A/N. Hey guys I'm back again. Sorry for the delay. I am trying to purchase my first house and its taking a lot of my energy. Now! I want to say that yes I have seen the PM's and reviews asking for Switch! And I fully intend to get back to that one. But as I'm nearing the end of this story I want to complete it first so I can concentrate on Switch! fully. Thanks for all the support on this story and all my writings really. But I must give some credit to my wonderful Beta. I have to say there are many types of Beta's out there. Some just edit; some work with you on collaborating themes and outlines; and others are simply creative sounding boards to bounce ideas off of. I'm happy to say MY beta is all of the above. And I have seen the change in my writing because it. So the finished clean and polished work you may see before you is the result of her eagle eye for my error prone self and anal take on punctuation! ;) So shout out and big ups! To my beta Big L, Ms. Kravn. Thanks my dear. Also I hope to update more regularly.

What it takes

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rated M- for sexuality, violence & language

Pairings: Bo/Lauren

Chapter 26 (italics represent flashback moments)

Lauren stared at her reflection in the large oval oak mirror that hung securely against the wall. She leaned forward, her hands bracing themselves on the dresser as she peered into her eyes. The honey brown was marred by the flicker of a pale green and she could feel the beginnings of a dull ache at the base of her head. The blonde took a deep cleansing breath, exhaling slowly; the puff of air causing the mirror to fog.

"Get it together Lewis." she breathed out as she continued to stare at herself. She was physically exhausted from too many nights without sleep. Her blonde hair was a mass of loose curls - the curliest her hair had ever been in her life as she hadn't bothered to straighten it in days. Mentally, it took everything within her to keep herself together and she feared what would happen when the rope would finally snap. Pressing her fingers against her temple she sighed before grabbing a thick brush. She roughly brushed through her hair and pulled it all back into a tight ponytail which did nothing to quell her throbbing headache. Closing her eyes the doctor tried to think positively - they knew where Isabel was; they had a way into the compound; and their little girl had a guardian angel close by until she and Bo could retrieve her.

It was the drops of warm blood that startled her out of her thoughts. Lauren's eyes snapped open as she quickly reached for anything to still the bleeding from her nose. Pinching the bridge tightly she literally willed the blood to slow. It was an exercise she'd learned years ago as a medical student on a trip to China. The body had many pressure points to still pain and blood and even increase healing if you could access it. At that time she had brushed it off as mere Eastern alternative medicine practices. But since she'd essentially become Fae, she found that the 'tricks' did indeed work but left her sapped of energy.

"Not now." Lauren muttered as she pushed into the adjoining bathroom and quickly turned on the tap water. If Bo saw this she'd never let her interrogate Checkers and she needed to be the one to get him to talk. Lauren knew that if push came to shove there was nothing Bo wouldn't do to get their little girl back - that was not the issue. The blonde just didn't want to put her lover through the inevitable guilt of taking those steps - the necessary steps to get the answers that they needed; steps that she had taken in the past and would take now. If she had to, she knew without a doubt, that she would take whatever extreme measures were required and that was something that she didn't want Bo to have to live with. In her opinion, there was no sense in them both having a guilty conscience. The doctor washed her face thoroughly, taking a moment to compose herself.

If Bo knew that her condition was flaring up again, she'd order her to bed immediately for a good hard fuck and bed rest afterwards. The blonde's eyes momentarily held a study green gleam as she thought about the prospect. Not that it would be such a bad idea; they both could use the release and much needed increase in strength she thought as arousal spread throughout her body. Shaking her head of such thoughts, she blinked a few times before pushing out the bathroom and into their bedroom. Right now it was all about getting answers by any means necessary. Isabel was counting on her. She couldn't fail. With one last look at herself in the mirror, the blonde felt the cold mask of indifference envelop her from head to toe. Her eyes were hard as flint as she stalked out the bedroom.

Lauren made her way out of the bedroom and sagged against the hallway wall as the pounding in her head) became more insistent. She forced her mind not to dwell on the moments before. Isabel needed her to be strong and to not doubt herself. Upon hearing the sound of voices floating upstairs from the living room the blonde straightened up; standing a bit taller. With one hand on the wall to help regain her balance, she took a couple deep breaths; she needed to be strong and to push away any signs of weakness in order to convince them all that she would be the one to interrogate Checkers.

The sound of footsteps startled her out of her meditation and she instinctively moved her hand away from the wall just as Bo came into view. Even though it was only a split second, Lauren could tell from the look in Bo's eyes that her lover was hungrily assessing her. There was a time that being the subject of Bo's intense gaze would make her blush but now, it emboldened her as she knew that she was the cause of Bo's desire and that look was reserved only for her.

The brunette's eyes roamed over the blonde's body. Lauren's hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail – not a strand out of place; she wore Bo's favourite pair of tight jeans that caressed her ass and long legs; and a black tank top that hugged her frame. The Succubus instinctively nibbled her bottom lip and growled internally before forcing her desires down; this wasn't the time.

Bo found her voice. "Good, you're ready. I was just coming to get you."

The doctor smiled, took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You don't think I would let you have all the fun." she quipped as she laid a soft kiss on the brunette's lips as they made their way downstairs.

Bo and Lauren walked into the living room and observed the wolf and doctor standing behind the desk. Dyson stood next to Darien rubbing his hands as Darien pointed to something on the paper spread on the desk. Lauren noticed his knuckles had abrasions on them and he was sweating profusely.

"What happened?" she said lifting her arm towards him in a questioning way.

"He's been trying to beat the location out of our friend in the shed." Darien shook her head; her hair swaying softly against her face. The doctor flipped through her iPad as she spoke again. "According to what Nikki told you Bo, our friend out there is a Callum Brutum." she said rolling her tongue expertly.

"A hard skinned brute." Lauren said snapping her fingers. She leaned forward on the small desk where they were all huddled over.

"Callum what?" Dyson rubbed his beard. Bo nodded in agreement.

Darien smiled as she set the iPad down. "It's a rare Fae, a descendant of the gargoyle. Their skin is hard as stone, thus the Latin name 'Callum' or 'hard skin'. They are brutes and very strong. I hope you used extra thick steel on that door Dyson."

"He's not going anywhere." Dyson said gruffly rubbing his sore and inflamed knuckles.

Lauren clapped her hands together decisively. "I've got this." as she reached over to take Dyson's hand into her's for examination. "You might want to put some ice on your knuckles." she gave him a half smile. "I'll go speak with Mr. Checkers."

"Babe, maybe you should let me handle this part." Bo stepped forward wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist. However, her actions only caused her lover to stiffen and move out of her embrace.

"I'm more than capable of retrieving the information Bo. I'm not as frail as you think." Lauren snapped; her eyes flickered as the pounding in her head began to increase in pressure. Lauren tried to hide the effects but Bo's narrowing eyes told her that she had failed in the attempt.

Bo sighed. The brunette took the doctor by the hands and with a soft smile led her out of the living room, leaving a concerned wolf and worried Darien in their wake.

"I mean it Bo." Lauren stated again as Bo led them over to wooden rocking chair on the porch. She sat down and pulled the blonde onto her lap. Lauren eased back into her lover's arms and nuzzled her head against Bo's neck. They sat quietly staring out into the forest listening to the sounds of birds overhead.

"Izzy would love this place." Bo sighed, her arms wrapped tightly around Lauren's waist.

"Yes, she would." Lauren whispered quietly.

"You're not doing so well love." Bo said softly, holding her lover close. "Did you have a nose bleed?"

Lauren nuzzled in closer, breathing her in before she answered honestly. "Yes."

"We'll have to take care of that before we go after the kid." Bo stroked her blonde hair lovingly.

"And you need to feed." Lauren added.

"I know." Bo smiled against Lauren's skin. "Are you sure about seeing this guy? You know I can do it." she added warily.

"I know you can." Lauren adjusted herself so that she could look into Bo's dark chocolate eyes - the same as her little girl's; and cupped Bo's cheek in her hand tenderly. "But I want to do it." her voice was hard. "I need to."

Bo frowned momentarily not liking the hard edge in Lauren's voice yet it resonated deep within her. This asshole was party to the kidnapping of her child and that needed to be dealt with. She just assumed that she would be doing the dealing. Seeing Lauren so determined and focused was quite the turn on if not a little frightening. "I'll be there with you though; no if's, and's or but's." Bo stated firmly.

Lauren nodded silently before adding. "I need you trust me Bo. No matter what, do not interfere." She paused and looked deeply into the eyes she loved so much. Checkers was a Callum Brutum and thus it would take an extreme amount of pain to get him to buckle. Lauren was willing to take those extremes measures and she needed Bo to let her. "Are you sure?" Bo said biting her bottom lip.

"I can break him honey, but it won't be pretty and it… it might change how you see me." her voice trailed off as she turned her head away. She had a habit of doing this when she was afraid she revealed too much of her feelings.

It was Bo's turn to cup Lauren's face. "I don't care if you go in there and cut off his balls and shove it up his ass! As long as he tells us what we need."

Lauren eyes darkened with desire as did the flashing blue in her lover's. Before she even knew what she was doing or why, she had covered the brunette's mouth with her own, forcing her tongue into the warm recess of her lover's mouth.

Bo groaned pulling the woman wholly onto her lap, grabbing two handfuls of jean clad ass. Lauren's moan had the Succubus roaring forth, their tongues duelling for dominance. Lauren gasped as she felt the first pull of her chi and with it her arousal spiked substantially. Her fingers threaded though thick, dark hair; controlling the kiss as much as she could while her Succubus fed from her.

Bo moaned at the taste of Lauren's chi gliding down her throat and it was exquisite. Lauren felt her panties flood instantly and with a mournful groan pushed herself away from her lover and stood up. Bo's eyes were a solid blue as she was left panting. "Babe." she whined.

"I know." Lauren exhaled as she tried to slow her breathing. "I want you too… badly. I promise that we will continue this." The blonde leaned forward, giving Bo a sweet peck on the cheek and whispered in her ear. "But if we don't stop now, I'll fuck you in this chair and I won't care that it's out in the open." The doctor stood back and grinned; her eyes flashing green with power.

Bo's whole body shook from her girlfriend's words and the visual they put in her dirty mind. "That's not helping." she pressed her fingers against her forehead.

"I promise…after." Lauren smirked as she offered her hand to the Succubus to help her out of the chair. "Now let's go get some answers."

-Meanwhile-

Darien pressed the cool cloth to Dyson's knuckles gently. The shifter winced causing the brunette to chuckle. "Big baby! And you call yourself a detective?" she grinned placing the cloth down on the table.

The wolf frowned, rubbing his knuckles gingerly before puffing out his chest and standing a bit straighter; "For your information, that guy's skin is hard as rock." he sighed.

Darien turned her head and happened to see something out of the corner of her eye. As she made her way to the window, she watched as Bo and Lauren walked hand in hand down the path that led to the shed and out of view. Dyson moved behind her, also taking in the scene. "You're worried." it was a statement and not a question.

Darien unknowingly hugged herself tightly. "For him." she said gravely.

"What happened to her?" he asked.

Darien turned to stare up into his blue eyes. "Life." she said simply. "Let's go, we'll just wait outside the shed in case they need us." she breathed out as she pushed past him.

Dyson nodded and followed.

-The Shed-

Lauren and Bo stood outside the shed both staring down at the pad locked door. Bo dug into her very tight jeans and produced the key. Lauren couldn't help but smile, as the Succubus gave her the 'what' look.

"I guess I should be grateful you opted for jeans and not leather." Lauren smirked as she delivered a hard smack to the brunette's ass that caused the woman's eyes to flash blue. Lauren smiled satisfied with the reaction and took the key. She paused for just a moment to add. "Remember, let me handle this" as she turned once more to her lover.

"Aye, aye." Bo said giving a mock salute.

The door creaked open to reveal the heavy set man bound to a metal table with steel handcuffs; his feet bound with chains. His face was covered with sweat that dripped into his thick, black beard. His curly hair was oily which gave him a distinct greasy look. Bo's eyes narrowed, she felt her Succubus poised to attack but held back; Lauren was running this show. For once she was surrendering to her mate's will.

"Well fuck me, if it isn't Dr. Death." he spat towards the blonde. "The Morrigan was right, she said you would come for the brat and here you are with the Succubus to boot." he grinned at her arrogantly.

"She's not the Morrigan anymore douche bag." Bo growled as she leaned back against the wall; arms folded over her chest."

"She'll always be the Morrigan to me and to many others." he turned towards Bo. His eyes were dark and angry. "You know nothing about loyalty; you can't even choose a side bitch!"

Bo growled, stepping forward but was blocked by Lauren who moved in front of her. The blonde watched him carefully as she grabbed a chair that Dyson had apparently turned over. It scraped along the wood floor as she pushed it towards the table. Checkers watched her as she sat down gracefully and steepled her fingers together in contemplation.

"Checkers right?" she said in calm voice.

"Ya that's right. What's it to ya?" he sat back in his chair as much as he could.

There was a soft knock at the door.

Bo opened it slowly allowing Darien to enter; Dyson followed behind, his frame filling the doorway.

"Aww, it's the big bad wolf." Checker laughed before he spat on the floor in Dyson's direction. "How's the fist?" he grinned.

The wolf growled deep in his throat but remained silent. Darien spoke for them both. "I've got the information you asked for." she said in an unsettled voice as she looked at the blonde. She handed Lauren the small iPad and a bag before looking at the man mournfully. "Lauren do you need me to stay?" she asked in a soft voice. "No she doesn't." Bo stepped forward; the tiny inkling of jealousy rearing its head.

"Thanks Darien but I'll be okay. Bo is here." Lauren assured her as she took the iPad. "Honestly." she added softly.

The brunette nodded silently and guided a reluctant Dyson out the door.

"Aww," isn't that just so sweet." Checkers started in. "You know they used to fuck right?" he taunted Bo.

The Succubus huffed through her nose and resumed her spot leaning against the wall. It was hot in the small area and she was already beginning to sweat. Checkers, on the other hand, looked like an oily blob in a soaked security shirt.

"We're not here to talk about my sexual exploits Charles." Lauren said formally as she scrolled through the device.

His head snapped up at the sound of his given name. "How did you-"

"That's of no concern." Lauren stated looking up from the device momentarily. "You need to understand the situation."

He laughed a big belly laugh then leaned forward on the desk. "I think it's you that needs to understand the situation doc." he said smugly. "That kid is the golden goose. You're never gonna see her again. And if you do, it'll be in a body bag." he sneered.

Bo's fingers were biting down hard into her biceps as she leaned against the wall. She was doing all she could to keep her cool. Lauren however was like a block of ice. Her eyes flickered briefly but other than that there was no outward sign that his words had hit their mark.

Lauren nodded her head silently, her eyes hard. She leaned back in her chair studying him. "You know you were right from the beginning. You are fucked." She said rising so abruptly it actually startled the man. Bo watched her silently, needing to see what she would do.

"You can't hurt me." he shouted at her.

"Because you're a Callum Brutum?" Lauren said with a cold, menacing smile. She grabbed the bag Darien had left for her and dropped it loudly on the table.

"How do you-?" he stammered

"I am a doctor." Lauren said matter of factly. The room was filled with the sound of metal clashing against each other as Lauren rummaged through the bag.

"What are you going to do?" Checkers ground out, starting to feel a bit apprehensive. He'd heard tales of the Mad Doctor; how she had evaded Evony for years and killed all the woman's agents who came after her.

"Callum…" Lauren stated in a scholarly manner. "Is Latin for hard skin. So we can deduce that any attempt to injure you will need to be met with…" she stopped in mid-sentence, producing a small metal hammer, a blow torch, a lighter and a long thin skewer that had a sharpened tip. She laid them neatly on the table like surgical tools would be arranged in an operating room. "Extreme force" she finished.

Bo's body tensed at what she saw. It was like something from the Dark Ages. The humanity in her wanted to stop this before it began but the mother in her wouldn't let her. She had to trust Lauren.

"That's shit's not gonna work." He laughed in her face.

Lauren looked up from where she was checking her materials. "We'll see." she said simply before grabbing the blow torch. The hiss of the torch lighting and then settling down filled the shed. "Did you know that the maximum adiabatic flame temperature a butane torch can achieve with air is 3578 F °?"

"What the fuck?!" Checkers fought against the cuffs that kept his hand bound to the metal table. The sound of metal clanking on metal echoed in the small space. He looked over to the Succubus. "You're just gonna let her do this?!"

"Until you answer all our questions… yeah I am." Bo shrugged.

"She hasn't asked me any fucking questions." the Fae bellowed; sweating profusely now.

"And I don't intend to." Lauren stated as she walked around the table with the torch. Bo looked on warily but said nothing. The blonde caught her girlfriend swallowing hard but ignored her. This had to be done. And if she and Bo were going to make their relationship work and live together as a family, the brunette needed to know exactly who she was. She needed to know what she was capable of.

"Lady look!" Checkers pleaded.

"By the time I'm done with you, you will tell me everything I need to know without me asking a single question." Lauren stated coolly. "Now shall we begin?"

The sounds of screams filled the room and bounced off the walls startling Dyson from where he'd been lounging against the tree. He looked down the small hill towards the shed. "The fuck?" he stood quickly, ready to fight.

Darien sat back leaning against the tree. "Relax it's just getting started." she sighed picking at the dandelions growing near the edge of the dirt.

"We're just gonna sit here and let them….let this-" he began flabbergasted.

"How is this different from what you were doing earlier?" Darien cocked her head to the side. "There is no room for male chauvinism here." she rolled her eyes. "Lauren can handle it."

Dyson growled his discomfort and scrubbed a large hand over his face. "For fuck's sake. I'm going for a walk. Keep an eye on that." he glanced back at the shed as the never ending sound of anguished screams echoed out of it. "Will do." the cinnamon skinned brunette mumbled, watching him stalk away. She stared back at the shed.

Bo didn't know when she started pacing but she thought it was after the fourth finger had been charred completely black. Lauren's face was a mask of cold death. The blonde's breathing had increased and beads of sweat were dripping down her neck.

"Dude you might want to start talking, that is if you ever want to have anything left to jerk yourself off with." Bo huffed impatiently.

Checkers moaned; his face contorted in pain.

"Bo." Lauren turned to her placing the torch down gently. "Please don't interrupt."

The brunette was at a complete loss for words. It was as if Lauren were making a five course meal instead of frying a Fae's skin.

"Now, Charles." Lauren exhaled deeply. "Is there anything you would like to contribute to our quest to find my daughter?"

The brute grunted, shaking his head.

"I see." Lauren nodded grabbing the hammer. "I thought you might say that. That's why I had to char your skin." Checkers and Bo watched in horror as the woman rolled the hammer in her hand. "You see, I needed to weaken your defences first; loosen up the skin, so to speak."

"Lauren." Bo said warningly.

"How hard do you think your skin is now?" Lauren snapped as she ignored her lover; motioning to his hands. They were burned and blistered. "Why don't we find out?" Lauren said before swinging the hammer down with the sharp end onto the knuckle of his thumb.

Darien flinched when she heard the blood curdling scream that came from the shed. In a moment she was up and pacing. Shaking her head, she forced herself to sit down; her hands covering her ears.

"Please! Please!" the man was crying and slobbering now. His face was drenched with sweat and tears; snot trailing from his nose.

Bo found herself plastered against the wall unable to move. Four of Checkers fingers lay on the table. The smell of burning flesh was distinct as Lauren had just finished cauterizing the stumps.

"Can't have you bleeding out." Lauren said wiping the back of her hand across her forehead leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

Bo could see that the Lauren she knew had withdrawn and replaced with the Mad Doctor, the woman she caught a glimpse of back in Nova Scotia. She didn't know how to feel about it. The one thing keeping her from running from the bloody scene was the thought of Isabel. What wouldn't she do to get her baby back unharmed? Lauren was simply protecting their family from the people who had hunted them down for years, kidnapped her child and shot her best friend. All sympathy for Checkers went out the door.

She stepped forward now, seeing Lauren was nearing exhaustion. "If you don't tell us everything we need to know to get into that compound I'm gonna cut your balls off and I can promise you it won't be as gentle as this." Bo barked, grabbing the man by his nasty beard.

"Fuck you bitches!" he shouted before breaking down into tears. Bo released him turning to Lauren. The blonde's eyes were hard and unforgiving and glimmering green. "That little bitch is as good as dead! Evony is gonna gut her like a stuck pig!" he screamed shaking the iron chains on his feet and cuffs on his mutilated hand. "She's gonna get used up for all she's worth and then…" he stammered; tears and sweat stinging his blood shot eyes. "When she's done with the little bitch, I'm gonna teach her…" he laughed hysterically even as tears were falling from his eyes. "I'm gonna teach her to suck my dick!"

Before Bo could even react Lauren's hands were on his face, her eyes gleaming brightly. So bright that Bo had to look away.

"LOOK INTO MY EYES. YOU BELONG TO ME. FEAR ME!" Lauren's voice boomed and shook the walls, the sounds of screams filled the shed and Bo literally slid down the wall, her hands covering her ears.

Darien had long since screamed for the wolf as she bounded down the hill towards the shed.

Checkers was a blubbering mess by the time Dyson burst through the door. Lauren's hands were on the man's face and his eyes were rolled up into his head. Dyson gave a quick glance to Bo who was curled up in a corner unable to move. Darien ran to Lauren's side staring at the blonde and back to Checkers. Lauren's eyes were shimmering pale green; she was gone inside herself.

"Come back honey. Please." Darien tried, her hands stroking Lauren's cold cheek.

The blonde made no movement to acknowledge she'd even heard the woman; Checkers groaned his body seizing up. "You're hurting Bo." Darien tried again. "You're hurting her Lauren."

Lauren's eyes fluttered a bit as she released Checkers who fell onto the table in a slump. "Bo." she whispered weakly.

The moment the doctor released Checkers from her thrall, Bo was unbound from her spot. "Lauren." she said moving quickly to catch her lover as she collapsed in her arms.

"I'm here Lo. I'm here." Bo kissed her head. She lifted her up in her arms. "Take care of that." she said to Dyson as she motioned back towards Checkers' dead body.

"Bo, I got it. I know how to get Isabel." Lauren mumbled. "I did it."

"You did sweetie." Bo sighed sadly as she pushed through the door of the shed leaving the destruction of her lover's soul behind them. "You did."

Tbc…..