Author's Notes:

I apologize for the delay with this chapter. Real life stuff and writer's block are to blame. Here's a longer chapter than normal to say thanks for your patience.

- Please note that this is the beginning of Bo's and Lauren's individual journeys and it charts how they start to cope after their break up.

- The next few chapters will alternate between Bo and Lauren – this is necessary to develop their individual progress while they are apart; so keep this in mind when you don't see Bo in this chapter.

A huge thank you to everyone following and reviewing "Time"!

Special thanks to my Beta, Neytiri's Heart for helping me through my writer's block and for all her suggestions; and to bluebunnyRAFI for providing me with information on Brazil – supper is for you blue! ;)

Chapter 7 – "All Work And No Play - part 1"

Light Fae Compound – Brasília (day three)

These past few days were a whirlwind with Lauren working through lunch and supper and late into the night after everyone had left the lab. The blonde absorbed all the information that she could and was making great progress on the files and notes that she needed to review. Unfortunately, this meant that she was forgetting to take care of herself – something that Bo used to remind her to do by either bringing her, her meals or convincing her to take breaks. So far, her meals consisted of a big breakfast in the morning in the dining hall which carried her through the day and when she returned to her apartment late at night, she would have toast or cereal for supper.

Living with the Fae, Lauren had to master her ability to mask her emotions; this made others think that she was cold and uncaring. The fact of the matter was that the doctor was very passionate and having to hide how she felt all these years was exhausting. With Bo, she was able to put down those walls and be herself; to feel; and to not hide who she was. It was very liberating and Lauren didn't realize how much she had missed that part of herself as it was deeply hidden away. But that freedom was gone and now that she had to revert back to these measures, she was finding it difficult to do so. When immersed in work Lauren was able to hide her feelings, however when there was no distraction, there was nothing preventing her emotions from rushing out; causing her to drown in the hurt, pain and loss of her relationship with Bo.

Because of this, the blonde wasn't getting much sleep. It was during the quiet moments laying in bed and waiting for sleep to take her, that her thoughts would always drift to Bo; and the emotional pain she felt was unbearable. Lauren just wanted the world to stop spinning for awhile - to stop long enough so that she could catch her breath and recover; to see some semblance of her old self again. She was tired of everyone and everything around her functioning while she felt as if she were slowly dying inside.

She knew that the world would continue to spin on its axis and that life would continue to operate around her regardless of how she felt but it didn't change the fact that she just wanted to scream the pain and emptiness away. After the last two nights of not being able to sleep, Lauren was desperate. She took a pillow into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As she stood there in the middle of the room, she covered her face with the pillow and screamed into it as loudly as she could; she screamed till her legs buckled and she couldn't scream any more; the pillow and the water masking her sounds. It was a release; albeit temporary; but it helped nevertheless. She wiped her tears away and turned off the shower before crawling into bed. The emotional release left her physically exhausted; and dimmed her thoughts to a dull roar so that she could fall asleep. The doctor knew that this wasn't healthy but when all she wanted to do was sleep, she didn't care what she did, as long as she achieved the desired results.

Morning came quickly and Lauren was anxious to resume work; it was her constant; her reprieve. It was only her fourth day at the compound but she already had her schedule set. Wake up early, have a hearty breakfast and be in the lab for 7:00 A.M. The doctor was normally the first to arrive and could be found in her office at the back of the lab with stacks of files on her desk. Lauren had copious amounts of notes, patients' files and test results that had to be reviewed and she wanted to get caught up on everything; she needed to have a strong understanding of this epidemic before diving into any field work and experiments.

The blonde was absolutely focused on the task at hand – not just because she wanted to find a cure for the disease; but she also needed the distraction. When she was working, it meant she wasn't feeling or thinking about Bo; her heart ache; and their failed relationship. Being in Brazil was also a return to her medical roots – combining medicine and research to develop a cure for a disease that caused pain, suffering and death. It also wasn't lost on Lauren that this situation mirrored the start of her career when she was in the Congo. However, this time around she was more knowledgeable, skilled and experienced; she was aware of the Fae; and she had all the support and equipment necessary to work on finding a cure.

It was almost noon when Serena left the Security Section and made her way towards the lab. There wasn't much need to guard the doctor while they were in the compound as the facility was extremely secure, however, it didn't stop the Ignis from checking in on the blonde a few times a day.

Serena thrived on routine, regardless of where she was working, so being in Brazil was no different. Her day's schedule comprised of meeting with Carlos Arantes in the morning to review the security policies and procedures for the compound and the various camps and bases that they would be travelling to when in the field. She also began familiarizing herself with the geographical maps of those areas and received briefings on the latest incidents between the Light and Dark Fae in the area - tensions between the Fae clans were high, so altercations were common. The afternoons were reserved for providing Ash Santiago with a quick Situation Report or SITREP; and sparring with the other security staff or training on her own in the gym.

Since they arrived, Serena had observed the doctor's routine and assumed that the blonde was just overwhelmed by all the information that she had to process; and that she would eventually settle into a sensible schedule. However, from what the Ignis had seen so far, she didn't think that would happen any time soon. Dr. Lewis looked tired; she had dark circles under her eyes and her face was gaunt, most likely from not eating enough. It was obvious that the doctor wasn't taking care of herself. Serena knew that the blonde was a workaholic and that something personal happened prior to leaving for Brazil; she didn't know the details of why the blonde was preoccupied, nor would she pry, but she had a strong suspicion that whatever was going on with the doctor was linked to her relationship with the Succubus.

As a body guard, Serena's job is to take care of and protect her client; however, if her client couldn't even manage the basics of having three square meals a day and getting rest, then, it would make her job difficult. She wasn't about to let anything happen to the doctor nor was she about to fail at her first solo assignment. Serena would ensure that the blonde took care of herself even if she had to force her to do so.

Serena entered the lab and made her way to Lauren's office where she knew the doctor would be engrossed in whatever file she was reviewing.

The Ignis knocked on the door, "Dr. Lewis."

Lauren looked up and seemed to take an extra second to focus; blinking away the information that she was reading and instead concentrating on the person that was interrupting her thought process. "Serena, hello. How are you? How can I help you?"

Serena stood at attention at the edge of Lauren's desk, "I am well thank you. Everything is fine. I am here to accompany you to the dining hall for lunch."

The blonde looked at the wall clock, not realizing how quickly the hours had passed by and that it was noon already. She returned her attention to Serena, "Thank you but I'm right in the middle of something. I'll just go later."

The Ignis expected this response, "You misunderstand doctor; I am not asking. I will wait." And with that, Serena remained standing by Lauren's desk.

It didn't register with the blonde that her bodyguard literally meant what she said. Lauren didn't intend on ignoring the Ignis; she was only going to read till the end of the page before insisting that Serena proceed without her, but instead she quickly got caught up in the material that she was reviewing. When she looked up fifteen minutes later, the Ignis had not moved from her position – she was as still as a statue. The blonde exhaled deeply and rubbed her eyes; she realized then that Serena would not leave her office unless she went with her to the dining hall. Lauren bookmarked the page in the file and closed it as she stood up. Serena gestured towards the door, "After you doctor." The Ignis smiled as the blonde walked past her.

It was almost 12:30 P.M. and the dining hall was packed; finding an available table was going to be like trying to find Waldo during Carnival in Rio. Both Serena and Lauren had their trays of food and were scouring the room for a place to sit. Fortunately, Nayara saw when they entered the hall and had the foresight to save two chairs for them when some people got up from her table; she waved them over.

"Thanks for the seats. We were going to resort to sitting on the ground outside." Lauren said as she sat across from the doctor.

Nayara smiled at them both, "You're welcome. It's good to see you outside of the lab Lauren. I was beginning to think that I would have to pry you out of there."

"Serena did actually." Lauren confessed as she focused on her salad and avoided eye contact with both women.

"Well, then, it seems that you beat me to it Serena. I was thinking of resorting to extreme measures." the brunette chuckled.

The Ignis nodded. She knew that Nayara was an observant woman and was probably also assessing Lauren's work habits.

"Oh, Nayara, when we get back to the lab, could you provide me with-"

The brunette interrupted Lauren and flashed her, her patented dazzling smile, "I am going to stop you right there. No 'shop talk' while we eat. You need to give your brain a break, enjoy your meal and socialize a bit. When we return to the lab, I would be more than happy to provide you with whatever you need."

The Ignis gave Nayara a look that said 'well done'; Lauren didn't notice as she was a bit taken aback.

"I'm sorry; it is sometimes difficult for me to switch out of work mode." Lauren said sheepishly.

The doctor nodded, "Trust me, I do understand. I used to be like you. I just don't want to see you burning yourself out like I did. You need to make sure that you pace yourself – don't miss meals; take breaks; don't live in the lab; take time to talk to others about anything other than work; get a change of scenery; and make sure you get plenty of rest."

Lauren knew that Nayara was right but it was hard to change, especially since she did not want to be idle – the emotional consequence of that was just too much for her.

The blonde smiled, "I know you're right but it's easier said than done. I always need to keep occupied; that's why I've been working late – to keep busy."

Serena piped up, "If that is the case, I can help you there."

They both turned their heads towards the bodyguard; it was rare for the Ignis to talk in a social setting, so they were a bit surprised.

Serena ignored their looks, "Boxing is a great way to let off some steam and it would also give you something to do in the evenings."

"I, uh, am not sure about that." Lauren stammered.

"I think that's a great idea Serena!" Nayara exclaimed. "I used to box to relieve stress – it was a great outlet for me. I'm sure you will enjoy it."

"Umm, I don't have any sports gear. I didn't bring any with me." Lauren said; she hoped that this fact would end all this talk of trying to occupy her time; all she wanted to do was continue her research in the lab.

"That won't be a problem. I'm sure that I have something that will fit you." Nayara offered. "Tell you what, we can go to supper together around 5:00 P.M. and then after we eat, we can walk back to my apartment and I'll lend you some clothes. What do you say?"

Lauren was hesitant but she knew that she couldn't get out of this, "Sure. Thanks."

"Now that the logistics are sorted out… I'll pick you up at seven o'clock so that we can head to the gym." Serena wanted to make sure that the blonde was clear that there was no escape.

"Sounds great." Lauren said unenthusiastically.

Light Fae Compound - Gym

Lauren had brought a pair of sneakers on this trip but needed to borrow a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from Nayara. The brunette was curvaceous like Bo and so the clothes weren't an exact fit for the blonde, but it was still comfortable and not too loose on her frame.

Serena was punctual as always, knocking on Lauren's door at 7:00 P.M. They both walked to the gym in a comfortable silence. The doctor was thankful for that; some people felt the need to fill the silence with unnecessary conversation; Serena wasn't like that and it was refreshing. She appreciated what Serena was trying to do for her; it wasn't that she was against exercising; she just felt that there were better things that she could be doing, especially since she was only in Brazil for a short period of time. In her mind, every minute spent away from reviewing files and test results; was a minute taken away from finding a solution.

Once in the gym, Serena grabbed a pair of boxing gloves for the doctor and a pair of hand pads for herself. She gave Lauren a quick run through on the proper boxing stance – weak side forward; eyes on the opponent and chin down; and taught her the three basic punches: jab, right cross and left hook.

To practice, Serena put on the hand pads and had the doctor hit them; calling out the punches slowly till Lauren was comfortable with the punches and the foot work associated with it. Once the blonde got the hang of it, the Ignis picked up the pace, moving her around the gym floor and varying the punch combinations. By the time they were done these drills, Lauren was sweating and breathing hard.

From there, the Ignis moved the doctor over to the other side of the gym to do some heavy bag boxing drills. It was Serena's intent to make sure that Lauren got a good work out in order to release any stress and frustration. She showed Lauren the proper way to hit the heavy bag to avoid spraining her wrist and taught her the 30-30-30 method. This drill comprised of three rounds lasting 30 seconds each. The first 30 seconds had Lauren hitting the bag at regular speed, using all punch combinations; for the second 30 seconds she would 'ride the bike' which meant hitting the bag as fast as possible, keeping her legs constantly moving as if she were jogging on the spot; and for the final 30 seconds, she would hit the bag as hard as possible so that every punch would be a knock out. Once the first set of 30-30-30 was done, Serena had Lauren take a one minute break before resuming again. This was a physically demanding workout, so doing a few sets would tire anyone out.

By the time they left the gym, Lauren was drenched in sweat and physically exhausted; she knew that she would ache all over tomorrow. They walked back to the doctor's apartment and said good night. Once inside, the blonde just wanted to crawl into bed but instead forced herself to have a quick shower and changed into her night clothes. Lauren was asleep shortly after her head hit the pillow. It was the first time in weeks that she didn't think about Bo and all their relationship issues before falling asleep.

Light Fae Compound - Lab (day five)

The next day Serena arrived at the lab to escort Lauren to lunch. The blonde was not expecting her but she was also not surprised. However, this time, the Ignis did not have to wait and as such, there was no difficulty in finding a place to sit in the dining hall.

It had been so long since Lauren had a good night's sleep that she forgot what it felt like to be well rested and energized; she knew that her workout last night was the reason for it even though her muscles were incredibly sore. Lauren thanked Serena for taking the time to teach her how to box and asked if they could continue doing so a couple days a week. Serena agreed to continue training with her. Internally, the Ignis was more than happy to oblige as it was good to see that the doctor was acknowledging that she needed to take better care of herself.

Back in the lab, Lauren was reviewing some test results when Nayara knocked on the door to her office.

"Hi, how are things going?" Nayara asked.

Lauren looked up and smiled, "Things are going well actually. It took awhile but I think I'm caught up on all the notes, files and test results. Aside from seeing some of the patients and comparing tests; I'm ready to head into the field – to see things at the source as it were." The blonde was happy to have finally finished reviewing everything; it was incredibly tedious but necessary before she could move forward with research.

"That's great!" Nayara was pleased to hear about Lauren's progress. "For the field portion, the Base Camp is located on the outskirts of São Paulo, which is as close as we can get to the outbreak in Mata Atlantica, the Atlantic Forest. Normally, we have a ten day rotation there – we set up at Base Camp and then drive or hike to the villages to see and treat patients and gather samples. After a week and a half, lab and scientific teams swap out - this gives us the chance to process all the samples and information that we collected; while the other scientific team takes over. Then we do it all over again in another ten days."

Lauren was anxious to get started, "I'm really looking forward to starting this phase. Now that I've completed reviewing all the background information, I can begin tackling the issue at hand."

Nayara looked at the blonde and smiled, "I've been thinking… You've been here for five days and I haven't had the chance to thank you or welcome you to Brazil. I'd like to have you over for supper tonight."

Lauren shook her head, "There's no need to thank me Nayara. I haven't done anything yet."

The brunette put up her hand to stop the blonde, "Lauren, please. I normally check the access logs for the lab – since you arrived, you've been in the lab early before everyone and you're the last to leave late at night. You've poured over every single file, test result and research note that we have. You have already proven that you are devoted to the cause. If your work ethic is any indication … well, I know that you will always give 100 percent. So, please allow me to say thank you. I would love to properly welcome you here by cooking you a traditional Brazilian meal."

Lauren acquiesced; she also found it difficult to refuse the brunette while she looked at her so intently with those beautiful pale blue eyes. "Sounds good. I can't remember when last someone cooked for me."

Nayara winked at the blonde, "It's a date then. I'll see you at 7:00 p.m."

Lauren balked at the word 'date' but as she watched the brunette walk away, she couldn't help but admire how beautiful Nayara was and that her dress accentuated every positive aspect of her figure. The blonde physically shook her head to stop herself from staring; she felt guilty for ogling Nayara who was her peer and who was only being nice to her; not to mention the fact that she had only just gotten out of a relationship. Lauren had to stop thinking of how beautiful Nayara was and the best way to do that was to submerge herself in the stack of test results on her desk.

Nayara's apartment

It was seven o'clock when Lauren knocked on the Light Fae's apartment door. She wore a white three-quarter sleeve shirt over a pale blue tank top, blue jeans and a pair of brown sandals. Nayara opened the door and looked absolutely beautiful in her red and yellow sun dress and black strapped wedged shoes. The brunette greeted Lauren, kissing her on her left cheek, her right and back again on her left.

"Whatever you're cooking smells delicious!" Lauren remarked as Nayara showed her to the living room couch.

"It's moqueca de camarão. It's a common Brazilian dish; essentially, it's a shrimp stew. The shrimp is marinated in garlic, lemon juice and various spices; it's cooked in a tomato puree and coconut milk with peppers and spices; once cooked, it's served with rice. It's quite tasty."

"I'm sure that it is. I'm looking forward to trying an authentic Brazilian meal."

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Please. Do you have beer?"

"What kind of question is that? Do I have beer? Do you not realize that you're in Brazil?" The Fae winked at the blonde causing Lauren to smile.

Nayara returned with two bottles.

The blonde took a sip. "That's pretty good." She looked at the brand, "'Antarctica'? I've never heard of it before."

"It's one of our popular beers." Nayara replied as she absentmindedly played with the label on the bottle.

"Thank you again for the invite." Lauren looked the brunette in the eyes, "I meant it when I said that it's been a long time since anyone has cooked for me. It may seem insignificant but it means a lot…. to me anyway."

"How long has it been since someone has cooked you a meal?" Nayara inquired.

"Umm, about six and a half years."

"Really?! Well then, I'm honored to be your first after all this time." Nayara smiled.

Lauren wasn't sure if the brunette was flirting with her or if she was just making a joke; so she chose to ignore it and just enjoy a normal evening between co-workers.

"That was absolutely delicious, Nayara. You are a wonderful cook." Lauren complimented her hostess as she helped clear the table.

"It was my pleasure. I'm glad that you enjoyed it." The Fae replied genuinely. "Thanks for helping me clean up."

"It's the least I could do." Lauren replied as she put the dishes in the dishwasher.

"Why don't you sit on the couch while I make us some tea?"

Lauren watched Nayara as she put water to boil and gathered some tea cups. "So, I've been meaning to ask you something since I arrived but never had the chance before now."

The Light Fae's curiosity was peaked. "What did you want to ask?"

"I noticed that the humans and Fae in the compound are, for lack of a better word, very friendly towards one another. There just seems to be an amazing sense of camaraderie overall. I'm not used to seeing humans and Fae openly mingling and socializing with each other and in large numbers. Am I reading things right? "

Nayara chuckled, "Yes, you're quite perceptive. There is definitely a very strong working and social relationship between humans and Fae here."

The Fae grew serious, "Six months ago, the presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents were discovered in Mata Atlântica - the Atlantic Forest on the South East coast. We didn't know the method of transmission for this disease – was it airborne; could it have been genetic; was it passed via touch, ingestion, blood or bodily fluids? We had all these questions and the number of casualties was increasing."

She paused to collect her thoughts. "We had to act quickly and carefully; because of all these unknown factors, we had to build and set up Quarantines in various cities to take the necessary precautions of not spreading the disease to others as well as to ourselves. All of this took time; time that we needed to treat the sick. Fortunately, it was determined within the first week of the outbreak that Fae were the only ones affected. So even though we didn't know how the disease was transmitted, our human employees were able to go to the infected areas; they treated our sick and isolated them by taking them to make shift quarantine areas; once permanent quarantine facilities were built, patients were transferred there."

Nayara smiled sadly. "Our human counterparts were vital. For the first four months of the epidemic, they were the only ones who were able to deal directly with infected Fae before they were brought to quarantine. Humans took care of; treated; and buried those that contracted the disease. The death toll so far is 2,348; however, if it weren't for humans, that number would have been substantially higher. We recognize and appreciate humans for what they have done for us and because of that, the Fae-human relationship changed from the single minded thought of humans only being valued as a food source to something closer to a symbiotic relationship. I know that it's not a complete transformation of old ideals but it's a move in the right direction."

"It's definitely a huge step towards a better understanding and esprit de corps between humans and Fae. It's a shame that it had to take an epidemic to change thousands of years of thinking. I can only wish for your clan's epiphany to spread to other clans… starting in Toronto." Lauren smiled a bittersweet smile.

Nayara handed the blonde a cup of tea as she sat down next to her. The brunette had been meaning to broach a subject with the blonde ever since she arrived but there was never an appropriate moment. "Lauren, do you know what type of Fae I am?"

The blonde was a bit surprised by the question, "No. I normally do not ask."

Nayara nodded her understanding, "I'm an Empath."

"Your species has the ability to feel exactly what someone else feels and you know what's needed to make them feel better. You feed off of emotions." Lauren excitedly explained what she knew of Empaths; however her excitement quickly diminished as the realization of Nayara's abilities sunk in.

Nayara smiled at the doctor's knowledge of her kind; Lauren never failed to surprise her. "That's correct. However, when I feed off of someone's emotions, it diminishes that emotion temporarily. I can also replace one emotion with another, for example I can take someone's anger and make them feel happy instead."

"I wasn't aware of that aspect of your ability. I've never met any of your species before. Though, from what I read, your kind are normally very cool and stand-offish in order to stay detached; this prevents any chance of becoming overwhelmed by the emotional environment around them…. You do not reflect the textbook definition of your species." Lauren slipped into her detached doctor persona and tried to keep her feelings at bay; she felt awkward knowing that Nayara must have been able to sense her emotions all this time.

The brunette sensed the shift within the blonde. "Lauren, please do not feel uncomfortable around me. I'm over 2,200 years old and I've more than perfected my ability to shield myself so that I don't have to be detached. Because of this, I can adapt my interactions with others based off of what I sense from them."

"I see." Lauren still felt awkward.

Nayara feared that the blonde would react this way before she told her of her Fae background and tried to allay her concerns. "Right now, I can sense that you're trying to rein in your feelings. You don't have to."

Lauren hated not being in control and knowing that her emotions were exposed put her on the defensive, "Are your feeding off of me right now?!"

The Empath realized that what she said only made the situation worse and in a soft, calm voice explained, "No, you misunderstand. For Empaths, sensing does not include feeding. Because I sense how you feel that doesn't mean that I've fed from you. I know that you would feel, for lack of a better word, violated, if I did that. I respect you and would never take from you unless you wanted me to… I would only feed from you if you asked; and know that I would never ask you."

The blonde took a deep, calming breath but still felt uncomfortable.

Nayara continued to explain, "You have been nothing but professional since you've been here but your emotions are… intense. It was only obvious to me because I am an Empath. I've felt what you've been feeling since the first day we met... It has been very difficult to ignore."

Whatever sense of calm Lauren was able to muster quickly dissipated and frustration took over, "It's not like I'm flaunting it. I'm doing everything I can to keep how I feel contained-"

Nayara didn't want the blonde to feel guilty or uncomfortable over how she felt; and gently held Lauren's hand. "I didn't say you were. I just want to help."

"Help how?" Lauren was struggling to maintain her composure and it felt as if the walls were closing in, making it hard to breathe.

"I think you need to talk to someone. I'm a great listener and would be happy to listen if you wanted to talk. I just… feeling the way you feel… it must be incredibly difficult holding it all in."

Lauren quickly pulled her hand out of Nayara's grasp and stood up suddenly, "I think I should leave."

Nayara didn't expect this reaction. "No, please! I didn't mean to upset you."

The blonde wasn't listening. She needed out of the apartment. She needed to be in control of her emotions and it was quickly slipping away. If she didn't leave now, she wouldn't be able to rein it in and she would crumble. That was something that she couldn't allow to happen in front of anyone, much less Nayara; it was bad enough that the brunette knew how she felt. This made Lauren feel weak and pathetic.

The Empath felt the emotions racing through the blonde and chose to act. She rushed ahead of Lauren and blocked the door, preventing her from leaving.

"I don't want to talk about it!" the blonde's voice was starting to waver.

Nayara quickly bridged the gap between them; her eyes softly peering into Lauren's as her hands reached out to brush blonde hair but Lauren put her arms up to deflect the soothing gesture. Before Lauren could say a word, Nayara grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace.

"Let me go!" Lauren exclaimed as she tried to free herself.

The brunette didn't let the doctor's attempts to wriggle free deter her; she just continued to hug her and gently said "I'm not letting you go" into blonde curls.

Lauren continued to struggle in an attempt to find a way out of the Empath's hold but found her strength waning rapidly as she also fought to keep her rising emotions from bursting through.

"I'm not letting you go." The Empath repeated softly; the tenderness in her voice, powerful.

Lauren's eroding emotional barrier was no match for Nayara's warm embrace and soothing words. A loud sob broke free and as the last of her walls came crumbling down, she wrapped her arms around the brunette and allowed her tears to escape.

Nayara just held her while Lauren cried; her body shuddering against her. The blonde had kept all her emotions buried and now that she had released them, she couldn't stop nor did she want to. This was the first time that Lauren received any comfort from anyone since she left Bo and as much as she didn't want anyone to see her break down, it was a relief to finally have some solace.

The Empath continued to soothe her while she wept; she meant what she had said to Lauren – she wouldn't feed from her unless the blonde asked; she just wanted her to get through her emotional pain and be happy.

Once Lauren's sobs subsided, Nayara gently guided her to the couch and handed her a handkerchief.

"Would you like something to drink? Tea or water or…?" Nayara asked.

"Something stronger if you don't mind?" Lauren said as she wiped her cheeks and nose.

Nayara returned with 2 cold beers and adjusted herself on the couch next to Lauren; angling herself so that she was semi-facing the blonde.

They both drank in silence; Lauren trying to compose herself and Nayara giving her time to recover and decide what she wanted to do.

When the silence was finally broken, it was by Lauren. She needed to talk and Nayara was the closest to a friend that she had. She told her everything – how she came about to be with the Fae and her time with them; her love for Bo; all the sacrifices she made for love; how difficult being in a relationship with a Succubus was; their issues; her insecurities; Dyson's and Tamsin's part in their break-up; she didn't hold anything back.

Nayara listened and by the time Lauren stopped talking it was well after midnight. The blonde was exhausted but also felt as if a weight had been lifted. She knew she still had a long way to go to mend her broken heart but this was a good start.

"I think you should get some sleep – you're tired. Take my bed and get some rest. Okay?" Nayara suggested.

Lauren nodded; she didn't have the energy to argue or dismiss the plan of her staying over at Nayara's for the night. She felt drained. By the time the Empath tucked her in bed and exited the bedroom, Lauren had already fallen asleep.

The Empath put the tea cups and beer bottles in the kitchen sink and grabbed herself a blanket as she made herself comfortable on the couch. Nayara was at least glad that Lauren had acknowledged her pain - that was a first step. She couldn't imagine how the blonde managed to get through the last six years of her life - the revelation of what she went through only made the Fae respect Lauren's fortitude even more. The brunette closed her eyes; she was also tired from the evening's events. She didn't know what to expect in the morning – if Lauren would close herself off again or not; she hoped after tonight, Lauren would realize that she could trust her.

Light Fae Compound – Brasília (day six to nine)

After Lauren told Nayara about her life with the Fae and her relationship with Bo, instead of emotionally distancing herself as she would normally do, the blonde decided to just be herself with the Empath and to cast away her discomfort about Nayara's ability to sense her emotions. Allowing herself to cry in front of someone and to talk about her problems was more freeing that Lauren could ever imagine.

In doing so, Lauren and Nayara became good friends within a short period of time. When in the lab, they entered into numerous discussions about the etilology and vector of transmission of the disease. Outside of the lab, they spent most of their meals chatting about anything and everything; and they socialized together on the evenings when Lauren wasn't boxing with Serena. It had been a long time since Lauren had a friend and it was a very easy friendship as they both had a lot in common. Plus, the Empath was also a scientist which meant that she understood all the blonde's geek speak. In fact, when Lauren told her, her 'Why do chemists like nitrates?' joke, Nayara couldn't stop laughing. It made Lauren smile, knowing that the joke would have been a hit at her Award Ceremony.

Having a friend made Lauren feel the most normal she had ever felt in a long while. Even though the blonde could be herself when she was with Bo, her being human was always an issue – it made her feel weak and it helped create a fissure in their relationship. With Nayara – there were no strings; no issues of her humanity being a liability; she was just able to be herself and it was liberating.

TBC

Author's Notes:

Reviews are like gold! Please comment – I need the ego boost and all the help I can get to fuel my motivation and to keep the incentive going. Thanks!

I promise that my next post won't be as long a wait. Pinky swear!