A/N: This's probably the longest last chapter of a story I've ever done. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 16: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Dennis Household – Later
Even though she had hours to go before Lauren got home from the hospital, Bo felt like her time was minuscule. She had two choices; tell Lauren the truth about what happened today, or lie through her teeth and swear Ethan to secrecy.
But she also knew, that if Lauren somehow found out about this; she'd hold a grudge with Bo for the rest of their eternity. And it wasn't worth that. So, as soon as she saw Lauren pull up in the driveway from their bedroom window, she waited for her to come upstairs.
The truth was actually the only avenue to take, as she still didn't want to take blood from Ethan to heal her wounds, since he was still in pain from his neck being snapped.
"You got this Dennis!" Bo kept telling herself. "She's gonna be totally okay with this—" she sighed. "Who am I kidding? She's gonna skin me alive!" She kept pacing back and forth, when she heard Lauren's voice approaching.
"Hey babe, I think I need to get my car serviced because it's making a funny noise every time I hit the breaks—" Lauren walked in to see Bo pacing. "Uh, is everything okay?" When Bo turned around she saw her face. "Oh my god, Bo! What happened?"
Bo smiled nervously. "I'm fine. This's nothing, I've had worse. I do need to talk to you though" She had to build up the courage.
Something told Lauren this wasn't going to end well. "Does this have something to do with Ethan's sore neck?" She saw him with an ice pack when she came in. "Bo? What's going on?" She was done dancing around this.
"Sit with me a second?" Bo took her hand and brought her to sit on the edge of the bed. "So uh, I know we agreed not to; but I asked Dyson to keep an ear to the ground about Shay. Just in case he ever heard anything about where she's hiding"
"And did he?" Lauren suddenly got hopeful.
Bo hated that she had to break her heart. "He did. And Ethan and I went to check it out. We found her…" she watched her Wife turn happy. "… But, she didn't wanna come home with us"
"Was she the one who messed up your face?" Lauren got a nod from her. "Mhmm, okay. So, why all of a sudden did she feel the need to hurt you? That's not the daughter I raised"
"She's in bad shape Lauren…" Bo wasn't going to sugar coat it. "… Jack really messed her up. Ethan and I both made her a deal. We both fight her, and if either of us won she'd have to come home. But, she beat us" she was sad to say.
Lauren sighed, "What're we gonna do Bo?" She got up and took a moment to breathe. "She can't stay out there in that state. It's only a matter of time before she hurts someone. We both remember the old Shay, she wasn't someone who could be reasoned with"
Bo remembered all to well, "I don't like it either Lauren, but maybe we just have to let her do this. She needs time, and we need to give it to her. Four months might be enough to us, but to her it's not even close. If it makes you feel better, she said she'd be back"
"Then we'll just have to wait. It's not like we're gonna grow old or anything. We've got time" Lauren leaned in for a hug.
That was true. They did have time. Lauren just hoped it wouldn't be years before she saw her daughter again. Bella going away to College was bad enough. But Shay was actually gone.
It was torture.
6 Months Later
It was the final week of Christmas.
And even though they'd been doing well these last six months. Lauren wasn't as happy as the rest of her family. She'd lost Bella to Princeton, which she swore she was getting better with. Maybe not so much. Her eldest son barely came home anymore now that he was working for Trick at the bar full time.
She didn't mind him doing it, after all he was a grown man and could make his own decisions. It just sucked that the house was emptying by the second. Patrick had also started College locally to play hockey. He wasn't in to academia, though he was smart. All her children were, it was an inherited trait.
Her only mercy, was Charlie. She wanted to become a Doctor like her Mother so she asked to work under her for a year or two so that she could learn everything she needed to know. So that when it came time to attend Medical School-Yale, because that was Lauren's price for teaching her; Charlie would breeze through classes.
It was clever.
Bo had been taking more cases lately, and had actually been working closely with the Police. So much so that Trick pulled some of his old Blood King connections and had some elder friends of his hire Bo to solve unusual Fae crimes and disappearances. The ones that Police couldn't solve.
It brought in a lot of dollars.
So, with everyone so busy; Lauren had been thinking there was someone missing. Shay. Her daughter hadn't been seen or heard from for six months. Not since Bo encountered her last. It wasn't right. And Lauren was sick of sitting back and doing nothing. Including the four months she was gone the first time, Shay had now had ten months to herself.
If that wasn't enough time then what was?
Going back to when she lived with Shay's other self; Lauren thought about everything they did, where they went, what Shay's interests were, every little detail she could possibly remember. Then she realised, she'd checked every old hangout from back then.
All but one.
The diner that they ate at the night Shay first came to Lauren's rescue after she was caught at the bus station by a future assailant. The only reason Lauren hadn't considered the place was because it was two towns away. Now she had, and she would bet good money she'd find her daughter there.
So, without telling her kids; she took the day off work and drove up in her car. As she pulled into the Diner's car park, she looked across the street to the bus station. It had changed a bit since she saw it last. It seemed so long ago, not decades but centuries if that was even possible.
It made her think about just how much things had changed.
Lauren got out of the car and closed the door, and as she did; she saw her daughter in the window. "Found you" she smirked to herself, no one was smarter than her. Her brain couldn't be beaten.
Inside The Diner
Shay had been quietly enjoying her double bacon cheeseburger and fried when she sensed someone. "What part of 'I need time', don't you understand?" She waited for her Mother to join her in the booth.
"I'm gonna answer that in two parts…" Lauren took a seat, finally facing her. "… One, watch the tone! I'm your Mother, not some stranger. And two, it's been ten months. You've had more than enough time" unlike Bo, Lauren remained calm when talking.
Bo always let herself get sucked in.
"That's not for you to decide" Shay said.
Lauren smiled, shaking her head. "That's strike two for your tone…" she warned her. "… You don't wanna know what'll happen if you get a third. Let's just say I'm in no mood to play games" she really wasn't.
"What'd you want Mom?" Shay admitted defeat with sigh. She didn't want to fight anymore.
"I want you to come home Shay…" Lauren leaned forward on the table so no one else could hear their conversation. "… I get that Hell messed you up. I can't even begin to imagine what you must've felt. Especially with the added memories, but you can't keep doing this"
Shay played with the spoon that was in her coffee mug. "Easy for you to say. You don't have these memories tearing your brain apart. I've wanted to come home for months now, but the other Shay; won't let me!" She was in a constant battle in her mind.
One Lauren didn't anticipate. "Why?"
"That part of me, likes the solitude. She likes being alone. At first, I agreed. It was freeing. But as the months went by, I started to miss everyone. Sasha, Ethan, you. But, it's like the other part of me didn't care about any of that" Shay couldn't explain it.
But Lauren sure as hell understood it. "I think I get it. The other you, didn't have this life. Her world was empty, and she was alone. That's why you feel like you enjoy the loneliness. Because the other Shay, had no one in her life to miss" she really hoped that made sense.
"I may've found a way to get rid of the memories…" Shay had been searching for a way for months. "… But it's risky. I'm kind of on the fence about it"
"What is it?" Lauren asked.
"A Shaman who specialises in erasing unwanted memories. He said he could take away the ones I don't want. But you know Witchdoctors, nothing comes without a price. He wants the head of his ultimate enemy" Shay expected there to be a catch.
Lauren knew where this was going. "Okay, you're so not doing that! We can find another way, without paying such a gruesome price" she didn't want her doing that.
But Shay was about to let her down. "It's too late…"she said. "… His head's in the trunk of my car. It was actually pretty easy. And kinda fun" she smiled to herself, getting lost in her own head.
And the way she looked as she thought about decapitating people, made Lauren worry just how much of the girl she raised was still in there. "Shay?" She snapped her fingers. "Can you even tell the difference between your old memories to your new ones?"
"Why's that important?" Shay asked with a chuckle. She didn't care so why did anyone else.
This was so infuriating, and Lauren couldn't make a scene without alerting every human in the Diner. "It's important because the old Shay didn't give a damn about embracing the part of her that was Human. Being a killer was all she knew. We made sure you'd never be like that"
"Didn't work out so well for you, did it?" Shay's face showed no emotion.
Which Lauren found odd, because five minutes ago she was talking to her daughter. The one she raised. But it was like she'd snapped, and become an entirely different person. "Shay, I'm gonna ask you something and I want you to be honest with me. Do you feel any shred of your humanity, at all?"
Shay thought about it, digging deep. Then met her eyes, "Not really"
And that was the moment Lauren knew there was something really wrong here. Jack's revenge wasn't to torture her with memories, it was to torture herself and Bo, as they watched their daughter self-destruct and become the monster they promised her she'd never be.
He was good, she had to give him that.
"You're coming home with me, tonight" she told her.
Shay shook her head, "I already told you, I can't!" She slammed her fist down on the table, getting everyone's attention. "And if you try to force me, it's not gonna end well for you"
Lauren raised her eyebrow in surprise, she wasn't expecting that. "Is that a threat?" Monster or no monster, Shay was never able to hurt her.
"It doesn't have to be, so long as you agree to my terms. I will come home, when I'm ready and not a minute before. I'm a big girl Mom, I can handle my own business. I don't need you" Shay felt a pang of disgust for herself when she said that. She shouldn't have uttered those words but the other side of her had no qualms about it.
"Really?" Lauren couldn't not be hurt by that. Her own daughter just told her she wasn't needed anymore. "Okay. If you really believe that, then I'll leave you alone. I suppose it'd be pointless to tell you I love you, considering you don't feel anything?"
Shay just stared at her, not saying a word.
Lauren got up from the booth, "Goodbye Shay" she turned around and left the diner.
After another ten minutes, Shay finished her coffee and left the diner ready to get to her car. As she was opening her door, she sensed her Mother again. "I told you, to leave me the hell alone!" She turned around.
And as she did, Lauren drove a dagger through her heart. She didn't want to do it, but Shay was out of control and she had to be stopped. If this was the only way, then so be it. "And I told you, watch the tone!" She opened the back seat door, and placed Shay inside.
She thought of using a sedative, but there was no amount in the world that would've kept her down for the long ride home. A dagger was the only option.
"You still think this's a good plan?"
Lauren turned around, seeing Bo approaching. They'd come up here together, but Bo stayed back while Lauren spoke to Shay alone. They thought it would be enough, but it wasn't. So they went to Plan B. "I don't know anymore. But I do know, she can't stay like this"
Bo gave her a hug, she didn't think Lauren would go through with the daggering. But she did. "You did the right thing babe. Don't worry, we're gonna fix her. Go to your car, I'll drive hers back" she gave her a kiss and got the keys from her.
With the two of them ready to go, they set off for Home.
Ready to bring their daughter back.
The Dal – Holding Cells – Later
One thing Bo and Lauren couldn't do, was tell the rest of the kids what they were up to. Ethan would want to be here and if he was then Shay would have no problem telling him the truth about their other life. It was doing enough damage to Shay, they couldn't hurt him too. So, they only told Trick.
Who gave them the keys to his old holding cell below the Dal. No one would hear them from down here. They both carried Shay inside and chained her to a chair before removing the dagger from her chest. It didn't take long for her to wake up.
Shay recovered from the pain of being dead, she could even feel the slice from the dagger close up on her heart. "I think this's classed as child abuse" she didn't expect her Mother to do that.
"You're not a child anymore Shay…" Bo stood in front of her with her arms folded. "… Though you sure do act like one. Look, we don't wanna do this. We're just trying to help you"
"You really wanna help me?" Shay leaned forward as best she could due to the chains. "Then let me go, before I break out of these and ring your neck!" She tried to reach her but the chains were tight.
Lauren couldn't believe she just said that. "You're not breaking out of anything Shay. These are reinforced steel, not to mention I had Bella bless them with her magic. You're not going anywhere" she told Bella it was for a criminal patient that was being transferred to a Fae prison. She didn't question it.
Shay laughed, sitting back. "I bet you guys think you have me beat, huh? You do remember how I kicked your ass in that fight six months ago, don't you?" She looked at Bo. "What makes you think you can't beat me now?"
"This has nothing to with beating you at anything Shay!" Lauren knelt down in front of her, looking into her eyes. "This's about undoing what Jack did to you in Hell. We want our daughter back"
"No, you want the new Shay. The one who abides by rules, cares for others, and takes people's feelings into account. Well, hate to break to you Moms, but that ain't me!"
As Lauren looked into her eyes, she saw the same look she saw two decades ago when Jack infected Shay with darkness. The day she and Ethan had that fight in the Dal. "So that's it? You don't care?" Shay shook her head. "And you feel nothing for us, or for anyone else you love?"
"Literally nothing" Shay chuckled.
"What about pain?" Bo asked, stepping forward. "Do you still feel pain?" She had an idea, but Lauren wasn't going to like it. Shay replied that she did, but whatever it was she could handle it. "Everyone thinks they can handle it, until the moment comes when they're so broken; that they can't"
Shay smirked at her, "So, what? That's you're plan? Hurt me bad enough that I'll wanna readjust my behaviour? I don't see that working well for you. Seriously, that plan is kinda shit" she wasn't scared.
Lauren stood straight, not liking the look on Bo's face. "Bo? A word?" She made her to follow her out into the hallway. "What the hell are you playing at?!" She asked her, "Are you really thinking about hurting our daughter?"
Bo sighed, "What else are we supposed to do Lauren?" She didn't have a clue anymore. "We've tried talking to her, we've tried using emotion, but nothing works! Maybe this's the only way. She's given into her darkness just like before, you saw it and I saw it. Maybe the only way to save her, is to beat it out of her" it killed her to say it, but maybe it was the only option.
But Lauren couldn't do it, she hated daggering her to get her this far. "No, I won't allow it! There's gotta be another way" she had to believe that.
"Then you better hope you find one in the next hour…" Bo wasn't waiting around anymore, she wanted her daughter back. Jack wasn't going to win this one. "… Because if you don't, we're doing it my way"
With that, Lauren ran off upstairs. She had to go to Trick's Lair and find something to reverse the effects of a Unicorn's blood. There had to be something. She couldn't let Bo go through with her plan of torture. She just couldn't.
Bo walked back into the cell, where Shay sat with a smug smirk on her face.
"Trouble in paradise?" Shay had heard them arguing. "Hey, there's no shame in it. I mean, you guys have been together for what-over two decades now, right? There's bound to be some cracks in the relationship" she figured if she pissed them off enough she'd find a way to escape.
"Well, joke's on you kiddo. Because there're no cracks. Me and your Mom are tight" Bo was happy to report that. Even with a little tiff, she had an unbreakable bond with Lauren. They'd been through enough together.
Shay scoffed, "Tightly wound, sure. I mean, who wouldn't be? Waking up next to the same face every day for the last twenty odd years. I'd be annoyed too—" she couldn't finish because her Mother was in her face, looking rather angry. "Hit a nerve, did I?"
Bo calmed herself, she told Lauren she'd give her the hour. "I get that you're going through something awful. And that it must be hell inside your head right now. But I will not have you disrespectme, or your Mom. Got it?" Her eyes were as serious as could be.
"Sure, whatever you say" Shay just smiled, going along with it.
Finally calming down, Bo backed away from her and stood by the door. She really hoped Lauren would find a way to fix her soon. Because Bo knew what Shay was doing, and she was good at it. She was pushing her buttons trying to get her to react, and Bo being the hot head she was; couldn't help herself. The old Shay used to pull this shit all the time.
Which was the reason she got her hand broken all those years ago.
Trick's Lair – Upstairs
For the last five minutes, Lauren had enlisted Trick's help in finding some way to undo whatever the hell it was Jack's little mist had done to Shay. But to her dismay, Trick didn't know that much about Unicorns. He was older than most Fae she knew, but he'd still had yet to actually see one with his own eyes.
"Trick, come on! You've been alive for thousands of years…" Lauren paced back and forth in front of him. "… You have to know someone, who knows something about Unicorn blood. I don't understand how a creature of such beauty and elegance could have blood that causes this" Unicorns were meant to be benevolent. They shouldn't be capable of this.
Trick had read so many books since learning that Bo and Lauren were bringing Shay home. He didn't agree with Bo's tactic after hearing it from Lauren, but maybe it was the only option left. "I've made several calls to many respected Warlocks and Shamans. Three sadly, have told me they can't help. And the other four have yet to return my calls" he was doing everything he could.
Lauren finally took a seat on the couch, taking a breath. "I don't want Bo to be right, but maybe this time she is. Maybe this time, punching first and asking questions later is the only way to get through to her" if they did end up going down this road, she wouldn't be able to be in the room.
"It would help if we knew exactly what Jack did to her…" Trick had been thinking about it. "… By itself, Unicorn blood only has the power to unlock memories of former lives. It can't unleash darkness within someone. Did you consider the possibility he did something else to her while she was down there?" He wondered himself.
Thinking about it, Lauren wouldn't put it passed Jack to pull something like this. "I have, but the only one who can answer that question is him. And we can't go back down there. It's too dangerous. Plus, Bella's away at College. She can't help, and I don't want her accessing anymore dark magic" Bella was happy at Princeton with her new friends, and Parker who had decided to join her there.
She wasn't ruining that.
"I wasn't suggesting we go there, but we might be able to visit; just for a few minutes. More than enough time to ask him what he did to her" Trick had been thinking about it, and it could be done.
Lauren finally felt a glimmer of hope, "What makes you think he'll even tell Bo?" She assumed her Wife would want to lead this mission. She always did.
"He won't, he hates her…" He knew that. "… But, he might tell you. You pose no threat to him being that you're more level headed than Bo. You use logic over violence, he may respect that. There's a way I can project you there. Your body will still be here so there's no risk of you being trapped there. But it's your choice" he wouldn't force her.
She knew if she was going to save Shay from Bo's Plan B, then she had to do this. If Jack didn't say anything then she'd just be brought back, no harm. "How much time would I get down there?" She asked.
"I can give you fifteen minutes, nothing more" he replied.
"And if I wanna come back before that?" She needed to know everything.
He went to his vault, and grabbed a special necklace. It was a brown worn rope, with a green crystal hanging from it. "Just clasp this, and think of home. You'll be sent right back here. I've done this ritual a dozen times, there's no risk. I promise" he wasn't lying.
She had no choice, so she agreed to Trick's terms. He told her to lay down on the couch, as he drew a symbol on her forehead and placed the crystal around her neck. He told her that Jack or other enemies wouldn't be able to hurt her while she was down there, she would be like a ghost to them and they wouldn't be able to touch her physically. "I'm ready"
Trick was just about to send her off, but then remembered something. "What if Bo comes up here while you're under? What should I tell her?" He didn't want to face her wrath.
"Tell her, now we're even…" Lauren was still mad at Bo for going down to Hell without telling her, and Bo knew that. So, this would make them even. "… She'll know what you mean"
"Well, that's good. Because I don't. Okay, close your eyes…" he guided her through it. "… Just breathe deeply, and let go of everything" he began chanting a few words as he saw the Crystal around her neck begin to shine green.
Lauren felt herself slip away, until she felt nothing.
Hell
Opening her eyes, Lauren found herself in a well lit room. Actually, it looked more like a cave. But, a little nicer. Only, it was known that someone evil lived here. The décor was proof enough. She hated that her Daughter was stuck here. She could hear the screams in the distance, she didn't even want to know what was happening to them.
"Well, well, well!"
She turned around, and saw Jack standing before her.
"If it isn't my lovely, daughter-in-law. You know, I couldn't think of a better person for my daughter to marry. I'm glad you're a part of my family Lauren, Bo really traded up from that dog she used to date" he actually meant that. Shifters were lower than low to him.
"You stopped being Family a long time ago…" Lauren saw his guards around her. "… I wouldn't bother trying to capture me. My presence here is temporary. Do you really think I'd be so stupid as to come here knowing you'd want to throw me in a dungeon?"
Jack smiled, "No, I don't. Because you're smart. Just like me. And I'm guessing you don't have a lot of time here, so I'll cut to the chase; what can I do for you?"
Lauren approached him, "You did something to Shay when she was here. I'm not just talking about the Unicorn blood. She's different-darker. And we all know how much you love the darkness. So, what did you do to her?"
He chuckled, "I'd imagine you thought she'd get over the ordeal when she came home. That if she was surrounded by family, and the people she loves, that she'd be cured in time. But sadly, that won't happen. If anything, it'll make her worse"
"I won't ask you again! What did you do?!" She was getting impatient.
"I fixed her!" He yelled. "The Shay I knew was so much more fun. She loved the pain she inflicted upon others. It's lonely down here, and I wanted someone to share my kingdom with. I missed my daughter" it was pretty simple to him.
Lauren hated him. "She's not your daughter, she's mine!"
He shrugged, these were pathetic technicalities. "Daughter, Granddaughter, it's basically the same thing. You know what? I'm gonna tell you what you wanna know. Not because I owe it to you, but because I'm gonna relish in the fact that there's nothing you can do to help her" he started laughing.
"What'd you mean?" She didn't like this.
"The Unicorn blood has nothing to do with Shay's behaviour. Granted, it hasn't helped things. Living two lives at once isn't easy, I speak from experience. But it can be managed. Though, that's hard to do; since she has something evil festering inside her" his smile was wide.
Lauren looked him in the eye, "What did you do Jack?"
"Let's just say, if I was ever to retire from my throne; Shay would make a fine replacement…" he went to grab her neck, but his hand went through her body. "… Transparency. Very clever. Oh, how much I'd love to slit your throat again. I wish you could remember"
She couldn't believe how evil he was. He really did take the cake. "I do remember…" she watched the frown on his face. "… Shay let me into her mind twenty years ago. She showed me everything. Tell me something, how can a man do that to his own family? That's what I am, right? Family?" She was just repeating his words.
"Indeed you are…" he replied. "… But, you had something I wanted. You had Shay. And though I had Ethan, he wasn't living up to his potential. He had more Human than Fae in him. Probably still does"
Lauren looked down when she saw the crystal around her neck begin to flash. "Shit!"
"Oh, looks like you're running out of time. Frankly, I don't know why you're still here. I told you what you wanted to know" Jack was tired of this now.
"No, you told me you'd love for Shay to replace you as the ruler of Hell. You didn't give me specifics about what you did to her. You've got three minutes, go!" She wanted an answer.
Jack wanted her gone, so he was going to tell her. "I planted a seed of darkness inside of her. With her added memories, it was an easy guess of which path she'd take. You can't remove this thing. It's wrapped around her soul like a snake, and it's going to keep tightening, and tightening, until all that's left is pure evil"
"You're disgusting" Lauren wasn't sure what else to say. That pretty much covered it.
"I get that a lot" he gave her a wink.
Suddenly, Lauren felt herself feeling lighter. The crystal was shining green, her time was up. "I hate you" she vanished before him.
Jack smiled, "I get that a lot too" he was glad to see the back of her. Of all of them, actually.
Trick's Lair
Lauren woke up with a gasp, and saw Bo sitting beside her. And she didn't look happy. "I just astral projected to Hell and back, so I'm really not in the mood for a lover's spat" she took the necklace off and gave it back to Trick as she sat up.
"That's your explanation?" Bo asked, "Lauren, you should've told me you were going down there! He's a viper! You can't trust a single word he says. Whatever information you got from him was probably a lie!" She knew him.
"Actually, for once it wasn't…" Lauren said. "… He had fun telling me what he did to Shay. And honestly, I don't know how we're gonna fix her. If there even is a way" she honestly didn't know.
Trick sat on the chair next to her. "What did he tell you?"
She told them all about how Jack infected Shay with a seed of darkness, and that it would only get worse the longer she's effected. And that basically there was nothing they could do to fix her.
"There goes my plan to use pain to get it out of her…" Bo fell back onto the couch letting out a defeated breath. "… Looks like he really won this time" she hated to be the one to say it, but things didn't look good.
Trick shook his head, "No…" he wasn't letting that bastard win. "… This isn't how it ends for Shay, or for our Family. He doesn't get to win. If we can't make her overcome this affliction then maybe there's a way we can expel it from body all together" he had to have hope.
Even if it was minimal.
"Good luck trying to find it, because I honestly don't think there's one…" Lauren got up from the couch. "… Mind if I help myself to your liquor?" She needed it.
He nodded.
Bo watched her walk up stairs. Something was wrong. As if she was different somehow. Jack must've said something to her. "Keep looking Trick. You're right, he doesn't get to win" she tapped his shoulder before running off after her Wife.
Bar – Upstairs
With the circumstances of Shay's capture, Bo and Lauren asked Trick if he wouldn't mind closing up for the day. Just so they could work here without distractions. So, Lauren had no trouble going behind the bar and pouring herself big glass of Meade.
"You think this's the answer?" Bo stood on the opposite side of the bar, folding her arms. She didn't like seeing Lauren like this. "Babe, talk to me" she approached the bar, tapping on it.
After drinking the first glass, Lauren poured another. "What's there to talk about Bo? We made a promise to her, and we couldn't keep it. I don't know about you, but I feel pretty crappy right now. I'm a terrible Mother" she knocked back another.
Bo wasn't going to let her say that. "Hey? No, you're not!" She tapped the bar again. "You don't have a bad bone in your body. You're not capable of being a bad Mom. This's Jack. This's what he does, he drives people apart. But we're not gonna let him do it to us"
"He already has!" Lauren exclaimed. "Open your eyes Bo! He's infected our daughter with evil, so we can watch her destroy herself. How do we even beat something like that?"
"I dunno, but we'll find a way!" Bo jumped over the bar, standing before her. "We always do!" She took the bottle of Meade away from her and the glass. "He said something to you, didn't he?" She knew him, and she knew Lauren. Something was wrong. "Babe, tell me. Please" she grabbed both her hands.
Lauren hadn't really processed it properly. Having the person who killed her in another life, wish he could do it again. It wasn't something someone should have to go through. "He expressed his desire to silt my throat again. I still see that image sometimes"
And Bo knew all about that. Over the years Lauren had nightmares of that memory. "It never happened, we made sure of that" she placed a lock of hair behind her ear.
"But it did happen, in here…" Lauren tapped her left temple. "… It's something I'll never forget. So, to have him wish that he could have a do over; just, brought it all back"
Bo gave her a kiss, hugging her tight. "He will never get his hands on you. Ever!" She promised her. "I know this's hard for you. And it seems like there's no hope, but we have to find a way. We're in this together, okay?"
"Okay…" Lauren wrapped both arms around Bo's neck and kissed her like she'd never kissed her before. In all of this, Bo had been her rock. Just like she was to her. "… I love you"
"I love you" Bo replied, hugging her again.
They were interrupted with the clearing of someone's throat. Ethan stood at the door, watching his Parents. "Uh, I sense worry. You guys wanna tell me what's got you so shaken up?" He didn't like what he felt right now.
Bo knew they couldn't tell him anything. "Nothing really, we're just worried about Shay. You know, Christmas will be here sooner than we know it and we still have no idea where she is. It's a little frustrating" she smiled sheepishly, covering her lies.
She felt bad, they both did. But at the sight of what those memories were doing to Shay, they couldn't do it to him too.
"Yeah, I get it. I'm sure she'll come home soon. Until then, you've still got me" Ethan reached and arm over the bar and tapped Lauren's arm with a smile.
Lauren loved his compassion. "Thanks sweetie. What're you doing here? You know Grandpa's closed for the day" it was risky for him to be here.
"I know, I just wanted to grab my cell phone…" he bent over the bar, looking under the table to find his cell phone on the top shelf. "… I left it here last night. It was so busy here, I forgot it. Anyway, I'm gonna spend the day with Kayla. Hope that's cool" he stood straight.
Bo nodded, "More than cool. Have a good time!" it was good he was leaving. With that, he gave them a wave as he ran out of the bar. "That was a close one"
"Yeah, he'd be so pissed at us if he knew what we're doing" Lauren hated to lie to him, but it was for his own good.
"It doesn't matter, we're doing this for Shay's own good and for his too. Maybe one day when this's all over, he'll understand that" Bo could only hope.
Suddenly, Trick emerged from the back room. "It might be over sooner than you think!" He waved them over, as they followed him back down to the lair.
Downstairs
Bo and Lauren didn't know why Trick was so excited, but clearly he'd found something worthy of their attention. "Trick, I'm sure you'd like to drop some old school Fae knowledge on us. But why don't you skip to the part that actually benefits us?" She didn't have time.
Trick picked up his book, "How do you feel about an exorcism?" He asked them.
"An exorcism?" Lauren repeated his words with a frown. "So, are you telling us our daughter's possessed by a demon now?" Jack didn't tell her that. He just said a seed of evil.
"Nothing of the sort. But, the seed of evil that Jack mentioned is a kind of possession. It's something that's taking a hold of her, and it's only going to get worse if something isn't done. I believe, that with the right course of action; we may be able to pull the evil out of Shay" he said.
Bo didn't really understand, though she didn't understand a lot. "It sounds difficult"
He gave a nod, "It won't be easy. But, isn't it worth a try? We've exhausted every other possibility. There is, however; one problem" he hated to say this.
"What?" Lauren asked.
"Only a magic user of the victim's bloodline, can perform the spell needed to exorcise the evil. Which means, we need Bella for this to work. I would never force you to bring her here, it's your choice" he was just giving them their options.
Lauren looked at Bo, both of them not knowing what to do. Bella was finally happy at Princeton. She had her boyfriend, she had new friends, and she had a life. They didn't want to ruin that. "And if we decide against it? Is there any other way?"
Trick scratched his beard with a shrug. "I don't think so. It think this's our best bet. Jack knew it would be hard, that's why he did this. He probably thinks we'll give up"
"That's the last thing we're gonna do…" Bo glanced at Lauren again, who gave her a nod. "… I'll call Bella. But, only she gets to know. We can't tell the others. It'll just make things worse" she walked off with her phone in hand.
Lauren sat next to Trick on the couch, "How sure are you that this'll work?" She wanted a percentage.
"Really, it all depends of Bella. And if what happened with Ronan was any indication, she's more than capable of pulling it off. It'll work Lauren" he tapped her hand with a smile.
She sure hoped he was right.
Holding Cells – Later
Shay had been sitting down here, chained up, with no food or water for a good couple of hours. But she suddenly heard footsteps approaching her cell door. "Thank god! You know, the service in this place is terrible with a capital T! Don't expect me to give a good Yelp review!"
Opening the door, Bo stepped inside with Lauren, Trick, and Bella. Who was still trying to process what her Mother wanted her to do. She portaled in from Parker's Apartment off campus so no one would see what she was up to. The last thing they needed to worry about was exposure. "Hey sis" she'd seen Shay in better states.
Laughing, Shay bowed her head. "Oh this ought to be good. They bring in the baby of the group. To what? Magic me into feeling something? I really expected better. Is the offer for using pain still on the table? Cause' I think I'd prefer it" she was amused.
"Cut it out Shay!" Bo yelled. "Bella's here to help you. We're all here to help you. What's going on with you, isn't because of the memories. Jack planted evil inside you when you were in Hell. All we gotta do, is get it out. Then you'll be back to the old you. You can come home"
Shay thought about it, and did sound like something Jack would do. It was convenient though. "Prove it"
Bella stepped forward, standing behind Shay's chair and placed both hands on her sister's head. She closed her eyes, trying to search for the evil Jack placed inside. It took her a while, but she found it. "It's true. He branded your soul with something awful. It won't stop until it's taken you over, like a leech"
"Maybe it's just looking for a friend" Shay kept laughing.
"Seriously, that's your answer?" Bo couldn't believe her. Evil or not, Shay had to be a smart ass. Sometimes, Bo saw a bit of Aife in her. It didn't bother her, because she knew her daughter was nothing like her. But it was just a hint of her. "Does any part of you care?"
Shay shook her head, "That'd be a no!"
Lauren couldn't take this anymore. "Bella? What're you gonna need for this?" She was choosing to ignore her remarks.
"Purifying salt to form a circle, some candles, and a knife-" Bella took the book from her Grandfather. "Ooh, we might have a problem. It says I'm gonna need the ashes of a Succubus from our bloodline. I don't suppose you have any laying around?" She looked to the grown ups.
Bo had no idea where Aife was, the last time she saw her was back at Taft's. "I haven't seen my Mom in over twenty years. But knowing her, she's very much alive. Trick? What about you? Is there a McCorrigan cemetery plot I'm unaware of?"
Trick had trouble with this. "Unfortunately, no. But, I am the guardian of Ysabeau's ashes. I keep them in my vault. Though, it's considered disrespectful to open a Fae's urn once it's been sealed" that was his Wife.
"We understand that Trick. Completely. But, wouldn't Ysabeau want to help a member of her Family? I've read stories about her, and she seemed like a true hero" Lauren knew all about Fae heroines. Ysabeau was famous.
Shay made a face, "Urghh! This's nauseating! When're you guys gonna grow some bal—" suddenly, her neck snapped to the right.
Bella had to take credit, "Sorry, but she just wouldn't shut up. Plus, she was being mean. Not cool!" Her sister was immortal, she could take it.
"You are so my daughter!" Bo couldn't be more proud.
Lauren looked at Trick again, "Trick? Will you please do this for us? For your granddaughter?" They had no other choice.
And he knew that. "I'll get the urn, you gather the other items" he walked off without another word.
With that, Lauren went to get the items Bella needed while she stayed with Bo waiting for Shay to wake up. It wouldn't be long before she did. "Mom? Can I ask you a question?" Bella looked at Bo, who nodded. "Why isn't Ethan here? I would've thought he'd wanna be around for this" it was strange.
Bo sighing, "You're right, he would. But, he can't this time. I can't explain exactly why. But, just trust me on this okay? It's better for him if he's away from this. We didn't want to bring you into it either but, this spell might be the only way to save her" she glanced at Shay who was still dead.
"I get it, family first…" Bella always understood. And she was happy to help. "… Also, I'm kinda glad to be home. Even if it's for a day. Don't get me wrong, I love school! My classes are great, and so are my friends. It's just nice to be with family sometimes" she missed this.
Maybe not the evil part.
"We miss you too baby" Bo brought her in for a hug. Bella would always be her baby, nothing would ever change that.
Just then, Shay began to groan as she returned to life. "Ugh, when I get outta this I'm gonna make you wish you never found me!" She raised her head, revealing her bright blue eyes. "Snapping my neck, really? Well, I never thought you had it in you Bell. Good for you…" she was actually proud of her. "… I'll kill you last. You're welcome" she gave her a wink.
"Don't listen to her…" Bo told Bella. "… That's not her talking. It's that thing inside her. We're gonna bring her back"
Shay clicked her neck from right to left, "I love your optimism Mom. It's pathetic, but at least you have hope. Mine died a long time ago. That's what happens when you come from a family so twisted. Isn't that right, daughter of Hades?" She chuckled. "You think you're happy now Bell, but wait until your life gets turned upside down because of her past mistakes. We're not her children, we're her casualties!"
Bella frowned, "Mom, what's she talking about?"
"She doesn't know what she's talking about; that thing inside her's making her crazy. I told you, don't listen to her. Go upstairs and help you Mom with the stuff for the spell. Go on!" Bo gave her a soft nudge, watching her leave the cell. "Ruining your own life isn't enough, you've gotta ruin hers too?" She hated the smirk of Shay's face.
"Just giving her a warning, what's wrong with that? That's what big sister's do, isn't it?" Shay didn't get an answer from her. "Or are you upset because it was the truth?"
Bo turned to her, "You mean your truth"
Shay laughed, shaking her head. "Oh my god, you really can't take responsibility for your own actions can you? It's like you live in your own little world, and you can do no wrong!" She was getting sick of it.
And Bo was getting sick of her too. "That's where you've got it twisted kiddo. Because I know who I am. I know what I've done! I've done a lot of crappy things in my life!"
"Letting your Father destroy us being one of them. No wait, forgive me. He did that twice! When're you gonna face the truth Mom? Think about it. All the things that have happened in your life. I think we can both agree that your hands are far from clean. You destroy everything you touch" Shay said.
"What'd you want from me Shay? You want me to say I'm sorry, because I am. I'm really sorry!" Bo was close to getting down on her knees and apologising.
Shay stared at her with a glare. "I don't want anything from you. Actually, that's not true. I want to be let go, can you do that for me?" She pulled on the chains again, but they didn't budge.
Bo wasn't giving her that. "Sorry kid. I guess that's just one more thing I'm gonna have to let you down on. Because you're not leaving this room until that thing is out of you" she felt blame now more than ever about what her kids had gone through.
"More disappointment, guess I shouldn't expect anything less" Shay stopped talking, just as everyone else was coming back.
Lauren noticed the look on Bo's face, "Everything okay here?" She didn't like what she was sensing.
"Fine. Did you get the stuff for the spell?" Bo deflected the question. It wasn't health for them to revisit it.
Nodding, Lauren handed her the bag of candles. "Pretty much. Can you place those in a circle around her?" She waited for Bo to go ahead with the task. "What's next Bella?" She looked at her daughter.
"Once the candles are lit, I'll use the salt to make a circle and then use Grandma's ashes to draw a special symbol on Shay's forehead. I'll also need to draw one on us too, for protection" Bella read through the book just in case she missed anything.
"Protection from what?" Trick asked, holding Ysabeau's golden urn in his hands.
"Well, when I pull the darkness out of her; it's gonna want to find a home in someone else. Someone of our bloodline. It's a good thing the others are at home, the entity can only survive without a host for about thirty seconds. After that it'll evaporate" Bella went to pour the salt around Shay's chair once her Mother had lit the candles.
Bo didn't know what to say. "We don't give you enough praise baby girl. You've definitely proven yourself to be a formidable opponent. I'm proud of you. You're living up to the Dennis name" she gave her a wink.
"Yeah Bell, just make sure you destroy the lives of your kids and you're golden!" Shay gave her input. "Right Mom?"
"I'm not even gonna ask…" Bella didn't want to hear it. Because she knew her sister wasn't in her right mind. So, she took her Grandmother's urn from her Grandfather and carefully took some and placed it in a small bowl. "… Here comes the painful part" she sliced her hand open and let her blood mix with the ashes.
She waited for her hand to heal, then used her index finger to mix it around more before drawing a rune that symbolised protection on her own forehead, as well as her Parents and her Grandfather. But the rune she marked on Shay's head was a sign of purification.
Since she was trying to expel the evil from her.
"I'm so gonna laugh my ass off when this thing blows up in your face" Shay chuckled, this thing on her forehead itched.
Lauren decided to step in, "Shay?" She knelt down in front of her. "I want you to understand why we're doing this. It's because we love you, and we don't want see you hurting anymore"
"Whatever you need to tell yourself lady" Shay gave her the bitchiest smile.
"Do it" Bo gave Bella the okay. She couldn't watch this anymore and more importantly she didn't want Lauren watching it either.
Bella began chanting, she'd studied that spell page to page, front and back. She had every faith in herself that she could pull this off. She just hoped she was right.
A few minutes in, and Shay began to feel the inside of her body ache. Her blood felt like acid, and her skin began to burn. She didn't think they'd be able to pull it off. "Stop it!" She gritted her teeth, feeling so much pain. "I said stop it!" She clutched the arms of the chair.
"That's not gonna happen" Bo told her.
Shay started to scream, she felt as though someone was ripping her apart but she was awake for it all. "Mom! Please, it hurts!" She cried, bowing her head and kicking the legs of her chair. The chains rattled as she tried to break free.
Lauren was about to help her, but Bo pulled her back. And she was right to. To stop it now, would be giving the evil what it wanted.
Bella could see it was working, because her sister began to show signs of the entity revealing itself. Shay had black thread veins spreading from her chest up to her neck.
Just a little longer.
Wanting to escape, Shay summoned all the strength she had left and tried her hardest to break through the chains. They were strong, but she was thinking her desire to break free was stronger. Her eyes burned blue, "Never underestimate a Hybrid!" She pulled her arms up, and the chains broke.
But Bella was one step ahead of her, she kept her still with her left hand while she continued to expel the darkness. Though, it was proving to be difficult. "If you've got a spare set of chains, now would be the time to get them!"
Trick ran as fast as he could, and when he came back he handed Bo and Lauren a rather large set of chains. "They're used to detain UnderFae Ogres. They're huge!" He'd seen them. Not a pretty sight.
Bo wrapped one around Shay's chair, sitting her back down. While Lauren secured the padlock. "Will that hold?" She asked.
"Not for long, which's why I've gotta finish this. I'm kinda running low on juice!" Bella felt her nose running with blood. "Any volunteers?" She held out her free hand.
"How about both of us?" Lauren glanced at Bo, who was more than willing. Trick couldn't because of his former excursion. They didn't need him dying. She grabbed Bella's hand while Bo grabbed hers.
With a few more incantations, the four of them watched as the evil entity left Shay through her mouth. A black mist shot out of her, floating in the air. Shay's head fell, she was out.
Bella fell into the arms of her Parent's, utterly exhausted from that spell. She'd never pulled off something that big. When the thirty seconds passed, the black mist above them vanished. It was gone.
"I got her, check Shay" Bo carried Bella over her shoulder, taking her to the Lair to rest.
Lauren took the chains off of her, lifting Shay's head up. "Shay?" She whispered to her, moving hair out of her sweaty face. "Sweetie? Can you hear me?" She wasn't waking up. "Shay? Come on! Wake up!" She gently shook her.
"I've realised something" Shay finally mumbled.
This could either be good or bad, so Lauren just listened. "And what's that?"
Lifting her head, Shay focused her tired eyes on her Mother. "That I'm one sorry Hybrid…" she smiled, she remembered everything she did. And more importantly, everything she said. Especially to Bo. She really was the lowest of the low. "… I'm so sorry Mom"
"Forget it!" Lauren grabbed her in a hug, standing her up. She didn't want to let go of her. "No one cares. You get a pass on this one. We're just glad you're back" she kissed her head.
"I didn't mean anything I said!" Shay wanted to take it all back. It was the evil talking, it wasn't her. "Will Mom forgive me?"
Lauren didn't know what she was talking about, but clearly before she and Bella got back Shay and Bo must've had a chat. Which was the reason for the look on Bo's face. "Of course she will" she hugged her again.
"I feel so dizzy…" Shay mumbled into her Mother's neck. "… Everything's spinning" Those were her last words before she passed out in Lauren's arms.
"Shay?" She tried to wake her but it was no use. "Shit! Bo!" She called for her Wife. It took her a few minutes but she finally came. "Little help?" She took one arm while Bo took the other and carried Shay to one of Trick's bedrooms. "Is there something you need to tell me?" She asked Bo.
Bo looked at her, confused. "Not that I know of…" she wasn't sure what this was. "… Why? Am I missing something?"
Lauren closed the door to the bedroom, "Shay said she was sorry for everything she said to me, and most importantly to you. She's worried you won't forgive her. Was what she said to you that bad?" She wanted to know.
Exhaling, Bo sat on the side of the bed. "It wasn't bad. But it was true…" she'd been thinking about it. "… She said I let her down in both of her lives. I let Jack hurt her twice. And I destroy everything I touch" she let a tear escape her.
Whoa, Lauren wasn't expecting to hear that. Shay really did do a number on her. But it wasn't really Shay. "You don't actually think that's true, do you?" She watched Bo cry. "Babe, no!" She sat beside her, holding her face. "Jack is the destroyer, not you! You don't have an evil bone in your body!"
"How can you really believe that?" Bo frowned at her. "My Father is the King of Hell. There must be something in me, something that's just as evil as he is"
"No!" Lauren shook her head. "There isn't! And you know what? Your other four kids will tell you the exact same thing! What Shay said wasn't true. It wasn't even really her, it was your Father's evil. Don't you see? He wanted this to happen. He wanted to break you, and using your own daughter to do it was his plan. Don't let him win"
Bo took a breath, holding the rest of her tears back. Lauren was right, she couldn't let him win. This was what he wanted. For all they knew he could've been controlling what Shay said through that evil. "I won't, I promise" she welcomed a hug from her.
That itself was curative.
Dennis Household – Later
After everything that happened, Bo called a family meeting. Meaning everyone had to attend. Even if they didn't want to. Including Patrick who would rather have been at the ice rink with his teammates. That was just tough. Bo even called Sasha, since she had every right to be here for this.
Bo and Lauren waited for them their kids to gather in the living room. But Sasha was a little late. That was okay. "I know everyone has plans, so I'm gonna cut this meeting short. You're all probably wondering why Bella's back from School—"
"Can't make it three months without her Mommies?" Patrick snickered, he just had to get it in.
But Ethan smacked the back of his head, "Grow up!" He was sick of his stupid jokes. "Act your age, and keep your mouth shut" he gave his littlest sister a wink. He was happy to have her home regardless.
"Couldn't have said it better myself…" Lauren was proud of Ethan for doing that. "… But no, that's not the reason. Bella came back to help us with something"
"What?" Charlie asked.
Shay walked down the stairs, with the smallest smile. She didn't know what she had to be happy about. "Me…" she told them. "… Bella came to help with me. I got pretty lost, she helped me find my way back" she gave her littlest sister the tightest hug. She was beyond grateful to her.
"Wait?" Ethan had a question. "Is this what you've been up to all day?" He looked at his Parents. "And why you were acting so weird at the bar?" They nodded. "I knew it wasn't just worry. Why didn't you tell me?" He was hurt.
Instead of putting her Parents through any more grief, Shay decided to take the blame. "I asked them not to!" She pulled back from Bella and stood before her big brother. "It's not their fault. Trust me, I wasn't good company earlier"
"So, you're back?" Ethan asked her. "For good this time?" He had to make sure.
Shay nodded, "Yeah, for good. Don't I get a bro hug?" She opened her arms, hoping he'd oblige.
"I'll do you one better!" He picked her up and spun her around with a laugh. He'd always done this with her since they were kids. "Just, don't go away again. No one annoys me like you do"
"You're gonna regret saying that in a month or two…" Shay laughed, letting go of him. "… What about you guys?" She looked at Charlie and Patrick. "Don't tell me you're too cool to give your big sis a hug? Bring it in bitches!" She waved them over.
Lauren groaned at her use of language, "Why the need for language? I raised her better—" she got shushed by Bo, who wrapped an arm around her waist.
Bo loved Lauren's nagging, but it could be silenced now. "She got exorcised a few hours ago. Just give her this one. Babe come on! Look at them!" She pointed to her children who were in a huddle. "As far as kids go, we got five great ones. Even if they do make us wanna pull our hair out sometimes" she wouldn't change this.
Her Father thought he'd won with his plan, but it had only brought them closer together.
"No arguments there. So, do you think the rest of this Christmas will go off without a hitch?" Lauren asked her.
"Providing we can keep my Father in Hell where he belongs, yeah. I think I can pretty much guarantee that" Bo kissed her cheek.
"I'm holding you to that" Lauren grabbed Bo's hand, and took her over to their children. This was a happy family moment. And it would last, so long as they protected their family from the evil of Hades.
And they would.
Forever.
A/N: Well; that was a long one. For me anyway. Hope you guys all enjoyed. And as you can see I haven't ended it completely, just in case I want to bring it back. Anyway, let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.