A/N: Thank-you for taking the time to read this. It is an alternate ending to 4x09.
Lauren stared at the scene in front to of her, blinking her eyes in disbelief at the sight before her. How was it possible? How was this possible?
The man in front, who Bo was pressing herself against proclaiming that he was her destiny?
She refused to believe that. She knew something was wrong, she could feel something was wrong. There was no way that the Bo she knew would act like this, that she would so suddenly be willing to cling like that to someone who wasn't her or Dyson.
It made no sense. It made so little sense to her. Or was she simply in denial? In denial that she had lost her love to another man, one who wasn't Dyson.
God grief she never thought that she would wish to witness Bo clinging to Dyson again, but she could feel herself wishing for that very thing. Actually at this point she would take Tamsin.
At least with those two she knew that they had Bo's best interests at heart. Here though… she knew something was wrong. Bo would never have joined a side for someone; she refused to join a side for her or for Dyson. And since when did Bo simply accept destiny? She had fought against it at every other step of the way from the very beginning, by choosing humans, up until recently by choosing to be with her.
No something here was very wrong. She could feel it in her gut, and she knew in her mind. Despite Bo's out of character behaviour as of late this behaviour was even more out of character.
There had to be something. She glanced over at Dyson who seemed to be just as shocked as she was by this turn of events.
Wait! The mark on Bo's chest. Could it have been some sort of memory block? Something that Rainer? Had put there to prevent certain memories from being accessed until now? Until Bo had freed him?
Why though? And how could they be completely sure that Rainer was indeed not Bo's father. Just because she bore a startling resemblance to Aife should not mean that she could not have inherited looks from her father…
Lauren shook her head and focused on observing Bo's behaviour, she looked for certain ticks that she would recognize. As she focused her gaze shifted to Bo's eyes. They were glazed over, and not in the way that she would have expected if she had been looking at someone she loved.
Bo looked possessed.
Not in love. Not as if she had just seen her destiny.
But possessed. Her eyes glazed over. If you had never been on the receiving end of a look from Bo that spoke of her love for you could never tell, but this… it wasn't the same thing.
When she'd seen Bo look at her with absolute love those few times the gaze had slipped through when she thought no one else had been looking her eyes had been bright, and happy, shinning. Now they looked somewhat dull, trance like, but still happy.
And when she shifted her gaze over to Rainer she knew that something was ever more wrong. It was almost as if his appearance was flickering occasionally, a small puff of black smoke escaping from one place or another. Something was also off about him.
"Bo?" She tried calling out, to see what her response would be. And when she saw Bo's gaze track over to her, her theory was confirmed. She saw the briefest flicker of brightness return to them before they glazed over again, a dull happy look appearing on her face.
She almost looked like she had been… thralled. The mark on her chest and the erased memories, she knew that Bo's powers would not be able to do that but thrall was not limited to succubae and incubi.
Shit.
If Rainer had Bo thralled then there was no guarantee as to how to break it.
Unless she tried what she had done before when this had happened with Bo. But those had been under very different circumstances and for very different reason. Her life had been in danger then; the lives of everyone at that party had been in danger. And it had been her responsibility really.
But now? Was she really the person who should stand in the way of Bo and her destiny? No.
She had lost that privilege the moment she had put them on break, she had lost the right to interfere with Bo's life and to have a say in her choices. She had lost that privilege. She glanced over at Dyson; she could see the frown on his face deepening by the second.
Lauren sighed and took a step towards Bo and Rainer. She could see his grip on her start to tighten, pulling her closer to him. She could also see Bo turn her head slightly to send a glare at her.
"Lauren… let it go. You knew you and I were impossible, that we were a long shot." She heard Bo sigh slightly before she looked up at Rainer. "And now I've meet my destiny."
Lauren sighed before she took another step forward.
If she was completely honest she had no idea why she was doing this, she could feel both Tricks eyes and Dyson's eyes on her.
"Bo? Are you sure that you want this? That you are in love with him?" She could see a slight look of confusion run over Bo's face before she sighed and nodded towards her.
"I do and I know Lauren, back off. I'm sorry, I know that you love me, and perhaps before now I loved you, but what I felt for you can't even begin to compared to a small fraction of the love that I feel for Rainer." She saw Bo look up at him before she stood up on her toes to kiss him.
All that did for her was confirm what she thought.
This was not Bo, and this certainly wasn't how Bo was with the person she loved, or the person she was dating.
Bo as her girlfriend had… well she certainly hadn't behaved like what was unfolding in front of her.
Something was wrong with her. Something that she could potentially put a stop to if she were to try and bring Bo back. But the question was did she have that power over her?
Was it even worth trying?
What if she was happy and this was simply a side of Bo they had never seen before?
That flicker when she'd called out Bo's name though… the familiar brightness in her eyes.
She knew that look. It was one a look that she'd only ever seen aimed at herself. One that spoke of incredible fondness, of an incredible love, along with a mix of want and desire. Like everyone else in the room ceased to exist, or at the very least ceased to matter.
She knew because she'd seen the way she looked at Bo in a mirror at times, that same expression had been reflected in her eyes.
But still what right did she have to interfere with Bo and her love life? To potentially mess up her happiness on a hunch?
None.
She had none.
But it was still something that she was going to do.
Because she refused to allow the woman she loved to be taken by a man who had obviously done something to her.
Bo was possessed and she knew how to bring Bo back, it was as simple as that.
But there was also the threat that Rainer posed, that the Wanderer posed.
Was she willing to risk her life? To possibly end up dying? All for a what…?
A chance to keep competing for Bo with Dyson?
To be caught in some kind of odd threesome relationship that she really had no desire to be participating in?
A chance to keep waiting for Bo to make a decision.
To find out whether she would be the choice or to find out if she would finally have a chance to move on.
To wait to get her heart broken.
To potentially return to a toxic relationship that she had put on hold for a reason?
One that Bo had talked about starting to repair but had never shown her any real desire to?
Was that really worth it? Was it worth risking her life for? Her sanity?
With any other case and any other circumstance her answer would have been a swift and resounding no, regardless of how much she loved this person. She knew her limits and under normal circumstances she would not do this. Although to be fair under normal circumstances she would have broken up with her girlfriend, not put them on break hoping against hope that Bo would be her normal stupid stubborn self.
Lauren sighed and shook her head. The choice was made for her wasn't it?
She needed to bring Bo back.
She would never forgive herself if something happened to Bo and she could have done something to prevent it, but never did due to hesitation. Lauren turned backwards to face Dyson who had a deep frown set into his face.
She tapped her foot slightly in an attempt to get his attention and surprisingly it worked. When his gaze shifted to meet her own she mouthed to him. "I'm sorry. Take care of her for me please."
She could see Dyson cocking his head to the side in confusion, obviously not understanding her intentions and what she was about to risk.
Which memory though? Which one? She had already used the moment she fell in love with Bo, and using the time they got together would be resoundingly pointless given their current circumstances.
That first wonderful, for the love making part of it, and disastrous, for how it ended afterwards, night. Perhaps that one…
The moment she knew that she was screwed.
The moment she had realized that she was in far deeper then she had thought.
There was one specific moment from that night that she treasured, no matter how the rest of it ended.
The moment that Bo had ripped the dog collar she had worn off.
The one she had only had the courage to remove again two years later.
The moment Bo had told her that nobody owned her.
The moment that she realized that she had become a feeling being again, and that by doing this, she was putting her heart on the line again.
The moment she realized that the heart she thought she'd frozen for good, had started to beat again a long time ago, thanks to the woman laying below her.
"Bo do you remember what you said to me the first time we made love together? Do you remember that moment sweetie? Do you remember telling me that nobody owned me? Do you remember ripping my necklace off?" When she looked up at Bo she could see that her eyes were starting to flicker back and forth between their normal dark brown colour and the vivid and ethereal colour of blue she got when she used her powers.
"Stop." She could here a distinctly male voice telling her. She ignored it. She needed to bring Bo back, she could not afford to have him interfere with that. This was her choice, and consequences be damned, she was not losing Bo to this man.
Because if she lost Bo then parts of her plan would be for naught. The sacrifices she had made would be for naught.
Because if she was completely honest with herself the only the reason that the Fae world was still standing was before her.
Her love for this woman, it made her do extraordinarily stupid things, and it made her hurt more then she thought possible.
Bo had hurt her so much in so many ways. And at times she wondered if perhaps giving up would be better then continuing this dance, if simply withdrawing would be better, sparing herself and everyone else this pain.
She and Bo still hadn't talked though. She had no idea where she stood with Bo, if she was completely honest.
Just as she doubted that Bo knew where she stood with Lauren.
The unwrapped necklace though, had probably been an indication.
The necklace that she had found out of its box and sitting on her lab desk. The one she had intended to give Bo before the break, but had left afterwards.
She'd opened it and read the note but not taken the actual necklace with her.
That was fine, it gave her a reason to give it to Bo.
If they could ever sort themselves out that was. If this dance ever ended.
And so even if their relationship was in shambles, and even if the only thing she knew for sure was that Bo loved her on some level. She refused to let go of Bo without a fight.
"Bo? Did you know that was the moment I realized I was in love with you? The moment I realized that there was more to that night then just me trying to stop you from seeing Vex?" Lauren sighed and looked up, she took a breath trying to suppress the tears that were building up at the memory of how that night ended.
"I didn't realize it before but that night? My heart was on the line just as much as my body was, just as much as my life was. I realized that, in that moment you had the power to break me, just as much as you had the power to make me so happy. I knew that I was risking everything by sleeping with you, but I also trusted you for some inexplicable reason."
She laughed slightly. "Then you told me that nobody owned me, that I belonged to myself. It was the first time in years of indentured servitude that somebody had told me I was still my own person, not property of someone else."
Lauren glanced over at Bo. "And you know that all I could feel was disbelief. I though. 'How could she be telling me this? How could she think that I was still myself? That I was still free?' But for some reason you did, and when you found out what that mark meant, instead of being complacent, you instead started to fight to free me."
Lauren smiled at Bo her eyes watering. "That night was the start of it all. It took two years, but I'm here in front of you baby, as free as I'm ever going to get in this world. And I owe it to you; I owe it to you and that night, for putting the idea of getting my freedom back in my head, reminding me that I was someone beyond a doctor. You reminded me that I was still a person, still someone capable of feeling. You reminded me that only I could define how free or not free I was."
When she looked up she could see that Bo was starting to fight Rainer's grip, that she was starting to break away, going to stand by herself. She could see that Bo's eyes were flickering, something vying for control of her, and Bo fighting back.
Hopefully a little push… but what could she do? The necklace…
Lauren reached into one of her pockets and pulled out the necklace. She had taken to carrying it with her, a small measure of comfort really, but in moments like this she wondered if she was subconsciously preparing incase Bo lost control again. "I know you've seen this before Bo. This necklace, the one that I was going to give you as a gift before everything went bad in our relationship. But it never felt like a good moment, and to be honest I'm not sure this is the right one to be showing this to you again."
She slowly lifted the necklace up in front of her and allowed it to dangle. "But really? Bo you need to fight, and you need to come back. Sweetie, you showed me that you're only as free as you want to be. So fight and bring yourself back, because I can't do this forever Bo. So come back, if not for me then for Dyson, for Trick and Kenzi, hell come back for Tamsin. Just come back for someone if you don't have the courage to do it yourself, just fight your way back."
Lauren finished talking. And glanced over at Rainer. She could feel the anger radiating off of her, and when she turned her head to look backwards for the briefest moments she knew that what she had done… it would get her killed.
Slowly but surely she walked over to Bo, unclasping the necklace. She could see that Bo was frozen in the moment, utterly still her eyes flickering back and forth. As she leaned over to clasp the necklace around Bo's neck, she whispered in her ear.
"I love you, more then I ever thought was possible Bo. And I know on some level you love me back. So please treasure this, and remember who you are, and who you were." She leaned over to press a kiss to Bo's cheek. "I love you, and I don't regret this. I have always done what I can to protect you, and I will this one last time. That night? It was beautiful, the good and the bad, and it's one of my most treasured memories. I can't regret it and I would do it again. You reminded me of how to love, so love? This is my choice and I'm sorry."
When she stepped back she saw the anger on Rainer's face and smirked slightly. "The human has the power to break your spell. I always have and always will bring Bo back."
She turned to Dyson. "Take care of her for me? And if this does what I think it does, run. All of you run. Don't stay back, you can't help her. If he does what I think it does, it'll trigger her, and that's it. That creature by its very nature bows to no one."
Lauren looked back over at Bo, she could see that she was frozen. Why she didn't know, and to be honest she was not going to try and find out. When she glanced over at the Wanderer she could see the anger in his eyes. She could also see power brewing, darker and more evil then she had seen it before.
She glanced over at Bo again. She knew that she should try and fight, that she should try and run. But at the same time, triggering Bo's dark nature may be the only way.
What she didn't expect was for Rainer to instead aim the power he'd been channeling at Bo.
It was a split second but that was all it took.
She ran, faster then she had thought it was possible for her to run.
And she pushed Bo out of the way.
A moment later something connected with her.
For a moment all she could feel was searing hot pain, she could feel herself falling to her knees and then onto her stomach.
And then nothing, a numbness setting it.
So this was how she was going to die huh?
Well at least this would mean that there was no more blood on her hands.
This was not one death that she could be held accountable for.
So be it.
She rolled her head to the side slightly, were she saw Bo staring at her wide-eyed.
"I love you Bo, and don't ever forget that." She whispered.
She could feel her upper body being turned over and lifted. She was greeted with Bo's crying eyes.
She brought a hand up to wipe away a few of the tears that were escaping.
She was so tired.
She just wanted to fall asleep.
Hopefully if they went to search her apartment they would be able to find her research. Trick would most likely be able to finish it.
That would be good, hopefully they could use it to bring about the changes they needed.
"Lauren… baby stay with me." Lauren shifted her gaze back to Bo, a small smile on her face.
"You be good okay? I won't be able to heal you…" She trailed off.
"Please no… I love you so much… I love you much and I'm an idiot aren't I? You… it's always you isn't it baby?"
"You're my… destiny… Lauren? Come on…" Her hearing was starting to fade and her eyes were dropping. Everything felt numb.
She knew the signs. She was dying.
Her major organs shutting down.
Her senses fading.
Bo was safe.
So in the end it's okay.
"…Love…"
She could hear a sad piercing howl followed by a lower and quieter angry growl.
And everything just faded away.