Title: Human Nature

Author: Nic

Fandom: Lost Girl

Pairing: Bo/Lauren

Spoilers: 2x22 Flesh & Blood

Rating: T

Summary: On their first date, Bo and Lauren come to an understanding about love, life and Dyson.

Disclaimer: These fine ladies do not belong to me, they are property of Showcase. They might argue they don't belong to anybody, though.

The entrance was almost unmarked. The door was attached to a non-descript brick building, there were no signs, no windows. An untrained eye would assume it was a personal dwelling or a back door to a business around the corner. But Lauren knew better.

The evening was warmer than normal for the time of year, but Lauren was happy she'd stayed on the safe side and brought the leather jacket with her. Ever the prepared. The wind was cooler than she'd expected though, and it was starting to look like it was going to rain. Lauren stopped under a small yellow light that was affixed to the wall next to a large wooden door that looked like it came from the 1800's. She breathed in slow, her eyes closing. Walking into the Dal was not always easy for her, but she had become a welcomed exception. This time was different, though. She straightened her jacket and pushed the heavy oak door open.

The Dal was jumpin', as Kenzi would say. A far cry from the ghost town it had been before their final push. Word of the Garuda's death must have finally reached the fae that had left town a week ago. Lauren navigated her way through wall-to-wall bodies to the bar where she was able to find a pair of empty stools. She watched the bartender move briskly behind the bar, never stopping for more than a few moments. Thankfully, her regular status didn't require her to flag down the blur behind the bar and a pint of beer had appeared in front of her. Lauren looked down the bar to Trick's smiling face. His expression wore a certain weariness, but he must have been thrilled to have his business back.

Lauren checked her watch. She was early, of course. One of those annoying personality quirks. Bo was going to meet her before heading out on their first, honest-to-God date. Despite their closeness, despite the fact that being in bed together was not an abnormality for them, Lauren still couldn't help the jitters. This time it was for real.

"Lauren," Dyson's voice rumbled behind her and she jumped. He slid next to her and sat down on the only empty stool in the pub - right next to her, of course. "I'm surprised you're still here."

"You sound disappointed," she replied, sipping her beer. It was hard not to feel bothered by his presence. Lauren always felt on edge around Dyson, like she was some kind of game he was hunting. And it wasn't like they were ever the best of friends - just tolerating each other for the sake of Bo, but the suggestion she take off in the chaos of Lachlan's death didn't bolster camaraderie. Had he told her that after Nadia had died, she might have taken him up on the offer.

There wasn't any secrecy that Dyson considered Lauren his competition. He had never liked her from the beginning, but neither had he given her much of a chance to begin with. Lauren was not a stranger to prejudice after all, but she never thought it would be because she was human. It was a lesson she learned very quickly in the Congo.

Lauren watched Trick deliver a beer to her unintended companion and they traded careful glances. "They'll be picking a new Ash soon," Dyson continued.

Lauren resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "They needed my help on the compound." She stared at the array of bottles in front of the mirrored backsplash, wishing Bo would be early, too. She didn't know how long her patience would last tonight.

"Helping the people who enslaved you?" he asked, taking a long drink. "I think there's a word for that."

Lauren looked at Dyson. "You think I'm lying."

"I'm thinking that wouldn't be the first time."

"Ah, right." She nodded at her glass. "Because your hands are clean."

Dyson shifted on the stool, quick to defend his motives. "Anything I told Bo was to protect her."

"And what makes you think my reasons were any different?" Lauren challenged Dyson before really thinking about it. Here she was, the only human in a pub chock full of fae, most of which she was sure wouldn't have a problem tearing her apart at a wolf-shifter's behest. She started to regret her decision. "Forget about it," she said. "I don't expect you to understand." Lauren wrapped her fingers around the glass and studied the carbonation process.

"Oh, but I want to understand."

Lauren blinked at her hands, her blood pressure rising. His arrogance was beyond frustrating sometimes. "What do you want me to say, Dyson?" she asked, staring at the wall before turning to him. "That I stayed for Bo?"

"If that's the truth." He regarded her coolly, but not without a satisfied curl to his lips.

Lauren scoffed and shook her head, returning to her beer. She couldn't blame him for obsessing over Bo. Nor could she really blame him for wanting to go after her again after being exposed to her blood. But dammit, he had his chance, it was her turn now. She watched her reflection mirror her movements. "And what if I did?" she asked finally.

She heard him sigh next to her. "It will never work," he said softly.

Lauren laughed at that. "I've heard that before."

"It's the truth." His voice lowered, his tone desperate. "I can give Bo something you can't."

"Mmm," Lauren hummed into her beer. "I've heard that one before, too."

A soft growl of impatience rumbled in Dyson's chest. "That's not what I meant," he said. "I can heal her."

Lauren turned to look at him then. She wasn't sure if he meant that to be a direct reference to her chances with Bo or her skills as a doctor, but either way, she was insulted. "Right," she nodded.

"It's because I'm human, isn't it?"

"What?" Dyson's objection projected annoyance, but he didn't look at her.

Whether it was the woman involved or the beer that incited this bravado inside her, Lauren was tired of skirting the issue. "You can't stand the possibility that a human could be preferred over you. I understand, I do."

Dyson laughed and turned on his stool. "No one would choose a human over a fae. Humans are weak." He drained his glass and ordered another. "And don't pretend to know how I think."

"You don't have a problem with Kenzi. Or is that because she doesn't stand between you and Bo?" Lauren kept pushing, she was starting to enjoy watching him squirm for a change.

Dyson ignored her question. "How could you possibly keep Bo happy when you can't even take care of her basic need?"

The question struck a nerve. Lauren eyed her unwanted drinking buddy, wanting nothing more than to rage against him, but she breathed in carefully. She would be better than this. There was a moment of silence between them while she took a long drink from her glass. "See, that's the difference between you and me, Dyson," she started. "I know what Bo is and I know I can't give her everything she needs. I also understand that she needs to sleep with people like you, it's who she is." She watched him, now unafraid of his reaction. "And Bo needs more than sex."

Dyson's gaze never wavered. "I know that."

Lauren smiled at him, however practiced. She knew her unwillingness to back down must have been infuriating. "I'll be okay, Dyson," she reassured him. "It won't be the first time I've been in competition with a man."

His response was quick and gruff. "I'm a wolf."

"So far, I don't see much difference." The flash in his eyes surprised her. She didn't think she'd push him that far and now that he was this pissed off, what did she do now? Lauren didn't think she'd ever be so happy to hear Kenzi's voice.

"What up, bitches!" Kenzi pushed a playful fist into Dyson's side before looking up at him. The fire faded from his eyes. "Woah." She backed up a step and glanced at Lauren just as Bo appeared behind her. "What's going on?"

Lauren slid off the stool and gestured for Kenzi to take it. "Just a spirited debate between friends." She could tell Kenzi didn't buy it and when Bo looked from Lauren to Dyson, she knew she didn't either.

"Dyson…" Bo warned.

"No, no," Lauren stopped her, putting a hand gently on her arm. "It's fine." She glanced at Dyson. "I started it." The concern on Bo's face remained until Lauren let out the breath she'd been holding and smiled at her. "So, you ready to go?"

Bo's eyes lit up and a smile crossed her lips. "Absolutely," she said, searching Lauren's face. Bo's hand moved to her waist, but before she could usher Lauren through the crowd, Lauren glanced from Kenzi to Dyson. She wasn't one to gloat, but something about leaving with Bo filled her with a sense of victory. It wasn't that she didn't believe Dyson would treat Bo well, Lauren had no doubt of that. It was the simple fact that Lauren wanted to do it, despite whatever shortcomings her humanity brought to the table. And if Dyson wanted her again, he was going to have to work for it.

The park was still full of people even though the sun was setting. Whenever Lauren had a chance to escape the compound, she came here to clear her head and she brought Bo here tonight to share that with her. That and across the street was the best pizza she'd had since her lifelong sentence began.

"So what was that back there?"

The line was long, but moving quickly. Lauren swore internally, not able to use the ambient noise as a way to avoid Bo's question. "What was what? At the Dal?" she asked, taking a step toward the counter.

Bo lifted her hands as if the answer was obvious. "Yes, at the Dal. I've never seen two people clam up so fast at my arrival before." Another step to the counter. "What's going on?"

Lauren stared at Bo, trying to find a way to explain, or an equally believable story to the contrary. When they took the final step to the counter, she smiled in relief. "What do you want?" Lauren gestured to the teenager behind the plastic partition.

Bo blinked, unprepared for the decision. She glanced at young man and back at Lauren. "Oh no," she said. "I'm buying, I asked you out."

"Please," Lauren rolled her eyes. "You just saved the world, let me buy you a slice of pizza."

Bo smiled, unable to argue with such practical logic. They walked out to the park across the street and stopped at a picnic table in the middle of a large green space, far from the pedestrian pathway. Lauren settled onto the bench and looked at the small pond over Bo's shoulder.

"You didn't answer my question." Bo said, taking a bite of her pizza.

"It's not important," Lauren replied, betraying the anxiety she still felt in her chest. "It was nothing, really." She bit into the slice in her hand and chewed thoughtfully. It was difficult to escape the intensity of Bo's gaze, especially if you had information she wanted.

"How about we play a little True or False?" Bo suggested, dusting her hands off over the grass.

Lauren stared blankly. "Okay?"

"It's easy. Okay, you…" Bo looked to the sky as she thought. "Your favourite colour is blue."

Lauren tore a piece of crust from her pizza. Despite her wish for this conversation to stop before it began, she was on a date. This is what you have to do on dates, right? Endure uncomfortable conversation? It had been so long. "True," she said finally.

Bo gestured toward Lauren for her to continue. "You go."

"You took the key to the Ash's Trophy Room from my desk during your last case." She smiled when Bo's eyes widened, betraying the air of relaxation around her.

"I brought it back," Bo blurted, rushing to rationalize her theft.

Lauren smirked. "You're terrible at this game."

Bo opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. She pulled a mushroom from her pizza and popped it in her mouth. "You and Dyson," she said, chewing carefully. "You were arguing."

Lauren looked over Bo's shoulder again, watching birds dart in and out of the trees on the other side of the park. "True." She sighed and stared at the grain in the weathered wooden table. "Do you still have feelings for Dyson?"

"Lauren…"

"It's your game."

Bo played with the napkin folded under the paper plate. Lauren wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to her question, really. Except she did. As difficult as it might be to hear the answer, she had to know if she was wasting her time. After all this time. She didn't want to believe it.

"It's…"

"Complicated?" Lauren finished for her. Bo nodded. "Does that mean 'True?'"

"More False than True."

Lauren nodded, her lips tightened into a smile. "I see."

They were silent for a few minutes, each woman lost in the implications of their conversation. Bo picked at the toppings on what was left of her pizza. Lauren watched her carefully, wishing this was going differently, but recognizing that this seemed to be how things went for her now.

"Was it about me?" Bo asked her pizza.

Lauren wasn't expecting another question. She looked up at Bo and debated on lying. She swallowed. "True," she said with a nod.

"Why?"

"That's not a True or False question."

"Well maybe I don't want to play anymore."

Lauren stared at Bo over their half-eaten pizza and crumpled napkins in a strange contest of wills. "He seems to think he can give you something I can't." She tried to limit the disdain in her voice. God, it was hard to remain diplomatic when he frustrated her so much, even an hour later. She took in a long breath to calm her nerves. "That it would make or break us."

Bo's hands dropped to her lap and straightened her back. She knew exactly what Lauren meant "What do you think?"

"I thought we'd be able to work around it, but…" Lauren sighed and studied the buttons on Bo's jacket. "I mean, why not be with him?"

"Because I want to be with you."

"Even if I can't…" Lauren laughed at herself, releasing the breath she'd been holding. "This is stupid."

Bo reached across the table and covered Lauren's hand. "This hasn't bothered you before."

Lauren looked at their hands, enjoying the warmth from Bo's skin on her own. Her thumb stroked Bo's fingers. "It's always bothered me," she said. The expression on Bo's face told Lauren that she'd been at least somewhat successful in hiding that fact. She looked up at the sky when a mist of rain started to fall.

"I thought we had an understanding." Bo's eyes softened, almost hurt, unsure of the new direction this conversation was taking.

Lauren was sure she felt the same way Bo looked - unprepared and insecure. "We did."

Bo took her hand back. "What changed?"

"Nothing," Lauren was quick to respond, but after a moment, she sighed. "Everything." The chill that Bo's hand left in its wake made her rub the back of her hand absently. She watched a couple disappear into the restaurant across the street when the rain picked up. Bo got to her feet and held out a hand for Lauren. They didn't rush, gathering their garbage and depositing it in a nearby trashcan.

She watched Bo take a few steps toward shelter, suddenly overcome with a sense of fidelity. In two years, Lauren hadn't been as clear as she could have been with Bo. Dyson had been right. "It's hard," Lauren started, glued to the paved pathway. Bo turned back when she heard Lauren's voice. "You know… working with people who look at you like they're just waiting for that moment when the timer goes off and you're up for grabs."

Bo's leather jacket was already drenched, shining as she took a step toward Lauren. "I don't think of you like that."

"I know." Lauren smiled. The rain had chased just about everyone out of the park and she could see the store fronts across the street teeming with stranded pedestrians.

Bo took another step. "You know, when we met, everyone wanted something from me. Except you." She smiled carefully. "You helped me."

Lauren shifted her weight. "I'm a doctor," she said simply, stuffing her hands in her jacket's pockets. It was a strange defense mechanism she had developed throughout her career, hiding in her lab coat.

"You're a human."

She didn't mean to hum in response. It was a reaction Lauren reserved for moments where she needed to be guarded, careful. It wasn't something she should have been doing around Bo if she wanted them to have any chance at all. She wiped drops of water from her face. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't."

This caught Bo's attention and she took the final step forward. "Don't say that," she said. "It's your humanity that sets you apart."

"And look where it's got me." She ran a hand over her dampened hair, wondering why she wasn't running for cover as the drops pelted them from above.

Bo looked at the ground, watching the puddles dance at their feet. She seemed just as unaffected by the pouring rain. "You could have left," she stated.

"I almost did." Lauren knew that wasn't a surprise to Bo, they had discussed as much before they embarked on their final mission against the Garuda. She decided to leave out Dyson's "friendly" suggestion after the Garuda's death. It wasn't something Bo needed to know.

"But you didn't." Bo pulled Lauren's hands out of her pockets, touching each finger as if examining them.

Lauren studied Bo's face. The rain flattened her hair and ran down her face, dripping from her chin. Her eyes were intense, but gentle and Lauren couldn't remember a time Bo didn't look at her that way; her makeup ran, but she'd never looked so beautiful.

"True," was all Lauren could muster, suddenly thankful for the game they played earlier.

Bo released Lauren's hands, her thumb brushing the water from her lips before kissing her tenderly. The warmth of Bo's lips did all but eradicate the chill of the early spring rain that had deluged the park and spread throughout Lauren's body. She leaned into Bo, bringing a hand to rest below her ear. The rain drenched them, running in rivers over their faces and between their lips. Lauren felt Bo's hand stop at her waist, the heat from her fingers bleeding quickly through the soaked cotton shirt.

"Bo…" Lauren broke the kiss only for a moment to catch her breath. Her thumb stroked Bo's jaw, wiping raindrop after raindrop from her skin. "I don't know how it took five years to meet a fae like you."

Bo picked an errant strand of hair from Lauren's face and tucked it behind her ear. "Well I'm kind of glad you didn't or else this would be pretty awkward." Lauren smirked. "Do you want to get out of here?"

Lauren took an extra few seconds before nodding. "Yeah," she sighed, taking a step back. She ran a hand over her hair. "We should get out of these clothes."

"Well, Doctor," Bo teased, leading Lauren toward her car. "On the first date? Aren't you worried about getting a reputation?"

Lauren rolled her eyes with a smirk, finding it difficult to move with her clothes plastered to her body. She was sure she'd have to dry them for a week after this. "Before we catch pneumonia," she corrected.

Bo hummed, her mind working as she opened the car door for Lauren and gestured her inside. "Well I might just catch it on purpose if it means you tending to me."

Lauren fastened her seatbelt and tried to pull the saturated denim from her thighs. "And if I get sick, who's going to look after you then?"

Lost in thought, Bo turned the car's ignition and stared out the windshield. "I'll just succubus the kid at the Starbucks down the street and you can tell me what to do." She smiled sideways at the doctor as they pulled away from the curb.

Bo had a way of making her feel comfortable. Her preference for human company came from a certain level of familiarity. Lauren knew Bo still had trouble reconciling fae conduct since she'd been introduced to them and she found the point of view refreshing. She challenged them - not necessarily their beliefs, but their tolerance. Lauren was a firm believer that everything should be challenged every now and then. And that included the fae viewpoint on humans.

As the streetlights whipped by the car on the way back to the clubhouse, Lauren didn't feel bad about her argument with Dyson. She rationalized his behaviour as only she could and she didn't blame him for acting the way he did. It was an odd place she found herself in the wake of the Garuda - single again and in competition for a woman's love. Except it seemed like Bo made it quite clear that the competition was already over. And it was Lauren that not only needed to see it, but believe it as well.

END

June 19th, 2012