A/N: I have to say that I am faemazed at how many people still stood by this story. Thank you all for sticking by, following it and adding it to your favorites. Very special thanks to those who take the time to review. I love hearing what everyone thinks so review away, good and bad, all are strongly encouraged.


Bo rolled over to grab her phone hitting the floor face down. "Ow," she mumbled out, reaching to the table next to the couch. The succubus was tired and drained never making it to her bedroom. With her face still on the ground she pulled her cell down. It was when the succubus noticed who the text was from that she peeled up off the floor. Meet at the Dal 10am sharp – Lauren. It was a group text but it still made her heart thud. She couldn't control it. Just seeing the doctor's name did something to Bo. Looking at the time on her phone she realized she only had an hour.

She wondered if Lauren would discuss what Bo did for her with Evony. She knew it was a foolish thing to hope for, but that's what the word is for, hope. You can hope for anything and everything. She needed that. Especially now. There was a small part of her that couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of happiness that the doctor wanted to be in the same room as her. This wasn't, oh you're here, type of situation, or the ones where one was chasing after the other usually yelling lately. This was on her own accord. She mentally kicked her own ass for feeling any kind of joy knowing how it would end. With the reality check firmly in place the sadness once again filled Bo's heart. She headed up the stairs to start getting ready.

DAL

Kenzi and Dyson got to the Dal noticing Hale's car was the only one there so far. Dyson threw his arm around his girl as they headed inside together. Kenzi broke away once inside to head for the bar. "Hi Gramps whatcha got for me." The tiny goth jumped into a stool, leaning over the counter as she eyed the liquor.

Trick glanced at his watch. "Kenzi it's quarter to 10." He wasn't even sure why it surprised him anymore.

"I know, I was going to put juice in it." She shook her head like it was obvious. Trick didn't bother to retort he just poured the Vodka into the OJ and slid it over to the human. Kenzi lifted the glass and smirked, "two screws, one morning. Get it, screwdriver." She eyed the shifter as she sipped the drink.

Dyson could only smile as he sat down beside her. He glanced over at the Blood King. "Where is Hale?"

As if on cue, the siren came out of Trick's chambers pushing the Mesmer in front of him. "I don't care what time you need to sleep till."

Vex was in a very tiny black robe and pink fuzzy slippers. He pulled the string tight around him. Noticing the evil glare he was getting from the shifter. "Oh super, I get harsh treatment all night, woken up to the Sunshine Gang and now I get to be around a mangy dog. Hanging with you lot is bad for my image." He spotted the human drinking and made a bee line towards her. Stopping dead in his tracks when he felt a hand on his chest. He glanced up at yellow eyes. "I was just going to join in the festivities, down boy."

Kenzi put her hand on her boyfriend's shoulders, "It's fine D-Man. Drinking alone makes me feel the kind of crazy Goldie Hawn was in the beginning of Death Becomes Her. Just skinny." She paused, gazing off as she tried to remember the scene.

Normally Dyson would find this cute. She was like a movie encyclopedia and he was starting to appreciate her humor. "I think the bigger problem is why Vex is here." He turned his attention to the Blood King.

"You lot are quite unappreciative. I will have you know I'm here to help you fight the good fight." The Mesmer swung his fist in front of his chest, like the good ole college try type of way. He poured the vodka into the glass not bothering with the OJ. "Oh the Garuda he's so big and scarier." He mumbled as he drank.

Before everyone started to comment Trick decided to nip it in the bud, "I think we should wait on the two missing ladies. Speaking of which, where are they both?" He wasn't even slightly surprised that Bo wasn't there yet but Lauren was always punctual, especially when she was the one to orchestrate things.

Lauren pulled into the Dal parking lot in her Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. Since her secret was out of the bag she decided to go with the car she never got to use as much. Besides it was times for new memories for this vehicle. She saw Bo pull in the same time as her. Silently thankful that Kimber decided to gather weapons while the pothien went ahead without her. The last thing the blonde needed or wanted was to set off Bo again. The more impending issue needed to be addressed without any further complications between the two.

The succubus was cursing under her breathe. The last person she wanted to run into alone was Lauren. As much as she loved to see her, it was also that painful, sweet torture. To see the most beautiful, amazing woman she ever met, and yet not be able to hug her, kiss her, or touch her. She sat in her car giving herself an inner prep talk, pulling it together, keeping focused on the mission, how she was the champion. How could she be the one to stop the Garuda if she couldn't even handle being by Lauren. Pulling at all the strength that the brunette could she softly smiled, "Hey you." The brunette mentally kicked her own ass at her choice of words. Wishing that she said something a little better, Nice to see you, how are things. Instead of just hey you like a frat buddy.

"Hi Bo, thank you for coming," the doctor might not feel anything towards Bo but she wouldn't be cruel just to be cruel. It was the no emotions that gave her a short temper with the succubus. Even still, that had to be provoked. Lauren was going to do all she could to not snap at the brunette. Secretly hoping that Bo wouldn't push any buttons, the blonde knew it would be this issue the Garuda could use.

The two walked into the Dal to see all eyes on them. No one was expecting the pair to walk in like old times. But it wasn't old times. They weren't staring into each other's eyes forgetting the rest of the world existed. Bo strolled in trying to stand straight and tall, it was a façade that was easy to detect. Lauren on the other hand glided in cool as a cucumber. Not even gazing over at the brunette by her side. It was a sadness that was felt by almost everyone in the room, all but Lauren and Vex.

Trick was behind the bar. Dyson, Hale, Kenzi and Vex were on the stools with their back towards the bar. Bo made her way over to her best friend, just leaning on the counter. All the attention now on the pothien. The doctor pulled a table between her and her friends. She pulled the syringes out of the inside jacket pocket. Vex leaned over to give them a look, "Sorry darlin' I don't do the drugs that poke. I personally like to be the one that pokes." He winked at the blonde.

Lauren was used to the Mesmer having dealt with him longer than anyone else in the room. It was easy to dismiss his comment. "Bo, this is your weapon, this will kill the Garuda." It was hard to have a conversation with the brunette. When you feel emptiness, it's like bumping into someone you went to high school with and barely knew. Anything you say feels forced and odd. That's how it was for the doctor. Hearing what she said caught the team's attention. They made their way over to examine the needles. Vex stayed where he was, science never captured his interest.

"This is the Naga Venom?" Bo knew the pothien would come through. She never doubted anything when it came to Lauren. She was one of the smartest, most incredible women she had ever met.

The blonde doctor picked up the concoction and watched the liquid inside it. She couldn't help but feel the irony at it. She was able to figure out how to turn it into the weapon the succubus needed by how the brunette felt towards her. Or looked at her, would be the more correct terminology. "Yes, the bigger issue is how do you get this into the Garuda?" The serious tone to her voice caused everyone to get quiet. Each one trying to think of an answer to the most important question.

"Thanks to you Lauren, we are all one step closer." Dyson nodded at his old friend's success. This wasn't a small accomplishment it was huge. It meant they had something to kill an ancient evil. They were no longer powerless.

The pothien pulled out a chair as she sat down. Her one leg crossing the other as her hands folded into one another placing them on her lap. "I had you all come here not just for this but to form a plan. We don't know when the Garuda will attack. Most likely it will be one at a time or as easy it can be for him to pick us off. We need to attack before he does. And that is why I called all of you here. Together we will beat him." She leaned forward on the chair, elbows on her thighs. "Kimber is going to help us form a plan of attack." She avoided looking at the succubus.

Vex clapped his hands together as he strutted over. "This finally got interesting." He couldn't wait to see the pothien, the succubus and the hysminain. He debated starting a fae underground betting arena that one would kill the other before the Garuda did.

Bo could feel the bile rise all the way up her throat. She practically choked it back. It was one thing having to push her feelings to the side, to rise up, and protect her friends. Hard as it was to be side by side with the doctor and not fall apart. Which took a lot more energy then she anticipated. Just for kicks she was also going to mange to fight next to the fae pin up girl, and not slam her fist into the hysminain's face. Visualizing that helped a smidge. The brunette would take it. Grasping at straws was part of who she was now. Forcing the fake smile, she spoke directly to Lauren. "That's good news, I am glad Kimber decided to fight with us. What better than having a fae of fighting and combat, I knew she would fight for you." She remembered saying it only days ago in Trick's chamber. She meant it at the time. Knowing it was going to happen made it slightly different. In the long run she knew they needed the extra help, especially from a fae like that. Didn't mean she had to like it.

All their friends stayed quiet watching Bo from the minute the words left the blonde's mouth. No one wanted to say a word till they saw how the succubus took this new information. Even Trick had no way to make that any easier. Only the Mesmer was unaffected by the news. "That's not at all how I expected it." He stared at Bo shaking his head in disappointment. "I hate to be the obvious one but it's still eight of us against an ancient evil. How do you lot plan to win?" Since he wasn't half as entertained by the Kimber joining the team Bo reaction, he decided to bring up what he felt was obvious.

"I never thought these words would come from my mouth, Vex, is right." Trick gazed over the crew. "We have the weapon; we don't have the strength in numbers. The Garuda also can turn us against each other. Not all of us are on the best of terms." The Blood King didn't want to point out the two directly. It was something he didn't have to. Trick has been racking his brain on how they would fight the Garuda when they had to. Here they were suggesting that they attack before, when they still had no way to win. He didn't want to lose any of the people in the room; he glanced at Vex, thinking he might be able to do without the dark fae.

Kenzi practically sprung from the stool. "Bo's blood," the tiny goth blurted out. Not finishing the full sentence as it just sprung from her lips. Seeing everyone stare at her like she just escaped a mental institution, she cleared her throat, and chugged the rest of the drink. "Let me rewind that and try over, Groundhog Day style." She stood by her best friend, putting her hand on her shoulder as she talked to the small army. "Remember that creepy fae that went all Mark Walberg Fear on you after the whole blood exchange thing?" She stuck her tongue out with disgust with the facial expression to match, at the memory.

Bo shrugged her shoulders, "Kenz, I love you but that helps how exactly?" Shuddering at the memory of Ryan being a lost puppy.

The petite goth straightened up as she talked to everyone like a professor addressing her classroom. "It made him like do or die loyal for you, like Junior to Cesar Milan loyal." She was beaming with pride. "Bam, score 1 for the human, faetastic my ass." She put her hand to her lips then slapped her own ass.

Lauren sat back in the chair. The scientist quickly registering what Kenzi was saying. "There's one issue with that. I don't know if it will work with me."

"That's right, because you wouldn't care if I even died." Bo shot her ex-lover a look. She instantly regretted the words she sarcastically spit out. The brunette couldn't help it. The remark echoed inside her almost every day since they were spoken. How can you forget the person you love the most, saying those words to you? She tried, failed, tried again to forget. It was a viscous cycle. The succubus pressed on despite the harsh words ripping her internally apart, ignoring her eternal torment. Hearing Lauren just brought it to the surface.

The blonde was out of her chair before anyone else could react. Throwing her hands up in the air as she closed the space between her and Bo, "Oh here we go again. We went over this Bo." The pothien was standing in front of the brunette as everyone else was locked into place. "I am sorry Bo. I am so frigging sorry that I apparently did this to myself for you, to save you, because I loved you that much. I am sorry that you remember what I never will. Reality check Bo, I don't know if it will work on me, and I can be the one who costs us the chance to win." There was annoyance in her voice but she wasn't yelling. Lauren was tired of going round and round on the same topic. She wanted to feel sorry for Bo, understanding how hard and painful all this had to be on her. At the same time she wished the succubus would just remember why it was done.

Kimber dropped the duffel bag of weapons onto the floor causing the group to look over at the newly arrived fae. No one even saw or heard her enter the Dal, focusing on the couple. The hysminain watched the exchange between the two, watching Lauren then Bo. "Interrupting?" Kimber crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned her weight more on her right leg.

Lauren went over to her, passing Vex who was already looking through the weapons that the new fae brought. "No, we were just trying to figure a way for the Garuda not to turn us against each other." She was standing next to her peering down into the bag.

Kimber glanced back and forth between them. "Seems to be working," eyeing the pothien letting the blonde know she knew there was things left out. "I need to know everything Lauren if we are to figure out how to defeat a top competitor."

It was then that the pothien filled Kimber in on some of the things she left out. How she apparently loved Bo and went to someone she shouldn't have to help save the brunette's life. Explaining how the price of that was to compel herself to forget any and all feelings towards Bo. Adding in Kenzi's idea of Bo's blood, the blood of the Blood King's granddaughter. Which was actually quite brilliant.

The hysminain lifted an eyebrow at Bo, "The Blood King's granddaughter. That explains a lot." She wondered how such a careless baby fae was able to capture the attention of the pothien. Kimber knew who Lauren was long before they met. The day they did meet in the Dal part of her didn't want to get involved with someone who was considered so elusive. "Would it work at all on you? You don't have to care for her you just need to feel loyal." Science was not in the beautiful fae's area of expertise.

The doctor didn't start dating Kimber for her intelligence level. She gave a half smile, "Loyalty is a feeling. I can try but no, I would expect it not to work." Lauren turned back to face her friends, hands in her front jean pockets, "but if it doesn't, I know what I can do." She gave a long pause before answering, "Bait."

This time it was Bo who answered first. Still digesting what the pothien said to her minutes before the hysminain broke up the intensity. Silently she thanked her. She didn't mean to blurt out the whole thing about Lauren not caring. It just happened. "No, that's not an option." The brunette was their champion, she was ready for death, but Bo would not let any of the people fighting with her die.

Dyson was observing the whole conversation. He stayed quiet as he stood behind his petite girlfriend. Keeping his hands on her shoulder as if he was expecting the Garuda to jump into the Dal. Always a thinker, he was going over things that were just said. "Be the bait how?" He knew Lauren longer than most of them. He wouldn't let anything happen to her, but even he couldn't deny they'd be stronger with the pothien. If there was even a small chance that the Garuda could use Lauren against them he was willing to hear any other option.

Kenzi spun around and punched his side. "Just ignore White Fang over here." She mumbled under her breath to her boyfriend, "Are you possessed Regan?" Adding in her reference to the Exorcist.

Dyson glanced down, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion at that reference. "I would not let anything happen Kenz." He softly kissed the top of her head.

The attention was once again on Lauren as she explained, "If Bo's blood doesn't work on me, which I anticipate that it will not. I can be the diversion needed. I will confront the Garuda one on one. All of you just need to attack during the distraction." She stared directly at Bo. "And get that venom in him."

After arguments from all of her friends they all decided that it was the only plan that could work. They spent the next few hours learning how to fight from Kimber. Teaching them techniques and how to use some of the various weapons she brought. Pulling each one from the bag, sais, katars, battle axe, mace, and swords of different sizes and shapes. Seeing which ones felt best for each individual. Dyson was no stranger to fights and quickly added his input. Between the two of them a lot of progress was made. Bo spent the rest of the time training, trying with all she had to not gaze over at the pothien. Channeling all her anger into training. Swinging each weapon with a ferocity burning inside her, sticking with a sword as her weapon. It helped her with her roller coaster of emotions. Anger, fear, heart break, loss, all of it, put into each swing of the blade.

The next week played out the same as that day. They'd meet at the gym Dyson often used. Doing hand to hand combat simultaneously, with Kimber, and the Shifter overseeing the team. Their training was grueling. Leaving most of them fatigued, pushing on despite it. The Garuda would prey on their weaknesses. If being tired was enough to stop them they already lost. Bo and Lauren barely spoke. They would hardly look at each other. Only doing so when prompted to by their friends. They were worried this was the exact thing that the Garuda would use against Bo. After all she was the one to beat him; it would be her weaknesses that mattered far beyond the rest of them. For this reason, they made small talk. For Lauren it was easy enough. As long as she wasn't provoked by the succubus she was able to be cordial. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Bo. Talking to the pothien, seeing the way she saw the succubus, the monotonous tone. Almost as if she never knew the blonde at all. If only that were true it would make everything so much easier. She envied Kenzi and Dyson, wishing at times that she should have dated one of the cops she first met instead of the doctor. All of that seemed so long ago. Bo didn't want to regret anything with Lauren. There was just a small part of her that felt this way. Only in these times, when small conversation seemed so forced and awkward. Pushing emotion to the side, they decided the next night they would make their move.

Kenzi swirled the sais in her hand, placing in the sides of her belt with precision. "Check it out bo bo I'm Raphael, teenage mutant ninja Kenzinator." In the short time of training she learned how to handle them pretty well. Even hitting bulls eye targets, a few times, when throwing them.

Dyson went for the battle axe. He had used the weapon in the past. When his hands wrapped around the stick it was like he never stopped using it. Hale favored the mace. Lauren and Kimber had swords slightly different from each other's. Vex refused all of them stating he was deadlier without something in his hands. Trick stuck with his own personal dagger. Before Bo left he grabbed her, bringing her to his chambers. He gave his granddaughter the cane sword. Explaining to her the power it held from her grandmother, Isabeau. He let her know it was Isabeau's life essence that could cure almost anything. Without getting further into a discussion he was sure they'd one day have, he stated if Bo felt darker than normal to use it on her.

THAT NIGHT

Lauren had to peel herself off of the hysminain when her phone rang for the third time. She sat on the other side of the couch as she picked up her cell, "Dr. Lewis speaking." The blonde kept her gaze on the beautiful fae beside her.

"He has Trick, meet us at the old Light Fae compound now." The succubus matched the pothien's voice towards her. There was no emotion. It was a plain statement made. Bo was in full battle mode. Everything else was pushed to the side. The only thing that mattered was saving her grandfather.

The pothien sat still for a minute. Realization hitting her that time was up. The Garuda made the first move after all. It finally clicked in her brain; she jumped up buttoning her shirt, grabbing car keys as she moved towards the elevator. Calling over her shoulder, "Game time."

LIGHT FAE COMPOUND

The two light fae came flying in, pulling the car to a halt in front of the compound. Lauren barely putting the vehicle in park as they both jumped out. Everyone already there waiting for the whole team to assemble before attacking. Bo knew time was of the essence. She took Lauren to the side, "No matter what happens in there, no matter how we feel this is for our friends. For the world, human and fae alike. Don't think of me Lauren, think of that." She went back to her friends not giving the blonde the chance to reply. It wasn't meant to be a conversation. Bo just wanted to make sure they all worked in perfect unison. "Ready," she addressed her crew. They all nodded as Bo cut her hand, each following her movement. The succubus stood in front of each of them as she let the droplets of her blood fall into their open wounds. Stopping in front of the fae doctor, "Don't forget what I said." She let the blood fall.

Lauren closed her eyes, breathing in hard, hoping she'd suddenly feel dedication to the brunette. For her being their leader. Nothing changed. The pothien wondered if anyone else was feeling anything, considering it just happened. She didn't have to ponder the thought long.

Vex wandered over to Bo looking her up and down. He swung around to the group behind him. "I'm starting to real love the succubus."

Hale piped up, "Bo, I want you to know I will die for you if I have to." Giving a sexy grin as if he was hitting on her.

The champion locked eyes with Lauren. She needed to know if it worked. The emptiness that met her stare was the answer she needed. There was nothing further to discuss. The brunette told Lauren all she needed to. It was time, she turned to face the building. Her friends forming a V shape as they lined up behind her. Closing her eyes briefly, praying that all of her friends survive the ordeal. Letting her eyes slowly flutter open Bo headed towards the compound with the team in suite.