CHAPTER 33

Kenzi morosely pushed her dinner around in the take-out box.

"I'm sure it will be okay." Jacob said having barely touched his own plate. Silently contemplating what could have happened.

They both looked to the stairs.

"BoBo?" Kenzi jumped from her chair and rushed over.

"Why don't we have a seat?" Lauren suggested.

Bo felt so cold – as if she would never get warm again. She let Lauren direct her movements and it was okay. She would do whatever Lauren wanted.

Jacob brought Lauren's bag to her and stood aside waiting for whatever instructions she might give.

"Sweetheart... can you tell us what's wrong, please?" Lauren asked.

Bo took a deep shuddering breath, her mouth opened and closed. She felt that if she said what she'd heard, it would make the situation real. She felt Lauren slowly caress her arm, giving her support.

"Take all the time you need." Lauren whispered; her heart breaking. She could not do anything to help Bo unless she told them what was wrong. Until then, her hands were tied and it was killing her.

"Yeah BoBo... there's no hurry. We're all here for you." Kenzi added softly, holding Bo's hand in hers.

"Trick... Trick..." Bo began haltingly.

Jacob swallowed – what had the Blood King done?

"He... he was talking... to Dyson."

Lauren gasped. "Did Dyson come back?"

Bo shook her head. "No, he... he was talking to him on the phone."

"Was he telling the wolf man to get his head out of his ass and get with the program?" Kenzi asked hopefully.

Jacob had a feeling that was not the case.

"He... um…" Bo looked at the ceiling trying to keep the tears from falling. "He said listen to him... that… that." Bo swallowed. She had to get through this, Lauren needed to know. She took a deep breath. "He said..." she could not keep the tears from falling. "Her body could reject it... then we'd have nothing to worry about." Bo gasped.

Lauren blinked rapidly. She shook her head trying to comprehend what Bo had said. It did not seem possible.

"I don't understand? Trick offered his congratulations." Lauren knew Bo would not lie about something like this.

"Holy Shit Balls!" Kenzi blurted. This was the last thing she would have expected from Trick. She wasn't sure why she was surprised however. He had kept a lot of secrets from Bo - the fact that he was her grandfather and that Aife was her mother.

What more could he be hiding from all of them?

Jacob was fuming.

He knew how the Blood King felt, but he never imaged he would go out of his way to contact Dyson. Jacob knew time was of the essence, if the Blood King was actively going behind Bo's back, he could not be trusted with anything.

"Oh my God Bo..." Lauren said taking her into her arms. "I'm sorry." Lauren had never considered the possibility that Trick would be so vehemently against Bo having a baby.

Trick was not against Bo having a baby; he was against Bo carrying her baby. This would drive a wedge between Bo and her grandfather, Lauren could not be responsible for that.

Bo looked at Lauren. "What are you talking about? Why are you sorry?" she asked. "I should be apologizing to you. He has no right to say that, none as far as I'm concerned."

"Bo, I couldn't stand it if your relationship with Trick was damaged because of this."

"I didn't do this; he did." Bo was angry she could feel it coursing through her veins. "But if he wants to play it this way, let him. I don't need him in my life if he's going to act like this."

"Bo..." Lauren pleaded. Trick was Bo's only living relative. They had no idea if Aiofe was still alive. "He's your grandfather..."

"And you're the love of my life." Bo said emphatically. "He'll lose every time Lauren, every time."

Lauren felt her heart beat wildly in her chest. Never in her entire adult life had anyone declared their feelings like Bo had.

No one.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Kenzi asked. "I mean Dyson being a douche is one thing, but now Trickster?" Kenzi whined.

"We must leave..." Jacob said suddenly.

Three sets of eyes looked in Jacob's direction.

He moved towards them and got down to eye level. He sighed deeply. "Bo... Lauren…" he looked at Kenzi as well, knowing this would affect her also. "Kenzi, how soon can you pack and be ready to leave?

"Leave?" Lauren asked. "What are you talking about?"

"As you know, I have a home in Costa Rica – but," he held his hand up. "Both Dyson..." he looked at Bo. "And your Grandfather now know this as well. They may not have its exact location but I don't believe it would be very difficult for them to find given the resources they have."

"I can't leave..." Lauren said her mind in a whirlwind.

"Lauren, you must. No one is safe." He sighed. "This is not the first time Trick has said something like this." Jacob said softly.

"What are you talking about?" Bo asked.

Jacob felt he had no choice but to them.

"Your grandfather and I had a conversation earlier and I'm sorry to say this, but he was quite adamant in his views. He..." Jacob sighed. "He does not see the child that Bo is carrying as his great grandchild."

Bo paled as she heard what Jacob said. She felt sick to her stomach and her hand automatically rested on it, slowly rubbing it in a circle as if she were trying to calm the baby down. Letting it know she would do whatever it took to protect it and its mother.

"Which is why we must leave – or at least you three must go."

"What about you?" Kenzi asked.

"It would look too suspicious if all of us left." He smiled. "Besides everyone knows that you and Bo are a package deal, can't have one without the other."

"I'd have to contact the Ash." Lauren said absentmindedly. She sat up straight. "I have to give him my decision."

"What decision?" Bo asked.

"When I spoke with him earlier he informed me I have to re-pledge myself to the Light, otherwise he has to let the Morrigan know."

"Why would he do that?" Bo asked.

"I'm no longer aligned and The Morrigan is well within her rights to offer me a position with the Dark..." Lauren replied looking into Bo's worried face.

"And what happens if you meet with Evony?" Bo asked. She did not want Lauren anywhere near the Dark Fae leader.

Lauren looked down. "That meeting will never happen."

"Why?" Kenzi asked.

"If I don't choose the Light, the Ash will have to inform the Council of the Elders..." Lauren took a deep breath. "They will never allow me to pledge to the Dark. I know too much."

"Are you saying they'd do something to you?" Bo asked, tension filling her body. No one would touch Lauren if she had anything to do with it. Bo felt her inner Succubus straining to release itself.

Bo clenched her fists tightly trying to keep in control. She knew from previous experience with the Lich she would stop at nothing to keep Lauren safe from harm.

And if she felt Lauren's life was remotely in danger, the Council of Elders would not be getting any older.

"Yes."

"Hale wouldn't let that happen!" Kenzi cried out.

"He'd have no choice in the matter." Lauren replied. She knew she would pledge her life to the Light Fae once again. She had no other choice.

"What do you mean?" Bo hated this conversation more and more. She could feel her nails biting into her palms.

"It will be out of his hands. He won't be able to stop it." Lauren acknowledged.

"And this day keeps getting shittier and shittier." Kenzi huffed.

"Jacob, you said we should leave, but where to?" Bo asked after talking a deep breath.

Jacob ran his hand through his hair. "I'll need a few days to get things in order. It should not take long."

"Dude, why are you doing this?" Kenzi asked the question she was sure they all wanted to know.

Jacob sat down on the coffee table.

"I... I knew Madeline Everett for many years. And there was one thing she regretted not being able to do." Jacob looked at Lauren and gave her a bittersweet smile. "Maddie could not have children. She mentored so many Fae over the course of her life, but..." Jacob slowly reached out and took Lauren's hand in his, looking down momentarily to get his thoughts in order. "She felt a deep bond, a connection to you Lauren. She had told me on more than one occasion what her fondest wish would have been. And I can see why. There is no one more deserving, more kind or generous than you are. And Madeline would have been so proud to have been able to call you her daughter."

Bo leaned into Lauren, kissing her cheek.

"I cannot let anything happen to you and by extent Bo and Kenzi. Madeline would have killed me." Jacob laughed.

Lauren could feel the sting in her eyes. She swallowed thickly. "She... she always pushed me to do better – always strive – always."

"Lauren, if it had been possible, Madeline would have been behind you one hundred percent."

"Thank you for telling me." Lauren whispered.

Seeing how Lauren was reacting to the news Jacob gave her, Bo was sorry she had not met Dr. Everett. Something told her they probably would have gotten along, considering they both had one very important thing in common: their love of Lauren.

"So..." Kenzi clapped her hands in attempt to defuse the mood. "Who's hungry?" She asked as she pushed herself off the couch and went into the kitchen. "Yo Jake, your tofu is getting cold."

"Excuse me." he said as he stood up and joined Kenzi in the kitchen area.

"So, Maddie was good peeps?" Kenzi asked.

Jacob frowned.

"She was a good guy?" Kenzi translated.

"She tried to be." he replied as he took his plate to the microwave.

Kenzi hopped on the counter. "If we don't go to Costa Rica, where are we headed to?" she asked grabbing her chopsticks and started digging into the chow mein.

"I know of a few places." he said as he leaned against the counter next to Kenzi. "We'll have to leave at moments notice. Do you have a passport?"

Kenzi smile brightly. "What country."

Jacob laughed. "I have a feeling there's so much more to you than I'll ever know."

"Got that right." Kenzi replied as she inhaled a noodle.

"What are you going to do?" Bo asked Lauren.

"I'll have to re-pledge myself as soon as possible. I'll have to call Hale."

"I'm so sorry Lauren."

Lauren shook her head. "I'm not. If I didn't I probably would not make it to the end of the week and I have so much to live for." she said bringing Bo closer and kissing her gently.

"We will get through this, I promise." Bo told her.

"I know we will. Let's get you something to eat, okay? You may not feel like it, but you have to eat."

Bo nodded. Lauren was right; she wasn't hungry, but she would eat for Lauren's sake or at least try to eat.

Bo looked deeply into Lauren's eyes, she could see the slightest hint of fear, but Lauren's determination shone through. Once Lauren set her mind on something, it was damn near impossible to deter her from her choice.

She brought Lauren's hand up to her mouth and kissed the back of it. "I love you."

Lauren smiled. "I love you too. Come on before Kenzi eats everything." she said playfully.

"I heard that..."

"And?" Bo asked as she and Lauren stood up from the couch and made their way to the kitchen.

"Nothing, she's right." Kenzi quipped as she continued to inhale the chow mein noodles.

"Did you get..."

"One order of moo shoo pork for the good doctor." Kenzi said pointing to the take out carton.

"Thank you Kenzi."

Bo smiled as she watched her family interact with each other. She noticed Jacob standing to the side and knew her family had not grown by one, but two.

"You know Jacob, you can move in closer, I doubt anyone is going try your tofu." Bo said making a face. "Eww."

"I know." Kenzi agreed shivering.

"But did you know that Tofu is relatively high in protein, about 10.7% for firm tofu and 5.3% for soft "silken" tofu with about 5% and 2% fat respectively as a percentage of weight." Jacob replied as he joined them.

"Or that Tofu originated in ancient China some 2,000 years ago. Chinese legend ascribes its invention to prince Liu An 179–122 BC. Tofu and its production technique were introduced into Korea and then Japan during the Nara period. It spread into other parts of East Asia as well. This spread likely coincided with the spread of Buddhism because it is an important source of protein in the vegetarian diet of East Asian Buddhism. Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty described a method of making tofu in Bencao Gangmu."

"Figures they'd know." Kenzi said.

Lauren smiled. "May I?" she asked Jacob.

"Of course." he held the plate out to her.

"Oh... this is wonderful." she told him as she took a bite and savored the taste.

"I don't eat it regularly, but I do enjoy it from time to time." he said. "I have to say however I do have a preference for the soft, silken variety."

"Really?"

"Yes..."

Bo just watched as Lauren and Jacob continued their conversation, she shook her head, smiled and turned towards Kenzi. "So did you get any..."

"Orange chicken, as if I would forget." Kenzi told her pushing the container in Bo's direction.

"Thanks Kenz." she replied as she reached out for it.

Bo could not help but feel content at the moment. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She knew they were heading into unknown territory but she knew with Lauren, Kenzi, and now Jacob by her side, they could tackle anything.