Title : The Fallout
Author : Tariq ( formerly Aeris Jade Orion )
Rating : R
Pairing : LL/BD
Timeline : Season One
Summary : What if Lauren jumped in front
of an attack meant for Bo? Everything
changes from one act. Now the gang has
to live with it.

Authors note: It's unbeta'd. At the moment I
have no beta reader for this genre. So drop me
a line if you're interested.

Second, due to health issues, and taking care
of my disabled mom, I haven't been able to
write much. But over the last several years
I've managed to slowly write on a number
of stories.

What I've decided to do is go ahead and
publish what I've managed to put together.
The stories are unfinished, and sometimes,
the last chapter I worked on is unfinished.
Plus, there maybe multiple chapters, each one
a different version. Just warning everyone.

So I apologize in advance.

Disclaimer : Not mine. All characters belong
to SYFY.

00000
Prologue
00000

Lauren followed Trick back into the bar area.
She had the book she had borrowed tucked under
her arm. She was hoping there would something
to cure Nadia in it.

Foolish, but since she slept with Bo on the
Ash's orders, she was trapped back in her
world of slavery. Work, try to find a cure,
and sleep.

A restless, weary life that wore on her
emotionally and physically.

" Are you the unaligned Succubus? " A cocky
male voice demanded.

Lauren focused dark brown eyes on the scene
in front of her. Bo was leaning against the
bar with Kenzi on one side, and Dyson on the
other. They had been drinking heavily, if
the amount of empty glasses were an indication.

The unknown male was standing ten feet away.
Dressed in black leather. Boots, pants, and
jacket. The only thing not made of leather
was his black T-shirt.

He had a five o'clock shadow, and dirty
blonde hair. His eyes were absent an iris.
Instead the eyeball was completely silver.

Alarm bells sounded in her mind as she saw
his eyes. The book in her arm fell to the
floor with a thud, and she sprinted for Bo.

Silver eyes...

" Bo! Move! " Lauren yelled in warning.

Bo glanced over at her slowly. Obviously
affected by the alcohol she'd been consuming.

The man raised his hand, a glowing silver
orb in his palm. It fired at the group, and
Lauren dived in front of the attack. She
felt the power surrounding her in a twirl
of energy, and then she was ripped away from
the Dal.

00000

Bo was frozen. Lauren was gone in a flash
of light. Light that had been shot at her.

" Where did you send her? " Dyson had the
attacker pinned to the wall with a loud
snarl.

" It was only a human. " The attacker
protested. " I wasn't even aiming for
her. "

" It doesn't matter. " Dyson smirked darkly.
" You just attacked the property of the Ash.
An instant death sentence. "

The attacker's eyes opened wide, and he
swallowed hard.

" If you bring her back, I'm sure she'll
ask the Ash to be lenient on you. " Dyson
continued.

" I can't! " The attacker made a strangled
sound in the back of his throat. " The
dimension I sent her to is a death sentence
for humans! "

" You lying. " Bo finally managed to pull
herself together.

" No! It's the truth! The atmosphere is
infected with a special gas that attacks
human DNA. It destroys it! " The attacker
insisted.

" We'll see if your story changes after
spending time in the dungeons. " Dyson
turned him around and handcuffed him.

" Wait! Send me to Lauren! " Bo quickly
declared. " You wanted to send me there
anyway, right? "

The attacker glanced over at her with
a soft chuckle. " No. I think the your
friend should experience her last moments
alone. It's a very long and painful way
to die. If she's really unlucky, she might
last as long as two weeks. "

" You... " Bo lunged for him.

Kenzi and Trick grabbed onto her.

" Get him out of here! " Trick ordered.

" We'll get her back, Bobo. " Kenzi pushed
her back to the bar. " Dr. Hotpants is
resourceful. "

Bo shook them off, and leaned forward.
She'd been cruel, and cold to Lauren in
the last month. Now, she wanted nothing
more than to talk with her again.

00000

" ...sent the wrong person... " A distorted
voice spoke through a black mask.

" ...Dr. Lauren Lewis... " A second voice
hissed with the sound of pumped air.

" ...better for us... " A third voice
echoed.

" ...save her?... " A mechanical voice
rasped.

Her eyes opened and closed, blurry and
distorted. She felt her body stripped
down to her underwear. A mouth piece
was forced into her mouth, and tightly
strapped into place. Something covered
her nose.

Her body hit warm, gel like liquid, and
she was completely submerged. She forced
her eyes open again. She was inside a
closed, see through tube. A light purple
liquid filled it completely.

In the background, she could see an all
metal room. It was dirty, bloody, and
there was a lot of physical damage.
There were three people, and what looked
similar to the Honda ASIMO. The robot
was black in color, dull black. With a
strange tree like symbol.

The three people were wearing dirty, old
scrubs. One had a futuristic rebreather
over their mouth and nose. A second had
a very thin, olive green chest armor over
their scrubs. The last was smoking what
seemed to be a hand rolled cigarette.

Lauren's eyes closed again.

" Good day, Dr. Lewis. " A raspy voice
woke her up.

The blonde blinked as she realized her eyes
were focusing and clear. She turned her
head to the speaker, and saw it was the
man with the cigarette.

" Where am I? " She sat up on the small
cot.

She was now wearing an olive green tank
top, and long legged boy shorts.

" I'm afraid you're no longer in your
dimension. " The man pulled a metal
chair to her bed, and sat down.

She was in a small room. There were two
other pieces of furniture. A small battered
nightstand, and a dresser that looked like
it was scratched by a Tiger.

" The Breacher. " Lauren rolled her eyes.

" Yes. What is left of the Light Fae hired
him to send Bo Dennis to us. The hope was
she would be able to close the Portal to
Hel. " The man pulled a pouch from his
bloody lab coat, and began to make a
cigarette. " Our world was destroyed by
our version of her, she should fix it. "

" I think you should start from the
beginning. " Lauren threw her legs over
the side of the cot to look at the man.

" My name is Dr. Ryan Black. I learned
under you until your death last year. "
The man concentrated on rolling the
cigarette. " This dimension is four years
faster than yours. "

" Four years ago, Bo Dennis inadvertently
opened a portal to Hel. In the process,
most of her group was killed off, and she
lost control, turning dark. " The man
sighed heavily, and stared at the finished
cigarette. " She got hold of a serum
you were experimenting with, and released
it into the air. "

" What kind of serum? " Lauren frowned.

" One that destroyed the human DNA in
anyone who breathed it in. " The doctor
lit the cigarette. " It had a secondary
effect. If the victim has fae DNA, any
fae DNA, it will cause it to multiple
and fill in the spots were the human
portions were. "

" You mean it mutated the populace? "
Lauren couldn't begin to believe she
would create such a dangerous concoction.

" Yes. It even effected the fae. Activating
all fae genes. There's no pure species
left. Only mutts. " Dr. Black rapidly
puffed at the cigarette.

" You tried to fix what your work had done.
You spent all your time locked in your
lab, here in the Light fae base. But you
never could find a solution. " Dr. Black
continued. " Then you had an idea, and
headed out in search of... Well I don't
know what. "

" Bo captured you. For months, you remained
in her clutches. Then news came. Rather
than continue being her prisoner, you killed
yourself. " Ryan shrunk before her eyes.
" The last shred of humanity in Bo shattered
with your death, and I was left with
continuing your work. "

" I'm sorry. " Though Lauren refused to
believe she killed herself. No matter what
the circumstances.

" You may not be Bo, but you may actually
be a better choice. " Ryan perked up. " With
a few months of tutoring, you can take over
her work. "

" If she thought what she needed was outside
of the base... "

" We'll make sure you're prepared. " Dr.
Black's face became dark, and grim. " As
much as anyone can be. "

" What's so bad about the outside? " Lauren
frowned at his response.

" Without human's, the world fell apart. Our
population is less than ten percent what it
was. Bodies lay where they fall, vehicles
are abandoned all over the place, buildings
are empty and rotting, the fae are running
wild with no rule's or law. "

Lauren was getting a very clear picture of
the outside world.

" The world is nothing but a vast wasteland. "
Dr. Black stomped his butt under his foot.
" When you leave, you'll need to be fully
armed, and have a basic set of survival
skills. Otherwise, you'll be dead before
you set foot outside. "

" Will I be able to go home? " Lauren asked.

" When you find a solution, I'll arrange
for a Breacher to send you back. " Ryan
meet her gaze in silent apology, but also
with a resolve.

" Fine. Get me some clothes so I can get
started. " Lauren stood, then froze as
something occurred to her. " Wait, how am
I alive? "

" The same way our Dr. Lewis survived. "
Ryan opened the dresser and tossed her
a set of dirty scrubs. " You have fae
DNA. Not much, only five kinds. Most
people have upwards to thirty. "

" What species? " Lauren pulled on the
pants, and top.

He handed the a pair of socks with holes
in them, and a pair of worn out boots.
" Mesmer, Loki, Brownie, Siren, and Will-
'O-The-Wisp. "

Lauren could feel the headache flaring.
" Please, tell me you're joking. "

" Sorry. " Ryan shrugged. " But it
can't be helped. You're going to have
to adapt to being so weak. "

Make that a migraine.

" Weak? " She was afraid of the answer.

" Take the Dark Queen, Bo. " Ryan leaned
against the dresser. " She is a Succubus,
Blood Sage, Tiger Shifter, Fury... "

" Stop. " Lauren held up a hand. " I get
the idea. I'm weak. Let's just... Let's
just get to work. Okay? "

She sat back down, and started to put on
her boots. She was really missing her own
world. On the run, a slave, Bo was mad at
her...

Yeah, her world was a paradise compared to
this nightmare.

00000

The Dark Queen, once Bo Dennis, sat in her
throne with her right leg over the arm. Her
glowing blue eyes glared down at the Nymph
trembling on the ground in front of her.

" Repeat that. " She ordered.

" The Light fae has brought Dr. Lewis from
another dimension. " The Nymph prostrated
lower to the floor.

" Lauren is in this world? " Bo mused idly.

She'd finally captured Lauren, and had
ordered the fae Priest to prepare to marry
them. With or without, Lauren's permission.
But Lauren had killed herself before the
ceremony could be performed.

Bo's hands clenched the throne's arms at
the memory of her lover's body, laying
on the gritty floor with blood blossoming
under her.

Lauren had loved her. She had always loved
her. Would do anything for her. So why kill
herself?

The Queen suspected it was murder. That one
of her so-called loyal subjects had killed
her wife to be.

" Have the base watched. " She came back
to the present. " The minute Lauren leaves
it, I want to know. Cal! Summon the priest.
When I capture Lauren, I want him ready to
perform the ceremony. This time I won't
be stopped! "

" It will be done, ma'am. " Cal bowed
deeply, then sprinted from the large
room.

Bo sat back in thought. The mostly empty
warehouse silent. This was a gift from
the Gods. They were letting her have a
second chance, and this time, she'd
slaughter anyone that tried to interfere.

11111
Chapter One
11111

Lauren had never been so exhausted in her
life. She was downing what little coffee
the base had in stock, by the pot, and
had started to use a new invention to
stay awake.

The Booster. A needle less shot of energy.
It gave her an enormous boost, with very
few side effects.

" Well? " Ryan entered the lab with a
cigarette hanging from his lips. The short
red hair ruffled, and a thick beard on
his dusty face.

" I know what she was after. " Lauren
stretched her body. Sore after a twenty
hour period of work. " I also know where
she was going. "

" Great. " Ryan sighed in relief. " Has
Serge cleared you? "

" As of last week. " Lauren twisted her
chair around. " He's supplied me with
what he can spare. "

" Mmm. If you scavenge as you go, you
should get what you need. " Dr. Black
hopped onto her lab table. " Lot's of
dead bodies, and abandoned equipment. "

" So I hear. " Lauren leaned back in
the uncomfortable chair. " I'll leave
tomorrow night. I want to be well
rested, and the cover of night will
help protect me. "

" I'll meet you at the gate at ten
then. " Ryan frowned. " Be careful,
Doc. If Bo gets even a whiff about
you, she'll have you captured. I don't
know what she wants, but it can't be
good. "

" I'll keep that in mind. " Lauren
stood with several pops and cracks.
" Now, my cot is calling my name. "

Lauren wasn't going to worry about
something that may or may not become
a problem. Until she was captured,
she was going to concentrate on one
thing.

The solution.

11111

" Your Majesty, I have news. " The Nymph
hurried into the throne room.

" Has Lauren left the base? " Bo sat up
intently.

" No, ma'am, but an informant says she's
leaving tonight. "

" Get the hunters here. " Bo ordered
sharply. " I have a job for them. "

" Yes, ma'am. " The Nymph scampered off.

" Are you sure this is a good idea? "
Cal stood by her throne. The vampire
was frowning lightly at her. " You remember
what happened last time. "

" No one is going to touch her this time. "
Bo's glowing blue eyes became darker.
" We'll be married the minute she's brought
in, and then I won't have to worry about
her. "

" As you say, my Queen. "

Bo eyed him from the corner of her eyes. She
had long suspected him of her lover's death,
and his current behavior only intensified
those suspicions.

Perhaps he had outlived his usefulness.
After all, he could be easily replaced.

11111

The doctor was definitely out of her element.
A dusty, barren land. Apocalyptic in every
way imaginable. There was very little to
use for orientation.

She slid a pair of wrap-around tinted
glasses on, and a see-through computer
screen appeared, overlapping the landscape.

" Welcome, Lauren, to the start-up screen
of your brand new HMD Mark XIII. " A gentle
female voice spoke inside her ears.

The screen shifted and a tiny map appeared
in the upper right hand of her sight. The
time appeared in the upper left of the
screen. Finally, in the lower left, was
her ammunition, and the weapon she was
using.

" To return to the main menu, at anytime,
say Main Menu. For help, say Help. Thank
you. " The voice continued.

" Night vision. " She ordered out loud in
a soft voice.

Her sight cleared considerably. She relaxed
slightly, and started hiking along the
solitary dirty path. A refurbished Glock
was strapped to her right thigh, and a
Ruger AC556F Assault Rifle was strapped
across her back.

Her Matter Chamber was stored in a hip
pouch. The small Nano ipod sized device
was her most important. It was an item
used to store items. Up to 500 TB worth.

She had hours to go before she could
sleep, and she wasn't sure she was really
able for the physically demanding
requirements.

It would take months to walk to her
destination, and more to get back. Then she
had to work on the solution. Plus,
distribute it into the air.

A second and third pair of footsteps
sounded in the dark landscape, and she
stopped walking. Half-turned she saw a
pair of Hunter Fae standing on the
right.

" The Queen requests your presence. " The
Hunter on the left stated formerly.

" We are to escort you to her Majesty. "
The right one finished.

Lauren considered her options. She doubted
she could injure them with her weapons,
and she there was no way to outrun them.
Even if she managed to outpace them, they'd
be able to track her with ease.

" Very well. " She agreed.

It was her only option. She only hoped
it wouldn't end up with her dead.

11111

Bo paced in front of the priest. Her
impatience and irritation was reaching
their peaks. She'd received a message
that the Hunter's had Lauren. They
were on their way.

" Your Majesty, I really must protest
this course of action. " Cal was
becoming aggravated. " A former human
is unworthy of... "

The Succubus smiled into Cal's shocked
eyes. Her favorite dagger was buried
in his heart.

" You're fired. " She calmly stated,
pushing him off the dagger. " Get his
body out of here. "

" Ma'am. " The Nymph, who's name she
couldn't be bothered to remember,
darted forward and lifted the body.

She took a deep breath and resumed her
pacing. ' Where are they? '

" You Majesty, they're here. " A small
Imp raced in.

The Queen let out a relieved sigh, and
turned to watch the doors to her throne
room. The two Hunter's entered the room
with Lauren between them.

This Lauren was slightly different from
her own. The blonde hair was slightly
darker, it was two inches longer. Her
eyes lacked the guilt that haunted her
Lauren.

She was gorgeous.

" I understand you wanted to see me. "
Lauren cocked an eyebrow at her.

" I thought you should be here for our
marriage. " Bo stalked forward.

" You have the wrong Lauren. " The Doctor
stared at her defiantly.

" As long as you're Lauren, I don't
care. " Bo stood less than an inch from
her lover. " We will be married. I won't
wait a minute longer. "

" I'm not from this dimension. " Lauren
protested. " I'm not the Lauren you
want. "

Bo smiled at the woman she loved. " I
love you because you are Lauren. It
doesn't matter to me what dimension
you're from. "

" You're not going to take no for an
answer, are you? " Lauren sighed heavily.

" No. " Bo could sense her giving in.
" The Priest is already here, and I had
the smith make the wedding bands. All
we need now, is you. "

" Fine. " Lauren rolled her eyes. " Let's
do this. "

With that, Bo felt a large weight lift
from her shoulders.

Lauren was back, and Bo was never letting
her go.

11111

Lauren yawned into Bo's shoulder. She was
upset about being forced into a marriage
with her, but after they'd had their
wedding night, her eyes had returned to
their original brown.

The Succubus had passed out in her arms
with tears running down her cheeks.
Lauren had known then that Bo was back
to normal.

Somehow, the marriage had anchored the
woman again.

But it didn't take away from the fact
that she couldn't stay there. She had
to get to her destination, and retrieve
the necessary files

" You're thinking to loud. " Bo curled
tighter into her arms.

" You know, I have to leave. " Lauren
whispered into Bo's hair.

" I know. " Bo murmured. " But I'm going
with you. "

Lauren was surprised by her statement.

" I have to help fix this nightmare. "
Bo buried her face in Lauren's chest.
" I... I can't... "

" It's okay. " Lauren cradled her. " We'll
correct the damage you did. Together. "

The Doctor wasn't expecting this turn
in events. She wondered briefly what the
Light Fae would think about this.

Darth Vadar was Anakin Skywalker again.

22222
Chapter Two
22222

Bo was hovering. She knew it, and Lauren
knew it. She couldn't help it. Since
Lauren had managed to revert her back
to normal, she couldn't stand to let
Lauren out of her sight.

She was devastated by her actions, and
the regret was like being wrapped in
a mile of thick chains. But having
Lauren by her side, eased the guilt,
and kept her from becoming the Dark
Queen again.

The Succubus had gone super-Succubus
briefly when leaving the warehouse.
Her loyal subjects had not been happy
about Bo being normal again, and had
attacked Lauren.

For a short instant, she had gone
blue eyed and sucked the chi from
all of them. Killing them without
a single shred of guilt.

She walked beside her wife. Her own
pair of HMD's over her eyes. Unlike
Lauren, she preferred blades to
projectile weapons. Her grandmother's
sword was on her back. Several dagger's
were hidden on her body, along with
a number of throwing knives.

" Where are we going? " Bo asked.

She had been so gun-ho to get going
she hadn't thought to ask. Plus, well,
Lauren was distracting. Her presence,
her scent, her smile, and dreamy eyes.

" Taft Industries. " Lauren shot her
a knowing smirk. " This dimension's
Lauren worked for Taft briefly. Apparently
Taft had the data of a number of projects
in his computer's. One of which includes
a way to revert DNA back to it's original
form. "

" I'm quite aware of the incident. " Bo dryly
commented. " Taft killed my mother, and
dozen's of other fae. "

" Ryan told me. " Lauren quietly said. " I
don't understand how any version of me
could work for him, or make the serums
I did. "

" You were trying to escape the fae. " Bo
reached for her hand. " Even if it meant
turning the fae human. "

" What will you do when the Breacher Fae
sends me home? " She asked.

" I'm never leaving your side, again. "
Bo swore feriously. " Where you go, I go. "

She would go with Lauren. As long as she
had Lauren she would be happy.

22222

Lauren closed the rickety door to the one
room shack. There was no bathroom, no
lights, and was filled with trash. But it
was better than sleeping in the thunderstorm
that was raging outside.

" You said the time in your dimension flows
slower. " Bo laid a sleeping bag on the
bloody mattress.

" Hmm, four years slower. " Lauren confirmed.
" In my dimension, we're not talking. A month
before I slept with Bo on the Ash's order's. "

" I remember. " Bo sat on the sleeping bag,
and pulled off her boots. " I was miserable
the months after. I didn't see you, and the
few times I spoke to you, I was cruel. "

" It was expected. " Lauren lodged a chair
under the door knob. " I shouldn't have
done that to you. "

" You didn't have a choice. " Bo soothed.
" Not with Nadia in The Ash's clutches. "

" I can't believe The Ash cursed her. "
Lauren sat on the bed next to her.

" I can. " Bo bitterly snorted. " There
was something slimy about him. "

" Slimy or not, I miss the condo he
gave me. " Lauren groaned, falling back
on the sleeping bag. " Especially my
shower. "

" God, what I'd give for a bath. " Bo
agreed. " And steak. "

" Tea, and wine. " Lauren toed off her
boots, and scooted around to lie down.

Bo crawled in beside her. " Beer. "

" Forget beer, what about Trick's top
shelf alcohol? " Lauren turned on her
side so they'd have more room.

" I missed this. " Bo pulled her into
her arms.

" Camping out in a run down shack in
the middle of no where? " She teased
her wife.

" The way we are together. " Bo nuzzled
her.

" Don't get any ideas. " Lauren giggled
as Bo hit a ticklish spot. " I'm not
easy. I never give out until after the
second date. "

" Oh really. " Bo began to nibble at
her neck. " I propose we test your
hypothesis. "

" Listen to the genius. " Lauren playfully
tried to push Bo off her. " Trying to
steal my profession? "

" Science is sexy. "

Lauren's body gave in to her wife. She
could forget about the hell around her
when she was with Bo. She was at peace,
and she wouldn't trade anything for
that feeling.

22222

She was dying. Bo could feel her life
draining out of her body. The blood
was streaming from the bullet holes
riddling her body.

" You'll be okay. " Lauren kneeled
over her. Her hands soaked with blood.
" You can heal. If you feed from me,
you'll survive. "

Shadows appeared in her vision. Kenzi
faded into view with Hale behind her
left shoulder. Dyson was beside Hale.
Trick walked up and kneeled by Kenzi.

Finally, Lauren, her Lauren faded in.
The blonde stared down at her with a
small smile. Her right hand outstretched.

" It's time, Bo. " Lauren gently welcomed
her. " It's time to be with your family
again. "

Bo reached out, clasping her dead lover's
hand, and breathed one last time.

And died.

22222

This world was making her bitter. Lauren
had been there for six months, and she
felt the emotional changes like scars on
her heart.

She scrapped the last of the dirt onto
Bo's grave. Her bare hands ripped up,
and bloody from digging it. A numbness
had engulfed her during the third hour.

Her wife was dead. Bo Dennis, the woman
who created this apocalypse. The woman
who'd murdered hundreds. The woman who'd
forced her to marry her.

By right, she should hate Bo. But like
every other time, she was too deeply
in love with the Succubus to care.

She pulled her necklace from her neck,
and unclasped it. Lauren slid Bo's wedding
band on the chain. The blonde replaced
it, and stood up.

Death or not, she had to continue on.
The world wouldn't wait forever.

22222

Lauren grunted as she tightened the last
screw in the generator. The large machine
ticked twice, then hummed. The lights
flickered on over her head.

" Finally. " She folded the screw driver
head back into the Swiss army knife.

The blonde made her way up the concrete
stairs. The silence eerie, broken by
the rare rat squeaking, or insect buzzing
by.

She entered Taft's office, and pressed
the button to turn on the computer. It
sputtered briefly, then revved to life.

" Thank God. " Lauren tugged the office
chair closer.

The Doctor removed a Micro drive from her
utility belt, and plugged it in. She typed
rapidly at the keyboard. The information
was fragmented, but she was able to put
it together, and transfer it.

The download bar moved steadily. It hit
one hundred percent with a few more
keyboard strokes.

She removed the drive, and tucked it
away. The Doctor had to get back to
the base. She was almost done with this
nightmare world.

Almost. No more death, no more getting
attacked every few hours.

Almost.

33333
Chapter Three
33333

Lauren staggered up to the heavy metal door
Ryan referred to as the Gate. She ready to
be done with this whole thing.

" I heard about Bo. " Ryan stood leaning
against the entrance. " I was shocked
by the news. "

" She's dead. " Lauren informed him calmly.

Ryan's brow furrowed at her update.

" She used her body to shield me from a
surprise attack. " Lauren paused in front
of him. " Bo wanted to undo the damage
she was responsible for. "

" Borg restocked your lab. " Ryan refused
to meet her eyes. Conflict readily apparent
in his eyes.

Lauren stepped inside the underground base.
" Bo gave me the names of spies in the
compound. "

" Don't bother. " Ryan lit a cigarette.
" Her spies revolted against us when
news of her conversion came in. "

" Oh. " Lauren stared into the distance.
She felt cold, disconnected. " I'll get
to work. "

" Lauren. " Ryan stopped. " Thank you. "

" Yeah. "

This world was destroying her. One piece
of her soul at a time.

33333

The empty Booster fell to the lab table.
Lauren drained her cup of coffee. She was
so far beyond exhausted, she was on the
verge of death.

The lab was a mess. There were piles of
print out's scattered over every available
surface. Balled up papers were littering
the floor. The equipment were so hot from
use, the room was boiling with heat.

The mess was driving her crazy, but with
the way things were, it was necessary.
She sighed and lifted the vial containing
the finished solution to her bloodshot
eyes.

The first portion of the total solution
had been done two weeks before. A gas
to purge the atmosphere of all chemicals.

" When can you have it mass produced? "
Ryan stepped over a discarded, cracked
flask.

" A month. " Lauren put the vial in a
holder. " I have to convert it to gas
form. "

" Serge, is ready to release the purger. "
Ryan flicked the ash from his cigarette.

" Good. It should be okay to release it
now. " Lauren leaned into her lab table.

She was barely functioning these days.
Working until she passed out, only to
get up again and do it all over again.

" I'll let him know. " Ryan studied her
with a frown. " When was the last time
you slept. "

" A lifetime ago. " Lauren headed for the
chemicals to gather what she needed to
start the next step.

" I'll contact the Breacher. It will take
a few weeks for him to get here. " Ryan
turned to leave. " We've sent a small
group in to close the portal to Hel. We
won't know if the potion you made will
work for a few more days. "

Lauren nodded absently. She'd found the
potion in a book in Taft's lab. It had
belonged to a fae family. She didn't
recognize the crest of the family, just
that they were fae.

" We owe you more than you'll ever know. "
Ryan walked out.

He left Lauren with her thoughts, and the
ghost of her wife. Despite everything
pressing in on her, she went back to
work.

There was no time.

33333

" I wish to go with you. "

Lauren let out a loud, long yawn, and slowly
twisted her chair to the speaker. The waist
tall robot stood, the blue lights which
acted as eyes, staring at her.

" Bishop, it's good to see you. " She smiled
tiredly at the black creation.

It had dark gray accents on a black background.
The coloring was meant to be camouflage in the
event of an attack. You had to know the little
guy was there to be able to spot him in the
metal environment.

" I brought you the last of the coffee. "
Bishop walked like a human to her lab table,
and placed the pot down.

" Thank you. " Lauren patted his head. " I
could use the caffeine. "

" You haven't answered me. " Bishop cocked
his head. " I wish to go with you when you
leave. "

Lauren should have known he wouldn't forget
about that. She didn't know what to do
about him, or his request.

" Unfortunately, you belong to the fae,
not me. " Lauren finally answered.

" You are my creator. I go where you go. "
Bishop stubbornly insisted.

" Take him, Doc. " Ryan stepped over the
clutter blocking the door way. " He's
yours anyway. "

" But the Light fae laws... "

" Then think of him as a present from the
Ash, for services rendered. " Ryan smiled
tiredly. " You're the one who rummaged
Bishop from the garage heap. You remade him,
painted him, and programmed him. He's right,
your his creator. "

" If it's alright with the Ash, then I won't
argue. " Lauren managed a small, grateful
smile. " The Gas is made, and in canister's. "

" I'll let Serge know. " Ryan considered her
carefully. " The Breacher is here. If you'll
gather your belongings, we'll send you back. "

Lauren stared at him with a hard frown. " But
the Gas hasn't been distributed yet. My DNA
is still mutated. I can't just leave. "

" We never intended to cure you. " Ryan
dropped his gaze. " You know what's happened
to our world. What may happen to your own.
You need all the advantages you can get. "

" I want to be human! " Lauren exploded
at him. " It's my decision to make! Not
yours! Not the Ash's! "

" Even if it means a repeat of this! "
Ryan through his arms out.

Lauren breathed heavily, eyes drawn to
her surroundings. The ruin, the trash,
blood, dirty, and rusted crumbling's.

There was no electricity without generators.
No phone. No television. No radio. No
hospitals, or law enforcement. People
ran wild over the outside world, or
remained cowered in hiding. Venturing
out to find supplies whenever it became
desperate.

" Is this what you want to have happen
to your world?! To your friends?! " Ryan
demanded harshly.

" No. " Lauren collapsed back on her
stool. " No, but does that mean I have
to sacrifice everything I am? "

" Being human, or fae, isn't who you are.
Dr. Lauren Lewis is who you are. It's who
defines you. Your race has nothing to do
with it. " Ryan argued.

" I'll collect my things. " Lauren quietly
agreed with him. " Where are we doing this? "

" The Mess Hall. " Ryan moved to the stack
of canisters.

Lauren sighed in defeat. She had no idea
what she was doing, or how she was going
to handle being back in her own dimension.

This whole nightmare made it hard to keep
going, and surviving.

" Come on, Bishop. " She got up. " Let's
go. "

" Yes, Creator. " Bishop happily buzzed.

She shook her head at the strange robot.
He was over-protective, and the best
assistant she'd ever had. But he also
had the weirdest habits, and ticks.

Now if she could keep him and Kenzi
apart.

33333

Lauren landed solidly on her feet this time.
She was tensed out of habit. A year in an
apocalypse did that to a person. Beside her
Bishop had his left hand up, a small circle
in his palm open, glowing green.

The Dal was almost empty. The Ash was
standing with Bo, Kenzi, Dyson, Hale, and
Trick. The Breacher who had sent her to
the other dimension was in a chair,
handcuffed.

The group was each in a position to attack
her, and she didn't blame them. Reaching up,
she tugged the hood of her shirt down. The
illusion keeping her face shadowed dropping.

" Lauren... " Bo breathed in awe and joy.

" You can go home now, Mr. Black. " Lauren
turned to the Breacher. " Your husband is
having the cure distributed as we speak. "

" Then it's over? " Mark looked up at her
with pure relief.

" Yes. The Dark Queen is dead, and the
atmosphere purged. I've created a gas
which will revert peoples DNA back to
normal. " Lauren cracked a tiny smile.
All she could manage at the moment.

The Breacher dropped from the chair and
kneeled toward her, head bowed. " Thank
you, Dr. Lewis. "

" Go home, Mark. " Lauren chided. " Ryan
is going stir-crazy without you. "

" He isn't going anywhere, Dr. Lewis. "
The Ash frowned at her.

" Be quiet. " She snarled at the man with
a tremble to her right hand. Tempted to
use her side gun. " Don't mess in what
you don't understand. "

" Do not talk to me like that! " The Ash
puffed up. " Or have you forgotten who
you belong to? "

" Not you. " Lauren smirked darkly in
satisfaction. " I'm no longer human.
I'm fae. Which means my slavery is over! "

" What nonsense is this? " The Ash narrowed
his eyes at her.

Lauren held up her right hand and twitched
it. The Ash in turn, punched himself in the
jaw. Hard enough to knock him out.

" You attacked the Ash. " Hale stared at
the body in horror.

" Did I? " Lauren asked pointedly. " I
don't remember touching him, do you? "

" Well now, but... " Hale frowned in
confusion.

" Then I didn't attack him. "

A clank drew her attention back to Mark.
The man climbed to his feet, the handcuffs
at his feet.

" My people owe you their lives, Dr. Lewis. "
Mark took several steps toward her, holding
out a necklace with a wooden totem hanging
from it. " If you should ever need me, use
this to summon me, and I will come. "

Lauren took it from him, and hugged him
briefly. " Take care of Ryan, and yourself. "

" I will. " Mark disappeared in a silver
flash.

" It's good to have you back, Lauren. "
Trick frowned down at the Ash. " But you've
started a situation with your actions
against the Ash. "

" Oh, I haven't even began to mess with
that bastard. " Lauren was tempted to
kick the man in the ribs. " I'll let the
Council handle him, though. "

" What's caused this? " Dyson stared at
her in concern.

" The other dimension is identical to
this one, with one major difference. Time
flows four years faster there. " Lauren
glared at the Ash. " I learned a lot
about our future, including about the
Ash and his dealings with me. "

" What did you find out? " Trick stared
at her intently.

" You'll hear about it later. " Lauren
promised. " Right now, I need to go
see the Council. I won't let this...
man continue playing with peoples lives. "

" Do you want me to come with you? " Bo
offered.

" No. " Lauren didn't look at her. Afraid
she would see her dead wife if she did.
" Bishop, we're going. "

" As my Creator wishes. " Bishop hurried
over to her.

" Wait, his name is Bishop? " Kenzi appeared
beside the robot. " As in the X-Men? "

" Aliens, actually. " Lauren smirked at
shocking the Goth speechless.

The Doctor avoided Bo's eyes and hastily
moved toward the door.

" Where will you go? " Bo forced herself
in her line of sight. " You're not staying
with the Light, right? "

" No, not after what the Ash did. " Lauren
swallowed at the swell of sorrow at the
sight of Bo.

" Then you'll stay at the Shack. " Bo
stated firmly. " We'll come by this
afternoon to get your stuff. "

" I appreciate your offer, but... "
Lauren started, alarmed at the idea of
being so close to the Succubus.

" It's a good idea. " Trick cut in.
" We both know the Ash won't take this
kindly. Even if the Council punish's
him, he has friends who will agree
to help him deal with you. "

Lauren meet Tricks eyes head on. She
was aware of his true identity. The
Blood King was giving her advise. Not
Trick the bartender.

" Alright, I'll try it. " Lauren gave
in. " Be there at three. "

" I'll see you then. " Bo smiled brightly
at her.

Lauren nodded, knowing she'd been forgiven
for her actions. She stepped around Bo,
and left the bar.

She'd hoped to have a long shower, and
the biggest steak she could find. Now,
she was looking at a day of Council
meetings, and packing.

Wonderful.

33333

" Arrest her! " The Ash order, storming into
the Council Hall.

" Stand down! " Councilor Brent boomed to
the guards headed for Dr. Lewis.

Lauren sat in a chair in front of the Council.
She'd come straight to them from the Dal.
Stinky, dirty, bloody, and frayed around the
edges.

" What is the meaning of this? " The Ash
came to rest in the middle of the room.
" The Doctor attacked me! An act of treason!
She needs to be thrown into the dungeons
until she can be put on trail. "

" Did she? " Elder Chen raised an eyebrow
at him. " What is it she did to you? "

" She made me hit myself. " The Ash shifted
uncomfortably.

" You have proof she is a Mesmer, or
another fae with such powers? " Elder
West leaned forward, stapling his fingers.

" She said she was now fae. " The Ash
answered quickly.

" Did she say what kind? " Elder Fort
asked with boredom.

" No, but... "

" That's enough, now. " Elder Russell cut
him off. " We called you here, not to
arrest Dr. Lewis, but because of certain
evidence given to us about your conduct. "

" My conduct is always in the fae's best
interests. " The Ash dared them to say
otherwise.

" Best interest or not, you've broken a
number of our laws. " Elder Fort held up
a leather bond diary. " We've read your
personal diary. We know everything you've
done concerning Dr. Lewis, and... others. "

" You had no right to... " The Ash tried.

" Shut up! " Elder Storm slammed his hands
on the meeting table. " Do you have any
idea what you've done?! You cursed her
girlfriend, then entered into a false
contract with Dr. Lewis! A contract filed
by the Una Mens! "

The Ash paled slightly at the words. " You
haven't told them! They'd execute me! "

" They know. " Elder West snorted. " And
they've ordered you interrogated. After
you are to be publicly hung. "

" The Light needed Dr. Lewis. I couldn't
risk her refusing us! Surely you
understand. " The Ash protested.

" Nadia has been released from the curse,
and sent back to her family. " Elder Fort
talked over the panicking Ash. " The people
you've conned will be compensated from
your accounts, and your actions corrected. "

" Are you listening to me?! " The Ash
tremored with fear.

" Dr. Lewis has been given a choice of
which side to chose, and she's chosen
the Unaligned. " Elder West picked up.
" She's been released from the Light,
and agreed to open a new clinic for
all fae. Light and Dark. "

" You can't let anyone else join the
Succubus! It's too dangerous! " The
Ash began to sweat. " The sheer
madness of opening a Neutral clinic
is... "

" It works for the Dal. " Lauren
interrupted. " And the Council has
offered to hire a Druid, and Shaman
to shield the clinic. "

" Take him to the dungeons. " Elder
Russell ordered the guards.

Lauren felt numb, watching the man who'd
ruined her life, dragged from the room.

" The Council apologizes for the crimes
committed against you, Dr. Lewis. " Elder
Russell softly sighed. " We suspected
something was wrong, but without actual
proof, we could not act. "

" Thank you, Elders. " Lauren stood and
bowed her head to the group.

" We'll send a packet to the Succubus
house tomorrow. " Elder Fort slipped
off his reading glasses. " It will
contain the forms for the new clinic.
In the meantime, we'll meet with the
Dark Elders, and Morrigan to discuss
their help with it's creation. "

" Understood. " Lauren nodded. " I'll
have the forms filled out as soon as
possible. "

" Go home and rest, Dr. Lewis. " Elder
West smiled kindly. " You look like
you're about to pass out. "

" Yes, sir. " Lauren shuffled from the
room.

She still had to pack, and she wasn't
looking forward to seeing Bo again.
The memories of her wife was too fresh.

44444
Chapter Four
44444

" You're early. " Lauren opened the door
to find Bo and Kenzi standing there.

" We thought we'd help pack. " Kenzi brushed
past her.

" I'm already finished. As a slave I
didn't own much. " Lauren closed the door
behind Bo.

" Then we'll take your things to the car. "
Bo was practically beaming.

Lauren held up her Matter Chamber. " It's all
stored in here. "

" An Ipod? " Kenzi squinted at it.

" It's a Matter Chamber. It converts items
into data, and stores it in the memory. When
you want something back, it reassembles it
and materlizes it. " Lauren tucked it back
in her belt.

" The place you were had those? " Kenzi
gaped. " So cool! How do I get one? Do
I have to go there? "

" Trust me, you don't ever want to go
to that dimension! " Lauren intently
snapped. " If you want one, I can make
you one. Just promise me, you will never
go to that world! "

" Right, I promise! " Kenzi took a step
back with wide eyes. " No side trips to
Wonderland! "

" I'm sorry. " Lauren crumbled slightly.
" The other dimension is a twisted, barren,
madhouse. There was an apocalypse there,
and it hasn't began to recover. "

" Oh. " Kenzi relaxed. " Yeah, suddenly
going there seems like a bad idea. "

" How long? " Bo quietly asked. " How
long were you there? "

" A year. " Lauren glanced back at the
kitchen. " Bishop, you ready? "

The robot hurried into the living room.
The small guy chirping. It was his
version of laughter.

" A fish has been placed in the heat
vents. " Bishop proudly declared.

" I didn't program you to be a prankster. "
Lauren pinched the bridge of her nose.

" Creator, you programmed me to have
hobbies. Pranking is a hobby, therefore,
you programmed me to prank. " Bishop beeped
out smugly.

" Of course I did. " Lauren sighed as
Kenzi began to crack up.

" You created him? " Bo bent down to study
the robot.

" I was bored, and I didn't think he should
be discarded just because he needed some
work. " Lauren shrugged.

" I was the victim of an explosion. " Bishop
hummed. " My memory banks, circuits, and
body was destroyed. Creator, saw fit to
grant me a new life. "

" The little guy really adores you. "
Kenzi calmed down.

" He's a good friend. " Lauren smiled at
his happy blue eyes. " He protects me,
takes care of me, and acts as my assistant
in the lab. "

" Creator does not eat or sleep enough. "
Bishop tattled. " She needs to rest. "

" She needs a shower, and a steak, with
grilled onions and mushrooms. A blooming
onion, baked potato, and corn. " Lauren
drooled. " For a year, I've had no bath,
and had to live off protein bars and
field rations. "

" Outrageous! " Kenzi gaped in horror.
" You poor girl, we need to get you a
real meal. "

" Seconded. " Lauren groaned in hunger.

" Alright, let's get out of here. " Bo
straightened up. " While you have your
shower, I'll make a run to a steak
house. "

" You're a Goddess. " Lauren finally
looked at Bo. " There's a sainthood
in this, for you. "

" Wow, you really are hungry. " Kenzi
joked.

" I past hungry last year, and headed
straight for starvation. " Lauren
grinned at the Goth.

" The sooner we leave, the sooner you
get your shower, and steak. " Bo
gently prodded.

Lauren tossed her house keys on the
kitchen counter, and opened the door
to her apartment for the last time.

" Thank you. " Lauren whispered to
Bo. " I'll find someplace else to
live in a few days. "

" You don't have to. " Bo closed the
door behind them. " You're welcome to
stay with us as long as you need. "

Lauren didn't answer. She couldn't.
The offer was tempting. Too tempting
for her. Instead she headed for the
bright yellow Camaro.

At some point she would have to deal
with Bo and her memories of her wife,
but right now, avoidance was her
anesthetic of choice.

44444

Lauren moaned in pure pleasure, savoring
the smothered steak. She groaned louder
as the combination of steak sauce, onions,
and mushrooms hit her taste buds.

Her eyes were squinted with pure joy. She
cut another bite of steak, and let out
a guttural, orgasmic sound rose up higher
and higher.

" Okay, enough! " Kenzi stopped her from
getting the next bite of food. " Have you
seen what you're doing to Bo?! Why don't
you put her out of her misery already? I
mean, hello! Succubus! "

Lauren blinked at her in confusion,
glancing over at Bo, and blanched. The
Succubus had a towel tightly twisted in
her hands, biting into it. Her eyes were
completely glazed over, and dilated.
She was breathing like a race horse.

" Oh. " She tore her eyes away.

Slowly, silently, she went back to her
food. The taste now like ash instead.

44444

" You're avoiding me. " Bo plopped onto
the couch next to her.

Lauren sighed. She had managed to get
into the shower as soon as they got
back. Then she had kept food in her
mouth so she wouldn't have to talk to
Bo. Finally, she raced back to the
shower the minute she'd finished
eating.

She tossed the folded blanket onto
the pile on the coffee table. Of
course, Bo would corner her, and
not run off to the Dal with Kenzi.

" I'm not avoiding you. " She lied
through her teeth. " I'm recovering
from my time in the other dimension. "

" You won't look at me unless you
have no choice. " Bo refuted. " Is
it because of the way I treated you?
I'm sorry. I should have talked to
you instead of acting out. "

" No. You had every right to be cold
toward me. " Lauren sat down beside
her.

" Was it something else I did? " Bo
asked.

Lauren ran a hand through her hair.
She wasn't sure what or how much to
tell her.

" Lauren, please. I want to be friends
again. "

" When I was in the other dimension,
I got married. " Lauren whispered weakly.
" My wife died saving my life. "

" Oh, god. " Bo's eyes widened in horror.
" I'm so sorry. "

" Bo... " Lauren licked her dry lips.
" her name was Bo Dennis. "

" You... You were married to me? " Bo
grabbed her arm.

" I don't know how to handle being
around you. " Lauren refused to talk
about her wife any longer.

" Were we happy? " Bo desperately
inquired.

" Yes. " Lauren scooted to the edge
of the couch. " I'm going to get some
sleep. I haven't slept in what feels
like forever. "

" We can share my bed. " Bo offered.

Lauren stopped short at her friends
words. Her breath frozen in her chest.

" I didn't mean to have... I mean for
sleep. " Bo hurried to clarify her
offer.

" I'm not sure that's such a good
idea. "

" Because we were married? " Bo gently
questioned.

" Yes. " Lauren confirmed.

" You can't hide from me. " Bo forced
her to look at her. " I'm not my
counterpart, but she's not me, either.
You slept with me before she ever came
into the picture. "

" She died in my arms, Bo. " Lauren
struggled with her grief. " I had to
dig her grave with my bare hands. It
took hours, and when it was over, my
hands were bloody, and raw. "

Bo yanked her forward, and Lauren
gasped as the Succubus kissed her.
It was inappropriate, yet she
found herself tugging Bo closer.

Maybe for one night she could lose
herself in Bo.

To Be Continued