The Hunted

by CuddleFae

Dr. Lauren Lewis has led her Fae crime-fighting team against various renegade Fae, the Garuda, the Ancients and Hades. With the help of her friends Dyson, Tamsin, Hale & Trick, the sides have finally been united. The new Ash and Morrigan have urged her to take a vacation to check up on the family she hasn't seen for a decade, but what she finds is beyond expectation.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Lost and Found

The snow was getting deep. She knew she should have stuck to the path, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her... again.

"Breathe, Lauren. Just stop and take a breath. Don't panic. You grew up on this mountain. So what if you haven't been here for more than a decade and sure, everything has grown and changed, but surely you can find your way back home. If only I could find the trail again..."

She squinted her eyes, looking left through the trees, then right. She turned around cautiously looking down at her footprints to be sure she had turned exactly 180 degrees. When she saw nothing familiar, she turned back, making sure she had not gone past another 180 degrees.

"Lewis, for a genius, you sure aren't thinking straight. Standing here worrying about not turning myself around when you've been turned around for the past hour! Nothing looks familiar! You're going to freeze to death out here when the sun goes down and you have no one to blame but yourself! No one knows where you are! You're finally granted a vacation and you make no plan! You're a planner who somehow made the absolutely horrible decision to 'go where the wind blew you'! Who even does that! You are certainly living up to the stereotype of your peers with similar IQ's today! Sharper than a tack and zero common sense! Sweet Einstein, you're an idiot!"

A few more panicked glances left the blonde frustrated and scared. As tears threatened to fall, she clenched her fists and took a deep breath, hardening her resolve,

"You are not going to die out here, Lauren Lewis. You survived seven years of indentured servitude to a bastard from hell... yes, you've survived largely in part do to your two dear Fae friends and their wickedly witchy friend..."

She looked up, noticing what appeared to be a large mass of branches up high in the trees about fifty yards away. She squinted for a long moment, tilting her head in an attempt to figure out why branches could grow that way when it hit her,

"YES! The old tree house! Probably the old rotted tree house, but just maybe..."

She ran towards the elevated mound of white, her lungs burning from the cold, until she was finally at the base. Walking in a circle around the large trunk, she laughed when she saw the old rope ladder still hanging there.

"I don't know if you'll hold but..."

She brushed the snow off of a few wooden rungs, her eyes going wide at the sight before her,

"Brand new. Well, that's odd."

She looked around for a home nearby, but saw nothing. Shrugging, she gave the ladder a shake and ventured upward, hoping that if someone had repaired the ladder, they'd repaired the tree house as well. The climb was shorter than she remembered, but that would probably be because her legs were much shorter the last time she'd escaped to her beloved tree house.

Arriving at the top, she brushed away the snow from the door, noticing that her wish had come true. The house was kept in good repair. Climbing inside, she smiled at the familiar interior. It was almost as if she'd never left. Had she fallen into some sort of time warp?

She was unable to fully stand, but she pulled back the old rug and found that the submerged steel tire rim was still beneath, suspended from the floor. It had been a brilliant design by her neighbor and best friend Kyle. Everyone had always thought he would grow up to be a brilliant engineer but then the accident happened. She'd lost two friends that day just a few months before graduating high school. The entire town was so depressed over the deaths of the two teens with such bright futures that Lauren couldn't wait to get away to Yale University for college and medical school.

She opened the cubby where the three friends used to keep their firewood and smiled. There wasn't much, but if she waited until she couldn't stand the cold anymore, she might just have enough to last the night. She grabbed the blankets and pillows, lodging them into the window and doorframes to stop the breeze from coming in before settling into a beanbag chair next to the makeshift cabinet that Kyle had made.

She dug into her backpack and pulled out her large Nalgene bottle that was still full of water, then pulled out her thermos, hoping her tea was still warm. Taking a sip, she cringed, but decided she would heat it up when she started the fire later. Opening the center compartment of her bag, she pulled out the remaining food she'd brought. She was now grateful she had been so drawn to the scenery that he hadn't thought to eat lunch.

"Chicken Caesar salad, carrot sticks, celery sticks, an apple and a banana... nice."

She opened the cabinet and smiled, her fingers running along the bindings of the age-worn books that she had left here long ago,

"Who in the world would keep this thing standing and not replace it with their own things?" Lauren wondered.

She ran her fingers over the items that had belonged to the two friends who had built this home away from home with her, a single tear forming in the corner of her eye before silently trailing slowly down her cheek.

"I miss you guys. I wonder if we would still be friends today if you hadn't..."

Lowering her eyes, she sighed, placing her food on the shelf, her fingers catching the edge of a piece of paper,

"Ow! Paper cut! Dammit!" She placed her finger in her mouth before grabbing the old first aid tin, "What are the chances..."

She smiled, "Of course the first aid kit is stocked. I guess whoever has been here must be regulars just like we were."

Once she had used some antiseptic and covered her wound to stop the bleeding, she pulled the stiff paper from the sidewall of the shelf.

"Oh my..."

Her hand went to her mouth as she took in the faces of the group of friends that Kyle's mom had always called 'The Terrible Trio'. Her eyes filled with tears before her heart warmed at the memories, replacing her frown with a smile.

She traced the face of the young boy, and then gazed into the eyes of the young girl before tracing her lips, remembering the kiss they'd shared the night before they had gone off with their respective dates, Kyle and Andrew, to the prom. It was a kiss that held so much promise...

Sighing, she opened the outside pocket of her backpack to find the snacks she had packed,

"Granola bar, energy bar, peanut butter crackers and, of course, skittles." She looked at the picture of the girl she'd had a crush on her entire childhood, and repeated the words she'd said to her before they'd kissed, "You've gotta taste the rainbow, right?"

She laughed, smiling before placing the picture in her backpack and zipped the pocket shut. Opening the peanut butter crackers, she pulled her favorite childhood book from the shelf and settled back to read,

"The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton." Lauren chuckled remembering how much this book had reflected her own life as a teenager.

She was the wealthy, socialite who fell in with two kids from school... two kids her own parents hated seeing her with because they were not of equal or greater 'social status'. Lauren huffed at the memory of her Fathers' words. Of course, her girlfriends' Mom didn't like her daughter hanging out with any kids from town. As much as Lauren and Kyle would have liked their friend around more, her parents expected her here on this land... this large expanse of land that was a mystery to everyone in town. Once she and Kyle had gotten to know her, they realized the isolation made here one of the loneliest kids they'd ever met. When they asked her why she didn't hang out with the other kids in town, the answer had shocked them. Lauren allowed her friends' words to replay in her mind...

"My parents beliefs about... human life... are very... rigid. I guess you could call them... religious. I don't agree, but my parents don't want me influenced by the evils of the people in town, so... well... I don't have friends... just family."

Lauren recalled Kyle's insistence that every kid needs friends and that they were going to make sure she had at least two. From that day forward, they'd always made an effort to do things on her terms so she wouldn't get in trouble for having friends.

Lauren scanned the vast forest that stretched out before her. This land had been in her friends' family for hundreds of years and somewhere, situated on this massive parcel, was her home... the home she and Kyle had never been permitted to see let alone enter. It was only at Kyle's house that all three of them could be together, but since their friends' parents watched her movements closely, they instead chose to spend a lot of time here in the forest. Technically, the third musketeer was home even though she wasn't in the house.

Eventually, she told her parents she'd built a tree house in the woods so she could have some space to be alone and think. Her strict parents had bought the story, so on the occasional night and many weekends the trio would scale the ladder of the Lauren Lewis-designed tree house to spend time away from the prejudice and hatred of girls' families. Only Kyle's Mom knew where the three were and that was in case of an emergency.

Of course, when her two best friends had begun to date, Lauren didn't venture up to the tree house without an invitation. She'd walked in on an exploratory session only once, but it had been once too often. It made her feel... sick. So sick, she hadn't gone to school for a week. She didn't understand the feeling until later... not much later, but... later.

Still, after that, they'd never allowed her to feel like a fifth wheel too often. They were careful to make sure she felt welcome. Of course, when later came... Kyle never knew about his girlfriend's attraction to Lauren... actually... Lauren hadn't known either until the night of prom... the night she'd lost her two best friends.

"Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea. I mean... you found the tree house, Lewis. Certainly you could find the town from here... but are you really ready to see your parents? You'd just wandered up here to see if they still lived here so you would have the option to see them if you ever wanted to... well, were allowed to... but..."

Lauren allowed her eyes to move around the tree house. She had known every scratch in every piece of wood, but now many of the interior boards were replaced. She looked up, smiling at their initials still lingering on the original support beams,

"L.E.L., K.A.R., Y.A.M.", she smiled, "Thanks for the fond memories, guys. You have no idea how much they've helped me to get up every morning. You brought out the best in me and I still try to hold onto that part of myself today... but it's hard... you see, there's this race of people called... well... you're not really here, are you."

She smiled a sad smile, her eyes rolling before she noticed a new set of initials on the beam. She sat up and chuckled with a quick shrug of her shoulders,

"L.E.D., B.A.D... Well, at least - whoever your are - you're keeping up the tradition." Lauren smiled, returning to her book.

Opening the cover, she began to read...

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It was the continuous shivering that awoke Lauren some time after dark. Her muscles ached and her jaw was impossibly tense. Reluctantly pulling her phone from her jacket, she sighed realizing her battery was nearing depletion. She had a fully powered charger with her, but was afraid to use it until the sun returned in the morning. The cold weather was not going to help her phone hold its charge much longer. Her best bet was to keep the charger warm and hope she could make an emergency call tomorrow if she couldn't find her way out. The thought of having to call her parents... it was a fleeting thought and not one she wanted to dwell on. She hoped to slide back to the comfort of the heated seats of her Benz and whisk herself from town just as quietly as she had come in. She still wasn't completely sure why she had come here... not really.

She reached across the small space to grab the stovepipe from the wall that Kyle had fashioned to serve as a chimney. Placing it securely over the metal rim she opened up the small hatch to throw in the small pieces of kindling and larger pieces of wood and tree branches that had been kept by the makeshift stove. Extending her hand to the ceiling, she grabbed the pull string and moved the sliding piece of wood in the roof to allow the smoke to vent out so she wouldn't die of carbon monoxide poisoning. She could only hope that the snow didn't melt and fall in, putting the fire out. Hopefully, the wire mesh she had created after their first disaster in high school was still up on the roof to prevent that tragedy again.

She opened the metal tin and smiled when she found a lighter, "Modern times means modern tools. I guess an upgrade from matches was due."

She lit the flame, applying it to the tinder, blowing on the base to get the fire going. Once she was sure it was steady, she settled back and grabbed her cold pack to eat her salad and veggies. Staring into the flame as she ate, she felt the room warm quickly thanks to the hot pipe and the warmth from the small hearth.

When she was finished, she stoked the fire, adding some wood and settled in for another nap... fingers crossed, one that would stretch until morning. Hopefully with a little daylight, she could get her bearings and find her way back to her car without having to go into town... after all, she was supposed to be dead. She chuckled thinking of all of the ghost stories they'd told in this tree house... here she was a walking, talking ghost story all on her own.

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The sun was high when the doctor awoke, sore from sleeping on the hard floor. Her mind was immediately pulled to a time when she and her friends had slept on this floor crowded together without so much as a hint of a stiff neck upon waking,

"What a difference a couple of decades of aging makes to the human body," Lauren mused.

Sighing, she sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. She hated not taking a shower in the morning, so stoked the fire before grabbing the old bucket.

"A bucket full of snow will heat up quite nicely while I eat breakfast... whatever mish-mash of deliciousness that might turn out to be."

She pulled on her coat, hat and gloves before tossing the metal bucket down to the snow below. Putting the window screen in front of the fire, she headed down the ladder. Sheltering her eyes from the blowing snow, she dipped the bucket in and started back up the ladder, but stopped when she saw the rope hanging along the trunk of the tree. Following the line up the tree, she smiled when she noticed it was the rope they used to use to haul things up through the trap door in the floor of the tree house.

"Okay, now I'm sure someone has been using this. There's no way it could be in such perfect condition after all of these years if..."

She stopped short, hearing the snap of a twig. Spinning around, her eyes traveled the area around her, squinting as she searched for any signs of movement in the woods.

SNAP!

The sound was closer. She spun around again, hearing the sound of rapid footsteps coming from her left. The blonde's heart was pumping as she caught sight of what appeared to be a very young girl with curly black hair sticking out of the hood that covered most of her long locks and half of her face.

"Hey! Hey! I'm not going to hurt you! I just need..." She huffed, as the girl ran away, slamming the bucket on the ground, "...help."

She could chase the girl, but that may only serve to throw off her sense of direction even more. Besides, she wasn't even sure where the youngster had gone. Sighing, she picked the bucket up, tied it to the rope and headed back up the ladder. Taking off her coat, she pulled back the small throw rug and opened the trap door to haul the bucket up. Closing the door, she placed the bucket on top of the stove to melt while she sorted through her remaining food. She was hungry, but knew she needed to keep at least one granola bar in reserve just in case.

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About an hour later, Lauren had washed up and gotten her belongings together, including a few souvenirs that she decided she would take with her as keepsakes... the book, the pet rock and the red bandana. She smiled, thinking of her friend's motto,

"Remember Lauren, it's always a good idea to add a pop of color!"

Lauren Lewis wasn't usually one for trips down memory lane, given her situation these days, but... well, the memory of the teen kiss had fueled her dreams all night and now, shaking the yearning for the girl of her high school years was proving difficult.

With one last glance at the tree house space that held so many fond memories for her, Lauren headed back down the ladder in search of a way out of the woods. When she reached the bottom of the ladder, she headed off in the direction she looked around, trying to decide which way to go.

"Well, you were lost last night and you're no less lost now, Lauren. You might as well see if you can pick up the trail of that little girl. You may be a genius, but at least she seemed to know where she was going which is more than you can say for yourself."

The doctor set off to in pursuit of the dark-haired child. At best, the little girl's home was nearby and she might be able to ask for directions. At worst, the child was lost too. In that case, she could help her find her way home once she found her car... or they could both freeze to death together...

"Einstein!"

She shook her head, channeling all of her focus into remembering the direction she last saw the little girl traveling before beginning to walk slowly through the snow, looking down with great hope of picking up her trail. After about ten minutes, she finally noticed small footprints in the snow. Clapping her hands together, she picked up the pace all the while thanking the gods of wind and snow that the snow hadn't blown any drifts over the trail of the child's boots.

Tightening up her coat, she forged ahead as occasional cold gusts slapped her in the face. Her steps quickened as she cast her eyes down in an attempt to shield them from discomfort. She kept her focus on the slanted forms of small boots in the snow that were quickly disappearing from view until finally, she smelled a fire burning. Looking up, she squinted hard, spotting a cabin with smoke dancing from the chimney.

Raising her arm to safeguard her face from the spray of drifting snow, she headed straight for the unfamiliar structure. Her friend never mentioned a cabin on this property. Lauren thought to herself... either she was on the wrong mountain or there was a new neighbor in town.

Well, town was an overstatement. Lauren had grown up in the town proper, but this land... her friend's family land... was miles and miles of forest as far as the eye could see. No one ventured out here when they were younger... no one dared... no one except she and Kyle, that is... they never believed the stories... well... not really...

Flashblack... Lewis Household

"Lauren, you are not going to that girls' house! Those lands are dangerous and everyone knows it! Besides, she is below your station!"

"But Mother, she's my friend..."

"Lauren, that's enough! You will obey your Mother!"

"But Father, there is no such thing as werewolves, the abominable snowman or Big Foot!"

Lauren's Mother insisted, "Well, something has consistently killed the pets of this town and Mr. Swanson hasn't spoken a word since coming out of those woods almost ten years ago this summer. You are not going and that is final!"

"But Mother..."

"Final, Lauren. Not another word or you will not see that horrid boy for a month! Lord only knows what you see in him anyway."

"He's my friend!"

"There are plenty of other children worthy of your time at the clubhouse, Lauren. You know how your Mother and I feel about you gallivanting about in public with that boy. We told you once a week as long as you kept up with your other responsibilities."

"And I have, Father."

The stoic man stood slightly behind his wife, hand on her shoulder as she sat up straight in the plastic-covered wing-backed chair. He gave a nod,

"Your first place finish in the State Fencing Competition is an indication that our insistence on your focus on activities suitable for a Lewis are correct."

Lauren scowled, though remained at attention, her hands behind her back, "And my friendship with Kyle has not prevented that success."

"Which is the only reason you continue to see him once a week."

"So can't I go to..."

"You were second in Archery this fall and third in the Marksmanship competition. You have missed riding lessons twice this month and the spring competition season is about to get underway. You have more important things to be doing with your time."

"I am ahead of grade level in every class. I thought academics and acceptance to medical school in my senior year were the priorities."

"Your attitude clearly demonstrates the poor influence this boy has on you... and this strange girl."

"They are not..."

Elizabeth Lewis stood abruptly, "Lauren Ann Lewis, you will go to your room and tend to your studies this instant! This conversation has dragged on much longer than we should have permitted. Our answer is final. You are not to go to those lands! They are off limits! Do you understand, young lady?"

Lauren's shoulders drew up to her ears at the sound of her mother's raised voice. Her eyes lowered to the floor, she replied,

"Yes Ma'am. May I be excused?"

"Yes. Dinner is promptly at seven tonight. The Montgomery's will be here. Dress appropriately. They're bringing their son Andrew with him."

Mrs. Lewis looked up at her husband, "Now that is a proper young man."

Lauren rolled her eyes and nodded before leaving the drawing room and heading towards the long, winding spiral staircase at the center of her home. Scaling the steps as quickly as she could, she ran down the hallway past her parents' room, her brothers' room, the study and the library before arriving at her room. Pulling the door open, she hurried inside and slammed the door shut, leaning back against the door and slipping to the floor before allowing the tears to escape down her cheeks.

Just about three minutes later, a soft knock at her window drew her attention. Her eyes went wide when she saw Kyle's lips pressed against the glass. She laughed, running to open the latch,

"What are you doing? You'll get caught!"

He looked down, "I brought a ladder. Come on!"

"I can't! We have company coming for dinner at seven!"

Kyle shrugged, "I parked my ATV at the end of your driveway. I'll have you back by six so you can shower and change for your date with Andrew." He laughed.

"I do not have a date with that cocky ass! Wait... how did you know?"

"He was bragging today about how his parents and your parents are already planning your wedding... how you two will be the richest family in town when you get married."

Lauren laughed, "Fat chance of that ever happening."

"Yea, I'm pretty sure the scandal of your love for the ladies will go down in history in these parts some day."

"You didn't..."

"Lauren, your secret is forever safe with me until you decide it's time to let that piece of news hit the town papers."

"Thank you, Kyle."

"Hey... that's what best friends are for, right?"

Lauren smiled, "Give me two minutes to change into jeans and a T-shirt. I'll be right down."

"I'll go get the ATV revved up and ready to go."

End Flashback...

Besides her friends' parents' hatred for the people of the town and, in turn, the townspeople's fear of the family that lived here, the stories of strange events kept people from these lands, assuring the owners their privacy. Her friends' confidence in their safety was the only thing that kept Lauren coming back day after day to the tree house, sneaking out at all hours of the night with Kyle's help. But here in this moment, Lauren had to admit that there were times when she was afraid to come here... like right now. She had a bad feeling and her senses were on high alert.

The blonde was shivering as she arrived at the cabin. She stood staring at the structure for a long while, searching her memory for any sense of familiarity. With each passing moment, she became surer that she had never seen it before. She had wandered all over these woods as a teen. Surely, if this cabin had been here, she would have come across it back then. She moved closer, running her hand over one of the logs. The wood wasn't necessarily rotten, but it was also far from new. The structure didn't look run down... just... well-used, maybe?

Lauren wondered... could this have been her friend's childhood home? Had she over exaggerated living in a mansion out of embarrassment? Is that why she'd never permitted them to visit here? But then again, what of the townspeople's knowledge of their wealth and massive family home? Lauren considered the possibility that since many years had passed, the property could have been sold after she had disappeared making this home and land owned by a total stranger. Of course... that was it. That young girl she saw out here earlier was much too young to have been her friends' sister. Her friend had no siblings that she knew of... cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and parents... yes, but nothing else... not even friends.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to think courageous thoughts as she stepped onto the porch, the old wood creaking under the weight of her boots. She peered in the window before giving a solid knock on the door. When there was no answer, she knocked again. This time, the door opened up just a crack. Seeing no one, her eyes traveled down to a young girl with long curly black hair.

Just as Lauren began to speak, the door slammed in her face, causing her to shudder and take a step back. She hesitated, her fist hanging in mid-air for a long moment before she knocked again. As before, the door opened a crack, her eyes meeting the large, dark chocolate orbs of the child. Lauren smiled,

"Hello there. Is your Mommy home?"

The child shook her head, but said nothing.

"Your Daddy then?"

Again, the child shook her head.

"You're alone, sweetie?" Lauren asked, surprised that a child would be left alone in a cabin in woods rumored to be so dangerous.

The door began to close, but Lauren knelt down and kept her hand on the door, "It's okay. I'm Dr. Lauren. I'm a little lost and am looking for help to find my way. Is there someone home who could help me?"

The girl shook her head again.

Lauren gave her a sad smile, "Do you have a name?"

"I'm Lulu." She replied shyly, bringing an old rag doll to her chest.

Reaching up to stroke the twisted blonde curls of the doll's hair she asked, "And who is this young lady?"

"This is Cara."

Lauren smiled, taking the hand of the blonde-haired doll, "Well, hello Cara. It's very nice to meet you."

Holding the doll to her ear, the little girl smiled at Lauren, "Cara says hi and that you're pretty."

Lauren blushed a bit, "Well, thank you, Cara. Do you think I could come in and visit for a while? It's very cold out here and... well, if you're all alone and I'm all alone, maybe we could all keep each other company until someone comes home who could help me with directions?"

As a doctor, Lauren knew she could not, in good conscience, leave a child alone in the woods and she couldn't for the life of her think of a reason any adult would do so either. She had half a mind to call child services, but knowing that she was trying to keep a low profile, she decided to wait until she had no other alternative. Right now, she still had another week left on her leave from her... job,.. for lack of a better word... at the moment. She had hoped to visit the lake one last time before she left, but right now, that seemed like a selfish use of her free time.

No, Lauren Lewis was a true believer in the philosophy of no coincidences and that ignoring coincidences led to bad karma. Staying with this child and her doll was the right thing to do.

She looked down to see Lulu's hand gripping her own and pulling her inside. She closed the door behind them and walked over to where a large fire was roaring in the fireplace. Looking around once more, her eyes finally settled again on the child,

"Did you make this fire all by yourself, Lulu?"

The little girl nodded before walking into the kitchen where a small ladder stood before the stovetop. She climbed up the ladder, leading Lauren to run up behind her to ensure she didn't fall.

"Want some soup? Momma says it keeps your heart warm when the world tries to make it cold. You can have some bread too. It's still warm."

Lauren watched as the girl carefully ladled some soup into a bowl from the pot of soup that was simmering on the stove. She then tore off a piece of bread from a long loaf and handed it to the doctor.

"Thank you, Lulu. Did your Momma make this before she left?"

The girl shook her head, "I can cook for myself."

Lauren stood stunned as she watched the girl climb down the ladder before reaching up to take her own bowl from the counter, then move to put it on the small stool by the fireplace. She then came back into the kitchen and ripped off another piece of bread before settling on a blanket by the fire.

Shaking off her surprise, Lauren followed with her soup and bread. She sat on the stool opposite the youngster, picking up the spoon and taking a taste of the soup...

"My God, this is... this is delicious." She took another bite as Lulu smiled proudly.

"Yea. I like making soup."

Lauren swallowed the piece of bread she was chewing, "The bread is delicious as well."

"My Momma taught me to make it."

"You made your own bread?" Lauren mumbled, her mouth full of bread. Swallowing hard, she repeated, "Sorry... you made this yourself?"

"Sure. It's simple. A girl's gotta eat, right? Momma says the bread's not gonna make itself."

Lauren found it odd that the little girl spoke so matter-of-factly without looking up from her meal,

"Your Momma says a lot of things. Is she at work?"

Lulu looked at Lauren, then back at her soup, then at the fire, then at the door. Lauren could see that the question had made the young girl nervous.

"It's okay, Lulu. You can tell me where your Momma is."

"She had to go... uh... she needed... well... Momma was hungry. She'll be back soon."

Lauren didn't understand, "Your Momma doesn't like soup?"

Lulu frowned, "She... she... it's not like that. Sometimes my Momma gets hungry and food doesn't work. She has to go away or she gets sick. When she comes back, she's my Momma again."

"How long has your Momma been gone?"

Lulu stood up and walked across the room, climbing onto a bench beneath the side window of the cabin. She looked back at Lauren before pointing at something outside. Lauren put down her bowl and walked to the window, peering through the glass in search of what Lulu was trying to show her.

"See? When I see the shadow point at me five times, Momma will be home." She smiled.

Lauren's eyes went wide as her eyes settled on an ancient sundial in the yard. She looked over to see the little girl smiling,

"How many shadows have you seen so far, Lulu?"

"Uh... well... none yet, but... well... it's okay. Momma says I'm fine on my own as long as I eat, sleep and play the way she's taught me..." She was silent for a moment before she added, "...but she wouldn't be happy that you were here. No one is supposed to see me and I'm pretty sure that means no one is allowed to come in. We never have company... never."

"Don't you go to school?" Lauren asked, trying to sound casual.

The young girl nodded and stood, tugging on Lauren's sleeve before she waved at the blonde to follow her. Lauren stood and walked through the cabin to a staircase that led up to the loft. She watched as the little girl hesitated, before turning back to her,

"You have to turn around and close your eyes. This is private."

Lauren tried not to laugh as the little girl crossed her arms over her chest, giving her a determined scowl.

"Of course." She replied before turning around and closing her eyes.

"Are they shut tight?"

"They are." The blonde replied.

Lauren heard a click, clang and the sound of stone-on-stone grinding before there was a bang and then silence again,

"Okay. Come on." Lulu said.

The doctor turned around to see a doorway that hadn't been visible before and a dark staircase that descended beneath the cabin, but no child.

"Uh... Lulu?" Lauren called into the darkness.

The little girl laughed, and turned towards Lauren, her eyes glowing a brilliant purple, "I'm sorry. I forgot you can't see in the dark."

Lauren shuddered, feeling her heartbeat quicken in her chest as the realization hit her...

'She's Fae?'

The Doctor watched as Lulu reached up and grabbed a lantern from a shelf not visible to the blonde in the dark. Striking a match on the wall, the girl lit the wick and handed the lamp to her guest.

Lauren finally found her voice, "You're... Fae."

"What's Fae?"

"You don't know?" Lauren asked.

"Don't know what?" Lulu asked. When Lauren didn't respond, she shrugged, "So... do you want to see my school?"

Lauren hesitated as her mind filled with possibilities for what would happen next. Had she uncovered a new colony of Fae? What was she walking into? A Human walking into a colony of unknown Fae could end very badly or her...

"Come on, Dr. Lauren. I bet there's a lot of books at my school that you would really like since you're a doctor and all..."

The blonde watched as the youngster disappeared into the darkness. Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, she followed... against her better judgment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Each step the doctor took let her know she was winding down a narrow spiral staircase made of some sort of metal. The clanging of Lulu's shoes in front of her allowed her to know when she'd almost reached the bottom. When she could hear only her own steps, she raised the lantern high to see the room before her. Finding Lulu sitting in front of her alone, she spun left, then right, her arm extended, in search of others. Instead, she found a room void of other beings... a room the size of her entire lab. While they were alone, the room did floor to ceiling, corner to corner... books... nothing but books and a ladder to reach them. The smell of old leather filled the space, reminding Lauren of a room back home.

"Come 'ere Dr. Lauren! You'll like this one!"

Lulu's purple eyes cut through the darkness like a lighthouse beacon.

"Is there a light in here, Lulu?"

"Uh... well... there's more lanterns over there and over there."

Lauren couldn't see where the little girl was pointing, "That doesn't really help me, sweetie. Can you..."

"Sorry... I forgot you don't see too good."

"I see fine." Lauren mumbled.

'Damn Fae and their superior genetics.'

The blonde sighed as the room was finally illuminated to a low glow that allowed her to see her young hostess' face,

"Better?" Lulu asked.

"Much better. Thank you." Lauren smiled.

"Uh huh. Come on. Look at this one. It has all the body stuff in it. It's so cool!"

Lauren sat beside the little girl on the floor and leaned over to see the picture beneath her finger, "This is the brain. It's weird looking, huh?"

"I guess that's one way of looking at it." Lauren smiled, loving Lulu's enthusiasm for science and learning, "So this is your school?"

"Yup."

"Are there other kids who come here?"

"Nah. My Momma says I don't need to learn with other kids. She says I'm super smart and since I can read, I can learn it all on my own."

Lauren nodded, "I see. So... do you have a computer to look things up?"

"What's a computer?"

The blonde stiffened, wondering how a child in this day and age wouldn't know what a computer was, "It's smaller than the book in your hand, but holds all of the knowledge of every book in this room... and then some."

Of course, looking around the room, Lauren was fairly certain there would be some books in this library that would not have seen the light of day in the human world and would, therefore, not be available on the internet.

"Really? Do you have a com...com... what's it called?"

"A computer and yes, I have a few."

"Wow. You must be rich."

Lauren laughed, "I'm not, but my boss is and he gets me everything I need to care for... my patients."

"I've read about doctors in my books but I've never met one before." She stood up and walked to a book shelf, pulling down a very old book before handing it to Lauren,

"This guy is Hippo-crat-is. He was one of the first doctors ever. This is his diary. He's really smart."

Lauren's eyes went wide as she carefully took the tattered binding in her grasp, holding it as if it were a newborn child. Turning the pages, she took a deep breath when she saw the very first version of the oath that she had taken when she became a physician. She traced her fingers over the words as she spoke in perfect Ancient Greek, her voice quiet and steady...

"ὄμνυμι Ἀπόλλωνα ἰητρὸν καὶ Ἀσκληπιὸν καὶ Ὑγείαν καὶ Πανάκειαν καὶ θεοὺς πάντας τε καὶ πάσας, ἵστορας ποιεύμενος, ἐπιτελέα ποιήσειν κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ κρίσιν ἐμὴν ὅρκον τόνδε καὶσυγγραφὴν τήνδε..."

"What does it mean?" Lulu asked.

Lauren smiled, "Now, if you had a computer, you could look that up for yourself. But to have a computer, you would need electricity."

"Do you have electicity?"

With a chuckle, the blonde replied, "I do."

"Can you tell me what it says?" Lulu asked excitedly, "I've always wondered what it says. His other books are translated. This one I can't read. I tried to teach myself... what is it?"

"Greek."

"Yea, but... well... honestly, I didn't know what it was so I didn't know what language I had to learn. Can you read it to me?" Lulu settled next to Lauren again waiting anxiously for the blonde to speak,

Lauren nodded, "I swear by Apollo the Healer, by Asclepius, by Hygieia, by Panacea, and by all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture. To hold my teacher in this art equal to my own parents; to make him partner in my livelihood; when he is in need of money to share mine with him; to consider his family as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they want to learn it, without fee or indenture; to impart precept, oral instruction, and all other instruction to my own sons, the sons of my teacher, and to indentured pupils who have taken the physician's oath, but to nobody else..."

"Who is Apollo and Askpeas and Hygee and Pancreas?"

Again, Lauren laughed, "Well, back then people believed in the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. We've since learned they're a group of Fae called the ancients."

"What's a Fae?"

"Fae are beings that pre-date Humans on this planet. The Ancients - the people that Humans believed to be gods and goddesses - gave birth to the Fae."

"So who are the Fae?"

The blonde sighed, "Well, they're a race of beings who keep their existence a secret from Humans, although they use Humans to sustain themselves."

"Do they hurt the Humans?"

Lauren hesitated before nodding, "Sadly, sometimes they do."

Lulu frowned, "You called me Fae."

Lauren sighed, "I did."

"So I'm not a Human?"

"Didn't your Momma tell you?"

"She said she didn't know what we were but that it was important we stay away from Humans so we don't hurt them."

Lauren smiled, "Your Momma doesn't want to hurt Humans?"

Lulu shook her head, "It's her number one rule. No Humans die."

Lauren smiled, now more intrigued by Lulu's mom, although she was still angry at the woman for leaving a Fabling alone like this.

"So, Lulu... don't you and your Momma have any family?"

"Well... when I was born, my Grandfather tried to take me, but my Momma killed him to save me. After he died, the Hunters came... they killed my Daddy. It's just me and my Momma now. I never really knew my Daddy. I was just a baby when all of that happened. My Momma says he knew he would never see me grow up. He left me letters for every birthday until I have some sermony."

"Do you mean ceremony?"

"That's it. Something about the sun rising."

Lauren shook her head, "Do you mean your Dawning ceremony?"

"Yea, that's it! That's what she called it!"

"And who are the Hunters?"

Lulu shrugged, "Dunno. They come when my Momma comes home."

"What do they do?"

"They try to hurt us..." She closed the book and stood up, walking to the shelf and placing it back in its' place, "... Momma says they want us to be dead... they say we're evil because we were born of the devil. Momma says that's not exactly true."

"Not exactly true? It's not anywhere near true, Lulu. You and your Mom are part of a proud race and it sounds to me like your Momma tries to do the right thing... well... more than some Fae."

Lauren shuddered. No little girl should have to live this way. Isolated, forced to care for herself at such a young age, learned from books, no electricity, no friends or playmates and now... hunted? She wasn't sure of how to proceed... she only knew that this little girl deserved better... deserved to know who and what she was... to be educated among her kind... protected by her kind. She knew exactly who would do all of that and more for her.

"Would you like to see my computer? To see electricity?"

She spun around from the bookshelves and smiled, "Really? Could I really?"

Lauren smiled, "Well, you showed me your world, it's only fair I show you mine. I can have you back here before your Momma even knows you're gone."

Lulu frowned, "I don't know. Momma says I'm supposed to stay hidden so no one can hurt me."

"Lulu, I have no intention of hurting you or letting any harm come to you."

"Are you sure?"

"I took the Oath of Hippocrates, remember?" Lauren smiled.

She smiled, "You did."

The little girl paused for a long while as Lauren watched her consider her options. Finally, she looked up at Lauren with glowing eyes,

"Okay. Let's go!"

With that, the little girl raced up the staircase, leaving Lauren behind. The blonde smiled, taking the time to blow out all of the other lanterns before gripping the one she'd been given and heading back upstairs. She wanted to get going so they could find her car before it was dark out. While Lulu could apparently get them there with no problem, she would feel more comfortable if she could see where they were going. Next week, it was likely that Lauren would have to return to this cabin to find Lulu's Mom so they could be reunited... if, that is... she didn't decide to call child services first.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lulu had insisted on cleaning the cabin before they'd left. She said her Momma wasn't too good at cleaning and she would get mad if she came home to a mess that she had to clean up. Lauren had also watched curiously as the youngster had put away anything glass, all of her homemade toys, the pictures on the wall and a wooden box with an iron handle on it that resembled a Jack-in-the-Box.

She informed Lauren that she always got the house ready for when the Hunters came so that things didn't get broken that were important to her and her Momma. Afterwards, Lulu gathered some things into Lauren's backpack, wrote her Momma a note saying not to worry, that she was going with Dr. Lauren to see a computer and she'd be back soon.

While Lulu was getting dressed in her outdoor clothes, Lauren added her phone number to the note and headed out of the house with her little friend.

They arrived at her car about thirty minutes later. It was then that Lulu confessed she had followed Lauren to the tree house when she'd arrived, making sure she was settled there before she headed back to the cabin. As they drove down the road, Lauren asked,

"So how did you know I was anywhere near your cabin? It took us thirty minutes to walk there in deep snow." Lauren looked in the rearview mirror to find the young girl's nose and hands pressed against the glass of the window, "Have you ever been out of the woods?"

"No way. Momma says it's dangerous out here."

Lauren smiled, "Well, I think you'll find you will be very safe in my world."

"Momma says doctors would want to pin me to the table like a worm and dissect me to see what makes me special."

"Not all doctors, but sadly, your Momma is probably right."

Lulu gasped, "Are you gonna dissect me?"

Lauren shook her head and looked at the young girl in the mirror as she began, "I will not dissect you, but if it's okay with you, I will take a little bit of your blood so I can tell you if you're Fae or not. Would that be okay?"

"You can tell if I'm a freak or not?"

"A freak?"

"That's what my Momma says the Hunters call us. They think we're freaks because we're special. She said they're really just afraid of us because we're different... and they think Satan is our Dad and Grandfather."

Lauren was worried about these Hunters... had she found some sort of Fae war?

"You never told me how you knew I was on your land. How did you know?"

"You're really noisy and you smell like vanilla and lavender. Those aren't normal smells for winter."

"You heard and smelled me? When?"

"It was when I was out back in the yard getting firewood."

"Wow. That's some sense of hearing and smell you have there."

Lauren was trying to add up the child's abilities to decipher her species and genus but she was stumped. Maybe the child wasn't Fae?

"Yea and I can do this too." Lulu reached up and touched Lauren's neck before saying, "Lulu wants to know what ice cream tastes like."

"Do you want some ice cream?" Lauren asked, smiling.

"What's ice cream?"

"What?" Lauren asked, confused by the change of topic, "Wait... what... what just happened?"

"All of my senses are special. I can make people do things with my touch and I know when things are gonna happen." Lulu smiled.

Lauren smiled, shaking her head. While her position among them sucked most of the time, the Fae really were an amazing race, "So... ice cream, huh?"

Lulu smiled, "I've always wondered what it tastes like in the real world. Momma makes it only in the summer time."

"I see. Well, I'm not sure we can find an ice cream place open, but I'm sure we can find some when we get to my place."

"Are we there yet?"

Lauren frowned, "Sorry, kiddo. We've got a ways to go yet. You could take a nap if you want."

Lulu shook her head, "Nah. There's too much to see to sleep. Hey! What's that?"

Lauren laughed, "That's called a mall."

"What's a mall?"

"It's a place where you go to buy things like clothing and... well... all sorts of things."

"Momma and I don't use money. We don't need it. She says money is the root of all evil."

Lauren laughed, "Well, in many ways, your Momma is right about that."

"Momma is always right."

Lauren shook her head thinking to herself, 'Well, she wasn't right when she thought it was okay to leave a child alone in a house for almost a month.'

The rest of the ride was silent with the occasional question about something Lulu had seen. The closer they came to their destination, the more Lauren hoped that she was doing the right thing. She detoured from the compound, deciding instead to head to The Dahl. She sent a few texts at a traffic light, making sure she had all of the supporting staff she would need upon her arrival. With any luck, they would figure out what she was thinking, taking a young Fae child from her home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This place looks just like my home school room." Lulu said, walking next to Lauren as she entered The Dahl.

The place was empty, except for her friend and mentor, the bartender. Lauren stepped up to the bar, smiling up at the balding man who was smiling back at her.

"Hi Trick. Slow night? Where is everyone?"

"Vex threatened them with their lives if they stayed. He decided that your kidnapping of a Fae child would require some discretion."

Lauren shook her head, "I didn't kidnap her."

Lulu climbed up onto a bar stool, "She invited me to see her computers! I wanted to come!"

Trick looked at the little girl and smiled, "Well then, young lady, I suppose you are on a... field trip for school then."

"What's a field trip?" Lulu asked, looking at Lauren.

With perfect timing, Vex and Dyson entered the main room. Vex, a Mesmer who could control the actions of others, came to lean on the end of the bar, inspecting the child like she was the first child he'd ever seen, "Where'd you dig this one up, Doctor? The Wilderness Society's Home for Sheltered Fae Children?"

"I smell wet dog." Lulu whispered to Lauren before looking up at Trick, "Do you make ice cream here?"

Lauren smiled as Dyson walked up next to her before turning to Trick, "She's never had it. Just a small bowl, please?"

Trick nodded while Lauren turned to Dyson, "Lulu, I'd like you to meet my friend Dyson. Dyson, this is Lulu."

"Well, hello Lulu. It's very nice to meet you m'lady." Dyson replied, bowing his head and nonchalantly taking in the scent of the child while his head was lowered. He raised his head, giving the child a smile before giving a slight nod to Lauren, as well as a small scowl,

"Something wrong?"

"No, something... familiar..."

Lulu giggled, looking up at Lauren, "He acts like the people in Shakespeare and Chaucer." She leaned closer, "And he's the thing that smells like wet dog. Why does he smell like wet dog?"

Dyson rolled his eyes, waving a hand at Trick. He was going to need a beer... or five.

Lauren laughed, "He's a wolf and like you, he has exceptional senses, so I do believe he just heard you."

Lulu's eyes went wide before she turned to Dyson, blushing and said, "Sorry. I mean... Momma says it's not nice to say mean things about people... I mean... I love dogs... uh... um... sorry 'bout that... I just..." she sighed, "... I think I'll just quit at... it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Dyson smiled, raising her glass to the girl before drinking a long swig.

Lauren laughed, "It's okay, Lulu. I'd love to meet any Momma who takes the time to teach their child manners."

Lauren looked down the bar at Vex who was eyeing the girl suspiciously.

"What? Are you saying I have no manners?" Vex asked, his hand on his chest, eyes wide in amazement of the accusation, "Okay, well... I may not be perfect, but what do you expect? I'm a product of my depraved childhood and that wicked, wicked woman you dethroned before she could prevent the merging of the sides..."

Everyone present knew that the Morrigan would not have had the power to prevent the merger. By the time she'd gotten word of it, Lauren had already convinced the elders from both sides that the Fae were becoming an endangered species. With more women than men living as Dark Fae, the merger was the only way to ensure the survival of their survival.

"...besides, how can this little waif learn any manners when her Mum is never home?" He turned to Lulu, "Come on, little one... out with it then... does your Mum really teach you manners?"

"Does she ever!" Lulu replied, rolling her eyes, "She won't even let me talk bad about the Hunters! She says we shouldn't say mean things about them just because they don't understand us."

"The Hunters?" Dyson asked Lulu before turning to look at Trick, the faces of both men now covered with worry.

Lauren looked up at the two men, "Apparently, when Lulu's Mom returns from... well, wherever she is... which, I believe is out feeding... the Hunters come."

Dyson turned to Lulu, "And what do you do when the Hunters come?"

"Me? I hide. Momma does her sucky thing and when she opens the trap door for me to come out, everything looks like it always does. She goes out for a little while, then she comes back and we have dinner."

"Trick..." Vex began, but Trick cut him off...

"I know, Vex. Dyson, you need to rally the gang. We may have a problem."

"That's an understatement." Vex replied, "You know I'm always up for a good fight, but if the Hunters have returned, we're going to need more than..."

Trick interrupted, "Vex, I'm well aware of what we will need, but with the clans working together now, thanks to our dear Dr. Lewis' plan to save the Fae race, I believe we'll have all of the backup we need if it should come to that."

"The elders have finally become much more cooperative with our initiatives lately." Dyson replied.

Vex looked at Lauren, "I still can't believe you convinced the High Elders that making Humans our partners in life was a better idea than keeping them as food."

"The Humans who were already aware of the Fae only and once they saw the latest numbers from the Fae census I ran, they really couldn't argue. Besides, if the Fae don't change the way they treat Humans, they'll be outed to the entire planet and we all know how that would end." Lauren replied.

Vex raked his finger across his neck and dropped his head to the side before Lulu replied, with a laugh,

"They'd dissect us like worms!" Lulu said to Vex before turning to Lauren, "I love ice cream! Can I have it for dinner?"

Lauren shook her head in reply, "Not all things that taste good are good for you."

Lulu nodded, "I figured this was too good to be something I could eat whenever I wanted. So, I'm guessing there's a lot of sugar and cream in it, huh? I think I can feel my blood vessels closing up as we speak!"

Lauren laughed, "Well, it's not that bad, but it's not something you should eat every day."

Dyson shook his head, "Are you sure this isn't a secret offspring of the Lewis variety? She's way too smart not to be your kid, Doc."

"I think I would remember giving birth, Dyson. Besides, if you remember correctly, I don't exactly have a habit of meeting my coital requirements with a particularly necessary piece of anatomy to make such a feat possible."

Vex snickered, "Well, there was that one night when..."

Dyson interrupted, "And I repeat for the one thousandth time, Vex, the doctor and I were drunk, fell asleep at the Yule party while we were talking on TOP of her bed... fully clothed... and did nothing that involved any form of s-e-x."

"Sex? That's when two people..." Lulu began, but Trick interrupted,

"Can I get you anything else Lulu?"

She looked at Lauren who shook her head, "Well, since I can't have more ice cream, can I have soup?"

"Soup?" Trick asked, looking at Lauren.

The blonde shrugged, "She likes soup."

"Do you have a garden? Where are your lanterns? Do you want me to make my own soup?"

Trick laughed, "I don't have a garden, but I do have a grocery delivery boy."

"What's that?"

Lauren laughed and turned to Lulu, "Let's just start with learning about computers for right now. Dyson, did you..."

"Your bag, my liege." Dyson replied with a bow and a smirk.

"Very funny." Lauren replied, slapping the wolf.

She opened the bag and turned to Lulu. Placing her laptop in front of the child, she hit the power button to wake it from sleep mode. Pulling up her Internet server and hooking into the Wi-Fi she'd installed for Trick about a year ago, she handed Lulu her mouse.

"This is a small version of a computer. This screen will connect you to that big world of information I told you all about. This is a mouse... not the animal version, but the computer version. When you move it, it moves this small arrow called a cursor. If you click like this, you can then type words into the screen, then hit enter and click on any article you'd like."

She showed Lulu how to work the computer, placing her hand over the smaller one now holding the mouse.

"Can we look up eyes? I want to know what makes me see so good!"

Lauren smiled, "I don't think that your particular gift will be found, sweetie. You see, the Fae block anything that they believe could give away their existence."

"Because they would dissect us like worms?" Lulu asked, running her fingers over the keys of the keyboard.

Lauren nodded, "Humans would be quite curious about the Fae."

"Are you sure I'm Fae?"

"If you'd let me take a sample of your blood, I could answer that question conclusively."

Taking a moment to think about Lauren's suggestion, Lulu allowed her fingers to run back and forth over the keyboard a bit longer before she looked up at the blonde,

"Will it hurt?"

The doctor shook her head, "Just a pinch. I don't think it will bother you at all."

"Okay. I'd like to know what I am."

Lauren tweaked her nose, "You're a beautiful, smart, funny and kind young lady, that's what you are. Don't forget that."

"My Momma thinks she's a monster."

Lauren frowned, "Well, I hardly think that is true. She's your Momma and she teaches you manners. She protects you when The Hunters come. She doesn't sound like a monster to me."

Lulu shrugged, "You haven't seen her when her eyes glow... even I get scared."

Not knowing how to respond, Lauren finished drawing the young girls' blood, "All finished."

"Am I Fae?" Lulu asked.

"I won't know until I take this back to the lab. We'll know soon."

"Can I go to your lab with you?" Lulu asked.

Lauren smiled, "As soon as you're done on the computer."

Lulu nodded and began typing in her first search as Lauren turned to her friends.

"Lauren, do we know anything about her Mother?" Dyson asked, drawing the blonde's attention.

"I only know that she and her daughter appear to be in hiding, that they live in a remote cabin on my former best friends' family lands and they have no traceable footprint. No electricity, no water bill, no television... nothing. They eat from a garden and greenhouse and hunt small game for food. Lulu doesn't even go to school."

"Where did you find her?" Trick asked.

"As you know, the Ash sent me to check on my parents... from a distance. Once I knew they were safe and no longer pursuing the truth of my cause of death, I decided to explore the woods where I used to hang out with my friends when I was young. I found her running near the tree house we'd built as children."

"Tree house?" Trick asked.

"Yes. It's a common structure that Human children build to..."

"I know what a tree house is, Lauren. I just... where is this property?" Trick asked.

"It's about two hours from here near Lake Pike. It's hundreds of acres of land."

Trick looked pale as he slowly asked, "Lauren... what was your friends' family name?"

"Dennis."

"Dennis?" Trick asked, confused, "You're sure?"

"Yes. Her name was Ysabeau Dennis and her parents were Aoife and Jack Dennis. Apparently, the land had been in the family for centuries and..."

Lauren was interrupted by the front door to The Dahl coming of its hinges. All eyes turned to see a woman wearing black leather pants, knee-high black boots, a deep maroon leather vest covered by a long jacket with a high collar, behind which, was a cross bow. Her hair was worn up in a braid, her glowing blue eyes were wide as she drew two daggers from her boots and asked...

"WHERE IS SHE?"

Lauren's eyes began widening with recognition as she stood from her chair. The woman's voice boomed again,

"WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER! GIVE HER TO ME... OR SUFFER MY WRATH!"

Lauren took slow steps towards the woman who cocked her head to one side, then the other as the blonde approached. Lauren's eyes never left the brunette as she carefully approached her,

"Lauren." Dyson warned as he slowly stepped in front of the child at the bar, shielding her eyes from what he knew might come next.

"I AM ALL POWERFUL. YOU WILL KNEEL AT MY FEET. THERE IS ONLY ME AND MY CHILD. WHERE IS SHE?!"

Not taking her eyes from the woman, Lauren replied to Dyson,

"It's okay, Dyson. I know her..." reaching out, the blonde placed a gentle hand on the woman's arm, "I know you... I know you... I do." Lauren said, her eyes flooding with disbelief as her heart rate quickened.

She was afraid, but a voice in her head insisted that this woman wouldn't hurt her. This woman... the one person she never expected to see again... she could never cause her harm... could she? The woman's dagger moved forward causing Lauren to stop her forward progress. The brunette stopped, cocking her head to the other side while her blue eyes continued to glow brightly. Lauren watched as she seemed to struggle with the words she'd spoken, seemingly struggling to reconcile them with what she was seeing.

Lauren took one more slow, hesitant step forward once again, Dyson's voice whispering words of caution once again. She raised her hand, signaling him to stop as she took yet one more step closer,

"You're my childhood best friend. I'm sure of it. I would never forget you... your face... your hair... your lips..." Lauren closed her eyes tightly, willing the memory of a single kiss from her mind. Opening her eyes once more, she reached out towards the brunette's arm, "We grew up together. The forest... the tree house... our friend Kyle... don't you remember?"

The woman cocked her head again, her eyes traveling slowly down to her arm where the hand was giving her bicep a gentle squeeze,

"...Ysabeau? It's me... Lauren..." She smiled shyly, "... you used to call me your Lolo when we were kids. I thought... I thought you were..." her eyes filled with tears, "...dead. Please Izzy... come back to me? Don't leave me again."

The brunette looked up to meet soft, teary brown eyes that were pleading with her to listen. She scowled, her eyes flickering between blue and brown before familiar eyes looked up at Lauren,

"Who... what... I don't... no... it can't be... it's..." blue eyes surged forward again, but Lauren was persistent,

"Please, Izzy... It's me... It's your Lolo. We were young... we were... very fond of each other... we told each other..." Lauren lowered her eyes, speaking in a whisper, "...what we felt for each other..." Looking up, the blonde added, "... you held me that night..."

The brunette cocked her head to the other side, "We kissed..."

Lauren nodded and smiled, watching as brown eyes reappeared. She slid her hand down her arm to the brunette's hand,

"We did... it was prom night. We shared... a special moment... one I've never forgotten. Do you remember, Izzy?"

The brunette looked down at Lauren's hand, "It's Bo now... not Izzy. Is it really you? Are you really my Lolo?"

The woman who now called herself Bo swayed, her breathing growing irregular, but her eyes remained locked on the blonde's as she awaited her answer. Lauren moved closer, giving her hand a squeeze as she smiled and replied,

"It's me... your Lolo."

Lauren reacted quickly as the brunette fell forward, catching her and gently lowering her to the floor,

"Momma!" Lulu ran to Lauren's side, "Momma!"

Lauren watched as Lulu laid her head on her old friend's chest, wrapping tiny arms around her body, before lifting her eyes to Lauren,

"Can you help her?" The child asked looking up at the blonde with watery eyes.

Checking her friend's pulse at her wrist and finding it was calming, she smiled at Lulu, cupping her cheek,

"I won't stop until I do, Lulu. Your Momma's going to be okay... you're both going to be okay. You're not alone anymore."

Lauren looked over her shoulder at Dyson and Trick whose gaze moved from each other to the Doctor. The pair offered the blonde a nod, before turning back to give each other another long look... a look that did not go unnoticed by Lauren. They knew something. What were they not telling her? As she took a step towards them, all eyes turned towards a voice at the door where a young girl was entering, stepping over the splintered piece of wood,

"Damn, BoBo... you sure do know how to make an entrance!" The young girl's hair was jet black with streaks of purple. Her striking blue eyes fell on the trio on the floor below her,

"Lulu, you are in SO much trouble!" the young girl declared, her hands set firmly on her hips as she scolded the younger child.

The young girl looked up at Lauren, "That's my Kenzi. My not-really Aunt and the worst influence on my life... according to my Momma... but Momma wouldn't have it any other way... so she says... but she still complains that my Kenzi taught me how to pick a lock and shoplift candy in my boots. If she's such a bad influence, why does my Momma think she's important for me? Does that make any sense to you, Dr. Lauren?"

Lauren closed her eyes, smirking, "Not in the least, Lulu, but you do know her?"

Kenzi's eyes went wide, "Know me? Know me! I practically raised this little flower from a bud! I am the salt to her pepper, the peanut butter to her jelly..."

"You're allergic to peanuts, Aunt Kenzi." Lulu interjected with a giggle.

Kenzi huffed at the girl, "Now how many times have I told you not to interrupt me when I'm on a roll... now... where was I... oh yea... the sun in her sky..."

"Momma?" Lulu asked, watching her Mom's eyes flutter open.

The woman sat up bolt straight, pushing Lulu behind her and drawing her dagger to Lauren's throat, her eyes blazing a brilliant blue once again,

"Izzy... it's me, Lolo..."

The brunette stared at the face of the blonde for a long moment before leaning in next to her ear and inhaling deeply. She pulled back, her eyebrows knitting together as she slowly lowered the dagger,

"Lolo?"

Lauren smiled, "It's just Lauren now. Izzy, you're safe here. You and Lulu are both safe here. You don't need to be afraid."

"You don't know me... you don't know what I am... what I'm capable of... I'm not your Izzy anymore... I'm... different now... I'm a... ma... monster. It's not safe for you to be around me."

"You may have been missing from my life for about a decade, but I do know you, Ysabeau... and I do know exactly what you are. You will always be my Izzy no matter what you call yourself. I'm telling you... you're among friends here." Lauren placed her hand on her friend's, "I promise Izzy... you and your daughter are safe here."

The brunette looked down at her daughter, "Lulu, why are you here? I told you this world is dangerous... I told you not to... I told you not to leave our home..."

She returned her gaze to Lauren's,

"... and now, no one is safe. The Hunters will follow. They'll be here. They always find me."

Dyson took several steps towards her, "How? How do they find you?"

Bo shook her head, "What happened to me? I feel... my head..."

Lauren placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "We'll figure it out. Can you stand?"

Bo shook her head, "I feel... drained. I... I think I'd rather stay on the floor for the moment."

Lauren smiled, "That's fine."

Dyson asked again, "The Hunters... how do they find you?"

"Geez. Who is this guy? I thought you had better taste in men, Lolo." Bo smirked.

Lauren smiled, "Now you know I have no taste in men."

Bo laughed, glancing up at an impatient Dyson, "Fine. Look... I don't know. They track me some how. I've tried everything."

Lulu added, "Momma always comes back through the trees. She never stays on the ground, but the black panther still finds us."

"Black panther?" Dyson asked.

Lulu nodded, "They have a black panther on a leash. His collar is made of metal. It cuts his skin... that's how I know when they're coming. I can smell his blood..."

Bo cut her daughter off, shaking her head not to give out too much information, but surprisingly, Lauren finished for her,

"Lulu is an excellent tracker." She turned to the mother, "Your daughter saved me, Izz... sorry... Bo. That'll take a lot of getting used to."

"It's okay. What were you doing there, Lauren? Why would you go back?"

"Believe me, going back to our hometown was not at the top of my to-do list, but I had this feeling... I don't know... I just... I had to go check on the... status... of my parents. I parked my car near Pine Grove..." Lauren hung her head, "Under our tree and well..." clearing her throat, she looked up at Bo, "I got lost and had to spend the night in the old tree house. Lulu found me, fed me and helped me get back here."

Bo shook her head, "Your parents?"

Lauren shrugged, "Alive. I don't know any more than that. I didn't actually make contact with them. It would be dangerous for them to try to find me. The Fae... they..."

Bo was shaking her head vigorously, "No, no, no... you can't be here... not near me... not around me. I don't want this for you, Lolo... I can't... I couldn't protect Kyle, but I will protect you. You need to go... you need to stay away from me. I need to go."

Bo went to move, but Lauren placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and shook her head, "I can't leave here, Bo. I'm not permitted... look... it's a long story, but I can't leave. Besides, I have a life here. Sure, it's not much of one, but it's more than I had back in our hometown after... well... you know."

The pair were silent for a moment before Lauren let out a long breath, "Izzy... I mean, Bo... what happened to Kyle? What did you mean when you said you couldn't protect him?"

Bo frowned, turning away from Lauren as her eyes flashed blue, "It doesn't matter. I have to go. They'll find me and when they do, they'll find all of you. I won't let you get caught up in my mess. I will protect you and Lulu if it's the last thing I do."

Kenzi huffed, "Yea... the chopped liver standing right here. Don't worry... I'm not offended at all."

Bo looked up at Kenzi with a sigh, "You know I'd never let anything happen to you either, Kenzi... of course, you do make it hard to keep you safe sometimes. You never listen to me."

All eyes turned to the young woman standing there quietly, her arms crossed over her chest in defiance,

"What?"

Bo heaved a heavy sigh, "Kenzi, I told you not to follow me. Now you're in danger again and so is Lulu!"

Bo spoke flatly, her voice filled with anger, yet fear.

"Well, like you said, I never listen to you, BoBo? Besides, I was worried you would... well..." she pointed towards the door, "...do something like... suck a smile onto a hot blonde's face and as for Shortstack here, she got her own ass in danger."

Kenzi eyed the room, "Although it looks to me like she's a whole helluva lot safer here than alone in that damn isolated cabin in the woods."

"It has a safe room, Kenzi! It's designed to protect her when the Hunters come! It protected me most of my life until..."

"Wait... you lived in that cabin when we were kids?" Lauren said, her voice brimming with emotion somewhere between shock and sadness, "I thought you lived in the big mansion on the property. How could they keep you there! If I'd have known..."

"It was for the best. I didn't know why they made me stay there once I entered Middle School, but I sure as hell know now." She steeled her voice, "It was the right thing to do."

Lauren looked up at Bo and began to protest, but stopped when she saw the brunette's eyes flash blue again. Her old friend turned away, becoming acutely aware of her hunger.

Bo had been interrupted during her feed back on her forestlands when Kenzi had come to warn her that Lulu had left their home. She had dropped the husk of a man she'd found trespassing on her property and headed straight for the small plane on the airstrip along the lake. One man was never enough to quell her hunger... not even close. People knew not to come on to her lands. There were signs posted everywhere warning of the dangerous beast who dwelled within the forest, but still... they came anyway hoping to make her their trophy. They came in groups with guns and crossbows, but had never succeeded in taking her down. She knew those woods like the back of her hand and had set plenty of traps to snare any unwanted guests.

Her thoughts were redirected to the feeling of Lauren's hand moving on her wrist. Her long fingers were laid delicately on her pulse point, her eyes focused on the second hand of her watch as her lips barely moved in her count of the beats. Bo noticed the way her old still tucked her hair behind her ear when she leaned her head down in concentration. As in the past, the blonde strands running along the strong jaw before trailing down the long slender neck reminded Bo of the current that ran along the sandy beach of the lake at her home. Her Lolo still looked so much the same... yet so much more beautiful as Lauren. Her friend had grown into an incredibly attractive woman... not that Bo had ever had any doubt that she would, but the fact drew her in just as it had when she was a child.

The intensity of that attraction had only grown through their teen years, but Bo had pushed the feeling aside in favor of protecting her friend from her family. Little did she know that while she sheltering Lauren and Kyle from them, that she would turn out to be the greatest threat to her own friends. She knew what her family was capable of, but she had never – at the time – thought that she could possibly be anything like them. She hadn't felt like them... not in all of her time at the cabin. Her parents had warned her a change was coming, but when it never came, she stopped believing them... she let her guard down. She had convinced herself she was normal... until that night with Kyle. If only she'd known that he needed protection from his girlfriend as well as his girlfriends' family.

Still, right now, all she could feel was the hunger... that nagging need in her gut and loins that beckoned her with incredible intensity. Yes, this blonde's scent was familiar... she smelled like... home and that gave her Succubus a sense of peace it had never known anywhere but in her dreams... dreams that Bo woke every morning denying. She would never endanger Lauren... would she? God she smelled... amazing and her aura... she felt like a moth drawn to a flame.

"BoBo... I don't think that now is the time..." Kenzi said, watching her friend's lips move closer to the blonde's, her eyes glowing a steady, ethereal blue.

"Just a taste... I'm so hungry, Kenz..."

"Bo... BO! You can't! BO!" Kenzi pleaded, placing a hand on her friend's upper arm.

The brunette turned, gripping her friend by her neck as the young Goth slapped at the arm, her legs dangling in mid air. Bo's other hand remained on Lauren who felt a surge of desire run up her arm, flooding her entire body with want... with need.

Trick nudged Dyson, nodding towards the brunette. The pair seemed to know exactly what was happening.

Dyson gripped the arm that was holding Kenzi causing the brunette to release both women and turn on the man, her free hand going to his throat... squeezing...

"You DARE interrupt my feed?"

Dyson could feel the fingers of the brunette tighten around his neck, "I offer myself. Take what you need."

"Momma? Momma, please!"

Blue eyes turned towards the voice of her child. Bo's commanded, "Child... you must leave."

"But Momma, Doctor Lauren says we're safe here. Please! I want to stay! They can help you! Momma, please! Don't turn him into a smiley face!" Lulu begged.

Lauren stepped forward, trying to shake off the effect of Bo's touch on her body,

"Izzy... I mean... Bo... please... can we talk?"

Bo's eyes dimmed to brown, then flashed blue once again as she looked at the blonde, "You should move away from me."

Lauren looked at Dyson, "Are you sure you can handle her feed? If she is what I think she is, then..."

Dyson smiled, looking back at Trick who nodded, "She's a Succubus, Lauren. We know. It's okay."

Lauren scowled. She knew she had been right. They knew something... more than just her genus. She sighed, watching as Dyson turned back to face Bo who had loosened her grip slightly. Lauren pulled Lulu back to her and Kenzi who gave the blonde a knowing glance. It was a silent acknowledgement between the two women that Lulu didn't need to witness her mother feeding.

Kenzi placed an arm over the child's shoulder, "Lulu, what do you say we go over here to the bar and get you something to eat... and me something to drink."

Lulu hesitated, looking at her Mom for a moment before Kenzi nudged her towards the bar,

"Don't forget about what that book said about your liver, Aunt Kenzi."

"Well, right now, my heart and brain need the drink more than my liver doesn't need it, half pint."

Kenzi led Lulu to the bar while Bo watched, her eyes remaining a steady blue.

Dyson stepped in front of the brunette, moving into her personal space. She placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back,

"You don't understand... I could kill you with a single feed."

"I've met your kind before... I can handle it." Dyson smirked.

"You've never met anyone like me... trust me."

"Feed, Bo... just... take what you need." Dyson pleaded, knowing that he had to keep Lauren off the menu of this Succubus.

"I need more than a single person can give me." Bo replied, shaking her head, "I don't want to kill anymore."

"You won't, Bo... you're not Human... I'm not Human... trust me... you can take what you need."

He leaned in, his lips hovering closer to Bo's. She looked past him to where her daughter was sitting, feet dangling from the stool as she talked to her friend Kenzi. Her eyes traveled to Lauren's who diverted her gaze to the floor. Looking back up at Dyson, she placed her hand firmly on his chest as he was about to lean towards her,

"No... stand still... no touching... do NOT touch me."

"But how will you..."

Shaking her head, she replied, "I told you. I'm not like anything you've ever met."

Lowering her hands to her side, Succubus eyes returned before she pulled a blue stream of his life force from his body from a distance. Dyson's eyes went wide at the power of the being before him, one hand moving to his chest as she pulled without mercy while Kenzi watched over her shoulder from the bar.

The young raven-haired girl was surprised at how long it took for the man to show signs of fatigue, but when he suddenly dropped to one knee, Kenzi intervened,

"Bo... stop!" She stood up, moving quickly from the stool, "BO! STOP! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!"

When Dyson's second knee hit the floor, Lauren reached into the lapel of her jacket and pulled out a single syringe before hurling it at her old friend. The brunette stopped her feed, looking down at her chest where the needle now protruded from her body. Pulling it out, she moved her gaze from the sharp tip to the blonde and looked into her eyes as her own returned to brown,

"Lolo?"

Lauren nodded, "It's me, Izzy. I'm sorry. I can't let you kill him. He's my friend... my protector... I have to protect him too... I'm so sorry."

Bo dropped to her knees, "No. I'm...I'm... the one... who's... so...rry," she said, speaking her last words before she collapsed to the floor from the heavy sedative.

"Momma!" Lulu yelled, running to her Mother's side. She looked up at Lauren who knelt down next to her,

"She's okay, sweetie... just asleep." Lauren gathered the needle into a case and dropped it into her pocket, "I gave her a sedative so she wouldn't hurt my friend."

Dyson breathed heavily beside them, "Thanks, Doctor."

Lauren smiled, "You're welcome, Wolfman. That heroic bravado is going to get you killed one of these days. You're not a one hundred year old man anymore, ya know."

The blonde gave her friend a nudge, the pair sharing a smile, "Seriously, Dyson... are you okay?"

"Other than feeling like I just ran a very, very long marathon? Sure thing."

Kenzi stood over the Dyson, "Damn! You got some mad mojo, dude!"

Dyson smiled up at the young woman before his face twisted at the scent he caught when she moved in closely, "You're... Human?"

"Uh... well, I'm certainly not a Giraffe!"

He looked up at Lauren and shook his head, "What have you gotten us into, Doc?"

Lauren shrugged, "I'm not sure, Dyson... but I took an oath to..."

Vex chose that moment to make himself known, "We know, we know... you took an oath to do no harm... yadda, yadda, yadda... how many more times do we have to hear the tale. I'd rather poke my own eyes out! What's wrong Wolfy?"

"Nice back up, Vex." Dyson said, struggling to his feet.

"Well, when nature calls, one must answer." Vex replied, grabbing his junk.

"Vex, there is a child present." Lauren scolded.

"He comes by his ignorance innocently, Doc." Dyson said, rubbing his neck, "He's a product of his shitty Dark environment."

"And wolfy here is a product of his. That Light Fae upbringing did nothing to help your balls grow now did it?"

Dyson growled, "I didn't see you offering yourself up for a feed to protect the Doctor."

"Living with the Dark for all of those years didn't make me suicidal, ya know." Vex deflected.

"Yea, well Lauren has saved your ass more times that she's had to save Trick, Tamsin and Hale's put together." He shook his head, trying to get his wits about him again, "Damn ungrateful Dark Fae."

"That's enough!" Trick intervened in the two bickering Fae, "If all we've been through together hasn't been enough to help you two bury the hatchet, I don't know what will. At some point, you two are going to have to work together... please... think of Hale and all of the effort he has put into bringing peace to the sides."

Vex laughed, "As if the Morrigan is ever going to let go of the fact that the good Doctor here turned her into a Human!"

"Vex, for the last time, she gave Lauren no choice. Besides, the doctor has been found innocent of all charges by the joint High Court of Light and Dark Fae. No one can prove that Lauren had anything to do with turning Evony into a Human. The former Morrigan was caught plotting to disrupt the peace between the sides. As far as the Elders are concerned, Evony got what she deserved. She should be grateful they allowed her to live."

Dyson shook his head, "What are you complaining about anyway, Vex? You got what you always wanted. You're the Morrigan of the Dark now."

"A title that means nothing now that the two sides can co-mingle. All the riches and none of the fun."

"Yea, my heart bleeds for you." Dyson said, getting to his feet, "Your life is just filled with hardship."

"I do have a heavy cross to bear. Another pint, Blood King."

"Don't call me that, Vex." Trick replied, reluctantly filling another pint for the Dark Fae Mesmer.

Lauren shook her head, "If you two are finished, I'll need help getting her to my lab."

"Do you think that's a good idea? I mean... neutral territory?" Dyson asked.

"I can't monitor her any further from a bar floor, Dy."

"But..."

"My main lab is better outfitted for the tests I need to run than my lab at the Light Fae or Dark Fae compounds. Besides, she doesn't appear to have been born into a clan. Dyson, she doesn't even know she's Fae."

"Well, the way she talks of her family, it sure sounds like she knew they weren't human."

Kenzi interrupted, "Wait... she's not Human? She doesn't know that. She just thinks she's a freak."

Lauren looked up at the young woman, "I'll have to run some tests to be sure, but... well, everything I heard as a child about her family and what I just witnessed... I'm nearly 100% sure that she is Fae... and Fae aren't Human like you and I are, Kenzi."

Trick moved from behind the bar towards the group, "I agree with Lauren that the neutral lab is the safest place for our guest at this time."

Again, Trick and Dyson exchanged a knowing glance. As before, Lauren noticed but said nothing, instead nodding her agreement,

"She doesn't seem to know what she is, Trick. Do you suppose her family ever told her?"

Trick hesitated before shaking his head, "I do not."

"Why would she not have been educated in the ways of the Fae by her family... especially as a Succubus nearing puberty. They could have prevented the death of our friend Kyle. They locked her away in that cabin. We thought she was going home to a family... "

Lauren's gaze turned back to Bo's, her fingers pushing the hair off of her shoulder before trailing down Lulu's back. She felt horrible about what had happened to her friend. How had her daughter come in to all of this? Where was the father of Izzy's child?

Trick folded his arms over his chest, exchanging a glance with Dyson who replied,

"Maybe it was for her own protection? She's powerful, Lauren... more powerful than she appears. I've never known a Succubus to feed without touching their prey. I've been with Succubi before... her pull was... extraordinary."

Lauren chuckled, "Interesting adjective considering she almost killed you."

"That's just it, though... how could someone your age almost kill a powerful wolf of my experience and age?" Dyson asked the Doctor.

"You don't look that old to me." Lulu said, while twirling her Mom's hair.

Dyson smiled, "Thanks, kid, but I'm 1,800 years old."

Lulu looked at Lauren who nodded, "Ohmagosh! You're like... Dinosaur old!"

Dyson chuckled, "Not quite that old."

"Are you really a wolf? You don't look like a wolf. I've seen pictures of them." Lulu replied.

"I'm Fae... a wolf-shifter. Do you know what that is?" Dyson asked.

She looked up at Lauren who nodded, "I read about them in my library, but they're not real."

Lauren smirked at Dyson, giving him a nod. He partially shifted, showing his eyes, face, fangs and nails to the little girl who scrambled to her feet, stepping behind the blonde as her eyes glowed purple.

"Hey! Out with the lights, kid." Kenzi scolded.

Lulu looked up at Kenzi, "Sorry."

Dyson looked up at the young woman, then smiled at Lulu, "It's okay. She doesn't have to hide who she is here."

"And what do you think she is, exactly?" Kenzi asked.

"She's Fae... like me... but..." Dyson inhaled, "... there's something... different."

"She doesn't have a wolf face." Kenzi argued.

Lauren intervened, "There are many, many different Fae. Dyson is a wolf-shifter, Vex is a Mesmer and Trick over there..."

Vex cleared his throat, "Hey! Hey! Do you mind not giving out all of our secrets?"

Lauren blushed at her unconscious geek out about the Fae, "Sorry."

Trick spoke to Kenzi, "We keep what we are to ourselves. It's considered impolite among our kind to ask about our powers. Our ability to catch people off guard is part of why we survives as a species and as individuals."

The doctor scowled, "Sorry, Vex. I was just trying to explain..."

"Yea, you were just outing the Fae to a HUMAN! You agreed, oh wise one, that the one law should remain, remember?"

"For the safety of the race, Vex. Not for the safety of a small group of people trying to help a family who has no idea what they are!" Lauren argued.

"Well, I can take care of any potential leak right now." He reached out his hand, then the other, causing Kenzi to begin choking herself.

"VEX!" Trick commanded, causing the Mesmer to release the Human.

"I'm the Morrigan and I decide..."

Trick interrupted, "The Dahl Riata is a place of Sanctuary! All who come here are free from oppression and protected from those who may seek to harm them! Clearly this young woman has been isolated from the Fae her entire life."

"Well, it sounds like she knew enough to fear having her friends near her family!"

"That may be, Vex, but it doesn't mean she knows the laws of the Fae. If she did, her daughter would surely have been taught who and what she is by now."

Vex turned and glared at the child before releasing Kenzi from his hold, "Fine! But mark my words, Human... you so much as speak a whisper of what has transpired here, I will find you and finish you!"

Kenzi's eyes were wide with panic as she tried desperately to regain her breath. Lauren moved to her side and examined her trachea,

"I'm so sorry, Kenzi. It doesn't feel like he damaged anything permanently. Some ice would help."

"What is wrong with you people!" She asked, pushing Lauren's hands away, "You're some sort of man-version of a fur ball, you're a – albeit tastefully dressed - psychopath and..." pointing to Trick she added, "... I don't know what you are, but I'm sure you're something crazy as hell too! And you..." she turned to Lauren, "... you want BoBo to believe we're safe with you? You're crazier than all of them!"

Lauren shook her head, "Kenzi, I swear to you on my life that all three of you are safer here than you are out there with The Hunters on your trail."

"Maybe we lost them. They're usually here by now. We must have lost them." She wrapped two arms protectively around Lulu.

Dyson sniffed the air, "I don't think so. Trick..."

"She's on her way." The barkeep replied.

"Well, she'd better hurry up." Dyson replied, taking a deep breath, "Vex... get ready."

Trick walked behind the bar and picked up his shotgun, bracing himself on the bar, the barrel pointed at the door, "Dyson?"

"They're here." The wolf replied, shifting into his wolf form and tearing the rags that were once his shirt from his torso just as five men entered the bar, armed with firearms.

Lauren immediately took two down with syringes thrown from each hand. Dyson took the next one who grazed him with a bullet before the wolf snapped his neck. Vex held the last two, causing them to point their weapons at each other and fire.

"Well, that was easy."

Dyson shook his head, "There's more. Lauren, get the Human and kid down to Trick's lair."

He picked up a table and placed it over Bo's body, "Vex, they're coming in the back door. I've got the front."

"I heard there's a party. I'm insulted you didn't invite me sooner." Kenzi eyed the tall blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman as she walked past her on the way to Trick's lair,

"Let me guess... Amazon warrior princess?" She deadpanned.

"Don't insult me. I'm a Valkyrie Princess." She looked past Kenzi, "Doc, you cool on your own?"

Lauren ushered the Human and the child down the stairs, closing the door behind them. She flipped over a table and ducked down behind it before opening her jacket to reveal a row of syringes, "Armed and ready, Tamsin."

"Great. Make protecting that door your priority. Acacia says the little one there is important... her Mom even more so."

Lauren scowled, wondering what else she didn't know about her childhood friend. This was all very overwhelming, but right now, she needed to focus on keeping them safe.