The Castle
Lauren got up early and dressed. She kissed Bo on her forehead and checked in on their daughters.
She walked down the long hall and rounded the corner.
"Good morning, Your Highness." Bruce smiled and bowed.
"Good morning Bruce." Lauren smiled and walked into the throne room. The Queen was busy reading something.
"Good morning Isabeau." Lauren spoke softly.
"Lauren, my sweet, what are you doing up so early?." The Queen smiled.
"We need to talk." Lauren hugged the woman and quickly pulled back.
"About what?". The Queen looked puzzled.
"Not you and me, me and Aife." Lauren stared at the woman.
"Bruce!? Get my daughter here, at once!." Queen Isabeau screamed. It was so early the younger Succubus likely wasn't up yet. But Bruce would get her up.
"You should probably summon Cedric too." Lauren took a glass of water from the Queen.
"What's wrong, Lauren? The Queen asked.
"You will soon find out, My Queen." Lauren stood staring at the doors.
"This sounds like something that I need to be sitting on my throne for. But given your aura, I best stay down here." The Queen stood taking in the sight of Lauren. The blonde looks like she's about to snap. Something that worries the Queen very much.
"She's here My Queen." Bruce spoke as he dragged a robe-clad Aife into the throne room.
"Make her presentable." The Queen commanded.
Aife groaned when the Royal Stylist did her hair and gave her a freshly pressed robe.
"Are you awake now?." Lauren asked.
"This damn early? I think not." Aife laughed.
"Oh, well let me help you!." Lauren took the glass of water and splashed it in the woman's face.
"Lauren!." Queen Isabeau screamed.
"Yeah. What the fuck?!." Aife snapped.
"You lied to me! Seeing the look on your mother's face tells me she doesn't know about it. Since she is the Queen, I will tell her what you did right in front of you. In front of Cedric and Bruce too!." Lauren gritted her teeth.
"Lauren, tell me." Queen Isabeau gestured for towels for Aife.
"She said she knocked Bo out. I examined Bo's face. Only Bo's fists matched the wound. So, Aife lied to me. I won't have that. Not when it comes to Bo. Not ever!." Lauren fumed. Her eyes were changing colors as she spoke and the Queen and Princess noticed.
"Aife!? Is this true?! Did you lie about Bo?! The Queen turned to her daughter.
"I did. I didn't want Lauren worrying about it. She's had enough to deal with!." Aife stood with a towel hanging over her head.
"Bo is my wife. Mine. Don't lie to me about her again. If you do, I will send you back to Valhalla!." Lauren snapped.
"You can't do that!." Aife snapped.
"Yes she can." The Queen stood between them.
"I know all about the fine details of my return. Your lives are in my hands. If it weren't for Bo, I would have sent Aife back before my foot touched the ground this morning." Lauren looked Aife dead in her eyes.
"Lauren, I'm sorry. But it wasn't pretty. Bo was hysterical. She was losing it. I did want to knock her out. But I couldn't do that to my own daughter. I was walking over to make her sit down, but by the time I got there, she'd already knocked herself out. I've never seen a Fae love someone like she loves you. Not even the Queen and Trick. I know I was wrong. But I was doing the right thing." Aife pulled the towel off her head and tossed it to Bruce.
"I will take your apology into consideration. But I'm taking my family on vacation. Bo needs time with me and the girls and she's going to get it. We are not to be disturbed, at all." Lauren turned, looked at the Queen and at Aife once more before she left them.
"I love you, Lauren!." Aife screamed before the thick doors closed.
"Get dressed, Aife." Queen Isabeau gritted her teeth.
Aife sighed. She knows that tone. "Yes, My Queen."
The Queen took her throne staring into nothing while she waited for the Princess to return.
She tapped one finger as she took a drink of water.
"Mom..". Aife started.
"I am ashamed and embarrassed. How could you do this to them?!." The Queen snapped.
Aife stood stiff in explanation. "I lied last night. I'm not lying now. Bo was getting really bad. Yes, I was going to punch her, but she'd already done it to herself. I didn't want Lauren to have to worry. You know she already does and will. It is in her nature."
"You forgot, we owe all of this to her. She can send us back whenever she wants. I love that girl, Aife. You knew that and still did what you did. If Bo was in such a state, you could have brought her to me or vice versa. Don't make assumptions like that again. Now, that Lauren is taking them on vacation, you will be stripped of your Royal privileges for the duration of their vacation. Once they return, and I've had a talk with Lauren, I might reinstate them. Behave yourself and go back to your room." The Queen waved her out.
Aife couldn't do anything but obey. This is her family and she honestly thought she was doing the right thing. The doctor and Queen are right. She had other choices than to lie.
"My Queen?." Bruce stepped close.
"See to their comfort. Put together a small army to guard them and help them with anything that they need. Whatever they ask for, they are to get, immediately. But do not disturb them otherwise. They are to be guarded but not hounded. Is that understood?." The Queen asked.
"Yes, My Queen!." Bruce bowed.
"Good boy. Now go." The Queen smiled. She didn't need to be a bitch when he wasn't in the wrong.
Lauren and Bo.
Lauren sat watching Bo sleep. She had stirred a few times, but hadn't woken up yet. Her heart cracked thinking of Bo in grief. In fear. In panic.
She knew why she was sent to get Kenzi. Because just outside the Valhalla gates are for humans. Lauren is the closest human the Fae have. She also knew Bo wasn't exactly afraid for Kenzi, as much as she was afraid Lauren wasn't ever coming back.
"Next time, I promise." Lauren kissed one of Bo's hands. She needs to let her wife do things too. Bo's not weak. She can handle her own. But the emotional side of Bo is in turmoil. They need this vacation and they are going to take it.
Bo rolled over and found the bed half empty. "Lauren? Lauren?! She shot up.
"I'm right here. I'm right here". Lauren pulled the woman from the bed and onto her lap. Bo panted deeply against the woman. She sobbed in the doctor's arms. "Bo? We need to get you showered and dressed."
"Don't go, Lauren. Don't ever go". Bo sobbed harder.
"I am going. You, Charlotte and Chloe are coming with me." The doctor gently rubbed the woman's back.
Bo sobbed and sobbed and Lauren let her cry as long as she needed to. The brunette finally sat up and looked into tear stained eyes. "I love you, Bo." Lauren smiled.
"What were you saying? We're going someplace? Bo whispered.
"We are sweetie, we are going on vacation. I've already told the Queen and Aife. I'm taking all of us away for a while. We need this time as a family. Away from all of this." Lauren continued to rub Bo's back.
Bo looked around the room. It was still dark out. Her eyes went wide at the time. Lauren never gets up this early. "I guess I'd better get dressed."
"Charly and Chloe are already waiting for us downstairs. I've packed our bags for any eventuality. We're just waiting on you. But take your time. I'll be right here." Lauren patted her seat and Bo shyly stood and walked into the bathroom. She smiled seeing an outfit hanging on the door. Lauren had picked out her clothes for the day.
Lauren stood and hurried to make the bed. She called her clinic with instructions on what she expects from them. She didn't give them a return date because she honestly doesn't know how long they will be gone. But she won't rush back for anyone. She doesn't need to.
Queen Isabeau
"Cedric?." The Queen spoke.
"Yes, My Queen?." He smiled.
"Bring Aife." The Queen replied.
"Yes, My Queen." Cedric hurried to get the Princess. The Queen has been deathly quiet since Lauren walked out of there.
She sat tapping her finger on the arm of her throne again. She watched as Aife was brought in. Her head was down. It is something she used to do whenever the Queen was upset with her.
"For your disobedience, you will find Kenzi. You will find her and train her to behave herself. I want daily reports on her progress." The Queen spoke.
"Yes, mother." Aife spoke softly. She still hadn't raised her head yet.
"She is not to be brought here or anywhere near Bo and Lauren's house. You will teach her manners and how to fill out job applications. She won't work for me, but she can work somewhere to stop being a pain in the ass. Had she been dealt with before, none of last night would have happened." The Queen still tapped her finger on her throne. "I'll handle Dagny. If she weren't Bo's blood, you'd be in charge of her too. She has potential and she's unspoiled like Kenzi. Don't claim her Aife. No matter what you do, don't do that." The Queen spoke.
"I have people on Kenzi. She shouldn't be hard to find." Cedric bowed.
"Let Aife shower and take her to her. Remember, she is not to be brought here. If I see her, your privileges will take longer to be returned to you." The Queen finally stopped tapping her finger.
"Yes, My Queen." Aife nodded and turned to leave.
"Bring Dagny. She shouldn't be too far away." Queen Isabeau spoke. She didn't come back to be a damn babysitter for these two. But their existence is a problem for Bo and Lauren. She had watched Kenzi degrade Lauren for years. She practically superglued Dyson's penis to Bo's ass. The Queen shook her head at the thought.
This is their current life. She must be stricter. She felt like killing them and washing her hands of the whole thing. But death would be too sweet for Kenzi. She'd go to Valhalla and probably mooch off of Trick again.
Valhalla
"Oh damn, Tamz, that's not good". Hale shrugged.
"Kenzi won't be much better." Ciara looked apologetically at the woman.
"I'm not worried about Dagny. Kenzi is in for it though. Once they get started, that damn Aife won't let her get a moment's rest." Tamsin shook her head.
"She needs it. Lauren could have left her to freeze to death. She's only alive because of Bo. Her mother won't let her forget that anytime soon." Hale took a drink.
"I feel for them. Aife and Isabeau practically ran Valhalla. The Queen is Trick's only weakness." Ciara smiled. It was funny to witness.
"We all have a front row seat to this mess and it's going to be better than anything we've seen on tv before." Hale laughed.
"It's not funny, Hale." Tamsin sighed.
"Not yet. But it will be." Hale laughed again.
Tamsin shook her head and watched Aife. The Succubus was approaching Kenzi.
Aife and Kenzi.
"Alright you dumbfuck, get in." Aife seethed. It is embarrassing that she has to do this. Has to lower herself to watch a practical kindergartner.
"No." Kenzi waved them off.
"Okay. Bruce!." Aife screamed.
"Sorry, Kenz. You have to get in. The Queen doesn't want you running loose on the streets." Bruce smiled and frowned.
"I'm fine by myself." Kenzi shrugged.
"The hell you are. Your dumbass went to the Valhalla gates. What did you think you would accomplish? That you have the right or privilege to go back inside? Hell no. You will go to the human hell once your life is done here. Valhalla is too good for you." Aife laughed.
Kenzi shook her head. Part of her wanted to keep walking. But she wasn't walking with anywhere in mind. She is hungry. Leaving with Aife would lead to food. Castle food, she thought internally. She allowed Bruce to place her in the truck. It wasn't a Royal Hummer and Kenzi was curious. "Where's the wine and beer?."
"You won't be drinking. I will feed you, but you won't have liquor. Not on my watch." Aife laughed as she drank something herself.
"You don't have to be such a bitch." Kenzi shook her head.
"Stop the truck!." Aife screamed and they all braced when it did.
"Just for that, you are going to walk ahead of the truck. If you stop or falter just once, the truck will push you forward." Aife smiled.
"You can't do that without hitting me." Kenzi raised her eyebrows.
"My driver is very skilled. He can stop on a dime at the sight of ants crossing the street. Surely, he can stop in time to keep from hitting you. Like I said, he's Fae, you won't die at our hands." Aife slammed the door shut and gestured for Kenzi to walk in front of the truck. She smiled thinking about how far they have to go. The girl will be dog tired and probably ready for bed. That works for the Succubus. One less night of dealing with her bullshit.
Bo and Lauren
Bo walked out of the bathroom fully dressed and smiled when she found Lauren in the exact same spot.
"Are you ready? Lauren smiled.
"I am." Bo stretched her hand out. Lauren squeezed it and the baby monitor in her hand.
The women walked downstairs. Bo kissed Charlotte and Chloe while Lauren watched and waited. She smiled at Bo talking to them. The mothers grabbed a baby carrier and walked into the dining room. Bo smiled at the covered plates on the table. Lauren had been busy since she went to shower.
"This looks delicious." Bo smiled.
"Then dig in. I'm ready to go!." Lauren smiled.
"We could take this to go." Bo raised her head.
Lauren sat back and called for one of the guards the Queen sent with them. The next thing the women knew they were sitting in a hummer with a table between them and a baby strapped in on each side of them.
"Brilliant, Bo." Lauren smiled.
"Hey, it was just a suggestion. They dug into their food and smiled at each other.
Charlotte and Chloe played in their seats. Bo laughed at how it seemed like they were talking to each other.
When they finished eating they put the paper plates into a trash bag and quietly collapsed the table. "I got it, babe." Bo pulled the table to the side and joined her wife on the other side. "Did you get enough to eat?".
"I did. I loaded up my plate. I'm good." Lauren squeezed Bo's hand.
"As nice as this vacation is and will be, we can't forget you are carrying a baby." Bo smiled.
"I know. We need to start planning our next wedding. You owe me another ceremony." Lauren winked.
"I was thinking about that. Our fingers aren't long enough for a lot of rings. So, I think we should get larger diamonds as we marry each other, over and over again." Bo made faces at Charlotte and she smiled back at her mother.
"That's a good idea!." Lauren smiled.
"Lauren, are we gonna talk about yesterday?." Bo asked.
"We will. Later." Lauren picked Chloe up and prepared to feed her.
"I'm sorry, my loves. Mama forgot that you haven't eaten yet." Bo smiled down at Charlotte and picked her up. Bo looked at Lauren feeding Chloe and smiled. The woman never looked more beautiful than she does right now. They have so much to talk about, but that talk can wait. It is all about them now. The four of them. Lauren is no dummy. She knows they are holding Succubus babies. They can sense tension. Even though they don't know what tension means, yet.
Bo smiled as she looked out the window. They have a small entourage. Not on their ass, but she knows they're out there.
"They won't disturb us. I knew the Queen would send protection. But not to disturb us." Lauren spoke softly.
"Where are we going? Bo asked.
"I secured a two story cabin. Then I made sure it's fully stocked with food, a bed and bassinet for the twins, supplies and firewood." Lauren smiled.
"Ahhh that sounds nice." Bo smiled.
"We're on vacation Bo. We really are. We'll have that talk once we get there and get settled." Lauren squeezed Bo's leg. She knows the woman wants to talk right now. But they can't.
They finally arrived and the family was helped inside. Lauren noticed two trucks. One parked in the back. One parked in the front and off to the side. Isabeau, she thought.
"Nap time." Bo cooed as she played with Charlotte and Chloe.
"Everything has been sanitized. So, it's okay to put them down wherever we want." Lauren smiled.
They held hands and held the kids with their free hands as they walked into the downstairs nursery. "I hope the owners don't mind us being here." Bo winced.
"It's ours. Nobody knows but you and me." Lauren smiled.
"What?." Bo smiled.
"We are gonna need a lot of vacations. We needed something to be ours." Lauren picked up a baby monitor.
"Time to talk?." Bo asked.
"It is time to talk." Lauren closed the door and gestured for Bo to go first and followed the woman out the room and into the living area.
Bo nervously took a seat on the couch and Lauren cursed at the sight.
"Bo, I'm so sorry. I know we should have allowed you to go and get Kenzi. But the truth is, I am the closest human to being human to get her out. Certain Fae can come and go from Valhalla. But only humans can get to the gates and not go in. To send anyone else. would have meant her death. You know Kenzi is rebellious, she would have made a scene had you gone. I know that doesn't make it okay for you though." Lauren frowned.
Bo absorbed everything that Lauren said and everything she wasn't saying. But she is right. Kenzi would have made it harder on Bo than she would have Lauren. It was a mess. A mess she hopes is over. "What else happened?." She asked.
"I was hoping you would tell me." Lauren leaned forward and took Bo's hands.
"It...it was bad, Lauren. I freaked out. I didn't know what you were walking into. If you were coming back to me, alive. What they could have done to you. I know Hades is close to Valhalla. He could have opened a portal like he did with me and taken you." Bo sighed.
"Bo, tell me." Lauren whispered.
"You are so smart Lauren and I am..was..so dumb. I wanted to stop crying. I wanted to stop panicking. So, I made a fist and knocked myself out. Next thing I remember is seeing you. At least, I thought I saw you." Bo shook her head.
"I came back Bo. Aife had managed to get you into bed. Then she showed me the bruising. As a wife, my first instinct was to help you. As a Doctor my first instinct was to access your wound. I figured it was your own fist that did it. The same fist that I see, right here." Lauren sighed.
"What else?". Bo asked.
"Aife. She told me she knocked you out." Lauren gritted her teeth.
"Aww shit. Now everyone knows I'm Bo the bumbling idiot." Bo mumbled.
"No you are not. You're a wife and a mother and I love you. Just as you are." Lauren pulled Bo back.
Bo gritted her teeth. "So, mom lied to you?."
"No, Bo. We don't need to worry about Aife. The Queen knows she will handle it. I wanted us to take this time away as a family. As wives." Lauren squeezed the woman's fingers.
"Are you sure you're not mad? I can fix this, Lauren. I really can." Bo's eyes turned blue.
"Bo. I control them. I can send them back anytime that I want. If I wanted her gone, she'd be gone. But she's your mother. She's family. Time will fix all of this. Right now, we need to just relax and be Bo and Lauren. Wives. Wives with children." Lauren pulled Bo to her. She wasn't just battling Bo's insecurities. She's battling Bo's Succubus too.
"I'm okay." Bo whispered.
Lauren cuffed Bo's head in her hands and gently kissed her. She pulled the woman in her arms again and cradled her like she was one of the twins. She needs this. She needs to know the blonde is safe and back home. She needs the blonde to come back to her again. Lauren closed her eyes and took time to study. She found what she was looking for and opened her eyes again. "Where is it? She asked.
Bo lifted her head. "Where's what?."
"The piece of my tombstone that you kept." Lauren looked at Bo.
"You know about that?." Bo gasped.
"I found a piece of it in our bed. Where is the rest Bo?." Lauren asked as softly as she could.
"In our private castle bathroom. Under the sink." Bo turned away.
"Thank you." Lauren whispered and lifted her hand.
"Lauren?." Bo felt heat coming from an odd place.
"There it is". The blonde smiled as it came down the chimney and into her hand. "There it goes." She threw it into the fireplace.
"It was all I had left of you besides your dead body." Bo quietly watched it melt. It wasn't big, but it was big enough for her to hold. It would have been embarrassing to have the entire tombstone in their house.
"Well now you can have all of me and my very alive body." Lauren pulled Bo into a kiss. The brunette kept pushing off because of the baby but Lauren eased her worries and they gently pulled their clothes off.
TBC
