Hey folks! The two women's little adventure takes off to an unexpected start. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 6 – Sideways

They left the graveyard, and for the first time in forever, Bo didn't feel like she was abandoning Lauren. She had no idea, whether Théa's plan would work, but she figured that she didn't have anything to lose and everything to win. Which was why she didn't ask any questions, when the older woman took her to a shady back alley near Lauren's old lab. They'd agreed on sending Bo five months into the past, hopefully giving her enough time to uncover the conspiracy that had led to her absence, and eventually, to her wife's demise. They wanted to make absolutely sure that something like this wouldn't happen again.

Bo snuck into a particularly dark corner and listened intently, but didn't hear a sound. Not even a car passing by. It was early morning and cloudy, so she couldn't see much besides the dim light seeping into the narrow alley from the main street. "Are you here?", she asked the darkness.

Théa had turned herself invisible the moment they'd left the graveyard, so as not to alert anyone of her presence. She needed to take every possible precaution to make this work and her nerves were on edge. Because contrary to Bo, she was terrified of her little experiment. Death didn't scare the succubus in the slightest, so as far as she was concerned, she could only win, whatever the outcome. But for Théa, this would be the only chance to get her daughter back. If she was completely honest with herself, Lauren was the sole reason she was even alive today. It had been unspeakably hurtful for her to leave Ethan and never even tell him about her pregnancy, but when he'd died in that car crash…

She'd toyed with the thought of ending her life more than once, and had it not been for Lauren, she'd likely have gone through with it a long time ago. Which in turn raised a question that kept forcing itself into her mind, even if she continuously tried to push it away: What if the jump turned out to be too straining for even Bo's Queen, inevitably leaving to the finality of her beloved daughter's death? What if she blew the one shot she had at a chance to see her again? Would she really want to travel into the past, knowing the exact day that Lauren would perish? And more importantly, would she be strong enough to stop herself from interfering then? She wasn't so sure anymore. Lauren had been the only light left in her life, and with her gone, Théa felt like nothing but an empty shell.

"Théa?"

Bo's anxious voice roused the older woman from her dark thoughts. Determinedly, she shook her head to get rid of them. "Sorry, I'm here", she replied quietly.

"So, what do I do?", Bo asked. Now that they were here, she couldn't wait to see Lauren again. Despite Théa's emphatic warning, she felt giddy like a child at Christmas. The possibility of dying was present somewhere in the back of her mind, but Bo chose not to dwell on it.

"Lie down", Théa advised, and at Bo's raised eyebrow, added: "I know this alley's filthy, but I don't know how quickly the soul transfer will happen or how long your body will take to enter limbo. I expect it to be instant, but… well, like I said, I've never done this before, so unless you want to risk your body falling down and breaking a couple of bones…"

"Got it", Bo interrupted, looking for a spot furthest away from the dumpster. She didn't want to break any bones, but she also didn't like the thought of rats feasting on her soulless body. Suck it up, succubus, she told herself and lay down.

"Now, close your eyes and relax", Théa said.

Bo obeyed, feeling the blonde's presence surround her like a soothing blanket.

"Try to clear your head of any thoughts. Pretend like you're standing in complete darkness and focus on the sound of my voice."

Bo did as asked and felt her body melt away. She no longer sensed the wet ground she was lying on, nor the cold against her skin, letting go of all her senses as she entered a state of deep meditation.

You're alone in the dark now. Don't be afraid, it's where you want to be. Théa's voice echoed inside her, but just like before, it didn't reach her through her ears.

I'm not afraid, she answered.

Good, because there's no reason to be. Look ahead. Lauren is here. She's heading your way can you see her?

Yes. A figure was slowly emerging from the black fog. Lauren. She was smiling.

Don't speak. Reach out. Take her in your arms. Focus on her presence alone. The two of you are the only ones here. There's no-one else.

Théa's voice echoed through Bo's mind as a whisper, filling her with one thought and one thought alone.

Lauren. Lauren. Lauren.

She held her pressed to herself, her eyes no longer aware of even the darkness, as they slowly slipped through the void. Complete silence filled her mind, her senses going numb. Nothing existed here. There was no "here". She fell. Fell. Fell.

And then, suddenly, it was as if she'd stopped dead in her tracks, halting from the speed of light to a total standstill from one split-second to the next. She breathed in deeply, filling her lungs like she hadn't inhaled in days, her senses slowly returning one by one.

Wow, this air felt good. Amazing, really. She relished in its flavour, her body screaming for more, more… more!

Wait a minute. Air tasted differently. Plus, whatever was entering her body, didn't fill her lungs.

Bo's eyes snapped open, and she interrupted, what she was doing. Instantly, the man previously attached to her mouth slumped down. In a flash, all her senses came back to her, and she immediately scanned her surroundings, quickly analysing the situation. She was no longer lying down, but the alley seemed to be the same… though it didn't look quite as dirty, and the dumpster looked different. It was night-time, so she couldn't make out much more than that. Instead, she focused back on the guy lying at her feet.

"Hey! Hey, wake up!", she called out, gently poking his body with the tip of her boot. He grunted, but didn't do much else. Not that Bo noticed, as she was too busy checking out her clothes. The boot looked familiar, but she couldn't really place it. Racking her brain to solve the mystery of her footwear, she looked down on herself. The rest of her clothes looked just as familiar-but-unfamiliar as her shoes. Weird.

A movement in the corner of her eye once again reminded her of the presence of the man. His breathing was shallow, and his arm was draped over his face, so Bo couldn't make out his features. Suddenly, it dawned on her. Shit, I probably sucked him dry. And then another. Wait, that must've been years ago…

Startled, she hovered over him, shoving his hand out of the way and opening his mouth slightly to push some chi back into him. He grunted again, but this time, it sounded stronger.

"Whaaat", he slurred, but that was all he could manage. Turning his face away from Bo, he embraced his body with his arms, wretched coughs shaking his body. The brunette stood by, observantly watching his pitiful form, as he slowly calmed down.

"Shh, it's over. You're okay now", she said in a soothing voice, giving him a mild pulse for good measure. "Can you stand?"

He pressed his hands against the ground and, with great effort, managed to push himself into a sitting position. Then, he leaned against the wall and faced the brunette. "You're so pretty, I think, I love you, what's your name", he babbled with a stupid grin on his face. And suddenly, Bo remembered, who he was.

Reluctantly gripping his collar, she pulled him up and towards her mouth, so she could push some more chi back into him, in order to snap him out of his hazy state. Then, she roughly shoved him away.

He stumbled backwards, colliding with the opposite wall with a pained oof. Grabbing his head with a groan, he seemed to slowly return to his senses. His gaze became clearer, and his mouth formed a surprised o, before realisation dawned on him. All of a sudden, all haziness left his eyes, and the boyish features of his baby face disappeared, making way for an enraged grimace.

"What the fuck, bitch?", he yelled, pushing himself off the wall to lunge at her.

Bo dodged his sloppy sad-excuse-for-a-punch and grabbed his arm, elegantly turning him around and in one fluid motion twisting it behind his back. Then, she shoved him back against the wall, hovering her mouth next to his ear.

"Now, now, didn't your mummy teach you that it isn't nice to hit other people?", she chided in a menacingly friendly tone. He struggled against her, but she was way too strong for him, so eventually, he gave up, his body going limp once more. The corners of Bo's mouth twisted upwards in a grimly satisfied grin. "Now, listen to me, and listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once. If I ever see you trying to roofie a woman again, I will return and rip off your tiny little dick, got it?"

He whimpered, instinctively pressing his legs together to protect his junk. Bo tightened her grip, twisting his arm upwards a little more. Ignoring his pained wail, she hovered her mouth closer to his ear. "I can't hear you", she growled, using her Queen's sinister voice for emphasis.

The man nodded vigorously, his body shaking with desperate sobs. "Yes, yes. Anything you want. Oh, god, please. Please don't hurt me."

His whiny voice and begging tone disgusted Bo, but she pushed her own desire to beat this pathetic little fuck to a pulp aside. "Good", she said instead, her voice cheery, as if she was praising a dog.

He was still babbling, repeating over and over how sorry he was and that it was never going to happen again. But Bo knew his type. She knew that once he no longer feared for his life, he would slip back into his old patterns quickly, so she decided to give him a little added incentive. Shoving him against the wall once more to shut him up, she lowered her voice to a menacing growl. "I advise you to never ever forget what you just promised", she said. "You better believe I'll hold true to my word. I know everything about you, Henry, and I'm sure your mum would love to hear what I have to say to her, if you misbehave."

With immense satisfaction, Bo watched his eyes widen in shock at the mention of his real name… and his mother. His breathing picked up, he was shaking all over, and new tears streamed down his face, as he desperately tried to keep it together. "God, no, don't tell mum, please", he begged. "I swear, I won't do it again."

Bo hummed. "Swear on your mother's life that you will never hurt anyone ever again, Henry. From now on, you will treat people with respect, or else… I will come for you", she added, the last five words uttered in the voice of her Queen.

It was too much for him. Within a split-second, he lost control over his bladder, peeing his pants and whimpering like a wounded animal. Satisfied with the result of her treatment, Bo let go of him and watched him bolt out of the alley without turning back even once.

"Impressive", Théa praised when he was gone.

Bo sighed. "He was one of the few people, whose deaths I… almost didn't regret", she mumbled. "I just hope this worked, and he really does stop. Fucking scumbag. I really do want to keep an eye on him", she growled.

The other woman's invisible hand lightly touched her shoulder. "I will help", Théa promised.

"Thank you, I appreciate that." Bo smiled lightly, feeling a little better about letting the bastard go. Then, she turned towards the main street. "So", she said, taking a deep breath. "I know, where we are, but I have a feeling that the when doesn't exactly match our original destination. It feels like ages ago that I sucked this jerkoff dry. And I don't remember these clothes either." She looked around to where she assumed Théa was standing. "Any idea?"

The blonde was already one step ahead. Théa had scanned the alley, while Bo was busy with Henry, eventually spotting a half-full binbag with a newspaper sticking out of a hole in the side. "Unfortunately, yes", came the apologetic reply. "I'm afraid we ended up a lot earlier than the intended June 2022."

"C'mon, spit it out already", Bo urged.

"According to that newspaper, it's June alright. But instead of 2022, we landed in 2004", Théa confessed sheepishly.

To her surprise, Bo didn't have a go at her, like she'd anticipated. On the contrary… given by her bemused chortle, she seemed almost giddy. "Welp, what can you do, eh?", she said matter-of-factly. "I'd say this is a success."

"You… would?", Théa replied, a little dumbfounded.

"Well, yes… I'm alive, aren't I?", she said with a wink in her voice. "And in 2004, so is Lauren. That's all I need to know."

"I guess that's true", Théa said absent-mindedly.

"Of course it is. So, what's the next step? Where is she? I want to find her as soon as possible."

"Okay, now wait a second. We need to make some plans, don't you think? Establish some rules", the older woman interjected.

"Rules?"

Théa sighed. "Bo, don't forget, where… when you are. The you from this time was on the run, didn't know, what she was… or about the fae." Her voice came closer.

"So?", the brunette interjected with a shrug. "Didn't you tell me no-one here will know, what future they would've had, so nothing I do really has an impact?"

"Not exactly", Théa replied. "First of all, I intended to send you back five months, not eighteen years. But more importantly, the fact that nobody in this time will know that your being here will change their fate, doesn't mean you won't." She paused.

"So, what are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is be careful. You will change the course of history; that is fact. You already did…"

Bo bit her lip and glanced into the direction where Henry had run off. "Are you saying I should've gone through with it and killed him? Because that's… I can't."

Two invisible hands touched the succubus' shoulders. "And I would never ask you to. I knew the risk when I offered to take you back. Ending up all the way in 2004 was… unfortunate, but we'll have to make do." She took a deep breath. "Every single person you killed between now and the day Lauren told you, what you were, will live. This alone will have consequences you and I can't even begin to fathom. And none of the affected will ever know. But", she added emphatically, "that doesn't mean you can behave as you please."

Bo nodded and sighed. "I get it. I don't want to play destiny."

"Which is why we need rules. And the first one is to avoid any contact whatsoever with your friends from 2022. Because you didn't know any of them in 2004. That includes Dyson, Kenzi and Trick."

"Trick…", Bo gasped. She'd been so focused on getting to Lauren that she hadn't even thought about her grandfather, who, in this time, was very much alive… just like Tamsin, Hale and Aife. She sent a pleading look to where she assumed Théa was standing, but she knew they'd all be off limits.

"You can't, Bo", the older woman repeated.

"I understand." The brunette hung her head, but then inhaled and straightened her back. A small smile formed on her lips. "Well, at least I'll know they're all alive and well."

Théa smiled back at her. "Yes. Focus on that."

"So, what's rule number two?"

"Stay alive."

Bo snorted. "Um… okay?"

"For the sake of your younger self, who's now inhabiting your older body."

"Hm. What'll happen to her… me, if I die?"

"That's the problem – I have no idea. I told you, this is a first for me, too. Currently, her soul rests in limbo and lives within your body, which is alive in 2022. If you, for some reason, die in this time, your body won't be there in 2022. And your younger self may get stuck in limbo. Possibly forever."

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Bo wrapped her arms around herself. "That's… unsettling."

"Like I said, I don't know, if that's what'll happen. It's just a theory. Another possibility is that she'll simply die, once you do. But I can't be sure."

"Right", Bo said, exhaling in a puff. "No dying. What else?"

"No telling Lauren about the fae", Théa replied in a steadfast tone.

Bo grimaced. "`What?!", she exclaimed under her breath. "But how am I supposed to save her if…" She let her voice trail off.

"She doesn't know about us yet, and we should keep it this way for as long as possible."

Suddenly, Bo had a devastating thought. "Wait, you're not implying I should let her go to the Congo, are you? Let the Ash lure her into slavery? Let him curse Nadia?"

"Honestly, I don't know", the blonde admitted, and Bo could almost hear the grimace that went along with her statement. "As soon as I realised where we'd ended up, I knew we'd have to improvise. And believe me, I know your Queen well enough to be sure that she'd never allow Nadia in Lauren's life."

"Does she… are they together now?"

"Fortunately, no. They're not going to meet for a few months."

Bo sighed a breath of relief. "So, if they've never meet, they won't know what they're missing, right? Plus, if Nadia never enters the picture, she won't get cursed and die…"

"Correct", Théa admitted. "But she won't serve as the Garuda's eyes and ears either. Which means this destiny might await someone else from your group." She paused to let this piece of information sink in and watched Bo slump her shoulders.

"Oh, no…"

"Or the Garuda may never rise", Théa added. "My point is, from today onwards, we don't know what will happen. Your mere arrival here has irreversibly changed the future. It's in your hand, just like everyone else's. The difference is that you know of a different one."

"I can make it better…", Bo said, hopefully.

"Or worse", Théa reminded her.

"Right." The brunette exhaled a long breath. "So, no telling her about the fae. No talking to anyone I knew in my old future. No changing too many people's fates. Anything else?"

"One more thing. It's not a rule, but more of a fact you have to be aware of." Bo waited. "No matter, what happens, you are now stuck in this time. There's no jumping back to your future, because it no longer exists."

"Hey, how come your allowed to jump back and forth at will, but I can't?", Bo demanded to know.

Théa smirked at the young succubus' challenging tone. "Okay, hold your horses, cowgirl. First of all, I didn't jump back and forth even remotely as often as you apparently think I did. Secondly, I could only jump because I never interfered. And thirdly, from this point onwards, I will no longer be able to travel through time, because this time, I have interfered. I'm stuck here, just like you."

"Oh."

"You're here for Lauren, don't forget that", she continued with a soft voice. "My daughter. Who is the only one I would ever take this kind of risk for. So that she can live."

Bo smiled dreamily. "Lauren…", she breathed. "God, I love her so…"

"I know you do. And so do I. Which is why I'm ready to remain here. For her."

"I don't care, what timeline I'm in", Bo said determinedly. "I'm happy, as long as I'm with her. I'd have waited a hundred years if that's what it would've taken." She looked in Théa's direction. "So, yes, I am aware that I'm stuck here. And I don't care."

"Good." The broad smile on her face was audible. "I didn't expect you to. But I had to ask."

"Alright", Bo said, clapping her hands together once to indicate that she was ready for action. "Now that we've established all that, back to my initial question… Where's Lauren?"

"She's a post graduate at Cornell University in Ithaka."

"Wow", Bo breathed, a little flabbergasted at the sudden precise intel as well as its implications. "I always knew she was crazy smart, but Cornell is something else. I can't believe I never asked her…"

Théa didn't miss her sad tone of voice. "Don't be so hard on yourself", she said. "Lauren's past was a delicate topic. She was uncomfortable talking about it, and you sensed that. Maybe, subconsciously, you were just giving her space. And I think she appreciated that. She likely will in this time, too."

Bo huffed out a breath. "Oh, man. I totally forgot about that. It's 2004, so she's been on the run for… how long?"

"Six years", Théa replied. "But that's not my story to tell. I'm sure she'll open up to you when she's ready."

"Right. So, what's my first move? Where do I start?"

"You're the PI. You tell me."

Bo grinned. Théa was right! Bo and Kenzi may not have been the most conventional private eyes there ever were, but their success rate spoke for itself. Now that she thought about it, this mission was right up her alley.

"I'd say, let's go to Ithaka."