity of Dark and Light in the breaching of the Otherworld had changed more than a few minds about the separation of the sides and how archaic the original laws were. Upon calling the Morrigan, Trick was informed that the Dark sídhe had much the same idea. The two leaders had since met daily, working to hammer out new laws intended to ease the restrictions over time. Though news of the Otherworldly battle had spread through the Fae community like wildfire, change would still be slow in coming.

The memorial service for the sídhe lost to battle was to be held at the Dal, just before the Samhain celebration. The traditional wakes of the sídhe were of fond remembrance instead of mourning, and though those to be remembered had had their lives taken too soon, the Fae that had fought beside them felt there was no better way to honor them than on a day sacred to the sídhe.

Though the ceremony was set to start at five, Fae – almost all of them sídhe – began trickling into the Dal at about three to drink lightly and converse, but not before stopping to gaze at the names of the fallen. The plaque that hung beside the bar was a three-pointed shield of polished wood that bore two columns of nameplates: the forty-six people who gave their lives in the sealing of the veil. The forty-seventh name was Aífe's, centered above the columns and larger than the rest – not because she was Trick's daughter and Bo's mother but because she had made the ultimate sacrifice for the sídhe. Only those who had borne witness to that sacrifice knew whom it was truly for.

Bo traced the letters of her mother's name with a sad smile, remembering how happy Aífe had looked when they reunited at the hospital in the Dark compound. The succubus wanted to remember the love and happiness they'd felt together in the calm before the storm, before the battle, before that last moment at the Cauldron. The plaque memorialized how her mother had died, but Bo wanted to remember how she had lived.

Bo closed her eyes as she felt warm arms wrap around her waist. She covered the slim fingers atop her stomach with her own, leaning back into her bondmate's embrace. "She would be very proud of you," Tamsin whispered in the succubus's ear, kissing her cheek.

"I know," Bo sighed. "I just wish she could be here to tell me that herself."

"I know," the Valkyrie sighed in turn.

"Aren't you two adorable," Kenzi teased as she came over to the bar, breaking the moment of sadness with much-needed levity.

"Don't get too used to it, short-stack," Tamsin replied as she pulled away from Bo, though she still kept hold of the succubus's hand. "I do have a reputation to maintain."

"After the shit that went down in fairyland, I don't think that's gonna be a problem, chica," Kenzi noted.

Indeed, theories and speculations about the final battle against Dagda had grown to epic proportions before Trick straightened the story out to the best of his knowledge. Still, Bo and Tamsin had returned to the battlefield with their blades coated in white, one of those blades being Nuada's Sword. Though no one knew exactly what happened or where the Sword had gone, the consensus was that the fight would have made Cú Chulainn proud. The Valkyrie and succubus had gotten more than a few nods of respect from the sídhe gathering in the Dal.

"Anyway, we bustin' out the drinks now or later?" Kenzi continued. "Kayleigh promised to show off more of her skillz. Apparently she learned them all from Fíonn, so I'ma have to chase him down, too."

"And what's Hale have to say about that?" Bo smirked, arching an eyebrow.

"Not that way!" the petite Russian protested. "Unlike you, sugarsnatch, I have been monogamous for the entirety of my life as opposed to only just recently."

"Yeah, I don't think anyone's caught on to that yet," the succubus grimaced. Along with nods of respect, she'd gotten some propositions as well.

"Oh, they will…" Tamsin vowed darkly, wrapping a possessive arm around Bo's waist. She had scared away the succubus's propositioners very quickly. Kenzi snickered almost evilly at the territorial display.

The Dal filled to capacity as five o'clock approached, all the sídhe shifting expectantly in their seats as they waited for the ceremony to start. When the clock struck the hour, Trick emerged from the bar and stepped onto a pedestal for visibility, cueing silence among the crowd. After letting the stillness linger for a moment, the Blood King began to sing.

"Of all the money e'er I had,
I spent it in good company.
And of all the harm I've ever done,
Alas it was to none but me."

Bo took up the second part of the verse, her voice tentative but strong as the memory of her mother weighed heavily on her shoulders.

"And all I've done for want of wit,
To mem'ry now I can't recall.
So fill to me the parting glass,
Goodnight and joy be to you all."

The succubus and her grandfather took the first chorus together.

"So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate'er befalls.
And gently rise and softly call
Goodnight and joy be to you all."

The traditional song continued, every Fae in the bar taking up the tune in unison. A group of Fae with guitars – Kayleigh included – played the backing chords as they sang, the music ringing out as all the voices did. Some of the sídhe began to harmonize, adding further depth to the already powerful song.

The sound of hundreds of voices lifting in tribute sent shivers down Bo's spine, and as she grasped Tamsin's hand in hers, she'd swear she felt her mother smiling down at her, adding her voice to the others. The succubus had been skeptical of such a memorial at first, thinking it too lighthearted under the circumstances. But hearing this emotional unity and seeing the smiles of memory on the faces of all the sídhe made her realize that there was no better way to honor those they had lost.

"But since it fell unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not,
I'll gently rise and softly call
Goodnight and joy be to you all."

The voices of the Fae swelled to a crescendo in the final chorus, each word a fond memory and acceptant farewell.

"So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate'er befalls.
And gently rise and softly call
Goodnight and joy be to you all.

Goodnight and joy be to you all!"

…

The Samhain celebration was in full swing. Drinks were flowing freely and chatter and laughter carried throughout the bar. A group of sídhe had formed a trad group on the makeshift stage, filling the room with old Irish jigs and reels interspersed with traditional songs, many of which had the crowd joining in. Kayleigh continued to play her guitar while Aislinn and Fíonn joined in on fiddles. Aislinn, it turned out, was not only a violin prodigy but an astoundingly good singer. Her performance of "The Mummer's Dance" had jaws dropping and even Fíonn couldn't keep up when she played the reel "The Contradiction" ("She's the next Mairead Nesbitt," her brother bragged afterwards). Bo was especially delighted when Kayleigh and Fíonn took up the duet "Red is the Rose," as it was one of the songs Tamsin had sung to her to pull her from her grief. The succubus also managed to startle her friends by chiming in on the chorus of "Mo Ghile Mear," which had Tamsin beaming with pride.

"You want to get out of here?" the Valkyrie murmured to her love after a few hours of revelry.

Bo looked at her bondmate, then around the room at the crowd of Fae. Kayleigh had taken a break from playing and was showing off to Kenzi how she could do two shots at once. Fíonn and Aislinn had turned "Dueling Banjos" into "Dueling Fiddles," much to the delight of the crowd. Lauren, the Morrigan, and Hale were all laughing at a story Dyson was telling while Trick chatted with the Fae sitting at the bar. Best of all to Bo was the merging of Dark and Light in the room, everyone smiling together without a thought for the divide. Her own smile widened as she caught snatches of battle stories amid the conversation.

"…then this eejit comes charging in sword-first and gets him right in the gut…"

"…so he shield-bashes the bastard in a move straight out of a video game…"

"…she slides in front of me with her big monster of a shield and the thing just bounces of it like he's hit a wall…"

After listening for another moment, Bo turned back to Tamsin. "Yeah. Let's go."

Leaving the noisy cheer of the Dal, Bo and Tamsin returned to the Valkyrie's truck just long enough to retrieve two heavy blankets and Bo held them in her arms while Tamsin unfurled her wings. Picking up the succubus bridal style, eliciting a giggle from her love, the Valkyrie launched them into the air, landing gently on the roof of the Dal. There the two spread out one blanket to sit on before leaning against the air conditioning unit, spreading the second blanket over their laps. Bo leaned against Tamsin, who instinctively draped her arm over her bondmate's shoulder.

They sat in comfortable silence for awhile, simply snuggling together and gazing up at the stars. "So…" Bo finally began. "Does this mean that things are going to go back to normal now?"

Tamsin glanced over at her love. "I dunno, succulette; what's your definition of normal?"

"I mean…do we just go on how we did before? Do Kenzi and I go back to the crack shack and just continue with our lives, or…what's gonna change?"

The Valkyrie chuckled, pressing a kiss to Bo's hair. "As if I'd let you go back to that deathtrap now that I'm used to having you in my bed. Well, we do have to go back just once to break in your bed, but other than that…"

"Oh, thank God," Bo sighed in relief, slumping against Tamsin and eliciting an outright laugh from the blonde.

"Besides, you're my bondmate now. I can't be all territorial if you're across town." The words were meant in jest, but they were still tentative.

Bo smiled up at the Valkyrie. "I could definitely get used to that," she murmured, and it was the blonde's turn to be relieved.

Tamsin leaned down to kiss the brunette, humming in delight at the softness of Bo's lips. "I love you, Bo," she whispered.

"I love you, too, Tamsin." The brunette nipped at her lip. "Make love to me."

The Valkyrie blinked. "Did you just proposition me in Irish? Where did you even learn that?"

Tamsin could see Bo blush even in the darkness. "I asked Aislinn. Kayleigh wouldn't stop laughing long enough to tell me."

The blonde sighed even as she laughed. "I can only imagine. But on the roof of the Dal?"

"Under the stars," Bo corrected. "It's romantic." It was her turn to be tentative, not sure how open Tamsin would be to the idea. But when the succubus saw the look on her bondmate's face and was then rather thoroughly kissed, she knew her idea had been well-received.

The two adjusted themselves so Bo could lie back on the blankets, pulling the Valkyrie atop her. Tamsin propped herself up on her elbows and brought their lips together again with reverent gentleness that made the succubus melt. Bo reached up and undid the bun in Tamsin's hair so she could run her fingers through the golden strands. Tamsin moaned at the sensation and kissed her harder, her tongue pressing for entrance. Bo parted her lips in compliance, meeting Tamsin's tongue with hers.

The Valkyrie was reluctant to pull away, but she was forced to just long enough to help Bo remove her jacket and tank top. The succubus had foregone a bra and Tamsin was able to kiss and suck at her nipples unhindered. Bo shivered both from the warmth of the Valkyrie's mouth and the chill of the air and Tamsin pulled the blanket over them both to contain the heat they were creating.

Bo soon grew frustrated by the amount of clothing Tamsin was still wearing and began tugging at the Valkyrie's own jacket and shirt. The blonde relented under her ministrations even as she undid the succubus's jeans and soon both women were naked under the blanket, clothes strewn across the roof. Tamsin moaned at the feel of their skin sliding together, then cried out sharply when Bo lifted her head to kiss her breasts, her tongue dancing across her nipples. It was Tamsin's turn to twine her fingers in Bo's hair, pulling her closer as she bucked their hips together. Bo complied by sucking hard on the pebbled bud, bringing her hand up to play with the opposite breast. The succubus whimpered against Tamsin's skin as their centers met, Bo spreading her legs to accommodate the Valkyrie's.

Tamsin released the succubus's hair so she could prop herself up on one arm while spreading Bo's sex with her fingertips. Nudging her legs farther apart with her knees, Tamsin slid two fingers into the succubus's silken heat, causing the brunette to cry out against her. Abandoning the Valkyrie's breasts in favor of her lips, Bo wrapped one arm around Tamsin's neck while reaching down between her legs, spreading them above her own. Parting her folds, she pressed two fingers inside, her lips against Tamsin's muffling the blonde's delighted whimper. Bo brought her thumb to the Valkyrie's slick bundle of nerves to rub firm circles, arching her back when she felt Tamsin do the same. When Bo curled her fingers to brush the delicate skin in Tamsin's core, the Valkyrie shuddered and thrust harder, her fingertips reaching deep to send the same pleasure pulsing through her love. Bo writhed and twisted beneath Tamsin as the blonde quickened the movement against her clit, searching for her release even as she tried to bring Tamsin with her. Soon the Valkyrie was just as close as she, the growing heat of ecstasy pooling between their legs, poised to ignite…

"Come, on, baby, come for me, come with me," Tamsin gasped as she thrust into Bo, bearing down on the succubus's fingers in turn.

"Tamsin…" Bo could only manage her name as she balanced on the knife edge of climax. "Tamsin…I love you."

"I love you, too," Tamsin returned, and that simple confirmation as their eyes met sent them both over the edge, fiery pleasure cascading through their bodies in shuddering waves. They rode out their release together, gripping each other tightly as they lost themselves to bliss.

Many climaxes and shouts of ecstasy later, Tamsin and Bo curled together beneath their blanket, spent and sated.

"Should we go back?" Bo mumbled half-heartedly.

"Nuh-uh. Let's stay here a little longer," Tamsin murmured, holding Bo close as the two returned to gazing up at the night in each other's arms.

Or, they would have.

"YO, HORN-DOGS! GET DECENT AND GET DOWN HERE, THERE'S DRINKING TO DO! DON'T THINK I DON'T KNOW YOU'RE UP THERE MAKIN' WITH THE SEXYTIMES!"

Both women sighed. "Keep your pants on, short-stack!" Tamsin called back down. "Just give us ten minutes!"

"I'M DEFINITELY NOT THE ONE WHO HAS TROUBLE KEEPING HER PANTS ON, HERE!" Bo and Tamsin heard before the sound of the door slamming shut echoed its way to the roof.

"You think the others know what she knows?" Bo asked, cringing.

"Yup," Tamsin popped the "p" with a lascivious grin.

"You don't care, do you?"

"Nope."

"Of course not." The two stood up and stretched before locating their various articles of clothing around the rooftop. "Hurry, make a wish."

Tamsin frowned at the succubus. "What? Why?"

"Shooting star. Now make a wish."

The Valkyrie shrugged as she pulled on her underwear. "I've got everything I want." She was about to reach for her jeans when she was tackled from behind.

"You told Kenzi ten minutes, right?" Bo murmured in her ear as she forced the Valkyrie on her hands and knees.

"Yes," Tamsin gasped, though not entirely in response to the question.

Bo pushed the Valkyrie's underwear aside. "Better make it fifteen."

AN: The second song this was written to is the Celtic Woman version of "The Parting Glass," which I used as the memorial song. Credit goes out to LicensedMinkey for inspiring the rooftop scene with the story Champion.
Goodnight and joy be to you all!

Extra: So I'm sure a bunch of you are wondering "why Ireland?" and "why Irish mythology?" I lived in Ireland for three years while finishing my bachelor's degree and to me it feels like home. I fell in love with the country and the people and the mythology and, having noticed little bits of said mythology in the Lost Girl universe, wanted to share it through two characters and a universe I really love.