Disclaimer: Lost Girl belongs to Showcase or SYFY and I am only playing in their universe.

Bo's blood froze as she saw the terror in Lauren's eyes and heard the doctor scream. The doctor's horse had reared up as Lauren pulled hard on the reins in reaction to something that terrified her. Turning to take in what had scared Lauren, Bo saw the fire ball racing right at them. Knowing better but still repeating the doctor's actions, Bo also pulled hard on her reins. The horse rear up in response but unlike Lauren, Bo lost her balance and felt herself falling as the blazing attack struck the ground just below them. Looking back as she fell Bo couldn't see Lauren anywhere then she was lost to the rolling rock and pain.

The horses bolted down the hill and away from the explosion of heat and rock. Lauren who had experience riding was not thrown off when her mount reared beneath her. Not falling off the horse was about all the control she had for the moment. No match for the scared sixteen hundred pound horse which at the moment was running for it's life. Holding on was all Lauren could do, it was the doctor's only choice until she could work with the animal and get it back under control. The only things Lauren did have going for her was first her focus on personal survival. That alone allowed her to keep her panic in check. The second thing being the horse's retreat was covered by the thick layer of dust that billowed from the massive movement of stone sliding down the steep slope. No one would see that she survived the attack to come after her.

"I believe the interlopers have been dealt with my Lord." said a member of the powerful fae's guard. "I would be happy to ride to investigate further on your command." The solider walked his horse forward awaiting the order from his Lord and master.

The old fae said confidently, "No need. They are buried three feet deep in that shale by now. What would two riders have done anyway? The fools, I should have kept them alive longer to use them as examples for the court." He pulled his horse around with a victorious smirk on his face. "We return to the castle. I have much to consider. Roldan, you have your orders. The Sorrow makes it back to the main hall alive or it is your head." About that time there was a screeching roar and all heads turned to the sky. Three large shapes were making their way across the sky. "The birds are here. Watch your fingers Roldan, they don't like you anymore than I do." The Grand Lord laughed callously. "Men, we ride." He kicked his horse viciously and then there was nothing but thundering hooves as the soldiers dashed off after their leader.

Hilde had been silent, she watched first in amazement then in terror as the two forms had crested the hilltop. It could only have been Lauren and Bo on the ridge and they were charging to her rescue. They had to have no idea that her father was there or they would not have been so fool hearted. Wanting to yell in excitement then in warning as they approached, Hilde swallowed an inner scream as her father easily took her friends down. Blinking back tears, she sat unnoticed and heartbroken as men moved around her paying the caged fae no attention.

Having felt Lauren and Bo desperation to get to her, Hilde did not agree with but understood her loved ones' reckless approach. Coming back to her surroundings, the hag listened to her father's proclamation of total success and fought not to shout her disagreement. Hilde would not accept that her daughter and one of her best friends had been killed in front of her. No, she would not believe that. Steeling herself she buried any emotions until she had a more private moment to let herself worry openly.

"He is a right son of a bitch," muttered Roldan. "I hate him almost as much as you do." His comment was so quiet it was almost as if he was talking to himself. "Birds," Hilde's brother said with a caustic laugh, "I wish him luck if these beasts ever turned on him." Heavy thumping sounded as muscled creatures landed gracefully near-by and announced their presence with eerie high pitched growling. The griffins were magnificent in stature. To call them mere birds was ridicules. The legendary creatures with the head, wings and front talons of an eagle framed on the body of a lion were as strong as they were deadly.

Without missing a beat Hilde said, "My boys." The three beasts stilled and then moved forward tilting their heads in curiosity. "Careful of the cage," she warned as if they could understand her words. "It is good to see you, little ones." She had to bite back tears. "I thought you would not survive when they took you from me." The huge animals were now making thick heavy chirping sounds mixed in with feline vocalizations. They pawed the ground in their recognition of an old friend. If griffins could look happy these did.

"Good God I forgot. They were just ugly cubs the last you saw of them." Roldan snapped. "You tended to the beasts like they were kittens before father took them from you for his own uses." He huffed in disgust at the pleased look on her face. It was his duty to remove any thing that caused her pleasure. Roldan quickly said, "Out of the seven in the litter only four survived." He snorted his hurtful comment. "The last female is land bound. She snapped at father during a training session and he broke her wing so badly she never fully recovered. I said he should put the useless thing down, but the man never listens to me. Something about breeding her when the time comes." He barked a noise like a laugh and then said, "Truly all any females are ever good for." He reached forwards to slap passively at the griffin closest to him, but pulled back quickly as it made a threatening hissing sound and snapped it's large beak menacingly.

"Leave him, my pretty boy." said Hilde and the beast's attention turned back to the woman in the cage. "Find the ropes and take me to the castle." She wanted to be rid of her brother before she said something that would force his temper to over shadow their father's orders.

"You speak to them like they are still your pets, as if these dumb animals will listen to you after so long." Roldan scoffed then had to eat his words as one of the big creatures moved to the front of the cage to grasp the thick ropes off the front of the stone runners. With more thick chirping a second griffin moved to the back and did the same, the rope clutched firmly in the powerful talons. The big animals spread their mighty wings and took to the air perfectly synchronized. The third griffin remained on the ground scrutinizing Roldan as he mounted his horse. The realm's executioner watched as the blazing bird eyes focused on him as if he was a snack of some type. "Be gone you filthy beast." He growled and kicked his mount into motion and didn't look back at the sound of the large wings as they moved the creature away to join his friends.

As Hilde felt herself rise into the air, she moved carefully to looking back at the rock slide. The dust was still settling and she could not make out any riders. "Please be safe," she whispered, her hopes starting to plummet as she did not see any signs of the women she held so dear. As she was carried away, Hilde let out a gasp at the amount of destruction below her. There was no way for her to have seen that at the very bottom of the slope, under a mass of heavy stone flickered a faint blue light, all that remained of Bo's attempt to stay alive.

xxxxXXXXxxxx

"Please stop, for the love of all that is…" Lauren roared through her teeth but she didn't get a chance to finish her thought as the horse leapt over a log in it's way. The big animals had shown some indications of slowing and the doctor reached out with one hand and grabbed the mane, then started a series of short firm pulls on the reins with the other. Knowing that Bryan had trained these animals well she prayed the very simple signals would be enough to indicate her instructions. Lauren was fighting not only her horse but Bo's too. The two animals had fed off each other's fear as they raced side by side, she hoped if she calmed one the other would follow suit.

Finally after who knows how long Lauren caught a break when they entered a large meadow. She had some room to work with now. Making a quick adjustment, Lauren used the reins and directed the great beast into a wide circle which forced the horse to slow. With the change in direction she had finally regained some control. Working carefully, the doctor kept the horse moving in even tighter patterns to allow more calm to return to the animal as she stroked the muscled neck and spoke in even tones. "Okay, you with me again?" she asked breathing heavily and the horse snorted and shook it's head as if in response. After several more minutes she got herself to a point where the horse could be stopped and she could dismount safely.

Keeping a firm hold on the reins she walked her ride checking him over for injury as she tried to gather herself. Pulling out a drips charm from her saddlebag she found a small rock and smashed the bag against it. After a good long drink for the both of them she pulled herself up into the saddle again. "We have work to do." Lauren said softly as she stroked the thick neck. Fighting the anxiousness in her body as concern for Bo was coming to the surface, the doctor worried that panicked actions on her part might spur the horse to bolt again.

With firm but gentle commands, Lauren directed her ride back towards the hill she had rocketed down. It was only about a minute later when Bo's horse had returned and joined them. It had been nearby when she had used the drip spell for water. Watching she had seen the animal lagging behind at the water source. Now it moved quickly and made up enough ground to walk beside them.

A careful assessment as she rode told Lauren that she could attempt to speed up. Holding her breath she urged her horse back to a gallop. Moving up the hillside the dust was still hanging in the air. Cresting the ridge, the destruction of the slide area was massive. Feeling her heart start to beat out of control, Lauren dismounted scolding herself. This was not the time for hysterics. Drawing on that special spot deep inside her that allowed her to focus solely on Bo's medical needs and what she could do to insure that her lover would survive, a predictable calm came over Lauren. Bo had to be alive and she would stay that way if the doctor had anything to say about it.

Lauren had once tried to explain to Bo what drove her as a person. It was as if the fae DNA that had won the battle within her found its place because the traits they enhanced were exactly what Lauren needed as a healthy living being. She needed to be the one to solve the problems that faced her, whatever they happened to be. The doctor wanted, no needed, to be of service to those around her. Be the one to keep her loved ones safe from harm. From a child she had been driven to help and give all she was to making things better. As she had aged nothing had changed, in fact that need might have even grown.

Bo had been the one to show her that love played a part in all of that. Lauren needed to love and be loved. That emotion gave her drive direction. With Bo she had shared what the different fae abilities had given her. The shifter had provided the ability for her to guard her territory and those she loved, the nature fae allowed her to tend the Earth and her succubus had allowed her to aid with healing by pushing chi. She had never felt the need to explain what drove her human side but it was much of the same thing. The doctor and scientist looked for answers to the problems that faced herself and others. Finding the answers, promoting healing and solving problems made her peaceful, perhaps one might even say balanced, whether she was human or fae.

Grabbing for a few supplies, the scientist in Lauren took in the rock and the condition of the slope. She reasoned that there was nothing left to disturb and she would be fairly safe rapidly moving down the rocky expanse. Doing a slide and hop method along the slope, Lauren stopping to search for signs of Bo. The beautiful face of her lover flashed in her mind and Lauren crushed a sob that rose in her chest. "She is alive. I just need to find her." the doctor said aloud with more authority than she felt.

Letting logic take over the doctor reasoned that Bo would have tried to protect herself. The succubus had called her chi armor during the charge and she would not have lost it during the fall. Better than anyone, Lauren knew how hard the succubus nature in Bo would fight to keep her alive. With that in mind, the doctor changed her focus from the hill side to somewhere closer to the bottom as she considered how the armor would have kept Bo moving along with the rocky flow.

Sliding and hopping to the bottom, the doctor moved quickly and then she saw her. "Damn it Bo." She cried and ran as best she could to the half covered body of her lover wedged between two larger rocks. The blue chi of Bo's armor was flickering and with each drop in power the rocks pressed down harder on the succubus's body. Flying into action, the doctor took in the health issues facing her patient and the scientist considered the threat to their safety.

Speaking aloud Lauren said, "How long was I gone?" If the blood flow was restricted or impaired for more than fifteen minutes, toxins could be released into the rest of the body when Bo was freed causing kidney failure. Called crush or compression syndrome, it put patients in Bo's position at high risk of death. Lauren searched for pinned limbs or areas of the succubus's body that were being restricted by heavy weight.

"Bo, Baby, talk to me?" Lauren yelled as she did her survey. The chi armor was keeping the large rocks off her body but the doctor had no way to know what the pressure was like under the blue glow. If there was any pressure what damage was the weight doing. Cursing as Bo did not answer and the blue light flickered again and the stones stiffed even father down, Lauren wanted to scream in frustration at her inability to help.

Standing she tried to push on the large rock to dislodge them but it was no good. The shifting stone under her feet made getting any leverage impossible. She did not have the strength to make a difference. Grabbing at the smaller stone she tried to dig around but she was too slow and other stone just shifted in to fill in what she had removed. "Bo!" she yelled again and this time was rewarded with a soft moan. It was then that Lauren realized what was happening. The succubus was pushing all her chi into her armor to keep from being crushed. In a real sense Bo's life force was being poured out in the form of that blue light.

Positioning herself carefully, Lauren wanted another quick check of Bo's vital signs to see how much time she had left. Cursing as she reached in to find Bo's pulse and instead her fingers came in contact with the thin leather strap holding the rings that hung at the succubus's neck. For just a second thinking how silly they had been trying work around what these little metal objects meant. The rings were like so many things they avoided in their relationship. They were in her way now and she grabbed the strap pulling and to her surprise it slipped easily from around Bo's neck and fell to the ground, the rings rolling and threatening to be lost between the loose stone. "For heaven's sake," Lauren said for some reason not wanting to lose them, snatched up the small hoops of metal sliding them on to her fingers in one fast motion.

What occurred next took only seconds but for Lauren it could have been years. Power laced with love, lust, fear, and joy raced into her. The taste and feel of Bo and Bo's succubus power hit the doctor like a train. At first fighting the sensation that slammed her senses, Lauren then realized what she was witnessing. The doctor let the memories and feeling tied to the power flow. The strange thing was the memories and feelings were not her own, they were all Bo's.

First there was a wave of crippling fear and anger. In Lauren's mind's eye she saw her lover standing at the farm. Bo was in a state of shock looking at the destroyed barn and farmhouse. "Where is Lauren? I need to get to Lauren." The words were being shouted over and over in the doctor's mind so loudly they hurt. Next there was almost a tortured lament of, "I will find you Lauren Lewis, I swear it."

Blasts of images of the dark sage called the Wanderer and the horrible words he spoke to Bo during her captivity. Tears flowed from Lauren as she felt the evil that had punctuated Bo's every waking moment in the man's presence. The doctor witnessed the whittling away of all hope from the woman she loved. Images of Lauren before the council and the bitter taste of Bo's terror when the doctor had been ripped from her side and the succubus had been unable to protect her. The total failure experienced by the succubus every time Lauren was in danger or injured.

Fighting the feelings, Lauren strained to free herself when the energy swirled and she was hit with almost painful levels of joy. Flashing bits of Bo's past including moments laughing with Kenzi, finding out that she was not truly a monster, moments with Lauren when it was just them being together, laughing with Trick at the Dahl, Dyson's wonderful smile and deep friendship. The images started to flip so fast that Lauren lost her breath. Bo appreciated so many of the little things that happened in her life.

Then there was heat, not from the weather or a fire, this was passion at an incredible level. Lauren's body quickened and she was lost in pleasure before she could get any control of herself, falling over the edge of climax as sure as if a body was next to her providing just the right type of stimulation. This was the other side of Bo's succubus power. Lauren had felt her own succubus before but it was nothing compared to what a master fae of this species felt. Waves of caresses, blood burning, lips and teeth moving and receiving as Bo fed. The effect of the shared encounters on the succubus's body and those of her…victims.

To Lauren's shock Bo felt the ones she fed from were victims. Bo had told her that before but Lauren had never known the intensity of it's meaning for her partner. The feeds were not sexual in the sense of lovers, it felt good to be sure but it was removed from any type of romantic feeling, it was carnal for lack of a better term but acts void of anything deeper than biologic response. For the first time Lauren had an idea of why Bo became so angry when her feeding was mixed up with her relationships. Within Bo they were two entirely different things no matter how it looked or felt on the outside.

Lauren thought that the jolt of power was fading but she was wrong. Like a drowning swimmer just about to reach the surface the doctor saw the point of escape and then was pulled back under by a crashing wave. Images of herself threatened to overwhelm her psyche. Like a blanket the feelings of contentment and love filled her. The first time Bo had seen Lauren, the trace of gentle fingers down her back. The first kiss they shared played again and again in the doctor's mind. All the touches they shared. All the times they had made love. A day in a small shop where Bo had seen two rings that caught her fancy, "You want us to take a break. I don't think so Lauren. I think I will just have to marry you doctor, and make you my own." The cocky smile of Bo beamed as she looked at the rings and then put them in her pocket. "Just need the perfect day to pop the question."

Lauren knew that right after that she had been changed by Taft, then there was the Wanderer, so much had happened to them the perfect day had never come but Bo had not forgotten. The words, "Lauren Lewis, I will love you forever." drifted in the doctor's mind as the image of herself holding Bo in her arms faded. Recognizing the scene, Lauren had pulled Bo back from the brink in a small hidden hut in the middle of a rundown botanical garden and it had been the moment that a new life had stated for them.

Jerking to a seated position Lauren's heart began to race. The doctor recognized the sensation as the push of chi power. The amount pouring into her body was too much to calculate. Not really realizing what she was saying Lauren whispered, "Heal me Bo." The energy then gained a purpose and to her core the doctor felt the change begin. Lauren had felt such a shift in her body once before. The first time it had been painful to the point of life threatening, but not this time. This time it was as if something was being brought back into place and she shouted out with the sensation only to have the yelled take the form of a primal feline scream.

When the vicious sound finished ringing in the still air, the rush of power and the memories and feelings encased within that chi had gone. The results of the encounter had not disappeared. Lauren would not soon forget all she had witnessed about her lover. In fact the doctor told herself that she would fight daily to make sure she earned the love this woman had for her.

Turning she looked at Bo, so very still in under the rock and stone. Lauren held her breath as she reached deep inside her and felt her succubus nature answer. The smile so broad on her face it almost hurt, the doctor softly pushed chi into Bo and watched as the blue armor began to glow brightly. With barely a thought she felt the feline shifter in her roll to the front. Strong clawed hands pushed the large rocks to the side as if they were of no consequence. Bending down she gently pulled Bo by the shoulders and cleared her from the debris. The human doctor was then there checking out her patient. Breathing a sigh of relief as she found the armor had done its job and held the weight at bay. Bo had a taken several bad hits but the chi armor had provided good protection. The succubus was unconscious but nothing life threatening stood out to Lauren.

Reaching out with strong paws again, Bo was cradled in the arms of the beautiful feline shifter as she gracefully bounded up the slope. Stopping before the ridge line she placed Bo on the ground and then in human form whistled for the horses. They came but faltered sniffing the air in concern, this was not the being they had become accustom to, this being was something altogether different.

Letting out a loud delighted laugh, Lauren reached for the reins and with her fae strength restored, she lifted Bo easily onto her horse then jumped on behind. They rode down the hill to the deepest part of the woods and Lauren made camp as Bo rested against a tree. The succubus was showing more signs of life but was still not fully awake. Lauren only had one thing left to do before she joined Bo in the tent. Placing her hand on the ground, the doctor introduced herself to the land as Hilde had taught her. The only part of her heart that had yet to be mended was at once filled with joy as a wild bolt of energy from the land answered in reply. Tears in her eyes, Lauren let out a laughing sob as she felt whole once again.

xxxxXXXXxxxx

After a quick trip to the healer, Hyde had made an attempt to visit his sister. As always he was barred from seeing her. Moving away from the stone compound, Hyde did make a point of rolling the largest rocks of the far wall, the components of the wall twisting in their spots then settling and reforming solid as ever. The guards cursed him and threatened as they always did to turn him in if there was any permanent damage to the structure. The young fae laughed at the comments, like he would leave any damage to cause problems for his sister.

Walking away Hyde thought seriously that he would have to receive an order directly from the Grand Lord himself to make him stop his jail visit ritual. If they would not let him talk to his sister, he would communicate with her somehow. Telling himself that she would be worried about him as he had not been around. The young man smiled to himself hoping he had relieved some of her stress with his actions.

Moving to the stable room he had been renting from Bryan, Hyde sighed. It had only been a short time but the journey had been crazy and left the impression that he had been gone longer than he had been. Stowing his gear neatly and doing some chores around the stables that Bryan's replacement had not been attending to as he should, the young man finally he gave up pretending not to care about what was happening with Hilde. He started watching for signs of the guard and Grand Lord's return in hopes of catching a glimpse of the cage and a live occupant within the bars.

The young fae was pushing down his unease at leaving the hag alone and unprotected. It was stupid but he had started to think that his presence had helped keep the woman alive on the journey. The Grand Lord had been complementary of him but for the first time the words of his leader had not caused a rush of pride. Maybe it had been his extended proximity to the man's son Roldan but to his surprise Hyde had felt very little towards the royal. A man who ordered the death of his daughter and unborn grandchild was not a man to admire. Orders be damned, Hyde felt himself flush with anger and shame. He was part of the reason Hilde was captured in the first place and now felt the whole weight of his role in her current situation.

The sound of hoof beats broke the increasingly dark thoughts of the Stoneling. Peering outside he watched as the riders returned. There was no cage but it was not long after that he caught sight of the large shadow on the ground and looked up at the cage in flight. "Good God," he muttered as the griffins passed overhead moving towards the main hall entrance. The large creatures were terrifying and amazing at the same time. Almost at a run, Hyde turned and grabbed for a change of clothes. He was going to put himself as close to Hilde as he could. When his sister was freed, they would work on a way to block the bars and assist the hag in her escape.

Abelard had only just taken a seat on his throne when the whoosh of powerful wings signaled the arrival of his daughter. "Bring her forward," he commanded and the powerful creatures pulled the stone runners forwards. There was a cracking sound and the cage burned its way through the runners and slammed to the ground. Hilde raised an eyebrow, thinking what would have happened if that had occurred only minutes earlier so far off the ground. Her father must have been thinking the same thing and they looked at each other with equally amused smiles. "Sorrow you are one of the luckiest fae I know." He said with a laughing tone and shook his head. The man then frowned, "You can't just stay there. How am I going to remove this protection spell of yours? Your thoughts men." He yelled and then sat back to watch the show.

The guards were closing around the cage. In this stronghold, their base of power, the bravado of the soldiers was up. Eager to please their lord and master, they started to shout out ways to move the cage. All the options would be dangerous, even deadly to the shamed daughter. The Lord laughed and eyed his captive as she sat unmoving in her cage. Seeing how her father relished the men's over the top attempts to entertain him with their comments. She made the choice to ignore the whole situation. Several minutes had passed when a voice broke over the den.

"My Lord," said Hyde almost breathless from the door. When the Grand Lord turned, the young Stoneling dropped to one knee. "Sire, I was worried something like this might happen. Please allow me to rebuild the runners so the cage can be moved." Never looking up and keeping his voice steady and respectful the whole time. What leader didn't have a soft spot for such a humble servant? Abelard grinned despite himself. "This was how things should be," he thought. "Good people kneeling before me clueless of their own power."

"Yes, let the fool repair his work. That is one of the reasons it took so damned long to get back here. We had to continually deal with his shoddy work." The harsh voice of Roldan had a tin-like tone in the great hall. Entering the massive room from a hidden doorway and not waiting for his father's response, Roldan snapped his fingers and pointed towards the cage. "Get to it Hyde. My father and your Lord is waiting." The Grand Lord's son moved through the now silent crowd and then took is normal position to the right of his father. He was clean and had dressed in his usual leather and fur regalia. A leather eye patch had been added to the getup and gave the sour fae an even more menacing look.

"Son, you do nothing but take the enjoyment out of every situation. Hyde, my boy, fix the runners and see the cage to the alcove just to the left. We want to be able to close her away as needed." He smiled coldly towards the cage. "The child is coming soon and we don't want to have all that out in the open now do we. Birthing a babe is such a messy business." He could not hide the pleased look that crossed his face as the shock of his statement registered on his daughter's features.

"Did you think you could hide your condition from me? Farther along in this process than anyone knows. Am I right?" She didn't answer and he laughed aloud at her futile attempt to defy him. "What you mask from the world is blatantly oblivious to me. Did you not think your mother hadn't try the same thing? She failed as badly as you." Hyde, having stepped up to the cage was using his powers to rebuild the runners. As close as he was he was to Hilde, the young fae was the only person in the hall that saw how badly the hag was trembling.

xxxxXXXXxxxx

"Lauren!" Bo shouted as she shot straight up from her sleeping position. "Aw Crap!" was the second thing that came from the succubus's mouth as the hammering head ache hit her hard. Staggering in pain Bo thought she was going to fall down but then the warmth of familiar arms moved around her and the press of soft curves cradled her back. All pain and concern was forgotten for a moment as relief flowed into the succubus's body.

"Easy Baby." said Lauren quietly, pulling Bo to her and helping to guide her back down into the sleeping bags. "It's alright but you need to relax. I'm okay and so are you, but you got a little beat up and are going to experience some pain for a while. We can talk later." Soft hands stroked Bo's back and arms, the gentle touches providing comfort and reassurance. "Try to go back to sleep, give yourself a chance to recover some more."

"What happened?" Bo stammered and she tried to roll over to face Lauren. The angry bite of bruised ribs coursed through her and she lost her ability to speak for a moment. "That hurts," the succubus finally got out, abandoning the want to turn to face her lover for the moment. Reaching within to adjust her chi reserves to help heal her ribs, Bo discovered how depleted her energy supplies were.

Becoming completely still, Bo assessed her control. She had not been this low on chi in a year. Trying to be nonchalant she reached to her neck. This was one of the things Bo had feared and why she had transferred her stored up chi to the rings. Now was the time to use at least one of her reserves. If she let herself get any lower on energy Lauren would be in danger. Touching fingers to her neck, Bo let out a groan of despair as she discovered the leather strap missing and the rings nowhere to be found.

Lauren heard the soft sound, "Bo, are you in pain? What's wrong?" the doctor in her bursting to the surface.

"No," said Bo quietly, "Well yes." Realizing how ridiculous she sounded added quickly, "Damn, look I'm not in more pain but something is definitely wrong." Taking in a deep breath the succubus knew that she had no choice. "I have lost something. The ring necklace I had, the one you noticed earlier." Bo thought of the stupid little episode they had over the jewelry and how she just should have told Lauren what the rings were and that would have avoided the whole problem.

"Bo, I know…" Lauren started to speak but Bo cut her off.

"I had Kenzi help me and I stored almost a years' worth of chi in the metal so we wouldn't have to worry about me finding someone to feed off of since you lost your fae nature." The pain in the words matched the pain in Bo's body. "I didn't want to remind you that you couldn't meet that need for me. It hurt you so badly before and I didn't want it be another issue you would have to deal with. I'm sorry for not telling you, it was dumb of me to hide that from you."

Bo forced more words out as Lauren did not immediately reply, "Whatever just happened has drained my chi supply. We need to find the rings so I can," Bo paused and then said, "Screw this, I need to see you while we talk about this." Gritting her teeth Bo readied herself and then changed her position. With a gasp at the end of the motion, "Damn that hurts," the succubus said and had her eyes closed tightly as she fought to even out her breathing. "Give me a minute okay." She wheezed and then grabbed blindly for Lauren's hand.

The hand that had been stroking Bo's arm stopped moving and reached out to make the connection. "I'm here." The doctor's voice was low and filled with emotion when she spoke. The succubus felt the doctor move her hand and lace their fingers together. It took Bo a moment but then she felt cool metal at the base of two of the doctor's fingers. Her eye's snapped open and she pulled the doctor's hand in front of her face and her breath pulled in sharply.

"Well," Lauren said with a worried tone to her words. "I found the rings and discovered they were more than simple jewelry." Bo's focus shifted from the hand before her to the face of her lover. If Bo was fighting for breath before she was desperate for it now.

Reaching out she trailed a soft touch down the doctor's cheek. Lauren's eyes were bright. The beautiful brown color enhanced with flecks of blue, green and golden yellow. The aura that surrounded the doctor was bold. No longer the simple bright white of Lauren's human nature or the fae enhanced braided strands of color that had taken over after Taft's injections. The aura that swirled around her lover now was organic and flowing freely, the colors of Lauren's fae and human dancing together as they moved. At once separate and intermixed, seeming to support each other as they continually moved.

"You're beautiful." whispered Bo as she had never seen anything like the aura she was observing. The succubus's pain gone as she took in the joy and power of Lauren presence next to her. Reaching up with her other hand Bo wanted to take the doctor in her arms but winced with the motion.

"Okay, Baby that's enough." said Lauren a slight warning in her tone.

"The hell it is!" said Bo both agitated and excited, "What happened? There was the fire ball and then I was falling… How did you get your fae back?"

With a small smirk Lauren raised an eyebrow in warning and said, "Bo you need to settle down."

"Right like I am going to settle down and…" Bo felt her energy drain quickly. "You did not just…" the rest of the statement never made it across Bo's lips as she was out cold. Lauren's bright blue eyes fading as she used her succubus and pulled just a touch of chi from her lover and forced Bo back to sleep.

Checking over her patient the doctor was satisfied she would sleep for some time. Placing a gentle kiss on Bo's soft mouth Lauren draped a protective arm across the succubus and drifted off too as she made plans for their future.

A/N: Good to be writing again, hope there are still readers out there. Thanks again to those of you who got in touch with me. Your notes were greatly appreciated.