Disclaimer: Lost girl and its characters are not my intellectual property. All writing is created with respect to the rightful owners and is for the sake of fandom - not profit.
Kenzi took a deep breath, slowly exhaling it in shaky bursts. That's how people told you to calm down in movies, right? Sometimes a bag was involved, but that was breathing fast.
Wait, were you supposed to breathe fast to calm down?
The young thief was not a big fan of using calm to face a storm, mellowing down seemed so unproductive. And boring. True to her nature, even as she attempted to find a quiet place in her frenzied mind, Kenzi paced her bedroom, skirting about the area like a skittish bird. The raven-haired girl jolted to a stop, letting out the remaining breath in a hiss of pain as she rolled back her sleeve.
Flopping down on the bed, she inspected her telltale arm. It had most definitely gotten worse since the vile of who-knows-what had been "gifted" to her when she'd confronted that stuck up Norn and taken back Dyson's love. The skin was black, with fissure-like cracks that seeped painfully.
What scared her most, was that the wound was spreading of its own accord, growing from a quarter sized mark until it nearly encircled her entire arm. Now, it had the audacity to begin creeping its way up her wrist.
If it made its way onto her hand, how was she supposed to hide it from Bo?
It was an excruciating price to pay to get back Wolfy's love potion number nine, but after spending some time in his body and knowing what that aching void felt like, she had to do something before it swallowed him whole. Dyson was her friend - he could be kind of a dick, but he was her friend.
Kenzi muttered some very creative Russian profanities- gods and furies and unicorns and whatever else was out there; it burned. The white-hot pain shot up her arm, thrumming through her body in rhythm to her pulse. She clenched her eyes shut, willing the stupid pain away only to be taken by a convulsive jerk when, like a careless fool, she bumped the blackened arm against her knee. The action made the pain crescendo and Kenzi swayed, feeling the room spin around her in a dizzying threat, urging her to give in.
"Kenz?" Bo walked in without a knock. When you lived in a place without walls and with someone as accepting of your sexual exploits as Kenzi, thoughts of privacy took a back seat. She was surprised when her adoptive sister startled up from the bed, fumbling with something before turning towards her. A suggestive joke froze on Bo's lips when she thought she noticed Kenzi attempt to blink back tears.
The older woman furrowed her brow in concern. Kenzi had taken on a major injury during their battle with the Garuda. Lauren had said it would take some time for the girl to recuperate, yet Bo could swear the normally peppy girl thief seemed worse rather than better. Kenzi's pale Slavic skin seemed shades lighter than her usual pasty complexion, and Kenzi had not pestered her to go out for drinks in a full three days. "You ok?"
Kenzi flashed Bo a bright smile. The Succubus knew her better than anyone, but Kenzi had grown up hard and knew how to hide things when you needed to. Especially pain. The little thief slipped into con mode, she was next to Bo in a flash, conjuring a blink from her startled friend. Bo figured she must have been spacing out in her worry, because she could swear she did not even see Kenzi move.
"Course, why wouldn't I be? What's up SuccuBo?"
Relieved by Kenzi's contagious energy, Bo returned the mischief-maker's smile with her trademark sultry grin. The bond between them was strictly platonic, but Bo's Succubus nature expressed itself in almost every element of who she was. From her perfect body, to the suggestive sway of her hips when she walked, she was a deadly creature of beauty. Every aspect intended to lure prey in.
"Trick called, apparently it's another one of those Fae holidays. He thought it would benefit me to experience some of the – more positive highlights of my culture. He said to let you know there'd be free food."
Kenzi's eyes gleamed with delight. Not that the girl ever paid for anything at Trick's anyway, but if you could grant the Fae anything, it was that they knew how to party. Bo let loose a chuckle as Kenzi sprang to her dresser with so much momentum she almost tumbled into it. Turning with preternatural grace, Bo made her way back to her room, attempting to ensemble her outfit for the festivities in her mind's eye.
Lauren fidgeted with the toothpick in her martini, ordered for show more than consumption. She knew she was brilliant and valued her mind too much to enjoy acts that interfered with its function. So, the last thing she wanted to do was partake in the detrimental act of contracting brain tissue and depressing the central nervous system. Still, it was the social norm in a bar, and people viewed her as stuffy enough as it was. So she took the sociological approach, keeping the drink at hand as a normalcy prop.
She glanced up, granting a very flustered Trick a sympathetic smile. Fae bickered demandingly, pressed in a semicircle four people deep against the bar, oscillating for a mug of mead. Really, you would think the Blood King would have had the insight to hire some help on a festival as important as Samhain. Samhain was the celebration of the end harvest and the approach of the dark half of the year – not in greetings, but to smile in the face of winter's attempt to claim life and show the darkness you were not afraid. And like any holiday, human or Fae – it was an excuse to get plastered.
Trick grimaced in acknowledgement of his dire situation before turning back to the task. She would help him if she could, yet while she could splice genes, cure deadly diseases, and even use the scientific method to solve conundrums of literal mystical elements, the good doctor could not mix a drink to save her life.
Lauren glanced at the door, trying to peer through the heavy crowd for a glimpse of familiar brown hair. She pushed down a swell of irritation at herself; it must have been the 30th time she looked for Bo in the past 20 minutes. Was seeing the Succubus so critical that she should look every 0.667 minutes?
Turning my head at forty second intervals, the Fae are going to think I've developed a nervous twitch.
And why wasn't Bo here yet?
The good doctor simply did not understand herself when it came to the Bo. Science was a meticulous and drawn out process, every analytical method required the steady hand of patience. Lauren prided herself in her patience, but for some reason it simply did not seem to apply to her relationship, however one may define it, with Bo.
I can't calculate the uncertainty surrounding her either.
An arm slid around Lauren's slim waist, startling her out of her mental berating session. The blonde's startled jerk melted into contentment when the path of the hand tracing across her midriff stirred a familiar arousal within her, summoning the depths of frightening yet exhilarating emotions she had for the Succubus as Bo pulled the doctor into an affectionate embrace from behind.
"Hey Lauren," A thrilling tingle erupted from Lauren's earlobe in response to the tickle of Bo's breath, rushing down her body in a wave that caused her toes to curl, summoning a blush in response to the Succubus' whispered greetings. The blonde was thankful for the dim ambient lighting hiding the flush in her cheeks as Bo slipped away to slide onto the barstool beside her. The doctor was so caught up in delight at Bo's arrival she forgot a Succubus's eyesight could easily make out the extra color in her cheeks.
"Bo!" Lauren's voice caught, the name tumbling out with more enthusiasm than intended. Embarrassed, the doctor cleared her throat, regaining her calm demeanor. Lauren relished in the momentary comfort her stoic, guarded front provided – for she found it increasingly fleeting to rely upon in her dealings with the Succubus. The quiet blonde did not fight the smile seeing the Succubus brought to her lips however, and could not help but wonder if the fluttering in her heart were somehow visible in her eyes.
"Hey Doc!" Lauren's glance flickered over to Kenzi, and it was only when she broke her gaze that she realized her eyes had been locked in Bo's. "Kenzi." She was relieved to see the girl, even if the raven-haired girl was more or less like the proverbial pestering little sister. Lauren had wanted to follow up with Kenzi after the girl's injury, but had been flatly refused.
Not that it had been surprising. Kenzi was fiercely independent, all 110 pounds of her. Such patients did not enjoy having a fuss made over them. She worried that Kenzi would not come to her if she needed to, given their relations had been strained initially – if by strained you mean someone flat out telling you they do not like or trust you. However, since the Garuda incident, Lauren felt she at least had gained Kenzi's respect and was hoping that in time it might lead to trust. Lauren did not have many friends, but maybe with time…
. Lauren blinked away the whimsical wish, it was surprising how much she craved the spry girl's approval, it was important to her not only because Kenzi was dear to Bo, but also because she genuinely liked Kenzi – even if the little con was annoying at times.
"How are you Feeling?" In answer Lauren received an eye roll. "I'm fine doctor worry pants." It was harder to con Lauren than Bo. Not only was the woman a con in her own way with her stoicism, the way she knew how to keep herself hidden away in a box, but Lauren was also a super smart doctor and all that stuff. So when Lauren quirked an eyebrow inquisitively, leaning in to try to analyze Kenzi closer in the dim lighting after noticing a feverish gleam to the raven-hairs overly expressive eyes, the Slavic girl took an apprehensive step back.
"Ugh, gonna go find this food I was promised."
And with that, Kenzi bounded off, parting through the crowd like a small yet effective torpedo. Lauren shook off her concern, Kenzi's energy levels were clearly up to par if she was moving like that, and the day Kenzi lost her appetite is the day the doctor would know she truly had to worry.
Bo watched Lauren assess her friend with a surge of pride. The way Lauren cared about Kenzi despite their rough start – and the doctor's overall empathy for others, touched her – in more ways than one. After Kenzi sprinted off, the Succubus caught Lauren's eyes with her own, Bo's sexual energy stirring stirred the doctor's primal needs, capturing her. Bo did so unintentionally, her nature luring the intelligent beauty in. Yet Bo was just as entranced, her emotional attachment and need for the woman before her marked her as a victim to desire as well.
Brown eyes traced Lauren slowly, admiring every curve. Bo could see the sexual energy pulsing from the blonde, the aura flaring with want under the suggestive gaze. When their eyes met again, Bo grinned as Lauren's body shuddered with pleasure, eyes gleaming with intensity above the flush that rose on her cheeks for being so undone in public.
In a perfect gesture that only Bo could manage, the Succubus glided her barstool over until their sides touched. Never missing a beat, Bo pressed herself into the blonde's curves, linking them together like puzzle pieces fate had formed for each other. Watching Lauren's throat constrict as the doctor tried to gulp down her arousal, Bo leaned to place a featherlike kiss against the blonde's throat, sending a quick pulse of sexual essence to combat her puzzle piece's futile attempt at composure.
Bo knew Lauren was not the type to engage in public displays of affection. Aside from her fealty to the Ash which required Lauren to maintain a professional air even outside of the lab, it was simply not in Lauren's introverted nature. This made Bo want to elicit it all the more, to tease and play with the doctor's urges until she could not help herself. Bo knew she could simply make the woman give in to her, but she would never do that. Not to Lauren.
Bo raised her lips to Lauren's, allowing herself one deep, claiming kiss for all to see. The good doctor's eyes fluttered shut as she gave in and returned the affection. The Succubus broke the kiss with a quick breath, lest her nature get the better of her intentions. She did not want Lauren to feel unsafe and exposed, not ever. Instead she leaned in, tucking blonde strands delicately behind Lauren's ear. Bo smiled, eyes glowing with promises,
"Want to head back to my place?"
Bo's smile widened as the doctor's eyes did the same. Lauren licked her lips, parting them in answer, only to have it drowned out by a piercing scream.
Bo was halfway across the bar before her chair bounced off the floor, she recognized that voice, and the sound of that cry caused terror to rise in her throat like bile. Lauren followed in Bo's wake as fast as was humanly possible. Parting briskly through the crowd gathering around the banquet table, Bo first noticed Dyson dangling a Fae from the collar of the now pathetic looking man's jacket. Dyson's lycan fangs were extended in threat, his eyes gleaming yellow in anger. His voice rumbled, half growling as the wolf nature took hold "What did you do to her?!"
The man choked out his response through the grip tightening around his neck, "No-noth-nothing …"
Bo barely heard the words as she rushed to Kenzi. The girl was slouched over, struggling to hold herself upright with a trembling hand against the table. Jet-black strands of hair spilled forward, obscuring her friend's expression. Bo wrapped her hand around the smaller girl's arm to give support least she fall, in response Kenzi to tense so violently Bo was certain her guts turned inside out. "Kenz…Kenz what's wrong?"
Bo's heart sank as her best friend in the world looked up, a feral fear shining in eyes that showed no recognition. Kenzi tried to jerk from the Succubus' hold, but Bo only held tighter. Not wanting to frighten her friend, but sure the frail girl was about to collapse.
It was not the right thing to do.
Kenzi's eyes took on a supernatural hue, conjuring a startled gasp from Bo as she watched the human's eyes flash such brilliant amber they appeared almost white. The hand around Kenzi's arm seared with white-hot pain. Kenzi let out a piercing shriek that was both horrible and beautiful, and not at all human. The sound bounced off the walls of the bar, causing the inhabitants to cover their ears. Bo was so terrified for her friend; she lost the sense to be terrified of her.
She heard Lauren call out to her in fear, before a blinding white light flared from Kenzi's arm. Flames flashed, erupting up her hold, and it was only instinct that made Bo dart back, or else she might have stayed fool heartedly in the fire, her concern for her friend surpassing her sense of self preservation.
"Bo!" Lauren and Dyson cried out in unison, rushing to the Succubus who, even as she tried to bat out the flames melting the fabric of her dress and the skin on her arm, was trying to make her way to where Kenzi had crumbled to the floor.
Dyson ripped off his leather jacket and encircled it around Bo, snuffing out the remaining flames, while Lauren noted the blisters already surfacing on the Succubus's neck. Lauren reached out to remove the jacket so she could make a full assessment of the damage, but Bo only sank back, shaking her head stubbornly. "Bo, you're hurt. Let me see." Lauren stepped tentatively towards Bo, pushing away the panic that clawed at her heart in response to seeing Bo Injured.
"Kenzi first." It was not a request, the demand was made with a do – or – die glare. The doctor knew better than to argue with Bo when she got stubborn, so Lauren made her way over to the small form lying motionless on the floor.
Bo shrugged off Dyson's jacket, marching with a fury to the Fae he had deposited on the floor. The man's eyes widened in fear as the Succubus stalked towards him, her eyes shining a supernatural blue. He spread his hands from where they massaged his neck to reach out in a defensive gesture, eyeing the room for an ally. He found no sympathy as Bo lifted him back up by the collar, her Fae strength could not match Dyson's but could easily outmatch any human, and whether this Fae was capable of defending himself or not, he must have seen the lost cause as her charred, blistering arm pinned him to the wall.
Figuring she might as well heal herself while she worked the information out of him, Bo pressed her lips against his, drinking in his essence violently. Tendrils of the man's chi hurled from his mouth as she breathed them him in hungrily, and with each taste the burns that mauled her arm and neck faded until only scars remained.
She kept her hand tight around his throat, preventing the experience from being pleasurable on his end. The Succubus may have lost herself in her hunger and anger and drained him, but a placating hand on her shoulder caused her to pull away. Bo dropped the man, sending him crashing to the floor. He wheezed for air, cowering under the Succubus's violent, glowing stare.
Bo turned a questioning glance towards Lauren as the doctor pulled her hand away, receiving a curt nod. Kenzi was alive – not in good shape, but her pulse beat strongly beneath fevered skin. The doctor's eyes glanced between Dyson and Bo, worried one of them might tear their source of information to threads before they could discern anything useful.
"Let me handle him." Lauren stated with a firm professional air. Bo released an irritated huff and seemed ready to protest, but glancing at her friend's still form on the ground, she suppressed the urge to lash out and let Lauren take over. The last thing Bo wanted to do was allow her reckless nature to harm her Kenzi.
The good doctor knelt in front of the Fae and looked over him with cold, calculating eyes. "What is your species?"
The man's voice was hoarse and he coughed out his responses. "U…Undine." The doctor blinked in surprise, narrowing her eyes, she removed the pendant that displayed her fealty – and ownership, to the Ash. "Lies will not be taken lightly." The Fae shook his head, stopping the motion abruptly with a wince when his tormented throat complained. "On my blood honor".
Lauren leaned back, pressing her lips together in calculated confusion, "What did you do to her?" She glanced at Dyson, but the cop only shook his head, retracting his fangs. The lycan had not seen what occurred, he was only aware that this man was responsible for Kenzi's scream because he had ran towards the sound to find the girl recoiling from the Fae.
"Nothing, nothing I swear it. I was just, I was…" He grimaced, but lying on your blood honor was not something one did. "…I was flirting." this would not go over well with the surrounding Fae, who for the most part looked down on humans as an inferior species with varying levels of distaste. "I put my hand on her arm and she just, just screamed like I'd hit her. But I swear, I didn't hurt –"
His words stopped short as the doctor rose abruptly, rushing over to Kenzi. Bo followed the doctor, kneeling to keep vigil over her collapsed friend. Worry stained the Fae's flawless features. . The doctor rolled up Kenzi's sleeve, only to take a sharp breath when she saw the damage. 3rd degree burns covered the entirety of the frail girl's arm; the sight was alarming.
The doctor would have attributed it the injury to the same flame that harmed Bo, however signs of infection – and worse, were already present. The fabric of the girl's sleeve was likewise untouched, despite being in direct contact with the flamethe spectacle. Lauren had to draw from years of experience to maintain a calm façade in front of Bo after fully assessing the damage. Bo's , whose hand visibly shook as she reached and touched Kenzi's sweat beaded brow. "Gods, is that…?"
"A burn." Lauren responded clinically, but not without warmth and concern. She did not need to elaborate and cause panic, though her stomach was knotted with worry at the necroses that covered Kenzi's arm – an indication that she might lose it. But, there was no need to raise such concerns until it was certain. Bo clenched the fist of her recently healed arm, "Why is it so much worse than the one I had?"
Lauren responded with a slight shake of her head, her mind already scanning through a list of possibilities, "I don't know – yet. Let's get her back to the lab."
Bo took a steadying breath and nodded, glancing over at the man still slouched on the floor. She had been raised among humans and was unfamiliar with many customs of the Fae. She knew swearing on your blood honor was a serious thing but she also knew the Fae to be as sneaky as humans – if not more so. "How do we know he's telling the truth?"
Dyson cleared his throat, answering for the doctor to let her focus on looking after the little human whose strong spirit he had come to admire, "Undines are water Fae. He couldn't be responsible for this."
Author's note; Special thanks to my beta tester for helping me bring the story together better! This is the first chapter in many more to come, hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading.