Evony had called at three in the morning, and Bo was pissed when the loud ringtone woke Lauren from a somewhat restful sleep. Lauren hadn't been sleeping well the past few weeks, claiming that her boredom and restlessness were causing her to take more naps than she was used to in the past. The doctor explained that more naps meant less actual REM sleep, which meant that Lauren was crankier than usual. So, when Evony's phone call at the unseemly hour woke her wife from a finally restful sleep, Bo was angrier than she should have been when she finally answered.
Honestly, Bo knew that Lauren was just upset that she couldn't do more direct research to help Dyson with his case. So far, her wife had narrowed it down to three types of fae, but whoever was killing the children (since it had become a serial murderer now) was still out there. Bo knew exactly why Lauren was worried about a child killer on the loose.
Since she was already up from Evony's call, Lauren mentioned she was craving pecan ice cream again. Bo grumbled from her own lack of sleep and trodded downstairs to grab the ice cream pint and two spoons. They never seemed to run out of Piles of Pecan, which was a stark contrast to when she would come home to find Kenzi had eaten all but one bite and placed the carton back in the freezer. Kenzi never was good at sharing, especially things that weren't actually hers. Bo wasn't surprised when Lauren didn't share.
This morning, Bo had decided to make Lauren breakfast in bed. She had never done it for her wife, especially since Lauren was the one who usually cooked anyways. Bo knew the basics of cooking, but she wasn't a master of flavor or texture like Lauren. Still, she could fry an egg white omelet and some turkey bacon and pour a glass of orange juice.
When she brought the plate and glass upstairs, Bo wasn't surprised to see her wife sitting up and doing research. She heard and sensed her moving around once she came downstairs and knew that Lauren would be working now that she had a case to help solve. During the last few weeks, Bo had discovered that Lauren was just as fidgety when forced to stay idle. On Sunday, they would be moving out to the farm for Lauren's last few weeks while they waiting on her to go into labor, which meant that the doctor would probably be tempted to ignore Gram's warning and try to go to the lab. Bo had already had a strict conversation with Hale and Janelle not to allow Lauren inside the lab. There were too many risks of exposure to too many things. Bo didn't want to risk it.
Bo had even agreed to not take on any new cases for those weeks waiting for their daughter to arrive, opting to help Gram around the farm. The humid summer weather was already starting to make the indoors and air conditioning seem appealing, but there was always something about being outdoors at that farm that made Bo happy. Bo couldn't sit idle, either, so she would finish her cases only if absolutely necessary. She would still get to move and work, but she would be close when Lauren did go into labor.
"Hey, any luck this morning?" Bo laid the plate and glass down on Lauren's side table, accepting the sweet morning kiss in appreciation. She was surprised to find her wife had already brushed her teeth. "Minty fresh already?"
"I felt gross; washed my face, too." Lauren looked over at the plate, but she started to look the opposite of hungry. If Lauren had experienced any morning sickness throughout, she had done a great job of hiding it. Bo wasn't sure how that worked, or if that was a good thing. She opted to think of it as a good thing; any less pain or discomfort or sickness that Lauren didn't have to go through, Bo was thankful for.
"You okay?" Bo sat down next to her, placing a warm hand on her wife's exposed bicep. She looked like Kenzi did when pregnant: skinny with a baby belly. There was a little more fullness in her cheeks and a lot more fullness in her breasts. Her body was slightly different, but Lauren was still the most beautiful woman ever. "Hey…Lauren? What's wrong?"
"Just dizzy. I need to stay awake today and not take any naps so I can actually get some sleep tonight." Lauren finally laid her laptop on the side and Bo moved to straddle her ankles. She leaned over and pulled Lauren into another sweet kiss before leaning down and kissing her baby bump, sending a light pulse. Lauren's pleasured gasp was always welcome, but it made having to stop that much harder. "I came up with a great name."
"Yay?" Bo was tired of this fight, but she knew how important names were. She didn't want their daughter to be made fun of, and a lot of the names Lauren picked out were silly or awful. She could see the kids in school being cruel.
"It's not that bad, I promise." Lauren took a deep breath, her eyes rolling to obviously stop herself from reacting. "Briann."
"Briann?" Bo did what she always did and tried to think of possible names their little girl would be called. "It sounds like Brian, but with an 'ann' at the end. What if she turns out to be super tomboyish and the kids start calling her Brian?"
"Would you love her any less?" Lauren didn't use her go to defense this time. This fight had been so scripted that she could recite all dozen of them. Lauren's ad-libbing, though, caused Bo to stop and think before answering. It was a great tactical move.
"Of course not. I love our daughter. I don't care who or what she is." Bo moved to sit back on her side of the bed, though she did stay facing her wife. "Where'd you come up with Briann?"
"Actually, don't laugh, but…Dyson gave me the idea." Lauren had been so different around Dyson lately; it was as though she completely forgave the man for all those years of torment. It seemed that offering your enemy to heal your wife and having your wife reject him was what she needed to finally move on. "He said we should find a strong Celtic name, since we're both from Celtic families, so I went one further. I actually found a Celtic name that means strong. It also means noble; since we are apparently both royalty, the name fits."
"Strong?" Bo felt herself relax and smile. "She really will be strong."
"Of course she will be. She's yours, Bo." Lauren entwined their hands together. "Kids are going to be cruel, regardless of a name. That's just part of growing up. We just have to be there for her, to remind her of how amazing and strong she is."
"Briann." Bo could actually picture this name in her head. "Did we just name our daughter?"
"I think so." Lauren smiled and closed her eyes. "Well, if we want her to have a middle name…"
"I've actually been seriously thinking about that." Bo scooted closer so that she could feel Lauren's warm body pressed against hers. "You want her name to really mean something, and I was thinking…what if we named her after your grandmother?"
"My grandmother?" Lauren cocked her head to the side in that cute, geeky fashion that Bo hadn't seen in so long. She missed that look.
"Gosh, you're adorable." Bo wasn't surprised when her wife blushed. "I mean, your grandmother is the reason we met in the first place. If it weren't for her underfae mad cow disease, we may never have met."
"We both know that's not true. We were supposed to meet." Lauren was right. Trick's other blood writing entry, the one that triggered the Congo disease, said they were at least supposed to meet. He could have no way of knowing that his writing would cause her to find her mate. Then again, she could make the argument that Kenzi was who it was talking about, too. Kenzi had saved her life just as much. Both theories sounded great, and she didn't care which one was correct. Bo just cared that both women were in her life. "Briann Maggie?"
"Briann Maggie Lewis. I don't have a last name, remember, so that at least solves that problem."
"You do, Bo. In the fae world? Your mother never married, so she was still a McCorrigan when you were born. So are you." Lauren squeezed Bo's hand, which she didn't even realize was still gripped together. Holding hands was such an automatic for them anymore that it felt strange only when Lauren's hand wasn't in hers. "The only reason Gram didn't put that in the family ledger was because she didn't want any of Trick's old enemies to trace him back to our daughter."
"Briann Maggie McCorrigan Lewis." Bo smiled, already loving the sound of saying their daughter's name. "Kenzi's going to be disappointed we're not naming the baby after her."
"Yeah, well, I wasn't naming our kid Kenzi, Junior. There was no way I was letting that happen." Lauren openly laughed, and the soft timbre and relaxed tone made Bo chuckle in response. "Speaking of things I'm not keen on letting happen, what did the Morrigan want at three in the morning?"
"Did you just go pregnant jealous?" Bo's eyes widened, loving how that actually made her feel. "No booty call, I assure you. All business."
"At three in the morning?" Lauren did sound jealous. It was obvious she was trying to hide it even more when she actually moved to grab the probably now cold breakfast.
"Well, Dark Fae aren't exactly notorious for caring what time it is, as long as it's convenient for them. How many patients have called you for emergencies in the middle of the night?"
"Point taken." Lauren nibbled on the turkey bacon, but Bo could tell she didn't really want it.
"She just wanted to meet with me soon. She apparently finally got that immortality thing figured out, and she wanted to celebrate." Bo had taken the conversation downstairs when Evony called. Even though Lauren had woken up, she didn't want to yell at the fae leader in case her wife wanted to go back to sleep. "She must have found that shaman or whatever she needed for the blessing. There's nothing really to report other than that."
"Should we be concerned that we just let the Morrigan become immortal?" Lauren put her last piece of bacon back on the plate before ignoring her food completely.
"I know how to deal with Evony; I'm not so sure I want to deal with anybody new in that position. As much as I hate to admit why, she does show you respect. If I could figure out a way to lock Lachlan in place, too, I would. If I'm going to have to deal with fae political leaders, I would rather work with those I know."
"Did you at least find the failsafe for her immortality like you wanted?" Lauren had been so preoccupied with fixing the blood fever back then, and Bo had been so preoccupied with Lauren being pregnant that she had forgotten all about it. "I'll call Trick and have him start looking into it again. I'll go talk to Lachlan before we leave Sunday."
"Speaking of, do you need help packing? I'm not completely useless, you know." Lauren went into the bathroom, and Bo could hear her peeing. Normally, Lauren would be all quiet about this; even after over two years of being bound and living in this room together. Anymore, though, Lauren wasn't afraid to continue a conversation while in the bathroom. "Make sure you pack your baby Samael ring. Gram said it was important."
"I still don't see why." Bo went to her underwear drawer and pulled out the ring to place on top of the dresser. There was no doubt she would forget it if Lauren didn't remind her. She opened it to look at the tiny ring inside. Lauren walked back into the room and came to stand beside her. "What does this have to do with anything? I didn't even have it until Trick gave it to me a few years ago."
"I'm not sure. She said it was something about a ritual. Something about your father's bloodline." Lauren had her insatiable curious doctor hat on right now. Bo saw the familiar signs in her expression as they both examined the tiny ornate silver ring.
"Should I know more about my father? I mean, I know he's dead, or gone, or whatever happened to him really, but…should I meet him?" This was a question that Bo had wondered since discovering who Samael was. When Trick explained who he was, at first, Bo was slightly frightened. After all, she had just found out she was the daughter of Satan; well, the man who the Satan stories were about. Now that they were expecting, Bo was curious about her own biological father again. "Any word on my mother?"
"Gram and Trick are still looking, but honestly, Bo, if there was any way to find her, they would know something already." Lauren inhaled deeply and visibly held her breath before releasing it dramatically. "I know you want closure, babe, but I don't want to see you get hurt."
"I know." Bo felt her succubus senses take over, and she closed her eyes so Lauren wouldn't notice her eyes flash blue. She needed to think of the least sexy thing she could. "Speaking of closure, have you talked to Nadia yet?"
"I keep avoiding her. I'm surprised she's not just shown up. She doesn't even know we know that she lied." Lauren let out a deep breath again, holding her belly, which meant their daughter was training for the triathlon again. "I need to call her before we leave on Sunday, too."
"Do you want me to be there?" Bo placed a hand over Lauren's, feeling the baby moving beneath their hands.
"She might not admit anything, so it might complicate things." Instead of thinking too much on the action like she normally would, Lauren pulled Bo into a hug. Bo wrapped her arms around her wife, allowing Lauren's to wrap around her neck and pull her closer. "I'll get answers, I promise, though it might be a good idea if Kenzi stayed home just in case. Nadia's not threatened by Kenzi."
"Want me to have Dyson or Hale or Vex drop by for extra caution?" Bo didn't like the idea of Nadia around Lauren anymore; granted, people lied all the time, and lying about how she got Lauren's number wasn't really that big in the grand scheme of things. Hell, how many of her own close friends and relatives have lied to her about big things over the years? Still, Bo didn't trust Nadia; not when it came to Lauren. Not when there were so many unanswered questions about her.
"That's not really necessary. Nadia's not a threat, I don't think." Lauren didn't let Bo move out of the embrace. Being surrounded by the feel and scent of Lauren was causing Bo to almost lose it, and she finally backed out, but not before her wife stole a quick kiss that was soon replaced with a concerned expression. "Do you need me to…help you with your hunger?"
"Mmm…I want you to, yes. Lord knows I want you to, but…" Bo cleared her throat, trying to rein in her senses. "I just get hungrier when I don't get to touch you, too. Sex is a two way street, and while I…love what you do to me, I can't keep asking you to do that. It doesn't seem fair."
"Did you…want to…um…" Lauren's energy spiked again; it wasn't an unfamiliar tingling sensation that surrounded both of them. Almost two months without sex and three more weeks to go before the baby was born. Kenzi didn't help matters at all when she mentioned that she wasn't ready for sex until months after Alexie was born. Bo was happy for her random feedings, but she missed sex and contact with her wife. Her need to ensure Lauren didn't get hurt was overwhelming her need for those things, though. "If you're up for it, we can…have sex. I know you think the baby can feel it or see it happening, and I know you're afraid of hurting the baby, but Bo…you could never hurt me or our daughter. You need sex, sweetie."
"Do not." Bo knew her eyes were dilated and flashing, her breathing heavy, and her senses on overload. Lauren could tell, but she still pouted in protest anyways. "Okay, so I do, but I can wait. I can do this."
"I'm telling you that you don't have to wait, Bo. I feel okay right now. The only thing stopping you is you." Lauren moved forward to run her hands underneath Bo's tanktop. The skin on skin contact made Bo shiver in anticipation, as her pelvis muscles clenched in equal anticipation. "You're so damn sexy, and I know my body is different than what you remember, but I don't think you'll have a hard time maneuvering through the curves."
Bo knew her moan of approval gave her away, as she allowed Lauren to pull her shirt away, leaving her in nothing but her red cotton underwear. She knew she probably should protest, but the promise of sex was always a priority for a succubus. If Lauren said it was okay, then she would trust her.
Lauren felt happy and wanted again. She didn't know it was the lack of sex that was bringing her down lately, but when Bo finally gave in, Lauren knew exactly what she had needed. Her irrationality had sneaked in on her and made her feel like Bo didn't want her anymore. Her wife definitely proved the opposite to be true yesterday morning.
They both mildly panicked when Lauren started having minor contractions after her intense orgasm until she remembered that this happened. When they went away after an hour, Bo finally breathed a sigh of relief that she had not used sex and orgasms to make her go into labor. Lauren still chuckled at the image of Bo's facial expression in that moment.
While Bo went to visit Lachlan today, Lauren had arranged for Nadia to come over for lunch. Kenzi was in the kitchen prepping the food, while Lauren stayed on the couch with Alexie, who propped his feet up in mimicry to her. She couldn't resist singing songs and playing with him, even if she was supposed to be just resting. Her sudden lightness and confidence had returned. She even managed to narrow down the child killer to a mare, and Dyson and his partner were out looking for it now.
When she went to answer the door, Kenzi ran to beat her to it, yelling at her to stay put. It was strange to see this reversal of roles, though she admittedly was not using her pregnancy as an excuse to live vicariously through the young girl. Lauren had Bo for that.
Nadia walked in, carrying a big box with a bow on it. As she got closer, Lauren could see that it was a nice umbrella-type stroller. It was slowly starting to occur to Lauren that they really didn't have a lot for their daughter clothes wise, even if they were prepared practical wise. They didn't register anywhere, not really seeing the need since they weren't having a party and saw the people they wanted to see. Janelle made it a point to organize a small baby shower for the barn lab staff at the farm next week when they got there. Lauren was more embarassed than looking forward to it.
"I wasn't sure what you needed, and I got this last month. I found this funny onesie that has a doctor's labcoat and stethoscope on it, but I didn't even know what to get size wise." Nadia leaned the stroller box beside the couch and came to sit in the armchair across from her line of sight. "I'm not really that knowledgeable about kids. I like them; I just…don't know about them."
"Not a problem. We're learning as we go along, too." Lauren had to admit it was good to see her friend, even if there were some unresolved issues they needed to deal with. They hadn't seen each other since the almost kiss. "Kenzi's almost finished with lunch."
"You're letting her cook?" Nadia smirked, but she didn't seem appalled at the idea. "Wow, Lauren, you look…"
"I know, I've gotten big since you last saw me." Lauren smirked, too, no longer as self conscious about this fact. She actually had to admit that she loved being pregnant. It hurt and was uncomfortable, and the baby was sucking the majority of her energy, but she actually loved the feeling. Well, she did. Now all she felt was the energy depletion. She saw a lot of patients who never had another child because of complications with the first pregnancy. Would she think differently if there had been any complications, though? This entire pregnancy had been smooth, and she and the baby were both still healthy. It was way too early to be thinking about more children, and she and Bo would definitely need to talk about what happened once she was no longer pregnant. Did having the first baby void Trick's writing? Would they need to start being careful again?
"No, Lauren, you're absolutely beautiful." Nadia did not hide the fact that she was checking her out, though it was more of a shocked appraisal than a sexual one. "I'm glad you called. I've missed our lunches."
"Why did you say Kat gave you my number?" Lauren decided, looking at Nadia, that if she was going to be a problem, then they needed to address that now. "Why lie to me?"
"I'm surprised it took you this long, actually." Nadia leaned forward in the seat, and Lauren helped Alexie off the couch so he could walk over to his toy pile. He plopped right down and immediately picked up the stuffed panda. When she was convinced he was okay, Lauren turned her attention back to Nadia. "I wanted to tell you the truth, but…I didn't want you to think I was crazy. I didn't expect to still be in love with you."
"I'm not exactly on anybody's radar, so how did you even find me then?" Lauren felt her fingers swelling and wished she had reminded Kenzi to diminish the salt content in the stew.
"I actually wasn't even looking for you, to be honest. I just came across your family's name in my research. From there, it was just knowing the right places to look." Nadia did look genuinely apologetic, but it didn't really explain why she would come across her family's name, or even need to do research that would get her there. "When your father became Prime Minister, I was already deep in research on the fae and their involvement in politics. I had an anonymous tip that gave it away."
"Why were you doing an expose on the fae?" Better yet, how was she still alive if she was doing an expose on the fae?
"Part of a lead I've been following since I ran into that vampire troupe back in Ireland. Years worth of work brought me back here to the city." She took a deep breath, and it looked like she was trying not to cry. There was almost an insane look in her eye, too. "When my source forced me in the direction of your family, I thought 'yes, finally, I will get to see Lauren again.' I thought I was going to get a second chance with you."
"But I was married." Lauren scoffed, not able to hide her emotions this time. Apparently, the woman hadn't done that good of research. "I was married and pregnant when you approached me."
"Meeting you in the coffee shop? Honestly, that was a coincidence. I really didn't plan that, and I didn't know you were married or pregnant. All I knew was that you were dating a fae woman who was unaligned and had caused a lot of trouble. You were handed over to her, so I thought she owned you. I had some crazy idea that I was going to save you from that." Nadia looked down at her hands; it was something she used to do when she was embarrassed or trying to hide something. Lauren had observed some of the woman's old mannerisms and habits hadn't changed.
"Who was your source?" Lauren glanced over at Alexie, who was talking to his animals. She wanted to smile but didn't want to confuse Nadia.
"I still don't know. It was anonymous, but I was so surprised when I found out what they said was true. I never would have guessed your mother was fae, and your father…" She covered her mouth with the palm of her hand before moving to bite her thumb knuckle. "I had this great expose on the fae, but the moment I saw you sitting in that coffee shop? I no longer seemed to care."
"You gave up years of research because you saw me again?" Lauren wasn't sure she trusted that answer, even if she could sense the honesty. "I'm not sure I understand; not really. I mean, you know about the fae and the One Rule. How are you not dead?"
"I had a very powerful benefactor." If somebody powerful was funding her, then that explained why she wasn't dead, but it still didn't explain why she was asked to research in the first place. "He placed an African shaman's curse on me. I was stuck in my research for about five years. Then, somehow the curse was lifted, and my benefactor was no longer reachable to tell him I was making strides again."
"An African shaman's curse?" Lauren remembered that Evony had sent Bo on a mission to the Congo to remove a cursing nail. While it may have been a coincidence that Nadia showed up in that coffee house that day, this couldn't be a coincidence. Still, she couldn't picture that Evony was Nadia's benefactor. What exactly was the Morrigan's move then?
"I was surprised, too, believe me. I don't even really remember those five years, to be honest. It was like I was a zombie, or…in a coma or something. It doesn't make sense, but this woman called and offered me a job as an editor here in the city, and I followed my intuition and said yes." Nadia rubbed the back of her neck, looking into the kitchen. Lauren glanced over to see Kenzi's eyes narrowed at the other woman. There was no doubt she could hear the conversation, and Lauren was glad the young woman was choosing to remain quiet for the moment. "I did run into Kat when I first got here, but she didn't really have any answers. At least, if she had them, she didn't give them to me. I almost stopped looking for you, but when I found your number, I couldn't help myself. I almost didn't talk to you that day in the coffee shop, either. I'm glad that I did."
"The Morrigan was the one who offered you the editor's job." Lauren needed that confirmed, so that she could start her own research into the matter.
"Yeah, how do you know that?" Nadia didn't look that surprised, though.
"We have a history." From the look on the other woman's face, Lauren wondered if she actually knew that history. Lauren knew that her time with the Morrigan was in her file, but there was only one of those files in existence, and it was secured tightly at the farm. Nadia would have never gotten past the security there. That meant somebody was giving her personal information.
"I'm not sure what else I can tell you." Nadia cleared her throat but kept strong eye contact. "I did stop my research on the fae."
"That's probably for the best." Lauren couldn't help but wonder if this was Evony's move. Nadia was a resolute person, and she was a fighter. Even if she was cursed by an African shaman, there was no doubt the woman was finding a way around the curse. She freely admitted she was still looking for answers during that time, even if she was in stasis. Evony probably knew about this; there was only one question left. "Who would curse Nadia?"
"Sitting right here." The woman chuckled, obviously amused at Lauren's inner ramblings. "There's the Lauren I remember."
"Who would curse you? I think I get why, but who would do such a thing?" Lauren knew the fae were strict about the One Rule, but why curse her instead of kill her? If they had known enough about her to curse her, then the fae and whoever cursed her would also know that Nadia would eventually find a loophole. She also seemed to think it was her benefactor that cursed her. Why would the person backing your research curse you? What had Nadia found?
"I don't know, actually. I'm doing good to know I was cursed at all."
"Lunch is ready." Kenzi walked in, wearing the floral apron, even though she didn't really need it to heat up chicken soup and make grilled cheese sandwiches. "That sucks, Nadia."
"Yeah, um…thanks." The two younger women stared at each other, and Lauren was surprised that Kenzi was the first to look away. "I understand if you don't want to see me again. I totally get it. I should have been honest from the beginning."
"Yeah, you should have." Lauren went to stand from the couch but stopped her movement when Kenzi sent her a warning glare. She must have been taking lessons from Gram on stopping her with just one look. She and Bo both must have been taking lessons, actually. "This doesn't change anything between us."
"Thank you, Lauren." Nadia followed Kenzi into the kitchen; they both came back with bowls and plates. Kenzi handed a pile to Lauren before retreating back into the kitchen.
"I know it's not much, and it's hot as hell outside, but we're trying to get rid of stuff before we head out to Gram's for the final countdown." Kenzi handed them spoons and put the cracker sleeve on the coffee table.
Lunch happened quickly after that, and Nadia didn't stay long since she had to go back to work. Lauren moved from the couch to the kitchen island, wishing that Kenzi would at least let her help clean up the mess.
"So, sounds like Bo needs to make a stop to the Morrigan's again before we leave." Kenzi picked up Alexie when he came walking into the kitchen to find them. Lauren wanted to hold him, but her belly really didn't leave much room on her lap at the moment. Kenzi must have sensed this, so she smiled before placing him in his high chair next to Lauren's stool.
"I'm still trying to wrap my mind around Nadia being cursed. Who was her benefactor, and why did they not just kill her? Why curse her if they were backing the research to begin with? It doesn't make sense." Lauren moved to grab the food jars from the cupboard before placing the chicken franks on a plate for Alexie.
"Well, there's always the you factor, which we're both assuming the Morrigan has in mind, right?" Kenzi turned back around from washing the dishes. It was so odd seeing their roles reversed. It was usually Kenzi watching Lauren work.
"Of course, but…I don't think Evony cursed her. Why go to all that trouble to hire Bo to bring her out of the curse?" Lauren placed the plate in front of Alexie before sitting down next to him again. She smiled when he immediately went to pick up the food. Lauren really couldn't imagine eating a meat frank like that; she rarely ate hot dogs, if ever.
"Remember Bo said that it had to be a selfless act to remove the nail? If the Morrigan wanted her uncursed for selfish reasons, she couldn't very well hitch a fae ride to the Congo herself. Bo's got more selfless in her pinky finger than most people ever experience." Kenzi came to sit down and grabbed one of Alexie's franks. Lauren had to keep herself from vomiting when the young woman took a bite.
"Was Evony the anonymous source?" Lauren was thinking out loud now, but she was glad to have Kenzi here to help her process.
"I don't know. It would have to be somebody out to get you and your family, though. Didn't Nadia say the tip was on your dad being the big cheese?"
"Yeah, but…"
"The Morrigan may be a lot of things, and she may love to play games, especially with you and Bo, but one thing she is not is stupid. She wouldn't risk ruining the One Rule; she wouldn't tell just any journalist that information. There has to be a reason why this source chose Nadia, of all people. Who would have known about her and known your connection to her?" Kenzi was right. Why Nadia? There were thousands of journalists throughout the known world, so why this particular one? She had to be fresh out of college when she was first brought in, too. There had to be a reason, and Lauren was afraid that Kenzi was right. What if it was related to her?
"Kat, Roger, actually all of my family would have known."
"Roger is acting kind of nice, but that doesn't mean anything. Kat's already been ruled out. What about your sisters? Your mother?"
"My mother or Hadley, maybe. I don't see Maureen doing anything like that." Lauren knew that while her baby sister still never said anything or did anything to help her during her servitude, Maureen was still the least likely candidate. She loved Lauren; she just didn't enough courage to speak out for her.
"My money's on the other sister. She tried to get Bo killed once already. If she knew Nadia was back in town somehow, she wouldn't have hesitated to drop some information like that."
"None of this makes sense. It seems too farfetched. I don't know what to believe."
"Well, we just wait for BoBo to get back from her own sibling reunion and figure this out together. It's how we do."
"BoBo!" Alexie screamed from his chair. Kenzi cursed in Russian under her breath, still upset that her own child seemed to favor the succubus and the Hestian hybrid over her. Lauren actually wondered if there was something to do with the fae genes that Alexie read. It would make for an awesome research project.
For now, though, they had other things to worry about. Once their daughter was born, Lauren knew everything would change. She couldn't help but wonder if trouble finding them would always be a constant, though. At least their lives would never be boring.