Bo was bouncing; that was the only way she could explain how she felt. New baby; no major apocalypse looming right now. Lauren agreeing to be married completely and legally in every aspect of the word. Even though they had filed the human papers, Bo had always felt that something was missing. She didn't know that it was because the fae part of her didn't recognize the completion of marriage. She wanted to be forever tied to Lauren, and she wanted everyone to know it. She hadn't even been aware they weren't officially married until that conversation with Gram and Maureen. If Bo had known, she would have suggested it long ago.

She also didn't know there would be a lot of processing before they could file for marriage in the fae world. There were a lot of things to do to make it all legal. Bo really had expected to walk in and say, "Okay, Gram, make us legal" and have it be done. She should have known better. It was the fae; of course it would be complicated. She did find out that what they were doing was a complete fae marriage, which was different than when two faes get married. Divorce and new partners are possible after a thousand years in that method, but even Gram and Lauren knew that Bo wanted the full monty. She didn't want the regular marriage; she wanted the supersized one.

These past two weeks getting everything prepared was just as stressful as planning an actual wedding. No wonder Lauren didn't want a wedding. Having to plan that on top of the rituals and whatnot just to sign a document would have been too much for them both. Bo was the one that was adamant about doing it as soon as possible; in all honesty, she was worried that Lauren would change her mind and fall into her rationality again. Even if she had always wanted to say yes, Lauren would always put others above herself. That only made Bo want to marry her even more.

Lauren was definitely feeling better. She had stopped bleeding completely, her stitches had cleared, and she was moving around a lot. Bo even had to stop her from going to work the other day. They were taking more walks, and Lauren had even started a random makeout session in bed the other night. Bo did not complain, but she also knew Gram had warned them not to have sex until Lauren was cleared from her six week postnatal exam. That was two weeks away still. Bo was really itching to feed from her wife again; she was really itching to just touch her and be touched in return. Lauren told her it was okay to feed and had even suggested fooling around with Bo. Even though Lauren couldn't be touched yet, the doctor had been extremely persuasive in her argument that Bo was still allowed to be.

Bo thought she really deserved a gold star for pulling away from Lauren the other night, especially when the woman started getting handsy. Still, Bo knew she could hold off for another two weeks if she needed. Lauren told her to go out with Kenzi to the Red Door and feed, and while Bo did take her best friend to the fae bar, when she got there, she lost her appetite and couldn't bring herself to feed. Kenzi must have sensed her separation anxiety and ushered her back to the farm. Bo understood why Kenzi stopped drinking so much after Alexie was born; she didn't want to be unprepared to take care of her baby if the need presented itself. Random things happened to them, and Bo knew that their happy, quiet lives wouldn't last long.

No matter how much she wanted it to. Bo had long ago given up that dream of a normal, human life free of the fae. She had finally accepted her place in the world was right here. With Lauren. With Briann. She knew Lauren could never leave the fae now. It took her awhile to realize it, but Bo now understood just how important her wife was and just how much Lauren actually enjoyed it, especially now that she had more freedom in her servitude.

Anyways, it wasn't like they would ever be able to escape the fae world completely. It was everywhere. Even if they ran and hid from them, the fae would eventually find them. Much like it did for Bo four years ago.

Gram had invited Trick for dinner tonight so that they could sign the official documents. That meant that tonight was the night. Tonight, she and Lauren would be completely together. Bo learned that approval and signatures were required to verify the royal lineage. Apparently, there was some treaty the two elders were going to sign, as well. It was all official and political, and Bo didn't pay any attention to anything other than the fact that by tonight, she and Lauren would be bound together in every sense of the word.

Briann was a month old, and Bo was amazed how fast their daughter had grown. She still looked like the wrinkly baby she was when she was born, but her eyes had opened to reveal a deep brown with blue flecks. Those were Bo's eyes mixed with the succubus. Lauren explained the blue flecks would probably go away and become dormant until Briann reached puberty and developed her powers; whatever they would be. They had both opted not to do any tests. There were too many risks involved since they didn't know how a human body would react to them. If Briann developed powers, if she wasn't human, then they would figure it out. There was already so much unknown about the entire process already. Lauren said they could run tests to find out when their daughter was older and before she hit puberty so that they could be prepared to help her. Bo liked that idea.

Gram showed her pictures of Lauren as a baby again, and they all compared Briann to those pictures. Doing this made Bo even more aware that she had no pictures of herself as a baby. There was nothing tangible other than Samael's ring that tied her to her past, the fake one or the real one.

She had learned that her baby ring was part of the birthing ceremony because Briann was being welcomed into the world as fae royalty, tying several royal lines together. Gram explained that Samael's ring and Trick's bracelet that he had provided represented Bo's two royal lines. Gram then explained that Lauren's relics came from both of her grandparents' sides, as well. This was where Gram went cryptic and only explained that she had put in Lauren's grandfather's necklace and that she had put in her own earrings.

Lauren had been reading books to find out about the rituals that seemed to surround them lately, and their pillowtalk the past few weeks had consisted of the things they discussed with Gram and their upcoming fae nuptials. Research, fae mystery, and family bliss. This was how Bo pictured their lives together. That's why it was so surprising when Lauren initiated that makeout session. Bo couldn't help but wonder if Lauren had sensed her own need and was trying to be a good wife, but Lauren had been quite eager and spiky. Those weren't the kisses of someone just trying to do their succubus wife a favor; no, Bo could tell that Lauren was getting those familiar needs again, too.

This was definitely going to be a long two weeks.

Lauren was upstairs feeding Briann now, and the sexual response Lauren got from breastfeeding sometimes made Bo lose her focus. She had taken to leaving the room when Lauren fed their baby, even though she wanted her wife to feed her succubus hunger, too. Still, Bo wouldn't push; not until they were given the okay. She would not do anything to cause any harm to Lauren.

Bo bounced into the kitchen, not caring that she hadn't put on anything over her short sleeping shorts and camisole. Even though she didn't expect anyone, she was happy to see Gram sitting there at the counter reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. It was still too early for anybody with non-baby hours to be awake and moving around. The older woman smiled at her in greeting as Bo went over to pour herself a cup of coffee and join her at the island counter.

"Lauren feeding Briann?" Gram smiled knowingly as she folded the newspaper in that careful manner that reminded Bo of Lauren doing the same thing with her newspapers.

"Yep. Thought I'd fuel up for my watch and let Lauren get some more sleep." Bo pulled the mug to her face and relished in the smell and steam of Gram's fresh coffee. "I get why Kenzi always naps whenever Alexie does."

"Babies can be boring and tiring, but they are truly magical." Gram smiled at Bo as she took a sip from her own mug. "How are you adjusting? Have you been feeding?"

"I've not really…needed to, which makes no sense. I mean, I'm still...reacting, but it's not a need. I've not really been hungry." Bo cupped the hot mug in both of her hands, gripping to try and hide her discomfort about talking to Gram about sex and succubus needs. The woman had just helped birth their daughter, and Bo still felt strange talking to her wife's grandmother about these things. At least it wasn't Trick. He usually clammed up, became flustered, and wished his wife was there to help.

"Interesting." When Gram wore that inquisitive expression, Bo could definitely see where Lauren got her insatiable curiosity expression. It was like she was examining her and planning a new research project. "This happens to Hestians after a new child is born. It's to help you focus and feed your baby. The less you have to worry about, the more you can focus on caring for your child. I wouldn't have expected that to pass onto you, even with as strong a bond as you have with Lauren."

"How long will it last?" As far as side effects of bonding went, Bo was happy for this one. It meant that she wouldn't have to feed from others, which meant she wouldn't have to leave her family's side to go feed.

"It varies. I was about one month with each of my children. Angela lasted about two, but then she became pregnant with Roger, so there is no way of knowing if she would have lasted longer." Gram stood to pour herself another cup of coffee, but Bo stood to do it for her. It was an immediate response anymore to wait on Lauren, so it didn't surprise her that she jumped at the chance to move around more and wait on Gram.

"Angela?" Bo was trying to remember that name. It was familiar; too familiar. "Mrs. Lewis. Lauren's mom. Right."

"My daughter, yes. She had a longer grace period than most Hestians, but she also had her father's blood to help." Gram was a cornucopia of various smiles this early morning. She smiled when Bo handed her mug back to her. It was a loving and proud smile. Bo actually understood that smile now. "There is nothing more amazing than the first time you hold your first child in your arms. You have this feeling of euphoria like no other, like you have been missing out on something until that moment. It makes you afraid you'll never love your other children as much as you did your first. Parents overcompensate and panic themselves unnecessarily sometimes."

"Well, no offense to your daughter, but she did quite the opposite." Bo took a deep breath, narrowed her eyes, and observed Gram. Bo had never realized that her parents and Lauren's grandparents both did the Light/Dark forbidden dance. "She loved all of them but Lauren."

"On the contrary." Gram smiled again, a knowing "I've got a secret" smile. Bo found herself leaning forward on instinct and immediately felt silly for her reaction. She wasn't even a gossip person, but she wanted to know this particular secret. Anything that had to do with Lauren, she wanted to know.

"Do I need to ask?" Bo gripped her mug again, though she noticed it was only lukewarm now. The majority of the liquid was gone, and the remainder had cooled to room temperature. "One of these days, you and Trick and Lachlan will tell us everything. What happens when you run out of secrets? Do you, like, die or something?"

"Not quite." Gram's smile was amusedly scolding this time, but she did huff in surrender. "Angela loved Lauren; she always will. If she didn't love Lauren, she would have treated her like any other fae and set her up for disappointment and failure once she went out into the world. This was why she never told Lauren about the fae or being a hybrid. She wanted to give her a normal life for as long as she could, even if she knew that Lauren would one day become an integral part of the fae world. It's not easy for a mother, especially a Hestian, to be cruel to their child to teach them to be strong. After a while, Angela just knew no other way and had already done too much damage. There was no sense treating her differently, and we both know that her methods worked. Lauren grew into a strong human woman who thrived in the fae world when most humans don't."

"Oh." Bo had never considered that Lauren's mother would have been cruel for a reason other than cruelty. She was an unpleasant person to be around and treated Lauren with so much disrespect, but Bo knew she sensed pride from Mrs. Lewis at that dinner last year. No matter, anybody who treated Lauren like crap was on Bo's shit list. "Does she know about Briann?"

"She does." Gram stood again to put her mug in the sink. This time, Bo let her do it herself.

"What...should I be worried?" Bo cleared her throat, feeling the panic of trouble floating to the surface. If Mrs. Lewis knew about the baby, was that why she never followed through on her threats? Was that why they hadn't heard from her? Even more, was that why Hadley sent an assassing instead of showing her face and attacking directly?

"It would be nice if you would let her meet her granddaughter."

"This newfound protective mother mode I have is saying no. I'm sure Lauren would agree with me." Bo moved to put her own mug in the sink. She rinsed the mug and gripped the side of the sink to help collect herself before turning back around. There was no need to get protective and primal on Gram.

"I didn't say you had to; I said it would be nice if you did." If anybody understood being away from a child or grandchild, it was Gram. Lauren had been away from her for a long time before the underfae cow epidemic. "Let us think of happier things, since it is obvious this has caused you stress."

"No, I mean…I guess they have a right to at least meet their grandchild." Bo didn't trust them and was already planning who she would have accompany her if they did decide to visit the Lewis house. Bo was honest; she wanted to see where Lauren grew up. She wanted to see where Lauren spent her childhood. Maybe she would look up Mary and Sam Dennis again, though Bo knew that they would never approve of the relationship or acknowledge the baby. It would lack the fae politics, but the prejudice would still feel the same. That was one thing their parents had in common. Bo even found herself wanting to send out feelers for Aiofe again. If the Lewis grandparents had a right to meet Briann, then so did her own crazy mother. Awesome seemed to skip a generation in both of their families.

"I'm not pushing; just suggesting. You do what you think is best." Gram moved to the refrigerator and started pulling eggs and milk from the shelves. Bo's eyes widened, realizing that food hunger was one that did not go away. "For what it's worth, Angela would not harm that baby. She may also make threats, but she will not harm you. She knows who you are."

"Thank god for small miracles, huh?" Bo smiled, sensing that Lauren was asleep again. That meant Briann must have finally gone back to sleep, too. She involuntarily pouted, since she had wanted some snuggles from at least one of her girls.

"Help me make breakfast?" Gram rarely asked Bo to help in the kitchen. Kenzi and Lauren were her go to people for kitchen stuff. Bo actually jumped at the opportunity. She used to bake cookies with Mary and her aunts, but they would shoo her from the room when she ate more of the cookie dough than went onto the trays.

"Do I need to do anything special at dinner tonight?" Bo stood to the side against the counter, not really sure what to do now that she was granted access into the sacred kitchen circle. Gram was making pancakes and didn't really need her help. Still, Bo liked being this close and feeling like she was really part of the "in" crowd at the farm. Having an in with your wife's grandmother was definitely a good method for ensuring a long, happy marriage. Maybe she should consider taking the baby to meet the Lewises after all. They would obviously go expecting to be shunned, so they would save themselves the disappointment but still show that they were making an effort. That had to mean something.

"The only thing I need from you is for you to be 100% sure that you have everything you want. I know Lauren isn't fond of a wedding, but if you want one, this will be your only one. Once you have signed these documents, there are no more steps to ensuring you are completely bound in marriage. You will never have another marriage." Gram smirked as she started pouring batter onto the large griddle that was embedded into the countertop, much like the stove and fryer. As far as fancy kitchens went, Bo had always been the most impressed with this one. "We don't have to sign the papers tonight. Everything is settled, so we can do that part whenever. Are you sure you don't want a wedding?"

"I want what makes Lauren the most comfortable. Sure, I always thought I'd be picking out wedding dresses, hitting on the dress shop girl as a final act of rebellious bachelorhood, and walking down the aisle, but…your reality and dreams change a bit when you fall in love." Bo smiled as she handed Gram a spatula from the utensil jars behind her. "It's not a wedding I want; it's a marriage. And it's not like we can't do the wedding ceremony thing later. We only get one marriage, but there is that crazy notion of renewing vows and having parties to celebrate anniversaries. I plan on making Lauren ridiculously happy and showing her that as often as possible."

"You are definitely the more romantic one." Gram went about flipping the pancakes, and Bo just watched. While she loved Gram's cooking, Bo really missed her wife's. "My granddaughter could not be in better hands."

"I'm quite fond of her hands myself." Bo blushed. She didn't mean for that to sound dirty, but her love of those hands caused her body to react. Yep, this would definitely be a long two weeks. "I don't need a wedding. I'm ready for this."

"You remind me of Harold. He was so passionate." Gram was still smiling, but it had turned into a forlorn smile. Bo knew that would be her one day; smiling and sad at the memories of Lauren after she was gone. She hoped for longer, but Bo knew that just one day being completely Lauren's would be worth the grief and loneliness afterwards. "It's a lonely life. Lauren never wants that for you."

"I know, but I'm a big girl. I know everyone thinks I haven't considered the consequences of this, but I have. The thought of never being completely with Lauren, even if for only a day, far outweighs the years of loneliness I'll endure after she dies." Bo accepted the stack of pancakes offered to her, as she held out a plate so Gram could give them to her. "I probably should, but I have no cold feet at all. We're already married; it's just a legal document that proves that."

"In the span of a month, you are changing fae politics and history completely. The first fae/hybrid baby and now the first fae/hybrid marriage. Not to mention you are bringing together four of the most powerful fae royal lines. It's rare to bring together even two." Gram placed more pancakes on an empty plate. Bo finally noticed the morning sun outside the window; light and pancakes usually were Kenzi's alarm clock. "Who would have thought that naïve little succubus who walked onto my farm three years ago would be the one to change the world. If I hadn't seen it coming and witness your strength these past few years, I would be surprised."

"I still feel like that girl sometimes." Bo knew there was a lot of the world that she still had to learn about; now that she had a daughter to help raise, there was definitely a lot more about the world she had yet to discover. "I'm still not sure I'm ready to be this new person."

"No one's asking you to change everything. You'll get things wrong more than you will right, but…we do need to change if we are going to survive as a race. This couldn't have come at a better time." Gram was like Lauren in that she had to clean her mess before she could enjoy her creations. Bo was about to bite into her first forkful, which was too big for her mouth, but decided to help clean up so that Gram could enjoy her own breakfast sooner. "If I hadn't had so much time to get used to the idea, I probably would have been one of those who fought it, too."

"Trick says the same thing." Bo realized she was extremely happy that her grandfather was coming tonight. They had never combined families and sat down for a family dinner like this before, so Bo felt like they really were marrying the bloodlines.

Once Bo finished washing and drying the griddle, she joined Gram back at the kitchen island and finally ate that forkful of pancake. The rest of her short stack disappeared just as unattractively. She went to wash her plate before moving to wrap Gram's neck into a hug. She was not just the more romantic one; she was also the more affectionate one. Gram was forever hugging her; Bo just thought she would pay her back in kind.

"I think I'm going to head back to bed. Briann should hopefully stay asleep for another few hours. Lauren definitely needs to stay asleep, so I want to be there to help ensure that happens." Bo squeezed Gram's neck one last time and enjoyed the mini pulse of warmth Gram sent her in return. She walked back to their new bedroom, leaving Gram to wait for a groggy Kenzi to appear.

Bo entered the room to soft snores. Lauren only snored when she was so exhausted that she fell asleep in an awkward position. Sure enough, Lauren was leaned against the back of the headboard, head no doubt uncomfortably being attacked by those carved cherubs. Those suckers were not too friendly or angelic when you bumped your head on them.

She peeked into the bassinet to make sure that Briann was comfortable and safe. Plus, Bo just loved to look at their daughter. She was so cute. She leaned over to kiss her head one last time, feeling the warmth and love possess her from being able to do this.

Then, she moved to the bed and pulled Lauren's tablet from her lap. This was a scene she was extremely familiar with; Lauren would pass out from exhaustion but be in the middle of work. Bo learned her lesson to make sure the tablet was plugged in and the work was saved. That was one of their more interesting fights over the years.

Bo positioned herself on the bed so that she could be as careful as possible not to wake Lauren. When she had her arms under her legs and around her back and head, Bo slowly moved her wife into a more comfortable sleeping position.

Lauren only opened her eyes in a panic for a second before she relaxed again.

"Shh…go back to sleep. I'm just moving you to an actual sleeping position." Bo whispered, hoping the soft sounds of her voice would help lull her wife back to sleep. "I love you. Go back to sleep."

"Mmm…" Lauren didn't protest, which was rare. Bo just snuggled back into the bed with her, wrapping her arm protectively over Lauren's side and placing a hand on her stomach. They were both still adjusting to the lack of kicking felt there, but it was still instinctual to put her hand there anyways.

With the lights of the morning sneaking in through the darkened curtains, Bo let her happy world stay just a little bit longer.