"Let me get this straight," The Morrigan drawled while she leaned forward in her office chair, supporting herself on both forearms. "You want me to help you either to get Lauren back or to kill her? And in return for my assistance, you offer me your complete servitude?
"Exactly," Nadia confirmed. "Lauren told me that humans are of great use to Fae, aren't they?"
The Morrigan would have laughed at the human if an idea had not struck her at that same moment. Bo had proven that she was willing to do anything for the doctor as she loved her unconditionally. To play with Lauren's life would open up new possibilities. If it was in danger, then maybe the succubus would turn to The Dark once more in the hopes that The Morrigan would tell her how to save it.
And if Lauren died, then maybe Bo would break down mentally and Evony would be able to lure her into a trap, making the succubus believe that as Dark Fae she would have the ability to revive Lauren. That Bo had broken one of the most important Fae rules, to never fall in love with a human, was the best thing that could have happened. The Morrigan would make full use of Bo's feelings.
"All right." Evony nodded, a venomous smile on her face. "Deal!"
Lauren Lewis was lounging on the couch, zapping from one TV channel to another and trying to kill time. Bo and Kenzi had gone to meet up with Dyson and Hale, who needed help on a case. The detectives were still hunting for Nadia with great zeal, but to no effect yet. It was as if the earth had swallowed her up.
Yawning, the doctor got up and went over to the fridge to fetch herself a bottle of mineral water. She had moved into the clubhouse only a month ago. It felt more like home to her than her own house ever had, though. The old Ash had given it to her as a present, always reminding her of what she had lost forever. She was glad to be finally out of there.
The one thing Lauren missed was the lab, her lab. She loved science, and found herself to be a little bored without a microscope and some Petri dishes around. As Bo and Kenzi had noticed, the Russian girl had suggested buying a chemistry set for fun. But after Lauren had told them that she had actually managed to demolish a wall in her parents' home with such a set when she was ten years old, Bo had dismissed the idea on the grounds that their house was missing enough walls already.
A knock at the door caught her attention; probably Kiara, who had come here to ask her to coffee. The two women had become friends quite quickly over the last few weeks, often hanging out together while Dyson, Hale, Bo and Kenzi were investigating.
Lauren put down the bottle and went to answer the door, nearly fainting as she peered through the spyhole and spotted Nadia. Remembering the last time her ex-girlfriend had stood on her doorstep, Lauren stole away from the door, reaching for her cellphone. About to dial Bo's number, she heard Nadia's hushed voice say, "Lauren, I know for sure you're there. I'm so very sorry about what happened. Please, listen to me!"
"Give me just one good reason," the doctor shouted without thinking. "You better make a run for it! The second I call Bo and tell her that you're here, she and Kenzi are gonna hit the road and knock you down once they arrive."
She mentally scolded herself for revealing that she was home alone to Nadia for a moment, but then again, she had most likely been watching the clubhouse, waiting for the succubus and the girl to leave. Nadia would certainly not forget Bo's outburst of rage in a hurry.
"Please," Nadia begged, bumping against the door desperately. "I promise you, I'll get out of your life for good if you just listen to me. A few minutes only. I want to apologize to you. Lauren, for old times' sake. You once loved me."
Swallowing audibly hard, Lauren lowered the phone. It was true enough, but Nadia had held her at gunpoint and would have raped her if Bo hadn't shown up. There was no excuse for something like that. And what if Nadia was lying with the aim to finish what she had started back then? "Nadia, go away!"
Nadia was weeping bitterly by now, Lauren feeling pity for her against the doctor's own will. She knew that people did the most horrible things out of desperation, and her ex-girlfriend had been in despair. Added to this, she presumably hadn't slept but had gotten drunk the night she had come back to Lauren's place. Nadia was not a bad person.
"What more do you have to say, Nadia?" Lauren gave in. "You already told me you're sorry."
"I want to look you in the eye, Lauren," Nadia replied sobbing. "Please!"
The doctor shook her head, even though her ex-girlfriend couldn't see it. "Let me guess, I open the door and have a gun pointed at me."
"No!" The tone in Nadia's voice was frantic. "I don't know how I could do that, how I could do such a thing to you! Lauren, I never meant to hurt you! Open the door, please!"
For whatever reason, Lauren walked over to the door again and looked through the spyhole a second time. Nadia was dressed in a pair of low-rise jeans and a simple black T-shirt; there was no way for her to hide a gun under those clothes. Lauren must have had a devil in her as she opened the door, telling her ex-girlfriend to come in.
Lauren followed her into the living room warily, watching Nadia's every step. "I'm listening?" she eventually snarled, trying to convey the impression that she had the upper hand over the situation. "Say what you wanna say and then leave. Make it quick. Bo and Kenzi will be home at any moment." She was surprised at the harshness in her voice and it made Nadia cringe.
"I'm so deeply sorry for what I did to you," Nadia whined, fixing her gaze on Lauren. "I just wasn't able to cope with everything, Lauren. I wake up, thinking we're still in the damn Congo, and suddenly you tell me that I've been in coma for five years." She took in a shaky breath. "I felt so insecure and lonely and... And when I saw you with Bo, I lost my head. I didn't mean for it to happen."
Trying hard to not show any kind of emotion, the doctor only huffed. In fact, her ex-girlfriend's misery got under Lauren skin, bringing feelings back to life inside of her Nadia had actually killed that fateful morning a month ago. Lauren wished that they had never met, for both their sakes. She cleared her throat. "And now you expect me to simply forgive you?"
"No," the other woman answered and wiped away her tears. "I don't want your forgiveness for the simple reason that I don't deserve it. I wanted to see you one last time before I would leave forever, and express my regret for hurting you. I wish you and Bo all the best. Bye, Lauren."
Nadia turned to leave, but Lauren stopped her by asking, "Where will you go?"
"I don't know yet." Nadia shrugged snuffing. "I've got a business card from an artist and ten bucks in my pocket. Have to see what can be done out of it."
Lauren sighed heavily. "I'll give you some money."
As Nadia wanted to refuse the offer, the doctor simply told her to shut up and to wait for her. Lauren then went upstairs to Bo's bedroom, which was also hers now, and took out a chest from under the bed. Aside from a pile of money The old Ash had supplied her with over the years, it contained all leftovers from her old life: an old friendship bracelet, a brilliant ring Lauren's grandmother had bequeathed to her, a jackknife her father had given to her when she had told her parents she would go to the Congo, a letter her mother had written to her after a heated quarrel between them and a picture of her sister and herself.
She grabbed a wad of cash and returned to the living room where Nadia was standing on the same spot as before. The doctor handed the money to her wordlessly, Nadia thanking her sincerely. "Forget about it," Lauren cut her off. "Thank me by never coming back. I'll ask Dyson to let you be."
Nadia nodded slowly, heading for the door. "I'm gonna miss you."
"Good bye, Nadia." Lauren drew a deep breath the second her ex-girlfriend closed the door behind herself. Her heart was beating wildly, her throat dry. Once she saw that the bottle of water was still standing on the kitchen counter, she grabbed it and noted in surprise that it was already open. She didn't care, taking a pull on it.
"You should have called me!" Bo was pacing around the clubhouse's living room, fighting the urge to throw a chair against the wall. "Instead you even let her in! Are you crazy, Lauren? Tell me, are you?"
Lauren had definitely expected the succubus to get pretty pissy by the time she heard that Nadia had shown up at the clubhouse, but not to lose her temper like this. Kenzi was looking for an 'appropriate weapon' in her room meanwhile. The doctor had given it a serious consideration whether to tell them or not at first. She was done with the secretiveness, though, and had therefore decided to speak the truth. Maybe this had been a mistake.
"Bo," Lauren tried to calm her girlfriend down, "relax. I'm okay. Nadia didn't hurt me."
Since the succubus didn't seem to listen, still running around, Lauren grabbed her wrist, finally getting her to halt. But when Lauren noticed the wild look in Bo's eyes, however, she backed away from her. She had never been scared of the succubus, until now.
Despite the state of rage she was in, Bo realized that she was frightening the doctor, the fact almost breaking her heart. She gave her best to compose her mind, squinching her blazing eyes shut. As a warm hand cupped her left cheek, a thumb caressing her lips, Bo eventually got her senses back. Opening her eyes again, she looked into her girlfriend's beautiful face. "Lauren, I'm sorry," the succubus whispered. "So sor-"
Lauren hushed her softly, wrapping her arms around Bo's waist to hug her tightly. The succubus, emulating her girlfriend's deeds, rested her forehead against the doctor's.
"Looks like I'm the crazy one in this relationship," Bo joked nervously before a sigh fell from her mouth. "It's just that... I don't know what... what I would have done if she... God! Lauren, the thought of you dy... of losing you..."
"You won't lose me, Bo," Lauren assured her, their lips almost touching. "I love you."
A sheepish smile on her face, the succubus replied, "I love you too."
"Okay," Kenzi proclaimed, making her way to the living room, "I've come to a decision; I'm gonna use the baseball bat. It might be a little old-fashioned, but it's still very effective. I'm so gonna hit Nadia's head a country mile, right through my great aunt's window. C'mon, Bo-Bo bear, let's... Oh, I see."
Bo and Lauren were completely occupied with each other, kissing passionately. The doctor was sitting on the kitchen table while Bo was standing between her spread legs, rubbing the insides of Lauren's thighs teasingly slow. Lauren had pushed up Bo's shirt and was now dragging her fingernails over the bare skin of her flat stomach, both moaning ecstatically.
"Well, Bo-Bo bear, we can always go tomorrow."
When Bo woke up the next morning, the first thing she did was to roll over in bed so that she could spoon Lauren, a content smile on her lips. The doctor had definitely made it up to her last night, kissing and stroking every inch of Bo's body, before the succubus had ravished her in return. Luckily, Lauren had really impressive stamina and was able to keep up with her lover's hunger.
Smiling wickedly, Bo placed a tender kiss on Lauren's shoulder and slid her hand between the doctor's legs. She started playing with Lauren's clit and felt it growing big and hard, and soon her fingers were coated in hot juices. Lauren, half asleep, half awake, pushed her hips against the succubus' skilled hand, groaning loudly, and Bo chuckled huskily as her girlfriend began to tremble and finally came with Bo's names on her lips.
"I wish you good morning as well, babe" the succubus joked while she reatreated her hand.
Lauren, panting for breath, rolled on her back to face the other woman. "You're killing me. You know that?"
Bo smirked smugly at the doctor and wiggled her eyebrows. She became serious, however, when Lauren flinched all of a sudden for no apparent reason. "Hey, are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No, you didn't," the doctor quickly answered, massaging her temples. "I just have a vicious headache. Thanks to you I'm probably a bit dehydrated which the body points out by headaches."
"Thanks to me?" Bo raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Well, you're the reason I lost a lot of body fluid last night," Lauren teased her. "You're like a gym machine one can use in bed."
The succubus tried to suppress laughter. "You just know how to make me feel special, babe."
Lauren winked at her, right before she flinched another time. "Could you get me a glass of water, please?"
"Of course!" Bo jumped out of the bed like a shot, not bothering about her nakedness, and jogged downstairs. Only a few seconds later, Lauren could hear Kenzi's voice, "What the fuck, Bo? Has Lauren ripped all your clothes up or is this your way of hitting on me? If so, it won't work, sweetheart!"
Lauren would have liked to laugh, but the stabbing pain in her head didn't let her. It could have been that she suffered from dehydration since the last she had drunk had been that bottle of mineral water several hours ago. The doctor didn't believe this theory, though. Maybe she was simply fighting off a flu. Anyway, there was no need to worry.
A venomous smile on her face, Nadia watched Lauren disappear upstairs; the plan worked like a charm. She quickly grabbed the bottle of water on the kitchen counter and opened it, hoping that Lauren wouldn't think any of it. Pulling the little poison capsule The Morrigan had handed to her out of her pants pocket, Nadia kept an eye out for the doctor.
"I'm gonna miss you, Lauren," she whispered to her herself and cracked the capsule into the mineral water. After she was done with everything, Nadia positioned herself back on the same spot as before. Seconds later, Lauren returned.