Bo
The Succubus rolled over in her bed. Something was off. Really off. She'd rarely woken up in the middle of the night like this. She pulled on her robe, slippers, and tiptoed down to the kitchen to get a glass of ice water.
"Still not asleep huh? Sam said quietly from the table.
Bo jumped but held the glass as she filled it up again. "I'm okay. Just a little hot."
"Bo I've had that bed for weeks. I know the sounds it makes. You haven't been well for hours now." Sam said never taking his eyes off of the brunette.
"Okay. I'm not alright. Whatever this is, it will pass." Bo panted as she set the glass into the sink.
"You need a doctor. Perhaps we should reach out to…
"No Dad. I won't call her. She needs time, and so do I." Bo gently cut the man off.
"She loves you Bo. I've never heard her say it. But I've seen it in her eyes. In her actions. She would want to know about this. Whatever it is." Sam said as he stood.
Bo sighed gently. She was being snippy with him and she wasn't trying to be. But she is feeling awful. Something that just came up on her after she'd slept for a few hours. "I know she does Dad. That's not our problem."
Sam looked Bo over. He's not a doctor, and even if he was, Bo's not a human like him. He can't help her, but he could try. "What hurts?
"Just my chest. It's been bugging the hell out of me all night. That and this fever I seem to be having." Bo wiped her face with a cold towel.
Sam pulled out a few more towels for Bo, and they sat down in a cooler part of the house.
"I think you should call her. I know you don't want to do that. But she'd want to know that you're ill." Sam just kept wetting face towels and handed them to Bo.
"I'll try an aspirin, and wait a few hours, if I'm not well by then, I'll call Mom. In fact, I'll try to get back to sleep before I do that." Bo winced and took Sam's hand as he helped her back to her bed.
Sam stayed up, and he wasn't going to leave it to time to help Bo. He went into one of the guest bedrooms and called Aife.
"Hello Sam". Aife said softly.
"I know it's late, and I shouldn't be calling, but we have a situation here, that I think deserves your immediate attention." Sam quickly explained.
"What's wrong? Aife waved everyone around her, away from her.
"Bo's been tossing and turning for hours. She drank a few glasses of water and took a few aspirins. I'm not a doctor but Bo looks weird. She said her chest is hurting and she's sweating a lot. I told her to call Dr. Lewis but she declined." Sam paced a bit.
"Isabeau is stubborn and you were right to call me. I have some people in your area, I'll send them right over." Aife motioned for Mason to come to her, and she instructed him on what she wanted done.
Sam hung up from Aife and made some coffee while he waited
Bo
"Dyson, Bo. I can't save you both. Just like you couldn't love us both." Lauren said as she stared at Bo. Bo's mouth fell open as she watched the doctor walk away.
"Take Bo to her cell." Taft said.
The Succubus remembered saying something to Taft as she was escorted out of his office.
A thousand thoughts were going through Bo's head as she was led away to her cell. She had no idea what Lauren was up to, but that last shot about Dyson was meant for something. But what? She couldn't possibly think that Bo didn't love her. She'd just told her in front of a stranger. Two, if she counted Taft's guard.
Now here she was trapped with Tamsin only to find her mother behind her in another cell. Lauren and her mother are both in danger. Bo had to protect them. First Aife. Until Taft stabbed her. The woman said she'd stay with Aife. It was too late for Aife. But she wasn't a human like Lauren. Bo had to find her. Until Tamsin wanted to fight exposing what Bo already knew was a setup. She fought Tamsin and then thought about the time she was wasting. So she sent Tamsin for Dyson, and she would get Kenzi, but not without a stop first. Once Dyson and Tamsin were out of the building, she ran from room to room looking for Lauren. She stopped when she reached the last one. She knew she was on the right trail because she could smell the doctor.
She slowly opened the door and gasped. She ran over to the table and grabbed it. Lauren's lab coat. It had blood on it. She screamed for Lauren and only heard her echoes bouncing off of the walls. She fell to her knees. Lauren was gone.
"Lauren! Bo screamed.
"Easy child. There's no need to shout". A calm voice fell over Bo.
"Who the hell are you?! Bo screamed as she pushed back against the headboard.
"Your mother sent her. She's here to help with your chest pain." Sam explained.
After a few rounds of Bo protesting and medical tests, the old woman left them without answers.
"I knew that was a waste of time." Bo said quietly.
"Are you still having those chest pains? Sam asked.
"It's nothing Dad, really. Nothing I can't sleep off. I just feel weird." Bo sighed.
"Well that's it for me...we need to call Lauren." Sam stood and handed Bo her phone.
"No. I can't call lauren. I said I would give her space. I told her that once before and every time that I saw her, I was pushing for us to get back together. Lauren's not ready, and I won't push." Bo explained softly.
"But you just screamed for her." Sam pointed out.
"That was a nightmare. Lauren will come back to me when she's ready. In the meantime, I want to get some sleep. You and I still have a lot we can do." Bo said curling up in bed again.
"Your mind stays on her. How long are you going to stay with me, trying to pretend it's not on her. Even right now? Sam asked.
Bo frowned. She wasn't expecting that from Sam. She wanted to spend all of the free time she had with him. Ironically Lauren's never going to die, but Sam is. Perhaps she is stalling and trying to think up things to do, as a way to make up for lost time. She's legitimately torn between the father she loves, and the woman she loves. She hadn't heard from Lauren. Not a peep. She could've sworn she felt her recently, but then her chest had started hurting. She thought she'd lost her Succubus, but she'd already checked those powers. She thought Lauren had remotely removed Bo's love and Lauren's love of Bo from Bo's heart. But their last kiss was still warm on Bo's lips and fresh in her memory.
"I haven't heard from her dad. Lauren has a lot going on. She needs to be alone." Bo wiped a tear away.
"As I understand it, it was you that asked for this little break. This last one. What's going to happen if she thinks you don't care anymore? What's going to happen if someone else catches her eye, affections and attention? I don't say these things to hurt you Bo. But being here with me, you need another perspective. Lauren's a wonderful woman. Yes, she has skeletons. We all do. Just make sure you don't become another one in her closet, sweetie". Sam said as he left Bo's room.
Bo could do nothing but stare as he walked out. She slammed her eyes shut and turned over. She looked at the time, and closed her eyes once more.
Lauren.
The doctor had been up for most of the night. Her nightmares were far from over. The sporadic anger had been lifted the minute she removed Hades handprint. She wondered if it had affected Bo too. But she's not ready to talk to the Succubus yet. She's not about to pull her attention away from Sam. His life span is far shorter than theirs. So the blonde was sitting out on her hotel balcony. Listening to the sounds of nature. The nice, cool breeze blew her hair behind her. The liquor was warm as it trickled down her throat. This was her life now. Everything is in front of her, if she wants it. Clearing her throat, she took a long breath.
She blew a single branch on fire and revived it with her next breath. She now truly understood Bo's Succubus saying she will choose who lives and who dies. The scientist in her never dreamed, it applied to nature too. Bo.
She'd made a mess of things with Bo. Most of it she didn't mean, and most of it, she did. Lauren had always been private since the first day she ran after saying goodbye to her brother. There wasn't anything left for her to stick around for. They were fugitives in their own home town. Everybody knew everybody. Nothing was a secret. Lauren thought she was going to live a lonely life for the rest of her life. Then she loved and lost Nadia. Long before Bo broke her curse. As she sat thinking about it, she didn't think she ever saw Nadia alive again. Not after their kiss in Nadia's pod room. Nadia wasn't really Nadia, and Lauren wasn't really in love with her anymore.
Lauren wanted Bo. She even wanted her that night but still felt obligated to see what she had with Nadia. It disgusted her to think she'd possibly slept with the Garuda. But nobody thought of that. Not even Bo. All Bo thought about, was what Nadia could've told him. How could Nadia tell him anything when she barely spoke to anyone but Lauren? But even then the doctor only gave her bits of information. Nothing that would've destroyed Bo.
Lauren finished her second bottle and tossed it behind her. Liquor, and time would help heal the wounds of her nightmares. But she's going to have to try and heal her relationship.
Standing up and putting out the small bonfire, she turned to enter her hotel room, shower and head to bed.
Warehouse
"Aife are you okay? Mason whispered.
"Just a small problem with Isabeau. But let's get on with it." Aife shrugged.
"We've actually been on with it. She's taken some blood samples from Tamsin and we're currently awaiting the results." Mason motioned towards a Dr.
"She's the best? Aife asked.
"Besides Lauren, yes ma'am." Mason tapped the doctor's shoulder. She hadn't addressed Aife yet, and the Succubus would find that disrespectful, if she didn't speak soon.
"How much longer now? Aife had lost all of her patience.
"I'm done." The doctor nodded as she turned around.
Aife gave her a little more time to go over the results and spoke again. "Well?
"She's nothing." The doctor replied shaking her head.
"What do you mean, she's nothing? Aife asked.
"I can't find anything in her blood work that points to Fae or human blood. So, she's nothing." The doctor said handing the results to the Succubus.
"Get out! Get out of my face. Now! Aife screamed.
The doctor grabbed her medical supplies, dropped a few, and left them behind her.
"Damn it. I'm sorry Aife. I thought she was smarter than this." Mason bowed his head, trying his best not to look at the Succubus.
"It's okay my boy. We'll just have to wait for Dr. Lewis to return." Aife said as she turned around to leave.
"What if Tamsin dies before then? Mason asked.
"Then she dies. But in the meantime, I want Vex to stick to her and Kenzi like mice to cheese tits. I don't want to have to deal with a single problem of theirs". Aife said over her shoulder.
"Yes ma'am. I'll get word to him." Mason said holding the car door for Aife.
Sam
Sam paced back and forth outside of Bo's room. He hadn't heard the bed, like he did the night before. When he heard a light tap on the door, he raced over to it.
"Please, come in." Sam gestured.
"Where is she? A woman asked.
"Sleeping." Sam replied.
"How is she? The woman asked.
"She's sleeping from what I can tell. She had a rough night. So rough, the bed squeaked." Sam replied
The woman raised a hand.
"No. Not like that. You'll understand once she's awake. Which I hope is soon". Sam said looking at the clock on the wall. It was approaching noon.
"I'll check on her." The woman said stepping forward.
Sam wiped his brow and took a seat.
Hours later
Bo turned over. She pulled the covers up to her chin, gripping them tightly in her fists. Sensing a change in the room, she opened her eyes, and jumped up at the sight.
"Lauren! She screamed.
"Hello Bo." Lauren poured a fresh glass of water and handed it to Bo.
Bo declined the water, but set the glass on the nightstand. "What? What happened to you? Who hurt you? She asked with blue eyes.
"I hurt me. I hurt you. I hurt us." Lauren said softly.
"Huh? Bo turned her head sideways.
"Sam called and told me, you've been up and down all night. I think I know why. I did something that affected the both of us." Lauren replied as she leaned forward. "May I?
Bo squinted, but allowed Lauren to look at her chest. "What are you looking for?
Lauren shook her head, but she'd seen enough. She moved away, and gave Bo space, to get comfortable.
"Lauren? Bo said quietly.
"I'm sorry Bo. I've been unfair to you, and I wasn't sure why. I only noticed after I went to see Hades." Lauren whispered.
"Lauren?! You what?! What did he do to you? Bo stood angrily and looked Lauren over. The doctor didn't look right. It was confusing, and angering the Succubus at the same time.
"I laid into him and removed his handprint. From the looks of your chest, yours was removed too." The blonde replied.
Lauren stood and moved behind the bed. "He didn't do anything to me again. I gave him back his evil. His anger. His paranoia. All of it.
He taunted me again. He never would've had a weapon to use against me. If I had been strong enough to resist him….them in the first place. I never belonged with the Light. I never belonged with the Dark. But they both brought me to, and back to you. You thought you were a monster for killing all of those people. What did that make me with my pipe bombs? I didn't set out to kill anyone. But when I made them, and my brother planted them, that made me a murderer too. Taft came for my life. My life as a killer and a scientist. I gave him that weapon, because I was too sloppy to believe that I could hide in the Fae world. Too sloppy to believe going out in public would be safe. Taft found me, and my life changed again, but quickly changed back with Evony. I was too sloppy to believe her protection would save me".
Lauren sighed heavily. "He got to me because of you. He took me from you, but he never would've done that had I not been sloppy enough to believe I couldn't be touched. Hades wanted it all. He almost succeeded again, and he's not even here.
I took his handprints from the both of us Bo. So he'll never have a hold on us. So his anger can't affect us. It's the only way we'll ever be rid of him. The only way we'll ever be, Bo and Lauren again." Lauren explained.
"Lauren? What else did you do? Bo asked worriedly.
"I'm sorry Bo. For everything. I know what you are thinking, and asking. I didn't lose his powers. They're still mine. I'm quite well actually." Lauren answered.
"Lauren." Bo said softly.
"I'm actually not here about me. I'm here about you. Sam said you haven't slept much. Are you feeling better yet? Lauren asked pulling her stethoscope from her bag.
"Awww. C'mon Lauren. Don't do this." Bo said gently pulling the instrument away from her chest.
Lauren took one look at Bo and had her answers. There was nothing wrong with the Succubus, but a broken heart. She even heard the Succubus thoughts. They were both hurt being away from Lauren.
"Ugh Lauren." Bo sighed gently.
Lauren bit her lip, and stepped into Bo's personal. "Yes. I do."
Bo started panting again. She found herself lost in Lauren's eyes. She suddenly felt dizzy like they were kissing passionately, and Lauren hadn't even kissed her.
"Time for us to tell Sam that you're okay." Lauren whispered. Her breath was hot, tasty and sweet against Bo's lips.
"How. How did you do that? Bo gasped.
"Never did it until now, so I don't know yet." Lauren replied as she stepped away from Bo.
Bo rocked on her feet, and scrambled to shower and dress. Once she was done, she walked out to the kitchen to join them. She took the seat across from Lauren. The trio sat staring at each other.
"Good afternoon Bo". Sam stood to plate up some food for her. "Lauren I have plenty enough for you too."
"Then I'll have some. Thank you Sam." Lauren said quietly.
The trio dug in. The meal was quiet. Too quiet for Bo's taste. "Guys can we please not do this? I'm fine okay. Lauren explained what caused my chest pains. Which I haven't had for hours, by the way."
"We're not doing anything but eating." Sam smiled.
"We need to get out. Get some air. Do something." Lauren suggested.
"Bikes are all gassed up in the garage." Sam smiled.
"Then we'll go riding, after we've cleaned up here." Lauren stood and took her plate, utensils, and glass to the sink.
An hour later they were well down the road, and enjoying themselves. A few more hours had passed, and they all returned to Sam's. Bo and Lauren showered separately, and took to Sam's patio deck.
"We feel a lot different than I thought we would." Bo whispered as she stared out across the expensive space.
"Honestly Bo when Sam called me over, I was kind of afraid that I did something to your Succubus. I don't know where we are going from here. I don't have a plan cooked up. I'm just going with the flow." Lauren sipped on her beer.
"Then I'll talk. When you kicked my ass in your sleep, a part of me thought it was really you. That you wanted to do that. That you were holding onto some unaddressed anger towards me. I know you'll likely have those nightmares forever, so I just want to know that you're okay, right now. Your aura is still off to me. I don't know if that's from confronting my father, or if your feelings have faded in some way or another." Bo said quietly. She took her beer and slammed it. If Lauren was about to tell her that she's right about the latter, she was going to need something to ease her dry mouth.
"Bo. I would never physically fight you on purpose. I'm sorry you even felt that way. I'm certainly not mad enough to do that in my sleep. I don't exactly know why I attacked you. I just know I was having those nightmares. I think it's important that we decide if those are going to be a problem between us. I'm a doctor but I can't predict when those will come again. My aura is probably off because Hades is truly out of my head. To answer your last thought, no my feelings for you haven't faded. If they had, I would've checked on you as a doctor and left you in Sam's care." Lauren said softly.
Bo stood, and reached for Lauren's hand. The women slowly walked towards each other. Bo smiled and pulled Lauren into her. She inhaled the doctor. Her aura never lied and neither did her scent. Lauren was back in her arms, and her good father was in the house. All is well in her world.
"I love you Lauren." Bo whispered as tears rolled down her face.
"I love you too, Bo." Lauren said squeezing her.
Again they were starting fresh. As fresh as their lives could be. One step at a time. One dream at a time. Lauren is Bo's dream, and the Succubus is going to help her through every nightmare.
Tamsin and Kenzi
"Are you sure about this Kenzi? Tamsin asked.
"You said this is Taft's compound right? Kenzi asked as she crouched down behind a tree.
"Yes. But if you think Aife or her people left anything behind, you're crazy." Tamsin said.
"Nobody's that thorough. If you want to be Fae again, Lauren's serum has to be here somewhere. A drop of it. Notes. Something in the cages you guys were held in." Kenzi said.
Tamsin shook her head. Although Kenzi did have a point. Anything left of Lauren's serums could help her. A Cabbit. Something Fae.
The women crept into the building. It reeked of death, and Tamsin didn't like it. Kenzi pulled out a flashlight, and turned it on. The same time, the lights were turned on.
"Stupid. Stupid fools." Aife laughed.
"Shit! I knew it! Tamsin screamed.
"Apparently taking your Valkyrie, also took away your brain." Aife laughed.
"Just let Kenzi go, and deal with me." Tamsin pleaded.
"Oh. I have no intention of laying a finger on her. Not directly." Aife laughed through the intercom.
"Then what do you want? Tamsin asked.
"Fun. Lots and lots of fun. We're going to see who's the fastest between you." Aife laughed.
"Run Kenz! Get out of here, now! Tamsin screamed.
"Yes Kenzi. Run to your death! Aife laughed again.
Tamsin and Kenzi jumped when they heard a growl.
"She can't touch us, we're claimed by Vex." Kenzi huffed.
"Oh Vex is here too. He's trying to survive, like the two of you are about to try, and do." Aife laughed again.
"What do you want?! Tamsin screamed.
"To see if you make it out of that building alive." Aife turned serious.
"Let's go out the way we came in." Kenzi pushed Tamsin out of the door and they froze when they heard roars.
"You like Little Shop of Horrors, right Kenzi? Welcome to Aife's Compound of Horrors." Aife laughed.
"Vex. Get to Vex. He has his Mesmer powers." Tamsin said pushing Kenzi now.
"Vex is tied up, blindfolded and running scared. Once the lights go out, it's everyone for his or herself. I've summoned every shifter I could find. Outsmart one, and a hundred more will ascend on the building. Lions, and tigers, and bears, and panthers, oh my." Aife laughed as she shut the lights off again from a remote location. She laughed again when they screamed.
TBC