Aftermath Ch. 7
Hello! It's finally finished. I want to thank all of you who have waited patiently and left so many wonderful reviews. I began writing this over a year ago, and lost my inspiration. Then, today after someone favorited this story, I reread it. Much to my surprise it mirrored some of the tone and situations of Season 3. I was intrigued, and I decided to finish this tonight. This is the final chapter. Once again, thank you for your patience. All disclaimers still apply. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Enjoy.
After taking several calming breaths, Lauren looked at the stain on her floor and sighed. 'I loved you, but it's time to let you rest.' The doctor donned a lab coat, gloves, eye protection, and began gathering together liquids and powders from various test tubes and bottles that occupied the makeshift lab she had setup in her apartment. Quietly, she walked herself through the process, "Sodium peroxide, distilled water, vinegar." She was reaching for the vinegar bottle when her phone alerted her to an incoming text.
"Damn it." She signed as she pulled off her protective gear and reached for the phone. The Ash was requesting her presence in the lab. She thought about ignoring the call. There was utter political chaos. The Ash was reduced to a mere figurehead at this point, and if there were enough elders left to take a vote, it would most likely be one of no confidence. A second message came through. If it were possible for texts to have a tone, this one sounded almost desperate. It was The Ash again, insisting the doctor come to the compound. Lauren sighed heavily, grabbed her jacket, and headed out the door.
In the meantime, Bo was supposed to meet Trick at The Dal to go over her plan to defeat The Garuda. Bo knew there wasn't a lot of time left. Impending disaster hung over the town as dark, ominous clouds filled the sky, and lightening streaked across the landscape. When she arrived, the usually noisy bar was dark and quiet save for one or two lights hanging above the empty tables near the front. Trick was sitting in one of the well worn wooden chairs looking pale and worried.
"Trick." The older man raised his head upon hearing his granddaughter's voice. He motioned for her to come and sit with him. As Bo approached, concern blanked her face. She could tell that the wrinkles in his cheeks looked deeper, and his eyes appeared dim. She stood by the table for a moment then used her booted foot to pull a chair away from the table and take a seat. She rested her smooth hand on top of his wrinkled one before speaking.
"Where is everyone? They should be here, getting ready." Annoyance seeped out despite her trying to hold it at bay.
"Bo, The Garuda is an enemy like none we have ever encountered before. My sources say he expects us to attack tonight." Trick spoke in a gravelly tone and ran his hand over his beard. "We're going to use the element of surprise to our advantage. We're going to attack first thing in the morning."
Halfway across town, Lauren was making her way to Lachlan's chamber. She clenched her jaw the closer she came to his throne room. There was a fire in her belly, and a determination to her stride. At that moment, she vowed to show no hesitation in telling him to go to Hell should she need to. If they survived the battle, she would be sworn to The Light, but never again would she allow herself to be treated like a slave. Lauren reached for the handle of the chamber door and flung it open with enough force for it to hit the wall. The clang echoed through the room.
It was dark, darker than usual. Once her eyes adjusted to the surroundings, Lauren inhaled deeply and scanned the room looking for The Ash. She spotted him sitting on the steps to the side of his throne. He didn't stir when Lauren entered; his hands covered his face in what Lauren could only describe as a posture of defeat. She softened her stare a bit, and tilted her head to get a better look at the Light Fae leader. Suddenly, she pitied him. He looked small and weak. Without raising his head he spoke.
"I didn't think you would come."
Lauren smirked, "Neither did I. But I'm here. What do you need me to do?"
He raised his head to meet her eyes. If Lauren didn't know better, she would have thought he had tears in them. "Lauren it's time."
The doctor's breath hitched in her throat. They had discussed the possibility of her extracting his venom to use against The Garuda. However, when Lachlan failed to bring it up again, she thought he had abandoned the plan. The process was extremely dangerous for both of them. Lachlan could not be sedated, it would dilute the venom; he would have to remain awake and fight the instinct to strike. For her part, Lauren would have to extract the entire reserve without taxing The Naga's cardiovascular system and killing him in the process. She had discussed this plan with Bo who forbade her from doing any such thing. That ignited Lauren's temper beyond defiance. They argued long and hard, but Lauren, though terrified, ensured Bo that it could be done.
Back at The Dal, Bo was still hashing out her battle plan with Trick. They agreed that Trick would tell the entire team to meet at The Dal first thing in the morning. Bo was nervous but undaunted. She smiled awkwardly at her grandfather. "So, what do we do until then?"
Trick weakly smiled back, "We have no idea what tomorrow holds for us. Get some rest. Go see Lauren."
Bo's face lit up at the mention of the doctor's name. She stood and leaned over the table to give Trick a quick kiss on the cheek. She briefly looked down at the older man and spoke confidently, determinedly, "We WILL win this war." He nodded in her direction and watched her walk out the door, hopefully not for the last time.
The first four times Lauren attempted to milk the Naga's venom, Lachlan's head bobbed and weaved. He hissed and attempted to strike at her. Luckily, he was exhausted and Lauren easily out maneuvered him. When he was on the verge of collapse she swooped in and extracted as much venom as possible. She stopped only when she had quickly lunge backward as Lachlan reared his head in a final attempt to embed his fangs in her shoulder.
Once the liquid weapon was properly stored she made her way back her apartment. She was tired, but knew she would be unable to sleep. Tomorrow could very well be the last day on Earth for her, for Bo, and everyone else she knew. She took a deep breath and blew it out forcefully through her lips.
When back in her apartment, she placed the three vials of venom on her desk and began mixing the chemicals she had gathered earlier. After she was sure the concoction was stable, she grabbed a wire brush and some sponges. Lauren carefully, almost reverently walked over to the blood stain on the floor and laid the items beside it. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a rubber band. She tied her hair into a ponytail, kneeled down, and began to scrub the stain.
Lauren felt her eyes well up. She paused for a moment as the stain slowly began to fade. She whispered, into the empty air, "We both deserve to be free." As she continued to remove the last remaining evidence of her former love's untimely death, she didn't hear the door open. Bo walked in shutting the door quietly. If Lauren were asleep, she didn't want to wake her.
Bo's brow furrowed as she heard the distinct sounds of something brushing against the painted concrete floor. Bo rounded the corner, and saw Lauren washing away the stain that once permeated the concrete. The succubus' heart broke at the sight. In her head, she believed that ending Nadia's life saved her from far worse at the hands of The Garuda, but her heart told her something different. It told her she had snuffed out the life of someone that meant so much to Lauren. After reining her emotions in, Bo finally spoke.
"Lauren." It came out as half a whisper.
The doctor looked up from her task and locked eyes with Bo. She placed her tools down and sat on her knees, but said nothing. The dark haired woman tentatively walked over, unsure if Lauren wanted to her there for what seemed like a private, solemn moment. When she knew she wouldn't be turned away, Bo looked down into the light hazel eyes of the other woman. Bo kneeled beside her, never taking her eyes off of her beautiful features.
Lauren allowed a few more silent moments to pass between them before speaking, "It's time for Nadia to move on; to find peace." Bo tried to gulp down the lump that formed in her throat. She reached for Lauren's hand and stroked the top of it. She gently released the hand, and reached across Lauren and grabbed the sponge and the brush. She handed the doctor the sponge and the two of them cleaned the last few spots from the floor.
When they finished, Lauren and Bo sat face to face, still on their knees on the now clean floor.
"Thank you Bo. Thank you for freeing her, and thank you for helping me to do this. It was long overdue."
Tears fell from Bo's eyes. She reached for both of Lauren's hands and gently held them in her own. She pulled her forward and placed a soft kiss on the other woman's lips. The succubus meant for it to be a simple peck, but Lauren deepened the kiss. Their mouths separated and reunited several times as they broke to draw in air and come together over and over again.
When they parted for the last time, Lauren stood to her full height and stretched out her hand to help Bo stand. Bo welcomed the offer and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. They continued to hold hands as they walked to Lauren's desk. "Come here Bo. I want to show you something."
Bo followed behind the doctor as Lauren reached for the three vials, and pressed them into Bo's palm. Bo stared at them for a few seconds before the realization and the anger sunk in. "Lauren, you got it? You could have been killed. I can't believe you went alone!"
Lauren responded soothingly, "Bo." The way Lauren said her name sent a chill down the other woman's spine.
"I was careful. I'm here aren't I? This may be are only hope against The Garuda. I had to."
Lauren took the vials from Bo and carefully placed them back down. Bo's anger quickly dissipated. Lauren placed her hand on Bo's shoulder and let it slide down her arm to grasp her fingers. "Bo, no matter what happens, we are in this together."
Bo released the breath she had been holding and rested her forehead against Lauren's. The succubus drew in a deep breath and savored the doctor's scent before releasing the stalled air from her lungs. She relaxed her shoulders and breathlessly said, "Together."
With a combination of love and fear both weighing down on and elevating her heart, Bo brought her lips to Lauren's long, soft neck. She kissed and nipped all along its length. Lauren's breath hitched as she threw her head back granting Bo better access. Bo moaned as she feverishly worked her way back to Lauren's face. Lauren tipped her head forward slightly and forced Bo to meet her mouth before she was ready to relinquish the tender flesh of the blonde's throat. They spent a long time like this, hungrily exploring soft skin and drawing each other in closer and deeper with hard, rough kisses that were designed to imprint a permanent memory on flesh.
