A/N: Enjoy!


Chapter 9: Look Out

Clubhouse

It turned out that Charlie wasn't just crying because she was scared of being alone. She was also crying due to hunger. So while Lauren fed her; Bo ran out for some Chinese food. When she got back; she found her girls sitting on the couch while Charlie still drinking her bottle of milk.

"Wow; she was really hungry huh?" Bo walked into the living room; setting the take out down on the coffee table and began emptying the bag.

Lauren nodded, rubbing her daughter's back so she could burp. "I've noticed it only happens when she creates the storms. It must be taking a lot out of her; we need to figure out a way to help her control it" she was worried it was hurting her.

And Bo was all for that; "We will; actually I think Trick's looking into that for us. You know him; he'll find something sooner or later. She's eating; so why don't we chow down too?" She handed Lauren her container of food and a pair of chopsticks.

To be sitting with their daughter and eating food like a little family was so weird for them. They'd eaten separately for the last year. In fact, there were times where Lauren wouldn't even eat food at all. She was too sad to do anything but sit in Charlie's room and cry.

A couple of minutes after she finished her bottle; Charlie climbed down from the couch and wobbled about the living room. She was curious to know more about her new home. Bo and Lauren kept a vigilant eye on her but when she went for Bo's weapon chest that's when they intervened.

"Whoa!" Bo ran over to her, picking her up and away from the chest. "There's nothing in there for you sweetie. At least not until your eighteen…" She kissed her cheek, and brought her back over to the couch. "… New rule; hide every sharp pointy object from busy fingers here" she sat down with her in her lap.

Lauren nodded, "Agreed, we can just move them into our bedroom…" Suddenly, they saw a bright light flash before them. It was Amara. Lauren hadn't seen her do that before. What kind of God was she? "… You've been gone a while" she wondered where to.

Amara smiled, "Yes well; I had things to see to. One of which; is this…" She dropped a bag down on the coffee table, opening it up and showing them the wads of cash inside. "… You are our Family; no matter what kind of man your Father is. What's ours, is also yours"

Bo leaned forward with Charlie in her arms, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Holy…" She couldn't swear now. "… Moly! That's a lot of dollars. How much's in here?" She asked her Aunt.

"I'm told a little over a million…" Amara said, watching their faces drop. "… Is that not enough?" She didn't know the ways of this new world. "Please, tell me; so I can get more" she wanted to go back to Zee and take the rest.

"Actually, that's too much…" Bo stood with Charlie in her arms, "… Look Amara; we appreciate all your help. Really, we do. But this's just too much for us to take; we can't accept this offer. Even though it's very generous" she felt like foaming at the mouth, she was within grabbing distant of one million dollars.

Amara smiled, "Bo, I know we've only known each other mere hours; but you are my blood…" She told her, "… You share in our power, why not our wealth too? If it pleases you; you may take a little now and then keep the rest until you decide what to do. Is there someone I can entrust it with?" He didn't want to use the Bank; they seemed traitorous.

"How about Trick?" Lauren suggested, he was already hiding his own millions why not Amara's too?

Bo nodded, "Yeah, I guess he'd be the obvious choice. He's probably still at the Dal; he doesn't get out a lot I'm afraid. Just hand it over to him, he'll keep it safe until we figure it out. Thank you, Amara" she had to get that in.

"For what?" Amara frowned.

"For being…" Bo couldn't think of the word she was looking for, and then it came to her. "… My Family" she was grateful for her presence here. She was the reason they were able to have their daughter with them.

Smiling, Amara gave a firm nod. "It's my honour…" She looked at Charlie, then went to touch her hand and to her surprise the baby took it and held tight while giggling. "… Most people don't grasp the concept of Family. It's not meant to be a burden. It's meant to strengthen you. And we are strong…" She looked at her niece, "… We've had to be"

As Lauren was getting up from the couch; Amara bid her farewells and then disappeared. "If I had to give my opinion; I'd say you take after her, more than anyone else on your Dad's side" she lifted Charlie out of Bo's arms, seeing that she was sleepy again.

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing…" Bo really liked Amara, she could sense her need to make things right within her family. Maybe not with Zee and Hera. From the looks of it she'd written them off a thousand years ago. "… She's right though. I don't think of you guys as a weakness. You're my strength" she leaned into Lauren, giving her a peck.

"Aww babe, I love you too…" Lauren laughed, she'd missed having happy moments. Actually, she missed being happy; period. "… How about we turn in for the night?" She was tired.

Bo loved that idea. "Sounds good to me. But, are we putting her in the crib again? She's gonna have to get used to using it sooner or later. We can always bring her into our bed if she wakes up crying" she didn't want her daughter to be reliant on sleeping in their bed. She needed to sleep in her own room.

Lauren didn't want to do it, but she knew Bo was right. "Alright…" she took her daughter upstairs, by the time they entered the nursery she was fast asleep. She lowered her down into the crib, covering her with a baby blanket and settling Yogi bear next to her. "… Sweet dreams Princess" she turned the Mobile on; listening to the soothing tune.

They both left the room, leaving her to sleep.

Zee's Penthouse

If she had to count; by now, she'd gone through two bottles of whiskey and a bottle of gin. And yet, she felt no different. Maybe a little buzzed, but she wasn't drunk. And it was a good thing she wasn't; otherwise she wouldn't have been able to sense her visitor. "I was wondering when you were gonna show up…" she turned around, seeing her daughter standing before her. "… Persephone"

Persephone folded her arms, "Father…" She had to laugh. "… But I suppose it's Mother now, isn't it? You called; and I'm here. So what'd you want?" She stepped into the Penthouse, looking around. This was a nice place to live. Better than Tartarus.

"I think you know…" Zee kept her distance from her. "… Bo's wants your head. Of all my children you were the most compassionate. Which's why it confused me when I learned you were the one who sent a horde of angry Fae after an innocent baby" she still couldn't believe it.

"You think I wanted to do that?!" Persephone yelled. "I hate myself for what I did to Bo. But I had no choice. I'm bound to Hades; if he tells me to do something, I have to obey. I don't get a choice! Besides, Bo's child is alive…" She'd heard the whispers. "… Which means this isn't over"

Zee had to warn her of Amara. "Maybe not. But this time; things are going to be much more difficult for you to complete your task. As a means of protection for ourselves and for Bo's daughter; Hera released Amara from her tomb. She's here, and is hell bent on protecting that baby. You won't get near her"

Hearing her Aunt's name struck fear into Persephone's heart. But that didn't mean she was giving up on her mission. Like she told her, she didn't have a choice. If she didn't do it willingly, her Husband had a way of forcing her hand. "We'll see" she shifted into her animal form and flew out the balcony window.

The Dal

Amara had been talking with Trick for a good twenty minutes now; he'd agreed to keep her funds safe until Bo decided what she wanted to do. And now they were having a drink. She tried a few things, and she was really liking beer. It was fizzy and tasty.

They'd also been discussing plans for dealing with Jack. And Trick did have something to say to her, "Bo told me what Hades did to you; to your Husband. Please, know that I'm sorry. And I can relate. I know what it feels like to lose your true love" he felt the same about Ysabeau.

"Yes, well; I'll find much needed solace when my brother is dead…" She didn't want to talk about it. "… To that end; I may have an idea. Persephone is his connection to this world. With her gone; he would become weak. Maybe to the point where he'd be trapped in Tartarus forever"

Trick understood that, and it was certainly the easiest plan. But nothing was ever simple these days. "But she's your niece…" He said. "… Could you really kill her?"

Amara sighed, "I don't want to but, she's a constant threat. The truth is, I never had an issue with Persephone. She had compassion; unlike the others, she cared. But then she became bound to Hades, and began doing his bidding. She led those Elders on their vile task to end Charlotte's life. That I cannot forgive" she shook her head.

"Zee said she'd call out to her; but nothing's come of it so far. Can you find her?" He asked. If anyone else could get Persephone it was Amara.

"I can, though it may take me a while to lock onto her energy. Being back in a strange world doesn't help the efficiency of my abilities. Fear not; if Zeus will not lure her in then I will. And she will pay for her crimes against this Family" she held up her beer bottle, knocking it against Trick's.

Persephone's number was up.

Clubhouse

When she left her Mother's Penthouse; Persephone had every intention of returning to Tartarus but her Husband had a job for her. They knew that Bo's child was alive. And since the Elders had given up after knowing the truth; it was now her job to complete the task. A disgusting task; but never the less she had no choice but to obey.

This wasn't something she wanted to do.

She remembered helping Bo when she got stuck in Tartarus. And it pained her to betray her stepdaughter like this. But if she didn't do it, then he'd make her one way or the other. It was just better to get it over with.

In her animal form, she was able to fly into the house through a hole in the roof of the attic. Once inside, she tiptoed downstairs to where the baby's room was. It wasn't the first time she'd been in this house over the last year. So many times, she wanted to apologise but never worked up the nerve.

When she got to Bo and Lauren's bedroom, she noticed the two of them were fast asleep. So she crossed the hallway into the nursery. Once there, she heard the soothing tone of the mobile spinning above the child's crib. She looked inside, seeing a beautiful baby girl.

As she was staring at her, the baby woke up but didn't cry out for her Parents like Persephone thought she would. Instead she stood up in the crib, just staring at her. "I'm very sorry for this…" She sighed. "… But I don't have a choice" she went to lift her up, when in doing so; she was thrown from where she stood by a jolt of energy when she touched the baby's hand.

Charlie began wailing at the top of her lungs, she didn't realise what she'd just done. But all she knew was that a stranger tried to touch her and she didn't want her to. What she did, was her way of defending herself.

Bo came running in with her dagger in hand, seeing Persephone on the floor a few feet away from the crib, a hole in her wall and her daughter screaming. What the hell happened? She got to Charlie, shushing her with a hand on her cheek. "It's okay baby…" She smiled. "… You're okay"

Charlie kept crying, and that's when they heard the thunder crackle from outside.

Lauren walked in, going straight for her daughter and lifting her up. "What happened?" She looked over to the corner where Persephone laid unconscious. "Who did that to her?" She rocked her daughter gently, who finally stopped crying.

"I dunno…" Bo needed back up. "… Amara!" She remembered what her Aunt said. So she called her name loudly, and within a second there was a burst of purple light in the room.

Amara appeared before them, funnily enough she was just landing when Bo called out to her. "I sensed the danger…" she said. "… I was already on my way when you called. Is she alright?" she looked behind Bo and at Lauren who was still calming the baby down.

"I think so…" Bo rubbed her daughter's back. "… Take her downstairs" she watched Lauren walk off, but not before grabbing Yogi bear from the crib which managed to make Charlie smile.

Walking over to Persephone, Amara sensed a great power. But it wasn't coming from her, it was lingering in the air. "How did you subdue her?" she turned to her niece.

"I didn't…" Bo was still confused about that. "… One second, Lauren and I are sleeping; and the next we hear a loud crash come from the nursery. When I got here, she was already on the ground and Charlie was crying" she wanted to kill Persephone for what she'd done. But she was guessing her Aunt had other plans.

Thinking it over, the only logical explanation that came to Amara was that Charlie somehow subdued her. But that was impossible, she was just a baby. Then again, when she herself was younger she had immense power too. "Perhaps we underestimated the power your daughter possesses" she spoke.

Bo knew what she was getting at, "You think Charlie did this?" she raised her eyebrows. "No, it's not possible. She's just a child" she didn't see that being true.

"While that remains true; she does possess the power of the Eldest Gods. It could be, that when Persephone attempted to harm her; Charlotte sensed the danger and defended herself" Amara had no other explanation.

"She's one…" Bo said, looking in disbelief. "… She's can barely pick up her teddy bear, let alone throw a grown woman across a room!" she took a breath, this was ridiculous. "How about, we forget about the how; and focus on what we're gonna do with this bitch" she looked down at her sleeping stepmother.

Amara nodded, "Very well; we must restrain her. Do you have any rope laying around?" she asked her niece.

Bo looked at Persephone in disgust. "Rope's too good for her; put her in a chair in my room. I'll get the chains from the basement" she left her Aunt alone, then ran off to get the chains.

Crouching down, Amara moved a piece of hair away from Persephone's face. She hadn't seen her in so long. "What a terrible mess you have made, my niece…" she sighed, "… You have a lot to answer for" she lifted her up, and took her into the other room.

Later

By the time Persephone came to, she found herself chained to a chair. She struggled to get free, but it was no use. She was stuck. Looking up, she came face to face with the Aunt she hadn't seen in centuries. "Amara" she whispered in fear.

"You're frightened…" Amara noticed, then smiled. "… Good" Maybe she wasn't as dumb as she made out.

Bo couldn't hold herself back anymore, so she punched Persephone's face hard. "You evil bitch!" she spat. "My daughter? Of all the people you try to hurt; you go for my new born daughter?" she hit her again, "How do you live with yourself?"

Persephone spat out some blood, "Trust me…" she breathed. "… You can't hate me more than I hate myself. I never wanted to hurt you; or your daughter. But it was him Bo…" she needed her to know this. "… I couldn't refuse him! I still can't"

That just made Bo even angrier, but before she could hit her again; Amara grabbed her arm. "Calm yourself!" she told her. "Causing her pain won't change anything she's done to you. It won't erase the pain you felt this past year. Walk away"

"But she-"

"I said leave us…" Amara couldn't have Bo up here while she was unstable. She needed answers from Persephone first. "… Now!" she pointed to the door, and waited for Bo to leave. Once she was gone, Amara turned back to her other niece. "Well then; it would seem we have some catching up to do" She smiled at her.

Downstairs

As Bo walked into the living room; she was met with her baby girl as she ran into her legs. Bo lifted her up, holding her close. That really helped her calm down. "Don't worry baby girl…" She whispered, "… No one's gonna hurt you. Not while I'm around"

"She got away from me…" Lauren approached them, seeing the blood on Bo's knuckles. "… Is Persephone alive?" That was all she had to ask right now.

Bo sighed, "Against my wishes; yeah, she's alive…" She carried Charlie over to the couch, and sat down with her and Lauren. "… Amara told me to leave so she could question her. Probably a good thing considering I would've killed her if I'd stayed a second longer" she let Charlie play with her hair.

"No one can blame you for wanting that…" Lauren said. "… Hell, I want it. But we're not killers Bo. We would kill for her; but right now I'm trying to focus on the fact that Charlie didn't get hurt. Do you even know how Persephone ended up making a hole in our wall?" She didn't understand it either.

"Amara thinks Charlie did it…" Bo saw Lauren's frown. "… I know; I don't buy it either. How can someone so little, do something like that? You didn't do it, did you sweetie?" She held her up, watching her try and put her Mother's hair in her mouth. "No baby; we don't eat hair" she had to laugh.

When Bo began to tickle her; Charlie started laughing very loudly. Until she went up to a very high pitch which then resulted in the light bulbs above them to burst. Bo covered her daughter, hearing her cry at the fright.

Lauren placed a hand on her back. "It's okay sweetie…" That seemed to do the trick, but now they were both wondering if maybe Charlie was the one who knocked Persephone out. "… I'm starting to hop onto Amara's train of thought now. How about you?"

"Lil' bit…" Bo looked at her daughter, who was now back to giggling to herself. "… I just don't understand how she's doing this. She's just a baby" she didn't get it. No Fae had powers before they hit puberty.

Not even Bo herself.

It confused Lauren too; "I dunno either. But it's worse for her. She's a baby; she doesn't understand what she's doing. What if it gets out of hand? Bo, what if she ends up hurting someone? You saw what she did to Persephone"

Bo held her free hand up, "We don't know it was her yet; and even if she did, Persephone deserved it" she was proud of her for doing that. Her one-year-old daughter took down an ancient. She was breaking the rules already.

How could she not be overcome with pride?

"You know what I mean" Lauren was exhausted, she honestly thought tonight would've been quiet. But she had no such luck.

"So what'd you wanna do Lauren?" Bo asked, "You wanna strip her powers? Because as much as I'd like her to have a normal childhood; these powers are what's keeping her safe. It's just gonna have to be up to us to make sure she keeps it in check" she didn't want to change her.

Lauren understood that, and she wasn't thinking of taking her powers away. Just maybe finding something to make them dormant until she came to an age where she could understand how to use them. But she just kept thinking; if she didn't have her powers then she wouldn't have been able to protect herself from Persephone.

And that was more important.

"You're right…" She nodded. "… I just want her to be happy" she sat closer to them, stroking the back of her daughter's head.

Bo felt the same, "She is happy. And we'll make sure she stays that way. I promise…" Suddenly, Amara stepped into the room; asking for Bo. She handed Charlie over to Lauren; then left with her Aunt, following her back upstairs. "… What've you learned?"

Amara stopped Bo before they entered the room. "Nothing we didn't already know. Hades wants your daughter's power. And he'll do whatever he has to in order to acquire it. Even killing his own Granddaughter" She was disgusted.

"So what'd we do now? How can we stop him?" Bo asked.

"I believe that severing his link to Persephone will weaken him enough to keep him in Tartarus for the rest of his immortal life…" Her niece asked her how to do that. "… She must die" Amara said.

Bo couldn't believe she said that, in fact she was expected Amara to talks her out of it. "You wanna kill her?" She had to make sure she heard that right.

Amara nodded. "I sense hesitation in you. Why? Were you not the one who wished for her demise? The fact remains; that as long as Hades is linked to her, he will forever have a foothold in this world. It'll only be a matter of time before he gathers enough strength to return. We should make use of this opportunity; it'll be more difficult later" there was no other way.

"Seems a little easy though, doesn't it?" Bo was sceptical. "She must've known she'd get caught. And he must've known that too" she had a bad feeling.

"Sometimes the simplest solutions are right in front of us…" Amara said. "… And she wouldn't have been caught; if your daughter hadn't defended herself. Hades is unaware of her abilities. Which means he couldn't have foreseen this. Right now, you have a choice to make"

Bo sighed, she wanted her dead; she'd wanted it ever since Zee revealed it was Persephone that started all this. But Bo wasn't a killer. And she didn't want to teach her daughter that it was okay to kill when the need arose. Even if it was for a good reason. "If you want her dead; you're gonna have to do it. I can't be that person again" she was a Mother now; she had to be better.

For Charlie.

Amara admired her restraint. She knew it was in mind of her daughter, and that was fine. "I understand…" She nodded. "… If there's anything you wish to say to her; now would be the time" she was going to take care of this now.

Bo side stepped her, going into her bedroom and finding Persephone crying as she was restrained. "Tears won't save you now…" She told her, even though she wasn't doing the killing; she knew that Amara was going to follow through with it. "… You know; I keep going over what you said to me earlier; about not being able to refuse him. Do you know what I realised?"

Persephone just stared at her, not knowing what she was going to say.

"He tried to make me do a lot of terrible things while I was linked to him. He brought out the darkness in me more than once; but I fought it…" Bo told her. "… I fought it; because I wanted to. I didn't wanna be a Monster like him. Sure, there were times where the darkness inside me took over completely. But up until that happened; I fought it with everything I had. Did you?" She asked.

Frowning, Persephone sniffled. "Did I what?"

Bo knelt down before her, so she was at eye level. "Did you try and fight it? Did you even want to?" This was important for her to know. It made the reason for killing her justifiable in her own eyes.

Persephone wanted to say yes, but if she was going to die then she might as well tell the truth. "No…" She said. "… I didn't see the point. He would've gotten what he wanted one way or another" that was her reason.

Laughing, Bo stood and turned away in anger. Persephone was okay with killing an innocent child; she may not have wanted to do it. But she would've done it anyway just because fighting it, would've been pointless. She looked at Amara, with a hand on her holster.

"I've changed my mind…" She spun around, and drove her dagger into Persephone's chest. "… I can be that person; for my daughter!" She twisted it; watching her shudder and then bow her head. She was gone.

Amara certainly didn't expect that, but she was proud of Bo for doing it. It meant she was a force to be reckoned with. And to other people that meant she was someone to be feared. There was nothing wrong with that. "We kill for those we love…" She placed a hand on Bo's shoulder. "… That's what we do" she wanted her to know it was okay to want this.

Killing for pleasure was childish and pointless. But killing for Family; was as necessary as breathing air.

Zee's Penthouse

Just as she was about to take her glass over to her bar to get another drink; Zee stopped abruptly as she felt a sharp pain in her heart. It caused her glass to slip out of her hand, and the sound of it smashing on the floor didn't snap her out of it. Something was wrong.

Hera heard the smash, so ran into the living room. He found his Wife hunched over while clutching her chest. "What is it? What's wrong?!" He helped her to sit on the couch, but she was still in pain.

"Persephone…" She breathed. "… She's dead" she couldn't feel it in her heart. Her daughter was gone, and she knew exactly who'd done it. It had to have been either Amara or Bo. Zee didn't want Persephone killed; what'd happened wasn't her fault. It was Hades' fault.

"I'm sorry" Hera touched her arm, only for her to push him away.

Zee stood up, rubbing her chest. The sting was still there. "Sorry? Don't lie to me! You hated her! But I didn't…" She began crying. "… She was my daughter! And now she's gone" she couldn't help her emotions. It was the first time she'd shown them in a long time.

Hera stepped forward, "Can you honestly defend her? After what she did to Bo? To her child? Yes, she was you daughter and it hurts that she's gone. But if you and Bo switched places, could you tell me you would've done things differently?" He didn't get an answer. "No, you wouldn't have"

"So I'm just supposed to be okay with it?!" Zee frowned. How could she? Her daughter was dead.

He shook his head, "No. You're supposed to be angry. Scream, cry, summon a devastating storm but you will not; seek Vengeance…" He told her. "… Her death is punishment for her crime against Bo. And perhaps; it will also offer as freedom for Persephone herself" he thought about it.

"How?" Zee asked.

"She was bound to Hades until death…" He said. "… Now that she's gone; she's free. Maybe you should try to focus on that fact" he had nothing more to say, so he walked away and left her to think about what he said.

And Zee did, she couldn't deny that he was right. Persephone was free of Hades now. Her death was a mercy. But she still wanted to avenge her. Although, doing that would prove difficult considering Bo had her own bodyguard in Amara.

Zee couldn't fight her. It would be suicide. So for now, she was going to do what her Husband said. And focus on the fact that Persephone was no free of torment. She was now in mourning.

Tartarus

Hades awoke from his slumber; feeling the loss of his Wife. Since they were bound together he always felt her. He sat up on his throne; breathing heavily while clutching his chest. The sting of her death plagued him; but all he could do was smile.

Because with Persephone dead; he could summon her soul and add her power to his own. Which is exactly what he did. He closed his eyes, feeling her essence invade his body. He power wasn't strong, but it was enough to rejuvenate him.

All these months, he'd sat in the same spot. Gathering dust like some old relic. When Bo banished him the first time; his power had been taken along with his place on Earth. He couldn't move when he found himself back in this hole.

He wanted to end Persephone then. But he didn't have the strength, he maybe been a God but she was still an ancient. And without his strength, he wasn't a match for her. Though she never challenged him in spite of it.

Because she knew there was no point. She had to do what he asked of her. It was her curse of being bound to him. But now that bond had broken, and he felt good. In fact, he felt good enough to change his scenery. For the first time in a year.

And now that he knew Bo's child was alive; he was going to finish the job that no other Fae could. He was going to retrieve his Granddaughter; and take her powers.

"Time for a Family reunion" he laughed to himself, then disappeared in a flash of Blue light.

It was good to be back.


A/N: DUN DUN DUN! What's gonna happen? Let me know, got a lot going on this week so you might have to wait at least a week for the next chapter. Remember to get all the reviews in. Much love xoxo