I've been toying with the idea of "Dark Bo Returns" for awhile and decided on something on the shorter side. This will probably be three or four parts.

Rated M for strong language and possible mature content.

As she approached the dark brown wooden door, Bo shook her arms and hands out to her sides as if the fluttering in her stomach and muddled thoughts in her brain would sling off her fingers. Her pounding heart in her rib cage began to crescendo into painfully loud timpani echoing in her ears. Swallowing did nothing to keep moisture in her mouth. While regulating her breathing, she muttered only four words on a loop, "What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing?" She occasionally interjected "the fuck" when she felt her stomach leap into her throat.

Yesterday, this seemed the most obvious course of action, but right now, it had to be the most idiotic thing she'd ever done. Well, that's certainly not true. Stupidity coupled with cruelty got her here in the first place. However, being the bullheaded and passionate succubus that she was, she had to try. She could fix this. She had to fix this. She wiped her sweaty palms on her black pants, smearing the salty fluid on the leather.

Still unable to knock on the door, Bo glanced around the unfamiliar hall. Lauren no longer lived in the apartment in the Light Fae compound nor in the crack shack. Apparently, the Ash felt comfortable allowing his charge to live outside of the compound, but not outside of Light Fae territory. Bo had sneaked into the apartment complex relying on the information of a Dark Fae informant. Lauren was of interest to all of the Fae, not just the side she worked for. The walls of the hall were painted a deep red with white paneling along the bottom of the wall. There were four apartments on each floor. Studying the door, Bo randomly wondered if the dark wood matched the rest of the hallway. She couldn't come to a conclusion, but the distraction allowed her to rally a bit of confidence as she raised her fist to the door.

Before her knuckles could rap against the wood, the door swung open as Lauren backed out with her head down and phone smashed between her ear and shoulder. Bo jumped back a few feet to avoid a collision. As the blonde slammed the door and rammed her key into the lock, she let out a disgruntled "Uh huh, uh huh" that always made Bo grin. Although she couldn't see her face, the brunette could picture the woman's features perfectly. With the adorable image in her mind, the cold, brutal reality of the situation smacked her in the face when Lauren whipped around as she blasted into the phone, "Yes, I'm aware Dyson. I need to run to the lab. Can you just hold—" Lauren nearly dropped the phone as the sight of Bo knocked the wind out of her. Her right hand held the phone to her ear while her left steadied her shaking body with the help of the wall.

"Hey," Bo said simply.

The doctor just stared. Although her gaze appeared to fall on the succubus' face, her blurred vision made it next to impossible to perceive anything other than a form she knew to be her ex-girlfriend. Losing her balance, she teetered forward and almost tumbled into the woman's arms. Jerking herself backward, she again snipped to the wolf on the other line, "I have to go to the lab." She shoved the phone into her pocket and forced herself not to show signs of anything other than simple confusion and anger.

Bo rocked back and forth uncomfortably. It was clear to Lauren that the succubus hadn't prepared a speech. Not that the blonde wanted to hear emotional drivel intertwined with no doubt a lengthy apology. While the doctor wished she could just push past the brunette, neither Bo nor her own desires would allow it. Wait. No. She didn't want to hear anything. She cleared her throat, glued her eyes to the floor and aimed herself toward the exit.

Bo blocked her path and offered an apology that didn't at all align with her obstruction to the blonde's escape. She said, "I'm sorry. I know you need to go."

Hearing Bo speak made Lauren's heart melt. The brunette's voice had many distinct features. Most of all, it was calming. Those few words convinced Lauren that Bo was back- the real Bo, her Bo. Shaking her head and setting her jaw, she locked eyes with the woman as she banned all pleasantly nostalgic thoughts from her brain. Bo wasn't hers and she sure as hell wasn't Bo's. "What are you doing here?" Lauren asked abruptly.

A smile tickled at the corner of the brunette's mouth. While Lauren was obviously less than excited to see her, the woman's voice brought her a bit of joy. It had been too long. Shit. She had royally fucked up. "I, uh, just got back in town and I—"

"How dare you?" the blonde accused with a voice filled with a rapidly growing fury.

"I..." Frazzled, Bo blurted quickly hoping to squeeze in a sentence before Lauren cut her off again. "I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but I want to start with an apology."

"No." Lauren stated resolutely. She stood stiffly upright with a creased brow and crossed arms. "You're not going to start anywhere at all."

"Please, I'm so sorry. I made a terrible mistake." Bo didn't care if a groveling session was in order. She needed Lauren to hear her out. This beautiful woman deserved more than an apology, but that's where she needed to start.

Lauren scoffed, "Really? Just a mistake? Clearly, the final mistake was running off with that—"

Confused, Bo insisted, "I didn't run off with anyone!" Shit. Now wasn't the time to get defensive.

"Oh, excuse me. Instead of leaving me for someone else, you just left me. Despite your erratic and destructive behavior, I hoped we could work things out."

Still stuck on sorting out the 'running off' accusation, Bo asked, "You'd rather me have left you for someone else?"

Yup. She's still the same. Lauren rolled her eyes and said, "Are you kidding me? That's where you want this discussion to go? No." The blonde held up a hand signaling to Bo and herself that this conversation needed to come to a close. "It's not going anywhere at all. I need to go." Once again, Lauren strutted toward the exit.

Bo wanted to grab the retreating woman by the arm, but she had no right to touch her. Instead, she followed close at her heels and said, "Wait. Please, Lauren. I'm begging you to hear me out."

As Lauren swung around to face the brunette, she flung a question, "How long has it been Bo?"

Bo gulped. "Lauren…"

"No," the doctor held up a finger and spoke forcefully, "how long has it been? I want to hear you say it." She wanted to see if it hurt her to admit it. She needed to know if Bo cared and if her heart was ripped to shreds as much as hers had been.

"Thirteen years," Bo whispered only loud enough for her to hear. Just speaking those two words filled the succubus with pain. Knowing Lauren expected an audible response, the brunette couldn't even look up as she admitted, "It's been thirteen years."

With brown eyes locked on Bo's bowed head, the blonde concluded, "You are thirteen years too late, Bo."

The downtrodden, humbled brunette's heart flipped inside her chest at the sound of her name rolling off of Lauren's tongue. No matter how much time had passed or how much damage had been done, the way Lauren said her name hadn't changed. She glanced up to meet her ex's steely gaze and with firm intensity, she said, "I fucked up. I seriously fucked up. I let everyone in my life down. I stopped fighting this shitty nature I have. I gave into it and I broke everything." She took a small step forward. "I broke us."

Lauren stepped back. "Yes. You broke us."

Remembering her worst failure amongst the destruction she left behind, she requested, "I want to—"

"Don't say it." With a firm voice, Lauren cut her short. Bo's face and tone hinted at what she wanted to say. That was one thing that would never happen.

"I need to at least apologize… to everyone. Please let me—"

Lauren shook her head vigorously, "No. I'm stopping you right there."

"Lauren…" As the infuriated doctor resumed her movement toward the door, Bo rushed to the door frame and blocked it.

"Get out of my way," Lauren retained a calm, yet indignant demeanor and said, "If you have the smallest iota of respect for me, you will move."

Bo's heart and shoulders sank as she realized that nothing could change Lauren's mind. Her only hope is that her own persistence would bear fruit eventually. "Fine," Bo shifted to the side.

Lauren swung open the door and stood in the threshold and said, "Please go back to where you were. You're not welcome here. Ever."

The finality of those words frightened the succubus and she pleaded as the blonde ran out the door, "Lauren. You can't mean that!"

The doctor didn't look behind her as she sprinted to her Volvo. She didn't even bother to buckle her seat belt before starting the engine and peeling out of the parking lot. She didn't want to give Bo the opportunity to chase her down. She knew she'd try because it's who she was. Her left hand guided the belt across her chest and clicked the buckle. It locked her in just as she'd locked Bo out.

She sighed as she remembered October 17th 2015- the day her world fell apart.

"Bo you can't keep doing this." Lauren stood with her back up against the sink in the kitchen of the dilapidated clubhouse, as far away from her girlfriend as possible.

"What? Feeding? I've got to feed, Lauren. It's a succubus thing remember?" Her callous tone was magnified by her carefree stroll between the couch and the wall by the front door. During the entire exchange, she cast her gaze around the room, anywhere but on the blonde's face.

Lauren studied the woman's every movement and contemplated the past couple of months. Slowly, Bo had spiraled into a sex crazed... murderer. Her ties to humans rather than the Fae had been severed. To make matters worse, she aligned with the Dark who encouraged her deadly tendencies for seducing appealing humans. Of course, she still had to feed off of Fae. While she adhered to the no Dyson rule, her appetite for Tamsin could never be satiated. If it wasn't for the obvious lack of an emotional connection on both sides, Lauren might have put a stop to it. They were like toys to one another. That was all.

Up until a month ago, Lauren hardly noticed her girlfriend's slip into a darker frame of mind. Apparently, she reserved that for her lovers/meals. When her pledge to the Dark finally came to light, Bo felt no need to conceal her activities from Lauren. She'd stumble in at all hours of the night completely disheveled and often hungering for more. Despite her own desires, Bo never used her powers of persuasion on Lauren. She had a line. Although her version of love was twisted, she wouldn't allow herself to take advantage of the doctor.

Occasionally, Bo surprised Lauren at work with flowers and beautiful and genuine words of adoration and devotion. She was herself; she was the irresistible brunette the doctor fell in love with. The blonde clung to those moments like a life raft as the waters of their relationship grew choppy. As the days past, the raft deflated. She didn't know how much longer she could keep her head above water.

Two weeks ago, things changed drastically and in the worst possible way. Bo seemed to completely stop caring. She brought her succubus activities into their home. Perhaps she didn't mean to flaunt them, but she didn't take any measures to hide anything. She never killed, but Lauren walked into the crack shack more than once and was greeted by moans and screams of pleasure from their room upstairs. The first few times, she made the mistake of storming up the stairs and reprimanding her girlfriend for her complete disrespect for her. Bo never stopped; she just stared at Lauren with blue glowing eyes often with her hands still engaged as she muttered some insane justification for her action.

One time, Bo's guest turned out to be the blonde valkyrie who immediately jumped up and covered herself in embarrassment. Trying to maintain her couldn't-care-less attitude, Tamsin cleared her throat, awkwardly threw out an apology and insisted Bo claimed they had a few hours. Although a thorn in everyone's side, Tamsin had eventually gelled into the sunshine gang as the blunt asshole who occasionally offered assistance and amusement. She never mentioned her and Bo's extracurricular activities. Her shred of respect for the doctor suppressed her impulse to admit it and Lauren appreciated that.

With Bo's nature brought to life in the form of human kills and careless feedings, Lauren slowly watched her girlfriend's commitment slip away. Her entire demeanor had changed. While she's always been stubborn and confident, these positive traits disintegrated and were subverted by entitlement and cruelty. She'd developed her powers to persuade without touch. From across a room, she could manipulate and seduce whomever she pleased.

"Babe... Babe... Babe?" Bo repeated as Lauren mulled over the proper course of action. "Feeding? Succubus thing? You were complaining about it."

Determined not to sound defeated, Lauren forced, "I'm quite aware of your biological needs as a succubus. I've come to terms with that and haven't interfered, but things have changed."

Finally looking at her girlfriend, Bo nonchalantly inquired, "What's changed? You mean because of—"

"You've brought it into our home! You agreed to leave that side of you at the door."

"It's not a side of me, Lauren. It's who I am." Bo slinked toward her girlfriend as she continued, "C'mon. You know I don't care about them. Hell, I throw them out no matter what time it is."

"Or kill them." Lauren blurted. "You kill humans."

Propping her elbows on the island, she settled her chin in her palms and shrugged, "Not when I'm here I don't. Plus, the Morrigan always cleans up that shit for me." She chuckled insensitively, "I guess I really do throw them out. Ya know, like garbage."

Lauren grimaced, but refused to derail the conversation with pointless criticism of Bo's distasteful humor. "Whether or not you kill them in our home is so far from the point and you know it." As much as Lauren wanted to back even further away from the woman, she forced herself to stand her ground. She wasn't backing down this time.

"What is the point? The fact that I'm not a super lover of humans anymore? I'm Fae, Lauren. Can't help it."

"Since when did being a different species give you the right to kill off another?"

With a face set with indifference, Bo replied, "Geez. You make it sound like I have a vendetta against your kind. I really don't kill that many." She snatched up an apple and dug her teeth in before concluding, "You're blowing this way out of proportion."

"You're unbelievable. How can I possibly blow murder out of proportion?" The blonde threw up her hands and urged, "Please, put that into perspective for me. All I know is that by human standards, it's illegal and almost universally considered immoral."

"Well, I'm not human and I'll just sidestep the 'immoral' comment."

"Where did you find this 'better than humans' attitude? You do realize that you're dating a human?"

Coldly, Bo smirked, "No way! Wow. I totally missed that for two-ish years."

Completely at a loss, Lauren yelled, "Who are you?!"

Straightening up, Bo dragged a finger along the metal surface as she circled the island with her eyes locked on her girlfriend. With a tone of honesty laced with vicious manipulation, she whispered, "I'm the woman you love, just better than I used to be." She reached out a hand and grazed it against Lauren's shoulder.

The blonde pulled away and retreated, putting the island between them once again. "This isn't you."

"Guess you don't know me at all."

"I know you, but I don't know this."

Bo bit into the apple once again and suggested flippantly, "Maybe you just don't like who I am."

Gesturing up and down, Lauren replied, "No, I don't like whatever this is."

Bo flinched at the words. She asked, "You don't like all the sex I have. Is that it?"

Stammering, the blonde replied, "Yes. I mean. It's the way you go about it. It also seems a bit... excessive."

The doctor tripped right into the trap Bo set for her. Actually satisfied with her girlfriend's response, Bo said with a bite of fruit in her mouth, "Maybe I wouldn't have to if you actually fucked me once in a while."

"What?" Lauren couldn't decipher which emotion she was feeling: anger, surprise or devastation. It was a twisted ball of painful disbelief and bubbling rage. Through clenched teeth, her voice shook, "Are you blaming me for your belligerent behavior?"

Shrugging, Bo said, "I'm just saying, I'm a succubus and I need sex. I'm not getting any from you."

"Don't you think that's a sign of a deeper relationship issue? Not just that we don't sleep together?" Lauren clung to the hope that she might actually be able to get through to her girlfriend.

"I mean, I thought it could be because of—"

"Stop! It's because you stopped treating me like an equal. My humanity has never been a problem until recently."

"Lauren," Bo slipped into the familiar yet now rarely used tone and gently said, "It's not a problem." The blonde felt a flutter in her stomach as her girlfriend smiled that smile that made her melt every time. "I know you can't help what you are."

Lauren's heart dropped. Her smile disappeared. Her resolve strengthened. "You need to go."

"I need to what?" Bo tossed the half-eaten apple into the sink.

"Please. You need to think about whether you want this or not."

"What the hell did I say?" Bo scoffed as if completely ignorant of the past few minutes.

"What didn't you say?" Lauren snapped. Determined not to start an argument, she repeated, "Just think about whether you want this or not."

"You mean whether you want this or not," Bo corrected. Before Lauren could reply, Bo held up a hand, "You know what. You're right. I'll think a bit and then come back tomorrow."

Surprised by the succubus' lack of resistance, Lauren nodded slowly, "Okay."

Bo threw on her leather jacket and walked to the door with her girlfriend only a few steps behind. After swinging open the door, the brunette spun around and asked, "So, what exactly are you expecting from this?"

"What is this?"

"Booting me out of the house," Bo rolled her eyes.

With a stern face, Lauren spelled it out as clearly as she could, "Consider what it would be like to lose me- to lose all of us. I can't take this anymore, Bo."

Tilting her head to the side, the succubus asked, "Is this some sort of ultimatum? I better be good or we're done? You know you can't cut ties with me that easy."

"Watch me," the words flew from Lauren's lips not as a threat, but as a promise.

Bo slinked closer to the blonde and purred, "I don't think you can live without me."

The possibility of her girlfriend's words being true frightened the human. Had she allowed Bo to completely consume her life? Would her entire world crumble beneath her feet if she and Bo called it off? That couldn't be true. Lauren wasn't weak or easily manipulated which is why all of this had to stop. Bo was merely playing on her insecurities. Before insisting one last time that Bo leave, Lauren's curiosity got the better of her and she queried, "Why do you keep me around? If you have no desire to love or respect me, why are we still together?"

"Because you're mine," a cold sneer spread across her lips as she declared her ownership of the blonde. Just like the Fae had long ago, Bo had staked a claim on her.

With that said, Lauren replied, "Leave. Get out." There was nothing else to be said.

Bo was pissed, but yelling at her girlfriend wasn't an option. For almost a split second, she worried for their future, but her indifferent attitude resurfaced as she responded, "Alrighty then. I'll figure out my shit." As she closed the door behind her, she added, "See you later, Babe."

The term of endearment stung. It was as if a stranger had invaded Bo's body and stolen every part that Lauren held dear. She didn't know what to do. She only knew that it couldn't go on like this.

And it didn't go on like that. That was the night that had ended everything. With a long sigh, the doctor squealed to a halt in the lab parking lot. She slung off her seat belt and flung her feet to the pavement. Whenever duty called, her personal life was put on hold. Considering the occurrences of the past half hour, perhaps that was for the best.

The downtrodden succubus stomped to her yellow Camaro. Her old car had fallen apart years ago, but with her Dark Fae benefits, she easily afforded a beautiful new convertible. She opted for an updated replacement of her beloved car with over a hundred thousand miles and hundreds of memories. She weakly kicked the tires and grumbled under her breath. Memories of her deplorable treatment of Lauren flashed before her eyes. "Fuck!" she screamed aloud. For the past few months, she had drowned herself in self-pity as she whipped herself raw with details of her possibly unforgivable behavior.

This shit had to stop. If she expected to make any headway in earning Lauren's forgiveness, she needed to remind herself of the good times. Instead of dwelling on their final talk thirteen years ago, she actually smiled as she sat down on the hood of her car and played back their first conversation.

Just as the Ash instructed, the strange blonde gripped her arm and walked her out of the Chamber of Not-So-Secret Crazy. Their close proximity allowed Bo to take in her scent. Wow. Uh oh. She felt an all too familiar lust flare within her. Shit.

"Lauren," a voice boomed from behind them. Glancing over her shoulder, she caught sight of the bearded, curly haired man trotting toward them.

"Awesome. This guy," she mumbled sarcastically under her breath. She didn't know that the blonde heard her complaint and smiled at the words. The doctor had no great love for the stubborn man.

He handed Lauren a key and looked at Bo as he said, "If you think she won't run, I thought she might need to be unshackled for you to examine her."

Bo's eyes darted back and forth between the two and noticed a small amount of hostility as her female captor stated flatly, "Thank you, Dyson." She took the key without another word. When Dyson was out of sight, she stepped behind the brunette and said, "I'm trusting you not to attempt to escape."

As the cuffs fell from her wrists, Bo replied, "I can't make any promises, but I'll stay put for now." She turned to face the blonde and visually swept the woman from head to toe then back up to her face. Damn that gorgeous face. "I'm intrigued."

The blonde blushed as they continued their now leisurely trek. Clearly embarrassed, she asked hesitantly, "What do you find so intriguing?"

Instead of answering, Bo brushed a hand against the woman's coat sleeve and observed, "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this lab coat isn't a part of any ongoing role-play." Although Bo regularly hit on strangers, she rarely sought to discover what was beneath the surface or think beyond sex. For some inexplicable reason, this blonde stranger coaxed a genuine desire to know and understand rather than just fuck. Unfortunately, her suggestive words hinted at the latter.

"That is an accurate assumption," the cloaked woman replied.

"I mean, usually it's a nurse, but I know I wouldn't turn down a doctor." Lauren cleared her throat in discomfort. Because Bo hadn't made physical contact, the blonde's true response replaced the typical compliance and horny interest to which Bo was accustomed. "Wow!" Bo reprimanded herself, "Sorry I just kinda…"

As automatic double doors slid open upon their approach, Lauren assured, "I understand." Turning toward the apologetic brunette, she said, "I have a feeling that these actions and impulses originate from a biological imperative present within your species."

Bo's eyes trailed from the blonde's eyes down the silver chain that disappeared beneath a blue top. She unconsciously licked her lips and purred, "Mmmm. I feel doctor speak coming on."

The doctor bit her lip and dropped her head briefly before responding, "After I examine you, I'll have a better idea of what you are."

"What I am?" The word started the brunette.

"Oh!" It was Lauren's turn to apologize. Wringing her hands, she offered, "I did not mean that in a derogatory way."

Bo squeezed Lauren's hands between her own in an attempt to reassure her and smiled, "Don't worry about it."

The doctor slid her hands free and asked while trying to conceal her curiosity, "Can you please strip?"

The brunette grinned, "So this is role-play."

"An examination," Lauren corrected with a smirk.

"Uh huh," Bo teased as she pulled off her leather jacket. "Well, just keep the needles at a distance and we're all good."

Remembering the coy look Lauren had given her in response, Bo slid off the hood of her car as she laughed. With a renewed vigor and purpose, she reminded herself that what she just thought about was exactly why she was here. She wasn't going to let Lauren go easily. As she started up her Camaro, she gulped realizing her next visit she actually dreaded more than she had Lauren. She had to talk to Kenzi.

Completely engaged in examining the organism on the slide, Lauren's phone vibrating in her pocket started her. Without pulling her eyes away from the two lenses, she pressed the phone to her ear. "Lauren Lewis."

"Lauren. Where are you?" a gruff and obnoxiously demanding voice bellowed in her ear.

"This is the third time that you've called, Dyson. As I said the past two times, I will be at the precinct as soon as possible." The pushiness of the detective grated on the doctor's nerves. "You know how to handle the situation without my immediate intervention."

"It's not my job, Lauren," Dyson insisted. His annoyance traveled through the radio waves loud and clear.

"Not that I owe you any type of explanation, but this is of high importance to the Ash. I need to complete my notes so the medical board can make an informed decision about this virus this afternoon."

"Fine," Dyson sighed as his tone softened. "It's just difficult to keep this private. It happens so frequently and people can't help but notice. Cops can't help but notice." Lauren straightened up and bit her bottom lip in frustration and contemplation. She was at the end of her rope. Bo's sudden appearance wasn't helping the situation. This was all too much. "Do you understand, Lauren? I'm trying to help."

"I know. I know." Lauren admitted reluctantly. "I appreciate it." She paused. She needed to tell someone. Her ex showing up out of nowhere ate at her every thought. "Dyson, something's happened."

"What?" He sounded worried.

"It's completely unexpected and very..." she searched her vocabulary for an appropriate word and landed on something simple, "painful."

"Lauren. What's wrong?"

"She—" the doctor stopped. Dyson wasn't her confidant; he was just someone who cared. Smiling to convey a lighter tone through the phone, she continued, "Nevermind. I'm just stressed. I'll be there soon." She hung up immediately. She didn't want to give the wolf any chance to push the subject.

She slammed her phone on the table, upsetting a petri dish which toppled to the floor. Not even bothering to pick it up, she groaned and stalked over to the triple-doored laboratory refrigerator to retrieve an identical sample. Her insistence on backups came in handy. Accidents of the klutziness variety happened especially when a mind was clouded by the return of an ex. Something like this had happened before except it was Lauren who had initially fled.

After the Taft debacle, Lauren had no choice but to run for her life. While she was unaware of the unrest within the Fae community and the declaration of war against humans, the doctor was convinced that no one would believe her ignorance when it came to Taft's true intentions. When she freed Dyson following the surgery, she told him the truth about her work and her innocence in his kidnapping. As usual, Dyson responded in an indiscernible manner, urged her to run, and took off. No doubt he saved Bo in some way or another. He always had to be the hero.

Fortunately, Lauren didn't sever all of her ties with her past life when the Ash claimed her. She had kept in touch with her old biochemistry professor from Yale. She and Dr. Mark Russell often discussed some of his published research associated with his current position as a professor at the University of Manchester in the molecular neuroscience post-graduate program. After stealing enough money from Taft's compound for an international plane ticket, she flew directly to Manchester. Fortunately, the Fae hadn't considered it unnecessary to flag her passport, so she had no problem passing through customs when she landed in England. From the airport, she caught a cab directly to the university campus. Since she had wisely looked up where Dr. Russell's office was located, the cabbie dropped her off right outside the Simon Building. With only a small suitcase, she didn't appear to be a run-away as she meandered the halls until she found an office with a silver nameplate on the door engraved with the name Dr. Mark Russell.

She had absolutely no idea what time it was except for the fact that that it wasn't during the professor's office hours. Thankful for a short bench a few yards down the hall, she shuffled toward it and sank down onto the metal slats. In less than 16 hours, she'd traveled from a Canadian airport to a British university. Overwhelming exhaustion preceded the impending jetlag. She didn't know how much time passed before her former professor greeted her with a squeeze on the shoulder. The details of the rest of the day were a bit of a haze, but she ended up at a hotel and slept for what seemed like days.

Dr. Russell immediately hired her as his research assistant. He daily badgered her about the actual reason she condescended to work as an assistant when she was more than capable of spearheading her own research. After many weeks of the same questions, he finally accepted her answer of the job being temporary while she lined up something permanent. For four months, she worked at the college and in her spare time, she indulged in research of her own. Some days, she actually forgot about the Fae but every night before she drifted off to sleep the cold emptiness beside her brought Bo to mind. How could she ever get over her? Their relationship had been far from perfect, but Lauren never imagined that the break would morph into a break up.

One night as she flipped through papers and scrolled through PDFs and images trying to organize her findings from that day, she heard three large pounds on her hotel room door. After shoving a bite of brown rice into her mouth, she walked to the door and opened it slowly. She almost choked when she saw Bo standing before her.

"Oh my god!" Bo's entire body sighed in relief, "I've knocked on at least twenty doors."

"Bo, what are you doing here?" Lauren's heart thumped in her chest and her mouth went dry. She was here. Bo had found her. In that moment, everything was perfect. However, the moment passed as moments always do and the blonde's joy was engulfed by an overpowering uncertainty. If Bo hadn't changed, nothing could be as it was.

"I came to find you." Bo smiled and her eyes twinkled. "I came to say this break has been long enough. I love you." The last sentence tumbled from her lips like a simple habit, but she meant it.

Bo's confession of love made the blonde's skin tingle. Before Lauren interjected with her own misgivings, she studied the brunette's appearance and queried, "Why are you covered in cat hair?" She caught a distinct scent and continued, "And why do you reek of wine?" She also noticed that the top of Bo's black top was soaked.

Bo groaned, "This is what happens when you knock on a shit ton of doors in a hotel." The other woman smirked as she listened to Bo's tale of misfortune. "Some lady was extremely pissed about my interruption of her drunken moping. I guess throwing a glass of wine in my face seemed like an awesome idea. She mumbled something about a cheating whore and then slammed the door." Bo shook her head in slight frustration while the doctor grinned and chuckled. "Then," the succubus resumed, "a cat escaped and I had to chase it down. Mr. Assface Puss was not too happy and as you can see by my shirt, he is very hairy."

"I didn't know cats were allowed in this hotel," Lauren commented as Bo tried in vain to pluck some of the brown cat hair out of her shirt.

Bo snorted, "Someone should tell that to the old, crotchety man downstairs and his declawed cat."

The familiarity of the exchange put Lauren at ease, but she still wouldn't allow herself to hope for a happy ending. It was nearly impossible to resist Bo's look of sheer adoration. Lauren cleared her throat and said, "Look. Bo—"

"No," the brunette cut her short with a voice filled with determination. "Before you say anything, there's a lot I need to tell you." She took a deep breath and glanced up the ceiling hoping some higher power might grant her strength. The blonde knew she was about to apologize, but sometimes a simple 'sorry' isn't enough to fix a broken relationship.

As Bo's eyes dropped to hers, Lauren managed a comforting smile as the succubus began rather bluntly, "You know I suck at apologies. God, all I do is apologize. I've had a lot of time to think about the huge pile of stupid things I've done. First off," she stressed with a single finger in the air, "I came as quickly as I possibly could. I was in Wackoland for what turned out to be a few months." Lauren's raised eyebrow prompted a quick response, "I'll explain that later. When I got back, Kenzi did or had someone else do some fairly illegal computer something to track you down. I had the hotel name, but there's actually no Lauren Lewis booked here. Or that's what the dude at the reception desk said."

The doctor opened her mouth to explain, but Bo spoke first. "I remembered that you said your name wasn't Lauren so I've knocked on every door on the first and second floor."

Giving Bo a second to breathe, the blonde joked, "And all of that happened." She pointed to the woman's wet and hairy top.

"Exactly. So here I am."

"Here you are." Lauren's soft voice dripped with an affection that hadn't wavered.

"Alright, now for the fun part…" The blonde held her breath as Bo plunged into a disjointed but heartfelt confession, "I am so, so sorry for making you feel like you aren't enough for me. It's ridiculous because I clearly wasn't enough for you. Like an idiot, I missed your award science thingie. Like an even bigger idiot, I didn't even wait around for you to get home. That award was proof of how awesomely smart you are." The brunette's gaze jumped down to Lauren's folded hands. The doctor knew that look and part of her needed to feel Bo's reassuring touch. Not yet. She still didn't know where this was going.

Changing her mind about taking Lauren's hands, Bo looked back up and continued, "I should have told you every day how smart you are. I always called you sexy and beautiful, which you are, but I sometimes forgot to tell you how amazing your mind is." Just by the way the brunette spoke, Lauren could discern a realization and genuine appreciation of her intelligence. In truth, she had felt that Bo neglected that side of her and hearing her admit it meant the world to her.

"Also…" Bo cleared her throat uncomfortably, "I should have told you about that kiss with Tamsin." With wide eyes, Bo stressed, "I seriously don't know what the fuck that was and Tamsin is an asshole for throwing it in your face." Lauren stiffened as Bo continued, "She admitted she was just trying to fuck things up for me. Then she said it was super weird and no way it would happen again. After slapping her, I agreed." Bo paused and added with a raised eyebrow, "Then she shook my hand. She really doesn't have good people skills. So yeah, Tamsin is awkward as hell."

Bo returned to her lengthy apology, "I'm sorry for blowing you off when you clearly wanted to talk. I think you said we were 'out of sync', which is totally true considering all the bullshit I've been rambling about. I acted like everything was just going to be okay. I thought I could float through life without actually trying and fighting for us." Bo shrugged with a soft expression, "I thought I could just love you and everything would work and you'd always be around."

"I was around, Bo, you just didn't see me," Lauren finally spoke. While the brunette's words touched and reassured her, she needed to emphasize what she saw as the problem all along. "Everything came before me."

"I know," the other woman quickly agreed.

"Do you?" Lauren asked hesitantly as she looked at Bo intently as if yanking the truth from within her.

"No, I mean yes." Bo sighed and shook her head, "I didn't notice then. I never set a specific order in my life. Making choices, setting priorities… never been my thing."

"Some decisions need to be made if you want us to work. I can't commit to you and have you set me on a pedestal for weeks or maybe months and then lapse into what we were before."

Bo wanted to grab her hands, her face or anything to reassure her. Lauren could see it. The brunette's hands clenched and she stopped herself from taking a step forward as she said, "That won't happen. It can't happen. I won't lose you." She took a deep breath and tilted her head up to the ceiling as she fought back tears. The doctor had never seen Bo like this before. On the night Lauren decided on the break, she'd seen confusion, devastation and fear. This was different. Bo wasn't confused nor devastated, but terrified that her repentance had come too late. She knew what she'd done and she feared she might be beyond forgiveness or perceived to be completely untrustworthy.

"When I saw you with Taft," she paused, "You said you loved me." She stressed the word regrettably in the past tense. "I know you still loved me, but you weren't lying when you said Dyson was standing in your way. I've never been very clever, but I've had a lot of time to think about it. It hit me that I don't want to love you both.

"I don't know if it was ever about making a choice or just me being selfish. When Dyson had his love, he was always the same. He always went along with what I said and he'd throw himself in front of a puppy if he thought it could hurt me. I've always been something for him to protect—something fragile."

"But you're not, Bo. You're a leader. The problem arose when you allowed and often rewarded his unnecessary heroics."

"I know. I get that. You're different. You helped me and loved me quietly… with your science." Bo smiled, "You didn't smother or one up strengths you knew I had. You saw my weaknesses, things I couldn't do anything about and you fixed me. Without Dyson, I might have a few more cuts, bruises and close shaves with death. And all that would be gone after a feed." Bo's eyes twinkled as she concluded, "Without you, I'd be the thing I was afraid of when I first met you. I'd be a monster."

Lauren snatched Bo's hands and squeezed them. Although Bo wasn't quite finished, the blonde already knew that the break was over. Now it was time to recover and move on. The succubus lifted the doctor's warm hands to her lips and gently kissed the tops of each of them and whispered, "I don't care that your name isn't Lauren. You've helped me from the first day we met." She gazed into Lauren's brown eyes and murmured, "Thank you so much for everything that you've done for me. You are the most wonderful woman I will ever meet. I can't go one more freakin' day without telling you how much I love you." Tears began to well in Lauren's eyes. Just as one slid down her cheek, Bo brushed it away gently and pleaded, "Please let me fix us." She stared at Lauren's lips and muttered, "Please Lauren…"

As the doctor's name faded into the space between them, Lauren cupped Bo's face between her trembling hands and pulled her lips to her own. All of the anger and disappointment dissolved in that kiss as want and love enveloped them. The determination of their kiss echoed the dedication of both of them to mend their relationship with understanding, forgiveness and passion.

"I love you, Bo," Lauren breathed against the brunette's lips.

Parting their lips only long enough to speak, Bo asked, "Do you forgive me?"

Lauren planted one last hard kiss and leaned back to reply, "As long as you never go one day without telling me how much you love me. Oh, and how smart I am."

Bo's face lit up and a smile stretched from ear to ear as she promised, "You've got a deal, Doctor."

No longer blinded by the sheer need of Bo's kiss, Lauren noted as their lips met again, "She really did get you in the face didn't she?" she commented as she licked the wine off her own lips and her fingertips trailed across Bo's sticky cheekbones.

"Yeah…" Bo confirmed as she tried to ignore the alcoholic beverage coating her face.

"Pinot Grigio I believe," Lauren noted.

"Huh," Bo smirked and kissed her girlfriend again, "I was just thinking… white wine."

Lauren grinned as she pressed her lips to Bo's once again and basked in Pinot Grigio remnants and love.

Crack. "Dammit!" Lauren yelled. While lost in a beautiful recollection, she dropped the second petri dish. This time, she kicked the plastic dish across the room. She scolded herself for getting lost in the past. She returned once again to the fridge and thanked herself for backups of backups.