Thanks for your support :)
I guess this is a bit.. Angsty?
.
"Oh god, I'm sorry! I was joking. Kenzi tell her I was only joking!" Lauren rambled looking totally sheepish with a blush covering her cheeks. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble between you two. Kenzi I'm so sorry. I.. I didn't know she was your girlfriend." She flicked her eyes to the smaller brunette.
"Lauren, it's okay.. Um.. I.. This is Bo.." Kenzi tried to figure out something to say without messing up everything. "It's just that.. um.."
"I'm sorry. Please believe me, I was only teasing." Lauren gave a soft smile to Kenzi and then Bo. "Okay, I think I've done enough.. I'll go now." She chuckled awkwardly, put up her hands and started to move away, before she felt Bo grab a hold of her arm.
"Please don't go.." Bo whispered desperately. "Stay. Please.."
"Oh?" Lauren met Bo's teary eyes and felt a bang of guilt hit her. I should have kept my mouth shut! Oh gods, she's upset... I didn't want to mess up Kenzi's relationship. Now I'm gonna get my ass handed to me, she groaned. She flicked her eyes to Kenzi, who looked lost in tought. "Kenzi?"
"Hey Lauren. It's nice to see you. Um.. So.. This is my friend.. Bo. Um, please stay a while?" Kenzi stuttered a little. What the hell do I do now, she fretted and glanced worriedly at Bo. The wide eyed succubus had gone awfully pale. She was still clutching the doctor's arm. It was obvious the woman was in shock. Oh Bo.. This is gonna hurt like bitch, Kenzi sighed inwardly.
"Hey Bo. Nice to meet you." Lauren smiled hesitantly.
Bo was too stunned to say anything. I'm dreaming, she realized. This can't be really happening. She felt Kenzi poke her in the side and released her hold on Lauren.
"I really am sorry for.." Lauren sighed.
"Yeah.." Bo quietly cut in. She was feeling lightheaded, like she was gonna pass out any minute, but.. Lauren was here. Bo needed to say her apologies. She took a deep breath to get oxygen in her body. Lauren was here. And even, if she wasn't real or really here.. Bo wanted Lauren to know. She wanted her to know everything Bo was feeling.
"Bo maybe we should go home?" Kezi tried. She knew she had to tell Bo everything, but she wouldn't do it in front of Lauren.
"I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry, I was no good for you. I should have been a better woman for you. I wanted to, but I.. was stupid. Cruel and selfish.. But I love you. I have always loved you.. I love you so much. I miss you.. I have so many.. regrets.." The succubus desperately rambled whispering, her watery eyes locked on Lauren's. "So many.. regrets.."
"Hey. Hey. It's okay." Lauren said softly, thinking the woman was feeling ill and disoriented.
"You.. You forgive me?" Bo whimpered, tears springing into her eyes. "You shouldn't forgive me so easily! I was horrible to you.. I love you, but I treated you so badly.. I'm sorry.. I won't ever hurt you again.. I promise I won't." She got out between uneven breaths. "I promise."
"Bo, you don't look so good. Breathe.. Maybe you should sit down." Lauren said in her doctor voice, sounding concerned and then met Kenzi's teary eyes. "Kenzi, your gir.. friend really needs to sit down. I think she's about to faint. Does she have any illnesses?" Lauren asked as they steered Bo to a bench and sat her down.
"No." Kenzi said. "No illnesses." She's just heartbroken, she added inwardly.
Bo sat there unmoving, staring at the blond. The blond she hadn't seen in so long. Bo was reeling. She was overwhelmed. What is this? It all seems so real.. But what was Lauren playing at? She's acting like a total stranger. Doesn't she remember? And why was Kenzi being so weird and anxious? Maybe I'm hallucinating, Bo guessed. My dreams.. I hope for more.. romantic dreams. Not those horrifically detailed nightmares about the accident or Lauren leaving, she sighed. This is better. Much better than those.. I must be dreaming. Lauren is dead.. But.. But here she is. She's so.. So beautiful. I gods, how I miss her. I miss touching her. And.. I felt her touch my arm.. I felt her arm under my hand. I felt her, she suddenly realized gasping out loud.
"Bo? Do you hear me?" Lauren stared into Bo's eyes and put her palm on Bo's cheek. The doctor's other hand went to Bo's neck to check the rapidly fluttering pulse.
Bo nodded slowly, but kept her eyes latched on Lauren. She drank in every feature. Her gaze reverently tracked the blond's face. Oh my god, I can feel her hands on me. I feel it. I smell her. Her shampoo is different, but Lauren.. Her essence.. She still smells the same. Bo's eyes fluttered shut as she reveled in the moment. A steady stream of tears escaped her eyes. The succubus was overwhelmed with feelings of happiness and familiarity. Memories of Lauren being so close, touching her so gently and lovingly were invading her mind. Why did I ever let her go, she thought regretfully.
"You're so beautiful Lauren. I'm so sorry I hurt you. I should have treated you better. Like you deserve. You deserve the best.. I never should have let you go.." Bo sobbed. "I never.."
"Shh Bo. It's okay." Lauren soothed worriedly and caressed Bo's cheeks with the pad of her thumbs, which just made the succubus cry harder. And it also made Lauren pause. Bo's skin felt so soft and.. somehow familiar under her fingertips. It felt intimate. Like she had done this before. Lauren shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts.
"It's not! You're gone and nothing's okay!" Bo wailed, her hands clasped on Lauren's forearms.
"Bo? Please calm down a little okay. You're gonna pass out." Lauren said calmly. "Breathe in and out. Nice and easy."
"Just like that. Good." The doctor praised, when Bo took shuddering breaths to fill her lungs. "It'll be okay. Take nice deep breaths for me."
"I think.. um.. She just has been eating poorly. I'll get her something on the way home." Kenzi cut in. She was floundering, but had to do something before Bo had a complete breakdown. Lauren didn't need to see that. Not this Lauren.
"I have an organic orange juice in my purse. It should help a little. Just a sec." Lauren untangled herself from Bo's grip and riffled through her bag, while throwing concerned glances at Bo. "Here." She popped the lid open and put the small carton in Bo's hand and urged her to drink it.
"Feeling better?" She asked with a little smile as she met the brunette's watery eyes.
"Yes.. I guess?" Bo stammered swallowing thickly.
"You look better." Lauren smiled softly and took her coffee cup from the ground, where she placed it earlier. "I'm sorry I have to go now. I have a lecture to get to. Have a nice day Bo. Remember to eat. Kenzi, you'll take care of her right? Call me, if you need me." She said, waiting for a nod from Kenzi, before walking briskly into the Toronto Conference center and out from under Bo's roaming eyes.
"I will." Kenzi whispered.
"Did that really happen? Was she real Kenzi?" Bo sighed aloud, leaning heavily on the bench, feeling out of it and weak at knees. She felt she couldn't move. Her body was completely frozen. "Kenzi?"
"Bo.. Um.. I'll take you home and we'll talk there okay."
"I'm losing it right?" Bo peered to the direction where Lauren had disappeared to. She's gone. She was never here. I probably fainted and.. hallucinated the whole thing. "I miss her Kenzi." The succubus said with fresh tears falling on her cheeks.
"I know." Kenzi sighed sadly. She sat down next to Bo and gathered the distraught, sobbing woman in her arms, holding her in a tight embrace.
.
"Hey. Tam Tam. I thought you'd wait for me outside?" Lauren scolded, when she found Tamsin by the coffee cart in the center.
"I needed strong, gross fuel." Tamsin pointed to her coffee cup. "Hence this godawful sludge."
"I just met Kenzi." Lauren gave a little smile. "And her friend Bo."
"What?!" Tamsin barked and spilled her coffee on the marble floor.
"Jeez! What the hell Tamsin?" Lauren squealed as she jumped at the woman's outburst. "You scared the shit out of me!"
"Sorry.. Sorry." Tamsin tried to calm herself. She eyed Lauren, who looked.. Well, normal? "You shouldn't swear so much."
"Shut up." Lauren narrowed her eyes at the taller blond. "What was that?" She gestured to the floor.
"I just.. got a spasm. So, um.. You met Kenzi? And.. Uh. Bo?" Tamsin stuttered anxiously.
"Spasm? Right.. Yeah, they were just outside. Going into the coffee shop, I was exiting.. I needed fuel too." Lauren smirked and lifted her cup. "Quality fuel. Not that swill." She eyed Tamsin's drink.
"So how is Kenzi?" Tamsin prodded warily.
"We didn't talk much. Her 'friend' was feeling ill. Kenzi promised to take care of her." Lauren said the word friend in a disbelieving tone.
"Ill?"
"She was extremely pale and disoriented. She seemed to think I was someone else. Kenzi didn't say, but I think Bo might be diabetic. Or at least she seemed to suffer from hypoglycemia. She seemed better after she drank some juice." Lauren explained not mentioning the weird feeling she got from touching the gorgeous woman.
"She thought you were someone else?" Low blood sugar my ass, the Valkyrie thought. The succubus was most likely thinking she's lost her mind. Or keeled over and died.. Shit. What a mess! I knew we shouldn't have come to Toronto!
"Yeah. She apologized repeatedly for past misdeeds and told me she loves me. She was really emotional." Lauren let out a little humorless chuckle. "It was a bit embarrassing."
"Oh?" Tamsin breathed hesitantly. "Embarrassing?"
"Well, Kenzi was right there! She said they were friends, but.. They are a couple aren't they? I teased her about our date." Lauren groaned. "And then this beautiful woman is telling me all these things. About loving me, being sorry and missing me.. Saying I'm beautiful! And Kenzi was being really weird and sad and looked ready to cry.."
"No.. What a mess.." Tamsin groaned under her breath. "They are friends only. Like sisters. I think Kenzi was just worried for Bo. She'll be fine?"
"Yes, she was feeling better when I left."
"Sure she was.. Uh.. I have to go out side to make a.. phone call." She grumbled, needing to call the Morrigan about this disaster.
"You're not going anywhere. This thing is just starting and you promised to be with me." Lauren said resolutely and grabbed Tamsin's hand, steering her deeper into the building.
"But.."
"No buts. Come on. I don't want to miss anything." Lauren tugged the valkyrie forward.
"Shi..bbles." Tamsin corrected, making Lauren smirk.
Lauren had been adamantly forcing Tamsin not to swear in front of Toby. And it was obviously starting to work. A little not much, Tamsin shrugged. Fucking hell, I have to call the Morrigan. Shit is gonna hit the fan once Bo regains her senses, the Valkyrie feared. I'll text Evony once Lauren is immersed in all that geeky shi.. stuff and give her a heads up, she decided.
.
Kenzi was drinking her soda, fiddling nervously with the bottle cap in her hand. She was eyeing warily at Bo, who was sleeping on the sofa. Kenzi had driven them home, Bo being a total mess. Bo had sobbed and rambled through the whole drive home about the past, Lauren and what she had hoped for their future. Kenzi had only inserted a few 'ahas' and 'okays' in between Bo's musings.
Kenzi had first tried to talk to Bo in the car, but noticed that her friend was in a world of her own. The succubus had seemed to be in a total haze. Lost in her thoughts and memories. At the crack shack Bo had sat silently on the couch and then finally slumbered off exhausted. Now after few hours, Kenzi saw Bo start to stir. Oh gods… This is it, the goth took a breath.
"Oh hey Kenzi." Bo yawned, when she woke up on the couch. "I had the.. weirdest dream. About Lauren.. You were in it too.."
"Bo.." Kenzi noted Bo's puffy red eyes and shook her head slightly.
Kenzi fleetingly thought that maybe she should let Bo believe, that the last few hours were a dream. Would it be easier? Would it be better? But Kenzi knew she couldn't do that to Bo. She couldn't do that to herself. The last few weeks, she had been stressed and miserable keeping all this from Bo. Bo needed to know. And Tamsin had hopefully already contacted the Morrigan. So she'd be ready to handle.. What ever happened. Bo needed to know Lauren was okay.
"Kenzi? Is something wrong?" Bo asked in a hoarse voice and tried to clear her throat with a little cough.
"No. Nothing's wrong.. I just.. have to tell you.. something." Kenzi said quietly. "Something I've kept from you. Something important... Something big. I'm sorry.."
"Yes? Like I said before you can tell me anything." Bo assured, taking in a nervous and sad looking Kenzi
"Promise me, you won't run off. Not before I've told you everything." Kenzi started.
"Kenzi, what's going on?" Bo asked more firmly.
"It wasn't a dream Bo." Kenzi whispered.
"What?" Bo breathed, her eyes roaming on Kenzi's face, trying interpret the various emotions flitting on the goth's pale face.
"It wasn't a dream. Lauren is alive. She's alive and I ran into her in Montreal two weeks ago. I couldn't believe it! It's unbelievable, isn't it? Lauren is not dead, Bo. She alive, but.. She doesn't remember.. anything." Kenzi paused her ramble for a small moment to lock eyes with Bo. "Lauren is alive and she has this whole new life.. And.. And she's alive Bo. It was really her. It was her you met today."
"What?" Bo croaked again.
"Lauren's alive and well." Kenzi said. "I'm sorry I kept this from you, but I.. I just didn't know what to do. Lauren has this whole new beautiful, happy life now and I.. I don't know.. I didn't want to ruin it."
"She's alive? Really? I.." The succubus stared at her friend silently. "Lauren she's.." She trailed off.
"She's okay. Lauren is not dead." Kenzi said after a moment.
"You should have told me.." Bo whispered dazed and disappointed in Kenzi. "As soon as you found out, you should have told me Kenzi." She snapped, but without much force.
"I know." Kenzi sighed quietly. "I know, but Lauren has this new carefree life and I didn't want to mess it up.. And I'm sorry. I should have told you."
"She doesn't remember anything?" Bo asked in hushed tone.
"No. Nothing of the fae. Nothing from her time here in Toronto. She doesn't remember her time as a slave, being mistreated. Lauren has been given better memories. A better life. She remembers nothing."
"Me?" Bo said so quietly, that Kenzi barely heard her.
"I'm sorry Bo. She doesn't know who you are.." Kenzi said sadly.
"Oh." Bo breathed and dropped her eyes to her hands resting on her lap.
"She's happy Bo. After.. she died , you said you would have done so many things differently. You said you wanted nothing more than her to be happy. She's alive and happy Bo. I think you should remember that, before you do anything.. rash." Kenzi said softly.
Bo was silent for a long time with Kenzi watching over her. Kenzi was surprised that Bo hadn't yet stormed off to find Lauren and whisk her away, whether the blond wanted it or not. The brunette looked lost in deep thought disbelief, but also hope adorning her face.
"Bo?"
"How is this possible? Did she or someone fake her death? But she was dead wasn't she? I.. I saw her.. I held her in my arms.. She was so cold. She was cold Kenzi."
"Lauren would have died in that accident, if the Morrigan hadn't saved her. She brought in a healer, who saved Lauren's life. The Morrigan gave Lauren a new life. I believe it's better this way. Really." Kenzi put her hand on Bo's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"The Morrigan did this?" Bo gasped, lifting her eyes from her hands.
"Bo, she gave Lauren a new beginning. Lauren wouldn't have been the same either way. There was some issues with her brain. And Lauren had asked Evony to help her to start over. I believe this is what Lauren would have wanted. I know she wouldn't have wanted to cause you so much pain, but she would have wanted to be happy."
"Evony had no right! No right to do this. She made me believe Lauren was dead! She had no right." Bo hissed angrily and stood up, slapping Kenzi's hand from her shoulder.
"Bo where are you going? Please don't try to find Lauren. She doesn't remember you! You'll scare her! Please calm down. I think, we.." Kenzi tried desperately to get through to Bo.
"Kenzi, you should have told me!" Bo roared, her eyes blazing.
"Bo please.." Kenzi sighed tearfully.
"I'm gonna visit the Morrigan." Bo spat and took off, slamming the door forcefully behind her.
"Bo! No! Wait!" Kenzi yelled, but Bo was already out the door. "Shit. Shit. Shit."
.
Thanks for reading :)
A/N This one was a bit of a struggle to write. Hopefully it didn't suck too bad. And yes - another cliffhanger.. I don't know what's wrong with me :D
A/N Next week is looking a bit hectic for me, so it might take a little longer for me to update! Sorry. (I'll update the art of betting over the weekend and Just like heaven next week).