Massive thanks to all of those who have continued to follow and fave this series!

Lauren stretched her neck as she drove home in an attempt to relieve the ache. She had trouble sleeping lately, so she believed an early start at the lab would help exhaust her mind. Kenzi had been gone for the last two weeks. Shortly after they returned from their honeymoon, Bo had received a new case out of town, and she could tell that her wife wanted to be a part of it too. Lauren encouraged her to go. She didn't want her to feel that now that they were married that it restricted what Kenzi could do, it only signified their level of commitment.

Plus, it was good for Bo. Tamsin had delayed her Valkyrie's call in order to attend their wedding. They didn't know if she would return in a few weeks or even a few months.

It was interesting, to say the least, to raise Tamsin. She had been quite the handful, but it had also given everyone a chance to really know her, the Valkyrie without her memories. She never imagined her issue with the Morrigan would lead to Tamsin asking Lauren to being her guardian, no more surprising than her dying to protect Lauren's secret. In return, she wanted to give Tamsin something that had eluded her in past lives, a happy upbringing. The doctor only hoped that it far out weighed the Lideric's actions. Her growth had accelerated faster than a year due to the stresses he had caused them.

"The Lideric", she sighed. Part of her still unable to fully comprehend the mind fuck of destruction he had caused. All because Bo had been the one to out him at Hecuba. From poisoning the Succubus to attack Lauren, killing to take over identities, and when that knife had pierced Lauren's chest; she thought her words to Kenzi were truly her last. With a joint effort of Tamsin and Bo, she lived. Even though Kenzi rarely talked about it, Lauren knew how her close call still played a part in how tightly her wife held her some nights.

The doctor couldn't help the smile that overtook her, the feeling of happiness that swirled within her, her mind replaying the day of their wedding. To say that Kenzi made for a beautiful bride would do her wife injustice. She was utterly breathtaking that Lauren had been rendered speechless. They danced well into the night, surrounded by those they held dear. Since they had already been to Paris and Greece, the couple had taken Hale up on his offer to stay at his place in Spain. Finally putting the past year behind them. The year that almost broke them. Instead, they emerged from their ordeals stronger and more in love than ever. Where open wounds once lay, now fortified them stronger as individuals; laying a sturdy foundation of their relationship.

A frown tugged on her features when these thoughts circled back to how much she missed Kenzi. Originally, she was only supposed to be gone a few days to a week at the most, but now as it moved towards the middle of the third week Lauren could feel her irritation growing. She in no way begrudged her for it, in fact they made sure to talk every night, even if only for a few minutes. Lauren just wanted Kenzi back home. She knew that the feeling was mutual too, she could hear it in Kenzi's voice when they spoke. She was going to make it a point to tell her, that if she didn't see her by the end of the week, that she would drive to see her. Lauren couldn't take another night away. Dyson had tried to help over games of pool at the Dal for a few nights. Even stopping by with case files, anything to help Lauren, but even the Shifter sensed his friend nearing the end of her patience.

A few minutes from home, she grinned as she saw Kenzi's photo appear on her phone. She was surprised that she was calling her this early in the day, maybe it meant the case was finally solved. "Hey," she greeted, "I was just thinking about you."

"Thinking about me, huh? Pray tell what were you doing when you were thinking about me?" Kenzi teased.

"Ha ha, I'm driving right now so not what you're thinking. Although if you're gone any longer it may turn into a problem. Any news on when you might be headed back?"

Kenzi hesitated a moment, "Yeah, about that-"

Cradling the phone in her shoulder as she parked, Lauren grabbed her bag and locked her car, groaning, "No, don't tell me that you're going to be gone even longer. It's been almost a month! Okay, not exactly but close enough. Listen, I know that you're still your own person, but we need to reach some type of agreement that we're not away from each other for long periods of time. I don't want to allow any sort of distance to grow into something more." That was an issue she didn't care to repeat. She paused as she heard the silence on the other end, sighing deeply she unlocked her front door, "I just really miss you is all and I really want, no, need to see you." Throwing her bag to the side she closed the front door to lean against it, her eyes closed. "Say something." Instead of reply she heard the line disconnect.

"I know and I missed you too."

Hearing the voice she looked up to find Kenzi staring at her, a smile on her face as she took in Lauren's surprised expression.

"Ta-dah!" Kenzi teased as she shook her hands to the side, "I couldn't continue to deprive you of the wonder that is me." She paused. "You're right though, that we need to have something in place. I don't want any distance to creep in either-"

Lauren drank in the sight of her for a moment. Kenzi wanted to embark on this new chapter of her life with a new look, and it suited her well. She had allowed her hair to return to it's normal shade, adding in a few pink stripes. Tossing her phone on her bag, Lauren took long strides towards her wife, wrapping her in a hug, allowing the warmth to soak through for a few moments. Home. No matter the day she had had, or drifted away into what if's, Kenzi was there. Pulling her back in, anchoring her back to herself. Stepping back slightly she took in the twinkle in Kenzi's eyes, then proceeded to kiss her like there was no tomorrow. Kenzi letting out a small sound of surprise as the Doctor picked her up by her thighs, not stopping as she placed her onto the kitchen counter, kissing her along her neck the former goth feeling somewhat dizzy from the intensity. Stopping for a moment, Lauren met her eyes, "I want to hear everything, I do really but right now..."

"I know," Kenzi agreed as she pulled her back into a kiss, wrapping her legs around her wife to move Lauren closer, "that's why I called you to find out when you'd be home. I was running a bath upstairs. I wanted to surprise you, but then I heard your car..." She moaned, feeling Lauren's hands on her skin. Suddenly three weeks may have well as been three months.

"I am definitely surprised among other things," Lauren whispered as she continued to undress her, pulling Kenzi's shirt off, kissing along the newly exposed skin. "Is the water still running?"

"Uh, no I turned it...off," Kenzi barely got out. Not being in the frame of mind to explain it was heated and ready to go.

"Mmm, good." The darker blonde stepped back, quickly undoing the buttons on her own shirt before Kenzi pulled her back, pushing the shirt off of her shoulders, reaching to undo her bra before Lauren's next words stopped her. "Because we have yet to break in this kitchen."

"Oh, no," Kenzi said holding a confused Lauren back. She bit her lip as the doctor's brow furrowed. "God she's adorable when she does that, I just want to-" shaking her head she jumped down from the counter. "My back already hurts from riding in the beast, staying in a crappy motel as part of our cover, so no," reaching out she snagged Lauren by her belt, kissing her along her collar bone, "you can wait until we get into our ridiculously sized tub." Walking backwards she saw Lauren's eyes dart to the couch they were passing. "No, Lauren, not the couch either." She screamed as her wife darted towards her, running to the other side of the couch, loving the playful glint in Lauren's eyes and the smirk that played upon her lips.

It reminded Kenzi of their time in Montreal when Evony had taken her memories, and planted false ones in Lauren. Compared to the lives they had left behind, their time as Natasha and Olivia held a simplicity to it. She was happy to see that part of Lauren after Hale had forced a two week departure when they returned, her eyes flicking over to the imperfection on the coffee table, a flush of how it had gotten there.

Lauren watched her, knowing immediately where Kenzi's thoughts went. Seizing upon her wife's moment of distraction, she jumped over the couch, tackling her wife to the furniture. Pinning the smaller woman's arms above her head, Lauren resumed kissing every inch of available skin. "Lucky for you," the husk in her voice unmistakable, the tone that was always Kenzi's undoing, "you're married to a doctor."

"Mmm..." Kenzi hummed as she felt Lauren undoing the button on her jeans. "Lucky for you that you're hot." Moving her hands from Lauren's hold, she gripped the sides of the darker blonde's face. Kissing her with all the pent up passion from being away before sitting up to remove her jeans, then reaching over to remove Lauren's dress slacks; cursing at the button on the inside. "Fuck it," she muttered, ripping the button in her haste, then dragging them off. Pushing Lauren back, straddling her lap, she once again reached for her.

Both moaning at the feeling of bare skin.

Kenzi had initially planned a more romantic reunion, but right now, as Lauren slowly teased her with one finger, then two; she just wanted more. Before the mind swipe, in her old life, while she may have found some women beautiful, she never felt anything like desire towards them. But those six months in Montreal, when it was just the two of them, something had changed. There were no restrictions or baggage, they really had no idea who they were, and in that time they had found a part of themselves. Try as she might to forget Lauren, the feelings were too real, too seared upon her to ever be forgotten. When she had snuck into the Light Fae Compound with Dyson's help, she knew she had made the right decision.

Gasping as Lauren leaned forward, swirling her tongue around her right nipple. "You're so beautiful," Lauren murmured, speeding up her hand as the other wrapped around her waist, feeling her wife's nails dig further into her shoulders before taking her thumb to swipe against her clit. Lauren watched as Kenzi's head fell back, eyes tightly closed as her name fell from her wife's mouth along with a few mutterings in Russian came in shortened gasps. Opening her eyes, she moved to watched Lauren. No one in her life had ever looked at her the way that she did. So full of lust and love, and yet Kenzi knew, through the telling of many stories and having watched Lauren love someone else, that her wife never looked at anyone the way she did her. Her mouth finding hers again, she felt the ripples of pleasure before one final shudder left her slumped towards Lauren; her face buried in her neck.

Carefully withdrawing her fingers, Lauren used both arms to hug Kenzi closer to her. Laying her head against hers, "I really missed you," she whispered. One hand lightly stroking her back. Sighing in contentment, Lauren felt settled.

"Yeah, well, you may need to show me again," she laughed before meeting Lauren's eyes. Absolutely loving the connection between them, and how every time she fell into them, it felt like home. "But first..." she trailed off as she moved to kiss down Lauren's body, sliding down to the floor as her lips teased the inside of a thigh.

As soon as Kenzi's lips made contact with her sensitive flesh, Lauren felt her head fall backwards onto the cushions. One hand tightly gripping the edge of the couch, while the other found itself tangled in Kenzi's hair. Moving her hips to increase the friction, her mind wandered momentarily.

If anyone had told her a few years ago, that she'd fall in love with the Succubus' best friend she would have worried for their mental health. They couldn't even stand each other, and even after they had fought the Pig Men, yeah, there was a mutual respect, but nothing would have prepared her. And now? She couldn't imagine loving anyone, or feeling as loved in return as she does with her. That thought coupled with the intimate act of said woman sent her over the edge.

Kissing her way back up Lauren's body, Kenzi smiled at the still closed eyes. "I love you," she whispered.

"Oh yeah," Lauren teased, slowly opening them, "you may need to show me again." Smiling as Kenzi threw her head back and laughed.

"You see? That's what we're so good together," the smaller blonde said as she kissed her again. "Now," locking her arms behind Lauren's neck, "about that bath."

Lauren said nothing as she stood, taking one arm to carry Kenzi's legs, and the other behind her back, carrying her giggling wife upstairs.

I only started thinking about doing an update when I finished the last one 4 years ago lol. After having a stroke last fall, I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could still do this. Thanks again for reading :)