Disclaimer: Lost Girl belongs to Showcase or SYFY and I am only playing in their universe.
A/N: So this is my first Lost Girl fic. Love the show and this story has been rattling around in my mind since the season three finale. They left it really open as to what happened to Lauren, so I put my own spin on it. Occasionally I take a few liberties with the show original story line, please forgive. This story centers on Lauren and of course will end up as a doccubus but not for several chapters. Please be patient ;). Hope you like it. Let me know.
"Lauren I can't thank you enough," Taft rejoiced and stretched his arms above his head. The man flexed his hands and swore he could feel his body growing in strength. Lauren was washing up from the procedure and doing her best to control her feelings. She could not look at the man directly, instead choosing to view the man's reflection in the metal cabinets. The doctor was disgusted by the look on his face. Lauren prayed silently for her plan to work and for Bo to survive. Lauren swallowed hard knowing that she had given everything up to give Bo a chance to live. She smiled and thought she would do it again in a heartbeat.
Taft pulled his hands down to his bare chest and then reached for his shirt. Looking up Taft caught Lauren watching him. "I see you." he licked his lips as if he were the predator for the first time finding prey. He raised an eyebrow, "Are you admiring your work?" he twirled around. "Are you proud of your accomplishment?" When she stuttered unable to answer directly he laughed in triumph at his successful plan. Grinning wickedly, Taft walked towards Lauren, "You should be." Lauren had nowhere to move so she turned to face the man as he approached. Grabbing her roughly by the arm, he pulled her into a brutal embrace, pressing hard lips to her mouth.
Lauren pushed the man off her and slid to the side wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Keep the hell away from me." she growled through clenched teeth. She fought to swallow the bile that had jumped to her mouth.
Taft shook his head. He knew that the doctor had only helped him as a way to get back at the wolf. He had played her petty feelings of jealousy to his advantage. He had video of her techniques to repeat the procedure as needed. Lauren's research had already been confiscated and Taft, himself, was proof that the woman was a genius. The good doctor was nothing more than a loose end to be easily dealt with. With his newly acquired strength he seized the beautiful doctor's arm and pulled her with him towards a tall locked cabinet. Laughing as the woman struggled in his grip he pressed the numbered code for the lock and easily opened the doors.
Lauren let out a smothered cry at the sight of two large syringes similar to the type one would use to take bone marrow. She fought him kicking and swinging her arm anything she could do to get away. It was no use. Taft bent Lauren over the counter holding her in place by putting all his weight across her shoulders. She screamed again as he yanked her scrub top high on her back. Taft sighed, "You changed my life with science. It is only fair that I return the favor." He ran his finger along Lauren's spine stopping and holding a finger on his selected target.
He held one syringe in front of Lauren's face then pulled it out of sight. Whispering in Lauren's ear he said, "It's a concoction of ten to fifteen different types of fae DNA." Lauren cried out and fought harder to get away. Taft calmly presented the second syringe to the doctor, "This little baby is phase two. Little something I whipped up to make the body more receptive to DNA replacement, just another giant step forward on our little journey. You should be pleased that you going to be test subject one of a multiple DNA replacement therapy. You won't survive but your body will allow my other scientist to continue our research. Again I can't thank you enough for your assistance. It would be best if you remained as still as possible." Lauren froze then screamed as the first needle pierced her skin and embedded itself into her spinal cord.
TWO YEARS LATER
The sun had finally decided to show its face after two days of light rain. There was so much to catch up on that Lauren found herself working well into the evening. She had been out in the field all day and finally had made it back to the barn to finish some maintenance she had started on the older of the two tractors. "Damn it!" she howled as once again her knuckles had slammed up into the heavy metal side. There was a tinkling of laughter and Lauren had to smile, "If you're going to be here the least you could do is help." There was a flurry of soft wings and then there was nothing. "I thought as much." She giggled to herself. With a final crank she secured the gasket and then it was simple to finish the job.
Sliding out from under the old motor, Lauren placed her tools back in their assigned spot. Wiping her hands on an old rag, she tossed the old part and unneeded packaging in the trash. Dragging the back of her hand against her forehead, Lauren walked out of the barn and pulled the big doors shut. At their size they might have posed a problem for her once but now it was barely an effort. In the darkness Lauren walked towards the house ready for some wine and a sit down on the porch.
Half way their four tiny lights zoomed to her side. "Go ahead," she said feeling agreeable this evening and tiny shouts of joy sounded as two tiny sprites landed on each shoulder. They stood on her shoulders and enjoyed the ride as Lauren walked to the porch. "Coming in or going home?" Three jumped off but one was holding tight. She pulled the screen door open and right as she went to step in the last of her passengers made a jump for it. "Teenagers," she chucked to herself as she watched the foursome fly away slapping hands in congratulations of their survival of that night's deadly escapade.
Walking to the large swinging bench she sat with a fluid motion. Spreading her arms across the back she kicked off lightly with her legs and enjoyed the gentle sway. "So what's the featured beverage of the evening?" A crackling laugh sounded from a small stool to the side and a weathered hand held out a beat up tin cup. Lauren lifted it to her nose and sniffed cautiously then with a moan of satisfaction drained the cup.
"Wild Chokecherry wine," Lauren appreciation traveled along the tone of her voice, "Hilde you are a doll and the world's foremost vintner." She raised her cup in salute and then held it out for a refill.
More crackling laughter was followed by, "Vintner ha!" came the harsh yell, "You say the sweetest things." There was the scrape of the stool and Lauren was joined on the swing by a gnarled looking old woman. Weathered skin covering a frail frame could not hide the sparkle in the woman's eyes. Hilde the Hag held the large jug out and poured Lauren another cup. "I have twenty jugs set in the cellar. I know it's my girl's favorite." The woman let out a low chuckle and a pleased mumble, "Vintner, you and your fancy words child."
"Thanks," Lauren dropped her arm around the old woman and gave her a squeeze. It never failed to amaze the doctor the illusion that shrouded her friend. The older woman was solid muscle and oozed magic. Hilde was smart too; perhaps one of the smartest beings Lauren had ever met. She was also the reason Lauren was alive and doing as well as she was. The two sat and sipped the powerful brew in silence as the breeze whistled through the screen on the porch. It was a pleasant way to spend the hours after a hard day of work. The jug clunked empty on the floor as the last of the beverage was shared between the friends. The sound was usually the signal to end the evening, but tonight it was more like a starter's pistol.
Lauren stood and held her hand out to her friend. The hag was pleasantly buzzed but Lauren was completely sober. She metabolized food and alcohol at a fantastic rate. On the good side she would never again have a hangover on the bad side she could not drink away any memories. The hag was humming a familiar tune as Lauren's strong arm provided a sturdy perch for her arm as the twosome made for the front door. They were about to enter the house when Lauren came to an abrupt halt. Quickly but gently she placed Hilde's hand on the door frame. When the old woman was steady she moved off the porch through the screen door to stand in the clearing in front of the barn.
Lauren forced herself to relax and then she focused her senses. She cast out and caught the sound that had pulled her attention. Turning her mind towards the sound she adjusted the rest of her senses in that direction. There it was again. The tiniest of screams, the faintest smell of fear and then the hint of blood touched her lips. Lauren growled low and turned towards the house. Hilde eyes flashed red, "Go save them child." A primal scream sprang from Lauren's lips and she ran for the forest followed by the sound of the harsh cackle of the old hag.
The shift was easy now and Lauren allowed her stride to increase as the bones and tissues of her body rippled then flowed into their new position. Her clothing ripped apart as the mass of her being increased. The coat of fur that blanketed her body was thick and protected her from the elements. If there had been something to flash Lauren's reflection she would be looking at brilliant golden eyes splitting the darkness. Fresh from her shift she released another scream. It was a warning to everything in her territory. This area belonged to her and her rule was absolute. The creatures that dwelled on her land were under her protection. Whoever was causing harm was now warned of her approach. It would be best for all involved if they took the message to heart.
Lauren forced herself to speed up. There was someone or something on her land using magic. It was strong enough to tickle her nose. The energy was being tainted through the intent of the user. Lauren growled long and low. One of her revelations in coming to terms with her new life was that energy, magic and spirit for that matter, were neither good or bad, light or dark. No, the natures of these things were only defined by how someone put them to use. The magic she was detecting was being twisted into a dark, evil thing. It only slightly bothered her that she was salivating at the thought of putting an end to it.
A slightly stronger breeze wafted a blast of new information to Lauren as she plowed through the underbrush. She was very close. She eased her body to a stop and then checked her surroundings. Her nose told her she that she was virtually on top of the attack sight. Breathing in through her mouth, Lauren tasted the air and the blood that had been a hint before was now strong to the left. Turning with care as to not disturb the scene she let her glowing golden eyes do their job. She saw it and her heart hurt at the sight.
There was a body of one of the young sprites she had encountered earlier in the evening. It was the brave one that had held on longer than his friends. His body was dull and lifeless. Bending down, Lauren picked up the tiny body in her paw. She whimpered softly as she examined the remains and saw that his wings had been ripped from his back. For a human it would be the equivalent of having in your arms or legs torn from your body. The black magic was so strong it interfered with all other information the body might give her.
There was nothing Lauren could do for him now. Moving to the nearest tree she found an outcropping of new branches. With a silent prayer she set him where the new wood had diverged from the trunk. As she watched the tree's bark opened and accepted the small body, pulling it into the wood itself returning the body to nature. Lauren roared with fury and sadness. A small click sounded and Lauren lunged in that direction. The hunter was not gone and had just made another capture.
With silent grace Lauren's agile body twisted and moved through the undergrowth. Her ears picked up the squealing chorus of tiny panicked screams. A small clearing was nearby with a drainage pipe that ran with water most of the year. A group of sprites made their home around this water supply. The sounds were coming from that direction. Lauren surmised that the young victim was from this area. If the magic that had caught him followed his trail, Lauren shuttered at the thought of the whole community being tortured in the same way as that poor child.
Lauren took to the trees to gain a better position. The stench of the black magic was almost too overpowering for her. Fighting the urge to vomit she peered down to see the whole area coated in a web of the vile essence. She could see the sprites twisted and caught up in the mess. Their movements were as if they had been covered in molasses or tar. Lauren made to jump down when she was caught by a scent so familiar that she almost fell out of the tree. Ignoring the magic for a moment, she focused on the underlying scent refusing to believe what her nose was telling her. There was no way that Kenzi of all people was on her land and hunting sprites.
