Feeling All the Feels

by Restless Goddess

Written/designed to be a stand-alone episode set mid-Season 2. An empath agrees to help Bo on a case in exchange for her death at Bo's hands. M for violence and Bo/OFC smut (mostly the smut).

Feeling All the Feels

AN: So I was in the middle of watching Season 2 when I was like, "I want to write a story/episode about empaths," and I told my friend about it, and we bounced ideas back and forth until it became this. Only after finishing and stepping back and being all proud of it did I realize, "Oh shit, this could be a Mary Sue and you might not even recognize it." So if this has indeed turned out the way I didn't want it to, please let me know so I can take it away and salvage what little reputation I have.
TRIGGER WARNING: There's a part in the story that mentions a series of issues/encounters/tragedies, but only in single sentences, so hopefully it shouldn't be too bad.

---

Bo didn't notice the woman who walked through the door, but everyone else at the Dal did. Nearby Fae instinctively backed away from her – some from respect, some from fear, some from pity. Dyson smelled her approach and alerted Hale, and the two slid along the bar to make room for her. It was only when Trick looked up and all but gaped at the woman that Bo and Kenzi turned to see what the subtle fuss was about.

The once-over Bo gave the newcomer was as instinctive to her as avoidance was to the other Fae. She was lovely, Bo decided, admiring the length and sheen of her wavy brown hair, the curves of her slim body, the smoothness of her tanned skin. Her eyes fascinated the succubus the most: liquid dark that seemed to hold the burden of thousands of years that didn't belong to one so young. "Kayleigh," Trick murmured in breathless surprise, saving Bo the trouble of asking. "It's…good to see you." Bo frowned at his tone; he seemed hesitant.

Kayleigh seated herself in the wide space that Dyson and Hale had made for her, and Kenzi gave her a scornful glance. "Geez, you'd think we were plagued or something," she muttered to Bo, and the succubus whapped her on the arm to shut her up.

"Hey, Trick," Kayleigh said. Her voice was soft and kind, but it held an undertone of weariness. "It's good to see you, too."

"What can I get you?"

Kayleigh shook her head. "Nothing, Trick. Not today. I need to talk to –" She stopped mid-sentence and canted her head to the side as if sensing something. "You," she finished, turning to look Bo in the eye and catching the succubus off guard. "I need to talk to you."

"Me? Why me?"

"You're Bo, aren't you? The unaligned succubus?" Kayleigh went on, ignoring Bo's question.

"Yes, I am," Bo replied as neutrally as she could.

"If we had a dollar – ow!" Kenzi began and was summarily cut off again.

"I need your help."

"Doesn't everyone?"

"Kenzi!" Bo hissed but Kayleigh seemed unperturbed. "What do you need?" the succubus asked.

"I need you to kill me."

The area around the bar went silent as if spelled, and Bo could only stare open-mouthed at the woman in front of her.

"Ooooo-k…this one's new," was the only assessment a wide-eyed Kenzi could offer.

~ LOST GIRL ~

"Kayleigh, no, it can't possibly be time –"

"Save it, Trick; there's nothing you can do," the young woman cut him off. "I can feel myself starting to break, and I want it to end before I hurt someone."

"Kayleigh –"

"Spare me your pity and disgust, Dyson," she snapped. "It's the last thing I want or need."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Bo interrupted. "Could you maybe explain this death wish thing to me and why it is you want me to do it?"

Kayleigh sighed. "It's a long story."

"It usually is," the resident human chimed in. Kayleigh glanced at her in amusement. Trick's and Bo's expressions were less forgiving, making Kenzi shrink back on her barstool and hold her hands up in apologetic supplication.

"Kayleigh's an empath," Trick began, and Bo couldn't help but note the sadness that tinged his voice. "They are some of the most powerful but also shortest-lived of the Fae."

"So why make your life any shorter?!" Bo demanded of Kayleigh.

"That's why we're so short-lived," the empath explained. "We would rather die on our own terms then have to be put down."

"Put down?"

Kayleigh sighed again. "Empaths feel and absorb the emotions of those around them. The closer the person, the more the empath can feel, and more clearly. That's how I was able to identify you: curiosity and attraction." The word "attraction" caused Kenzi to smirk and Bo to shift uncomfortably as Kayleigh continued. "We can also absorb people's emotions – it's what we feed off of. Most empaths work as counselors and psychologists because we can ease emotional pain."

"But doesn't that hurt you?"

"Yes and no. We feel the pain to a degree, but we can process its effects so it doesn't harm us."

"That still doesn't explain why you want me to kill you," Bo protested.

"Even though we can process the emotions we absorb, feeling everyone else's emotions alongside your own is still a burden, one that empaths can only bear for so long. Eventually, our control breaks and triggers the backlash. What we have absorbed we can now give back, but only as pain: undiluted mental anguish."

Bo folded her arms over her chest. "That doesn't sound like such a bad power to have."

"It wouldn't be, if it didn't drive us insane," Kayleigh replied. "No empath in history has ever been able to control the backlash. Many have had to be killed by other Fae to stop them from going on murdering sprees."

"I once saw a rogue empath take out an entire village to the last child," Dyson interjected, though not unkindly. Kayleigh gave a grim nod.

"Empaths would rather die in a way of their own choosing before being taken by the backlash."

"They can't just find some Fae way to ditch their power?" Kenzi asked.

"Some empaths have gone to a norn to try, but it's never ended well. Then again, only a complete idiot makes a deal with a norn." Kayleigh couldn't help but note that Dyson suddenly seemed to find the bar top to be very interesting.

"A norn?" Bo asked, oblivious to the shifter's discomfort.

"Norns trade what you want most in exchange for what you hold dearest. Empaths who want to give up their power usually pay for it with their lives."

"Ok, that makes like, no sense," Kenzi frowned. "Aren't they giving the norn something and not asking for anything?"

"Don't try to make sense of how norns work; you'll just give yourself a headache."

"So why me?" Bo demanded. "Why do you want me to be the one to end your life?"

Kayleigh opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again, seeming to mull over the best way to explain to the succubus. "I…not here."

"No. Now."

The empath pursed her lips, canting her head to the side as she studied Bo. "First tell me the epiphany you just had."

"Damn, girl, she's got your number!" Kenzi exclaimed, impressed. Bo was less amused.

"I have a friend," the succubus began. "A doctor. She might be able to figure out how to stop the backlash. She figured out a way to curb my hunger while I was learning to control my power; she might be able to help you, too."

Kayleigh folded her arms across her chest as she stared Bo down, judging her intentions. "Fine," she finally agreed. "We'll go see this doctor of yours."

"And on the way there, you can explain why you want me to be your murderer."

"Deal."

Bo exhaled her tension and smiled. "Right. Let's start this properly." She extended her hand to the empath. "Hi, I'm Bo."

Kayleigh looked down at Bo's hand then back up at her with an expression that could only be described as exasperated amusement. "No one ever touches an empath without permission."

Embarrassed, Bo awkwardly withdrew her hand to rub the back of her neck instead. "Any other Fae rules I should know?" she asked in annoyance.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know along the way. Unlike others," the empath added, giving Trick a piercing gaze. Shifting uncomfortably, the man put renewed vigor into wiping down the bar. "Let's go, succubus."

The two Fae women left the Dal, their exit solemnly observed by Dyson, Hale, Kenzi, and Trick. After a moment or two of silence, Kenzi spun on her seat and rested her elbows on the bar, chin in her hands. "So. Trickster. Wanna dish?"

The Blood King sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get out of this one. "Well…"

~LG~

"So. Dish. Why do you want me to kill you?"

"What, no curiosity about empaths in general?" Kayleigh prodded, resting lazily in the passenger seat as Bo drove them to Lauren's lab.

The succubus rolled her eyes. "You're stalling, but I'll give you that one. Tell me more, tell me more," she quipped.

Kayleigh chuckled. "Well, our short lifespan makes us unusual, but not rare. Our powers develop much earlier than other Fae and take time to learn to control, to the point where empath siblings are raised separately to prevent ricochet."

"Ricochet?"

"You know how if you hold two mirrors face-to-face they reflect each other into infinity?" When Bo nodded, Kayleigh continued, "Well, the same thing can happen emotionally to untrained empaths. Let's say a sister is happy for whatever reason. Her brother senses her happiness and, being untrained, feels happy himself. The sister senses him sensing her happiness and, also being untrained, becomes even happier, and so on and so forth. It's harmless enough when it's an emotion like contentment or joy, but there are records of a sadness ricochet echoing so many times that it caused both empaths to commit suicide."

"How old were – "

"Don't," the empath cut her off, and Bo acquiesced.

"So, can the ricochet be controlled or blocked?"

Kayleigh nodded. "Experienced empaths can resist the ricochet. Empath parents teach their children how to do this before they're allowed to be in physical proximity with their siblings. They can maintain contact with each other, but only by telephone or mail or whatever. Skype has done wonders for empath siblings," she added with a smirk.

"So do you have any siblings?" Bo asked with her own quirk of a smile.

Kayleigh's responding smile was only half so. "I'm an only child," she shrugged. "Dad was an empath, mom was a Valkyrie. I think she was a little disappointed I didn't turn out like her, but she still taught me all her warrior skills."

Bo was solemn again. "So, your dad…?"

"They're both dead," the empath stated with blunt acceptance. "Mom was on her last life cycle when she had me, and Dad died fighting World War II. She took him to Valhalla and neither of them returned."

There was silence in the car for a moment. "I'm sorry," Bo finally whispered, even though she didn't understand Valkyries or Valhalla. Death, though, she understood too well. "If it makes you feel any better, my foster parents think I'm a monster, my birthmother's a little crazy, and I have no idea who my father is." This evoked the chuckle the succubus was hoping for. "How old are you, anyway?"

"One-hundred and twenty," Kayleigh replied. "Young by Fae standards. The oldest empath ever recorded was a hundred and thirty-six."

"Well, then let's get you to a hundred and thirty-seven," Bo declared.

"I doubt it, but your overflowing optimistic enthusiasm is catching." She canted her head again the way she did when she was actively searching emotions or studying the person she was sensing. "You're really determined to save me, aren't you?" Bo's expression hardened, but before she could respond, Kayleigh continued, "Ah, that's it: you don't like feeling helpless – not when you think there's something you can do to fix things. You don't want anyone else to suffer the way you have."

"That's really unnerving, you know," Bo commented, glancing sideways at the empath with an expression that was both awed and slightly appalled.

Kayleigh shrugged again, though her smile was genuine this time. "It's what I do."

~LG~

Lauren was hard at work at something when Bo and Kayleigh walked into her lab, but the blonde smiled when she saw them (Bo especially), putting her experiment aside. "Bo, hi," she greeted, trying to keep the nervous affection out of her voice. The succubus smiled back with the same awkward attraction, neither woman acknowledging the tension between them. Kayleigh, though, was looking from one to the other with a knowing expression, pursing her lips together to hold back her smile. She schooled her face into neutrality when Bo turned and gestured to her.

"Dr. Lauren Lewis, this is Kayleigh," the succubus introduced. "She's an empath. I was – we were hoping you knew something about the backlash and if you could figure out a way to suppress it the way you did my hunger."

Lauren's eyes widened and she took a step back, and Kayleigh could tell it was from respect. "An empath?" the doctor grinned. "Really? I-I mean, uh, nice to meet you," she replied, trying to return to her professional demeanor. "It's possible, I suppose," she continued, running a hand through her hair. "I'd have to do a brain scan and take a blood sample, though."

"Fine by me," Kayleigh shrugged, hopping up onto the lab's exam table without preamble. "I've had brain scans with Fae technology before – so much more advanced than MRIs."

"I know, right?" Lauren replied, about to go on a scientific rant. A fondly amused look from Bo cut her off and made her blush. "Uh, ok, right, blood sample first." She snapped on a pair of gloves and got everything she needed while Kayleigh rolled up her sleeve. Lauren stopped a foot from the table, meeting the empath's gaze. "Permission for contact?" she asked nervously.

"Granted," Kayleigh replied, and Bo pursed her lips, a little jealous of Lauren's knowledge. She immediately scolded herself for that thought; Lauren had been working for the Ash for years, now, and Bo was still "baby Fae."

Lauren wrapped the tourniquet above Kayleigh's elbow, and the instant the doctor's gloved fingers made contact with her skin, the empath began to giggle. "I'm sorry," she managed to say. "It's just that your enthusiasm and curiosity are so strong that I can feel the scientific nature."

The doctor blushed, turning her face away as she rubbed the crook of Kayleigh's arm with an antiseptic wipe. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't be. I appreciate curiosity a lot more than I appreciate fear." Lauren gave her a sympathetic smile at these words, evoking a thankful one from the empath.

"Someone wanna explain?" Bo piped up, spreading her arms in irritated confusion.

"If an emotion is strong enough, an empath can determine the nature and intention behind it," Lauren explained even as she carefully drew blood. "It usually requires direct contact, but if the emotion is exceptionally potent, the intent can be felt from a distance. So I'm told," she added, glancing at Kayleigh.

"Spot-on, doctor," the empath confirmed.

Blood drawn, Kayleigh lay back while Lauren wheeled a white, hollow, cylindrical device (Bo could only think of it as a big metal donut) over to the table and adjusted it so it circled the empath's head. The inside of the device glowed blue when the doctor turned it on, and Kayleigh remained still as Lauren ran the scanning program on her computer. "You've got heightened temporal lobe activity, even for an empath," the doctor reported. "I could probably come up with a serum or even an electrical pulse to subdue it back to normal empath activity, but it would take a day or two," she continued to explain. Bo, in the meantime, was talking on her phone, the call having come in while Kayleigh was being scanned.

"I should be fine for a day or two, and if not, I'll hold it back as best I can," the empath replied, pushing the machine away and sitting up. She met Lauren's eyes with a piercing gaze. "I can't even begin to express my gratitude for this. Thank you."

Lauren smiled and was about to reply when Bo rejoined the two women. "That was Dyson," the succubus said as she held up her phone, and the wave of jealously that crashed through Lauren's mind hit the empath like a sledgehammer. "He's just found a body, and the death looks Fae. It looks like mine."

"But you've been here!" Lauren protested, and this time Kayleigh was slammed with the doctor's panic. At this rate, she wouldn't have to feed for a week…if she could fight the backlash for that long.

"I know," Bo replied, putting her phone away and taking Lauren's hands. "That's why he wants me to go check it out. That and I'm better with witnesses than he is," she added with a smirk.

"I can help with that," Kayleigh spoke up. When the other two women looked her way, she elaborated, "Empaths and telepaths are invaluable when it comes to questioning others – empaths especially because they can take away fear, doubt, hesitance, and the like." She folded her arms over her chest. "This will be the exchange, then: I'll assist in the case in return for your help, however this may end."

Bo's nod was reluctant but decisive. Turning back to Lauren, she gave her hands a squeeze. "Thank you, Lauren. I'll call you later?" The doctor nodded with a shy smile, and Bo beamed at her before she turned to leave.

Kayleigh followed, but stopped when she reached the door. "Dr. Lewis," she began, looking over her shoulder. When Lauren looked up, the empath went on, "Empaths know better than anyone what it means to hate yourself for loving. You have to accept the choice that pains you so much before you can ever hope to make it or it will tear your heart in two."

Lauren was frozen, caught in her words – words that sharpened the pain she felt even as they brought clarity. "Can…is there something I can do for you at least? Give you calm, or peace?" she asked, holding out her hands.

Kayleigh shook her head. "You need all the peace you can get right now. If I thought it would do you any good, I'd take away your pain, but its loss would only cloud your mind and your heart before returning tenfold. This is something you have to face on your own. But don't hate yourself. Never hate yourself for something you can't control."

She gave the doctor one last smile before following Bo, leaving Lauren to feel what she had been forcing aside and let the tears fall.

~LG~

"Ok, no more stalling. Why do you want to die and why do you want me to kill you? I mean, I understand not wanting the backlash to hurt others, but you don't know that it'll drive you insane."

Kayleigh sighed, looking down at her lap as Bo drove them to the address Dyson had given them. "You're right – it's not just about the backlash hurting others. But it will eventually destroy my mind, especially if I try to contain it. If I'm going to die, I want it to be as myself – not as a creature wallowing in confusion and paranoia and fear and rage and suffering from every type of mental breakdown in recorded history. I want to die as me, not be put down so I can be relieved of my misery."

Disturbed as she was by Kayleigh's words, Bo pressed on. "Again, why me?"

"Empaths…it's hard for empaths and telepaths to have long-lasting relationships because we can sense what our partner is feeling or thinking. We know when they're hiding something and we can tell when they become afraid of us or resentful of our power. Most Fae don't get into relationships with telepaths or empaths because they feel that our powers are a violation. My dad was lucky – Mom was always brutally honest and never hid anything from him, including the fact that she was ridiculously in love with him. But not everyone's lucky enough to find someone like that. More often than not, empaths feel everyone's love but their own when it comes to romance."

Bo was stunned. "You've…never…?"

Kayleigh chuckled. "My best friend and I 'help each other out' from time to time," she replied. "But it's nothing romantic." She sighed again, finally looking over at Bo. "You're a succubus. You feed on sexual chi. And I know this is really straightforward and presumptuous of me, but I'd rather die feeling…cared for than feeling alone."

"You want me to drain you," Bo realized. "That's why you want it to be me."

The empath's nod was slow and silent. The succubus wasn't sure what to say, and so neither woman said anything more, lost in their thoughts as they headed for the crime scene.

When the two women showed up at the parking garage, Dyson didn't have to be an empath to sense that something had changed in the short time since he'd seen them. Both were solemn – Kayleigh even more so than a typical empath – and Bo seemed distracted. "Here to offer your interrogation skills?" the shifter asked the empath.

She nodded. "Where's the body?"

"Over here." Dyson led her to a sheet-covered form and pulled back the fabric to expose the woman's face. She was young – about Bo's age – and she looked peaceful, almost happy.

"Was it a succubus?" Bo whispered, keeping her voice low so as not to be heard by the other officers.

"There's a lingering scent, but it's unlike that of a succubus or an incubus. I would say it could be an albaster, but their victims usually appear as suicides, and she seems happy enough."

"Except she's not," Kayleigh cut in. She had her fingertips to the victim's forehead. "This woman's death may have been peaceful in nature, but she died feeling fear and betrayal."

"How can you tell that?" Dyson asked, taken aback. "I thought empaths couldn't feel emotions after death."

"It depends on the empath and how recent the death is, and she hasn't been dead for long. Plus, my mother was a Valkyrie, so that aspect of her power may have combined with my dad's empathy."

"Ah," Dyson replied in understanding, apparently needing no more explanation. Bo pursed her lips – again with the Valkyries! She made a note to herself to ask Trick about them later, once all of this was settled – both the case and Kayleigh's predicament. In the meantime, Dyson was frowning, leaning closer to the body and sniffing deeper, shifting form slightly to pick up a better scent. "Do you smell that? It smells like –"

"– smoke," Kayleigh finished, having leaned closer to the body herself. "Were there any cigarettes in her purse?"

"Nope," Hale replied, coming up behind them with said purse in his hands as he rooted through it with gloved hands. "No lighter, either."

Kayleigh and Dyson, who had looked to the siren at his approach, looked back to each other with a grim expression. "We may be dealing with a gancanagh," Kayleigh said.

"Bless you," Bo replied, only half-sarcastically.

Kayleigh rolled her eyes. "A gancanagh is an Irish Fae similar to an incubus, but he only preys on human women. One of their most telling characteristics is their penchant for smoking. They loved their pipes back in the 1800s, but now anything that makes smoke will do."

"You said 'he' can only prey on human women. There aren't any female gancanaghs?"

Dyson shook his head. "Only men, and they mostly hang around in Ireland and Scotland. There hasn't been a gancanagh in this territory for a good few hundred years. Nice guy, actually – Light Fae, left the women alive."

"Well, this one obviously has no such reservations," Bo stated, gesturing to the woman on the concrete floor.

Dyson nodded his agreement. "I'd've known if it was him, too. He did so love his pipes."

"Reminiscence aside, we have to talk to whoever found this girl and see what they know."

"She's over there," Hale said, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. "Her name's Hayley. Victim's name is Sarah O'Mahoney."

"Figures he'd go for an Irish girl," Kayleigh muttered. "Well, let's go talk to her, then."

The officers talking to Hayley stepped aside at Dyson's approach, deferring to the senior detective even though he had two civilians behind him. The girl was still in tears and she was shivering violently. Bo was about to step forward, but Dyson put a restraining hand on her shoulder, nodding at Kayleigh. The empath took the lead, standing in front of the girl and giving her a calming smile. "Hi," she began softly. "It's Hayley, right?" The girl nodded, and Kayleigh smiled a little wider, more reassuringly. "My name's Kayleigh. Just gotta swap out a letter," she joked, trying to lighten the air and begin to build a rapport. Hayley didn't smile, but she seemed to relax a little. "So, Hayley, I know how much it hurts right now, but I need you to tell us what you saw here," the empath continued, taking the girl's hand.

Bo recognized the change immediately. The succubus's hands pulsed with a muted orange glow when she exerted her influence, but Kayleigh's pulsed a light gold beneath the surface of her skin. All the tension seemed to leave Hayley's body at once, and her fear and hesitance disappeared before Bo's eyes. Taking a deep breath, the girl began to speak, and her voice was weary but somehow relieved. "Sarah was my best friend. We supported each other through everything, no matter what. But then she started dating this guy and I just…there was something off about him. He was just so weird. Sarah accused me of hating him for being a smoker, but it was more than that. He always seemed so nice, but there was just…it was like there was something sinister underneath. But Sarah was head-over-heels for him, you know?" Kayleigh nodded, encouraging her to continue. "I was supposed to meet her for lunch today, but she called to say she'd be a little late 'cause she was spending some time with her boyfriend. I agreed to meet her at her car so she could take us both out, but when I got here, she was…"

Hayley's tears resumed, and Bo saw Kayleigh's hand pulse gold again. The succubus knew now that while her own power was sending influence to someone, the empath was actually feeding from the girl, taking away her anguish so as to calm her down. "This boyfriend of hers," Kayleigh was saying, "do you remember his name?"

"Caidan," Hayley replied after thinking for a moment. "I don't know his last name."

"Could you tell us what he looks like?"

"Tall. White. His head was shaved, but he always wore a hat that looked sort of like a driver's cap. I think his eyes were blue, but I only met him a couple times, so I can't be sure."

"If you went down to the station, do you think you could describe him to a sketch artist?"

Hayley nodded, and Kayleigh smiled at her.

"Thank you." The empath's voice was as gentle as the hug she gave her. "I know it doesn't feel like it now, but I promise you it will get better. It just takes time."

"Thank you," Hayley repeated back in a choked whisper, speaking into Kayleigh's shoulder. The empath gave her one last smile before she, Dyson, and Bo returned to where Hale was standing by Sarah's body.

"Well?" The siren asked.

"We have a name and description," Dyson replied. "Someone called Caidan."

"Name doesn't ring a bell," Hale replied with a frown.

"Meaning he's new in town," Bo hypothesized.

"Maybe," Dyson ceded, scratching his beard. "But we don't know him as a Light Fae. He could be Dark." He gave Bo a pointed look.

Bo's shoulders slumped. "Ohhhh no. Nonononono."

"Now I'm really intrigued," Kayleigh said with amusement, crossing her arms as she observed the exasperated succubus. "Don't like your Dark contact much?"

"Vex," Bo groaned.

"Vex? Really?"

"You know him?" the succubus asked, surprised.

"Only by reputation. Meeting him should be quite the experience. I'd love to hear how you ended up getting mixed up with him."

"I'll explain on the way," she promised the empath before poking Dyson in the chest. "You owe me big time."

~LG~

Vex's club was busy as ever despite the fact that it was only mid-afternoon. Bo was almost sure there was some Fae power at work that drew so many people to it, humans and Fae alike, but she had no idea what it could be or how it would work and it wasn't like she could ask. Though Kayleigh was Light, the Dark Fae in the club reacted much as the mix of Fae in the Dal had, all of them taking a good few steps back when Kayleigh walked by. Bo was used to getting glares from the Dark Fae, but never before had she been so actively avoided as the empath was.

"How do they know?" Bo asked Kayleigh.

"Each Fae has a different sort of…signature, I guess you could say, that allows Fae to get a sense of each other's type. You're still young, so you haven't quite grasped that ability, even though succubi can see sexual auras, yes?" When Bo nodded her confirmation, Kayleigh continued, "Telepaths have a stronger signature than other Fae, and an empath's signature is even stronger. Because of our sensitivity to emotions, Fae tend to give us our space. It's supposed to be out of respect, but most do it from fear or pity. You're one of two people I know that's not afraid to be within a foot of me."

"Do you want me to step back?"

"Nah. I find your honesty refreshing."

"Thanks?"

"Yes, 'thanks' is the correct response," Kayleigh teased as she and Bo reached the stairs that led to the mezzanine where Vex overlooked his domain. To Bo's surprise, the guards stepped aside without question. "Wise choice," Kayleigh commented, walking past them without a hint of trepidation. Bo couldn't help but admire her brass.

The two women found Vex lounging in a booth with his feet up on the table and his hands behind his head. When he saw their approach, he put his feet down and leaned forward on the table, a malicious gleam in his eyes and a sneer on his face. "Well, well, if it isn't my favorite succubus. And who's this pretty little thing you've brought with you?" he asked, giving Kayleigh a once-over.

Neither woman responded, instead taking the chairs across from him without invitation. Rather than being annoyed, this only caused Vex's smirk to widen. "Oh, this is a treat!" He extended his hand to Kayleigh, knowingly and blatantly breaking the unspoken rule. "Pleasure to meet you, luv."

Far from being put off, Kayleigh returned his smirk and reached out her hand to shake his. "Likewise," she replied lightly.

Bo almost missed the flash of fear in Vex's eyes before the mesmer's expression became haughty again. He drew his hand back right before Kayleigh's could touch it, leaning back with his arms behind his head again. "On second thought, wouldn't want to get Light all over me. I just had a wash."

"Of course," Kayleigh accepted with no small amount of triumph underlying her words.

This time both women could see the anger cross Vex's face before his expression returned to its perpetual smugness. "So what can I do for you ladies, hmm?"

"Ever heard of a gancanagh named Caidan?" Bo asked, not in the mood for any games. To her surprise, Vex's smirk faded into a look of annoyance.

"I know that there's a Dark Fae runnin' around bein' a pain in my arse, goin' after claimed humans in my club."

Kayleigh frowned. "Was this one of them?" she asked, pulling a picture of Sarah's body from her jacket and sliding it across the table.

Vex took one look and scowled. "Dammit!" He brought his fists down hard on the table, making both women jump. "She was one of mine! Worked as a bartender here! One of my bloody favorites!"

"Favorite for what?" Bo asked before she could stop herself.

"Don't," Kayleigh warned again. "This is not the time for idyllic nobility." The succubus pursed her lips but acquiesced.

"A gancanagh, you say?" Vex growled. "I'm gonna rip that bastard's throat out and let the red caps have the rest of 'im."

Bo shuddered, but Kayleigh seemed unperturbed. "We have to find him, first. Not only that, but he's Dark; you can't attack him, even if he did take one of your humans."

"This is punishable by death!" Vex shouted, crazed with anger. "Even the Morrigan couldn't fault me!"

"Pretty sure she could," Bo cut in. "You're not exactly in her good graces at the moment, if I recall correctly."

Vex's face contorted into a mask of fury, and he looked like he was ready to flip the table. After a moment, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "All right, succubus – you take down this bastard for me and I'll owe you a favor, sound?"

"How do I know I can trust you?" Bo spat.

"You can," Kayleigh told her. "It's killing him to make this deal but he knows that it's the only way to ensure that the gancanagh dies."

"You bitch!" the mesmer growled. He lifted his hand as if to strangle her with his power, but Kayleigh lifted her own hand in warning.

"Ah-ah-ah, careful Vex – It's almost the end for me. You wouldn't want to be the one to trigger it, would you?"

Vex froze, and once again Bo could see him trying to hide his fear. Finally, the mesmer lowered his hand. "Get out."

"Good talk," the empath commented as she and Bo stood. Taking the picture and returning it to her jacket pocket, Kayleigh gave Vex a neutral but ominously cautioning smile as she and the succubus turned and headed back down the stairs.

"Are you nuts?!" Bo hissed as they descended. "Even I wouldn't have said that, and I'm the poster child for saying stupid shit at stupid times."

Kayleigh shrugged. "You needed to know; I'm dying anyway. It's really no big deal."

Bo put her hands on Kayleigh's shoulders and turned the empath to face her. "Hey, you're not going to die. We're gonna figure this out."

"Whatever you say," Kayleigh acquiesced without conviction, but she let Bo keep one hand in place as the two turned and headed to leave.

They were almost to the door when Kayleigh came to a screeching halt, canting her head to the side. Without a word or a warning, she spun to her left and grabbed a lurking man by the throat, eyes boring into his. The change was different this time: rather than relaxing, the man grew more and more fearful, his expression changing to one of horror as he stared at the empath. When he began to tremble, Kayleigh grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him towards the door. "Let's chat, shall we?" Bo, dumbfounded, could only follow her lead.

Once they were outside, the empath forced the man against the wall, hand at his throat again. "What are you so worried we'll find out, hmm?" Kayleigh asked, and Bo could tell by the glow beneath her skin that she was taking something from him, but she wasn't sure what.

"You were asking too many questions," the man whimpered. "You're not supposed to ask about him!"

"About who, Caidan?" Kayleigh pressed.

The man nodded, looking like he was about to cry. "No one's supposed to know he's here."

"Why did he kill Sarah?"

"He…he just likes it."

"Wait, what?" Bo frowned.

Kayleigh shrugged, just as confused. "Explain!" she demanded of the man.

"That's his thrill. He likes the challenge of claimed humans. He likes making them his and then…making them his…"

"He does this for sport?!" Bo managed, appalled. "He's what, the Ted Bundy of Fae?"

"So it seems," Kayleigh replied darkly. She shoved the man harder against the wall. "Where is he?"

"I don't know! I just help him identify the claimed humans! I just help him find targets."

Kayleigh's "smile" made Bo shiver. "Thanks for the confession." She let the man drop to the ground where he curled into a ball, whimpering and sobbing. "Call Dyson. We've got the accomplice." Bo didn't move, instead staring open-mouthed at Kayleigh. The empath scowled at her. "Not liking the fear, succubus."

"What…what did you take from him?"

"His courage and his smugness. Mostly the smugness – it was a façade to hide his insecurity, and he was already nervous." She watched Bo look back and forth between her and the sniveling man and her scowl deepened. "Not liking the pity, either."

Bo blushed, ashamed of herself. She hated it when people pitied her ignorance of the Fae world and here she was being just as disrespectful to the empath, who probably hated the feeling even more. Hanging her head, she turned away from the scene to call Dyson.

Kayleigh, meanwhile, had also hung her head, eyes closed, fists clenched as she tried to control her breathing. It was getting harder and harder for her to process the emotions she was absorbing, and she'd taken so much from Hayley and the man from the club that she was feeling overwhelmed. She could feel a headache pressing behind her eyes, begging for release and relief, but she forced it back. Even that was becoming harder and harder, and when she'd finally regained control, she felt drained. She was much closer to the release of the backlash than she'd let on. She didn't have the days that Lauren needed to come up with a solution. She barely had one.

Kayleigh forced the tears back as she had the headache, standing up straight and taking a deep breath to calm herself. Hopefully she could make Bo understand before it was too late.

~LG~

"Wait, so the oldest empath was a hundred and thirty-six?"

Back at the Dal, Kenzi was grilling Trick for information about empaths while Hale looked on, having dropped Hayley off at the police station. Dyson was on his way to apprehend the accomplice, so it was left to Trick to answer all of Kenzi's questions.

"That may seem old to you, but it's young for Fae," Trick explained. "Empaths usually only live to be a hundred and twenty-five or so. This woman was the exception."

"So how'd she do it? Some Fae anti-aging cream?"

"No one's sure, but when the backlash was released, it was the worst ever recorded."

"She's the rogue empath Dyson was talking about," Hale continued. "By the time soldiers got there to try and take her down, her own power had already killed her."

"Daaaamn," Kenzi drew out, fiddling with the stirring stick in her cocktail. "Do the stories say what set her off?"

"The death of her husband, apparently," Trick replied. "He was an empath, too. Normally empaths keep away from each other to prevent the ricochet I was telling you about, but sometimes they can have a calming effect on each other."

"So maybe that's why she lived so long," Kenzi shrugged. "The power of 'twoo wuv,'" she added, clasping her hands together and batting her eyelashes as she paid homage to The Princess Bride. Trick and Hale rolled their eyes, making the human giggle. "So are there any famous historical figures that were secretly empaths? I can totally see Mother Theresa and Gandhi being the I-feel-everything type."

"No, they were human," Trick answered. "But empaths were actually the basis for a fictional order of women."

"Dude, for realz?" Kenzi demanded.

"Yes, Kenzi, for real," the bartender admonished. "They're called Confessors in Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. Confessors can see the truth in everything and can 'confess' people to bend them to their will. They even have a power similar to the backlash."

"Series?" Kenzi whined. "You mean like books? How many would I have to read?"

"I think there are about thirteen or so, now," Hale told her. He smiled and shook his head. "Man, those are some good books. Stone of Tears nearly had me in tears."

"Wait, how does the author get away with this? Isn't there some uber-rule about keeping the Fae world secret?"

"The books don't even come close to revealing the Fae world. And Terry Goodkind is Fae himself." When Kenzi stared at Hale in disbelief, he continued, "It's true. If you look at the author bio pictures you'll notice that he never ages. I can lend you the first book, if you like."

"Ugh, no thanks," the human replied, making a face. "I think I'll wait for them to make a TV show or something."

"You're in luck," came Kayleigh's voice from behind them. She and Bo had left Dyson to deal with the club-going criminal. "It's called Legend of the Seeker."

"Sweet!" Kenzi grinned, throwing her hands in the air before letting them drop as she slumped her shoulders. "Any luck on the gan-ka-ma-whatsit? Hale filled me in."

"Well, we found the guy who picks out his targets for him," Bo sighed. "He preys on claimed humans 'cause he likes the challenge of taking them away from their Fae."

"Better be careful, lil' mama," Hale said to Kenzi.

"Dude, I am not claimed! I am a free woman who just happens to be besties with a succubus."

"You're still fair game," Kayleigh warned. Kenzi rolled her eyes.

"Oh, fine, I'll be sure not to check out any men stranger than the ones sugarsnatch takes home."

Kayleigh choked on the breath she was taking. "'Sugarsnatch'?" she questioned Bo with a disbelieving grin.

"Don't," it was Bo's turn to say as she smacked Kenzi on the arm.

"Aaaaand that's my cue to be so done with this conversation," Hale cringed, sliding off his barstool and heading towards the pool tables.

"Wait for me so I can kick your ass!" Kenzi called after him before turning to Bo and Kayleigh. "Drinks? Drinks? Come oooonnnnn, you know you wanna do shots with me."

"Empaths start to lose control of their powers if they drink too much," Kayleigh replied. "We have inhibitions for a reason."

"Oh," the human's expression soured. "Spoilsport. Bo?"

"I think I'll take Kayleigh home for a glass of wine. That way I'm the only one in any danger of her powers."

"And she'll be in 'danger' of yours," Kenzi smirked.

The empath and succubus both rolled their eyes. "That might not be a bad thing, though," Kayleigh noted.

"You have no idea," Bo purred.

Kenzi squeezed her eyes shut and slapped her hands over her ears. "Not listening not listening going to play pool with Hale now!"

Taking advantage of the others' distraction, Trick had gone to the end of the bar where he kept the phone. He dialed a number from memory and took a wary look back over his shoulder as it rang. "Hello? Yes, it's me. …I need you to talk to the Ash."

~LG~

"So does this mean you're going to go through with your promise or are you waiting for the case to be completely solved?" Kayleigh asked Bo from her place on the couch, swirling the red wine in her glass. The succubus sighed, putting her own glass on the coffee table.

"I promised to help you, Kayleigh, not to kill you."

"Killing me is helping me," the empath corrected, taking a sip of wine. "Bo, that doctor of yours is never going to find a solution in time. Taking all that emotion from those people today took its toll on me, and I can feel the backlash trying to fight its way through. I don't have a lot of time left."

Bo took Kayleigh's glass and set it aside before taking the empath's hands in hers. "If it really does come to that, if there really is no other choice, then yes, I will give you what you want. But I am not giving up on you before then." She stroked Kayleigh's cheek and sent out a wave of her charms, making the empath sigh and tilt her head against Bo's palm.

"That's cheating, you know," she murmured. "I probably shouldn't be exposing all my secrets, but that sort of charm is especially potent to empaths."

"Oh, is it?" Bo teased with another pulse of her power. Kayleigh hummed and shifted on the couch.

"Does this mean you want a taste of what you'll be getting?" the empath smirked.

Bo smirked right back. "Are you saying you want a taste?"

"Maybe."

"Well…that I think I can do," Bo murmured, pulling Kayleigh into a kiss.

The empath's lips were soft and warm and sweet against Bo's. The succubus kept the kiss slow and gentle, but Kayleigh wound her arms around Bo's neck and wove her fingers into the succubus's dark hair, silently encouraging her to feed. Bo obeyed the unspoken command, her eyes flashing blue as she drew a sliver of chi from the empath. When the taste exploded across Bo's senses, the succubus couldn't help but shudder. Kayleigh's chi was rich and potent and exquisitely unique. Flickers of various emotions – happiness, contentment, peace – sparked along her tongue before weaving their way through her veins and sweeping along her nerves in a gentle wave. Bo could taste Kayleigh's desire and sadness, and even as the desire ignited her own, the sadness made Bo's heart ache for the girl in her arms.

They slowly pulled away, each struggling to breathe. Kayleigh had never been fed from before, and she found the experience to be a mix of pain and pleasure so complex that it was nearly incomprehensible, even for her. What she could comprehend was that she craved more, and so she pulled the succubus to her again, moaning as their mouths crashed together. Bo was more than happy to reciprocate, sweeping her tongue along Kayleigh's lips and instantly being granted access. She had just pressed the empath into the couch, one thigh between hers, when the sound of Bo's phone shattered the moment.

Both women groaned as Bo answered. "What, Kenzi? …Ok, fine, so you're going home with a guy –" She and Kayleigh both froze, eyes widening. "Um, Kenz, what does this guy look like?" the succubus asked, putting the girl on speakerphone.

"Um, why, do you want him next or something?"

"Just tell me!"

"Yeesh, fine. Tall, blue eyes, hunky. Likes his cigs."

"Is he wearing a driver's cap?" Kayleigh panicked.

"Ok, how the fuck did you know that?!"

"Kenzi, that's the gancanagh!" Bo shouted, she and Kayleigh tumbling off the couch to kneel before the phone on the coffee table. "Get out of there! Get to the Dal! Find Dyson or Hale!"

"What do you mean that's the gan-" Kenzi's voice became a shriek, and Kayleigh and Bo could hear her struggling against someone. A new voice hissed into the phone.

"I've always wanted to meet the unaligned succubus." The two women could practically see the sneer on his face. "You want your human back? Come and get her."

"If you hurt Kenzi I swear to God I will –" Bo growled, but the screen on her phone flashed to indicate that the call had been ended.

"We've gotta get Dyson," Kayleigh told Bo, standing from the floor and pulling the succubus up with her. "He can sniff her out from the Dal."

"If that son of a bitch so much as touches a hair on her head –"

"Grab a weapon and save your rage for when you meet him," Kayleigh snapped.

~LG~

Dyson was just entering the Dal when he ran into Kayleigh and Bo, who were stumbling over themselves trying to explain the situation. The shifter immediately took point, tracking Kenzi's and the gancanagh's scent. Kayleigh walked beside him, knowing he wanted to ask her something. As she predicted, he glanced at her and spoke.

"Kayleigh –"

"I can't give you what you want, Dyson," she hissed, making sure Bo couldn't hear her. "I figured out that you made some sort of deal with a norn, and whatever it was took away your love. It's the one thing I can't feel from you – your heart is empty where it should be. But you know empaths can't give anything back – only the pain of the backlash."

"But maybe if you took away the hate –"

"You would be hollow, Dyson. You would be a shell of yourself, and it would eventually all come back, maybe even worse than before. I can't undo your choice." There was silence as he pondered her words.

"I gave up my love for Bo so she could use my power to help her fight," he admitted. He wasn't expecting the look of pure venom that Kayleigh gave him.

"You idiot. You should've known better than to even think about making a deal with a norn."

"I didn't know that's what she would take," he protested. "I was ready to give up my wolf."

"Dyson, love is powerful enough that it's what almost everyone values most. When I said that empaths usually paid for the removal of their powers with their lives, I was leaving out something crucial: sometimes they end up giving up the ability to feel at all. And as much as it hurts, it's better to feel too much than to not feel anything. People who can't feel aren't people anymore. And as much as I know it's going to hurt you, I'm going to say this anyway: if you truly, truly loved her, you would've realized that your love is what you valued most."

Stunned into silence, Dyson was forced to accept the gravity of his mistake as he continued to follow Kenzi's trail. The empath was right: her words did hurt. But such was the nature of hard truths.

~LG~

The shifter tracked Kenzi and the gancanagh to the parking garage where they'd first found Sarah, but there was no sign of them when the trail ended – only the long concrete level scattered with cars here and there.

"He's still here," Dyson told the two women. "I can smell him."

"I can feel him, too, but Kenzi's trace is really faint," Kayleigh worried. Suddenly, she stiffened. "Dyson, watch out –!"

But the warning came too late. Dyson had just approached one of the cylindrical pillars when a long metal pipe swung from behind it, hitting the shifter upside the head and knocking him out cold. Kayleigh skidded to her knees beside him to make sure he was still alive while the gancanagh – Caidan – sauntered around the column to face Bo.

"Wow. The unaligned succubus in the flesh. And I must say, it is some very nice flesh," he leered, giving Bo a once-over that made her skin crawl. Kayleigh, meanwhile, had decided the shifter would end the day with a headache and had crept around the cars looking for Kenzi. She found the human unconscious behind the closest one, her wrists handcuffed together with the chain running around the driver door handle.

"Yes, here I am," Bo shot back at Caidan, spreading her arms in a sort of "ta-da" gesture. "Now let Kenzi go and come along like a good little boy."

The gancanagh laughed. "Seriously, succubus? Does that actually work on people? Come on, you can do better than that," he taunted, casually swinging the pipe.

"All right." Bo pulled the dagger from the sheath on her thigh and took a fighting stance. "Let Kenzi go and come along nicely or I will carve you into pieces and put them in an advent calendar."

"Better, I suppose," Caidan shrugged. "Don't see how that little butter knife of yours is going to do you any good, though, and while I appreciate your fine physique, you're thin enough to snap like a twig."

"Well, looks can be deceiving," Bo shot back. Behind the car, Kayleigh had shaken Kenzi awake and the slightly dazed human was trying to instruct the empath how to pick the lock on the cuffs with a bobby pin, unable to move her hands enough to do so herself.

"I hope not," Caidan replied. "I'm quite looking forward to seeing what's under those leather pants of yours."

"Over my dead body," Bo growled, and Kayleigh and Kenzi both winced.

"She really is the poster child for saying stupid shit at stupid times," the empath muttered.

"That can be arranged," the gancanagh casually replied, swinging the pipe at Bo. She blocked with her dagger, bracing herself against the force behind the attack.

"Really? That is just so cliché."

"And you weren't?" Caidan retorted, pulling back for another swing. Bo blocked this one, too, though she nearly lost her balance. He threw a kick at her midsection and she was forced to jump back and then duck so the pipe wouldn't take off her head.

"Come on, Bo-Bo!" Kenzi whispered. She was able to stand up just enough to watch over the hood of the car. "Shitshitshitshitshiiiiit, I'm such an idiot!"

"Yes, you are, but this is hardly the time to dwell on that," Kayleigh replied through gritted teeth as she tried to unlock the cuffs for the nth time.

Bo's dagger was starting to weaken under the strain of taking hits from a thick metal pipe, as was Bo's arm. She and Caidan parried again, but this time he pushed down on the dagger's blade, forcing it towards Bo. The succubus tried to push back, but it was no good – she was getting closer and closer to slitting her own throat. With a yell of frustration, she threw her dagger to the side and Caidan smirked in triumph. Taking advantage of his moment of arrogance, Bo grabbed the pipe and tried to wrench it from his hand. His expression became one of startled surprise at having been caught off guard, but he recovered and gripped the pipe with both hands. Now Bo and Caidan held the pipe like a quarterstaff between them, the gancanagh pushing the succubus towards the wall. Bo let out a grunt of pain as she was shoved against the concrete, struggling to keep Caidan from crushing her neck with the pipe. Knowing that she couldn't hope to overpower him, Bo resorted to plan B.

"See how you like this, you dick," she spat, her eyes flashing blue.

His response was a flash of silver across his own eyes. "You're forgetting what I am, succubus. Let's see whose power is stronger, hmm?" Both succubus and gancanagh opened their mouths at the same time and their powers clashed between them as each tried to pull chi from the other.

"It's like Priori Incantatem over there!" Kenzi whimpered as she watched the battle. Kayleigh had finally gotten the cuffs undone, but neither woman had moved from their safety behind the car.

"So you do read," the empath commented, trying to calm the human. All it did was make her panic more.

"I saw the movie! And this is hardly the time to dwell on that, either!" She whisper-shrieked, biting her lip as tears welled in her eyes.

Kayleigh, meanwhile, was struggling to keep calm against her own overwhelming fear. It took her a moment to realize that she was feeling two people's fears: hers and Kenzi's. I can't even distinguish anymore, she panicked. This is it. This is the end. I have to face it. She let out a choked laugh, and Kenzi looked at her like she'd lost it. Everybody has to die sometime.

"Kenzi, give me your fear," Kayleigh whispered.

"What…but…aren't you close to the backlash?"

"That's the point, Kenz. Bo needs help, and I can give it to her. Give me your fear."

"No, nonononono," the human protested. She barely knew the empath, but she still couldn't bear the thought of her sacrificing herself for Bo. "You can't. You can't! Bo will be fine. She's been through worse. Dyson'll wake up any second and spring to her rescue! You don't need to give up your life to –"

"Kenzi," Kayleigh stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, forcing the girl to meet her gaze. "My life is already forfeit. Better it be forfeit saving another's." She pulled away so she could extend both her hands to the human. "Give me your fear."

A single tear ran down Kenzi's cheek as she nodded. "Good luck," she whispered before taking the empath's hands in hers.

As they did every time Kayleigh drew from someone, the empath's hands lit with a pulsing glow. Kayleigh closed her eyes and hung her head, and Kenzi could feel herself growing calm as she was drained of her fear. But then the glow vanished like a candle flame snuffed between two fingers, and the empath dropped the human's hands as her entire body stiffened. Kayleigh began to tremble, the vibrations starting at her shoulders and traveling down her arms and legs until she shook where she knelt as if caught in a seizure. Her hands spread of their own accord and it looked to Kenzi like there was static crackling between the empath's fingers. Kayleigh's head snapped back and she opened her mouth in a scream that Kenzi couldn't hear but instead felt as a howling chill seeping into her bones. Then the shaking stopped and Kayleigh lowered her head, looking into Kenzi's eyes.

Kenzi gasped, her heart pounding a frantic staccato in her chest. Soft brown irises on a white background had been replaced with depths of black that the human felt she could fall into and drown within. The darkness swirled and writhed in sinister patterns, inky veins snaking their way from her eyes in forked bolts beneath her skin, disappearing, then reemerging like lightning from the most demonic of storm clouds. The empath smiled at Kenzi, and the predatory hunger in her expression made the human shudder. Kayleigh pressed a finger to her lips before rising to her feet and turning to where Caidan and Bo were still locked in battle. Kenzi could almost feel the power radiating from Kayleigh's form as she strode towards the dueling Fae, the empath's hair and clothes swirling in some invisible storm surrounding her. Neither Caidan nor Bo was expecting vengeance personified to descend upon them, but descend she did, shoving Bo out of the way as she spun and slammed Caidan against the wall with her hand around his throat. The moment the black gaze met blue, the backlash howled forth.

Caidan tried to look away, but his wide-eyed gaze of fear was locked with Kayleigh's visage of fury. The lighting that had slithered beneath her skin forked out from obsidian orbs in crackling strikes, sizzling into the gancanagh's eyes. Caidan began to scream as black bolts of energy entwined with inky fog bored through his pupils and along his retinal nerves until they took clawing root in his brain. Bo watched in both horror and fascination as the tempest of agony surged forth from Kayleigh's eyes and into the gancanagh's with ever-increasing ferocity. Caidan continued to scream as the searing heat of the backlash burned his eyes away and began to boil his brain in his skull. And then the real pain began.

Undiluted mental agony slammed through the gancanagh and consumed him. Every pain Kayleigh had ever had to take away spiraled along his nerves and flashed across his vision as his sanity began to tear at the seams. The sorrow of a wife cradling her dying husband before following him into the beyond. The guilt of the boy who was pulled from the driver's seat alive while his best friends and fiancée were taken away in black bags. The cacophony of terror and shame and indefinable pain of the girl whose innocence was stripped away by one she trusted. The fearful incomprehension of a boy whose twin brother looked asleep but wouldn't wake up. The guilt and anguish of the boy who should've known his girlfriend was depressed, should've known she was suicidal. The depression and resigned relief of the girl with scars of razors pressed through skin over and over and over. The heart-shattering grief of a mother whose newborn son was dead before he even lived. The grief and loss of a girl whose best friend was murdered and left in a parking garage. All of it took Caidan in a devouring embrace until he was drowning in his own mind. But the worst pain, the worst of it all, was Kayleigh's: the pain of taking everyone else's away with no way to release her own.

Bo, too, was unable to look away, caught in enthralled terror as she watched the gancanagh die. Smoke was coming from Caidan's ears and what was left of his eyes, sunken into the sockets. Blood oozed from his nose, but as black tar, charred by Kayleigh's power. Caidan screamed and begged and pleaded and cried out for mercy, but the empath showed none, keeping him locked in her power as he burned from the inside out. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity within the source of life's deepest pain, the gancanagh slumped to the floor, his face twisted in a rictus of agony as he fell dead. Smoke streamed lazily from his ears, his mouth, and his eye sockets, the eyes now long gone. Only after Caidan's body twitched one last time did Kayleigh stagger back, staring at what was left of the gancanagh as Bo stared at her.

Kenzi sprinted from behind the car and crashed into the succubus, throwing her arms around her. Bo returned the tight embrace, rocking her best friend back and forth. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Kenzi gasped into Bo's shoulder. "He seemed all right, I didn't think anything was wrong…"

"It's one of their powers," Kayleigh murmured, her voice hollow. "Gancanaghs can exude calm and charm that draws people to them and makes them forget their inhibitions."

Bo placed a kiss to the top of Kenzi's head before releasing her so she could put a hand on the empath's shoulder. Kayleigh flinched, but didn't pull away. When Bo turned the girl around to face her, her eyes had returned to their normal soft brown. It was her expression, though, that made Bo's heart ache: one of sorrowful resignation and grieving acceptance. "It's over," the empath broke, taking shuddering breaths as her eyes filled with tears. "It's over." Bo wrapped Kayleigh in her arms and stroked the girl's back, knowing that she wasn't speaking about the now-dead gancanagh.

"Uh, is it exactly safe to be, um…?" Kenzi asked hesitantly as she watched the two embrace.

"The backlash has to recharge," the empath murmured, letting her tears fall. Bo felt it through her shirt and held Kayleigh tighter, releasing some of her charms to try and calm her down. The empath slumped with a shivering sigh, nestling her face in the crook of Bo's neck.

"But, that's a 'yay,' right?" Kenzi prodded. "Doesn't that mean you still have time to learn to control it?"

"Now that it's been released, there's no taking it back," Kayleigh mourned. "It'll start to eat away at my mind until there's nothing left of me." She scoffed a humorless, self-deprecating laugh. "'What has been done / cannot be undone / in the evil's heart / in the evil's soul.'"

"'Seven Devils,' Florence and the Machine," Dyson groaned from the floor.

"Daaaaaamn, must've taken a hell of a hit to wake up speaking gibberish," Kenzi remarked as she went to kneel by his side.

"No, he's just identifying the quote," Kayleigh explained. "If anything, that means he should be ok." She hadn't let go of Bo for the entire conversation, both weary from the backlash and relaxed by the succubus's charms.

"What happened?" the shifter asked, rubbing his head as Kenzi helped him sit up.

"Well, you don't have to worry about Fae-sanova anymore…" the human answered, glancing at what was left of the gancanagh. Dyson followed her gaze and immediately scrambled away from Kayleigh, eyes wide.

Bo glowered at him. "Really not helping, Dyson," she spat, releasing more of her charms into the agitated empath.

"Right…sorry…" He groaned again as he got to his feet, swaying a little. Kenzi put her arm around his waist to steady him. "I'll call Hale and let him know it's over."

"Oh, of all the words you could have used," it was Bo's turn to groan, thoroughly confusing the wolf.

"What?"

"Nevermind. Let's just get out of here."

~LG~

Bo dropped Kenzi off at the Dal, Kenzi knowing full well that Kayleigh intended to collect her due. The empath waited with forlorn patience as Bo spoke to Trick in low tones. The succubus made one last desperate call to Lauren in hopes that she'd come up with a solution, but she hadn't made any progress, much to Bo's dismay. Resigned to the empath's fate, Bo walked to Kayleigh's side and offered her hand. "Ready?"

"Very," the empath murmured, entwining her fingers with Bo's. Dyson, Kenzi, and Trick all watched in solemn silence as the pair left, knowing it might very well be the last time they saw Kayleigh again.

"This isn't right," Kenzi whispered before throwing back her third shot. "No one should have to die because of something they can't control. No one as good as Kayleigh should have to die."

"You're right, Kenzi," Trick agreed gently. "But don't give up yet. There's always hope, and if there's one thing we all know about Bo it's that she'll figure out a way to save Kayleigh."

~LG~

Bo and Kayleigh were silent as the succubus led the empath up the clubhouse stairs to the bedroom. Both women kicked off their shoes and socks before Bo pulled Kayleigh to the bed. They lay facing each other, trailing their fingertips in gentle patterns along each other's sides. "Are you sure?" Bo murmured, even though she knew the empath was.

Kayleigh pulled the succubus closer. "I need to feel something other than pain. And I want to leave this life knowing bliss." She reached up to cup Bo's face in her hands. "Please, Bo. You promised. I gave in to my nature today. Now give in to yours and take me with you."

Bo's eyes flashed blue and she rolled Kayleigh over so she was pinned beneath the succubus. "Well, when you ask so nicely," she purred before lowering her lips to the empath's.

Kayleigh met her kiss with a whimpering sigh, pulling Bo closer and arching her body up into the succubus. Bo slipped her tongue between Kayleigh's lips to stroke along the empath's as she pinned her arms above her, nudging the girl's knees apart with her own. After a series of playful nips to Kayleigh's bottom lip, Bo kissed her way down the girl's neck, licking a soft trail along her collarbone. She was forced to relinquish her grasp on the empath just long enough to rid her of her shirt before pressing her to the bed again, moving her kisses down to the valley between Kayleigh's breasts. The succubus sent her charms pulsing beneath the empath's skin as she nibbled at her nipple through the fabric of her bra, evoking a whimper from Kayleigh as she tried to press herself further into the succubus's mouth. When Bo released her again to divest her of her bra, Kayleigh took the opportunity to tear at Bo's tank top, eager to feel the succubus beneath her fingertips. Bo relented, and soon both women were naked from the waist up.

Bo pulled their bodies flush against each other, and both of them cried out as their breasts met, nipples sliding together. Loathe as she was to pull away from the delicious feel of the succubus's skin against her own, Kayleigh leaned back far enough to plant a series of frantic kisses down Bo's chest until she'd reached her generous breasts, nipples stiff and aching for attention. Kayleigh happily complied, sucking one deep into her mouth while pinching and tugging at the other. Bo threw her head back and wove her fingers through the empath's hair as Kayleigh swirled her tongue around Bo's nipple, each scrape of her teeth sending shocks of arousal to Bo's core. Once Kayleigh was satisfied with the attention she'd laved, she released Bo's nipple with a pop before kissing her way to the other, replacing her hand with her mouth. The succubus was so dizzy with the feel of Kayleigh's lips and tongue on her breasts that she didn't protest when the empath pushed her back to the bed, working the button on her jeans as she did so.

"This is supposed to be about your pleasure," Bo gasped as the empath rid her of her jeans. Kayleigh chuckled, both at the succubus's words and her lack of underwear.

"I'm an empath, Bo – your pleasure is my pleasure." Kayleigh kissed and licked her way down Bo's taut stomach as she parted her thighs with gentle hands. She nuzzled the downy curls she found there, savoring the musky scent of Bo's arousal. Spreading her folds with her fingertips, Kayleigh bent her head and took one long lick up Bo's sex from her entrance to her clit. The succubus cried out and buried her hands in the empath's hair again as Kayleigh sucked on the hooded bundle of nerves at her center, flicking and fluttering her tongue along the swollen flesh. Bo thrashed beneath her as Kayleigh gently scraped her teeth along the bud, pressing it against the flat of her tongue. Bo was so wet that Kayleigh could feel her essence slicking along her chin and, eager to taste it, moved her tongue lower and slipped it into the brunette's core. Bo bucked her hips against Kayleigh's mouth as the empath repeated the fluttering movements of her tongue deep within her center. Kayleigh swirled her tongue along Bo's silken walls as she pinched the succubus's clit between her fingers, pressing hard with the pad of her thumb. The empath could feel the echo of Bo's ecstasy pooling between her own thighs, and she rubbed them together for a hint of relief as she continued to pleasure the succubus. Kayleigh could tell by the way Bo's center clenched around her tongue and the volume of her cries that the succubus was close to release. She wrapped her free arm around Bo's thigh so she could dig her nails into the flesh of her ass, pressing the succubus's center harder against her mouth. The sting of her nails was all it took for Bo's body to tense beneath Kayleigh, her fingers tightening in the empath's hair. Bo teetered on the precipice for a breathless moment before she screamed her release, her body shuddering at the rush of pleasure as her juices flooded Kayleigh's mouth. The empath drank greedily as she continued to softly press at the brunette's clit, drawing out her climax to the fullest and carrying her through the aftershocks. She, too, was trembling, having felt an echo of Bo's release flood her own body. Both women were gasping, Bo in an attempt to regain her breath and Kayleigh in an attempt to control her arousal.

Kayleigh climbed up to lie beside Bo, and her head had barely touched the pillow before the succubus pulled her into a deep kiss, tasting herself on the empath's tongue. She could see how brightly Kayleigh's aura burned, how much the empath needed to come and come hard. Bo pushed Kayleigh on her back and deftly undid the button on the girl's jeans, sliding them down her legs along with her underwear until she was as naked as the succubus. Bo pressed her palm against Kayleigh's smooth stomach and sent out a pulse of her power, making the empath shudder and writhe beneath her. "What is it you want?" Bo purred, teasing Kayleigh's nipples with her fingertips as she cupped her full breasts.

"Please don't make me beg," Kayleigh whimpered, gasping and arching into Bo's touch.

Bo laid her body over Kayleigh's, letting their nipples brush together. "I'm not asking you to beg," the succubus whispered. "I'm asking you what you want. What you've imagined."

Kayleigh blushed, embarrassed by Bo's forthrightness. "I want…"

"Yes?" Bo took Kayleigh's breast in her hand again and sent another wave of charms through her, making the empath moan.

"I want your tongue on my clit," she gasped, hesitance lost. "I want to feel your tongue on my clit and your fingers deep inside my cunt pounding hard against my sweet spot."

The pure lust dripping from Kayleigh's voice made Bo's eyes flash blue again as her own arousal reignited. "I think I can manage that," she replied, voice both teasing and seductive. She lowered her mouth to Kayleigh's in a bruising kiss, her tongue demanding entry and dueling with the empath's. Bo gripped Kayleigh's hips and forced them against hers, and both of them moaned as their cores ground together. Bo kissed and licked her way down Kayleigh's collarbone again before attacking her breasts, worshiping the generous flesh with her hands as she bit hard at the empath's nipples. While Kayleigh had been slow and sweet, Bo knew that the empath needed her release hard and fast, and by the time the succubus was done with Kayleigh's chest, she'd left a trail of bite marks in her wake. Bo pressed Kayleigh's hips to the bed as she lowered her mouth to the empath's slit, finding her clit with unerring accuracy and sucking hard. Kayleigh keened and tried to buck her hips into Bo's mouth, but the succubus kept her pinned as she licked and nipped and sucked the bundle of nerves with relentless passion. Kayleigh was sobbing and pleading for Bo to take her hard, and Bo was more than happy to comply. She threw one arm across Kayleigh's stomach to keep her down before plunging two fingers knuckle-deep into her dripping cunt. The empath's cries of pleasure echoed around the room as she reached down and spread her legs wider for Bo, thrashing as much as she could manage with the succubus holding her down. As Kayleigh had desired, Bo fucked her hard, pounding into her with enough force to shake the bed and curling her fingers at their deepest. The empath's molten core clenched hard around Bo's fingers, and the succubus added a third to her relentless, glorious assault. Kayleigh's moans and cries increased in volume at the change, and the empath could feel tears rolling down her face as her climax began to ignite deep within her.

"Bo…close…so close…" she sobbed, her inability to move her hips somehow intensifying the force of her impending release.

"Come for me," Bo hummed against her clit, sucking hard and pounding harder, rubbing firm circles on Kayleigh's sweet spot with each thrust of her fingers. Feeling that the empath was right on the edge, Bo pressed hard into her clenching core and sent a pulse of her power into that hidden spot.

It was too much. Kayleigh tossed her head back and screamed as her climax broke through her in a glorious inferno, pouring from the depths of her center and pulsing through her veins to the very tips of her fingers and toes. Bo took her through it, continuing to charm her sweet spot and lave her clit with her tongue as Kayleigh came so hard she squirted all over the succubus's hand. Bo smiled her satisfaction against Kayleigh's slit as she lapped up the empath's release, savoring her taste. She continued to lick her clean after her orgasm had finally subsided until Kayleigh gently tugged at her. Bo slid up to lie beside the empath and pulled her into the kiss, returning the favor of allowing her to taste herself. Kayleigh was still struggling to breathe, gasping for air as she shivered and clung to the succubus. Bo stroked her hair and pressed gentle kisses to her forehead as the empath tried to recover.

"Oh, God," Kayleigh finally managed. "That…I…I've never come so hard in my life."

Bo's chuckle was saturated with lust. "Oh, just wait until I feed…" She pushed herself to her knees and pulled Kayleigh with her, allowing the empath to slump into her arms. Gently parting the empath's thighs, Bo wrapped her right leg around Kayleigh's waist before guiding the empath's leg around hers. Kayleigh was confused until Bo grasped her hips and pulled them together so their centers met. Both women gasped, and Kayleigh wrapped her arms around Bo's neck, pressing their breasts together as she kissed the succubus for all she was worth. This was the end, and what a glorious end it would be.

Bo began to swivel her core against Kayleigh's, and the delicious friction against their clits made them moan into each other's mouths. They grasped each other's hips and surged together, feeling each other's desire slicking against their swollen clits. Their lips met as their bodies did, nipping at each other as their tongues clashed. Bo's kisses were a drug Kayleigh couldn't get enough of, and the feel of her wetness smearing against her skin only made her want to taste her more. As if sensing this, Bo slid her hand between them and coated her fingers in their combined juices. She took a single lick of her own before offering the digits to Kayleigh, who took them in her mouth without hesitation. Bo felt her arousal spike as the empath sucked at her fingers, swirling her tongue around them in an attempt to taste all she could. Bo pulled her hand back from the empath's lips to replace it with her own, their mouths moving in passionate ferocity as they bucked against each other.

Bo's eyes shone blue as she and Kayleigh spiraled towards their climax, and her grip on the empath's hips tightened hard enough to leave bruises. "Feed from me," Kayleigh murmured, seeing the need on the succubus's face.

Bo shook her head. "Not until you come with me," she replied in a voice husky with desire. Her words stoked the flames of climax coming to life within them both, and Bo and Kayleigh ground their slits together with increasing desperation. The promise of release began to ignite within them, carrying them to the edge.

"Bo…" Kayleigh gasped as she felt herself about to fall or fly or maybe somehow both.

"Now," the succubus told her with gentle intensity, pressing their lips together and drawing out Kayleigh's chi as they crashed into climax.

Kayleigh couldn't find the breath to scream, not when Bo was cradling her in her arms as she drank her chi. But if the empath thought her first orgasm had been intense, this one was a spiral of ecstasy she couldn't hope to describe. Even as pleasure burned throughout her body in orgasmic embrace, an even deeper pleasure seemed to swirl from within her, sliding along her nerves before leaving her in the blue stream that connected her to the succubus. If ever there was a heaven, Kayleigh had found it, caught in a dual climax that made her forget everything but the delicious agony of release. She closed her eyes as she felt herself sinking into a darker embrace, still shaking with ecstasy. Her last conscious thought was that this must be what peace felt like.

Bo stopped feeding as she let the exhausted empath fall back to the bed, deeply asleep. Even as she knelt gasping, trying to recover from her own release, she smiled at the look of contentment on Kayleigh's face. The empath's chi had been brimming with thankful relief and overwhelmed pleasure, and the taste had only served to empower Bo's orgasm. The sheets would definitely need to be changed the next morning.

Bo checked Kayleigh's pulse to make sure she hadn't taken too much and was glad to find that her heartbeat was still strong. She was more than happy to bring the empath Le Petit Mort, but she wasn't a killer. And if everything went according to plan, Kayleigh would be thankful to have kept her life.

As energizing as the empath's chi was, the earth-shattering orgasms of the night had Bo exhausted. Curling her body around Kayleigh's, Bo pulled the sheets over both of them before wrapping her arms around the empath's waist and kissing her bare shoulder. Enjoying the feel of Kayleigh's warm body against her, Bo fell into a very, very satisfied sleep.

~LG~

Kenzi was making coffee and Bo was making breakfast when a very angry, kimono-clad empath stormed down the stairs. Kenzi immediately grabbed Geraldine and took a defensive stance, but Kayleigh ignored her, marching straight over to Bo and grabbing her by the shoulders. "You promised!" she sobbed, shaking the succubus. "You promised me! You promised!"

"Hey, hey, shh," Bo soothed, taking the empath in her arms. "I know. I know I did. But you still have a chance, Kayleigh. There's one thing left we can try." It was her turn to place her hands on the empath's shoulders as she pulled back and looked her in the eye. "You may have given up, but I haven't. If this doesn't work, then I'll give you what you want. But until then, I will not let you die."

Kayleigh scowled, sniffling. "What's this great idea you're so excited about?"

"You'll find out. As soon as we've all had breakfast and coffee, we'll go to the Dal, and then you'll see, ok? Please, just trust me?" The empath eyed her in contemplation before slumping in agreement. "Good," Bo smiled, kissing her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

Kayleigh's scowl became a wry grin. "Fucking fantastic – literally."

Kenzi dropped her sword and clapped her hands over her ears. "La la la not listening not listening!"

Both empath and succubus rolled their eyes as Kayleigh went upstairs to get dressed. A few minutes later, her voice floated back down. "Toothpaste?"

"Footlocker," Kenzi and Bo called.

~LG~

Kayleigh fidgeted in front of the bar, and not entirely of her own volition. "The anticipation coming off of all of you is going to kill me before the backlash does," she groused at the assembled group. Dyson, Hale, Bo, Kenzi, and Trick kept looking between Kayleigh and the door, and Kenzi was fidgeting nearly as much as the empath was. "This had better be good, Bo," Kayleigh continued, pacing. "I won't have you breaking your promise over some half-assed idea that –"

The empath screeched to a halt with wide eyes before spinning towards the door of the Dal. A girl with long blonde hair and striking gray-green eyes was nervously making her way through the crowd – a crowd that automatically retreated upon her approach. She, too, froze, bit her lip, and then turned to lock eyes with Kayleigh. Both women gasped as the connection snapped between them, unable to believe what they were seeing – what they were sensing.

Kayleigh spun around and wrapped Bo in a fierce embrace. "Thank you." She looked around at the group, nearly in tears. "All of you." Then she turned to meet the blonde walking toward them.

The two women stared at each other. Kayleigh had canted her head to the side and the blonde was biting her lip again, and Bo realized they must have been sensing as much about each other as they could. After a moment, each held out both their hands to the other, then blinked in surprise at the simultaneity and show of trust. Slowly and shyly, their fingers entwined, and the smile that lit the empaths' faces at their touch made Bo's heart hurt in the best way. Caught in their own little world, the empaths made their way to one of the couches and sat facing each other, never once breaking eye contact.

The blonde's name was Aislinn. Her backlash had been triggered when she and Lachlan had been interrogating a Gemini about a series of murders. The Gemini had been in her dual state at the time, and the twice-over hatred radiating from her had been wreaking havoc on Aislinn's already tenuous control. A vicious, horrifying comment from one of the halves had been the trigger, and Aislinn had unleashed the full force of the backlash. Consumed by the agony of having half her soul destroyed in one of the most brutal ways imaginable, the remaining piece of the Gemini promised everything she knew in exchange for a swift death. Aislinn, too, had begged for death, but Lachlan had denied her, keeping her under guard to prevent her from attempting suicide.

The idea that had ultimately saved both Aislinn and Kayleigh had been Trick's, and technically Kenzi's as well. Though the human's comment about "twoo wuv" had been a joke, Trick had realized that she made a valid point. He didn't know any other empaths besides Kayleigh, so he called Lauren asking if she could talk to Lachlan on his behalf. Upon hearing that there was another empath close to the backlash and that Lauren was developing a means to control it, Lachlan happily gave her Aislinn's name and his full support of the project. Granted, none of this was done out of the (lack of) goodness of his heart and instead the desire to have powerful empaths he could call upon, but it was still a victory for all involved.

Aislinn explained all of this to Kayleigh while Trick did the same for those gathered at the bar. The group couldn't help but notice that over the course of their conversation the empaths had been scooting closer and closer to each other. Kenzi was gazing at them with the expression she usually saved for the kissing scenes in The Princess Bride. "You done good, Trickster," she declared, patting the bartender's arm. "You done good." Trick rolled his eyes but was smiling nonetheless as he went back to cleaning glasses.

Realizing something, Kenzi straightened on her stool and shook Bo's arm with wide eyes and a manic grin. "Dude, Bo-Bo, imagine gettin' horizontal with those two. With that ricochet shit going on you wouldn't have to feed for a month!"

"Yeah…" Bo agreed, eyes glazing over as she thought about the possibilities. She had no idea how long she was caught in her fantasy before she noticed that Aislinn and Kayleigh were giving her rather pointed looks.

"Really?" Kayleigh remarked in amused disbelief. "From all the way over there?"

Bo blushed and turned back to the bar, ignoring the snickers from Kenzi, Dyson, and Hale. She was saved any further embarrassment by the sound of her phone alerting her to a text message. The contents brought an excited grin to her face. "It's from Lauren! She thinks she's figured out a way to subdue and control the release of the backlash!"

"Doctor Hotpants to the rescue!" Kenzi cheered, double-punching the air. "Should we tell the walking PMS detectors?"

Bo looked over to where the empaths' shy conversation had turned into shy kissing. "Let's…give them some more time to bond."

Kenzi followed Bo's gaze and let out a snort of laughter. "I dunno, if that goes on much longer they'll be 'bonding' on the couch."

In the end, Kenzi was right in her assessment of the empaths' prowess: Bo was barely able to walk the morning after and she didn't need to feed for a month.

(Roll Credits)

---

As far as I know, empaths have already been used in a lot of different works of fiction, but they are also, if you believe in that sort of thing, real people who are incredibly sensitive/attuned to the emotions of others. Gancanaghs are taken from Irish mythology, and they are male fairies (or "sídhe," the way the Morrigan is a leanán sídhe, also from Irish mythology) who were known for seducing women. I took the idea of them being fond of pipes from the W.B. Yeats quote in the Wikipedia article that describes them as always being seen with a dundeen, which is an ancient Irish pipe sometimes specifically called "a gean-cánach's pipe.