Well, this is embarrassing.

I just realised I've been spelling "Lachlan" like "Laughlin" this entire story…I assumed that since "McLaughlin" is spelt like that that you just had to take of the "Mc" and the world was a dandy place. So, I apologise and proceed to blush like an idiot and try to fix every chapter. Thank you kindly to everyone dropping hints in the reviews, even though it was like screaming at a deaf man…

CHAPTER NINE

Bo

"Why do you call to me?" the voice echoed in the dark, I opened my eyes slowly to total blackness.

Where was I?

I'd just laid my head down on a pillow a few seconds ago, completely exhausted from the events of the day and woke up here.

But was this a dream?

Or some weird teleportation trip?

I rubbed my head, looking around the darkness. "Where am I?" I asked to nothing, pushing myself to my feet carefully, not sure if I would trip over something. The air was crisp, like a winter's morning before the sun came up. My mind pounded like a drum.

Maybe that had been one too many drinks before bed.

"Limbo." The voice told me "though only for a short time." I blinked around me, a faint light glowing down on me, granting me the ability to see my own hand in front of my face. "Why did you call to me?"

"Call to you? I don't even know who the hell you are."

"I am everything." It said softly "I am in everyone and everything. I cannot be seen, but I take away sight. I cannot be touched, but I kill many."

"Mind cutting it with the riddle crap? My head already hurts."

"I've been waiting for you, Isabo, for a very, very long time." I froze as a second light shone down on a form in front of me.

A giant manticore with massive raven wings sat before me, almost as tall as an elephant. I looked up at it and couldn't say a word. It just looked down at me, brilliant blue eyes piercing into my soul. I stumbled back as the wings fanned, a gust of wind hitting me hard in the face.

"Many centuries have been spent awaiting your arrival, for the rebirth of the world."

"Whoa there, giant, scary manticore…thing…." I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. "I don't know who you are, but you've got me mixed up with someone else. I'm Bo, just Bo."

"I have no name, but many call me many things."

"Okay, but what do I call you?" It seemed to think for a moment, its eyes narrowing in thought. Oh, did I happen to mention it didn't move its mouth when it said stuff? The sounds and words just seemed to echo through the air like its brain was talking or something.

Freaky shit to say the least.

"The latest name I have been given is 'Harbinger'. I suppose this shall suffice."

"Okay then, Harbinger," I said crossing my arms over my chest and staring up at the massive lioness' face. "What're you doing here?"

"The vessel in which I will be brought into the world is being prepared even now as we speak. Its body is being transformed to fit with my spirit. As I wait, I wonder what the true Isabo was like…now I see."

"For the last time, I'm not this 'Isabo' you keep mentioning." I said, kind of aggravated now. This thing just pops up into my dreams and thinks it knows what I am? What the hell is that all about?

"But you are." It stood again, revealing a pool of water that had been hidden behind it, the place we were in suddenly turned a brilliant white. But there was nothing. No walls, no windows, just endless nothing in every direction. It walked around the pool and sat down on the other side of it, the manticore's massive tail wrapping around its feet.

Slowly, I approached the spot where it had been moments before. I rested my hands on the rim of the giant marble bowl. The water was a clear, brilliant turquoise colour. I looked from the water to the beast across from me. Its blue eyes met mine with a calm certainty. "Touch the water." It said, like a mother teaching a child. I hesitated when my fingers were just an inch from the calm surface. "Touch the water and you will see." I drew in a long, deep breath, praying to god nothing horrible would happen, and let my fingertips graze the water.

The water darkened to the colour of an angry ocean and an image appeared.

It was a silhouette of two people, standing above a crowd of shifting people. I swallowed as I watched the scene play out before me. And suddenly, it was as if I was on that rise above the group. The image looked down, and there stood Trick, looking up at me, eyes pleading.

"Bo!" he begged, the desperate edge to his voice hitting me like a semi. "Bo! Snap out of it! Remember who you are!" I stared at him. Stared for a long time. Just an eerie silence suddenly falling over the crow. It was like the people in the mob were under some kind of spell, a trance. Then, abruptly, Trick fell to his knees, his chi slowly leaking from his eyes and his mouth, swirling up to me, seeping into my body. He fell lifeless to the ground below me, and, with the nudge of my boot, he fell from the cliff, spiralling towards the crowd.

I covered my mouth with both hands, staring down at where Trick had disappeared in the mob below. Oh my god. What have I done? What did I do? Why!

The image swivelled again, turning to face a dark, smoky silhouette, wings of shadows extending from its back, its body crouched down like it was preparing to take off. There were no features to its face, no eyes, no mouth, no hair. Only blackness and more blackness. But, as it flapped its wings, a brilliant light hit me right smack in the face, blinding me—

The light beside my bed turned on suddenly, the warm body that had been beside me was suddenly gone. I opened my eyes, wincing at the light, and saw Kenzi standing there, one hand pushing a mess of black hair from her face, the other holding my cellphone. "What're you doing?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, pissed that she'd woken me up. "I was in the middle of a really weird dream…"

"And I was in the middle of a really hot dream involving me and two guys who look like Greek gods when your phone rudely interrupted Hans, Stephan and me. It's been ringing for the past two minutes again and again." Just then, it rang again. She groaned and chucked it at me. "Deal with it, Boey" she said, walking around the bed and heading for the bathroom. The shower started when I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I said groggily, scratching my head.

"Um, hi…is this Bo?" A child's voice asked and I froze, suddenly wide awake. I pushed myself up into a sitting position.

"Yeah, who is this?" There was shifting of clothing in the background.

"My name is Tanner, Tanner Lewis." My heart stopped in my chest. "Lauren didn't want to call you again, she said that it would get you in trouble, but I found your number in the bag that she gave me. I don't think she meant to put it there but—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I said, shutting him up. He was talking so fast I couldn't understand a word he said. "breathe, Tanner." He took a couple slow, long breaths. "Are you okay?" After one more long breath, he started again.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but I don't think Lauren is."

"What do you mean? Is she hurt?"

"No, well, I don't know. She was all sick and tired for weeks but she wouldn't let me take her to a doctor or anyone who could help. She said that we couldn't trust anyone." I swung my legs out of the bed and glanced over at the bathroom, suddenly wary.

"Is she with you?" I heard his hair hit the receiver as he shook his head

"No, she told me that, if she told me to, I had to run."

"She told you to run?"

"Mhm, she told me not to turn back for anything, that she'd make sure I was safe."

"Why did she tell you to run? Do you know?"

"Nope. But she sounded real scared. Like real, real scared."

"Where are you, Tanner?" He paused, probably to look around. I waited in anticipation, the suspense killing me.

Tanner calling me was my key to finding Lauren. This was the only way I could even have an idea of where she was. If I found him, chances were I'd find her too. That was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I just hoped this kid knew directions and how to read.

And that no one else found out.

"Um…we're up in the mountains somewhere, a little logging village."

"Okay, are you using a payphone?"

"No, I'm using the phone in a coffee shop; the lady here is real nice and let me use it."

"Okay, good. Stay in that coffee shop, alright? I'm coming to get you."

"I can't stay here." My brows furrowed.

"Why not?"

"Lo-Lo told me that I couldn't stop running. She said that I had to keep moving or the bad men would get me." I nearly laughed at the nickname, but stopped myself, there would be time for teasing once I found the doctor.

"Bad men?"

"Uh huh."

"Can you wait there for just a day? I promise I'll be there to get you by tomorrow night." He seemed to think about it for a while.

"How will you get here in a day?" He asked, sceptically "it took us two weeks to get here."

"I'll find a way, just wait there!"

"But—"

"Who are you talking to?" Kenzi's voice caught me off guard and the phone flew from my hands and clattered to the floor. I turned around, heart pounding to see Kenzi standing there in her towel. Hair dripping wet. "Jesus, Bo, calm down would you? I'm not gonna flash you or anything. Just wanted to know who you were whispering to." I looked from her to the phone on the ground and did something I didn't want to, but had to.

I lied.

"Just a client."

"What kind of client."

"The perverse kind. Wondering if I was looking for a 'good time'." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, Bo-Bo, can't exactly say you don't have it coming being a succubus and all. Anyway, I think I'll go see if Hans and Stephan can still be found." She pranced out of the room and I picked up the phone, staring at the screen for a moment before going into my caller ID and looking up the last call.

Iggy's Café

I jumped again when an unexpected voice reached my ears. "Hello Bo," I turned around to see the Morigan standing in the doorway, two rather large men and an elegant woman standing behind her.

"Morigan." I said, standing up to face her. "I don't remember inviting you into my home." I threatened and she chuckled

"Well, true enough, but this matter is far too important for manners at the moment." She reached into her purse and pulled out a photo of Lauren. "This is about your dearest Doctor. News has spread like wild fire that she's the one who killed the Ash. And, though I'm not sure anyone is actually terribly upset, we need to bring someone to justice."

"Lauren skipped town." I said, watching her hench men carefully. "No one knows where she is." She laughed tantalizingly.

"Well, we're feeling rather…nice today and are willing to give you four days to find the human before we start searching. If we find her before you…"

"What the hell is going on here?" Amelia's voice rang through the air, her heels tapping against the ground loudly. She stopped dead when the four people turned around. I had thought it was because of her leader being there. But when the three guards saw the blonde, they froze as well. Amelia narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Milo? Jason? Ivory?" Simultaneously, the three of them returned, just as surprised.

"Mom?

Ho ho! Fun stuff.

I think I figured out the situation with the Ash in the actual show. The guy who looks like Lachlan but has Lachlan's head is a shape shifter dude who killed the real Ash and is now going to take Lauren's shape and just screw stuff up!

Oh, if you can't tell, I haven't slept in a few days, so if this chapter's a little disjointed, that's why.

Reviews are the peanut butter to my jelly. The buzz to a bumble bee. The Doc to my cubus.