A/N: This is it! Thanks again to all who have read and supported this story. I hope it didn't disappoint to much. So many of you are asking about the Finding Our Way sequel. I began this story when I was blocked on the sequel and sadly, I'm still not getting where I want to be with the sequel. It will happen, I just need to work through this period of motivational difficulty!

Until then, let's get to the conclusion of The Hunted! A very long final chapter!

All errors are mine – I did a brief check, so I'm sure I missed plenty - Just wanted to get this up since free time is going to become an issue this week.

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Chapter 12: Does Love Conquer All?

Bo looked at her wife kneeling and unable to stand. This was the last body her wife expected to see.

"Join us, Lauren. You belong with us. We can feel the darkness within you. Your good two shoes wife doesn't have what it takes to keep you happy."

"I... uh... I..." Lauren hung her head, "I'm so... sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry? Sorry that you got me killed? Sorry that you moved on so easily and shacked up with that whore of a Succubus? Sorry that you lied to me? Which one is it, Lauren? Huh?"

"I... I'm... I didn't mean..."

"You didn't mean to? Oh, that's rich coming from you! What kind of woman would lead a woman she claimed to love into the deepest jungle on earth as a 'grand adventure' and then abandon her to some supernatural race?"

"I... I... I didn't... it... it wasn't... it wasn't like that. I... couldn't..."

"Couldn't what? Did you even try?"

Tamsin came to stand beside Bo, "Bo, you have to do something!"

Bo stood there, shocked until Tamsin called her name and spoke again, "Bo! Remember what she told you! That's Hades in there, not Nadia! Nadia is dead! Hades is trying to pull the darkness from Lauren. Think, Bo! You can't let that happen!"

Bo blinked twice, her mind racing back to what Lauren had told her about her powers while they lay in front of the fire at the cabin,

"The Fae spent most of the first five years I was with them ruining my life... tearing me down. It wasn't until I found my purpose and they started to respect Humans that they became tolerable. Now... like it or not... I'm one of them... one of you. I want to find happiness and I want that to be with you, but I can't handle another heartbreak, Bo. I'm worried about what that would do to me now that I'm a Valkyrie... well, a Changeling."

"Lauren..."

"No, Bo. You need to hear me. Tamsin and Acacia warned me. I'm a warrior by nature now and the draw to battle is in me... I can feel it. They told me that love, mating, marriage... it's all approached very carefully by Valkyrie because losing a love can also mean losing yourself to the grief that follows. My sisters would be there for me to try to keep the darkness at bay, but I need you to understand, Bo... I'll evolve with my circumstance."

"What does that mean, Lauren?"

"I'm born from White magic, Bo. Allowing darkness into my soul could destroy that magic."

"So it could destroy you."

Lauren nodded.

"I have no intention of hurting you, Lauren but if something should happen to me or to Lulu, I wouldn't want you to lose yourself to the darkness."

Lauren shrugged, "Well then let's just make sure nothing happens to either of you."

Bo looked up at Tamsin and then turned to see the group in the room. She looked back at Lauren who was now on two knees as The Kindred spoke,

"You're evil, Lauren. Admit it! Admit it to me! Hell, admit it to yourself, Lauren! You're a monster for what you let them do to me!"

Lauren's skin began to emit a dim white light. Tamsin cried out, "BO! Now! Do something! If she goes dark..."

"Tamsin, everyone surround Lauren. Now!"

The group did as ordered, drawing their swords to protect the blonde.

"No swords!"

"Are you crazy?" Dyson yelled.

"I said, no swords Wolf! Obey my command or get your wife and leave!"

Ciara placed a gentle hand on Dyson's forearm. Bo noticed Lauren's eyes move up to where the contact was made and had an idea.

"Join hands with your respective other."

Everyone looked at Bo like she was out of her mind, but slowly complied.

"I'll be right back."

Bo ran from the room and returned moments later with Jadis leading the way.

"Kara! What are you doing here?"

Bo whispered in Kara's ear and watched as she smiled, running to jump into Dyson's arms, "Hold her, Dyson. Talk to her. Ciara, you to. Remember... focus on the love you feel for each other as a family."

She turned back to the group, "Join the circle... Jadis, look at your daughter. She needs us. The Kindred has assumed the form of Nadia. You know the story. It seems Hades wants my wife to believe she's a monster."

Jadis smiled and joined the circle, leading Sadie and everyone else who had joined them into the circle. Aspera shimmered into the room with Selia, Deeana and Seera as well as Kate and a few other Valkyrie couples.

"Hey, BoBo. Jadis told me you wanted to see me and... what the... Bo?"

Bo smiled at her friend, "Kenzi, you and Vex need to join the circle as well."

Kenzi and Vex smiled awkwardly at each other, but entered the circle and joined hands.

"Lu? You love Mom, right?"

Lulu nodded, her eyes glowing blue as they stared into the portal. Bo lifted her daughter into her arms and turned her eyes to meet her own,

"See? My eyes are like yours." Bo said, her eyes blazing blue as she entered the circle and came to kneel with Lulu in front of Lauren, "Talk to her, Lu. Tell her how much you love her."

"What's wrong with her?"

"The bad man in the portal is trying to make her think she's a monster. You see, Mom was born of good magic, so dark magic can hurt her."

Lulu looked worried, "Can it... kill her?"

Bo sighed, "I'm afraid so, Lu."

"How do we save her, Momma?"

"We love her, Belle. We love her with all our hearts and make her believe she's worth that love. Can you keep talking to her while I deal with The Kindred?"

"I'll love her to the moon and beyond, Momma."

Bo kissed her daughter, "That's my girl."

She looked at Lauren who was watching their interaction, "My Lolobug... you've always been mine. Our love spans more than a decade and will never die. This precious little girl loves you so very much. Children have an instinct about people and she's known your goodness since the day you met at the cabin. Do you remember, Lolo? Do you remember meeting my Lulu in the woods? Do you remember how much you fell in love with the mini version of you? You were meant for each other. You were meant to be her Mother."

Lulu reached up and took Lauren's face in her hands, "Mom? It's me. I'm gonna love you now, okay?"

Bo watched as Lulu's hands began to glow a brilliant white. She pressed her forehead against Lauren's and began to chant in the language of the witches,

"Мојата крв во твојата крв, ние сме една. Љубовта слободно дадена, Љубовта слободно прифатена. Љубовта ги лечи сите. Љубовта освојува се."

Bo watched as Jadis, Sadie, Shyla and Aspera all began to chant. She watched as one by one, the eyes of the Fae and Amazons in the circle turned white and they, too, joined in the verse of the ancient language.

Bo turned to see The Kindred glaring at her,

"You are MINE to command!"

"I will never follow you!"

Bo drew her sword as The Kindred spoke, "Yes! Your answer is always violence, isn't it! You were born to kill. You are MY blood! Join me and become what you were destined to be, the Dark Queen will rise and the new world order will begin. Spill the blood of The Kindred and my spirit will rise! DO IT! Just like you killed Kyle! Just like you killed hundreds of Humans so you could live! You've always known your life was more important than the lives of those weak and useless meat bags! Rise and assume your rightful throne as my heir."

"I am not you!"

"You are my blood! You and I are exactly alike!"

Trick and Aoife entered the room, coming to stand on either side of Bo. Leaning in, Aoife whispered in her daughter's ear,

"Remember, you're my blood too."

Bo looked at her Mom, "Mom?"

Aoife smiled, "Sadie's magic gets stronger the longer I'm in her presence." She lifted a hand to cup Bo's face, "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Ysabeau. But I'm here now and I will do the right thing."

She raised her sword and went to strike The Kindred, but Bo blocked the blow with her own sword, "No!"

"Ysabeau! Let me take her head!"

"No, Mom! If you take her head, you'll release Hades spirit."

"So he says. He's lying!"

Bo looked at Aoife, then Trick before she released her hold on her Mother's forearm and sword, "I'm your blood, too."

"What?" Aoife asked, before Bo placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

She turned to Trick, "Thank you, Grandpa."

"For what?" Trick asked as Bo leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek as well.

"I'm your blood, too."

Bo took their hands and joined them together, "I love you both."

She looked at Lulu and Lauren, their foreheads still joined. She thought of the love she felt for them and allowed it to fill her, then turned to the Kindred and drew her sword across her hand, drawing her own blood. She then turned to The Kindred,

"You gave me life, Dad and for that, I am forever grateful. You gave me a life that allowed me to marry a man who devoted the rest of his life to giving me everything he had to give including a beautiful daughter. You gave me a life that allowed me to meet my best friend, a girl who grew into a woman that I will love until my last dying breath and beyond."

"You are testing my patience, Daughter. Take The Kindred's head now or I will fill the Doctor's head with rage. She will join me in death and bring your daughter to me."

Bo rotated her sword while, pulling her dagger from its sheath with her bloodied hand. She stepped forward until she was a step away from The Kindred, the blood leaking from her wound and dripping down the blade of her dagger,

"Now you see, threatening my family does not put you in line for Father of the year, Dad."

"I tried to give you a chance. I tried to save you. Now, I will take everything you have and make your Daughter my Queen and your wife my Bitch!"

"Thank you for giving me life, Dad... a life that has filled me with love and forgiveness for anyone who has ever wished me ill."

The Kindred swung her sword towards Bo's neck, but the Succubus ducked the move and thrust her dagger into her side,

"I love you, Dad. Goodbye." Bo said, watching as The Kindred's veins bulged a deep red through the skin until a black mist moved from her body and settled into the ground. The body crumbled to the ground, the opening closing with a thud.

Bo stood, breathing heavily for a moment before whipping her head around to see Lulu holding Lauren's head in her lap.

"Lauren!" Bo yelled, running to her wife's side, "Oh, please, please!"

Kneeling in front of her daughter, she looked up at the smiling dark orbs that resembled her own, "It's okay, Momma. She's just tired. She's taking a little nap."

Bo cupped her daughter's cheek, giving her a bright smile before kissing Lauren's forehead. She then turned to Aspera and Shyla,

"Can you check her, just to be sure?"

The two witches came to her side and placed glowing white hands on her head and chest before pulling back to look at Bo,

"Her spirit is intact. We will need to take her to..."

"Go. I understand. Just... keep her safe."

Aspera smiled down at her sister, "We'll return with her soon. Lulu will also need to..."

Bo nodded, waving a hand, "It's okay, just take care of my wife, please. Kenzi will bring Lulu shortly. I think we have some things to discuss here before she goes."

Turning to Lulu, Bo smiled, "You did good, Belle. Thank you for saving Mom."

"I told you that you would need me."

Bo placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder, "Belle, I'll always need you."

Lulu smiled wide, watching as Aspera and Shyla took her Mom from her lap and disappeared with her. Bo looked around the room at the rest of her soldiers and nodded,

"Thank you... all of you."

Most then turned and left the room, some shimmering away with the Witches. When only a few remained, she turned back to Lulu who threw her arms around Bo's neck,

"I love you, Momma. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Lu." Bo said, pulling back, "So, what were you chanting to keep Lauren with you?"

She looked up at Jadis, "I made up a spell."

"You what?" Bo asked, looking up at her sister.

Jadis shrugged, "Not only did she make up a spell, but she also magnified its' power by linking all of us to her to do it."

"I don't understand." Bo replied.

Sadie smiled, as Trick and Aoife came to stand next to her, "We've always known the combined blood of your descendants would be a large part of the answer to defeating Hades. We also knew that Hades was very upset about Trick trying to marry you off to Rainer."

Trick spoke, "I went to Amara and Aris, the White Witches."

Bo nodded, "The Twins of Fortune, yes I know them. They drive me crazy."

Trick smiled, "They speak in riddles, like many of the Fae. They told me that your offspring would play a key role in defeating Hades, but they said her power would come from the Land of Light and..."

"You didn't believe them, because you couldn't see how she could possibly inherit those powers."

Jadis smiled, "That was because you couldn't foresee that Rainer would die and Lauren, a Human who no one could have guessed would become a Changeling, would made with Bo."

Aspera further explained, "But Rainer knew. His gift of foresight extended much further into the future than his parents would ever allow him to let people know. When Jadis brought the twins to you Trick, I had gone to see Rainer to have him agree to the request for the arranged marriage that they knew you would request."

Aoife added, "My job was to make sure that your Father did not suspect any of this. If he knew of the power of your blood and all that would fall into place to lead to his demise, he would have killed you and me, then started again with another species of Fae... or at least a Succubus whose Father was not the Blood King."

Bo laughed, "He probably thought that the daughter of a Fae that could rise to be King would be the most powerful combination."

Trick nodded, "He did. He did not see me as having an active power that I could project at him, so did not fear me. Of course, the time he did almost kill you, he saw Aoife breathe chi into you to save your life."

Aoife explained, "That was when he knew that I was not your average Succubus, so he needed to do something to make sure I remained under his control until you came into your powers."

"He didn't expect the Morrigan and the Ash to put together a team that included White Witches and a Changeling, let alone a White Witch who happened to be his offspring." Tamsin interjected, "When we defeated Hades in his Human form, that was all luck. We had no idea what we were doing."

Bo shook her head, "While I appreciate the history lesson, I just really want to know how my daughter did... that thing she did."

Kenzi shimmered into the room, "Looks like I came just in time. My BFF is talking like a bad 90's movie that was like a bad remake of a movie about a 60's band. Whoa. I just confused myself."

Bo smiled at her friend, "Glad you're okay, Kenzi."

"Back atcha." Kenzi turned to Lulu, "Hey, half-pint."

"Hi Aunt Kenz." Lulu said, running to Kenzi and jumping into her arms.

"Ugh. You're too big for this, Lu. Last time you jump, okay?"

Lulu pouted, sliding down Kenzi's body and stepping back, "Hey! I still need hugs!" She smiled, kneeling down and opening her arms for the youngster. Lulu smiled and ran into her arms again, "I'm glad you're okay, Belle. Did you save everyone's butt?"

Lulu pulled back and smiled, "It was so cool! I think. I invented a spell!"

Kenzi looked up at Jadis who looked at Bo,

"I don't know, Kenz. I'm still waiting for the explanation myself."

Jadis sighed, "Your daughter was a very powerful Fae, Sister. During the bonding ceremony, she took on characteristics of both you and Lauren. My best guess is that she used the blood blonde Lauren created by the sharing of your blood since she was joined to it as well when you showed her how to break the bond."

Bo's attention peaked, "Yea, about that. Why don't I feel that power anymore."

"I killed it." Lulu said.

"What?" Bo asked.

"Ya know. Like you showed me. See?" Lulu held up her hand, showing Bo a long cut on her palm, "I said the magic words after The Kindred melted and you got all weak again. That's how I knew it worked."

Bo knelt down in front of Lulu, "So are you going to tell me what that spell was?"

Lulu sat down and crossed her legs in front of Bo who moved to mirror her position. Lulu held up her pinky and Bo smiled, hooking her pinky into her daughter's,

"I promise I will not be mad at you for having used your powers." Bo said.

"I promise I will be honest about what I did with my powers." Lulu replied.

"I promise I love you to the ends of the universe and beyond and always will no matter what." Bo said.

"I promise I love you to the ends of the universe and beyond and always will no matter what." Lulu replied.

Aoife whispered to Trick, "They are more adorable than I'd ever dreamed. Please make sure Sadie keeps me sane, Daddy."

Trick nodded, "I will do all I can to protect you, Aoife."

Aoife nudged the Blood King, "Will you pinky swear with me?"

The two looked at each other and laughed before turning their attention back to Bo and Lulu.

"I felt... everyone. My Empath was... what was that word that Mom taught me that means everything is just too much and you're over full?"

"Overwhelmed?"

"Yea. I was that."

"What made you feel that way?"

"You told everyone to focus on their love for everyone else and... well... it was a lot of love."

Everyone in the room laughed. Bo gave her daughter a smile,

"So what did you say?"

Lulu scrunched up her face trying to remember, "Well, it all just sort of happened. It was like my brain was thinking really fast and I just did it. When you came to tell me about your blood and Mom injected everyone with it, I knew they had your blood, but it's our blood too, right?"

"It is." Bo said, pushing a strand of loose hair from her daughter's face and tucking it gently behind her ear.

"Then I thought about the love and I just let my Empath, my Succubus, my Witch, my Foresight all work together. When my Daddy part said it would work, I just started the chant."

Bo laughed, "You're killin' me here, Lu! What did you say?"

Lulu laughed, "I love keepin' you in suspense, Momma!"

Bo tickled her daughter's belly, "Tell me or I keep tickling."

Giggling hard, Lulu sputtered out her words, "Okay, okay! I'll tell!"

"Okay."

"Hands up, Momma. I don't trust the ticklebug!"

Bo laughed, raising her hands.

"I said my blood to your blood, we are one. Love freely given, Love freely accepted. Love heals all. Love conquers all." She shrugged, "Then everyone just sort of... I don't know... joined me."

Bo smiled, "It's funny, ya know? Injecting everyone with my blood was supposed to unite them to me. It turns out you had a better use for it than I did."

"Why did The Kindred die from just a stab wound? Tamsin said that you guys had to do that gross chop off the head thing to free the dead people."

Bo nodded, "I made sure my dagger was coated with my blood before I put it into the body. Our blood didn't just unite us all in love, it was poisonous to the dark blood of my Father."

Lulu shook her head, "All those months of training and all you had to do was get your blood on a dagger and stab her?"

Bo laughed along with the rest of the group, "Well, all of those months of training were for the battle that took place in the woods against The Hunters and the more powerful ones that were here in the house. In the end, my brain was all I really needed to finish the job."

"Brains over brawn just like Mom says." Lulu smiled, putting up her curled hand to her Mom.

Bo smiled, giving her daughter a fist bump, "Brains it is, Belle. Now, I've got some things to take care of here. What do you say you go with Kenzi to feed and take a nap."

Lulu nodded, standing up and falling into Bo's arms, "Thanks, Momma. I love you."

"I love you, too Belle. Sleep tight."

Bo smiled up at Kenzi who took her daughter's hand and disappeared. Bo sat, staring down at the blood on her hands. Jadis came to kneel next to her. She leaned down, placed a glowing hand over her sister's palm, and healed the wound.

"All better." She said, standing and offering Bo a hand up.

The Succubus took the aide and came to stand before the witch, "So, Daddy's dead, I have yet another sister, my Mom is sane again and all is well. What now?"

Jadis frowned, lowering her head and crossing her hands in front of her hips, "I'm afraid all is not well, Sister."

"What? Why?" Bo asked.

"The battle is won, yes but it was not without sacrifice."

Bo's entire body tensed, "Wh-who?"

"You should come outside." Jadis replied, waving her hand towards the door.

Bo turned and looked back at her Mom and Grandfather. Aoife gave her a nod,

"Go. Care for the dead. They deserve your time. Daddy and I will take care of things here in the house."

"Thank you." Bo said, turning to Tamsin and Kate who led the way out of the room with Jadis following closely behind.

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Nothing could have prepared Bo for what she saw when she reached the land at the side of the old mansion. She immediately saw Selia and Deeana holding Seera where the Amazons were building platforms of some kind. Bo stepped up next to her friends,

"Selia, what's going on?"

Bo's eyes moved from the work area to her friend and what she saw made her shudder. She's never seen an Amazon cry, let alone this one, but trails of tears were pouring down her cheeks as she mumbled out the answer to Bo's question,

"They're building funeral pyres... for the dead."

Bo slowly turned her head back to the area, "But... there's so many of them."

Selia nodded, "The Valkyrie took theirs already as did the White Witches. We will bury the dead of the Fae with our Amazon sisters here. Dyson and Ciara feared that returning them to their clans would cause their dead to be buried as traitors since they helped you."

"You mean because they fought alongside White Witches and Changelings as well as the Daughter of Hades and the banished Amazons."

Selia nodded, "You always did have a way with words."

Bo shrugged, "May I ask who we lost?"

Selia handed a sleeping Seera to Deeana and gave Bo a tight smile. Selia spoke to Bo,

"Come. I will show you."

Bo pulled her gaze away from Deeana and followed Selia. They walked for a while in silence before they reached a field lined with bodies covered in white cloth. Dropping to her knees, Bo whispered,

"My Gods."

Selia, "They all knew the risk. They died for a cause they believed in."

Tears ran down Bo's face, "They died because of me!"

Selia gripped the Succubus by the armpit and dragged her to her feet. She spun her around and slammed her up against the tree, her eyes searing into the brunette's,

"Don't you DARE let me hear you say that ever again! I am sick and tired of Bo's pity party! You did not create those Hunters! Hades did! You did not ask to be born to him and despite the fact that you were, you have spent your entire life fighting his Hunters and protecting your child! You are a friend to the Amazons because of the good in you! You are a friend to the White Witches because of the good in you! You are The Chosen One because you were born to be and do good! Our dead believed in that and chose to fight evil to save the world! Anyone who had any doubt about what they were doing saw that doubt erased the minute we walked into that hotel. Humans who had cut out their own eyes to prevent The Hunters from taking over their bodies... Humans that we've always seen as weak... Humans who showed bravery unlike anything any of us had ever seen in all of our centuries of life. So pardon me if I have neither the time or patience to listen to you blame yourself! We must give these brave women the mourning period they deserve and celebrate their rising to the afterlife!"

Selia released Bo's jacket with a huff, standing for a moment before smoothing out the wrinkles, "Sorry. I'm just... a little emotional right now."

Bo nodded, "It's okay. I stand corrected."

"Good."

"Good."

Selia sighed, "Come. Walk with me. You'll want to know of your sisters who have left this world for a better place."

"Do you believe that?"

"Believe what?" Selia replied, walking along.

"That there is a better place after this life?"

Selia smiled, "I do."

Bo nodded and remained silent until they reached the first body. Selia nodded to an Amazon who came and uncovered the body. Bo gasped at the sight before recognizing the head. She whispered,

"Sabrina."

Selia nodded, "My second in command. Seera fell from her perch. She was quickly outnumbered. Sabrina somersaulted from her tree and landed in the center of the group, boosting Seera to safety while they bit her repeatedly. As she fell, she asked Dara to take her head so she could not be reanimated."

Bo shook her head as Selia added, "Lulu doesn't know yet, but Seera saw it happen. She cried herself to sleep."

The next was uncovered and again Bo shook her head and whispered,

"Dara." She immediately thought of Lulu and how hard it would be to break the news of her personal guard's death to her.

She then looked up at her friend, "Wait. Why is she here? She's a Valkyrie. Shouldn't she be going to Valhalla to be reborn or whatever?"

Selia nodded, "That's what we thought as well, but nothing has happened. We were waiting for Tamsin or someone to tell us."

Just then, Tamsin and Kate walked up to the pair, "Hi Ladies. I've been told you have a question for us?"

Selia nodded towards the body of the fallen Valkyrie.

"Dara." Tamsin whispered, "She is on her last life. Her body will not rise without our ritual because she has no legacy."

"A legacy?" Bo asked.

"A daughter." Kate replied.

Tamsin explained, "Valkyrie die in childbirth and our soul is passed to the child we leave behind – our legacy. Then, we rise and go to our final resting place in Folkvangr." Tamsin explained.

"So you never know your children?" Bo asked.

The two Valkyrie shook their heads.

Bo scowled as the group moved along to the next body, but her mind was now elsewhere. She thinking about what her Mother had told her about her ability to get Lauren pregnant. Could she kill her wife with a child?

Selia's voice pulled her from her thoughts, "Bo?"

The Succubus looked down to see Val's body, "Does Hale know?"

Tamsin nodded as they moved to the next body but Bo was still stuck with the idea that she could potentially kill her wife. She needed answers and she needed them soon. Still, now was not the time. Her wife had survived for now and Selia was right. These men and women deserved a mourning period from those who lived. So, face after face, Bo took a moment to thank them for fighting hard enough to allow her to reach The Kindred and close the portal to Hel. They had saved the world. Now, it was her job to honor the dead by making it a world worthy of their children.

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One Week Later...

Bo stood watching the fires of the dead burn, Lulu in her arms and Lauren leaning into her side. It had been a rough week getting everything ready and gathering the families of the dead who wished to come and bid their goodbyes. Lauren had returned two days ago, her healing delayed by her apparent exhaustion.

Still, the Succubus couldn't help but wonder what would come next. She kept feeling like the other shoe had to drop sooner or later. She just had an odd feeling that it would be sooner. As the pyres collapsed and sparks filled the sky, the Amazons began to sing a song in their native language that Bo had heard Selia's tribe sing before. She didn't know the words, but the familiarity of the tune gave her some comfort.

They group enjoyed a meal together before everyone began to part ways. Bo and Lauren stood in the center of the clearing, staring into the forest.

"So... where are we staying?" Lauren asked, pushing a curl from a sleeping Lulu's eye.

Bo lowered her eyes, "I hadn't thought that far."

"Well, we can continue to stay with the Amazons in their yurts if you'd like." Lauren replied.

"I really don't want to go into that mansion. Visiting there every day to see my family is enough. I just..."

"Bo?"

The couple turned to see Bertie standing there, arrows in hand. She offered them to Bo who took them, "Sorry, I'm just so used to making them... it seems weird to stop. I mean, you'll still need meat for dinner at the cabin, right?"

"The cabin?" Bo asked, "Your son Ralph told us The Hunters burned it to the ground. I haven't been over there since I got the news."

Bertie smiled, "They burned the structure, of course but everything below ground was safe. I mean, it is called a safe room for a reason. Am I right?"

Bo and Lauren smiled as the woman laughed at herself. She then continued,

"They rebuilt the whole darn thing! They gave you proper rooms, running water and a new greenhouse. Sadie said living as natural as possible was important to you, so some features are still the same. Lulu's library is perfectly preserved."

Lauren's excitement was easily visible to Bo as she nodded in agreement, "We'll go check it out."

Bertie clapped her hands together, "Fantastic! I'll have the boys bring the food down. I took the liberty of doing some basic grocery shopping for you. Everything is in the downstairs kitchen. Go on now, scoot. It looks like the little one needs a proper sleep. There's new beds in the cabin with fresh pillows and sheets."

"Bertie, thank you so much. I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Bo smiled.

"Ysabeau, don't you understand, child? You've freed us all. You gave us a home and freed us all. If anything, we owe you, dear. You have free babysitting services for life. Just drop that newborn off at the mansion if you want to have a family day with Lulu at the lake come spring."

"Newborn?" Bo asked, turning to Lauren in shock.

"Sorry, did you not tell her yet, dear? I would have thought you would have told her by now. Succubi babies don't usually take more than seven months in the oven, if you get my drift. By now, girls."

Bertie gave a wave as she headed back to the house leaving a stunned Bo and Lauren behind.

"Lauren? Are you..."

"Pregnant? I... I have... I never thought to test for... sweet Einstein! How could this happen?"

Bo sighed, "Apparently Succubi can impregnate any gender. My Mom told me the day of the battle."

Lauren looked from her stomach to Bo, "Now she tells you?"

"Lauren, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

The pair fell silent, each trying to wrap their heads around the news, although Bo had been suspicious of this possibility. More importantly, it was Tamsin's words that echoed in her mind,

"Lauren?"

The blonde looked up at her wife, a grin spreading from ear to ear, "We're going to have a baby? You and I are going to have a child?"

Bo nodded, "But before you get excited, I think you need to talk to Acacia."

"Why?"

"Well, Tamsin told me about Dara having no legacy and..."

"Valkyrie die in childbirth. You're worried about that?"

"Well, you are part Valkyrie, Lauren."

The blonde smiled, "Bo, I am a Changeling. Having the blood of a Valkyrie in my veins is ceremonial only. My DNA is purely Changeling now. Trust me, I've checked... repeatedly. Monitoring my condition was the first thing I started to do the day I returned. The lab in the Mansion is fantastic and Dr. Mantas is a very skilled researcher."

Bo smiled, "So... that's it? No risk of life? Just... a baby? Just like that?"

Lauren grinned, "Just like that."

Bo pulled her wife into her arms, careful not to disturb Lulu, kissing her hard, "Wait until we tell Lulu. She's going to flip her lid at this news."

"Let's go home, baby." Lauren sighed.

Bo nodded, "Yes, let's go home."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As they ambled through the trees that lined the path to the cabin, Bo grew more and more anxious. It had been a very long time since she'd been home and she wasn't sure that Lauren honestly wanted to live such a rough life in a cabin out in the woods. She had seen where she lived while she was with the light Fae and, even though she had been a slave there, she'd had the comfort of a very nice city apartment surrounded by friends that – even though they were not very supportive of Bo – had become a sort of family to the blonde. While the rest of the Fae didn't treat her as more than chattle, she had noticed that Tamsin, Kate, Tessa, Dyson, Vex, Mark and Val had been her biggest fans.

Bo sighed, thinking of Dyson. He was anything but a fan of hers. The wolf clearly did not trust her and, while he's been better since she'd rid him of Hades grasp, he was clearly not in favor of following her orders during the days of training and battle. Lauren had explained the way of the wolf to her – the whole alpha thing, but Bo didn't buy it. He was very protective of Lauren and had nearly flipped his lid when he'd learned they'd been married. Bo was determined to get to the bottom of his protectiveness of her wife and it was going to be before he returned home with his wife and daughter.

Looking over to her daughter fast asleep in her wife's arms, Bo sighed. Not only would she have to tell her about Dara's death, but she would also have to tell her that her new friend Kara would be leaving soon. She'd hoped she could convince Ciara to stay on at the Mansion for a bit longer even though Dyson had to leave to get back to his duties as a cop for the Light Fae. Time would tell.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Turning to look at Lauren, Bo smiled, "I was just thinking of the news we have to tell our daughter."

"That she's going to be a big sister?" Lauren beamed.

Bo chuckled, "Well, that too. I think we should save that for last though."

"Oh? What could be more important?"

Sighing, the brunette replied, "The bad news."

Lauren nodded, "About Dara."

"That won't be the hardest blow. Remember that the Amazons raised her in my absence. Sabrina was like Kenzi to her – an adopted Aunt of sorts. She taught her how to make a bow and arrow, how to shoot, how to skin and prep an animal for a meal and how to make that famous stew of hers."

"I thought you taught her how to cook." Lauren questioned.

"I'm afraid my kitchen skills are a bit overexaggerated by our daughter. Sabrina taught the two of us how to cook. Otherwise, we would have starved. Once my breast milk dried up, I was forced to ask Selia if she could help me provide food for my child. She recruited Bertie to help me build the greenhouse before she had Sabrina step in to teach me about every edible – and poisonous – plant known to the world. Selia and Deeana took turns teaching me how to hunt and when trouble came around, they taught me to fight like the Amazons."

"You mean that stealthy tree fighting they do." Lauren chuckled.

Bo nodded, "Yes." Bo replied before turning her attention back to the path, "For all the good it did Sabrina."

Lauren shrugged, "It sounds to me like she did what she had to do to save Seera. Would you have done any different?"

Bo was quiet, offering no response. She knew what Lauren was trying to do, but it didn't make the death of her friend sting any less.

"Bo, you have to stop blaming yourself for the deaths of those we lost in battle."

Lauren stopped as her wife turned into her path, her eyes filled with tears, "I killed a boy! I killed a little girl! And I can't get their faces out of my head. My Father reanimated the dead without discretion. The faces of the blind in the hotel... every time I close my eyes I see their empty eye sockets. I'm terrified that when I close my eyes tonight, I'll see rows and rows of funeral pyres burning. But the worst is the image of you dropping to your knees before..."

"Nadia?" Lauren asked.

Bo turned her back to her wife, picking the needles from a small branch she'd pulled from one of the burned trees,

"You loved her... you were in love with her. I could see it on your face. The devastation from losing her."

Lauren scowled, shaking her head, "You saw the devastation of seeing someone who I hoped was finally at peace, being used by pure evil to end the world. You saw the guilt I felt of trying to love someone beyond the secret I'd carried in my heart since childhood."

She took a breath, and then finished, "The secret about how I was settling for a love that would never match the love I felt for you. But I had to stay with Nadia. I had to because I knew my love for you would never die, but I knew that you had. You were dead and there was no changing that. I knew that Nadia would always be second best, but she could make me forget you on occasion. It was selfish of me to keep her trapped in a love with someone who would never feel the way she felt for me, but I was tired of being alone and lonely... so incredibly lonely without you. What you saw was guilt. I took the best years of her life and if I'd let her go, the Fae never would have gotten their grubby hands on her. She might still be alive today. I'm responsible for her death."

As the tears rolled down Lauren's face, she detoured around her wife and headed down the path. She didn't know the woods as Bo did, but she guessed that this path would lead her to the cabin eventually. She walked quickly, desperate to get away from the trees that seemed to be closing in on her minute by minute. Before she knew it, she was running, holding Lulu's head against her shoulder, squeezing her tighter and tighter until finally, the young Fae awoke,

"Mom? Mom, stop!"

Lulu looked around, "Mom, please!"

Lauren looked at the fear in her daughter's eyes and stopped, pulling her close, "I'm sorry, Lu. I'm so sorry."

Lulu looked up at her Mom, adjusting herself so she was no longer laying on her shoulders, but looking her right in the eyes,

"What are we running from? Are the bad people back?"

Lauren shook her head, her eyes welling with tears before Lulu wiggled free of her arms. She took her hand and led her down the path,

"Follow me. I know what'll make you feel better."

They walked a short distance into the clearing until they were in an area of sparsely populated trees, "Look, Mom! Come on!"

Lulu released Lauren's hand and raced off to climb the tree house ladder. The blonde heaved a sigh and gave her daughter a big smile as she ran to make sure she was beneath her while she moved up the vertical ladder. Once inside, Lulu started a fire right away while Lauren opened the flue to the chimney.

"Momma told me that you and her friend built this place when you were just a little older than me. I didn't believe her until she showed me the drawings you made. You were really smart."

"Were?" Lauren asked, pretending to be offended.

Lulu giggled, "You're still smart, Mom. Sorry."

"I'm kidding Lu."

The youngster stretched out on the small carpet, her head resting on one of the pillows, "Come on, relax."

Lauren smiled before laying down next to her daughter, the young brunette immediately snuggling into her shoulder and getting comfortable,

"So, why were you running in the woods?"

"Sorry about that."

"I didn't ask if you were sorry. I asked why you ran? Did you and Momma have a fight?"

"I suppose we had a bit of a disagreement. I was just... I guess I was running from my past."

Lulu giggled, "You can't run from time, Mom. I thought we agreed that you were smart."

Lauren chuckled, "I guess I need a smart teacher like you."

Lulu sat up, turning to face her adoptive Mom, "Come on."

"Huh?"

"You've seen me and Momma have serious talks. This is how we do it. We sit face-to-face cross-legged. No touching."

Lauren mimicked Lulu's position, then watched as she extended her pinky to her. Lauren smiled at the familiar gesture she had watched her perform with Bo many times now. She never realized it was a thing, but she felt so much love in this moment that this little ritual was being passed to her.

"Now, we make pinky swears about how we're going to talk to each other."

"Pinky swears?"

"About how we're going to talk to each other. We have to be respectful. We learned this from the Amazons. Moms and kids always talk respectful of each others' feelings."

Lauren nodded, "Okay. Who goes first?"

"The person who has the most to lose. That means, if I'm in trouble, I get to set the rules. If you're in trouble, you get to set the rules."

Lauren's eyebrows knit together, "Which one of us is in trouble?"

Lulu shrugged, "Well, I wasn't the one who was running from her past, Mom."

"True."

"So, what do you need from me?"

"I don't understand."

Lulu rolled her eyes, "Okay, let me help you. You should start with something like... I promise to be as honest with you as I feel I can be. That way, if there's something a kid shouldn't know, you won't be lying to me like if you said... I promise to be completely honest with you about everything."

Lauren nodded, rolling her butt cheeks one at a time to get a little closer, "Okay, I promise to be as honest with you as I feel I can be."

"And I promise to listen to your feelings without judgment or interruption... now you add another one... if you have one."

Lauren smiled, "I promise to be grateful for your ear."

Lulu smiled widely, "And I promise to be grateful that you are willing to share your feelings with me."

"I promise that I love you and your Mom more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life."

Lulu hesitated, but then replied, "I promise that I love you as much as I love my Mom no matter who you've loved before us."

"Now we put our heads together. I love you to the moon and beyond."

Lauren smiled, "I love you to the ends of the universe and beyond."

"Okay, now talk." Lulu smiled, dropping her finger from Lauren's.

The blonde sighed, "Well, you saw The Kindred when you came in the room, right?"

Lulu nodded, "Just for a second. I was more worried about you. It looked like you were about to go all supernova."

"Well, that would have been stellar." Lauren laughed, "Get it? Stellar?"

Lulu rolled her eyes, "I get it Mom. You're avoiding."

Lauren's face dropped. She was called out by a ten year old, "You're right. Sorry."

"You promised to be honest. Don't avoid. It breaks the pinky swear and then I'll have every right to be mad at you."

"Sorry, I didn't know all of the rules."

"Well, The Kindred had taken the form of my former girlfriend."

"You mean female friend or you mean mushy kind of love female friend?" Lulu asked.

"Mushy kind."

"But I thought you only ever loved Momma?"

"And I thought you promised to listen without judgment or interruption?"

Lulu frowned, "Sorry. I made that promise because it's one Momma always makes me. I had no idea it was a promise that was so hard to keep."

Lauren smiled, "Well, your Momma is a pretty strong woman and she's got a lot more experience than we have."

"Okay, I'll try harder. Go on."

"I met Nadia, that was her name, when I was in college. We dated all through my medical school years. Then, I got a research grant to work in the Condo. We argued about me leaving to go away for so long, but... I just needed a break. I needed time to think for a while."

"About what?" Lulu asked, then cringed, "Sorry... I promised just to listen, not ask a million questions, but..." she huffed, "It's just in my nature! Momma says I'm naturally curious."

Lauren laughed, taking the little girls' hands in her own, "And that is something I love so much about you and hope you never lose."

"You do? I think it drives Momma nuts."

"Oh, I don't think it does, sweetie. I think that for a lot of years, Momma has been all alone, stressed out and worried about something happening to you so her mind has been overly occupied. I think you'll find she'll start to relax a bit now that The Kindred is gone."

"You mean my Grandfather Hades?"

Lauren nodded.

"Okay, so tell me about Nadia. Did you go to the Congo? That's in Africa, right?"

"It is. You've really studied your geography."

Lulu smiled, "I wanna see the entire planet! Every single inch of it!"

Lauren grinned, "Well, now that you know how to shimmer, I'm sure you will eventually go to many, many places. When you're old enough."

"I can't wait to grow up." Lulu huffed.

"Slow down, there little one. Your Momma and I are in no hurry for you to be on your own. We want you here with us for a little while longer if it's okay with you. We have a lot to do as a family."

Lulu smiled excitedly, "I like that I have a family now. I love Momma, but it's nice to have other people and know that I won't be alone as much."

Lauren smiled, kissing her daughter's hands before she asked her to continue again.

"Well, a few days before I was scheduled to leave for the Congo, I decided that I didn't want to spend my life alone. The trip and the grant were important to me and my career, but I wanted to have work and love in my life."

"Did you love her?"

Lauren shrugged, "Well, that's the hard part. I loved her enough for me, but I didn't love her the way I loved your Momma and I knew I never would."

"But you thought Momma was dead back then, didn't you? It's when she was hiding from the world."

Lauren nodded, "So, I thought I could love Nadia enough to keep her happy. She agreed to come to the Congo with me, but while we were there, she fell terribly ill. It turned out, the Fae made her sick knowing that I would feel so guilty about convincing her to go with me that I would do anything to save her."

"And they were right?"

Lauren nodded again, "I agreed to a term of servitude in exchange for them saving her life. Eventually, Dyson and Tamsin learned how to wake her, but it was a matter of weeks after that when she was possessed by an evil entity known as The Garuda. She was killed by the venom of a creature known as the Naga. What your Mother doesn't know is that I was the one to administer the injection. I had hoped she would survive, but she succumbed to the venom just as the Garuda had."

"So you were running from your guilt?"

Lauren smiled, "You really are a smart one, aren't you?"

Lulu shrugged, "Momma calls that life smarts. You can't learn that from a book. You learn it from knowing how it feels. I once killed a little boy. Momma told me it wasn't my fault. He ran into the cabin to get away from The Hunters. I had set a trap for them like Sabrina had taught me. I didn't expect a little boy to come in. I still dream about it sometimes, but Momma said I couldn't have known it would be him and not a Hunter. Momma found his Mom, Dad and Sister in the woods. The Hunters got them and possessed them. She had to kill them again. She said it was better he had died that way instead of being possessed by The Hunters and having to die twice. I guess she was right."

Lauren gave her hands a squeeze, "I think she was right too. I know that I wish Nadia didn't have to die twice. She should have been able to rest peacefully after all she had been through."

Lulu nodded, "It wasn't your fault, ya know. Nadia was just like that little boy. None of us knew what was going to happen. If we had, we all would have done something to save them. I know that I would have opened the door and guided that boy around my trap if I had known he was coming."

Nodding, Lauren leaned forward and kissed Lulu on the head.

"Do you feel better, Mom?" Lulu asked.

Smiling, she nodded in reply, "I do, Lu. Thank you for being such a great little listener."

"I'll always be here for you just like you have been here for me. I'm really, really glad that you married Momma and I'm really grateful that you adopted me. I like that you're my Mom now. I like that my Momma is happy now."

Lulu crawled into Lauren's lap, the blonde wrapping her arms around her as her head dropped against her chest. Lauren leaned back against the tree house wall and sighed. She soaked up the feeling of being loved by a child and was filled by the joy that soon another child would want to be held by her. She would never love Lulu any less, but the thought of a child that belonged to both her and Bo inside of her filled her even more with love.

"You're happy. And your heart is really full." Lulu said.

"You can feel that?" Lauren asked.

Lulu nodded, "But you're also really, really sad. Why?"

Lauren had hoped to hide those feelings from her daughter. She thought that Bo would want to explain it to her daughter.

"I can feel that Momma is really sad too. Why?"

"I think it would be better if you heard that from her, Lu."

"But you're my Mom too. Why do I have to hear it from Momma if you're really my Mom too?"

Lauren shook her head. Her heart agreed with Lulu. If Bo truly was going to allow her to be her daughter's parent, it was Lauren's right to break the news to their daughter. But somehow, Lauren doubted that Bo would see it that way. She had been very clear that she was going to be the one to break the news... at least, she hadn't use the term "us", "we" or "you" when discussing who would tell Lulu.

"Mom? What aren't you telling me?"

"I-I can't, Lulu. I think your Momma wants to be the one to tell you."

"I think your Momma just wants to be here when you're told." Bo's voice echoed through Lauren's mind and the blonde looked around until she saw Bo staring in the cabin window.

"Momma, were you spying?"

Bo's grew red as she replied, "Just a little bit."

"Izzy, are you fibbing to our daughter?" Lauren asked.

Bo held up a finger, disappearing from view long enough for Lulu to say, "She's in trouble now."

Lauren laughed, placing a finger over Lulu's lips, "Shhh. Let's let her squirm a bit."

Bo entered the cabin and came to sit opposite the pair,

"Yes, I've been eavesdropping, but I'm glad I did even though it was wrong. I learned a lot about myself and how my actions have made the two of you feel. I also learned that the two of you harbor as much guilt as I do, only you're handling it a good sight better than I am. I need to do better... as a wife and as Mother."

She turned her eyes to Lulu, "Belle, my Mother was... well, she wasn't much of a Mother at all. She was angry and demanding and controlling and... Well, none of the things I ever want to be with you."

She moved her eyes to Lauren, "I want you to always be my Lolo. I never want to treat you as anything but my best friend, my partner and love of my life. I want to share everything with you and that means I have to allow you to make decisions about our daughter and not question those decisions. The fact that you believe it's not okay to deliver the news to Lulu is just... well, it just isn't treating you as an equal parent."

She hung her head, "It doesn't matter who her biological parents are. You cared enough to take her in when you believed she was alone. You taught her things... trained her... befriended her and advised her when I wasn't around to do so. You have made her feel supported and loved even when she was a total stranger to you. She may not be your biological child, but she is and wants to be every bit the daughter to you that she is to me. I need to allow that."

Lauren's eyes welled up with tears, "Thank you."

Bo nodded, "So, would you like to tell her?"

"Bad news first, right?"

Bo nodded, looking at Lulu, whose face dropped, "Are you leaving, Mom?"

Lauren cupped her daughters' face with both hands, "Not on your life! I will never leave you and Momma, Lu. But I'm afraid someone else has left you."

"Sabrina and Dara." She sighed, "I know."

Bo and Lauren shared a concerned glance before lowering their eyes back to Lulu.

"It's why I was so upset and cried myself to sleep. I felt them die."

Lauren pulled her into a tight embrace, cupping her head against her breast and kissing the top of her head as both Mother's eyes gave way to tears over the pain their daughter must have felt, unbeknownst to them.

"It's okay though."

"It is?" Bo asked.

Lulu nodded, "Foresight, remember?"

"What did you see, Belle?" Bo asked.

"Dara will rise like all the Valkyrie do. I slept through the funeral, but I know that she was trying to get out of her body. She wanted to be burned so her spirit could fly like a Pegasus. She wanted to be with Gia."

"Gia?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded and smiled at Bo before turning her attention to Lulu, "You know that her Pegasus was killed as well?"

Lulu frowned, "It's not right. You're never supposed to kill the animal, just the rider. In battle in all the Western movies I watch, it's like an unwritten rule. Everyone knows that the horse isn't supposed to get killed."

Bo and Lauren smiled before Bo explained, "Well, unfortunately, my Father didn't play by our rules, Lu."

Lauren looked at Bo, "Gia was the Pyrippus?"

Bo nodded, "The black stallion that burned down the cabin and a good portion of the woods during battle. I didn't think that a Pegasus could be possessed."

"I'm just grateful that you were all together in that moment of the battle."

Bo nodded, "I'm glad that Dyson and Mark were there. They shifted and were fast enough o keep it contained in their wolf and panther forms."

"We heard Hale's siren whistle from the trees." Lauren explained.

"His whistle... I don't know what he did, but he calmed it down enough for Vex to hold it. Then, Val produced this golden sword that was apparently stolen by The League of the Chosen Followers... which, by the way, I didn't even know was a thing."

Lulu raised her hand quickly, "I did! They've been working behind the scenes all stealth and stuff gathering everything they would need to tip the battle in your favor, Momma. The gold sword was the only sword that could take the head of the Pyrippus but only you could wield it."

Bo nodded, "She was in the perfect position to take its' head, but she tossed it to me instead. Ciara grabbed my hand and moved me... fast as lightning... onto the back of the horse and from there, I took it's head when it reared up trying to buck me off. Acacia then took its' eyes to be sure it couldn't be possessed again. Then it just... disappeared."

Lulu smiled, "It was all sparkly, right?"

Bo nodded, amazed at her daughters' knowledge once again, "Yea. How did you know?"

"Nola, another Valkyrie that tended the stables. I saw her rise from the trees. Tessa told me it was her last life. She said something in that Nordic language that I didn't understand when it happened. It was all sparkly and really, really cool. You could see her outline in the sky between the tree branches as she flew off to Folkvangr. It was so bright, I just knew we would win."

"So... do you know anything else that happened?" Bo asked, looking up at Lauren with a grin.

Lulu looked at Bo, "I know that you and Mom feel really full even though you were both feeling really guilty and upset. I think it's love but I'm not all sure. And Mom's aura looks different too... so does yours when you look at her."

"Really?" Bo asked, looking at Lauren for a moment before her eyes went wide, "Ohmagosh! She's right!"

Lauren laughed, "And you're just noticing now?"

Bo smiled, "I guess it happened so gradually that I didn't notice."

Lowering her eyes, Bo smiled, "And you have more than one aura now."

Lauren cocked her head, her face covered with confusion as Lulu turned around to look at her Mom, "I only see one aura. What are you talking about, Momma? Is Mom possessed?"

Bo laughed, "Of course not, Belle, but she does have another being inside of her. Can you feel it?"

Lauren shook her head, "Bo, don't make her stretch her powers so much. She's had to work so hard for the last little while. Give her a break."

"Oh. My. No way!" Lulu jumped out of Lauren's lap, turning around to put her ear against her belly, "Do I have a sister in there?"

Bo and Lauren laughed, "Well, we aren't completely sure it's a girl yet."

"A brother? That would be so cool!" Lulu smiled, putting her ear against Lauren's belly again.

"What are you listening for, Lu? As far as I know, you don't have super hearing sweety." Lauren laughed, stroking her daughters' hair and smiling up at Bo.

"The baby is super tiny, so I have to get close to feel it."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "You're using your Empath to feel what it feels?"

Lulu looked up at her Mom, "Uh-huh. It feels warm and comfy. I don't get much else yet. It's really little."

Lauren nodded, "It's only about the size of a peanut right now."

Lulu stood up, pulling on her shoes one at a time.

Bo asked, "Where are you going, Belle?"

Lulu replied, "I have to get to my library! I have to look up babies! I gotta know what's happening in Mom's belly and... well, she's a doctor but I'll have to doctor when the baby is born!"

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Bo, she's not seriously thinking..."

"Lulu, I think we'll let Aspera and Shyla deliver your new sibling, okay?"

"But I hafta be ready if it's an emergency! What if they're not here! What if the baby comes early? I gotta know what to do! You pass out if I get a cut, Momma!"

Lulu scurried down the first couple rungs of the ladder as Bo and Lauren quickly readied themselves to follow, but their daughter suddenly stopped, a look of horror on her face. She clung to the ladder as she stared at the floorboards in front of her, frozen.

"Lulu?" Lauren asked.

"Belle?" Bo asked when her daughter did not respond to Lauren.

Slowly, the youngster looked up at Bo, tears filling her eyes, "My library... it's gone, isn't it? The Pyrippus burned it all up. I'll never have my books again..."

Bo smiled, "They've rebuilt the cabin, Lu. They updated it so you can have a computer and running water now. The library was built below the safe room, so it was left unharmed. Anything you didn't have with you from your bedroom is gone, but..."

A large smile broke out across Lulu's face, "It's okay, Momma. As long as my library is safe, they can have my favorite blanket."

The couple watched as the youngster headed down the ladder and rushed off to the cabin. They shared a glance and a quick kiss before they, too, headed after their daughter. It was time to go home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As they crossed the creek onto the cabin lands, Bo stopped so quickly that Lauren ran directly into her back. The Succubus stood staring at their newly remodeled cabin, mouth agape until Lulu came flying around the corner from the back of the house,

"Momma! Momma! The greenhouse is like the size of our whole old cabin! We're gonna have SO many vegetables and spices! It's awesome! Come on! Let's see inside!"

As she went for the front door, she stopped and pointed at the side of the house, "Look at all the firewood already chopped! That's enough to last TWO winters!"

Bo and Lauren laughed as the little girl threw open the door and disappeared inside. They could hear her yelling about the inside as soon as she vanished from view,

"Someone isn't going to get much sleep tonight." Bo said, smiling.

Lauren hooked her arm through Bo's elbow, "Well, we don't have anywhere to be tomorrow, so a late night is okay for the first night in a new home, don't you think?"

Bo smiled, "Is this our new home? I mean... are you sure you want to live here and give up your life in that fancy city apartment?"

Lauren laughed, "That fancy apartment was my slave quarters with the Light Fae."

She kissed Bo on the cheek, "This forest is my home. My life began in that tree house with you and Kyle. It always felt more like home to me than anywhere else I've lived. The cabin is an upgrade and the first real home I've ever known."

Bo smiled, "Well, Bertie is working with the lawyers to add your name to the property while she gets the title to the Mansion all squared away."

Lauren nodded, "Are Trick and Aoife going to stay there?"

Bo shook her head, "Apparently my Mom owns property in Germany, France and Denmark. She's just going to stay there when she's visiting."

"And Trick?" Lauren asked.

"He'll be returning to his beloved bar, the Dal Riata. That's the bar where you had Lulu when we first me, right?"

Lauren nodded, "He lives below the bar. His library is smaller than Lulu's but it definitely rivals hers in content. He also has some nifty relics down there."

Bo smiled, "Well, shall we go inside our newly renovated cabin?"

Lauren smiled, giving a whoop when Bo lifted her into her arms, "I've got to carry my bride over the threshold into our new home. It's nice knowing that we're seeing it together for the first time. It will truly be the place where we will build our family, Lolo."

Grinning, the blonde placed a hand on Bo's cheek, kissing her softly and thoroughly, "Take me home, Izzy."

Bo's heart swelled at her wife's words. Kissing her soundly once more, she carried her into the cabin.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The small family had finally settled in front of the new, much larger, stone fireplace for dinner. Naturally, Lulu had picked a dinner menus that used the fresh vegetables Deeana and Seera had brought in baskets as a housewarming gift. Her Moms were not surprised to see the new bowls filled to the brim with the youngster's famous stew recipe. When Selia arrived, the Amazon family was more than happy to stay for dinner. Seera helped Lulu make her equally famous bread and the group then sat in front of the fire for dinner on the newly carved Adirondack style benches their Amazon tribe had carved for their new home.

"Thank you all so much for the food and furniture. We are so grateful for the gift. You are all welcome here anytime you'd like." Bo offered, a bit teary-eyed from the gesture.

Selia stood and gave Lulu a large bundle of cloth tied with a piece of bowstring, "This is for you, little one. Seera picked them out herself."

Lulu looked at her friend and smiled, "Thanks, Seera."

Everyone watched while Lulu opened the package, only to find six more packages wrapped in similar fashion. The two girls giggled as Lulu began to open each one, revealing seeds that the youngster treated as if they were precious gems,

"Momma look! Do you know what these are?" Lulu carefully stacked the pieces of cloth and carefully walked across the stone hearth to where Bo and Lauren were seated, handing the bundles to her Momma.

Bo carefully placed them on her lap, motioning to Lauren to grab the ceramic nesting bowls next to the hearth, "The ceramic ones are for the seeds, Lolo."

Holding them out to Bo one at a time, the brunette carefully placed each piece of cloth into a bowl as she told Lulu what they were,

"This one is peppers, right?"

Lulu nodded, looking at Seera, "Green peppers?"

Seera shook her head, "I pulled all kinds, so it'll be a surprise!"

Lulu giggled then turned back to Bo who held up the next section of cloth, "Potato roots!"

Lulu nodded, "These have to go in water right away!"

She and Seera ran off to the kitchen and came back with small paper cups half filled with water and small sticks in hand,

"Here, Mom! You do one too!"

The two girls showed Lauren how to put the roots safely into water while leaving the small portion of potato out of the cup where it would remain dry. Silently, Lauren laughed since she had done this as a biology student when she was a youngster, but it was fun and part of the journey as a Mother. This was a journey she was enjoying more than she could ever have imagined she would. The word Mom echoed in her mind over an over again, each time making the coming changes to her body more and more real.

Once the potatoes were safely placed in the small greenhouse window of the kitchen – a new feature that Lulu had already been incredibly excited about – the two girls returned to Bo who identified the next seed,

"These are carrots, right?"

Lulu nodded, "Now, these have roots, Mom but they get planted at this stage rather than put in water. For now, we just do this until tomorrow."

Lauren watched as Seera and Lulu added soil to the cloth and wrapped the bundle closed, dipping it in some water before placing it in one of the ceramic bowls. Wiping their hands on their pants, they returned to Bo who held out the next cloth,

"Pumpkin seeds, right?"

Lulu nodded, "We'll start these in the greenhouse for sure. Maybe we can grow an award-winning pumpkin!"

"Huh?" Seera asked.

"There's this thing in the Human world called a computer. When my Mom was just Lauren to me, she showed it to me. I looked up plants and it showed me this contest they have every year that weighs everyone's pumpkins and the biggest one wins a big ribbon!"

"Wow! Can we enter the contest, Moms?" Seera asked, the pair turning to scan the faces of the four women in the room, hoping for a yes answer.

Bo and Lauren looked at Selia and Deeana who shook their heads, laughing. Selia looked at Bo, "You're going to drag our daughter into the Human world, aren't you?"

It was more of a statement than a question, but Bo responded nonetheless, "They're already in it with the Humans in our town that they are helping to care for until we can figure out a way to tend to their eyes."

"True. Well, pumpkin contest it is! Good luck, ladies!" Selia smiled, taking Deeana's hand as the women smiled brightly as an excited Seera.

The two friends high-fived each other, then turned back to Bo's lap and the last of the seeds. Bo admitted, "I'm not sure what these are."

Lulu stared down at the tiny seeds that were mixed into a small amount of sand for a long moment before she looked up at Seera and smiled, "Are these aloe seeds?"

Seera nodded, "I know you've only ever grown them from a plant. I thought it would be fun for you to learn how to germinate them from seeds. Sound cool?"

"Totally! We'll have to find a really hot dry place to grow them though. Will the greenhouse be warm enough in winter?"

Seera shook her head, "No, but I got you this, too."

She ran over to her Moms who carefully handed her a large box. Running back over to Lulu, she laid it on the floor at Bo's feet. Lulu looked up at her friend with a smile before leaning down and opening the four flaps.

"Oh. My. Gods! It's a miniature greenhouse and a lamp!" Lulu said, hugging her friend.

"I figured you can put it next to the fireplace. There's a plug around the corner. I checked when we first came in. That should keep them warm enough, right?"

"Uh-huh. I think so. If not, we'll have to go to the store and buy and aloe plant." Lulu replied.

"Uh, what store? There aren't any open, remember?" Seera replied.

Deeana cleared her throat, "Actually, that won't be true starting next week. The women of the Amazons and the Valkyrie clans are going to dress in Human clothing and go in to the stores with the Human owners to assist them in moving around their stores and getting things back in order. The Fae have had work crews at the businesses all week."

"The Fae did that?" Bo asked.

Selia nodded, "Keeping our kind a secret from the Human race means we have to clean up after the Fae mess left behind. Like it or not, what happened in your hometown was a Fae event. If we don't cover this up, the FBI will show up and start asking questions. Luckily, the members of the local Homeland Security Office were killed in the battle. As far as we know, nothing has happened that we cannot cover up."

"How are we explaining the deaths of the missing Humans?" Lauren asked.

"A fire that spread through the town. I mean, it's technically true since The Hunters burned a good part of the town."

Bo shrugged, "Well, they were born of Hel. Fire is sort of my Father's thing in his domain, I would think."

The room grew silent, but the young girls didn't allow it for long, "Can we play now?" Lulu asked.

Bo nodded, "What do you want to do?"

"I guess my box of parts is gone?" Lulu asked.

Seera giggled, looking at her Moms.

"What's so funny?" Lulu asked.

Seera giggled again as Deeana stood and walked over to the built in benches along the windows. The room was larger and the bench cushions more like sofa cushions now, but this was one of the many features of the old cabin they had kept. Bo's friends knew how much she loved the ease of storing her daughter's toys and her own weapons in these convenient compartments. She opened a bin and motioned for Lulu to come over to the window. Everyone turned and watched as the youngster ran across the room, looking into the bin. A large grin spread across her face,

"Momma! Look! There's so much parts in here I can hardly stand it!"

Bo and Lauren burst out laughing as Lulu turned around holding up two large hunks of metal. Seera ran over, opening another bin to grab a screwdriver and a hammer, taking it to Lulu,

"Come on! Let's build something , Lu!"

The two sat down, pulling out parts from one bin and tools from another, spreading out on the floor. Selia walked over to the second fireplace that had been built in the larger living room and tossed a match inside.

"Quick fire, my friend." Bo smiled as Selia came back over to sit beside Deeana.

"I know our girls, my friend. I knew as soon as that surprise was out of the bag, that nothing else in the world would matter to them. They won't be finished until they build an Eiffel Tower or something."

"An Eiffel Tower?" Bo asked, "How unlike you to mention a Human landmark... in a city no less."

Selia shrugged, "It's a secret, but while you and Lauren were on your little honeymoon, I took my wife to Paris with Kate and Tamsin."

Deeana leaned in against her wife and smiled at Bo, "I've always wanted to go since Lulu showed it to me in one of her books. I have to admit, your daughter's bread could compete with the best French breads and those Humans know their bread!"

Bo smiled as Deeana reached behind her and pulled out a bottle of wine, "I think it's time the adults made a toast to the new world... a world of peace thanks to The Chosen One."

Bo scowled, "Thanks to all of the people who came together in support of The Chosen One."

Deeana spoke, "I honestly wasn't sure we would make it out of the woods when the Pyrippus showed up."

Nodding, Bo replied, "I think that was the moment that I realized why the Prophecy had specified the support group it did. Everyone did their part and everyone was there for a reason... even my wife."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"What were the chances that Nadia would be the one who was The Kindred? How could he have known that we would find each other again?"

Lauren nodded, "I guess the saying 'everything happens for a reason' is really true."

Deeana popped the cork, but Bo interrupted her, "I'm really sorry to have to say this, but Lauren and I won't be drinking."

"Bo, you can drink." Lauren replied.

"You sacrifice, I sacrifice." Bo replied with absolute conviction.

"I've never known you to pass up our homemade wine, Bo." Selia replied.

Bo looked at Lauren who smiled and nodded, giving Bo the go-ahead to make the announcement.

"Well, I learned from my Mother... before the battle and a little too late to plan otherwise... that Succubi can impregnate their mate - no matter the gender – with their chi. Apparently, she wasn't lying to me, for once."

Deeana's eyes went wide with realization first, "Do you mean..."

Then it hit Selia, "You're pregnant?"

They heard Lulu yell to Seera, "Oh yea! I forgot to tell you! I'm gonna be a big sister!"

The two girls cheered as the adults did much the same. Deeana and Selia toasted in the other couple's honor and wished them a healthy and happy baby. Then, Lauren spoke,

"As Bo's best friends, we'd like to ask you if you would do us the honor of being this baby's Godmothers."

Bo looked at Lauren, a bit shocked while the two Amazon leaders whispered to each other.

"Lauren, don't you want..."

"We'll have other children, Bo. Tamsin and Kate will be next." Lauren assured.

Bo smiled, "Thank you, Lauren. This means so much to me."

"You gave me a child, Bo. You gave me your life and love after all of this time. I'd given up hope... all of my hope." She looked around the room, "I was alone and now, you've given me this family."

Bo shook her head, "You've never been alone, Lauren."

The two shared a kiss before they looked up to see Selia and Deeana looking at them, smiling, "We'd be honored. But Bo, you should be sure that Lauren knows what this means in the Amazon culture."

Lauren looked at Bo, "What it means?"

"They become members of the Amazon tribe and must go through their customs to do so."

Lauren laughed, "So one more ritual they'll have to go through?"

"What do you mean?" Bo asked.

"Bo, this child will be my blood and your blood. A makeup of our full genetic material."

Nodding, the Succubus understood, "They'll have Valkyrie, White Witch, Fae and Ancient blood."

Selia interjected, "You must remember, Bo, you and your daughter joined our sisterhood and shared our blood as well."

Lauren turned back to Bo, "You have Amazon blood too?"

Bo nodded to which Lauren replied, "Wow. We really are... something, huh"

Smiling, Bo replied, "I prefer to call us... unique."

"That we are, Izzy. That we are."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One Month Later...

"Izzy, please. We've been through this how many time now. They wouldn't try anything with the group that will be with me. You should stay here and protect Lulu. You know the Elders are after her. These attacks by the Fae are not going to stop unless I appear before them as they've requested. I need to go there and prove to them that I am not a threat."

Lauren was frustrated. They were having this argument for about the fifth time today. The Fae had been sending larger and larger groups of UnderFae to their lands for the past two weeks and each time the battles were becoming more and more vicious. Just yesterday, Lulu and Seera had been caught out in the forest hunting for small game when Seera was grabbed. Lulu had shimmered to the Amazon camp immediately and shimmered back with a more than angry Selia and Deeana in tow. The couple finished off the group while the girls vanished, heading off to get Bo and Lauren. The couple immediately put the girls into the safe room before teleporting off to aid their friends.

While they exited the battle victorious with just a few scrapes and bruises, the continual attacks were frustrating Bo to no end. She was ready to go to war with the Fae and she knew she had the army to do it. The only thing stopping her was the knowledge that they would use the Human slaves as shields and enough Humans had already suffered because of the Fae.

Deep down, Bo knew that a peaceful solution was the best chance at saving lives, but it just wasn't in her nature. She was used to taking matter into her own hands, so was torn between letting Lauren fight her own battles and fighting the battle for her entire clan... clan? Was that the answer?

"Lauren, can I just..."

"Bo, I'm going and that's final!" Lauren said, her eyes blazing white as she turned to her wife.

"Okay, put the scary eyes away. I just... I have an idea and I want to know if you think I'm on to something. Can you just stop dressing for a moment and listen to me, please?"

Lauren threw her head back, sighing before she turned around and sat down on the edge of the bed, "Fine. What is it?"

"Gee, thanks for your time."

"I can't be late, Bo. You know this."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." She said, moving to sit beside her wife, "I don't want to fight anymore. We've been fighting about this all week and..."

"You won't let me..."

"I know. I have not been respecting your choice to handle your battles your way. I get it. So, let me just make a suggestion, okay?"

"Okay." Lauren said.

"What if we started our own clan?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if we ask for clan status? What if Trick, Aoife, Jadis, Sadie, Amelia and Sheera were all considered our Elders and we were a clan?"

Lauren sat still, staring at her wife before she quickly opened her cell phone and made a call, "Hale? I'm going to be about twenty minutes late... I know and I'm sorry... I know... Look, Hale, I understand the whole tardy thing. I was a slave to the Light Fae for almost a decade, but I am no longer Human and I will not be scolded by them anymore. I have an issue I must deal with here, but will be there as soon as possible... Okay... thank you, Hale... Oh, and Hale? If you were given a choice between living on our land or remaining with the Light Fae, where would you go?"

Lauren looked at Bo while she waited for an answer, "I know that you have been spending a good deal of time with Kenzi since things with her and Vex didn't work out... Yes, I think Bo and I understand where things are headed... yes, so does that mean you would want to live on our lands? Okay. Yes, we just wondered..." She looked at Bo, raising her eyebrows, "Dyson and Ciara really love that Kara is happy when she's here with Lulu and Seera?... Uh-huh... okay then. Yes, I'll be there as soon as possible. I think you'll be interested to hear what I have to say... Yes, I'll be bringing back up... well, they'll have to get over it. I am not appearing before them without witnesses, Bo would never allow it... Yes, they would be crazy to mess with her, I agree but they do not understand that she is more dangerous than the White Witches, Amazons and a Changeling put together... Okay... See you soon, Hale. Thanks. Bye."

"Okay, so I take it you like my idea?" Bo asked.

"I do. I'm going to go get the Elders of the White Witches. You get Amelia and Sheera from the Amazons."

"You mentioned Trick and Aoife?" Bo asked.

"Are they at the Mansion today?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Sadie and Bertie are with them, cleaning up the wards they'd left behind when I was born so that people can move about the castle without getting zapped."

"Okay. Bring every elderly member of a tribe or clan that you can find. We need to elect officials now so that I can go there with names and a plan. Hurry, sweetie."

"What about Lulu?" Bo asked.

"I'm going to take her to the Mansion. They're safest there. The Fae are still afraid to enter there for fear that Hades is still alive. Agreed?"

Bo nodded, "Are you going to where something a bit... looser?"

"I guess I'd better." Lauren said, looking down at her belly, "I can't believe I'm only two months pregnant and I'm showing like I'm almost at the end of my fourth."

"Wear my thigh-length black and maroon coat with the loose black sleeveless top underneath. That should hide everything pretty well. At the most, you'll just look like you've put on a few pounds which wouldn't be surprising considering you're no longer spending time starving in a dungeon."

Lauren smiled, going to Bo's closet to get out the recommended attire, "You should head off. It will take you longer on foot than it will for me to shimmer around. Anyone you can't get to, I'll pick up when I get back. Meet me at the meeting yurt on the Amazon lands?"

Bo nodded, kissing her wife on the cheek as she dressed, "See you soon."

"See you soon. Keep your eyes open and your bow at the ready in the forest." Lauren replied.

"Yes, Dear."

The couple laughed and parted ways. Lauren stood up, looking in the mirror at the jacket, "Well, what do you know? It's perfect. My wife, the stylist." She laughed to herself, "Okay. Here goes spontaneous plan B. Right baby?" She looked down, patting her belly before shimmering out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I don't recall a meeting being scheduled for today. Am I mistaken?" Amelia, the eldest member of the Amazons and Deeana's Mother asked. The other Amazon elder, Sheera, nodded her argreement.

"No, Ma'am. We had not scheduled. This is... well, I guess you could call it an emergency meeting." Bo replied as Lauren shimmered into the room with a large group of women in tow. She directed each of them to a chair then moved to stand next to Bo.

"Wow. This is quite a power group you've assembled here, Ysabeau." Bertie said from her seat next to Sadie.

"Actually, I've called this meeting with good reason and we have about fifteen minutes to discuss and vote on what I'm about to propose."

"Surely you don't expect us to make a decision that quickly." Jadis replied as Aspera and Shyla nodded in unison from their seats beside her.

"I'm sorry, but yes, I do."

The room was filled with protest, but Bo quickly brought the room to order, "Listen, you all know of the Fae attacks that have been doubling in number in recent weeks. The bottom line is, we are all dangerous in the eyes of the Fae. The White Witches and Amazons have been banished from their numbers for years. My wife is a Changeling and through our bond, I am essentially one as well not to mention my Ancient blood. Trick and Aoife have been banished by association with my DNA, so everyone in this room is a target as are all of our people. Anyone disagree with that statement?"

The women... and Trick... looked around at each other, all nodding before Bo continued,

"Well, my wife has been ordered to appear before the Fae and explain her long absent from her duties as a Doctor to the Light Fae. They are aware she is no longer Human and expect an explanation as to what she is and how she came to be whatever that is. As far as they know, she is a Valkyrie, but if they do any sort of DNA testing, which she is certain they will, they will know quickly that she is not a Valkyrie but something... else."

The group mumbled, many appearing angry – especially the White Witches, "Why were we not told of their intent to cause harm to our daughter!" Aspera yelled.

"Please, Mother. It was my choice. I did not wish to worry you, nor do I want to start a war that would put any more of my loved ones at risk."

Shyla spoke next, "Child, we have been fighting this war for centuries and have an age-old agreement with the Fae that they would not touch one of our own."

Lauren shook her head, "But that's the problem, isn't it? I'm not one of you. I am all of you, but none of you and that is something they will know the minute they draw my blood and place it in a test vial – a test that I created to determine just what they want to know. I'm a Changeling. The one being in this room that they fear the most."

A lone hooded figure shimmered into the room alongside Kenzi who spoke, primarily to the Elders of the White Witches present, "She wanted to come. She has completed the trials and the oath. She feels she can help."

The White Witches nodded in unison, signaling the woman to step forward and expose her true identity.

Bo and Lauren watched as the woman drew back her hood, revealing none other than The Morrigan, her eyes now light blue, her hair long and white as Kenzi's had become since taking her vows. Bo smiled at her longtime friend who nodded and stepped back. They had not seen each other for about a week and Bo had to admit, she missed seeing her. Still, she had work to do, so she turned to the former Morrigan,

"Evony?" Bo asked.

Stepping forward, she spoke, "Forgive my intrusion. I know that I hold no position or power here, but I was the Morrigan of the Fae for a very long time and believe that I can now assure them that the White Witches are no threat. I believe I can do so without breaking my vows. If they should attack, I believe my powers have grown sufficiently that I would be capable of getting your wife home to you safely for you to come up with a new plan of attack."

Lauren shook her head, but Evony insisted, "Dr. Lewis was taken by the Fae. I was party to that plan. We did it to save ourselves. We stole your life from you. I, personally, owe you and beg – in the tradition of the White Witches – the opportunity to atone for my sin against you by risking my spirit for yours."

She bowed her head as Lauren stood silently. The blonde's light blue eyes traveled to Jadis, Aspera and Shyla who all nodded to her. Lauren sighed,

"In accordance with the vows I took as a White Witch, I cannot deny your debt nor your request, but I can ask you to reconsider your position. You have just regained your mortality – mortality that I took from you."

"Mortality that you took from me with good reason. I intended both you and your friends harm and if you had not intervened, I surely would have carried out my threat. You were right to do so. I am better now for what you have done. My soul has been purified and... well, I can move forward in this world with a clear conscience of what I will become. I will not reconsider my position. I will defend you with my life."

Lauren nodded, "Then, I accept your assistance in my meeting with the Fae Elders."

Bo pulled Lauren away from the group and whispered as quietly as she was able, considering that her anger had quickly peaked, "Wait. She gets to go, but I can't?"

Lauren shook her had, "Bo, I cannot deny her request. It's... well, I can't explain but it's a White Witch thing. You should be happy. I'll have back up now."

Bo sighed, "Fine."

She returned to the table, leaving Lauren to stand and watch her walk away. The blonde chuckled to herself. She really did like her wife's protective stubborn streak. It just meant that she would fight that much harder if they Fae should happen to take her. That was her ace in the hole. Keep Bo here and there would be no stopping her if they threw her in the dungeon or harmed her in any way.

"I wish to go with you as well." Jadis said.

"As do I."

"As do I."

"As do I."

"As do I."

"As do I."

"Me too."

"Me too."

"Okay, okay... I get it. You all want to go along, but first I think you should hear our plan." Bo said, stopping others from responding, but smiling at Aspera, Shyla, Amelia, Sheera, Acacia, Aoife and Trick for their offer.

Lauren stood beside her wife once again, "We want to form our own clan."

Trick shook his head, "The Blood Laws will not allow it."

Bo smiled, "Then it's a good thing my Grandfather is The Blood King, huh?"

Trick smiled, "I see. Then you will need me there."

Lauren looked at Trick, "Thank you, Trick but I don't want to take you until I get a verbal agreement from them."

Bo turned to Lauren, "I think they're right. Everyone goes with you, we present the idea then shimmer away and leave them to figure it all out. If they keep attacking, then we know they didn't buy it. If they stop attacking, then we can start perfecting our plan to form a clan."

Lauren hesitated, "They'll be pissed I didn't come alone. It was their single demand."

Jadis stood, "This is nonsense! They want you alone so they can destroy you. I have told you and my Sister that the Fae WILL want to kill you. They have hunted Changelings to extinction."

Trick nodded, "I agree, Lauren. I suspect they know and are just not showing their hand. We all knew and they have Fae that can read minds. It is unlikely they do not know what you are. That said, I am positive they would want to destroy you."

"Can they?" Bo asked.

"With great difficulty." Trick replied, "But they could with the right people present. If they do know what she is, they will be sure to have the right species of Fae present to control and defeat her."

"Okay, so how do we keep her alive, meet their demands that she show up and make our request to become a clan."

Trick looked at Aspera, "Do you have a clan document we could use to draft a quick plan of our own?"

Lauren looked at her phone, "We have about ten minutes before I must leave or be later than the late time I said I would meet."

Aspera shimmered away and returned with two scrolls, a wand, a bowl, a towel, and a small dagger, "Quickly, everyone's blood into the bowl. Be sure to wipe the dagger clean between uses. Our bloods merging within us could prove fatal if combined in the wrong order without the proper incantations."

All nodded as they went to work while Aspera used the agreement the White Witches has formed with the clans centuries ago to create a new proposed document for their clan. She read the document aloud as the wand did the work for her, copying and replacing words as needed. When it came time to list the clan Elders, all of them signed and agreed to bring in additional people to show their power. In all, the document held the names of five Elders from each of the former clans.

"Now, we need something that would be the equivalent of their Ash or Morrigan." Aspera stated, signing the document herself then looking up.

All eyes were turned towards Bo who was looking around the room, not realizing they were all looking at her. Finally, Lauren nudged her,

"Bo?"

"What?"

"Bo, they all want you to be the leader."

Bo looked at her wife, then back at the Elders and laughed, "Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. I am no leader. I cannot make decisions when there are disputes or play problem solver. I'm a firm believer in every man or woman for themselves."

"That's perfect because the Amazons will want to live by their spiritual laws, the White Witches will want to live by the sacred vows they took and the Fae... well, they would be yours to deal with since they only technically have the one rule."

"Not outing the Fae to Humans." Trick mumbled.

Lauren spoke up, directing her comments towards her wife, "They also do not allow Fae to fall in love with Humans, they believe Humans are chattle or food often referring to them as meatbags, they do not allow Dark and Light Fae to intermingle romantically even if they're in love and they would not allow our Fae clan to love any from those clans either."

Bo shook her head, "The Fae suck."

Lauren nodded, "But you could fix all of that... at least within our clan... if you were our leader."

Bo sighed, looking around the room, her eyes landing on Kenzi who said, "You know it's the right thing to do, BoBo."

"Fine." She relented.

Aspera held out the writing implement signaling Bo to come and sign the document. As she did so, she asked,

"Is there anything that we must declare on this document?"

She shook her head, "Nothing beyond what I've already read to you. We get the McCorrigan Lands which you must understand would now belong to the clan as a whole." She turned to the rest of the Elders in the room, "Other Amazon and White Witch lands would become lands of sanctuary for any of our clan which means your people would have to agree with this. You will have until the Fae decide to determine if you can hold to this agreement. Once they sign, your clans will be bound to abide by the words on the parchment."

Aoife questioned the group, "Will we limit Fae admission to the clan?"

"Mom?"

The elder Succubus shook her head and explained, "Bo, if I distanced myself from Sadie, even for a day, I would hope to be banished from this clan for I might do someone here harm. There are other Fae who I would not trust to join this clan. As you said, the Fae have only the Blood Laws to bind their actions. The Ash or Morrigan, in similar fashion to the Human court system, enforces those actions. Amazons and White Witches 'behave' themselves, if you will, because they die almost instantaneously if they break their vows."

"So what would you suggest?" Bo asked.

"Fae mortality is bound by a Blood Oath. Why not use a Blood Oath to enforce the laws of our clan?" Aoife asked.

"Instant death?" Bo asked.

"It works for them. Why shouldn't it work for us?" Aoife asked.

Bo's eyes moved from Aoife to Sadie who shook her head. Bo nodded, but Aoife saw the exchange, "Ladies, you cannot make this choice based on your fear of what might happen to me. If it will make you happy, if Sadie has to go home, you can have your Doctor wife sedate me or take me to the Land of Light and put me in a cuffs there like you did before."

Bo and Sadie shared a glance and shrugged, "Okay. Any Fae that wishes to join our clan will take a clan Blood Oath. We'll figure out what that is later, but will base it on a similar oath to that used by the Witches and Amazons. If you would both write up suggestions for me on what I should include, I'd appreciate it."

Jadis went to interject, but Bo stopped her, "Sister, I do not expect you to divulge your sacred vows to me since I do not wish death to befall you in doing so. I am simply asking for suggestions on promises you would want a Fae to be bound to should they be sharing land with your people. For example, Fae shall not kill White Witches might be a good one, yes?"

Jadis smiled, "I can do that, Sister."

"Thank you. If that document is completed, I believe you will all be moving with my wife to the Dahl Riata where this meeting is meant to be held, correct?"

All nodded before Bo concluded the meeting, "Okay then, if all of you shimmerers will take someone with you who cannot shimmer, everyone will arrive together. Protect each other, protect the Changeling – or answer to me."

Everyone straightened up at Bo's words before she added, "Just kidding... sort of."

Aspera called out to Bo, "Before we finish, I need a title for our clan leader."

Bo laughed, "How about the Pine-igan? Half pine tree, half dark Fae?"

She looked around, but no one was laughing, "Wow, tough audience. Suggestions?"

"Why not use the title gifted you by The Prophecy?" Jadis suggested.

Trick suggested, "Why not shorten it to just The Chosen? You were, after all, chosen by all of us to lead the clan."

Bo smiled as everyone nodded, "Okay. I am The Chosen."

Jadis smiled, "You are and we are grateful for your council in this matter. We will take good care of your wife."

"Take care of yourselves as well. I'm not prepared to lose any of you." Bo replied, taking a moment to look at each of the people in the room.

She turned and kissed Lauren, taking a moment to stare into the eyes given her during her transformation into a Changeling,

"I love you, so much. Come back safe."

"I will always come back to you, Izzy." Lauren replied.

"You better." Bo said, kissing her once more, "I love you."

Lauren placed a hand on her belly, "We love you."

With a parting smile, she held out her palm to the Amazons who needed her to take them to the Dal and disappeared.

Bo stood in the empty room, staring across the table at her best friend, "Want to come over and see Lulu and Seera?"

Kenzi nodded, "I'd love to. It's been too long. Sorry I've been away, but I was made responsible for Evony's training."

"Wow. You'll have to tell me all about it."

"Uh..."

"I'm kidding, Kenzi. I know all about you not being able to talk about your training and vows. It's okay. Let's just go have lunch."

Bo held out her hand and Kenzi shimmered them to the Mansion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as the group arrived at the Dal, ten Fae advanced on Lauren. Their attack was short-lived in the presence of the White Witches who quickly transported the attackers to the basement of the mansion, Jadis shimmering to Bo's side to let her know what had happened before shimmering away. The Succubus immediately moved to the basement with Kenzi, Tamsin, Kate, Deeana and Selia running behind her.

When she arrived at the cell in the basement, her eyes glowed blue, her voice dipped as the Ancient blood boiled in her veins,

"How dare you strike at the mate of The Chosen One!"

Her hands fell to her sides, blue streams of light streamed from their mouths into the Succubus as the women in the room stood and watched.

"You Fae are so damn stupid. How can you not get it by now? You don't mess with BoBo's hot, hot, lady love!"

"Kenzi, you need to stop her or she'll kill them." Tamsin yelled.

The young White Witch replied, "She's not a White Witch. She's not bound by..."

Kate cut her off, "Kenzi! She just signed a clan document that included a Blood Oath!"

"Shit! Bo! BO! Stop!"

Lulu shimmered into the room in front of Bo and placed a glowing white hand on her Mother's chest before shouting to her, "Momma! Momma stop!"

Bo stopped the flow of chi, looking down at her daughter, her Succubus still in control. Lulu kept her hand in place and spoke,

"Now, reverse the chi and save them. Do it now, Momma!"

Bo did as she was told, the red chi flowing back into her victims for a short while before Lulu released her. As the Succubus became dormant once again, Bo looked down at Lulu,

"Thanks, Belle. You saved my ass."

Lulu nodded, "You were really, really angry. What happened?"

Bo frowned, "These men tried to hurt your Mom."

Lulu's eyes glowed white, but Bo placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey. Don't you do what I did. We both have to learn to control ourselves."

Calming herself, Lulu nodded, and looked up at the men, "Why did you want to hurt my Mommy?"

Tamsin stepped in front of Lulu, "Oh please tell me you're Steve and not Bruce."

The large Ogre lowered his eyes and shook his head causing Tamsin to reach through the bars and grip him by the throat,

"You tried to kill Lauren? Dude, you better have a damn good explanation! That woman has saved your life more times than I can count on one hand. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"They are picking Fae at random to kill The Changeling. If we fail, they'll kill us anyway." Bruce explained, his eyes not meeting any of the women in the room.

Bo nodded, "So they do know what she is."

Tamsin crossed her arms over her chest, "I have an idea."

"I'm listening." Bo replied.

"Bruce, suppose there was a third option?"

He shook his head, "There isn't. Option one is kill the doctor. Option two is be killed by her protectors or the Elders of either clan."

"Either clan?" Tamsin asked.

Bruce nodded, "They've united in their hatred of you, oh Chosen One." Bruce bowed his head.

"If you were so loyal to me, then why did you stay with the Fae instead of fighting with us?" Bo asked.

"We were all caught coming out of a meeting with those who fought by your side. The rest got away and then were taken by the Valkyrie to where you were. Rumor had it you were in the land of the White Witches. The Fae Elders didn't like that. We heard the guards talking."

"Guards?"

"After they took us, we were thrown in the dungeon by the new Morrigan and were offered freedom if we could kill The Changeling. None of us knew it was Doctor Lewis until she materialized at the Dal. We all hesitated and then we were teleported... wait... where are we?" Bruce asked, looking around the unfamiliar space.

"Never mind that. We're offering you another option. Are you interested?" Bo asked.

Bruce looked at his cellmates who all nodded, "Yes."

"Suppose there was a third clan you could join. Would you be interested?"

"There are only two clans." Bruce replied.

"Well, right now, Dr. Lewis is talking to the Elders about a third clan... my clan. Are you interested?" Bo asked.

Bruce looked at the others and nodded, "We want peace between the sides. No more fighting amongst the clans and no more stupid rules about who you love. No prejudice against Humans either – you can't own them or treat them like sh... dirt. You have to take a blood oath about all that stuff. Think you can handle it?"

"No Morrigan or Ash?" Bruce asked.

"Just me, The Chosen." Bo replied.

They all looked at each other, before Bruce looked at Bo, "We're in."

Bo nodded and opened the cell door.

"Just like that? We're free?" Bruce asked.

"Just like that, you're free." Bo turned around and looked for Bertie's Grandson,

"Ralph, can you hook these guys up with rooms in the Mansion?"

Ralph nodded, "Yup. Come on, guys."

Bo watched as they all left the room.

"You're seriously going to just give them free run of the Mansion after they just tried to kill Lauren?" Tamsin asked, arms crossed over her chest.

"Lauren talked about Bruce. She called him a gentle giant. True?"

Tamsin sighed, "Pretty much."

"Great. Then yes, free to run. I believe his story. It makes sense. None of the Elders are going to risk their life to kill her and right about now, they're surrounded by a very large group of Fae that they banished from their clans. I think we're good for now."

Tamsin shrugged as Bo stepped forward, lifting Lulu into her arms, "Thanks for the chi block, kiddo."

"It's getting old, Momma. I hate feeling you when you get like that. You're scary."

"I'm sorry, Belle."

Lulu nodded, "I know you are, Momma. I'm just glad I was here."

"Me too, Lu. Me too." She hugged her daughter who whispered in her ear,

"Is Mom okay?"

"Do you feel something?" Bo asked.

"She's... I don't know... not mad, not afraid... sort of frustrated... it's the same feeling she gets when she has to explain things to her lab assistants over and over again. I remember from when I went to her big lab in the city."

Bo laughed, "Sounds to me like the Fae Elders are being idiots."

"That's not a nice word, Momma." Lulu replied.

"Yea, well they're not nice people, Lu. They're the ones that sent those men to kill Mom."

"Idiots." Lulu replied.

Tamsin and Kate had to hold their mouths to not laugh out loud at Lulu's response. She had grown quite protective of Lauren in recent months and everyone was beginning to notice.

"There's that weird bond thing that Lulu and Lauren are getting." Kate said.

"I know she's really protective of the Doc. I guess it's a Mother-Daughter thing." Tamsin replied.

"I guess." Said Kate as Selia and Deeana smiled at Lulu's protectiveness before following Bo back upstairs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been over an hour and Lauren was still not back. Bo was tired of waiting, so she made a decision as the elected leader of their new clan. Leaving Lulu and Seera with Selia, Deeana, Ralph, Tamsin and Kate she asked Kenzi to shimmer her over to the bar.

When they arrived, Bo almost laughed at the sight before her, "Kenz, do you remember that scene in Mary Poppins when they're doing that I Love To Laugh song and they're all floating on the ceiling?"

"Yea, I do, BoBo."

"Does this sort of remind you of that?" Bo asked with a smirk, looking up.

Nodding, Kenzi replied, "It sort of does. It's just a much bigger tea party and apparently, only the worst dressed peeps were invited.

Bo smiled, "Yea, I meant to tell you that your new robes are looking quite stylish."

"You know I had to class up the joint. I'm still working on dropping the whole robe act and getting into something less... ancient retro meets the Pope."

They walked over to Lauren where she was now seated at the bar with a glass of water in front of her.

"Lauren? Are you coming home anytime soon?"

"Bo?" Lauren asked, turning to her wife.

"Well, I was just wondering how things are going since I've begun accepting applications for clan membership."

Lauren laughed, "You have?"

Bo nodded, "Your friend Bruce and his nine friends have joined us."

"What did you do?" Lauren asked, worried.

"Look, I'm still alive. I am bound by Blood Oath, remember?"

"To not kill, yes, I know. Thank you for not getting yourself killed. Did you sway them?" Lauren asked.

Bo's mouth dropped open with a gasp, "I am completely offended that you would think I would do that. I would never... well, not never but in this case, I didn't. Actually, I almost did, but Lulu stopped me. Of course, that little – well, sort of little – chi suck may have swayed their decision a bit, but in the end, they joined of their own free will. Of course, they're being watched now, but were given rooms at the mansion. So, are you going to tell me what's going on here or not?"

Lauren shrugged, "Jadis told me I could take a break while they 'kept up' the negotiations since they wouldn't listen to me. Apparently, I'm..." Lauren turned towards Bo's half sister and called to her,

"What did they call me, dear Sister-in-Law?"

Jadis smiled, "Let's see, I think they started with filth and abomination, then moved on to atrocity and... what was that other thing, Sister?"

Jadis moved her eyes to where her clan sister, Aspera, was using her staff to move an elderly bald gentleman up and down, before flipping him over a few times.

"Aspera! Don't play with your food, dear!" Jadis reminded as Bo and Lauren smirked.

Aspera looked at Jadis, dropping the man to the ground from the ceiling. She looked at him, then moved her gaze to her Sister,

"Oops. You were saying, dear?"

Jadis smiled, "Lauren asked us to remember what these... Elders... had called her. I mentioned filth, abomination and atrocity. What was that other thing?"

"Whore of the bastard child of Hades, dear. Oh and don't forget repugnant! That was one of my personal favorites." She smiled before rolling the bald man over and over again on the floor with several flicks of her wrist.

Bo's eyes flashed blue, her hands falling to her sides. She let out a loud wail that burst all of the windows in the bar. The winds came forth, causing the witches and Lauren to latch on to whatever they could grab so as not to blow away. The Fae elders dropped to the ground, some unconscious, some looking up at the Succubus in horror.

"You have insulted my friends, my family and my wife. You have attacked our lands without cause. We did no harm to you. We saved you and the world from the wrath of Hades and how do you show your gratitude? By calling my wife an abomination? She saved your species more times than a Human should have had to. She died for you and became what she is now because of you. How dare you deny her life after all she has done for you?"

"She's a Changling! You are the offspring of the Lord of Darkness! They are White Witches, the banished race! You have broken our laws! Kill them! Kill them all!" Shouted one elder, but Aspera flicked her wrist and all of their weapons flew towards the bar, shattering the large mirror and most of the bottles.

"You are no match for me." She held her hand out to Lauren as yet another elder threw a dagger at her chest, which she caught.

Lauren's anger came forth as she witnessed the attack on her wife. Eyes glowing white, Bo's power coursed through her veins. She reached out and took Bo's hand as they spoke together in one voice,

"Our strength is our power. We will rule as Queens and absolve the boundaries of the Fae. We will live side by side, each to their own, under one blood oath for peace. You will take this oath or you will die."

Bo turned to Jadis, nodding towards the scroll on the table as the wind died down, but the two women remained joined. The White Witch unrolled the parchment and laid the blood pen on the table with a dagger and bowl, then stepped back.

"The choice is yours. Choose to sign and live in peace or fight and die. We will hold to the oath we took before we came. We will not kill you without provocation. But have no doubt, if you attack again, we will kill you."

Lauren watched as a man she recognized as Elder Barrett nodded to one of the remaining Ogres in the room. The Ogre shook his head, but the elder nodded, pulling a phone from his pocket. The Ogre ran at Lauren, but stopped when he saw Bo drawing the chi from the Elder from across the room,

Drawing only enough chi to drop the man to his knees. She looked over at the Ogre, "Go, find your family. This man will no longer have any control over you. There is a place for you and yours in our clan if you choose it."

The man nodded and ran from the room. All of the other servants made eye contact with Bo, earning a nod of the same offer and fled as well. Turning back to the Elders, Bo spoke,

"I believe these women have been here negotiating in good faith and for long enough. From now on, you will understand that when you speak with my wife, you speak with me. When my wife speaks to you, she speaks for me. We are one and the same. All of the species you chose to banish have now joined together as one clan. Attack us at your peril. We will have peace or you will die at war. Now choose."

Bo and Lauren dropped their hands, walked towards the table where Jadis stood. The three of them pulled up chairs and sat down, crossing their legs then folding their hands on their lap. The rest of their clan drew chairs to the table and sat down as well, waiting patiently for the Elders to recover and make their choices.

One at a time, they came to the table, sliced their hand and signed in favor of the formation of the new clan, then took a seat at the table. When they were finished, they all sat in silence. It was Lauren who spoke next,

"Elder Marzetti, you have always been respectful of Humans and supported me after my death and transition. I am wondering if you would be willing to serve as a spokesperson to our clan for the Light Fae."

Elder Marzetti looked at her constituents, each nodding in favor of the action before she responded, "I would be honored to do so, Dr. Lewis."

"Thank you. Elder Scalese, would you do the same for the Dark Fae?" She asked.

Again, the Elder looked around the table for consent before turning back to Lauren and agreeing, "I do agree, but can I ask why you chose me?"

Lauren smiled, "You were recommended by Vex and Evony."

"Evony lives?"

Lauren turned to her left where Evony stood, her hood covering her face. She took a few steps forward before revealing herself to the group, smirking at Lauren when the suspected reaction moved through the room,

"I will be the representative to this group for the White Witches."

"YOU!" One of the Elders yelled.

Evony remained calm, her voice even keeled and smooth as she replied, "Yes, it's me. I volunteered for this position because I know each and every one of you. I also know who my clan can and cannot trust... well, until now, anyway. Let's just say that for now, I will not be trusting any of you any time soon. Trust must be earned by our clan – especially since you seemed to have trouble getting the message that attacking us was a bad idea. I am here today to assure you that our clan is of no threat to you if you leave us alone. Attack us and, well, you've already had a small sampling of our power. Remember, we defeated Hades and a thousand of his Hunters. You owe our clan a great debt. Leaving us alone is the least you can do."

"You are a vengeful, spiteful bitch, Evony! How do we know you won't attack us?"

Jadis, Aspera and Shyla stepped forward to stand next to Evony, "She has taken her vows and completed her training. You all know that those vows are sacred to our kind. To break her vows would mean death for Evony. To break her Clan Blood Oath not to kill unless attacked would also mean her death. Why would you think she would attack you?"

"She could be wearing a wig and make up! How do we know that she is truly a White Witch? If she's not, she has no vow to keep!" Another Elder asked.

"If you wish a demonstration of her power, we would be happy to show you." Jadis suggested.

"You are forbidden to use your powers on Light and Dark Fae lands and you know that!"

Bo spoke, "The Dal Riata is on neutral ground and is owned by my Grandfather, Fitzpatrick McCorrigan. Use of our powers here is not a violation of that rule... and, by the way, that rule no longer exists according to the document you just signed. We wouldn't want to be unable to defend ourselves if we happen to be on your land... especially since the land where my clan is living is, technically, Fae-owned land since I am a McCorrigan and am part Fae."

"What are you?" Another Elder asked.

Bo laughed, "Well now, I may be new to the Fae, but one of the first lessons I learned was that it is impolite to ask that question, so I'll just pretend you didn't just attend my delicate sensitivities."

Lauren choked back a laugh at her wife's comment before Evony spoke,

"So, demo or no demo? We really do have other things to do with our time today. We certainly didn't plan on spending all day with you. There are those in need."

One of the Elder's laughed, "We all know that White Witches lose their power the longer they stay on our land. You must refuel, so maybe keeping you here is the perfect idea."

Bo's eyes flashed blue and in an instant, she was sucking the chi from every Elder in the room. When she stopped, they all gasped for air,

"I, however, could drop all of you in an instant. So, I think we should go back to Evony's original question. Demo, anyone?"

Elder Marzetti stood, waving her arms, "Please, everyone! This discussion is a mute point. We have all signed the new scroll into law. If we attack now, we die... all of our people die. Let us accept our new reality. Elder Scalese and I have been chosen to represent our interests, so the only question that need be answered at this point is if you trust us to do this or not?"

The older woman allowed her intense gaze to roam over the room, waiting and watching as each of the Elders nodded, stood and left the bar. When only she and Elder Scalese remained, she spoke,

"Now, Evony I can see the clan markings on your forearm so no demonstration will be necessary. Most of you are well aware of how set in their ways the Fae Elders can be. You also know that Elder Scalese and I may be of different sides, but we are not the type to get involved with the dramatics of the Fae. I, for one, see no harm in the forming of this clan. Honestly, all that has changed is that everyone the Dark and Light had seen as different or unacceptable and banished to survive on their own will now be living together. What's the difference if you're together or apart? You've given us all we need to be safe from you."

She ran her fingers over the scroll before picking it up and handing it to Lauren, "I trust you will keep this safe as you have the formula you used to turn Evony into a Human?"

Lauren nodded, "You have my Blood Oath that I will do everything in my power to keep this scroll safe."

"Elder Scalese, do you have anything you would like to add?"

The Elder replied, "I do not. I think you have said all that need be said. Evony knows the Dark Elders well. They'll grumble about this today and tonight, they'll grumble about it at the next several meetings and then it will be over and done with. As your leader here said so eloquently – and I take it you, Ysabeau, are the leader – we will live each to their own."

Lauren nodded, "That means you also have to police your own. They need to know about this new agreement and no the consequences. We have many children in our clan and will defend them if attacked. There will be no warning if people come onto our lands and challenge us in any way."

The two elders nodded as Lauren continued, "Now, one more thing. The town surrounding McCorrigan lands, we wish that land inclusive of the land extending to the highways to be declared our lands. We want a distinctive and large barrier around our properties so there is no question as to when someone has entered our lands."

Lauren rolled out a map, placing stones along the boundaries her clan had discussed, "Would this be acceptable to your clans?"

The two Elders looked down on the map and began pointing and whispering back and forth for a long while before the Dark Elder looked up at Lauren,

"Much of the land you wish to claim for your clan is currently neutral territory. There are some UnderFae who may dwell there who have been granted their freedom, but it's okay with us. You would have to contact them directly as to their wishes to remain free or join your clan."

"We can certainly do that." Lauren replied.

"Fine. I'll have a list of names and locations sent to you at the McCorrigan Mansion by Human courier."

"Perfect." Lauren replied.

"Well, I think we're done here then, yes?" The Light Fae Elder suggested.

"Elder Marzetti, thank you for your support."

"You didn't give us much of a choice, dear."

Bo smiled, "But we did give you a choice."

Both Elders laughed, before Elder Scalese added, "That you did. Well played, ladies."

They stood, each extending a hand in good faith, but Lauren took Bo's hand instead, "I'm afraid my wife's statement that trust must be earned was quite true. For now, let's just smile and go our separate ways."

Laughing again, the two took their leave. Bo turned to look at her wife, "You wouldn't let me shake their hands? They were pretty cool about everything."

Evony smiled, "Remember that you may be our fearless leader now, but you're still a rookie in the Fae world. Those two Fae can attack through their touch. Remember that before she was your wife, Lauren was a Doctor for both the Light and Dark Fae. She has seen most of us as patients at one time or another and is your encyclopedia of who can do what. Always follow her lead."

Bo cocked her head, "Do you really think they would have attacked me in this room with all of my powerful allies around?"

Lauren shrugged, "I wasn't taking any chances."

"Okay then, death by touch. Good to know. Thanks." Bo nodded to Evony and then her wife.

"Who said their touch would cause your death?" Evony replied with a smirk before walking away, "Ta, darlings. Time to go feed."

"But you said..." Bo began, but Evony shimmered away before she could even get her question out. The Succubus groaned in frustration, "Now that is the old Evony I know and love." She said, sarcastically.

Jadis smiled, "She's a work in progress. The more she's around her sisters, the more she will change. The more she's around the Fae, the more she'll retain some of her less desirable qualities."

"Well, take her to your lands and keep her there for at least a year. We need to get all of the Fae out of that one. She's a real piece of work." Bo spat.

Lauren kissed her wife's hand, "Well, are we ready to go?"

Jadis handed Lauren the scroll, "Don't forget this."

Nodding, she smiled, "I was actually thinking the best place for this would be on your lands. Would you agree?"

"You are likely correct. We will put it in the place of our sacred texts just in case you need access to it."

Bo laughed, "Wow, Wifey. You have high security access, huh?"

"I'm very special." Lauren laughed.

"Well, let's take your very special self home. I'm starving." Bo said.

"I'm really in the mood for Lulu's stew." Lauren replied.

"We'll see if we can convince her to cook tonight. Let's go home and celebrate." Bo smiled.

And just like that, they disappeared.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seven Months Later...

"Moms, are you guys ready? Everyone is waiting!" Lulu yelled into the window of the cabin where she and Seera were waiting with torches in hand.

"Coming!" Bo yelled back before turning to where Lauren was wrapping up their baby girl in the blanket given to them by Deeana for the ceremony.

Standing with the baby, Lauren sighed, "This is the last one, right?"

Bo smiled, "You know we still have our clan's ceremony to do."

"I know, it's just that she cried all the way through the White Witch ceremony earlier today. I hope she doesn't cry through this Amazon ritual too. What are we doing for our Clan BoLo ritual anyway?"

Bo cringed, "We really have to decide on a name for our clan before that sticks. I still can't believe Kenzi suggested it."

"She was half joking."

"Yea, but it's still being used." Bo scowled.

"What is the ritual for our clan?" Lauren asked.

"Trick and Aoife were meeting with the Elders to decide, but I told him I didn't want it to be long and drawn out. No parent wants that with a newborn. Quick and easy... and no bleeding... is what we need." Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, "I just don't want children to be bound by the blood oath of our clan before they can understand how to use their powers. That is why kids don't choose a clan with the Light and Dark before they hit puberty."

Bo agreed, "I'm all in with that idea and already told Trick, reminding him that I killed way too many people before I had any idea how to control my powers. Hell, I was still killing until I met you."

"I do believe your situation was unique."

"Boy, was it ever. All set?" Bo asked, running her hand over her daughters' fine blonde hair.

"All set."

"So we're agreed on the name?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded with a smile, "Lulu is the expert at assigning names. I just can't bring myself to disappoint her."

Bo smiled, "Names to plants, yes but to people, I think she still needs a bit of work. How did she come up with some of those names?"

Lauren laughed, putting the baby up over her shoulder, "She was talking to your Valkyrie sisters. They fed her all sorts of strange names."

"Okay, let's get going. The sooner we get there..."

"... the sooner we're done."

The new Moms joined hands and shimmered outside to where Lulu and Seera were waiting. The couple immediately stopped and smiled when they saw Lulu with the papoose strapped to her body,

"Lulu..."

"Please? I'll walk really careful. I would never let anything happen to my little sister! Besides, the path is lit with torches the entire way there." Lulu frowned.

"I'll walk next to her and lock elbows to make sure she doesn't fall. Please can we take her?" Seera begged.

Bo and Lauren looked at each other before the brunette reasoned,

"She's not going to get any lighter than she is now. It's probably the easiest time for them to carry her. Besides, Lulu can hover. She doesn't even have to walk if you're worried about her tripping in the woods."

Lulu's eyes went wide, "I can shimmer her there!"

Seera shook her head, "She has to take the path, remember?"

"Right." Lulu frowned before looking up at her Moms, "But please?"

Lauren smiled, kneeling down in front of her daughter, "Okay. Here, let me help you get her in."

Bo took both of the torches from the girls, then watched as her eldest daughter's face absolutely lit up with joy when the baby was finally settled into her arms. Seera was equally excited, placing kisses on the baby's little cheeks as she spoke,

"You're gonna become my sister today too!"

Lulu and Seera started down the path lined with hundreds and hundreds of multicolored flowers laid out by the Amazon tribe while Bo and Lauren followed closely behind. As they walked, the Moms listened and laughed to the conversation of the two excited little girls until finally, they made it to the clearing amidst the trees where a large fire was built for the ceremony. All of the Amazons were gathered, their bodies painted as they danced around the fire in celebration of the occasion.

Selia and Deeana greeted the younger girls, taking the baby to place her in the basket filled with hay.

Bo beamed, "She's such a good baby, Lauren. Look at her smile."

"She always seems to at home with Selia and Deeana. It's like she senses they'll always protect her."

"They will." Bo said with such certainty, Lauren teared up a bit.

"For as much as I hate all of these ceremonies, I also appreciate that our kids won't grow up the way we did. They'll grow up knowing that they belong and are loved by this huge family they've been lucky enough to be born into."

"I guess all of our struggles were worth it in the end, huh?" Bo said, wrapping an arm around Lauren's waist.

Lauren kissed her cheek, "We started out with each other and ended up with three extended families. I'd say it was totally worth it."

They watched as the ceremony began. Deeana lifted the baby into the air and, in a powerful voice declared,

"Tonight, under the full moon, we welcome our sister, born from the blood of Lauren and Ysabeau Lewis. What name do you give to our sister?"

Bo and Lauren nodded to Lulu who jumped up and down clapping before she and Seera both yelled,

"Lucy!" before Lulu clarified, "She's Lucy Sabrina Lewis!"

The women all laughed at the excited little girls before Deeana held her up once again,

"Sisters! I give you the newest member of our tribe, Lucy Sabrina Lewis!"

Everyone cheered, most getting a bit emotional at the news that the newest member of the tribe had been named for Selia's second in command. Selia and Bo shared a teary-eyed glance before they both turned back to Deeana,

"Lulubelle, are you to speak for Lucy until she can speak for herself?"

"I will." She said, fumbling nervously with her fingers.

"You will teach her the ways of the Amazon?"

"I will." She said, nodding her head.

"Will you lead and guide her decisions and actions?"

"I will." She said, now shuffling her feet.

"And who will be your second?"

Seera stepped forward, "I will."

Selia smiled proudly at her daughter as her wife continued, "And do you promise to act as Lulubelle in her stead?"

Seera looked confused for a moment, so Lauren leaned down and whispered in her ear, "She wants to know if you'll keep the promises Lulu just made if she's not around. Will you be a big sister to Lucy."

"Oh, yes! I mean... I will." She looked at Lulu and they giggled.

Deeana looked up at Bo and Lauren, "And do you, the parents of Lucy Sabrina Lewis, vow to raise her in the way of the Amazons, with understanding given to other blood she may carry."

"We do." Bo and Lauren said in unison.

Deeana and Selia then pulled Lucy from the blanket and laid her in the hay. Bo and Lauren watched nervously, hoping that she was not going to be cut as they had been. They sighed with relief when they saw three bowls placed on the table next to their newborn,

"We bring you into our sisterhood to join us in our natural habitat with earth..."

They held out the bowl for Lulu to take a fist full of soil, which she did.

"Sorry, Lucy. I'll give you a bath later." Lulu whispered as she sprinkled the dirt on her belly. Lucy responded by giggling. Lulu looked up at Lauren and Bo, "She likes it."

Selia held out a bowl to Seera to take a scoop of water. Deeana pointed to her head, reminding her daughter that the water needed to be poured over her brow. Seera did as instructed while Lulu held a hand over Lucy's eyes.

Finally, a match was struck. Bo and Lauren's eyes went wide until they saw Deeana pull some hay from beneath the baby and light it on fire before waving it back and forth over Lucy, then dousing it in the bowl of water. Selia took the dirt from the baby's belly and dipped it into the bowl, mixing it around before lifting a small amount of mud onto two fingers and drawing a symbol on the baby's forehead, chest and belly. She then lifted the baby into the air, presenting her to the tribe,

"The Goddess Artemis has gifted us with another Sister! Extra blessings are bestowed as she joins us beneath the full moon. Sisters, let us celebrate this new life with song and dance!"

All of the women cheered, the drums began as the tribe stood to dance. Bo and Lauren were handed Lucy as they nodded to Lulu and Seera to go and join their sisters. Selia and Deeana moved to stand next to their friends,

"Whatever happens going forward, please know dear friends that you will always have a family who will be there to live, laugh and love moments just like this with you."

Lauren turned to the pair, "Thank you. Thank both of you. I've heard so many stories of the many times you saved Bo's life or helped her to keep living when she was too tired to fight. I know that I owe you both so much for making my dream of a life with this woman come true, so for now I will just say again, thank you."

Deeana smiled, "Lauren, you never have to thank us. When we found Bo in the woods, struggling to survive with a child, we knew she had an Amazon's soul. She was a fighter from the start. We fell in love with her and Lulu right from the start. We wanted so much for her to get her happy ending and you gave that to her for us. If anything, we should be thanking you for saving our friend and bringing yourself and another beautiful soul into our tribe."

The women all hugged before Lucy interrupted them with a little scream. They looked down to see her waving her tiny arms and smiling brightly,

"I guess she's just as happy about it as you are." Lauren smiled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo checked on Lucy in the bassinette on the other side of their bedroom before sliding into bed next to Lauren. She smiled knowing that her wife had fallen asleep quickly after the ceremony. It had been a very long, busy couple of weeks since the birth of their daughter. Bo had been worried about the load that her wife was carrying and she really just wanted a few days for Lauren to finally relax... and maybe sleep in.

Motherhood had hit Lauren squarely between the eyes, but she had managed everything with poise. Bo knew all too well that not complaining didn't mean that it wasn't hard on her wife. While she was off handling additional meetings about the clan, Lauren was handling both Lulu and Lucy. Most of the time, Seera and Kara were with them as well since all three of them absolutely adored the baby. While it may have seemed to everyone else that having the girls around meant Lauren had help, they were still a bit too young to leave alone holding an infant.

Still, Lauren had found time to get Lulu enrolled in a Human school as the youngster wanted. She told Bo that she wanted the option of going to college just in case she wanted to be a doctor or something important like that. Since there were no Fae medical schools, the Human system was her only choice.

What had hurt Bo was her daughter's comment that she didn't want to be a flunky who never graduated from high school. Of course, Lulu didn't know her Mother's history, so Bo had tried not to be offended it was still hard statement to swallow.

The night of their discussion about school, Lauren had reminded Bo that she used to be very ambitious in high school. In the end, they'd both agreed that it was time for the high school hero to follow her teenage dream of entering a field where she was able to fight for the underdogs of the world, as she'd always wanted. They had also discussed Lauren going back to practice medicine and both had agreed that there were plenty of people – both Human and Fae - in their new clan to warrant opening a clinic in town.

Ciara had begun to teach Lauren about the healing methods she had been taught as a Faery Princess. The techniques were unique and – in Lauren's words – truly amazing. Without skipping a beat, Ciara had agreed to be Lauren's right hand at the new clinic. They would work to restore the sight of the Human health care workers as quickly as possible. They would need their help in healing everyone else.

The biggest issue was how they were going to handle the townspeople. Outing the Fae to a bunch of Humans who may not be willing to stick to the One Rule after what they'd been through was of concern, so Bo and Lauren had gone to meet with the Mayor in town. To their surprise, he had admitted he was well aware that there were supernatural beings in the town since childhood, as did most of the people his age in town. He thought it was all very normal after all of these years and their children had been raised that couldn't be a threat to someone they didn't threaten. Essentially, they had peacefully co-existed – until the night that Bo had left town. So, she formally disclosed the nature of the people and gave him a little history lesson about the missing citizens, her Father, the Hunters and finally, the One Rule. The Mayor needed to understand what would happen if anyone disclosed their existence to anyone outside of town. Further, Lauren explained to him that if the townspeople cooperated, they would all receive a vision fix, in time. Being blinded himself, he quickly agreed.

They were still figuring out the details, but they had formally decided that they were going to install law enforcement officials who were all Fae. That way, if anything unusual went down, they would already have Fae local, state and federal police in town who could cover the tracks of any Fae involvement. Gradually, they would install Human officials among the Fae as their sight was returned. The Fae would eventually handle the Fae cases and the Humans handle the Human cases, overlapping where needed.

Bo and Lauren had already decided who would be running the law enforcement community. Hale had plenty of connections in other Fae communities due to his family connections, so he would head the Federal Agency. Dyson would handle the State police and Tamsin was staying on to handle the Local force since Kate wanted to stay with their new Fae and Amazon friends. Tamsin had protested, but a long conversation with Acacia had given her a new outlook on her life... or maybe it was holding Lucy in her arms for the first time. She wanted a legacy to carry on her line and she wanted that with Kate, so agreed this clan was the right place for them to begin a life together.

Kenzi was going to be around often, so had wanted a job as well. She wanted to put her new powers to use. Bo had explained that they wanted her super Human skills of hacking and her young friend reluctantly agreed, stating that the new gray streak in her hair was too cool to be sequestered to a computer room. Bo had reminded her friend that she no longer looked quite Human and would need to keep a low profile when on the Earthly plane. Her hair would be completely gray soon and her already luminescent blue eyes would be closer to white as well.

Kenzi, Jadis, Sadie, Kate, Tamsin, Selia and Deanna had come for dinner at the new cabin one night. It was Bo's first family dinner and she was very excited about finally having a family that wasn't crazy. At the dinner, Kenzi had briefly mentioned missing her former Goth style, but when Jadis mentioned her newly acquired long life and ability to protect herself in the Fae world, the younger woman had to admit the sacrifice was a worthwhile trade. Still, she swore to Jadis she was going to update the White Witches' wardrobe.

An argument had ensued about tradition and robes being more comfortable to which Bo had replied that leather was surprisingly comfortable once you tried it. Tamsin had made a case for jeans to which Deanna had replied that hemp was the best cloth for making clothing that moved with you when you fought. After an hour-long discussion about everything being naked to dressed in the heavy metal armor of the past, Jadis agreed to keep an open mind about a shopping trip in town with Kenzi... all white cloth, of course... and even maybe some trim for a pop of color... something Kenzi had given a rousing round of applause for when the leader had agreed to consider.

With all that they had accomplished in a very short time, Bo felt good about her life for the first time in - well, since Kyle's death. There was still a lot to be done, but she knew she had help... loyal, dedicated, caring help from her newfound family and friends as well as the town she'd never felt a part of when she was young. While she still occasionally paused during her day to pinch herself, she was moving forward in her new life.

No longer did she have to patrol the woods around her home from the trees from just before sundown until sunrise. No longer did she have to live alone for fear of what hell she would bring down on anyone she allowed to get close. No longer did she have to raise her daughter alone without friends or school. No longer did her daughter have to sit alone in the darkness of a safe room, teaching herself about the history of the Fae and Human worlds. No longer did her child have to take on the responsibilities of an adult, but could instead live the life a child should live. She smiled, heaving a heavy sigh as she leaned into Lauren, draping an arm carefully around her waist before closing her eyes and nodding off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twenty Years Later...

"Mom! You guys are going to be late again!" Lulu called up the stairway to her parents while she cradled her little brother in her arms.

Lauren called down to her, "We're coming, Lu! And Lottie's on the swing set again! Can you ask Lucy to start the car and get her into her car seat before she gets dirty? And can you get Ethan's diaper bag and put him..."

Shaking her head at her little brother, Lulu yelled up to Lauren, "Mom! You've already asked me all of those things! They're all done, now come on!"

"No, you come on!" Bo laughed as she and Lauren exited the cabin from behind their daughter.

Lulu turned and smiled at her Mother before looking down at the big brown eyes of her youngest sibling, "You know, our Mom is becoming quite the practical joker, shimmering our Ma around, but let's show her who's really boss, shall we?"

Ethan giggled as they disappeared from the cabin.

"Lulu! Come on!" Bo shouted from the driver's seat of the car, before turning to Lauren, "What's taking her so long?"

The pair turned to see Lucy covering her lips with her finger, trying to stop Lottie's giggling, "Shhh..."

Lauren faked a frown, turning to the youngest occupant in the car, "Lottie, what do you know?"

The little girl giggled, so Bo turned as well, "Lottie, what did we tell you about keeping secrets from us?"

Lottie pouted, "Lulu went poof."

Bo rolled her eyes, turning back to face the driveway of their newly renovated cabin, "I hate when she does that."

Lauren laughed, giving Leila's foot a tickle, causing her to wiggle in her car seat, "Bo, do you want me to..."

Bo looked at Lauren and nodded, giving her wife the go ahead as she gripped the steering wheel and cringed before the blonde waved her hand, causing the entire car to vanish from sight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the car reappeared in the school parking lot, Bo closed her eyes, waiting for the wave of nausea to pass. She swayed a bit in her seat before she groaned from the feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Ma, we told you. You have to..."

Bo nodded, waving her hand at her daughter, "I know, I know. Take a deep breath and exhale when we arrive. It doesn't matter what I do. The White Witch blood I share with your Mom just doesn't want me to like shimmering... at all."

Lucy shook her head and unbuckled Lottie from her car seat before opening the car door and watching her crawl from the vehicle. She took her hand and closed the door, waiting for her parents to pick up her youngest sister, Leila from the infant car seat.

When Lauren lifted the newborn onto her shoulder, she turned back to the car, but found Lulu standing in front of her holding out the diaper bag,

"Looking for the other half?" She smirked.

"For that move, you can carry the diaper bag." Lauren smiled in return, looking at the infant on her eldest daughter's shoulder, "He's asleep?"

Lulu shouldered the bag and nodded, "I swear these two are so much more than mere twins. If she sleeps, he sleeps. If she cries, he cries..."

"...If she poops, he poops." Bo added, taking the diaper bag from her daughter, "And please don't think I didn't notice. Please don't shimmer into parking lots with your siblings. A car..."

"I know, Ma. A car could be coming when I land. I'm a doctor, raised by a doctor. Do you really think I would shimmer into a parking lot? Especially here where there could be Humans who do not know about the Fae who could see us? Of course, you had Mom shimmer an entire car into the parking lot. I'm sure no one saw that."

Lauren smiled, "They didn't. I shielded the car before we left the house."

"Show off." Lulu shook her head, settling Ethan on her shoulder as they began the walk towards the stadium.

"Aw, now don't pout because your Mom can do something you can't do." Bo smiled.

Lulu sighed, "Uh... need I remind you about Mr. Carlisle's brain tumor last week?"

Lauren laughed, "Touché. I am still not big on brain surgery. I prefer curing diseases with serums and vaccines over surgery."

"Your Mom gives great needle." Bo leaned in, whispering to Lulu.

"So have you found a surgery to remove Aunt Tamsin's mood swings from her brain, Sis?" Lucy deadpanned.

Lulu chuckled, "I'm afraid that condition is incurable."

"Since the day she was born." Bo added, "Don't be too hard on her."

Lucy nodded, "I know, I know. The life of a Valkyrie is hard. She's spent many lifetimes carrying dead souls from the fields where senseless wars needlessly snuffed out the lives of people who had families and great experiences ahead of them. Aunt Kate has used that excuse for years."

"And Aunt Kate is right." Lauren replied, pulling a blanket over Lottie's shoulders.

"Then why isn't Aunt Kate grumpy?" Lucy asked.

Bo shook her head, "Aunt Kate took the stick out of her ass and Aunt Tamsin didn't."

"Bo!" Lauren scolded, but Lulu and Lucy were already in the midst of a fit of laughter. She slapped her wife, "You need to stop picking on Tamsin in front of her nieces."

"Maybe Aunt Tamsin needs to start being a little more positive around our kids. Really, Lauren, aren't you a little tired of her gloom and doom attitude? What is up with that?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "It's not my story to tell, Bo."

"I'm your wife." She replied quickly and obviously a bit offended.

"Bo, it's doctor-patient privilege. If Kate and Tamsin share to discuss the issue with you, then you'll better understand. Until then, just trust me... she has reason to be a bit... gloomy, as you put it."

"Fine." Bo said with a sigh before Ethan did a little fussing in Lulu's arms, "Do you want me to take him?"

Lulu shook her head, "Are you kidding? My vacation is only a week, and then I have to be back at the hospital. I'm holding this little one every chance I get."

"You're home almost every night via the shimmer express." Bo shared a long glance and a laugh with Lauren, both women then turning to look at Lulu holding Ethan.

As it always did these days, Bo's mind traveled to when Lulu was just a child and she would hold her as she was holding her infant son now. While she was grateful The Hunters were gone, she missed when Lulu was that young.

After medical school, their eldest daughter had been offered and taken a job as a Neurosurgeon in Boston, but she wanted to be in a climate that was colder all year round. All of her years visiting the Land of Light had helped her to become accustomed to living in colder climates, so she had moved even further north to Alaska where she now worked primarily in Anchorage, but also traveled to the smaller villages along the coast. Living there gave her easy access to the Aurora. She and her Pegasus, Cassiopeia, could travel to the Land of Light any time she had an hour off in this realm. It would give her a little over a week in the realm where she went to feed her White Witch spirit.

"Yea, but I don't sleep overnight, so I miss cuddle and tuck in time. I need to bond with my little brother or he'll never know me." Lulu insisted, looking at Lauren, "And we'll have to trade at some point because little Leila needs me too."

Lauren grinned, "You may be a thirty-something now, but you're as adorable as you were when you were ten."

"And I'm still doing a fantastic job naming the babies." She smiled, but Lottie protested,

"Hey! I named the belly baby!" She said, earning laughs from her big sisters.

Lauren placed a hand on her growing abdomen and smiled at Charlotte, "Yes, you did and you did a great job, sweetie."

Lulu smiled, "You did do good, kid. Lizzie Kathryn Lewis is a strong name."

Lottie nodded, "Well, Kate is a strong Valkyrie and your Pegasus came from her and Mom's Pegasus-ses, so I figured with all of that strong-ness, it would be a good name. And it's an L name!"

Bo chuckled, "Heaven forbid we should have a girl who doesn't have an L name."

Lucy smiled, "We already tried to find Y names, Ma but you shot them all down."

"Catch up, kids. Your Mom's name is Lauren with an L. Your Ma will always want L kids." Tamsin said, crossing her arms over her chest when she saw the group arrive at the gate, "I was told to come and show you to the seats daughter number three reserved for your big old family."

Bo shook her head, "Well, it was nice of you to serve as such a pleasant welcome wagon and in case you didn't notice, Lottie's actual name is Charlotte... that's a C and our son is named Ethan... that's an E."

"Really Succubitch? That's your comeback?"

Lulu shook her head, "Ma, we all know the story. Mom had picked those names for her babies when you guys were kids in the tree house. You've just given Aunt Tamsin's argument more ammunition about how whipped you are. You would move the Moon for Mom if you could."

Bo smiled, as she took her seat next to Lauren. She turned to look at her older daughters seated behind them, "You know what? You're right. And I hope that one day you all find someone you can love as much as I love your Mom. You'll be lucky if you do."

Lauren blushed at her wife's words and gave her a shy smile. It was amazing after all of these years together that she still looked at her like she was the most precious thing on the planet. Lauren knew that after all they had been through, she had made the right choice to stand by her Izzy. They would grow old together, raising their kids and then enjoy the grandchildren as they were born.

The graduates began to move in and the stadium erupted in applause, waking both babies. Lulu immediately passed Ethan down to Bo who turned him to face his twin sister. The two babies looked at each other and smiled, settling down almost immediately. Lulu laughed,

"I told you... more than the usual twins. They're connected somehow."

Lauren smiled, "I'll leave it to you to figure out then."

Lulu shook her head, "Uh-uh, you're the Geneticist."

"And you need to learn so that you can take care of the Fae in your territories." Lauren replied.

Lulu shrugged, "I think our system works fine. You shimmer to me when I need you, I shimmer to you when I need you."

Bo shook her head, "And when your Mom retires from medicine?"

Lulu gave the comment a scowl, "Yea, right. Mom won't retire until she's like two thousand years old."

"THERE SHE IS! THERE'S LEXI! LEXI! LEXI!" Lucy stood with Lottie on her shoulders, yelling to their sister while the younger Lewis waved her arms wildly, hoping her older sister would see them.

When Lexi looked up, she waved both of her arms at the group, "She saw us, Ma! Did you see? Mom, she saw us!"

Lauren smiled up at her daughter, "I saw, Lottie. Now, would you please get off of Lucy's shoulders... carefully? We don't need another Lewis Family injury today."

"But you can heal me right up, Mom." Lottie said, matter-of-factly.

Bo and Lauren's heads spun quickly to glare at the youngster as Lucy covered her mouth and leaned in to whisper, "Lottie, there are Humans all around us, kiddo. No Fae talk here, remember?"

Lottie lowered her head, her shoulders slumping as her big brown eyes welled with tears. She looked at her parents,

"Sorry. I was forgot."

Bo handed Ethan to Lulu who was already sensing her Mother's move before allowing Lottie to climb onto her lap,

"It's okay, sweetie. Don't cry. It's just really important that you learn..."

"I know, Ma. I know. The..." She leaned in to whisper in her Ma's ear, "The Fae could have me killed if I tell people about the Fae. I just forget sometimes."

Bo held her close, "I will never let the Fae harm you, Lottie and you are surrounded by very powerful Fae, Amazons and Witches who would help me to do whatever was needed to fix it if you let it slip. We'd just rather not have you need our help, Lottie. You've got to learn to control the impulse to blurt things out without thinking, okay?"

Lottie sniffled while Bo wiped her cheeks, "All better?" Bo asked.

The youngster didn't respond, but rather settled into Bo's arms, gripping her tighter. Bo knew this reaction was when Lottie felt fear about the Fae. She had witnessed an attack on the Fae that lived in the McCorrigan Mansion about a year ago when she'd been there visiting with Ciara and Dyson's youngest daughter. She'd been witness to the brutal killing of one of the members of the cleaning service that visited once a week and had never recovered from the gory scene. Lulu had shimmered in when she sensed the intense fear from her youngest sister at the time and immediately took out the entire group of intruders with the wave of a hand.

Lulu had grown into an incredibly powerful being. The combination of her Mother and Father's DNA had proven to result in powers that Bo was certain her Father had been seeking to control when he'd attempted to come to the Earthly plane over two decades ago. She thanked whatever God was listening at the time that she had been able to save her daughter from his grasp.

"Bo, here it comes." Lauren said nervously.

"Relax, she'll do fine." Bo assured, taking Lauren's hand as mumbles went through the family, fingers pointing eagerly at Lexi.

Lauren shuddered, "Here she goes."

'Faculty, Staff, Students and Honored Guests, it is my honor to stand before you today as your class Valedictorian. I can only hope that my remarks measure up to those who've come before me and that you don't fall asleep before I finish...'

"Good girl!" Bo said, throwing a small victory fist. Lauren turned to look at her wife, "What? It's a joke I gave her. It's good."

Lauren just shook head and turned back to her daughter. She was so proud of the young woman her Lexi had become. Here she was, graduating early from Law School. The only thing left was to take the Bar Exam, and then she would be coming home to live in town with her boyfriend... a Human named Tommy Roberts who she had fallen in love with during her Undergraduate years in college. She'd told Bo and Lauren that she had plenty of time to travel and see the world or even work at a big law firm after Tommy died. For now, she wanted to enjoy the very Human lifespan he had left.

Lauren glanced over her shoulder at Lucy and smiled at the intense look on her face as she listened carefully to the speech she had helped her younger sister rehearse over and over again. The two of them were Bo through and through and Lauren wouldn't have it any other way. They were fighters who righted the wrongs of the town, Lucy as a Social Worker and Lexi now as a lawyer. When they got together with Dyson and Tamsin, it was all about their cases.

Lucy had fallen in love and married an Amazon named Hipp whose name meant Horse, something Lucy loved to tease her about. Apparently, from the time she could open her eyes, she was mesmerized by the horses in the stables and would giggle and coo whenever she was taken into the barn. Once she could crawl, she would constantly venture off unbeknownst to her parents who would eventually find her lying a stall with whatever horse happened to be home. She and Lucy rode every chance they got, but Hipp was a teacher at the local college so they both had their hands full with needy children. It was disappointing that there was a need for a Social Worker in town, but the trauma dealt the adults many years ago was bound to have some backlash on the mental health of the Humans in the town.

Lauren's gaze moved from Lucy to young Charlotte who was almost asleep in Bo's arms. Her blonde hair had been quite a surprise after the long line of brunette's she'd given birth to. This was her little girl, so it was only fitting that she had been given a C name. Of course, Lulu and Lucy were quick to mention that she would actually be called Lottie so she didn't feel like an outcast. She didn't know who this little girl would grow up to be, but she did know that she had fantastic sibling role models and many, many strong women who would guide her along her life's path.

Bo nudged her wife, "Are you paying attention?"

Lauren smiled, "Sorry. I got a little lost in my thoughts."

"She'll never forgive you if you miss this." Bo suggested.

Lauren chuckled, "Are you kidding me? I have it memorized from listening to her rehearse it with Lucy."

The couple turned and listened to their daughter. As she finished, the crowd got to its feet, the thunderous applause and whistles echoing into the clouds above the stadium. Bo and Lauren leaned in to each other, their hearts swelling with pride as they heard their other daughters cheering for their sisters.

Lauren looked over her shoulder to see the young women they had raised and smiled as Bo leaned over and whispered in her ear,

"We done good, Doc."

Lauren laughed, nodding to the two infants in their arms, "We're not done yet."

Bo smiled, "Does that mean you want more?"

Lauren shrugged, "I will cherish whatever you give me, Izzy."

"Well, I'll have to remember that." Bo smiled, turning back to her daughter who was looking up at her family and waving, "Gods, I love our family."

"Me too, Izzy. Me too." Lauren replied.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The whole group met in the parking lot after the ceremony and was joined rather quickly by Lexi who was anxious to get back to their lands and start the celebration. After much discussion, the Witches in the group put up shields and shimmered everyone back home. When they arrived, a large cake made by her sisters was Lexi's big surprise. Lottie was quick to explain that she had been the one to put the candy hearts all over the cake.

There was tons of food, courtesy of Aunt Kenzi, Aunt Jadis and Aunt Sadie. The wine and beer flowed endlessly thanks to Grandpa Trick. The Amazons had created a massive feast and provided the music for much dance and merriment. Everything was perfect in Lexi's mind, right down to Tommy's proposal of marriage that took everyone by surprise at the end of the evening... everyone except Bo, that is. The young man, ever the gentleman, had asked Bo for her permission to marry her daughter. She had decided not to tell Lauren, but allow her the pleasure of the surprise. Lauren had expressed on many occasions that she had hoped that Tommy was the one for their daughter because she believed they were perfect together. Naturally, the Human lifespan was a bit of a drawback, but they were taking Human vows, so the couple weren't worried about Lexi being alone for the rest of her life. In time, her heart would heal and she would find a companion again.

With the guests now gone, the Lewis family sat around the fire outside of their cabin. Bo and Lauren were holding hands while the kids took turns playing charades. As usual, it was the Lewis sisters versus their Amazon and Fae friends. They laughed and laughed while they played, taking turns holding Ethan and Leila, each enjoying the precious babies when it was their turn to snuggle them to keep them warm outside.

Bo sat back, her head against the chair as she turned towards Lauren, "So, Lulu is off in Alaska living her doctoring dream. Lucy will probably marry Hipp at some point and stay on these lands. Lexi is not going to become Mrs. Tommy Roberts..."

Lauren interrupted, "Don't forget the esquire once she passes the bar."

"Noted." Bo replied, "Charlotte will be home with us for another fifteen years looking out for her baby brother and sister Leila and Ethan."

Lauren rubbed her belly, "And this active little girl will make her appearance in two months as Lizzie Kathryn Lewis. Who knows what she will bring."

"More adventures, no doubt." Bo smiled.

"Moms?"

Bo and Lauren turned to look up at Lulu who was looking down at them, "Why don't you guys go inside and... you know... have some... alone time. You're looking a bit... pale, Ma."

Bo chuckled, "Do you know what it's like to try to get a full feeding session in with Lottie and the twins?"

Lulu scowled, "You promised me you would take care of yourselves. You know the importance of feeding and..."

Bo looked at Lauren, "Is our eldest daughter lecturing us on the importance of feeding properly when we had to literally throw her onto the back of Cassie when she was in High School to get her to go feed?"

"I believe you're forgetting college and medical school."

Lulu crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip, "Well, if the shoe fits. This apple didn't fall far from that tree." She said, moving her finger between the pair, "Go. I've got the kids. Seera and Kara are both staying. Lucy, Hipp, Lexi and Tommy are staying too so we've got plenty of help. You know we would never let anything happen to them."

"I know, sweetie. Thank you." Lauren replied, standing up and offering a hand to Bo who just stared at the group.

"Ma. You know you're hungry. I'll be here all week which means this crew will be here all week. Take advantage of it so you can top off your hunger before I leave again."

"Fine."

"Wow. I didn't know sex with Mom had become such a chore for the big bad Succubus."

Bo scowled at her daughter before her expression softened when she saw the look on her wife's face, "Lauren, you know I..."

"She's got a point though, doesn't she? Am I too fat?" Lauren asked, running her hands over her belly.

"Of course not, baby. You know I think you're beautiful when you're pregnant." Bo begged as Lauren started to walk in to the cabin, turning one last time to glare at Lulu who was laughing and waving goodbye.

"Lauren, seriously." Bo said as they entered the house.

"Our daughter just brought up a good point, Bo. Do I not interest you anymore?"

"Seriously? We have six kids and another one on the way. I love you more than I did the day we got married and I think your body is incredibly sexy when you're pregnant. But you already know that, don't you?"

Lauren sighed, "I guess so. I just feel like such a beached whale this time around. I mean, look at my ankles! I'm retaining water! Me! The badass Changeling is retaining water!"

Bo laughed, "You're adorable."

"Do you love me?" Lauren asked.

Bo sat beside her on the couch, "You know, today I was looking up at the stadium and seeing all of our family and friends. Then I looked at you and realized that when we first met, I had lost everything. All I had was Lulu and I was terrified I would lose her too... that I would spend the rest of my life alone. Somehow, you ended up in the forest at the very moment that Lulu ventured out of the house against our rules and you were there to catch a glimpse of her. That set off a chain reaction that unexpectedly reunited us and I've been trying to wrap my head around it every since.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I never believed in fate or luck or destiny before. I just believed that life was what we made it. I believed that I would be the hunted for the rest of my life. But now, my life is more than I dared dream and that's all because of you. I will forever be in your debt for convincing me to trust the Fae and I plan to spend the rest of my life showing you how grateful I am that you exist, Lauren Lewis."

"And I will always be grateful that you trusted me that day in my lab and continued to trust me even after the Fae had taken me and my daughter. You and our family are so precious to me, Izzy. I thought I would be a slave to the Fae for the rest of my life, but you freed me and gave me all of this."

Bo laughed, "A small cabin in the woods that can barely fit our entire family?"

Lauren laughed, "Well, as we've seen, kids grow up and build houses of their own, but they'll always consider this home."

"Do you think so?" Bo asked.

"They're all here, aren't' they?" Lauren replied.

Bo smiled, "They are... and as long as they're out there and we're in here, what do you say we play a game of charades of our own."

Lauren gave her wife a devilish grin before standing up and placing one finger on her wrist.

"One word."

Lauren smiled before pulling her shirt up and over her head, then pulling down her pants. She was left in her bra and panties, her hand moving up and down over her belly before dipping down between her legs.

"Sex."

The blonde grinned and ran for the stairway with Bo in hot pursuit. Once at the top of the stairs, the brunette paused for a moment. Looking down at the cabin from the overlook of the loft, she smiled at how it had changed, yet still remained the same. She listened to the laughter coming from outside the front door... the laughs of children she never thought she would have after Lulu and she felt grateful and blessed... very blessed.

"Izzy! Are you coming?"

The brunette's eyes flashed blue as she grinned, "You first, Lolo."

She ran down the short hallway and into their bedroom, slamming the door on her past and looking forward to every single day of her future with Lauren and their family. No longer was she hunted. Now, she could live in peace and take each day as it came.

- THE END -

Thank you so much for reading and supporting my writing. It means more than I can ever express.

Best wishes,

Cuddles xo