Summary: Time Travel. Lauren goes back in time. She starts working behind-the-scenes to keep Bo safe, including but not limited to pushing her with Dyson. Too bad the succubus never got the memo and falls more for the doctor.
Disclaimer: Not mine except my stuff.
A/N: So I started watching Lost Girl a few weeks ago and haven't finished (nearly done with Season 3) but I was hit by this really strong plot bunny and decided to just write it out...
Past Imperfect Prologue
"I have it here," Bo whispered to the hooded figure in front of her. Even in the darkness and with the black, formless clothes, the succubus could recognize the person in front of her anywhere. Bo held out the iron band, which looked like a large bracelet or even a manacle without a chain.
The other person let out a breath and then reached out to grasp the band as well. "Thank you, Bo. You won't regret—" Her voice came to a stop when she tugged and Bo's fingers refused to part with the object. Bo could almost hear the swallow that followed. "Bo?"
"Kenzi," Bo whispered, fingers tightening almost painfully on the metal. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before looking back at the shorter girl. "It seems I haven't quite convinced myself that this is an act that would benefit my reign." She gritted her teeth and her eyes flashed blue. "Please don't tell me you believed me when I told you to come alone," she murmured. At the first half, she sounded as if she was begging Kenzi to have an ace up her sleeve, but by the end of the sentence her voice had become silky and dangerous.
"I trust you," Kenzi said firmly. Her voice didn't waver as she lifted her free hand to pull down her hood, freeing her straight black hair and allowing her to meet Bo's electric blue eyes with her own pale gray ones. "You know I'll use this to help you Bo," she added.
For a second, Bo's throat tightened and her eyes returned to the familiar brown that Kenzi had seen so little of recently. In that moment, both were not the Queen succubus and the stubborn key player of the rebels but rather Bo struggling for control of her powers and Kenzi the ever-faithful friend.
Then Bo began to laugh, wrenching the shackle-bracelet out of Kenzi's grip. Her eyes began glowing blue again. "Help me?" She cried. "None of you helped me when I decided to unite the Dark and Light Fae under my rule. You called me evil, but I know you all just feared my power."
Kenzi clenched her hands into fists. "You killed people Bo! Innocents! That's not the Bo we know. And I know you're in there somewhere. You know that we can help you and fix everything with this." She pointed at the metal but her hands shook slightly.
Bo began to laugh hysterically. "Unless you can bring Lauren back, you can't fix anything. And this shackle has nothing to do with death." A snarl formed on her lips before she regained her composure and continued harshly, "And I heard you all clearly enough years ago when none of you tried to help me bring her back. You can't fix anything Kenzi." An unpleasant smirk formed at the succubus' lips at Kenzi's flinch. Reveling slightly in the pain, she continued, "But I can. I am greater than death and I will bring her back."
"But that's..." Kenzi shook her head when she realized that saying "impossible" was not the right thing to say considering her own plans.
"Listen Kenzi. I've only let your little rebel group stay because it's amusing. But I'll bring Lauren back and then she will join me to finalize our rule." Bo threw the manacle down with a clatter at Kenzi's feet. "So enjoy your last few days. Not even that can stop my power now no matter what you plan," Bo's eyes gleamed. "I'll even give you a ten second head-start before I follow to collect this back and destroy the last of your petty rebellion."
Kenzi stared at Bo, wondering if she had been serious about her dropped hint on bringing Lauren back. It's been years, she though with horror. What will she even be like? A zombie? Oh god, I really hope this works.
"One," Bo said slowly and Kenzi snapped to attention. She scooped up the fallen metal band and then turned and ran. "Two..."
Kenzi raised her hand to her ear. "I have the thingy," she hissed as her feet pounded the concrete. "She gave me a ten second head-start but there's no way I can outrun Her Succu-ness." She twisted and turned a corner.
"That's why I was here for backup," Dyson's gruff voice rumbled beside her as he suddenly began running beside her. "Ready?"
"Hells yeah," Kenzi managed to say before he scooped her up and sprinted through the next several streets. "Is the ambush ready?" she asked him, gripping tightly on his shoulder and the iron with a hand each.
"Anybody following us will get hit with it," Dyson assured her as he passed into another street. They pulled to a stop at what looked like a closed bar. Still carrying Kenzi, Dyson went around the back and knocked briefly. They were let in after a moment and Kenzi leapt to the ground.
She looked around quickly to see the few remaining Fae still part of their group standing straight with weapons out and ready for their plan to be set in motion. "I miss the Dal," the human said hopelessly before she and Dyson turned to look at the person who had opened the door. "Hey," Kenzi said, holding out the object in her hands. "We got it."
The Nain Rouge nodded expressionlessly. "Then come with me. Disaster is already here," she instructed. As she turned to go towards the back, her words were proven true as there was a loud crack as something slammed against the door.
Kenzi whirled from where she had moved to follow the girl but Dyson pushed her back. "You go on ahead, I'll hold them—her—off," he told her earnestly. The Fae that had been in the room were splitting into two groups. One of which split to leave through some other exits to try to flank the attackers while the other bunched up at the door behind Dyson.
"D-man," Kenzi shook her head. "I can't leave you! You're the only one left—" Her voice stopped, her throat too choked up to continue. "She beat Vex, remember? She beat him and Hale and..."
"And she'll get us too unless I hold her off long enough for this too work," Dyson reminded her. "We just need time. And this is our best shot at it." The door shook and cracked as a sword jabbed through it and then retreated. "Go."
Kenzi grasped and squeezed Dyson's arm before turning and sprinting through a door to join the Nain Rouge while Dyson turned and got into a ready position. The door shook a few more times before it flew open and Bo stepped in. Dyson didn't hesitate as he charged forward, allowing the other Fae to deal with the backup that Bo had brought as well.
In a back room of the bar, Kenzi bit her lip when she heard a wolf howl and the sound of combat but she forced herself to move forward to the already prepared circle and ingredients that she had slaved over slowly under the Nain Rouge's guidance. It looked rather like the circles for Agallamh that Bo had used to bring peace during La Shoshain ages ago with one middle larger circle in between two smaller circles. "Right, okay," Kenzi muttered quickly. "So let's activate this thing? To stop any of this from happening."
"Stand where you're supposed to and begin the chant," the Nain Rouge ordered, taking the band from Kenzi and moving to stand in one of the small circles.
Kenzi scowled at being ordered around but moved to other the circle which the Nain Rouge had pointed her too when they had prepared for the moment. Once they were both in place, the lines of the markings on the floor began to glow a soft white. "When I go back—"
The person whom Kenzi was starting to think was the most annoying little kid in all existence raised an eyebrow at her. "You're making one wrong assumption though: you're not going back."
Kenzi froze and then actually growled. "You told me that we could turn back time. We have risked everything and now this is our last chance. And now you're telling me I'm not going to go back?!"
The Nain Rouge held up a hand to stop Kenzi from approaching her, reminding her not to leave her circle, but it did nothing to stop the seething anger that was directed at her. "One who lives can't go back. There is a reason so many thought this plan was impossible."
"I thought we're turning back time, not summoning a ghost," Kenzi snapped.
"Oh, we are certainly turning back time," the Nain Rouge said, rolling her eyes. Kenzi wondered if killing the other girl would ruin what they were planning and decided it probably would. Outside in the bar, there was several crashing sounds and a scream of pain.
"Okay, let's get on with it!" Kenzi demanded, spurred on by fear. She said the first few lines of the chant and then stopped when the middle circle shimmered. "Oh shit," Kenzi whimpered. "Lauren?"
"Kenzi? What-?"
"You'll understand soon," the Nain Rouge said quickly waving Lauren to stand in front of her. "We need you to fix things." The girl snapped open the manacle and then moved it over Lauren's semi-transparent wrist.
"Lauren," Kenzi called out urgently. "We're sending you back in time. To the beginning. It's for Bo. For all of us. You have to stop her from becoming evil. I know you can." Lauren's head turned and their eyes met as Lauren struggled to comprehend what was being thrown at her.
"Time travel," the smart doctor murmured, mind already grappling with the idea. Suddenly, she turned completely, taking her wrist out of the way of the metal band. "What do you need me to do? There must be an event or something we're trying to prevent."
"You need to stop Bo from being evil," Kenzi said simply.
Lauren frowned. "Bo's not..."
Kenzi shook her head and stopped the blonde from continuing. "Remember it started with the Garuda but it got worse after you... died. You have to stop her from that, Lauren." The Nain Rouge turned Lauren back around so she could fit the shackle over her wrist again. "Promise me!" Kenzi urged.
"I-I will."
Kenzi watched as the Nain Rouge leaned forward and whispered something into Lauren's ear before snapping the object closed.
There was a thunder of footsteps outside the room and then Bo threw herself into the room, Dyson hot on her heels. Both were bloody but Dyson looked decidedly worse and he staggered, breathing heavily as Bo took in what was in front of her. Kenzi felt her blood drain from her face as she turned back to the circle but she realized with a start that the glow, Lauren, and the Nain Rouge were gone.
"Kenzi?" Dyson gasped. "Did it-?"
"I don't know," Kenzi whispered, eyes wide.
Bo straightened herself out, assured that apparently whatever Kenzi had been doing had failed and sauntered over to Kenzi. She grabbed her arm, ignoring the yelp of pain when she tugged her former best friend out of the circle. "So much for fixing things, huh?" When Kenzi fought, Bo grabbed her and threw her bodily over her shoulder as if she were nothing more than a light sack of meat and Kenzi pounded uselessly against her back.
"Bo, you don't have to do this," Dyson growled, but the fight had gone out of him now that their attempt to turn back time seemed to be done. Bo kicked him to go in front of her out the door.
"Oh Dyson," Bo whispered with what sounded almost like regret. "I have tolerated you rebels for far too long because I cared for you and Kenzi once. But it has gone on far, far too long." She opened her mouth and both the wolf and the human seized up as the succubus queen began sucking up their chi. The last thing Kenzi saw before she darkness overwhelmed her was the circle once again glowing and Lauren staring out at the scene with dismay.
A/N: Got the next few chapters sketched out but then we'll see...