Episode 3: Servitude
Episode 3 takes place a couple of months after Episode 2. During those months Lauren has been working at Marquise General while the hospital is being renovated and her lab is being built. Lauren's research is temporarily housed in the basement of Marquise Gen. Once her lab is finished, Ally will become Lauren's colleague. Lauren, Jenna and Ally have been seeing each other often hanging out at the Dal. Mark is out of the hospital and tends bar at the Dal Riata. Julius Aldridge's political ambitions have become apparent and he is one out of three candidates for the position of Ash for the Light Fae. Both Lauren and Bo hope that Julius will become the new Ash as he's been campaigning for the abolition of human slavery. Bo is still working at the Police Department with Dyson as her partner. In this episode tech and surveillance will play a big role, so to prevent you guys from going 'where the heck-ers did that come from?', lemme explain: Evony has installed the very best security system money can buy in her hospital. Bo, Evony and Lauren all have access to it via their iPhones and this on various levels.
Also, Lauren gets REALLY REALLY drunk in this one :) Bo loved After Hours Lauren, but this is taking it a step further. I'm not sure what to call this Lauren: 'After Drinks/Booze Lauren', 'Lolo Lush?' Suggestions are MORE than welcome :)
Replies to reviews (for those who want to read them) are at the bottom of the page :)!
Enjoy Episode 3 :-)
Chapter 1
"Are you sure you still want to work with me?" Lauren asked looking up from her shot glass, leaning back into the comfortable seats.
"Of course" Ally said grateful to have her first moment of the evening alone with Lauren. "Takes more than a shifter to rattle my cage" she said confidently looking into Lauren's eyes. "Besides, I never did want just a desk job" Ally added with a smile. Ever since Jake's death, Lauren, Ally and Jenna had been hanging out at the Dal every week for drinks and it hadn't taken the threesome long before they had fallen back into their friendship from all those years ago: their conversation light, nostalgic at times and often hilarious. These last couple of weeks, months of drinking and talking had also reminded Ally how much she had missed Lauren in her life, and how gorgeous the blonde doctor was.
"Ah yes!" Lauren said with a pensive nod of her head "Jenna told me you spar these days"
"I do, I love it" "It's a rush actually" "You should try it"
"Me?" "Ally, you do know who you're talking to." "You remember what a disaster I was on the dance floor." "Someone had to explain it to me in radiuses, angles, turns and steps before I got it."
"And once you did, you almost didn't look awkward!" Ally offered laughing at the memory. Back in their college days, the university had offered different dance classes and Ally and Lauren had signed up for them because they knew the instructor; Mauro, a wonderful Salsa dancer and Tequila drinker that had equated dancing to making love: feeling the rhythm and soul of the person you were dancing with. Both ladies had been keen on taking his class, but Lauren's first class had been disastrous. 'Feeling things out' wasn't Lauren's style, and no matter how much Ally tried to make her 'feel' the rhythm, Lauren just didn't catch on. That night though, Lauren had been up studying Salsa in steps and turns from a book she'd found at the library. When the next class came around, Lauren was ready and after a few pointers from Mauro, she'd caught on.
Lauren laughed out loud. "Thanks!" The pair looked up at one another and shared a smile. In memory it seemed like they'd spent that entire semester dancing and they'd had a blast. Those had been some very good times.
"I'm kidding." Ally said with a grin, breaking their smile "Look, sparring is about technique, but it's also about instinct, about exploring your boundaries, and about feeling just slightly more empowered in the Fae world"
"That was a mean kick you pulled on Dyson." Lauren couldn't help but say admiringly.
Ally laughed "Good thing he had a couple of broken ribs at the time, but yeah…wouldn't have been able to do that without my training"
"In all honesty, he is a good guy."
"Who's in love with Bo." Ally was quick to add.
"I try not to hold that against him."
"How's that going?" Ally asked with a smirk.
Lauren considered for a moment, then chuckled. "With varying rates of success."
"You should come to the gym with me." Ally winked, and took the opportunity to place her hands over Lauren's."It's a good outlet for frustration too." The touch of Lauren's hand made Ally's heart skip a beat. The ash blonde pulled her hand back quickly, startled at her own response, and eager to cover up her reaction.
"I'll think about it." Lauren said as she spotted Jenna walking over to their table with their next round of drinks.
"Cocktails?" Lauren asked. "I thought we were sticking with beers?" Lauren asked already feeling the effects of the three beers she had had.
"It's Happy Cocktail Hour" Jenna offered in explanation. "And Mark sure does make a mean Pisco Sour."
"Oo." "I do like those." Lauren said eying the colorful drink, and loving the little umbrella that was sticking out it.
Savervage Forest, the Arena
From the seats of the arena, Bo looked down at Julius Aldridge who stood naked to the waste amid a circle of white hooded figures. He was flanked by one other man and a woman, who Bo didn't recognize.
"That's Ryder Caden." Dyson said about the squarish figure next to Julius.
"He's massive." Bo said.
"He's a Centaur."
"Those exist?" Bo asked surprised, while she shifted in her seat to get a good look. "Where is the horse part of him?"
Dyson chuckled. "They shift into their form."
"Ah, that makes sense."
"Centaurs and the Amazon were caught up in a blood feud for centuries, nearly wiped each other out." "Ryder there is one of the few survivors of those days." "They're known for their stubbornness, and strong will." "They may no longer be mortal enemies, but Ryder still wouldn't give the time of day to an Amazon."
"Not exactly a candidate for change then."
"No, not at all." the shifter shook his head.
"What about the woman?"
"Vittoria De Luca." "Vampire." "A very old one."
"She doesn't look old." Bo said admiringly. It had been a long time since Bo had fed, and this woman's luscious curves was making the Succubus stir. "I've never seen one before." Bo continued curbing her hunger.
"Not that rare though." "Her sister Octavia is set to become the new Morrigan."
Bo's eyes widened "Oh really?"
"They haven't talked in five centuries."
"Vittoria is moderate, but her constituency,…." "It's difficult for vampires to look on humans as anything but a snack." "There's a third sister, Francesca who is actually pro abolition, but nobody has heard from her in over two centuries." "Rumor has it one of her sisters killed her."
"Glad to know I'm not the only one with a dysfunctional family." "What type of Fae is Julius?" "It wasn't in Evony's file"
"He's a werewolf." Dyson said with a hint of reverence in his voice "They are magnificent creatures"
"Somebody's got a man crush." Bo singsonged.
"What can I say, the man is ripped!" Dyson joked "And they are extraordinary." The shifter said with unabashed admiration. "Werewolf children are sent into isolation to learn how to suppress their shifts during a full moon, and to half shift only." "In their fully shifted form, they are arguably the most powerful and dangerous creatures known to Face, but when they do they are nothing but animals; no link between brain and body." "There are only a handful of werewolves who have also learnt how to control themselves in their full werewolf form."
"Has Julius?"
"I doubt it." "It takes centuries to master, some never do." "But even a half-shifted werewolf is a force to be reckoned with."
"What about the hooded figures?"
"Council of Light Fae elders." "They form 'The circle of eighteen." "They are there to ensure and enforce the rules of the Ceremony."
"What happens now?"
"Their trials begin."
"Trials?"
"We choose our next leader through a set of trials." "The popular vote is what brought these three here, now they have to prove who is most worthy."
"Through trials?"
"Tests."
"You guys sure do love those." Bo commented thinking back to the day she found out she was Fae, and had to fight in a similar way to prove her 'worth'.
Dyson pulled up the corner of his lip. "I admit, we have a lot of them, and perhaps, not all of them are equally as useful and civilized" "But they are part of our tradition and culture, this is the way he have picked our leaders since Roman times when this arena was built" "And, if you're choosing a new Ash, I say these tests are necessary"
"Alright, I'll bite." "Tell me."
"There are three rounds. The first one is called 'The Hunt', and it's designed at testing the physical fitness, speed, agility and cunning of the next Ash." "Each candidate is given a creature to hunt." 'the candidate who can bring the creature back fastest, bound and gagged and within the allotted time, earns first place."
"What if none of them bring the creature back fast enough?"
"Then the ceremony is cancelled, and new elections are held." "Fae political leaders need to show strength, both mentally and physically."
"The might of the strongest, huh?"
"With how chaotic things are right now, the Fae cannot afford a weak leader."
Bo nodded her head. "True enough."
"The second trial is called 'The Sacrifice." "The specifics of this trial tend to vary from ceremony to ceremony, but typically, it measures the level of commitment the candidate has towards his or her new position." "If after two trials, it is clear who the winner is, the ceremony is completed by the anointment of the new Ash." "In case of a tie, the candidates fight one another. "
"To the death?"
Dyson laughed "Gods, no, Bo." "These people come from very respected Fae families, would be a bad political move if you started your term by killing a member of one of the noble houses." "They fight until one of them has to yield."
Bo, together with a couple of thousand other Fae leaned forward in her seat as the white hooded figures stepped back enlarging and opening the circle. Into the circle, three cages, covered with white sheets, were carried in then placed in front of each candidate. When the sheets were lifted applause and roars reverberated through the arena.
"Hippogriffs!" Dyson said delighted.
"You're loving this, aren't you?"
"Come on, Bo." "You've gotta love this!"
"Yeah well, I've been the one in that arena one too many a time to really appreciate it"
"Come one, Bo." "That was different" "These people chose to be here" "They knew what they were getting themselves into"
Bo looked at the caged Hippogriffs. They were huge beasts with the hind legs of a horse, but an eagle's head and wings. Razor sharp beaks, talons and were already clawing at their steel prison. Their head was lowered, eyes locked on the candidates in front of them. Bo looked over at Julius who closed his eyes and took a deep breath, she could see the anxiety radiating off of him. Something told her, Julius hadn't really fully grasped what he had been in for.
"Hippogriffs are relentless" Dyson said while the cages were being brought to the edge of the arena. "Once they have marked you as their prey, they will hunt you down till their final breath."
Bo just nodded, thinking she had rather spent the night in bed with Lauren.
The Dal Riata: three cocktails later
"That wasn't me!" "Michaela, ze foreign exzange ztudent from Germany zdid zhat!" Lauren shouted a little too loudly and with a horrible German accent.
"No, no, that was classic Lolo!" Jenna shouted louder.
Lauren burst out laughing "I haven't heard that name in forever!" "It wasn't me though" Lauren said struggling to keep a straight face.
"You are such a bad liar, Lolo!" Jenna laughed "I'm the one who found you that night with the red paint on your hands and your face hanging over the toilet bowl!"
"You SWORE you'd never tell, Jen!" Lauren shouted as Ally snorted her drink through her nose, laughing uncontrollably.
"They banned Michaela for that from the dorm for like three months!" Ally exclaimed.
They all fell over laughing.
"I never really liked her anyway." Jenna added and set off another laughter fit.
Savervage Forrest, The Arena
It hadn't taken Vittoria De Luca long before she came back with her prey gagged and bound. With a snarl on her face, she threw the Hippogriff at the feet of the Elders, then looked up and raised her hands in victory. The crowd rewarded her with an ear-deafening applause. The dark haired, pale beauty had won the first round decisively. The smug look on her face and the fact that there wasn't a single mark on her, spoke volumes about what she thought about the first challenge. It had been kids' play to her. Second through the gate mere minutes later was Julius Aldridge. Bo breathed a sigh of relief. He looked horrible with deep cuts running across his chest and a bloodied forehead. But, he had come in second and that meant he still had a chance to win the nomination. They were now waiting for the return of the Centaur. Dyson truly found the entire process thrilling as he sat glued to his seat, intently staring at the gate. To Bo, however, the ritual so far, had felt more like one of those baseball games she had once attended. It was slow and tedious, and she was almost nodding off.
"Shall I get us some refills?" she asked as an excuse to stretch her legs.
Dyson only nodded.
"A hotdog?"
He nodded again
"A trip to New York?"
"Sure." He said without looking up.
"I'm considering having plastic surgery to alter my appearance to cat woman, would you care for that?"
"Sure." "Whatever you want."
Bo grinned, rolled her eyes, and got up from her wooden seat. The two concession stands were at the bottom of the arena. Bo made her way down, unlocking her iPhone, checking to see if she had received a text from Lauren.
"I MISS YOU, MY SEXY SUCCULENT SUCCUBUS BABYCAKES!" It read. Bo grinned laughing. Lauren only ever capitalized her texts when she was drunk. "Oh brother." Bo shook her head.
"I miss you too. Julius still in with a chance. Hope I'll be home soon." she texted back, then pulled up Mark's number and texted him to keep an eye out on Lauren.
Reaching the bottom stairs, she could hear the crowd suddenly erupt in a loud roar again. Bo assumed the Centaur was back, and quickly made her way to the concession stands in the clearing around the arena. She was served quickly, and with two beers in hand, she was about to return to her seat. But as she turned the moonlight reflected on a something in the dense forest and it caught her eye. She looked again to the tree line that surrounded the Arena, but there was nothing there except for the swirling cloud of her own breath in the cold night. She was about to turn around again, when she saw the same flicker. Bo ran back down the steps and past the clearing, she pushed her way through the trees, and as she went deeper into forest she could hear the sound of hooves and muffled cries. Without thinking, Bo pulled out her sword and ran straight towards the noise.
The Centaur was on his back, passed out and bleeding from his chest, and neck. The Hippogriff was about to land its final and mortal blow when Bo leapt and landed in between them. She managed to deflect the blow with her sword, but the weapon broke into two pieces on impact. The half eagle stumbled back taken by surprise, but the beast didn't 't need to long to lock onto its new prey and switch back to predator mode.
One swoop of its giant wings sent Bo whizzing through the air, her hips and lower back absorbing the impact of a not-so-soft landing against a tree.
"Damn, that hurts" she grimaced. She ducked and rolled to escape another attack from the Hippogriff, and tried to suck Chi from the beast, but it wasn't letting her. Her eyes were now shifting left to right, desperately trying to find something she could use against the creature. She spotted the rope the Centaur had brought to bound the beast with. It was only a good 10 meters from where she was, but, the Hippogriff had already positioned itself in between her and the rope. "Why do I do this to myself?" she sighed.
Savervage Forest, the arena
Dyson roared and clapped his hands with the crowd as the announcement came that the second trial was about to begin. The arena went dead silent when the Master of Trials stepped forward once more.
"Ryder Caden of the Centaurs has been excluded from the proceedings, as he failed to produce his Hippogriff within the time allotted' Six of the 18 elders, that had represented Caden's candidacy took a step back.
"The next round will proceed with the two remaining candidates: Vittoria De Luca, and Julius Aldridge." Their names were greeted with applause. The Master of trials waited for the noise to die down before continuing.
"Our political leaders must be able to act swiftly, decisively, and without regard for personal safety or gain." "It is this willingness to sacrifice that we test in our second trial." The Master paused for effect.
"These are troubled times, my friends." "And troubled times ask for strong guiding hands." "And these hands are to be chosen only through the most ardent of tests."
The black hooded figure reached into his robes and pulled out two bullets. Holding them up into the light and for the crowd, one in each hand the man continued.
"Two bullets" "One filled with silver, the other with holy water, will be this year's test."
A gasp reverberated through the arena as the words of the Master of Trial sank in. Dyson stared intently at Vittoria and Julius. Vittoria's smug smile had made way for a nervous twitch playing at her lips. Julius looked mortified, but he clenched his jaw, cracked his neck and when his eyes fluttered opened again, a calm resolve had washed over his features. Two guns were loaded and given to two elders who had stepped forward. There was no count down, no time to prepare, simply a double gunshot that sounded through the night's air and knocked both contestants to the ground with a grimace on their face.
Squirming on the ground, Julius' deep red cuts began to color silver, the veins in his entire body, distending, bulging, causing his face to contort in horrendous ways. Next to him Vittoria screamed in agony as her skin began to blister, her clothes burning away from the heat of her skin.
The Dal Riata: 5 cocktails later
"Go, go, go, Lolo!" Jenna and Ally cheered on as Lauren licked salt from her hand, downed her tequila shot and then bit into the slice of lemon she'd been offered.
"Gods!" Lauren said with a grin as she slammed her shot glass back on the table. "I love tequila!" The doctor said as the liquid trickled into her system and heated up her chest.
"Bottoms up!" Jenna and Ally shouted as they downed their own shots.
"Sweet!" Ally said "That hits the spot!"
"So where's Bo?" Jenna asked her speech slurred. "Shouldn't she be joining us getting shitfaced?"
"Yeah!" "Where is the chick magnet, irresistible, Miss Perfect Boobs Bo?" Ally asked. She had too much to drink to keep the jealousy out of her voice, but luckily Lauren had one too many Pisco to notice.
"Her system doesn't really ab..absorb alcohol like ours does, she'd be drunk hardly". ..."drunk hard" Lauren frowned. "hardly be drunk...I mean"
"Jeez!" Ally said blowing out a low whistle. "Booooooooooring!"
"She's at the Fae.. thingamajic"
"The what?"
"They're electing a new Ashley" Lauren offered convinced she was clarifying things.
Lauren got two vacant stares as a reply.
"You know, the Ashley!" Lauren exclaimed.
"The ASH!" Lauren corrected.
"Oo , the ASH!" They all chimed and buckled over laughing in their seats.
"Yes, that's what I said." Lauren said with the belly laughter had dialed down "She's gone there to be all bad-ass on them." Lauren grinned dreamily. "She's very good at that." "And she does have perfect boobs.."
Jenna scoffed. "Let me guess, humans aren't allowed to attend?"
"Nope." She plopped the p, and shook her head. "Strictly Fae dickly." "Well, except for Bo..." She began awkwardly, then lost her train of thought. "What was I saying?"
They all laughed again.
Savervage Forest
Bo knew she would have to take the calculated risk of sprinting for the rope. Scenarios played out like chess games in her mind, and so far all of them ended with her being mangled by the beast's talons. Whatever was going to unfurl in the next couple of minutes, it was going to be painful. With what was left of her Katana raised above her head, her knees bent, she circled the beast. When the creature turned its head following her, it let out a piercing shriek that brought her to her knees. Bo ducked and rolled in the direction of the rope as she heard the beast approaching. She had dodged another attack, but the rope stayed agonizingly out of her reach. The bird changed course, its talons outstretched for a brutal attack, the beak opening for another high shriek. Its claws breaking her skin, burying themselves in soft flesh. Bo howled in pain, her eyes flashing blue, her hands reaching for the front paws of the bird. With incredible strength, she pulled the claws out of her shoulder and threw the Hippogriff back, giving her just enough time to crawl to the rope.
Savervage Forest, the arena
Vittoria tapped out, ending the second trial with a win for Julius. Two healers ran onto the arena grounds to undo the damage the two bullets had caused while the onlookers erupted in jubilant applause, scanting Julius' name. There would have to be a third, deciding round. A fight between a werewolf and a vampire. Couldn't become much more classic than that, Dyson thought gleefully. He looked over to Bo to nudge her and realized she still wasn't back yet. He got out his phone and dialed her number. No answer. He vaguely remembered her saying something about refills and New York. It didn't make sense. He pocketed his phone and left his seat. In the background he could hear the cries and cheers of an audience that was cheering on the two contenders.
The Dal Riata: six cocktails, and four tequilas later
"OH, MARTHA!" Lauren shouted and waved enthusiastically at the brunette she saw coming into the Dal. As soon as Lauren saw the young girl approach, she turned towards Ally and Jenna.
"YOU GUYS, YOU HAVE TO MEET MARTHA!" Lauren exclaimed cheerfully, her drunken state having gone from slurring and giggling to cheerleader hyper.
"SHE'S MY ASS.." "BUUUUUUURP" Lauren suddenly burped rather loudly.
"She's your ASS?" Jenna asked almost falling out of her seat laughing.
"Damn, that was a nasty one, Lewis!" Ally exclaimed making a face. She'd gotten most of Lauren's impromptu burp right in the face.
"My ASS-istant!" Lauren laughed and then proceeded to try and slug Jenna's shoulder as best as her drunk coordination would allow, which was extremely slowly and off-target."Be nice!" she admonished. "She is lov-, lovely!"
"Hello, Dr. Lewis" The young brunette said as she walked up to their booth. Martha Zeffer had been Lauren's assistant for the last two months, she was plain looking, with plumpish features and thick glasses, but behind those glasses green eyes sparkled with intelligence. She was the kind of girl Lauren thought that she had been before college; a little shy and awkward in the social graces until you got to know her.
"ALL!" "I'd like you to meet Martha, my assistant." Lauren said rather formally and using her arms for effect. "She is the best ass,...ASSISTANT anyone could ever ask for"
"Thank you, Dr Lewis" Martha said with a shy smile. Martha hadn't expected to run into Dr Lewis at the Dal, but the brilliant doctor was always nice to her, and her praise now made Martha feel slightly less awkward about being at The Dal in the first place.
"Martha, I'd like you to meet ALL."
"I'm Ally" Ally offered "And I apologize for your employer, she's somewhat drunk." "This is my sister, Jenna."
"Hey!" Lauren narrowed her eyes at Ally playfully "I'm slightly in...inebriated...I admit" "Oh!" "This is Dr Hathaway." Lauren motioned towards Ally as she flung her arm around the doctor "She's going to be working with us up in the new lab."
"Oh wow, you're the Doctor Hathaway whose been doing research in stem cell regenaration." "That research is so fascinating!" Martha replied not missing a beat.
"She's impressive, Lewis!" "She should join us!" Ally piped up, already making room for the petite brunette.
"YEAH!" "JOIN US, MARTHA!" Lauren shouted and motioned the brunette to take a seat.
"You guys are such nobs!" Jenna admonished. "Martha didn't come to the Dal to see us!" "She's probably got her own peeps to see!"
Martha smiled politely and slightly relieved at Jenna "I do, I'm supposed to be meeting up with Jimmy and a couple of his friends" the lab assistant admitted. "But I don't see them here yet." "I suppose I can join you guys for a drink."
"WOO HOO!" Lauren fist pumped.
"We'll go get us another round of drinks!" Ally chimed.
"Just a coke for me, thank you."
"And one whiskey cola coming up!" Ally said.
"Wai…" "No!" Martha startled, but she was too late, Ally was already heading towards the bar.
That concludes Chapter 1!
Thanks to Ro, Bahh and YellowCamao. You guys make my heart sing! :-)
Joan: So glad you agree on Dyson, and yeah, he'll make a good friend to Bo :)
Mammon: Can I just say I love how attentively and insightfully you're reading my stories! Awesome :) I really feel like Lauren in the last couple of seasons was moving out of her comfort zone and becoming part of the 'assault' team when necessary, so I wanted to continue that for her. In essence she is just like Bo in that she wants to help and is as selfless as Bo is, so yes, she does save Dyson without thinking twice about it. Is Lauren wrong in not communicating with Bo? Sure, but then again Bo is also keeping things from her. I think it's just part of their process to being a couple, they haven't quite gotten to where they should be, yet. The ex, as in Ally, is in the picture and she will continue to be for quite some time and you are, of course, right in thinking that that will be difficult to stomach for Bo. Personally, I think Bo being a Succubus with a human heart is one of the most beautiful dualities the writers created for that character. She wants to be loyal and she does get insecure, but she needs to feed too. I'm not sure she will ever be completely happy with being a Succubus, so yeah...that messes with her. I gotta say that I love your comment about Dyson being presumptuous cause that's sooo different from the way I always took the show. I like your way of interpreting it a lot better! In any case, we know Lauren feels very insecure about being human, a big part of that has to do with her own mortality, and that will certainly play up again in the future.
