Thanks ya'll for every review long and short. I read and appreciate them all and love seeing your reactions. I'm not far from going on a road trip and I've got a goal of getting this all posted before I leave, so you're not going to have to wait long for the end.

Chapter Nine

"You look so beautiful." She saw Dyson's reflection coming closer and he put his hands on her shoulders, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks," Bo said uncomfortably, twisting away from him. "Sorry, just got to finish doing my hair."' She couldn't get enough air; the walls were closing in on her. Dyson's affection – having once made her so happy - felt cloying. It was a sensation she had never experienced before and one she wouldn't have even thought herself capable of, especially with him. She busied herself, fussing with her hair. It was a means of avoiding that disappointed look clouding his face, the one that she'd noticed three or four times over the last few weeks.

"You look very handsome," she blurted out, trying to make amends.

"Thanks," he put his hands in his pockets and looked down at himself. He did look very good in a tux, even more so when he smiled. The happy expression disappeared and he became serious again, the lines of his forehead showing as he frowned. "Bo, is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. Why?" she said, a deer in the headlights. The last couple of weeks represented the longest that they'd ever gone without having sex, and he had to know that for a succubus that was a big deal. Every time he seemed close to broaching the subject she changed it, and tonight was not going to be any different.

He shrugged. "Nothing. You just seem a little . . . off. I don't know."

"That makes two of us, cos I don't know what you're talking about," Bo denied. She was going to have to talk to him soon, puncture that big ball of guilt that had taken up residence inside of her, but now wasn't the time. He'd made such a big deal of this event. All she wanted to do was to just go, pretend to have a good time, and get it over with.

It worked. Dyson clammed up again, irritated. Without speaking they'd made a tacit agreement that they were going to put any problems behind them for tonight.

X X X

Everyone's eyes were on them as Dyson escorted her into the room. Pride radiated from him as he showed her off. Under any other circumstances she would have been flattered by it. Tonight it just made her angry that he liked being with a succubus and the associated effects only when it suited him, only when he could bask in any reflected glory.

"I'm going to get a drink," she told him. "You go mingle with your cop buddies," she added to make it seem that she was only being accommodating, rather than escaping. He'd waved to Hale and a group from what she assumed was the narcotics department as they walked in.

Bo approached the bar and ordered herself a drink. At least the booze was free, so the night wasn't going to be a total bust. Dyson had implied that the tickets were expensive and she planned to get his money's worth. "Make Kenzi proud," she joked to herself as she downed her first drink.

She returned to the bar a couple of times within the hour. There were duties she had to perform and so she did them through her alcohol-induced haze, being introduced to several of Dyson's colleagues and listening as he whispered in her ear about their position or powers (if they were fae).

"Hi there Bo," she heard a voice at her side. She turned towards Ava, smiling falsely, and accepted the kiss on the cheek she offered as a greeting. Ava stood back to look her up and down. "You look lovely."

"Thanks," Bo stated. She refused to return the compliment although it would have been true if she'd wanted to. Ava was wearing an emerald-green coloured gown that matched eyes and contrasted beautifully with the colour of her hair.

"So who did you come with?" Bo questioned her. The answer couldn't be Lauren, but Lauren had said they had a 'casual arrangement'. Surely that extended to dating other people.

"You mean who is my date? I'm alone, I actually don't understand this desperate need some people have to show off who they're screwing," she said, throwing a look over her shoulder towards Dyson.

Bo's temper flared. What was her problem? Who could possibly have an issue with people coming to an event like this with a date? Ava had said it as contemptuously as if the rest of them were high school kids at a prom and she was the lone adult who'd wandered in. It had always seemed to Bo like Ava had a superior attitude, but this was a new high.

"Some people are proud of who they're with," Bo said, shrugging. She kept observing Ava out of the corner of her eye as she took a drink out of her glass. "Some people wouldn't hide the person they were seeing even if it meant compromising some stupid political rule."

She saw the corner of Ava's lips twitch upwards into a smile.

"That's easy for someone who won't even pick a side to say. You're completely ignorant about our politics."

"Not can't, won't," Bo corrected her.

"Whatever, your whole unaligned deal really bores me to be honest." Ava said. "And I don't need to parade anyone around. All I need is to be satisfied in private, and believe me I am."

"So much for not needing to show off," Bo rolled her eyes. "And I suppose you think you're the only person in the world who's satisfied with what they have?"

She'd fully turned to look at Ava now, a defiant hand on her hip. This was the most fun she'd had all night. She'd always wanted to go toe-to-toe with Ava, she'd just never had a good reason before.

Ava looked at her, hard. "Not as satisfied as you could be though right? I don't know how you could pass up that tasty little doctor. She makes a great little pet, although you'd know all about that with dog boy."

Bo reached out and grabbed Ava's arm, digging her fingers into the soft flesh. She stepped forward close enough that it was concealed from anyone behind them, which was most of the room. Maddeningly Ava didn't react; she just kept looking down at her with the same bold grin.

"Show some respect," Bo said through her teeth. It had ceased to be a game to her, and her anger was glowing red hot.

"Oh I am. I respect her very much. I especially respect that thing she does . . . you know when she -"

Bo grabbed her arm harder. "Stop it right now. I don't know what she's doing with someone like you and I don't want to hear about it. But if you do anything to upset her, anything at all, I'm coming after you." She released Ava's arm and turned back to the bar, picking up her drink.

"If you care so much then why aren't you with her?"

Bo stared straight ahead, her breath frozen in her throat.

It was a question she had not dared to voice to herself. For the past few weeks she had been missing Lauren terribly; every train of thought leading back to her. Bo's daydreams had become torture because all she did was think of the thousand excuses she could use to insert herself back into Lauren's life again. Bo wanted to just go to Lauren so badly – but she had learned how to control her hunger and she would conquer this.

She felt Ava step up close to her and forced herself to not flinch or move. Ava was close enough that she could feel her breath.

"Seeing as you're new to this world I'm going to give you some free advice. You're fae, you're supposed to get whatever you want. So stop acting like a stupid human."

Bo felt Ava brush past her as she finally walked away, and Bo exhaled. She turned her head and noticed that Ava was lingering beside her, breathing in and out deeply. She had no idea what Ava was doing, but could only conclude that the woman was a freak.

What the hell did Ava know about her, anyway? It made no sense that she would brag about Lauren and then basically tell Bo to go for it. She was a game-player, and not worth worrying about. Not wanting to think about it, she ordered another drink.

X X X

When they got home Bo fell into bed, more drunk than she'd ever been, possibly even drunker that Kenzi on her messiest of nights. The edge of tomorrow's hangover was already pounding into her skull. Dyson got into bed next to her after stripping down to his underwear.

"Bo, don't you want to at least take of your dress?" he said, his deep voice rumbling towards her ear and making her head throb even more.

"No, I don't," she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Suit yourself, but you're going to be very uncomfortable."

"I don't care," she grumbled.

"Bo, what's wrong with you? You spent the whole night propping up the bar, and after a while you didn't bother speaking to anyone I introduced you to. That's not the Bo I know."

"Well, whichever Bo I am wants to go to sleep, so shut up," she snapped.

"Nice," he replied. She felt the bed shift as he got up, and she cracked an eye open enough to see him pick up a pillow. He was going to the couch, which was what he always did when they fought. It was supposed to help them both cool off but tonight it just made her feel relieved to be alone.

X X X

When she rose the next day he was gone and the blanket was folded neatly at the end of the sofa. She sat down and slumped on it, her stomach queasy and her mouth tasting like rocket fuel. Her hangover was of the incurable kind, and she knew she wasn't going to feel good any time today. She felt emotional and raw; ready to spill, like she needed a good cry. She told herself that it was just the alcohol leaving her body, it was just the blues.

Thinking about the way Ava had spoken of Lauren brought a fresh wave of rage. The night was somewhat fuzzy in places, but she could remember that conversation very well. She was so tired of the fae and their attitudes towards humans, their need to dominate and own.

The thought of Lauren being subservient to anyone made her furious. She still couldn't understand how Lauren could put herself in the position that she had by sleeping with Ava. If she were with Lauren she would never, ever act as though her difference made her less than equal.

But really, what chance did Lauren have in their world? She was cut off from humans and that had to be isolating. Ava was exploiting that. Who did Lauren have to fight for her, to speak to her cause? According to the fae she was just theirs to be passed back and forth like a toy, and it made her sick.

She imagined herself saving Lauren from The Ash, setting her free. It was a recurring fantasy for her – it had been ever since Lauren had told her the real reason why she was his slave. Now she wondered, why hadn't she ever actually tried?

Things had been clouded for the past few weeks. She'd been confused; maybe a little bit paralysed by her feelings. It was clear to her now and she knew it was true as soon as it had occurred to her.

She had to do something. She wanted to have Lauren released from the Ash's control, so that she could be free.

X X X

She had always been a do-er. It had been vital in all those years when she'd been running, fighting to keep any semblance of a life. When thinking could cost you so much, you picked a path and you followed through. That was as complicated as it needed to be.

In the absence of a compass she'd had to find her own. It was hard to care about systems and hierarchy when the world had turned upside down. She didn't respect the Ash just because of his position, and she'd seen nothing from him so far that earned her respect all on his own.

There was a time when she would have knelt down for someone like him – she'd been obedient, believed in everything her adoptive parents ever told her. Like don't have sex before marriage. Like idle hands are the devil's plaything; like all you need is hard work and family to have a good life. That had been ripped away from her and with it had gone any sense of the world as ordered.

The last year had changed her again. Since the one she grew up with had been lost she had been craving a family; and she'd made a good one. She and Lauren weren't so different really. They'd both been stripped of their families by the fae world. But the difference was that she'd had Kenzi to help her, and Dyson, and Lauren herself. It was time to repay that.

These were all of the things she thought about as she waited for him to come down from his throne. Not literally of course, but he might as well. She was waiting in the lobby looking at the white walls and expensive art. All powerful people liked to shove it in your face – they needed the illusion that they were special.

She hadn't spoken to anyone about her plans. It was easier to come here and put herself in this position than go to speak to even Lauren. She hadn't sorted through her feelings about kissing her – hadn't really examined the implications for her relationship with Dyson. It could all wait.

"It's always a pleasure to see you. What can I help you with today?"

Bo forced a smile as she saw the Ash enter the room and heard his gravelly voice. This is for her, this is for her. The thought was the only thing that stopped her from turning around and walking out immediately.

"I've come with a request. I want to know if there's anything I can offer you in exchange for Lauren's freedom."

"What a ridiculous question."

Her hackles rose. "I don't see how it's ridiculous. You can't just keep her here under your power forever."

He laughed, open-mouthed and obnoxious. "No, I don't mean that. You know that there is only one thing you could ever have to offer me that would be of any value, and that is your commitment to the Light."

Bo blinked but kept steady. In her typical hot-headed way she hadn't even thought about his asking for that, but it really was gob-smacking in its obviousness. "I would need to think about something that serious."

"So go away and reflect, then come back to me when you've made up your mind. The terms are simple. If you swear your allegiance to me then I'll release her from my protection and she can come under yours."

"I'll consider it," she said. She turned away from him a little unsteadily. No doubt if she'd turned around to look at him he would have been laughing at her.