Title : Lasting Shadows
Author : Tariq ( formerly Aeris Jade Orion )
Rating : R
Pairing : LL/BD
Timeline : Season One
Summary : What if Lauren suffered from PTSD?.
Authors note: It's unbeta'd. At the moment I
have no beta reader for this genre. So drop me
a line if you're interested.
Second, due to health issues, and taking care
of my disabled mom, I haven't been able to
write much. But over the last several years
I've managed to slowly write on a number
of stories.
What I've decided to do is go ahead and
publish what I've managed to put together.
The stories are unfinished, and sometimes,
the last chapter I worked on is unfinished.
Plus, there maybe multiple chapters, each one
a different version. Just warning everyone.
So I apologize in advance.
Disclaimer : Not mine. All characters belong
to SYFY.
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Chapter Two
22222
" We've got to move, Major. " A voice was
barely heard over the surrounding gunfire.
Lauren ignored the voice, and kept working
on the solider on the makeshift table. Despite
the nearing explosions, and bullets impacting
close by, her hands remained perfectly
steady.
" Alright, he's stable. " She stepped back,
stripping the latex gloves off, and carelessly
dropping them to the bloody dirt floor. " Get
him on the transport. "
" Ma'am, we've got a problem! " A nurse ran
up, ducking as an explosion rocked the
battered canvas tent. " Orderly Marks is
missing. "
Major Lewis sighed at the newest complication
a la Marks. The Private was a pain in the
neck. Hovering with dirty looks, and
harsh comments. He'd started causing general
disrest among the others. Making the rest
of the unit increasingly resentful, and
angry at him.
The man could not seem to understand they
were in the middle of a harsh, unforgiving
war. They were trying to survive the best
they could, and hopefully, save a few
people at the same time.
Yes, it was cruel, and dirty. They had to
operate bare handed sometimes. Had to kill,
and shut of their emotions as young kids
died for their right to be free.
" Go with the patient. " She ordered.
" Tell Simmons' I'm going after Marks. "
" The transport... "
" I'll catch it on it's next trip. " Lauren
ducked out of the tent.
Her blood shot brown eyes swiftly scanned the
desert camp. She was her sixth tour of duty,
and planning her seventh. A fact her brother
was furious over.
In the last six and a half years, she'd been
bounced between three different frontline
assignments. Medic to a combat unit, a
battalion aid station, and a MASH unit.
Each was very risky. Resulting in her being
injured a number of times. But instead of
taking the ticket out of the Canadian Military,
she simply got back up and continued on.
Half crouched, she sprinted toward the back
portion of the MASH unit. If she was anything,
it was observant. She knew the people in the
unit. Even people like the Private.
He tended to hang around the back ten. Mostly
around a broken down heap that had once
been a civilian truck.
She rounded the last tent, and straightened
back up. There wasn't much shooting or
bombing in the back area. Making it safer
than the rest of the camp.
" Private. " She softly called.
Eight rapid shots thundered behind her. She
blinked in surprise as she collapsed to her
right hand and knees. Blood splattered over
the sand, and pain registered in her mind.
Glancing down at her body, she noted five
bullet holes. Her left shoulder, left
forearm, left abdomen, right thigh, and
right calf.
An empty clip landed on the sand by her
right hand. The loud click of a new clip,
drawing her eyes up to the man who'd shot
her.
" Private Marks. " She frowned at the
glaze over his eyes. " What's the meaning
of this? "
" An eye for an eye. " The Private stared
through her. " A kill for a kill. "
" You're tired, Private. " The Major
swallowed as he started to sway lightly.
" You need rest. I can arrange for you
to have a few months back home. "
" I must execute the child killer. " The
Private raised the gun.
Lauren let out a groan, falling to the
ground. She slipped her right hand
beneath her body. The hand unclipping
the gun hidden under her long sleeved
military shirt. She released a loud moan,
pulling the gun free.
' Three, two... ' She silently counted. '
one. '
She rolled onto her left side, and opened
fire. The Private screeched out, dropping
the gun, and cradling his bleeding right
wrist to his chest. He stumbled back,
slipping on bloody sand, falling back with
a loud thump.
" Major! "
She closed her eyes to the blistering sun,
and opened them to the sight of the condo
given to her by the Light.
" You shouldn't be drinking with pain
killers. " Hale scolded her from the couch.
She snorted in argument. Instead remaining
on the stool in front of the bar counter
separating the kitchen from the rest of the
apartment.
Lauren downed the rest of the whiskey in
her glass. She was in too much pain, and
too furious about her left arm being
strapped to her chest by a sling, to care
about the dangers of mixing alcohol with
pain killers.
" This is your own fault. " Hale tried
again. " If you would just feed... "
Her fury erupted fully. She snatched up
the half empty whiskey bottle and threw
it hard at the Siren.
" Shit! " He barely ducked the bottle,
as it shattered against the wall behind
him.
" Listen to me well, Siren. " She growled,
eyes flashing orange. " I will never feed
more than what's necessary to live. I
don't care if I remain as weak as a human
for the rest of my life! "
" Right, because having to pretend to be
a slave to the Ash is all puppies and
kittens. " Hale stood up. " You have to
work sixteen hour days, spend time in
the dungeon's, get spit on and bullied
by other Fae... "
" Yet you think it's alright to treat
human's like that. " Lauren snorted in
disgust.
" No I don't. " Hale frowned in self-hate.
" I think we should treat human's like
we do Fae. There are ways, rituals to
keep human's from talking, ways to erase
memory. Human's could be spelled to not
talk about the Fae, then hired to work
for us. "
" Funny, you don't back up your words
with actions. " Lauren sighed in frustration
as she realized she wasted a perfectly good
bottle of whiskey. She got up, and pulled a
new bottle from under the bar.
" My family would disown me. " Hale slumped
in defeat.
" You're all bark and no bite. " Lauren
retook her seat on the stool. " Too scared
to back up your claims. "
" Look, if you feed, you'll heal. " Hale
went back to the original subject. " And
be better able to protect yourself while
we find the bastard that's after you. "
" When the Ash told you I was Fae, did he
tell you what kind I was. " Lauren slowly
poured more whiskey, raising the bottle
up as she poured.
" Naw. Just that you won't feed. Something
about it being a side effect of the PTSD. "
Hale entered the kitchen and grabbed a
glass. He took the whiskey bottle and
joined her at the bar.
" A Maenad. " Lauren bitterly smirked. " I'm
a damned Maenad. My father was a Dionysus,
raped my mother when she was barely fifteen.
Drove her insane, got her hooked on enough
drugs to get a pack of Ogres high, and
towards the end she added alcohol to the mix.
She was a Serket, so everything combined
with premature labor killed her. "
" Oh Hel. " Hale whispered in shock.
" I have the mind of a Serket. " Lauren
admitted. " But the body of a Maenad. "
" Jeez, no wonder you hate feeding. "
The Siren drained his glass. " But Lauren,
you could feed off sex. "
" Ecstasy. " Lauren snarled in pure disgust.
" Sex, rage, inebriation, frenzy, complete
madness... The very extremes of pleasure.
I can't even have sex without a power
suppressant because my partner would be
driven permanently insane. "
" What about Bo? " Hale gently suggested.
" As a Succubus, she would be able to
handle your full powers. "
" No. " Lauren refused quietly. " I won't
risk it. "
" What happens if the next attempt on
your life is more serious? " Hale probed.
" Then I heal like a human. " Lauren filled
their glasses. " I simply can't handle
my powers anymore. "
" Can I ask why? " Hale rolled his glass
between his hands.
" For three years, after I first awakened
my powers, I didn't try controlling my
feeding. I didn't care about the consequences
for the human's I feed from. " Lauren closed
her eyes tightly, trying not to think about
those years. " I started orgies at Sorority
Houses, bar fights, mobs, had sex with any
woman that caught my eye... "
" Then one day I caught a news report. A
serial killer had been arrested. He'd
kidnapped and murdered twenty six young
boys. All four year olds. " Lauren's hands
started to shake. " He claimed he started
his career the night of a particularly
violent bar fight. A bar fight I used my
powers to start. "
She gulped down her glass of whiskey. Eyes
watering slightly.
" Until that one night, he was a respectable,
lonely man, working for an insurance company.
He'd been on the edge of becoming a killer,
but had managed to not fall off. Then I used
my powers, and shoved him over the cliff. "
Lauren violently pushed her glass away.
" When I found out about him, I started combing
through newspapers covering the three year
period of my feeding. " Her guilt swelled
up in her gut. " Every feeding had consequences.
I simply never bothered to notice. Death,
permanent insanity, disease's, divorce... "
" I'm sorry. " Hale's face softened in
understanding.
" It wasn't anyone's fault but mine. " Lauren
swallowed.
" Why didn't your parent's teach you to
use your powers better? " Hale inquired.
" I was adopted by human's. " Lauren flinched.
She hated those people.
Her adopted father was a Minister. The large
muscular man was from the deep south, a town
so small it was a practically a foreign
country. The Church of Christ Minister had
grown up surrounded by people acting like they
were still in 1940's.
A place were race tension's were extremely
high. Gays were lynched. Religion was a
huge part of everything from the local
business's to the sports teams.
Only three hundred people populated the
area. Allowing someone to walk from one
end of the town to the other in just
thirty minutes.
Her mother, on the other hand, was the
picture perfect Minister's wife. A house
wife who held special Church events.
Stayed home to take care of the children.
Kept the house in pristine condition.
Bare foot and pregnant.
Her older brother John, was as bad as
their parents. Religiously extreme.
Obsessed with how people saw him and his
family.
She'd stayed sane only because of her
twin brother. Her younger twin. Younger
by seven whole minutes.
Being gay, being Fae. It all infuriated
their parents. It was against the bible.
She had be a demon, or possessing their
poor daughter.
So the Minister would punish her.
Make her kneel in front of a alter to
Christ for eight hours, all the while
saying whatever prayer he decided
on at the time.
Taking a swig to her back. Forcing her
to confess to sins she couldn't begin
to understand. Praying over her in a
booming voice. Begging for Christ to
save her soul.
And as she grew up, the punishments
got worse and worse. Religious school.
Beating's. Controlling her every
movement. Locking her in her room at
night.
But she survived, and she made damn
sure they never turned their attentions
on her younger brother.
" Damn. " Hale realizing why her powers
had been out of control. " Couldn't the
Ash assign someone to tutor you? "
" He did. " Lauren slide off the stool.
" Otherwise I wouldn't be able to keep
from feeding regularly. "
" Then... "
" Please, Hale, drop it. " Lauren pleaded
tiredly.
" Alright. "
" I'm going to bed. " Lauren doubted she
would actually sleep. She rarely did.
And she had a feeling tonight wouldn't be
any different.
22222
" Trick, my man. " Hale lead Lauren toward
the bar in the back of the bar.
" Hale. " Trick nodded in greeting, then
glanced at her arm. " I heard about what
happened. Are you okay? "
" Nothing serious. " Lauren climbed onto
a stool.
Serena, her other guard, stayed right
next to her. The dark skinned woman scanning
the room intently.
" Have you heard any rumors about who could
be behind it? " Hale took a beer from the
bartender.
" Nothing Fae. " Trick sat another beer in
front of Lauren. " The Dark wouldn't dare
attack Lauren, not as long as she belongs
to The Ash. The Light might have a Fae or
two who would risk it, but most Light Fae
respect her too much. "
" Which leaves the human world. " Serene
frowned in displeasure.
" The bullets were military grade. " Hale
tilted his hat back in thought. " You were
in the military, Doc. Any enemies you can
think of. "
" You want the entire book? " Lauren rolled
her eyes at the ridiculous question. " There's
only the whole Afghan army, plus whatever
solider I managed to tick off, doing my job. "
" Great. " Hale sighed heavily.
There was a few possibilities that stood out
in her mind, but there was no way she was
telling Hale about them.
" What's great? " Bo approached with Dyson
and Kenzi.
" Where the hell have you been? " Kenzi
demanded of Hale. Hands on her hips, eyes
narrowed dangerously. " I had the mother
of all hangover's this morning and you
weren't answering my calls. "
" Something important came up. " Hale
glanced over at Lauren in silent question.
" Why are you with Dr. Freeze? " Kenzi
huffed in disgust.
" The Ash assigned him to guard me. "
Lauren stared back at Hale in warning.
" There was a small incident early this
morning, and he felt I needed temporary
guards. "
" You're hurt. " Bo stepped forward, her
face shifting between concern and hate.
" Hale will be back in a week. " Lauren
concentrated on appeasing Kenzi. " Maybe
sooner. "
She could see Bo starting to frown in
thought. The Succubus was eyeing Hale
and Serene in consideration. Her dark
eyes turning to Lauren's arm.
" Did someone do this to you? " Bo
finally asked.
" Like I said, it's a temporary measure. "
Lauren brushed off.
" Karen! "
She breathed heavily as the world shifted,
and she was standing in an office at CSIS.
" Dr. Karen Beattie. " Lauren introduced
herself to the older woman in front of her.
Shaking the graying woman's hand.
" It's a pleasure to finally meet someone
of your intelligence. " Director Croft
smiled sternly.
" The pleasure's mine. " Lauren beamed.
" My little brother has had nothing but
wonderful things to say about you. "
" Karen! " Kirin protested. " I'm only
seven minutes younger than you! "
" Exactly. " Lauren smirked. Pinching
his cheek. " Little brother. "
The Director cleared her throat, face
stern, but blue eyes twinkling in
amusement. " I asked you here because
of your... younger brother. I've assigned
him to go undercover in a terrorist cell.
However, he needs a partner with medical
knowledge, and knowledge of explosives. "
" You don't have an available agent? "
Lauren frowned.
" We do, but there's been a leak. " The
Director leaned back into her desk. " We
know what was leaked, but we haven't been
able to locate the source of the leak. "
" Most of our agents have been compromised. "
Kirin grew older at the information. " I'm
one of the few agents that hasn't been
exposed. "
" You are a licence Doctor, and have the
necessary knowledge of explosives. " The
Director continued. " You'd play what you
are. Kirin's twin sister. "
Lauren was hesitant. She had sworn to
always protect her brother, but one thing
bothered her.
" If we infiltrate the cell, does that mean
we'll be acting as terrorists? That we'll
kill? " Lauren softly asked, afraid of the
answer.
And when the Director meet her eyes, she
knew the answer, and she knew she would
agree.
To protect Kirin.
" Lauren! " Hale shook her.
Lauren stared at the Nymph who glomped
a Gemini.
" Hey! You with us? " Hale's concern
shone through.
" We should get back to the compound. "
Lauren meet Hale's eyes.
Sweat was pouring from her face, her heart
racing, pulse jumping. She was trying not
to go into a panic attack.
Eleven People.
" I have work to do. " Lauren stood up on
shaking legs. " Thanks for the drink,
Trick. "
She walked out of the bar. Bo's stare
drilling into her back. She hoped to whatever
God there was, that the Succubus wasn't
putting the clues together.
22222
" Well, this is certainly fun. " Lauren leaned
against the wall under her office window.
Another shot came through the window, chipping
wood from her desk where the bullet impacted.
Three other bullet holes littered the wall
across from the window.
" Yeah, fun. " Hale had his gun out, pressed
into the wall on the left side of the window.
" Where the hell is he shooting from? "
" Why don't you look and find out? " Serene
stood beside him.
" I don't want to ruin my gorgeous bode with
unnecessary holes. " Hale replied.
" Do I have to do everything myself? " Lauren
wondered out loud.
" And what do think you can do? " Serene
stared down her nose at her.
Lauren rolled her eyes. The two Fae was
too busy bickering like a couple of five
year olds to be useful.
She reached over to the shelving unit
to the right of the window, and pulled
off a long handled mirror. It was useful
for certain of the more... unique Fae.
The Doctor carefully lifted the mirror
up to the window, and began to tilt it.
She winced as a bullet barely missed
the mirror.
The parking lot was clean, the dumpster's,
and... There.
" Found him. " Lauren focused on the
glint of a scoop. " They've got a sniper
rifle. By the outer wall. "
" Here, let me see. " Hale shifted his
gun to his left hand, and took the
mirror from her.
Lauren scooted over to the right of
the window. She hardly had room to
stand against the right wall.
" What are you doing, Doc? " Hale
glanced away from the mirror.
The Doctor reached under the back of
her lab coat, and drew the SIG P226.
It was identical to her service
weapon. She thumbed off the safety,
and took a single deep breath.
In a single, swift action she went
into action. She brought her gun
around and smashed the window out,
then pressed her front into
the corner of the window, firing
rapidly.
With her right eye peering out, she
hit the wall inches from the sniper.
The glint jerked back, and disappeared
from view.
" Shit, Doc. " Hale dropped the mirror,
fumbling to get his gun back into his
right hand.
She pulled back from the window, popped
the clip out. Tucking it into her sling,
she grabbed a new one, and slammed it
into place.
" Serene, make your way around while we
keep his attention. " Lauren ordered
when another bullet impacted with the
wall.
" Finally, some action. " Serene kneeled
down, and headed out of the office.
The doctor waited until the Fire elemental
was gone, then opened fire again. This
time she counted to ten between each
bullet she fired. On the opposite side,
Hale followed her lead.
She frowned as the sniper rifle disappeared.
Pulling back, she glanced at Hale for
answers.
" You don't think...? " She started to ask.
" He's gone. " Serene reentered the room.
" No sign he was there. "
" Damn. " Hale slide down the wall to
the floor.
The Ash was going to be furious.
22222
" What do you mean he got away!? " The Ash
thundered at the three standing in front of
him. " I gave you two tasks. Keep Lauren
safe, and find the sniper! And yet, you're
standing here, telling me that despite him
practically handing himself over, he got away! "
Lauren winced at the waves of anger rolling
off the Ash. It was so intense she was
automatically feeding off him.
" We do know more than we did. " Hale
tentively offered. " The attacker is using
a C3A1 sniper rifle. It's what the Canadian
military used until 2005. "
" We're obviously looking for someone
connected to, or was in the military. "
Serene took up. " The problem is narrowing
the suspect list. It could be someone who
served with Dr. Lewis, a relative of a
solider, or someone on the other side of
the battlefield. "
" Morton has been going through her records,
and making a list for us. But it will take
a while. She served in the CSIS and did
six tours in the military. " Hale shrugged
helplessly.
" Work faster. " The Ash ordered.
" Sir, we're doing the best we can. " Serene
puffed up in offense. " In time we'll catch
him. "
" Well, your best isn't good enough. " The
Ash dismissed her words. " And frankly, I
don't care about your assurances. I care
about your performance. "
The Ash clasped his hands behind his back,
and began to pace.
" Obviously, this isn't working. " The Ash
paused by his desk. " Perhaps I was wrong
to give in to Lauren's insistence that the
Succubus not be involved. "
" Sir! " Lauren grew alarmed.
" I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to risk
your life over such a trivial matter. " The
Ash grew quiet. " I will summon the Succubus,
be back here in an hour for the meeting. "
" But...! " Lauren tried again.
" You're dismissed, Doctor. " The Ash quietly
but firmly cut off her protests.
" Yes, sir! " She bit off.
22222
" If you're going to prostitute someone else
out to me, then I'm not interested. " Bo
entered the throne room with Kenzi trailing
behind.
The Ash shot Lauren a look, and she shrugged
back unrepentant. Using the Ash to sabotage
her relationship with Bo had seemed like a
good idea at the time.
" I do not prostitute people out. " The Ash
ground out. " Despite what some people have
lead you to believe. "
Lauren saw the confusion flash across Bo's
face before it was replaced with faked
boredom.
" What is it you want? " Bo crossed her
arms.
" I know the identities of your mother
and grandfather. " The Ash leaned back
into his throne in full control of the
conversation.
" I should have guessed you lied to me. "
Bo snorted.
" I could not let go of what little
control I had of you. " The Ash blandly
explained.
" Then why give it up now? " Kenzi eyed
him, and Lauren.
" Event's have occurred which have forced
my hand. " The Ash refused to look at the
enraged Lauren. " There have been two
attacks on Dr. Lewis in the last twenty
four hours. My security team have been
unable to figure out the attacker's
identity or catch him. "
Lauren reluctantly meet Bo's intense
brown eyes.
" We know the attacker is human. They
are using a weapon made for the Canadian
Military. " The Ash went on. " We
believe the person is associated with
Dr. Lewis through her career in either
the CSIS or the Military. We haven't
been able to narrow it any further. "
" There's two years worth of suspects
from the CSIS alone. " Hale handed a
six inch thick file to Bo. " And six
and a half years from her time in
the war. "
" Huh, who knew Dr. Hotpants was
really Jenny Bond, 007. " Kenzi
murmured. " License to sex. "
" I want the person behind this captured. "
The Ash grimly stated. " When you have
managed to solve this case, I will give
you the names. "
" What about Lauren? " Bo frowned. " Shouldn't
she help us with this. She can give us more
insight into who it could be than a file. "
The Ash shifted his eyes to her, and Lauren
silently swore. She could see the slightest
glint of mischief in his dark eyes.
" A fine idea, Miss. Dennis. " The Ash gave
Lauren a toothy grin. " Dr. Lewis, until
further notice you will be working with
the Succubus. "
He was dead. Lauren's left eye twitched.
Or better yet, she'd inject a termite worm
into his testicles. Oh yes, the perfect
revenge. It would take three months for
the worm to eat his genitals from the
inside out.
" And Dr. Lewis, I believe for the time
being I will be seeing Dr. Walker instead. "
The Ash stopped her revenge plan cold.
" Great, let's get started. " Bo turned
to her.
She would think of something else. Something
just as painful.
22222
To Be Continued