Well there just aren't enough hours in the day to edit these, so here's a raw chapter nine. Please forgive my errors, and thanks for hiking through the jungle with me on this one...

xxxxxx

Late Afternoon in the Jungle

Lauren carved a determined path through the jungle growth. With steady steps and confidence, the doctor led Amelia and Erin up hills and across streams. She set the pace of the hike at a slightly quickened speed, the physical demands on her body gaining her focus while she kept her temperamental emotions at bay. She fought through a haze of mental confusion and emotional exhaustion with each step, determined to find Bo and answers to her ever growing list of questions.

Lauren spoke very little, only commenting on conversation amongst her friends periodically. Despite the overarching tone and reason for this spontaneous hike, Amelia and Erin tried to lighten the mood a little with chatter and a few laughs during the journey. No heavy subjects were discussed, although they did make some rather vague references to a visit they received from Tamsin that night prior. While Lauren lacked full knowledge of what exactly transpired between them, she did gather enough information to know the visit wasn't short. That was about the only thing she retained as her mind had other ideas, jumping from one thought to the next without any rhyme or reason.

As their path crossed through a particular dense part of the jungle, Lauren's memories provided glimpses of the last time she had been there: during her trek with Bo. Her distraction morphed to pinpoint focus; memories of Bo at her side thoroughly confusing the doctor. The gentleness of Bo's behavior when they walked hand in hand that previous night lacked the destruction contained within that single yellow flower. Not understanding why there were such great differences from Bo's caring touch to Bo's poisonous flower pushed Lauren's emotions into a swirling mess. She tightened her fists as she walked, her own impatience demanding answers she simply did not have. Lauren's mind didn't possess a rational thought why Bo consistently had given her a poisonous flower on more than one occasion, other than the basic formulated thought that Bo was either toying with her or had a plan to eventually kill her.

Scientifically, it actually made sense to Lauren. After all, here was a human that knew many, too many, of Bo's clan's secrets. She fathomed it quite possible that Bo used her to steal the body and now Lauren had become her plaything: the human who was falling for this powerful creature who would protect her clan no matter the cost. Lauren also considered that perhaps Bo was just using her for a feed, or maybe this entire situation was a figment of her imagination. It was even in the realm of possibility that Bo was just making up stories about who, or what, she really was. Or was it?

From one moment to the next, Lauren's emotions swung from one extreme to the other. While Lauren's mind wanted to unleash a wicked string of words upon the woman when Bo was located, she feared the very sight of the brunette would initiate a break down. Despite the strong will Lauren held as she hiked, the burden of emotions begged for an explanation on why she felt like this: why she felt like she couldn't wrap her mind around anything.

They soon arrived at more familiar surroundings near the stream. Lauren remembered it vividly. She stared across the stream and immediately recognized the log where she sat with Bo so playfully the night prior. Lauren's stomach turned. The tears trickled down her cheeks slowly, uncontrollably. Without hesitation, she sloshed through the water mercilessly, not giving a damn if some unknown creature of the stream really would surface and devour her whole. She actually welcomed the thought of a quick end to this disoriented pull between her heart and her mind.

The water was cool, covering her feet and legs up to her knees. Lauren didn't stop walking until she stepped on the shore of the opposite side of the stream, pausing as Amelia and Erin made their way through the knee deep water not too far behind her. Lauren pulled a bottle of water from her bag, drinking half of it to quench her thirst. The rush of water granted her emotions a moment to settle, but staring at that log now just a few paces away immediately stirred them up again. The rush of freshly created memories fueled her wants and her needs; fuel driving her desire to find Bo in this massive, island jungle and demand answers from the one woman who held them all.

Amelia and Erin took their final steps out of the water and arrived next to Lauren on the damp shore, taking their own pause to slip their socks and hiking boots back on their feet, share a drink and catch their breath. It was then that a sudden echo of hissing lingered behind them: in the direction of the stream. All three women glanced to the water, scanning the surface as the sound grew louder. While that sound was unfamiliar to Amelia and Erin, it announced a familiarity to Lauren that brought another memory to mind. Rather than panic over the possible threat, Lauren took it as an opportunity to speak to someone who may actually know how to find Bo.

"Okay that sound is not a good sound to hear in a jungle," Erin whispered.

"Actually, it is." Lauren replied firmly.

Boldly, Lauren walked to the stream's edge against her friends' wishes. She scanned the water surface once more, her anger building as she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She wondered if Bo send members of the clan through the jungle to play with her emotions? Or was she taking the entire scenario out of context? She was so unsure. It was bad enough that Lauren's heart ache held her at the edge of physically falling ill, but considering that Bo would take this one step further changed her hurt to damn near rage.

"Lachlan? Atticus? Show yourselves!"

Lauren's statement was nothing short of a demand, laced with a firm tone and deep booming voice strong enough to summon even the likes of a kraken. On cue, several air bubbles trickled to the water's surface nearby. A trained eye could see movement below the surface and in an overly dramatic fashion, Atticus emerged from underneath the water. He rose rather quickly until he stood completely erect, his arms high above his head as water dripped from his entire body.

"Sheesh, you're just as demanding as the boss!"

His words lacked malice, even carrying more of a playful vibe than Lauren expected. Yet his friendly nature did not deter Lauren from maintaining her demanding tone.

"Where's Bo?" Lauren asked.

Atticus lowered his hands, resting them on his hips and tipping his head slightly to the left.

"Really? I jump out of the water with teeth bared and all I get is where's Bo?"

His joking frustration had him attempting to imitate Lauren's voice. His mocking ignited the fuse that had been dangling dangerously from Lauren's temper. Instantly Lauren charged him, despite her confused and frightened friends yelling from the dry banks along the stream. She simply marched right up to Atticus, now knee deep in water, and changed his cocky expression to one of utter confusion.

With a cocked fist, Lauren punched Atticus. Square in the jaw, her fist connected with his face. Her own scream triggered from the pain in her hand matched the volume of Atticus's growl from the pain in his jaw. Carefully Lauren cradled her hand, rubbing it quickly in hopes of easing the sting her own short temper had created.

Atticus rubbed his jaw fiercely, his eyes narrowing to a glance of anger peppered with pain.

"Arrrggghhhh, what'd you do that for? I was just having a little fun!"

Laughter floated to their ears from the jungle, pulling their attention to the opposite side of the stream. The sight of Lachlan on the shore caught Lauren's eye, as the serpent clan member was doubled over in a hysterical fit of laughter.

"You just got clocked by a human that you can't touch! This is the best day ever!" Lachlan yelled.

His laughter roared even louder. Atticus growled at Lachlan as he continued rubbing his jaw.

Lauren flexed her hand, the pain slowly reducing to nothing more than an intense tingle. All the while, she considered Lachlan's words: A human you can't touch.

Lauren looked at Atticus and asked, "What does he mean? A human you can't touch?"

Atticus swung his face in Lauren's direction, glaring at her with rows of sharp teeth bared for all to see. Lauren never budged. Maybe she should have been afraid considering the circumstances, yet strangely the doctor held no fear at what he may or may not do to her. Atticus recognized Lauren's lack of fear and just shook his head.

With a heavy sigh, Atticus replied.

"He means just what he said. You could punch me one hundred times; hell, you could even stab me and I couldn't retaliate against you. It would break clan code."

Lauren cocked her head curiously, her memories of Bo's orders to the men surfacing quickly. Those orders were issued strictly to protect Lauren. The protective nature of such a demand contradicted Lauren's thoughts that Bo wanted to harm her with a poisonous flower. Nothing made sense. Everything felt out of control. Lauren sighed deeply, uncertain of what to say, think, feel or do.

Atticus quickly added, "But don't try it, ok? I may not be able to harm you, but I made no promise to not hurt your friends over there, understand?"

Lauren glanced over her shoulder at Erin and Amelia, who stood frozen, either of out fear or amazement, perhaps a bit of both. She returned her gaze to Atticus. The tension between the two had diminished rapidly, and the only thing Lauren knew was the right thing to do was apologize for her violent attack.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have punched you. I just need to find Bo, and I'm a bit tense."

Atticus stopped rubbing his jaw and lowered his hand. His growling slowly ceased, accepting the truce without uttering a word.

"She's probably on patrol or in the village. Keep heading up the hill and veer toward the overgrowth," he said as he pointed across the stream.

Lauren nodded. "Thank you. And I am sorry."

Atticus shook his head from side to side and waved it off. "Let's just pretend it never happened."

For the first time since she passed out earlier that day, Lauren smiled. She was still full of hurt and anger, but not at Atticus. And his request to pretend this incident never happened was something Lauren could do with ease.

"Deal."

Atticus smiled with a pleasant surprise at Lauren's acceptance of his request. He nodded his appreciation. Without another word, Lauren turned slowly in the middle of the stream and glanced down, careful to take more solid steps as she waded out of the stream.

"Um, Lauren?"

Lauren swung her glance over her shoulder toward Atticus, who had yet to move from his position.

"You don't have to worry. I won't hurt your friends either."

Lauren granted him the faintest of smiles, a symbol of her gratitude for their mutually made peace. She patiently trudged through the stream and returned to dry land, her sandals squishing out remnants of water pressed between her feet and the wet material. Erin and Amelia pulled her in a tight hug, their lack of understanding over this entire experience more than enough to frighten them both.

"Look I don't know what just happened, but if I'm dreaming, can you please wake me?" Amelia whispered.

"Oh you're not dreaming, Shepherd. Trust me: a dream would not have alligator men in it." Erin added.

Amelia smiled and whispered, "True. Just women with extremely soft wings."

She followed that statement with a wink to the detective, but Lauren never heard a word of it. Lauren's mind was absolutely swirling with confusion and doubt over her various thoughts about Bo. Instead of listening to her friends implicate themselves in a bit of personal fun all their own, Lauren returned her glance to the stream.

Lachlan had disappeared from the opposite side of the water and Atticus was nowhere to be seen. Lauren exhaled deeply. She used up quite a bit of anger in that interaction, and the clan member's disappearance from the area took a bit of Lauren's fight with them.

"Come on, let's keep moving. I want to find Bo before nightfall."

Together, the three women continued on their hike. Amelia took the backpack from Lauren, giving her a break from carrying their tiny stash of supplies. While it wasn't extremely heavy, Lauren's shoulders were tense and carrying the backpack only irritated her muscles further. She stretched her arms and neck, enjoying the extra bit of movement. Her arms tingled but not in a pleasant manner; more of an itching sensation that provided a steady, annoying presence over the doctor's skin. Just another curious issue that Lauren could not explain.

She refrained from scratching too much, instead giving what little attention she had to keeping her footing over the uneven terrain. Lauren's breathing remained calm and steady, providing her with one dependable constant while they walked. While she didn't know if the interaction with Atticus had calmed her a bit, or just giving up the weight of the backpack provided a slight bit of relief, Lauren felt more focused at that moment than she had since waking. Whatever the reason, Lauren welcomed it. She was grateful for reigning in a hint of control over her emotional swings.

Just that little control allowed Lauren to keep her focus on the surroundings, although most of the space looked just like every other part of the jungle. Over another hill and navigating carefully through the thicker brush, Lauren slowed her pace to keep her distance from Amelia and Erin to a minimum. The ladies were quieter now as they batted down oversized plant leaves and stepped carefully over rockier terrain. Little time had passed since they left the stream's edge when movement off to their right caught Lauren's eye. Oversized plant leaves swayed despite the absence of wind, but even with a focused stare, the cause of the rustling plants could not be seen. Carefully, Lauren stepped forward another few steps until additional movement stirred the larger leaves ahead of her.

"Maybe we should stop," Amelia whispered as she hovered next to Erin.

"We are close," Lauren stated.

A loud growl roared from their left this time. Nothing was visible still but that growl was familiar. It was the same growl that Lauren heard in the dark tunnel entrance. The same growl that hovered just a breath away from her face when she was knocked off her feet. The same growl that came from the man Bo had referred to as Dyson.

"Dyson? Is that you?" Lauren yelled. "Show yourself!"

"Oh not again," Amelia whispered as she took one step back.

Little time lapsed as the nearby tall grasses shook fiercely, quickly parting way as strong arms appeared shoving them aside.

Just as Lauren had suspected, it was Dyson. He stepped into plain view, offering an overly confident smile to the three of them.

"The one and only."

Dyson's presence told Lauren they were on the right path. She looked over him carefully, curiously wondering what type of Fae he was. His growl the night prior was fierce, but his yelp sounded weak like a puppy. Lauren had not seen him in the dark tunnel, but if she had to venture a guess, she thought some type of animal was highly likely, although his current form was all human. Not wanting to argue with another one of Bo's clan, Lauren tried to return his smile before asking the same question of Dyson that she had asked Atticus.

"Where's Bo?" Lauren asked.

While it was not the firm demanding tone she had used with Atticus, her question was still direct.

Dyson stood firmly in place.

"Well I'm not her keeper so I have no clue. She left our meeting immediately after it was over."

His response was a lie, but Lauren did not know that. To her, he was simply not helpful, and Lauren did not want to waste any time speaking with those who could not provide assistance in locating Bo.

"Oh. Okay then."

With that one simple phrase, Lauren ended her intended conversation with Dyson and stepped forward to walk past him. Her movements were halted when Dyson moved quickly and blocked her path.

"I can't let you go further ahead."

Lauren stopped in front of him, analyzing his expression to determine the extent of his meaning behind the statement. She wondered if he would really try to stop her from proceeding forward, and so once again, Lauren attempted to walk around him.

Again, he blocked her path.

Lauren tightened her jaw. Frustration hovered just under the surface. She looked over him, standing strong and proud before her. She did wonder if this was the same clan member that Erin had mentioned having eyes for Bo. His cocky attitude reinforced that assumption. While Lauren was still feeling more in control of her emotions, she was not about to simply walk away.

"I'm not leaving until I see her."

Dyson folded his arms across his chest and smiled.

"Well you'll just have to wait back there because you can't go up ahead. She may have let you into the village last night, but this is a very private, protected land ahead."

Lauren noticed his carefully chosen words. She knew he meant Cathedrals Den. The word echoed quietly in her mind and an instant buzzing sensation began to overtake the otherwise persistent itching over her body. She did not let it show, trying desperately to find some upper hand against this man.

"I understand it's private, but I've been there before. Please step aside and just let us pass."

He laughed for a moment until Lauren's facial expression remained serious.

"Impossible," he replied.

Lauren placed her hands on her hips, staring at Dyson and wondering if a demanding or polite approach would work best. Before she could decide, his next cocky statement made her decision easier.

"Look, turn around, go back to your little house and wait. If Bo wants to see you, she'll decide to come see you whenever she feels the need for some easy human."

His words pierced her heart, but she refused to let it show. With a deep seeded energy building inside her, Lauren stood on a cliff of heartbreak that unexpectedly shifted into rage. Her blood pressure was on the rise, her own jaw tightened and her tone came forth thick with frustration and fury. With each passing minute, Lauren found her thoughts clearer; her emotions stronger. The confusion was less and her emotions were not so unstable, but that didn't mean she lacked response. Her voice grew louder and her expression fiercer, because that is exactly what Lauren wanted them to do.

"Like hell I will. Look, I've been there before. With Bo. It's not a secret to me, so please, just step aside."

Dyson's eyes widened. He dropped his voice slightly, his own disbelief laced in his words.

"Impossible. If you have been there, then prove it. Do you know its name and significance? I find it unlikely that Bo would share any of that with you."

Dyson's cocky request was easy to answer, but Lauren refrained. She opened her mouth to utter the words "Cathedrals Den" but stopped. Despite her earlier wild range of emotions having her hating Bo one moment and then feeling sorry for herself the next, Lauren clearly remembered her promise to Bo: a promise that the anagram was their secret. And while Dyson obviously already knew the name of it, Lauren did not want to say it aloud and break that promise.

Her day had been laced with confused emotions and unclear thinking. She had felt as though her life was fracturing inside her. She had lost control of her emotions while standing in the kitchen and she had lost her temper while standing in the stream. The last thing she wanted to do was lose the very last piece of her integrity. Even if it meant nothing to anyone else, being loyal to her word mattered.

She stood there quietly a moment, both Erin and Amelia watching their interaction carefully.

Erin immediately saw Dyson's jealousy. She put the pieces together quickly, understanding that Tamsin was not the only one missing a previous relationship of some sort with Bo. She remembered the way he looked at Bo when they had arrived to pick up Halima's remains. While Tamsin expressed her jealousy the night prior, Dyson's jealousy carried a greater sense of intimidation. He was bigger, his eyes laced with pure anger, and his tightened fists indicating potential violence. All of it made the detective very concerned about this standoff. She took one step closer to Lauren, preparing to calmly encourage her away from the man. That one step was just not close enough.

Lauren finally spoke up, choosing to ignore his question despite knowing the answer.

"Look if you don't want to tell me where Bo is at, then I'm just going to look for her myself."

A snarl erupted from behind Dyson's pierced lips.

"No you're not."

Lauren pulled her hands from her hips and started walking. He stepped in front of her but she didn't stop walking. Instead, she pushed him square in the chest. Her attempt to move him failed, and her second attempt was met with Dyson's strong hands grabbing her.

His actions were quicker than her reactions. His hands anchored to her shoulders and shoved Lauren's arms to her sides. He took one step to her side as she spun and snaked his arms around her. Lauren tried to step away but failed to escape his hold. He pinned her back against his chest within an ever tightening grasp.

Lauren pushed and pulled her arms away from her body, trying to break free, but his grip was damn near impossible to fight.

"Hey! Let go of her!" Amelia yelled.

Boldly, Erin charged Dyson and grabbed his upper arm, tugging to free Lauren but to no avail. He moved side to side wildly, struggling to maintain his grasp around Lauren and also avoid Erin, who immediately recognized his strength was beyond anything she had seen before. Training and instinct kicked in and Erin quickly began to use tactical methods against him, her main goal to free Lauren from his hold.

"Get off her!" Amelia yelled again.

His arms anchored a ferocious pressure against Lauren's chest. If anything his grip continued to tighten, squeezing her and constricting her breathing. The more Lauren struggled, the harder she found it to breathe. Her medical mind visualized at record speed a collapsed lung or a broken rib. Again she didn't panic or find herself in a pit of fear, despite the difficulty to take even shallow breaths. Amelia and Erin had both stepped to either side of Dyson, but all Lauren could see was his hands tightened together in front of her chest.

While instinct pushed Lauren to fight back, she forced herself to stop struggling against his hold. She closed her eyes: the sounds of Dyson's growls melding with the screams of her friends trying to help. She actually relaxed, a moment of calm that gave her the tiniest of free space within his hold that allowed her to inhale a slightly fuller breath. Her thoughts had more clarity than she had for several hours. She knew she only had one shot to yell with that breath and in that moment, Lauren yelled for the only person who she knew could make Dyson release her.

"Bo!"

Lauren screamed as loud as she could, but Dyson immediately tightened his grasp and cut her yell short. She choked on the lack of air, and instinct quickly took over her reactions. She kicked wildly, struggling to free herself as he moved erratically with steps away from her friends.

Dyson moved backwards carefully, dragging Lauren with him as he backed through the jungle brush. Erin and Amelia continued to strike him but Dyson seemed unaffected by any hit or punch they threw at him. His anger was boiling over, so much that his quiet growls turned to roars and his heated breath coated the back of Lauren's neck.

Lauren's vision blurred and her focus waned. Her breaths remained shallow and quick. The longer she fought for air, the more her thoughts grew cloudy. Her muscles weakened to the point where she could not maintain her own footing and her feet literally dragged on the ground below as Dyson tugged her along each step he took.

"Release her! That's an order!"

It was the voice Lauren wanted to hear, but it was also the voice that crushed her chest further.

On command, Dyson's arms peeled away from Lauren. He threw his hands in the air and walked away as Lauren fell to the jungle floor.

She hit the ground hard. Tall grasses covered her face as she lay there, taking gulps of air and coughing repeatedly. Her watering eyes fogged her vision as she remained on the ground. The struggle to breathe was more important than the struggle to stand. She curled in a ball and attempted to wipe her eyes. The first thing she saw was Erin and Amelia at her side. The entire moment an eerie déjà vu from the first time she met Bo at the waterfall and the first time she collapsed in the jungle.

"Lauren!"

Bo's plea floated to Lauren's ears as the brunette joined Erin and Amelia on the ground beside her, scanning over her to assess her injuries. Lauren tried to push her away but her strength failed her. The battle with Dyson had left her weak and barely able to move while she waited for her oxygen starved muscles to regain their strength. Instead she closed her eyes, not knowing whose hand was brushing her hair from her face or pushing the grasses away from her as she continued to take deep breaths.

Bo moved away from Lauren quickly as she saw Dyson slowly retreating to the jungle. The fiercest of anger boiled within her, and she had very little control to stop it from boiling over.

"Dyson! Stop at once!"

On cue, Dyson stopped his paces but dared not turn around.

Even a weary Lauren heard the threat laced in Bo's tone. It was not the voice of a woman who commanded her clan member to attack Lauren. It was not the voice of a woman who would have intentionally tried to poison her. It didn't take a scientist to see that, but why did she earlier feel so strongly otherwise?

She fathomed it could have been an effect from the flower's poison. Perhaps rational thought returned as the poison had left her body; that and an uncomfortable itching sensation that by now had also begun to wane. Energy had also left her body. Scientifically, emotionally, and mentally: she had been through quite an ordeal already that day, but it was certainly not over yet.

Forcefully, Lauren pushed herself to sit up, the oxygen finally filling her body enough to return a tiny amount of strength. She opened her eyes and saw concerned expressions on both Erin and Amelia's faces. Lauren raised her hand slowly to calm her worried friends.

"I'm okay, I'm okay."

Lauren's point was conveyed despite her hoarse voice. Erin and Amelia looped their arms under Lauren's and hoisted her to her feet. She was wobbly but kept her grasp on her friends, fearful that she had not yet regained enough strength to stand on her own. For several moments, Lauren focused on her breathing and listened to a very demanding succubus assert her authority.

Bo marched to Dyson as intentionally as Lauren had marched to Atticus earlier. Anchored to her friends for support, Lauren watched their interaction carefully.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Bo yelled.

Dyson turned around slowly to face her but did not move fast enough, as Bo grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her.

"She was going to enter our sacred land and...and..." Dyson replied.

"And what?" Bo demanded.

"You shouldn't be with her Bo! Why is it so hard to understand that you have me, or Tamsin, or any of the clan at your whim? This human..."

"Her name is Lauren! And how dare you defy my orders!" Bo yelled again.

Dyson looked down, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"You never issued me orders about her."

Bo shook her head, pacing in front of him with quick steps back and forth. She filtered through memories, quickly trying to remember the exact moment she told Dyson to never harm Lauren. Through memory after memory she filtered, yet none came to surface of that moment she told Dyson to not harm Lauren.

Unfortunately, he was right.

Bo's frustration increased, a mix of anger at his behavior and anger at her failure to protect Lauren. Her stomach churned as she felt responsible for this. She never issued any orders to Dyson, although he was the one she never thought would need orders. He was her second in command. He was her most trustworthy. Now he proved her wrong.

"On my orders, go to the village and wait. I don't even want to look at you."

"But Bo…"

Bo snapped her gaze toward Dyson and raised a hand. She pointed directly at him before swiftly moving it toward the mountainside behind them.

"Not another word! Go to our village and wait there. Your punishment will already be severe. Do you wish to add defying orders to the list? Go. Now!"

With a bowed head, Dyson dared not escalate the situation. He knew what punishment that would bring about so instead of raising further argument, he merely walked away without a shred of dignity.

Lauren watched the entire interaction unfold, finding more truth in the Bo's protective nature than in the horrible thoughts her mind had steered her toward prior. With more strength, Lauren released her grip from Amelia and Erin. She stood solidly on her own despite the residual weakness lingering in her heart.

With Dyson gone, Bo returned her attention to Lauren. She quickly reached for the blonde but Lauren raised a palm to stop her.

Shocked, Bo halted her movements.

"Lauren, are you okay?"

Lauren remained silent while she tried to compose words to reflect both her thoughts and her feelings. She rubbed her side carefully, but all the physical pain in the world couldn't stop her from feeling the weight of her emotional struggle inside. She needed confirmation that Bo didn't want to hurt her, and she wore that need in her expression.

Bo noticed.

"Are you hurt? I can help you."

Lauren's tears trailed down her cheeks despite the absence of a full blown cry. Was she hurt? Yes, but the pain in her chest weighed ten times the hurt in her ribs. It was then that Lauren knew she would rather have every bone in her body broken than allow her heart to be broken any more than it already had. She needed to be direct. She needed Bo to give her honest answers that left no room for doubt.

"Hurt? Am I hurt?!"

Lauren put her hand to Amelia's shoulder and turned her around. She unzipped the backpack still snugly attached to Amelia's back. Lauren dug through the contents until she pulled a small clear bag with the remnants of the yellow flower within. She tossed the bag to Bo, who watched it fly through the air and land on the ground by her bare feet.

Bo glanced at the bag and instantly recognized its contents.

"The moonlight daisy?" Bo asked.

Erin's tone remained calm but her stance reflected her own rage just boiling under the surface.

"Is that what you call it? I would think the term psychotic daisy is more fitting."

Bo's confusion was evident on her face. She shook her head side to side; her forehead was wrinkled and her jaw hung wide open. She didn't understand what Erin meant.

Lauren tried to decipher that silence: was it shock or was it guilt?

"Bo I need you to tell me: what am I to you? What's your plan with me, because I have spent half the day going insane from your stupid flower. Just be honest: are you trying to get rid of me?"

Her crackling voice tore at Bo's emotions.

"Wha..whoa, wait! Lauren, What are you talking about? I thought I expressed last night…"

"Bo, don't talk about last night. Please. If I mean anything to you, just tell me why the poison?"

Lauren's voice returned to full force. Her questioned was met by silence, or more so a stunned silence as Bo put her arms in the air to signal her innocence.

"Poison? Gods, Lauren I would never…what are you talking about?"

Lauren closed her eyes and took a slow deep breath. It pushed on her sore ribs enough to make her wince. Amelia wrapped an arm around her, holding Lauren carefully like her own delicate flower that could crumple further at any moment.

While Lauren felt stronger emotionally, she struggled with this entire conversation. Coming to her aid was Erin, who confidently took one step toward Bo. She glanced from the brunette to the plastic bag sitting on the ground and pointed at it.

"That flower is poisonous Bo."

"Poisonous?" Bo repeated as she looked to the ground. She bent over and picked up the bag, staring at the smashed remains of the moonlight daisy held within. The glow was gone and all that remained was a smashed, wilted faded yellow flower.

"Yes. Poisonous. It can do all sorts of things at different potencies, and I don't know what you know about poison, but poison messes with humans. It can kill humans. Now maybe you don't have to worry about that, but we do." Erin stated.

"Poisonous?" Bo whispered again.

She couldn't make sense of it. How could this flower be poisonous? She had been handling the flower for months. Granted she was not human, but she instantly thought of another human who also had been handling that flower. Excessively.

Lauren wiped her eyes and stared at Bo.

"Yes. A poisonous flower that didn't kill me but has certainly caused quite a mess of me today. Not to mention the first time you gave me one at the waterfall and knocked me out for an entire day. Exhaustion. Confusion. Mood swings. Anger. Not to mention some insane itching that just recently appeared out of nowhere."

Bo's expression remained laced with shock. She appeared stunned and uncertain, but not of Lauren or at what she had said. She was damn near shocked into thinking that if this flower was truly poisonous to humans, then Bo had not only been slowly killing one person, but she had ultimately been killing two.

"Lauren, it can't be! I mean, can it? NO! Oh please no! I don't understand...this flower has been saving a human, not killing one! Lauren I swear that if this flower is poisonous, then I did not know! Please! You must believe me!"

Her tone begged for belief. It was hard to interpret her pleas as anything other than truth when those tears rolled down the brunette's cheeks. The brunette squeezed the bag in her hands and glanced to the tree tops and sky hiding behind them, searching for her own answers to the questions in her head.

Lauren wiped the remaining tears away. Her upper body felt sore, and she was tired from the hike and the struggle against Dyson's strength. She wanted to believe Bo, but who was this other human she spoke of?

With a quiet and quivering tone, Bo's pleas came forth with more conviction.

"It's true Lauren. My clan…we use that flower to extend the life of my best friend. My best friend is a human and she is dying. She is the one meant to be buried in that empty grave I showed you. She has been dying for months, and this flower has been the only thing keeping her alive or giving her comfort."

Bo took one step toward Lauren. When Lauren didn't react, Bo took another step. She dropped the bag containing the flower, bringing her hands together in prayer as more tears welled in her eyes.

"Lauren, I would never do anything to hurt you. I swear. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you."

Bo dropped to her knees, kneeling before Lauren to show the extent of her apology.

The action caught Lauren by surprise. And while the blonde had no tears left to wipe away, Bo had erupted into a full blown breakdown.

"Why should I believe you?" Lauren whispered.

The question was direct. Lauren hoped for a response just as direct.

Bo shook her head.

"You should believe me because I swear to you on the souls in Cathedrals Den that I'm telling you the truth."

Lauren freed herself from friend's grasp and stared at Bo for several long moments, even though Lauren needed no additional time to find the truth in Bo's words. Lauren had been there, to Cathedrals Den; she had witnessed the meaning and power behind that sacred land. Never would Bo cast such a comment without standing behind it one hundred percent. If Lauren was mistaken in this thought, then she would proudly accept any fate delivered to her.

Lauren rubbed her side gently. The pain had lessened. Somewhat recovered from her physically agonizing struggle with Dyson, Lauren began the process of recovering from her emotionally agonizing struggle with her feelings. The powerful poison in that flower had influenced her mind and her body in devious ways, unknowingly fueling her panic and sadness over her major assumptions; assumptions that Bo did not care for her or have any regard for her well-being. Couple that with her exhaustion as sleep had escaped her on much of the trip, and her reactions now seemed to be overreactions.

Not that she needed any reasoning, but Lauren's actions reflected that of a woman who feared she cared for someone more than another could ever care for her. She may have jumped quickly to assume, she may have been making poor decisions with storming into the jungle, and she may have been scared beyond what she was willing to admit, but Lauren also had an inability to walk away from what she heard laced in Bo's tone. Compassion. Understanding. Adoration. Loyalty. Commitment. Honesty. Lauren took Bo's words and conveyed emotions to heart. It was all she needed to feel that surging tingle fill her limbs and clear her mind. And while she wasn't quite sure why her heart accepted Bo's apology so quickly without any doubt, the warmth spreading through her body only reinforced that it was the right decision to make.

"I believe you Bo."

Gently, Lauren extended a hand outward to Bo. The brunette rose from her knees and grasped the offered hand, their touch sparking an elated buzz inside their chests. Their reddened eyes matched one another's like mirror images as longing stares remained in place while their hands remained connected, hesitant but willing. Lauren felt an intense surge of heat within her chest, radiating slowly outward. Her neck, her shoulders, the valley between her breasts warmed comfortably. The tingle returned to her arms again. Her mouth felt dry. And while the warmth initially felt welcome, the heat inside Lauren's body quickly grew beyond comfortable.

She tugged on her shirt neckline to cool off. Her fingers grazed over the necklace resting under the material against her skin. She slid two fingertips over the smooth stone carefully, holding it like the most fragile of relics.

Bo shifted her eyes to Lauren's neckline and watched her cradle the stone with care. Seeing the necklace around Lauren's neck brought Bo a swell of joy. She smiled gently at the sight.

Bo's smile pulled a matching one from Lauren. As Bo returned her eyes to meet Lauren's, they gazed at one another quietly for but a moment. And as quickly as that heat within Lauren had appeared, it dwindled to a comfortable level again. No discussion was held, no words were spoken between them as Lauren released her grasp on the necklace and slowly stepped into Bo's strong, loving arms.

Wrapped around Lauren protectively, Bo held her with care and an unspoken protectiveness. She closed her eyes and breathed in the peace surrounding the moment. Having Lauren back in her arms was truthfully something Bo never wanted to let go of ever again.

Moments passed as they stood quietly in each other's grasp, the others mere voyeurs to this intensely private moment. Erin watched their interaction carefully, still overly protective of her best friend. She glanced at Amelia who looked lost in her own thoughts as she stared off toward the nearby mountain. Erin crossed her arms and remained observant of everyone's slightest movement. It was the detective in her, waiting for the least expected surprise that could end up causing more trouble or possibly costing a life. Yet no such thing happened, as Lauren and Bo seemed to connect without words faster than Erin could comprehend, and Amelia seemed to be deep in thought about something that occupied all her attention.

Amelia knelt down and picked up the discarded bag containing the wilted flower. She held it at eye level, staring upon it with a mix of excitement and fear. Her eyes were fixed on that single, wilted flower.

Cautiously, Erin watched her. She found discomfort in the way Amelia held it; the way she cradled it as if it was something she wanted desperately to keep but also to let go. Erin had seen the look in many eyes before: the look of anyone struggling to maintain sobriety when temptation was right in front of you. Erin considered the wildly strange reactions from Lauren since they had awaken her at the rental home. Moodiness. Confusion. Emotional outbursts. That flower was poisonous all right; it was poisonous just like Cosima said it would be. It was like a drug. Erin knew it, and Amelia knew it.

Amelia pinched the bag between her fingers. She felt frozen in place, unable to get rid of it despite the evil power she knew it held. She had suspected Lauren's behaviors were enhanced due to the flower, but the blonde's confirmation of her itchy skin proved it. That was withdrawal settling in. Withdrawal from a single flower that provided a mood enhancement. Amelia's mouth went dry. All it took was opening that bag and testing that theory. She didn't want to give in, but she couldn't let go.

Carefully, Erin put her hand on the bag. She squeezed it and slowly pulled it from Amelia's grasp.

The very act seem to bring Amelia back to reality. The dark haired doctor closed her eyes, quietly thanking the universe for Erin's support when she was on the verge of losing her own. A moment of weakness put her right in line with a potential relapse; Erin's keen eye and perfectly timed support was pinnacle for Amelia finding that inner strength again.

"You okay?" Erin whispered.

Amelia opened in her eyes and nodded before staring at the bag in Erin's hand. It all made sense, now. The thoughts flooded her mind, and she was the first to break the lengthy silence as her overactive mind finally formulated a string of thoughts that started with some basic questions.

"You said this flower has been saving a human?"

Lauren stepped out of Bo's embrace, turning to face Amelia. Bo's right arm remained securely around Lauren's shoulder, the two not ready to leave the hold of the other just yet.

Bo glanced at Amelia and calmly answered.

"Yes. Her name is Kenzi. She is sick and she is dying. None of our clan's rituals have helped. An ancient tale about the moonlight daisy surfaced, and the flowers have provided her with some relief. That's why I'm so confused on how it can be a poison."

"What does she do with the flowers?" Amelia quickly asked.

Bo's shoulders drooped slightly and were quickly met by Lauren's arm giving her a gentle squeeze.

"She keeps them by her pillow. She ate some once but got horribly ill. Just having them by her help in some way, somehow."

"What do they help?" Amelia asked.

"Well, they stop the shaking and help her sleep. She said they make her feel better. They stop the pain in her head."

Amelia loosened her stiff posture and paced next to Erin. Her hands moving about wildly as her internal monologue surfaced in bits and pieces. Broken words, phrases and sentences spewed forth, a lashing of medical terms and theories, jumbling everyone's mind except Lauren's, who understood the words enough to follow part of what Amelia was thinking. Lauren stepped from Bo's arms, trying to determine the extent of Amelia's thoughts.

"Amelia, slow down, slow down…"

Amelia continued to pace back and forth.

"That's just it Lauren. Slowing down. It is slowing it down. The flowers are slowing it down. The progression is slowed down. It's damn near impossible, but quite possible considering we are standing in the middle of an island with creatures that growl and have blue glowing eyes and doctors are stealing bodies and women have incredibly soft, beautiful wings and so, yeah, what's the probability that an undocumented, maybe extinct or even unknown, flower could very well behave just like snake or scorpion's venom, or even a Chilean rose tarantula and…"

Amelia halted her steps, a sudden realization of her own words bringing her eyes to the only other person who could possibly understand what she was saying. Lauren's eyes widened, her slow vertical nod indicative that she followed Amelia's trend of thought. Even though Amelia's words were mere rambles, Lauren's scientific expertise knew exactly the puzzle Amelia was assembling.

Lauren turned to face Bo again, following Amelia's questions with one of her own.

"What is wrong with your friend again? Why do you think she is dying?"

Bo rubbed the back of her neck. It was hard to talk about Kenzi's illness. It made Bo face the reality that her best friend was dying. She had just started the process of making peace with the idea, but she was nowhere near comfortable with any of it.

"We don't know really. She shakes and loses consciousness. She remains asleep for days. She has memory lapses, her head hurts. She throws up. I don't know what is wrong with her; no one in my clan knows. Even my grandfather who seems to know everything. All I know is that as time has passed, she has become frailer and sicker. To me, that is dying."

The range of emotions experienced in such a short time were mind boggling. Bo took a deep breath and accepted the light hold Lauren took upon her hand. She curiously looked over Lauren and Amelia, waiting for another random question to answer.

"Take us to her."

Bo questioned Amelia's request. "What?"

Amelia reiterated, "Take us to your friend."

Bo hesitated, glancing to Lauren for her opinion, or perhaps some reassurance with Amelia's request.

"Well she's in my village, but I don't understand why you need to see her. I promised her a peaceful end, and I want her to have her privacy. Not to mention I have thieves to locate."

Bo's hesitation was clear, but Amelia was determined to get Bo to comply.

"Is the rest of your clan looking for the thieves?" Amelia asked.

"Yes," Bo replied, her expression fraught with curiosity.

Amelia stepped forward.

"Then let them handle it. Take us to her. I think I know what could be wrong with your friend, and if I'm right, I may be able to save her life."

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For the second time in twenty four hours, Lauren hiked through the jungle to Bo's hidden mountainside village. She kept up with Bo's rapid pace, glancing over her shoulder periodically to ensure Erin and Amelia were not far behind. On several occasions, Amelia asked more specific questions about Kenzi's health, and Bo answered as best as possible despite the frustration with her own lack of understanding. Lauren understood Amelia's thought process but she remained silent, simply assembling her own thoughts of the situation as Bo continued to provide them with what little information she could.

Through trees and overgrown fields they marched until arriving at the tunnel that led to Bo's hidden village. Even though Lauren had only been through the tunnel once prior, she found traversing the darkness much easier this time around. Erin didn't fare so well, stumbling twice over her own feet. A consistent pace had them emerging on the other side of the tunnel and in the middle of the Fae village while the sun was still high in the sky above.

Bo led them directly across the center of the open space, not pausing to share details about any of the locations, where doorways led, or any number of other items present and in view. As this was the first time Lauren was able to see the village during daylight, she scanned the scenery with an observant eye as they walked.

The lanterns still hung about the village but were extinguished as their need was not warranted during the day. There were partial wooden huts adjacent to the mountainous rock walls, appearing as an extension to whatever was housed inside the mountain itself. Paths carefully lined with flattened stones gave way to smooth walkways cutting this way or that across the fields of low grasses. Tropical plants and flowers of every color decorated the land beautifully.

There were several clan members milling about, but the total could be counted on two hands. While Lauren imagined a village of this size housed many more actual members, she realized that most of the clan was probably out hunting for Doctor Lee and Angelo. As they neared the center of the village, Lauren noticed a few of those clan members staring at a small tree. As they walked past it, Lauren recognized that Dyson was standing next to it. He stared at the tree, ignoring those around him. Truthfully, the few clan members nearby appeared to be whispering to one another about him, although she had no idea why. Despite having no interest in seeing him ever again, her curiosity was ever present. She refrained from asking Bo any questions about it however, and instead cataloged the question away in her mind to ask at a later time.

With another glance over her shoulder, Lauren saw Amelia and Erin dragging several paced behind her. Their awe was also present in their expressions as this was their first visit to the Fae village. Lauren cleared her throat to gain their attention before casting them both a stern look.

Both Amelia and Erin quickened their paces at Lauren's silent request. In doing so, they caught up with her and Bo as they neared another entrance into the side of the mountain on the far side of the village. Through a carved rock archway and to the nearest door they went, carefully following Bo's gentle footsteps through the doorway and inside a single room.

The space was quiet, and while Lauren imagined the rock would reflect sound off its hard surface, the entire space was very quiet. Even the slight creaking sound from the door hinge seemed to absorb into the mountain walls. Upon first stepping into the room, Lauren noticed it was smaller than Bo's bedroom, but not by much. The room was as messy as Bo's and it was well lit with candles. Centered was a bed holding a small woman sound asleep, and next to it sat an older man comfortably perched on a bedside chair.

Their presence was immediately recognized by Trick. He watched Bo enter the room followed by the three women. He whispered her name once as a recognition of her arrival.

"Bo."

Bo walked slowly to his side. She glanced at Kenzi, sleeping soundly in the bed. She was curled up, her face partially buried in the pillow. Despite coming to terms with the impending loss, Bo's heart still shattered seeing her so frail and helpless. She gulped, hopeful to keep the tears at bay.

Trick's gentle hand on Bo's arm pulled her attention back to him. He nodded in the direction of Amelia, Erin and Lauren; all three still hovering near the door.

In a quiet whisper, Bo addressed her grandfather.

"They are here to help."

Despite his lack of words, Bo assumed dozens of warnings and questions he wanted to spew forth. She imagined he wanted to scold her for bringing so many strangers to their village, and she only figured he withheld a verbal lashing because of Kenzi's condition. To her surprise, his expression lacked any concern at all. Instead, he wore a compassionate, appreciative expression that said quite the opposite. A quiet moment passed between them as he offered her a smile. His shoulders fell back slightly as he nodded. The way he looked at her appeared more like pride than anything else.

Without saying anything to Bo, Trick stepped carefully from his chair and walked around Bo. He crossed the room quietly and approached the three women still standing by the door. He looked them over individually, offering them each a pleasant smile as he whispered an introduction.

"Hello, Fitzpatrick McCorrigan at your service. Please, call me Trick."

They smiled and nodded politely, none of them saying a word in fear of waking Kenzi. With the three women, Trick turned to look at Bo, who stood at Kenzi's bedside gazing down upon her. She must have felt their eyes staring at her, for she immediately turned around and tiptoed across the room to return next to the group.

"How has she been today?"

Trick shook his head in defeat.

"Not good. She hasn't been conscious much in the past few hours."

Without invitation, Amelia stepped forward quickly but Bo stopped her.

"Wait. The flowers..."

Bo crossed the room again and quickly grabbed the small woven bag from the bedside. She peered inside, seeing the remaining moonlight daisies still present. She gently pulled Kenzi's blankets away, seeking out and gathering every individual flower petal covering her pillow or tossed haphazardly over the bed. Every flower she pulled into her hand felt like a fuel igniting her anger. Poisonous flowers. Her lack of understanding, and concern that she was poisoning Kenzi, made her sick. She jammed each flower in the bag with a vengeance but never uttered a word. There was no way she would let these flowers get near Kenzi ever again. Or Lauren. Or Lauren's friends.

Content that every flower had been removed, Bo rolled the top of the bag shut and shoved it in the far corner of the room. It was only then that she nodded to Amelia, giving her permission to approach Kenzi.

With quiet steps, Amelia crossed the room with Lauren right behind her. Both women stood bedside and cast an analytical eye over the fragile woman.

Rather than hover over them, Bo remained near the door where she stood with Erin and Trick. She listened to the start of their unrecognizable, whispered medical terminology float across the room before tuning them out. She knew nothing of what their words meant outside of being aware they were discussing Kenzi's condition. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face. Fear and uncertainty felt ever present. Overwhelming responsibility and concern dominated her entire being. She wished for something to give; anything really. She always tried to be so strong, but it was in this moment she wished for someone else to be the strong one. Just for a moment even.

As if the universe heard her silent plea, Erin placed a gentle hand to Bo's shoulder.

Bo uncovered her face to see Erin offering her support: support like a friend, despite not knowing much at all about the other. Her smile was genuine, and it pulled a fragile but grateful smile from Bo. She knew right then that Lauren's friends were just as admirable as Lauren. It made Bo confident that bringing them here was a good decision, despite not knowing if they could even help Kenzi or not.

Amelia and Lauren's analysis proceeded carefully but quickly. Not too long after they first stood by Kenzi's bed did the women return to Bo and Erin's side. The four women stepped out of the room while Trick returned to his seat at Kenzi's bedside.

They exited the tunnel and returned to the open space in the Fae village. The shift from the dark tunnel to the bright sunny outdoor space had them all blinking rapidly to clear their vision. It took a few minutes to adjust to the light, but Amelia wasted no time in explaining her thoughts to Bo.

"Bo look, I don't know what you know about humans and illness, so I'll explain this in really general terms."

"Okay," Bo replied.

"First, I'd like to run some tests on Kenzi."

The word tests struck Bo's well of fear. The last time she heard the word tests uttered aloud from a human, Lauren was talking about a strange discovery of a substance from Bo's hand. She still had no clue what that substance was, but she remembered the fear she felt when Lauren said it the first time. While Bo lacked any reply, Amelia continued to explain.

"If I take Kenzi to the medical complex, I have some equipment there that could help me solidify a theory. If I am right, then I would need to take Kenzi off the island, to a hospital where I have tools that can save her life."

Bo widened her eyes as her chest began to pound in tune with the throbbing in her head.

"What?! But that is where those men took Halima. And off the island? I don't think I can...she can't...I'm not sure if..."

Bo's utterances spewed forth quickly. Not understanding most of what Amelia was trying to say, Bo did understand what "off the island" meant. Kenzi had never been off the island in her life. If she was going to die, she was to do it on the island that was her home and not in some foreign land. Bo looked away from the sets of eyes staring at her. She glanced to the sky above, silently asking for strength to get through this, to make good decisions, to find understanding in what was happening.

Lauren saw Bo's struggle. Her heart began to ache as she imagined the agony Bo was going through. She slid her hand into Bo's. The connection instantly heated up, causing a soothing calm through Lauren and through Bo.

While the simple touch was meant as a mere gesture of support, it surprisingly did so much more. Bo's hand began to tingle wildly. It was a comfortable sensation; one that spread up her arm, over her shoulders and eventually distributed across her entire body. She stared at Lauren as her frazzled nerves found calm, not really understanding how she relaxed so much. Despite not knowing why it happened, she was eternally grateful for the moment of peace.

"Lauren can you help me understand this?"

Lauren nodded and calmly spoke to Bo.

"What Amelia is trying to say is that we think the flowers have been extending Kenzi's life because they have been reducing some swelling on her brain. The flowers are poisonous, but they are functioning in a similar fashion to a supercharged anti-inflammatory."

"A what?" Bo asked.

Amelia interjected.

"It's complicated, but there are contradictory reports in the human world on how poisons offer some duality to function as medicines. So while a substance can be poisonous, like the venom of a snake, a scorpion or any number of plants, some of those same substances have also been used to treat illnesses as well. All over the world and through history, various cultures use poisons like drugs to treat illness. Like a medicine. In this instance, the moonlight daisy poison could have been working in a number of ways to Kenzi's benefit: reduction to the swelling, serving as a pain killer, an anti-nausea medicine, or any number of other possibilities."

"Oh," Bo replied. "How do you know all this?"

Amelia smiled.

"Well, I'm a human doctor, kind of like Lauren, but I specialize in the brain. The symptoms you describe to me are all very familiar to many of my patients back home. If I can treat her in a method that humans are meant to be treated, then I can confirm what exactly is causing the seizures and the headaches. Once I know for sure, then I treat her, and that could possibly save her life. I can't make any promises, but I'd like to try."

Bo shifted her gaze from Amelia to Erin to Lauren. She looked back to the sky again, silently repeating the phrase "leaders make good decisions" several times over.

"Can't you do it here?" Bo asked.

Amelia shook her head from one side to the other.

"No. We need machines that can take pictures inside her head. If the swelling is caused by what I think is causing it, then I will need to cut open the back of her skull to relieve the pressure."

Bo gulped. "Her skull? For the love of the fae…"

Bo squeezed Lauren's hand. She was scared. She never wanted Kenzi to die, never wanted to subject Kenzi to tests of any kind, but she was terrified of ignoring an opportunity to help her live longer. Good decisions were not always easy; this was certainly one of those instances. While she wanted to ask Lauren her opinion, she couldn't put the burden of this decision on anyone else. It was her responsibility; it was her decision to live with.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Keep her comfortable," Bo stated.

The words came across like a command. No one argued.

"We will," Amelia replied.

"And no matter what happens, you have to bring her back to this village afterwards. Even if…"

She squeezed Lauren's hand harder. Lauren returned the squeeze, giving some semblance of strength in the support.

"You have our word," Lauren replied.

The sun dipped behind the edge of the mountain. Evening would be upon them soon. Her clan was still searching for the thieves, and she was now granting permission to three humans to take her best friend to the very medical complex that was a prison to Halima's dead body. Irony didn't begin to describe the situation.

She chose not to dwell on her decision. It was made, and she would live with the consequences no matter the outcome.

The shadow of the mountain slowly crept over them and toward the center of the village. Lauren, Amelia and Erin all looked skyward as well. And all three considered the complex puzzle of how to get Kenzi out of the Fae village and into the medical complex as quickly as possible. Amelia was the first to say it.

"So, what is the fastest way we can get off this mountain?"

Asking it brought the immediate answer to her mind: to everyone's mind actually. There was only one blonde with wings on the island, and while looking at one another, all four women answered simultaneously.

"Tamsin."

xxxxxxx

Locating the few nearby clan members, Bo issued direct orders to locate Tamsin and advise her return to the village. Quick to obey, they spread out in the jungle, passing the message quickly to others. Word spread much faster than one would think possible, and not too long later Tamsin had received the message loud and clear. She left her patrolling location and returned to the village, immediately seeing Bo and the group of humans standing near the center of their land. Her wings glided her carefully to the ground, her feet connecting softly as her wings folded up and completely disappeared from sight.

She tossed a wink in the direction of Amelia and Erin.

This time Lauren noticed it, but there was no time for speculation or interrogation as Tamsin immediately turned her attention to Bo.

Tamsin smiled at Bo and then at Lauren. She glanced down to see their hands connected in a secure hold between them, and while she still had a faint hint of emotions under the surface, Tamsin lacked the anger she held prior.

"You rang, Bo?"

Bo nodded.

"Thank you for coming back so quickly. I need your help. I need you to fly Kenzi to the buildings by the north shore."

Tamsin cocked her head and frowned.

"What? Are you crazy?!"

Ignoring her sass and her questions, Bo simply replied with a question of her own.

"How many people can you carry?"

Tamsin looked around the small group.

"Uhhhhh..."

"How many?" Bo repeated with a firm voice.

Tamsin shrugged.

"I don't know, like three maybe? Unless you want me to take Bruce somewhere, then that's a solo flight."

There were four of them, plus Kenzi would make five. Bo processed her thoughts quickly, trying to determine the best plan of action for the best possible results. While she wanted to think each decision through carefully, time was of the essence. Kenzi's health had been fading fast, and Bo didn't want this opportunity to be lost.

"Tamsin, take Lauren, Amelia and Kenzi to the medical facility now. Drop them off and then return here for me and Erin."

Her methodologies to arrive at that decision were wise. Amelia and Lauren were the doctors, and while Bo preferred to stay with Kenzi during this ordeal, she also knew Kenzi was best in the hands of the two women who seemed to know more about humans and sickness than she could ever understand.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Tamsin asked.

Bo glared at Tamsin. Every second that passed was another second toward failure. Bo did not want any additional time wasted, especially on explanations to Tamsin. To end her questions and doubtful stares, Bo raised her arm and extended it fully, pointing across the open field to Dyson standing face first against a tree.

"Do you see where Dyson is standing? Do you want to be there too?" Bo exclaimed.

Tamsin's eyes traveled in the direction of Bo's hand until she saw Dyson, standing humbly in a space no Fae ever wanted to stand. Tamsin's eyes widened, the image forcing her to step back suddenly.

While Lauren, Amelia and Erin could not understand her surprise, they merely watched this rather confident blonde give away all her courage and cower right before their very eyes.

"Bo, is he…?"

Bo didn't answer nor even nod her head. She simply stood there, staring down Tamsin with all the confidence in the world. Tamsin immediately straightened her posture. She stood up tall and showing a quick change of attitude, her cocky smirk morphed to an obedient gaze.

"Of course. I'm ready when everyone else is."

In a complete shift of her own expression, Bo turned to Lauren with a softened glance. She squeezed her hand gently, whispering quietly so the others would not hear.

"I'll be down shortly afterwards, and I'll linger in the trees; in the same area where you ran to me that one night, okay?"

Lauren spoke slowly, her attempt to soothe Bo's worries and slow down the brunette's quick decisions.

"It may take us some time, Bo. Don't worry if we're absent for a while, okay?"

Bo nodded slowly.

"Okay. I'll be there as long as it takes."

She glanced to Amelia, instantly recognizing her appreciation for Bo's decision. Beyond that, Bo saw Amelia's self confidence; it gave the clan leader hope for a positive outcome. While she couldn't perform magic and simply make it so, Bo could certainly encourage Amelia to do her best.

"Amelia, save Kenzi and I will give you anything with my realm of power. You have my word."

Amelia didn't quite know what was in Bo's "realm of power", but judging by the expression Tamsin brought forth upon hearing that promise, Amelia replied with the only thing she could think of saying.

"Then you have my word I'll cash in on that promise."

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