Bo.
Once we got Dyson up off of the floor and he had gone to the bathroom to gather himself and clean up a bit. My thoughts turned back to Lauren. Ever the Doctor she checked him to make sure he was ok, no matter how many times he tried to push her concerned hands away. Once he was sure it was really Lauren, he allowed her to check his vitals.
Something we all know he was never keen on before. I watched him with a concerned eye. How many times had Lauren felt inferior to him? How many times had I allowed it or looked over it? I swallowed hard at the thought. Those days were over.
She was busy putting everything back into her medical bag. She never looked more beautiful. Dyson only passed out. She was certain he didn't have a bump on his head or a concussion. He would never admit to any of those if he did.
That's the part of Lauren that I first fell in love with. The concerned woman and Doctor. She was always like that no matter who it was. No matter how the patient had treated her. No matter how small the wounds were. She knew how to treat the patient. She knew what they needed to do to help themselves. I have seen her treat humans. I have seen her treat Fae.
Our house once again smells like antiseptic. And it is the second most enticing smell in the world. The first being Lauren of course. Everything about the woman draws me in. Even now.
I wasn't there when she drew her last breath. I know she's back. But she was gone too long. So long I had almost forgotten her scent. So long that I bathed her dead body just to smell it on her all over again. In her hair. On her hands. On her face. On her stomach. On her legs. On her feet. You see. I check everything too.
Some would say we were meant to be. We aren't soul mates. That would mean the both of us had souls and I never felt I had one. I murdered people for over ten years. I was a monster. An unstoppable monster. I did what I wanted. Slept where I wanted. Stole what I wanted. I had to keep moving. I had to keep running.
I had scouted the clubhouse until I was sure it had been abandoned. Whoever had it first was in a rush to leave. I found old utility bills on the living room floor. So when they came again. I just paid them. Seems silly now since I knew I could thrall anyone but I wanted to stay off of the radar. So I mailed the payments in. If I went in person they would have known I wasn't the old tenants. Whenever a problem happened, I found someone and paid them under the table to fix it. I loved the holes in the walls. If I had complete walls that would likely draw attention.
I found a bartending job to make other ends meet and then I met Kenzi. We got into some shit and then I was sitting in the Ash's chair. Then I met her.
The her I met that is currently walking around cleaning our spotless house. The her that smiles at me often knowing I'm watching her. The her that has come by to wipe the tears from my eyes. The her that bent my head down to kiss my forehead. The her that wanted to walk away from me for good because she didn't want me to see her die. The her that died alone up the very stairs that she is now sweeping. The her. My her.
My friend. My Doctor. My love. The love that thought she was never enough for me as a human. The love that held on to love for five years trying to cure her then gf. The love that gave up her life and freedom for her love. The love that spontaneously told me she loved me even when we were days away from waking up Nadia. I know she meant it then. I knew she meant it every time that she told me. She tried to take it back. But it was too late. It had already been tattooed on my heart. In my memory. On my soul. The soul she found in me.
The soul she brought to life the minute she asked me to come with her. That soft, helping, and healing voice. I had never heard anything more beautiful other than the sound of her heart as it started beating again.
Why am I telling you this? Because one day I want to be deserving of her. I stopped to wipe my own eyes. She had gone to the kitchen and Dyson hadn't returned yet. Dyson.
For so long I allowed him to think that we would be a couple again. But were we really a couple to begin with? We all know the story. He was the first one that I didn't kill in bed. Nobody ever knew those were experiments. Experiments to see how far I could go without killing someone. Experiments to see who my Succubus reacted to like she had reacted to Kyle. Lauren had been helping me with her injections. Slowly I felt the change. People thought they were making me weak. But I was not weak in strength.
Then the day came. The day. Dyson had been punching his bag while I was out on a case. I admit they kicked my butt a bit and I needed a quick heal. I needed to heal so I could go out and track down more leads. I wanted to help LouAnn and the Ash said no. I wouldn't bother asking the Morrigan because everything with her was "if you join the Dark", first.
I was about to go out and look for Vex again until she called. That beautiful woman now vacuuming upstairs. She asked if she could drop by for a minute. A minute? A minute was all I was going to get? I had been waiting for this minute for weeks.
I told Kenzi to get lost and tidied up the place a bit. She didn't want to go at first but once I told her Trick had free drinks waiting for her, she ran out. Taking a few deep breaths I decided on which bottle of wine to open. This is where I was weak. It was a very happy weak. Lauren. Not because it made me vulnerable. Because she made me feel things that I had never felt before. All of my emotions boiled down to one four letter word. Love. I was ready.
I was ready to tell her. I had tried to tell her that day when I saw her at the lab but she started getting jealous of Dyson and I didn't want such a moment ruined by thought of him between us. So I flirted. I had to contain my Succubus because we both wanted her right then and there. The things that I wanted to do to her would have broken all of her expensive lab equipment. But it wasn't hers and we knew the Ash would blame her and likely throw her in the dungeon or humiliate her in public. Neither of which we wanted so she calmed down and we went home.
Lauren didn't knock. She never needed to. She just walked right in. I looked up and spotted what she was wearing. I remember how she had dressed up when I had asked her to meet me for drinks. She looked beautiful then and she looked beautiful now. I loved that blazer. I wouldn't want to ruin it. I was glad she had dressed down this time. I tried to hide my blush so I looked down as I poured another glass of wine. She was her. Her. Here. In my house. On my couch. I would prefer the bed but I'm not picky. The nervous jitters were getting on my Succubus' nerves too.
I'm glad she took a seat because I don't think my mouth was wet enough to speak at the time. Watching her sit I licked my lips and sat beside her. Sitting across from her inhaling that intoxicating scent, I no longer needed my wine. It wasn't going to calm my nerves or my Succubus. Damn she wanted to talk. Talking is the last thing I wanted to do but I entertained her wishes until I couldn't sit with her any longer. Not without my Succubus lunging for her and giving Kenzi a show if she happened to come home early. Not able to control myself anymore I stood up to leave. Now mind you the door was on Lauren's side of the couch. So I was pretending to leave. Then she grabbed my hand and with that first sweet kiss, I had all but forgotten who the hell Dyson was. I had honestly forgotten who Vex was after hours of making love to Lauren. That is until Kenzi had sent a text asking if I had any new information. Fine. I would find him, kick his ass and come back to the beautiful blonde sleeping in my bed. Oh shit. I woke her up. I should have gotten dressed downstairs or in the bathroom. Anywhere but on the bed.
I had waited my whole life for Lauren. I gave no fucks that she was human. I justed wanted her. I loved her. Then she told me about the Ash and my world came crumbling down as my heart soon followed it.
That was our time. Not his. It was beautiful and mentioning him made it ugly. I wanted to run and kick his ass too but I needed to get away. My Succubus was angry too, had I stayed there was no telling what she would do to her. Say to her. I sat in my car crying for nearly an hour before I even pulled off. I looked back towards my bedroom and the lights were still on. She was likely getting dressed or having a breakdown of her own. I saw her tears. I knew she was sorry. For all the time I had been raised by humans I knew tears to be happy or sad emotions.
She told me the truth and broke my heart. Once she realized what she had done she cried too. She cried for me. She cried for us. She thought we were over. We never were. Not even when she asked for the break. I still wanted her. Loved her.
Kenzi was right telling me to call her. If I hadn't I wouldn't have known she was gone. Gone. There is that horrible word again. Gone from me. Gone from herself. Gone from us.
You couldn't know the depths of our love. But I will tell you. Dyson is a shifter. He can sniff people by scent. I don't have those abilities. It sounds disgusting. But I do know whenever Lauren walked away from me or me from her, we took each other's hearts with us. Even in anger. It was there.
It was there when she took her last breath. That moment I felt it. That moment I went up there and found her lifeless body and her apparent attempts at calling me to her. It was there that moment I ran to get help. But they weren't Lauren. They didn't know how to bring her back to life. I couldn't go to her. I couldn't save her life. Not like she had saved mine many times over the years. Like she saved mine when she came back to me. Like she's saving mine right now. She's upstairs. She's safe. She's here for good and that's not even calming me down. There is just something about her that keeps me excited, I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I'd like it.
"Bo?
Damn. "Dyson?
"Was that really her? Was that really Lauren? Dyson asked looking around the room.
"It is". Bo said softly. She was mad he had interrupted her but knew he wanted answers and maybe it would spook him enough that he would go off. Running out to work a case or something to do with the Fae.
"How can that be and are you sure? Dyson whispered. Maybe since he didn't see her anymore, she was a ghost or figment of his imagination. He didn't recognize her scent anymore. Well the scent that wasn't her perfume or shampoo.
"It's Lauren, Dyson. I could tell you how I know for sure but you wouldn't want the details". Bo sighed.
Dyson bowed his head. That hurt. He thought for sure once Lauren had died that he would get his chance with Bo again. But if that really was Lauren, she was no longer human. The cop in him was wondering what the hell she was and how she was back. They hadn't even gotten around to issuing a death certificate for her yet. Yet here she was. Alive and walking.
"Bo...". Dyson started again.
"I know Dyson. I know about your talk with her. To be honest Dyson I was never going to love you like you wanted me to. Like you want me to. But I am telling you, that is Lauren". Bo said softly pointing upstairs. She heard Lauren walking around. She knew Dyson heard it too.
"But how? How is that possible? How is she alive? Dyson asked.
"It is a long story and it's personal. But when we decide to tell you guys, we will". Bo said softly handing Dyson a beer. He needed something to calm himself down. She didn't want him upsetting Lauren or make her too scared to move around her own house.
"Bo you can't keep this a secret. We have to tell people". Dyson insisted.
"In case you have forgotten I am Queen of the Fae. I don't want to pull rank on you but Lauren is my first and only concern at the moment. I won't go against her wishes. We hadn't decided on revealing the details of her resurrection. Stand down on this Dyson". Bo softly bristled.
Dyson bowed his head again. People had the right to know. There were Elders to be told. They were already on his ass about the MIA Succubus. He couldn't betray them any longer with lies.
"I will deal with them when we are ready". Bo said pointing upstairs again. She knew what Dyson was thinking. He had come a long way but was still stuck in following Trick, the Ash or Elders ways of doing things. She was still heartbroken about Trick but there was nothing she could do about him. There was plenty she could do about Lauren. The first keeping a lid on how she was brought back. Even though the beauty of it all still brought tears to her eyes, she wanted a decision like that to be made mutually with Lauren.
Yes they had agreed to get up and call people. But the Elders and anyone not directly tied to them could wait.
"They would want to know Bo". Dyson said tiredly. This was great news but they couldn't sit on this for long.
"They don't deserve to know. I run this. Lauren is more important than any law or Fae right now. Now I'm telling you to drop this". Bo insisted. She needed to get this over with before Lauren emerged.
"Ok. Ok. But I still want to know how it happened and one of us needs to tell Kenzi". Dyson said softly.
"And we will". Bo sighed. How were they going to tell Kenzi without bringing Dagny back too?
Lauren
I was proud of Bo. She had kept the house cleaned to my liking. I thought for sure her Succubus would emerge and tear everything up. Throw things. Break things. Shatter all of our windows.
I saw them both in Bo's eyes when I came back to life. The worry. The not knowing what to do or how to help. She would have known had I died and gone to Valhalla.
We all saw her after Kenzi died. But I never once saw her Succubus. Not until she came back in my lab. I won't lie and say her sleeping with Dyson there, didn't hurt. But Bo knew she was too depleted to heal from me otherwise she would have when I kissed her neck. She had always been scared of her Succubus. She had always thought she was a monster. She was never a monster. She was just someone that didn't know what she was or how to control it.
I will never forget the blue tears rolling down her face as I had come back. If I had been but a minute longer, she would have snapped. Like the way she drained the Lich. Like the way she snapped the guy's neck in the sex club. Like the way she brought Dyson back. Like the way she drained all our of chi for Hades.
We all know he's out there. He would love for her to be in that state again. I am not sure why she hadn't snapped again but I am sure I was the reason why. She wouldn't leave me. I knew she had taken me somewhere because I was laying differently than I had been when I died. Probably to a hospital that wouldn't have been able to help me.
I should have told her about my Parkinsons. I never wanted to be fussed over like I couldn't take care of myself. I was a Doctor. I never liked being the patient. So I had to be patient. I had to work on myself to try and heal myself so there wouldn't be anything to tell Bo. But I failed. I failed me. I failed us. I failed her.
I can't do that again. I don't think I will ever have a need to. I can feel my insides. They are surely different. I will run tests again once everything is settled with us. We are far from that. Bo is as worried as I have ever seen her be before. That's all on me. I need to be more vocal about whatever I am feeling.
Whatever you decide... Whatever happens... We are in this together. She wasn't just talking about us. She was talking about us in the Fae world. Back then we knew we were in love but it was taboo and there was a lot of people against us. Even Kenzi. Bo knew it and called her on it the same day I did.
Whatever you decide... That part will always haunt me. I needed to make decisions about the both of us. I need to make decisions about the both of us. It wasn't fair to Bo or myself to not tell her everything I was feeling when I asked for the break. She didn't know what was wrong so how was she to know what to fix? I needed to fix myself. So much of the Fae stuff was weighing on me. Nadia was gone. I hadn't had a single day of freedom before I recommitted to the Ash again.
I never forgave myself for that either. I was free to run. To take Nadia and run. I tried with Nadia. The minute she touched me was the minute I knew, we weren't the same. Bo had touched me. She had touched me in a way I had never been touched before. I don't mean her pulse. I mean Bo.
She was so kind. She was not just a Fae in the lab. She was a kind woman. She would do her best to right any wrong. Standing up to the Ash and the Morrigan. Standing up to the centuries old Fae are better and can have any human at will age old mantra.
I knew the minute that I saw Bo that I loved her. She was new and she was definitely different. Nobody had sat before the Ash like that and lived more than five minutes. He knew what she was. He would have loved to get her to side with the Light. The closest they had come since I was there was the Incubus that I had treated.
There was tales and whispers about the Succubus thought to be Bo's mother going around long before Bo showed up not knowing she was one too. It broke my heart when Bo asked if I could fix it. There was nothing wrong with her. She had thought she was a monster from her kills. But she wasn't. She was beautiful and thoughtful. Something the Fae world that I knew wasn't.
I was happy to see Bo. She was someone I could study. Someone I could treat but more importantly someone that I could help. Not just with my injections but with the knowledge that there wasn't anything for her to be ashamed of. She couldn't help what she had done but I could help her stop it from happening again. Yes there was people she killed over the years. She could have easily killed Nelson but that was the good in her. Her Succubus likely wanted to given what she had done to the Lich but Bo knew he was a human. She allowed him to live when other Fae wouldn't have. Then her Dawning came and my injections were no longer working. I was failing her. I had failed her. Just when we thought we had a handle on who she was, she changed again.
For once I didn't know what to do. She was degrading and how do you stop that? I had no answers. I didn't even have answers for the loneliness I was feeling other than to ask for a break. Taft was breathing down my neck. I thought I could just go and work with him. Get some space and fresh air that I wasn't getting with that necklace choking my neck.
I had been pacing the halls of Taft's compound when I heard Bo's voice coming from his office. I was trying to figure out how to get him to trust me so I could save Dyson's life. I know. I know. Dyson had treated me like shit. He all but pissed on Bo trying to claim her as his but all three of us knew she was mine. I am a Doctor. I value all life and I have been carrying the deaths of eleven people on my shoulders. As luck would have it Dyson was a shifter. All I needed to do was make Taft dog meat.
I told Bo that I loved her. Past tense. I had to leave. I had to get away from her. She would see that was a lie and Taft would figure it out too. So I walked away. Once I was sure Dyson was ok I bailed again. I hid in the basement of the compound. We had found an empty room. It was dirty but clean enough for me to hide in. It was directly under Taft's office. Once I heard all the footsteps stop, I came up. Everyone was gone. Even Bo. I knew it the minute I found the cabbit dead. I thought Bo's Succubus had snapped but when I turned her over I knew that wasn't Bo's feeding signature. It had to have been her mother's. Not knowing if I could trust her, I ran. I ran until I found a pay phone to call Dyson. I never reached him until I had found a job waitressing. I knew I should have gone home. I sensed it in his voice that something was off. He never mentioned Bo. I did.
My equipment was now put away. I headed back down to join Dyson and Bo. He must have a ton of questions to ask and Bo shouldn't have to face them alone.
"Bo. Dyson". Lauren said clearing her throat. Dyson was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.
"It's ok sweetie. He's just trying to handle this". Bo said extending her hand out to Lauren.
"Dr. Lewis do you want to tell me how this is possible? Dyson asked raising his head to look at her.
"It's not a medical...explanantion". Lauren said looking to Bo.
"I haven't told him about that yet. I thought we would do that together. When you're ready. You just say the word Lauren and it will go no further than me". Bo said softly.
Lauren went to open her mouth and then closed it again.
"If you don't want to tell him, can I? Aife laughed walking into the room.
Dyson stood to shift but before he could Aife slapped him. "Down boy!
Dyson growled turning his head back to the Succubus. Aife had walked over to Bo and Lauren when Dyson was about to attack her before she got there.
"You heard my daughter. Down Dyson. If you must do anything about my daughter, you should be bowing to her and my namesake". Isabeau said standing behind the group.
"My Queen? Dyson said with his eyes wider than he thought they could get.
"That's right fool. The Queen is back. Now get to bowing like she ordered you to do". Aife laughed.
TBC.
Bo and Lauren tell Kenzi.
Aife and Isabeau set out to reclaim Isabeau's throne.
