Bo hated being away from Lauren for any period of time. Right now, her protective urges were far outweighing her need for sex. Granted, Lauren did give her pregnancy sex the other day, which was wonderful and different. It felt strange sexing up a pregnant woman, but Bo's succubus instincts did not seem to care. It was still with Lauren, and even nine months pregnant, Lauren was still beautiful. If anything, Bo's succubus instincts and her human instincts agreed that Lauren was just damn beautiful regardless.

Lauren mentioned she surprisingly loved the feeling of being pregnant, which was a promising admission for Bo's future plans for more children. Number Two had mentioned a first born son; were they supposed to keep having kids until that happened? Then again, Number Two could have just been posturing during the conversation; he couldn't really give up any information unless she directly asked. Bo was starting to rethink her actual question, even if Gram loved her new grilled cheese making skill.

Not for the first time since meeting her wife, Bo wondered how long Lauren would be alive. Sure, she was a hybrid and would live longer, but she was also human and could die a very human death. Gram had explained that Lauren would always look like she was under forty, even when she died, and her body and health would be related to that of a woman in her thirties. Still, there would be diseases, accidents, battles, and any number of things that could cause Lauren to die. She wasn't immortal; she would just appear that way on the surface. The hybrid that Lilith had killed was only a little over 100 years old. Trick and Gram both mentioned that Lauren came from strong royal fae blood, so she should be able to make it to well over 300.

Bo was just now starting to realize that she was going to live a long time herself, and she really wanted to ensure that Lauren was around for the majority of that long life. The problem was that Lauren was exposed to all types of disease in her daily job. Granted, they were fae diseases, but underfae diseases apparently affected humans just as well as humans.

Even if Lauren did make it to 300, Bo still felt like it wasn't enough time if she were going to outlive her by several centuries. She now understood why Lauren hesitated about legalizing their marriage in the fae world. She had posted the human documents that declared them married and both parents to Briann. Maybe they could wait a few years before they decided on whether to file marriage in the fae world. The problem was that Bo knew what she wanted now; she even knew that Lauren wanted it, too. The problem was convincing Lauren to say yes to her when she would approach the subject.

Bo understood Lauren's argument now, but she still didn't like it. She wanted the world to know, but she did have to consider that she was a succubus. If she declared fae marriage, she wouldn't be able to have another serious relationship if she ever decided she wanted one. Sex was still a possibility, but Bo knew she operated on a relationship level; not just a one night stand level anymore.

Then again, Lauren ruined her for anybody else; Bo realized just how spoiled and lucky she was to have her wife. She wanted to file those papers now, but she had to at least show Lauren that she was being rational and seriously thinking about what it truly meant. Bo knew she wouldn't change her mind, even if there was no way of knowing what happened in the future. This was a topic that Bo didn't like to dwell on much because she couldn't imagine a life without Lauren.

Another topic she hated to think about was Kenzi's very human existence. Kenzi would die within one lifetime. They would probably even see Alexie die, too. If Bo continued to survive, there was no doubt she would live through several generations of Kenzi's bloodline. Bo knew she would keep them all close, protect them, and raise them as her own, just like she did with Kenzi and Alexie.

She was having all these morbid thoughts on death lately. Was this a common response when you were about to bring a new life into the world? Did your own mortality start to become more tangible to you because you helped create a new person?

They were going to Gram's farm soon so that they could wait for Lauren to go into labor. Bo knew she would find any type of random work around the place to keep her mind occupied. Right after she finished this child killer case or the week ended, whichever came first, Bo had planned on not leaving Lauren's side until the baby came. She wanted to be there for Lauren, to help take care of Lauren at all hours, but Gram had insisted that Bo stay level-headed. Gram seemed to know that Bo remaining idle in the house for the last few weeks before the labor was not going to do anybody any good.

Now, Bo needed to take care of some final business before leaving. Lauren had discovered a mare was responsible for the child murders. Apparently, the children were scared to death in their sleep. While this would have been any normal fae killing, the mare apparently took great joy in torturing its child victims. The crime scene photos were some of the more disturbing ones Bo had ever seen. At least Lilith was clean with her kills, so the showboating wasn't as gruesome; there was nothing clean about these. It just made it worse that the victims in these cases were young children.

Lachlan was supposed to be giving her answers to several of her "past and present conundrums." Even though he had called her on the phone, Bo could still see her brother's cocky expression when he said that. She really did need to just sit down with him and have him reveal all the family secrets; Bo knew he wouldn't, though. He loved witholding the information and feeling like he had power over her.

When they were walking back to the hidden "family" room, Lachlan gave his first admittance by claiming he was sorry for the loss of Ciara. He hadn't been able to attend the wake since he was trying to clean up a political mess elsewhere in the city. It was almost casual how he said it, but Bo did not miss it when he mentioned that Bo had waited too long to decide when she was at the Stone. He explained what Number Two had meant when he said that bad things happen to those who wait. As soon as Bo had stepped into that room, the people close to her were on the line. If she hadn't decided when she did, it was possible somebody else in her circle would have died suddenly, as well. Dyson and Vex were the only other ones she knew who had the blood fever in her circle, and Bo realized she wasn't ready for either of them to die. It sucked that Ciara had to die because of her hesitancy.

Even if she had known, Bo wasn't sure if the scene would have played out much differently. She wanted to believe that she would have acted immediately, but there would still be too many questions she needed answered first. Honestly, she still didn't understand everything.

Lachlan opened the door and ushered Bo inside the room. He closed the door, which was something he never actually did when they came back here. It was more of an entire hidden hallway with hidden rooms. There was never really any need to close the door, but for some reason, he chose to do this today. Bo immediately went into alert mode.

"You will need this." Lachlan handed Bo a tiny vial. She held out her hand, and he placed it in her palm. She could only stare at it for a few seconds, feeling drawn to it. "Life essence pulled from the Chai Crystal. Lauren will need this when she goes into labor."

"What do you mean?" Bo finally broke her gaze from the vial and stared at Lachlan. How would he get this if the Morrigan had it? "Why would Lauren need life essence? We've sort of already created life."

"Our father was notorious for mating with anything that moved, and that included humans and hybrids." Lachlan gave her that "pay attention to what I'm saying here" look, but Bo just rolled her eyes. She didn't need his condescending look to understand what he was saying.

"Hybrid/fae babies. It's where the stories that they were monsters came from, right?" Bo didn't need her hyper intelligent wife to help her figure this one out. It actually made the most sense of all the theories and stories she had heard about the topic of origin. Of course it would be her crazy ass family. "Tell me."

"Your baby will be stronger than any fae or human or hybrid ever created because of your combined blood lines. Not only are you breeding with the Blood King and Samael's blood, but you are also breeding with the Oracle Queen and Nature King bloodlines." Lachlan seemed thoroughly impressed for the first time. His expression rarely showed emotions, but he almost seemed proud of his little sister. At least, that's how Bo was interpreting his reaction. "I wanted to give you a gift: To help Lauren during labor. It will be extremely trying."

"Don't tell me that. I'm already worried enough as it is." Bo felt her familiar panic about death start to surface. She stared at the tiny vial in her hand again. "How will this help?"

"It will make things easier. Think of it like the fae version of an epidural, but it is pure so Maggie will allow it, and it won't disturb the ritual. The essence will help guide her through the birth of your child and relieve the pain associated with baring such a powerful creature." Lachlan clicked his tongue once before moving over to a shelf and pulling out a book. It was the first time he ever handed any reading material to Bo, who was honestly just as curious as Lauren was about what was stored in those books. "Give this to Lauren and read it yourself. Maggie knows what to expect, but you will need to know that she is not harming the doctor, even when it appears she does. The complications of bringing a fae/hybrid child to term are...excruciating and trying on everyone involved. You will sense Lauren's pain because of your bond, and it will drive you dark and insane. It may even overwhelm you and cause your body to react. If Maggie asks you to leave the room, do not be petulant. Of all battles you have faced, this will be your toughest. You need to let others help you get through this."

"Is it too much to ask for one normal thing? Why does labor have to be all fae complicated, too? Just one. One thing. This one thing. I want this one thing. I want Lauren to be safe. I want our daughter to be safe. This one thing, Lachlan. It's all I'm asking." Bo closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. She knew her emotions were taking the lead.

"Then follow Maggie's lead. She knows what she is doing." For some reason, Lachlan seemed to speak from experience. The minor thought refocused Bo back to the current conversation. "I understand you are seeking the mare responsible for a number of child deaths." Lachlan changing subject meant he was ignoring her little rant. She was actually grateful for a problem she could solve. "The mare is Dark Fae, so I cannot give you much intel beyond that. I'm afraid you'll have to visit the Morrigan to retrieve whereabouts."

"Speaking of Evony…" Bo had a feeling that Lachlan would know what Evony's power play and immortality was about. Did he get the immortality, too, since the positions were both bound in the fae world? How did that even work exactly? How did he get his serpentine hands on the Chai Crystal?

"You'll want to find a library that is holding Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry by William Butler Yeats." Lachlan was telling her to go to the library? Did he not know her well enough by now to know that was an uncommon occurrence? Bo wasn't even sure she knew where the city library even was. Maybe she would get lucky. Irish usually meant Trick or Gram, and they both had huge libraries. "I wouldn't be surprised if your wife had a copy at home. You'll find the answers you seek there."

"Thanks?" Bo wasn't exactly keen on doing more reading right now. She was already overly concerned about the next few weeks. Lachlan did nothing to help soothe her fears; quite the opposite really. Now, Bo was even more frightened about death.


Lauren was happy despite her discomfort. Even though she sensed that Bo had been more tense than usual, Lauren was still excited about this new adventure. This baby was definitely going to be an adventure, especially if she was anything like her other mother.

However, Lauren was not worried. She felt like she should be, especially given the unknown, but she wasn't. She was just too damn happy. Bo was out taking care of the child killer problem, tracking a mare down in Dark Fae territory right now. Before she left this morning, Bo had done the sweetest thing, though. It was a simple gesture, but Lauren thought it was extremely sweet since she had woken up in a bad mood. When Bo leaned over to kiss her stomach and sing quietly to the baby inside, Lauren sighed and her bad mood disappeared. Bo rarely sang, afraid it would take away her badass image, so looking down from her book she was reading when she heard her wife singing and rubbing her belly, Lauren couldn't help but be happy.

She was still in a good mood, as she finished reading the Yeats book Bo had wanted her to read. Kenzi even picked up a book to read once when Alexie took a nap the other day, though it didn't last long. Lauren was surprised at how many great books she had missed by overworking herself, but she marked the particular passage Bo would need about leanan sidhe. Getting answers was always a favorite past time of hers and always put her in a good mood. At least now, they had a theory about what was wrong with the Morrigan. She couldn't wait until Bo got home today. Maybe she would have good news, too, about defeating the child killer.

Only one week before she was due, and Lauren felt like the baby was ready to come any minute. She was on alert, even in her sleep. Gram warned her to stay in the house, closeby just in case little Briann decided to come earlier. Her contractions had been gradually coming and going the past few days, and Gram had confirmed she was dilated two inches already. Now, they just had to wait.

That's when Lauren felt it. There was a strong humming, and it sounded like her entire body…popped. She sat up in bed, feeling panicked for some reason, especially when she saw that her sleeping pants were soaked.

Shit. This wasn't happening now. Bo was too far away.

Lauren cleared her throat, looking at the two women sitting in the grand living room with her. Kenzi was playing on the floor with Alexie, and Gram was playing card games on her computer. Since it seemed like neither woman heard the loud popping noise, Lauren tried to stand but realized how hard her contractions already were, so she sat back down. Still, neither woman moved or acknowledged what was happening. It seemed like Lauren was the only one that knew she was in labor.

"Um…Gram?" Lauren sat back down, holding her belly. That familiar humming and anxious twitching started again. "Kenzi?"

"Holy shitballs, Lauren! Why are you glowing?" Kenzi was the first to look, which was surprising since it was Gram's job to do this. Kenzi stood up and put Alexie in his pack and play. "I'll call Bo."

"Hurry." Lauren was relieved when Gram finally turned around and smiled at her, though the older woman still did not move. She was being too calm, which unnerved Lauren and made her even more anxious. Lauren tried to pay attention to Kenzi's phone conversation. While she knew Bo sensed her and was panicking at the confirmation, Lauren was too focused on her own body right now. The contractions were coming too strong this time, and it felt like the baby was breakdancing in her belly. It was the most pain and discomfort Lauren had ever experienced, and it almost made her pass out from the shock. "She's early."

"Seems you have an eager daughter who can't wait to meet you." Gram slowly stood and stretched. She was being way too damn calm. "Let's get you down the hall to the birthing chamber."

"I'm not sure I can move at the moment." Lauren had to close her eyes to help herself stay focused on controlling her breathing. All the books and classes in the world could not prepare you for this feeling when it actually arrived.

"Stop being overdramatic, dear. We'll wait for the contraction to pass and move you." Gram finally started to act like this was a serious situation. "I wasn't prepared for this yet, but it won't take long. Kenzi, can you run upstairs and grab the life essence the Ash gave Bo? We will need it sooner than expected."

"Sure thing." Kenzi hesitated a moment, obviously not sure what to do with Alexie. Hale was supposed to watch him when Lauren went into labor, but nobody had thought to call him yet. At least he was still on duty this afternoon, and he wouldn't be far from the house. "I'll call Hale and be back in two shakes with the goods."

"Remember what we talked about, Lauren?" Gram waited until Kenzi disappeared before coming to sit next to Lauren on the couch. Her grandmother placed a warm hand on Lauren's thigh, which did help soothe her, but she was still too blinded by the pain. It shouldn't hurt this much. "This won't be easy, so I need you to stay focused. This could go fast, or it could go slow. Either way, you are going to face some things no human should ever face. Hardly any humans have ever survived this, but you're much more than human. Remember that, and do not give up on me, okay? You were destined for this moment, my dear Lauren."

"Can we skip the cryptic, creepy talk and just get with the birthing?" Lauren took deep breaths once her contraction was through, but it didn't take long for the next one. "The contractions are coming too fast."

"Stay strong. You can do this." Gram immediately grabbed the tiny vial when Kenzi entered the room. Lauren had to stop her whole body from shaking from the tension so that she could swallow the small liquid contents.

"Hmm…tastes like applesauce." Lauren felt the current contraction slow, and the pain did slowly dim, but it was still aggressive and violent. It was like the Great Fae War was being fought in her insides. "We need to move now if we're going to. Dammit, Bo."

"Kenzi?" Gram helped Lauren stand, and Kenzi came to her other side. Hale came running inside the house and into the room, so he helped slowly move Lauren back to what Gram called the birthing chamber. It was the only room in this house that Lauren had never been in; now, it was necessary.

"Did you call Bo?" Hale helped take the majority of Lauren's weight to help her on the shortened bed. When Gram went about pulling off Lauren's pants and underwear, he reacted by looking away in a panic. "Woah, doc! There are some things that can't be unseen."

"Dude, your vagina's smiling at me." Even though Kenzi meant it to cut the tension, the young girl looked pale as she came over to help Lauren remove her shirt and bra, leaving her completely exposed in the room. Lauren didn't care about modesty right now; she almost didn't feel sane. She wanted to scream at Bo for not being here and for putting her here in the first place. Lauren had read that book Lachlan had given Bo, which had tales of Samael's lovers giving birth; unfortunately, they had all been fae women. Some of them didn't survive because of the pain.

Lauren had to focus on the contractions, though. She seriously felt like she was going to pass out from the pain. The baby was pushing at all of her insides, and she felt like she was on fire. The tingle from the life essence did help quell some of the pain, but it was still too strong. Lauren didn't want to think about what it would feel like without it. In a brief moment of lucidity, she decided to send Lachlan a thank you note if she got out of this alive.

She had to get out of this alive.

She didn't feel like she would.

Maybe she was being overdramatic, but all of Gram's warnings and the feeling in her entire body now made Lauren believe she hadn't taken those warnings seriously enough. Even when she read the book, Lauren had let her ego believe she was healthy and modern medicine and healthcare would help her survive.

That quiet hum reminded her of the extreme pain she felt when Bo fed from her; that brief nanosecond of pain that was usually framed in the several minutes of pleasure. Except, now that pleasure was gone completely and all that remained was the constant pain.

Hale had ducked out of the room, and Lauren had lost track of time. Gram was chanting around her, moving herb sticks around in wisps of smoke and making it smell like Thanksgiving in the room. Lauren both had a craving for a turkey sandwich and a need to vomit. Kenzi went about wiping her forehead with a wet cloth and giving her sips of water, holding her hand and trying not to squeal in pain herself.

"Where is mother fucking Bo?" Lauren pushed through an intense contraction, feeling the baby moving inside her. "How long has it been?"

"She'll be here any second. Just hold on, okay?" Kenzi appeared scared as she looked down at Lauren. In her moments of sanity, Lauren was worried about what was really happening in this room.

"What? What's wrong?" Lauren wondered if this was what dying felt like. This definitely didn't feel like a normal pregnancy should. It hadn't ever really felt like a normal pregnancy. Her lack of morning sickness or any real complication was definitely catching up to her now.

"You're just… you'll be fine. Stay with me, okay?" Kenzi was seeing something but not telling her, and Lauren was getting angry. The doctor in her shut off and the protective mother in her turned on. Kenzi must have noticed her intensity. "Dude, your eyes are red, and not in that 'because I got high' way. Gram?"

"She's fine. No need to be alarmed." Gram was way too fucking calm, and now Lauren was getting angry. It was such an intense, dark anger that was completely driven by her pain. That's when she realized: that intense dark was their daughter. The anger was her own because nobody seemed to want to tell her anything.

"Just tell me what the hell is happening." Lauren went from angry to desperate to sad. Every emotion she ever hid, every emotion she ever experienced, they all seemed to be hitting her in rapid motion.

"Stay strong, Lauren." Gram picked up Bo's baby ring and placed it on the mantle behind the bed. She chanted something and then placed a bracelet beside it. Lauren had to strain through her watery eyes to really notice what was happening.

"Ouch!" Kenzi pushed back from her, staring at the hand she had just pulled from Lauren's grip. "Qu'est-ce que the hell, Lauren?"

"She's almost here." Gram turned around from her chanting to seemingly assess the situation, but she went back to placing another piece of small jewelry on the mantle and then another. Why was she so focused on this and not helping her obviously majorly in labor granddaughter that was dying on the bed? Lauren felt the baby pushing from her body, and she pushed with it, but nobody was there to catch her.

"I don't remember this part." Kenzi moved back over to the bed but Lauren noted she didn't grab her hand again. She couldn't help but wonder what she did, since the violent burn marks were more than just from a tight squeeze.

"It is done. Your daughter may enter the world safely now." Gram moved over to the bed, just as Lauren felt a strong pull at her insides again. "She's crowning. Kenzi, make sure she stays focused. These next few minutes are going to be extremely tough."

"Yes, ma'am." Kenzi was still wary, as she came over to stand by the bed. She forced Lauren's focus on her. "Um…I'm not sure what to do. Um…focal point. Focal point. Hey, Lauren, look at this…creepy room."

"It's a ritual birthing chamber. Did you expect flowers and baby ducks?" Gram smiled, but Lauren was not feeling the lightness. She only felt the intense pain. Her breathing became hurried, like she couldn't catch her breath. The life essence was definitely helping, but Lauren was still slowly slipping.

"I'm here! I'm here! Hale said you were back here! I'm here!" Bo came rushing into the room. Lauren felt an intense relief wash over her as she pushed again, feeling the baby moving from her body. She had to close her eyes and only heard the thud of a body hitting the floor.

"Dammit, Bo! Man up!" Kenzi scolded. Lauren opened her eyes to feel all of her insides pushing out of her. She couldn't focus on anything but pushing, but she did gather that Bo had seemingly passed out on the floor. "For a badass succubus who loves being around vaginas, you'd think she'd be able to handle this, especially considering she's the one who got you here."

"I'm sure she wasn't expecting to see her daughter sliding out just as she walked in." Gram looked up at Lauren, who was feeling too exhausted from the pain. She was going to pass out, too. "Focus for me, sweetheart. One more push."

"Come on, Lauren." Kenzi moved back over to grab her hand with her her own uninjured hand, no longer hesitant but definitely looking concerned again. Lauren couldn't talk; she was too tired. "Please stay with us."

"Push, Lauren." Gram being perched between her legs didn't even faze Lauren until now. She looked over at her wife passed out on the floor and felt her entire body swaying from the exhaustion. Pulling in energy from her final reserves, Lauren pushed again.

The sounds of a baby's coos and cries in the room did not quell the pain she felt. Her insides were still burning, and she could no longer hold in her tears. Gram didn't even clean the baby off before wrapping her in a blanket and handing the baby girl to Kenzi. She handed Kenzi the scissors and had her cut the umbilical cord. She looked hesitant but eventually followed Gram's instructions.

Bo should have been the first person to hold their daughter. She should have been the one to cut that cord. Bo should not have been such a wuss.

Lauren was still pushing fluids and afterbirth from her body, and Gram came back to the bed to help her.

"There's too much blood." Gram was obviously good at her job; she had stayed calm throughout, which Lauren could admit did help. Now, though, she seemed slightly worried, which instantly worried Lauren. "It's okay. You've gotten through the hard part. You survived. Now, it's just getting you back to us."

"Is she okay? Gram, she doesn't look okay." Kenzi walked over, bringing the baby close and holding her so that Lauren would have something new to focus on as she finished with the aftermath of birth.

"She'll be fine, Kenzi." Gram stood and moved to the sink to wash her hands. Lauren could only watch, trying to slow her breathing. She was still in a lot of pain, and she was beyond exhausted. "Would you like to hold Briann?"

"Here's your mommy." Kenzi handed the baby to Gram, who removed the blanket from around her tiny, wrinkly body. Lauren had never felt more disgusting in her life, but she didn't care when Gram laid her daughter onto her naked chest.

Lauren felt the instant love surround her when she felt her baby for the first time. She started to cry, looking up at Kenzi and understanding completely why the young girl had reacted this exact same way when she had placed Alexie on her chest for the first time.

"She's so beautiful." Lauren looked over to Gram, who was swirling smelling salts beneath Bo's nose. The succubus sat up quickly, ready for action. Lauren just held their baby to her chest, still unable to say much.

Bo made eye contact with her when she finally got her bearings. That's when she stood and realized where she was and what was happening. She immediately came to the bed but tentatively pulled her hand back.

"It's okay, Bo. You won't hurt her." Gram spoke for her, which she was thankful for; Lauren didn't even seem to care at how disgusting she felt and how gross she knew this room was now. Gram went about cleaning around her, though.

"She's so…beautiful." Bo usually fought tears, but she obviously had no control over her reaction. Lauren wasn't even sure if her wife knew she was crying. "She's so beautiful."

"What happened, succubus? Finally find a vagina you couldn't handle?" Kenzi moved back to sit in the chair beside the bed. She was hiding her hand so Lauren couldn't assess the damage done. The previous intensity in this room and the fact that Gram was removing bloody towels and a bucket of placenta and various other things did not bother Lauren at all. Normally, it would bother her immensely at the lack of medical supplies and procedure, but she was too focused on the baby on her chest.

She felt calmer somehow. All of her wild emotions and intense pain seemed to diminish instantly the moment the baby was laid on her chest. She looked up at Bo again and saw the happy tears. Lauren had never seen Bo with such pride and love in her eyes before.

"We made this." Bo moved closer and ran her hand against Lauren's sweat-soaked hair. "We have a daughter."