Disclaimers: All original property is owned by Showcase, and we do not infer that any characters, creations or the concept of 'Lost Girl' are our property and the following fan fiction has been written purely for entertainment purposes only.
Pairings: Bo/Lauren set directly after the end of Season Two
Rating: T
The Stag: Chapter Four by The Rainbowwriters
"Bo, we need to talk." Dyson lightly caught hold of Bo's arm as the succubus was leaned against a marble column watching the Gala. It was obvious to him at least, that she was doing her best not to just stare across the crowded room at Lauren.
The wolf had already done his circuit of the room, meeting each of the fae who had been put forward in consideration for the Hunt. The first was of course Valarie Santiago, pride of clan Zamora and the reason for a good deal of his discomfort with his former best friend. Next was a water Dryad named Capella, a tall, wisp of a woman who had a echo under her voice when she spoke that made the wolf very uneasy. Thirdly was an avian fae from a small clan, named Cassandra, the talk of the Gala being that she had only been considered to appease a certain elder of the same family who had never had a candidate before. The fourth contestant was a Kapre named Damascus, his warrior nature easily guessed from his general uncomfortableness in his tuxedo and bulging muscles. The finally fae up for consideration was in stark contrast to Damascus, an energy disruptor named Georgius who was small in both stature and build.
"Which of the impending disasters do you want to talk about?" Bo finally dragged her eyes off Lauren to look at him.
"Us." He guided her back a little towards a door that led out to a small balcony room. The Succubus let herself be led and once they were outside, the wolf closed off the doors to lower the noise.
"Us? Dyson, does this seem like the greatest time to talk about us?" Bo questioned him once he turned away from the door.
"Yes, because we need to sort some things out." The wolf stood a little straighter. "I know you are angry at me right now."
"Angry?" Bo just looked at him with intense emotion. "Dyson, I finally get you back whole and to do that I have to lose Kenzi's humanity? How is this fair? When does it stop? When does anyone actually ask me before they do this kind of thing?"
"It's not fair, and I am sorry, I underestimated Kenzi and what she would do, the lengths she would go to." He took a slight step towards the succubus, a long empty pause sitting between them before he spoke. "Stop her from doing this." He added seriously.
"Clarify to me if I'm missing something, but isn't this going to happen no matter what we do?" Bo looked at him lost.
"There are things we can give her to delay the change, for years Bo, charms we can search for." He looked at her clearly willing to do whatever it took, including going to the ends of the earth in search of mythical fae relics.
"Years of delusions and possible psychosis, periods with intense pain and paralysis, I talked to the authority on this and she gave me all the graphic details." Bo sighed her anger lowering into sadness. "It's happening Dyson, I know right now you must be feeling worse then I am, but we all have to deal with this."
"We don't know what will happen when she changes, we don't know the source of the blood. It could be dark fae. A dark druid, a necromancer." He frowned harder. "Trick can get things to counter act the side effects she encounters Bo, but can we save her soul?"
"That question was made moot when you showed her where the Norn was." Bo bit the fact at him. "Have you talked to her about how it feels? She can feel it happening Dyson, she's been throwing back painkillers and antihistamines to keep even. She already feels like she's in the breech Dyson, you want me to ask her to stay there for years?"
"We can make that better." Dyson countered breathing a littler harder. "We can't undo what has already been done but we can make the side effects stop now we know what has happened." He sighed. "Isn't that better than losing her?" He snapped. "If you let her do this, she won't be Kenzi after it is done."
Bo just stared at him for a long moment, so many memories and feelings flooding through her body.
"I've had enough air." Bo strode over to the door and pulled it open, not giving him a direct response to his request.
-x-
It was quite clear as the Gala went on that there were three clear favourites for the morning hunt, and to Bo's benefit Val was one of them. That at least meant that there would only be the equivalent of two hunters actually intensely chasing Lauren and after blood and not three. As the evening drew on, Bo found herself being cornered by many of the same fae whose offers were on her fridge. Leaving her scrambling for excuses, and aggravated as her attention wasn't able to be on Lauren.
Finally staving off an elder whose offer had included a horse farm, Bo glanced at the ornate dais only to find that it was empty. The sinking feeling in her stomach only replaced by something much nicer when a soft hand came to rest on her arm.
"Lauren." Bo turned to look into brown eyes immediately.
"Bo." Lauren smiled, it was a tight controlled response and the smile was similarly controlled and precise, as though she was being monitored at all time. Which in retrospect Bo thought, she probably was. "I just wanted once again to come and thank you for coming." She kept herself straight and controlled her smile wavering slightly with all the firmly controlled emotion behind it. "Before I retire in preparation for the Hunt."
During the long days of her arrest, conviction and preparation for this night, Lauren had refused to give up hope that the Succubus would come. After all, the goodbye kiss they had shared in the abattoir wasn't something she could doubt, the intensity had literally pinned her to her spot.
"I swear I didn't know anything about what they were doing to you, I would have come sooner." Bo reached out taking Lauren's hand in her own. "I'll be there tomorrow in the forest, I promise you, you're going to ring that bell."
Lauren's smile tweaked a little at the corners, whether out of amusement or genuine appreciation of Bo's conviction. She leaned forward slightly and gently embraced Bo.
"If you can, they're allowing me some preparation time, I will be in the lab from now until sun rise, when they come to prepare me." She whispered as she made the brief contact.
"I will see you." Bo whispered back confident if she could break into anywhere in the compound it was the lab.
"Enjoy the Gala." The blonde held her head somewhat stiffly as she pulled back and gave a soft curtsey before turning and walking away, her movements being flanked by two well dressed, but still obvious guards.
"Isn't she splendid?" Georgius, sporting a purple armband around his left bicep asked of Bo as he took up a pleased stance beside the succubus and watched as Lauren merged into the crowd. "It will be a pleasure to flush her out of the underbrush in the early morning dew."
"You know..." Bo put out her hand and rested it on the bare skin of his wrist. "It would be really sexy if you pissed yourself right now." She pumped her influence into him and on cue his cream coloured trouser leg began to go dark with urine. "Thanks that was splendid." She turned and walked away as he broke from his stupor embarrassed.
-x-
Bo didn't last much longer in the pomp and ceremony once Lauren had been led away. Just long enough to secure the knowledge that indeed Val did clench a nomination, thus taking the number of assailants they had to worry about down by one. The other two finally contestants were also set as the Kapre and the water Dryad. With these facts, she rounded Dyson up and quickly headed back to the Dal.
Once there, the succubus made a beeline to where Kenzi was at the bar and pulled her to the far end of the deserted room. Trick had closed the bar for the night, giving Hazel and himself the time to set up the alcove for the spell.
Once the two of them were mostly alone, Bo held the younger woman out at arms length and looked at her.
"I don't want you to do this." Bo pushed the words out of her mouth, wishing so much that she could take this all away. "We're going to focus on slowing it down and finding a cure."
"What?" Kenzi frowned slightly. "Bo-Bo this is how we save your girl." She pointed out as she put her hand on the bottom of Bo's elbows.
"We're going to save Lauren but not at the expense of my best friend." Bo shook her head. "I won't let you do this. Between Trick and Hazel they can do a lot to help. Dyson is going to do anything he can to find talismans and objects that will help slow it down."
"Bo..." Kenzi took a quick breath. "How much can they do for me now?" She frowned.
"They can slow it down, help with the side effects." Bo pointed out what she was sure Kenzi already knew. "Long enough for us to figure out a way to reverse it."
"What about Lauren?" Kenzi blinked soft blue eyes at her best friend shaking her head sadly at Bo.
"I will find another way." Bo underlined having made her mind up about this at the Gala. "I have no intention of losing either of you."
"I..." Kenzi felt herself shake a little. "I don't really want to be fae." She admitted in a tiny scared whisper.
"Most of the time I don't want to be fae either." Bo pulled her into a strong hug a tear falling onto her cheek as she held the younger woman tightly.
"Nah, you're really good at it." Kenzi smiled a little unevenly. "You've got the boobs."
"And the boobs say you're not doing this, the risks are too great." Bo finally let her step back from the embrace. "We're going to work on another plan. The good news is they are giving Lauren time in her lab and she told me to sneak in to meet her there. I'll get a better idea of what is going on from that side when I do. Until then, I was thinking what if we pick new witch mentor's brain about other things we can do to tip the scales in your favour?"
"Was she okay? Your girl I mean?" Kenzi asked with a subtle frown.
"I don't know Kenzi." Bo shook her head honestly, reaching up quickly to brush the tear from her cheek, "She was," she paused, "Scared, cold, not that she could be anything else given the fact that she was the centre of attention for the entire Gala. At least she knows now we know and I underlined to her we were doing things, making plans." Bo frowned softly back. "They had her dressed up like a sacrifice, it took everything I had not to just suck them all dry."
"Well go team you for not doing it." Kenzi tried to smile but there was still a frown that lingered on her face. "Are you sure that I shouldn't..." She glanced at where Trick and Hazel were talking.
"Kenzi, I'm positive." Bo's voice was firm and even. "I love you and it's too risky. We're going to figure out more about what is going on with you and stop it." Bo assured her, her voice confident of the choice at least.
"I love you too." Kenzi moved back and nestled her head into the crook of Bo's shoulder and under her chin. "It's been so scarey." She added wrapping her arm around Bo's waist.
"I know, you should have told me sooner." Bo chided her gently not really meaning any malice with the truth. "For the record, now would otherwise be a great time to get Dyson to buy you anything you wanted."
Kenzi just sighed and continued to snuggle.
"Are we ready?" It was Hazel that broke the serene moment, suddenly stepping away from Trick and moving towards Bo and Kenzi. "We have everything prepared." She added, glancing towards the back room, mostly they had been waiting for the Succubus to appear.
"We're not doing it, it's too risky." Bo announced saving Kenzi the looks and confusion. "I know we've all been trying to ignore the risks because of the possible benefits but..." She looked at the light fae witch. "Tell me in your heart this feels right?"
"There is no right or wrong in this." Hazel replied evenly. "There is only the need of a decision." She let out a slow breath. "I see no point in having wasted my time." She added almost silently understanding that without Bo's approval this would not happen. "I can at least cast a charm, and mix some poultices for your arm while I am here." She didn't look at Kenzi as she moved off towards the doorway.
"Was that her pissed off?" Kenzi asked looking at Trick for some kind of a clue.
"No." He shook his head and began to follow her, "That was her accepting your choice." He rephrased Kenzi's assessment. "You should join us." He added to the younger woman.
"Bo?" Kenzi gave the succubus a look of trepidation.
"We'll all go." Bo assured her linking her arm in Kenzi's as they followed.
-x-
"I know that it's custom to talk in riddles and around the point but..." Bo managed to catch the older witch mixing ingredients a short time later alone, finally. "In any straight forward way can you tell me what is going to happen to Kenzi?"
"I'm not sure I understand your question succubus." Hazel replied as she stopped grinding herbs.
"What is going to happen to Kenzi? Is this rash going to spread all over? Is she going to wake up one morning and be magical? How do we know if this donor witch was evil or good?" Bo asked the more important question that Dyson had made her focus on.
"You don't unless you ask the source and I'm not sure anyone is close enough to the Norn to do that." The blonde put down the mortar and pestle she held and looked at Bo. "As for what will happen to your friend, it is hard to say. There are preparations she can take, herbs, and charms, an amulet that is rumoured to still exist but has been lost for some time now..." Her voice trailed off as she frowned for a minute as if recollecting something from a long time ago. "For now though the rash will remain, with the poultices I have prepared applied weekly they will no longer be the trouble to her that they currently are, but I cannot get rid of the discolouration." She shook her head. "I can do little for the night terrors. The subconscious mind is a dangerous thing with which to mess." She pointed out. "As for the other more physical aspects, our gifts are only so good." She frowned slightly. "Though if she is good with her regime of herbs and preparations, she will feel considerably less..." Again the witch paused. "Fractured."
"Is this what you all go through or is this just because of what happened to Kenzi?" Bo checked not understanding how traditional witches really fit into the Fae world.
"This situation is unique to your friend, in that she is a vessel containing two liquids, both red and white wine for example, what your friend and I are attempting to do for her is convince her body that she is carrying not a red and a white, but a rose." She tried to explain.
"My other problem. I know that changing Lauren is impossible without a real witch to say the incantation but..." Bo bit her lip. "Sorry to sound all hipster witch on you, but are glamours real? I mean can they be easily done?"
Hazel took a slight breath and then looked at Bo with a serious look.
"Haven't you already made a decision about who it is that you are saving?" She asked her voice low and quiet.
"I'm saving both of them, no matter what I have to do." Bo vowed to the older woman. "What I want to know is if we can glamour more of us to look like Lauren and confuse the hunters?"
"Most Fae are not taken in by such trickery." Hazel shook her head. "You must remember fae see not just with their eyes." She sighed softly.
"Then there are going to be a lot of drained fae." Bo sighed moving to lean against a table. "I can't let them hurt Lauren."
"The Stag is chosen for its treachery and its cunning, its deceit and its ability to survive, why do you think such a criminal would need your assistance so?" Hazel asked with a querying frown.
"Because the conviction of treason they brought against her was a lie. She was instructed by the old Ash to remove his venom, he was a naga, he knew it must be preserved to kill the Garuda, who would only be vulnerable when he had thought he had already won. Prophecy from the Ancient Wolf Spirit and the Nain Rouge. Lauren managed to stabilize the naga venom even though it was outside its host, and I used it to kill the Garuda. Some within the light fae have twisted that unto her being guilty of treason, that she made the Ash defenceless with her medical magicks." Bo outlined the absurd reason Lauren was even in this position.
"Each Stag has its own powers succubus." The witch smiled softly. "Do not discount the doctor's cunning or will to live."
-x-
"Ah Dr. Lewis..." It was Hale, well Hale dressed no longer in Gala swag but in a delivery man's uniform that pushed in a cart with a large box on it. "I need you to sign for this delivery."
"Oh. Yes." Lauren, who had also changed out of her regalia and was now in a pair of dress pants, a button down and her usual lab coat. A frown danced on her brow as she came over to scribble her signature on the clipboard that the delivery man was holding, not even noticing that it was Hale at first. "Thank you, put it down over there." She glanced at the 'fragile' and 'this side up' stickers on it and added. "Carefully." As an after thought, having to laugh sadly inside that mere hours before her scheduled 'death' she was still doing what she should do.
"Yes ma'am." Hale smiled realizing the distracted woman didn't know who he was and he used the cart to drop the box, which did make a slight noise of discontent. "You really should open it right now." He made the soft suggestion.
"What?" Lauren walked from where she had been going back towards her lab desk, back towards the box, taking a moment to actually look at the delivery 'boy' as she reached out to break the seal across the top of the cardboard. She blinked again when she recognized the man in uniform. "Hale." She whispered her voice full of surprise, her hands stalling as she partially pulled open the top flap of cardboard.
"Enjoy your package." Hale tipped his cap at her and pushed his cart away at the same time that Bo was finally climbing out of the confined space.
"I take it back, the body bags smelled like feet but at least they weren't like being buried alive in foam peanuts." Bo smiled at Lauren as she picked one that was stuck to her hair out.
"Bo!" Without thinking to stop herself Lauren pushed herself into the succubus' arms, wrapping her own arms around her back and holding on tight. Her controlled demeanour from the party was completely forgotten.
"I'm here." Bo held her back tightly for a long time before they finally let go and she managed to climb out of the rather large box. "Have they hurt you? Are they treating you properly, the bastards?"
"It's been better recently." Lauren admitted somewhat cagily as she moved a little back from the brunette to give her space to stretch after her confinement. "But now I know why that is." She rolled her eyes at the irony of the situation. "It wouldn't be a good hunt with a malnourished, weak, sleep deprived stag would it." She cleared her throat and turned away from the succubus.
"I know all of this is insane Lauren, but... you're going to ring that bell tomorrow." Bo underlined again. "Val is one of the hunters and she has already vowed that she won't do you any harm, she thinks this is a farce as much as any of us. The other two, I'm going to deal with."
"Bo, I know you'll try but, I really don't see how you can help." Lauren shook her head as she pushed her hands into her lab coat pockets and took long steps back over to her desk.
"I'm working on some things, that involve glamours and distractions. We just have to get you enough time and enough safe cover to get to the bell." Bo moved after her slowly. "Lauren, I need you to at least understand, I won't let them hurt you. If there is nothing else I can do... I'll just free you myself." She said the words in a whisper.
"Bo, no." Lauren stopped and turned looking at Bo seriously. "Since what happened with the Garuda, we talked about this already, there are tests I want to do, I'm not happy about what the blood forging might have done to the delicate power balance that you have fought so hard to develop inside yourself." She took a step towards the brunette and reached out and took her hand. "You can't risk yourself for me." She underlined.
"Yes, I can." Bo shook her head back, holding Lauren's hand back tightly. "Because I love you." She whispered again as she had at the dais.
"I..." Lauren blinked and looked down at the lab floor for a moment, before slowly looking up again. "I love you to Bo." She breathed out and took her other hand out of her lab coat pocket and cupped Bo's cheek. "But I don't think you're stable." She had said the words before she thought to stop herself. She took a breath and rolled her eyes dropping her head to look at the floor again before letting her hand slip away from its place as she backed up slightly. "I'm sorry." She whispered the apology.
Bo's initial reaction had been hurt, and a hint of anger from somewhere inside that finally making her proclamation of love had resulted in this but as she watched Lauren, she let out a breath of her own.
"You're right." Bo whispered back. "But I can't hope to be stable again until you're safe. You're in danger Lauren, I can't be expected to just cope, to do the calm thing. I won't apologize for that."
The blonde seemed to weigh up this statement for a moment and then accept it for what it was, an honest appraisal of where the succubus was right now.
"I've been working on some things." Lauren said beckoning Bo over to the lab desk to share her ingenuity.
