AN

Just a warning, a dark, violent scene coming up.

XXXXXX

"Something's not right here. Why is this girl tied up in the middle of this destroyed store?" Dyson's gruff voice startled Bo, and she glanced at him for a moment, and then her eyes landed back on Lauren.

Lauren moved slowly toward Kenzi and crouched down beside her. "I'm going to untie you." She said, using a calm, soothing voice.

Kenzi gave a quick nod, then looked up at Bo. Their eyes met, and Bo tried to pull out the memories that lingered on the edge of her mind. But nothing came.

Bo handed Lauren a small pocketknife, and in a quick motion she sliced through the bindings, freeing Kenzi.

Kenzi jerked the gag from her mouth and tossed it to the ground. She wiped the dirt and dust from her hair. "Took you long enough, Doc." Kenzi stood up slowly and rubbed her wrists.

Lauren studied Kenzi's face, looking over her bruises. "Let me check out your injuries."

Dyson scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm the doctor here."

Kenzi screwed up her face, glancing his way. "For some reason, the image of you as a doctor scares me."

"What does that mean?" Dyson hissed the words, his voice thick with anger.

Kenzi gingerly fingered her face and continued as though she didn't hear Dyson. "Quit worrying about me Lauren. I'm all right."

Lauren kept a critical eye on Kenzi, and asked, "How did you get here?"

Kenzi snorted loudly. "Duh. I was kidnapped," She gestured her arms wide for emphasis. "Like hello."

"Kidnap by who?" Bo asked, at the same time Lauren said, "Kenzi, you know what I mean."

Kenzi didn't answer Bo or Lauren. She walked past a stunned Dyson toward the door. "I'm outta here. I suggest we all get going while we can."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dyson asked with a suspicious tone and placed himself in front of Bo as a shield. "Who is this girl?"

"It means whoever tied me up will probably be back soon, and they'd love to get their hands on Bo. So, if no one has a better idea, I say we ditched this place, ASAP."

Bo stepped around Dyson and caught Lauren's gaze, silent understanding passing between them. She had a lot of questions for Lauren and Kenzi, but she knew time was of the essence. "Okay, let's go." She said, and with a determined stride, she headed for the door.

XXXXX

Outside, Dyson blocked Lauren's path to the car. "How do you know that girl?"

They had a momentary standoff before Lauren answered. "From a case." She tilted her head and glared at him. "I'm a cop, remember?"

Dyson refused to move. He ran a distrustful eye up and down Lauren's body with a frown. "Why is it, I don't believe anything you say?"

Dyson's continued suspicions were getting under Lauren's skin. "What do you think I'm going to do?"

Dyson paused, shooting Bo a quick look, almost like he couldn't help it. "I wouldn't put anything passed you."

White-hot anger flared in Lauren at the way he kept clinging to petty mistrust. She folded her arms across her body, unclenching her teeth enough to spit out, "It's time for you to get over yourself and your issues, and look forward, not back."

Kenzi threw her hands up and stepped between Dyson and Lauren. "Isn't this competing lovers thing so last year?" She patted Dyson's shoulder, giving him a kind smile. "Relax D-man; we're all good guys here."

Dyson looked stumped; his face hardened into a stone expression. "Who are you?"

"I think we're about to have company," Bo announced loudly, cutting them off.

All their heads whipped to the direction Bo was staring.

Lauren jogged up to Bo's side to get a better look. She shaded her eyes with her hand, squinting into the deserted landscape. A spiral of dust grew larger in the distance and headed right in their direction. The whole scene hit her as a potential threat. Dread fell through her, but she pushed it aside, and said, "We have about five minutes before they get here."

Bo's eyes held Lauren's, and they grew serious like she can read the fear in Lauren's thoughts. She reached out and squeezed Lauren's hand once before letting go. In another time, a different place, the gesture might have soothed Lauren and made her smile. However, at that moment, all she felt was apprehension that hung heavy and oppressive in her chest.

"I'm out of my element in this place. But I think we should go." Kenzi said, grabbing a confused Dyson's arm to pull him to the car.

Without another word, they climbed into the car, and Bo turned over the ignition.

Bo's hands trembled slightly as she pulled away from the building. "Which way?" She asked Lauren, staring at her in the rearview mirror.

"Away from the danger would be my suggestion," Kenzi answered, clutching the back seat and looking out the window. The dust cloud followed them as two cars were in pursuit.

"What the hell is going on?" Dyson asked glancing to the side mirror and then back at Bo.

"We have no idea what we're running from, and I don't think we should find out…."

The gunshots behind them cut off Bo's words, and Dyson grabbed her arm. "Are they shooting at us?"

Lauren leaned sideways out the back window, evaluating the situation.

"Suggestions?" Bo's voice rose in pitch.

"I'm thinking," Lauren answered, her mind spun with different scenarios as she darted her eyes in every direction.

"Think faster." Kenzi ducked down in her seat when a shot hit the back window, breaking the glass.

Lauren calculated quickly and pointed ahead to the windshield. "Drive through that gap of fallen trees up ahead. Drive slow and let me out." She stated calmly.

Bo turned to Lauren, and her mouth dropped open in confusion. Lauren's words floored her, and she struggled to find a response. "Are you serious? Why?"

"You're going to have to trust me." Lauren's eyes held Bo's for a second before she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Do you have a plan?" Bo asked, sounding panicked as she caught Lauren's eye again.

"It seems highly unlikely we will outrun them, and engaging them in a gun fight puts us all at risk. I do have a plan, just trust me." Lauren offered Bo a reassuring smile and patted the bag on her shoulder.

An annoyed growl escaped Dyson. "What are you planning on doing?"

Lauren locked eyes with Bo again, steady and sure, and said. "Saving our asses."

Dyson braced his hands on the dashboard as Bo increased their speed, trying to put some distance between them and their pursuers.

"Just keep driving. This is crazy." Dyson told Bo.

Another shot rang out behind them. It was a lot to take in, too much happening, too fast and Bo struggled to make the right decision. Could she really let Lauren go out there? How could she drive off and let her face this danger alone?

More shots blasted, and Bo scrambled to find an alternative but came up empty. The moment and events were surreal to her.

Spurred into action, Bo obeyed Lauren's directions. Her heart beat so quickly she could barely catch her breath as she pulled into the gap. She grimaced at her decision and slowed the car to a crawl.

Opening the back door, Lauren quickly glanced back at Bo over her shoulder. "Don't leave me, okay? I'll be waiting for you to come back."

Bo's stomach balled in apprehension, she sucked in a deep breath and asked. "How will I know when to come back?"

Lauren gave her a small smile. "Just listen for the boom." And then she jumped out before Bo could respond.

Bo looked in the rearview mirror and saw no signs of Lauren. Her panic rose as she drove down the road further away from her.

The car was quiet, the air tense until a loud explosion shook the car. Down the road the vehicles exploded, shooting flames into the sky.

"Well, there's Lauren's boom," Kenzi said, staring out the back window at the fire. "How many more tricks does our Lauren have up her sleeves?"

Bo hit the brakes, the car skidded to a stop before she jerked the wheel, and turned the car around back toward Lauren.

Several feet from the fire that burned in the middle of the road, Bo threw the car into park, hopped out the door and scanned the area for signs of Lauren.

Kenzi and Dyson followed her from the car and stood beside her.

"Where is she?" Kenzi asked, jerking her head side to side.

Bo ran off scanning the area. "Lauren." She shouted out trying to catch her breath as she looked around.

As Bo said her name, she emerged from a pile of tree branches and strode toward them with a confident strut.

They watched her for several seconds before Dyson broke the silence. "What just happened?" He demanded, and then gazed at the burning metal. "How did you blow up that car?"

Lauren's eyes hardened, and she swallowed. Her mouth twisted as she contemplated answering his question. There was no way she was going to tell Dyson everything. "That's my business, not yours. I came prepared. And you're welcome."

A flash of bitter amazement crossed his face before his typical look of disdain replaced it.

Bo came to stand beside Lauren and placed a light hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Lauren pulled her eyes from Dyson to Bo. Her voice and face softened. "I'm fine." She assured her.

The look on Lauren's face made Bo's heart ache. The instinct to comfort her came quickly. Her fingertips slid down Lauren's arm and ghosted against Lauren's hand. "That was some quick thinking. You keep saving me."

Lauren took Bo's finger in between her fingers in a gentle caress. Their gazes held full of all the words that neither of them could voice at that moment.

Dyson cleared his throat, loudly and with meaning. "What are we going to do now?" He asked, his eyes darting back and forth between Bo and Lauren.

Lauren shot Bo a half smile and stepped away from her. "We need to keep going." She told the group as she walked to the back passenger's door.

Dyson opened his mouth to quarrel, but Kenzi gripped his shoulder and pushed him to the car. "Not the time, big guy. Not the time."

Bo's head fell back, gazing into the sky. It was beginning to darken, and the wind picked up. At that moment, she desperately wanted a second alone with Lauren. The events were becoming more confusing and disturbing than she expected. But she was facing a more pressing situation that demanded her attention. Those thoughts faded, replaced with the fury that began to swell inside her. No one messed with those she loved and got away with it. She walked with purpose back to the car. The clock was ticking, and they had to keep going.

XXXXX

They drove another twenty minutes, heading in the direction Kenzi told them to go until they crept through a deserted neighborhood.

Kenzi leaned her elbow on the window ledge and rested her chin in her palm.

Lauren poked Kenzi's shoulder and mouthed. "We need to talk."

"We will." Kenzi mouthed back before turning her attention back to the window.

"Shouldn't there be more people around?" Dyson asked, leaning back into the seat and shutting his eyes. "Where is everyone?"

Bo glanced at Dyson, and then back at the empty road. "I'm just happy no one's shooting at us."

"There." Kenzi perked up and pointed ahead. "We need to go there."

"For what?" Bo asked as she studied the broken house on the street corner that Kenzi had indicated.

"It's important."

Bo pulled into the yard and inched toward the house before she stopped. "We need to keep going, in case, anyone followed us here."

"It will only take two minutes. You two stay here. I need Lauren's help." Kenzi said, turning to Lauren.

Bo shook her head, a fierce protectiveness flooded her, chewing at her already strained nerves. "We should all go." With a slight turn of her head, Bo looked at Lauren with a distressed face. She didn't remember Kenzi. She didn't know who she was, or if they could trust her. She was definitely a mystery, and one she wished she could get answers from.

"You need to keep watch." Kenzi pointed behind them, quickly looking in Lauren's direction. "It won't take long."

"Lauren…" Bo begged, a pained expression clouding her face.

"I'll be fine," Lauren's voice was serious, and focused, as she stuffed her gun down into her waistband. She was resolved to see this through, get a moment alone with Kenzi, even though the events were confusing.

Dyson rolled his eyes, making an impatient sound. "Let them go. Arguing is wasting time."

Bo refused to look at Dyson when he spoke. She looked at Kenzi and then Lauren before nodding. She wanted to argue with them but didn't. She could debate with Lauren about this all day, and it probably wouldn't change her mind. And time wasn't a luxury they had. She needed to trust Lauren's judgment.

Hastily, Kenzi and Lauren climbed out of the car. Lauren examined the house, intrigued. "What do you need?" She asked, turning to Kenzi for answers.

"I hid something around back," Kenzi replied leading Lauren to the backyard.

Lauren swallowed her dry throat, overwhelmed with the events of the last day, last week. "What?"

Kenzi laughed and shoved Lauren's shoulder. "Have a little faith here."

When they rounded the corner, Lauren grabbed Kenzi's wrist and pulled her to a halt. She leveled her face with Kenzi's. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Kenzi twisted Lauren off, and she resumed walking. "I'm here to help. But I'm starting to have second thoughts about that." Her back was to Lauren so she couldn't read anything in her expression.

Lauren sagged against the house, rubbing her eyes. "Funny." She exhaled with exhaustion. She pushed the events of the last few days out of her mind and focused on the fact that so far they'd survived. But Kenzi's sudden appearance was making her question everything. It wouldn't be the first time the Temple tried to blindside her with false words and people from her world. But she shelved her questions letting Kenzi search for what was hidden. Her only option was to wait and keep up her guard.

Kenzi crouched down at the corner of the house and felt for the edge of the crawl space opening. She crawled halfway in, and then emerged a second later. "Got it." She waved something in the air with a smile. "There's a portal to our world in Grimley. The one I came through. It's right there waiting for us." She showed Lauren the object in her hand as Lauren's attention snapped to her hand. "This key will open the portal."

Lauren's eyes lit up, but she couldn't help worrying that it all seemed too easy. "Where did you get that?" Her voice was low and controlled.

Kenzi shrugged, and then fisted her hand on her hip. "I stole it. While you were working Bo, I was getting the key."

"How do I know you're the real Kenzi?" Lauren's question was blunt, her eyes intense.

Kenzi gave no reaction and took a step around Lauren. "There's only one Kenzi, Lauren. We need to go on with the plan. Get Bo home."

Lauren grabbed Kenzi's arm to stop her. "It's very convenient that you show up here with exactly the information we need. You just appeared out of nowhere, with the key to our escape." She gestured to Kenzi's hand. "Give me a reason to trust you." Her voice and eyes were pleading, almost desperate.

"Not that convenient I almost died getting that key." Lauren glared at Kenzi, and she sighed. "Fine. I don't blame you for not trusting me, but it's really me. I don't have any way to prove it; you need to give me the opportunity to prove myself to you." She reached out and squeezed Lauren's shoulder. "It's up to Team Human to save Bo this time. It's why we're both here."

Lauren stared at Kenzi's hand on her shoulder, and then to her eyes. "But why do you have your memories? How did you get here?"

"Trick sent me in to help you, help Bo. I don't know why I have my memories."

Frustrated, Lauren squeezed her eyes shut and tapped a finger to her temple. Kenzi wasn't giving her any real answers. There was a lot at stake, and she couldn't afford a mistake. And trusting Kenzi could be a mistake.

"Anyway, we need to concentrate on getting the energy source for the portal."

"So what's the energy source?" Lauren asked, her eyes searching Kenzi's for any signs of duplicity.

"That I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine…" Kenzi's voice trailed off as she heard voices.

Bo and Dyson rounded the corner, arguing loudly as they walked side by side.

"This might be a trap." Dyson barked, clutching Bo's hand in his.

Lauren's gaze was trained on Bo when she came into view, twenty feet away from them. "We still have another issue. Bo and Dyson don't remember anything." She whispered to Kenzi.

"One issue at a time."

Bo and Lauren stared at each other for a long moment. Sick dread slithered through Bo's body when screeching tires echoed through the air.

It took several seconds before Bo realized what was happening. "We need to get out of here." She yelled out to them.

Lauren shot Kenzi a glare, her mouth pinched. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

Kenzi snorted and stuffed the key in her pocket. "Don't be ridiculous."

"This is probably going to get ugly." Lauren's eyes veered right, then left, looking for an escape.

Kenzi rolled her eyes. "Doesn't it always."

Time slowed as Bo watched the SUV advance on them, helpless. She didn't have a chance to process any thoughts, because only seconds later, the car accelerated in Lauren and Kenzi's direction. Dyson gripped her hand tightly, holding her back as she tried to sprint forward.

At that same time, with only a half second to react Lauren's hand instinctively went to Kenzi's shoulder, pushing her out of the way right before the car smashed into Lauren's body.

Screaming Lauren's name over and over, Bo shoved a shell-shocked Dyson off her. As she ran to Lauren, her mind raced, replaying the images from the crash. Her breath came in short bursts as she tried to get control over her senses. She climbed over the smash pieces of crumpled metal still calling out Lauren's name. The car's horn blasted as the driver slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious. The area was splattered with blood and broken glass.

Dyson stared dumbly for a long moment before finally running to help her.

When Bo saw Lauren collapsed against the car hood, she felt as if her heart had been ripped from her chest. Her eyes frantically tried to inspect her injuries and find the source of the blood, but tears blurred her vision.

Dyson helped Bo free Lauren, and Bo laid her on the grass as gently as possible.

Bo's knees buckled as an agonizing scream erupted from her. The gut-wrenching cries shook her body. "They killed her." The full weight of the situation slammed into her, and she held Lauren's hand, staring down at her beautiful face. "Lauren." She whispered, imploring her to hear her. "Please." Her lips trembled as tears blazed hot trails down her cheeks.

"Let me examine her," Dyson said, a concerned scowl on his face as his eyes shifted between Bo and Lauren.

Dyson hovered on her side, and she raised her head, trying to steady her shaking voice. "Back off. Don't you touch her." She snapped, scooping Lauren up into her arms.

Gently, she cradled Lauren's broken body in her lap. She lowered her head down to Lauren's chest, and she could hear Lauren's heart beating weakly. Bo wasn't sure how long she had before it gave out completely. Rage rolled off her, making her body tremble.

A memory sliced the moment. "…Honestly, you're the strongest person I've ever met…"

It was the voice of herself from a different time, a different place. She brushed the tangled strands of her bloodied blonde hair from Lauren's face, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and whispered, "Don't you dare die, Lauren. Stay with me. Fight." She stifled a cry.

Lauren shuddered a little in her arms as if her body was struggling to rally, to fight.

Hysteria threatened to burst from Bo. She pressed her face into the side of Lauren's face and rocked them back and forth. "Take me instead. Save her. Take me." Bo pleaded, not knowing who she was calling to. Her brain wasn't able to calm itself long enough for her to think through her words.

Another memory snapped through her. "….I loved you from the second we met…."

Lauren's voice in her memory was like a gentle caress across her mind.

"Bo, I have the key to the portal. We can get you home; it's what Lauren would have wanted." Kenzi's voice sounded distant in Bo's ears, making her words sound far away. They barely penetrated the fog enveloping Bo's mind.

Black spots appeared in Bo's vision, and only the sound of her ragged breathing filled her ears. "This is all my fault; please take me instead…" Her words came out broken through her sobs.

And then everything faded to black.

XXXXX

Bo's eyes snapped opened. Her body was immediately on alert. Even so, she had to blink several times before her mind could accept the sight before her. She was alone on the ground. No Lauren. No Dyson. No Kenzi. No car.

Her gaze slid around her. Where was she? Where was Lauren? She knew she should be afraid, but instead she was saturated with an overwhelming sorrow.

"After everything you've been through, I didn't think you'd give up so easily."

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Bo's head jerked to the side. "Who are you?"

A hooded figure came into view above her, looming over her like death. "The question is: who are you?"

Bo wondered if her grief was making her hallucinate. She blinked the tears from her eyes and focused on the figure. "I'm Bo, who the hell are you?"

"And who is the real Bo Dennis?" a familiar female voice asked.

Bo stared at her bloodied hands. "I don't know." She replied weakly.

"Isn't that the real problem?" The figure placed a hand on the top of Bo's head, slowly stroking her hair. "You have to let me free."

With a derisive laugh, Bo looked up at the figure covered in a black hood. "And who are you?"

The woman pulled off the hood, and Bo stared back at herself. "I'm you. Free me, and you can save the one you love. But you are running out of time."

Bo sucked in a breath, and her eyes glistened with tears. "Lauren."

"You can use your power to save Lauren, but you must remember me, remember yourself."

Bo frowned at herself hovering over her, trying to understand what she was telling her. "I don't know how. I don't remember that other world. I don't know you."

"So give up? You'll never succeed if you don't try."

"I have tried, I don't remember," Bo shouted back at herself, suddenly feeling like she'd actually lost her mind. "I'm tired of all this, of all the games."

"So end it. Your connection to your loved ones is the key. Call to your memories, call to Lauren. The only limits in this place exist in your mind. Find the power inside and you can heal her. It's in your nature to protect those you love. That's your motivation, and there's nothing more powerful than that."

With that Bo's other self dissolved in front of her.

Alone, panic threatened to engulf her, and she struggled to reason out what to do, how to free herself. Quickly fear and anger left her and determination built in her chest, not difficult to produce when she thought of Lauren dying.

Something deep inside nagged for attention. Use your power. Instinctively, she reached inside pulling energy into herself. She concentrated on Lauren and felt a hum of power, but no surge. Trust her power. It lived inside her, present even when she couldn't reach it. It had been there all along.

Her mind went into hyper-focus as she fought for control. Her buried instincts rose fast and hard. Urgency mounted, and a wave of energy and emotion opened her mind.

Love. The answer was love. Climbing to her feet, she found her love for Lauren and let it grow, and spread through her body. Listening to the commands inside her, her inner succubus emerged, and her power began to bloom. Her eyes blazed blue, and the world shifted back.

Kenzi and Dyson watched in awe as she silently stalked toward the unconscious driver slumped on the steering wheel. Their voices filled her head, but she blocked it out as she dragged his body from the car. This is for Lauren, she thought as she opened her mouth and pulled all the chi from his body.

With one quick move, she tossed him aside and let him fall limply onto the ground.

Energy coursed through her body as she walked back to Lauren, Dyson and Kenzi's calls went unnoticed by her.

"Lauren," She bent down as she placed her hands on her cheek and lifted her head. She held her breath, staring into the face of the woman she loved. Lauren would survive. There was no other option she would accept.

Power pulsed within her, but somehow she knew it wasn't enough. Realizing she needed more, she slowly lifted her head and looked back and forth between Dyson and Kenzi. "The three of us can save her." She had whispered before she pulled energy from them, adding it to her own.

The looks on their faces were a mixture of shock and horror. Quickly, they crumpled to the ground. The energy in her chest felt like it was about to explode. She took a deep breath. She felt more in control and centered herself on the power tumbling inside.

She lifted Lauren's chin with her fingers; her attention was centered on her. Lauren had fought for her. Fought to save her. She would save her in return. She closed her eyes and pressed their lips together. She channeled everything she could into Lauren, sending her the energy inside her. Lauren's lips twitched against her mouth as her body accepted the chi.

She was healing Lauren.

Saving her.

Turbulent emotions rocked Bo, the connection between them was electric and intense, igniting her entire body. Stripped away of all defenses, shadowy memories of people and events ghosted through her head. She searched her mind and found the buzz of something foreign in the background of her consciousness. She searched until a memory surfaced of Lauren held at knifepoint. She knew instantly that it was Lauren, from the other world. Those memories were hers, and the knowledge bolstered her courage.

Darkness swallowed her mind and then scenes flipped through her head as memories rushed in, overwhelming her. She was a teenager fleeing from her dead boyfriend. Guilt, remorse hit her, and the memories continued to slice at her. She saw herself meeting Kenzi and saving her. The images after being buried so deep assaulted her, as vivid as if they had happened at that moment. She remembered Dyson. Her mother. Trick. All the Fae and dangers she and her friends faced. Normal conversations, friendly banter and a whole myriad of emotions spread through her.

As each memory resurfaced, she could feel a change come over her, and an awareness of herself surfaced.

Another series of memories walloped her, unbidden, accompanied by Lauren's heart-stopping face on the first day they met. "….My god you're beautiful…."

Flashes of images fired rapidly at her. Lauren and her in the lab, at the Dal, at her home. Lauren in her arms in bed. Kissing her, touching her. Stopping with the last image of Lauren kissing her before she entered the Temple.

She felt Lauren's love, and it reflected back to her like two hearts reaching out, and rejoicing in finding one another again. Her body was on overload as all the memories and emotions bombarded her at once.

She was free. Her mind belonged to her again. She was finally the woman she hadn't been for a long, long time.

Her eyes fluttered opened, and she gasped as she saw Lauren, staring back at her.

Lauren brushed her thumb across Bo's face and stared up at her. "Bo? Is that you?"

Bo smiled down at her for a long moment. "Yeah, it's me. I'm back, and so are you. Let's finish this thing and get home."

XXXXX

AN

Yay, Bo's back.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.