Vex and Ryan
Vex allowed Ryan to drink his fill of liquor all night long. He had to promise to drive Vex wherever he wanted to go. And there was only one place Vex wanted to go, wherever Dr. Lewis was.
He had to hire a live in Fae nurse to wash his hair and bathe him. It was embarrassing. The last Mesmer out of commission. Not being able to do anything. With all of his old contacts, and phone calls, he couldn't find anyone that could help him. His hands felt like mush, they had been stuck to his arse for so long. If he wasn't standing, he was laying face down. That was it. His life, now.
The nurse had gone to run some errands for him while he waited for Ryan to arrive. He was going to have to lay face down in Ryan's car and wait for the Loki to strap his seat belt across he back.
The Fae had been laughing and pointing at Vex for weeks. Especially the Elders that hadn't fled from the colony yet. He's angry. He's bitter. He's pathetic for a Fae. Even the claimed humans chuckled when they saw him walking down the street, or walk into a room
The same humans that Lauren was once among. He had mocked her too, but with good reason, she was Bo's play thing. Dyson was more suitable to the Succubus. Lauren was just a place filler. A bed warmer. A boring Doctor.
"Can get he get his arse here or what? Vex groaned as he stood outside. The nurse had to lock up his house for him. Well it wasn't really his house, it was one that Evony had forgotten about. A single story shack mostly.
"Come on, lets get a move on. I have places to go, people to see". Ryan laughed from his car. He felt like a taxi cab, and Vex didn't have the fare.
"Hey you owe me, so don't try bossing me around". Vex said.
"Yes. Yes. Come on". Ryan groaned as he opened the passenger side door.
Vex crawled in on his stomach, and closed his eyes waiting for Ryan to strap him in. He hated feeling helpless. But Ryan was the only Fae that would tolerate him at the moment. After what Lauren and Aife did to Hades, and Trick, nobody wanted to screw around with an apparent enemy of theirs.
"What's to know about this Doctor? I know the Ash threw her in one of his dungeons once, and Bo had a thing for her, other than that, I don't know much else". Ryan said as he pulled off.
Vex groaned. It was hard to talk with his face squished against the head rest. "She's a bitch that we need to find, that's all you need to know!
"Hmm that sounded like a threat. I could pull over and throw you on your ass. Nah. Probably not a good idea considering". Ryan laughed.
"Just get me to Lauren. If you even know where she is". Vex groaned again. All he wanted was Lauren. To make her remove her thrall. Then make her regret it. She had no right or cause to do that to him to begin with. He wasn't Dyson or Kenzi plotting to get her out of Bo's life with every breath they took.
"And what are we going to do to her? She is more powerful than you and me combined. Are you going to flash your boyish looks, and hope she removes her thrall? Ryan asked.
"We are going to torture her until she caves or the Succubus makes her cave. You know all about a Succubus thrall don't ya? Vex giggled.
Ryan nearly swerved. Just what the hell had he really gotten himself into? If Lauren is as powerful as he thought, she could probably thrall him without even using her blood like Bo did when she thralled him. The truth was they were wasting gas. Nobody had seen Lauren in days. Nobody knew where she was, what she was doing. Her clinic had been shut down for days, and the only employee that he knew said they were still being paid.
Kenzi and Tamsin
"Are you going to look for a job again or am I going to continue to buy our booze? Tamsin asked as she walked in and kicked her shoes off.
"I have been looking. I looked in person, I looked online. Nada". Kenzi said eating popcorn as she watched a movie. It was getting late, and she was tired of not having booze. Her palate was starting to wonder what the hell was going on.
"Well I am not a Succubus, I can't thrall people for free shit". Tamsin said.
"Can you cast doubt at all? Kenzi asked never looking at the Valkyrie.
"No. I strain my good eye when I do that, and I can't really see a thing with my bad eye. I can't even carry a gun, and I am still on desk duty". Tamsin said plopping down beside Kenzi. The movie wasn't to her liking but then again, nothing was to her liking right now.
Tamsin had gone into the office, and looked to see if she could find anything on Lauren or this Karen Beattie, Kenzi had told her about earlier. There was nothing in the system. Out of curiosity she looked into Kenzi's past. When she hit a brick wall, she called in a few favors, and was waiting for them to get back to her. She could care less, what she did, but if her ass was going to be on the line just for associating with the woman, she had a right to know.
If she was honest with herself, she really didn't know any of them well at all. Dyson was just always horny for Bo. And the little she knew of Bo changed the minute Lauren died. Kenzi was still a mystery, but she understood her. She would cling to any Fae as long as it meant she was being protected from whatever the hell she had been running from in her old human life.
When she felt her phone vibrating, she stood to go outside to take her call. She didn't trust Kenzi not to bug the place. The girl was paranoid lately, and with good reason since she was no longer claimed.
Twenty minutes later her call was done. Shaking her head, she was sure that she hadn't heard the caller right. Kenzi was not only a fugitive from the human authorities, she had stolen from some high ranking Russians in the Fae world.
Swallowing hard. Tamsin thought about her life. Her last life. Was she really going to spend it on Kenzi? Her days were already numbered, but those fuckers do not play. Kenzi said her mom came to see her, and it appeared her mother had only been there to tell them where Kenzi was. As Bo's human, Kenzi was protected. Now that she's not, she's in danger and the longer Tamsin stays around her, she is too.
Pulling out her phone again, Tamsin made another call.
The Dark Fae compound.
Aife had been wandering the halls. She even found rooms she never knew existed. Her guards were searching the dungeons. There was no way she was going back down there. The old memories were still fresh in her mind.
Trick was the reason she was there, and the reason she stayed there. They mocked her all the time saying how the Blood King had given up his little Princess to the enemy. He must have really hated her. It evened out though. With every lash of their whips, and nightmare, even during the day, Aife's hatred of the man was neverending.
Walking into a closet, she looked around. Evony's outfits were atrocious. Her shoes were nice though but too big for Aife's feet. Looking down she found a small trap door. She grabbed a broom stick and pried it open. Bending down, she noticed a rather large, metal box. Never one to have to lift or carry anything, she called for a guard.
Five minutes later the guard, had the box out of the hole, and on the nearest table. Once Aife dismissed him, she opened the box. She gasped at what she found. Thousands, and thousands of dollars. Now this she would do herself, count every dollar one at a time. Laughing, she took the nearest seat and began counting.
Two hours later, she was done. She had millions, 5 million in small bills. Worked for her. She laughed again, and called on the intercom for the guards to scower every closet, every floor board. If Evony had other valuables or treasures, she was going to have it all soon.
Bo
Bo's world had been moving ant slow. Her breaths were even slower than that. She heard everyone as butterflies filled her stomach. She was nervous. Nervous about seeing Lauren for the first time since she last saw her. Nervous that the sight of her, would make Lauren run. Disappear. Tell her to fuck off. Tell her to get lost. Every description of get the hell out.
She was even slow picking out what she was going to wear. She didn't want to wear anything too sexy. This was going to be a serious talk. Aife was right, if she was going to win Lauren back, she had to do it as herself, as Bo. Bo without her powers. Bo without her boobs showing. Bo without flirting. Bo without Kenzi's selfish advice.
She shook her head. She had to get her head straight. Nobody needed to be in the room when they talked but Bo and Lauren. Not anyone from their past, not anyone from their present. She sighed when she thought of Aife saying how she put everyone and everything ahead of her relationship. She thought Lauren wouldn't mind. She thought Lauren would be too busy in her work to notice that Bo was taking case, after case. Or going on beer runs with Kenzi or somewhere with Tamsin.
Bo was not an expert on relationships. She thought she was doing the right thing. She thought they were both happy until Lauren said that she wasn't. That felt like the Doctor pouring a bucket of ice water on Bo's sunny day. Sobering.
She dressed in blue jeans, boots, and a buttoned down shirt. She allowed her hair to frame her shoulders and grabbed a short leather jacket.
Now here she was. Sitting in her car. Staring at the road. She could do this. She needed to do this, and she needed to be quick because Lauren was expecting her soon, and she hadn't even started the car yet.
Starting it up, she pulled off. She was making good time, even with the red lights. When she pulled up to another one, her phone rang.
"What? Bo answered.
"We need to talk about Kenzi". Tamsin said softly.
"Is she dying? Bo asked.
"No". Tamsin said.
"Is she hurt? Bo asked.
"No but...". Tamsin started.
"Then it's not an immediate problem". Bo said as the light turned green.
"Bo I know you two have a lot of shit between you. But this is serious. We need to talk about Kenzi". Tamsin said again.
"Tamsin, Kenzi asked me to unclaim her. She doesn't want my help anymore, and to be honest, I don't think she deserves it". Bo said softly. This was the last thing she needed to be doing, but she wasn't to Lauren yet. She did need to stay calm.
"She will be in danger Bo. She has been in danger since she first met you". Tamsin explained.
"She wasn't in danger after we met, whatever the fuck she did before then is not my problem anymore". Bo said.
"I need you to claim her again. At least until I can get things under control". Tamsin said.
"No. One claim per lifetime". Bo said. She didn't mean to sound cruel. But for all the shit Kenzi did and said about Lauren, it pissed her off that she thought she could have Tamsin call and ask her to reclaim her again.
"Bo this is serious. If you don't claim her, we will have a lot of problems". Tamsin said.
"If you want her claimed, then you claim her". Bo suggested. Kenzi gave up on Bo when she asked to be unclaimed. She gave up on their friendship. She felt like an ex that never lost her number at this point.
"I am not as powerful as you are. Nobody is going to fear a one-eyed Valkyrie. I can't even cast doubt like I used to". Tamsin explained.
"Look I don't know why she asked you to do this. But this is not my problem". Bo snapped.
"She didn't ask me. I called you on my own. I thought she was your friend. If she was, you would help her". Tamsin snapped. Bo was being unreasonable. She had loved Kenzi from what Tamsin had seen.
"I don't know what's going on, nor do I care. She gave up, she can fix her own problems or go back to her family for protection. We are not friends, we are not sisters. We are associates. If you are that worried about her, sit on her for the night and maybe I will see what I can do, but I will never claim her again". Bo rambled off.
Tamsin was stunned. Bo had never spoken of anyone like that. She thought the woman had a soft spot for poor me cases. Look at Lauren. Look at Rainer. They both needed Bo's help to thrive in the Fae world. To be accepted without someone killing them or kicking their asses. Well except for that time Nelson kicked Lauren's ass. Bo had allowed him to live, why couldn't she offer that generosity to Kenzi one last time? She shook her head and ended the call. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, she just hoped she lived until morning to find out.
Bo slammed on her breaks. She violently shook her head. Kenzi was not going to do this. She was not going to use Tamsin or anyone else to try and distract Bo from Lauren again. The Succubus closed her eyes and refocused. Looking at the clock, she noticed she had ten minutes to get to Lauren.
Lauren. She wasn't even nervous anymore. Kenzi and Tamsin had pissed her off. But they also taught her a lesson. She didn't want to fall back on to old routines. Putting a talk with Lauren off for something or someone else. No it wasn't happening. Not again.
She smiled when she thought of Lauren. She knew the minute she saw the woman. She had to have her. Even her Succubus was poking at the chance to take control and taste the Doctor. There was a gentleness inside of her. Of them. She thought of the Lich and how the Succubus said hell no, not today and killed him.
It was time. She was in the parking lot. Taking a couple of breaths, she climbed out of the car, and walked towards the building. The lobby was farely busy, but not busy enough for Bo to get assistance.
"I'm here to see Dr. Lewis". Bo smiled gently at the woman behind the desk.
"Of course. She's been expecting you. Jeffrey will take you to her". The woman said pointing at the smiling man.
Bo cringed. The woman said Lauren had been expecting her. That meant she had been waiting. Shit Bo thought as she followed the man. She had screwed this up already.
Lauren
Lauren had been sitting out on the patio and taking in the night air. She had long showered and was finally comfortable in her seat. She had ordered some wine and appetizer to sip and nibble on unto Bo arrived.
Closing her eyes, the peace and quiet was so sweet. She had been enjoying it for hours. She knew it wouldn't last when Bo arrived. She was tiring of the same song and dance. Her life was so much different now. She deserved for it to be that way. She's free. She's rich. Something she never aspired to be, but she damn well earned every penny of it.
She still had the problem of Bo's memories, but she would never give up trying to resolve that problem. If she took their relationship out of them, Bo has had a hard a life. One she didn't understand. She was pretty much like an alien with the Dennis' and all through school. She turned down advance after advance. She knew something was different, and didn't want to expose anyone to whatever the hell was wrong with her. As a Doctor looking into Bo's memories, Lauren only saw a lost patient stumbling through life, like a patient lost inside of a sanitarium.
Bo's mother was mean, but her father was worse. He hadn't wanted to adopt Bo, and left when her mother was set on adopting the baby.
Then there was her childhood. Bo had fed off of ants or any animal that she could find. She had accidentally drained a butterfly and fled when she couldn't revive it. She only wanted to feed, she didn't want to kill anything or anyone.
Before she met the gang, every one of her kills had been one night stands. That wasn't Bo's fault. No matter how many days she cried into sheets on the beds, with the dead corpse next to her.
She ran for hours of the day. Out of one building into the next. She often stole newspapers to see if the corpse had been discovered yet or if the family had buried them. When she found out where some of them had been buried, she went and planted stolen flowers on their graves. Her killings started with Kyle. She had to feed to survive, she just didn't know how to feed enough without killing.
Lauren half smiled when she remembered Bo asking if she could fix her being a Succubus. There was nothing wrong with her, she just didn't realize what she was, and what her powers were.
"Dr. Lewis, your guest has arrived". Jeffrey said, and bowed as he left. Lauren stood up at the deep sound of his voice.
The women stood staring at each other, until Lauren offered Bo a seat.
Bo walked over awkwardly. She was embarrassed that she felt that way around Lauren of all people. Lauren was dressed almost identical to Bo, and it was making it hard for the Succubus to concentrate.
Clearing her throat Bo took the offered wine. She knew it was only Lauren being polite. This wasn't a date. It was another talk long overdue.
"Hi". Bo said softly.
"Hi". Lauren replied.
"I got your note and before you say anything I just want you to listen while I talk. Is that ok? Bo asked softly.
Bo watched Lauren take a deep breath and sigh. It made her even more nervous because she was sure Lauren was about to unload on her. Justifiably so, but they needed to get past this part if they were going to move forward, as friends or lovers. Finally nodding, Lauren gestured for Bo to talk.
"First of all. I am so, so sorry about the other day. I know it was a dumb thing to do. I just know that having my memories can't be good for you. Not that I am trying to hide anything from you, it's just a lot of nasty things there. Most of them have nothing to do with you or us". Bo said.
Lauren nodded when she knew Bo wanted to say more.
"I just thought if I was the one to pull your Chi, it would put my memories back inside of my head. Nobody deserve the nightmares that my brain holds". Bo said softly. She felt awkward being the only one talking. But she was the one that asked to talk first.
"I love you Lauren. Anything that hurts you, hurts me too. That's why I freed Nadia. The moment Evony told me about her, yes I was furious, but when she explained helping Nadia meant helping you, I didn't hesitate. I wanted you guys to get your shot. Even if it cost me you, you knew her longer. Five years is a long and admirable time to be committed to someone. I knew when you first kissed me, that you hadn't kissed anyone since Nadia. I think the other Fae thought you were a prude. I thought you were beautiful. When I met all of you, I was ready to run again. Ready to move somewhere else, and start over again. Nobody knew who I was, I was free to go anywhere. But when I met you, I knew I would never leave without taking you with me.
You were my first choice. When you asked for the break, I felt like you were taking my choice away from me. Taking yourself and your love away from me. You were the first person that made me feel beautiful, and that I wasn't a monster like I had always led myself to believe. I know you thought as a human that you were never enough for me, but you were. You were the light in the darkness that I had lived in for years. You freed me long before I freed you from Lachlan. I just want you, I have before I knew I could make love to you without killing you". Bo said as tears fell down her face. She bowed her head, and waited for them to stop or slow down. She didn't want to cry but looking at the woman in front of her, alive, and listening to her was making her emotions run all over the place.
"Are you done? Lauren asked.
"Huh? Bo asked.
"Are you done talking? Lauren asked again.
Bo sat still for a minute. She was hoping she hadn't left anything out.
"I didn't know about Rainer, Lauren. I honestly didn't. I just found someone new. I didn't love him. I told him that, and it was only sex. I am so sorry that I wasn't there to protect you from dying. Any part of you away from me, keeps me from living too". Bo said.
"Are you done now? Lauren asked.
"Yes. I think I'm done. I just hope we aren't". Bo said throwing that last line in as a lifeline.
"Bo no I didn't like what you did. It pissed me off. It still does in a way but as a Doctor I understand trying any and everything to fix a problem. You invaded my personal space without permission, and that was something that has never happened between us, and can never happen again.
I have calmed some since then, but I am still a bit angry over that. I know what you have been doing. What you have been dealing with, with Kenzi and Tamsin. But I do know one thing, I will not accept being second place to anyone or anything. Now I did agree to give you two months to prove that you wanted to date me, and only me again. But Bo hear me when I say I will not, I will not make this as easy for you as I used to. I won't just fall into your arms, or bed. I won't be pushed away because yet another Fae has caught your eye. I won't sit around waiting for you to find time for me, either you prove yourself, or we have nothing to build on". Lauren said.
"Build on? Does that mean that you will date me again? Bo asked excitedly.
"Not yet. Since you were the one that screwed up your own chance, I will give you a fresh two months to prove to me that you are serious about this. I won't go back to the old Lauren. Either you can accept that, or we have nothing short of friendship". Lauren said.
"I can do that. I promise". Bo said.
"Ok. But this is a promise you better keep Bo. I am not playing with my heart anymore, nor will I allow anyone else to play with it". Lauren said softly.
"I love you Lauren. Even if you were still human. Even if Dyson and Rainer were still alive, I would still love you, and choose you". Bo said gently stepping towards Lauren.
Lauren gently pushed the Succubus back "Two months Bo".
"Ok. Ok". Bo smiled softly stepping back.
TBC
The Elders come for Aife.
Bo plots her next move.
Tamsin thinks of claiming Kenzi.
Vex and Ryan call Lauren out.