It finally hit Bo, later that evening, what had been bugging her all day. She had a lot of worries for what seemed like a successful day,(All in a day's work in the fae world) but a half formed idea niggled at the edge of her consciousness, making her antsy and distracted. Apparently it made her too distracted when she failed to properly show her regard (her amusement, her sympathy, her general attention) for Kenzi's adventure with Hale and the Glaive's daughter. So she managed to help reunite a guy to his dead husband, gaining Trick's good favour, but she'd also had to kill an ancient fae that knew a lot and probably had important friends somewhere. (Somehow she doubted that the unlikeable Lich had "true friends", but she wouldn't put it past him to have connections that could later bite her in the ass. Figuratively and literally.)
Then there was that clue about cursing Nadia (which she was only worried about because of Lauren's reaction).
Speaking of Lauren, who was her biggest worry (what else is new?) and that kiss... that kiss, which thrilled her and made her want for more. Bo had always felt Lauren's want of her and it made all her interactions with the doctor tinged with that awareness. Even after knowing of Nadia's existence, that want had never really vanished but Bo ignored it. She wanted to be the mature one this time. The one who understood and supported Lauren in her time of need. But Lauren kissed her and she was pulled in, almost drowning from the force of their feelings. It was only the thought that Nadia's comatose body was lying not more than 2 feet from them that pulled her back out.
Bo sighed and rubbed her eyes. She took another sip from the hot chocolate she made earlier, but it was already lukewarm from all the brooding she's doing. Thinking of Nadia and Lauren and the kiss brought that niggling sensation back and this time Bo recognized it. What had been bothering her all along.
She blinked and moved around on the couch, putting her cup on the centre table. Lauren hadn't struggled. Earlier when they were captured by the Lich and his entourage, Bo had been gasping in pain, struggling to stay conscious and stand her ground. They had taken Lauren and laid her on the table and she hadn't struggled. She had merely closed her eyes when she felt the knife on her throat. Why?
Infuriated with that thought, Bo jumped up and began to pace her in their small living area. The thought of giving up was almost anathema to her who had fought for almost everything she had. Yet Lauren had essentially given up. Why?
It's true that she was no match for the entourage that took her. Aside from dead (she wasn't sure they could even feel anything in their zombie states), they were also imbued with a powerful Fae life force. But to just lie there and die? Did Lauren actually have so much faith in her ability to rescue them that she never made an effort to rescue herself?
Bo knew that was crap. Lauren gave up, plain and simple. Bo suddenly remembered that time when Kenzi was dying from the poisoned foot soup, and Lauren had seemed reluctant. Not to help, but to go against The Ash's rules. What if her years "in captivity" had changed her more than Bo had originally thought? Just earlier, didn't Lauren say how much the past years had sucked for her. And in Lauren speak it probably meant horrible.
Bo shivered at the thought and frowned. She had been so gungho trying to free Lauren from The Ash physically that she'd never truly considered yet how deep the damage was. Lauren was human and a slave in the Fae world. A brilliant human, but human nonetheless. For her not to struggle in the face of death, what events could have happened in her life to trigger that non-reaction?
Bo stopped pacing and glared at her patched walls. It didn't matter that The Ash was a jerk, or that Nadia existed. Only Lauren mattered now. She had promised Lauren she'd save her, and this time, she amended that promise. She will save her from both The Ash and herself. Because slavery was wrong and Lauren was her dearest friend, who'd helped her many times before and because Lauren, whenever she forgot herself and truly smiled was the most beautiful thing Bo had ever seen.
