A/N: Going to give you two updates of this today, and one for What Could've Been, because I love ya!

Chapter 10: Almost Home

Tartarus

After her little breakdown in the kitchen, Bo decided to skip dinner. Even though whatever Persephone was making smelled pretty damn good. She offered to keep her a plate, which was sweet on her part. All Bo wanted was to have some alone time in her room. She brought the bottle of scotch with her, and threw herself a little pity party.

It was enough to knock her out into a deep sleep. When she woke up, she had an empty bottle in her hand and drool on the corner of her mouth. "Ugh—" she wiped it away. "That's embarrassing!" She rubbed her eyes and got up from the bed.

Given the time difference here she had no idea how long she'd been sleeping for. But it must've been a couple of hours. And now she was starving. So, she left her room and made her way to the kitchen to grab what was left of dinner.

When she entered, she saw Persephone at the kitchen island holding a towel to her face. "Persephone?" She approached her, and as she got closer she saw the blood soaked into the towel her Step-Mother was holding. "What happened?"

"Jack didn't care for my outburst earlier" Persephone dropped her hand, and revealed a cut below her right eye. It was a little deep, which was why it was bleeding so much. "It's much better than it looks. I'm fine" she smiled assuringly.

Bo couldn't believe she slept through this. If she'd had dinner with them, she could've stopped him. "You were defending me, and this's what he does to you? That bastard!" She smacked her hand down onto the table. "No, this isn't okay! He's not getting away with this!" She went to turn and leave.

But Persephone grabbed her wrist. "Bo, please! Don't anger him further. It will just make matters worse. I'm fine" she didn't want her getting hurt too.

"You're not fine Persephone!" Bo yelled at her. How blind was she? "None of this is fine. He's not a King down here! He's just former-God with no powers. If I'm gonna be stuck here, it's not gonna be at the mercy of him and his tantrums. This ends now" she looked around the kitchen for a weapon.

There was a lovely sword mounted over the fireplace opposite the kitchen island. She climbed up and lifted it off its hooks.

"What do you intend to do?" Persephone asked.

Bo jumped down, and swung the dusty sword in her hand. It was just like riding a bike. "I'm gonna put him in his place. It's about time someone did. Stay here" she told her before leaving.

Library

When Bo entered the library, she saw Jack sitting in a chair reading a book. She marched over, and snatched the book out of his hands. She threw it into the fire in front of them, getting his attention. "Reading time's over. Get up!"

Jack chuckled. "And if I say no?"

She held the sword out, making sure the sharp tip was inches away from his face. "You get cut!" She waited for him to stand from the chair. "You think you can lay a hand on her and not answer for it?"

"Actually, that's exactly what I think" he said. "She's my Wife. I do with her as I please. She spoke out of turn, so I corrected her. I don't see how it's any of your business"

"Well too bad, because I've made it my business. And not only am I holding you accountable, but I'm also seeking justice for her" Bo delivered a high kick to his face. "That's for hitting her!" she pushed him to the ground, and began stomping on his abdomen. "And that's for being a dick in general"

Jack coughed, trying to breathe. "How dare you!"

She kicked him again. "How dare I, what?" She asked him, "Stand up to you? It's about time someone did, don't you think? Here's how this is gonna work" she knelt down beside him. "You're not going to touch Persephone again, if you so much as look at her the wrong way, you deal with me. Got it?"

He scowled at her, holding a hand to his bruised abdomen.

"Don't think I'm serious?" She asked him, and he began laughing. "Let me prove it to you" she brought the sword down and sliced it through his shoulder with such an impressive amount of strength that it went through to the floor beneath him and pinned him down. "Believe me now?"

Jack screamed in agony. Without his powers he couldn't fight back, he was just an old man.

Bo twisted the hilt in her hand, hearing him cry. "And that's nothing compared to what I'll do if you cross me again. Know your place, old man! Just think, you could've avoided this pain if I hadn't ended up here. You brought this on yourself. You're not in your Hell anymore. You're in mine!" She pulled the sword from his shoulder.

He rolled over, screaming into the floor. This pain was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

She was about to walk away, but his cries turned into laughs. And she was wondering how he could be laughing at a time like this? She was in scary Succubus mode, he wasn't supposed to laugh. "What's so funny?"

Jack rolled onto his back, and then managed to sit up and lean his back against the armchair. He spat out blood, she punched hard. And held his wounded shoulder with his hand. "You tell yourself you're nothing like me—" he kept laughing. "But it's exactly that likeness that gave you the courage to come in here, and assert your authority. You are very much, my daughter"

Bo just looked at him. "You're right, I am. Which is exactly why you shouldn't be laughing" she gave him a warning. "Being that I'm dead, and I have no hope of seeing my family or the woman I love again; I don't care what I become while I'm down here" she'd realised that there was no hope for her.

Not anymore.

His smile faded, as he saw he seriousness in her eyes. It didn't seem like an act. "You won't kill me. Murder isn't in your nature, it never was"

"It is now" she said. "I have nothing to lose down here. You can't threaten the people I love to control me like you did before. Because down here, it's just us. So believe me when I say, I will not hesitate to slice your head off if you piss me off again. Consider this your last warning" she turned around and left with the sword in her hand.

He dropped his head down, breathing through the pain. This wound wouldn't heal like before. It would take time. He'd made a critical error with her. He thought she'd break, but she didn't. Instead she had embraced the darkness of this place. He should've been proud, but now he was just scared.

For the first time in his long life.

He was scared.

Of what his daughter was actually capable of.

Kragen's Hideout

After coming through on her promise to get Orson some medical attention in exchange for his helpful information, Lauren and Dyson gathered up some men and set off on their journey to avenge Bo and get her heart back from that sadistic animal at the same time. A few miles out of the city, and they spotted the abandoned farm that Orson spoke of.

The house was derelict, and hadn't been touched in a number of decades. Maybe even longer. The barn was a couple minutes walk from the house, and looked much more secure. Orson said that Kragen and his men hid in the underground storm cellar during the day.

It was just passing one o'clock in the afternoon and the sun was shining brightly. Dyson had the house searched first, just as a precaution. When they found nothing, they began making holes in the walls of the barn so that the sun poured through. The beams of light settled on the door to the storm cellar which was situated in the centre of the barn.

"You think he can hear us from down there?" Lauren wondered, as she and Dyson stood over the door. "Amarok's have heightened hearing, like most Wolves. He's gotta be hearing all this, right?" She gestured to the loud noises coming from their soldiers making holes in the walls.

Dyson smiled, nodding. "Oh yeah, he can hear us. In fact, I can hear him. And he's pretty pissed" he put his heightened Wolf ears to use. "He's wondering how we found this place"

Clearly, he didn't think his men would snitch on him. "It will bring me great pleasure to tell him that one of his guys sold him out for an x-ray and some oxy" That was all Lauren promised Orson, and he sung anyway.

"Shall we?" Dyson gestured to the door with a smirk. He was loving this. They finally had the jump on him. After all these months of him being two steps ahead.

Lauren nodded. "After you, I insist" she took a step back and watched Dyson open the door. The light from the sun paved the way, and kept Kragen and his men from trying to rush them and escape. If they stepped out here, they'd burn to a crisp.

That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

She waited for Dyson to climb down into the cellar with their men, he made her promise she wouldn't face Kragen until he was bound with shackles so he couldn't try anything. She heard Dyson call her down, meaning it was clear. And with the help of the two men standing guard above she made her way down into the hovel.

"So, this's where you've been hiding?" she looked around, and it was disgusting. "I wanna call it a pigsty, but that would be an insult to pigs. I'm sure even they live cleaner than this" She didn't want to touch anything in fear of catching an infection. "Seriously, how have you not developed staphylococcus by now?"

Dyson couldn't get over that word. "Staphyla-what?" He couldn't even say it.

Lauren sighed, Bo would've found that cute if she was here with them. Even when her Fiancée had no idea what she was talking about, Bo would always go along with everything. She missed that. "Doesn't matter" She waved a hand.

"Is this why you've come here?" Kragen asked. "To critique my home?" He groaned painfully when Dyson kicked the back of his knees, which forced him to kneel.

"Speak when you're spoken to, mutt!" Dyson despised Amaroks. He saw them as a dirtying of his species. Yes, he was a Shifter and in Fae terms that covered a wide array of creatures. But he became a Wolf, and a noble one.

Kragen growled under his breath. He looked up and saw Lauren standing over him. "Are you expecting me to beg?" He asked. "Because that won't be happening. Today, or any other day. You might as well just kill me"

She knew he'd be this way. "Can I have that?" She pointed to the gun in Dyson's belt. It was a very special gun, loaded with ultraviolet bullets. "From what I understand, Amaroks are a tribal species. Your pack becomes your life, and those within it become your family. Right?"

He just looked at her, not bothering with an answer.

Because she knew she was right anyway. "So, if you were to lose one of your beloved brothers, that would be hard to bare wouldn't it?"

"You don't scare me bitch!" Kragen chuckled. "All you're good for is tending to bruises. You're not a fighter, and you're sure as hell not a killer"

"No?" Lauren raised an eyebrow, watching him shake his head so sure of his assumption. So, she pointed the gun to his Amarok brother a few feet away, and fired a round into his chest. The ultraviolet compartment within the bullet exploded, and his body burnt to ashes. "How about now?" She asked him again.

Kragen cried for his brother. He wasn't expecting her to be so savage.

And neither was Dyson. Being acting Queen was changing her, and being without Bo wasn't helping matters. "What happened to your whole, 'do no harm' thing?"

"I'm making an exception" Lauren pointed the gun at Kragen. "Bo's heart. Where is it?"

Kragen furrowed his brows. "Wait? That's what you came for?" He began laughing. "I thought you were here to get even. But you've actually come to collect that whore's heart! What makes you think I still have it?"

"Because assholes like you collect trophies!" Lauren dug the barrel of the gun into his temple. "I know you have it. Give it to me, or I swear to god I'll reunite you with your brother!"

"Kill me, and you'll never find it" Kragen had his leverage as long as he had that heart. "I want to make a deal. If my terms are met, I'll hand it over. And if they're not—well, you'll just have to put her in the ground without it"

Lauren wanted to kill him so badly. But he wasn't going to tell her shit without making that deal. And knowing him, his terms would be outrageous. "What do you want?" She lowered the gun.

Kragen smiled, he'd won. "First and foremost, amnesty. I don't wanna have to do time for Bo's death. We battled, and in the eyes of Fae law I won fair and square. Secondly, I'd like some cash. Actually, a lot of cash. And lastly, I'd like a seat on the council. My Father had his Elder status revoked by Trick, and left a stain on my family's legacy. I want it restored"

Dyson scoffed. "You've got some balls man, I'll give you that. Lauren? You can't give into this sicko's demands! The cash we can do, but everything else—hell no!" He wasn't doing it.

"I'm not leaving without her heart" She looked at him with desperation in her eyes. And also, something else. It was a look that said, trust me. And he did. "You have a deal" she told Kragen.

Kragen extended his bound hands as far as he could, "Fantastic. Now if you'll just say the magic binding words, then I'll give you what you want"

Lauren glanced at Dyson again, she had something up her sleeve. Right now, telling Kragen what he wanted to hear was the main thing. "You have my blood oath that I'll honour our deal" she shook his hand. "Now, give me what I want"

He let go of her hand, "There's a lead safe behind that cabinet" he nodded to the far end of the room. "Keeps things hidden from unwanted noses" he looked at Dyson. It was the reason why he couldn't smell it.

Dyson retrieved it from the safe after hearing the combination from Kragen, and held Bo's heart in his hands. He safely placed it in a containment box Lauren had brought with them. "Got it"

"Great! Everyone's happy! Well, almost everyone" Kragen waved his shackled hands in front of Lauren. "I made good on our deal. Now it's your turn. Who's got the key?" He wanted to be freed.

Lauren just laughed. "Well, I do" she held the key in her hands. "But, I'm afraid I'm unable to free you at this particular moment"

Kragen didn't know what she was playing at. "Unable? What'd you mean? We had a deal!" He yelled. "You have to abide Fae law. You gave me your blood oath!"

It was only when he said that, that Dyson caught onto what Lauren was doing. Lauren wasn't technically Fae, so in the eyes of Fae law a blood oath made by her wouldn't be excepted as a bond. Her promise to him meant nothing.

"I did, but it has no value" she chuckled. "I'm an evolved Human. I have no Fae DNA, therefor any promises I make during a blood oath are instantly dismissed. So, that means you won't be getting Amnesty, or Cash, and definitely no council seat. Sucks being the loser, doesn't it?"

He roared angrily, and bared his sharp fangs. In a flash, he bit down on her shoulder.

She cried out in pain, he didn't have a good grip on her because of his restraints. She was able to lift her other hand, and fired a round from her gun into his head. With a flash of light, Kragen's body turned to ash. "Asshole!" She looked at her shoulder.

"Jesus Lauren!" Dyson ran to her side. "What the hell were you thinking?" He signalled one of his men, and retrieved an emergency first aid kit. Lauren made Bo make all of her soldiers carry one, it was a precaution. He pressed a gauze to the bite. "It's not too deep, but his venom is a pain in the ass"

Lauren knew that. Luckily Amarok venom wasn't fatal. "I have drugs at the lab that'll counteract it. Just get me there in one piece. We can finally get her back now. We did it" she smiled, leaning into Dyson.

"No, you did it" Dyson was impressed at her bravery. He held her close as he helped her exit the cellar. He had to get her back to the lab. And they had to get Bo's heart to Joel. It was finally time to bring her home.

Tartarus

Since giving Jack his first and final warning, Bo had been enjoying a quiet moment. She sat in her room, and just laid there. She looked at the grey ceiling above her, and thought about all the things she was missing back on earth.

Tv, was something she missed terribly. Also, takeout. Persephone was a good cook, but she missed her usual order of chicken low mein from her local Chinese place. She missed her job, believe it or not. It gave her a purpose. But another thing that gave her purpose was her family. She missed them terribly.

And as she laid there, she tried to think about what Lauren might be doing in this moment. Was she still crying? Was she planning her burial? She hated that she didn't know what was going on up there.

"Bo!"

Bo sat up on the bed upon hearing Persephone's voice. As she got to her feet, her Step-Mother burst through her door and closed it behind her. "Whoa! What's wrong?" She tried to calm her down.

"He's lost his mind!" Persephone exclaimed. "I don't know what you did to him, but something in him has changed. It's like he's snapped. He was a maniac before, but now—" she took a moment to breathe. "He fears you"

That wasn't a bad thing though. "Good!" Bo was happy about it. "That was the whole point of threatening him. So he would get scared, and leave us alone. Let him have his tantrum"

"No, Bo!" Persephone grabbed her hand. "You don't understand. He's scared that you'll make good on your threat to kill him, and what that'll mean afterwards"

Wait, what?

Bo wondered why she said that. "What do you mean, what happens afterwards?" There was a reason she said it like that.

"If he dies, his power will flow to his first born. With that power, combined with your own you would be unstoppable" she said.

That was an interesting turn of events. Bo sat on the edge of the bed, trying to take it all in. "And when you say his power, does that include his ability to control the dead?"

"Yes" Persephone nodded. "You'd be the bridge between life and death. You would also have the power to break out of this prison and return to your family. And that's the last thing your Father wants. He wants you here—he wants you to suffer"

If what she said was true, then that meant Bo could go home to her friends. To Lauren. All she had to do was kill him. "Before I threatened him earlier, he was sure I wouldn't have what it takes to kill him. I proved him wrong and now he's scared. So, he wants to kill me first" she understood.

"And if you die down here, that's it. There will be no ritual, no magic spell, that will be able to bring you back. You will never see your loved ones again" Persephone had to tell her the truth.

"So, you think I should kill him first?" Bo asked.

Persephone sighed. "I think, he's done enough damage. And if one ancient blooded being should die, don't let it be you"

There were so many things to consider. One thing in particular, Bo needed more information on. "Would his power change me? I mean, I don't wanna become him" she feared that.

"You won't. His powers didn't make him that way Bo. He was born evil, you weren't. Where he used his power to destroy, you could use it to create. You could help people, even more than you already do" Persephone smiled at her, she had faith that Bo would do the right thing.

Bo got up, and approached the dresser opposite her bed. She picked up the sword from earlier, and looked at the blade. His blood was still coated over the end. In that moment she knew what she had to do. She wanted to go home. And by doing it this way, she would not only get that, but she'd also get rid of him for good.

Meaning she'd never have to worry about him returning to ruin her life.

And Dagny would be truly safe.

"Stay here, and no matter what you hear, don't come out!" Bo took the sword and left the room. As soon as she stepped outside, she heard her Father's voice. He was searching for her. She wasn't one to hide from her problems. She faced them head on. And that was exactly what she was going to do now. "Come and get me!" she began walking down the hallway.

Bo's Compound – Lauren's Clinic

As soon as they got back, Dyson took Lauren straight to her team so they could assess her injury. The venom was already causing her to be sick, as well as strike her with a high fever. "She said you have something that'll counteract the venom" Dyson spoke to Josh while he tried to get his friend comfortable.

"Yes, we do" Josh searched the medicine cabinet. "It's not really an anti-venom, just more of a suppressant. Since the venom's effects are minor, the drug will just calm the symptoms down while the body expels it on its own. Ah ha!" he held up a vial. "I got it!" he grabbed a syringe, and ran to Lauren's bedside. "Ready?" he filled the syringe.

Lauren gagged, "I'm ready to stop puking, yes!" she just wanted the damn drug. She laid back, and held out her right arm. She closed her eyes, as the needle punctured her skin. She tried to think of something else. Seconds passed, and she felt the drug start to take effect. It worked fast. "I didn't expect the venom to make me feel this rough" she exhaled.

Dyson stood on the other side of the bed, as Josh stood opposite. He began treating the bite wound on her shoulder. "Let's just be glad you're feeling, period! That little revelation of yours could've gone a lot worse. You're lucky he didn't go for your throat Lauren" he was honestly worried about her.

"He couldn't, thanks to his restraints. Not that it matters anyway. He's gone, for good. Did you give Joel everything he needs?" she was more concerned about that than her own life.

"Yes, I also gave him Bo's heart. He said he'll be ready to go as soon as you're up and about. But, don't rush yourself. You're still infected, don't forget that. Regardless of your little pharmaceutical cocktail, you're gonna be feeling weak for a few hours. Maybe even a day or two" he didn't want her pushing herself.

But she didn't care. "I'm a lot tougher than I look" she waited for Josh to finish wrapping her wound, then sat up. She immediately felt dizzy, but was going to fight it. There was something important she had to do. "Go get Joel" she told Dyson. "I'm good to go"

"Alright then. Wait here" Dyson scampered off to the exit.

Tartarus

Every time she felt like his voice was getting closer, Bo walked a few steps more and he was nowhere to be found. It was annoying. "What's the matter Dad?!" She called out to him. "So scared that you can't even find the balls to face me?!" She kept quiet, trying to hear him. But she didn't hear anything. "Come out and fight like a man!" She wanted him to come out. So she could finish this.

Suddenly, Jack appeared behind her and slashed her across stomach as she was turning around. "Boo!" He pushed her backwards.

Bo fought through the pain, and managed to get up. She held a hand to her bleeding abdomen, it wasn't too deep. "That all you got?" She asked him.

"Why don't you come over here and find out?" He held a battle axe in his hands. One of his prized possessions.

She accepted that challenge. "Don't mind if I do!" She began charging at him as he did the same. Both of them were ready to collide with each other and begin their long-awaited rematch.

But how would it end?