Bo, Kara and Dora
"Easy sweetie, mama has work to do." Bo smiled as little fingers pulled at her hair. "You promised you would be good if I let you watch." The succubus smiled at Kara and turned her attention to Dora. "You want to watch too? Okay. Come here." Bo leaned sideways and scooped the young succubus up. "Mama Lauren went to work early so she would be home early. I thought it would be a great time for me to get up and get some work done. I have a few sketch ideas to put down." Bo laughed as she talked to the kids. As if they would know or understand what she's talking about. She laughed harder thinking because of Lauren, they probably have some idea. "Ok. Ok. I have some time. Let's see what you can do." She smiled as she let them draw.
Lauren
The blonde had no more been in the door five minutes before she was elbow deep in treating patients. Some cases weren't as serious as others but they could have been avoided had they not done crazy stunts to break some limbs. She knows they don't know she's not the doctor she was just a few years ago. Things have changed. She has changed. Her thinking has changed. Her skillset is far, far advanced now. It did help that she knew about the Fae and humans. How to treat any situation that should come up and this morning there were a lot of them. She sighed as she walked out of one exam room and dug her hand into her pocket. "What's this?." She frowned, pulling something out. "A crayon." She laughed. "I'll have to hang my lab coats up higher I see." She smiled as she walked into the next room. "Casey, what are you doing here again?." She asked.
"I'm sorry Doctor Lewis. You know that I love my skateboard. I was trying a new stunt and this happened." Casey pointed towards his foot.
"A twisted ankle, Doctor." The nurse spoke.
"Look, I get it. You love skateboarding just as much as I love being a doctor but you've got to be careful. One day you could do irreversible damage. I'm going to treat it and put you in a cast and recommend a crutch or a cane." Lauren scrubbed her hands in the nearest sink and turned back to her patient.
"Do I really need to wear that?." Casey asked.
"It's either this or two crutches to keep the weight off." Lauren stood and waited for the patient to choose what he wanted.
"How long do I have to wear it?." Casey asked.
"A few weeks and then I want you to come back and see me. I want to make sure everything is set right before I clear you to skate again." Lauren watched as her nurse was writing what she said word for word.
"Dr. Lewis...". Casey groaned.
"Hey, I want you doing what you love but I also want you healed to do so." Lauren smiled and watched as he finally settled into being off his board for a minute.
"Let's give him something for pain too. That looked like a nasty twist." Lauren spoke to her nurse and the woman nodded. "Back here in two weeks, Casey or I will make a house call." The doctor spoke as she turned to walk out of the room. She was ready to walk into the next one when she noticed her clinic had quieted down. "Most have been treated and released." Another nurse stood at the Nurse's station.
"Good. Good." Lauren smiled and walked towards her office. As she sat at her desk, she looked at her hands. If humans knew about the Fae, they would never have to return for doctor visits. The Fae could probably completely heal them since they are humans. She thought about Kara and Isadora. By the time they are adults, it is highly possible that the humans could know about the Fae but that would be dangerous for all involved. The human police would probably shoot the Fae and the Fae would probably kill them to prevent shots from being fired.
She was angered thinking about all of that. Not just because of the potential deaths but the threats that would assuredly affect her family too. No. Dr. Lewis. Forget about using your witch succubus powers to treat patients. Your brain is sufficient. She smiled and grabbed her phone. "Hi there. "Are you free for lunch?." She smiled.
"Babe, I'm so busy. I am not sure I will have time for lunch." Bo bounced the twins in her lap as she worked.
"Bo, they should be playing." The doctor leaned forward in her chair as she heard the kids through the phone.
"I tried that. They want to help mama Bo." Bo smiled.
"I will pick up something for them to draw on. Probably a few learning tablets." Lauren actually wrote a list down and immediately went over the pros and cons over each one. She played with her pen in her hand as Bo went over her adventurous morning. Once they were done talking, the doctor pocketed her note, stood and walked out of her office. "I'm leaving for the rest of the day. Dr. Smith can run things with my full approval." The blonde spoke as her staff watched her walk out of the building. Pulling off her lab coat, she jumped inside her newly acquired Mustang and sped away.
Pulling up, she hopped out of her car and entered the store. Standing in one spot, she read every line. Every detail. "I'll take two of these." She smiled as she waited for the clerk to ring her up. She stopped for food and was off again.
Aife, Albert and Stephen.
The trio had just stepped out on the porch when they noticed a Mustang speeding by. "We don't want to know." They shook their heads and spoke in unison.
"Those are my kids but ewww." Aife laughed and turned back into the house.
Stephen watched his sister far down the road and didn't use his powers to see what she's about to do. She's a mate and mother now. Things he never saw the blonde ever having given the past they led and not the one that was stolen from them.
"Easy kid." Albert spoke softly from behind his grandson.
"I'm alright grandfather." Stephen smiled and turned to the old Fae.
"Good. Good. Things are good and we are all making sure they stay that way." Albert smiled and patted Stephen on the back.
"Of course." Stephen nodded and went back inside.
Lauren and Bo's
Lauren did use her powers to keep from making two trips in and out. She opened the door and smiled. It was relatively quiet as she carried her bags and packages in. "Who's hungry?." She smiled as she called out.
"Lauren?." Bo walked into the kitchen with the kids draped all over her.
The blonde smiled as she walked over. She lightly kissed Bo and took Dora from her mother. "You, my dear, are going to eat and then the three of us are going to get lost while you work."
Bo shook her head. "Lauren, you didn't have to leave work for this. I can handle it."
"Yes. I did have to leave work. My family needed me. Your work is part of the family now too, Bo. You watched me go to work day after day. Time after time, I was working on something or thinking about something which in itself is work too. You deserve to be loved and supported too. This is me doing that. Whatever you have in your head to put down, put it down. After you've eaten lunch that is. It is still early enough for me to take the girls for a ride. They get to bond with their doctor mother." Lauren smiled as she kissed their daughter.
"It's embarrassing. I made you think that I was swamped and you left your patients because of it." Bo sighed.
"No. I didn't leave them. I left them in good hands. If my staff can't handle me being gone for the day, then I need a new staff." Lauren smiled as she made faces at the girls.
"Lauren." Bo shook her head.
"Bo Dennis, listen to me. I mean it. You aren't failing. I just want to help you be successful with this. Besides we can make a plan where the kids can be busy doing something or being with the others while you and I both work. You don't have to try and knock yourself out for us. We are a family. A united one. Stop being stubborn for once and accept the help." Lauren spoke as harshly and as softly as she could.
"I love you." Bo stepped forward and kissed the doctor on her forehead.
"I know. I love you too. Now, let's eat." Lauren turned around and walked into the kitchen. Once the kids were in their highchairs, they sat down to eat the takeout that she'd brought home. "I would have cooked something but that would take up more time right now." Lauren spoke from her end of the table.
"I understand." Bo smiled as she took a bite. The pain of embarrassment started to fade as she realized Lauren was right. Bo doesn't need to be her hero because Lauren doesn't need one. She never has. She just needs her love to love her back and understand that she doesn't need to carry everything on her shoulders. It was really touching to have Lauren home when it wasn't even noon or past eleven yet.
"I can always take Teladoc calls but that sounds like working from home." Lauren spoke as she took a drink.
"I can get my own office so I don't feel that way. Maybe we do need to ask them to babysit but I just don't want the kids to ever think that we work too much or that we weren't around for them as they grow up. Not one of my kids will ever feel that way." Bo swallowed.
"That's another reason I am taking them once we are done eating. A doctor's life can get busy and we miss appointments. Meetings with teachers. Miss lunch and dinner dates. Miss everything. My kids won't know that feeling either." Lauren sighed as she sat back in her chair.
"Lauren I wasn't trying to bring the mood down. I was just explaining why I was doing what I was doing. But I feel better now. I feel better now because you are here. I should have said something before. We could have had all of this worked out. We need to get a regular routine so they don't get confused. So they can eat at the same time. Play at the same time. See us together at the same time. Be a family at the same time." Bo sat still in her seat as she spoke. She was almost in tears speaking like this. She had almost failed her family because she was trying to make Lauren's job easier. But it is as clear as day now that Lauren didn't need her to do that. She didn't want her to do that.
"Ok! If you are done, we are out of here!." Lauren smiled.
"Noooo. I'm not done." Bo laughed as she dug into her food again.
"I was teasing, Bo. Take your time eating. Taking it all in." Lauren turned serious and squeezed the woman's hand across the table.
"I just need to learn to breathe." Bo shook her head.
"It's ok to feel that way. I have the same problem but we will be fine." Lauren leaned forward and wiped Dora's mouth with a napkin. Bo watched the moment and almost cried at that too. Such a simple, normal moment but a special, rare one. "Good now sweetie?." Lauren cooed. Dora laughed and kicked her feet.
Bo looked at her plate and frowned. She really was done eating now. They would soon leave and she would have to work. She took some deep breaths and leaned back. "Bo, we'll be back. We won't be gone far or for long. I will just drive around and show the kids the city until I think you've had enough time to get your work done. I will even see if I can find an office space for you." Lauren turned back to the succubus and noticed her mood had changed.
"I'm ok. I was just getting into all of this and now it's over." Bo smiled.
"We'll have plenty of meals and times like these. I think you are just nervous about not being enough for us but you are. Your time is coming. You have already put out some really good sketches. They are bound to interest someone. Buildings go up all the time. Draw some houses too, if that works for you." Lauren stood and took their plates into the kitchen. Bo smiled as she stood and kissed the kids. "Mama Lauren is going to take you now. Be good girls."
"Come on girls, let's ride!." Lauren smiled as she grabbed her sunglasses from the kitchen counter and kissed Bo goodbye. The succubus growled when the blonde pulled away. "Never sated are you?." She smiled.
"I will never get enough of you. Whether we are making love or not." Bo bit her lip and winked. She let go of the blonde and watched as she walked out carrying both girls. "I can help!." She screamed as she came out of her staring daze. She strapped one into her car seat while Lauren strapped the other one. Bo stood on the porch as Lauren took the SUV this time. She watched her family disappear down the street. They didn't even stop at the men's house. "To work! To work!." She clapped her hands and smiled. Once she was inside, she sat at her makeshift desk and started new sketches. The blonde was right. She didn't just have to sketch buildings, she could sketch houses too. She leaned back in her chair and took some deep breaths in her hands. She doesn't want to do what she's already seen around town. New ideas would probably sell faster than old ones.
Lauren, Kara and Dora.
The doctor smiled as she looked in her rearview mirror. The girls' eyes were wide as they looked out the windows. "That's right, babies. Take it all in. Everything looks so nice and fresh. We can drive for hours yet. I would take you to the park and let the witch in both of you have her fun, but your mother won't be there to see it and that wouldn't be fair. Sure. I have a camera phone but Bo should see you in person." She smiled as she turned down one street filled with trees. They should see nature like this. Science is everywhere. In everything. She could have almost cried at the sight of the kids getting excited about what they were seeing. They are observing. They are learning. They are growing. "We'll walk more when you are taller. That way you can really see what you are missing now. Mama's will be there with you every step of the way." She smiled as she sounded like a teacher just now. But in reality, she is. They don't know as much as she and Bo do. Not yet. They have a great-grandfather, a grandmother and an uncle to learn from as well.
She looked around herself. As much as she was itching to get out and walk with them in the woods, she just doesn't know what's out there. The girls are still so young. Any large animal could scar their innocence. She almost kicked herself for driving down this street but she was soon back in the city. She shook her head and smiled as she found a museum to drive by. She smiled again thinking someday they would drive by something Bo designed. She pulled over and wrote down a number advertising office space. Then her phone beeped. "I'm done-Bo." She sighed and took two turns before she was on their street again. Bo was waiting on the porch for them when Lauren pulled into the driveway. "Hi." She smiled.
"Hi. I have the grill going out back." Bo smiled.
"Sounds good. Let me put them down for a nap." Lauren smiled.
"Let's both put them down." Bo rocked Kara in her arms. She yawned and Bo thought it was the cutest thing in the world until her sister did it too. "Sleepy heads."
"Did you invite the gang over?." Lauren asked.
"Not tonight. It's just us." Bo pointed at the backyard. Lights were streaming from the trees and there white sheets lining the concrete. "Tried to make it look like a date in the woods." The brunette smiled.
"That's very sweet. We just drove down a street near the woods too. I was almost tempted to get out and walk through it with them. But we don't know what's out there. We can always get my brother to check ahead for us. We don't need to live in fear of anything." Lauren looked at the ground.
"This is our colony too. If there are any shifters are out there and want their butts kicked, they will get their wish. But, I know you weren't scared. You just didn't want to risk exposing those innocent eyes on something they don't need to see yet. Grizzlies. Eeek." Bo shuddered.
"That and I didn't want to do anything special without you being there. We want a normal family. We need to make sure what we do with them, we are both around to see." Lauren kicked her shoes off. She was standing face to face with her brunette succubus. "I love you, Bo." She pushed a few strands of hair back over Bo's shoulder and kissed her.
"I love you, too. So? Grilled chicken or steaks?." Bo turned around to the grill and rubbed her hands together.
"I'll let you choose." Lauren smiled as she took a seat and grabbed a glass to drink from.
"You're the best choice that I ever made." Bo smiled over her shoulder and threw all of the meat onto the grill.
TBC.