Spoilers up to and including 4x13
She woke up before she opened her eyes and it was the worst feeling she'd ever experienced in recent memory. Even worse than the day she found out she was pregnant. Her head pounded and she winced, the dim overhead lights piercing her eyelids even before they opened. The cushion beneath her creaked as she turned on her back. The smell of this place was familiar, dusty and old, but she couldn't place it yet. Where was she? She couldn't remember. And if she couldn't remember, then it must have been an amazing party.
Evony's eyes opened to the ceiling of the Dark archives and she frowned. Waking up in strange places wasn't something Evony was unfamiliar with, but the archives were not a place she would have ever expected. She looked around from her place on the couch, a heavy blanket draped over her, trying to piece together the last few days. What the hell did she get up to?
Her body screamed in protest when she lifted herself to lean against the arm of the designer couch, the hammering in her head relentless. It almost felt like she was going to pass out until her eyes found the key. Lauren pored over a large leather bound book on the table in the next room over, her toe tapping the floor as she flipped pages. And it all came flooding back.
"Shit," Evony thought she whispered. When Lauren's head turned in her direction, Evony groaned and slid down the arm of the couch until she was lying down again. She closed her eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Lauren asked from the table. The tone was soft, but Evony imagined her eyes were not.
"Like I was hit by a truck," Evony replied matter-of-factly. She groaned again and squeezed the bridge of her nose. "What is this, my head feels like it's going to explode." She pulled herself up and leaned against the back of the couch. "Everything hurts."
Lauren nodded at the book and flipped a page. "That's consistent with my research."
The Morrigan narrowed her eyes at the doctor. She'd already taken part in an unofficial experiment and wasn't keen on being part of any more. "What research?" she said between her teeth.
"The reaction of the human body after a succubus feed." Lauren winked at her and turned back to the book.
The memory of Massimo and Bo were suddenly clear. She remembered the pull in her chest, the paralytic sensation as her entire body was drained. Evony could see her life force flow from her, becoming weaker and weaker as an out of control Massimo struggled to stop feeding. There wasn't much more she remembered after that.
"Where's Massimo?" Evony asked, unsure as to why. She'd never cared where he was before.
Lauren looked over at her again and paused as if choosing her words carefully. "He gave his life to save you."
There was a feeling inside her then. An emptiness. Was it love? Loss? She hadn't felt much of either in so long, she couldn't be sure. "And Bo?"
Another page flipped. And another. "Closing the portal to Hel."
"She saved my life, didn't she?" Just the thought made her feel ill.
The doctor took a moment to answer. "Yes, she did." And turned another page.
Evony watched her rapt, her fingers gliding along the ancient manuscript, her eyes scanning before another page went by. Certainly no one can read that fast. "So why are you still here?" Evony asked. "Aren't there Fae you could be neutering on the battlefield right now?"
Lauren's eyes grew hard and the Morrigan delighted in the reaction, wishing she felt better so she could enjoy it more. She waited for the retort, the scathing remarks, maybe even another shot to the face, though if she had a choice, that would be her last. But she was surprised when Lauren sighed.
"I feel… responsible," she said. "For you."
A hearty laugh escaped Evony and she instantly regretted it, holding her head gingerly. When her eyes could open again, she chuckled carefully. "That's where you humans always get caught - that sickening conscience."
Lauren rolled her eyes and picked up the back cover of the ancient book she read. "Look at you, Evony," she said before slamming the book closed. It felt like a bomb had gone off in Evony's head and she tucked her head between her elbows. "Great and all powerful Leanan Sidhe felled by a headache."
Evony pressed a hand to her chest. "I died!" she exclaimed before batting her eyelashes in Lauren's direction. "Come on," she coaxed, pouting lips a must. "You're a doctor, aren't you supposed to heal the sick?"
She watched Lauren war internally with herself. The human doctor's biggest vulnerability next to her succubus, was her sense of compassion. Lauren sighed and grabbed her bag. She walked over to the small seating area next to the archive shelves and crouched in front of the Morrigan. She moved her feet off the couch, gently turning Evony to face her before beginning an examination. Evony smirked as she watched her move, her eyes searching, studying, her fingers quick and precise.
"You have a gentle touch, doctor," Evony purred.
There was only a moment that their eyes met before Lauren looked away, pulling her medical bag off the chair next to the couch. She pulled out two pills and a bottle of water and handed them over. Evony swallowed the pills and took her time with the water, the sudden thirst overwhelming her.
"What was that?" she asked.
Lauren rearranged the contents of her bag. "Something for the pain. Give it twenty minutes."
Evony made a noise somewhere between disgust and disappointment. "Over-the-counter?" she said. "Really, Lauren. You don't have a special succubus recovery secret?"
Lauren smirked. "No, sorry. Though I have read that Taoists believe human chi can be nurtured through good nutrition and good deeds."
"Ugh," Evony groaned. "Come on, what do you do after that sexual vacuum of yours cleans you out?"
Lauren blinked a few times and took a deep breath. "I wouldn't know," she said quickly, closing up her bag. The uneasiness of the doctor's tone was obvious. "Bo doesn't feed off me."
Evony couldn't help feeling shocked, but then immediately grateful for the information. "Oh, honey," she said with a sly smile. "You don't know what you're missing."
"After seeing what transpired tonight," Lauren replied, pulling herself up from the floor and sitting in the chair across from the Morrigan. "I'm happy I don't."
"Bullshit." Evony shifted, this new game was a welcome distraction to the pounding in her head. "You're a scientist, doctor, driven by the unknown, by your incessant thirst for knowledge." She watched the words crawl under Lauren's skin. "You don't care that your lover doesn't share her most primal need with you?"
She watched Lauren's quick breath, the narrowing of her eyes, only slightly, and the faint curl to the corner of her mouth. Lauren had changed since the first time Evony met her all those years ago, that frightened little human, always at the Ash's heel. Now she was emboldened, standing at the side of one of the most powerful Fae she knew. Evony couldn't blame Bo, Lauren really was extraordinary.
"I'm going to keep reading," she said calmly, looking at Evony. "You should rest."
"Oh come on," Evony teased gently. "I thought we were talking."
Lauren scoffed. "Yeah, talking."
"Sit down, please." Evony shifted over on the couch and gestured at the open space there, her eyes sparkling. "It's lonely over here."
Lauren's eyes darted to the couch and then back to the Morrigan's face. She backed up a few steps, sitting on the chair again. They stared at each other for a few long minutes and Evony waited for her to give in. A few brief moments of intense silence, a smirk on her lips, a promise in her eye, and they all would begin to crumble. They always did. The Morrigan expected Lauren to get up and leave again and she wouldn't stop her this time. The crack of wills was enough of a victory for her.
But Lauren didn't do either of those things. She sat, deep in the chair, waiting for Evony to make the first move.
The Morrigan tsked in frustration. She should have known better by now: Lauren wasn't your typical human. "Fine," she said dramatically, ending the silence. "I can feign interest until Bo gets back. Why doesn't she feed from you?"
Lauren smirked. "Why do you even ask if you don't care?"
"Because I like making myself sick by talking about you, humour me." Evony sighed. "God, you act like I'm the one who stripped you of your powers by seducing you into bed." The stoic expression that fell over Lauren's face was exactly what the Morrigan hoped for.
"I'm more to her than food." The answer was simple and direct. The least amount of words to express as much as she could. Evony commended her for her talent for it.
"Ugh," Evony stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes. "The answer really was as disgusting as I thought it'd be." She settled into the corner of the couch and tucked the blanket around her.
Lauren shook her head. "And you said humans were hard to understand."
"Humans are foul, treacherous creatures that-"
"Make you feel like a virgin again?" Lauren interrupted.
Evony glared at her with fire in her eyes. Oh if only she could, the smug doctor would be a puddle of her former self. Her hate for humans increased tenfold when Lauren turned her and revenge boiled under the surface of Evony's skin. She would get there. But until then, Evony smirked slyly. "I figured I'd give your temporary existence some confidence," she started. "But now I'm not feeling so charitable. I faked the whole paint-peeling experience, sweetie."
Lauren smiled and her eyes held Evony's still as she shook her head. "No, you didn't."
The Morrigan opened her mouth to volley a retort, but nothing came out. She knew. God, of course she knew. Augh, Evony raged in her head. "You are so irritating." The doctor frowned in confusion. "Does Bo get this annoyed with you?"
"I… don't know," Lauren looked to the ceiling for an answer and shrugged. "Maybe."
Sometimes Evony could be so incensed with someone, she'd be able to focus her power to a point of incredible intensity. The result when she would finally lift her hand was so swift and brutal, her victim barely had time to make a sound. This would be Lauren's fate. It would have been.
"I guess once she finds out about us…" she trailed off for dramatic effect.
Lauren waved her finger in the air. "There is no us."
The Morrigan pouted. "Aw, you mean it was all a lie?"
Lauren laughed as if she couldn't believe Evony would think it was anything but. "Yes," she answered with a smile that almost hurt Evony's feelings.
She grinned instead. "But you didn't fake it, either."
Lauren touched her lips with her finger, looking off into the shelves full of information she had yet to touch. She shrugged again. "It had to be believable."
Evony's smile grew wider, she knew she hadn't lost her touch. "I wonder what would Bo think about that?"
"She would understand my motives."
"You've got an answer for everything, don't you, Doctor?" Evony looked her in the eye, cherry-colored lips curving into a smile. "Would she understand your motives with that human waitress?"
It was the blindsided reaction Evony wanted to see in her eyes when she mentioned Crystal. It was obvious she meant something to Lauren, but to what degree was still a mystery. The falter in her eyes was the only clue.
"Crystal was duped by the Fae, just like I was," Lauren defended.
"Now hang on a second," Evony interrupted, sitting on the edge of the couch. "Crystal knew exactly what I wanted from her. I gave her the money to buy some sad-ass turn of the century farm and in return she brought you to me. So what if our methods varied." At Lauren's silence, she continued: "And it was the Ash that duped you, not the Fae."
Lauren harrumphed and leaned back. "I wish you were that diplomatic when it came to humans."
"I am, sweetie," Evony replied. "I haven't killed you yet, have I?"
The roll of Lauren's eyes was delightful. "That's only because you can't."
"Such a cynic, Doctor," the Morrigan teased. "What makes you think I haven't started liking you?"
Lauren laughed. "You like me because I'm the only one who can fix you."
"Who says it's not because of the show you put on in my bed?"
"Ah ha," Lauren smiled and looked away. Her shyness tugged at Evony's predatory instinct. "Flattering, but not enough to believe you."
"Come on, Lauren," she said, adjusting the blanket in her lap again, exposing a leg. "We're both…" Evony swallowed hard, "humans, right? We should stick together."
"Mm," Lauren hummed. "Suddenly the foul and treacherous aren't so bad after all."
Evony took a breath, calming her ever-rising temper. Lauren's quick wit was something she thought she was ready for, but was quickly finding herself affected by it. And through all Evony's brutal sophistication, she still found herself quick to retaliate. "Even if Bo does forgive you for our private moment, what makes you think she'll feel the same way about your spirited motel tryst with Crystal?"
"You can't stay out of my business, can you?"
"Honey, your business is irresistible," Evony looked Lauren over and licked her lips. "But I want to hear about this other side of Lauren. I think her name was Karen?"
Lauren gripped the end of the arm on the chair and pulled herself to her feet. "I'm not talking to you anymore." She walked back to the table in the other room, tidying the mess of books and scrolls and maps. The anger and shame that poured off her were obvious as a human, Evony only imagined how strong it would be if she was still Fae.
"What can I say," she called from the couch. "Your dungeon soliloquy was captivating." She moved quickly, almost frantically and Evony could tell the doctor's precision was missing. Her own headache had calmed, but her body still ached when she pushed herself to her feet and walked carefully to the pillar next to the large table. "You need to own the things you've done, Lauren."
The intensity in her eyes was palpable. "Don't you dare presume to know how I've lived my life," she said to the pile of literature in front of her.
"Oh for god's sake, Lauren," Evony groaned. "You're more emo than a garage band. You're a fugitive in the human world and now a fugitive in the Fae world. Where are you going to run to this time?"
"I'm not running anywhere," Lauren said softly, but not without confidence.
Evony smirked. Lauren was a formidable opponent in bed and in conversation and the Morrigan suddenly regretted not claiming her when she asked. "What happened to your brother?"
Lauren flinched when her cell phone started ringing right after the words left the Morrigan's mouth. She glanced at her phone's screen and looked at Evony. "None of your business," she said, and then: "Dyson… what's wrong?"
The conversation was among the shortest she'd been privy to, but not without the heaviest of emotion. She watched Lauren tense and heard the crack in her voice when she reacted to the news on the other end of the line. She collected her things quietly after she'd promised to be there right away and disconnected the call, amassing two bags, a cell phone and a set of keys.
"Where are you going?" Evony asked, suddenly invested in the cause, but more disappointed that her entertainment was walking out the door.
"Kenzi…" Lauren started, but choked on her words. Her way of masking emotions was like watching a shifter change, it was fascinating.
"That thief finally get herself into more trouble than the family can handle?" The Morrigan crossed her arms. "I always thought she'd be weakest link."
Lauren looked back at Evony, her eyes spilling the tears she tried so desperately to hold in. "She's dead, Evony."
The Morrigan was floored. "Oh."
There was a heavy sigh that escaped Lauren's chest and an uneasy breath that followed. "Bo needs me, I have to go."
Evony watched the doctor disappear out the door, leaving her in deafening silence. There was that tightness in her chest again and her heart beat rapidly, making her wonder if she had finally reached the point in Lauren's experiment that would lead to death. Evony walked carefully back to the couch, feeling the pressure build. The physical reaction humans have to emotional events was something the Morrigan was having a lot of trouble getting used to and at the news of Kenzi's death, she felt a distinct emptiness inside her, similar to her reaction to Massimo's. She sat down gingerly on the couch, the weight suddenly crushing her.
In the darkness of the archives, the emotion from Lauren still permeating the air, Evony lay back down again, covering herself with the blanket. She couldn't really bring herself to move, wondering what impact this would have on that Fae foster family she loathed so much. Kenzi was a human that acted like a Fae: fierce and unapologetic, but compassionate and loyal. They had lost their heart.
And Evony? Had she discovered hers? She would go back home soon. Once she could bring herself to take the long walk to the phone and call for a car. Until then, she would close her eyes and hope these feelings would leave her alone some time soon. Maybe if she slept, she would magically awake in her own bed. Maybe she'd forget this suffocating sensation that could only be loss. There was no mistaking it this time. She felt it for Massimo, her son, who tried so hard his entire life to please her, however pathetic the attempts may be and with complete disregard to her efforts to push him away. She felt it for Kenzi, who had finally found comfort in the Fae world and became so important to its survival in the wake of closing the Hel gate.
Maybe this was empathy she was feeling? Compassion? Love?
Evony made a noise at her own thoughts that echoed off the walls in the archives. "Ugh. I'm going to grow old and die," she said to the ceiling.
Who knew being human was so hard?
END
April 14, 2014