A/N: Still working the other story, should be posting soon. Thanks for reading/reviewing following faving and such.

Chapter 7: I Figured it Out

When everything goes blows up in your face, it can happen suddenly or by one small event followed quickly by another. A coincidence added to a miscalculation multiplied by an unpredictable event can equal disaster. And when it went sideways for Lauren, it happened by means of the latter. Evony was dying as a result of a karmic curse that affected her now that she was human, and the doctor could no longer risk making her fae or it would kill her even more quickly. Lauren vowed to keep working to save her, but the former Morrigan left the clinic in tears springing from a well of grief and anger vowing payback for both of them, in kind.

"Well, that could have gone better." Bo commented with a frown, still gazing at the door the distraught woman had just run through. She turned to face her girlfriend, "So, you don't think Tamsin is working for her, do you? Because that could be a problem." The Succubus folded her arms over her chest and glared at Dr. Lewis.

Lauren was taken aback, frightened at the prospect for a moment. Tamsin could be ruthless and had reason to seek vengeance, but somehow she couldn't find it in herself to believe the Valkyrie would betray their trust. "I…er…I don't know, Bo. She didn't say. But I doubt she would go back to Evony after-"

"She hates me, Lauren. What better way to get back at me than through you?" the brunette interrupted.

The image of the bloody Valkyrie with a knife protruding from her chest flashed through Lauren's mind. She had her opportunity, and all she had to do was sit back and watch it happen… She swallowed hard and answered, "She wouldn't do that. She loves you, whether you believe it or not – and even though she knows you don't return that love."

Bo looked at her grimly, "I wish I shared your confidence."

"Fine. Let's just ask her, shall we?" To break the stalemate so they could move on from there, Lauren called the Valkyrie in question and made up a medical excuse to lure her to the clinic. To her surprise, Tamsin agreed immediately and promised to be there shortly. They were going to clear the air between them all so they could work together against their common enemies. It could get ugly quickly, but Lauren felt confident in her ability as a mediator to resolve the issue between the pair and help them come to an understanding and remain friends. Besides, now that she had established trust with Tamsin as well as Bo – she felt sure they would listen to her, and each other.

While they were waiting, they chatted in the lab as Lauren tried to get back to her research. Bo occasionally asked questions and became even more confused by her answers resulting in further questioning. It soon devolved, as it always did, into a make out session after the Succubus claimed her 'doctor talk' had aroused her.

A commotion in another room disturbed them, and Bo broke away to investigate with Lauren trailing close behind. Hera was gone, and a nurse was laid out motionless on the floor from an apparent attack. The war has come home…only this time I have to choose a side. The blonde doctor thought as she rushed to the woman's aide. Bo, however, took off after the Ancient fae. Hera was the weakest of the Ancient fae she inadvertently set loose on the earth, and she felt confident she could stop him. He couldn't have gotten far, and probably couldn't outrun her if he had only just woken from his coma. After Lauren checked the unconscious woman's vital signs, she made her as comfortable as possible before heading to the front of the clinic. She had a feeling there would be more casualties before he made good his escape. She was right, of course.

Finding no one else inside had been injured, she went outside and ran after Bo down the sidewalk. She caught up to her just outside the alley on the corner of the block, confronting Hera who was taunting her. "Do you seriously think you can stop me?" he laughed as the Succubus held him by one arm to keep him from taking off. He released a swarm of insects from his mouth and took a few steps back to put some distance between himself and the Succubus.

Once the swarm dissipated she didn't get a chance to even think of an answer as she was struck once again by lightning – this time from the sky. Dr. Lewis stopped dead in her tracks just a few feet behind her girlfriend. She was stunned by the blinding flash of light and residual electrical shock that permeated the air around the termination of the bolt – which was Bo's chest. The ringing in her ears kept her from hearing the shouts of Zeus and Hera once her vision cleared enough to see what was going on. As the temporary tinnitus grew less intense and Zee was shoving Hera, still clad in only a hospital gown, into a waiting car she heard her scolding her 'wife,' "You IDIOT! We can't kill her! She belongs to HIM! Shit – we are screwed now!"

Lauren didn't see the car speed away as she turned her eyes towards the Succubus, slumped on the ground and clutching her neck, not her chest as she had expected. A bloody scalpel was on the ground next to her and blood was surging between the fingers of the hand trying futilely to stop it. "BO!" The blonde fell to her knees, ignoring her own pain and the cold air as she took off her lab coat to use it to staunch the bleeding. She pulled away Bo's hand and pressed the white cloth against the deep cut to her carotid artery. There was no time to get her into surgery or find a suitably strong fae for her to feed off of; she would have to heal herself using Lauren's chi. Her mortally injured girlfriend was trying to say something; or she was saying something too softly to register above the ringing in Lauren's ears – but the slight shaking of her head and frightened look in her glazed eyes said everything she was trying to convey. As a conduit, her girlfriend could pull powers and energy but not produce enough of her own to heal the Succubus.

And the blonde scientist and physician was painfully aware of that fact. Nevertheless, she tried and crashed her lips against the Succubus' knowing full well the Succubus couldn't resist feeding in her condition. Bo did just as her instincts demanded, and immediately began pulling the life force from her girlfriend even as her mind screamed out in protest.

Lauren felt herself getting weaker, and stars exploded behind her closed eyelids as unconsciousness threatened to overtake her. The flow of chi ceased suddenly as Bo came to her senses and stopped feeding. Or maybe I'm dead or dreaming…Lauren thought, opening her eyes. "Please Bo…" she began, but saw that her girlfriend's eyes were clear now and the color was returning to her skin. But she was still bleeding.

"Lauren, no….I'm…fine for the moment – just call Dy-…Tamsin…?" the Succubus was looking over the doctors shoulder, her panting breaths in the cold air making it seem as if she was puffing out clouds of smoke.

"Tam…" the blonde turned around, "…sin!" The Valkyrie stared at the scene in front of her in shock and horror, and when she locked eyes with the exhausted doctor a silent question was asked and answered with their expressions. She looked more put together and well groomed than she had in days, and her hair was pulled tightly back into a neat bun.

Not one of them wanted it to come to this – but here they were. The Succubus tried to assuage the tension. "You…you don't …have to. We can-"

"Oh shut the fuck up, Bo!" the Valkyrie snapped brusquely at the injured fae while staring sympathetically into Lauren's terrified brown eyes. She half carried, half dragged the injured brunette into the alley, looking to and fro behind her to make sure the attacks hadn't attracted unwanted attention. She gave Dr. Lewis a lingering gaze of apology as they rounded the corner of the alley.

Lauren turned away and scooted on her rear to lean against the wall. She still felt a bit dizzy, but relieved that the Valkyrie had shown up when she did. Why wouldn't she – I called her and she said she was on her way. Oh gods, this can't be easy for her. Or Bo…shit, any of us. As she caught her breath, the ringing in her ears subsided but was thankfully enough to keep her from hearing the Succubus customary moaning and cries of ecstasy. She briefly wondered how vociferous the Valkyrie was in bed, if she was wild and unrestrained or tender and gentle. She laughed aloud at ridiculousness of her meandering thoughts. I guess it's better than thinking about the kind of conversation we are all going to have after this…Not to mention the fact the Zee isn't banished after all, and Hera is on the loose once again.

She heard alarming shouting, and concentrated on it. Bo was calling her name…urgently. "Lauren…I need your help!"

The doctor put a hand out to brace herself against the wall and stood up. She made around the corner as Bo finished buttoning her corset. The Valkyrie was face down on the pavement, still dressed if not fully buttoned up, slowly dragging herself to her feet when the Succubus helped her to stand, "I'm fine…for fuck's sake Bo, let go of me…" she tried weakly to push the brunette away, but only succeeded in losing her balance again. This time, strong arms kept her from hitting the ground as Dr. Lewis rushed over to help the Succubus.

As they both held up the distressed Valkyrie, Lauren looked sternly at the guilt ridden Succubus, "Her pulse is weak; we need to get her to the clinic!"

"NO! He's in there! Don't…Lauren…I'm…" Tamsin protested, but her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she blacked out, now totally limp in their grasp.

"Lauren…I didn't mean to…she didn't stop me – she always stopped me! I-"

"Bo, it's alright. Shhh….don't. She's going to be fine. It's not your fault. Help me get her into her truck." The doctor indicated the beat up vehicle parked at the end of the alleyway neither of them had noticed pull up after the Succubus had been critically injured. Her girlfriend knew what she was trying to say – she didn't have to restrain herself while feeding with Dyson or any other regular fae lover. They were strong enough to push her back when it became too much for them. But Tamsin didn't, not this time.

"Shouldn't we take her to the clinic?" Bo asked.

"No. She doesn't want to be anywhere near your father in her condition. I'm going to respect her wishes." After they bundled the comatose blonde into the truck, Lauren checked her vitals again. "Stay with her, Bo. I'm going to get some supplies from the clinic."

Dr. Lewis hurried back with intravenous supplies and started a drip on the unconscious Valkyrie before they even tried to move her. Bo followed in her own car, helping the doctor lay the blonde fae on the couch in her apartment before leaving immediately afterwards against Lauren's request for her to stay. Dyson and Trick needed to be briefed and consulted about what was happening. Of course they did. They needed to look through some books; they need to make some calls. After a giving the doctor a peck on the cheek, the Succubus was off again.

Once she was alone, the doctor began pushing a steroid and adrenaline into Tamsin's glucose drip, hoping it would help the comatose fae regain her strength more quickly as she had very little medical or physiological information on Valkyrie. But I'll be able to write the textbook on them soon the way Tamsin keeps running headlong into trouble. Oh…that is a thought, maybe it is a good idea to study her; it could only help the fae and my research…

While she was debating on whether or not she should invest some of her time on documenting her knowledge of Valkyrie, she noticed the signs the unconscious woman was wakening. Tamsin twitched and her eyelids fluttered briefly before they opened fully. Her watery green eyes focused on Lauren's light brown ones, and the look the doctor gave her made her frown. "Great…just great. I suppose you want to talk about it, don't you." She closed her eyes again so she didn't have to see the disappointment and anger directed at her anymore. But she would hear it.

"Attempted suicide by Succubus – that's my clinical diagnosis. I guess there are much worse ways to kill yourself. If you have a martyr complex all I can say is putting that guilt on Bo is a real dick move on your part, Tamsin!" Lauren scolded, foregoing the textbook approach and opting for what her gut told her was warranted. Besides, no textbook she had every read covered this situation.

Tamsin snapped her eyes open, "I wasn't trying to kill myself, Lauren! I'd be dead already if I was. It was more like…Russian roulette. I really didn't care one way or another about the outcome." She was irked and insulted by the accusation.

"Russian Roulette? I don't think so - playing chicken is more your style. She denies your love for her. What better way to prove it than to see who would blink first – you weren't going to back down. And you won, so you snatched a scrap of dignity from a humiliating act. Are you happy now?" Dr. Lewis leaned forward to poignantly into her eyes, "There are some things your vanity cannot stand." Being used for sex by someone who doesn't believe you are capable of loving must be at the top of that list…

The Valkyrie's furrowed eyebrows rose in surprise as her mouth dropped open; she was speechless. The human had discovered a fundamental truth in her nature she didn't even want to believe herself and laid it bare in plain language. Once she realized she hadn't spoken while Lauren was looking at her expectantly, daring her to express her denial, she turned away quickly and cleared her throat. "Wow, 'dick move,' Lauren? I didn't think you even knew such language existed."

The darker blonde smiled, even though her patient couldn't see it. "I had a brother; and I didn't always keep such polite company! And for what it's worth; I know you love her." She took a stethoscope out of her bag and listened to the Valkyrie's lungs to make sure they were clear of fluid and then checked her blood pressure. "You seem to be recovering well; would you like me to get you anything? Something to eat or drink…?"

"Vodka? And before you say no, let me remind you I will just leave and go get some myself if you say no." Tamsin looked at her with determination.

Lauren rolled her eyes in defeat, "Ok, ok…and then we need to get you upstairs to get cleaned up. You're covered in blood. Bo's off meeting with Dyson and Trick, so you are stuck with me this evening." The doctor got up and found a nearly full bottle in one of her cupboards and brought it back. She didn't bother with a glass, the Valkyrie wasn't known for table manners. The blonde fae was texting on her phone as the doctor placed the bottle on the coffee table.

"Thanks, Lewis." She looked up when as she felt the suspicious eyes on her, "Just texting my boss. She won't be happy that I'm off for the night because I let Bo feed off me; but she'll be more pissed off if I lie about it. Bitch has eyes everywhere, and I'm sure every fae that goes to the Dal will know by tomorrow. Dyson likes to run his mouth…" She frowned at the memory of her failed attempt to start a relationship with the wolf and how he had confessed immediately to Bo. Giving up on him was probably the smartest decision she had made in a long time. Bo would always come first with the shifter and she wasn't in love with him, anyways.

"Evony?" the doctor blurted out and immediately regretted it.

"WHAT?" the Valkyrie exclaimed sharply and perhaps too angrily judging by how Dr. Lewis jumped back involuntarily when she sat up. She softened her expression, "No, I don't work for Evony. That bitch will never forgive me for what I did. Let me tell you something – she holds a grudge. She lives for getting payback. Made damn sure I'll never find work in this colony, and probably many more. Even the Light fae won't hire me. And look at me now. No, I'm working for Acacia to retake Valhalla, but she isn't making it easy for me to prove myself. I've pissed off a lot of people, including her." She grabbed the bottle and took a long pull off of it before she lay back down with a sigh. "Don't you have a date tonight or something?"

"No. I mean - yes…maybe. I think she may be too tired or shook up after…" Dr. Lewis didn't know where to go from there, but the Valkyrie wasn't interested in furthering the discussion over the impulsive Succubus's dating habits – especially when she saw the hurtful look that painted Lauren's expression if only for a second.

"Never mind…doesn't matter. Well, I fucked up again. Let's just leave it at that, since my conversational skills aren't on your level." This time she didn't bother sitting up to drink, but she didn't spill a drop as drinking was a skill in which she had reached a phenomenal level of mastery.

"Fair enough. But you still need to get cleaned up. Then we can watch some TV or something; you can keep me company. Can you walk?" Dr. Lewis brushed a strand of hair out of her face as she assessed the Valkyrie visually.

"Yeah, I think so. If you get this thing out of my arm." She held up the arm with the IV needle taped to it.

Dr. Lewis removed the IV and then watched the Valkyrie rummage through her bag for clean clothes. She stood up with her tank top and sweat pant and started walking slowly to the stairs, with her caregiver hovering within arm's reach at all times. Once they made it to the bathroom, she turned to address the doctor, "You don't have to follow me in here, Lewis. I'm not going to slit my wrists or anything."

"I know. But, the physiological shock of the water may induce faintness when your body-" the doctor began dissertating.

"Oh please! Spare me the lecture. You're right, I know how water temperatures can affect a person in a weakened state - I don't need to know why. I might just pass out from boredom." The Valkyrie grumbled, but stood motionless in the bathroom.

Lauren was about to smirk about how much Bo enjoyed her informative scientific lectures, but bit back on that immediately. Instead she opted for a more mutually acceptable form of teasing, "Don't tell me you've become shy all of the sudden!"

"NO! I'm just starting to think you like seeing me naked." She gave the lithe doctor a lurid sidelong gaze that had enough of a hint of honest to goodness lust behind it that Lauren became uncomfortable. But the shit eating grin that spread across the tall fae's face belied her impish intentions and the doctor couldn't back down from its challenge.

"Seriously, Tamsin – don't flatter yourself!" Lauren laughed out loud once she recovered from her shock, "Do you know how many beautiful women I've seen undress?"

The Valkyrie took a step closer to her, reveling in their game of chicken. "No, I don't. Would you like to tell me about them? I'm curious to know how I rate, in your scientific opinion. After all, you are the human who conquered the Succubus Queen's heart. You are the authority on hotness - I should have gone after the better woman!" Tamsin leaned in and inhaled deeply close to her ear, but abruptly pulled back when she noticed the anxious state of the doctor, dumbstruck and lost in her own musings. The Valkyrie had been sandbagging in their little games, and Lauren had always overbid her hand – it was abundantly clear when the bluffs were called.

OMG what is she doing! No…no…no - she can't be falling in love with me – oh my God I shouldn't have flirted with her…she's my PATIENT! I didn't mean to lead her on…I only thought…what was I thinking?… is she fucking with me?…is she trying to seduce me?...She has every reason to HATE me…no…she saved me…I saved her… Dr. Lewis was dragged out of her reverie by two firm hands on her shoulders, a gentle shake and the realization the Valkyrie was talking to her once again.

"Lauren!...Lauren – it was a joke!" The green eyes searching her own were narrowed and watery with concern. "I…I didn't mean …I KNOW you are with Bo…I thought we were just….awwww SHIT!" the taller blonde released her when she didn't respond and help her with her tongue tripping apology. Tamsin turned away and bent over to pick up her clothes she had dropped on the floor. "I fucked up – AGAIN. I'm sorry. I'm feeling better now; I'll just go."

The doctor found her voice, finally, "No. You will get your Grade A ass in the shower and get cleaned up. And then you can rest while we will watch Star Trek TNG together. No one else will watch it with me, and it's the least you can do for me. Please." Tamsin closed her eyes and sighed in relief, nodding her head in agreement.

Dr. Lewis had been rattled, then had inadvertently rattled the unflappable Valkyrie and bent her to her will. It gave her a sense of power she had never felt with Bo. We have next to NOTHING in common; Tamsin is unrefined, powerful, blunt and crude- but she notices everything and isn't as easily distracted as Bo. And I am surprised she is so devoted given the number of people she has betrayed! But then again…maybe it was a crisis of conscience on her part. A soldier is never chooses the war they are fighting, only how they conduct their self. I was wrong – she isn't in love with me. She isn't acting all sickly sweet and clingy with me like she did with Bo. I'm just the only friend she has right now. And I could use a friend now, too. Yet she couldn't deny there was a tiny, yet rapidly growing part of her being that felt warmed by the tall fae's flattery and devotion to her. However, with those feelings came a slight pang of regret that the Valkyrie wasn't in love with her.

"Alright, I'll watch it. But don't expect me to pretend to like it." Tamsin said as she pulled her bloodied clothes off, and Lauren turned away. Not for the Valkyrie's sake, but for her own. Somehow her patient's guileless nature was affecting her tonight, and she hoped that quip about going after the 'better woman' wasn't just a joke. The doctor's cheeks flushed red as she ventured a glance in the bathroom's vanity mirror and caught a fleeting glimpse of the Valkyrie's eyes looking back at her as she stepped into the shower. While the Valkyrie steadfastly extolled her lack of pretension, Dr. Lewis was trying hard to pretend she didn't enjoy her company.