Author's notes: This part takes place during 2x09, 2x10, and 2x11.

8. Choices

"Your perspective on life comes from the cage you were held captive in." | Shannon L. Alder

What started as an experiment in reinvention, ended with several body swaps, tainted beer, and Lauren at the center of it all. She sat at the bar, exhausted but Bo kept her distance. Lauren had been sending her mixed signals for as long as she could remember but today when Bo had asked her about the kiss they shared in front of Nadia, Lauren blew her off in grand fashion. Now the ordeal was over, or at the very least, the day was, Bo wanted to ask her how she could come on so strong all the while pushing her so far away but there was never time. Hale was helping her to her feet and guiding her toward the door and Bo saw her chance for an honest conversation evaporating before her eyes. When would be the next time Lachlan would let her leave the compound again? She sighed as Lauren looked back at her, lingering before she passed through the doorway.

And even as she sat in Trick's lair trying to explain the dire content of her vision to him, Lauren was on her mind. So afterwards, when she climbed the stairs to the Dal and found Lauren there she tried hard to hide her surprise.

"Lauren, hey…" She walked toward her. "Forget something?"

Hale emerged from the keg room. "All right, Doc. I've got your bag…"

Bo took the bag from Hale. "I'll take her home, Hale."

He hesitated. "Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea, Bo. The Ash-"

"He'll get over it." Bo caught Lauren's well-concealed smirk and was bolstered by it. "Night Hale." She took Lauren's hand and led her out the side door to her car. Inside the Camaro, they sat in silence, and Bo was reluctant to start the engine. Lauren closed her eyes in the darkness of the car and Bo's eyes greedily stole a glance. "Bet you never thought you'd ever body swap with a murderer."

Lauren chuckled. "No, I can't say that ever crossed my mind." Lauren looked at Bo, forlorn. "But I can't get you off my mind. "

"Lauren, what happened the other day…"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"No, it was fine. It was better than fine, Lauren." Bo sighed. "It was just in front of Nadia and it felt-"

"Weird?"

"Wrong."

She nodded and sucked in a breath. "Well, I deserved that, I guess."

"I think you need to take some time…" Bo exhaled. Silence blanketed them and Lauren's expression grew pensive. "It's not that I'm not interested," she breathed. Lauren's eyes pierced through the darkness and their connection had never felt so raw before. She turned the key in the ignition, still locked in Lauren's gaze, shivering as she turned away from her, her intensity as it ratcheted up to another level. She put the car in gear and eased into traffic. Tonight their silence would be anything but easy.

The next time they saw each other would be in the dim light of Dyson's garage-like abode. It started with fireworks, yelling and then steely defeat. Bo's conscience was heavy, Lauren could tell by the way her shoulders sagged and her head lulled as she sat across from the battered Succubus, swabbing her wounds. Bo was a mess. She'd let herself be beaten and the other Fae had done her job well. Bo's lip was split in a few places, her eye was swelling and so was her jaw-Lauren couldn't remember a time she'd seen her in such rough shape.

"I need to examine you."

"I'm fine."

"C'mon, up you get." Lauren extended a hand and pulled Bo to her feet. "Any shortness of breath?"

Bo tried to remove her tank top but winced in pain when her body refused. "No."

"Let me." Their eyes met and Lauren stepped into her space, the energy between them crackled as she reached out for Bo, pushing her tank top up her sides and easing it over her head. Lauren peeled away Bo's pants until she stood in front of her in just her underwear. Inspecting her bruises, she nodded. "Do you have a headache?"

"Yeah, it kind of took offense to the beating I took."

She reached into her bag and passed Bo a pair of pills and a bottle of water from the nightstand. "Take these." She stood back and watched her. "I would feel a lot better if you healed just to be sure."

"Maybe later," Bo grumped. Lauren's eyes lingered on her bared skin. "Are you gonna help me get dressed again?"

"Oh," Lauren said, embarrassed. "I, um-"

"Lauren, it's okay." She reached for her tank top. "I'm just cold." Helping her slip the tank top over her head, Lauren took a step back to let Bo pull it over her stomach. She sat down on the bed and pulled the lycra pants over her hips before laying back on Dyson's cot and pulling her sweatshirt over her. "What am I gonna do, Lauren?" She groaned.

Lauren's expression changed to one of sympathy as she set her cloth aside and sat beside Bo on the cot. "You're going to heal, and then you're going to sleep on it. Things have a way of being larger than life in the middle of the night. Sometimes, they are clearer in the light of day."

Bo sat up gingerly, immediately encroaching on Lauren's space. "I'm not scared anymore."

Her words hung in the air, clinging to her lips as she leaned into Lauren. Her kiss was an electric shock reverberating through them both and Lauren was overwhelmed again. She had pretty much professed her love for Bo earlier and now the Succubus had the power to make her forget about everything, including Nadia, the Ash, or a lifetime of servitude. Bo kissed her so gently that her stomach did a swan dive.

"Bo, I-"

The door swung open noisily and Dyson breezed in. "How'd you make out?" He looked up from the file he was holding as Lauren pulled away from Bo and shyly covered her mouth.

Bo smiled. "Pretty good, I think."

Lauren stood and began to pack up her medical bag, all the while keeping one eye on Bo, whose eyes blazed across the space between them. Dyson eyed them both awkwardly. "We better get you back." Dyson looked at Lauren, nodding to Bo, who looked down at her bloodied knuckles.

"Get some rest, Bo. And please consider feeding." Lauren lifted her bag off the bed and walked toward the door. She stole one last glance back at Bo before slipping out the door and it would have to sustain her in the days to come.

She was being dragged down the hallways of the compound kicking and screaming. It was not the most dignified way to be brought into the catacombs but the catacombs were a place Lauren never wanted to see again. They used it as a training technique in the beginning, whenever she was resistant to an idea or project the Fae were pushing.

The first time, the Ash had smiled at her suggestion as he waved to his men and they led her away. Panic had set in when she could hear the misery and smell the hell the prisoners had brought onto themselves by disobeying the Ash. And now, so had she.

The cell's only light source was the grated window high above her head. It cast sunlight and moonlight alike and for the four days they held her without food, and rationed water, it was her time piece. On the second day, at what she could only estimate was the twelve-hour mark, Lauren fell apart. A sob broke from her throat and she gasped her surprise as the tears started to flow. Everyone had their breaking point and the Ash had shown Lauren hers. She fretted about Nadia and who would look after her-would anyone be allowed to look after her? And what if they never let her out?

But they did let her out two days later. She resumed her work and no longer spoke up about every little issue she was having. She reported to the lab early and stayed late. And she worked on Nadia's illness with every scrap of extra time saved. They were going to escape someday.

This time was different. Lachlan was unhinged and Lauren could not reason with or motivate him to help her. He didn't know of all the things she had done for the former Ash, she was starting from scratch and Lauren had to find a way to make herself indispensable. And fast.

They pushed her into the cell, familiar and terrifying, and she sunk to the floor in the corner, away from the door. Hugging her knees to her chest it didn't take two and a half days for her to cry. Far away, she heard the thick steel door slam shut and she knew this could be it for Lauren Lewis. She wiped her cheeks with a dirty hand and sighed.

Bo would look for her. She was certain of that. But Nadia… She groaned. Between Bo and Nadia, Lauren was lost in the dark. Her relationship with Nadia was one of memories and stasis but with Bo it was a live wire of attraction, heat, and the burning anticipation of what was next. But now that she was so close to freeing Nadia, Lauren was mired in indecision. Surely she had to try to resume her life-a life that Bo would help her get back-and return to the Human world. But as soon as a thought like that crossed her mind, the bottom fell out of her stomach. She couldn't turn her back on Bo, not for all the things she had done for her, but also for the times they were alone together. Lauren had never felt more herself than when she was with Bo. And even now as she drifted off to sleep against the hard wall of her cell, her thoughts were of Bo.

She woke to the sound of Bo's voice. At least, it sounded like Bo. Disoriented, Lauren stood and walked to the door to listen. It was Bo, she was right outside. Lauren wanted to scream, to get Bo to engage Lachlan but she couldn't do that to her. They didn't yet know what Lachlan's Fae was and it was just too risky for Bo to anger the head of the Light Fae so early in his tenure.

The hatch opened and Lauren found herself emboldened by Bo's nearness. "Lachlan. Please."

He scowled at her momentarily and then slammed the hatch shut. Lauren cried out. She was so close, so close again-that was the worst part about any of this.

"Lauren?" She heard Bo call from somewhere nearby.

Lauren stood at attention as the hatch opened again. "Say one word." And the hatch closed again.

"Hey… Lachlan… I thought I heard…"

"The catacombs are full of voices from the past. It can be… confusing to Fae that have never had the pleasure of staying awhile."

Lauren imagined Bo sizing him up as he spoke in the weird disjointed way that he did. "Oh, well, I guess I was confused. Can you have Lauren call me?"

"Perhaps."

"Okay then," came awkwardly. And she was gone.

He waited until the outer door had slammed shut again before he opened the door to her cell. He held up a hand and walked into the cell alone, she backed up until her back was against the cold wall.

"Lachlan, I'm sorry. I've been chasing this for years and now when it's so close-"

"You keep forgetting your place."

Immediately, Lauren dropped to her knees. "Lachlan, please. I've done everything you've asked."

"Is that so? What would you say if I told you that I know about your little closet office, the Trojan body bags, and your slumber parties with the Succubus? Of course none of those things are as damning as the knowledge that it was you that led the other Humans in the escape. So tell me again how you've done everything I've ever asked? Because I didn't ask you to do any of that, doctor."

"I-"

"I think that you may need some more time to think about what you have done for the Fae and what you have done for yourself."

He turned his back on her and she wanted to tackle him. To show him just how powerful a Human doctor could be. But instead, she slumped over onto the floor and watched the door shut behind him.

TBC