Author's note: Thanks for the continued reading of my story, I hope you are enjoying it. I hope this chapter came out alright, for some reason this one gave me a bit of trouble not sure if it came out well. So I hope you do like it though. And I am going out of town for the week so the next update may be a little delayed. Well please read and review if you want. Thanks again for continuing to follow this.

_xxxxx_

Chapter 20.

Bo walked into the medical building absentmindly, she was thinking of the stranger she had seen walking towards the Dal Riatta earlier. The aura he gave off was different than anyone elses she had ever seen, most peoples aura had blue, red, greens, and purple that were all mixed together to give her rainbow of emotions that she could read clearly even if she did not understand exactly how she had known how to do it. But his was only a golden hue that she had seen only twice before and that was something that could not be a coincedence. Thinking of the guard, Matt, at the Ash's compound was one she had tried to learn what kind of fae he was but he had laughed and redirected her attention to something else at the time. She had dropped the matter, and had never really thought about it again since tonight. The other was Lauren, her aura was always a golden color that was sometimes overwhelming even to the succubus. She had figured it was because deep down she had more than the casual feeling for the doctor and it was just her mind saying she was different than others. Bo was thinking of what this could mean, although her gut was telling her she already knew, as she walked in to see Lauren's healing chamber was empty and none of the other beds were being used. Bo started to panic, thinking the worse when she saw the nurse, Jackie, up ahead filling out a chart. Bo ran over to her as her panic was escaluting, as she grabbed Jackie and turned her quickly to face her.

"Where is Lauren? What happened? Is she alright? Where the hell is she dammit? Bo rushed out question after question not giving the nurse the chance to speak. "I swear to god if you don't tell me right now I will succubus' it out of you."

"Calm down, Bo. If you would slow down, I can tell you." Jackie had seen this before with loved ones, the panic in there eyes. She knew that Bo was afraid, "She was taken out of the healing chamber because her burns were fully healed. I am assuming that was yours and that Sister's work. The Ash came by to check up on her and she woke up, they were talking when Lauren decided to take a walk. That was an hour ago, since she was fully recovered she was released from here. She is either still walking the gardens with the Ash, or she may have retired to her own quarters."

"She's awake? Is she okay?" The panic leaving her eyes as quickly as it came to be replaced with an excitement to see the woman she loved. "Where are these gardens to be found?"

"She is alright, better than alright the way I hear it. Whatever you two did, it worked perfectly from what the doctors are saying. She only has one small burn mark in the center of her back, the doctor was saying that must be where the fireball hit her directly but other than that spot no scarring." Jackie related what she had heard from the doctor's that were just as amazed as the Ash himself at this news. "Maybe you should think about becoming a doctor, that chi giving thing could help alot of people. Of course you would be doing alot of kissing from what I hear."

Bo blushed a little at this statement that was more tease than seriousness, "I will just leave the doctoring to Lauren, now I need to go find her." As she turned to leave to find the woman she needed to desperately talk to, to see for with her own eyes she was alright. She walked out into the evening and saw the path that would lead to the compounds gardens. She knew she would find the doctor there somehow, and she walked quickly down the path. As she walked down the path in the gardens she could hear voices up ahead and so she slowed down a bit not wanting to interrupt. She could hear the gravely voice of the Ash, but the other was definetly Lauren.

"Our deal has now reached its conclusion it would seem, Doctor. I can no longer fulfill my end of the bargain we struck." The Ash was saying softly, "With Nadia's death our deal is concluded."

Bo could not believe that the Ash was saying this now, Lauren had just woken up. She was getting mad at the fae leader for at least not giving the doctor a day or so to fully recover and she was about to interrupt when she heard Lauren speak.

"It seems strange, but even though it hurts that Nadia is gone now. I think I said goodbye to her five years ago, I wish that she had woken up to move on with her life. But after so long, I think I have already moved on. So what happens now, what is going to happen with me?"

"That is up to you, my friend." The Ash's voice was softer and the tone geniune from what Bo could tell. "Technically you are free now, to do what you will. If you choose to leave, I won't stop you but you know about the Fae and others will not like that you have so much knowledge about us. But if that is what you want, I will make sure that no Light Fae will come to harm you in anyway that is my Blood Debt to you."

"I see, I have worked with the Fae for so long I am not sure what I would do now. But I am tired of being a slave, no offense you have been kind and I know you really didn't have to be. Could I have a day or so to think about it, though. I promise I will let you know and not leave without letting you know. " Lauren asked, not believing that she was technically free to do what she wanted. But what did she want really, going back to the human world of medicine would be dull compared to the fae. But she would free to do what she wanted.

"Of course, I will give you a few days to decide. But I think for now we should let people still believe you are still a slave and still my ward for your own protection. I am not sure what the Dark Fae especially the Morrigan would do if they learned that you were a free human."

"I agree sir. Thank you for all things you have done for me these last few years. I would like to head back to my quarters and think about everything if that is alright with you sir." Lauren asked the Light Fae leader, who she considered a mentor and a friend. The Ash had always treated with her respect and even though she was technically a slave he had never asked her to do anything that was too difficult except for the Bo thing.

Bo could not believe what she was hearing, Lauren was free and was going to be able to do what she wanted. This was great news, but also it filled her dread if the doctor planned on leaving. If she told the doctor how she felt, would she stay? Did she have the right to ask her to stay though. Bo was troubled with these thoughts as she watched the Doctor stand up and take back the Ash's necklace that he was holding, she watched Lauren put the necklace around her neck and turned to leave in the opposite direction from where Bo was hiding. The Ash was still standing there, so Bo waited a few moments hoping to sneak by him to follow the Doctor.

"You can come out now if you wish, the good doctor is gone now." The gravely voice of the Ash spoke into the night sky.

Bo wasn't really surprised at the fact that the Ash knew she was there. He seemed to be able to know everything around him. No use in trying to hide any longer she stepped out of the shadows and made her way towards the light leader.

"You could have waited a day or so to tell her about Nadia you know." Bo hissed her anger at his disclosure still sitting badly in her gut. "Give her a moment to get settled."

"I have found when it comes to things, Lauren wants to know things up front so she can process it and deal with it then, very admirable trait for a human. And besides it was better to get it out of the way considering I had to explain why she was free now." The Ash answered unfazed at the anger in Bo's voice. "She is a remarkable individual considering everthing that has happened to her."

"What do you mean by that?" Bo wondered, was something wrong with Lauren that she did not know about. "Is she alright, she looks fine."

"I worry about her if she plans to leave her servitude to the Fae. She has not had an easy life here or before she came to the Fae."

"I don't understand?" Bo asked, not knowing what he was talking about.

"Lauren's parents never really treated her like a child but more like a trophey piece. They were brillant humans, even though they were not her biological parents. And they really were not suited to be parents." Bo was not really shocked about the adoption part, but she was about how the Ash knew all this. Seeing the look of shock, the Ash thought it was due to learning of the doctor's adoption. "Her father was a biochemist and her mother was an archeaologist, both very brillant people for humans. But they were not great parents, they seemed to have loved her but were never really in her life. Lauren said that she was left on her own a lot and she studied more than every child in her classes to try and get the attention from her parents. They were proud of all her accomplishments it seems and were proud of her, but still they were not the most emotional people and as such, I think Lauren learned to control her emotions at a very young age."

"Wow that sucks, at least my adopted mom showed me love and affection." Bo stated not really thinking how much she did not know Lauren's past. "I can see now why she keeps her emotions closed off and likes to be in control. It makes a lot more sense now the things she does and the way she acts sometimes."

"Yes, there are some Fae elders that I would love to have them learn half of the doctors control." The Ash continued, "Tell me something Bo, do you love her?"

The question was so out there that Bo did not think she heard right. "Excuse me?"

"Do you love her, it is a simple question really."

"Yes,I love her." Bo answered not thinking of the implications that this could bring about. "I think I have loved her since the day I met her when you sent me down for a checkup. There was something calming and soothing about her and I remember wanting to get to know her more without using my powers on her."

"You will need to be discrete, it is against the law for humans and fae to be in love." As he turned to walk in the opposite direction of what the doctor had taken.

Bo was shocked and could not believe what she had just heard. The Ash was telling her that she could love the human, just to keep it discrete. 'What the hell', she thought that was not what she was expecting. She started down the path that the doctor had taken realizing it took her back to Lauren's quarters. After a few more moments of walking she came to Lauren's door, she hesitated just a moment before reaching up to knock. It felt that butterflies had suddenly took up residence in her gut, she was so nervous. She had no idea what she was going to say. After another knock she heard the sounds of someone approaching the door from the inside, as the door opened she got her first look at the most the person she had been waiting for awhile now.

"Bo? Is everything all right?" As the doctor made a quick scan of the succubus to check for injuries, she was not expecting anyone this evening and was surprised to see her.

"Hey Lauren, yeah everything is alright now that you are awake." Bo smiled, the doctor's golden aura spiking at her presence. The sudden emotion of almost losing Lauren and now seeing her up and alive was too much for the succubus. And she grabbed the blonde doctor in a hug that almost took the breath out of the doctor. For her part Lauren welcomed the hug from the person she loved, and she could hear the sobs of the overwhelmed succubus.