Bo almost tiptoed as she carried Ethan to the car. His little legs must be noodles after all of that dancing. She smiled at his fingers gripping her neck. Don't try to thrall me. He had a full day with his grandmother and her friends. Once he stopped dancing that was their hint that he was ready to go. Not necessarily ready to go home but out of there. Aife's lipstick is tattooed all over his cheeks. Now, his little head rested on his mother's shoulder as she finally arrived at the car and gently tucked him into his car seat. All without waking him. "He's so beautiful, Lauren."
"He is. He is." Lauren smiled as she tossed Bo the keys. The succubus got the hint and climbed into the driver's seat. They were home in a flash and Lauren grabbed Ethan. Bo smiled as she watched them walk to the door and wait for her. She set the alarm and ran up the steps. "Still sleeping." She noted.
"Bo." Lauren spoke softly.
"Let's just go to bed, babe. Just bed. Nothing else but sleep." Bo replied as she held her hand up. She knew the doctor wanted to continue their talk about Bo's dark thoughts. But like she also told the doctor, once she saw Ethan, she would be better and she does in fact feel better.
They settled into bed and Bo settled into Lauren's scent and warmth. For all the years that she felt dark, these times were never on her mind. She almost lost the woman she loves to the same darkness. She will spend the rest of her existence trying to make amends for that. Forever leaving this woman under her childlike assumptions that nothing would happen to her. Hades happened. She gritted her teeth and let go.
Ethan. He's their son. Women can't know what it's like to be a man. To raise a man. But, he will be a good man. That darkness won't ever touch him if Bo has her say and she will start tomorrow. Nothing but good times and good thoughts. She will take as much time with him as needed for his ever learning mind to know the difference between right and wrong. No matter how tempting doing the wrong thing feels good to someone that only knows darkness. Like his grandfather.
"Sleep, Bo." Lauren whispered.
"I'm going." Bo smiled and closed her eyes. Lauren had been lightly snoring so the succubus assumed she was already asleep. But Bo's aura and body temperature must have told her otherwise. She did as she just agreed, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Lauren
The blonde was up and cleaning. She hadn't any plans for the day other than to make breakfast, lunch and dinner with and for her family. Aife had called and offered to babysit again. No. She's his mother. Bo is his mother. They need some time with him. She was startled that the old succubus was up so early. But then again, she likely hasn't gone to bed yet.
Their son is growing. Growing by the hour it seems. Their house needs to be safe and clean. Clean for what he touches or whatever he's gifted as a present. No pets outside of a goldfish yet. That was their silent agreement as his parents. Lauren thought of her life as a whole. She had been human for so long that she still kept those memories of having a tidy house. A place for everything and everything in its place.
"Good morning." Bo smiled and yawned. She closed her eyes and walked towards the kitchen. "Ow!." She groaned.
"Sorry, I guess I haven't gotten to that toy yet." Lauren winced and lightly kissed the woman.
"It's fine. You can't be everywhere. I won't hold you to that." Bo whispered as she pulled away from the woman. "So, what's the plan today?."
"Breakfast is almost ready. Other than that, let our son play outside while it's actually a nice day." Lauren poured two cups of orange juice and set the glasses on the table.
"Ooo, so you mean I get to get him up?!." Bo smiled as she clapped her hands and turned towards the stairs again.
Lauren laughed. Bo didn't lie. She does adore their son. Not that Lauren didn't believe her. She's watched Fae with their children. It seemed almost robotic in nature how they talked to them. How the kids responded like baby robots. But that won't be them. Aife adores Bo and Ethan, so all Fae aren't unloving. Bo certainly isn't. Ethan as young as he is certainly isn't. Just as quickly as she went up, Bo came down. "All ready for breakfast and fun." She laughed as she brushed his wet hair down and inhaled the baby shampoo.
"You bathed him that quickly?." Lauren smiled.
"We have learned a new routine. Gentle scrub everywhere and then back and forth under the water. He doesn't cry. He seems to like it. Don't you son?." Bo bounced him and he laughed. Lauren placed the plates on the table and Bo put him in his highchair. "Noooo. Chew!." Bo screamed.
"It's our fault. It's our fault. We have those powers too. It's ok, Ethan." Lauren wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin and pulled back.
Bo buried her head in her hands and smiled. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to scream." She gently kissed Ethan on his forehead.
"We were trying to go slowly with him but he's going faster." Lauren bit into her food and actually chewed it.
"We should make our next one soon. If he's going to grow like this, the next baby will too." Bo leaned back in her seat and looked around the room. The house is big enough. Nothing needs to be remodeled or expanded. "It is fine if you are not ready, babe. I just thought about having kids so many years apart wouldn't be fair to the new baby. Like some humans I watched have kids ten years apart. The ten year old looked like a babysitter. I want our kids to be able to play with each other. To grow up with each other only being a few years apart."
"No. I understand. But I will say as a doctor. I watched so many patients struggle to be parents and out of the blue, they had babies. It's not that they waited, the mother or father weren't capable yet." Lauren leaned forward and drank her juice.
"I apologize for my ignorance. I never thought about it that way. I stand by what I said. I want to make our next one soon. If you don't want to carry him or her, I will." Bo smiled softly.
"No, I can carry the next one. Besides, that will slow down my work hours." Lauren smiled wide.
"Now that would be a good thing. But really, there's no rush." Bo set her fork down and rubbed her stomach.
"You're not sick are you? I really should check the best-by-dates on the food." Lauren looked back at the kitchen.
"Lauren, I'm fine. I was just thinking of him in here." Bo nodded towards Ethan and rubbed her stomach again. The doctor kept her head on the kitchen. Bo knew what she was really doing. "All good?."
"Yes. Nothing is set to spoil soon." Lauren bowed her head in embarrassment.
"Hey, don't do that. You were concerned and checked to ease your mind. We don't mind that you took time to do that. You wouldn't be Lauren Lewis, if you didn't." Bo rounded the table and took the woman into her arms. "It's ok."
"I'm ok, Bo. I was just laughing at myself. That's all." Lauren gently moved in the woman's arms. They both laughed when Ethan banged on the table. "Outside, we know." Ethan clapped when Lauren took him out of his seat. "Shoes, mister."
"Aww I'm sorry my guy. I forgot." Bo laughed as she grabbed a pair.
Lou Ann and Aife.
"Aife, if you don't need me for anything today, I have a lunch date." Lou Ann said shyly.
"I don't and you have a date? Go girl!." The succubus laughed.
"Well, it is the kind of date that I have that's the problem." Lou Ann never lifted her head yet.
"A human? I don't give a shit. Go out. Date them. I will have people around in case any bullshit is about to pop off." Aife turned serious. She knows where the woman's head is. The Fae will come for her, again. Or they think they will. "You are on my squad. We play as a team. Go out. Seriously, get out of my face and get on to your date. You too, Mason, if you have one. Even if you don't, you don't need my permission to get out there today. My family is safe. I'm safe. Go on." She waved her hand and they both grabbed two sets of keys and walked out. "That ole girl." Mason laughed as they walked out to brand new vehicles. "Do you want the truck or the Stang?." Mason asked.
"I'll take the Stang." Lou Ann clapped. "Done." They exchanged keys and ran down the steps.
Aife smiled as she played with her hair. Has she gotten soft? A little but she's not just a mother. She's a grandmother now. Ethan is very impressionable and also very intuitive. Smart as hell. Just like his scientist mother. But he's also powerful like his succubus mother. Both mother's actually. She will need her gang, happy and ready to go when he needs them to go. She poured herself a big glass of wine and settled on the couch. She inhaled a pillow that Ethan had been laying on and regained her focus. "Family first. Bullshit last."
Mason just drove around after seeing Lou Ann to meet her date. He smiled. He has a family now. A purpose. Aife discovered him and they have never been more close. He doesn't love her like a lover and that's a good thing. But like Lou Ann, he was itching to get out and do something since Bo, Lauren and Ethan are safely home. Ethan. He smiled thinking of the young Fae. He's the only guy directly in his life right now. He needs to be a good example for him. Not like one he grew up with just expecting him to find his own way. Be like a big brother and he will.
Lou Ann. She walked inside all smiles then the nerves set in. She had quietly asked for this date. Now that she was actually meeting them for said date, her mouth felt like it had been filled with mothballs. Then she saw him and stood.
Bo and Lauren.
"Ahhhh." Bo smiled as she settled into her chair on the patio.
"Tired?." Lauren asked.
"Haha. No, doctor, I am not tired. I am just loving the weather. Loving him. Loving us." Bo gently took the woman's hand and kissed it.
Lauren smiled. "So, am I!. Not so rough, son." She said without ever laying an eye on Ethan doing backflips.
"Can you do that, too?." Bo asked.
"Me? I am sure that I can. But I was never into that or cheerleading." Lauren clapped when Ethan did more flips.
"I want to see you do it. Not cheerlead but those flips." Bo smiled.
"Ok." Lauren stood and walked down the stairs. She wasn't two steps before she started. Down the small slope she went before settling on flat ground. In the middle of a flip, she used her free hand to help Ethan with his flips. "No freaking way." Bo smiled. There was a whipping sound as mother and son turned back towards the house and started their backflips again. When Lauren stopped she was back on the patio and in her seat. "Like that?." She laughed as she took some breaths.
"That was awesome. Used your motherly instincts didn't you? That's how you knew where he was and helped him." Bo clapped as Ethan started again.
"Yeah. That was fun. We can definitely start working on our next son or daughter." Lauren laughed as she drank some water.
"I was only joking about that out there but you were wonderful! Which means our children will be incredibly lucky with a mother like you." Bo handed the doctor a towel.
"Thank you. You are wonderful too, Bo." Lauren made sure to say the woman's name.
"No, Lauren. I'm better. Really I am. This helps. You help. He helps. It all helps." Bo leaned back in her seat and stretched.
"Thinking about joining him? He will likely be at that for hours until we stop him for lunch time." Lauren pointed at an empty spot.
"Cartwheels maybe but not backflips." Bo stood and started just as quickly as the doctor had. Lauren's eyes flashed when Bo was at full speed. When her legs came apart they flashed again. She picked up her glass and threw it in her face. "The kid's here." She laughed internally.
Bo bounced back on the patio and laughed as Lauren caught her to keep her from falling. "That was fun." She laughed harder.
"I'm just glad that you didn't kick him." Lauren looked out at Ethan who was now doing cartwheels.
"He needs a truck." Bo sighed into her chair.
"Done." Lauren pulled her phone out to order a few. One for every size he could quickly grow into. If he didn't need them, they'd be kept for future children or given to charity.
"Time for lunch, Ethan." Bo stood to get him. "I can do that. You don't always have to." Lauren smiled gently. Bo nodded and watched the blonde scoop up their dark haired son.
"We'll freshen up and you can make lunch." Lauren smiled in Bo's direction. Bo froze. Her? Make lunch? What if he doesn't like it? What if Lauren doesn't like it? He was half on, half off of baby formula. Which means half human food. His mother still has her human manners and observations. "A baby burger would be good, Bo." Lauren called down.
"I can do that." Bo smiled and turned to freshen up in the small bathroom just off the kitchen. The succubus emerged, popped her fingers and got busy. Since he's having a burger, so will they. She scratched her forehead. Cooking for Lauren. She couldn't help but smile with knots in her stomach.
Lauren and Ethan.
"Good boy." The blonde smiled as she bathed him. Ever the doctor, she examined his arms and legs too. Then she washed his hair. "I know I said freshen up, but I can't help it. All of you needs to be clean. Mama will take a quick shower when I take you to your mother. Be nice with Mama Bo, she's a worrier. But she loves us." Ethan kicked in the tub as Lauren grabbed a towel to dry him off. Once he was dressed, she took him downstairs. "I'm putting him in the playpen, Bo."
"Got it." Bo peeked her head through the door. She knows what playpen means. Lauren is likely going to shower. Once the burgers were ready, she placed them in a warmer and put some french fries in the air fryer. "Be nice with Mama Lauren. She's a worrier but she loves us." She smiled as she played with Ethan's hair. She was sure he'd be a blonde but no. He has brown hair. He still smells like his blonde mother.
She jumped back at something. "That's a toy soldier. He can't move son. He's a toy." Just as she said toy, she knew it was useless. There she sat watching a toy walk around the playpen. "When you harness those powers, the world is in for a treat."
"What did I miss?." Lauren walked in blotting her hair dry.
"Oh, just GI Joe live in our living room or his playpen, I should say." Bo laughed and pointed.
"Get the gun, Bo!." Lauren walked over.
"Already got it, babe." Bo pointed to a table just a few inches away.
"It doesn't have bullets, but you never know with our son." Lauren knelt next to Bo.
"We're going to have to talk about gun safety with him at such an early age." Bo noted. The women jumped when the doll was thrown from the playpen and into the fireplace. "Or maybe not but we will talk about throwing things."
"It's not hot enough for the fireplace, but I will melt it and the rest of them down. If he wants toys like that again, he will have to use his voice. Not his hands pointing at something, but his voice to ask us." Lauren stood and grabbed the toy gun.
"Did you hear Mama Lauren, Ethan? The next time you want a toy or anything you will have to ask us. That's a good idea too because you can't be spoiled that way. We will love you forever, but we won't ever spoil you." Bo smiled as he stood looking like Lauren at her. "That won't work either. We mean it."
"Fries are ready." Lauren announced from the kitchen.
"Lunch time for us and then a nap for you." Bo smiled and scooped Ethan into her arms.
Aife.
"Owen, how's it going?." Aife asked.
"It's going well. They actually have jobs. I won't give them cars or any form of transportation that they can get around with on their own." Owen took a drink and set it on a table.
"Good. Good. You are my grandson's thrall. It's amazing that he allows you to talk and think for yourself. I just wanted to check in. Now, back to work." The old succubus hung up just as quickly as she called. Bo and Lauren are being mothers but a grandmother's work is never done. Especially with a powerful Fae like Ethan on the rise. She knows more children are coming too. Which means she needs to get out and assemble a bigger army. Nothing touches her family. Nothing. The sun yes but nothing on the ground or in the air
TBC.
