A/N: Okay, here it is. Final chapter. It took a month to come out and for that I'm sorry (my only excuse is real life issues) but I hope you're appeased by it's length, at least. With 11,000 words, this is almost 3 chapters worth. :D
Not very well edited so please be patient with my mistakes.
And also, (I'm gonna be doing this at the end part too but I figure I can do it twice) thank you to everyone who reviewed and followed and favorited this story. You're all amazing and you humble me. :)
49
The next morning, Bo woke up first. She stood up silently and began to gather her things but Lauren stirred awake from the loss of her body heat.
"Bo?" Lauren asked, bleary-eyed still.
Bo gave her a tender look and suppressed an amused snort at the outrageous bed hair that Lauren unknowingly sported. They had just managed to stumble into bed last night and Lauren had practically passed out once she was snuggled in with Bo. It would have worried Bo again, how tired Lauren was all the time, if she hadn't followed suit a few seconds later.
Right now, she hated the thought of leaving the doctor but she didn't want Kenzi to wake up alone with Vex in the house. The sheer damage those two could do to each other and their surroundings when left unattended was a bit scary to imagine. (Especially since Kenzi came home yesterday with a chainsaw.)
"Hey, go back to sleep. I'm going home but I'll call you later. I don't want to leave Kenzi and Vex alone together," Bo explained, dropping a quick kiss on Lauren's forehead.
But Lauren was already moving to get up despite Bo's continued protests. "Just, wait a sec, okay? I have to... just wait," Lauren said, hurrying to the bathroom.
She came out 3 minutes later, looking refreshed and pouting. "Why did you say something about my hair?"
At that, Bo couldn't help but laugh out loud. She also kissed Lauren's pout away until they were both breathless again. "I love you so much."
Lauren playfully pushed her away and grinned, turning to leave the room. "Love you too," she tossed back.
Bo followed her to the living room, still grinning. She watched Lauren putter around her lab equipment for a few seconds before asking, "What's up?"
Lauren raised her pointer finger in a gesture to wait while she checked her computer, fiddled with a machine and finally took a vial and presented it to her.
"I wanted to give you this now."
Bo looked at the vial and then at Lauren, taking it carefully and examining it as best she could. "This is..."
"Lachlan's venom," Lauren finished. "What I was able to salvage."
It was so tiny and Bo grew concerned. "How many doses is this?"
"One," Lauren said regretfully. "The other samples were too degraded."
Bo gave a disappointed sigh. "Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket." Then she saw Lauren's blank face and quickly backtracked. "Sorry. You're the only person to even get this in a thousand years."
Lauren shrugged a little. "We can still use the other venom samples to coat your weapons. I was able to stabilize them and we have enough for that, at least. It's just the question of the potency. That one vial is almost pure." Lauren took another from the table and Bo saw that it looked more yellowish. " The rest would still have a nasty kick but I don't trust it to kill a Garuda. And anyway, the naga venom is formidable so even a diluted version should be painful and debilitating."
"That would be help a lot, actually. Thanks, Lauren."
"Anytime, Bo." Lauren smiled.
Bo pocketed the vial carefully and turned back to give Lauren another kiss, this time more gentle and slow, lingering for a moment.
"I'll see you later?"
Lauren nodded. "See you later."
A couple more last kisses and Bo was gone.
xxx
Lauren woke up to the sound of knocking on her door.
She actually went back to sleep after Bo left, feeling decadent with the decision. There was still a war going on and a final battle to be fought but there was Lauren, lounging around in her bed. (Well, not so much lounging, but passing out again.) She had been working so hard lately that she actually felt guilty for getting more than five hours of sleep.
Bo looked anxious when she opened the door but the expression quickly turned to surprise and concern when she saw her.
"Lauren, were you sleeping? I'm sorry to interrupt."
Lauren blinked at her and then shook her head, running a hand consciously through her hair. "No, no. I just... um, what's wrong?" She stepped aside to let Bo in.
"The Garuda took Trick."
Lauren was literally knocked back by the force of those words. It took her a couple of seconds before she gathered her composure and reach out for Bo. "Oh Bo..."
Bo accepted Lauren's sympathetic hand squeeze but soon let go. "Trick called me in earlier and suddenly there was this shadow thing that took him, teleported him out of the Dal," Bo paced around Lauren's living room, agitated. "I have Kenzi working on deciphering Trick's codes to find what he knew about the Garuda's lair and Dyson, Hale and Vex are pretty much on standby." She turned to look at Lauren. "We can't wait anymore. We have to get Trick back and defeat the Garuda now."
Lauren only nodded. Trick wasn't just a good friend in danger: he was also the Blood King in the hands and influence of the Garuda. This was almost the worst case scenario for them and there was no more time to waste.
She stopped Bo from her pacing and willed her to look her in the eye. "Bo, I want you to promise me one thing." Bo looked at her solemnly and Lauren continued, "You have to be careful. I know you have to kick the Garuda's ass and make him suffer but I don't want you to be reckless about it."
Bo frowned a little. "He has my grandfather. And the things he could make the Blood King do," Bo looked both irritated and worried. "Do you know how powerful Trick is?
It was a clearly rhetorical but Lauren answered anyway. "Almost as powerful as you," she stated simply, rendering the succubus silent.
Lauren knew that it was essential for Bo to be confident now and that it would do no good for her to doubt herself at this point. She could help feed that confidence and make Bo believe as Lauren already believed. "You have faith in yourself," Lauren continued, "in your heart."
"It's not my heart I'm worried about," Bo denied. Lauren wanted to argue against that, knowing that Bo led with her heart; that she had so much empathy for others and that was why she couldn't even choose a side.
"I love you so much," Bo continued, unaware of Lauren's inner worries. "And I love the others too. You're my family."
"Then be what we need," Lauren urged, shaking off her thoughts to concentrate on giving Bo what she needed to hear. "A leader."
xxx
After that charged conversation, Bo finally revealed to Lauren her plan to use her blood to bind them all to her and therefore create a unit that would be able to resist the Garuda.
The whole concept immediately intrigued Lauren. She went to her desk and took her iPad and began to type quickly.
"How does that work exactly?" she asked, her mind already formulating various theories.
Bo frowned a little. "I'm not sure about the actual mechanics but I know that once I get my blood on you, you'll... uh, well, you'll love me."
Lauren found Bo's sudden shyness adorable and couldn't resist teasing her a bit. "Well, how would I know if it works if I already do?"
Bo seemed lost at that and began to stutter until she caught Lauren's grin. "Lauren!" she yelled, unable to help but smile too.
"Okay, okay. So, um, what else can you tell me about this bond thing? Aside from the falling in love?"
Bo still looked uncertain so Lauren elaborated. "For example, how long before it takes effect? Is it dependent on the amount of blood that enters the recipient's bloodstream? How about you? How would it affect you?"
When Bo began to look overwhelmed, Lauren reined in her enthusiasm to allow the succubus to answer her questions.
"Uh, well. Ryan only got a bit in his bloodstream and he was all adoring the next day so probably we need more for it to take effect immediately. As for effects, I don't think I was affected per se. I did have amnesia at the time but Trick did manage to warn me before he was kidnapped."
Lauren looked up from her typed notes. "Trick knew about it?"
"It was Aefa. I told you about us having the same powers right? That was how she could create her muscle men thralls and Trick knew about it."
Lauren pondered on that for a while. She had assumed that ordinary succubus had that power but maybe it worked differently? This was the problem with fae genetics. It was really difficult to make a generalization on any kind of genus because every fae was unique. Even if one was born a certain species and exhibited said species' characteristics, one could be sure that there would be secondary characteristics inherited from their parents and/or grandparents. Sometimes, the secondary characteristics become as dominant as the primary ones, making it difficult to truly classify a fae. (For example, a siren with telepathy or vampire with pheromone control.)
Lauren guiltily shook herself out of the old and familiar frustration regarding fae classifications, only to notice that Bo too, had gotten distracted.
"Bo?"
Bo blinked at her and blushed a little. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking of how Trick knew about Aefa and I could just imagine his reaction when his little girl brought home her first muscle man thrall."
An image of a young girl dragging a hot, beefed up guy and saying, "Look who followed me home, daddy? Can I keep him?" popped into Lauren's head and she almost choked at the snort that bubbled up.
Bo noticed her stifled giggling and when their eyes met, both couldn't stop the peals of laughter from escaping.
It took a couple of minutes before they could get a hold of themselves.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry," Lauren panted, short of breath from laughing so hard, "It's so inappropriate but I just... Trick..."
"It's...it's okay," Bo giggled, "I totally understand."
Finally, they were able to get back to their serious mode.
"You were saying something about Aefa?" Lauren prompted.
"What? Oh, yeah. The thralls. Trick warned me that making thralls would be... addictive, I guess. It's a dark power and if I'm not careful I could become corrupted, like my mother."
Lauren's heart spiked with panic. "Bo...!"
"It's okay, Lauren," Bo swiftly assured, "He gave me this." At that, she revealed the small vial hidden on the cane sword.
"What is it?" Lauren asked curiously.
"It's from my grandmother. My namesake, Ysabeau. She was Trick's wife and he told me that I got my healing powers from her. This is basically part of her essence and it would be able to cure almost anything."
Lauren relaxed at that. "That's good. Then everything is fine. As long as you have that, you'll be fine."
"Yeah." Bo smiled at her.
Lauren smiled back and reached for her again. This time Bo, stayed put and even tugged her closer. Lauren allowed herself to be dragged nearer and gave Bo a gentle hug, before releasing her again to pick up her iPad. "So, uh, I guess all that's left is to draw some of your blood?"
"Hmm. Actually, I still have to tell the guys about the plan."
Lauren winced a little. "Oh boy. I'm betting Vex wouldn't be happy about this."
Bo made a face as well before taking on a determined look. "I don't care. Even if he doesn't like it, I'll make him take some. We can't afford to argue about this now."
Lauren sighed and went over to her lab table. "You're going back to the Dal after?" She began to prepare a couple of vials and injections.
Bo sighed too and began to walk over to her. "I have to. I have to tell them now and see how Kenzi's doing. Lauren..."
Lauren gave her a small smile. "It's okay, Bo. I'm gonna stay here for now and you can call me whenever you want to get started."
"Um, I think the earlier we can move is tomorrow. Last time I saw, Kenzi was just beginning to decipher Trick's code and talking about downward dogs or something."
Lauren looked confused at that but decided to let it go. "By the way, Serena's still here and if you need more backup, I'm sure she'd gladly send a few guards with us tomorrow."
Bo was glaring at the needle in her hand but looked up in surprise. "Us?"
Lauren turned to look at her and furrowed her brow. "Yeah...?" And then it occurred to her what Bo was trying to imply and she frowned. "I'm coming too, Bo."
Now Bo was glaring at her. "No, you're not."
"Yes, I am."
"Lauren!" Bo looked angry now.
"Bo!" Lauren mimicked mockingly.
Bo stepped closer, her posture intimidating. "You're not coming and that's final."
Lauren opened her mouth to answer but shut it quickly, thinking that she couldn't keep arguing with Bo like this. She knew that the succubus was stubborn and she needed to use unassailable logic to break down Bo's bullheaded one.
"You're charging into an unknown situation, Bo. I know it would be dangerous but I also believe that you can all handle it. However, when I say all of you, I meant all of you fae," she paused to raise an eyebrow, knowing from Bo's tightened jaw that she got her point. "I assumed you would bring Kenzi with you and she's not a warrior. She's small and fast and tricky, yes, but in this case all those attributes wouldn't help her. It's not like you're ambushing the Garuda, you're practically going through the front door and right onto his trap."
"Lauren..." Bo started.
Lauren didn't let her speak. "I can help, Bo. You know I could. You need me."
When Bo still looked unconvinced, Lauren revealed her last hand, feeling a bit guilty about using this particular tactic.
"We don't know what Trick's state is when we get him from the Garuda. It's better if I'm there on site so I can administer any medical aid immediately," she stated baldly and watched Bo's face pale.
There was silence first, as Bo struggled to accept her words and then, "Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Damn it, Lauren!"
Lauren stood firm, ignoring Bo's words. She knew that the succubus wasn't really angry at her but with the situation.
Finally Bo sighed and looked resigned. "Okay. You can come."
Lauren didn't even bother telling the succubus that she didn't really need her permission, and only smiled a little before turning serious again. "I'll be careful, Bo. I don't think I need a weapon but I'll bring a small one, just in case. Maybe a knife since it's a bit like a scalpel and I'm used to that." Bo still looked down and wouldn't meet her eyes, so Lauren took her hand and urged her to look at her. "I promise you that I won't try to be a hero, Bo."
At that, Bo looked surprised.
"I'm not gonna rush in to save the day, if that's what you're worried about. Run and hide until the danger's passed. That would be my main tactic. Guerilla healing," Lauren joked a little as she explained. It worked to bring a small smile in Bo's face and they finally relaxed.
Bo gathered her in her arms and hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, "I can't lose you, Lauren."
"You won't. I promise."
xxx
The next day, Lauren couldn't help but feel anxious as soon as she woke up. When she got to the Dal, there wasn't even a hint of comfort as everyone was also clearly tense. Even Bo's presence couldn't calm Lauren's nerves and she actually found herself shying away from the succubus for now, feeling like she was standing next to a live wire whenever in the other woman's vicinity.
Vex's dark glares over in her direction (and the vials of Bo's blood she was setting up) didn't help her either and it was only after she had begun the procedure that she was able to relax a little. The familiar, scientific procedures calmed her down like no other.
First up was Hale, who put up no protest. He asked about the effects and side effects but Lauren could see that he was less interested in the answer and more focused on making conversation to fill the silence.
After him was Dyson, who also didn't protest but strangely enough, looked distracted. It prompted Lauren to talk, giving him the same explanation she gave Hale earlier.
"You'll start to develop feelings for Bo. You'll want to protect her at all costs. Is that gonna be a problem for you?" Lauren paused to look at Dyson but the wolf was staring at the ground. "Dyson?" she asked concernedly.
"No. I'm good," Dyson finally said, raising up his head to give her a small smile.
Lauren expertly injected the blood through his arm vein and taped up the puncture wound. "Welcome to Team Bo," she said, trying not to sound too ironic but couldn't resist adding, "...again."
Lauren knew that Dyson suffered from the loss of his love. She knew that it wasn't likely that he would ever get them back from the Norn but she knew that part of her would forever see him as a threat to her relationship with Bo. It was this part that prompted the tongue-in-cheek reply but fortunately, Dyson didn't react and merely stood up to make way for Vex.
Being near the Dark fae caused the earlier feelings of anxiety to rise up once again and Lauren struggled to maintain her professionalism. It wasn't like she was afraid of Vex exactly, but she was very much aware of what he was capable of. (Once, a body had made its way into her lab, identified as a fae kill. The human was a tall male who must've looked intimidating when he was still alive, what with a scarred blocky face, numerous tattoos and large musculature. But in death, his body was mutilated and she knew that every wound was self-inflicted. Later on, Vex claimed the kill and the Dark apologized for "littering" in the Light's backyard.)
Bo came over then to check on them and somehow, Lauren managed to clumsily knock off a tray of used injections and empty vials to the floor with a loud bang. Lauren barely registered Vex's loud mocking reprove as she confusedly tried to straightened out her equipment. By the time she was done, the Mesmer had apparently injected himself with the blood and was already walking away.
Lauren exchanged a confused look with a worried looking Bo but didn't say anything.
After that incident, Kenzi went next, leaving Lauren for last.
She had actually almost tried out the blood as soon as she got the samples from Bo - she was that excited to experience and study the effects - but she was stopped by the practical, scientist part of her. While they had a good idea of what would happen under the blood's influence, they couldn't be one hundred percent sure of its effects, especially since they were doing it as a group. Lauren needed a clear mind until the last minute, just in case something went wrong.
And when she finally did, Lauren held her breath in anticipation and felt nothing. A bit disappointed, Lauren chided herself for being too impatient. The blood would take some time to work and even if it did, she already loved Bo and wanted to protect her so she shouldn't expect that much of a change.
She glanced curiously at the others and apart from Hale sneaking glances at Bo, no one was running around screaming their love for the succubus either. (Vex was actually still muttering abuse in his corner.)
It was only later, in the middle of the debrief while they were gathered around the table and the map of the asylum, that Lauren felt it. It started as a tingling in her hands and climbed quickly through her body until she actually had to stifle a gasp as she felt her heart seemingly expand to twice its size.
Later, when she could think more rationally, she would realize that there was no real change in what she already felt for Bo. The blood just managed to magnify that feeling to a surprising degree, catching her off guard by the sheer intensity of it.
It felt like getting plugged in to a live socket and flying and bursting and drowning and every other adjective she could think to associate with getting overwhelmed.
Thankfully, just as Lauren was sure that she was about to embarrass herself, the blood seemed to have kicked in on Hale as well and his loud "Bo's the best!" yell, made her smirk and allowed her to take back some control. She glanced curiously at the others but the rest of them didn't seem too affected, and Val only just got the injection. It gave her an idea that maybe the blood also worked with the person's original feelings and did not just induce mindless love all the time (unless Bo could now somehow manipulate them - giving her the power to determine the strength of their feelings from mild adoration to blind worship like Aefa clearly did with her thralls). Kenzi loved Bo purely as a sister/bestfriend, Dyson had no love in him and Vex probably lusted after the succubus but definitely did not have tender feelings for her. Unfortunately, this realization made Lauren look at Hale suspiciously for a few moments. Bo caught her look and gave her a confused one in return.
But then there was no more time for idle conversation because everyone begun to rush about as soon as they finished the debrief. Lauren was barely able to grab her packed bag before she found herself herded on to a car, riding in front with Bo, while Kenzi and Vex sat behind. She suspected that part of the speed which they set off wasn't just because of worry for Trick's safety but a desire to "get it over with" already. All the waiting around was just plain damaging to their spirit.
Lauren did manage to ask Bo something before they were under way.
"Bo, are you sure you don't want the Serena and the guards for backup? They might still be useful..."
But Bo was already shaking her head. "The less new people around the Garuda, the less for him to feed on. He'll be weaker. Besides I can't give everyone my blood. It's already pushing it with this much," Bo said firmly.
Lauren looked worried. "How do you feel, anyway? Do you notice any changes yet?"
Bo hesitated and looked at the rear view mirror, catching Kenzi's eyes. The goth girl looked curious too but she didn't say anything, prompting Bo to answer. "No. I mean, I'm okay. As for the changes... I'm not too sure. I think I can feel you guys. Like you're connected to me." She glanced at the mirror again and this time saw Vex, who was uncharacteristically silent and staring out the window. "Are you... do you feel connected to me?"
Kenzi opened her mouth, sighed and tried again, "It feels warm. But maybe it's just the car's A/C isn't working again. Hit it, for me would you, Bo?"
Bo didn't even have to look and just hit the general area of the fans, which started to emit weak, cool air. "Lauren, how about you?"
"Tingly," Lauren immediately answered, provoking a snort from Vex. Nobody even bothered to pay him attention.
At Bo's confused/concerned/curious look, Lauren elaborated. "I don't know about the connected part but I can understand Hale's enthusiasm earlier, I could just control it better," she said.
Bo and Kenzi grinned at the mention of Hale and Kenzi spoke again, "Yeah, I think I feel that way too. I mean, I already love you Bo-Bo and you know I'd die for you even without your icky liquids running inside me... I think all that feeling is just heightened," Kenzi paused and then added, "Or you know, again, it could just be the two cups of coffee with a generous spike of Red Bull before we came here."
Lauren turned around to look at her incredulously. In the background, they could hear Bo muttering that her liquids weren't icky.
Kenzi raised her arms in mock innocence. "What? Don't look at me like that, Doc! We're going to battle, I needed the energy! I always perform better when I'm hyper."
"You're always hyper, Kenz," Bo piped in, her voice taking on a joking tone. "Are you sure you needed the boost? We don't want your tiny heart to burst in the middle of all this." She waved a hand in the air for emphasis.
Kenzi's eyes narrowed. "Tiny? Is that supposed to be a dig at my height, Bo-meister? Because you know, not all of us can have tall, gorgeous amazon figures."
Bo grinned and winked at Lauren, looking for support. "Did I say tiny? I'm sorry. You have the biggest heart that I know of, Kenz. Seriously, I'm so lucky to have you."
"Oh no, is this the bond-thrall working already? Turning you mush? And I thought that was my role," Kenzi playfully complained and caught sight of Lauren, who had unconsciously glanced back as if she could see Kenzi's big heart. "Hey! Doc just totally checked my boobs out!"
"What?!" Bo asked laughingly until she caught sight of Lauren's red face. "Lauren!" she gasped in pretend disapproval.
"We're here!" Vex yelled out, and with an easy flick of his arm, made Bo stop the car abruptly and stumbled out the door. "Thank bloody fuck! If I had known what torture it was to listen to you ladies blabbering on and on, I'd have just gladly let the Garuda skewer me with his flaming sword. Would've been less painful..." His voice drifted away as the Mesmer quickly walked away, putting much distance between him and the car.
Lauren had been startled by the sudden breaking of the car and was unpleasantly thrown forward on her seatbelt. When she recovered, she discovered that Vex had stopped them a full block from the asylum.
"Ow," came a whined complaint from the back as Kenzi nursed her bruised forehead.
"Vex! Dammit!" Bo yelled out ineffectually. She turned around to Lauren and then to Kenzi, "You guys okay?"
"We're fine."
"I'll live."
"Bo?"
The last one came from a looming Dyson just standing off of Bo's door side. "Are you okay? You stopped so abruptly."
Bo opened her mouth and then just shook her head. "Never mind. Let's just go."
xxx
The asylum was as terrifying as they expected. Even Vex, who was loudly commenting on the sorts of torture and pain the place must've witnessed, sounded slightly false. He and Dyson snarked at each other and Bo tried to keep the peace but she was also half-hearted, as if the sound of their voices were more comforting than their silence.
But still, they were on a mission and even if the Garuda already knew they were in the building (there was no way he'd miss their presence), they needed to be silent to evade the undoubtedly lying-in-wait berserkers.
Lauren however, was distracted by Bo's back and found her gaze being compelled to it, making all other senses fade into the background. It was a dangerous move, what with their current circumstances, but Lauren couldn't help herself either. (She had one of Bo's knives stuck in her boot as per their agreement earlier but was otherwise barehanded. Even Kenzi had a crossbow gun in her hands.) She wondered if it was part of the blood's effects on her and for a second was actually irritated by the fact that they were here and had to defeat the Garuda, when she would rather go back home to her lab and test the blood's effects properly.
As they walked forward, Lauren began to notice that the deeper they got into the building, the more aware she was of a faint sensation of unease. It was different from the group's nervous tension because this feeling was almost physical, like wading through mist.
She had to bite her tongue when Bo then decided they should all split up. It seemed to Lauren, a dangerous and unnecessary risk.
And of course, she was proven right because not ten minutes after they had separated, they got their first injury.
First, bersekers finally appeared to attack them but Bo was able to handle two with ease. For the first time, Lauren was able to view Bo like this: a formidable warrior fighting with the unique combination of her powers and the sword that looked like a natural extension of her body. She was struck with awe and wonder that was inappropriate in a battle ground and almost paid for it with her life when another berseker snuck behind them, intent on cutting her down. She only had time to yell out Bo's name and was preparing to duck, when Kenzi happened and the man choked on the arrow that got embedded in his throat.
Bo looked a little more tense after that and shot Lauren a few worried looks every few seconds until she decided to hook a finger on Bo's belt to reassure her of her presence. Lauren clearly saw Kenzi's eyes roll in good natured exasperation at their antics but Bo smiled at her and was able to relax after, which was her goal.
They spent a couple more minutes "investigating" the halls (more like wandering around lost - even with the blueprint of the place, it was still like a maze inside.) until they happened to meet again with Dyson and an injured Vex.
Lauren dropped immediately on the floor to examine the injured mesmer, listening with one ear to Dyson as he explained what happened to them but she quickly became worried when Vex didn't even bothered to voice his pain. She expected him to be a whiny, loud patient who would blame her for his hurts but he just twitched pathetically on the floor when she gingerly assessed the arm injury.
"He has a bad break. In fact, several," Lauren declared, looking up to Bo's concerned gaze. "He could go into shock, I have to stay with him..."
She didn't even manage to finish her sentence before Bo loudly protested, "What? No!"
Lauren spoke quickly, hating the words she was saying but knowing that she couldn't just leave the mesmer alone. "Bo, he can't travel. He needs care. We'll find a place to stay until you get back..."
"No!" Bo interrupted again, more frantic now. "I'm not leaving you!"
Lauren understood what she was going through but they couldn't be selfish now, not when they were already so close. She stood up and faced Bo directly, forcing her voice to remain calm and hoping that Bo would see reason. "Bo! Trick is still in danger, you have to go on." She softened her voice and added, "I'll be alright."
Bo looked pained at that but thankfully, she only took a deep breath and pulled Lauren for a short, intense kiss. It felt horrible to separate from her and Lauren knew that there was a big chance that this would be the last time they could see each other. Still, she exerted every effort not to let that emotion through her mask of confidence and maintained an encouraging face to reassure Bo.
Dyson murmured something and then Bo was walking away, and Lauren had to force herself to look back to Vex. She had a job to do.
xxx
While Lauren was preparing a shot to alleviate Vex's pain, Kenzi fidgeted and eventually wandered away telling her that she was going to "scout" the area. She wanted to stop the girl but Lauren hesitated in shouting to call her back, not wanting to alert any berserkers in the area. She couldn't leave Vex either so she just looked in frustration at the direction that Kenzi went off to.
She was jolted from her thoughts by a small moan from the mesmer and Lauren worked quickly, stabbing him in the thigh with her injection.
"Ow! Bloody hell, warn a fella next time, won't you?" Vex gritted out in pain.
Lauren could resist muttering, "My needles sharp enough now?" But she didn't wait for his reply either, hurrying up to examine the door near them. It was locked and Lauren gave it a few jiggles and even tried to poke the lock with a bent nail she found on the floor but the door won't budge. Slowly becoming frantic, despite her attempts to remain calm, (she was keenly aware that Kenzi hadn't returned yet), Lauren threw a quick glance at the prone Vex and distractedly asked, "How are you doing?"
"Oh peachy! Yeah! Lying down has relieved the pain of my shattered arm... completely!" he answered back sarcastically.
Lauren ignored him then, knowing that since he was back to his insulting, normal self, the pain killers must've worked wonders. He was almost in a shock earlier but now his color was back to a pinkish tinge and he was a bit more aware of his surroundings.
She tried the lock a couple more times before she caught Hale striding towards them in the corner of her eye. Her heart rate climbed drastically when she saw that he was carrying Kenzi in his arms and almost dreaded to check the girl. If she died…
Hale's worried voice broke through her dark thoughts. "Doc! You got to help her!"
Lauren took a quick look at the girl's bloody stomach and gestured to the door she had been trying to open, in frustration. "We need to get them in there! But I can't…I can't…"
She had barely finished talking when Val used her sword to break the lock and threw the door open. Without a word, Hale rushed inside and settled Kenzi on the table while Lauren struggled to assist Vex inside. Val took a quick look to see that they were settled before she went out the door again. This time, Lauren didn't bother worrying about her, knowing that the pombero would be better in taking care of herself.
"Doc…" Hale said again, looking anxiously at Lauren as he clasped Kenzi's hand on his own.
"Calm down, Hale," Lauren began, her voice carefully modulated to show none of her own fears. "You'll have to let go of her for now because I'll need to examine the wound."
Hale moved away reluctantly but didn't go too far, lingering by Lauren's back. "Is she…? There's so much blood."
The goth girl's shirt had been soaked through by now and the blood still kept pooling on the table to drip on the floor. Lauren had already grabbed a couple of heavy bandages to pack the wound but before she used them, Lauren poured a vial of clear liquid into the wound.
For a moment, nothing happened. Hale's confused "What?" in the background was ignored as Lauren waited tensely.
And then the wound smoked and Kenzi gave a pained whimper that soon developed into agonized crying. Hale almost bowled Lauren over in his haste to go to the girl's side.
"What the hell! Lauren! What did you do!" He didn't seem to know what to do with his hands, hovering them over the hurting girl. "What was that!" he turned around to glare at her.
Lauren ignored him again, now pressing the bandages firmly into Kenzi's wound, eliciting more cries.
But Hale's worry wouldn't allow him to stay on the sidelines anymore and he grabbed Lauren, forcefully turning her to face him. "Lauren!"
Lauren shook him off with a glare of her own. "I had to know if she was poisoned Hale! Some of the soldiers that had fought the berserkers had shown signs of blood poison when they came back and if Kenzi had contacted even a small bit of it, she would die because she's human!"
That shut Hale up immediately, his face paling. He took a horrified glance at the injured girl on the table and then back to Lauren with a pleading expression that she was able to interpret.
"She's okay. There's no poison and the blade didn't hit any major organs but I have to stop the bleeding now. Stay there and be quiet."
This time, Hale meekly followed her orders and only held Kenzi's hand, watching as Lauren injected the girl with some medicine that stopped the piteous whimpering. Lauren continued to put heavy pressure on the wound, packing more bandages as the wound continued to bleed heavily.
Val chose that moment to come back and in an anxious voice, announced, "We've got trouble! There's a group of berserkers headed this way!"
Vex's panicked voice, sounded close as he leaned over Lauren's shoulder. "Hello! We've got to get out of here!"
She was close to panic herself as the wound continued to bleed but Lauren struggled to sound reasonable as she argued back, "We can't move her, Vex. She'll bleed to death." She was trying to remember what supplies and medicines she had packed in her bag, trying to figure out what could best help the prone girl.
"We're not leaving her," Hale interjected in a serious voice. He sounded a lot calmer but Lauren could see the faint trembling of his hands and knew that Hale was the most afraid of them right now.
"Or Bo," Val added quickly.
"To hell with Bo!" Vex just as immediately argued, "Her scheme got us into this mess in the first place!"
That provoked a violent reaction in Hale, who swiftly let go of Kenzi's hand to confront the mesmer. "How could you say that, huh?!"
"Easy siren!" Vex growled out.
That finally caught Lauren's attention and she looked up from Kenzi's wound as a thought occurred to her.
"Wait! He's right. If you're truly bound to Bo, that thought wouldn't have crossed your mind!" She looked back at the scowling Vex and saw his eyes dart frantically. "You didn't take the blood did you, Vex?" she confirmed.
Vex didn't bother denying it. "Listen, I didn't mean any harm but..."
Lauren moved quickly and ordered Hale, "Take over and apply pressure." She grabbed one of the extra vials of Bo's blood in her bag and loaded it into an injection ignoring Vex's plaintive, "But it's a bit mad, isn't it?!"
"The binding isn't whole, there's a weak link in the chain," Lauren explained as she strode to where Vex had cornered himself. "Give me your arm."
Vex tried one last time to weasel out. "I'm sorry darling, I'm still not comfortable with that idea." He didn't seem to notice Val raising her sword to threaten him, only glancing nervously at the injection in her hands.
"Well, you better get comfortable because I'm gonna shove this arm so far down your throat, you'll be mesmerizing your own bowel movements," Lauren threatened firmly.
Groaning, "When you put it like that." Vex finally put out his uninjured hand, and Lauren wasted no time in injecting the blood in.
She had barely stepped back when the effects began to hit all of them. For a second, she couldn't breathe and thought she really was drowning this time.
Vex was looking at his arm in wonder and breathed out, "Now, there's power!"
Val and Hale looked equally stunned and Lauren was finally able to shake off the overwhelming rush of power/exhilaration/love/strength to turn back to Kenzi.
The girl seemed to have been influenced by the same rush as her features became naturally relaxed as opposed to the forced one from medication. She glanced back at Vex and wondered if his injury pain was similarly affected. "How are you?" Lauren couldn't resist asking. She herself felt that she could do twenty things at once right now.
"Hmm, liking life, loving that succubus," he drawled out. And then added in his natural, skeptic tone, "But that doesn't solve the problem of the approaching hordes now, does it?"
"Little mama, please. Fight. Fight. Come on, please," Lauren heard Hale whisper to Kenzi.
The girl reacted, her eyes opening a bit and she gasped, "Your voice..."
Another idea hit Lauren then and she turned to Hale. "Wait. Your siren whistle. Can you raise the frequency high enough to cauterize her wound?" The more she thought of the idea, the more it began to make sense. The main problem right now was the blood loss and cauterization to close the wound was the most efficient solution.
But Hale was shaking his head, "I don't think that's a good idea."
Lauren didn't allow it to deter her. "Hale, we have to do something." She glanced at the girl and felt her heart jolt at the thought of losing her. She didn't always get along with Kenzi but she had become part of Lauren's "family" because of her place in Bo's heart. "If we don't, she's going to die." And so are we, was the unsaid part of that statement. Because even if it was stupid, they wouldn't leave the girl to die alone and the berserkers would eventually find them. "You have to try," Lauren insisted.
Hale gave a look at his sister, who nodded back at him and then back to her. Lauren carefully removed the bandages to reveal the gaping wound and Hale whistled.
It seemed to take forever before Hale was panting out, clearly exhausted by the feat, and Kenzi began to breathe easier.
"Kenzi?" Lauren asked quietly.
"What happened?" Kenzi murmured, "Did I get roofied again?"
Lauren fought the urge to snicker at that as the relief spread throughout her. The girl would be alright; Kenzi would live. All of a sudden, a feeling of absolute certainty engulfed Lauren as she began to believe that all of them would get out of this alive and well; that they would defeat the Garuda and return home safe.
Maybe it was Bo's blood working on her system or the sheer relief from managing to save Kenzi but she didn't doubt the thought and let it infuse her spirits.
"No, no," Hale finally managed to speak and he grinned with relief. "You're gonna be just fine."
"You saved my life," Kenzi recognized.
"Listen, I don't want to interrupt this hallmark moment," Vex interrupted, "but uh, we got to get a move on."
"I have to find Bo," Kenzi declared, struggling to stand up.
That brought Lauren down a bit and she immediately tried to stop the girl. "No, no. Kenzi, we have to get you out of here." She wanted to go to Bo too but her duty lied in the care
"It's important," Kenzi insisted, looking more serious than she ever been, even in the face of her own death. "I promised."
Lauren hesitated for a second before she turned to look at Val. "Can you help me?"
And together they all limped out carefully off the room and on to find Bo.
xxx
They found Bo quickly and heard Dyson's bewildered question of "What, what happened? Where's the Garuda?" He was on the ground, struggling to get up and Hale hurriedly assisted him. Lauren only glanced to check that he was not heavily injured but all her attention was focused on Bo and Trick now.
"He's inside of Trick," Bo answered, her hate and fear, easily heard in her trembling voice.
Lauren expelled a heavy breath as dread began to pool in her stomach.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Stab the little bugger!" Vex demanded.
"It won't do any good. It'll just kill Trick the same way it did the others," Lauren quickly interjected, thinking of the other bodies she had been examining for months now and the foreign DNA that they had retained and eventually caught her attention.
The Garuda, speaking through Trick, gave her a benevolent smile but directed his words to Bo. "She's a smart one." His smile grew bigger and the malevolence in the air thickened. "Now if you don't mind, I have some laws to re-write. Of my own free will."
"Oh no, you don't!" Vex yelled, acting quickly. He threw an arm out and Trick's (the Garuda's) smug face instantly turned to indignation as he discovered that he couldn't move his arm. There was a second as everyone also froze in their position, watching the possessed Blood King struggle to break the mesmer's hold on him but Bo broke the tableau when she whirled around to face Lauren.
"The blood tests you ran on those victims, you mentioned they contained different fae DNA..." Bo stated, clearly remembering Lauren's half-asleep ramblings about her research that one night she stayed over at the doctor's place.
"Because they were infected by the Garuda, yes," Lauren caught on, seeing where Bo was going with this thought.
"Well, if the Garuda's DNA is inside of Trick then maybe..." Bo trailed in desperation.
"It might work but it could end up killing them both," Lauren argued, her mind furiously calculating Trick's chances. Despite the many tests she had ran, she still had very little knowledge of how the possession worked in the first place. Was it a fully body merging, meaning that the Garuda somehow was able to mesh his entire physical body on his victim or was it only on the mental side as he dominated their emotions and memories? How much control did he have over his victim and for how long could he continue a possession at one time? What did it mean that he left bits of his DNA behind?
There were too many variables and Lauren couldn't risk the thought of killing Trick accidentally by her mistake. It was almost too much pressure for her to determine at this point.
But on the other hand, she couldn't bear the look on Bo's face either.
The succubus looked halfway defeated already, as if she had given up the thought of being able to kill the Garuda and save her newly-recognized grandfather.
"The Nain Rouge's prophecy, she showed me a vision where I killed Trick," Bo admitted, her voice breaking.
Before Lauren could answer, Vex interrupted in half-frantic, half-irritated tones, "Ladies, I can't hold him off forever!"
Lauren sighed deeply and she must've made a facial expression to signify her decision because Bo's face hardened in reply. Without another word, she took the naga venom from her pocket and strode over to where Trick (the Garuda) was still struggling under Vex's hold. Lauren followed quickly as she began to rifle one hand inside her bag.
"Gift from Lachlan," Bo whispered viciously, stabbing the venom right into Trick's neck. "Leftover naga venom."
The effect was near instantaneous. Trick's skin turned dark and began to crack, his muscles seizing with obvious pain. His breath grew short and he struggled to get up, grasping Bo's arms tightly as he demanded in a croaking voice, "What have you done?" before he finally choked and fell on the floor.
In that moment, a great torrent of fire seemingly erupted out of Trick's body and began to hover in the air, taking the form of the eagle. It thrashed in pain, contorting and twisting around, as the Garuda was unable to return to his physical form. They all watched as it gave a final dying shriek of agony before the flame winked out and the greatest threat to the fae finally died.
Bo dived to Trick's side, kneeling on the dirt as she frantically checked his poisoned body. "Trick? Trick, no! Trick, come back to me please!" Bo begged, as she tried to waken him.
Kenzi had also dropped down beside them and reached out for Trick's pulse. She shook her head in sadness and Lauren saw, out of the corner of her eyes, Bo swaying as if she was suddenly in a swoon. "No..." Bo sobbed out, crying loudly. Behind her, they could hear echoing gasps of devastation from Hale and Dyson.
And then like a switch had been turned on, Bo's eyes flashed blue and she began to mutter to herself, "I should've killed the Garuda sooner," Bo said, her voice turning deeper, "Every single one of his minions...I will seek them out and kill them all, and anyone who tries to stand in my way..."
Kenzi's looked alarmed and she grabbed Bo's arm tightly, speaking carefully. "Bo! You're losing control. Time for your meds."
Bo nodded and produced the clear vial that Trick had given her. Lauren lifted her head just in time to stop Bo from pouring the precious liquid in Trick's mouth. "No, no, Bo!"
"I know what I'm doing, Lauren! Let go of me!" Bo snarled back, trying to jerk her hand away. But she couldn't use her full strength, trying not to spill the precious essence.
"Bo, trust me, please," Lauren pleaded. "Trick will be fine, I promise you." She gingerly showed Bo the item she had been frantically looking for this whole time. It was another injection and contained a yellowish, pus like substance. "Please, Bo."
"What...?" Bo asked, blinking at her.
"Drink your medicine and I'll take care of Trick."
Bo looked reluctant but finally, she pulled her hand holding the clear liquid away from Trick. She didn't make any move to drink it herself and still looked suspicious but Lauren already breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't waste any time in arguing against Bo but instead, plunged the needle to Trick's neck, emptying the yellow substance into the blood king's body.
For a few tense moments, they all waited for some sign that he would be okay. Everyone could hear Bo's whispered praying of "Please, please, please Trick," but as the seconds grew longer, Bo became restless again, glaring at Lauren. "It's not working... I have to..." she tried to bring the clear vial once again to Trick's mouth but at that moment, Trick gave a weak gasp of air and his eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Bo?"
"Trick!"
Gasps of relief followed Bo's cry of joy and everyone grinned in giddy joy at seeing their beloved friend recover.
This time, Lauren hit him with another prepared medicine and it allowed Trick to focus a bit more. "The Garuda?" he asked.
"He's dead," Bo affirmed, smiling at him. And then like another switch was hit, she swayed once again and her still blue eyes flashed again.
"What have you been waiting for? Bo! Drink it!" Trick yelled out in alarm.
"I couldn't lose you," Bo said, still ignoring the vial in her hand.
"But you could lose yourself," Trick turned to Kenzi quickly and ordered, "Unbind her now!"
Kenzi had hopped up to Hale and Lauren saw that she cut the siren's hand and bound it with white cloth.
Bo had stooped up then and Lauren was suddenly reminded of that time with the Lich. It was almost the same words as this seemingly alter-ego of Bo boasted of her power and voiced her plan to be Queen of everything. But then the succubus was interrupted by Dyson who had sneaked closer and somehow gotten her to swallow the clear liquid essence from the vial.
It all neatly coincided with Kenzi's chant of "With harm to none, thy will be done, thou cannot harm them, Bo!"
Bo dropped like a stone, and Lauren suddenly felt disoriented as the binding was removed from all of them and for a quick second she thought, she too would fall down. And even as she struggled with herself, she fought another flashback from their time with the Lich.
She knew that Bo would awaken soon, most likely with no memory of this event, but she couldn't stopped her panicked cries as well when she saw the succubus collapse as if she was dead. She hurried to her side, beating a worried Dyson by a second and Trick struggled to prop himself up, to reassure them, "It's okay. It's a good sign."
Lauren glanced at Bo's unconscious face, then to the still sickly-looking but alive Trick and finally to her companions and finally allowed herself to relax.
They won. They're all safe now.
She glanced back at Bo and ran a tender hand at her hair. They would all be alright.
xxx
With Trick safely ensconced in his bed downstairs and Bo repeatedly assured of his well-being, the group finally allowed itself to relax and celebrate their victory with a few drinks.
Lauren only allowed herself one drink and kept a watchful eye on her other two patients, as she listened to the others' cheerful words.
"All hail the champion," Val quipped teasingly when she saw Bo come up from Trick's apartment.
Bo gave a slightly shy smile and said, "It was a team effort."
"It was a team," Hale came up, grinning, "led by you," he finished, looking both grateful and tired. His clothes were still bloody but it didn't take anything from the atmosphere of merriment at the moment.
Lauren couldn't help but glance at Kenzi and Vex then, who were moving as if they were never injured in the first place. She was almost sure that the binding had somehow allowed them to tap into Bo's ability to heal herself quickly but she didn't know how exactly it happened. She was tired and weary, a combination of the long days and the draining of the battle adrenaline from earlier, but a large part of her was eager to get back in her lab and really study the effects of Bo's blood and the binding.
"Seriously, hasn't the binding worn off?" Bo asked half jokingly, looking more embarrassed.
"Just accept the compliments, Bo-bo," Kenzi grinned from the bar.
"Something I have to say, darling," Vex interjected, walking towards her and Lauren saw Bo's face wrinkle as the mesmer's alcohol laden breath hit her face. Vex casually slung an arm across the succubus' shoulders and said, "I'm very impressed with you. You didn't let me down half as much as I thought you would,"
Bo cut him off immediately. "Well, it turns out you were the right man for the job, Vex," she said, and thankfully, it appeased his ego enough that he let go of her and wandered back to the bar.
Lauren smiled at that small scene and turned back to fixing her bag. In her haste in finding the antidote to the naga venom earlier, she had made a mess of the other supplies she had brought and she thought it would be a good time to check now if certain medicines had spilled and unknowingly combined to create a super bomb in her bag. Well, not really a bomb, more like a toxic cloud of death, Lauren thought, and felt a little amused that she wasn't even really joking. Fae chemicals were that volatile and unpredictable.
She startled to hear Dyson speak to her, suddenly finding that he was standing quite near.
"You know, it's gonna take them a while to select a new Ash. Now might be your best chance," he said cryptically.
Lauren frowned a little. "To do what?"
"Run," Dyson immediately replied. "Be free. I know how much that means to you," he added.
Lauren struggled to swallow with her suddenly dry throat. "Well, I appreciate you looking out for me," she said as calmly as she could. It was a struggle because of the sudden panic that had taken over her. There was something in Dyson's eyes that unnerved her. She knew instinctively that he wasn't being entirely noble with his intention of warning her and she feared that she knew what was causing this behaviour.
But before he could reply, Bo had sneaked closer and was suddenly hugging her from behind. Lauren saw Dyson's eyes flash before he managed to stifle the emotion that gripped him and her dry throat instantly became constricted by a painful lump as her suspicions were proven correct: he was jealous.
Somehow, someway, he had gotten his love back from the Norn.
She wanted to cry and maybe shout at how unfair this all was to happen now, just when they were finally getting some peace but Lauren's brain short circuited when Bo started nuzzling her.
Okay, so it wasn't a real nuzzle but the tip of her nose touched Lauren's neck and the electric sensation caused her to shiver in the succubus' arms.
"Excuse us, Dyson," Bo said, not even looking at the wolf. "I want to talk to Lauren about something."
"Oh, uh, Bo..." Dyson stuttered, frowning in bewildered anger.
"I'll talk to you later," Bo reassured him over her shoulder as she steered Lauren out the back door.
The door had barely closed behind them when Lauren found herself being pushed to the alley's opposite wall gently and kissed very, very thoroughly by an eager Bo.
When they finally ran out of air, and had to separate, Lauren tried to nonchalantly ask, "So what did you want to talk about?"
Bo grinned at her then before laughing loudly, and Lauren knew she looked ridiculous. Her clothes were rumpled from wandering hands, her hair oddly smushed by the wall behind her and her lips were still slightly swollen by that delicious kiss. She laughed at herself before Bo stopped them both with another, quicker kiss.
And then Bo made an effort to become more serious. "I just wanted to thank you, for saving Trick. I... I just..." Bo looked frustrated at her inability to express her gratitude and Lauren stepped in to fill the gap.
"You don't have to thank me, Bo. It was my job to heal all of your hurts, it's why I came in the first place." She took a deep breath and smiled, "But more than that, you are my family too and I couldn't just let Trick die. He's important to me as well."
Bo gave her a slightly teary grin. "You're wonderful, you know that?"
Lauren gave a shy shrug back and Bo continued, "You really are. I don't even...how did you do it? What was that antidote?"
At that, Lauren became a bit more animated. "It's actually naga venom."
"What?!"
"It's actually very neat, Bo! The Naga venom could probably be argued as the deadliest poison ever and there's no known antidote at all. Through some experimenting, I discovered that the venom, once it fully coagulates, will start breaking down again to a form similar to the original venom, except more yellowish in colour. At first I thought it was the same but then it became apparent that it had lost its potency already. But when you add it to a fresh batch - it completely negates the poison, Bo. In short, it's its own cure. It's very elegant, actually. Sometimes, you really have to admire the way fae evolved to be the most efficient..."
"You are the most amazing person ever and I love you so much," Bo interrupted her rambling, smiling widely. "Have I told you that for today yet?"
"No, actually," Lauren said, thinking about it seriously. "Not yet."
"I love you, Lauren," Bo said immediately, losing a bit of her glow at the thought of her negligence. "I want to tell you everyday how much you mean to me so you won't ever forget."
"I... love you too, Bo," Lauren answered back but her unintended hesitance caught Bo's attention.
"Lauren?" Bo stepped closer, taking her hand in hers.
Lauren hated herself a little for this but she still answered honestly. "Dyson has his love back."
From the way Bo's eyes had widened, Lauren knew that she hadn't been privy to that information before. It eased the lingering knot in her heart and she knew she would have been hurt (an irrational reaction, but still a painful one) if Bo had known and kept the knowledge in an effort to "protect" her feelings.
"How did you...?" Bo stuttered, and then blinked, "Are you sure?"
"I really think so," Lauren nervously confirmed, and then because she couldn't help herself and her anxious nerves, she continued to blurt out, "I know that you loved him before and that it wasn't really fair for both of you when the Norn took his love away and Bo, I'm not asking you to stop seeing him or anything," Lauren became more flustered as she heard the words she was saying thoughtlessly, "I'm not saying that you can't see him at all, of course! I don't control you, I don't want to and I just want you to know that I know that..."
She was suddenly cut off by a gentle finger that lightly touched her lips. "Breathe, Lauren," Bo said, looking at her tenderly.
Lauren followed her advice obediently and sucked in a lungful of breath.
"I don't want to lose you," she confessed softly.
Bo's face became solemn but Lauren didn't see because she was trying to stare a hole in the ground, beating herself up for being so insecure. But she had to look up when she heard Bo reply.
"You won't." Bo took her hands and lifted them to her face, kissing her palms gently. "I'm here, Lauren. I won't leave you."
"Bo..." Lauren really didn't know what she wanted to say as a mixture of guilt and relief mingled to twist her insides.
"I'm happy that Dyson got his love back, but I've moved on," Bo continued, "I'm with you now and," Bo cut herself off with a rueful smile and a slight shake of her head, "God, I should be mad at you for thinking that just because Dyson's available again, I'll be unable to resist him. But I just think of your face when you were babbling so cutely and," she gave another amused head shake, "I just want to kiss you again."
This time, Lauren lunged forward to bestow a fervent kiss, not bothering to reply. Bo welcomed her gladly back into her arms and for a moment, they only held each other close, kissing and touching lovingly. They both retained enough control not to do anything further than that and felt content to be with each other. For the first time in a long while, they felt peaceful.
"We'll make this work," Lauren suddenly stated.
Bo looked at her and then smiled. "Yes, we will."
THE END
Another A/N:
That's it folks, the end. No more epilogue. Or sequels. You could see how much I worked so that I don't have to write a sequel, what with Bo not using her grandmother's essence to cure her grandfather. Happy endings for everyone all around (except for Dyson). :D
Anyway, I'm so happy that I was able to finish this fic at all because when I first started it, I didn't think it would span this long. And while I'm also a little sad because I'll miss working on this, I also feel a bit giddy because now I can finally start on working on the other prompts popping in my head. So don't worry, I'll still be here making Doccubus fics. :)
Also, again, I just wanted to thank all of you who took the time to review (I wasn't able to answer all your comments but know that I appreciated every one of them and took them seriously, using your input to help me shape the characters) and those who favorited and followed as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
rabastan04