Lost Girl 1. Different as can be

_Hi guys, I know I should be working on the grand finale to my other story but I had this idea swimming around in my head and it wouldn't let me concentrate on anything else. So here it is, I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think! _

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Bo was lying on her huge plush bed, stirring slightly before finally waking up. She opened her eyes to the sun shining through her bedroom window. They had been boarded up when Kenzi and she first moved into the old building on the outskirts of town but soon they had the place renovated so that it actually had walls and real windows. It was nothing special but then again, that was what they had both wanted. Bo had been desperate to get away from her uptight family and moving from one stick-up-your-ass-fancy place to another had not been an option. She was a Succubus, she wanted to enjoy her life, have sex, party and enjoy all the pleasures that came with being absolutely irresistible.

Kenzi on the other hand wanted a place to finally call home. She was a free spirit, drifting from one place on earth to the next, looking for fun. About ten years ago they stumbled across each other on a party and quickly became best friends. They fit perfectly. While Bo, as a Succubus, had a way with people, Kenzi had her way with things. She was a Djinn, capable of expertly 'moving' things from people's pockets and sometimes houses to where she wanted them. She was the reason they had everything they wanted at the clubhouse, from a huge flat-screen TV to Bo's luxurious king-size canopy bed. The Succubus herself had the items placed, walls built and floor redone perfectly by a couple of human workers, of course without paying anything. Sometimes people thought Bo and Kenzi were only best friends because they benefited so much from each other but they had a real connection. The snarky Djinn was so different from Bo's snobby relatives, she was the perfect roommate for the pleasure-hungry Succubus. On the other side Bo offered Kenzi something she never had, a real family. She even was her so-called 'lamp-holder'. Of course, it wasn't really a lamp. It was a simple golden necklace with an Egyptian hieroglyph as a pendant that Bo never took off. The small item didn't look like anything special but it held the power to bind Kenzi and make her a slave, forced to fulfill her master's every wish until she was granted freedom. The Djinn had given Bo the pendant a few years back, stating she was the only one she could trust and the Succubus honored her promise to never let Kenzi be enslaved by anyone ever again.

Rolling over on her back and sighing deeply, she looked to her left and to her relief, saw nothing but ruffled sheets. Her feed from last night was already gone. Kenzi had probably told the small redhead, whose name the Succubus didn't care to remember, how much Bo disliked waking up to anybody. Sex was just sex after all, it was a passing pleasure whomever it was with and Bo rarely had two helpings of the same dish. Stretching out a hand to feel the sheets next to her a satisfied smile spread across her face. The fabric was cold, meaning the woman had left some time ago. Bo got out of bed, quickly hopping into the shower and then slipping into her black kimono, hair still damp as she padded down to the living room with its built-in kitchen.

"Bodacious! I was starting to wonder if Liz had sucked you dry rather than you her." Kenzi was in her usual spot, sprawled across the couch, a huge bowl of cereal in hand. She grinned up at her best friend who gave her an eye-roll. Helping herself to some coffee, Bo walked over to lean on the back of the couch. "Morning, Kenz. As you can see I'm still alive and kicking. And how come you know her name? I can't ever remember it." Bo finished with a short laugh. Kenzi snorted. "How would I know her name? She just looked like a 'Liz' so that's my name for her. You know, on another note the noise pollution has gotten better since we got actual walls but I could still tell that she definitely remembers your name." Kenzi made a point to look positively disgusted, making Bo and herself laugh in the process. When they finally stopped, Bo shrugged. "I can't help it, I'm really that good." She winked at Kenzi who was right back to her act, this time with mock barfing. Finally finishing their breakfast they decided to head to the Dal and see if there was anything fun going on there at this time of the day.

Surprisingly, there was. Trick was in his usual place behind the bar and as Bo and Kenzi walked in, he greeted them with a smile. The Succubus immediately realized they weren't the only guests as a few cops, probably here for lunch, were playing pool. Two men were lightly bantering as they skillfully handled the cues while a woman was leaning on a table nearby, a beer in hand. The tall blonde was the only one Bo instantly recognized. It was Tamsin, a valkyrie she had met a couple of times on various parties. She was closed-off and cold, like Bo only caring for a passing pleasure. They had gotten drunk together a few times and the brunette fondly remembered the tall blonde as someone who you could have a load of fun with, if you knew how to.

The two men Bo didn't recognize, but she could see their badges. They were both tall and good-looking. One wore a hat and was dressed in a leather jacket and jeans. The other one was the taller of the two, with curly hair and a beard. He was currently smirking at the other guy victoriously.

Kenzi told Bo she was going to get them drinks and the Succubus simply nodded, walking over to the three cops. "Hey Tammy." She greeted the valkyrie with a smirk, knowing how much the blonde hated the nickname.

"Oh look, it's the Succubitch herself." was the snarky reply. "Out for new prey so soon? I saw you leave with the hot redhead last night. I'm sorry, I'll pass but maybe the guys would be up for it?" She smirked at the two men who now had abandoned their game to join the conversation. The way they were smiling at her was way too polite for Bo's taste but she could feel that curly-hair liked what he saw.

"I'm Detective Dyson Thornwood." He had a deep voice. "Hale Santiago." The other one chimed in. The Succubus looked at both of them appreciatively before she answered "I'm Bo."

"Just Bo?" Dyson asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

The brunette sighed inwardly while she heard the valkyrie snort next to her. The behavior of the two men gave them away as Light Fae, always so polite, giving their full name and being confused when they were offered something else in return. "Yeah, just Bo." In that moment Kenzi came back from the bar, two beers in hand. She, too, looked at the valkyrie and stated "Hey, Tammy." The blonde didn't look amused at all which made the scene all the more amusing to Bo and Kenzi who laughed, confusing Hale and Dyson even more.

"Who's the man-candy?" The small Djinn asked when they finally turned their attention back to the actual conversation. Before the two men could introduce themselves again and bore the hell out of Bo she answered. "Dyson and Hale."

"How come I've never seen them around?"

This time, Dyson spoke before Bo could answer. "We're Light. I don't think we would run into each other all that often." And he was right, Bo thought. She and her best friend usually stayed on the 'dark side' of town because, one, they were not welcome in the other part and two, it would probably bore them to death. Not that Bo didn't snack on Light Fae now and then but the dark side just had so much more to offer.

Kenzi made an 'ahh' noise and then looked at Tamsin. "How come you're hanging out with them?" The valkyrie shrugged. "We're part of some lame-ass peace project between Light and Dark. We work on the same case."

"Ugh. That's shitty." The Djinn responded to which Tamsin toasted and chugged down the rest of her beer. "My words. But how come you haven't heard of it? At least Bo should have, there is this huge peace treaty ceremony thing going down this weekend. I bet mommy dearest really wants you there."

Bo sighed heavily. "And to think this day started off so well. Now I'll just wait for my mother to call and reel me in for another ceremony." As if on cue, her cell phone went off, showing her mom's name.

-x-

Lauren had just put on the sixth dress for the peace treaty ceremony this weekend. Picking out what to wear was always exhausting but it was for a good cause after all. The dress she was currently wearing was a long emerald-green one. While she liked the color, she didn't like how it looked on her. Waving for one of her human servants she asked of brunette woman "How do I look? I want an honest response." The young human nodded quickly and walked around Lauren, looking her up and down. "You look stunning, as always but I think the purple one suits you the most. It really brings out the wings." Lauren smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Eva. I completely agree with you. The purple one is what I will be wearing, I think." The human nodded "Thank you, Miss Lewis. I will take care of the rest." she said, walking off to put the other dresses back into the closet.

The blonde Fae chuckled. "How many times Eva? How many times do I have to tell you to call me Lauren?" Almost out of the room, the human turned to look back at the blonde. "At least once more than your mother telling me not to call you that." The woman smiled sadly, clearly torn between two orders. Lauren just smiled reassuringly. She understood. Her mother was really harsh sometimes on their employees. The blonde refused calling them slaves in her head. She didn't agree with most Fae. Humans were not slaves. They were people with a right to be free but she had given up arguing with her mother, it was useless.

Walking back behind the curtain to change into her usual attire she closed her eyes, picturing herself in the beautiful dress she had picked out. It was marvelous, falling over her chest in ripples. It was short, ending just above the knee. Lauren loved that it showed off her legs and arms, but what she loved the most was the fact that it was backless, which meant her wings would be clearly visible. Lauren chuckled. She didn't really have wings, but she had tattoos that covered her back almost completely, showing beautiful golden and red wings. It was part of her heritage, she was born with them and incredibly proud of it.

Softly smiling to herself she pulled her black jeans and red button down back on. Maybe she would finally meet someone she could love as much as they loved her. To be admired and lusted after for her beauty was something she had to live with daily and her many attempts at relationships over the years had mainly failed because whoever she was dating was usually more interested in showing her off and admiring her beauty than really getting to know her. Her mother Elisabeth had once told her that to be what she was usually meant a lonely life, unless she found someone who was like her but that was very unlikely as they were so rare.

Laurens mind drifted back to the human woman so many centuries ago. She truly loved her, at least that's what she thought. It had felt real with her. Nadia had not only wanted her for her beauty but for everything else. But, like all humans eventually did, she died way too soon and with her Lauren's dream of happiness. From that moment on, the blonde had become emotionless to the world, completely buried in her work as a doctor, trying to help as many people as possible, hoping to somehow heal herself by healing others. It even worked to a certain point. Work consumed her and she found her great passion for science, making her forget what she was craving so deeply at least briefly.

She walked down the stairs of the old manor-house, heading for the library when her phone rang. "Yes, Dyson?" She was confused that he would call her now. He knew she was not at work at this time of the day. Of course, they were sort of friends because he used to date Ciara, Lauren's best friend before she died but he never called her just because he wanted to talk to her anymore. "Lauren, you are going to the peace treaty ceremony, aren't you?"

"Yes, but you know that." Her tone was confused and slightly irritated.

"I need you to find out something for me. You know I can't go there, it's only for the elder families. I met a woman today."

"Really, Dyson? I'm supposed to go snooping after some hottie for you? Why don't you send Hale? He will be there." Now the irritation was taking over.

"I know he will but she met us both, so she knows him. Came into the Dal today while we were there for lunch break. Could you maybe check if she's available?" He was sounding way to eager for Lauren's taste.

The blonde sighed. "If you shut up about it I will, you have a name or do I have to find that out as well?"

"Her name is Bo. I don't know what clan she's a part of but I know she's Dark."

Lauren almost choked when she heard him say that. "Dark Fae? Dyson have you lost your mind? You can't go after someone who's dark, much less date her! You of all people should know."

"I know, Laur." The nickname caught the blonde off guard. He hadn't called her that since they mourned for Ciara together. "But I'm serious with this one. I felt something."

"Ok, wolf-boy. Tell me how she looks, oh and do you know what she is?" Lauren finally gave in. When Dyson answered again, he sounded even more eager.

"She's a brunette, chocolate-brown eyes, curves in all the right places. I'm guessing she will be really hard to miss even in a room full of people. I asked Tamsin about her, she said Bo's a Succubus."

Lauren literally face-palmed. "You fell for a Succubus? A Dark Fae Succubus? And you expect her to give in to you, much less date you? You haven't met enough Succubae to know how they work?"

"I know Laur, I know. But I'm sure I felt something for her, something deep inside. And come on, I've known you for more than your current life-cycle." He appeared really desperate by now.

"Fine Dyson, but I won't promise you anything. Now, if you'll excuse me I have work to do."

"Ok and really, thank you so much, Laur." Dyson said excitedly and finally hung up.

There was something entirely strange about the wolf-man acting like this. Since Ciara, he was more the hit and run kind of guy but he really seemed sure about this one. What didn't make sense was the fact that this Bo was a Succubus. How could Dyson expect anything more than a one-night stand from a creature that lived for her own pleasure exclusively? The blonde shrugged. It wasn't her problem. If Dyson wanted to ahead and get his heart broken by a sex-demon she wouldn't stop him.

Changing her train of thought Lauren focused on her work as she walked into the library. She had a lot of work to do before she could let herself relax and think more of the ceremony this weekend.

-x-

A slightly pissed Bo walked up to the huge mansion her parents lived in. Her mother had indeed ordered her to come over immediately and to please leave 'her poor excuse for a friend' at home. The Succubus had been tempted to bring Kenzi along anyway but decided that it would only make a bad situation worse. She got into her yellow Camaro and drove straight over. When they were as close to their house as they would get on the drive, Kenzi wished Bo much luck and with a flick of her wrist simply vanished into thin air. Sometimes, when she did that, the Succubus wished she was a Djinn, too but then she remembered the stories Kenzi had told her about her life. Touching the pendant around her neck she once again promised not to let Kenzi become anyone's servant anymore.

"Ysabeau, finally. I was starting to think you wouldn't show up." Aoife stood at the door, waiting for her rebellious daughter.

"I would never not show up to one of these wonderful family gatherings." Bo's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Aoife sighed. It was always the same. Of course she understood her daughter, after all, she had been young, too once but she had never been as rebellious as Bo. She had her fun, fucked everything that walked and took everything that promised to take her to new heights just for the whim of it for about fifty years. Bo was almost 250 by now and she had been at it for quite a while. The young Succubus always seemed to find things to keep her interested and to block out her 'snob-family' as she called them.

"Don't be like that. You know you have tasks to fulfill as a part of this family." Aoife looked at her daughter with concern. She had never abandoned her whole family to live with some homeless and stealing Djinn.

"I know. It's why I'm here. So just tell me when I have to be at the party and I'll be there, all dolled-up." Bo's tone was exasperated, not wanting to deal with her family longer than she had to.

"If it must be that way. It's Saturday at eight. At the Light compound."

"The Light compound?" Bo's voice was shocked.

"Don't think that I like it much but this is a peace thing, so just be there. Oh, and don't bring the Djinn or any other of your playmates. Especially not that one valkyrie, she's so ill-mannered."

Bo nodded once and made her way back out the door. Looks like it was going to be an evening that would make her top-ten-most-boring list.

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_Please let me know what you think, especially since I've come up with a new idea for Fae-Lauren but didn't really reveal it this time ;) __Also, I hope I'll get to update my other story soon so no worries about that. :) Until next time!_


	2. The (only) one that got away

_Oh my god, thank you so much for the already great response to this idea. My inbox was going wild with e-mails all day so I decided to continue as quickly as possible. It really took some of your reviews for me to see the Romeo and Juliet resemblance here but now that I'm aware of it I think I may do something with it, we'll see. :) Anyway, if you're concerned about my other story, don't be. I already have most of the next chapter written and hope to be ready to post it soon. But right now, enjoy this one and keep on telling me what you think! _

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Lauren was impressed. The Ash had really gone to a lot more trouble for the ceremony than anyone had expected. It was being held in the compound's ballroom which had been decorated nicely. There were tables with white tablecloths on the left side of the room and their counterparts with black ones on the right. The two parties were separated by a large dance floor. Golden chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling and on the walls to the left and right hung banners with the family crests of the elder families. On the far end of the room there was a stage for the Ash and the Morrigan but neither had shown up yet. The one thing Lauren found odd was that the Light and Dark families were still separated, even if this ceremony should be the first step to a long-lasting peace. She guessed it was to avoid trouble and given the history of the two groups it was probably a good idea.

Lauren spotted her family quickly as they were seated directly beneath the crest of the Leavold's, a golden sun with sparks bursting from it held by two golden birds on a red background. Leavold was Lauren's actual surname but she had unofficially changed it to Lewis as to not always be associated with her family. She had earned everything she had achieved and didn't want people to think that it came from her heritage only. The blonde made her way over to the table, where her mother, father and younger sister Charlotte were already sitting. They were joined by Lauren's grandmother, better known as Elder Leavold and she was adamant that everybody but her own daughter called her that. She was as old as time but still, she looked young as ever, like a maybe forty-year old human woman.

Lauren sat down quietly, quickly greeting her parents and grandmother before she got caught up in a conversation with her little sister. "Laur, I met this guy about two weeks ago, he is so fun and cute! He treats me like a princess!" The other blonde sighed. Her younger sister was just that, very young. Charlotte was barely hundred years old. Lauren sometimes envied her for her enthusiasm but unfortunately sooner rather than later she, too, would find out that it was mostly her heritage that attracted people to her. Her whole family, with exception of her father Evan, had the same golden-blonde hair. That, and their natural elegance made them stand out in almost every crowd. It wasn't so much that Lauren didn't like who she was, in fact she loved it. She was stunningly beautiful, even by Fae-standards. She had a job that she never got tired of because there was always something left to know, some new disease to cure. The one thing she craved was love. Lauren chuckled to herself. It was somehow ironic. She was seemingly too perfect to be truly loved and that was the only thing she hated about being herself.

"Laur, are you even listening?" Pulled from her musings, Lauren looked at the exasperated face of her little sister. Flashing her an apologetic smile, she answered "I'm Sorry Charlie, you know I tend to get lost in my head." Charlotte smiled. She had clearly visible dimples on her round cheeks, a baby face if you will. The complete opposite of Lauren's stoic face with its strong jaw. Their mother sometimes joked that while Charlotte looked like she could be made of marshmallows, her older sister looked like she was carved out of marble. They were equally beautiful but in completely different ways.

"Yes, I know that. It must be really interesting in there." Charlie winked and Lauren smiled warmly. "Actually, it's not but it's like a maze, once I go in I don't get back out on my own. But what were you saying about this guy?"

An excited grin crossed Charlotte's face as Lauren mentioned her new boyfriend. "I was telling you about how charming he is. I think I might sing to him."

Lauren had just attempted to take a sip of the champagne that had been placed in front of her upon her arrival at the table but almost spit it back out and turned to her little sister, her face stern. "You will not. That is something you have to treat with great caution. I think you should talk to mother about it."

"About what? And Lauren, honey, are you not capable of drinking anymore?" Elizabeth Leavold looked skeptically at her oldest daughter.

"I'm sorry mother, but Charlotte here decided to dump a wonderful news on me right when I wanted to drink something." Lauren's tone was sarcastic, causing her mother's eyebrows to rise as she shifted her gaze to the younger one of her daughters.

"I think I'm going to sing to Alex." Elizabeth showed much the same reaction as Lauren, except she had the advantage of not having to keep something in her mouth. "You most certainly will not, young lady, am I understood? I don't care how much he seems to like you, you don't even know him a month and you know better than that!" She held up a hand to stop her daughter's protests before they even began. "We will talk about this once we get home. Until then, I don't want to hear a word about it."

"Thanks a lot, Laur." Charlotte grumbled but was met by an understanding smile. "You will thank me for this, believe me." When her sister didn't answer any more Lauren drifted back into herself, bringing back memories of the last and only time she had sung. It had been for Nadia on their wedding day. She remembered it like it was yesterday although it happened centuries ago. They had been together for almost ten years before Nadia had finally questioned her about why she never seemed to get older, why she stayed the same while the brunette herself got older and older by the second. It was the day Lauren told her love what she really was, a Phoenix, an immortal fire spirit that burned to ashes every five-hundred years, only to rise again from those same ashes. It was the reason for the tattoos on her back. They were the symbol of what she was, of her power to control fire, heal even the ones who were helplessly ill with a single tear but at the same time they spoke of her curse. Every five-hundred years she turned into the large fire-bird, to fly to the place of her first birth and burn under excruciating pain. It was the price for everything, her beauty and her power.

Nadia didn't want to believe her at first but Lauren proved it by making a flame appear in the palm of her hand. The human woman had been quiet for a long time, only when Lauren was about to give up and leave she asked her if she wanted to spend eternity with her, however long that may be for a human. Lauren had nodded and between the two of them they decided that this was their wedding day, the day they vowed to be together forever and in that moment a song had burst from the Phoenix, more beautiful than anything the human had ever heard. The song of a Phoenix was something that bound her to the one receiving it, therefore it was nothing that could be taken lightly. A sad smile spread across the blonde's face. Eternity had proven to be way too short. The one thing her tears could not cure had been Nadia's mortality.

Lauren was once again pulled from her thoughts by everybody around her standing up and applauding as the Ash and the Morrigan finally appeared on stage. The blonde hurried to get up, clapping along with the others as the Ash in his usual white suit smiled at the Elder families and the Morrigan looked positively bored.

-x-

The only one Bo found really entertaining was the Morrigan. She displayed that same epitome of boredom the young Succubus was experiencing but couldn't express due to her mother sitting right next to her and keeping a sharp eye on her. In Bo's opinion the only one in the room who was truly Dark was their leader herself. Everybody else was schmoozing with the other Elder families, trying to look the most beautiful or the most daring, pick either one or both. Bo knew there were eyes on her, there always were. Usually she liked the attention but that was when she was at a party looking for her next victim. Right now she knew she was being checked out by dusty old Elders and their families, even if they didn't look very old, they were. If there was one thing Bo hated it were the eyes of old geezers on her assets. She was trying hard to keep her face neutral to not make her mother give her another lecture once they were back home, adding to the three she gave her beforehand, but she was having a hard time.

Sighing she turned her attention to the Ash who was currently speaking about the importance of peace between the two sides. Bo groaned inwardly, it was going to be a long evening. When she couldn't stand the peace-talk anymore, mainly because her former hero of the evening, the Morrigan, had now taken over speaking and lost a fan in the young Succubus, Bo started people-watching. She started with the Dark-elders but they were all smiling politely in their dresses and tailored suits. She recognized most of them from former meetings and balls she had been dragged to, and remembered bedding a few of the younger members of each family even if she, once again, couldn't come up with their names.

Deciding there was not much to look at on the Dark side her eyes drifted across the dance floor to where the Light Elders were sitting with their families. She didn't really recognize anybody there, until she spotted one of the guys Tamsin had been hanging out with at the Dal a couple days ago. Once again, the name didn't come to her mind but she was impressed with herself that she even noticed him. He looked very different without his hat and in an expensive suit. She looked around the room, wanting to know if curly-hair was here to but didn't find him. Bo didn't really care, she was just keeping herself busy to live through the evening. She had an almost irresistible urge to rub the pendant around her neck, say the magic word and make some fun appear in form of Kenzi the Djinn but she didn't want the disaster that it was sure to become so she behaved herself. The Succubus may have promised to never use Kenzi but sometimes she couldn't help herself. She never did anything but summon the snarky Djinn when she really wanted her there and Kenzi usually thanked her for it as she was only called as party-backup.

Smiling at the her Kenzi-memories Bo continued to look around the room when her eyes caught a golden-blonde woman, in fact four of them. They were sitting under a red family crest with a sun held by golden birds on it. As the Succubus herself was sitting beneath her own, the McCorrigan family crest, a single silver sword entwined with a blood-red rose on a black background, she figured that the red crest had to belong to the family below it. There were the four blonde women and a dark-haired man. One of the women had a natural authority and she looked the oldest so Bo identified her as the Elder. The man had his hand on the knee of the woman next to him, probably his wife. That left the other two blondes. They managed to look somehow similar but completely different as well. One had round cheeks and dimples, her golden hair hanging down in loose curls. She was quite cute, Bo found but she was nothing compared to the woman next to her who looked like a queen in the purple dress she was wearing. It seemed to be backless but Bo couldn't be sure as the woman was sitting. It was quite short, too, showing toned legs that seemed to go on forever. The blonde's hair was draped to one side, falling over her shoulder in curls like liquid gold. The succubus could only see her profile because she was looking at the stage but the beautiful stranger had a strong jaw and long neck that Bo found she really wanted to kiss. The brunette smiled a predatory smile. She had found her plaything for the night. Imagining herself ravaging the beautiful blonde she swore her eyes flashed cerulean blue for a second but it was beyond her control.

Bo heard applause and started clapping, too. It was a no-brainer to avoid trouble from her mother. The blonde woman raised her hands above the table to applaud as well and the succubus once again found herself lost in her own imagination. Oh, what those long, slender fingers could and would do to her. She looked back up only to find that she had been caught staring. It didn't embarrass Bo in any way, she mostly thought it was better like that. She loved it when her victim knew she was coming for them, it made her hunt that much more pleasurable and exciting. Locking eyes with the blonde she let her eyes flash blue once more, this time on purpose. The other woman raised one of her eyebrows, a slight blush visible on her perfectly sculptured face as she finally turned her head to face Bo.

-x-

Lauren had felt eyes on her when the Ash and the Morrigan had given their speeches. She had been pleasantly surprised by the effort even the leader of the Dark Fae had put into their cause. Reacting to the feeling of being watched she turned her head and found a beautiful brunette woman staring at... her hands? Lauren couldn't be sure as mere seconds later the woman lifted her gaze to meet her own. Instead of the embarrassed look she had excepted she received a lustful glare that made her shiver, especially when the deep brown eyes of the other woman flashed blue for a moment.

Lauren literally felt the adrenalin pumping through her system, even after the woman had looked away again when a lot of people stood to dance. The Phoenix let out a shaky breath and took a large sip of champagne. She wasn't used to feelings like this, so intense. Starting to analyze, she figured the brunette woman had to be a Succubus, hence the blue eyes. That's when it hit Lauren. She had probably attracted Bo without even knowing it and the Succubus was definitely interested from what Lauren had seen.

She didn't get any further with her thoughts as she was interrupted by a sultry voice. "Can I have this dance, my beautiful?" Looking up a bit startled Lauren's eyes locked with deep chocolate-brown ones again. Immediately the rush was back, making the blonde's body tingle in anticipation. The brunette Succubus was wearing stilettos and a tight black dress that barely covered enough thigh to be decent. It was strapless, putting her ample breast on full display. All Lauren could do was nod dumbly as she took the brunette's offered hand and let herself be pulled onto the dance floor. The last thing she saw of her table before she was engulfed by dancing people were the wide eyes of Charlotte as her little sister tried to comprehend what just happened.

They danced slowly to the music for a while, the brunette was leading, pulling Lauren with her with great skill and elegance. All the while their eyes were locked onto each other and the blonde found that she could easily get lost in the deep endless brown she saw. When a slower song started, Lauren found herself pulled into the brunette's body, her arms around her neck like they had a life of their own. The Succubus leaned in after a couple of soft sways from left to right, whispering into her ear. "I would love calling you all kinds of things tonight but maybe you can still tell me what your name is." She ended with a light chuckle as Lauren audibly gasped at the words.

-x-

The Succubus inside of Bo was practically blinded by the blonde's aura. She had never seen colors so bright, so desperate for her. The moment Bo leaned in to ask the beautiful woman's name she felt a new wave of arousal sweep through the blonde and she gasped, not loud enough to draw attention but definitely loud enough for the Succubus to hear.

"Lauren..." Was the hushed reply. It was the first word the brunette had heard the woman say and Bo couldn't remember a time when a single uttered word had such an effect on her. Lauren's voice sounded like she was singing when she was not even really talking. It was a beautiful sound and there was more to come as the blonde herself asked just a few moments later "And you are?"

Bo smiled, pulling back her head to look directly into Lauren's eyes. "I'm Bo." Just as she said that, the slow song ended and the Succubus released her hold on Lauren but still held her hands. "I'll go get us something to drink and then, maybe we could sneak off if you have nothing else planned?" The blonde smiled back at her and gave her hands a light squeeze. Bo took it as a yes and with one last look at the beauty went to search for one of the servants to get drinks.

-x-

Slowly walking back to her table, Lauren didn't feel like herself. She never just accepted dances like that, especially not from an obviously hungry Succubus. Her sister stared at her in disbelief and the Phoenix could identify with that look. She couldn't believe it herself. When she finally reached the table it was like she snapped out of a trance. Her brain that had been in stasis for the last minutes started racing, screaming all kinds of facts at her. She couldn't go home with a Succubus. It wasn't her. A Succubus was a sex-demon, they only wanted the pleasure another being could give them, never the being itself. She wouldn't and couldn't give Lauren what she wanted and needed even if it had felt so perfect in her warm embrace and under the stare of those deep pools of chocolate-brown.

Quickly, Lauren came to a decision. She gathered her purse, and rushed off, telling her sister to tell her parents and grandmother when they came back from dancing that she had to go to the lab urgently as something had come up. Not waiting for Charlotte to reply she tore through the crowd and out of the compound.

The cold night air hit her like a fist. It also made her fully wake up from her daze. She had to get away. She couldn't have a Succubus coming after her so she rushed to her car, a silver Audi R8, and sped off into the night.

-x-

Inside, Bo was listening to what seemed to be Lauren's sister explaining why she hadn't found the beautiful blonde when she came back with two champagne flutes. Something at work came up, the Succubus didn't buy a second of it but then again, while it was irritating it didn't really matter. She thanked the baby-faced blonde politely and sauntered back off into the crowd in search of another victim. There were always a lot of Fae practically throwing themselves at Bo so it wouldn't be that hard. While she was slow dancing with a tall dark-haired guy, her thoughts drifted back to Lauren. Interesting, that she could remember her name. Bo sighed inwardly. Lauren, the one that got away. The only one.

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_Okay so obviously it wasn't that hard to guess where I was going with Lauren this time, I hope you still like it! ;) I always try to make the species of Fae I create close to something that actually exists in folklore combined with a little tweaking for it to fit the character. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you obviously did the first one, there is much more to come! :) Let me know what you think. Until next time!_


	3. Remember my name

_Here I am, and I'm back with a bang I might say! Sorry for the long delay but here I am, refreshed from my vacation and ready to fire out new chapters! So after you have been starved so long (as some of you reminded me via PM) here is a new chapter, enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed finally writing one again and I will see you soon for another! Also, review guys I have been starved of that just as much as you for the stories so keep them coming! :)_

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Lauren was sitting at her desk in her office, completely engrossed in the research file in front of her. It was about a rare species of Fae even she had never heard anything about until one of her assistants had brought her the file this very morning, telling her they were supposed to find out more about the species by the Ash's personal request. He was going on a business trip soon and needed the information, so Lauren had dug up everything she could find in the Ash's library and was, as always, completely fascinated. She would never ever tire of learning everything there was to learn about the Fae even if she knew it was a hopeless thing to try. The blonde had been sitting at her desk for hours on end looking though everything, gaining a basic knowledge before she dove in deeper.

Lauren had just finished reading a particularly detailed and interesting article when her phone rang. Digging through the pockets of the lab coat she never took off while she was at work, she finally found the small device and raised it to her ear without even looking at the screen first. "Dr. Lewis."

"Lauren." Dyson's familiar gruffy voice answered and the doctor remembered that she was supposed to be calling him about last night. "Hello Dyson. I'm sorry I haven't called you, I was busy all day with a research project for the Ash."

The wolf-shifter laughed at the other end. "It's ok Lauren, I know how you get when you're at work. I get to experience it a lot, remember?" There was a pause as if Dyson was hesitating and not sure how to continue but then he still asked eagerly "So, did you see Bo last night?" The blonde inwardly sighed. Even if she didn't want to admit it to herself, she had dreaded this question, as if something inside her wasn't ok with Dyson being after the Succubus. It was completely irrational and it didn't even help when she told herself that he wouldn't stand a chance against Bo's natural instincts to just treat him as a toy, then discard him anyway.

"I did." She was surprised at how even her voice sounded. "And as I told you before, she is a Succubus, she's always up for fun but there is no way she will date you. It's unheard of, against her natural behavior and from what I gathered last night completely not her plan."

Dyson laughed again. "It's going to different for me. I felt she's the one for me and I know she felt it, too. She just has to accept it." Lauren gritted her teeth at the shifter's words. Was Dyson really that delusional? If she hadn't chosen to disappear like a coward last night, the blonde thought, she would have ended up in bed with Bo, just another one of her countless conquests, so how could Dyson think he would do any better or that the Succubus was somehow meant for him? Sure, Lauren knew all about bonding and the possibility of Dyson as a wolf becoming mated with a special soul but she highly doubted it would be with the most promiscuous Succubus in the area.

"Well, If you say so." Lauren figured it really wasn't her problem after all. "But don't come moping to me about being rejected." Dyson sighed on the other end and grumbled aggravated "OK, whatever. Still, Lauren, thank you for your help."

The blonde heard a click and took a deep breath. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she still felt a bit sorry for Dyson. He apparently was very sure about these feelings he was having but Lauren was almost sure Bo would shoot him down. Why? Well, she was a Succubus. It's what they did. The other, very small, part of her brain that kept telling her another reason which had a lot to do with the events of last night, she ignored. Going back to work, she shut it out until it stopped whispering in her ear.

-x-

Bo walked down the stairs of her home in her Kimono, stretching. Once again, she had found herself deliciously alone in bed after another night of luscious feeding. Kenzi was already up and watching TV, probably Jungle Jeeves again. Who knew why the Djinn found that stupid show as hilarious as she did. "Morning, Kenz." Bo yawned as she went to complete her morning routine by getting herself a coffee and shuffling over to her best friend.

"Still yawning?" Kenzi snorted, flinging her arms in the air in what was probably supposed to be a graceful movement. "Rise and shine, Succubo!"

The brunettes eyebrows furrowed as she stopped dead in her tracks on her way to the couch. "Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?" she grumbled.

"Aww come on." The Djinn put the blaring TV on mute and then seemed to jump up into the air from where she was sprawled on the couch, just that she never came back down. Kenzi was lying in mid-air, floating on a small cloud of smoke that the lower part of her body seemed to have become. She slowly drifted over to Bo, arms behind her head in a relaxed position, until she stopped right in front of her best friend, sweetly looking up at her from where she was hovering. "Nothing happened, I just wanna know all the juicy details from the stick-up-your-ass-party I didn't get to go to." The Djinn winked at her best friend and Bo smiled. "Of course you do but I can assure you there was nothing you missed. It was as boring as these things usually are." The Succubus decided to keep the blonde she met a little secret for now, she didn't want to have to deal with the teasing that would surely follow once Kenzi found out Bo didn't have her perfect utterly-irresistible record anymore. The small Djinn hovered even closer, her eyes narrowing. "What aren't you telling me?" Bo should have known. There was no way she could keep a secret from Kenzi, the girl just knew her way to long and well.

"Nothing." Bo shrugged as if it was no big deal, which it wasn't, she told herself over and over again. "Met a hot blonde, danced with her for a bit, then moved on to the next party." The Succubus walked around her friend still hovering in mid-air and took a seat on the couch, sighing at the familiar comfort of sinking into the soft material. Kenzi was quick to follow, floating around Bo while she mused "Bo-Bo, do tell me if I have a problem with my eyes but I totally saw two pieces of hot, hot, man-candy leave the house this morning. Care to explain why they were here when there was this hot blonde?"

Bo sighed again, deciding that hiding it was not an option when Kenzi was involved. "Well, she kind of disappeared on me. I went to get us some drinks and when I came back she was gone, all I found was her little sister or something telling me she had an emergency at work. So I went to Carpe Noctem and picked up the two guys instead."

At first, Kenzi was quiet, listening and looking blankly at Bo. Then, she suddenly started laughing, hard. The small Djinn almost fell out of the air, desperately gasping for breath as tears were streaming down her face. Bo sighed. And so it starts, she thought. When Kenzi finally managed to calm down a bit she choked out "You got succubusted! And you look totes pissed about it!" With that she rolled over in mid-air, again roaring with laughter. Bo just grumbled and turned her attention to her coffee mug, slowly sipping the dark liquid as she waited for the Djinn to calm down.

Kenzi finally started breathing normally again, softly descending to sit next to her best friend on the couch. "Are you done now?" Bo mumbled, not amused at the complete breakdown the Djinn just had at her expense. As soon as Kenzi heard the tone in which the words came out she leaned against the Succubus, cuddling up to her side and wrapping both her arms around Bo's left arm. "Come on, you know I don't mean it, Bo-Bo. You know you're completely irresistible. Who cares if Blondie didn't think so. Her loss. She was probably home that night taking a cold shower to get you off her mind."

Bo smiled softly at the words. Her best friend was really an amazing creature. She managed to make her feel better in an instant even when she herself had been the one to make her feel bad just seconds prior. "Thanks Kenz. But try to tell my ego that." the succubus gave Kenzi a half-hearted grin. The Djinn sighed. "I bet she still thinks about you. She regrets walking away from you, turning down the best night of her life. I mean how could she not?" Kenzi rolled her eyes. "Hell, even I wouldn't say no to you and I usually don't go for the ladies." Bo shot her best friend a strange look. "Way to much information Kenz."

"What, it's true." She held up her hand. "Pinky swear!"

Bo smiled, amused by her friend's antics. "Well, thank you then, I guess."

The Djinn winked before her face got serious again. "Ok so now that we got that sorted out, I feel the need to fix your broken reputation." she stated in a business-like voice that made Bo smile even more.

"What do you have in mind?" The succubus asked because she knew her best friend wanted her to.

"First, we collect the info you have on her. We find out who she is, bump into her 'accidently' and you turn your charm on. Simple as that." Kenzi sounded very proud of the plan she had come up with. The Djinn quickly twirled a finger in the air and a small notepad and a pencil appeared out of thin air. By now Bo was used to it but there was a time when it completely creeped her out that Kenzi could make things appear and disappear almost at will, and given the object she wanted was close by. "Where did you get that from?" Bo grinned as Kenzi shrugged. "You know how those businessmen that always drive past out house have way to many of these things for it to be healthy." Bo just shot her a bemused look before Kenzi continued on while scribbling something on the notepad. "So, Bo-Bo, what do we have? I already put down 'smoking hot blonde'."

The Succubus laughed at the statement. When Kenzi was bored she would often play her version of a private detective and right now it seemed that the small Djinn had made it her business to seek for Bo's failed conquest from last night. "Well, she was Light." Kenzi raised her eyebrows, acting shocked as she put down the information. "What else can you tell me?" She questioned, making the Succubus' mind revert back to last night. She remembered seeing the blonde during the Morrigan's speech. Remembering something she had thought about she looked back at Kenzi. "I don't really know if it's right but I think all families were seated under their coat of arms. Well, at least the Dark were so I assume it was the same with the Light. She was sitting under a red banner with a golden sun on it. There were birds on it, too. Also golden." Kenzi just kept scribbling, when Bo mentioned the crest she nodded approvingly. "That should do it. We'll know who she is quicker than you can say 'Chi-sucker'. My contacts will know who that pretty picture belongs to. I'll make some calls." And with that she enthusiastically danced from the room, leaving Bo alone to think.

The succubus leaned her head back on the couch, her empty coffee mug in her lap. Bo closed her eyes. She could see the blonde woman standing in front of her again, eyes glinting with something Bo had never seen, her aura so bright it almost blinded the succubus. She truly looked like a goddess in that dress she was wearing. Bo had had her share of lovers over time but the blonde seemed to be totally different, more intriguing than anyone had ever been. Of course, that was because she got away, Bo told herself. She wasn't used to anyone being off-limits to her, she was a Succubus. She always got whatever, whoever she wanted. And this time it would be no different. The memory of the woman seemed to smiling softly at her, like she knew something Bo didn't. The succubus opened her eyes again when she heard Kenzi approaching. It was then when she remembered something that made her world stop. The woman was special indeed. Kenzi shouldn't have gone to all that trouble. Bo knew who she was looking for. She was looking for Lauren.

Breaking Bo her out of her haze the Djinn that walked into the room stated. "They're on it. Said they should have it by tomorrow. Which leaves us with a night to spare." Kenzi grinned mischievously. "What should we do? Care for the Dal tonight? From what I saw you had your fill of Carpe Noctem last night." Bo nodded and smirked devilishly. She would get the woman off her mind. Lauren. She would take care of that soon enough. "Count me in, Kenz. Let's run the town tonight."

-x-

Lauren was breathing deeply through her mouth as she slowly moved from form to form. She had come home early from work, something she rarely did. But she just didn't have the concentration today. There was no way of forgetting Dyson and his words about the Succubus and also the mind-shattering matter of explaining to herself why her brain couldn't focus on anything else.

Lauren had started practicing Tai-Chi long ago. Her moves were perfect, all her muscles moved in absolute sync, emptying her mind completely. There was just movement and the heat that came with it. The blonde had originally wanted to just have a thing to go to when she needed some peace, a hobby if you will, so she started doing Tai-Chi in garden behind her part of the Leavold mansion but she soon realized that she could enhance the 'human' form she had perfected very quickly. Her version was more challenging and for most creatures on earth, completely impossible. To Lauren it came natural. Every single one of her movements was accompanied by a sphere of fire that she molded to her will from a ball to a long stream and back again. All the while her eyes were open, bright golden-red with power, but not seeing a thing, empty as her mind. Her white silk robe with the black belt she wore was shimmering in the light of the flames dancing all around but was never harmed.

Lauren basked in the feeling of complete emptiness, in the raw power running through her veins as during a faster move a heat-wave burst from her body. Secretly, there was nothing that could beat this. Not even science, if she really admitted it. It wasn't Lauren herself, it was her nature. The fire spirit she was longed for absolute freedom, for power and a chance to express it. For pure passion that Lauren never let herself have save for these moments on her own lawn, surrounded by nothing but living things.

But this time she was disturbed. Her senses were on high alert as she whirled to face her mother who was standing about forty feet away, patiently waiting for her oldest daughter to notice her. Lauren straightened her back from the relaxed position she had been in, her eyes turning back to their usual light brown, her usual façade replacing the relaxed and happy mood of a free fire spirit. Elisabeth Leavold saw the change in her daughter so she came closer, smiling softly.

"Lauren, you look absolutely breathtaking like this. I don't know how many times I can tell you how proud that makes me."

The younger Phoenix nodded. "Thank you, mother, as always but I don't think your usual compliments on my Tai-Chi are so important that you would interrupt me, right?"

Elisabeth smiled warmly. Her daughter always saw right through her, a trait she, like so many other things, had inherited from her father. "Yes, my dear. I wanted to speak to you about last night." Lauren just raised her eyebrows in question.

"I saw your dance." Elizabeth stated. "Ysabeau McCorrigan, Lauren, really?"

Not quite sure how to respond as the memory of last night came crushing back even more violent than before. She decided to tread carefully as she didn't know where her mother was going with this. "I danced with her, yes."

"You were suddenly gone and so was she. I do hope you weren't together last night?" Elizabeth's tone was still neutral but Lauren saw her accusing intent.

"Just as a matter of fact, we weren't but I can't see why it would concern you." The younger blonde fought hard to keep her tone as even as her mother's but she couldn't help it sounding a little defensive. Her mother sighed. "Not only it she Dark Fae and a Succubus, she is a McCorrigan. They can't be trusted. You turned heads last night while you were dancing, and not in a good way. Our families have had several bloody fights in the past. You two dancing is not something anyone who believes in the old system, which is nearly everybody, likes to see."

Lauren's brow furrowed. "It was a peace meeting. And it was just a dance, mother." Before she could continue her mother cut her off with a quick hand motion. "No Lauren. This peace is a façade, everybody knows it. The Ash may believe in it but that just makes him lonely. The McCorrigan family is dangerous. We have been at war with them over and over again! It is a clan of Succubae and Incubi for Helios' sake! And this Ysabeau has been running wild for decades. I won't have my reputation and the one of my eldest daughter ruined by something like this." Elizabeth finished passionately. Laurens head was spinning, screaming at her to tell her mother off, to let free the rage that boiled in her at the mentioning of the 'fake' peace. Although the feeling of her fire-spirit nature had never been this strong, Lauren suppressed it and instead smiled at her mother. "Like I said, It was just a dance. It won't happen again mother." Elizabeth nodded, very pleased with her daughter's reaction. "I will let you get back to your training, then." The older woman smiled one last time as her daughter nodded and resumed the fluid movements where she left off before. Little did she know that all that was on Lauren's mind before it was emptied by the feeling of freedom was a certain Succubus and that she had to find out more about her.

-x-

At the Dal Bo and Kenzi were having a blast. Just as Bo seduced one of Trick's bartenders to give the full house a free round which she announced to great cheers from everywhere, Dyson and Hale walked up. They had heard that the Succubus was out partying again and the moment the wolf-shifter had heard that he was like on a hunt. Hale engaged Kenzi in a conversation and while the small Djinn knew exactly what was happening, she let it be. Bo in her slightly buzzed mind seemed to enjoy the extra attention she got from Dyson and Kenzi sure as hell wasn't complaining about Hale. The man with the hat even opted to give her a ride once Bo and a what seemed to be glued-to-her Dyson announced that they would be leaving now. Kenzi smirked and winked at Bo. There was no way she was losing her touch, the police dog was practically all over her. She could probably tell him to jump from a skyscraper and he would do so with a smile on his face. Kenzi shrugged to herself and turned to Hale, catching him staring at her. She smiled slyly. This was going to be a great night.

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_So tell me what you think, as always thanks for reading and might I add once again how good it feels to be back? :) Until next time! (Soon!)_


	4. Distractions and Distracted Ones

_Here's the next chapter, I'd like to really thank you all for the warm welcome back! I really missed your reviews so don't hold back on this one either! Enjoy, guys!_

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It was after midnight. The Leavold mansion was dark, the only sound that could be heard was the distinct rustling of the wind in the large trees in the garden behind the house. That, and sometimes the cry of an animal somewhere in the darkness of the moonless night. The mansion was asleep, awaiting the next morning to shine brightly as its owners in the light of the morning sun.

Lauren hadn't been able to sleep for hours. She had twisted and turned in her large bed but there seemed to be no way sleep would find her. Since she finished her Tai-Chi session her mind had been in overdrive. She had gone to the library, desperate to find out what caused the family feud that she had never heard about before. It was what almost struck her the most. The fact that she had been a part of the Leavold family for more than a millennium but hadn't been told something this important. This time though, the library didn't offer her much help. There were old journals from the time of the Great Fae Wars with descriptions of crimes both families had committed in their raging hate for each other, so terrible that Lauren had to force herself to continue reading but other than that, there was no explanation as to where the hate had come from.

After finally giving up she decided to go to sleep early and continue her search tomorrow, maybe even ask her mother but that sleep never came. The feelings swirling inside her like a tornado kept her wide awake. The disgust at what her family had done, the hurt of being deprived of a part of her family's history and most of all, the never leaving thoughts of Bo. It had only been one dance but the brunette seductress occupied the Phoenix' mind almost constantly since. Lauren didn't know why. Her hypothesis were the things the Succubus had offered her with just a smile. That smile that was barely there, just an up-turned corner of her mouth but promised pleasure like no other, pleasure the blonde had denied herself for far too long. While trying to sleep Lauren had often thought about what could have been if she had let Bo fulfill that promise. It sent thrills down her spine and she almost regretted disappearing but always remembered that what the Succubus had offered was only pleasure, nothing less, but also nothing more and as much as the brunette appealed to Lauren, she didn't want something meaningless.

The Phoenix chuckled humorlessly to herself. It was absolutely ridiculous. A Succubus was stealing her sleep while said creature had probably already forgotten her amidst all the potential lovers throwing themselves at her. What had Lauren thought about Dyson? If he wanted to get his heart broken by a sex-demon, it wasn't her problem? It was so ironic it wasn't even funny anymore. Seemingly without knowing it, the wolf-shifter had made this totally her problem.

Sighing heavily, Lauren got out of bed and slowly padded down the long corridor that led to her room, heading down the large flight of stairs and into the kitchen. There was still some pasta left from the small meal she had made herself this evening. While the rest of her family preferred to let the humans they owned cook for them, Lauren did everything herself. It was only so much that she actually enjoyed cooking it was much more that the thought of human 'servants' disgusted her more than anything.

As she closed the microwave and slowly watched the plate turn in the small illuminated cabin, her thoughts drifted off again. There had been a time where she wouldn't have said no to Bo. In fact she wouldn't have even thought about it. It was the time shortly after Nadia died. They had had beautiful forty years together and it had to come to an end eventually, Lauren had known that all along but it still hit her like the earth came crushing down on her. The human woman's dying wish had been that Lauren kept going on and that she would find happiness again someday. After that Lauren had given into the fire-spirit nature inside her. She searched for pleasure to fill the void Nadia had left in her heart and soul but nothing seemed to be enough. It didn't take long for her to realize that nothing could ever replace the curly brunette so she completely shut down, detaching herself from everything and became the distant workaholic she was now. She often asked herself if Nadia would still love this version of her. The answer would probably be no. The human had loved the Phoenix' passion, the intensity of her love but Lauren didn't think there was anything left of the person she once was.

The blonde was pulled from the depths of her mind by a rustling sound behind her. She turned her head, confused that anyone else would be up at this time of night. "Miss Lewis, I'm sorry. I thought everyone was asleep. I'll come back later." It was Eva. She was holding a bucket of water and a mop. Lauren realized she had never asked herself how the huge mansion was kept as impeccable as it was but now it made sense. The humans cleaned at night. The thought made her sick once again.

"No, Eva, stay. I just couldn't sleep so I came down here to eat something." The blonde smiled at her, adding in a softer tone. "It's the middle of the night and my mother is fast asleep. Will you finally accept my offer to call me Lauren, even if it's only for tonight?"

The young human smiled back. Of all the Fae that lived in this house, the eldest daughter of Madam Leavold was the only one who treated all humans with respect. Eva was extremely grateful that, during the day she was personally assigned to Lauren. It meant she didn't have to endure what all other servants of the Leavold's went through every day.

"Of course, Lauren. Please know that I only call you Miss Lewis because of your mother."

The blonde Phoenix sighed sadly. "I know." The microwave pinged, announcing that Lauren's food was ready. She opened it without thinking and took out the scorching hot plate, absorbing its heat. Doing so, her hand glowed slightly golden, making Eva's eyes widen in surprise. Lauren quickly realized her mistake. "I'm sorry." She put the plate down on the bar, slipping onto one of the stools in front of it and pulling the one next to her out. "Sit with me?" She asked Eva who snapped out of her shock and hurried to do Laurens bidding.

They sat in silence while Lauren ate but the blonde felt eyes on her all the time. "What is it, Eva? Just ask." Her voice was friendly, she didn't want the human to hold back.

"I.." The young brunette stuttered "I always wanted to ask you a few questions... how do you do that?" She pointed at Lauren's hands, making the Phoenix chuckle. "You feel every part of your body, don't you?" She received a shy nod. "Imagine you can feel the energy around you, like it's a part of your body. I can move this energy like you move your arms, make it concentrate in one area to ignite a flame." Lauren opened her palm, making a small flame appear in it. Her eyes glinted with a hint of gold but it was barely recognizable.

Eva was awestruck. She had seen Lauren practicing Tai-Chi sometimes and found it purely amazing. The way her eyes turned their reddish gold was scary but in some way it made the blonde even more beautiful.

"What are the other questions?" Lauren smiled, the small flame giving her face a golden hue in the otherwise dark kitchen. "If you can cool the plate with your powers, why..." She trailed off and looked away, clearly embarrassed but Lauren knew what the question was and smiled. "Why I even used the microwave?" She shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt like it. Why do you have on a pair of jeans and not a skirt?" Eva looked back up surprised, then she laughed and answered "I don't know. I just felt like it."

Lauren winked. "See?" She could see Eva by far hadn't run out of questions. "Anything else?"

After a few more minutes of questions and answers later, Eva finally didn't feel embarrassed anymore and they talked for almost an hour. When they finally parted, the human to finish her cleaning much to Laurens dismay, and the Phoenix herself to finally get some sleep. Lying in her bed she was surprised at how relaxed she felt. Thoughts of her family's history and Bo drifted through her mind but they didn't affect her state of calm. She smiled. Having somebody to talk to, even if it was just about mundane things was something she hadn't had in a long time. She would have to thank Eva when she next saw her. That was her last thought before she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-x-

Bo stirred in her large bed. She felt the sheets wrapped around her naked body and sighed. It had been a successful night. The wolf-shifter had been good, not great, she had had better, but it was satiating nonetheless. The Succubus kept her eyes closed for a little while longer, enjoying the one moment of the day where she felt completely satisfied. She lived for pleasure, for the energy rush it gave her and by now she needed her daily fix. Her day was a search for her next victim and as much as she enjoyed the hunt she found it tiring at times to constantly feed her nature. Sighing, she reached to her side, finding cold sheets. A brilliant smile graced her beautiful features as she finally opened her eyes. She was alone yet again. Bo congratulated herself for finally getting a hang of picking the right feeds. Those who weren't clingy, who didn't insist she was the only one they would ever love once she was done with them. She sat up, stretching her muscles. She wasn't sore at all, another perk of being able to heal through sex. Just as she wanted to get up and shower before treating herself to a well deserved coffee, Bo heard a clatter from downstairs and then there was Kenzi arguing. The Succubus couldn't make out the words but she sounded positively furious. The Djinn must have a problem with the TV again, it was one of the rare occasions where she really lost it. Bo chuckled at her best friends antics but soon realized steps coming up the stairway but she didn't have much time to wonder what that was about. Before she could even reach for the knife on her nightstand the door opened, revealing Dyson with a tray of food on it, closely followed by a furious Kenzi. "Hey police-dog I told you there will be no waking sleeping beauty here!" When she saw Bo was up her face fell. "I'm sorry Bo-Bo, but this one is a particularly stubborn one." She pointed her thumb at Dyson who pretended to not have heard a thing. He moved forward, placing the tray of food in front of Bo on the bed. "I made you breakfast." he said in a sugar-coated voice that made the Succubus sick to her stomach although the food did smell quite good. She sighed. The moment she congratulated herself it of course had to backfire as badly as it could.

"Dyson, I thought you knew the rules?" Her tone was even, Kenzi recognized the calm before the storm and slowly slipped out of the room. Dyson just kept looking at her with awe in his gaze and Bo mentally slapped herself for not recognizing the puppy-dog-look when she saw it last night. "You need to leave." Now her voice held a certain edge, although it wasn't as prominent as it would soon become if the wolf didn't leave but he was oblivious to the warning. "Don't you want to try it, Bo, honey?" He pointed to the breakfast again. The term of endearment did it for the Succubus. She got out of bed, not caring that she was still stark naked. "Listen, dog, what we had was a one-night-deal. I don't expect to see you again and I don't particularly want to. I wanted some fun last night and you provided that. You were a feed, nothing more. Now leave my house before I throw you." By now her voice was pure anger, eyes bright blue, she hated dealing with the clingy part of her feeds.

"You're so unbelievably beautiful, Bo." Dyson whispered, looking her up and down. The succubus growled with rage. "You have got to be kidding me! That's it, leave!" She grabbed his wrist, giving him a strong pulse that made him weak at the knees, giving Bo the chance to push him out of her room, down the stairs and out of her house where she released him, storming back in through the door. "Don't you dare come back!" She yelled over her shoulder. "But Bo I love..." He didn't get any further as the door crashed shut because Kenzi snapped her fingers from the other side of the living room, the locks snapping closed.

"Thanks, Kenz." Bo sighed. "Why do I always get the crazy ones?"

"Well.." Now that the difficult situation was over and Bo had blown off her steam Kenzi smirked. "It would maybe help to put on some clothes." The succubus looked down at herself, grumbling profanities under her breath as she made her way up the stairs again to get showered and dressed.

The moment she stepped out of the spray of hot water of what had been a relaxing shower she heard her cell phone ring. Wrapping a towel around herself she padded across the plush red carpet of her bedroom and picked up the small device. She sighed when she looked at the display. "I don't get a break, do I?" She muttered before she pressed the green button on her display and lifted the phone to her ear. "Yes, Mother?"

"Ysabeau, I was hoping I would catch you." Aoife's voice was dripping with fake friendliness and Bo cringed. "I wanted to speak to you about the ball for the peace treaty signing in a week."

"What?" Bo didn't know what her mother was talking about, as usual.

"Ysabeau, darling, you should pay more attention to the politics. You know, you will be one of the elders one day when I decide to call it a career. Anyway, I expect to see you there next week. The elders of both sides have come to a compromise and we will put our signatures under the final document at the ball. Oh, and one more thing darling, I know you obviously can't contain yourself but could you please be decent enough to keep off the Leavold family? You know about them. It's not good for our reputation if your seen with one of them. Anyway, I will see you there." With that the one-way conversation ended and Bo groaned. She really didn't get a break. Her thoughts drifted off as she stood there wrapped in her towel. The Leavold family? Bo knew about the family feud going on but it had been quiet for a long time, or at least quieter. She couldn't remember speaking to one of them or doing anything to upset her mother but then again, she didn't care one bit. What she did care about was that she would get another chance at seducing the beautiful blonde, thus repairing her broken record. Yes, Lauren was something she could look forward to.

-x-

Lauren sat at the breakfast table with the rest of her family. She had made muffins for herself while the others ate the foods one of their servants, Sophie, had made for them. Elizabeth had been in a particularly good mood and she immediately told everyone why. There would be another ball next week where the elders would sign the peace treaty they agreed on. Lauren's grandmother wasn't so happy. She stated that this treaty in its current form would not change a thing. A discussion ensued but Lauren didn't listen anymore. She was caught in her head again, the thoughts of the upcoming event quickly reverting to a sole purpose: She would see Bo again, be in the same room as her. Lauren shivered. She would have to prepare for the ball, otherwise she would probably burst.

The only one at the table that noticed the change in Lauren was her father Evan. As he wasn't a Leavold by birth he didn't care to engage in the discussion about the peace, he didn't have a say anyway. He watched the older one of his daughters closely. She was lost in her head again, that alone was nothing new. It was the way her eyes glazed over, a golden twinkle in the usually light brown orbs. Evan wondered what it meant. The last time he had seen this look was while she was with that human woman centuries ago, although it was slightly different. It wasn't the look that told everyone who looked closely enough she was happily in love, it was just a look of passion. That indeed _was_ something new. Lauren had abandoned the passion she was born with after the human she loved died. Evan decided to keep a closer eye on his daughter in the near future. He was happy to see the long-lost passion resurfacing but wasn't sure yet if it was really a good thing.

-x-

Kenzi put her cell phone down, jumping across the room towards Bo excitedly. "I know who Hotpants is!" she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" Bo looked at her best friend, utterly confused.

"Bo-Bo, don't be so dense! The blonde hottie? My contact just got back to me. Her name's Lauren Lewis. Or Leavold. Whatever you prefer. She seems to be skipping back and forth between them. Oh, and here's the bomb: she's a doctor. In fact, the best doc the Light have. So beauty _and_ brains. You say there's another lame-ass party in a week? You'll see her again there, and I bet you'll get her to play doctor with you!" The Djinn wickedly winked at her best friend. "Am I great or am I awesome?"

"Awesome, Kenz. Totally." Bo smiled but her mind drifted off again. Lauren Leavold? She should have known. The most beautiful woman in the room was the one that was totally off-limits but Bo was a Succubus. There was nobody that could resist her and if the victim was somebody she shouldn't have, all the better. Let the hunt begin, she thought, her eyes flashing cerulean blue without her noticing. Kenzi however, did and smirked even wider. Bo was totally in her seductress-mode.

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_Next time, the second meeting of our two ladies. I also might add that Nadia will be a reappearing topic throughout the story as it help me explain a lot about why Lauren sometimes acts the way she does or became the person she is. Anyway, please tell me what you thought, I'm eager to know! _


	5. Fae who live in glass houses

_Tadaa.. my next chapter! This one is a long one but that's just because I couldn't stop myself while writing it. Just couldn't stop there... you'll see why. ;) I want to thank you all for your great support, seems like you really like this story. Keep favoriting, following and of course reviewing, even if it's just a short comment, I really love the feedback! I'll stop talking now which just leaves me with one more thing to say: Enjoy!_

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_A week later..._

Lauren once again found herself in front of a large full-length mirror in her part of the mansion, examining her own figure closely. She was in her dressing room. Dozens of dresses were kept here just for her, equally as beautiful as expensive. It was a perk of being part of an elder family. They were all old money, really old in her case. The dress she was currently wearing was light blue, a color that she found not really suited her. She had a couple of dress shirts in similar colors and with them it was fine because she could pair it with something else. She didn't have this option here as the dress would obviously be the main part of her outfit. She looked back at a mirror that was placed strategically behind her so she could see her back as well. Lauren sighed. The way the dress fell was not to her satisfaction either. Another one that would be sent back into the depths of this room's closets.

"Would you like me to get you another different dress, Miss Lewis?" Eva, who had stood in a corner of the room giving Lauren space, came a few steps towards the blonde woman. She wondered what was bothering Lauren today. She seemed to have a particularly hard time picking anything out. It usually didn't take very long for the Fae to find a nice dress she liked but the one she had on right now was already the fifteenth of the day.

Lauren turned to face the brunette woman and nodded. "Yes Eva, please. I don't know what it is today. I'm sorry I am causing you such a fuss over a dress."

The human smiled warmly. It was very much like Lauren to apologize for something like that. "Don't be sorry, Miss Lewis, you need to find the dress that suits you best. Any preferences as to what should be next?"

The Phoenix returned her smile while thinking about what she really wanted of the dress she was going to wear. It had a sole purpose that was prominent in Lauren's mind but she avoided it, her thoughts dancing around it but never actually touching the subject. "Maybe something black, I haven't tried that in a long time." She finally answered and Eva nodded, stating that she would be back shortly.

While the human woman was going through all the black dresses kept in the adjoining rooms she wondered what had Lauren so flustered. Usually, there was just one solution to this kind of behavior: date gitters. But that could hardly be the case. The Phoenix was an inhumanly beautiful woman, always surrounded by an aura of authority and power. Her mere presence commanded attention, even if she herself never sought it out on purpose. No, Lauren was a kind person but Eva got the feeling she was also terribly sad. The brunette had heard about the human lover she once had from the other servants and found the story incredibly sad, even if she didn't know what was really true and what wasn't. In any case, Lauren wasn't a woman to be flustered easily so this had to be something big. Eva finally found a few nice black dresses that she thought would suit Laurens taste and so she made her way back to the main room.

"I brought two black dresses with me, Miss Lewis. I will put them here by the chair." The human stated as she noticed Lauren was already behind the curtain again, changing out of the blue dress.

"Thank you Eva, but would you mind bringing me one of them?" The blonde's voice rang like wind chimes from behind the red satin curtain. "Of course." Eva picked up one of the dresses and carried it across the room, handing it over to the hand with its long, slender fingers waiting for the fabric to be placed in it. While Lauren changed Eva thought about the dress she picked out. It was a bit more daring than the rest. It was short, fitting tight around the hips and thighs but falling loosely over the chest in layers and of course, as Lauren always preferred, was backless. After about five minutes the blonde woman pushed the curtain aside and stepped out. It almost caused Eva's jaw to drop to the floor but she quickly go her facial expression in check. The dress was perfect. It fit Lauren like a glove where it should while leaving just the right amount to the imagination with its plunging neckline. The human didn't understand why the Phoenix almost never wore black. It was as if the darkness of the fabric made her shine even brighter; her toned arms and legs, her long neck and strong facial features. If she were to use her powers now, Eva thought, the reddish gold of her eyes would take an immediate hold of everyone who gazed into them, making them never forget the sight of this extraordinary woman. Or maybe, the thought crossed the brunette's mind briefly, it was because she herself was human. The Fae were supernatural creatures and to be among them often stretched a mortal's mind to lengths they weren't used to. Maybe this kind of beauty was somewhat normal.

"Eva?" The brunette snapped from her daydream, shaking her head briefly to get rid of the mist. "I am sorry, Miss Lewis. I don't know where my mind went." she mumbled, clearly embarrassed. Lauren just smiled. If Eva's reaction was any kind of indication this was the dress she would be wearing this evening. It wasn't just the human's stare, though. The blonde was very pleased with the dress herself. It was more daring than what she would usually wear to this kind of occasion but she had no intention of playing nice, she didn't know how she would get through this night without weapons of her own.

"I love the dress, Eva. Had I known there was something like this waiting for me in those closets, it would have saved us a few hours." She smiled warmly. Eva chuckled. "Definitely. I will put the others away then and have this one ready for you by four in the afternoon, if that's ok."

"Yes, thank you." The human started gathering the other dresses to put them away again when Lauren remembered something. "Oh, and Eva?" The brunette looked up again. "I wanted to thank you for our talk last night. I really enjoyed it, It.. helped me sleep, to be honest. I would like to do it again sometime, if you want to?" Eva's smile was brilliant. This morning, when she had woken up from a few short hours of sleep, she had questioned herself if the hour she spent talking to Lauren in the kitchen had even been real but to hear that the Phoenix had enjoyed it was enough to make her day. She nodded. "Of course, I'd love to." She picked up the stack of dresses in her arms and made her way to the door where she turned again. "I wish you a successful night, Miss Lewis.. Lauren." With that she disappeared. Lauren was left flustered in her beautiful black dress. _Am I really that obvious?_ The thought ran through her mind repeatedly.

-x-

Bo was looking at herself in the huge mirror in her bedroom, wearing her dress of choice. Admiring herself, was probably the more accurate phrase. The Succubus was smirking at her reflection, her deep-brown hair looking even darker against the fabric of her red leather dress hugging her in all the right places. She was built to seduce, she could have probably worn a shopping bag and would have still looked stunning but this was a special occasion. Bo had made a point of looking twice as irresistible as usual and she succeeded in every aspect. She turned to look at herself from every angle. The black heels made her legs look great, the dress didn't cover much of anything but enough to catch longing glares from everywhere. Bo chuckled. She was elated at what the night promised her. There was no way in hell that Lauren would be able to resist her, especially because the brunette was done playing nice. Her looks weren't the only thing she had to seduce someone after all. The beautiful blonde wouldn't know what hit her.

Just as Bo was finishing her makeup the door opened, reveling Kenzi who's jaw hit the floor the second she saw her best friend. "Damn, girl! You have got to be shitting me! Bo-Bo, you sure it's legal to go out like this? You might cause some poor old elders to ruin their panties. Or have a mass orgy or something. Seriously, babe you look the best I've ever seen you and that" She made a pause for effect while waving her index finger at Bo "is definitely saying something!" Bo grinned a brilliant smile at her best friend. "Thanks, Kenz. I won't let anything not go my way this night." She grabbed her purse and made her way over to Kenzi, saying goodbye as she walked past.

"Go get 'em Tiger!" Kenzi yelled after her. When she heard the door close she leaned back against the door frame of Bo's bedroom, taking a deep breath. This Lauren was going down, that much was clear to Kenzi. Nobody could resist Bo on a normal day and tonight she was dressed to kill. There was no way the Light's top doc would get out of this. Kenzi smiled to herself at the thought, pushing off the door frame and walking down the stairs for a well-deserved evening of robot-hookers and booze.

-x-

Lauren was fascinated by the different decor of the large room she found herself in. The last one had been at the Light compound so it seemed only fair that this one would be held in Dark territory. It was in fact at the Morrigan's 'tower of power' as Lauren's mother often referred to the huge skyscraper in the heart of the city. The blonde had never been here for obvious reasons but it's interior was modern, a lot of glass and ambient lighting in every color of the rainbow. The family crests were once again on the walls but they were each highlighted by small spotlights above them as the room itself was more or less dark. Lauren felt like she was in a high-society club more than at an elder-ball.

Upon arrival everyone was presented with a fancy-looking glass of a deep-red liquid that looked suspiciously like blood but as Lauren smelled and tasted she found it to be quite delicious. All around her were servants presenting guests with little snacks and the blonde soon realized that they were human. They all had dark rings under their eyes and seemed somewhat worn out if you looked past the tidied-up façade. A haunted look lingered in their eyes and they were fast to bow and disappear once they had done their job.

"Disgusting." Lauren muttered under her breath as she watched a small human girl, she couldn't have been older than sixteen, practically shrink under the cold stare of a Dark Fae elder.

"Yes, dear, I agree. The decor is terrible. Whoever is responsible for this should be fired immediately." Without the blonde noticing her mother had slipped into the space to her right, answering her in a hushed tone. Lauren turned her head to give her mother a disgusted stare as well. "No, mother. I meant the humans. Treated this way." Her voice was like ice. Her mother sighed. "Not again, Lauren. It is an honor to serve the most powerful Fae in existence. These humans should be grateful but instead they look like they would drop their trays any moment." Lauren was furious but didn't let it show in her expression as she eyed her mother. "Well," She practically hissed "I would want to see you be all chipper and happy to serve some old elitists while always having to worry that if you do just the slightest thing wrong you will get your head chopped off." Lauren took the last sip of her drink and immediately the young girl she had seen earlier appeared, her voice barely above a whisper as she asked "Miss, would you like me to take that out of your way? Or would a refill suit you better?" Lauren sighed. The girl looked so frail, as if one push would break her in half. The blonde smiled at her while handing her the glass. "Thank you, I'm fine." She made sure to touch the girls skin with her hand and let her warmth spread through the small body. While Lauren's tears could heal every illness her touch wasn't as powerful by far but she had the power to sooth pain through touch. The girls face lit up and she nodded. "Thank you." She mumbled to the beautiful blonde in front of her before she disappeared again.

"Was that necessary? Lauren, you can't save them and I don't understand why you would want to." Her mother's tone was bored. They had had this argument more often than either of them could count. "Yes." Lauren's voice was decided, strong and before her mother could answer yet again she turned and walked away.

Wandering through the many rooms the ball was being held in today Lauren suddenly felt a surge of electricity shoot through her. Startled, she turned around, looking for the source even as her brain was already screaming the answer. Back at the entrance the heads suddenly turned. At first, Lauren saw a tall brunette woman, stunningly beautiful and smiling condescendingly. But she was not the center of attention. As the crowd shifted the blonde could see the real reason. Like her mind had foretold, there was Bo in all her glory, looking more breathtaking in that revealing red leather dress than Lauren had ever seen anyone look. The Succubus must have felt the intense stare as she found the Phoenix' eyes, giving her a smoldering look. It didn't leave anything unsaid. She was here to come and get Lauren, no questions, no doubt. It made the blonde shiver, her heart racing in her chest. Bo smirked knowingly. This was not going to end well, Lauren thought to herself as all her well thought-through plans flew out the window with one smile.

-x-

Bo was more than pleased with her entrance. She had studied the energy in the room while she walked through the gaping crowd, finding Lauren's white-hot flame instantly. The blonde's instant arousal had hit her like lightning, like it had the last time. It made Bo's blood run hotter and faster, determined to have the hot doctor this time. Someone finally stepped into her line of sight and broke the intense connection. The roaring hunger inside the brunette lessened now that the object of her desire was no longer in sight but she still felt a tingle all over her body. It must be the energy in the air. Bo directed her attention to not being as obvious around her mother. Part of the hunt was being discreet and the blue hue she knew her eyes right now held was not part of that.

Of course, Aoife wasn't stupid. Being a Succubus herself, she knew when her daughter was hungry and now she was practically starving. It couldn't be because she hadn't fed recently. That, Aoife was sure, she did more than enough. Still, the older Succubus felt waves of intense desire coming off her daughter. She must have spotted an energy source that drew her in, there was no other explanation.

-x-

Lauren sat through the ceremony in silence. Her brain was spinning out of control. The sheer uncontrollable desire she had experienced when she saw Bo, her feelings of disgust towards the general Fae community for treating humans the way they did, everything crashed together and made for a hurricane of thoughts and emotions with Lauren in the middle. She couldn't get out. True to the metaphor she used to describe it her thoughts pulled her away with them once she left the very center of the storm and so she stayed, not realizing the signing ceremony or anything going on around her. The one thing that got through to her was the feeling of being watched from time to time. It just added to the swirl of emotions as Lauren knew it was Bo shooting her smoldering stares.

Her family sat around her, mirroring her silence. Her mother had chosen to ignore her once again rather than argue with her, Evan watched the situation closely, not daring to make a move while Lauren's little sister Charlotte was so intimidated by the cold atmosphere surrounding her older sister and mother that she pretended to be terribly interested in the ceremony.

It was at the very end of the official part of the evening that Lauren finally snapped out of her haze. The last elder had just placed his signature to great applause and handed the quill back to a human servant. It happened to be the little girl Lauren had encountered earlier. She looked positively frightened, shaking badly as she reached for the quill held out to her. Her shaky fingers missed the object and it landed on the floor with a click. Her face turned every color possible as she quickly bent down with wide blue eyes to pick it up but before she could correct her mistake a tall man appeared out of the still applauding crowd. He was dressed in a tailored suit and had long, black hair that was tied back in a pony tail. He grabbed the small girl by her neck, pulling her towards a back door with him. She whimpered in pain and Lauren's applauding hands froze. The air around her started getting warmer, noticeably. The Phoenix fought for control. She could not afford to lose it now. These weren't her humans, she had no influence and as much as she wanted to let out the fire-bird inside her to help the small girl, it would be her end. Oh, she would take some of them with her but there was no way she would stand a chance in a trial for defending a human.

Evan sensed the change in temperature and noticed the red-golden hue in his older daughter's eyes. Placing a calming hand on her shoulder her whispered a sharp "Lauren!" It seemed to work. She turned her head away sharply from where the Fae had disappeared with the girl. "I need some space." She nearly growled and, shaking off his hand, she made her way to one of the exits of the main room.

On her way through a long hallway she came across another servant, who was obviously there to show the guest all the pleasantries the party had to offer. He obediently bowed as she passed. Lauren turned to him. "You!" The young man looked up at her with fear at the tone of her voice. "A place where I can be alone, a nice one?" Lauren demanded of him.

"Right up the stairs to your right, Ma'm, there are small glass balconies overlooking the city." He stuttered, shaking badly. "Thank you." Lauren replied much more friendly and made her way up the stairs. She found the balconies the man had been talking about. They were indeed quite nice, almost at the top of the building, little platforms that stuck out from the structure, completely closed-in with glass walls and an all-glass floor. Lauren sighed as she looked at the busy city beneath her. The sight calmed her nerves. It was a quiet, a peaceful picture.

-x-

After the incident with the human Bo searched the crowd for her blonde victim, finding nothing. The dance had been declared open and it was hard for the Succubus to get through all the people who wanted her to dance with them. When she was finally convinced that Lauren had left the room she searched for her in all the other rooms on the main level but the blonde was nowhere to be found. She found herself getting angry. No, Lauren was not getting away. The Succubus wouldn't let that happen. With new vigor she took a turn into a long corridor where she saw a figure standing, seemingly waiting. She approached him and realized he was human. "Human!" His face had a look that screamed 'not again' and Bo smirked. Jackpot. "Yes, Ma'm?" He stuttered, his eyes getting stuck on her cleavage. "A blonde woman, beautiful, short black dress, ring any bells?" Bo spat at him and he hurried to nod, pointing up the stairs to Bo's right. The Succubus knew then that victory was hers. Without another look at the human she sauntered up the flight of stairs, finding herself in yet another corridor she saw light streaming into it from large glass balconies positioned every so often along its length. She didn't have to go very far to find Lauren. She was in the third, her back to Bo with one hand on the glass, looking down on the city that was busy even at this time of night.

The Succubus positioned herself at the entrance to the small space, leaning against the wall, letting her eyes rake up and down the figure she planned to devour over and over tonight. Her hunger spiked and she shivered as she saw the change in the blonde's aura. The glass worked a little bit like a mirror against the dark night and Bo used it to her full advantage. Lidded bright blue eyes stared into the reflection of honey-brown ones. Lauren's heartbeat increased tenfold. "Bo.." She whispered and the Succubus felt as if all the wanton desire she harbored for this woman was emptied into her bloodstream at once, making her own pulse quicken and the well-known tingle spread through her. "Hmm..?" She hummed.

Lauren placed a second hand on the glass in front of her as if to steady herself. "Why?" The question was weak, her voice already raspy with desire. It was so palpable that it embarrassed her. Bo saw all the emotions in Lauren's reflection as the blonde herself refused to turn and face the Succubus, afraid of what was happening to her.

The brunette took a few steps towards Lauren so she was standing right behind her. They were about the same height, Bo a little taller but only because her heels were higher. She placed her hands on the blonde's waist, the skin contact making them both hiss at the electricity shooting through them. Now Lauren's aura was blinding Bo again, making her want the doctor even more as she admired the beautiful wing tattoos on her back. They gave Lauren and even more mysterious aura. The Succubus leaned in, drawn to the woman in front of her like a moth to a flame. Breathing in the blonde's intoxicating scent she whispered "Why what?" before she let her nose travel up Lauren's neck, making her shudder and gasp, the hands on the glass in front of her pressing harder against the cold surface.

"Why.." Lauren fought to breathe. Her heart was racing but she couldn't fill her lungs with air. It was so ironic and under normal circumstances entirely impossible but then again, this wasn't normal in any way, was it? "Why... me?" She choked out as Bo began nipping at her neck, those haunting blue eyes still locked onto hers through the reflection in the glass in front of them.

The Succubus chuckled, her teeth grazing Lauren's marble skin. "At first.." she began, her hands moving up the blonde's sides, slowly stroking along the fabric and skin there and finally slipping under it, making a small moan ring from Lauren's mouth. "..you were just like all the others." Bo pressed into the woman before her and together they smashed against the glass, Lauren finally turning her head as far as she could in her position. She found the searing blue eyes of the Succubus mere inches away, watching her with such lust in them that Lauren almost broke down right there. "But then, you turned me down, doctor." Bo's eyes shone bright, her voice like velvet as she used the hands on Lauren's hips to whirl her around, pressing her up against the glass once more. A surprised moan escaped the doctor and her hands seemed to have a life of their own, pulling the brunette seductress even closer to her body, causing her to bite a ruby-red lip. "I was mad, Lauren. Nobody ever turned me down before." Bo whispered against Lauren's lips that were slightly open and panting right before her. She gave her a strong pulse from where her hands rested on her back now to emphasize her statement. The blonde moaned loudly, slipping one of her legs up and around Bo.

Lauren felt the heat in herself rising, the Phoenix wanting to be free so desperately. Bo saw the honey-brown eyes in front of her slowly changing color and becoming a blazing golden-red. "You came to get me because I got away?" The rising fire made Lauren bolder. Bo slipped one of her hands down her leg to hold it up and nodded. "You're the one that got away. But you can't resist me... nobody can." Bo pulsed Lauren again, eliciting yet another moan but Lauren's mind suddenly came out of its lust-filled haze. The last part of Bo's sentence resonated inside her head and she realized that giving in now was her kiss of death. Bo would lose interest and disappear. There was no way Lauren could let that happen, she was already in too deep, even if it meant turning down the promises Bo was making again. Her movement was sudden, surprising Bo who suddenly found herself up against the glass wall. "Nobody?" She challenged the Succubus, leaning in as close as she could without their lips touching.

"Absolutely nobody." Bo whispered back, her hot breath tickling Lauren. Fire-red eyes met cerulean blue once more before Lauren closed the small distance, pulling the Succubus in for a searing kiss that completely crashed both their worlds to the ground. It was a slow kiss, but it burned deep inside of both women. Bo was completely overwhelmed with Lauren's taste. She smelled perfect but she tasted even better so the brunette gave herself completely to the kiss, forgetting that she should be leading, seducing, having the woman before her.

Somewhere in the scrambled mess that was Lauren's brain right now she found her real intent again. She pulled away, panting heavily. She used the moment where Bo recovered from the earth-shattering kiss and slipped out of her arms. "Try again, my little Succubus." She smiled at Bo whose eyes widened in surprise. With a wink of now again honey-brown eyes Lauren was gone, leaving the Succubus alone, panting and still leaning against the glass wall behind her.

What happened took a few moments to register with Bo. When it finally did, rage took over. Rage at the fact Lauren had disappeared yet again, at the fact that she was again left unsatisfied and most of all at the power that the beautiful blonde seemed to already hold over her. She let out a frustrated scream, slamming her fist back against the glass and causing it to crack.

Halfway down the stairs Lauren heard the furious scream coming from above her. This had not been their last meeting, that was for sure.

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_I'm so giddy to know what you thought about the chapter, I just can't wait to read your reviews so write me one! I will try to update as soon as possible, so see you all soon! :)_


	6. What have you done to me?

_Oh my god guys, I did not just get over 30 reviews on the last chapter? And over a hundred follows after just five chapters? Thank you so much for all the kind words, you have no idea what your response to this story means to me. Your comments are really inspiring. This chapter is not quite as long as the last one (which by the way was the longest I ever wrote) but I hope you will like it just the same. Keep the comments coming, I'll be waiting for them! Enjoy! :)_

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Kenzi woke with a start from where she had been sleeping on the couch. The small Djinn had stopped playing video games a little after midnight, satisfied that she had saved the world from robot hookers once again in a kick-ass fashion. She had fallen asleep to some show she was not really watching anyway a short while later, sprawled across the couch on her back, one leg on the floor next to a half-empty liquor bottle and the remote still in her lap. At first she thought it had been a noise from the TV that had startled her awake but heard another crash coming from behind her. Kenzi groggily looked at the TV, squinting her eyes to get through her alcohol and sleep induced haze. Recognizing the show she figured it had to be about three in the morning. It was a late time for Bo to come back. Although the Succubus definitely partied hard she usually came home early to thoroughly enjoy her conquest of the night.

Kenzi heard a strangled moan from behind her, the entrance of the clubhouse blocked from her sight by the back of the couch. Groaning, she got up, still not fully awake but what she saw once she had sat up far enough was sufficient to startle the remaining sleep and booze right out of her system. Bo hadn't made it far into the house with her feed. A petite blonde woman was pressed up against the wall opposite from the door, her head thrown back in ecstasy while the Succubus had a hand on her throat. Bo was feeding deeply, drinking down the light blue stream of energy flowing from the other woman's mouth like she had been starved for months. The blonde was moaning and whimpering under the unforgiving power of the Succubus, her eyes wide open as she stared at her lover's blue orbs in adoration.

Kenzi had, unfortunately for her, witnessed Bo in her Succubus-mode a few times too often for her to just forget it. The brunette always fed deeply from her lovers but what worried the Djinn was that she had never seen it look like this. Bo always took her feeds to bed, had them all night long while she fed off them little by little, satisfying her hunger as well as her need for sex, for the passion that came with it. Right now it didn't look pleasurable and passionate at all. It was all about the feeding itself and Bo drank greedily from the blonde whose whimpers became weaker and weaker until she shuddered once more and Bo let go of her, the other woman sliding down the wall with a ghastly grin on her face, her head lolling to the side. The Succubus looked down at her, pity and anger swirling in her still cerulean blue eyes before she realized that she was being watched. Kenzi was staring from her best friend to the blonde woman with wide blue eyes, her mouth open in shock but not a sound coming out. Before the Djinn even had a chance to find her words again Bo walked past her and up the stairs into her room where she stripped out of her dress and dropped onto the bed stark naked, falling into a deep sleep instantly.

Kenzi on the other hand was wide awake, kneeling in front of the blonde woman in the hallway, pressing two fingers to her pulse point and listening for a heartbeat. After a minute she had to turn her head away, her eyes closing as if to shut out her realization but the terrible grin on the woman's face was nothing easily forgotten. Kenzi slowly got out her cell phone and dialed a long number. When a male voice answered she said she had something for them to pick up. The man didn't ask any questions, it was his job after all. He said someone would be over to pick the body up in a few minutes. The call ended and the Djinn slowly lowered the phone from her ear. She willed herself to look at the woman once more. Of course, the grin was still there and Kenzi shuddered.

The Djinn didn't know how long she sat there but when somebody knocked at the door she slowly got up and opened it. A blonde man with cold dark eyes and lots of scars all over his face and hands walked in and knelt down in front of the body. "Succubus kill, hm?" He asked of her and Kenzi nodded when he looked back at her for an answer. "Well, I like that woman's taste, what a beauty, human of course and now the grin, but still.." He trailed off when he didn't get any verbal response from the Djinn. Shrugging to himself he lifted the dead body onto his shoulder. "This is the first this year so no charge." He scribbled something on a piece of paper he produced from his pocket with a pen and handed it to Kenzi. "I'll put this in Miss McCorrigan's record. See you again soon, hopefully." He stated and walked out the door, leaving the Djinn staring at the spot where the dead woman had been moments ago.

This was crazy. Bo was no killer. She was a young Succubus with a sheer unquenchable appetite but she never killed. She never took humans home anyway. Kenzi knew that she had killed a few a long time ago but since the Djinn had known her Bo stuck to Fae exclusively and there had never been any trouble. So what had triggered the reaction she had witnessed firsthand? The Succubus had been at an elder ball, she couldn't have come across the human woman there. Suddenly, realization hit Kenzi like a ton of bricks. Bo had been after Lauren. The woman must have, for no obvious reason at all, turned her down once again, hence triggering the violent reaction. Rejected Succubus was a side of Bo Kenzi didn't know how to deal with yet but she would get to the bottom of this, that the Djinn promised herself and her best friend at the same time.

-x-

Lauren was taking deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling at a deliberately slow pace while she gracefully moved her whole body from one shape into the next. The mansion behind and the garden around her was still quiet, the grass under her bare feet damp from the night. Mist covered the Leavold garden, looking ghostly in the semi-darkness of the approaching day. Now and then there would be a flicker of light reflecting off the droplets of water everywhere as a flame made of Lauren's need to clear her mind passed by. The Phoenix had been at this for hours as she was in no condition to sleep. It was as if her mind was refusing to shut down and allow relaxation to settle in. Unfortunately her usually mind-emptying exercise failed to work its magic today. No matter how often she focused solely on the movement of her muscles memories of last night came rushing back as soon as she thought she had succeeded. Lauren had felt the Succubus the second the brunette laid her eyes on her last night in the glass balcony. The reflection of Bo's haunting blue eyes in the glass was all it took for Lauren to throw every sense of caution into the wind, her knees almost giving out under her as the succubus pressed into her from behind. The blonde couldn't describe how Bo smelled, deliciously dangerous was the term in her mind but she always laughed it off, nobody could smell _dangerous_, yet the brunette seductress somehow did. Her closeness made Lauren's blood boil, made her lose control over her powers which was something that never happened before. She hadn't meant to kiss Bo. The rational part of her brain, or what was left of it, told her she had to do it in order to distract the Succubus enough to escape. The truth was, Lauren couldn't help herself. Bo so close to her, biting her inviting ruby-red lips had been too much for the Phoenix to handle. The kiss had burned her and made something inside her very clear: If this game of cat and mouse continued Lauren would give in eventually. There was no way around it and the worst part was that the blonde knew this was more than just the thrall of a sex-demon. A thrall would break as soon as she was out of its reach but her feelings stayed.

The small flames Lauren was guiding erupted into an inferno for a mere second as she willed herself to focus on her movements again. She knew it was no good. In a few moments it would all start over again. Sighing, she closed her bright golden-red eyes and slowly stood from her final form, the flames around her dancing for a moment before the vanished. Opening her now honey-brown eyes she looked at the sun that was rising in just this moment. Lauren let the warm rays caress her face and relax her to a certain extent. As a fire spirit the sight and warmth of the sun always calmed her. Her thoughts drifted back to last night again and she cringed. She needed to deal with this, sooner rather than later.

-x-

Kenzi was still sleeping when Bo came down the stairs the next morning. It was still early but the Succubus was buzzing with energy. She had called Tamsin to take her up on a year-old offer to go to the gym with her sometime. Bo had chosen the blonde Valkyrie as she didn't want to deal with her confused emotions right now and her and Tamsin's relationship wasn't known for heart-to-hearts. The Succubus was gulping down her usual cup of coffee when she saw a small piece of paper on the kitchen counter. She picked it up and read what was written on it in a small and narrow scrawl.

_Human, female, death through energy drain, put on the record of Ysabeau McCorrigan, genus Succubae, of elder clan McCorrigan._

Under the short information was a signature next to today's date. Bo stared at the piece of paper as she remembered last night from when she left the elder ball. She had got ragingly drunk, or as drunk as a Fae could get themselves. Sometimes their superior healing powers got in the way of drowning sorrows. On her way home she had hailed a cab, only to let the cabbie be her first victim of the night. Fortunately for him his chi had been bland, and so Bo left him barely alive a few blocks away from the clubhouse and got out of the car. The feeding had banned the alcohol from her system, making her senses clear and let rage take over again. How could Lauren dare to turn her down? She was a Succubus, shouldn't she be completely irresistible?

When she was only one block away from home she spotted a young human couple making out at the door of one of the run-down apartment complexes that were the most prominent buildings in this part of town. A wicked grin played across Bo's lips as she sauntered over to them. He noticed the Succubus first, staring openly at the by far most beautiful woman he had ever seen. His sudden lack of response to her kisses made his girlfriend look up as well. Her stare caught Bo's and where at first had been irritation there was now pure adoration. The Succubus grinned, humans were just too easy sometimes. She closed the small distance between them and saw both of their auras flare even more as she held both of them around the waist. "One of you I'll take home with me. Let's see who tastes better, shall we?" She announced to them and pulled the guy to her lips first, making him moan as her eyes turned blue and she took a gulp of his chi. It tasted better than that of the cab driver but still... Bo turned to his girlfriend and kissed her, too. Nipping at her life force the Succubus knew she had found a winner. She pulled the woman into her body while looking at the guy. "Sweetie, why don't you give us some space?" She asked of him and he nodded like a puppy and disappeared into the building.

Bo looked back at her chosen feed. She was a pretty thing, long blonde hair and strong facial features. She looked a little like Lauren. It made Bo's eyes shine even brighter. "Let's go." She husked in the woman's ear and pulled her off towards her house.

Back home she had relentlessly drained the woman in one go, leaving her own body humming with all the energy she had consumed. She had fallen asleep instantly and when she woke up she didn't know if it had been reality or just a dream. The note made it clear that this was very real. Kenzi had obviously called the Morrigan's clean-up crew, Fae who picked up Dark Fae kills and distributed them to the families who needed them for their nourishment. They also made sure that the deaths were explained to human society, protecting the Fae from discovery. Bo shrugged to herself. While she hadn't killed for a while it didn't particularly bother her. Humans were just humans after all. Drinking the last bit of her coffee and shouldering the sports bag next to her she made her way to the door. Looking back at Kenzi once more she sighed. She would explain later. Kenzi cared about humans as much as Bo did but the shocked look she had worn last night when she saw Bo spoke differently. The door clicked closed and Bo, getting in her yellow Camaro, drove off to the gym where she would meet with Tamsin.

-x-

On her way back from work Lauren always listened to a local radio station. Like most Fae, she shared the enthusiasm of the human population for music. It had a relaxing effect, just what she needed after a long and exhausting day at work and thoughts of Bo swirling through her mind. She let herself be carried by the music until she pulled up the long driveway and into the small red brick building that was the Leavold garage. Locking her beautiful silver car she walked the short distance across a perfectly manicured lawn on a small pathway that led to the front door.

When she came to a halt in front of it the door opened and as she stepped inside, Derrick, the older door man bowing and greeting her with a "Good evening, Miss Lewis. I hope your day was enjoyable." Lauren smiled at the man. He was the mansion's head of staff, having served the Leavold family more than fifty years. He was losing his by now white hair but still had the same friendly smile on his face he had when Lauren had first met him. Derrick was one of the few humans that really enjoyed what he was doing. Lauren had once spoken to him about it and he had said that for him, being with the Fae and getting a chance to experience their presence and power was enough to make him happy. The blonde had been impressed by the gratitude the man felt towards the Leavold family for introducing him to this world.

"Good evening to you, too. I think your day was better than mine." Lauren answered honestly, earning an understanding nod from Derrick as he closed the door again. She started to make her way up the long stairway to put her bag in her office when she was called back. "Miss Lewis, your mother told me to tell you as soon as you came home that they will start dinner at seven." He looked at the pocket watch he pulled from the pocket of his vest and continued. "That was twenty minutes ago. She said that you should join them immediately, then." "Thank you, Derrick. I will be down shortly." Lauren said and turned to get ready.

-x-

Bo was sweating, punching the pads Tamsin held up in the combinations the Valkyrie announced. They had been at this for quite some time and the brunette found, much to her dismay, that it didn't erase Lauren from her mind. The woman seemed to have taken permanent residence in her head, memories of last night burned into her with every detail. Bo growled and hit harder, causing Tamsin to smirk. The Succubus was definitely working something off. It was a state she had never seen Bo in and it made her curious. She hadn't heard about anything going wrong last night at the elder ball, just that some human had lost her head because she fucked up but that couldn't be the reason for Bo's obvious rage at herself. It was not that the Valkyrie actually cared, she just liked to know what happened around her. Information was power and she made it her job to know more than most.

"So.." She began when they were taking a short break and stretching. "What's making the mighty Succubus all bitchy?" Bo shot her a displeased look. "And I thought I was at a gym with a Valkyrie, not an Empath." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Tamsin laughed. "You think I actually care? I just want something to get to you." She grinned back at the sour looking Succubus. "And why exactly should I tell you? I came here to not talk about it."

"Oh, so you fled from Kenzi the Kenziest in order not to talk about your problems? How very best-friendy of you. I bet she won't be pissed at all." Tamsin picked up her gloves and held them in front of her, signaling that she was ready for a real round. As they got back into the ring, the punches that followed were even harder than those before. Silently, the Valkyrie was impressed. She knew Bo was pretty badass and could handle her shit but she never knew she could pack a punch this hard.

"Leave Kenzi out of this. I'll deal." Bo got out in between puffs of breath she let out whenever she hit Tamsin's cover.

"Must be really shitty then, huh? What did you do, piss off mommy dearest royally? She's giving you loads of shit I bet." Tamsin laughed as she dodged a quick combo. "Or is it the wolf-boy? He's moping around the precinct all day like a puppy who lost his favorite toy." Her sharp left hook was dodged by the Succubus. "It's not my problem if he can't understand the rules." Bo stated grumpily. Her rules, Lauren had ignored them completely. And yet the brunette wanted to see her again, to play the game they seemed to fall into whenever they ran into each other. It had only been twice but Bo knew it would be like this every other time in the future if she didn't do something.

A punch hit Bo full on the jaw, making her stumble backwards and effectively knocking her back to reality. Tamsin was smirking. Bo spacing out like that was an obvious tell. "But there is someone, right? Someone the little Succubus wants to have but can't."

The words echoed in Bo's mind, finding an answer in a memory from last night. _"Try again, my little Succubus." _Lauren's voice, thick with unfulfilled promise, taunted her. Tamsin didn't know what happened, just that she suddenly felt a painful blow to her jaw and then the cords on the side of the ring as she stumbled backwards into them. She lifted her gloved hand to her mouth, opening the glove with her teeth before slipping out of it and holding her throbbing jaw. "Fuck! I said we could fight not that you could kill me!" She spat angrily at Bo whose eyes were blazing blue. Despite her pain the Valkyrie mentally patted herself on the back. She had obviously struck a nerve.

Bo threw off her gloves and they hit the floor with a thump as she ducked out of the ring and walked off, shouting over her shoulder "We're done here!" She stormed into the locker room, not caring to shower she just threw on her leather jacket and made her way out of the gym.

-x-

"Lauren, honey, you are late." Her mother Elizabeth stated without looking up from her food. Lauren's whole family was seated around the long, beautifully set table. Her grandmother of course sat at the head with her mother and father next to her. Then came her sister next to her mother and Lauren's still empty seat was next to Evan. The large room was illuminated by two golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, along with the paintings of family members it gave it its aura of wealth and power. Lauren's own picture hung across from her place at the table so she had a perfect view of her six hundred year old self. The Lauren in the painting had her hair up in an ornate hairdo. She was holding her chin high, like every other family member not smiling for the painting. The blonde remembered the day she had posed for the painting. The painter, a Fae who had been hired by her family exclusively, had told her over and over how incredibly beautiful she was. By the time he was finished she was glad to be rid of him. It had been one of those moments where she realized that to most she was just her beauty.

"I know, I had a lot of work to do. I'm sorry." She made her way to her chair and sat down, one of the humans immediately coming up to her and placing a full plate in front of her. Before she could protest, her mother said "Lauren, just today, for the sake of a family dinner, could you not run off to make yourself something?" Her daughter nodded after she contemplated it for a moment, wondering why her mother thought it important that they have dinner together all of a sudden.

For a few minutes they all ate in silence before Lauren's grandmother finally spoke. "I missed you yesterday at the ball. You were suddenly gone after the ceremony." She looked directly at her granddaughter. A lot of people told Lauren that she had inherited Elder Leavold's aura of control and power and it were those auras that clashed the moment she spoke. "You know how much I despise the way humans are treated by our society, especially by the dark." She kept her voice neutral.

"Yes, I do but that is no reason for you to just disappear. Other things have happened in the past and you sat through it. You can't just vanish, you have a reputation to uphold." This time Elizabeth spoke.

"I see why we are having dinner together, so you can interrogate me." Lauren put down her fork and looked directly at her mother and then her grandmother.

"Laur, we are just concerned. If something is happening that we should know about, please tell us." Evan tried in a soothing voice.

"Then just accept my answer. I'm not sitting amidst a group of heartless people who watch a human being dragged off to be killed without even so much as batting an eye." By now Lauren was getting aggravated and it showed in her voice as well as in her hands clenching the side of the table.

"It's that McCorrigan girl, isn't it? She was gone shortly after you were, too." Her mother's voice was full of venom.

Lauren stood from her place, her eyes shooting daggers at Elizabeth. "And what if it is?" she spat.

"Laur, sit back down, please, you'll only make it worse." Charlotte's small voice drifted through the quiet room.

"I don't want to see you with that woman. We talked about this."

"I don't know why you're making this about her. I stated my reason for leaving. I won't listen to this anymore." With that, Lauren turned and went to leave for the main hall. It was her mother who called after her. "Lauren, we will talk about this again. This was not the last time."

Lauren just kept walking. She went to her office, gathered her bags and made her way back downstairs to leave for her condo in the city. She would, she could not stay in this house for the night. Not because her parents had seen right through her. Not because they disagreed on the human issue but because the blonde just needed time for herself. Derrick wished her a good night as she left and she breathed in the night air. It calmed her as she let the wind whip around her hair while she drove back into the city.

-x-

Kenzi was waiting for Bo when she finally came home. The brunette was sweaty and looked positively pissed but the Djinn would have none of it. "Hey Bo, care to explain why you a) left a dead human for me to take care of in our hall last night and b) why you just ran off this morning without even telling me where you were going?"

The Succubus looked at her angry best friend and sighed. "Look, Kenz, I'm sorry but can we not talk about it, please?" She moved to walk up the stairs but almost ran into the Djinn who suddenly appeared right in front of her.

"Not talk about it? About what? About you being so self-righteous that you can just dismiss your best friend or that you can't handle rejection?" Once again it was visible that she had struck a nerve. Bo's eyes held a blue hue as she growled "This has nothing to do with Lauren."

"The fuck it doesn't! Bo, what the hell? Who is this woman anyway that she can just make you her bitch this easy?" Kenzi practically yelled at Bo from mere inches away. She wouldn't let her best friend go down this road.

"Just forget about it." Bo pushed past Kenzi, not wanting to deal with what she was feeling just now and the Djinn let her. She knew it would be no good to try if Bo didn't want to talk. Once the Succubus had disappeared she got on the phone. There was no way she would let her best friend be like this.

"Yeah, I need your help. Lauren Leavold, I need you to find out where she lives."

* * *

_Somewhere in the first episode, the Morrigan sais the dark take care of their people's kills so this was what I made of it. I know that my picture of Bo here is kind of gruesome but I'm really into her as a full-grown, Dark Fae, unforgiving Succubus who's totally into her nature. So, tell me what you thought, I'm eager to know and the next chapter will be up as soon as I'll get to writing it. :)_


	7. Try as you might

_So here is the next chapter, finally. I just don't know what happened. I had it all laid out, all these great ideas and then, my writing skill seemed to have left me. Also I guess it doesn't help matters that I currently spend every free second I have basically devouring 'A song of ice and fire'. Two books in six days? Uhm.. yeah, I have a problem, I know. But oh, well I finally made it and got out a new chapter, I'm sorry it took as long as it did. Also, for those asking about my other story, I promise you that I will finish it as there is only one chapter left. I just can't seem to find the inspiration I need to give it the ending I want it to have, the ending the story and you guys deserve. So all I can tell you is I'm working on it and I will finish it when I can. Right now, thank you for all the reviews on the last chapters, please enjoy this one and do tell me what you think, I'll stop talking now. ;)_

* * *

Kenzi put the phone down. Finally, after five days her contacts had managed to get her Lauren Leavold's address. It was a large condo in the heart of the city, high above its ever-busy streets in a very modern building. The fact that the Djinn's contacts had to search days to find Lauren told Kenzi something about her. The Leavold mansion was something easily found but it seemed that the Light's best doctor often sought solitude somewhere else and made sure that she was not found. Kenzi smiled. Nobody could hide from her. And now that she finally knew where Lauren lived, she would carefully plan her visit there. Getting in and out was no problem as every door opened for the Djinn with a snap of her fingers. The tricky part would be talking to the woman. As Kenzi knew, most people didn't take too kindly to random strangers suddenly appearing in their home and asking them questions, especially not the ever-polite Light Fae community.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Bo who came down the stairs. To most the woman would have looked as always, stunningly gorgeous in her tight black leather pants, black tank top and knee-high boots, her hair pulled back to a loose ponytail but Kenzi was not fooled. Something in the Succubus' eyes looked off, like she was not really herself. Over the last few days there had been enough proof to definitely affirm that theory. To Kenzi's relief, the incident with the human woman that first night had remained a one-time thing. Bo even seemed to regret what happened after she got off the energy high she had been on from draining someone. She had been up earlier and earlier every day, coming home from the gym sometime in the afternoon, her hands looking terrible. They had cuts and bruises on them and Bo didn't heal as she stopped feeding to punish herself in some way. Kenzi thought part of it was for the killing but there was something else that kept eating away at her best friend and she was determined to find out what that was.

"Morning, Kenz." Bo's voice sounded hollow as she walked to the coffee machine, silently wincing as her wounded hands curved around the mug. Kenzi had been careful around the Succubus the last few days, avoiding topics she knew Bo wouldn't want to talk about even if she knew they needed to talk sometime. "Hey, Bo-Bo. How you feeling today?" She turned off the TV and turned to give her best friend her full attention. Bo smiled weakly but Kenzi got the silent 'thank you' her best friend sent her for just being there. "I'm ok. My whole body feels like I've been run over by a bus followed by a dump truck but I've had worse."

Kenzi nodded. "You certainly had. You know, this might be news to you but you could succuheal and all the pain would be water under the bridge." Her voice was playful, over the past few days the Djinn had changed her tactic from confronting her friend about her flaws to trying to help her get back on track.

Bo's face fell at the words and she looked at the mug in her hands. "I will." she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. She took a large gulp of her coffee before she just placed her mug back on the kitchen counter. "You know, I think I'll go to the gym." She always had her bag packed and ready in the hallway so when she grabbed it and headed out the door Kenzi didn't even have time to answer. The Djinn looked at the spot where Bo had just disappeared and sighed. It was nothing new. Over the last few days their conversations had all been brief at best. All the more reason for her to pay a visit to this Lauren Leavold. It was like she had destroyed the Bo Kenzi knew and that made it the Djinn's business.

-x-

Lauren was concerned as she went over the test results again. It didn't look good for the human that had been wheeled into the compound about a week ago. Normally, Lauren thought with bitterness, the Fae would have just left him in the street to live or die as he may but as he was obviously an unfinished kill his condition would have raised attention in the human community. He was a middle-aged man with short brown hair who had been found on the dark side of town. The new peace treaty gave the Light the right to intervene before he had been killed and placed in a scene that screamed 'terrible accident'. The Ash himself had wanted to question the man if he woke up to identify the Fae responsible for this. He wanted to make sure that incidents like this didn't happen again to ensure that the Fae stayed hidden from human eyes.

The man had been put under Lauren's personal care. She was the best he had, the Ash told her but the rumors of course were going strong that she was the only one in the compound who wasn't biased on the topic. The talk itself didn't bother Lauren as much as the fact that all the gossip kept the rest of the staff from doing their job. She would have to do something about it soon, it was one of her priorities as head of the medical department that everyone was doing their best to fulfill their job, to save lives. The Phoenix sighed. Her job would be easier if everybody else was as focused as her. To her, it was completely irrelevant if the patient was human or Fae. It was what made her stand out from all the other doctors in the compound. Lauren was even recognized in the human world as a brilliant scientist and had won a few awards for her work. Not that they mattered to her. She just wanted to help people so while she was Dr. Lauren Leavold, head of the medical department and the Light Fae's best physician in the Fae world she was recognized in the human world as Dr. Lauren Lewis, one of the most brilliant minds of the century.

Shaking off the thoughts clouding her mind and concentrating on the task at hand she looked at the man in the hospital bed in front of her. He was pale as a ghost, eyes closed but a toothy smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Lauren knew he had been drained of energy, that much was obvious. She was going with a Succubus or Incubus feed that was cruelly left with barely enough energy to live. Her first thought when she had come to this conclusion had been _"Bo"_ but she quickly discarded the possibility. The man had been found in his cab deep in dark territory on the outskirts of town. It was an area that was dominated by old industrial buildings and large run-down apartment complexes, not an area for the daughter of a powerful Dark Fae elder. Just to be sure she had checked Bo's killing record the day after the man was brought in and found that she hadn't killed a human in over a hundred years. It was a fact that not only made Lauren sigh in relief but also made her wonder about the reasoning behind it. From what the blonde knew about Fae that fed on sexual energy like Succubae and Incubi did, humans were not able to resist their powers in any way and, unless fully drained and therefore killed, could barely quench their appetite. Bo probably stuck to Fae because she could feed more deeply from them and not have to worry about a dead body afterwards, it's what most Fae Lauren knew did if their feeding had the potential to kill. Lauren sighed. She was grateful that she wasn't a 'feeder'. Most Fae somehow fed off the human population but Lauren was a Phoenix, a fire spirit and therefore only connected to her element. Her energy came from the sun like a water spirit was dependant on the moon and the tide it brought.

Lauren shook her head, looking at the man before her. He was in a coma and only Helios himself knew if he would ever wake again. She carefully placed the chart with results she had been holding back next to his bed as there was nothing she could do for him. His condition wasn't changing and only the constant beeping of the machines around him gave indication that he was still alive. Lauren knew that life or death would be decided by the ability of his body to restore the energy that had been ripped from him. Taking one last look she turned and made her way to her office. It was already getting late and she wanted to gather a few things from the mansion before she went back to her condo in the city.

-x-

Bo was panting heavily through her open mouth, sweat running down her face and neck. The punching bag she had spent the last few hours trying to destroy was swinging lightly back and forth, taunting her. The worn light brown leather was stained with dark spots where her bloody hands hit the most. Being the only one in the gym at the moment was a good thing. Nobody asking stupid questions, nobody trying to make her feel better. She didn't need that, didn't want that. Bo just wanted to be alone and punch the living daylights out of something to forget the taunting voice in her head. _"Try again, my little Succubus." _

"You bet I will." she growled and gave the bag another heavy blow that left more stains on the leather and made her right hand scream in protest. She raised her bloodied fists to look at them more closely. She had cuts and bruises all over the back of her hands but across her knuckles the skin had been torn off almost completely, blood and fluids seeping out of the many wounds. Somehow the pain was relieving as much as it was excruciating. It made her feel something else than rage and the other feeling inside her that hid just beyond the surface of her consciousness, coming closer and closer whenever she thought of Lauren. Bo gritted her teeth. No woman, no matter how beautiful was supposed to have that effect on her yet she couldn't help but still be drawn to the gorgeous blonde that was Lauren Leavold. She felt rage boiling inside her at the thought of the rejection she received but also a strange tingling in her stomach. The Succubus closed her eyes and shook her head, opening her hand and wincing at the relieving pain the movement brought with it. He hand shook slightly from the intensity of the pain. It was like her hand was on fire, slowly crumbling away under an unforgiving flame but it also erased the thoughts she wanted it to. Closing her fist again she started punching the bag once more, grunting in pain as every hit made a white-hot flash shoot up her arms.

When Bo was done she almost collapsed from the exertion and the pain. Her whole body shook, her hands burned and as she looked at them she thought she saw a flash of white amidst the blood and flesh that had been her right hand, indicating she had made it to the bone but she couldn't be sure as the wound didn't stop bleeding. The Succubus was still sweating and now that she stopped moving it made for a beautiful contrast. The coolness on her face compared to the excruciating burn of her hands. Maybe she should cool them off as well. Bo grinned. She knew what would happen but still put the back of her hand to her forehead to wipe away the sweat. The pain of the salty liquid in her wounds made her yelp, her arm almost going numb from the intensity.

Maybe she would feed just a little to heal her hands just enough for it to be manageable? The petite clerk at the entrance had looked quite delicious and she had burned brightly since the first time she saw the Succubus. No, Bo thought as she slowly made her way back to the locker room. The woman was human. No more deaths. She wasn't like her mother who used humans for her mere pleasure and only as long as they lasted. Killing the other woman had been a weak moment, she regretted it the moment the consumed energy started to fade. It was not that she particularly cared about humans, she just never wanted to be like her mother in any way.

She looked at her reflection in the full length mirror on the wall of the locker room. Her flushed face glistered with sweat, her tight workout clothes clinging to her even more than usual. Bo thought she looked exhausted, but normal. Except for her hands of course, hanging cut and still bleeding at her sides. She didn't feel the pain anymore.

It was that little realization that made the Succubus wake up from what seemed to be a day-long nightmare. She suddenly saw herself more clearly in the mirror. The tired eyes with dark rings under them, her stance that was nowhere near as proud as it used to be. _She _was nowhere near where she used to be. Bo knew the reason. Lauren. The brunette didn't know how or why the Light Fae doctor effected her this much but there was no point in denying it anymore. _Try again, my little Succubus._ The memory of the heavy, velvety voice didn't taunt her anymore, it just made her even more determined to get to the bottom of this attraction, these feelings she had for Lauren. Suddenly Bo was again very aware of the almost blinding pain in her hands, this time not a welcome distraction, just another proof of her unstable behavior. Bo looked for something to stop the bleeding and decided she would wash her hands and then wrap them up the best way she could here.

The cold water from the sink only made the burn worse but Bo kept her hands under the stream. When she was done her hands were gladly a bit numb from the coldness of the water. She wrapped them in toilet paper, it was the best she could do right now. The bleeding had almost stopped but the fluids were still seeping through the thin material, making Bo wrap even more layers around it. When she was as happy with the result as she would get she quickly gathered her stuff, not bothering to change but just throwing on her leather jacket she made her way out of the gym and back to her yellow Camaro.

-x-

Kenzi was slowly creeping up the last flight of stairs. She had taken the elevator to the very top of the huge building and she still had to take the stairs to get to Lauren's apartment. It was the only one on the whole floor and that meant it had to be positively huge. All the other floors had a corridor with at least four doors leading to different apartments, all large and terribly expensive by themselves. When Kenzi reached the top of the stairs she was greeted by a very small room, lit by a few bright lights that shone from behind glass in the ceiling. A heavy wooden door with a key card slot was the only thing that gave the room a purpose. Kenzi walked closer to the door and examined it. It was an expensive piece of work and without the key card there was absolutely no human way of getting in. The Djinn grinned. It was a good thing then, that she wasn't human.

With a snap of her fingers the door made a rattling sound, then a click and a bleep that came from the electronic lock. Seconds later the heavy door opened a crack to invite Kenzi in. Mentally patting herself on the back for her awesomeness she carefully and as quietly as she could pushed the door open and crept inside, closing the door behind her. What she saw left her completely dumbfounded for a moment. She stood in a huge room, walls white and decorated with expensive looking pieces of art. There were large paintings on canvas hanging from the wall far to her left. The Djinn always had a passion for art so she knew exactly what she was looking at. The colored squares and black lines on them screamed Mondrian, and Kenzi was sure they were originals as she slowly inched closer, for a moment forgetting all caution. Finally able to tear her eyes away from the priceless artwork she took in the rest of the large room. It was very modernly furnished, with a black couch and chairs arranged neatly to look at a huge flatscreen on the wall she was standing in front of, between the two large paintings she had just admired. The room was dimly lit by the last light of the day and the lights of the city below it shining through large windows across from the entrance. They almost took up the whole wall that Kenzi only now realized was huge. Looking up at the high ceiling she found another level overlooking the one she was standing on. A wooden banister in the same deep and rich color as the floor she stood on prevented Kenzi from seeing what was on that level.

Kenzi couldn't stop admiring everything she saw as it screamed wealth and power. She stared open-mouthed until a crackling sound startled her from her trance. The Djinn turned to where the sound had come from, her heart beating rapidly. She realized she had not even seen everything as she saw a flicker of reddish-golden light come from around a corner to the right of the entrance. Kenzi inched forward, suddenly very aware again why she was here in the first place. Looking around the corner she at first saw dancing shadows. A spiral staircase, wooden like almost everything in the apartment wound its way up to the second level but the flickering light came from downstairs. It seemed like there was another room like the one Kenzi stood in so she made her way along the wall to get to it. She still saw the shadows, it looked like a dancing woman but she couldn't be sure as they changed too quickly. She looked around the next corner and her heart started racing even more.

A stunningly beautiful blonde woman was moving in what seemed to be one fluid motion, clad only in wide white pants with a black silk belt, tied neatly in the front and a white sports bra, sweat glistering on her exposed skin. She currently had her back to Kenzi and the Djinn saw that most of it was covered with a tattoo of red and golden wings. They seemed to move but Kenzi shook her head slightly, it was only the muscles beneath them. The woman had to be Lauren, that was clear and right now she had her hands in front of herself so the Djinn couldn't see them but she appeared to be holding a candle of some kind as it was obviously the source of the reddish light.

Kenzi was about to say something to gather her attention when Lauren turned in one elegant motion, setting one bare foot in the Djinn's direction and bending forward, her hands outstretched. There was no candle in them. Instead a flame followed their motions like a snake followed the tone of a flute. Only now did Kenzi realize her mistake. She knew where the woman lived, her name, her occupation, her allegiance but the one thing she didn't know was what type of Fae Lauren was. It had to be some kind of elemental fire spirit. No shit, captain obvious, her brain scolded her, she was right in front of her forming shapes out of a hovering flame like it was play-doh.

Kenzi didn't realize that, as she was holding her inner monologue, Lauren's golden-red eyes found her at the corner and immediately they were honey-brown again. The flame vanished into thin air, leaving behind only cold darkness. The sudden absence of light made Kenzi snap from her trance and realize she had been caught. In the last light of the day the Djinn saw cold eyes staring at and right through her, making her shiver.

"Umm.. hi?" She said lamely, raising one hand for a small wave. Lauren slowly took a step in her direction, still staring her down. "And that's all you have to say?" Kenzi thought the blonde's voice sounded almost like she was singing, but it still made her blood freeze in her veins. She shook her head as Lauren continued to walk towards her. She smiled, completely without emotion. "Good." Her voice still had a beautiful tone but was cold as ice. It was a stark contrast to the heat Kenzi felt radiating off the blonde as she stepped closer. "Then you better tell me who you are and what you are doing in _my_ home."

Kenzi tried to gather herself. The sudden turn of events had washed her well-laid plans out of her mind but now, as Lauren's eyes flickered a threatening golden red she remembered. With a flick of the Djinn's wrist the blonde was suddenly staring at thin air, a voice now coming from behind her. "My duties as a best friend."

Lauren whirled around, her eyes narrowing as she stood ramrod straight. She didn't answer Kenzi, waiting for the small Fae to explain herself further. The Djinn was not as intimidated by the blonde as she was before but still, she sure was a sight. Even with bare feet and in wide pants and a sports bra she looked like a queen, the long blonde locks falling over her shoulders, in the fading light shining like a crown. Kenzi knew her best friend better than anyone else and seeing the woman in front of her, she knew what had intrigued Bo. Sure, the blonde was more beautiful than anyone should be but that was what had intrigued the Succubus. Bo had been drawn to the aura surrounding Lauren. Not the sexual one but the power, the grace that the blonde wore like an armor.

Kenzi snapped her fingers and the lights in the room went on. The Djinn had chosen a comfortable low setting, bathing the room in a warm golden light. "I came here to talk to you. I can see why Bo can't forget you." Her voice was neutral, not giving anything away. Lauren's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and the corner of her mouth twitched at the mentioning of the Succubus' name. She started walking towards and then past Kenzi to a small sitting area in a corner of the room where she turned to look at the small Fae. "Then come, sit and talk, Djinn."

Kenzi was baffled for a second. How did the blonde know what she was? Sure, she had just used her powers but most Fae couldn't combine what they saw with what they knew. Lauren must have caught onto her thoughts somehow as she said "It's my job to know things but you surely know what my job is if you know where I live." She made a gesture for Kenzi to sit down across from her which the Djinn carefully did. "I know that you are the Light's best doc but let's cut the crap. What the hell did you do to my Bo-Bo?"

Lauren raised her eyebrows at the sudden change of pace, then chuckled. "I did nothing." Kenzi just continued to glare at Lauren. "You did something to her. She hasn't been herself since she met you at that damn ball!"

"I already told you, I didn't do anything. We met, we danced but _she_ came on to_ me _so don't try and blame her actions on me." Lauren's voice was calm, a deadly one, Kenzi found. She also found that she didn't like the woman in front of her, not one bit. "She was killing then stopped feeding, she is hurting herself on purpose, she is not the Bo I know and that is all because of you although she won't admit it!" Kenzi stood abruptly, trying to tower over the blonde sitting in front of her but Lauren did not weaver. "I don't know what false sense of friendship you have, but should you really be here, blaming me for what sounds like the reaction of a petulant child who can't handle rejection?"

"She never did this before, not over anyone and then you swoop in, you don't even let her take you home and this happens? It can't be that simple and I bet you are getting your cruel little kick out of it." Kenzi spat. That seemed to get to the blonde as she stood, now towering over Kenzi herself. "I assure you, I took more from meeting your friends than you know and it was not some 'cruel kick', as you call it." She didn't leave the Djinn time to say anything in return before her voice whispered, still cold as ice "Now get out."

Kenzi knew when it was time to retreat, and this time was now. She nodded once. "I know the way." Not giving Lauren so much as another glance she turned and walked away. She didn't like Lauren, Kenzi thought as she closed the wooden door behind her, refusing to acknowledge that some of the things she had said had been true to a certain point. She concentrated on the fact that Lauren had been the trigger for Bo's behavior. She was the source of this, no matter what she told Kenzi. If she had been this cold to Bo the Djinn knew what got to her best friend. There had been so many things she had wanted to say to the blonde but in the end her temper got the better of her. Damn that woman with her quiet, yet forceful voice. That cold attitude was what got to the Djinn. Lauren Leavold may be a fire spirit, but she was cold as ice, Kenzi thought on her way home.

-x-

After the Djinn had left, Lauren continued to stand where she was, staring blankly at the wall. She knew Bo felt something as well, and now she had proof. She should have gotten more information out of her visitor, but her cold exterior took over without her realizing it. It was her armor, protecting her from getting hurt, from crumbling at the tornado of feelings raging inside of her. She would see Bo again, that was certain and she couldn't hide. If what the Djinn had told her was true, didn't that make Bo different? A Succubus with feelings other than her own pleasure, did that make her better? The Djinn said she had killed, who did she kill and why? Was it just blind rage, normal? No, if it had been normal, Lauren wouldn't have had a visitor this evening.

The light above her flickered and went out, indicating the Djinn had left the area. Lauren sighed, resuming a relaxed position and lighting up the darkness of her apartment with a flame as she moved. She couldn't help but feel as if the life she built and knew so well was about to change due to a certain Succubus; it didn't matter if she wanted it to or not.

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_Please, please let me know what you think and I'll try and get around to writing another chapter soon, but I can't promise anything. My desire to put a silver queen on an iron throne and crush everyone else is just too much to bear these days ;) _


	8. Right, Wrong place? Right, Wrong time?

_So here is the next chapter. I couldn't keep from writing it and I'm quite happy with it so I hope you like it as well! Thanks once again for following, favoriting or just reading my story. Your response has been so great! :) Special thanks for taking the time to review, your comments sometimes give me the greatest ideas! Keep them coming! Enjoy! :)_

* * *

Lauren sighed and stretched. She got up from the expensive leather chair in her office, turning her neck from side to side, making it crack. It sounded obscenely loud in the utter silence of her office. The Ash had made sure that she had everything she could possibly need, including a sound-proof office that allowed her to work in absolute concentration amidst the ever-noisy compound. Checking the digital clock on the wall, her forehead wrinkled in confusion. It was only a little after 3pm. Usually when she snapped out of her work haze, it was already well past six but apparently, not today. Lauren yawned, she was still tired from last night. The Djinn suddenly showing up in her living room was something that kept her up almost all night. Well, not so much the Djinn herself but what she had to say. It had to be serious for her to seek out the blonde and paying her a visit, right?

Lauren didn't get any further with her thoughts as there was a knock on the door. Looking up from where she hadn't realized she's been pacing, the Phoenix walked over to the wooden door with its beautiful carvings on the inside showing the symbol of the Light Fae that the owned humans wore around their neck as a pendant. She was surprised to see Dyson and Tamsin standing there when she opened. The Wolf smiled at her while the blonde Valkyrie looked bored out of her mind.

"Dyson, Tamsin, did I miss an appointment with you?" Lauren was searching her mind for something she may have forgotten but only came to the conclusion that the two detectives weren't due for a meeting until tomorrow afternoon. Dyson's smile widened. "No relax, Doc. I just know that you always have everything ready way ahead of time and we have someone in custody but can't hold him without evidence much longer. We almost sure he did it and we gave you his samples a few days ago, so I'm hoping you got something that would seal the deal for us."

Lauren nodded, turning around and waving for the detectives to follow her, she walked to one of the large drawers that stood against the far wall of her office. "What case was that again? I have a lot of dead bodies coming in these days." She threw an apologetic half-smile over her shoulder, waiting for an answer. It was Tamsin who gave the required information. "You remember the guy who jumped off that building in the city center? We brought you what was left of him." Lauren could practically hear the smirk in her voice. How someone like Tamsin got to be a detective was beyond her but the Phoenix still remembered. A Fae had flung himself off the highest building he could find, nothing terribly unusual and the human media had put it under 'tragic suicide' but Lauren knew better. She ran a few test on the body the detectives had brought her, Tamsin telling her that was all that was left of 'street pizza'. Her brows had furrowed in disgust.

"Yes, I finished that as soon as you gave it to me." Lauren started searching through the drawers and finally pulled out a thick file. She walked back to her desk where the detectives were waiting and watching her. The Phoenix placed the file on the wooden top and opened it. "I went through the usual procedure and I found that he died a happy man. Highly unusual for a normal suicide, they are usually filled with despair that had been building for quite some time and forcing them to those extreme measures. Still, his body shows signs of enormous stress that he must have experienced during his last weeks. My guess, suicide was not far down the line for our victim but somebody gave him the final push. The Fae you have in custody, is he the one you gave me the samples of?"

Both, Dyson and Tamsin nodded, making Lauren smile a victorious smirk. "Then he is the one you are looking for. His feeding signature left a mark in the victim's system, I compared them and the test came back positive. He's your killer. A suicide Fae, right?"

Dyson broke out into a grin himself. "Yes. Do you have all the results here so that we can put him away for good?" Lauren nodded, pulling a few sheets of paper out of the file and handing them to the detective. "You never disappoint, Dr. Lewis." Dyson stated as he looked over the test results. "I aim to please, Detectives." Lauren answered with a satisfied smile, burying her hands in the pockets of her fitted lab-coat.

"Yeah we know, the Doc is great, could we get on now, we only have half an hour left before our time is up and the suicide maniac get's released." Tamsin cut in, now looking bored again as she crossed her arms.

"Tam, why don't you go ahead and take care of this? I have something to speak to the Doc about." Dyson handed the Valkyrie the files which she grumpily accepted. "All right wolf-boy, but if you call me that again I'll make you doubt your own flee-filled fur." She turned and walked out of the office, yelling a good-bye to Lauren over her shoulder as she closed the door with a loud clack.

The Phoenix had a feeling about why Dyson wanted to talk to her so she sat down in her leather chair and motioned for him to take a seat in front of her desk. "I assume, you don't want to consult me about a flee-problem, do you Dyson?" He laughed, a deep, rumbling sound. "No. Lauren I wanted to talk to you about something more personal." He seemed uncomfortable for a moment, fidgeting in his chair before he continued. "The Succubus I told you about, Bo? I'm kind of at a dead-end, I think."

Lauren's brow furrowed, she had been right about the topic. "Define dead-end?"

The Wolf sighed. "I met her at a party about two weeks back. She took me home and then kicked me out on my ass the next morning. I don't know what happened or why she reacted like that. I even made her breakfast." For a moment he looked so much like a sad puppy that Lauren considered handing him a squeaky toy but she caught herself in time. "God, Laur, that was the best night of my life. Everything just felt so right." The Phoenix stomach convulsed at the thought. She quickly forgot the squeaky toy and replaced it with a newspaper across the snout. The image of Dyson with Bo was something that for some reason made her terribly angry but didn't let anything of that show. "Dyson I told you, she is a Succubus. What did you expect, that she falls irrevocably in love with you?" Lauren didn't think the Wolf to be that delusional but then again, she somehow felt a bit sorry for him. After all, the certain Succubus he was hunting down seemed to have taken an interest in Lauren.

"I thought that she would feel the same that I felt. I know she is the one. I've never felt like this before and Lauren, you have known me almost all my life, you know I don't just do something like this." He sounded almost desperate but he was right. Normally he wouldn't just jump headlong into something like his. He was somebody who measured his steps carefully, something Lauren had always appreciated about him. It felt cruel to shoot him down but there was no other way, the Phoenix told herself.

"I know Dyson, but still, you have to be realistic. Bo is a Succubus. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't be monogamous with you."

"What? But I'm Fae, a Wolf, not some weak human!" Lauren flinched at the words but answered him in an even and controlled voice "Yes, Dyson. But you are a shifter. There is a reason why Succubae and Incubi usually end up with each other. It's unusual, but even these creatures can love and sometimes want to be committed to the one they love. There are only certain types of Fae that can sustain a Succubus or Incubus by themselves, one being their own kind and the others are Fae who can heal as they possess more Chi and regenerate it faster than most other species. Look at the McCorrigan clan. They are almost all Succubae and Incubi and while they do feed off others they could sustain each other. That's the only logic behind it."

She looked at Dyson with an apologetic glance as he briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "But how can that be? I mean why does my wolf tell me that we are meant to be together?"

"That I can't answer Dyson but maybe meditation would help you? I does for me." Well, until lately but he didn't have to know that. It made the Wolf-shifter laugh. "No Laur, meditation is something that only works if you believe in it." He grinned, suddenly back to his normal behavior. Lauren rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "That is partly true with everything. But I find it very relaxing and also strengthening. It sharpens your reflexes."

There was a sharp clapping sound as Dyson's fist connected with the palm of Lauren's hand, right in front of her face. Both Fae's arms shook from exertion before Lauren finally managed to push Dyson's hand away slowly. "See?" She told him when he finally gave up. He grinned at the blonde in an almost brotherly way, like he used to do so many years ago. "You're just older, Laur. That makes you stronger."

The Phoenix smiled a sly half-smile. "No, this body isn't actually." She gestured to herself making the wolf roll his eyes. "You're still older, Laur, no matter how often you are reborn." He said, getting up. "Why don't you come with Tamsin and me tonight? We'll be at the Dal, celebrating our latest solved case. One we solved because of you." Lauren contemplated the offer for a moment, deciding that going out wouldn't hurt and that it was definitely better than sitting around at home, left to her thoughts of Bo and her Djinn friend. She nodded. "I'll meet you there after work."

"Great. See you then, Doc." Dyson saluted her loosely before walking out the door and closing it much softer that Tamsin had done before.

-x-

"Bo-Bo, get out of the damn bathroom, others want to admire their reflection in a mirror as well!" Kenzi yelled from behind the closed door that separated her from her best friend. Bo had been in the bathroom for almost two hours and she had stopped responding after a few attempts from the Djinn to break down the door. "All right, Bo. That's it. I'm coming in, no matter what you're doing. Cover your naked bits!" With that Kenzi snapped her fingers and reappeared on the other side of the door with a soft 'plop'.

Bo was standing in front of the shower, thankfully clothed but only in her kimono, slowly wrapping toilet paper around her hands. "What are you doing, Bo?" Kenzi walked up to her best friend and stood next to her, pulling the roll of paper from the Succubus' grip and continued to wrap layer after layer around the bleeding flesh. After a few minutes, Bo finally said something. "I don't know, Kenz." She smiled weakly at her best friend.

"Why don't you heal?" Kenzi asked, her voice almost a whisper. "I didn't feed. Didn't feel like it. But I will tonight." The Djinn nodded, tugging a loose end under the already wrapped layers so the makeshift bandage would stay on. "I think you need something to at least make it a little better before you go out tonight."

Bo smiled at her best friend. "It's ok, really. See?" She flexed the fingers of her right hand, the hand Kenzi was still holding and flinched from the pain shooting up her arm. The wound that had almost stopped bleeding started right up again, visible through the large blotches of dark red appearing on the makeshift bandage. Kenzi sighed, starting to unwrap the hand again so the blood would not make it toilet paper stick to the wound. "I see that it's not ok." She looked at the angry red gashes. They were deep and would take a lot of time to heal unless Bo fed. "You can't go out on the hunt like this. I won't allow it." She winked, adding "No bleeding on the feeds." That at least made Bo chuckle.

"Should I order a pizza, or Chinese? You could snack on the delivery boy and it would give me something to eat as well." Kenzi suggested, still holding Bo's bleeding hand. By now the blood was running down the side, trickling onto the Djinn's as well. The Succubus shook her head. "No humans." She told her best friend and Kenzi understood. She didn't want a repetition of that night as well. They were silent for a few minutes, Kenzi starting to wipe the blood off Bo and her hands with what was left of the bandage she had taken off before.

"What's it about Doc Hotpants anyway that has you so smitten?" The small Fae asked quietly after a while, expecting to be shot down again like every other time she asked something similar. To her surprise, Bo chuckled and shrugged. "I'm not smitten. Well, not exactly. I don't know what it is about her."

"She seems stand-offish to me. Beautiful, yeah of course but like a marble statue, cold." Kenzi stated, thinking back to her encounter with the blonde last night.

"She may seem like that, Kenz but trust me, she is as passionate as any of us, maybe even more so." There was a certain amount of wonder in her voice as she said it, like she didn't really understand it herself. Suddenly she turned to look at her best friend, her eyes fixing the small Djinn next to her. "How would you know that anyway?"

Kenzi, realizing her own error, quickly said "Oh you know, people talk." It wasn't good enough, she saw it in Bo's eyes as the Succubus kept looking at her expectantly. "Oh fine, just don't be upset. I went to pay the Doc a visit last night, feel her out you know, see what she did to you." She trailed off at the end as she saw Bo's eyes widening in shock. "You did what? No Kenz, please tell me that isn't true."

The Djinn didn't answer, giving her only an apologetic smile in return. "You have got to be kidding me!" Bo was suddenly as close to her normal self as she hadn't been in a week, maybe with the exception of today. "Where did you get her address anyway?" She held up a hand, making it bleed once again. "No, don't answer that, I know your contacts. Just tell me you didn't do anything stupid. Tell me everything."

When Kenzi finished her story Bo was baffled. "I can imagine why she was so cold to you. If some stranger walked into my home, telling me I was at fault for the actions of someone I barely know I'd be like that, too." Her voice wasn't scolding or angry, it sounded more defeated than anything.

"I'm sorry." Kenzi said sincerely, she didn't know what else she could do right now. Bo smiled. "It's ok. My behavior is my own fault, sorry I took it out on you." She crossed the small distance between them and gave the Djinn a tight hug from which Kenzi freed herself after a few moments. "You're bleeding on my awesomeness, not cool!" The Succubus grinned. That was Kenzi, from serious to snarky in less than the blink of an eye. "Any ideas?" she asked her best friend.

The Djinn blushed a little. "Well, I don't know but if you don't mind.. I'm Fae." And Right back to serious again, Bo thought. "I don't exactly make out with me best friend." She told the Djinn with a laugh.

"And I don't either. We don't make out. This is an emergency. You know, like the one other time?" Bo nodded slowly as she remembered what Kenzi was referring to. She had been on a job for the Morrigan and a horde of Redcaps had attacked her out of nowhere. They left her after they were done with her, sure she was dead, which was almost true. With her last energy she had rubbed the pendant around her neck, summoning Kenzi, before she passed out from the pain and blood-loss. When she had woken up she was still in the same dark alley she had been attacked in but she felt better. Kenzi was sitting next to her, her back against the wall of an old brick building, panting heavily. Bo's head was in her lap, the Succubus realized and tried to sit up, groaning from the pain and failing miserably. That alerted the small Djinn to her being awake and Bo saw a genuine smile of relief flood over her face. "That was some mouth to mouth resuscitation." She quipped, making Bo smile.

"Yeah, Kenz. But you didn't have much of a choice there." The Succubus gently reminded her best friend. "A few cuts on my hands don't compare."

"Bo, why don't you just let me help you? You can't go out on the hunt like this; you can barely move your hands without releasing a flood of blood." Kenzi argued and Bo sighed, realizing that she wouldn't be left off the hook.

"Fine." She grumbled and motioned for Kenzi to come closer which the Djinn did immediately. "Make it quick." Kenzi grinned, before their lips touched briefly, helping Bo to initiate the flow of chi. The Succubus pulled away a few inches and Kenzi felt her life force leaving her through her still open mouth in a light blue stream. It was a pleasant feeling, warmth spreading through every vein in her body. Bo was feeding deeply, her hands healing in fast motion until, when she broke off the connection, all that was left of the deep gashes were the red marks of freshly healed skin.

"Ah.." Bo hummed, flexing her hands. "Better."

Kenzi laughed. "Glad you're sufficiently juiced. Now, get your ass moving we are going out tonight, I'm planning to make use of my life-long free tab with your grandpa dearest!"

-x-

When Lauren entered the Dal that evening she was impressed at how packed the place was tonight. She hadn't been here for quite some time and it had always been on slower nights were she could quietly sip a glass of Trick's best wine in a corner and relax. There would be no such thing tonight, she figured. Fae, Light and Dark, were laughing, drinking, dancing and simply having fun. She slowly navigated through the masses, seeing a few familiar faces but most of the Fae in the bar she had never seen before. After searching for a few minutes and starting to worry if they were even there yet, Lauren spotted Dyson and Tamsin by one of the pool tables. They were still in their detective outfits, Dyson in dark jeans and a light shirt with a black vest over it, Tamsin with tight-fitting light jeans and a white blouse, her trademark blue leather jacket had been dumped unceremoniously over a chair next to the pool table. The two detectives were obviously bickering about something and as the Phoenix came closer she heard Dyson laugh and say "You're a cheater!" Tamsin grinned an evil grin, leaning back against the pool table and asking "What, just because I'm dark I automatically cheat?" The Wolf shook his head. "No, you cheat because you're Tamsin." That made the Valkyrie laugh out loud and she grabbed her beer. "I'll drink to that!" she exclaimed. Dyson joined in and when he lowered his empty glass again he noticed Lauren watching them with a sly smile on her face.

"Hey, Laur! Glad you could make it!" He greeted her making Tamsin turn around to look at her as well. "Hey Doc." She toasted in her direction before drowning the rest of her beer. "I'll get us a new round, you too Doc?" Lauren nodded and the obviously a little tipsy Valkyrie made her way to the bar to try and get the attention of one of Trick's many bartenders on duty tonight.

"I see you guys are getting along better than anyone who knew you would have thought." Lauren smiled at Dyson as he nodded. "Well, at work Tamsin's usually a royal pain in the ass but believe it or not, she is a good detective and she sure knows how to party."

"I can see that. Kicking your ass at pool, was she?" Lauren's sly grin got even wider as she saw Dyson's bruised ego flare. He passed her the cue the Valkyrie left behind and started to set up the table for a new game.

"Let's see how you hold up, Doc Smartpants." he quipped, making Lauren laugh. Yes, it was definitely good to get out once in a while, especially with where her thoughts always drifted when she was alone.

-x-

When Bo walked into the Dal closely followed by Kenzi, the Djinn was yet again asking herself how Bo could ever doubt her abilities. The moment she walked through the door she owned the place, heads were turning in her direction, longing stares directed at every part of her. On a slower night the whole Dal would have been ogling her best friend but tonight the Dal was packed to the hilt, not a single free table or booth was to be seen and Fae were dancing to the unusually loud music.

"You picked the best spot, Kenz. The sexual energy in this place... I can feel my mouth water." Bo grinned at her and indeed, all the energy around them almost made the Succubus even more appealing. She was already feeding off the vibes of the crowd and it was clearly visible that she loved it. Kenzi smiled, it seemed like she had her Bo back.

The Djinn shrugged at her best friend like it was no big deal and began making her way to the bar. Bo followed her and as soon as they were close they saw that there was a huge number of Fae around the bar waiting to be served. "The usual?" The brunette asked her best friend who smirked and nodded, standing back as the Succubus worked her magic. With a little touch here and there she moved through the crowd that parted willingly for her and after only two minutes instead of a half hour she came back with a tray of shot glasses. Kenzi immediately helped herself to her first one. "Thank god for your mojo, Bobalicious." The brunette laughed with her as they found a small table by the back that had just been abandoned. Sitting down they clinked two more shot glasses together, enjoying the burn that came with the strong liquid.

"Hey, it's the Succubitch! Done moping?" Tamsin appeared out of the crowd smiling broadly and carrying three pints of beer. "Tammy, that's called anger management. I was never moping." Bo informed her, kicking back another shot.

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Yeah whatever. Really, glad to see you back out here." She winked and turned to walk away when Kenzi called after her. "You don't plan to drink all of that alone do you? Because then, my dear Valkyrie, I would say you're the one moping and drowning sorrows."

Tamsin turned back half-way, looking at the pair over her shoulder. "Nah, not my thing. It's for the guys from work. Solved a shitty case, now were celebrating." Hearing that, Kenzi perked up. "Any chance that it's Dyson and the sexy, sexy Siren?"

"You're right about Wolf-boy but Hale wasn't on the case with us. Dyson invited our Doc to come with, she got us the evidence to put the dude away for a long while just in time. Doubt you'd find her as interesting." Tamsin told her, in her tipsy state finding Kenzi's interest in Hale amusing. She didn't notice Bo almost choking on her fourth shot when she mentioned the doctor. Instead the Valkyrie nodded once more in their direction and marched off through the crowd.

"Um...Bo?" The brunette was pulled from her near-stasis by Kenzi's voice. "Was Tammy talking about the Doc I think she was?" Her best friend sounded weary, like she didn't really know what to say. "Probably, yeah." Bo was still looking at the shot glass in her hand, still half full because of Tamsin's interruption of her kicking it back. "I don't get a break, do I?" She whispered, the sound almost lost in the loud atmosphere of the Dal.

Kenzi looked at the Succubus with concern. "What do you mean?"

Finally, Bo moved her gaze back up to the Djinn's face, a small smile on her face. "The moment I decide to go back to my old self, there she is again. And she is friends with Dyson? That's just perfect. He can drool all over me while she just smiles that smile of hers and wins again."

Kenzi saw something in Bo's eyes she had not seen before and it made her ask "Are you sure it's just about winning or losing anymore?" Bo just shrugged and the Djinn sighed. "Why don't you just go over there, if she's really there you put on your best gentle-sex-demon behavior and ask her out. Hm?"

A genuine smile spread across Bo's face. "What about you?"

"I'll entertain myself, don't worry your pretty ass about that. Come on, Bo." Kenzi told her, nodding in the direction where Tamsin had disappeared. The Djinn saw the look in her best friend's eyes. It definitely wasn't about winning anymore. She mentally kicked herself for her own blindness the last few days.

"Thanks Kenz. I owe you huge." Bo drowned the rest of her shot and stood, determination all over her features. "Just make sure that counts for something!" Kenzi called after her as Bo disappeared into the crowd like Tamsin before.

-x-

When Tamsin came back to the pool table she saw that Lauren was practically destroying Dyson with a satisfied smile on her face. As she lined up a near impossible shot into the side pocket she mumbled something, looking from the white ball to the one she was aiming at in a way that was almost measuring. She adjusted her position by a few millimeters, checked again and, obviously satisfied, let the cue shoot forward in a strong and precise motion. The white ball flew across the table, hitting its target perfectly and the other ball rolled into the side pocket with a clunk. Lauren stood, smiling victoriously while Dyson was watching the whole situation with a facial expression that could only be described as utter disbelief.

Tamsin laughed and placed the three pints on the side of the pool table, drawing the attention of the other two Fae. Despite being beating in pool Dyson looked happy as they all toasted to their good work and as devious as the Valkyrie sometimes was, she didn't want to tell him about seeing Bo. It would only result in a destroyed evening for everyone involved and that was something Tamsin just couldn't agree to. "Is Lauren cheating as well?" she asked him instead with a grin. He answered by grumbling good-naturedly. "No." Lauren smiled. "Pool is just plain math and physics, that's all."

"I think you guys should play against each other. That would maybe even be a match." Dyson suggested, making Lauren look at the Valkyrie expectantly. Tamsin grinned and nodded. "You're going down."

Ten minutes later Lauren finally missed her first shot of the evening, giving Tamsin the chance to catch up. While she watched the Phoenix leaned against a wooden pillar that was close to the table. Dyson had spotted another colleague and went to say a quick hello. He was gone barely a minute when Lauren felt something strange in her gut. It was unexpected but not unpleasant, a small tugging, like her body was trying to tell her something. Tamsin bent to make another shot as Lauren felt a warm hand on her arm.

"I think I still owe you a drink from that first time, don't I?" A delicious voice said from behind her. Surprised, Lauren turned her head and suddenly found herself staring into the deepest, richest, darkest, most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen.

There was a sharp clack, Tamsin's shot.

"Bo.." Lauren said, still unable to break eye contact with the Succubus. Those eyes were smiling at her and she involuntarily smiled with them.

"So what do you say?" Bo asked, her hand still on Lauren's dress shirt sleeve clad arm.

"Aw, shit! Doc, you're up!" Tamsin looked up as the ball missed its target. What she saw almost made her eyes widen. There was the Doc, practically having eye sex with Bo. "You have got to be fucking shitting me..." She whispered.

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_So that's it for today, I originally wanted to put the whole meeting into this chapter but then I though.. oh well, I might as well keep them hooked! ;) Do tell me what you think, I'm dying to know! Next chapter will be up as soon as I get to writing it. :)_


	9. What truly matters

_Hi guys, here I am with the next chapter. Once again thank you so much for your feedback and all the (mostly) kind words. I really appreciate that you take the time to not only read the story but that you tell me what you think as well. I'm sorry for making a cut where I did last time but understand that I try to keep the chapters to roughly the same length +-1000 words. I didn't want to cram the meeting into that little space. Also I think this story consists of more than Bo and Lauren even though they are obviously the main characters which is why I thought it a bit harsh to say that the last chapter was not worth reading. But anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others before and keep reading and reviewing! :)_

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Bo couldn't help herself. She was openly staring at Lauren as she waited for the blonde to answer her question. There was no doubt about it, nobody Bo had ever met pulled off casual sexy the way the woman in front of her did. As a matter of fact, nobody pulled off any way of sexy like that but that was beside the point. First off, Lauren had her hair down, flowing over her shoulders in waves of golden curls. She wore a black dress shirt that had little silver stars sewn onto it around the buttons and at the end of the sleeves. It looked expensive, felt expensive under Bo's fingers that were still on the blonde's arm. Bo figured the shirt had to be tailored as it fit every curve and edge of Lauren's long torso perfectly. Her dark grey jeans were the same way, incredibly tight-fitting and hugging her legs in all the right places. The Succubus smiled when she noticed the comfortable grey sneakers with white tips the blonde was wearing. Casual sexy, definitely.

Lifting her gaze back to Lauren's face, Bo noticed the change in the blonde's eyes. She was no longer just looking back at the Succubus in a confused way, there was a barely noticeable smile tugging at the corner of her mouth that echoed in her eyes and Bo knew she had once again been caught staring. The Succubus flashed a grin that told Lauren she wasn't sorry one bit and it made the blonde chuckle.

"Why do you owe me a drink again?" Lauren's voice was lower than she intended it to be, like she was asking something way more personal than she actually did.

"The first time you disappeared on me I offered you a drink, remember?" Bo told her with a smile, the back of her fingers slowly travelling up the blonde's arm as she spoke. Lauren could barely keep from shivering as she felt the warmth of the Succubus' fingers through the thin fabric of her dress shirt. Could Bo influence her without direct skin contact? Not likely, she had never heard or read of a Succubus doing that. It had to be herself reacting to Bo's presence. The last thought did cause her to shiver before she could reel herself in once more and the face of the brunette in front of her lit up again in a mischievous smile. "Well, then I guess I won't get out of it again this time, will I?" Lauren smiled and Bo shook her head.

They were interrupted by Tamsin who cleared her throat loudly and forced them to shift their attention to the confused Valkyrie. With crossed arms she looked at the two other women who had, as they were talking shifted closer and closer together without noticing. "You know, I don't even want to know what is going on here but before you start sucking each other's face you should get a room or something because I think I see wolf-boy coming back our way. I don't know about you but I don't need a moping flee-ball on my hands because his chosen one finds one of his best friends more interesting." Tamsin looked over her shoulder only to see that Dyson was getting dangerously close and Bo and Lauren were still standing way to close to each other. The Valkyrie sighed. The things she did to have her peace. "Two options. The Succubitch leaves and you continue this some other time or you both leave and I'll cover it up for you. Decide quickly."

Lauren finally seemed to snap from her Bo-induced haze, mumbling "Dyson. shit." Tamsin, taking another look over her shoulder shot the pair a glance that screamed _Decide now! _Bo didn't really understand what was going on but reacted quickly. She grabbed Lauren's hand, pulling her away from the pool table to the bar. Pushing through the patrons waiting to be served she talked to Trick for a second, coming back to the blonde with a large old silver key in her hand. "Come." She told Lauren, taking her hand again and leading her to a small wooden door near the back which she unlocked using the key. She held the door open for the blonde, motioning for her to get in. Before she closed the door behind herself she saw Kenzi's face grinning at her from not far away, giving her a thumbs up. Bo smiled back at her best friend and closed the heavy door with a click.

-x-

Back at the pool table Tamsin took a deep breath before Dyson suddenly stood next to her again. He scanned his the surroundings, looking for Lauren. When he came up with only her empty beer glass he looked questioningly at the Valkyrie. "Where's Lauren?"

Tamsin shrugged like it was no big deal. "She went to say hi to someone from work, said she may be going home soon, too. She told me if she didn't see you again to tell you good night." Dyson looked a bit confused but nodded. "She had a long day." He said, as if to explain the situation to himself.

"I'd say she just isn't a party person." Tamsin grinned, it was the best if she just acted like one of Dyson's oldest friends hadn't just run off with the woman of his wolfish dreams. The shifter laughed. "You're right. I was surprised she even came in the first place." He nodded towards the pool table. "Another game?"

Tamsin winked at him. "You couldn't even win if you had a million tries." As she set up the table for a new round she thought back to the two women who had disappeared just in time for Dyson to miss them. Yes, she had helped them but it had been for purely selfish reasons. There were many things the Valkyrie couldn't stand, one of them was self-pity. And right after the Wolf had had his one night with Bo he was completely unbearable, not to mention useless as a detective. Tamsin intended to tell as many lies as she had to if that meant she didn't have to deal with that again.

-x-

The room at the end of the descending hallway was quiet and dark. The faint beat from the bar above could be heard vibrating through the walls but other than that, there were just Bo's footsteps as she moved to ignite the candles in a few lamps on the wall. When she was finished the room was bathed in an orange glow, allowing Lauren to take in her surroundings. They were in what looked to be some sort of cave, only there were bookshelves placed along the raw stone walls, a desk overflowing with ancient texts and books standing in the middle. There was a small ladder attached to the bookshelves although Lauren could have easily reached the top shelf without it as the room had a low ceiling. Dyson would probably brush the raw stone with his hair if he stood up straight, the Phoenix guessed. Some of the books in the shelves looked as old as time, older than even the ones in the huge library of the Leavold Mansion and it intrigued Lauren.

"Where are we?" The blonde asked, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the quiet room. Bo came back over and stood next to her. "This is my grandfather Trick's study. He owns the Dal."

Lauren's head shot around, looking at the Succubus with utter confusion. She didn't know Trick even had family, but then again, she didn't know him as well as Dyson or Hale. "But Trick is Light Fae." The blonde asked more than she stated it. Bo nodded, taking a deep breath. "He is not my official grandfather. That's Icarus McCorrigan. He married my grandmother Isabeau when she was already pregnant with my mother to cover up the fact that the prestigious daughter of an elder family was having an affair with a Light Fae, much less having his baby. My mother doesn't know. It was my grandmother who one day let it slip in front of me. I sought Trick out and he told me the truth." Bo shrugged like it was no big deal but Lauren could see written all over her face that it was.

"So you have some Light blood in you." Lauren smiled a half-smile, trying to loosen the mood. She didn't know if they should be having a heavy conversation with Bo when for the first time they were actually talking.

Bo answered with a wide grin and a glint in her eyes. She, too, was glad to go to a lighter subject. "I do, but I am very, very Dark, don't be fooled." The Phoenix saw the return of the Succubus as she heard the flirty undertone in her voice. Their eyes locked and the blonde felt heat running down her spine only to pool in her gut.

"Now, what about that drink you offered?" Lauren asked after a brief silence and Bo nodded as if she had forgotten about it, which she probably had. She turned and walked to a small cabinet at the back of the room, crouching down in front of it and pulling out two old and precious looking glasses and a dusty bottle of scotch. "This is all Trick keeps down here, that ok with you?" Bo asked, placing the bottle on the table for Lauren to look at.

"That stuff is two hundred years old. It's one of oldest one's I've ever seen. Are you sure it's ok, Bo?" They both paused for a moment as the name rolled off Lauren's lips, the blonde enjoying how it felt, Bo marveling at how Lauren made her name sound so sexy without even trying. Finally, Bo nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about it. He won't even notice it." she said quickly and started pouring two generous glasses. Awkward silence filled the room until the brunette took one of the glasses and handed it to Lauren, their hands touching. It almost made both of them jump at the electricity and for the first time in a long time in her life Bo felt unsure of herself. This was not a situation she could solve by shoving Lauren up against a wall and taking her right then and there, a thought that hadn't been very far from her mind since they got down here. She had been there, tried that, knew it wouldn't work and that put her out of her element like a fish out of water.

Lauren wasn't doing much better. The way Bo looked at her like she wanted to devour every inch of her made her wonder why she wasn't a puddle on the floor right now. This tension wasn't normal, she told herself and she could see that the Succubus was as effected as she was. Fingering her glass she took a small sip and was immediately overwhelmed at the rich and strong taste. She savored it, closing her eyes in the process. Immediately she felt Bo's scorching gaze on her from where the Succubus stood only a few feet away. When she reopened her eyes her gaze locked with Bo's for what seemed to be the millionth time this evening but this time felt different, more intense, if that was even possible.

After what felt like an eternity Bo carefully placed her untouched glass of scotch on the table in front of her, her eyes never leaving Lauren's. Slowly the Succubus dressed exclusively in leather moved towards to the blonde who unconsciously followed Bo's lead, placing her glass on the table. Lauren turned to fully face the approaching brunette, leaning against Trick's desk, waiting. Two hands were placed on the wooden surface, one to her right and one to her left, giving her no room to escape as Bo came to a halt mere inches away from touching her.

The Phoenix took a deep breath to steady herself but instead inhaled Bo's intoxicating scent. Her desire flared and Bo noticed the change in Lauren's aura to an even brighter color than before. Her eyes were flickering blue as she stared at the blonde, trying to reel her nature back in before she would be pushed away again. It didn't help that at the sight of the Succubus' blue eyes Lauren shuddered. As if on their own accord, her arms snaked around Bo's neck and pulled her in. Their bodies crashed together, eliciting a moan from both women. The Succubus' hands wrapped around Lauren's back as they stared into each other's eyes from inches away, their noses touching. "Lauren.." Bo's voice was raspy. "Why are you always at the right place at the right time?" The blonde gave a short, airy laugh, staring into pools of blue. Bo chuckled with her as she continued to whisper against Lauren's lips "And why are you so absolutely irresistible?" The words alone caused their lips to brush against each other, making it a small step for Lauren to finally close the remaining gap and kiss Bo with tender passion. Every memory the brunette had of Lauren's taste was shattered by the reality that came crashing down on her. The taste was so pure and yet full of a slow burning fire that made Bo's knees buck. The lingering Scotch taste made it even more exquisite as Lauren's tongue slid into the Succubus' mouth, exploring her and making Bo groan as she barely held on to her Succubus side wanting to break free and possess.

The air around the pair grew warmer without them noticing while their kiss started getting more intense by the second. Lauren's hands tangled in dark brown locks, making it impossible for Bo to get away even if she had wanted to. They were nipping and biting at each other's lips, the tenderness from before all but forgotten. It wasn't until air became a necessity that they broke apart, panting as if they had just run a marathon. Bo looked at Lauren with blazing blue eyes, from those beautiful pools of honey-brown to her kiss-swollen lips. She was still fighting her nature to just take the woman and drink from her until she was satisfied.

"Why do you always feel so inevitable?" Lauren asked barely audible, more to herself than the Succubus. Resting her forehead against Bo's she continued. "I don't know how long I can keep doing this."

Bo's eyes finally flickered back to their usual brown, the beast inside her not satisfied but retreating for the moment as she pushed it back. Her gaze met Lauren's once again. "What?"

"I don't know long I can keep denying you to myself." The blonde whispered.

"Why do you even want to?" Bo asked, pulling Lauren closer, forcing her to look at her when the blonde tired to look away.

"You're a Succubus. You're Dark Fae. Our families were at war. My best friend thinks he mated with you. Do you need more?" Lauren suddenly pushed her away a little but kept her arms around Bo's neck. "Everything about this is wrong, a bad idea."

Bo had never before seen this side of Lauren, the one that was admitting to fighting against what she felt was right because she thought it was wrong. It spurred her on even more. "But that's what intrigues you, isn't it? That this is wrong in every way but the one that matters." The Succubus challenged, the inviting undertone back in her voice. "It is what intrigues me. You do. You intrigue me more than anything or anyone I've ever known."

"Bo.." Lauren brought one hand back from around the brunette's neck to cup her cheek, determination suddenly in her eyes. "Come to my place this weekend." She smiled a humorless smile. "I believe your Djinn friend can tell you the address."

"I'm sorry about Kenzi. She.." Bo's apology was silenced by a soft kiss on her lips. She looked at the blonde, confusion all over her face. "I thought this was a bad idea?"

"It is a terrible idea." Lauren agreed, leaning in close to the Succubus and taking in her addicting scent one more time. "I'll be waiting for you." She whispered into her ear and placed a gentle kiss behind it, making Bo suck in a sharp breath. Like the last time, Lauren used the moment the brunette wasn't in full control to slip out of her embrace, taking her scotch glass with her. She drowned the rest of the drink in one go and placed the now empty glass on the desk. "Thank you for the drink. I will see you soon, my dark, dark Succubus."

Bo gave her a toothy grin at the reference to before. When Lauren was almost back in the small corridor where she would be hidden from Bo's view the Succubus called after her. "Does that mean you like bad girls, Doctor?"

The blonde turned, a lopsided smile firmly in place. She shrugged and told Bo "No." With that she disappeared into the corridor, leaving the brunette behind in her grandfather's study, still slightly confused, with one empty and one full Scotch glass.

-x-

Lauren was hit by the loud and happy atmosphere of the Dal as she got back to the main room. It was once again a stark contrast to where she had been before. Thankfully, the Dal was still packed and the party in full swing so nobody had noticed the blonde Phoenix coming back in through the small door by the back. She blended back into the crowd perfectly like she had never left it, making her way back towards the front. Lauren contemplated joining Dyson and Tamsin again as she saw them playing pool like nothing happened but quickly decided against it. First off, she had no clue what the Valkyrie had told Dyson why she had disappeared so quickly, making it hard to come up with an explanation that fit. The second reason though was the most important. Dyson was a Wolf. If she went back over and he got close enough to take in her scent, he would no doubt notice Bo all over her. She didn't want to have to explain that to him, because there was no way of doing so other than the truth and right now, even Lauren wasn't sure what the truth was in that matter. Bo was terribly intriguing, the way she carried herself sometimes was beyond cocky but somehow the Phoenix found it incredibly sexy. Had Bo been right in the end, did she like bad girls? No, the blonde quickly figured. Nadia had been anything but a bad girl and other than that her relationships had been brief at best. As she moved towards the exit Lauren came to the conclusion that Bo was not her usual type, not at all, but still she was so fascinating on a deep, not only sexual level. She didn't know how else to put it, Bo was bad and Lauren loved it. It wasn't that she liked bad girls, she liked only one of them.

When she got to the door she took one last look around. The crowd had shifted and she could see that Dyson was up, lining up another shot while Tamsin watched with a bored look on her face. As if she had felt Lauren's glance, she looked up, her piercing green eyes meeting the Phoenix's. The Valkyrie cocked her head to the side, not enough for anyone but Lauren who was watching intently to notice. Lauren raised her eyebrows, asking a silent question that Tamsin seemed to understand as she nodded slowly while reaching for her pint and taking a sip to mask the motion. Lauren nodded back, a silent thank you and walked out the door. She didn't know why but Tamsin had covered up for her. Whatever reasoning the Valkyrie had, Lauren was thankful for it. The last thought as she got into her car was about Dyson. She didn't know what would or wouldn't happen with Bo at this point, but she was sure that at some point, maybe even right now, he deserved to know. Yet, she couldn't really bring herself to do anything about it.

-x-

Bo was leaning against her old Camaro in a side alley by the Dal. It was usually where the employees parked as there were only a few spots but being the granddaughter of the owner, even the unofficial one, certainly had its perks. It was dark and Bo didn't care to turn on the small light over the back entrance. She liked it this way. Dark and cold. She watched as her breath left her mouth in a cloud, grey in the little bit of light coming from the main street. The night air cleared her mind. The alcohol she had consumed before going into Trick's study with Lauren was already out of her system. She hadn't directly fed during their small encounter but she didn't even have to. Her body had naturally responded to the sexual tension in the room and she had unconsciously fed off of it, leaving her completely sober by the time Lauren had walked back up to the main room of the Dal. Bo hadn't touched her scotch glass, leaving it on Trick's desk for when he came down later.

She watched as another cloud of breath left her mouth as her thoughts drifted to Lauren herself. Bo could still taste her on her lips, another reason she didn't drink the scotch. She wanted to savor the taste as long as she could. For a moment she contemplated not going to the blonde's apartment that weekend, to leave their next meeting up to chance like it had been up until now but she quickly decided that she didn't want to. As a matter of fact, she couldn't. The Light's best doctor had taken a hold on her, a magnetic pull that couldn't be denied. The way she had whispered in her ear still made Bo's insides clench with longing. There was something about Lauren that made every hair on the Succubus' body stand straight up. At first, Bo had thought it was the raw power she felt rippling off the blonde. Now she was certain it was so much more. The way Lauren looked at her with barely contained desire but at the same time she took control in a way that seemed to easy, like she was born to rule. Bo had a feeling it was more than her Succubus nature that attracted the blonde. Maybe the Succubus side was not even in the top five. Lost in thought, Bo watched as breath after breath left her body into the cold night air, curling and twisting until it was lost in the darkness.

"Yo, Bo-Bo! I was about to get a ride when I saw Doc Hotpants shuffle through the Dal. Why is she not at the Shack in bed with you?" Kenzi's voice tore through the silence of the dark alley. The Djinn was already fairly close. Bo hadn't noticed the clacking of heels on pavement announcing her best friend's arrival. The Succubus turned her head to look at the approaching Fae. "Because I'm going to visit her this weekend." she told Kenzi in a calm voice, making the small Djinn stop dead in her tracks a few feet away from her best friend.

"Bo you know I love you but if you're going to do the same thing I did, I need to warn you, that woman can be a real harpy if you show up unannounced."

The Succubus smiled. "No, noob. She invited me and I will show up on her doorstep Saturday evening, dressed in my Sunday best because who knows if I will get out of there before it actually is Sunday." Kenzi made a face as Bo winked and laughed.

They got into the car and as Bo started the Camaro Kenzi looked over at her. "You know" She began in a serious voice "If she were to make you really happy, I'd love that."

Bo smiled softly at the Djinn while they were waiting at a red light. "I don't know that yet but I know she is special."

"I can see that. You look at her like she is the sunrise or something." Kenzi's voice had a slight mocking tone to it but Bo could tell that she was still mostly serious. "You'll need a bouquet for Saturday."

The Succubus laughed out loud but stopped when she realized the Djinn next to her was only smiling a little wickedly. "No Kenz, really?"

The small figure shrugged. "Showing up with a bouquet of flowers. It's how the prince always gets the girl. Or in this case, how the Succubus gets the Doc."

This time they both laughed at the image Kenzi had created. Later, when Bo was lying in bed alone for yet another night, she thought of how ridiculous it would be to show up at Lauren's doorstep with flowers but at the same time the thought made her smile.

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_So that's it for today. No nasty cliffhangers this time ;) I'll try to not keep you waiting as long for the next chapter. Also, please tell me what you think it's really inspiring!_


	10. Tangled Feelings

_Hey guys, sorry for the delay but here is the next chapter. I think it's the longest I've ever written but I really couldn't find a good spot to make a cut. I think you probably won't mind. ;) As always, thank you all so much for your support, for every favorite, follower or just for reading the story. Especially those of you who take the time to review, thank you so much. I always love to hear your opinion it gives me a whole new perspective. So tell me what you think about this one as well and of course enjoy reading! :)_

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Bo was in pacing in her bedroom, the black kimono tied loosely around her waist. It was Saturday and she had been restless since she woke up, even more so than the rest of the week although she wouldn't openly admit it was because she was going to see Lauren that evening. All that could be heard in the Succubus' room was the padding of her naked feet on the floor, tapping rhythmically only to stop for a few short seconds when she stopped to turn before marching back to the other side of the room. Kenzi was watching her best friend over the top of a small book in her hands. The Djinn was sitting on Bo's bed, legs tucked under herself as she switched between reading and observing the Succubus. Right now, she was getting annoyed with her restlessness, the constant tapping of Bo's feet on the floor was keeping her from getting anywhere with the book. After reading the same sentence for the fourth time without knowing what it said afterwards she finally lowered the small object in her hands and glared at Bo. "Keep doing that and you will dig through and fall into the living room sometime soon. I'm trying to help you here but I can't if I can't even get to reading this book." For good measure she waved it at her best friend, making Bo sigh and stop pacing. The Succubus turned and, crossing her arms, shot Kenzi a questioning look. "You really think that this" She pointed to the book in Kenzi's hands "is going to help me at all?"

Kenzi rolled her eyes dramatically. "Bo-Bo, if anyone had told me before that a Succubus such as yourself knows nothing whatsoever about wooing a woman there would be more than this book. It's all I could come up with in this short time!" She pointed at the small and worn-out looking book in her hand again. In curvy black letters on the red cover one could read 'How to treat a Lady'

Bo huffed, clearly annoyed. "I don't need a damn book to rock this date or whatever you want to call it."

"Oh yeah? Then what kind of flowers would you bring her? Let's not forget that without my advice you wouldn't even bring those." Kenzi asked and watched as Bo pondered the question for a few seconds before answering "A bouquet of roses." It came out more like a question than a statement, making the Djinn sigh. "Bo, do you want to propose? Besides, roses are so uninspired. Like you didn't really give it any thought. If you were to give her a single rose I'd say ok but a whole bouquet?"

The Succubus grumbled, starting to pace again before she was stopped by a pointed look by Kenzi. "Fine. What do you recommend, oh wise one?"

The Djinn shot her best friend a soothing smile as she saw that Bo was, as always whenever she wasn't in control, starting to get really annoyed with the situation. "I would say you just go with what you feel is right. The book says ask her about herself and let her decide what is ok with her. Oh and listen to what she says. That's the most important part." Kenzi recommended with a soft voice to not set the Succubus off even more. It seemed to work as Bo sighed heavily and slumped onto the bed next to the Djinn before falling over backwards so she was lying down and looking at the canopy, her chocolate-brown curls framing her head like a crown. "Of course I'll try to listen, to get her to tell me something about her. Believe me, I want to know and I also know what to do basically." She gave Kenzi a small smile. "We watched enough old movies together for me to get the gist. The problem is whenever I'm in the same room with her everything I carefully planned flies out of the window. I just want to get her naked."

The Djinn looked back at Bo, wondering if the Succubus herself thought she had said too much. She certainly looked a bit like she did. Thinking that it was probably safe again to make a joke to loosen the tension she grinned and said "If I didn't know better I'd say you have a little crush on the Doc going on." As response she was smacked in the arm by her best friend. When Bo glanced back at her and asked "Help me get dressed?" the Djinn knew it was the only response she was going to get to her previous statement and it made her suspicious but of course it was way too early to say anything for sure, even Kenzi realized that. She nodded and got up with the Succubus to rummage through her closet.

-x-

Lauren was typing quickly on her computer, lost in thought. She had the weekend off but was still keeping tabs on everything at work and had given order to call her immediately should anything big come up. Of course, a little after noon she heard her phone ring and when she picked up it was one of her assistants informing her that the human who had been in a coma had finally woken up. She was about to throw on her jacket when she was told that he was stable and being taken care of well by the Phoenix' personal staff. The human was in no condition to talk about anything yet, even if he remembered what happened to him and so, after a couple of useless protests she had to settle for seeing to him Monday.

She had hung up the phone and was somehow frustrated that she wasn't there to help but told herself that her personal staff was hand-picked and that they knew what they were doing. It helped her calm down more or less and she settled for going over his file again, trying to find something she had missed. When she read it she still found the same things, probable Succubus/Incubus kill but for some reason left alive with just enough energy to live. Sighing, she went back to the research she had been doing before which was what she was staring at right now. It was a new antidote to a virus she had treated successfully before but she hoped that with the new treatment the healing process would be accelerated.

A knock on her door startled Lauren from her thoughts but before she could even do so much as get up to answer the door there was a soft click and the heavy wooden door opened. The Phoenix had given only one other person a key to her apartment so she knew who it was even before her little sister walked in. Lauren stood quickly to greet Charlotte with a warm smile that was returned tenfold. As the door fell closed with another click the younger Phoenix wrapped her sister in a tight hug that left Lauren slightly startled but she returned the embrace after a short pause.

Stepping away, Charlotte looked at her older sister, grinning when she saw that Lauren was again wearing one of the lab coats she had paid a lot of money for to get tailored so they fit her perfectly. Lauren was by no means a person who flaunted what she had but then again there were things that were close to her sister's heart, Charlotte thought, and one of them was definitely science. A tailored lab coat was only the beginning of a large amount of expensive equipment she had bought and set up in her home. Right now Lauren had her hands buried in the pockets of the impeccable white coat, another gesture that was so her.

"Hey Laur." Charlotte smiled, finally saying something. "Hey yourself." Lauren answered, now mirroring her sister's bright smile. They hadn't seen each other since Lauren had walked out of the Leavold mansion the night after the peace treaty signing and the Phoenix had missed her little sister. "What brings you here?" Charlotte laughed, a noise that sounded a lot like wind chimes. "Do I need a reason to see my big sister? I missed you." Lauren smiled at the childlike innocence that came with her sister's age. With her 110 years she was already older than most humans would ever be but she was technically still a child in the Fae society. Charlotte played her role well this time but Lauren saw right through her partial act. "I missed you, too but Charlie, you know you can't lie to me. So what's up?" She pointed to the couch with her hand signaling for Charlotte to sit down. Shrugging, her little sister took off her purple jacket and sat down, placing the garment over the back of the couch. Lauren took a seat next to her, looking at her little sister. "It wasn't a lie, I really missed you." the baby-faced blonde smiled but received only an amused half-smile in return. Lauren knew that Charlotte hadn't lied, she just hadn't told the whole truth. Now she was stalling and her older sister knew that as well.

"Oh fine, mom is right you really are like marble." Charlotte laughed and Lauren smiled with her, answering her after a while "She is right about a lot of things and also wrong about others." The younger Phoenix nodded. "That she is."

"It's the reason your here, isn't it?" Lauren questioned, her voice gentle. Charlotte nodded slowly. "She is getting more and more furious every second you don't come home for good. She really wants to talk to you."

Lauren sighed, leaning back into the softness of the couch. "I don't like to be interrogated for the choices I make. If she is not able to accept my opinion on humans that is entirely her problem. And I do come home once in a while."

"Yes you come home to collect things for work or clothes or something else. Mom wants you to stay again and I don't think it's the 'human' thing she wants to talk to you about. We had that argument too often to count. She keeps going on about this Dark Fae Succubus. Ysabeau, that's her name, right?"

Lauren groaned inwardly. She knew this was coming but had stuck to the problem that was not so complicated. How was she supposed to explain the situation with Bo when she didn't even understand it one bit herself. Let alone explain it to her mother, that was a whole new level all together. Lauren knew that Bo was the real reason she had been avoiding her family since the ball but she couldn't just spill everything to Charlotte. She trusted her little sister like no other person but it still wasn't enough.

Said little sister was noticing Lauren's lack of response and the conflicted look in her eyes. "Laur, I know it's none of my business but is there something going on between the two of you?"

Her sister's voice snapped Lauren out of her thoughts and she quickly shot Charlotte a quizzical look. "No. She's a Succubus." And that part was no lie. There was nothing going on, at least nothing Lauren could define in any way.

Charlotte's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she smiled. "You know I won't tell mom. Your secret is safe with me." She patted herself over the heart, making Lauren roll her eyes good-naturedly. "There is nothing going on Charlie. That first night when we danced? She had her eye on me but I turned her down. I only saw her a couple of times afterwards, at the signing and at the Dal when I was out with Dyson and Tamsin." Lauren mentally patted herself on the back. She, too, could tell somebody the truth but withhold the crucial parts.

"If you say so, Laur." Charlotte shrugged. "All I wonder is, why did you turn her down?" The question caught Lauren off-guard. At first she thought about telling her little sister about Dyson but thought better of it. The Wolf surely wouldn't want her to. "She's a Dark Fae Succubus." She finally answered, a little unsure but hoping Charlotte wouldn't notice. "Yeah, so? You can have a little fun with her. After all, Succubae are said to be really, really good in bed and I know you are exclusive to the ladies." The younger Phoenix waggled her eyebrows suggestively, making Lauren laugh. "Are you serious? You know I don't go for one-night stands. Plus, I wasn't really all that interested." As soon as she said it Lauren knew she had made a mistake. Charlotte looked at her in amused disbelief before saying "That's a straight out lie and you know it. Everybody in that room could see the sparks flying between the two of you." She pondered for a moment, the amused expression fading. "I think it's the real reason mom is so upset. I don't think she would make such a fuss about some random dance even if it was with a McCorrigan."

Realizing she couldn't deny it without really putting her sister onto something Lauren shrugged, ignoring the last part. "Ok, yes, there was an attraction but I just don't go for those kind of things." She tried to make it sound casual and was relieved when Charlotte nodded. They didn't get any further because the younger Phoenix' cell phone went off just then, startling them both. Charlotte dug the device out of her bag and looking at it said "Quiet, It's mom." Lauren nodded in understanding before her sister hit the accept button.

"Hey mom."

"No, I'll be home for dinner. I just got caught up talking to some friends."

"I'll get going right now. Yes, see you soon."

She hung up, sighing. "I guess I better get going. Mom will probably get suspicious anyway but I don't want to give her any more to go on." She stood, grabbing her jacket. Lauren followed her to the door, somewhat relieved that their conversation had been cut short.

"I'll come visit you again sometime soon." Charlotte promised as she opened the door. "I'd love that." Lauren smiled back, giving her sister a hug. "Bye, Laur."

"Bye, Charlie. Drive carefully."

Charlotte was already heading down the stairs and the last thing Lauren saw of her was her little sister rolling her eyes and smiling.

-x-

Bo was nervous. She and Kenzi were sitting in the Succubus' old Camaro, waiting for the stop light to finally turn green. The Djinn was holding the single red rose they had picked out at the florist on the way and Bo was glad she didn't agree on a specific time with Lauren. They had stood in the shop for a solid half hour, listening to the lady working there go on and on about the perfect flowers for the first date. Bo could tell she had been disappointed when they only bought a single rose but it was the most beautiful one they could find in the stack.

They had walked out of the shop only to find a police officer standing next to Bo's 'baby', writing a parking ticket. Sighing, the Succubus had gone to work, making the officer understand that they would not get the ticket and that he would leave them alone and just continue on his round. He had nodded like a puppy and walked off while Bo and Kenzi jumped into the car before the effects of the Succubus' enthrallment started to fade.

"Always make eye-contact. That's really important." Kenzi was still holding the small red book in her hands, giving Bo all sorts of last-minute advice that didn't help the brunette calm her nerves one bit. She didn't understand why she was so nervous at all. Maybe it was just the thought of being in the same place as the beautiful blonde doctor again. Being at her home.

"Kenz, you can stop I think you are going through this book for the third time already." The Succubus informed her friend who grinned in response. "Fine, Bo-Bo but don't tell me you didn't know what to do afterwards. By the way have I mentioned how good you look?"

"You have and you also pointed out multiple times that you helped me pick it out." Bo said in an amused tone. Her best friend was not ever going to tire of people telling her how awesome she was. Kenzi only laughed but it was true. They had searched long and hard to make Bo look her best which was a challenge because she always looked like she had walked right off the front page of a fashion magazine. The Succubus immediately went for the 'dress' section of her closet but was soon pulled back by Kenzi telling her this was a casual date, not an elder ball where she could show up wearing the world's shortest dress with the most daring neckline. Reluctantly Bo had agreed to casual sexy and so they came up with a combo of tight black leather pants, knee-high boots and a blood-red vest. Kenzi had wanted to put Bo in her usual attire with a top and her trademark black leather jacket saying she was always sexy but the brunette had refused strongly. After all, this was something she had never really done before and therefore was special to her. She and the Djinn had bickered back and forth before they settled for a compromise of Bo keeping on the vest but at least wearing something underneath, like a bra. Kenzi made it clear that she didn't have anything against Bo's desire to show off what she had but, with the small red book in hand, reminded her that less was sometimes more.

"Here, this is it." Kenzi gestured out the windshield towards a skyscraper that looked like only the wealthiest of people could afford to live there, let alone in the penthouse. Bo couldn't help but feel a little intimidated as they pulled up but quickly brushed the feeling away. She was a McCorrigan herself, even if she sometimes wasn't proud of it. If she wanted to live like that as well there was nothing that would stop her. Thing was, she didn't want to. What she found odd, though was that Lauren didn't strike her as a typical high-society snob kind of woman. There had to be another reason for her to want live here.

Bo was startled from her thoughts by a tap on the window. She opened it and found herself face to face with a tall, handsome man in a black uniform. He was bent down so he could take a better look at her and even if he was trying very hard not to he couldn't help himself and stared right down her cleavage as he had the perfect angle. Bo smirked devilishly. "Excuse me, Ma'am but this is a private garage exclusively for the people living here and their guests. Are you expected by anyone?"

"Um.. yes." Bo answered, suddenly not sure what exactly she should be telling him but covering it up with a sexy smirk. After all, it was what she did best: seduce.

He lifted his gaze to her face for a moment to look at her expectantly, then he was right back to drooling over her chest and the Succubus took full advantage. She grabbed the man by his neck, pulsing him strongly. "Honey, my face is up here."

"God, you're so beautiful." He whispered, falling completely under her spell, staring at Bo's now bright-blue eyes. The Succubus smiled sweetly, stroking the man up and down his neck in a languid motion. "Why, thank you. Maybe you could be so kind and let us in. You don't need to know why we're here, right?" Bo asked him seductively, giving him another strong pulse for good measure. The guard shuddered at the sensation running through his body before he mumbled "Right." and slowly made his way to the gate to let them pass. As they slowly drove further into the garage Bo blew the man a kiss and he smiled like an idiot until they turned a corner and were out of sight.

"You better not tell your lady love that you already had your hands on two other men today." Kenzi laughed as they parked near the back in a free spot next to a beautiful silver Audi but Bo didn't answer her. They got out and the Djinn couldn't help but give the car an appreciating once-over, sighing as they passed it to get to the elevator that would get them up to the penthouse.

On their way up Kenzi straightened her clothes and cracked her knuckles once before giving Bo, who was again getting nervous an enthusiastic smile. She handed her the single rose and said "Bo-Bo you're gonna rock this. Just be yourself but remember everything this little fellow" she pointed to the book clenched in her arms "in form of moi taught you." Looking at the rapidly changing lights of the elevator she nodded to herself. "We're almost there. You just take the last few stairs and you're there. Can't miss it there is only one door. I'll be back down I think I saw a video camera when you were seducing Mr. Eyes-glued-to-your-boobs. I'll take care of that for you. See ya tomorrow." Kenzi winked and before Bo could offer so much as a thank you or goodbye herself the Djinn flicked her wrist and was gone, leaving Bo alone just as the elevator doors opened, revealing a small white hallway leading to a single flight of stairs.

Reluctantly, Bo made her way up until a wooden door with a state of the art electronic lock greeted her. She looked at herself once more, trying to straighten everything out and, taking a deep breath, knocked three times.

-x-

Lauren smiled as she closed the oven again. She loved cooking and today she was treating herself to a home-made pizza. Stretching, she took off her lab coat that she didn't realize she was still wearing and hung it over the back of her couch. After Charlotte had left she didn't see a point in continuing to view files and had gone straight to cooking, forgetting she still had on the immaculate white lab coat. She smirked at her own antics, like forgetting everything around herself when she wanted to get something done. She was startled by a knock on the door that left her confused. Surely it wasn't Charlotte again, there was no way she could sneak away from their mother again. Dyson would have called and so would have the Ash or one of his men. With a furrowing brow she made her way to the wooden door, hesitating briefly before she opened it.

What she saw almost knocked the wind right out of her. There, outside her door stood Bo in all her glory, wearing the world's tightest leather pants and a dark-red vest that fit her as if it had been painted on. Her soft chocolate-brown locks framed her beautiful face, hanging down loosely, not pulled back in a complicated hairdo like Lauren had seen before. The Phoenix found that she liked this look even better than the other one. Everything about Bo practically screamed 'sex' but still held a beauty that Lauren found unreal. He breath hitched once again when she saw the single red rose in Bo's hands and the gentle look she was giving her.

"Bo.." she murmured and was immediately amused how this kind of greeting was becoming a standard for their meetings. She now remembered that she had invited the Succubus to her place but for some reason she hadn't thought she would actually come. But there was Bo, proving her wrong and standing there looking better than Lauren had ever dared to imagine in the dreams she only admitted to herself she was having about the woman.

"Hey Lauren." Bo's voice was as soft as her gaze. "I hope it's a good time you didn't say anything.. so I just thought I'd show up." The thought that this beautiful creature was as nervous as she obviously was made Lauren smile a bright smile. "It's completely fine. I was just making dinner. I'm sure there will be enough for two." The Phoenix stepped aside and opened the door wider, inviting Bo in.

Smiling, the Succubus nodded and stepped into the apartment, looking around at the expensive interior in awe. "Your place.. it's.. wow." Bo couldn't find any other word that fit the beautifully decorated space. Standing next to her Lauren smiled and said "Thanks." She looked curiously at the rose Bo was still holding until the brunette caught on and nearly stumbled over her own words. "Oh.. yeah I got this for you. I hope you like roses." She held the flower out for Lauren to take and the Phoenix accepted the gift, bringing it to her nose. She sighed at the wonderful smell just as Bo sighed inwardly at the sight of Lauren with closed eyes, holding her rose in those strong and sure hands. "Thank you." The Phoenix opened her eyes again and her gaze locked with Bo's like it did so often before. An electric current ran down Lauren's spine at the intensity in the Succubus' eyes.

Bo finally broke the connection after what seemed like eternity and cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "So, what's for dinner? It sure smells wonderful."

Lauren smiled at her guest while she went to look for a small vase for the rose. "I decided to make pizza today." Bo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You make your own pizza? Kenz and I always order them." She shrugged and chuckled to herself. "But then again we basically live on takeout." The Phoenix placed the tall and slim vase with the rose on the small table that stood by the very modern kitchen. "Then it's time that somebody shows you what a good home-cooked meal is." Lauren smirked at the Succubus over her shoulder and saw her eyes turn slightly darker. "I'd love you to show me." Bo came closer, standing behind the blonde. It wasn't that she had forgotten everything about Kenzi telling her to 'take it slow', she just couldn't help herself. She wanted the woman in front of her. Badly. And that made the her Succubus side kick in.

When Lauren turned she was surprised to find herself almost toe to toe with the brunette. She had felt her come closer but not this close. Bo was staring at her with dark brown eyes and the Phoenix knew that all it would take right now was a touch from her and those eyes would turn bright blue. She felt desire pooling in her core at the thought of just giving in and leaned back against the table to put a bit more distance between her and the Succubus. It didn't do her much good, though. She felt the heat radiating off Bo's body, practically felt wave after wave of energy she was giving off.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there, simply staring at each other but their trance was effectively broken by the oven starting to beep loudly, signaling that dinner was ready. Lauren quickly turned and walked over, turning off the oven and opening it, releasing a wave of heat and delicious smell. Bo watched, shell-shocked as the blonde simply pulled the hot sheet out, lifting it onto the counter with her bare hands. As if nothing had happened, she picked up a pizza cutter and started slicing the pizza into even pieces.

"Lauren your hands.." Bo finally stated but didn't finish her sentence when Lauren came back to the her with two plates full of delicious-looking pizza. The blonde placed them on the table and waved the Succubus off. "Nothing happened, Bo. I'm a Phoenix. Fire, or any kind of heat doesn't harm me. I absorb it."

Bo could have kicked herself for not realizing it further. The way Lauren's eyes had turned bright golden-red at the Dark Fae compound, the wing-tattoos on her back, it all made sense now. Still, she wondered why Lauren had just told her so casually, like it was no big deal. Most Fae didn't like talking about their abilities, they saw it as giving away their weaknesses. Lauren seemed to sense her thoughts, smiling at her. "It seems only fair that you know that about me, too. I know what you are, although it wouldn't be hard to guess anyway." She winked and Bo nodded, smiling at the indirect compliment.

"Let's eat? What would you like to drink? I have red wine."

"Red wine is fine. Thank you." The Succubus was silently impressed at how Lauren could just like that make their conversation casual again.

-x-

"That was amazing. I had no idea you could cook this well. How will I ever go back to takeout?" Bo smiled across the table at Lauren who blushed ever so slightly. Their conversation over dinner had been casual, the Phoenix telling Bo a little about her daily work routine, surprised that the Succubus seemed to find it really interesting. In turn, Lauren learned more about Bo and Kenzi's friendship and figured that the Djinn was the only person the brunette really cared about genuinely.

"Well there are many things nobody knows." Lauren smiled mischievously. Their interaction had become increasingly easier over dinner. She couldn't believe that the woman sitting across from her was the same one who practically hunted her down days ago, claiming to be irresistible in such an arrogant, jet exciting way. The Bo the Phoenix was experiencing now was way more in control but still, she was a Succubus and it showed in the scorching glances directed at her. In everything they did there was this underlining desire that wouldn't leave, becoming more and more urgent with every look and smile.

Bo grinned her answer, showing a cute dimple that wouldn't fit the image of the sexy seductress at all. "Don't think you're the only one with secrets."

Lauren just shrugged, picking up both of their plates and bringing them to the sink. "Why don't you go sit down on the couch, I'll be right over with more wine." Bo nodded, standing up as well but she didn't move to the couch, instead she followed the blonde with fire in her eyes. She waited until Lauren had placed the plates down, then stepped into her personal space for the second time that day, this time placing her hands on Lauren's hips from behind. The blonde shuddered, letting out a small gasp before whispering "I was wondering when you would cave." Bo just chuckled, pulling the doctor into her body. The whole situation reminded her of the second time Lauren turned her down but this time she was in heels while Lauren was wearing comfortable flats, giving her a greater height advantage then last time which she intended to use. Wrapping one arm around the blonde and marveling at how Lauren's waist was so slim that one of her arms could completely press her against Bo, her other hand slid up and cupped the doctor's chin, turning it ever so slightly in her direction. "I just can't seem to help myself, Doctor." She husked against Lauren's skin. Shuddering once again, the blonde leaned back fully into the embrace, bringing one hand up over her shoulder to pull Bo into a fiery kiss. They both moaned simultaneously at the sensation, deepening the kiss, tongues dueling for dominance. Eventually Lauren turned in Bo's embrace without disconnecting their lips, her arms snaking around the Succubus' neck. The brunette's hands moved on their own accord, reaching down to cup Lauren's ass and lift her up onto Bo's hips first, and then onto the kitchen counter. Standing between the Phoenix' legs she moaned when she felt one hand tangle in her hair while the other one slid down her neckline. They had to break apart when air became necessary, cerulean blue eyes staring deeply into golden-red ones. The Succubus thought that she had never seen anything so beautiful.

Lauren's finger traced patterns on the exposed skin of Bo's chest until she felt something under her fingers she hadn't noticed before. Curious, she averted her gaze to look at the small hieroglyph-shaped pendant that hung from a thin golden chain around the Succubus' neck and Lauren immediately knew what she was looking at. "You're her lamp-holder." It wasn't a question, but Lauren's voice was still thick from what had just happened and was technically still happening between her and the brunette.

Bo took a few deep breaths to push the raging hunger inside herself down. _Let her decide what is ok._ With all her willpower the Succubus tried to follow that rule. "I am. She gave that to me a few years back." she panted, knowing her eyes were still as blue as Lauren's were still red.

"That's really unusual. Normally, nothing is more sacred to a Djinn then their lamp." The Phoenix marveled as she traced the outline of the small pendant with her fingers, making Bo hiss because she also touched her in the process. The Succubus hold on Lauren tightened, making the blonde press against her more and look back up into mesmerizing blue eyes.

"You sure are impatient." Golden-red eyes twinkled dangerously. Bo chuckled but it came out strangled and sounded more like a small moan. "And you are a tease."

At the words Lauren's eyes softened immediately and she moved her hand from Bo's chest to cup her cheek. "No." She confessed with a small voice "I'm afraid."

Suddenly all the pent-up desire raging inside Bo vanished, replaced with something she couldn't define. The feeling amplified when Lauren leaned forward and placed her head on the brunette's shoulder. As if they had a will of their own Bo's hands released their grip of passion on Lauren and instead she found herself hugging the Phoenix tightly to herself. Nothing had to be said. Bo knew what Lauren was afraid of, she had felt it too before. The feeling of loosing herself to a passion for a woman she didn't even really know and not being able to do anything about it.

Neither knew how long they just held each other but after what seemed like eternity and way too short at the same time Lauren pulled back and cradled Bo's face in her sure hands. She placed the softest of kisses on the Succubus' lips, eyes now back to their usual honey brown. They looked at each other for a while longer until Bo gave Lauren a soft kiss of her own. "Goodnight, my beautiful" She whispered against her lips and untangled herself from the blonde. "Come back next week?" Lauren asked, her voice barely audible and Bo nodded. In an instant she was out the door and gone, leaving the Phoenix to stare at the spot where she had last stood. The Succubus was going to be the death of her.

* * *

_I don't really know if this qualifies as a cliffhanger 'cause I get accused of them all the time. :D I probably just should keep positing a chapter a day to keep you all happy but unfortunately my creative mind as well as my schedule won't allow that. I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible. Oh by the way did I mention that reviews are a great motivation? ;)_


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