As the sun broke over the horizon, the walls in Bo's bedroom were aglow with a barrage of sunlight. The slats on the windows did little to deter the blast of sunshine streaming in and soon Lauren was stirring. She inhaled and opened her eyes as if awakening to a dream. Bo was still wrapped around her so tightly, moving in her arms was made difficult. Feeling renewed from her sleep, Lauren flipped over to face Bo who was still dead to the world.

Lauren reached out and touched Bo's cheek with her index finger, tracing patterns to her jaw line. She kissed her forehead before burying her face in Bo's neck. There were moments when she was certain she would never see Bo again. And just how close to being right she was.

When she hit the water and felt the bubbles rush up as the weight belt pulled her deeper, Lauren told herself Bo was coming. When she hit the bottom and saw the vodyanoi's green glowing eyes, feeling him begin to drain her, she held onto hope that Bo would be there. And as she grew weaker and felt herself succumbing to the lake, Bo finally appeared, like a mermaid or water nymph, her hair nearly standing on end as she swam to intercept the vodyanoi. The relief she felt as Bo broke that contact did little for her dwindling oxygen supply. She stayed conscious long enough for Bo to fight off the vodyanoi, but as Bo unfastened the belt and pulled her from the bottom of the lake, Lauren faded.

She woke up with Bo's lips on hers, imbibing her with a second chance, giving her the breath of life Lauren had always been fascinated by. She never thought she would have the misfortune of needing it, but she felt strangely healed by it. Like something that had been broken before had been mended. Lauren couldn't put her finger on it, but she was sure that something deep inside her had been righted.

Bo began to wake. Her breathing had changed and the grasp on Lauren tightened. Her eyes fluttered open and Lauren smiled. Bleary-eyed Bo was her favorite. Such a powerful specimen of Fae, rendered into a child-like being as she awakens.

Lauren lifted her head. "Hey," she said, leaning up to kiss her briefly.

"Hey." Bo's smile was a thing of beauty. Her eyes sparkled in the light, and her lips glistened. Her grip on Lauren loosened and her hands roamed Lauren's body.

Morning sex was fast becoming her favorite kind of sex and Bo knew that. The warmth of their bodies pressing together, the fog in her eyes, and the refreshed feeling coursing through her body after a good night's sleep. Morning sex was a simple reality to be undertaken whether she had died the night before or not.

Bo's hand rested on her belly and her eyes flashed momentarily. She was hungry. It had been three days and for a succubus that was like going a year without sex. Lauren regarded this fact with great reverence. Bo had obviously not fed in her time away when she quite desperately needed to. She couldn't say why but if she had to guess, she would say out of love and out of respect for Lauren, Bo abstained. Despite doctor's orders.

Lauren tipped Bo's chin down to meet her mouth. Her kiss was hungry and desperate. Bo's hands found her hair and held her against her mouth. Bo devoured her, her tongue sliding between Lauren's lips. And when Bo pulled away, the look of lust in her eyes was debilitating.

"You haven't fed," Lauren said not yet knowing that she was playing with fire.

Bo shook her head. "It's not important."

"Bo," she chided.

"Not the time for lectures, Doctor," she said with a smile as she covered Lauren's mouth again, rolling her onto her back.

Lauren's lithe arms wrapped around Bo's neck. It was a grand kiss. One you might see in the movies. A kiss that made a declaration and did not wither over time. It was a kiss that made a statement.

Lauren had been owned by three others - the Ashes - she also experienced how the Morrigan treats her humans. And from each experience, there was no question that Bo was the fairest Fae to own her. Their sexual relationship aside, Lauren never felt pressure to perform for Bo. She gave only what she wanted and she gave only what she could. So when Bo implied ownership, Lauren understood what she meant.

Bo's hips slid between her legs and she pressed herself against Lauren. The warmth rolled through every inch of her body. It was a dream, she was sure of it. Lauren moaned as Bo's hips moved against her and the sound drew a growl from Bo. She grasped at Bo's back when she attacked her neck, kissing, licking, her teeth nipping at her throat. Ravenous didn't begin to describe the intensity behind Bo's kisses, but there was a tenderness to her touch that Lauren craved, desired, spent three days and her last moments dreaming about.

"Bo," she breathed, pulling her lips from her throat. She watched Bo's gaze move from her eyes to her mouth, but wasn't prepared for the crushing kiss that followed. Lauren's hands trailed to Bo's sides, gently pushing her to the side, but Bo didn't budge. She broke the kiss. "Come on, I want to touch you."

Bo chuckled then, her lips touching Lauren's shoulder, her collar bone, and her throat. "Not yet," she whispered into her ear.

Lauren groaned her response, unable to hide the smile that curled the corners of her mouth. She knew what Bo needed, but it wasn't what Bo wanted just yet. And when Bo tilted Lauren's hips, she stretched her arms along Bo's body, her hands pulling them together. In the haze of morning, everything felt easy. A fresh mind was cleared from distracting thoughts and this morning, everything was even easier. Lauren felt renewed and when Bo's eyes darkened, she knew she benefited from it.

They shared a brief kiss when Bo's tempo quickened before Lauren had to pull away, her body reacting faster than she could keep up with. Lauren's eyes closed as she saw the flare in Bo's, her hands resting on her ass. She could feel Bo's eyes on her, intense and attentive as her hips danced between her legs, sending wave after wave of arousal through her. She tried to tell Bo she loved her, tried to tell her she had never felt more alive, that she was all she ever wanted, but her ability to verbalize had disappeared, lost in her release.

When Lauren opened her eyes, the undertow of orgasm still pulling her hips against her, she saw Bo's eyes fade from blue back to brown as she watched her. Lauren knew it was a biological imperative, but it didn't change that she was the one that Bo wanted, the one she needed. Bo shifted, straddling Lauren's thigh and kissing her again. Her hand traveled the length of Lauren's body, coming to rest on her hip.

Lauren covered Bo's hand with her own, a smirk on her face. "Where do you think you're going?"

Bo grinned, her lip between her teeth. "I'm coming with you this time."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah," she whispered, trailing kisses down Lauren's chest. "I'm putting my boot down."

It was noon before she heard the stairs creak as Bo walked gingerly down to the main floor. They had been going all morning, that much Kenzi could confirm by the shaking bed and falling soot. When things had settled down once again, she wondered if it would last longer than five minutes this time. Bo walked through the doorway, her kimono tied loosely around her waist, Lauren not far behind her.

"Jesus, finally." Kenzi's arms flapped against her side.

Bo smiled. "Morning, Kenzi." Kenzi handed Bo a mug as she sat on a stool at the island in the kitchen, the steam swirling into the air.

"I missed the x-rated alarm clock, I really did." Kenzi handed Lauren a cup as well. "I mean by the fourth and fifth snooze button, you really want to wake up and get the hell out." She smiled at Lauren. "Morning, Doc. I'd welcome you home, but Bo clearly took care of that enough for both of us."

Lauren smiled and sipped the coffee. "Morning, Kenzi. I'm glad to be home."

Kenzi refreshed her mug and leaned on the edge of the counter. There was a different air to the clubhouse today as she watched Lauren study the mug of coffee on the counter, one of relief, contentment, and understanding. Bo glanced at Lauren, her hand covering hers and smiled when she finally looked over. Kenzi sipped her coffee. It was hard not to envy such a connection.

"So," Kenzi started. "Are you guys going to make googly eyes at each other all day, or are we doing something to celebrate?"

"I think we're going to take it easy today, Kenz. Maybe we'll drop by the Dal later."

A loud and sudden noise filled the clubhouse. It was unmistakable. "Kenzi," Lauren asked, looking at Bo next to her. "Is that a chicken?"

Bo sighed. "Kenzi, I told you to get rid of that damn chicken."

Kenzi picked the chicken from a cardboard box on the floor and cradled it in her arms. "Her name is Mrs. Peabody."

When the door to the Dal swung open, Kenzi spun around on her stool in dramatic fashion, hands in the air as she proclaimed, "The party can begin, they have arrived!"

Bo followed Lauren over the threshold and smiled as the regulars clapped and whooped from their stations around the bar. Bo's hand found the small of her back as she guided Lauren to the bar.

"What can I get the golden girl?" Trick smiled and set the glass he was polishing aside.

"A pint of your finest ale," she patted the bar and grinned.

Bo held up two fingers, "Two, thanks Trick."

Kenzi hopped off her stool at the other end of the bar and came to stand between the women. She put her arms around their necks, a gentle headlock to pull them together. "How's my girls? Did you finally get enough of each other?"

Trick slid two frosty pints of beer across the bar in front of the women.

"For someone who claims to not want to hear about our sex life, you sure ask a lot of questions about it." The corners of Bo's mouth turned up.

Kenzi released her grip on the women, stepping back and placing a hand on her hip. "I see how it's gonna be. Doc, I'll be at the end of the bar when you want to tell me how you rigged that cabin." Lauren nodded as Kenzi spun on her heel and walked away.

Bo climbed onto the stool beside Lauren and took up with her beer. She looked over the glass as she sipped it, reluctant to take her eyes off the woman next to her. "How're you feeling?"

"Good as new." Her smile was alive with untold revelations. Her hand fell to Bo's lap, stroking her thigh before trailing down to squeeze her knee. "Better, in fact."

"You've been through a lot-" Bo started to say.

"We all have," she said making eye contact with Bo.

"Lauren, you died last night."

Lauren looked at the bar and swept away a drop of water with her thumb. "But you brought me back," she said matter-of-factly.

Bo covered Lauren's hand on her knee. "It scared the hell out of me."

Lauren felt a shiver run through her and she nodded, looking down at her beer. "Bo, I-"

"I know," Bo interrupted. "I just want you to be happy. So if that means being doctor to the Fae, I can accept that. But we have to be careful."

She nodded, turning her hand over in Bo's. "Life is so different now. We're together and it's… amazing but professionally, I feel aimless."

Realizing she had coddled Lauren, Bo brought the pint to her lips. "Maybe you should start coming with Kenzi and me on investigations. It'd be good to have a doctor out in the field," she smirked.

She nodded, wiping the condensation from the side of her glass with a finger. "I don't want to be a liability."

"Never," Bo stroked her arm and Lauren smiled. A bright, fulsome smile that made Bo's chest tight. The emotion she could stir up in Bo was often overwhelming, so it was no surprise that it felt like Lauren had put a vice grip on her heart as she gazed into her eyes.

"Well hello, love!" Vex's voice jolted them from the moment. "You beat ol' Voddy, did ya?"

Lauren took a long drink from her beer and looked over her shoulder at him. "Go away, Vex."

He hopped up onto the stool beside her and spun around. "But I miss you," he sniggered. "We had some good times, didn't we?"

Bo narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you have someone else to pester?"

"Mmm, no, sorry. I've made the rounds already. I'm afraid I'm all yours." His smile was mischievous. Lauren didn't even try to disguise the groan that left her lips. "So how was the make-up sex? One for the ages?" Vex giggled.

Bo couldn't imagine being trapped with Vex in a small room for hours on end as Lauren had been. She couldn't think of two more diametrically opposed people. She wondered what they talked about but imagined Vex constantly egging Lauren on. It must have been hell.

"Get lost, Vex," Bo said, sipping the brew.

Vex hopped off the stool and stood between the women. "Doc was telling me about your open relationship and I thought wouldn't it be fun if we mixed it up," he said seriously.

Bo drew her arm back and socked him in the arm. "Get bent."

"Ow! Hoo hoo. Again!" He giggled.

"Is this nancy boy bothering you?" Tamsin asked, her voice smooth and even. "Let me take care of this for you." Tamsin wrenched Vex's arm behind his back and led him away and to the back corner of the Dal.

"Two words, Valkyrie," he shouted at her back from the pool tables as she returned to the bar. "Electric slide." Lauren looked over her shoulder at Tamsin and then turned back to her beer.

"Hey," Bo said, observing Lauren's reaction to Tamsin before looking back at her.

Tamsin's eyes looked the doctor over before they met Bo's. "Just thought I'd see how you were doing."

"Good. We're good." Bo smiled, unsure of how to react to the situation.

Tamsin nodded. "Good," she said awkwardly. "I'll, uh, leave you to it." She snapped her fingers and backed away from them.

Bo cocked her head to the side and looked at Lauren. "You really don't like her, do you?"

"She's in love with you," Lauren said simply.

"And how do you know that?"

Lauren glanced back to the pool tables where Tamsin had returned and back to Bo. "Slapping incident aside, it's obvious, really. Just look at the way she looks at you."

Bo looked at her hands on the bar, playing with a coaster. "What would you say if I told you she was a part of you now?"

Lauren took a minute to translate Bo's message but she understood its meaning after a few moments. "Her?" she asked, pointing her thumb over her shoulder.

Bo nodded. "No Dyson, you said."

She sighed. "I did say that."

There was a silence that fell between them then, not really awkward, but not exactly relaxed either. "Maybe we shouldn't have come out," Bo said then.

"No, Bo," Lauren started. "You can't keep me sequestered in your bedroom for the rest of my days." Lauren leaned across and kissed Bo. Pulling away, she smiled.

"Says who?" Bo grinned.

Hours and many drinks had passed in the Dal and the drunken revelry had begun. Trick led the chorus in the traditional Irish songbook and Lauren found herself in the washroom, staring into the mirror under the harsh light. It exacerbated all of the flaws in her skin and she couldn't look away. The bags under her eyes, the creases in her forehead, her crows feet. Everything seemed a bit overwhelming in that moment. She sighed.

"Mortality got you down?" Tamsin said from behind her. Lauren looked away from the mirror. "I wondered why a human with the power to splice Fae and human DNA wouldn't make herself Fae?"

Lauren met her gaze in the mirror but didn't turn to face her. "Because that's not who I am."

"No, of course not." Tamsin rolled her eyes. "You're Bo's perfect human."

At that, Lauren turned around. "Is there something you want to say to me?"

"We're connected now, Doc," Tamsin pushed, a smirk on her face. "Like it or not, on some basic level, there's a piece of me inside of you."

The door creaked as it opened wide and Kenzi marched into the washroom. Upon seeing the scene, she skidded to a stop in front of Tamsin. "Everything okay?" She looked at Lauren.

"Yeah, great." Lauren smiled half-heartedly and brushed past Tamsin as she left the room. Pushing through the door, Lauren was back in the fray, a massive mingle of Fae. It was late and her celebration didn't feel much like a celebration anymore. She was drunk and not in the euphoric way she expected to be. Instead, she felt mortal, less than everyone, save Kenzi, in the Dal that evening. But Bo's face lit up when she saw Lauren approach and Lauren threaded her arms around Bo's waist, into her waiting embrace.

"You ready?" Bo asked. Lauren nodded, not quite having the same grasp on her vocabulary as she did at the beginning of the night. "Are you okay?" Lauren smiled unconvincingly and nodded again. She wasn't fooling anyone but herself and Bo knew it. She held Lauren in front of her, trying to get the answer from her eyes. "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing," Lauren assured her. "I'm just tired. We've had a busy day."

"You're sure?" Bo looked at her seriously.

Lauren nodded her head and forced another smile. "Right as rain."

Bo gestured at Kenzi who waved back from the other end of the bar before walking toward Bo. "We're gonna take off, Kenz, see you at home?"

"You know it. Try to keep your naked bits off the couch," Kenzi winked at them before spinning around and walking away.

"Why is there a chicken on my bar?" Trick groused.

"Excuse me." Kenzi turned and trotted to the other end of the bar. "Her name is Mrs. Peabody," Kenzi harrumphed.

The women slipped into their jackets and walked toward the door saying their goodbyes as they went. Tamsin waved from the pool table and Lauren felt sick again, swallowing hard and looking away. The last ten feet to the door were clogged with Fae and they had to slip between their bodies to the doorway.

As they stepped into the night, the air was cool and refreshing. Cleansing, even. She was still drunk, but at least she didn't feel old and worn out anymore. Bo reached for her hand and held it as they walked to the car. It was the small things that amounted to so much for Lauren. The way Bo would hold her hand, or touch her face when she kissed her or the smile that spread across her face when she saw Lauren. She had no doubt in Bo's feelings for her, but she always found herself worrying about the other people in her orbit. Dyson, and now Tamsin threatened her peace of mind. And as much as she didn't want to be that woman, her main insecurity-that she was human-was at the root of it all.

Sitting in the bucket seat of the Camaro as Bo broke every speed limit, left her smiling. The simple dharma of Bo always reigned her back in and filled her with calm. As she climbed into bed, head spinning from the day more than the alcohol, Lauren knew things would be all right. She had survived the Morrigan, after all, everything else should be a piece of cake.

Famous last words.

Fin.