Lauren never worked under the influence of alcohol. It was professionally irresponsible, and as a doctor, it would have endangered the lives of her patients.

Yet, here she was — at the Dal, and about to finish her fourth mug of the Dal's famous buckthorn mead - and that was after their initial rounds of shots. Kenzi tipped the bottom of the glass up higher when Lauren raised it to her mouth, forcing her to drink faster. She hadn't put away so much alcohol this quickly since her college days, and she nearly choked from being out of practice for so long.

"That's my girl, Lo," Kenzi said proudly. She gave the blonde a rough slap on the back while she finished spluttering.

The room wasn't spinning yet, but Lauren was certain if she kept up at her current rate, it wouldn't be long before it started. Kenzi had mentioned getting "a couple of drinks before working the case," but Lauren had no idea this was what she had in mind. Without asking, Kenzi waved over their bartender to order another round. A moment later, Hale came lumbering along.

Ever since the siren had been deposed as Ash, he'd had a hard time finding a new career. The elders no longer trusted him, and his pompous father even disowned him. Trick was gracious enough to let him manage the Dal Riata after he was crowned Ash; Hale had taken to the job well, and the place was thriving more than ever. Lauren wasn't usually privy to this sort of inside information, so today was the first she'd heard about it. She didn't realize until she saw the siren cleaning glasses behind the bar — much the same way that Trick did when he used to man the way station.

"You doing okay Lauren?" Hale chuckled, handing her and Kenzi another frosted mug. He must have noticed how glazed over her eyes were. Lauren was trying to feign sobriety, but she wasn't sure how successful she was in that effort.

"M'fine," Lauren mumbled.

"Yeah, whatever you say," he chuckled. "You two celebrating something?"

Kenzi answered for them both: "No, we are just loosening up our brains so we can crack this case."

"Lil' mama, you and I need to have a conversation about your drinking habits."

Lauren giggled to herself. "More like you need to give her a CAGE questionnaire." Her little joke was met with nothing but confused looks from both Kenzi and Hale, and suddenly Lauren realized her misstep. "Haven't you guys ever watched Grey's Anatomy before?" she quipped, hoping to cover herself.

Hale and Kenzi exchanged skeptical looks, but they let the comment pass. A moment later, Hale spotted someone off in the distance and waved them over. "Yo, D-man!" he called out to his best friend.

Lauren groaned; luckily, the steady hubbub in the bar was loud enough to cover it. She nearly flew out of her seat when a large hand came to rest on her shoulder, causing her to stumble. His aura was bright again, and as his hand shot out to keep her from hitting the ground, Lauren fought against the urge to retch.

"Whoa, easy Lauren," Dyson said in his most soothing voice. The moment Lauren was stable on her feet, she wriggled out of his grasp. "Is everything all right here?"

"I think your girl is a little tipsy," Hale teased. "I didn't know they were planning to work a case after this."

Dyson gave Kenzi and Lauren a scolding look. "Are you serious right now?" he asked them both. "I took time off work for this. The least you could do is not be screwing around when it's time to work."

"Hey, I am one hundred percent fine," Kenzi replied, holding her hands up in a gesture of innocence.

Lauren hiccuped, and the motion caused her to wobble precariously on her feet, earning a laugh from Hale and Kenzi. Dyson, on the other hand, was not amused.

"Look I took those reports down to the station." He waved a set of papers around in his free hand, as if it wasn't entirely obvious what he meant. "There were some trace chemicals in the body — kind of weird stuff that we don't see around here every day. I ran a check to see what companies in the area have the necessary clearance to buy it. We've got potassium —"

"Let me see," Lauren interrupted him and motioned for the report.

Dyson simply raised one eyebrow at her incredulously but made no move to hand it over. The arrogant gesture was a masculine habit of his that Lauren always found particularly irritating. In the past, she thankfully never had to tolerate it much — not like she did now. Lauren tried unsuccessfully to keep the growing annoyance out of her voice.

"Was what I just said in any way unclear?" she snapped.

The wolf got the message the second time around, and Lauren deftly worked through each page. Unlike Dyson, who had little to no experience working in a lab, Lauren knew how to analyze the contents completely. She could tell from the little notes he'd scribbled in the margins that he had practically no idea what he was really looking at. Lauren figured it out after the second page, even working with a sizable amount of alcohol circulating in her system.

"Huh… they used an adjuvant…" Lauren mused to herself. She was so caught up in the science that she'd briefly forgotten her present company, who was looking at her like she'd had just sprouted a second head. "It's genius, really."

Hale whistled. Meanwhile, Dyson and Kenzi stared at her dumfounded.

"Nerd alert, Lo," Kenzi said, stepping forward to take the report from her as if she might hurt herself with it. "You keep saying shit like that, and we're gonna have to schedule a decontamination to get rid of all those doc cooties that rubbed off on you yesterday. Shit girl, we only left you alone with her for half an hour… what kind of crap did she pull on you this time?"

Kenzi was fishing for an insult, but Lauren wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. Dyson even bristled at the girl's comment, stepping closer to Lauren to put his arm around her in a comforting gesture. Lauren was having none of it. She easily sidestepped the embrace, confusing both Kenzi and Dyson. Hale had graciously excused himself from the private conversation moments ago and was busy serving other patrons at the other side of the bar.

"Lauren she didn't…" Dyson trailed off, waiting for Lauren to answer his unspoken question. He seemed hesitant to voice his concern, as if saying it out loud might confirm his nefarious suspicions.

Kenzi, on the other hand, had no such reservations.

"Did she pull out her old tricks again? I knew it. You can't trust her, Lo. I leave you alone with her for two minutes, and she just —"

"I have to go," Lauren cut Kenzi off, snatching the report back from her. "I'll see you later."

The crude remark wasn't surprising coming from Kenzi. Of course Bo would have told her what happened — and of course she would have provided her own snide interpretation of events. Despite Lauren's efforts to explain herself, Bo shut her out and commiserated with Kenzi and Dyson, neither of whom ever liked Lauren very much. It was humiliating… infuriating… distasteful… Lauren rarely let her anger get the best of her, but the accusations from these two were pushing the limits of her patience. She turned to leave but was pulled back by her arm.

"Wait a second, succu-butt, you're not going anywhere, at least not by yourself. We're a team," Kenzi said. "And you're tipsy."

"I'll call a cab."

Dyson said: "Lauren, don't be ridiculous. I could drive you."

"No."

"Well, if you don't let me drive you then at least sober yourself up before you go. As a cop, I can't knowingly let you walk out of here under the influence." Dyson smirked suggestively at her and stepped closer. His aura flared again, taking Lauren by surprise — but not in a good way.

"Excuse me?"

He moved even closer again, invading Lauren's personal space. "You should at least feed. I told the captain I was taking a long lunch. If you want to go to the back room for a little bit we could… you know…" His eyebrows raised suggestively, and his eyes flitted to the secluded hallway behind the bar.

The prospect of being physically intimate with Dyson was absolutely horrifying. Lauren didn't even need to think; she instinctively shoved him away with a single hand in the center of his chest. She might have done it more forcefully than necessary, but she was still adjusting to her newfound strength and didn't realize how hard she'd pushed. He stumbled backward several steps and looked back at Lauren with an expression somewhere between annoyance and hurt.

"Absolutely not, Dyson!"

"What's going on with you recently?" he asked quietly, trying to mask his injured pride. "I know you don't want to be with anyone right now — and that's okay, I can wait — but why are you being like this all of a sudden? We can still follow our rules, Lauren. Please."

His tone was practically begging, and though Lauren couldn't make herself feel any legitimate sympathy for him, the situation she found herself in was becoming increasingly clear. It was just one more thing she would need to discuss with Bo. He would undoubtedly keep advancing if Lauren ignored the issue, and until she and Bo figured out how to reverse the mess they'd stumbled into, Lauren would also have to tolerate him being in her life at least temporarily. She couldn't do that if he was going to continue trying to get into her pants every five minutes.

"I'm not talking about this right now," Lauren said firmly. "I'll see you two later." She brushed by them quickly, before they had another chance to stop her, however Dyson wasn't going to give up so easily.

"But you need to feed!"

A woman standing by the door caught Lauren's eye, and a sudden wave of desire rushed over her unlike anything she'd ever experienced. The woman didn't seem to be particularly enjoying her present company, judging by her body language. She ran her hands through her sleek brown hair in a way that was positively sinful. Lauren felt a warmth spread through her body, and a blue glow surrounded the far edges of her vision.

"I think I can figure this out on my own," Lauren muttered to herself, not caring much if Dyson or Kenzi heard it.

Barely a minute later, Lauren was escorting the stranger to the Dal's barrel room while Kenzi and Dyson stared at her in stunned disbelief. The loud slamming of the door drowned out most of the sound outside and cast the two women into semi-darkness. Neither of them said a word, but as if by some unstoppable gravity between them, their bodies flew together instantly.

Lauren was usually more cognizant of her actions when she was intimate with someone. She knew how to find any of the numerous female erogenous zones, using the subtle sighs and moans she elicited to map her way around each of her lovers. It was so hard to focus on that now; there was only the all consuming fire in her veins that increased in intensity every time their kisses got deeper or she touched another warm patch of skin. It was impossible to focus on anything else. In the more logical corner of her brain, Lauren knew that this was her hunger manifesting, though her rational thoughts were getting harder to hear with the overwhelming stimuli crowding out everything else.

In her haste to remove the other woman's clothing, Lauren ended up knocking them both into Trick's bookshelf and then to the floor, bringing various other trinkets and Fae artifacts down with a loud crash. It was all amusing to the brunette, who laughed heartily at the clumsy maneuver. She straddled Lauren on the dusty wood floor, effectively halting her movements.

"You know," she chuckled, "This is my first time with a succubus. Is your species always this eager?" She reached to her shirt and flung it off with one smooth movement and grinned widely. "If so, this could get really interesting."

"Ohmygod," Lauren whispered, closing her eyes tightly.

She didn't know it was even possible for the burning hunger to grow stronger. If Lauren succumbed to it, she didn't know how on earth she would be able to stop. This woman was a Fae, but Lauren could still kill her. Little did the woman know that this was her first time in this unusual position as well. Lauren balled her hands into fists to focus her energy elsewhere, but it was having little effect. The sensation of the woman moving on top of her was too much, and her aura was blinding.

The brunette looked at Lauren with amusement. "A hungry succubus? Lucky me." She grabbed one of Lauren's clenched hands and directed it exactly where she wanted, and at that point, all coherent thought stopped.

Lauren pulled her down roughly, crashing their lips together. As Lauren took each hurried breath, she unconsciously pulled hard, interrupted bursts of chi. When Bo had done it during her training, she'd managed to pull a slow, steady stream of blue chi — which was apparently more pleasurable, though Lauren couldn't vouch for it first-hand. She wasn't entirely sure of the mechanics behind that method and simply did what came most natural to her at the moment. Each time she pulled greedily, the other woman let out a moan resulting from some heady combination of pleasure and pain.

There was no other feeling that compared. The feed was was the highest high she'd ever physically experienced and was the only thing that would quell the raging desires within her. She knew she should stop, but she didn't want to. She never wanted to. Lauren was lost to the sensations and lost all track of time and even her own movements.

Eventually, it was the body on top of her slackening and collapsing that snapped her out of her trance. Lauren instantly thought the worst but was reassured when she saw the woman's bra-clad chest heaving up and down while she came down from her climax.

"Wow," the brunette gasped breathlessly. "So as far as first times go, that was one of my favorites. I would definitely be up for doing that again." Her breath tickled Lauren's ear, making her shiver.

There was room for improvement, Lauren knew. She would need work, especially on control. Her hunger situation hadn't been dire just now, and she'd still nearly lost herself. Had it been a life-threatening situation, or had she been severely deprived of chi, it might have been disastrous. But her mind was clearer now than it had been before, and she felt physically invigorated. The entire process was fascinating to experience from a scientific perspective, and Lauren's curiosity was piqued. She couldn't wait to learn to control it so she could evaluate her experiences more thoroughly.

"I guess for the first time, it wasn't too bad," Lauren mused to herself.


Bo cringed when she heard the tenth knock on her door today. She'd initially been elated to discover that she didn't have to pretend to play doctor with patients today, more than happy to hole herself away in her office and avoid having to show her face in the lab. The lab's assistants found her, however, and they didn't leave her alone for long. Bo couldn't get more than fifteen minutes of peace and quiet before another person came barging in, asking her for her opinion on something or bringing in another assignment. Bo deflected the best she could, but the growing stack of papers on her desk was getting harder to ignore.

To make matters worse, the phone never stopped ringing either. Every five minutes, another call came in requesting Bo to do something — something she didn't know how to do, of course. Instead of quickly responding, she ended up taking notes on post-its and sticking them around the perimeter of her computer screen, which was an even more difficult task with the splint on her hand. The yellow slips of paper were now completely encircling the large monitor, and Bo would have to find another place before they starting taking over all of her office accessories.

"Come in," Bo groaned loud enough for her visitor to hear outside. Bo's new least favorite person, the always-nameless Boston Harpy, slipped inside a moment later wearing her trademark scowl.

"The results of your genome analysis on the genus Gorgoneae just came back from the Fae medical headquarters."

Bo blinked at her several times waiting for further elaboration, but none was forthcoming. She had no idea what that meant, much less what she was supposed to do with the information. "Well, what does it say?" Bo asked, with a twinge of agitation.

The Boston Harpy dropped the thick report on her desk unceremoniously, making the pile so high that it started to lean a little under its own weight. She glared at Bo accusingly as if scolding her for the huge mess of unfinished work.

"I'm not the resident geneticist around here, Dr. Dennis. That would be your job." She eyed the papers again, and said: "And by the looks of things, someone hasn't been doing theirs recently. I suggest that you get on that soon. The Ash isn't going to be thrilled if work isn't getting done around here."

"Could you at least help me?"

"That's not what I get paid for." The Boston Harpy turned to exit swiftly, but she halted in the doorway and turned around to face Bo once again. "No offense, Doctor, but did you get hit on your head when you went down to the dungeons the other day? You've been acting strangely."

Bo stiffened in her seat, and kept her expression as neutral as possible. "No, I didn't."

The lab's assistant folded her arms across her chest. "Huh."

There was an incredibly awkward silence between the two as the Boston Harpy stared Bo down suspiciously. She was searching for something, Bo knew, some sign that would tell her why the doctor wasn't as proficient as she normally was. Bo knew the reason, of course, as did Lauren, but neither the medical staff nor the Ash did. Bo needed to start pretending better if she planned on fooling any of them. She maintained unflinching eye contact with the Boston Harpy, as if daring her to make an accusation. Eventually, the Fae assistant relented.

"Well, we've got patients coming in from eight to five o'clock tomorrow, so I suggest you handle this —" the Boston Harpy gestured to the enormous pile of unfinished assignments on Bo's desk, "— before you leave today."

She didn't wait for Bo's dismissal. After she'd said her part, she left for the lab, leaving Bo alone once again.

Bo eyed the report warily and gingerly picked up the thick stack of papers. In all, it totaled around fifty pages by her estimate. She didn't recognize eighty percent of the words in the title alone, and she didn't fare much better reading the rest of it. There weren't even any pictures — just fifty pages of tiny, black and white text that caused a headache just looking at it. Googling the words she didn't understand only returned more results she couldn't comprehend, adding to Bo's growing sense of inadequacy.

Several times Bo seriously debated calling Lauren for help, but each time she considered picking up the phone, her pride got the best of her and she decided against it. She would rather face whatever punishment the Ash sent her way than admit she was in way over her head. Knowing Lauren, she probably wasn't having any difficulties adjusting to Bo's life. The brunette honestly didn't know how she might react… Would she be amused at Bo's incompetence? Annoyed? Angry? The one reaction Bo worried about was pity. She didn't think she could handle Lauren looking at her like that, and she threw the report back down with a frustrated sigh.

"How's it going?" a familiar voice sounded from the doorway. Bo hadn't heard her approach, but her heart started beating faster at the woman's words.

Speak of the devil, Bo thought miserably. She cursed herself for still being affected by Lauren — like the way her sleek blonde hair rested just in front of her shoulders and begged to be touched, or the way her hip jutted out teasingly just a little as she leaned against the door frame. It was almost as if Lauren knew how to push her buttons. Bo took a deep, steadying breath and steeled herself against Lauren's inevitable reaction.

"It's going fine," Bo said shortly. "Great, actually."

Lauren skeptically glanced at the massive pile of unfinished work on the desk and then let her eyes drift to the array of post-its littering the computer screen. "Are you sure?"

Bo hesitated. There was certainly concern in Lauren's expression, but she wasn't sure if she was imagining the pity in her eyes. It stung to even consider the possibility. "I'm positive." She busied herself with the papers, clumsily shuffling them around with her one good hand to give the impression that she was hard at work.

"If you say so."

After several minutes, Bo successfully moved the entire collection of papers on her desk from the right side to the left, a pointless exercise that was meant as a cue for dismissal. She expected Lauren to leave at some point afterward, but she didn't. When Bo looked up, Lauren was still loitering in the doorway and watching her movements closely.

"Look, what do you want?" Bo asked exasperatedly.

"Officially, I'm here for your help." Lauren held up the report she retrieved from the lab earlier. "But it seems like you're busy." She glanced at Bo's desk once more. "Really busy," she revised. "You know I could take care of some of this, if you want. Most of this stuff I was already working on before —"

"That won't be necessary."

"Bo —"

"Listen, I've got enough people here treating me like I'm a total moron, all right? I don't need you doing it too. You've got alphabet soup behind your name, and I don't even have a high school diploma. No need to rub it in."

The brunette looked away quickly, unable to bear whatever look Lauren was sure to be giving her. She expected some sort of comeback, however. Yet her impulsive retort was met with nothing but silence. When Bo glanced back up, Lauren had her arms folded across her chest and was wearing an unreadable expression. Bo couldn't tell if she was angry, hurt, or just plain didn't care. Lauren didn't speak even after Bo shot her an apologetic look.

"Sorry," Bo muttered, mostly to break the uncomfortable silence.

Lauren's kept her challenging demeanor, and she said: "I understand that you're upset, Bo, but we're not going to solve anything if you keep accusing me of things I haven't done. I never said that you were a moron, and I don't believe that you are one. You've got a different kind of intelligence that doesn't come from books. I believe that you're clever enough to get through this if you had a little guidance. But still, all of that cleverness isn't going to make up for ten years of medical training. That doesn't make you stupid."

The words hung in the air for a while as Bo debated whether or not to accept her help. The more impulsive side of her wanted to rebel, to refuse Lauren's offer outright. But the longer Bo reflected on it, the more she allowed herself to consider the idea. The only downside was that she would have to face Lauren more often, which she wasn't entirely sure she was ready for yet. Forgiving Lauren would make the entire ordeal easier, of course, but it would require Bo revisit memories she'd successfully buried for years.

"Ten years of medical training, really? After this is all over, please get my head examined if I ever want to become a real doctor," Bo chuckled to cover her indecision.

"Bo."

"Okay, fine," she relented, waving her bandaged hand in the air. "Stay. Help. Do what you need to do."

Lauren nodded and took a step further into the office.

"Has Rita told you that you'll be seeing patients tomorrow?"

Bo frowned. "Who?"

"Rita. My — your — assistant," Lauren said, correcting herself. "Tall, brownish hair, glasses…"

"Boston Harpy girl?"

Lauren nodded. "Yes, but you shouldn't call her that to her face. The harpies are very sensitive about their species. Calling someone a 'harpy,' whether technically accurate or not, has been used as a damning insult in the Fae world for centuries."

"Well, shit," Bo said with a dramatic sigh. "I guess that explains why she hates my guts then."

"If she heard you, then yes, I would assume so."

"Mental note to self — don't do that again," Bo actually grinned at the humorous self-admonishment, and to her surprise Lauren did as well. The sight made Bo's stomach flutter in a way it hadn't in a long time. She even didn't realize that she was staring at Lauren; it was so easy to do, especially when Bo wasn't pissed at her.

A moment later, Lauren's expression turned curious, and she lifted a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Umm, Bo?" Lauren said uneasily.

"Hmm?"

"You're… you're kind of… glowing…" The words came out slow, as if Lauren was reluctant to say them aloud.

Bo blinked, working through the meaning behind her words. Then she realized with a sudden wave of horror what Lauren was referring to. It was something Bo never had to worry about when Lauren was human. Now that the tables had turned, Lauren was the one who could read auras. The flickers of attraction Bo felt were every bit as visible to Lauren as a street sign, and she was certain she'd unthinkingly flashed at least a seven on her patented scale.

"Shit," Bo mumbled. "Shit! I didn't mean… Shit."

"It's fine, I just wasn't expecting…"

Bo's embarrassment was reaching new heights, and though she couldn't see her own face, her skin felt like it was burning. She changed the subject as fast as humanly possible. "So, tomorrow — how is that supposed to go?" She stared at her fidgeting hands in her lap, too ashamed to look Lauren in the eye at the moment.

Thankfully for Bo, Lauren didn't mention the incident again. She did however, outline what Bo needed to do the following day, giving her a careful synopsis of each patient since she'd been treating them for years and knew them best. Most were arriving for simple reasons: check-ups or medication refills. However, Bo did get a little worried when Lauren mentioned a Will-o'-the-Wisp with severe IBS. He was often noncompliant with the strict diet she recommended, and Lauren suggested that Bo either have a fire extinguisher or a flame retardant blanket handy when she saw him (for her own safety). Bo took notes as best she could with her injured hand while Lauren briefed her on the patients she would see tomorrow, telling her what she would need to do in every conceivable situation. With the splint in place, her penmanship was nearly illegible, but Bo thought the untidy scrawl would at least be effective in jogging her memory.

"So what's the deal with that?" Bo asked, gesturing to the papers Lauren still had clutched firmly in her hand. "I thought you got what you needed earlier."

"These are just the basic results," Lauren explained. "I suspect that whoever made this toxin used a substance a little more exotic than would be detected by the usual tests we run here. The Light keep a thorough database on all of the medical purchases and research projects undertaken by all Fae corporations, and I want to see if there's a record of anyone having what I think might be involved."

"Oooookay." Bo rolled the high-backed leather chair away from the desk to give Lauren access to the computer. "Have at it."

Lauren nodded and stepped forward into the vacated spot. The office wasn't large enough to afford them much personal space, which put them in closer proximity than either of them was particularly comfortable with. Bo could smell the pleasant aroma of Lauren's shampoo, but it was tinged with another acrid smell that Bo recognized well. It only got stronger when Lauren leaned over to begin typing.

"Lauren, you smell like straight up liquor," Bo said. "It's not even noon yet. Were you drinking before this?"

The sounds of Lauren tapping the keyboard stopped for a few seconds. Her answer was short and to the point. "I was at the Dal."

"…With Kenzi," Bo finished for her.

"Yes. She insisted I join her."

"Did you get drunk?" Bo asked incredulously. "You either have the best tolerance in the world, or —" she paused, realizing the more likely reason, "— or… you fed."

This time, it was Lauren's turn to blush. Bo couldn't see her face, but her hair was swept to the side enough for her to notice the pink color creeping up her neck.

"I didn't realize I would need to be working today," Lauren explained. "There wasn't much of an option."

Bo scoffed. "Huh. Of course there wasn't."

The biting sarcasm in her tone was stronger than she intended, and Lauren remained silent while Bo recovered from the unexpected turn of events. Bo knew she shouldn't have been surprised, really. If Lauren was going to be a succubus for more than a couple of days, she would inevitably need to feed. The intensity of her own reaction was a mystery to her. It took a while for Bo to wind herself down again, and after that she decided to take a more friendly approach.

"So… how did it go?" Bo asked after several moments. She wanted to kick herself the moment the words left her mouth. Anything Lauren said in response would certainly upset her, she realized a few seconds too late.

And unfortunately, Lauren answered the question.

"It definitely wasn't my smoothest operation… but I figured it out eventually," she offered cautiously.

Lauren was clearly uncomfortable, and she probably only volunteered the information because of the two of them, Bo was the true succubus. The blonde might have been hoping for some advice, but as Bo initially feared, the information triggered an involuntary reaction that she was incapable of stopping. Her words came rushing forth before she had a chance to process them, and they were far from pleasant.

"Right… I think you and I both remember your smoothest operation, don't we, Lauren?" Bo said bitterly.

Lauren flinched as if she'd just been slapped, and she spun around to face Bo. Initially, she looked hurt, but that expression quickly gave way to anger; Bo thought she even noticed a few tiny specks of blue around the edges of her light brown eyes. Lauren swiftly gathered her papers and wiggled out from behind the desk, making sure to avoid any contact with the brunette.

"Wait, Lauren!" Bo called after her.

Lauren didn't acknowledge her and continued on a determined path out of the office. There were so many reasons that Bo didn't want Lauren to leave yet: she wasn't prepared to run the labs on her own, she had no idea what she was looking at half the time, and Lauren was familiar with all the staff (and more importantly, Bo's various new bosses). All of that was a peripheral concern now. The guilt felt like a lead weight settled in the pit of her stomach. There were reasons for Bo to be mad at Lauren, but this wasn't one of them. Most importantly, what she'd said was tremendously unfair, and Bo was determined to make it right.

She sprung from her desk chair and bounded to the door, barely beating Lauren there. The blonde had just twisted the handle and pulled it open a fraction of an inch when Bo reached forward to snap it shut with the cast on her hand, breathing hard but unable to tell if it was from the exertion or the reeling shame she was still experiencing.

"Bo, let me go." Lauren's voice was low, but it cut like a knife. She wouldn't even look at Bo, staring instead into the tiny gap between the dark wood door and it's frame as if willing it to open again.

"No," she shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry. That was… uncalled for. I shouldn't have said that. It's just…" Bo paused, not knowing how to justify her biting words. "It's just habit, I guess," she shrugged helplessly.

Something in Bo's confused apology must have resonated because a moment later, Lauren's tense posture relaxed a little. She turned to look at Bo with a resigned expression, almost like a parent would look at a child who'd been sent to the principal's office for the fourth time in a week. Bo instantly felt seven years old again under her scrutiny. A growing sense of anxiety mounted, knowing that soon she would have to either explain herself or apologize. Bo wasn't particularly good at either.

"I figured as much," Lauren said simply.

Her response bucked Bo's expectations, and she was thrown for a loop at the odd response.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Bo asked, trying not to sound petulant but failing miserably.

"You and your friends spend your free time vilifying me like it's a form of entertainment. You can't imagine how that feels, Bo — having to listen to someone make those remarks to your face and knowing that your most private moments have been aired like dirty laundry for everyone else to see. Kenzi insults me to my face as if she expects me to 'join in on the fun,' but of course she thinks it's you that she's bantering with. I begged you to let me explain myself, but you didn't want to hear it. Instead, you spent the last four years ignoring me when I was in your physical presence and slandering me behind my back to anyone who will listen to you. It's just like you said — that kind of persistent behavior qualifies as a habit."

The words hit a little too close to home for Bo's comfort. She'd only intended to apologize for her comment minutes ago, not account for years' worth of slights that were never supposed to be public knowledge. Lauren had been hurt by Bo's actions for a long time, and when she framed unfairness of her situation so clearly, Bo was overcome with shame. Her reaction instantly turned defensive.

"Kenzi and Dyson are my friends," Bo argued. "So yeah, I told them what happened, but I didn't ask for them to start an anti-Lauren campaign. I guess they just thought it was a really shitty thing to do to someone too… which it was!"

"If you had just let me explain —"

Bo cut her off. "There's no need for that now. I didn't realize how the Fae worked back then, but Dyson explained everything to me afterward. I should've known that you cared more about what the Ash wanted than you did about me. At least now I know better."

"I wouldn't exactly call Dyson an uninterested and impartial third party, Bo."

"He's my friend, and I trust him."

"Is that all he is?" Lauren asked seriously.

Bo feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Bo. I wasn't born yesterday. Not even two days ago, you two were cuddling together at my workstation, and today, he's begging me to sleep with him under some strange set of rules you two share together. Really, Bo — you and Dyson — what is that?"

A warm wave of embarrassment rushed over Bo. She looked away from Lauren pointedly, wildly searching for words to adequately explain her situation that wouldn't make things worse. She wasn't even ready to have this conversation with Dyson — much less Lauren. Bo turned away and went back to the desk chair, still refusing to make eye contact.

"I don't need to explain myself to you," Bo said.

"Actually, you do." Lauren stepped away from the door and leaned over the desk, bringing herself face to face with Bo. "The taunts I can deal with. I've heard worse during the years I've worked here with the Light Fae. But Bo, If you're expecting me to keep up the charade in your personal life, I need you to know that under absolutely no circumstances will I be sleeping with Dyson. I don't care what he expects from your relationship. The answer is no."

"I wouldn't ask you to do that."

"So not sleeping together is normal in whatever relationship you two have together? I don't need to explain anything to him?"

Bo stared at the desk, and mumbled nearly inaudibly: "We're friends. We're not together."

"Then why do I get the feeling that Dyson assumes you're his de facto girlfriend?"

"It's complicated," Bo shrugged.

Lauren was silent for so long that Bo thought she might have somehow escaped the office without her noticing. When she finally glanced up again, however, Lauren was seated at one of the chairs across from Bo's desk, one leg looped casually over the other in a relaxed position and her arms crossed. Judging from the expectant look on her face, she was waiting for further elaboration. Bo realized with a sickening feeling that she would eventually have to explain herself. As long as Lauren wasn't causing a scene, there was no way Trick was going to have her removed from the premises. Lauren was a patient person and would probably wait here all day and night until Bo finally gave her what she was after.

"He really is only my friend," Bo let out an exaggerated sigh. "I won't deny that he's wanted more ever since he got his love back, but I already moved on. He and I… we just don't want the same things anymore. I still love him as a friend, and I don't want to lose that." Despite being a short explanation, the admission was exhausting.

"So that's why you two still sleep together? You're afraid that he's going to stop being friends with you if you don't?"

"It's not like that," Bo countered, though she couldn't come up with an alternative explanation. She could have any Fae she wanted, so it wasn't a necessity to keep him around all the time for feeding anymore. Lauren's observations just made Bo seem incredibly insecure, and she wasn't ready to admit that about herself just yet.

"Look Bo, I know I'm not Dyson's biggest fan… but don't you think that's a little unfair to him? He still thinks that if he waits long enough, you'll see him as more than a friend. If you care about him as much as you say, you would tell him the truth."

Bo bit her lip, and bowed her head to hide the shame in her face from Lauren. She was right, of course. There was no universe where she saw herself by Dyson's side as anything other than a friend and comrade at arms. She returned his affections when it suited her — to poke at Lauren's sore spots, for instance. Bo was allowing one of her best friends to wait for a pipe dream. Bo loved Dyson, but she wasn't in love with him anymore. And what was worse, now Lauren knew her secret. The admission and the way she'd acted with him made Bo feel like a child compared to a mature, adult Lauren. Bo couldn't bring herself to look her in the eye.

"But how am I supposed to do that?" Bo asked. "You're me, and I'm —" she glanced at the sleeves of her white lab coat that were covering her arms, "— I'm you."

"If that's what you want to do, Bo, we can figure something out," Lauren said earnestly. The conviction in her words caused the brunette to look up and meet her eyes again.

The wolf must have felt his ears burning. An unexpected knock at the door caused both women to jump in their seats. Rita poked her head inside a moment later, looking surprisingly apologetic.

"Sorry to interrupt," the Boston Harpy said, noticeably more polite now that Lauren was present. "Dyson Thornwood is in the lobby, and he's looking for you." She looked directly at Lauren. "He seems a little bit… umm… let's say concerned…"

A loud crash sounded from outside the office, followed by shouts from several Fae. Both Bo and Lauren recognized one of the voices as belonging to Dyson. Bo groaned while Lauren frowned. The wolf was probably causing a scene not knowing where Lauren was at this exact moment.

"Of course, Rita," Lauren said calmly. "Tell him to sit down and stop yelling, and I will be there in a minute."

Rita appeared grateful for the instructions. They all hoped that the promise of Lauren's return would keep him from smashing any more breakables in the lab. The lab assistant scampered off quickly to spread the news of Lauren's imminent arrival, and a few seconds later, the labs grew quiet once again, much to everyone's relief. As usual, Lauren controlled an untenable situation like a professional, and Bo sat in awe of her calm assuredness.

Lauren stood up and said: "I know you're busy, but I'd like to stop by the lab tomorrow to take care of some of this." She gestured to the paperwork covering most of Bo's desk. "Like I said, they're my projects, and it wouldn't be right if I abandoned them."

Bo raised her eyebrows at her. "Don't you have PI stuff to do also?"

"About that," Lauren paused and bit her lip as if afraid to continue. "If I'm going to have to go out in the field, I need to have these succubus abilities figured out. Academically, I know just about everything there is to know about succubi, but first I would like to pick your brains about the more… practical aspects."

"You want tips to help you with control," Bo summarized.

Lauren nodded hesitantly. "Is that okay?"

"If you're going to help me get rid of all of this," she motioned to her overflowing desk, "then I'd say it's the least I can do. You know, it's funny though…" Bo grinned.

"What is?"

"You were the one that helped me with my control, and now you're asking me to help with yours," Bo chuckled. "We've now come full circle."

"It would seem so. Here's to new beginnings." Lauren smiled kindly at her and headed toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Kenzi had always harped on Lauren's cold demeanor, but Bo saw its usefulness now. If she had to deal with all of this on a daily basis, it might have made her experience more bearable. A day that seemed like it would never end now seemed a little less dismal with the promise of Lauren's help. She still had a giant collection of unfinished work, and she was still as powerless as she was when she woke up this morning. Yet for the first time since the unfortunate switch, Bo was hopeful. It felt nice to have an ally on her side during this impossible situation. There was still a lot they needed to talk about if they were ever going to be close again, but the idea of sharing a space with Lauren didn't automatically seem like a chore anymore. Their problems weren't solved — and Bo wasn't sure they'd ever have the same connection as they did before things fell apart — but she was convinced this arrangement was an important step forward for both of them.

Hey, Lauren," Bo called after her before she left.

Lauren turned around. "Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Lauren blinked several times in quick succession, as if she couldn't believe the words that just left Bo's mouth. The blonde didn't even realize that her jaw was hanging slightly open. She recomposed herself quickly though, snapping her mouth shut and shaking the cobwebs from her brain. A goofy grin spread across her face.

"You're welcome, Bo."


Levi looked like a bear crawling from its cave after a long hibernation. In her case, it was more like a several thousand years. She'd never had a reason to leave her spacious living quarters underground before, at least not until the Norn invited her to her home on the other side of the grass. The bright sunlight was a novel experience after eons of darkness, and Levi kept her eyes squinted against the bright light as they adjusted.

"Been a while since you visited the real world?" the Norn teased her. She opened a second set of blinds in the living room, letting another wave of sunlight inside.

Levi winced and shielded her face with her arm. "Stop it, Wynne. What is it that you want?"

The Norn wouldn't have invited her for a social call, as the two literally ran in different parts of the earth (and preferred it that way). There had to be some reason for the meeting, Levi was certain. She just had to endure the Norn's taunts until the purpose was clear.

"I believe nowadays, there's a name for people like you. The current vernacular is 'woobie,' from what I understand," the Norn said with a hearty chuckle. She'd anticipated the Levi's reaction and reached into her desk drawer to retrieve the over-sized sunglasses she'd set aside for the occasion. "Here."

Levi took them cautiously and placed them over her face, their size making her look like a giant fly. "What a glorious invention," she mused in wonderment.

"Indeed."

"I know that's not why I'm here though." Levi leaned on her walking stick with both hands now that they were free. "What's on your mind?"

"It's about that damned Bo Dennis," the Norn replied bitterly.

Levi perked up in alarm. "Has she been cheating her way out of this too?!"

"Not yet. But something has come to my attention — something you might find interesting concerning her and the good doctor."

"Oh? Pray tell."

"I've been keeping a close eye on those two recently," the Norn explained. "Neither of them will admit it, but it appears that there may be some lingering feelings between the two of them."

"You know, I get lingering feelings from shingles every now and then too," Levi said, rolling her eyes. "You're going to have to be more specific."

The Norn grinned evilly. "Romantic feelings, Levi."

Realization dawned on the Leviathan's face. It apparently was just as big a surprise to her as it was to the Norn. "Is that so? How can you be sure?"

"I've been watching them closely —"

"Pervert," Levi interjected.

"— and there's definitely something there. They both are fighting it. I never saw it before because they never spoke to each other."

"And just what do expect to do with this information?" Levi asked her.

"Are you not the queen of riddles, Levi? Use your brain!" the Norn scoffed. "If Bo Dennis has feelings for Dr. Lewis, then we can use that against her by —"

"By going after Dr. Lewis?" Levi shook her head in disagreement. "But she's not the target."

"You misunderstand me. We don't harm Lauren Lewis, but we use her newfound station to drive Bo mad. She's impulsive enough to cause trouble if she doesn't get her way. Lauren Lewis is the desirable one now, so if we make Bo jealous…" the Norn trailed off, inviting Levi to finish her thoughts.

"There's a good chance her head will explode!" Levi beamed. The joy in her voice at those words was positively unnatural.

"And that's why I asked you to crawl out from underneath the rock you've been living under. We've already caused a shakeup by switching the two of them. If we arrange this too, we'll arouse too much suspicion. You need to talk to your pain in the ass niece and get her to cooperate with us for once."

Levi's initial elation came spiraling down in a fraction of a second. Her niece had the mischievous streak necessary to undertake the mission, but she also was the most irreverent woman the Norn had met in at least half a millennium. That wouldn't have been an insurmountable problem by itself, but she held a powerful position and was notoriously difficult to reason with. It would be particularly unpleasant meeting for Levi; the two of them were estranged for a reason, though the Norn didn't know any specifics.

"I… I can't…" Levi backed away a couple of steps, shaking her head.

"Why not? Did your ovaries shrivel up and die when the Assyrian Empire fell?"

"No…"

"Then locate your lady bits and stop being such a coward, Levi! Or did you forget about the terms of our little wager?"

Truthfully, the Norn had already conceded her own defeat in this arrangement. She'd acquired a six pack of Cherry Dr Pepper yesterday from a Preta hoping to overcome his addiction to gambling. He thought she was mad to offer the exchange, of course, but he agreed heartily. It was the most inequitable deal the Norn ever struck, not that she much cared anyway. She was only pleased that it saved her the hassle of having to go to that godforsaken wasteland of a country just south of the border to retrieve Levi's winnings herself. Even if it wasn't part of the deal, she would gladly hand over the entire six pack if it meant Bo Dennis was thoroughly humiliated in the process.

"Is it entirely necessary to call her?" Levi asked, clinging to any possibility that didn't including asking her niece for a favor. "Bo Dennis will still get her comeuppance even if we don't interfere with the doctor."

"If the two somehow find a way to reconcile, her downfall may not be as profound as either one of us hoped for," the Norn pointed out. From what she'd seen, the chances of that happening were slim, but she couldn't take any chances. She and Levi needed to strain that working relationship so Bo would stumble harder. "This is our one chance to teach Bo Dennis a lesson. We should take full advantage of it, Levi. Take away everything she's taken for granted, and bring her down by any means necessary."

The Norn could practically hear the grinding cogwheels turning in Levi's head. The older woman appeared to be physically straining herself from the intense thought she was putting into the proposal. Her eyes were well hidden behind the dark sunglasses, but the wrinkles on her forehead were extra pronounced while she considered the Norn's words.

It seemed like ages later, but Levi finally surrendered. "Fine, I'll call her," she said. "Where's your phone?"

"Over there." The Norn pointed to the antique rotary dial phone hanging from the wall.

"You know Wynne, I'm impressed to see you embracing modern technology. I half expected you to have a tin can and some string."

The Norn made a vulgar gesture with her hand, making Levi chuckle. The ancient Fae picked up the handset and slowly rotated the familiar numbers into place, making a clicking noise each time her finger reached the metal stop. Levi held her breath as the other line rang. As expected, a designated secretary picked up the phone a moment later.

Levi answered: "Yes, make me an appointment with Evony, please. Tell her that her aunt would like to speak with her."