Disclaimer: I do not own Lost Girl.

Author's Note: My first Lost Girl fic! I'm not sure where I'm going with this but I just really wanted to get something out there. This chapter was originally longer, but I decided to split it into two, so that's why it's kind of slow. Bear with me!

Chapter 1 – First Breath After Coma

"You are seriously deranged if you think you can pull this off. You can't be me. They'll figure it out," said Kenzi, watching her body snatcher rifle through a pile of junk in the corner of the dark cave.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Inari, still fumbling around with a pile of necklaces she had accumulated over the years.

"Extremely sure." Inari turned and stood at the sound of Kenzi's serious tone before taking a few steps forward in the small woman's direction.

"Say you're right and your friends do eventually figure out that I'm not you. What makes you think they'll actually want you back?" She folded her arms across her chest; a small smile tweaked the corners of her mouth as a look of genuine curiosity appeared in her eyes.

"Excuse me?" Kenzi narrowed her eyes at the question presented by her doppelgänger.

"Think about it. It won't be long before I master all of your little Kenzi-isms, and when that happens, no one will be missing you. After all, what's there to miss? Not only will I be you. I'll be a better you," Inari replied. She was now circling Kenzi, her voice taking on a teasing lilt. She watched as something flickered behind the chained girl's eyes.

"A better me? Bitch, there ain't no such thing," quipped Kenzi, maintaining her confidence even now as the thick iron cuffs dug into her wrists and ankles.

"You really think so? Maybe I should rephrase that. I'll be the Fae version of you." Inari smiled at her words. She loved this part of the game.

"And how exactly does Fae equal better?" asked Kenzi. She could feel herself playing perfectly into the psychopath's hands, but she was unable to stop herself from asking the question anyways.

"How are you this delusional? You are a human! All of those people that supposedly care about you, the people who are going to come save you? They don't even know you're missing! Not D-Man, not even BoBo!" yelled Inari, throwing her arms up into the air in seeming frustration.

"Don't call them that! You don't get to call them that!" Kenzi screamed, struggling against her restraints, finally losing control. Inari continued as if the interruption didn't happen.

"You see, you don't matter. You're just…temporary. Nothing but a small, tiny blip on their timeline. You're like a little lap dog. Sure they'd remember you fondly, but your death will have made no real impact on their lives," Inari said. By this time, she was only a few feet away from where Kenzi was sitting, looking down at her with an evil glint in her eyes.

"Shut up," Kenzi said, her voice wavering as she let the truth of Inari's words wash over her. She willed herself to regain her strength. The last thing she wanted was to look weak in front of this monster.

"Plus you're a huge liability! You probably would've ended up getting one of them killed! Possibly all of them!" she shouted maniacally. Kenzi couldn't help but flinch as Inari's (her) voice reverberated off the cave's walls.

"Stop…," Kenzi said, her voice low and weak. The familiar sting from Inari's words coupled with the lack of food and sleep left Kenzi suddenly exhausted. She watched Inari begin pacing across the small space as she fell deeper into what appeared to be a manic episode.

"Not me though. I'll be the best sidekick ever. I'll actually be a valuable contribution to our little group, and they'll be so happy to be rid of you. Bo won't have to be in constant worry of my fragile humanity, Hale won't have to worry about me interrupting important meetings, and Dyson will be free of one pathetic human who likes to sick crazy witches on him."

"That was an accident. He forgave me for that!" Kenzi's outburst halted Inari's movements. She slowly turned towards the sitting woman, her eyes darkening with anger.

"But you don't actually believe that, do you? Maybe that's what you tell yourself, but we both know about that little seed of self-doubt that sits in the back of your mind. What could a man like Dyson ever see in a stupid little human screw up like you?" Inari's voice had taken on a dangerous tone. She stood still with her head tilted to one side, her cold stare focused solely on Kenzi.

"How do you even know all of this? What, my body wasn't enough? You have my memories too?" cried Kenzi, the accuracy of Inari's words successfully freaking her out.

"Sweetie, I've been with you for a while, and I've picked up on more than just nicknames and eyeliner techniques. I know everything. I know every deep, dark secret that you've been so desperately trying to hide. Now, what would all of your friends think of you if they found out what you really are? The things you've done?"

For the first time since her capture, Kenzi felt the sting of warm tears threatening to fall. Before they had a chance she shook her head and pulled herself together. She never cried, and she definitely wasn't going to start now in front of this heinous bitch.

"Of course I wouldn't actually say anything. I'm trying to get them to like me after all. Anyways, we're getting off track. The point of all of this is simple really. You're doing your friends a favor by giving in to me. I mean, why do you think the Norn called me a gift? They're better off without you," Inari continued in a sickeningly sweet voice. She gave Kenzi one last look before making her way over to the corner where the pile of necklaces still sat.

"Fuck you! Psycho bitch!" screamed Kenzi at her retreating back, moving as if to attack, but wincing as her restraints painfully cut into her wrists.

"Oops, did I hit a nerve? A bad memory, perhaps? What's the matter, Kenzi? Where's your sense of humor?" laughed Inari as she continued her search.

"They're going to find me, and when they do, I only hope that it's before they put you down because there is nothing I would like to see more than you ripped to shreds."

Kenzi's threat went on ignored as Inari finally found whatever it was she was looking for. She exited the cave without giving Kenzi a second glance.

Kenzi awoke from the dream with a dull pounding in her head and the sound of her own cold laughter ringing in her ears. She glanced over at the small alarm clock resting on her bedside table and saw the large green numbers reading 7:47 PM. She groaned and rolled over onto her back, rubbing the heels of her hands into her eyes. She hadn't meant to sleep the day away, but she had been so tired lately as her body was still recovering from her ordeal with the Kitsune. She stretched out her sore muscles and winced as she felt the leftover pain from her fading bruises. However, despite the pain, she felt better than she had in days. Now if only the nightmares would leave her alone.

She had been having nightmares everyday since she returned home. It seemed like every time she closed her eyes she was back in that cave. Sometimes her nightmares were just retellings of events that had already happened; bad memories from her short time with Inari. There were other dreams in which Inari wouldn't make an appearance at all. Instead, she would be sitting in the center of the cave watching as a red fox circled her, it's amber eyes never leaving hers. She tried not to dwell too much on the nightmares; she figured they were to be expected after the psychological warfare that Inari had put her through.

Just as she was sitting up, she heard a light knock on the threshold that led into her small bedroom. She turned towards the noise and smiled at the sight of her best friend approaching.

"Hey, I hope I didn't wake you," greeted Bo as she settled on the edge of Kenzi's bed.

"Nope. I've been awake for a few minutes," Kenzi replied as she settled herself against her headboard.

"Wow, you slept long. I stepped in to check on you before I left for the Dal this morning and you were dead to the world. I guess you needed that, huh?"

"Totally. I'm still a little sore, but I'm finally starting to feel human again." She hadn't told Bo about the nightmares. She knew her friend was dealing with enough with the impending Dawning, and she didn't want to add any more stress than what was necessary. Besides, she could tell that Bo still felt guilty over what had happened with the Kitsune, and she thought it would best for everyone if she just moved passed the experience. She was just happy that Bo had been too busy to ask for more details regarding her little visit to a certain Norn. After all, that wasn't her secret to tell.

"Does that mean you're up for a night at the Dal?" asked Bo with a hopeful glint in her eyes, "Trick's giving me a few hours off from training and I am in desperate need of a drinking buddy. I know you haven't felt up to seeing everybody lately, but we all miss our Kenzi." Kenzi sighed at her friend's words. She hadn't seen any of the gang since she left the Dal the day she was rescued. She wasn't avoiding them per se; she just wasn't ready to get back to business as usual. Dyson had stopped by to check on her a few times throughout the week, but she wasn't ready to talk to him about what happened just yet. She did have to admit, however, that she was beginning to go crazy from spending so much time in the old crack den.

"I guess I could fit a few drinks into my busy schedule of Robot Hookers and Ben & Jerry's," said Kenzi, smiling lightly at the sudden excitement that appeared on Bo's face.

"Great!" exclaimed Bo as she reached over and hugged Kenzi. "Everyone will be so excited to see you. They've all been super worried about you, especially Dyson. Whenever I see him he can't help but ask a million questions about how you're doing, what you've been up to, and if you needed anything. I guess he's gotten a bit protective over you," laughed Bo, "He's still a little freaked after what happened with Inari?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kenzi. She knew that Dyson was the one who ultimately killed Inari, but that was all the information she was able to get out of him before she passed out in the car between the cave and the Dal. She made sure to stay clear of that particular subject during his brief visits, and he seemed more than willing to avoid any mention of Inari's demise as well.

"Well I didn't hear it directly from him, but Lauren told me that he was really upset when she went over to his place to make sure Inari wasn't you. Apparently he was a mess. He thought he'd killed you, Kenz."

"Well, I'm right here and ready to get my cute ass out of bed and into some real people clothes," said Kenzi as she swung her legs over the edge of her bed. She hoped that Bo didn't notice her attempt to change the subject. For some inexplicable reason, talking about Dyson left her with a funny feeling in the center of her chest.

"You go ahead and get ready and I'll meet you there. Lauren's waiting downstairs and I think she wants some alone time before we go out. We haven't had any of that in a few days and it's driving me crazy," said Bo as she stood from the bed and headed towards the door.

"Gotcha, babe. I'll see you at the Dal in two hours?" asked Kenzi as she sat down at the small, but cluttered vanity in the corner of her room.

"Perfect! Later!" shouted Bo as she began making her way downstairs.

Kenzi laughed at her retreating friend before turning to look at herself in the mirror. The smile immediately dropped from her face as she studied her reflection.

She knew Inari was dead, Dyson and Lauren had assured her of that, but she couldn't help but see that sinister bitch staring back at her every time she looked in a mirror. She wondered how long it would take before she could look at her reflection without a tremor of fear running through her body. Until then, she would just have to improvise.

She turned to look at the space to the right of her vanity where her collection of wigs and old disguises sat.

"Hello, old friends."

So, whatcha think? Please review! I would love to hear how I'm doing!