Lauren waited in her office, reading the reports that had piled up and not checking how long she had until the meeting with Elder Kuari. The pretense lasted right up until the footsteps approaching her office kept going by instead of coming in. Placing her cell phone on the desk Lauren immediately brought up the current time. Bo knew the meeting had to start as scheduled, but the succubus hadn't shown or responded to her messages.
What Elder Kuari thought Bo could add to her reports Lauren wasn't sure, but she respected the efficiency in handling several matters at once, even if it meant delaying Bo's visit by an extra day. Telling Bo her presence at the compound would have to wait a day went better than she had hoped. There had been some petty remarks about the Elders and replacing them with cardboard cut outs, but the rest of the phone call had been a few stories about Bo's investigation and the woman making sure she was okay.
Bo checking up on her had become part of her routine in just a few days, settling in perfectly with lab results and long hours as if it had always been there and always would be. Though it wasn't the same as seeing her girlfriend, the simple lifeline to the world outside the lab and her apartment, knowing that Bo worried enough to call, and send detailed text messages about her plans for their reunion, helped distract from the overwhelming lack of results her tests were turning up.
Those distractions had also kept her from the research into Bo's genetic history. That Bo still struggled with being a Succubus, and with her inheritance of Blood Sage traits, Lauren did not want to add needless stress. Discovering Bo's lineage could explain traits that Lauren knew weren't associated with Succubi, or Sages, and reveal family the woman wouldn't otherwise be able to find. It could also connect Bo to some Fae that made the Dark and Light Elders weary enough that both sides preferred having the leadership of the Dark resides with the Morrigan.
As if on cue though a rather ragged looking Bo walked into her office and collapsed into the chair across from her. Simply seeing the woman made Lauren smile, but Bo's exhausted appearance kept her concerns closer to the surface than she wanted. "I take it the investigation is going well?" Lauren felt a touch of pity for the succubus being made to become so politically involved, though the pout on Bo's face was rather adorable.
"Remind me to never complain about the lack of chatty Fae ever again." Bo had felt a surge of nerves and adrenaline as her steps grew closer to Lauren's office, she was early and didn't know if Lauren would be there or in the lab or treating patients or if she could avoid causing problems with a very public display of affection.
"Well, I was going to introduce you to an Under Fae that expresses all of their thoughts, emotions and actions verbally." Smiling at the tired warrior Lauren set down her coffee, intending to get some for Bo, when the woman simply turned the mug to the other side and drained what had been in her cup instead. The idea of Bo being so comfortable with her left the coffee forgotten about as she place her hand on Bo's arm and enjoyed being able to touch the succubus for the first time in days.
"Ha ha. I think you missed your calling doctor." Rubbing her temple in some hope of stopping the throbbing inside her skull didn't seem to help, but Lauren's energy was already soothing the ache. "One moment I'm talking to some giant that is insisting the importance of maintaining neutral locations would be the bridge to peace for the Dark and the Light. That got interrupted by someone named Smith who had some idea for a Champion themed restaurant." Bo sank deeper into the chair, repeatedly muttering the words Garuda slider, choosing to take the temporary relief from the memories in the physical pain of sitting in the uncomfortable chair. "I thought I found something when a witch offered me a cursed chandelier that slowly drains the life of any guest invited into the home if I killed some guy for her, but apparently the idea of artifacts that might turn several blocks of humans into Fae seeking missiles just sounded absurd to her."
Lauren pushed some fall strains of hair away from her girlfriend's face, checking for a surface temperature and watching Bo's eye movement. "I can run some tests if you want, but most likely the headache and distorted memories stem from coming in direct contact with the energy of so many Fae in such a short time period. Places like the Dal need regular cleansing in order for visiting Fae to maintain their balance." Focusing on that train of thought Lauren shifted her attention to a file on her desk. "Though some Fae can handle it better than others and will even seek out almost any event with a diverse crowd.
Not finding the necessary details to a sudden theory Lauren put the file back in place before searching through others on her desk. Bo's presence hadn't been lost on her entirely, simply put on hold during the frantic search. "A lot of them find work that gives them a constant supply of weddings, concerts, children's birthday parties or even funerals. If that's not possible, or if they prefer solitude when feeding, there have been reports of uninvited guests being arrested when caught by other attendees or security."
"There are Fae funeral crashers?" It was bad enough that most Fae lacked any of the minimal subtlety of humans when it came to sexual attraction, but the idea of someone sneaking into and feeding on the energy at a stranger's funeral had a creepfactor of ten.
Lauren moved reluctantly away from Bo's side to a filling cabinet in the corner of the room. "Actually there are several Fae that can feed off the energy of a sizeable crowd indirectly for hours, completely unnoticed by anyone else." Almost six years had passed since Dr Everett handed her the file and asked for her professional opinion on the patient. After that it simply went into the archives. At the time it seemed like nothing.
Lauren set the file on the desk and let Bo see the information that only a handful of people had ever bothered with learning. Feeling the reassurance of Bo squeezing her hand as she picked up the file, Lauren waited for the woman to read some of the information before continuing on. "The patient was Dark Fae, which obviously complicated matters. We treated him for minor lacerations and security moved to a holding cell a few minutes after his arrival. Apparently he had managed to destroy most of a large wedding reception venue and caused injuries to three Light Faeguests."
"Sounds like a jealous ex-boyfriend." Bo knew the type as half their cases seemed to involve a client's ex.
"I doubt the police asked about his love life when they arrested him." Lauren looked over the details, refreshing memories of going over them years ago in the same office with the file pulled from the same cabinet, yet from a time most Fae didn't trust with a hypodermic needle, let alone the care of the entire territory. That the patient was a Dark Fae facing criminal charges didn't seem worth a second look really. The police were already satisfied with their version and most at the compound had no time to worry about inconsistencies when an influenza strain kept turning up sick Fae who wouldn't follow the simple advice of staying home. She lost her first official Fae patient during the outbreak yet she couldn't remember the old Fae's name or even his genus now.
Bo had watched as Lauren's eyes read over the paperwork rather than reading any of it herself, but slowly Lauren seemed to lose herself in a world that from her reaction wasn't a good place to visit. "Lauren?"
Snapping out of the past, Lauren focused on Bo. "Sorry. The arresting officers suggested the tension between the clans caused it all as the groom represented a rarity by choosing to join the Light Fae when most of his family had aligned with the Dark, but Doctor Everett never felt comfortable listing that theory as the official cause. If we had the time I'm sure she would have asked for a full investigation as suddenly erratic behavior isn't normal in anyone, even Dark Fae who feed off causing misery."
"And Doctor Everett is…" Bo had tried to learn the names of everyone Lauren worked with on a regular basis, but Everett wasn't one she had even heard of.
"Doctor Everett was my predecessor." Lauren smiled at the hand written notes where Amelia had openly called into question the arresting officer's sense of judgment and ability to keep his nose out of matters that went above his pay grade. "I worked under her for three years before she requested a transfer. I'm not sure I would have survived those early years with the Fae if it hadn't been for her. A human getting access to the clinic and lab had almost no precedence, but being told to work alongside one as an equal, to eventually accept me as a superior if I
earned advancement, caused several resignations before my first day and a few more by the end of the first week."
"Sounds like you really admired her." Bo tried to keep the sudden crushing sensation from getting into her voice, but listening to Lauren talk about some other woman with such reverence and affection wasn't an easy thing to hear.
"When the Ash announced a human would be joining the medical team it wasn't just doctors and nurses that left. Entire clans uprooted to avoid having their care contaminated by human involvement." Lauren wasn't one for regrets, but that first day, being in a room full of screaming, and literally screeching in the case of two of them, Fae demanding she be destroyed had left her with the feeling for a few seconds about her insistence of going to the Congo to further her practical education in medicine instead of Cambridge like her parents had wanted.
"Doctor Everett had every reason to put me in a dark room and ignore the disruptive human. The Ash would have let her, at least for a while. Maybe when the Fae forgot he had appointed a human, he would have insisted I be allowed to clean equipment. Instead Doctor Everett made sure I got access to any research material I needed and the time to study it all. She even gave me her personal set of textbooks after my first successful Fae diagnosis." Lauren had kept with a few other personal possessions rather than displayed on a bookcase.
"Were you two lovers?" The words were out before Bo could think about what she was asking and the jealousy in them was obvious enough that the furniture could have picked up on it.
Lauren stopped reading the file and found Bo staring at her with a desperation that got her full attention. "It wasn't like that Bo." Lauren placed both hands on Bo's cheeks, trying to comfort the wounded succubus. "Amelia cared for her patients with a level of dedication that went beyond what anyone would have asked. I admired her for that, and her patients loved her, but there was nothing romantic between us."
"I didn't mean to question you Lauren." Bo pulled the blonde's hands down and just held them between her own. "It's just…" Bo stopped but Lauren's smile told her the woman already knew her thoughts. "A succubus with insecurity issues, I bet there aren't any studies on that." Most people she met wanted to sleep with her and few ever bothered to consider she would be involved in a relationship. Even when Dyson would hover and look like he would kill the next Fae to buy her a drink she never went thirsty. Yet she couldn't handle the idea Lauren had a relationship with her mentor.
"Bo, I understand. Believe me I do." That Bo worried that she would be the one in their relationship to end things, to find someone else, or that she might hurt her just by being who she was, endeared her to Lauren in a way the woman hadn't known she could feel. "We need to get through this meeting though." Still, with a soft kiss that lasted as long as it needed to Lauren wanted to end any doubts Bo had that anyone that had ever meant, or would ever mean, as much as to her as the scared succubus that had changed her life so much. "I promise, later, I'll do whatever I can to prove it."
"You keep making promises like that doctor and we're not going to get anything done." Bo punctuated her sentence with a kiss of her own before picking up the file and looking over the pages. No one had ever kissed her the way Lauren did, which had left her troubled for weeks after their first night together and it definitely didn't help her brain in trying to read the world's worst hand writing when all she wanted was to push Lauren against the door and feel that kiss again. The pull of Lauren's bright energy wasn't helping either, but the current situation seemed to boil down to she had to get the boring professional stuff done to have more alone time with Lauren. "So this angry ex, what exactly were the guests dealing with?"
Lauren smiled at the succubus's sudden interest in actually helping. "The suspect was a Sluagh, a Fae that feeds off the animosity between humans, or Fae if they can, usually by convincing others they are being attacked in some way by another person." Lauren flipped the pages out of the way to allow Bo a look at the suspect and his injuries. "Your suggestion about Under Fae wasn't far off by the regard most Fae have for the genus. Usually though they keep to groups with other Sluagh, or Fae that share similar habits, but it's impossible to know if they tried integration and the other Fae rejected them or if it had been a purposeful choice to live apart and that lead to society deciding they were not Fae. The distrust of them is actually well documented though and entire families have purposely started riots and rebellions just for their own amusement."
"I take it the uncooperative dead guy is another one of these slugs?" Bo handed Lauren back the file she had barely looked at as and followed behind her as she placed it back in the file cabinet.
"Sluagh." Searching the proper place for the file Lauren looked over the other folders making sure the rest were still in order. "With the damage to his clan mark and unusual genus it just took the system a while to identify him. Unfortunately the Council will now have to get the Morrigan to accept that a car accident killed a Dark Fae and they might want to charge him post-mortem for the deaths of the Light Fae."
"Would that be like convincing the Elders a giant bird that wasn't supposed to exist suddenly wants to eat everyone on the planet so they need to help or more like a bunch of humans deciding the woman buying a new pair of shoes after having feet soup for lunch insulted their mother?" Bo stepped in behind Lauren, and placed her head on Lauren's right shoulder. "You hungry?"
Lauren smiled at Bo's awful joke, but it was a pair of hands slipping around her waist that really got her attention. "The, uhh, the situation is not as extraordinary as either of those, but I'm sure will be something that causes problems." During the lockdown Lauren had spent most of her days assembling the report and the Elders accepted her preliminary findings, which meant technically she had time for Bo's distraction, but her findings still felt incomplete. "For a Sluagh not to have the support of a group and cause that level of destruction, which will be a difficult to convince the Dark of when accusing one of their own of breaking the peace."
"Mmm, sounds like someone else's problem." She knew trying to distract Lauren from a project wouldn't last, but she could certainly enjoy it for a little while. Moving her hands down to Lauren's hips, and applying enough pressure for the doctor to get the idea to turn around, Bo leaned into her girlfriend, but didn't quite connect their lips together. "You didn't answer my question earlier."
Lauren felt her focus shift entirely to Bo and the hands slipping under her shirt. "I had breakfast."
"I asked if you were hungry, I didn't say anything about food Doctor."
The difficulty in trying to maintain any sense of professionalism shot straight up to a nine, as did something else, when Bo smirked at her. The scale probably broke as Bo leaned in and the familiar sensation of Bo's lips on her neck registered with her body. It wasn't a good idea to get too caught up, but rather than arguing Lauren closed her eyes and let the longing of the last few days be replaced with true desire.
As Bo found her exposed collar-bone and her girlfriend's hands started roaming too far south Lauren pushed Bo away just far enough to capture the woman's lips with her own. They had so much to get done in preparation for their meeting, but the project of Bo's leg suddenly between her thighs held her attention instead.
The moment might have lasted forever if her back didn't end up against the filing cabinet, causing the extended drawer to slam shut with enough force that half the compound probably heard it. Separating just enough for their bodies not be in contact Lauren glanced at her closed office door, hoping that was all they heard. Though, as Bo stepped back further, looking like the cat that definitely wanted to eat the canary, Lauren knew neither of them had been quiet.
"I think there are some books in the archives with more information." Her breathing was uneven, her skin felt flushed, her clothes were partly uneven and there was a succubus standing not three feet from her. If any of her staff came looking for her she would never live down getting caught fooling around with Bo in her office.
"Do the archives have a door that locks from the inside?" Lauren always made for an incredible test to keep her libido in check when the woman was calmly going about her day and Bo had made certain that the woman wasn't anywhere near calm. That Lauren only offered a roll of her eyes in response before heading for the door, as if she expected her just to follow. Bo held her ground for a full two seconds before following after her girlfriend.
xxx
The archives were not exactly far from Lauren's office, but watching the woman walk in front of her had made her new plan to follow Lauren's example and keep her hands to herself until they were away from the compound difficult. Worse than the walk though came from trying to stand still when Lauren had to reach for a book on a higher shelf and her shirt went up with her.
Lauren pulled the tome free and couldn't help if she lingered on her toes a bit longer than needed given that she could feel Bo's eyes on her. Turning to face Bo she couldn't help but smile at the sight of her favorite person being with her in one of her favorite places.
"I don't suppose both sides would settle for the idea of him for this Fae simply losing control? Things got out of hand but given he's rather dead because a panicking Fae that didn't bother to check what caused the brief bumping sensation under their car this all seems rather unnecessary." She had certainly been there. With Lauren it seemed like she found herself constantly on the verge of losing control, wanting to taste what she couldn't. Right now though, she just wanted a few hours with her girlfriend that had nothing to do with feeding. "The Morrigan should have plenty of experience dealing with out of control guys that try to make a name by being an asshole by now."
"Unfortunately I doubt they would even if it was true." Lauren found a brief section discussing the effects a Sylph's influence could have on other Fae and handed the large book to Bo. "If he could survive on his own he should have been able to control the situation unless some interfered."
"Lauren, you're going to have to help me out here." Bo had been intently listening to Lauren, but her girlfriend often worked ahead of the rest of the class and Bo definitely needed some tutoring to catch up.
"When Elder Kuari stopped those humans during those few minutes I believe she influenced the Sluagh as well. For the humans it would have been like they had lost track of time, or were day dreaming, but there is a reason Sylph are rarely involved in Fae matters." A Dark Fae pushing humans into attacking the Light, an Elder inspiring a Dark Fae to commit suicide and she had brought the unaligned succubus into the middle of it. "The inspiration from a Sylph will always become the dominate thought of the Fae it effects. Usually it goes away once someone starts the task so maybe they'll be distracted for a few hours, but if it's strong enough the compulsion can eliminate any sense of self-preservation."
"Would this be the same Elder Kuari that would have signed the paper asking that I show up a day later so I can look forward to being integrated by the Light Fae Elders about what I have seen in Dark territory?" Lauren had let her know about the decision well before a messenger showed up with an actual scroll showing the official time for her new meeting time with Council. The look on the face on the Fae that dropped it off when Kenzi asked if they had themes for each day of the week and there were being purposely rescheduled for the one where the Elders acted like jackasses and demanded answers to stupid questions had almost been worth the delay.
"Elder Kuari is the head of the Council until an interim Ash is appointed so most likely she would have signed the request." Lauren hadn't mentioned the Elder to Bo as it never seemed to come up, but the Elder had mentioned Bo to her several times and it occurred to Lauren she should have noticed the political leader's interest in the unaligned succubus rather than the woman she spoke of when asked. "Her car came under attack during the incident and she managed to subdue both Fae and human long off for most of the streets to get cleared of the injured."
"I'll have to buy her a drink at the Dal and hear all about it." Bo wasn't sold on the Elder being any different from the rest, except for perhaps a willingness to personally kill a Dark Fae that picked the wrong day to launch an attack. Though, based on what she heard the other night at the Dal her grandfather might want to give the dead Fae a medal. "Before I knew about the lockdown I called you from the Dal trying to lure you out with the promise of free drinks."
"I remember. Long term recall doesn't mean I suffer from short-term memory loss Bo." Searching for the two remaining texts had been her priority as Bo held the first and Lauren stayed on that task despite the succubus's amusing leap in topics.
"Well, after I hung up I ran into Dyson there. He and Trick were so deep into some conversation neither of them noticed Kenzi helping herself to a top shelf bottle." She hadn't talked to the wolf, or her grandfather, since that night, avoiding them and the Dal. "Kenzi picked up on enough of the conversation to realize the two were going on about the attack and its similarity to something that happened before anyone thought to give Dyson a badge."
"What did they say exactly?" Normally Bo mentioning Dyson made her want to change the subject, but the wolf had centuries of Fae knowledge that occasionally proved useful and mention of the problem in the city got Lauren's full attention.
"Some ancient history about Fae proving humans couldn't be trusted by starting a war and killing a bunch of them. Apparently the riot last week brought up all sorts of fond memories for him and Trick." Bo realized her reaction might be of importance as well on the list of things she hadn't mentioned to Lauren. "I may have responded by suggesting that the Ash used a rolled up newspaper when Dyson stepped out of line and that Trick needed to decide if he really wanted a human drinking at his bar before leaving."
Lauren raised an eyebrow in concern, questioning the outburst from her lover, but only received a shrug in response. "There are only a few events of wide scale human awareness in recorded history Bo and unfortunately they are fairly formulaic in how the Fae responded." That two of the oldest Fae she knew had found relevance about the incident in an old war story left Lauren wanting to understand the comparison as the recent attack seemed to only shared the result of deceased, or confused, humans. "You're sure that's what they were talking about?"
"Fairly sure. Trick said something about having been a while, but humans willing challenging the Fae and not caring that they weren't supposed to even know they exist stuck with him I guess." For the most part during the walk to the archives she got the usual activity of energy from the woman, with some spikes as she closed the heavy, sound proof, door behind them. So what had her worried wasn't necessarily the increase, but the way it made her skin crawl. Normally Lauren's energy fluctuated between her usual excitement when working on some sort of scientific thing and who needs a bed when there is a perfectly good wall to use. This sensation wasn't either of those. "Lauren, what's wrong?"
Not getting a response Bo moved to stand behind the woman and wrapped her arms around Lauren, stopping the world's most careful effort at ransacking a books case Bo had ever seen. "It's okay. I'm right here and nothing is going to happen. We can leave right now and the Elders can figure this out themselves."
"I'm fine." Out loud the words almost sounded true, but even with the feeling Bo's arms around her Lauren knew they were too quick. "I just need to find the right books."
"Really? Because I can promise the only thing you would need to find at the club house is the bed and I can help with that." Being able to touch Lauren again, to hold her when she was upset, had been missing from her life for too many days and Bo felt regret for not following her instincts when Lauren first mentioned the lockdown. "Talk to me Lauren. Please."
Bo's invitation, the way her body felt pressed against her own, the images her mind created, all definitely more tempting than explaining to a group of powerful Fae the investigation would need to start anew and be focused more internally. "There were anecdotal reports from witnesses going back millenniums claiming that some Fae were regularly trying to draw attention of humans. Some even claimed these Fae would kill other Fae without a weapon, but in a way that would mark the bodies as if they died in armed combat."
"Sounds like something Dyson said, though he seemed more upset that the Fae broke the rules than anything else." There were herd of elephants in the room with her and Lauren most of the time. Fae laws and Kenzi's interruptions both occupied plenty of real estate just on their own, but she knew for Lauren that Dyson really stood out as the largest of their unspoken problems.
"I assumed the authors had simply applied a euphemism to the occasional show of force where someone of influence would execute an Under Fae to scare the population into fearing an area or a neighboring people." Stepping forward Lauren noticed Bo stepped back and felt grateful that the woman understood she needed to resume the search for information. "That a group of organized Fae had openly defied clan leadership, repeatedly and within the last millennium, has never been public knowledge."
"Well, Trick and Dyson knew all about. They may have even been involved in it somehow." Bo felt the familiar anger over the lies and betrayals rising to the surface, just as it had with Dyson's comments. "It's not just humans though. Dyson mentioned they let some of the middle-men types that helped the top Fae earn the trust of humans die when angry mobs started demanding blood. Helped sell their bullshit I guess and warned anyone against trying it again." Bo looked around the room after realizing she had just been following Lauren around without any thought her feet had moved. "There's like a thousand books in here and you picked up three?"
"It's closer to 2,000 texts stored here actually, but that's not including those considered in active use or stored in the private vaults of the more prolific collectors." Lauren didn't enter the archives all that often. Most titles had digital copies and if she needed something that wasn't she would have someone else retrieve the book. The exception had been for a few days after the Lich, trying to find to find proof that Bo had done something any succubus could do if the circumstances where right. What little more she learned about succubi could only suggest that Bo shouldn't have kept any resemblance of control when in that state. "Though there is only about 10% of the archives information fully available to the public."
Finding the last book, and placing it on the stack of others Bo was holding without complaint, Lauren couldn't stop herself from placing a chaste kiss on the surprised woman. "You would have been horrible study partner, but apparently a great pack mule."
To most people the comment might have sounded rude, but Bo took pride in her ability to disrupt Lauren's schedule with more physically stimulating pursuits and felt perfectly happy to carry Lauren's books around. "I would have been a great study partner; we just wouldn't have got any work done."
"Actually, one of the key benefits in studying with a partner, or in a group, is that someone will step up and correct you if you lose focus. Of course if the disruption becomes too great most schools allow a certain level of disciplinary action within the group dynamic." To Lauren it had sounded harmless enough, with a complete understanding that study groups weren't official school groups and management fell to the students.
"Groups and discipline, clearly I missed out by not going to college." Satisfied with her work as Lauren started blushing, Bo moved to the exit and relented from any further comment.
Making the decision to add those words to the list of ones she had to avoid using around Bo, Lauren tried to not dwell on the woman's impeccable ability to make her explanation of a mundane event that happened hundreds of times sound like an orgy. With her thoughts drifting to the trouble Bo could have caused for her GPA it wasn't until she saw Elder Kuari approaching her and Bo that the meeting with the Elders came to mind.
"Doctor Lewis, doing a bit of light reading I see." The elder smiled fondly at the woman holding three books that separately could give a Sage pause. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to interrupt your schedule. The Council has canceled the meeting will not for today. In fact the Elders have decided to close the investigation unless another incident occurs. With the lockdown lifted I'll be leaving for a short while, but if you would still I can make sure the Elders see its completed form before I go."
"Certainly. I will need to collect the report from my office first as I didn't have copies readied for the Council yet." Having to her report filed on a close case without a chance to explain her findings wasn't ideal, but Lauren had the information ready and now she and Bo could look over the books earlier than expected.
"I have a few minutes to handle this now if that is alright with you." The Elder watched as a brief flash of concern came across the doctor's feature before the woman reigned in the emotion, but as fellow outcast she said nothing of it. "I would rather like to hear your take on the incident though. Can we use you're office?"
"Of course." Lauren wasn't sure what to do with Bo's presence, or if her being in the same room as an Elder without a specific request would be welcomed, but settled on remaining silent as it had been Elder Kuari that asked to meet Bo and now have a meeting in her office with the woman standing right next to her.
Bo had lugged the seemingly random books large enough to kill someone if dropped on their head around without issue until someone woman approached her girlfriend. Unfortunately her hands were supporting the books and suddenly dropping them would probably call attention to her reaching for the dagger in her boot. Lauren smiled at her, offering silent reassuring her they were okay as the conversation she wasn't a part of carried on, but there was something mixed with it, something troubled, which immediately sent her protective instincts into overdrive.
The interloper looked harmless enough. Being about the same height as Kenzi the woman looked short standing next to Lauren. The woman's curves were less pronounced than her own, but accented nicely enough in a simple skirt and turtleneck that they set off the succubus within her. To make matters worse the unknown visitor had put herself within five feet of Lauren why smiling and taking in the doctor's attire with a focus that lingered at certain places too long for her liking.
Lauren noticed Bo had gone stiff and took that as a sign to hurry along introductions before Bo did something the Council wouldn't overlook. Unfortunately the Elder suddenly stepped behind her and right into Bo's personal space.
"How rude of me Lauren I should realized I was interrupting a private meeting. I had expected my chance to meet the mighty Ysabeau today had vanished with the cancellation and my change in travel plans." She smiled at the succubus, getting only a glare in return. The rumors were true and she could still feel the sexual energy between her and the doctor and not the sort created in a passing moment. Instead the sensation lingered with a stubbornness she had rarely seen even between Fae. "You'll have to forgive my intrusion Champion, but I need a few minutes of Doctor Lewis's time before I left. I'm sure you can understand the Council not wanting to go without Lauren's wisdom during these troubling times."
Bo just tightened her glare at the woman, not wanting the visitor anywhere near Lauren, but her girlfriend didn't seem troubled by her and that single idea managed to put a forced smile on her face. Though done purely for the sake of her girlfriend, who hopefully missed the former display completely, Bo got a seemingly more genuine smile in response. "Lauren is very considerate in making sure those who need her help get it. Are you one of the new interns Lauren was promised?" There was nothing in the woman's stance, or speech, that suggested she would be that low on the pecking order but questioning the status of Fae had proved an effective means of getting information without having to reveal any.
"Bo!" Lauren wanted to say something more, to explain what the unaligned Fae had just suggested, but when Elder Kuari laughed it surprised her into silence.
"I think what Doctor Lewis was going to say was that no new Fae have been assigned to fill the gaps in personnel, but I'll make sure it is priority at the next meeting. Of course you already knew that I wasn't working under Doctor Lewis though. In fact I would be willing to wager my life on you knowing who I am." The elder hadn't expected such protective instincts from a succubus, but occasionally a Fae offered a welcomed surprise.
"Elder Kuari." Bo didn't like the way the woman was smiling, or the rise in the temperature of the room that followed her comment about being under Lauren, but she kept the polite smile on her face all the same. "It must be nice running things until the clans choose a new Ash. How goes the search for someone willing to hunt down a prisoner and kill them in order to be considered true leadership material for the Light Fae?"
"I cannot say I enjoy the Stag hunt, or much of the campaigning that comes before it, but yes I will be maintaining this territory for the time being. We'll have to sit down some time and have a proper discussion about those old traditions. I would love to hear an outsider's perspective that doesn't come from a Dark Fae suggesting a higher body count." Kuari considered the succubus for moment in silence. Lachlan had left plenty of notes about the difficult woman, but until meeting her in person she had assumed he had exaggerated most of it.
"Elder Kuari, if you still have time I have the report ready." Lauren figured Bo would want to put the books down, but it wasn't until the silence that she had remembered why the Elder had stopped her originally.
"Unfortunately Doctor Lewis, I believe we will have to discuss it when I return. I'll be gone for a few days, but after that I would thoroughly enjoy a chance to sit down with you and the Champion and you can explain some of the key details of the incident that has troubled me." After offering a smile and a tilt of her head to the good doctor, Kuari stepped back from the succubus and opened the door to Lauren's office. "Of course had I known the famous Bo had arrived at the compound I wouldn't have even suggested you worry about the report and left you to focus on the important task I clearly disrupted. I should have realized it was a bad time when I noticed you were without your lab coat." With a last glance at the energy moving between the pair the Elder smiled and waited for the two women to pass in front of her. "Still, I'm glad to have this chance to meet the unaligned Ysabeau as it's not every day a sylph encounters a succubus, let alone one that chose humans and yet became Champion of the Fae."
Bo didn't take her eyes off the Elder. It didn't matter she seemed nice enough, or how small the woman appeared, only the way her eyes looked at Lauren with an intent that suggested she liked seeing Lauren without a lab coat a little too much. Offering a girlfriend a confused look about why a sylph meeting a succubus would be a big deal, and why the woman wasn't leaving, Bo got an amused eye roll, but no real help.
"Elder Kuari, I'm sure I speak for Bo when I say we look forward to another chance to talk with you." Bowing her head, Lauren tried not to laugh as Bo's expression suddenly changed from confused to annoyed. Once the door shut though, Lauren smiled at her girlfriend and started gathering up her few personal items.
"Seriously? How long would she have stood there if you didn't do that Lauren?" To be that arrogant as to stand in someone else's space and assume they are going to bow down seemed excessive even for a Fae.
"Sylphs are a very traditional Fae. With the meeting canceled we have plenty of time to go over the details of their culture if you like." Lauren stepped to within a few feet of her girlfriend, appreciating the near instantaneous response of Bo closing the gap and a pair of arms settling behind her neck.
"Sounds like the perfect topic to discuss why enjoying a hot bath." The worries over the Fae would still be there, waiting for them in a few hours, but Bo had plans on making it a very eventful few hours.
"I'd like to stop my place this time and get a few things first if that's okay." For the most part Lauren could get by with what the club house had to offer, but keeping a change of clothes there would require she actually get them from her apartment first.
"Kenzi would probably appreciate if you wore something other than my robe." Bo certainly had to disagree with her bestie on that policy as she preferred Lauren wearing nothing at all, but that would eventually create some awkward moments for the three of them.
"Mmm, well if you carry the books to the car I'll let you pick out what no one else gets to see." Lauren felt the familiar warmth of Bo's body pull away slowly from her own, which surprised her as Bo usually wasn't one to take the first offer, but after noticing Bo's eyes seemed focused on trying to figure out what she had on under her shirt the cooperation made sense. "The books are still on the desk Bo."
"I thought I saw a stain." The stack of books did look rather daunting, especially considering it was basically a pile of papers, but Lauren really knew how to motivate her and if she didn't do something physical soon they weren't going to make it to Lauren's.
"On the inside of my shirt?" Lauren quirked her eyebrow, but her question only seemed to draw Bo's attention back to chest. Deciding better than to trust the woman's audacity as they left her office, Lauren followed Bo out of the compound, keeping some resemblance of professionalism even as she enjoyed the leather-clad view of Bo walking in front of her. It was certainly going to be a long night.
To anyone whose read this story so far, thank you. The amount of reviews, follows and favorites has been incredible and completely unexpected. Further reviews, follows and favorites will be loved and adored, much like canon doccubus. If there are errors with this chapter it's my fault as I seem to have lost my beta during my hiatus from the FanFic community.