A/N: Whoa, it's been a while hasn't it? LOL!
Okay, so here it is. The second revamped version of Breathe Again. I thought about changing the name all together. But then it wouldn't be a reboot, it would be something else. And I wanted to keep the small things the same, the only thing that will change is a little of the story line and some other things.
Which brings me to my next topic, I have set this reboot after Ep8 of Season 5. Just because it's better off there.
I can't really remember what happened in the old story. That's why I asked if anyone had it, but it doesn't matter. I've managed without it. Like all my other recent stories, this one will be short. Maybe in between 10 and 13 chapters long.
I wish I had more time to give to the stories, but I just don't. Plus, some tv shows are shorter than that and they end up working. Why cram unnecessary things into the story when it's not needed? It's better this way.
Enjoy!
Chapter 1: When You're Gone
Clubhouse
To try and put into words, the things Bo was feeling right now. Wouldn't be easy in the slightest. She didn't know how she let things get this bad, a couple of months ago everything was fine.
No; everything was perfect.
She and Lauren had been doing great since their reconciliation, they'd dealt with Zeus and Hera. Stopped Iris from destroying the world, and also imprisoned her Father Hades forever. Everything was going their way, they even had some amazing and unexpected news.
It seemed that Bo had somehow gotten Lauren pregnant, the how wasn't that important to them though. They didn't feel that it was relevant, all they cared about was that they were going to have a baby. They were going to be starting a family. That thought terrified Bo at first, she never fantasised about being a Mother.
But it was happening, and Lauren had to try and help her though it. Which she did, she made her see that everything Bo already did was just like being a Mother. She protected her friends, she helped them when they were in need. She had all of the qualities of being an amazing Mother.
They were ready for this; they were ready to be a real family. And for better or worse, they were happy.
That was until Lauren went into her last trimester. After the news spread about a possible hybrid baby, the Fae community was anxious. Some were scared of the power that the baby would wield, and some were worried about what the baby would become when it came of age.
Bo and Lauren didn't care what powers it had or if it would have any at all. Their baby could have ended up being human just like Lauren. But Trick did voice his concern that because Lauren's pregnancy was unprecedented, that the baby would most likely be both Fae and Human.
He didn't care unlike his other Elders, all he cared about was that his great Grandchild entered the world happy and healthy.
The Elders wanted to know more about what this child would become, but they couldn't do that until it was born and grew up. So they cut through the red tape and went around that by hiring an Oracle to try and determine what this child would be.
And the outcome wasn't good. The Oracle foresaw that Bo and Lauren's child would expose the Fae to the Human race, bringing about their extinction. When they heard this news, they couldn't allow the baby to be born.
So the Elders of both Light and the Dark, dispatched teams to take Lauren's life so that she couldn't bring this destruction into their world. Bo fought endlessly to protect her, there was no way that she was going to let them kill the love of her life, or her child.
Which led them to where they were now, Lauren's labour had come and gone. And from what she could hear from downstairs, the baby was okay. But that didn't stop people from trying to break down their door trying to get to Lauren and the Baby.
Bo had missed her own child's birth, because she was busy ending the lives of all of the men that had burst through her door. Dyson and Tamsin helped of course, as did Dyson's son Mark. Who had come a long way since arriving into their lives.
She stood over another dead body, her victim's blood dripping from the tip of her sword. She thought about how many people she just killed, how many of her own kind that she'd cut through. Bo was startled when someone touched her shoulder, so she brought her sword up again ready to fight.
Dyson held his hand up, looking at the blood soaked blade that she was holding to his neck. "It's over Bo…" He touched her hand, pushing it away slowly. "… We got them all" he could see she was on edge.
Bo handed her sword to Dyson, she only just noticed the blood around his mouth. He also had a juicy bruise under his eye. She touched his cheek gently, "Are you okay?"
He grabbed her hand with a smile, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I think there's somewhere else you need to be right now" he nodded to the stairs.
She gave him a teary smile, walking to the stairs she saw Trick descend them. He didn't say anything, he just smiled at her and told her to go upstairs. Since they had no Doctor, Trick was the only one who could've delivered the baby.
Bo entered her bedroom, seeing the bed empty. A dim light on her right caught her eye, it was the room that they had renovated for the baby. They had bought everything, a crib, changing table, a rocking chair, tons of stuffed animals. They had everything ready. But they didn't expect all of the other crappy stuff to happen.
She walked into the nursery, seeing Lauren sitting in the corner rocking back and forth in the chair. Her Girlfriend looked up at her with a happy smile, "You wanna meet your daughter?" She asked.
Bo knelt down beside her, they didn't know what they were having until now. Lauren wanted it to be a surprise, so Bo went along with it. But she did have a feeling that it would be a girl, now she was even happier. She saw the little blonde bundle in her Girlfriend's arms. "She's beautiful" she grabbed her daughter's hand with her finger.
The baby wrapped her tiny fingers around it in a tight grip. It was funny to them, because she had her eyes closed and yet she was holding onto Bo's finger fiercely. The baby girl started crying when she was startled by a loud thud that came from downstairs.
Bo bowed her head with a sigh. More men had come to kill them. "They're just gonna keep coming…" She let out. She didn't foresee a safe way out of this. But for right now, she needed to fight for her family. She made a move to stand up, only to be pulled back down by her Girlfriend. "… What?"
"You can't fight them off forever Bo, it's like you said. They'll keep coming, one after the other until they get what they want" Lauren rocked the baby trying to calm her.
Bo shook her head. She knew what Lauren was getting at, and she wasn't having it. "Let them. I'll bury them one guy at a time. I won't let them hurt her" she was determined to protect her daughter with her life.
"I know you won't. But no matter how long we fight them for, we'll eventually get overrun. Then who's gonna save her? We won't be able to because we'll be dead. She needs to leave this place" Lauren sniffled.
They'd talked about this plan a couple of weeks ago. But they didn't want to have to enforce it. They wanted to have their daughter with them. But with everything going on, she knew Lauren was right. "Fine, you'll leave with her tonight" she said.
Lauren shook her head. "No! I'm not letting you stay behind while we get to live somewhere else free and clear. We'll both stay, and send her away to safety. Together we can fix this mess and then we'll have her back" she didn't want this, but it was the only option.
Bo noticed that her Girlfriend was saying it as if it would be easy. She needed her to know it wasn't. "You know what this means, don't you? She'll be gone Lauren. We won't hear her crying; we won't hear her laugh. We won't see her, for god knows how long. Please tell me you understand that?" She asked.
Lauren smiled at her daughter, who in the last second had opened her eyes and was looking up at her. "I do…" She whispered. "… And the thought of everything you just said kills me, but it's what's best for her" she couldn't deny that.
Seeing her face, Bo knew that this was killing her, no one should have to give up their child. Especially since there were people after her, for something that she hadn't even done yet. If she ever would, Oracle visions weren't precise. They were always open to interpretation.
She reached up to touch her Girlfriend's face, watching the tears escape her eyes. Bo leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Okay, we'll send her away. I know the perfect place for her, and the perfect guardian. I'll be right back…" She quickly left the nursery.
As Bo made her way down the stairs, she was met by a man in black. Her eyes flashed blue as she grabbed him by his throat. "… Didn't you see the sign outside?" She hissed. "It says, NO TRESPASSING!" She flicked her wrist, snapping his neck and throwing him back down the the stairs.
Dyson ran straight over holding his stomach, "I'm so sorry, he winded me…" He breathed deeply, he had everything under control until that bastard took a cheap shot at his stomach. "… How's Lauren, and the little one?" He asked.
"She's fine…" Bo nodded. "… They're both fine"
Tamsin walked up to them both, holding her arm. One of the men had cut her pretty good. "Hey, I barricaded the doors and windows. Not even the Hulk could get through them now. Is everything okay?" She asked, even after falling for Bo and then getting her heart broken, she still thought of them as her family. And she wasn't losing them.
"Not really. Gather everyone in the living room, Lauren and I have something to tell you all" Bo didn't want this. But she had to get everyone up to speed.
"Alright…" Dyson pulled his partner with him, going to talk to Trick and Mark by the kitchen.
Bo ran back upstairs, but went into Kenzi's old room. She knew where her best friend kept her emergency supplies. Going under the bed, she found a small tin case. The label read 'In case Shit hits the fan'. She smiled, that was so Kenzi.
Opening it she found a few fake passports, some fake I.D's, a roll of money and an old cell phone. This was what Bo wanted, the phone wasn't registered and it had an unknown number. Using this was the safest way. She dialled a couple of numbers and hit the call button.
"Ola! You're on with the Kenz"
Bo was so glad to hear her best friend's voice; she'd missed her so much. She'd told her all about the pregnancy but with the attacks going on lately. Kenzi didn't know about the rest. "Hey Kenz, it's me" she answered.
"Bo? What number are you calling off?" Kenzi asked, she didn't recognise the number. She didn't hear Bo speak for a couple of seconds, that wasn't good. "Bo? What is it? You're scaring me! Is Lauren okay? Is it the baby?" She feared the worst.
She couldn't help it; she broke down sitting on the floor. "No, they're fine. It's a girl by the way, she's so beautiful Kenz. I wish you were here to see her" she chuckled quietly through the phone.
"That's great babe! Wait, if everything's okay then why're you crying?" Kenzi was too smart for this, she could sense that something was wrong. And she couldn't explain how but she had been feeling weird all day. Like something bad was going to happen.
"I haven't had time to fill you in these last few months. But, things are bad Kenz. Every Fae in the city wants the baby dead. The Elders got word that she was gonna grow up to be some kind of weapon against them. I missed her birth because I was too busy killing intruders!" She was still mad about that. She should've been with Lauren at that moment.
"Holy shit! That is bad. Okay, I'm coming home. I need to be there" Kenzi couldn't stand back anymore.
"That's the thing I wanted to call you about Kenz. We need you to take her; we need you to take the baby and keep her safe. At least until we fix this mess" Bo sighed into the phone.
"What? Bo no, she needs her Parents. What can I do for her?" Kenzi didn't know what she was going to do, she wasn't even good with kids.
Bo smiled. "You can protect her, there's no one else we can trust Kenz. I don't know the whole plan yet. But I'll be in touch okay?"
"Uh. Okay, yeah sure. I'll be waiting" Kenzi wasn't sure what to say, so she just hung up the phone.
Bo got up and placed the phone in the back of her pocket. On her way downstairs, she grabbed Lauren and the baby and walked downstairs where everyone was waiting for them. Lauren sat on the couch, she was still pretty exhausted after the labour and still in a little bit of pain.
Dyson smiled down at the small baby, as did Mark and Tamsin who were standing next to him. "She's gorgeous, congratulations. What's her name?" He asked.
Lauren looked to Bo, unsure of what to say to him. They'd thought it over a few times when they were planning for the birth. They had a few boy names ready just in case but they didn't need them now. But there was one girl name that they were set on. "Charlotte; he name's Charlotte" she answered.
"Nice to meet you, Charlotte" Mark took her tiny hand and shook it gently. Earning a smile from the baby.
"So, what's the big announcement?" Tamsin had heard from Dyson that Bo wanted them all gathered in the living room. She honestly didn't know what could happen next.
Bo took a breath; she didn't want to cry again. Because if she started crying then Lauren definitely would. "Lauren and I were talking, and we've come to the conclusion that we need to send Charlotte away. Somewhere safe, and somewhere no one will find her"
"No, we can protect her here. You shouldn't have to make this decision" Trick shook his head walking forward, he hated this.
"We can try, but eventually we will lose. It's us versus the entire Fae community. We don't stand a chance Trick. We need to cut the head off of the snake, and that starts with the Elders. And it's gonna take us time to get to them" Bo explained.
"Send her away where?" Dyson asked.
"To Kenzi, in Spain. I just don't know, how we're gonna get her there unnoticed" Bo sighed, that was the only kink in her plan.
Tamsin held her injured arm up, "I can take her. I mean; if you want me to. I can fly her over in a couple minutes thanks to my super fast Valkyrie wings. It's just a thought" she turned away. She was just trying to help.
"That could work..." Lauren spoke suddenly. She stood from her seat, handing Charlotte over to Bo gently. "… Would it be safe, for her I mean?" She asked Tamsin.
"Uh, yeah I guess..." Tamsin answered with a stutter, but judging by the look on Lauren's face she wanted a better answer than that. "… Yes, it's safe. I'll be there in no time" she assured her.
That gave Bo another idea. She knew Kenzi would do everything humanly possible to protect Charlotte. But she thought maybe Kenzi could use some back up just in case. "Tamsin? Can I talk to you for a second?" She asked.
"Okay, sure…" Tamsin walked over to the kitchen to wait for her.
Bo handed Charlotte over to Trick, she could see that he was dying to have a little cuddle. She walked to the kitchen seeing the Tamsin checking out her gash on her arm. "You should let Lauren take a look at that" she was so grateful to what her friends had done for her.
Without them, she would've lost this fight.
"Na, I've had way worse than this. No biggie…" Tamsin shrugged, "… So, what's the thing you wanted talk about?" She asked.
"I was wondering, if when you take Charlotte over to Kenzi that you'd be willing to stay there with them? It's just, I know Kenzi will keep her safe. I have no doubt about that. But I'd feel better knowing you were there to back her up" Bo was just thinking of the best way to keep her daughter safe.
Tamsin was a little taken aback by that. She didn't expect anyone to trust her with something so important. Thinking it over, she liked the sound of moving away for a while. And Kenzi had nice digs in Spain thanks to Hale leaving her spoils in his will. She could use a vacation after the year that she'd had.
"Alright, I'll do it. I won't have to change any diapers will I?" She grimaced.
Bo shook her head with a laugh. "I don't think so. Leave that to Kenzi. Why don't you get cleaned up, and we'll get Charlotte ready to go" she said. Tamsin just nodded and ran upstairs. Bo moved to the living room, seeing Dyson making the weirdest faces to her daughter.
He stopped and smiled nervously. "Sorry, got a bit carried away" he sat down on a chair behind him, feeling really embarrassed.
Lauren could see her Girlfriend's look. She needed to talk, so Lauren got up. Taking Charlotte from Trick's arms and following Bo upstairs. She got into the nursery, Charlotte had yet to try out the brand new crib. So Lauren lowered her down gently. "How long do you think it'll take?" she asked.
Bo stood behind her. Looking down to the swaddled baby as she slept soundly. She didn't want to let her go, but if she didn't then she feared that something awful would end up happening. "I dunno. Don't worry, we'll fix this mess. And then we'll have her back with us in no time" she hugged her from behind.
"You hope…" Lauren scoffed. "… But, what if it takes years? What if we miss her whole life trying to make everything better?" She was going to start crying again. Her hormones were all over the place. She turned around in her Girlfriend's arms, latching onto Bo tight.
"I wish I had an answer for you babe, but I don't. It's gonna take as long as it takes, but that doesn't mean it'll be years. We just have to find the Elder that ordered the hit on her" she kissed her forehead.
They had learned that this whole mess was the doing of one Elder. They didn't know if it was a man or woman, or if they were Light or Dark. For some reason that secret was being kept under wraps. And Bo wanted to know why.
Lauren pulled away wiping her tears. "Hit men; coming into the world with a target on your back. She didn't ask for any of this" she sighed looking down into the crib.
"I know…" Bo followed her Girlfriend's gaze, Charlotte looked so peaceful. Clearly she wasn't aware of what was going on around her. This was how it should've been, two parents watching their newborn sleep.
But instead it was two parents, getting ready to say goodbye to a daughter than they'd only known for an hour. "… We should get her packed up" she said softly.
Lauren nodded. It was inevitable, so there was no point in putting it off. "I'll change her, you pack some clothes and diapers. Just enough to get Kenzi started" she reached into the crib, picking Charlotte up and into her arms.
Bo did as instructed, she grabbed a large tote bag. Filling it with some of the clothes that they had bought for Charlotte before she was born. She also packed a stuffed teddy bear, doing all of this made her want to scream. This wasn't how their life should be, it should be happy.
Once Lauren had finished changing her, she stopped in her tracks as Bo waited by the door holding the packed bag. "I can't do it…" she shook her head. "… I can't watch them leave. So, I'm gonna say my goodbyes here and then you can take her" she said.
Bo just nodded. She didn't want to force Lauren to come downstairs with her, the blonde obviously didn't want to. "Okay" she understood.
Lauren rocked her little girl, "I love you so much. It doesn't matter where you go, I will always be with you. No matter what. Be good for your Aunt Kenzi okay…" She placed a kiss on her tiny forehead. Holding her close to breathe her in. Lauren handed her to Bo and then walked away. She couldn't hold it in.
Bo carried Charlotte downstairs, where Tamsin was waiting. She didn't care about packing any clothes, she figured that she could just get some over at Kenzi's. "Where's Lauren?" She asked.
"She couldn't watch, it's too hard for her…" Bo set the bag down next to Tamsin's feet. There was only one problem now. "… They're probably watching us. We need to come up with a way to hide her" she looked down at her sleeping daughter.
"I don't mean to sound cruel, but why don't you just hide her in your jacket?" Mark stepped forward. He just meant that the baby was really small, if she was strapped to Tamsin's chest then she could easily be hidden.
"She is pretty tiny; it could work I guess. Bo?" Tamsin looked to her friend waiting for an answer.
"Okay, but we need to make sure she's secure. How long will it take you to get there?" Bo wanted all the details. She had visions of Tamsin dropping her daughter into the sky.
Tamsin's wings weren't normal. They were fast, a plane to Spain would take a couple of hours but for Tamsin it was take only minutes. "Not long, trust me Bo. I can do this; she'll be safe I promise" she smiled.
Bo nodded, it was time for her to say goodbye now. The others said their farewells first, Trick being more emotional than the rest of them. He just met his new great granddaughter and now he was saying goodbye. After they were done, they left Bo in the living room to have a moment with Charlotte.
"Don't worry baby girl, I'm gonna fix all of this. And you'll be back with me and your Mommy before you know it…" She kissed her tiny head, "… I love you, always remember that" she then kissed her button nose.
By the time that Bo made it back over to the kitchen, Dyson was helping Tamsin with a make shift holster made from one of her scarfs. He had tied it really tight, so that Charlotte would fit perfectly inside and be safe under the Valkyrie's jacket.
She handed her daughter to Tamsin, who gently placed the tiny baby into her scarf holster. It was tight thanks to Dyson, so she was perfectly safe. Bo helped her get her jacket on. The zip only went half way, but Charlotte looked comfy and that was all that she wanted.
"I better get going, the sooner I leave; the sooner I'll get there" Tamsin picked up the bag that was at her feet. It was heavy, did they pack bricks with Charlotte's clothes?
"Thank you for doing this" Bo was eternally grateful for what Tamsin was doing, she didn't have to move to another country for a baby she hardly knew. But she was doing it anyway.
"No problem Succubus. Anything you want Kenzi to know?" Tamsin asked.
Bo couldn't stop looking at her daughter's face, all cuddled up in Tamsin's jacket. She only just heard what her friend said. "Uh, no. Just tell her if there's ever a problem, to call back on the emergency line. I'll keep it on" this was it.
This was goodbye.
"You're doing the right thing Bo" Trick walked over and touched his Granddaughter's arm gently. He could see that this was eating her up.
"I know…" Bo began to cry, she had been holding it in for so long to try and be strong for Lauren. But now she couldn't stop it. The flood gates had opened. "… Doesn't make it easier to say goodbye though…" she sighed.
She leaned forward, kissing her daughter's head one last time. "… See you soon baby girl…" She stood straight wiping the tears from her eyes, "… Go" she looked at Tamsin.
Tamsin nodded, everyone followed her out of the back door of the house. Tamsin checked Charlotte just to make sure that she was okay. Then extended her wings, giving everyone one last wave before leaping up into the sky and disappearing into the clouds.
Bo took a breath, it was done. Her daughter was gone, and her life was falling apart. She knew that Lauren would be inconsolable. She didn't know if they would survive something like this. Of all of the hardships that they had overcome, this was by far the worst that they had ever faced.
Dyson walked up behind his ex, clearing his throat to get her attention. He knew that this was a bad time. But he had to talk to her about something important. "We need to have a plan to cover this all up" he said.
"What'd you mean?" She asked.
"Everyone knew Lauren was in labour, if we tell them that the baby died after childbirth they'll want proof. How do we sell it?" He didn't have a clue of what to do, which was why he was asking his friends.
Bo closed her eyes with a sigh. She couldn't think about this right now. That was the plan though, to spread the rumour that the baby had died after the birth. But Dyson was right, the Elders would want proof. "I can't deal with this right now, just spread the rumour. We'll figure the rest out later" she walked passed him and back into the house.
Kenzi's Villa - Later
Tamsin touched down just outside Kenzi's front garden. She'd visited her friend's place in the last couple of months. Hale had left her a pretty nice piece of land. It was a lovely modern town house. Big enough for an entire family, and Kenzi was actually happy to have the quiet time to herself.
The house was the only one around for at least twenty minutes. And it was right on the coast, which placed the beach right outside the back.
She looked down, hearing Charlotte cry. Clearly she didn't enjoy the flight. Tamsin retracted her wings and walked to the front door of the house. She tried rocking the baby gently, but who was she kidding? She didn't know the first thing about babies. She knocked on the front door, which just made Charlotte cry even more.
As soon as the door opened, Tamsin greeted Kenzi with a wide smile. "Hey! Got room for a Valkyrie and a baby?" She asked with a laugh.
Kenzi laughed, seeing the crying newborn swaddled inside Tamsin's jacket. She reached her hands in, picking her up gently and rocking her to calm her down. She wasn't a baby person, but she had tons of cousins and she had taken care of them countless of times when she was a kid.
"You are so beautiful…" She smiled down at her niece. The baby looked up at her, her cries stopped as Kenzi cuddled her. "… What's her name?" She turned to Tamsin.
"Charlotte…" Tamsin shook her jacket off; it was hotter than back home. "… It's like living in an oven; how do you cope?" She chuckled.
"Lots of air conditioning, come on…" Kenzi walked back into the house to and waited for Tamsin to follow her inside. She couldn't get over how cute this baby girl was. She placed Charlotte down on the couch, letting her lay there. Kenzi opened up her baby blanket, she was probably warm. "… So, care to fill me in on what's happened back home?" She asked.
Tamsin plopped herself down on the seat next to Charlotte. "Everything was going fine until Lauren hit the last couple of months in her pregnancy. An Oracle came forward and warned the Elders that Charlotte would grow up to be their destruction. You know, crazy people stuff" she explained.
"And how exactly can one girl be the destruction of an entire race?" Kenzi didn't understand that at all.
"They said she would expose our kind to the humans, starting a war that ended in all of our deaths. It's complete crap, we know that. But it didn't stop the Elders from sending in hit squads to kill Lauren before Charlotte could be born. All of the stress, brought on her labour faster than expected" Tamsin played with Charlotte's tiny hand.
She couldn't understand why they'd want to hurt someone so small and innocent. Charlotte was just a baby. How could she hurt anyone?
"How's Lauren?" Kenzi asked, she hadn't heard from anyone in over a couple of weeks. She was starting to get worried, and rightfully so.
"Broken, she didn't come downstairs when I left with Charlotte. She couldn't handle it. I don't blame her; no one should ever have to give up their child" Tamsin didn't need to be a Mother to know that.
"And Bo?" Kenzi asked.
Tamsin smiled at Charlotte, the baby was grabbing her finger. "Same, to be honest I think she was just trying to hold it together for Lauren. Hopefully, she can eliminate the threat towards her soon and then I can take her back home" she hoped.
Kenzi nodded, that was all that she hoped for too. "So, you should get back there" she said to Tamsin.
"Actually, that's another thing. Bo wanted me to stay here with you two, just in case" Tamsin smiled.
Kenzi was actually glad that Tamsin was staying, she could provide extra muscle. And it was good in case Kenzi ever got overwhelmed with a Charlotte. "It'll be just like old times, roomie! I have a job for you though" after getting off of the phone with Bo, she made a list of things they'd need.
"Sure thing, what is it?" Tamsin was happy to help.
"There's a list on the counter in the kitchen, we're gonna need some baby stuff for our little princess here…" Kenzi lifted the tiny baby into her arms, and held her close to her body. "… I was at the market when Bo called me so I got some little things. But I need you to pick up the rest. It's all paid for, so just take my car and head down to the town centre" she said.
"And how am I supposed to know where I'm going?" Tamsin asked, she could barley use google maps. How was she supposed to navigate through a town?
"The car has GPS built in. The shopping mall is at the top of the list, I had to use it a lot when I first came here. Then when you're done picking the stuff up, hit the 'Home' button and it will lead you right back here" Kenzi had gotten used to it now.
Tamsin took all of the information in, it sounded pretty straightforward. She got up from the couch, "Okay, back in a jiffy!" she made her way out of the house.
Kenzi also got up, she quickly made her way to the kitchen and fixed up a bottle of baby formula for Charlotte. The little girl was bound to be starving, which was probably why she was fussing so much. Kenzi cradled the baby in her arms, bringing the bottle to her mouth.
Charlotte latched on, drinking the milk fast.
"Someone's hungry huh?" Kenzi chuckled, she couldn't believe that Bo and Lauren had made this beautiful little person. It was amazing. She couldn't imagine what they were feeling right now, they had to give their baby up to protect her. They were probably going through hell right now.
"Don't sweat it baby girl, your Mama is the strongest person that I have ever met. And she's gonna fix what needs to be fixed, and then you're gonna be back with your Mommies. I promise you that" she kissed her little head.
12 Months Later
Kenzi and Tamsin had been extremely overwhelmed with Charlotte to say the least. She was definitely Bo's daughter; of that they were sure. Charlotte could be very naughty when she wanted to be. Just like Bo, but then she could also be very sensible. Which was obviously all Lauren.
They really did have their hands full. The first few nights were the worst; Charlotte would be up at all hours of the night. Crying all the time, fussing over milk. But the thing that she was fussing most about was that she needed her real parents. Kenzi knew that, but she was doing her best.
They'd kept in touch with Bo and the rest of their friends. Tamsin would fly back home once and a while, but no one knew that Charlotte was alive. From what Kenzi heard, Dyson was able to cover up the baby's so called death. She didn't want to hear the details, as far as she was concerned it was taken care of.
Tamsin thought Bo would've found the Elder responsible for all of this by now. It had been a year. But it was proving to be more difficult than they initially thought. So here they were, celebrating Charlotte's first birthday.
Kenzi wished that she would have been back with Bo and Lauren by the time that she had her first birthday. But fate had other plans. The two women had gone all out, they had gotten a cake from an amazing bakery in town. It was shaped like her favourite teddy bear that they had named Yogi. She never went anywhere without it.
It wasn't original, but Kenzi said it as a joke when she first saw the bear. And she continued to use it and it fit, Charlotte would always giggle when she would hear his name. It was just the three of them, since they kept to themselves. And Charlotte was too young to have any friends.
Tamsin was sitting on the couch, next to the coffee table as she lit the huge candle that was on the yogi cake. She had spent a lot of time at the bakery that they had gotten the cake from and everything in the shop tasted amazing. She couldn't wait to rip into this cake.
"Our guest of honour is awake!" Kenzi came into the living room, holding the hand of a very sleepy Charlotte who was taking her time to walk the few steps to the couch.
She was quite the little overachiever, she started walking when she hit eleven months of age. Her hair had also gone darker, much like Bo's.
"Thank god, I have my eye on Yogi's leg. It has the most chocolate on it" Tamsin smiled down at the cake, she was literally foaming at the mouth. Charlotte had taken a long nap today, and they'd been waiting for her to wake up for almost three hours.
Kenzi rolled her eyes, she'd been listening to her friend's belly aching for hours. "I know Tamsin; you keep reminding me every ten minutes…" She got to the couch and lifted her niece up to sit on her lap. "… Look! You want Aunt Kenzi and Aunt Tamsin to help you blow out the candle?" She asked.
Charlotte let out a tired moan, leaning back into Kenzi's chest. She didn't understand any of this, she just felt like it was a normal day. Although, on some level she could tell that something or someone was missing from her life.
Tamsin and Kenzi locked eyes, they were expecting this. Charlotte would sometimes get these days where she was weepy and wouldn't do much. They thought that maybe it was because she missed her Parents. Even though she didn't really remember them, she could feel them.
They needed to make her laugh, and lately the only thing that did that was when Tamsin would get hurt doing something stupid. But right now, Kenzi saw an opportunity. She poked her finger in the chocolate frosting and placed a blob on Tamsin's nose.
Charlotte started to giggle hysterically.
Tamsin would have been mad, but she would do anything to turn the girl's frown upside down. "Five second rule" she took the frosting off of her face and ate it. She was taught not to waste things.
"Okay, come on baby girl. Let's show this candle whose boss. Ready?" Kenzi asked.
Charlotte nodded, leaning forward with a smile. The little girl puffed out her cheeks, copying what her Aunt Kenzi was doing. They blew out the little flame together, then clapped their hands. Tamsin made sure to snap a picture of the milestone. They didn't want Bo and Lauren to miss anything.
"Cake time!" Tamsin picked up the knife, she'd been looking forward to this all day.
Clubhouse
Lauren sat in her daughter's nursery, moving back and forth in the rocking chair. She spent most of her nights in here. Her relationship with Bo was severely strained, it didn't start like that. It just morphed into it. They could barely talk to each other. Which, wasn't two sided.
Bo would always try to spark up a conversation, but her Girlfriend would either cut it short or just walk away. Lots of things had happened in the last year, including Lauren's new physical form. Thanks to her pregnancy, she was now half Succubus as well as Human.
She was nowhere near Bo's level, but she was a quick learner. In the months after sending their daughter away. Lauren had turned down a dark road, she would stay out at all of hours of the night. Feeding off of humans, she would never kill any of them. Just take what she needed.
But she had killed a few Fae. Especially those who disrespected her daughter, who they thought was dead. But she wasn't going anywhere today, because today was Charlotte's birthday. She would be turning one today.
And Lauren couldn't be with her to celebrate it. She wouldn't see her blow out her candles, she couldn't give her a present. She didn't even know what she looked like. And that killed her, it ripped her heart to shreds knowing that her daughter was a world away from her.
Lauren just looked out of the window in front of her, it was early in the morning. The rain poured outside of the clubhouse. Thrashing down loudly on the wooden slates of the roof. Seemed appropriate, she couldn't cry so the sky was crying for her.
Bo entered the room, she woke up to find that her Girlfriend wasn't in the bed. She knew exactly where she was. Lauren rarely slept these days, neither did Bo. It was hard to sleep when there was a gaping hole in your heart. She knew the importance of today, and all she wanted to do was call Kenzi and see how her daughter was doing.
But she couldn't. She and Lauren had made a promise not to keep in frequent touch with her. If they did that then they wouldn't be able to sell their grief, they had to believe that she was gone for good if the Elders were going to buy the illusion.
She knelt next to Lauren's chair. She saw her Girlfriend holding one of Charlotte's teddy bears. She wanted so badly to comfort her, to hold her tight and never let her go. But Lauren barely let Bo touch her these days. "Have you been in here all night?" She asked.
Lauren didn't answer her, she kept her gaze firmly on the window in front of her.
Bo bowed her head with a sigh. "Lauren, please talk to me…" She was begging her. Lauren still didn't say a word. She was really getting sick and tired of this. And now she was going to do something that she'd end up regretting later. "… Fine, if you really wanna act like this then go right ahead!" She stood on her feet ready to leave the room.
When she didn't hear Lauren say anything, she stopped at the door. "You're not the only one who misses her you know! Or are you the only one who gets to grieve?" She asked.
Lauren didn't like that statement, "Yeah, you really look like you're grieving Bo" she didn't get up from her seat.
Bo felt those words cut her like a knife. "Well I'm sorry if I'm trying to stay focused. Someone's gotta do something to bring her home! What've you been doing? Trolling the streets for feeds and killing any Fae who looks at you!" She yelled.
Kicking the chair back, Lauren got on her feet. Her eyes were shining blue, much like Bo's did when she was angry. "You think I want this?" She frowned at her. "Do you think I liked taking those lives? I didn't!" She began to cry.
Bo felt awful for fighting with her, but this was how they were now. She tried to walk forward, but Lauren held her hand up.
"I can't keep living like this Bo! I hate it. I know you're doing everything you can to fix this mess, but it's been a year. And we're no closer to bringing her home. It's her first birthday, and her own Parents aren't there to celebrate with her" Lauren cried.
Not caring if her Girlfriend didn't want it, Bo brought her into a tight hug. Her own tears falling. "I know…" She kissed the side of her head. "… Listen to me, we have to stick together. We can't afford to fall apart now, that's just what the Elders want. We can't let them win" she said.
"They've won Bo…" Lauren sighed. "… They won; the day we sent her away"
Bo understood her point, but she didn't care. "We've been through too much to give up now. I feel her too; I can feel her calling us. And it's that bond, that gives me the strength to keep fighting. You just need to embrace it" she met her gaze.
Lauren shook her head. "I'm too tired to fight. All we've done since we met is fight; we fight for the world, we fight for our lives, we fight for our friends. And now we're fighting for Charlotte. When does the fighting end?" She asked.
"It ends when she's home with us, where she belongs. This petty arguing, it has to stop babe. We can't turn on each other now. Not on days like this" Bo rested her forehead against Lauren's.
"Do you think she's happy?" Lauren asked.
Bo knew that Kenzi and Tamsin were probably having a blast with Charlotte. There were no other two people who were more fun to be around. "I know she is" She whispered, giving her another hug.
Lauren was right, the fighting would never end. Not until her daughter was safe, and officially out of danger. Bo didn't know which Elder was responsible for this, but when she did find them they were going to be sorry they ever laid eyes on her.
A/N: Ooh! This story is a little darker than the first, but I do have a load of ideas for it. Let me know if you like it and want me to continue. Much love xoxo