Disclaimer: Lost Girl belongs to Showcase or SYFY and I am only playing in their universe.
A/N: Had some good comments, hopefully the next few chapters will provide some answers. Thanks again for all the reads, reviews and follows.
To Reviewer A. W. doccubus: Good luck on the exams – You'll do great!
It was full dark when Lauren returned to the house. Her muscles were aching from what she had poured into her run. The physical pain was so much better than the anger and heartache she had felt upon learning that the love of her life was hurting so badly. The worst part was that Lauren felt that she couldn't go to Bo. She was an enemy of the fae now and in exile. To show her face in the city was a death sentence. Bo would not want her there anyway. Lauren had hurt her in a way the succubus would never forgive.
She moved towards the porch, following the smell of the wine. There was conversation happening but she didn't focus on the words. Knowing it was too much to hope her friends would be sympathetic and let her go straight to bed, she opened the screen door and moved to the swing. Picking up Kenzi's legs, as the girl was stretched out across the bench, Lauren sat down and then replaced the girl's appendages across her own legs. Reaching to the overturned crate next to her, she picked up a random cup and held it out to Hilde who always manned the jug. Receiving her cup full of the rich liquid she was ready to listen to the conversation she had interrupted. Of course by then everyone had stopped talking.
Dyson was looking at her with curiosity. Lauren said, "What?" steeling herself for some type of reprimand for running out on everyone.
"You have clothes on." the wolf shifter said.
Lauren laughed, of everything she thought she would hear that was not it. "Yeah?" wondering where this was going.
"You shifted, I saw it. Your clothes were ripped to pieces and yet here you are in the same outfit. How do you do that?" he said with a slightly buzzed smile.
Lauren went to answer but Hilde spoke up, "Do you think I would let this child run around naked, I taught her better than that. She's a lady and therefore modest." The prissy mothering tone made Lauren chuckle. The hag continued, "I could teach you to cover yourself wolf, but I don't think you have a modest bone in your body." Dyson laughed and pulled his shirt up showing his perfect abs. The hag and Kenzi whistled at the same time. Lauren wondered just how much wine they had been drinking.
Bruce opened the front door to the house and came onto the porch. He had a couple of bags in his arms including a duffel that belonged to Lauren. "What's this all about?" she said with curiosity. The big guy just shrugged and moved out the screen door towards the barn.
"Hotpants, we're going Bo hunting." said Kenzi. Lauren stiffened. Kenzi laughed, "Okay that sounded weird, we are on a hunt for Bo, not hunting with a bow. Crap, I have been away from civilization too long." Kenzi took another swig of wine.
"When do you leave?" asked Lauren.
"We, when do we leave?" corrected Dyson. A look shot from the wolf shifter to Hilde to Kenzi and back again. It was the signal to get ready for the argument to come. It had not been a surprise to anyone when Lauren bolted from the room. It had been a testament to her character that she had not broken down sooner. Being a logical being, Lauren could handle just about anything thrown at her. But they all realized just how much the last week had tipped her world on end.
The events two years had ripped apart her whole world. Lauren was not a quitter and she had convinced herself to move on with her life. Learn to accept what she was now and build a new life with new friends never looking back. But her past had found her and dredged every insecurity and heartache up that she had fought so hard to bury. What if she went back and her worst fears were realized. It was one thing to think that the woman you loved didn't want you. It was another thing entirely to have that harsh rejection happen face to face.
Lauren's eyes flashed yellow for an instant, angry that they were playing with her. She thought better of it, even drunk they weren't that cruel. "I can't go with you. I am an enemy of the fae and Bo wouldn't want to…."
"Bullshit," said Kenzi pulling herself to a sitting position. "Lauren, Bo loves you. She has to know by now the reasons behind your actions in Taft's compound." Tag to Dyson.
"You saved my life. You saved so many fae. We need you to continue that and help us save Bo." Dyson said reaching out to touch Lauren's knee. There was no hesitation in Dyson's voice that Lauren could detect. He truly wanted her to join them. Tag to Hilde
"Child, by the sounds of it your Bo is being influenced by something intent on her destruction. I only know of this Bo through what little you have shared. From what I have heard, your Bo would never align with a side; she seemed to know right from the start that it was wrong." The hag pretended to think for a moment. "Why did you bother to save her before if you are not willing to save her now?" the hag asked between sips of wine. "Maybe you are the one that doesn't care anymore?" Lauren bristled and her eyes flashed yellow again. "Of course I could be wrong about that." cackled Hilde seeing she had hit a sore spot.
"Even if I went back with you, I am a fugitive." Lauren snapped.
"Doc, I have been on the run most of my life," said Kenzi, "It's not like we're going somewhere that we don't know and have to learn the ropes. Even if there has been a shakeup we know what to look for and can avoid trouble. Trust in my skills. They are now druid enhanced." she flexed a bicep and then gave Dyson a high five and Hilde giggled.
Dyson focused hard on Lauren, "You are also enhanced Lauren. I did not recognize your scent, no one else will either. To your core you have evolved to a unique being. By the gods woman you are powerful too. Not that there was anything weak about your before." Lauren knew he was being nice. He had disapproved of the pairing of Bo and Lauren from the start. Not just because he loved Bo but as a human Lauren was not enough for the succubus. Dyson had pointed that out more than once. He had, however, never doubted the strength of her feelings for Bo or her courage.
Wishing once again that alcohol had some effect on her so she could blame this decision on impaired judgment, Lauren drained the cup. "When do we leave?" she said softly knowing that there really had never been a choice. The conspirators all smiled and held out cups in salute and then held them there for refills.
The small party had lasted long into the evening. Bruce had helped Lauren put everyone to bed and then joined her in the kitchen. After Massimo's spells the big guy swore off anything at would affect his mind, drugs and alcohol topped the list. Luckily both were strong enough to handle the rest easily. Lauren could tell that Bruce was worried but not saying anything. The ogre had impeccable manners. It just reinforced Hilde's teachings about the fae. Lauren had an idea of what was going on. "Bruce, you are staying here with Hilde aren't you? I would never leave her alone, and the city can be overwhelming for her." He nodded that he was going to remain on the farm, but still seemed concerned. Lauren worried that he felt she did not trust him, she continued, "You belong here you know. I would not want you to be anywhere else. I think that Hilde is sweet on you and maybe you feel the same?" The ogre actually blushed and thanked her for the kind words.
"It's Kenzi," he said quietly as he accepted half of the sandwich Lauren was making. "I vowed to protect her. She is going off alone and I feel I am breaking my promise to her." Lauren got it; she should have figured it out much earlier. With all the changes everyone had forgotten that Bruce and Kenzi had been through two years of pure hell.
"Well, I give you my promise to watch over her in your stead," said Lauren, "besides she has her own powers now. She can protect herself better than before." They both avoided each other's eyes on that one. Kenzi with all that druid knowledge was a little scary for everyone.
He coughed softly and then said, "Do you think Dyson will ever wise up?" The big man gave a sly smile that made Lauren chuckle softly. Who knew that ogres could be such romantics? Lauren thought she was the only one who had caught on to Kenzi's feelings for the wolf.
She sighed, "Who knows Bruce, there is so much history between are little group and our romantic escapades. For Kenzi's sake I hope it will all work out. Stranger things have happened. So who knows?" Lauren saw Bruce fighting to ask about Lauren and Bo's relationship, but he left alone for which she was very grateful.
They both cleaned up and headed for bed. Before they turned to their respective rooms Bruce said quietly, "Lauren, you know about Bo and you…. as you said, stranger things have happened. Who knows?" he patted her arm and walked away letting her own words float in the quiet night air.
The next morning Lauren was going over some last minute farm business information with Hilde as Kenzi was standing in front of the glass front herb cabinet, Lauren had to try not to laugh as she heard the girl mumbling about how it was useless to be a druid if she couldn't even cure a hangover. Dyson was bringing the truck around. He was also mumbling this morning, insisted that he be the one to drive and saying something about crazy women drivers and how the last time he was in a pick-up it didn't turn out so well.
"Child don't worry, I was here ages before you came along. Things will be just fine." cackled the hag as she finally had to touch Lauren's arm to get her to be quiet. "I have Bruce to protect me in case anyone causes trouble. That's what you are truly worried about, isn't it?" Lauren rolled her eyes then gave the old woman a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Humph…" the hag returned but was touched by the sentiment.
"Druid come here," Hilde said a little louder than necessary and giggled as Kenzi winced. "Hold out both hands." Kenzi did as ordered. Hilde placed a pouch in one hand and then wrote a series of numbers on the other hand. "These are for you." said the hag.
Staring at her hands, Kenzi said wide eyed, "What do they do?"
The old hag said low and mysterious, "This pouch contains what you seek to take away your pain. Take only two small amounts at a time. The other allows you to find help at any time. Child you are new to your powers but you must trust in yourself for them to work. Practice on small things first, but you are not without training. A sharp one you are," Lauren, who had been listening in, laughed silently as the old hag threw in a good Yoda laced phrase, "for two years you watched Massimo, he taught you more than you realize. Go and be safe." Kenzi beamed as she gave Hilde a quick hug and ran to the truck.
"Take care master Yoda," whispered Lauren to the hag giving her a quick hug as she followed Kenzi out the door.
Bruce had been watching form the table as he read the paper. He was quiet until the truck pulled away. "You just gave her a pouch of crushed aspirin and your cell phone number didn't you." The hag kissed the man's bald head then let her laugh cackle loudly as her eyes flashed red. Bruce shook his head and went back to reading the paper. If Kenzi and Hilde only knew how much they were alike.
Avoiding a fight over the radio for the next fourteen hours, Lauren sat in the middle of the old truck's bench seat and growled forcefully if anyone reached to change the station. Hitting the city limits as the sun was setting Lauren told Dyson to pull over. As she got out of the car she said, "I will meet you at Kenzi's place in an hour." They all had agreed that it would be best if they used caution approaching their old haunts. The crack shack would be the first place they would try. Being Bo's old home they had hopes it would be largely ignored now that she was living with her father. Dyson would be jumping out a little further down the road and checking on his apartment first then join them at the appointed time. Kenzi would be picking up food and supplies before she drove to the house. Lauren had provided the LauLew incorporated credit card much to the druid's delight.
Kenzi had made them all pinkie swear that they would not try to contact Bo tonight. Her spidey senses were tingling, her presence in town had caught someone's interest. The feeling was really mild and therefore she declared that the threat was not close enough to worry about. Lauren watched the truck pull way then made a short walk to a vacant lot. She needed some time to herself.
This feeling of dread had been growing in Lauren as they approached the city. She had never been fae in a place like this. Everything Lauren had been taught had been on the open land of her farm. The city was closed off and artificial. Would she be limited even as a fae here? Her old insecurities of not being enough haunted her mind. Forcing herself to relax, Lauren let her body do its thing.
The fae that Lauren had become was the perfection of Taft's insane dream. She was a melding of multiple types of fae and human. As close as Lauren could figure the strains of DNA had battled it out in her body and settled into three basic constructs. The shifter had been the most disturbing of all the traits to her at first. She felt the least human when she changed form. Where the cat form had come from was debatable but Lauren had figured the cabbit DNA was behind it.
Unlike Dyson she did not shift into a true version of a cat. Lauren's form was feline human, otherworldly, beautiful and deadly. As she trained with Hilde she discovered that her human side was closely tied to all her forms but most strongly felt as the shifter. This form always came with heightened aggression, but her human reasoning was always in charge. As she trained in this form, she discovered aspects of the shifter were always available in any of her constructs. The use of her powerful senses was part of that. Standing in the lot, Lauren held off on the full shift and instead cast out with her senses and found the taste of the city was sour and so was the smell.
Dyson had warned her that she could need time to adjust to this aspect of the city. After a moment, she found she could dismiss the layers of pollution and filth and focus on the natural world underneath. The longer she cast out the more she could utilize. Although Lauren knew the city from living in its boarders for years, being able to make out the nuances of various locations would give her an advantage if she had to move through the areas quickly.
Satisfied with the results, Lauren bent low and ran her hand along the bare hard earth of the lot and winced at its feel. It was so angry at being unused and covered up it shot a jolt of energy into her body. With very little plant life, there was no way for the soil to renew itself. In a way, this small part of earth was dying. The jolt of energy Lauren had felt was a plea for help.
Another construct of Lauren's fae life was her ability to transfer energy within biotic materials. She could speed or resurrect the growth of trees, plants or even things manufactured from the two by redirecting energy from within the ground. This was a rare ability because it required the earth's cooperation. Hilde had taught Lauren how to return energy into the ground as well as take it. The science behind the cycle was obvious to Lauren and had made it easy for her remember the purpose for sharing energy was the renewal process. As for her training, Lauren used this power to cycle the land of her farm removing the pollutants. The task had been huge but by the end she had honed her skills to perfection. This had been the part of her nonhuman life she had mastered first and was the true power behind Lauren life as a fae.
Right now she recognized she had to shut her eyes because she knew they were burning bright green with the land's power. She wanted to redirect the power she was being given into the few scruffy patches of weeds she saw. It would fill the lot with some type of plant life but it would only be a Band-Aid to the problem. Instead she pulsed the ground with some of her own energy. It was an offering from her, something new for the land work with, and a promise that she would return to answer its call in full. The ground eased under her touch then pulsed back a thank you. It was a welcome from the land of the city and an assurance that her calls for assistance would be answered if she needed it. Standing she felt the buzz from what she had been given. This was a gift she didn't expect; there was amazing power all around her. She couldn't keep the smile off her face.
There was one more construct to Lauren's fae life and that was her modified succubus powers. They were basic in comparison to the other traits. Lauren had Hilde train her to use this part of herself as a weapon at first, and then they worked to vary her skills to things more subtle. Like when working with the earth, Lauren found she could pull and push energy, but with this power the energy was the chi in living beings. She did not need to feed like Bo but she could to a point then she would have to transfer the chi somewhere else. With a quick scan of the area she found no one around for miles for her to test herself with, but she had no doubt when she needed to touch that power it would be there.
With a quick look around Lauren growled low, it was time to run. With two steps she had fully shifted. She let out her cat's scream in triumph. The insecurities from before melted away allowing Lauren to recognize the powerful under fae she was. It was time to find the others and go get Bo.