A.N.: It's been a little slow, but I wanted to set the scene first, I promise it's worth it. The promised new player enters in this chapter. Thank you for reading!
Isotopes. Blood. Blood slides. Molecules. Diseases. Cures. Preventions. EpiPen. Succubus. Bo. Sex.
Lauren was giddy with the thoughts running rampant in her head. She leaned heavily on her desk, trying desperately to calm herself by taking deep breaths. In the short span of two hours they had woken the succubus, she was already out of her element. Now it has been only three days and the constant flirting was driving her insane, in a good way. Lauren would admit that Bo knew the fine line between sexy and sleazy, having been at the receiving end of her charm. She knew that handling a succubus would not be easy, especially one that looked like Bo. Her penchant for girls had seemingly gone unnoticed by whatever deities that existed until the succubus. All at once, she had a literal sex goddess in front of her, yet there was no way to be with her.
Five years spent in service to the Light fae taught her more than she wanted to know about this clandestine society that hid in plain sight from the rest of the world. Humans were always going to be lower on the food chain than the fae and would always be treated as second-class citizens, food that had an expiry date and toys that were too fragile. No matter how well-educated or how possibly empathetic or compassionate a fae was, there was always a dismissive attitude and Lauren hated it. At least she dealt with less discrimination in the Light fae compound due to her brilliance and the necklace that declared her a Ward of the Ash.
A human pet or occasional lover was allowed, Lauren supposed as she had seen the numerous fae coming in with their companions. But being in a loving relationship with them simply did not fly with the fae or their many laws. The fae could outlive any human by several centuries, and some fae mated for life.
And for Bo, a succubus, it was biologically impossible. The species thrived on anything sexual and replenished their hunger and energy through coitus. Having multiple partners was ideal for succubi since their need to feed trumped anything else but that was not how Lauren worked. She was fiercely loyal and equally jealous when it came down to love, quite the traditional romantic, but she was curious. And who had said anything about love! With a sigh, Lauren knew she had to shut her crush on the gorgeous brunette down before any recklessness occurred.
There was no denying that Bo was gorgeous, smart and noble and the bonus optimistic personality was infectious. Her silky dark hair flowed naturally to her chest, wavy but not curled; the firm handshake between them had set a flutter in her heart, an effect still not lost on her; the lusty look in her eyes when she gave Lauren a once-over made her want to take a shower just to cool off from the intensity.
Granted, Lauren Lewis was classically beautiful with gorgeous blonde locks and an IQ of 153 to boot and she had been the object of quite a number of people's desires, receiving many leery stares and winks. But somehow Bo made her feel wanted, not just to take to bed but a romantic relationship level instead. Lauren chuckled at herself, like she could read minds now. She was acting like a schoolgirl short of encircling of their names in a heart shape. She sighed as she thought of the dark brown eyes swirled with unbridled love and mystery leaving Lauren feeling safe yet intimidated. The same ones that twinkled whenever she made Lauren blush. The very orbs that the doctor was honestly developing a slight obsession for.
Her brain was in overload as she sorted her memories, trying to place where Bo should belong. The brunette's eyes were becoming too familiar for her own comfort. Where had she slipped up along the way?
"Ugh," the blonde blinked as the pain subsided as quickly as it came. "What the hell?"
Lauren ignored it and returned to her thoughts. She intentionally chose to ignore the faux-pas whenever it came up, believing it would give her more time to dig into her own past before confronting the succubus. It was weird, being called that. She had wanted to erase her past and start anew and had always feared for this day. Yet here it was, a complete stranger calling her by her birth name.
Lauren recalled the panic in her eyes yesterday when the succubus timidly asked about her best friend. It did not take any psychoanalysis to figure that the horrified expression would have been caused by the unknown state of the girl in question.
Then it struck her.
For a moment, Lauren was a little peeved, not sure if it was with herself or with Bo. How did she not see it before? Of course! The little Goth girl was Bo's... lover. Why else would anyone become so frantic over another person? That was the only logical explanation.
Lauren felt a little sick, not because the idea revolted her but she realized that she had real, genuine feelings for the brunette. And that something was causing the burning sensation in her gut. The doctor in her knew that there was nothing physiologically wrong, perhaps a little gastric acid getting out of hand. But the intellectual in her told her that this was jealousy.
The realization hit Lauren full in the face as her big eyes widened even more. She had only spent an average of 24 hours with the brunette and yet she had spoken to her more than anyone else in the past five years. Words may not have been Bo's forte but the meaningful and soulful eyes conveyed what she felt easily, and Lauren knew what she felt: Bo wanted her just as much as she wanted Bo. She did not need someone who could sweet talk her, or someone who could recite Gray's Anatomy by heart. Bo had a way with her, that easy charm drawing her in more and more like a moth to a hot, sexy flame.
Without realizing, Lauren, on auto-pilot mode, had undressed and was mid-step into the shower. How she managed to get into her apartment did not matter. The spray of hot water cleared her mind momentarily as she enjoyed the heat, washing the day's worries and the sterile smell of disinfectant away. As she massaged the shampoo into her hair, she closed her eyes and imagined the succubus, in all her glory, in the shower with her. It did not require a lot of effort to mentally picture the curvaceous brunette naked since she had seen more than her share of the extraordinary body. But thinking of her in a wet, soapy environment made Lauren swallow thickly. Screw ethics! Despite all the water running off her, it did nothing to soothe the ache between her thighs. She felt the familiar stirrings of lust trace its light fingertips across her body. She held back a moan, thinking of Bo kneeling between her legs.
"This can't go on," Lauren breathed, to no one in particular. "This has to stop."
Renewed with new resolve, she twisted the tap shut and toweled off. Lying in bed, Lauren promised herself that she would not let herself be drawn in by Bo's allure. This was a crush of new proportions but it was still a crush, a mere infatuation with a gorgeous woman. And crushes disappear over time and interaction, so she would do just that and play strictly platonic doctor.
Everything looks different in the dark. Even if it was home. And this was his home yet he had never seen it in this light before, or rather the lack of it. He watched the masked man leisurely go through his things - opening and closing his drawers; typing on his laptop; reading his mail. It was a slow and meticulous affair, as though the man was enjoying his own privacy on his behalf.
A single beep shredded the silence as the man walked unhurriedly to the table where the noise came from. He watched in panic as he realized it was his own phone being examined by the intruder. The wooden bed groaned under his weight as he struggled against it, muffled protests to stop the stranger from reading his messages.
"'The bacon is home'," read the man before looking straight at him. "Pity you won't be using any of it."
All he could manage was a weak, stifled grumble as he pulled against the crude duct-tape that held his hands around the bed posts. It might be a small cut from the heist that he was getting but with the amount he had saved up, he was soon able to leave, when he was released from his captor. He watched the man retrieve something from his pocket. It was a small, round, fiery orb that was slightly smaller than a marble. He instantly recognized it, having just delivered one to his boss. His brain tried to comprehend how the man had managed to acquire such a powerful weapon and how he would use it. The next moment he understood the latter part of his thoughts as he began to violently kick, hopelessly trying to shift himself away from danger.
"Stop fighting it, little piggy" the intruder admonished, waving around a clean, bright dagger. "Resistance is futile."
He almost rolled his eyes at the Star Trek reference until a blinding pain coursed through him. The man was now on top of him as he watched in horror as the blade sank deeper and deeper into his bloated abdomen, his muted screams reflecting his agony poorly. Finally the blade was pulled out and his sweat-matted hair was used to clean off the blood. He was delirious with pain, his eyes about to roll back for a completely different reason until his face was met with a slap.
"Don't you faint on the best part!" the man snarled.
The torrid agony appeared again as his captor pried the thin wound open, roughly shoving the flaming orb into the opening. He yelled out again, the orb was already hot to the touch but inside him, he felt his flesh cook as the wound was cauterised quickly.
His breathing was now laboured, he knew he was going to die despite not bleeding out any longer. The fiery liquid inside the orb was legendary in its destructive power and a small dose of it was sufficient to take out a 100-story skyscraper. However in its current form, it was more devastating to the human body despite its minute dose. He cursed the bastard in front of him, knowing that the acid from his punctured stomach would cause a tear in the membrane that held the liquid in but also create a catastrophic reaction.
As though the man read his thoughts, he stopped before the door, turning around to say, "Yes, you're a smart one, you know what it is. And please, try to enjoy your last minute."
With that, the stranger left. Now he was alone again, and with a renewed adrenaline as he fought to get out of his binds. He had managed one hand free and was clawing and digging at his wound, hissing in pain. He had less than thirty seconds left; only one chance if he was lucky. He howled against his gag as a finger slipped into the recently closed cut. The orb brushed the tip of his finger, but it was too late.
His eyes widened at his impending doom before the whole world blacked out.
Outside, the man removed his mask and stuffed it into his bag. He approached a pay phone and with a gloved hand, he dialled 911.
"But I'm so tired!" whined the succubus. "And it's been a week, I think I've more than earned a break!"
Bo had been running gauntlet after gauntlet that Lauren had set up for her in the Light fae compound. She knew that this experiment for Lauren was important, but all her powers were instinctual and did not exactly have a skill requirement. Secretly, she believed that the good doctor was giving her test after test just to keep her near and she was not going to start complaining about that.
"Okay, okay," Lauren conceded. "We'll take a break."
Lauren tossed her a towel and continued making notes on her tablet. Bo was still out of breath when she cleaned herself up. As she stripped off the sweaty gym attire, she caught Lauren staring.
"Like what you see, Doc?" smirked the brunette mid-strip, confidence soaring even higher as the blonde's aura pulsed with lust.
Bo decided to make things harder for the woman, taking longer to undress, shimmying more to slide out of her pants, bending lower to allow better visage to her cleavage, moaning louder to the water she splashed on herself. In Bo's defence, she would have done all those things except with a little less flair but teasing the doctor was more than reward enough for the show she put on. In her mind, this was justified because Lauren was playing dumb.
Lauren cleared her throat and coughed, her breath seemingly caught in her throat as she turned around to input the collected data onto a computer terminal. Bo could see through the doctor's new tactic of silent appreciation and she enjoyed being the reason Lauren's aura burned brighter.
The blonde had released Bo from her custody earlier in the week since she spent the weekend and the past two years bed-ridden. She would never admit it, but she was actually grumpy as hell. With the addition of her first love not acknowledging her and being kept on her toes in her usual work routine while including this new training was becoming quite a challenge for her.
The gauntlets were actually quite a lethal blend of games designed by Lauren that tested agility, strength, wit, and charm. As pointless as Bo felt they were now and as reluctant as she was to admit it, she knew that she would have fared better in her last fight had she been given the appropriate training. And Lauren was the perfect coach, cheerleader, and doctor mashed into one beautiful being.
Somewhere deep inside Bo, something had changed; something had broke the day she was brought back to life and she knew it, but what it was, she could not place a finger on. Everything on the surface appeared fine - scars were healed, toxins were flushed, libido was back on track - but under the hood, she knew something was different.
Even the way she went about work had changed. Kenzi had a few cases lined up for when she had the all-clear from the doctor and she solved them easily, as usual but she noticed quite a drastic shift in her powers. Her persuasive touch now had the power to control the victim for almost four hours and it was extending by the minute. The poor security guard she had pulsed actually followed her home, begging to spend the rest of his life with her. The healing breath, a trick she had learnt from her short but explosive encounter with her mother, was more efficient and potent and could now affect multiple targets. Her movements and strength were also boosted, leaving her to relearn to gauge how fast or strong her moves had to be.
But her hunger was now ravenous. Prior to this, she fed off random patrons at the local haunt, the Dál Riata, since they were less susceptible to death due to their genetically enhanced biology. Sometimes she fed off Dyson, the little crush on him amplifying their trysts. She briefly wondered about the wolf shifter, having not seen him since the battle before catching sight of the beautiful blonde in front of her.
Bo knew that she should tell these things to Lauren, but she had not even come to terms with her recently evolved powers. Did Lauren add something to her? Part of her was thankful she had not met the blonde before her powers developed, knowing the doctor would probably keep her under tighter surveillance upon the knowledge of her heightened powers. Another part of her just wanted her curiosity satiated.
"I know these tests have been hard on you, but you need to learn control and I need to observe," Lauren spoke as she typed.
"I thought that's what the ingenious little jabs were for," Bo pouted.
"Well, your DNA may have been altered since you..." Lauren looked up briefly. "How are you feeling by the way?"
"Pretty okay, I suppose, given all that has happened," Bo sighed and put on her black halterneck. "I mean, to Kenzi it's been two years, but to me, it's only been a week at most. It's a little disorienting."
Lauren had stopped and crossed the room to Bo, gently laying a hand on her own. Bo had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from gasping. The air was electric and this was not the first time that happened when the two women touched. Bo had noticed it earlier in their interactions and was sure that Lauren, being the genius that she was, noticed it too.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Lauren asked softly, her voice laced with concern.
Bo looked down for a moment. What was she going to tell the woman? How hard it had been for Kenzi, the human trapped in between, straddling both human and fae worlds? How screwed up it all was, that she had died and recalled none of it? How horrified she was, not knowing what happened or could have happened in the two years that she was not alive? There was nothing Lauren could do or say to make it easier for this transition, Bo knew that only time could make up for her lack of it.
What about this insane attraction towards Lauren that grew daily? And how badly she wanted the blonde to recognize her? It was as if fate's unnerving hand pushed them together, willing them to meet again. Bo had come to realize that this infatuation with Lauren was more than just simple infatuation. It could be regarded as a soft spot for the blonde, but Bo just knew that there was definitely something more than just residual emotions flaring up. She wanted Lauren like she never wanted anyone before. It was not only the aura that drew her in, deeper and deeper, but there was an almost-magnetic pull that naturally made Bo gravitate towards the blonde. There was an irrefutable carnal attraction, but something made the succubus want to try her hand at monogamy again. The question now boiled down to whether she could or not.
But Lauren had apparently taken her hesitance at divulging her emotions as a defense mechanism. As she moved to step away, a slight frown gracing her features, Bo grabbed her arm and smiled, "It's been a long day Doc, how about we talk over a drink? I know a place."
Bo was scared despite her smile, she had never really done this before. Her whole adult life, she had used her succubus gifts to get what she want and this time she was doing things the old-fashioned way again. She was rusty and she knew it. Silently, she respected the humans even more, knowing that this courage, albeit small and insignificant, was courage nonetheless.
To her surprise, Lauren smiled back, "I'd like that. Just give me five minutes to clean up?"
Bo nodded. Her heart was racing like it should never have, given her succubus origins. The pounding in her ears were beginning to subside as her heart began to settle. She was more than elated, there was just something perfect about this moment and it felt a little more date-like than it should, but it was exciting even so.
If dying had any change on her, this would be one of them: Bo was now more willing to take chances than ever, regardless of how impulsive and emotionally driven her actions were before. She was never going to let another shot at her own happiness slip by again, with so many things she would regret in death. She looked at Lauren tidying her files and believed that now, more than ever, she had to take matters into her own hands. As clichéd as it was, there was a connection between them and it could not simply be pure fluke. She was going to keep the blonde close to her until she understood more. And if she fell for her again along the way, so be it since she was already mid-way down the Lauren-shaped hole. She was definitely not going to waste her second chance.