A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews! I have everything planned out on where I want the story to go it is just a matter of me finding the right words and so on to write it. I plan on finishing this, so no worries on this front. I hope you enjoy this installment!
POV Kenzi:
I had no cases to work on, nothing to do, and a free bar tab that I had recently been neglecting. I was ready to get my drink on and there was only one place worth being, The Dal!
I was going to see if my girl Bo wanted to come with, but she was busy working with the wolf man. She had been in a funk lately anyway. So I don't think she would exactly be up for a night of booze and innocent flirtation. I think she was more up for a Ben and Jerry and wine night. We'll have to schedule that in for tomorrow.
My first few steps into the Dal were met by the usual glares and curious stares. I just continued my usual swagger, scanning the room as I went. There were a few nice watches here and there, some big wallets in the room, but sadly I wasn't in that game anymore. My next scan was for Hale; pool table no, hitting on waitresses no, Hale appeared to be missing in action. Oh well, just more free booze for me! I continued into the room towards the main point of interest, the bar.
"Hey Tricky Trickster! T-Man! How's it hanging?" I said as I approached, hanging over the bar as I took my usual stool.
Trick gave me an unappreciative look before replying, "Hey Kenzi. What can I get for you?"
"The usual, Tequila!"
He shuffled off to get a shot glass and a bottle of one of the finer liquids of life. I waited patiently, drumming my fingers on the bar top.
Trick gave a stern glare to my hands as he placed a shot glass on the bar counter along with a bottle of Tequila. He poured me a hefty shot before asking, "Should I just leave the bottle?"
"Yes!" I said exasperated, after drinking the shot and slamming the shot glass on the bar. Trick simply smiled at my enthusiasm before going to check on the patron next to me.
I was on my third shot when the person next to me bumped into me, causing me to spill it.
"Hey!" I yelled ready to throw down, when I realized who had just bumped into me.
"Whoops-e-daisies! Sorry about that I seem to be quite inebriated. Here I'll get you another one." The woman slurred, as she began groping herself trying to find a wallet.
Suddenly her hands plunged into a pocket and sloppily flailed about pulling out a wallet, "Here we are!" She flung herself in my direction and continued, "What would you like?"
"Ummm….Lauren poo I think it's time someone went home."
"Ah! Come on! The night is young. We still have 5 hours til 2 am. Pleeenty of time." I wasn't budging and so she added, wobbling slightly toward me eyes wide expectantly, "I'll pay for something top shelf…."
Shit! She knew my weakness. Dam it! I couldn't pass it up. Then Bo popped in my head. WWBD? Dam it Bo! Okay I'll have one drink and then help the doc home, simple as that. Just one I swear, I pleaded with the Bo in my head. What could go wrong?
One hour and a slew of shot glasses later me and Lauren were both wasted.
"…So after I extracted the pods from underneath his dorsal fin I told him to get the fuck out of my lab and then punched him in the face to get my point across. That is why I am no longer allowed to work with the Dittie clan." Lauren had just finished telling some crazy ass story, slightly swaying as she went.
My mouth hung open for a few minutes before I proclaimed, in disbelief, 'REALLY!"
"Yep!... Well except for the part where I said fuck. That would be unprofessional." Lauren said nonchalantly before taking another shot, completely missing her mouth, pouring half of it down her shirt.
"Shit! Now I know who I'm calling when I need to form a street crew! Dam girl!"
I took another shot before saying, "Now I understand why Bo likes after hours Lauren."
With the mention of Bo's name Lauren's face fell, she groaned out loud in pain, and rubbed roughly at her eyes with her hands. I put my hand lightly on her back to comfort her, a new friendship formed in our drunken haze. With the new found contact, Lauren suddenly shot up out of her seat and proclaimed, "I want to dance!"
She quickly made her way to the dance floor, swaying gracefully as she went. Okay that was a lie, she looked like she was going to fall on her ass with every step. Well this should be fun I told myself as I trailed after her. The room began to spin, making it harder to keep focused on the blonde falling on people as she made her way to the center of the floor. Suddenly Lauren stopped and began to sway in place, her hands running through her hair and down her body absent mindedly. I had to stop and just stare. Who would have thunked it. Drunk dancing Lauren looked like a sexy sober Lauren that had rythem. I started to sway with the music, the room spinning again as I did. Woah! I can do this I told myself. Then all the sudden hands were on my shoulders steadying me. I looked up to find Lauren standing in front of me. I smiled lightly, until I saw her eyes. Something was wrong, her eyes were so sad…so dead. Her breathing became heavy and rapid. She's going to have an anxiety attack, was my first thought. Then Lauren lurched forward slightly and all I could think is she's going to throw up on me! She's going to throw up on me! Fuck no I wasn't going to let that happen! I quickly sobered up and tried to twist out of her grip, but hot pants had a fucking iron grip. I closed my eyes in anticipation, but instead Lauren fell forward into my arms. I let out an oof at the weight that suddenly settled on my small frame. I tried to support her, but she was too much and I slowly sunk to my knees.
I thought she had pasted out and pleaded over the loud music, "Someone Help! GIRL DOWN!" No one heard me. "Gee thanks." I said to no one in particular. Then I heard it someone softly chanting. At first I wasn't sure what was being said, but then it became clear.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but I love her. I love her. I sorry I hurt her, but I love her. I love her." It kept playing over and over, a desperate voice choking it out between sobs.
I was confused at first, but then I looked down to my shoulder. There sat a Lauren completely broken. Tears were running down her cheeks, leaving behind red angry trails in their wake. Her eyes were pleading, as if I had the answer, the power to make everything okay or at least the ability to make sense of it all. She clung to me in a similar fashion. I did not know what to do. This wasn't supposed to happen. Bo was supposed to be the sobbing mess clinging to me, not Lauren. The Doctor was so well put together. She didn't have feelings, at least not these feelings. She was supposed to be the one that was put together and okay. I was supposed to hate her, but instead all I could feel was pity and sadness.
Finally, Lauren calmed down long enough for me to help her to Trick's back office. I sat her down on the nearest couch. I took the seat next to her and watched her. Lauren's sobs had now slowed down to small hiccups that shook her body. She looked so lost, her eyes red, glazed over, and dull staring at nothing in particular. The words she had once spoken were now lost on dry unmoving lips. I placed my hand on Lauren's back and rubbed her back in a slow motion, in an attempt to calm her. I did not know what to do.
After a few minutes I decided to try and bridge the topic. "I know I am not supposed to be saying this, but …you shouldn't feel bad. Yes, you hurt her, but Bo will get over it." This brought on a few new tears. "Bo knows how much you love Nadia. She knows that Nadia is your something for life, the one that will make you happy. That is all Bo wants…is for you to be happy. If you're happy Bo will be happy. It will take a while, but she'll get there. She'll get over you like she got over Dyson."
Now I know some of what I said was a lie. I know Lauren meant more to Bo than just an adolescent relationship. I know Bo loves Lauren and will never truly get over her, but Bo will eventually find someone else. I was just hoping it would help the situation. Lauren could not be like this. If Lauren was like this then the world was going to end. I really had the erg to look outside and see if pigs were flying because this was so fucked up, but I suppressed the erg for the moment.
My little speech did not have the desired effect. Instead of pulling herself together, Lauren started sobbing intensely again, her head in her hands. I was just about to get up to get Trick, now completely out of ideas, when Lauren suddenly shot up, scaring the shit out of me.
"I love her I really do! But I can't …not know." Lauren said.
"Okaaay…" I relied, looking at Lauren like she was bat shit crazy.
"You don't get it. I-I…I love Bo…" She said looking away.
I sighed, a smile plastering across my face, FINALLY. "Easy Doc! Then tell her."
"But I can't…" Lauren said, searching her hands for something unknown.
"Why?"
She found my eyes before beginning, "Because I love Nadia too." I gave her another confused look causing her to continue, "It is different though. I can't leave Nadia she just woke up. She has no one. I am her everything, her guide to the world she was absent from for the last five years. I am the only thing that remains of the world that she knows….. and she's the only thing that remains of a world I miss. A world in which I was someone else, someone free. A place where after hours Lauren always was present. The problem is though that her-her body no longer feel right...no longer like home." I gave her another look that was something on the order of I don't want to hear about your sex life. Luckily though she stopped paying attention to me and just kept on talking. A smile spread across her face as she started in on the next part. "I feel that with Bo though…like I am home, like we just fit." Then her face fell. "But I hurt her…both of them…and I don't know what to do. I can't talk to Nadia because I haven't told her about Bo, I don't want to hurt her. I can't talk to Bo because that would just hurt her more. The most fucked up part is I am hurting them both and I can't stop. I don't know what to do." As Lauren finished she pressed her hands into her face, running them up and then into her hair, pulling on her golden locks lightly.
We sat in silence for a few moments before I finally knew what to say.
"You need to be honest with them. Bo and Nadia deserve that much…Fuck! You deserve that much." I looked directly into Lauren's eyes before finishing, "Follow your heart not your head. Do not use logic for this one. You're just going to make things worse if you do that."
Lauren simply nodded, digesting everything I said.
"Now let's get your hot pants pressed and ready to go or whatever you do. It's late and I want to get home and crash, maybe after a cookie…or two. Like those big ones. All this mooshy gooshy stuff've made me hungry. I'll just get Trick to call us a cab."
When I came back I found a fairly calm Lauren. When I entered the room Lauren's eyes shot straight to mine.
" I want to call her, Nadia. I want to tell her everything."
"Whoah! Whoah! I'm glad that you are making great strides and everything Doc, but right now is not exactly the best time in your condition. I mean you're kind of…drunk. Currently drunk Lauren is a sad Lauren, which turns into a sobbing Lauren, which turns into a very emotional Lauren, and that might not be good…right now."
"I already called her. She'll be here to pick me up in a few minutes."
"Oh…" was all I could say.
Then Trick came in to get me, the cab had arrived. Before leaving I made sure Trick would stay with Lauren until Nadia came. He reassured me he would keep an eye on her.
On the whole ride home it was like I was in shock. Did that really happen? My mind was swimming in all the new information. Finally after a few moments of just sitting in the back of the cab wide eyed in shock, I snapped out of it. I really need to start going to normal human bars, and I REALLY need a cookie.
