Chapter 28 – I Am Spartacus

"Y'aight, Doc? Your face looks kinda red," Hale said as Lauren, Bo, and Kenzi walked into the darkened Dal Riata. Peanut shells crunched under their feet as they approached the bar and the rest of their team. It was almost 4am; the Dal had closed hours ago.

"I'm fine." Lauren struggled to keep her John Wayne, cowboy-fresh-off-a-bucking-bull gait as subtle as possible. She was still a bit sensitive in the nether regions, and even the slightest bit of friction in the wrong spot might send her spiraling into a very potent, very public orgasm. Bo followed behind, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. She gallantly pulled out a chair for Lauren – the Doctor sat down carefully, as though the chair were covered with hundreds of carpentry nails.

Slow and steady. Slow and steady.

Trick appeared, with a pot of steaming coffee. He placed a mug in front of each of the women, and poured. "Thank you for coming in."

Kenzi took a sip of her drink, and made a face. "Not even a little Irish in this coffee, old man? I thought this was a bar, not a Starbucks."

"And I thought sidekicks knew when to keep their mouths shut," Dyson countered.

"Hey! You leave my bestie alone, or you'll know what it feels like to be neutered, dog boy." Bo pointed a finger at the Shifter. She hadn't forgiven him for the interrogation, and could still barely stand to look at him.

Lauren put a hand on Bo's shoulder, rubbing it gently. "Relax, okay? Dyson's an idiot; he didn't mean anything by it."

"Excuse me?" Dyson lifted an eyebrow.

"Don't pretend you didn't hear. I called you an idiot. Are you going to contradict me?" Lauren set out the playful challenge.

"Nope." Dyson grinned at Lauren.

She took a long drink of coffee, and smacked her lips. "So, Trick. You say you found the Siancyn Stone, and you want to hire us to bring it back."

"Yes, I think I know where it is. But no, I didn't hire you." He checked his watch, just as the front door creaked open. "Ah, perfect timing. Here come your employers."

Each member of the Doc Squad spun on their barstools. Six pairs of eyes grew wide as The Ash and The Morrigan sashayed in, side by side. Dyson frowned. "Now there's something you don't see every day."

"Val!" Hale stood up out of his chair. "I'm not…I'm not with them…" he sputtered.

"You traitorous little shit," Kenzi smacked him on the back of his head.

"Relax, baby brother." Val winked. "I've known for a long time that you're besmirching the Santiago name as a common thief. And you, Doctor of mine," Val turned to Lauren, "have a lousy poker face."

Lauren's face turned a few shades redder. "Why didn't you stop us?"

"Because she's The Ash, and she's too tolerant of disobedience." The Morrigan stepped forward, and ran a hand along Lauren's cheek. "If you belonged to me, I would have disciplined you ages ago."

"Hey!" Bo grabbed The Morrigan's arm, yanking it away from Lauren. "Step off, bitch!"

"Well hello there, Succubus." The Morrigan's eyes gleamed. "It's been awhile since you were last in my office. Darling I've always liked you, but if you don't remove your hand immediately I'm going to melt a hole in your girlfriend's pretty forehead. And no one wants that, do they?"

"Please!" Trick's voice boomed from behind the bar. "This is a place of sanctuary. No one is hurting anyone. Right now, we all must be on the same side."

"He's right," Val said. "We're really up against it here, people."

"Up against what?" Ciara asked, frustrated. "All I know is that we keep getting hired to find stones and we keep losing stones. Yes, they're pretty and yes, they may be powerful, but this isn't the end of the world, is it?" She watched as The Ash and The Morrigan exchanged meaningful glances with Trick. "Is it?" Ciara frowned. "What aren't you telling us?"

Trick sighed. "There is much more to this set of stones than I initially realized. Originally, I hired you to find the Llangareth Stone out of pure selfish interest. It grants the bearer physical stamina above and beyond the norm, even for Fae."

Kenzi almost did a spit take with her coffee. "Oh my god, it really was Fae Viagra? I was just joking when I said that…"

"No, it's not meant specifically for sex – although it can be used in that manner. It's more about strength and endurance. I'm getting older, you see. I just passed my second millennium. I have a bad back, which makes it difficult to do simple chores around the bar."

"Oh, honey." The Morrigan shook her head. "You were going to use an object of ancient magic so you could lift and move a keg of beer?"

"Among other things, yes."

"I'm so glad the Succubus brought it to me first – what a waste that would have been."

"A lot of good it did you." Trick snapped back. "It was stolen from under your nose within a week." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. We should be working together. Back to my story – the Llangareth grants physical strength. The Orsedd, which was owned by Arthur Naia, has amazing restorative properties of healing – which also grants the wearer general health and longevity. The Siancyn Stone is the most powerful of all. It contains the ability to grant untold wisdom."

"But Trick," Lauren countered, "there are hundreds of objects spread throughout the Fae world with similar properties. I don't understand what makes these three so unique."

"They're unique because they are bound together in such a way that, if one person owned all three at once, they would be able to do more than pull strength, longevity, and wisdom from the stones. They could use the stones in concert to pull these properties from other Fae."

"Meaning?" Bo asked.

"Meaning they could render a Fae completely powerless. Render them mortal. Render them no better than a common human. And if the bearer should happen to turn his or her attention toward a human – well, that human would be killed instantly. There is no defense for something as powerful as this. And we have very good reason to believe that right now, at this very moment, there is a creature or a being who possesses two of the three and is actively searching for the last."

"Whoever killed Arthur Naia and broke into The Morrigan's compound," Dyson thought aloud, "is one stone shy of owning the Fae. Is that what you're telling us?"

"Yes," Trick answered, simply.

"It would be difficult to stand up to a being that powerful," Lauren muttered. "And most Fae care about saving their own skins more than they care about loyalty."

"Hey!" Bo smacked her arm.

"No, she's right," Dyson said. "When your life is measured in centuries, you don't give it up easily. You get greedy for it. Causes don't matter, nationalities don't matter and, when it really comes down to it, Dark and Light don't matter. We're a selfish bunch."

Kenzi snorted. "So humans are superior to Fae after all."

"No," Hale replied. "Humans are just too stupid to realize what's most important. Protecting yo' neck."

"What about the Fae Wars? Light and Dark?" Bo asked. "Aoife told me…"

"Who?" Trick's eyes narrowed at the name.

"Aoife. Another Succubus. I met her in New York. Anyway, she told me all about the fighting between the Light and Dark."

"Our race was younger, back then." The Morrigan replied. "Dumber. We've evolved, as most species tend to do. Evolve or die. Sure, I don't particularly care for the Light, but I'm not about to risk my beautiful face on some power grab or disagreement about territory. It's just not worth it. What I do care about is some asshole breaking up our structured, organized system of government and ripping my powers away from me. We need the Siancyn."

Lauren turned to Trick. "So. Where is it?"

Trick sighed deeply, and looked down at his hands to avoid meeting Lauren's eyes. "It's in the Congo."

Lauren recoiled, as though she'd been slapped in the face. "Where, in the Congo?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I think you know the answer to that."

Lauren's eyes took on a faraway appearance, as she retreated into her own memories. "Six point zero seven nine three latitude. Twelve point four six longitude. The Okahange Ruins, in the Congo Rainforest."

"The exact place it was last used. Am I right?" Trick gently prodded the Doctor to continue. "You've seen it before. A blue sapphire, shaped like…"

"An owl." All eyes were on Lauren, as she struggled internally with this information. "I didn't think…Trick I had no way of knowing." She rubbed her forehead, and closed her eyes. "But I guess it makes sense. I mean, how else would the old Ash have been able to…" she frowned, cleared her throat, and pulled herself together. "Right. I know where the Siancyn is. I can take us there."

Kenzi looked back and forth between Trick and Lauren. "Can anyone tell me what just happened?"

"Not now," Val replied. "I have a private jet waiting at the Toronto airport that will take off in six hours. It'll take you as far as the N'djili Airport in Kinshasa, but the rest is up to you. I want you all on that plane and ready to go by ten a.m. We're already stocked up with clothes and supplies, but Lauren I need you to make sure you and the goth get malaria boosters…"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. Hold on there, madam president." Kenzi held up a hand. "These other suckers might be beholden to you, or whatever, but BoBo and I don't work for free. What's in this for us?"

"I won't kill you," The Morrigan replied. Kenzi leapt out of the stool as she felt a white hot spot erupt in her chest, but the sensation was gone almost as soon as it had begun.

Kenzi rubbed her sternum and scowled. "Lady, you make a compelling argument."

"Evony! We talked about this!" Val snapped. Her eyes softened as she turned to Bo. "In return for your cooperation, we'll pay off your remaining debt to one George Lachlan in Vancouver."

Bo's jaw dropped. "But that's millions of dollars…"

"And this is a life and death situation. That's my offer, take it or leave it."

Bo looked to Kenzi. Her best friend was practically bouncing out of her chair with excitement, assaulting the Succubus with pale blue eyes that screamed "take it, take it now, TAKE IT DAMN IT!" Bo looked to Lauren for advice, but the Doctor, her girlfriend, was staring out into space, still off in her own world, looking disgusted with herself. It made Bo's heart ache to watch Lauren suffer – even though she wasn't sure what was wrong.

But it did give her an idea. Bo turned back to the Ash, the Succubus' eyes cold as steel.

"No deal."

"WHAT?!" Kenzi shouted, as the Ash took a shocked step backward. That was not the answer she was expecting at all.

Bo stood from her stool, and walked to where the leaders of the Light and Dark stood. The Morrigan had her arms crossed, combatively postured in six inch heels, ready to melt the obstinate Succubus into a puddle of goo. The Ash's jaw was somewhere around waist-level. "Have you lost your mind?" Val asked.

"No. But I have my own terms. I want our debt to Lachlan taken care of." She paused, for dramatic effect. "And I demand three weeks of vacation for your Doctor, Lauren Lewis. Plus five sick days. Paid."

Lauren slowly turned to Bo, her brow furrowed. She mouthed, "Why?", but Bo just winked.

"Those are my terms, Ash. Take it or leave it."

Val laughed. "How I manage my people isn't any of your business…"

Ciara stood out of her stool, and stared Val down. "You heard the lady. Vacation and sick days, or no deal. I'm not going anywhere either, until you agree."

"Emergencies happen, I can't help that…"

Dyson stood. "That's what Lauren's lab full of highly trained assistants is for. You can survive without her for a few weeks. These are my teammates and if they're staying I'm staying."

"Come on Dyson, understand my position here…"

Hale jumped out of his stool. "Save it, Val. You know the Doc is worth more to you than anyone else who works for you. Time to show a little gratitude, don't you think? Show a little respect? It's either that, or find someone else to schlep to the Congo, 'cause I ain't goin' nowhere."

"Hale…"

"I AM SPARTACUS!" Kenzi pumped her fist to the sky, caught up in the moment. The room was silent, all eyes on her. "Wait…I guess that doesn't apply here, does it?"

Bo grinned at The Ash. "You heard them. What's it gonna be?"

Val sighed. "Fine. Fine! Days off for Lauren, and the debt paid." She stuck out her hand, and Bo gleefully shook it. "We can't waste any more time, I want your asses on that plane by ten AM, or I'll let The Morrigan suck you dry, is that clear?"

"Crystal." Bo pulled a stunned Lauren from her stool, and held her hand as they left the Dal. Bo crawled in through the passenger side of her faded yellow junker of a car, Lauren following and closing the door behind her. Before Bo could get the keys into the ignition, Lauren wrapped her up in the bear hug to end all bear hugs and planted a deep, wet kiss on her eager lips.

"Thank you." Lauren whispered against Bo's lips, before resting her head on Bo's shoulder. "That's the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time."

Bo scoffed. "Your friends must be a bunch of assholes, then."

Lauren's body shook, as she laughed. "I'll make sure to tell Dyson you said that."

"Good," Bo turned the key, and the beast came to life with a roar. "But I guess we can give him points for standing up for you this time, at least." Bo left the car to idle, waiting for Kenzi to catch up. "Are you going to tell me what happened in the Congo? You seemed really upset."

"I will, later. I promise. Right now we need to stop by my apartment and the lab, so I can pick up some gear and poke Kenzi with long, sharp needles." Lauren chuckled, as she caught sight of Kenzi skipping toward the car. "She isn't going to scream and cry like a child, is she?"

"Eh, give her a lollipop beforehand and she'll be fine. She's a sucker for suckers."

"Did you see that?" Kenzi entered the car like a whirlwind. "I was all like, 'I AM SPARTACUS and Spartacus gotsta get paid!', and The Morrigan was all like, 'who is this plucky human, I must destroy her with fire because I am afraid of her pluckiness', and I was like, 'AW YEAH, BITCH, you better recognize!'"

Bo rolled her eyes and revved the engine, to drown out Kenzi's rapid rewriting of recent history. She slid the car into first and smiled to herself, as Lauren's hand came to rest on her own.