Title: Girl Talk

Series: Lessons from the Book of Love

Author: Chaos

Rated: PG-ish

Summary: Chaos finally gets to talk to Lina about something she’s been wanted to for a while now.

~*~

Unloading the latest shipment of books on magicks, supernatural phenomenals and from our other worldly supplier, I find the book Lina’s been waiting on. “Oh, it’s here.” I say turning around in my hand making use it’s the original I’d ordered.

Setting it off to the side, I finish unpacking the rest of the box as Pan waits on a customer. The café is busier than normal today, especially for a Tuesday, so I better wait until Pan’s got things settled here before slipping over to bring her the book I muse, starting to shelve the shipment.

“Hey, got everything all checked in and put away I see,” my sister sweet voice chimes, as she rest her elbows on the bookshelf above me.

“Yup, just have to run the last one over to Lina. You all set with the shop for few?”

Looking around the store she smiles, “Yeah, go I’m set.” And off she goes to see if Wolfe needs any help over in the café.

Good, that’s just what I wanted to hear, not only does she need her book… but maybe I can catch her when she’s got a few. I so need to talk to her. Hopefully, she’s not too busy.

I clear my throat, leaning against the doorway of Lina's darkened office, "Hey don't mean to bother you, but we just got that book in you ordered."

Straightening from her desk, she almost jumps, obviously absorbed in her work. Then, she smiles when she sees me. "Hey, Cae! Come in! My book's here?"

Nodding, I make my way over to the desk, "Yup, just came in." I add, stretching to see what she's doing. "Working on another big case, huh?"

"Actually, just putting one to rest." She smiles as pushing away from the paperwork. "Who knew there was so much magic in the world? And that someone would be needed to interrupt it."

I laugh, if she only knew about all the other worlds I do. "Oh, I think there's more than any of us know. “ I add, making a mental note to get together with her and talk about the fae ones. But not right now, I kinda have something I need to talk to her about.

"So you're just putting a case to bed," I smile, biting my lip for a moment. "Umm... does that mean you've got a minute?"

Folding her arms behind her head, she leans back with a quiet smile. "Please, I could use a break. What can I do for you?"

Setting the book on her desk, I look around just to make sure none of the family member are around it’s bad enough that they knew everything that’s going on in my life, I really don’t want them knowing how unsure I am too.

After knowing the coast’s clear, I sit in one of the chairs. "Well.... I kinda have a problem. Well, maybe not a problem - more like I need someone that I can talk to about something... someone that'll understand." I babble a bit nervously.

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe I should just go… but before I can make my exit Lina’s gets up and takes the seat next to me. Concern covers her face her pretty face, "You can tell me, Cae. What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, calming myself, just a bit, I continue with the hopes that she’ll understand how I’m feeling.

"It's nothing really wrong, per se. It's well... How did you know Poison was the one? I mean did you know right way that you loved her?" I babble. Okay if anyone of the family saw me right now I would never live it down. NEVER.

"Did you even look at others... or guys before that?"

Shaking my head, I sigh. "Never mind, this is all too personal for me to be asking. Forget I asked."

"Hey," she smiles and reaches over patting my hand. "Look, no, it's okay. It's just, well, no one's asked before."

She laughs, rocking back in her chair with a bright, breezy and easy smile that’s so Lina. I don’t think I’ve really ever seen her when she wasn’t like this, well maybe that time when we were all in New Orleans, but that’s different.

"How did I know Poison was the one? The Goddess told me." She offers up.

I nod, understanding just what she means. "So you're telling me, you were destined to be together, right? But didn't you umm… look at others? Even date others before that?"

Sighing, I shake my head, "I'm sorry, Lina. I'm just a bit confused right now. I haven't been in love for so long I sorta forgot what it was like. And this time it's different."

"Well, to be honest, I did look at others." She tilts her head tilts, blushing to give me another quiet smile, as if embarrassed to talk about it. "I had what you could call a crush on Havoc for a while, but that's more because I thought I was suppose to, ya know? I mean, everyone I knew, with the exception of Turmoil and Poison, had a blonde thing to love.

"So, for a while, I thought maybe...but I never did anything." She admits.

Smiling, I nod," Yeah, I know about the blonde things all too well..." chuckling I go on. "But I did more than just look. A whole LOT more with some... I though if maybe I keep playing around that maybe I'd find the right one, you know?" I sigh, not to willing to admit some of things I’d done right after I got here.

"I know."

"But it was when I stopped playing around so much that I realized what I wanted."

"Oh? What's that?"

A slow smile spreads across my face just thinking about her, "My Eternity..." I whisper.

A knowing smile spreads over her face. "How long have you known?" she asks.

Curling up the chair, I make myself comfortable, drawing up my knees and resting my chin on top. "For a little while now."

"It started back at the party... for some reason I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She looks amazing...." I sigh, getting the far off dreamy look in my eyes that I do when I think about her.

She really is amazing, if only everyone could see her the way I do. Then again if they did, maybe she wouldn’t want to be with me anymore… no I think I like it better this way. Only have to fight off Bear, Marcus and her mates for time with her.

Biting back a big grin, she wiggles a bit in her seat. "Yeah? And then what happened?"

"Well... I started hanging out with her - mostly when Dee or Tis want to see her or one of the boys. Then we started hanging out more by ourselves. But I really know the night they all came over for a BBQ."

Raising her eyebrow, she listens intently. "How'd you know?"

"Up until that point, it was just casual. We'd hang. We might have maybe kissed once or twice but nothing really serious. But when she was in the hot tub with Bear and Marcus, boy did I get jealous. I wanted to be the one with her, holding her, kissing her..." I sigh.

Lina blinks. "Wow. I mean, wow."

Laughing, I shake my head, "No, it's not like that. I mean everyone was there and we all had suits on and everything... I mean I don't mind sharing her, but I did want her to be mine too, not just the guys."

"No, I mean, about the casual kissing." Biting her lip again, she tucks her head shyly. "I hadn't kissed anyone before Poison on the night of Beltane. It's just that....wow, I mean. You're more experienced than me."

Laughing, I shake my head again. I forget sometimes I’m so much older that a lot of them, even if I am newer to this world than they are.

"Well, that really just happened one night just before the BBQ. We were talking and well, we sorta kissed before I went home." I blush.

Okay, this is so not like me. I never blush, well, not unless Vamps does that thing… or that thing that Marcus can do… shaking my head again, I try not to think about them. I’m having a hard enough time as is.

"I'd never really kissed a girl before that. I mean I'd done other things in healing... but I'd never kissed," I add turning even redder.

Lina's eyes get wide as curiosity runs through her. "Healing? What did you do?"

Covering my face, I hide from the embarrassment, "Some times a lot... I'm not too good at it." I sigh. "I'm a low level emotional or physic-y healer. Or I was back in Moros. Dee's seen what the Fae do to heal. It could be as little as just laying down with someone and having your natural energy sooth them. Or it could be by what most people on this plain consider sex. It all depends on how much is needed."

She nods, absorbing it all. "Fascinating. It sounds more of a shamic way of healing. And you did that with her? She needed healing?"

"Who? Dee? Yeah... Donavan and I had to lay with her after her powers manifested in Moros. And there it's very common... and no one thinks twice about any of it. But back here... things are different."

"No." One of her fingers poke at me. "Her."

"Oh.. you mean Vamps... umm.. no." I blush. "We were just talking and well... then as we said goodnight we kissed. Hell, I'm not even sure who started it." I giggle a bit nervously. "Like I said, I'd liked her since the Ball at Raven's Gate."

Nodding, she leans forward. Her green eyes sparkle as they meet mine. "And that's when you first knew you liked girls?"

"Yeah pretty much,” I nod. “Even though I was with Marcus and Grim at the time... it just wasn't love or it wasn't back them."

I sigh. "Gods, this is so complicated."

Holding out my hand, I show Lina the promise ring my eternity gave me for my birthday. "This is from her... we're good, no, great actually. I've never been so in love in my whole existence, and now…. And now I'm starting to fall in love with him too..."

Her eyebrows shoot up and she tilts her head. "Him too? Cae, geez! Who now?"

"Yeah...Marcus too. I mean we've been messing around for a while but I honestly think I'm falling in love with him... And I know I love her more than life itself. I'd do anything for her... I want to be hers in the world’s worst way. I really, really do..."

Squirming upright in her chair, Lina leans in again. "Have you told your family yet?"

"About who, Eternity? Yeah they all know, even Marcus... but none of the know about how I feel about him other than Eternity. We talked about it the other night."

"And she's cool with it?" Lina blinks.

"Cool, maybe not.. but she is okay with it. She's just worried that we'll loose what we have, but I promised her that won't happen because it won't. It kinda goes back to what I asked in the beginning... How did you know? Well, I just do. She's my soul mate, Lina. I know she is...gods, she's my everything. My always... she has been from the beginning."

Lina's eyes shine with understanding. "Yeah, Poison's it for me. I don't know how you do it, balancing everyone. There's her pack and there's my Kin, but there's only one Poison. I don't know if I could have another -- not that I'm saying anything about it. I mean, Toga has quite a few, and she's more than happy. I can see how it works, it's just...I'm amazed by it."

I nod back, in total understanding. "Yeah it is... I watch Tis and Dee do the same and I've never even thought it would ever be me. Hell I didn't even think I'd find someone again, let alone more than one. But I have... Vamps is my soul, and Marcus is the yin to my yang. I guess... they just fit for some reason.”

"No, it makes sense, it does." Lina pats my knee. "But it's hard. I watch Toga try to juggle everything on top of everything else." She shakes her head. "But that's great about you and Vamps."

I smile at her. Somehow, I knew she’d understand even if no one else would. "Thanks... it's just hard some times. You know, there aren't many others like us around here and all that. Kinda makes it hard to go out and not worry about what others have to say. That's mainly why we hang so close to our families."

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, "Anyways... I've taken up enough of your time. Maybe some night you, Poison, me and Eternity can go out dinner or something?"

"That would be great. And hey, don't be a stranger, eh? I know about keeping to yourself to stay safe, but you've got nothing to fear from me and Poison, that's for sure." She says with a big grin.

Standing, I lean over to give her a hug. She really is a good friend and I’m so glad we talked about this. It makes me feel a little bit better about things.

"I won't I promise. Thanks for listening too... some times you just have to talk someone who'll understand.” Pulling back, I add, grinning at her. "And if you ever need to talk or anything else you know where to find me."

"Yes, I do. Trust me, I'll be calling, I'm sure." She nods hugging me back tightly. "And let's do that girls night out soon."

"You got it." "Talk to you later, Lina… and tell Poison I said hello." Stepping back I give her one last smile before turning and heading back over to NeverNever. I’m sure by now Pan’s wondering where I went.