Title: It Began In Africa

Authors: hbomba & lonejaguar

Pairing: Bo/Lauren; General

Rating: R

Spoilers: Up to 2x20: Lachlan's Gambit

Summary: Bo becomes ill and Lauren races to find a cure but things are not as they seem and she'll need the help of Dyson, Hale, Kenzi, and Trick.

Disclaimer: These fine folks do not belong to me, they are property of Showcase. They might argue they don't belong to anybody, though.

"Another one bites the dust." Kenzi kicked a can along the sidewalk, stopping to celebrate when it clattered down the sewer drain. "Goooooal!"

The street was busy; the sidewalk, packed. The hustle and bustle of the city was in full force as Bo and Kenzi walked the three blocks back to the Camaro. It was a nice day, only a few clouds in the sky and the sun beat down on them only as it could in the weeks before summer.

"Okay, Pele, enough." Bo sidestepped a business man and narrowly avoided a hot dog cart.

"You're just bitter because that troll got the better of you."

"I had his number, okay," she said adamantly. "Until he clobbered me with his club." She rubbed the back of her head. "My head is still killing me."

Kenzi walked backwards a few steps. "And how nice was that hottie I picked out at the food court for you?" She always liked to admire her hunting skills.

"As far as food court hotties go, he wasn't bad. Smelled like Drakkar and tasted like fried rice."

"Oh, ew." Kenzi flailed her hands and shook her head, turning back around. "You need to keep that kind of shit to yourself."

"You're my best friend, Kenz, who else am I going to tell it to?" Pulling her phone from her pocket, Bo began to dial. When she looked up again, she shifted to her right to avoid a kid on a skateboard only to bump into a homeless man panhandling by an alley. He dropped the hat he was collecting money in and the change clattered to the ground. "I'm so sorry," Bo apologized and knelt down to help collect the coins off the sidewalk. She smiled at the hairy and disheveled man.

Kenzi stood over them disapprovingly. "Tell Lauren. She doesn't get enough of your special brand of weird."

Bo dropped the last coin into the hat and stood again, dusting herself off. "I highly doubt Lauren would be interested in hearing about my extra curricular activities." Bo apologized to man again and handed him a twenty. "Go get yourself some dinner, okay?"

They continued down the street and once they were a half a block away, Kenzi elbowed Bo who was attempting to dial Lauren's number a second time. "What the hell was that?" she asked. "Why are you giving away all our cash?"

Bo put the phone to her ear. "He's worse off than we are, Kenzi."

Kenzi scoffed. "Not by much," she mumbled under her breath.

"Hey, Lauren," Bo said into the phone, ignoring her friend. "I got it."

"I could live with the Drakkar if that dude was the alternative."

Bo elbowed Kenzi. "Yeah, we're on our way."

In the stark white light of the lab, Lauren stared into the microscope and considered what she saw there. She'd been wracking her brain over this blood-borne viral strain and staring at it for what felt like days. The sound of heels click-clacking towards her drew her attention away from the slides and she looked up.

"Bo… Kenzi…"

"Hi," Bo said congenially.

"Hey, Doc, dissected any frogs lately?"

Lauren ignored the question and turned to Bo. "So you got the talisman?"

Bo smiled. "Sure did." She pulled on the purple ribbon in her pocket and the ivory carved talisman followed. She held it out for Lauren to take.

Lauren turned it over in her hands, inspecting it thoroughly. "Thank you, how can I repay you?"

"I have a few ideas…" Kenzi deadpanned, inspecting her nails.

"A moment?" Bo stared at Kenzi until she relented and walked away from them. "I thought we could finally go on that date. We have a lot to talk about, don't we?"

Lauren smiled and shyly considered her clipboard. "Yes." When she looked up at Bo it was impossible to miss her flushed face. Lauren knew that little embarrassed Bo so she became immediately concerned. "Bo, you're flushed, did you heal?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Completely?" The clipboard was suddenly discarded and Lauren's hands were at Bo's jaw, her eyes scanning, examining.

"I thought so…"

Lauren laid a hand on Bo's forehead. "You're burning up." Bo swayed and Lauren reached out to steady her. "Easy."

"When I said I could really fall for you, this wasn't what I meant."

She smirked. "Come on, let's get you into bed." Lauren started walking but turned when she realized no one was following her.

"It's okay, just a bump on the head, I'll be fine."

Lauren wasn't buying it. "You have a fever. I should really do some tests."

"Uh-uh," Bo resisted. "I just need to sleep it off."

"Bo, that's not how it works and you know it."

The disagreement caught Kenzi's attention and she quickly returned to Bo's side. She always knew when Bo needed some support. "C'mon Kenzi," she said, turning to the door. "Let's go."

"Bo, please."

"You're all worry, Doc," Kenzi reassured Lauren and patted Bo on the back twice. "Bo is strong like oxen!"

The Russian accent failed to make the doctor smile. "Please call me."

"I'll be fine," she smiled at the doctor before exiting the lab. "We have to make that date."