FIC: "The Face of Bo," Bo/Lauren, Lost Girl
Our poor fandom. To make up for not getting a new episode as planned on Sunday, I'm posting my spook-me story just a feeeeew hours ahead of the deadline. Because succubus/doctor fans need all the fixes they can get this week!
Title: The Face of Bo
Author: geonncannon
Fandom: Lost Girl
Pairing: Bo/Lauren
Word Count: 8,034
Category: Romance, drama, smut
Spoilers: Nothing specific
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.
Rating: Mature
Author's Notes: Takes place near the beginning of Season 2, so there are small spoilers for developments therein.
Summary: A costume party at the Dal Riata gets out of hand, forcing Bo to lift her ban on all things All Hallows' Eve.
header made by syrenslure!
The top of the skull came off with a quiet pop, the convex cap placed upside down on the table. Kenzi slipped her fingers inside without looking and withdrew a handful of the treats inside. She turned to the door and smiled. "Here you go. Who wants Sixlets?" The kids held up their bags and she doled out two packages apiece to a witch, a scarecrow and some kind of robot. She waved goodbye to the kids and kicked the door shut, her smile fading as soon as her face was out of sight. "What kind of parent lets their kid trick-or-treat in this neighborhood without supervision? I don't even like going out by myself after dark."
"Uh-huh."
"Your scintillating contribution to the conversation is noted." Kenzi passed the couch where Bo was sprawled with a paperback. Her feet were bare and crossed on the arm of the couch, so Kenzi assaulted them with her horrible tickling fingers. Bo's knees shot up to chest level and she glared over the top of her novel. "Come on, I'm bored. Let's go out."
Bo went back to her book. "You don't get enough spooks and goblins in your everyday life?"
"Well, sure. But this is Halloween. It's like spook Christmas." She climbed onto the couch and let Bo rest her feet on her knees. She began to rub them as an apology for her tickling. "Shouldn't you be the one all bouncing off the walls?"
Bo sighed and let the book fall open onto her chest. "Imagine you're an accountant..."
"Blech."
"And every year, people dress up in three-piece suits and wander the streets with calculators offering to do your taxes for candy. It's ridiculous. It's a mockery. And I won't be a part of it."
Kenzi stuck out her tongue. "Spoilsport. Even Trick is having a costume party at the Dal, and I'm stuck here with the only person dressing as a stick in the mud."
"So go to the party." She picked up her book and tried to read again. "No one is making you stay here."
"Ha! My guilt is making me stay here. If I left you here all by yourself--"
"I might actually get to read my book?"
Kenzi screwed up her face in mock anger, then let Bo's feet drop to the couch. "Fine. I'll go. And I'll be sure to tell you all the gory details so you know exactly what you missed. Then where will you be?"
"Probably still on this same page."
"Grouch."
Bo swatted at Kenzi with her foot, but Kenzi easily dodged the blow. She went into her bedroom, pouting only a little as she examined her closet for appropriate costume material. The way she dressed normally made it hard to make a statement on Halloween. It wasn't that she felt obliged to keep Bo company, but the party would be a whole lot duller without her there. Trick, Dyson, Hale. They were all fine. But Bo was quickly on her way to BFF territory, and going to a party without her just reeked of a disappointing night.
She found a pair of cat ears and a hot pink T-shirt tucked to the back of her closet. She added a pair of fur-lined handcuffs that she'd gotten Bo as a gag gift. It would still work as a Christmas gift, since Bo wouldn't be at the party to see them anyway. She tucked them into her bag and left her room. "You have to deal with the kidlets."
"I could just ignore the doorbell."
"Then you have to wash the door when they egg the place."
Bo rolled her eyes. "Fine. Where's the candy?"
"Bob the Skull."
"Bob?"
"Dresden Files. You oughta read more than those Twilight things."
Bo made an offended noise. "This is not Twilight."
"Whatever. If you read them, you'd know you're on Team Edward when you really should be on Team Jason."
"It's Team Jacob."
"A-ha! I'll be back late. Don't wait up, Bella." She blew a kiss and left before Bo could find something to throw at her. In the hallway outside, she hooked one bracelet of the handcuffs on her wrist and let the other dangle. She made sure that her cat ears were on straight and headed out into the night.
Ghouls and goblins of all shapes and sizes lined the streets, some of the groups trailed by parents and others all on their own. She saw a group of college guys and fixated on one of them dressed like the Old Spice guy - an economical costume consisting of a towel and a stick of deodorant - and briefly considered skipping Trick's party all together. But she had to focus. She loved Halloween, even though her life was becoming more and more Halloween-y all the time.
The Dal was packed with both Dark and Light Fae, all of whom were either dressed up or freely letting their freak flag fly. She weaved through the crowd until she reached the bar. Trick was behind the counter wearing a shirt with a ruffled front underneath a velvet vest. He had an eye patch flipped up over his right eye and a bandana tied around his head.
"Hey, Trick-r-Treat."
"You still have to pay, Kenzi, even on Halloween."
"Bah humbug."
"Wrong holiday." He looked her up and down. "And what are you?"
Kenzi held up her wrist so he could see the handcuffs. "Cat burglar."
"Not bad. In the spirit of the holiday, one drink on the house."
Kenzi brightened. "You're a rock star, Trick. A true gentleman of the Fae."
"Don't get too used to it." He placed a drink in front of her. "As payment, you can tell Bo to lighten up a little."
Kenzi was grateful for someone to commiserate with. "I know, what is it with her?"
Trick shook his head. "Hell if I know. But she listens to you. I figure if anyone has a shot, it's you."
Kenzi lifted her mug in a toast. "Trick, I solemnly swear to do my best to remove the stick from my friend's backside."
Trick stared at her. "I don't think that's her problem. But whatever you can do to help."
"Will do, my captain." She took her drink and navigated the costumed and, in the case of some Fae, finally outside minus a costume crowd looking for familiar faces. She heard shouts and cheers and made her way toward it, knowing that hooting and hollering usually indicated the best part of the party. She slithered between a cheerleader and a monster to see what had gotten everyone's attention. She nearly dropped her beer.
Bo was grinding against a cowgirl, with a man in a matching cowboy costume pressing against her from behind. Bo wasn't in costume, unless her leather vest and skintight pants constituted some kind of streetwalker disguise. Her hair was down, and Kenzi could see the sweat shining on her cleavage as she sank down and pressed her hips against the cowgirl while the cowboy held her waist from behind.
Kenzi approached the squirming trio and grabbed Bo's hand. Bo shook her off. "You'll have to wait your turn, sister."
"Bo... Bo! How did you even get here ahead of me?"
Bo ignored the question and began running her hands over the cowgirl's legs, pushing up her skirt to almost obscene heights while the cowboy... well, jeans that tight didn't leave much to the imagination. Kenzi looked around for help, knowing that she would never be a match for Bo on her own. And trying to yank her out of the middle of an incipient threesome was a recipe for a black eye. A waiter walked by with a pitcher of beer and Kenzi grabbed it from him. "Tell Trick it goes on my tab." She turned and dumped the contents over Bo's head.
Bo went completely still, and her cowpoke partners pulled back to avoid the deluge. Bo held her hands out to either side like she was forming parenthesis as she slowly turned to face Kenzi. "What... the hell... are you doing?"
"Trick... asked me to, uh, calm you down. So I--"
Bo grabbed the collar of Kenzi's T-shirt and shoved her backward. Kenzi stumbled and Bo went in pursuit. The other partiers were in limbo, having gone from voyeurism to witnesses, and they began to disperse. The cowboy and cowgirl disappeared into the crowd. Bo's eyes were dark as she advanced on Kenzi, who was retreating as quickly as she could. "Bo... j-just hold on, okay? Just keep calm. You know how you can get a little--"
"No one asked for your interference."
"No, that's not true! Trick did! He did!"
Trick appeared as if she had conjured him. "Bo, this is neutral ground."
Bo stared at Kenzi for a long moment before she turned her attention to Trick. She bared her teeth in an almost feral sneer and then aimed her finger at Kenzi. "This isn't over."
"Duly noted," Kenzi said in a meek voice. Bo turned and stormed off, shoving people out of her way if they didn't move fast enough. "What the monkey?!"
Trick sighed. "I take it you didn't know she was making a spectacle of herself when you promised to take care of her."
"Uh, no! When I left our place, she said she didn't even want to come tonight."
"Looks like she changed her mind. Did Dyson do something to tick her off?"
Kenzi shrugged. "She didn't mention anything. I think I better go find her. When she's in a mood like that, there's no telling what she'd do." She sighed. "Or who."
#
Bo opened the door and tried to fake enthusiasm. "Hey! Look at you, you're... you're some kind of green masked man. And you're a princess." She dug into the plastic skull and dumped a handful of candy in each bag. "Nice costumes. Very scary." Once the kids were gone, she shut the door and blew out a mouthful of air. "How late do they let these kids stay out?"
She went back into the kitchen where she was warming some milk on the stove. She tested the temperature before she poured it into a glass, sipping it on her way to bed. She was nearly to the bedroom door when someone knocked. She closed her eyes and groaned, changing direction mid-step. "Come on... isn't it a school night?"
She opened the door expecting kids, so her eyes were level with Lauren's waist. She ran her eyes up the shapely body, arching an eyebrow as she leaned against the door. "Well, there's a costume I haven't seen tonight. Beautiful doctor."
Lauren's smile was forced. "Hey, Bo. You have a minute?"
"Sure. Come on in." She stepped out of the way and ushered Lauren into the apartment. Lauren took off her jacket, and Bo admired her toned arms revealed by a sleeveless shirt. Maybe I won't need warm milk to get to sleep... "What's on your mind?"
She started to close the door, but it stopped when Kenzi planted her hand against it and pushed it back open.
"I thought you went to the party."
"You thought..." Kenzi frowned. "How did you get changed so fast?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that skank ensemble you had on when you were dry-humping Miss Kitty and Wyatt Earp back at the Dal!"
Lauren cleared her throat. "Uh, maybe this is a bad time."
"No." Bo aimed a finger at her. "You stay. Kenzi, you make sense. I wasn't at the party tonight."
"Yes, you were! I dumped a pitcher of beer on your head, and you practically threw me across the room. You were seriously pissed I'd ruined your little threeway."
Lauren moved toward the door. "Lauren, swear to God, stay right there. Kenzi, I think maybe you had a little too much to drink. I've been right here all night."
Kenzi pointed at her eyes. "I peeped you myself! I was standing right next to you!"
"How? I was here when you left and I'm here when you got back."
Kenzi started to argue, but realized she still hadn't figured that part out. "I'm working on that. But unless there's someone going around wearing your face--"
The room got quiet and Kenzi's shoulders sagged.
"Ah, crap. There's something that can do that, isn't there?"
Lauren stepped forward. "You think it's a doppelganger?"
"Unless I have a twin no one ever told me about."
Kenzi leaned toward Lauren. "Admit it, Doc. You just got a tingle in your nethers."
Lauren cleared her throat and neither confirmed nor denied. "Doppelgangers are harbingers of doom. If you really do have one that's hanging around the Dal Riata--"
"Then we should probably check it out." Bo sighed, resigned that both her relaxing night and whatever Lauren had come over to talk about would be put on hold. "Okay. Let me go get ready."
She hooked her hand on Lauren's elbow and dragged her into the bedroom. "We probably have a minute. What's up?"
"Uh, not really something that can be condensed into a Cliff Notes." Bo went behind a changing screen and stripped out of her tights and sweater. In the mirror she could see Lauren staring at the screen, trying not to notice any silhouettes but also not looking away. She wet her lips and Bo smiled. "But, ah... I do want to say if you and Kenzi need any help on this case, I'm free tonight. Halloween is kind of a free-for-all."
"Good to know." She slid out of her granny panties and took something French and lacy out of the drawer. It was hard to say where the night would end up, but she wanted to be prepared. She put on a pair of leather pants over them. It was her standard gear, ever since Jaime in Seattle pointed out how it was like having a second protective skin. She was talking about wiping out on a Harley, but it was the same principle when fighting something with claws or fangs.
She put on a low-cut blouse that revealed just enough of her bra to entice Lauren, flipping her hair out of the collar as she stepped around the screen. Lauren spotted Bo's boots next to the bed and picked them up. She held them out, but Bo made no move to take them from her. She smiled. "Want to put them on me?"
Lauren smirked. "Kenzi's waiting."
"Let her wait." She backed up to the bed, using the boots to pull Lauren along with her. She sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her right leg over her left knee, wiggling her toes until Lauren sighed with resignation and knelt in front of her. She took Bo's foot into her hand and eased the boot onto it, glancing up to meet Bo's eyes to tacitly admit she knew exactly what Bo was doing. She tugged up the zipper and tapped her calf.
"Other foot."
Bo switched legs and Lauren massaged the arch of her left foot, moving up to work the toes. Bo leaned back on both hands, watching as Lauren bent down to kiss the slope of Bo's foot before she slid it into the boot. Bo sighed happily. "So is this what you came over for?"
"This?" Lauren smiled as she tugged the zipper up. "Not exactly. Are you ready?"
Bo held out her hand and Lauren pulled her up. Their bodies brushed together, and Bo was satisfied by Lauren's sharp intake of breath.
"God, you're a bad influence."
"Only if you give in."
Lauren swallowed and took a step back. "Rain check?"
"Hm. Sounds like I'll be getting a treat and I didn't even dress up."
They went back into the living room where Kenzi was swinging an axe like a pendulum. "Finally! I thought I was going to have to go in there and turn a hose on you two. Ob already has a head start on us."
Bo furrowed her brow. "Ob?"
"The opposite of you. Evil Bo."
"We're not calling her Ob." She took the axe from Kenzi. "And we're not going to slice and dice her. We're not even sure she is a doppelganger. For all we know she's just a girl out for a night on the town that happens to look a lot like me."
"In which case I'm going to hightail it so Dr. Lauren can play find the differences."
Bo gingerly shoved Kenzi toward the door. "Let's just go see what Trick has to say before we make any plans." She glanced back at Lauren and smiled. Lauren returned the smile, although Bo thought she may have been blushing a little as she followed them out of the apartment.
#
Bo let Kenzi move ahead of them as they approached the bar, hanging back with Lauren. "So, you have a night off from the Ash? What does that mean, no curfew?"
"It means I can come see you without asking permission." Lauren smiled and let her hand brush against Bo's. "And it means no curfew."
"Awesome. Worth thinking about."
They could hear the music from outside the tavern, and Bo resigned herself to actually attending a Halloween party. It wasn't that she hated the holiday; it just grated on her. Kids, she could understand. But there was something pathetic about full-grown adults dressing up in silly costumes and making idiots out of themselves.
When they got inside, the dull throb of music coalesced into an actual song. "Werewolf bar mitzvah, spooky scary... boys becoming men, men becoming wolves..." Kenzi led the way to the bar, with Lauren bringing up the rear and Bo trying to avoid being pulled into any dances. As she politely rebuffed a female Jack Sparrow and Lauren smirked and leaned close enough to be heard over the music. "You're pretty popular tonight."
"Hormones. That's all it is." She slid her arm around Lauren's in a subtle show of possession as she joined Kenzi at the bar. She was a little hurt by Trick's expression when he saw her, but considering what he thought she'd been up to it wasn't too surprising.
Kenzi said, "Yo, Trick. Is Bo still around?"
"Unless someone has a really convincing succubus costume, you should turn around."
"Not her. That's the real Bo. We're looking for Faux Bo."
Trick looked at Lauren. "Has she been hitting the punch a little early this year?"
"There's a doppelganger of me running around," Bo said. "I swear to you, Trick, I was home all night. Whatever I did to make your night miserable, it wasn't me. Is she... it... still around?"
Trick motioned for them to follow him into the back room. The music was dulled by the walls so they could speak without shouting. "She left a little while after Kenzi dumped a pitcher on her head. I didn't ask for details. I was just glad to see her go. No offense, Bo."
"None taken. If this really is a doppelganger we're dealing with, it shouldn't be too difficult to send away."
Kenzi said, "What do you mean if it really is a doppelganger? How many fae things can look like someone else?"
"You'd be surprised. There's the etiainen, the fetch, the vardoger." He took a book down and opened it to a page in the middle. He flipped around for a moment until he found what he was looking for. "It could also be that Bo was experiencing bilocation." Kenzi snorted but didn't make a comment. "Bo, you said you were home the entire time Kenzi saw you here. Are you sure you were conscious the entire time?"
"I..." She thought back over the night. Between reading and the bath, she supposed there might have been moments where she dozed off. "I guess I could have fallen asleep."
Trick smiled. "Relax, Bo. I've dealt with bilocation before. They generally don't drink and party the way you... uh, the other you did." He picked up the book and turned it around so they could see the page he'd found. There was an illustration of a man on the road who seemed to be startled by his identical twin stepping out of the woods. The twin was extending a hand toward the first man. "Looks like we're dealing with a fetch. Sorry, Bo."
"Why sorry?" Kenzi said. "Fetch sounds friendly enough."
"It's a harbinger of death," Trick said.
Bo picked up the book and tried not to think of the creepy little girl she'd seen a few weeks earlier. The thought sent shivers down her spine, and not the good kind.
"Okay. So how do we smite this thing?"
"You can't. The fetch doesn't cause the death they foretell, they're just the messengers. A sign to get your affairs in order."
Kenzi said, "Okay, uh... well, we don't know for sure it's a fetch, right? It could still be an Etienne."
"Etiainen," Lauren corrected. "And that would mean Bo was the one casting the spell. The etiainen appears as the person who sent the summons, not the summoned."
"Well, whatever. We're not going to let some harbinger tell us Bo's gonna die without having a little sit-down with her. Who's with me?" She picked up a knife off Trick's table.
Bo sighed. "Well, I was looking forward to getting to bed early, but what the heck? If you can't hunt a monster on Halloween, what good is being fae? Lauren? Want to take advantage of being curfew-free?"
"Sure."
Trick smiled. "Happy hunting."
Kenzi pouted when Trick took the knife from her. "So. If this thing is trying to act like Bo, and if Bo got tired of dancing at the Dal... where would Bo go next?"
Bo considered for a second and then raised an eyebrow. "Well. There is one place."
#
"Maybe it's not a doppelganger or a fetch or any of the above. Maybe someone just took a swig of polyjuice potion and - pop - instant Faux Bo."
Lauren smirked. "Polyjuice potion doesn't exist."
Kenzi held her hands out in surrender. "Well, how am I supposed to keep track? You guys need to make a list. Real and made-up. Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, the Tooth Fairy. I need to know these things." She looked around. "So where are we?"
Bo sighed and pointed at a building across the street. "Dyson's place."
"Who-oa. Bad idea jeans."
"You asked where I would go after a night partying at the Dal. Assuming there were drinks to be had, I probably would have made the incredibly bad decision to come here." She pointed at a dark window. "That's his place."
"Maybe he's asleep." Lauren's voice was understandably flat. "Or, you know, Halloween is a big night for vandals. Maybe he and Hale got called in to deal with the rush."
Bo shrugged. "Or he's out. He's a grown-up, he can go out on a date. Come on." She crossed the street, not bothering to see if they followed. She had just reached the street entrance when the door swung open and a dark-haired woman stepped out onto the sidewalk. There was a moment of vertigo as Bo recognized herself, only from an angle she'd never had the opportunity to see before. "Hey... hey!"
Faux Bo turned, spotted her, and ran. She was fast, and she reached the alley a full twenty seconds before Bo. "Kenzi! Cut her off on the next street!"
"Sure," Kenzi called. "Chasing a monster through a dark alley on Halloween, why not split up." She was about to argue back but she heard Kenzi running off. Lauren stayed with her as best she could. The alley was incredibly dark, with only a small amount of light filtering down from a few lofts overhead. Bo heard running footsteps up ahead and charged toward them. She didn't realize they were approaching her until the last second, when Kenzi appeared in front of her with a brick.
"Whoa! Kenzi!"
"Holy cow, you scared the crap out of me." Kenzi dropped the brick and looked around. "Where'd she go?!"
Lauren scanned the wall and spotted a darkened recess she hadn't noticed when they were running. "Here." It was a double door with a thick chain wrapped around the handles, but there was enough give that someone slender enough could duck under the chain and slip through. She pulled and said, "Bo, give me a hand--"
She turned and saw Kenzi pressing a rag to Bo's face. Bo's eyes were still open, but they were rolled far back in her head as Kenzi tossed her aside. Lauren swung at Kenzi, but the shapeshifter was too quick and strong. She wrapped an arm around Lauren's neck and forced her to her knees. The rag, soaked in chloroform, was pressed tight against Lauren's mouth and nose. She tried to hold her breath, but she felt her muscles going slack.
"Bo? Lauren!" Kenzi's voice echoed from the far end of the alley.
The creature holding Lauren shouted in Bo's voice: "We're down here, Kenzi! Hurry! I got her!" She bent down and whispered in Lauren's ear. "Nighty-night, Doc."
Lauren collapsed next to Bo, her eyes still open as she watched Kenzi rush to join the creature. Then there was nothing but darkness.
#
Lauren woke in Bo's bed. A part of her wanted to believe everything had just been an awful dream, but her headache told her that it was all too real. She sat up and discovered that she was still dressed except for her shoes and socks, wrapped up in Bo's luxurious red sheets. The doors to the wardrobe were standing open, obscuring her view of the person standing between them. She cleared her throat and took a chance. "Bo?"
Bo stuck her head around the door and smiled. "Hey, sleepyhead. We were starting to get worried. But don't you worry..." She closed the wardrobe and turned to face Lauren completely. Lauren's mouth went dry.
The outfit was skintight, hugging every curve Bo had. It was white, cut high enough to reveal the lacy tops of her white stockings and unbuttoned low enough to reveal she wasn't wearing a bra. While Lauren was admiring the view, Bo placed a folded white nurse's cap on top of her head and cocked a hip.
"Nurse Bo is going to take extra-special care of you."
Lauren tried not to be distracted. "The... fetch, in the alley."
"Kenzi is taking care of her. I kind of asked her to make herself scarce tonight. Hope you don't mind. I thought we'd need the privacy." She walked to the bed and climbed onto the mattress, kneeling on either side of Lauren's feet. "Was I presumptuous?"
"No." Lauren's voice was barely a rasp. "How did... I-I mean, if we were both knocked out--"
"Kenzi saw it changing. It chased her and gave me enough time to wake up and take over." She tugged down the sheet to Lauren's waist. "You really want to talk about this now? We could go over it in full detail in the morning. Right now I just really want to make sure you're okay." She tugged the sheet lower. "I was going to undress you completely, but I think that's more fun when you're awake. Don't you think?"
"Yeah."
Bo straddled Lauren's waist. "Glad we agree. Lean back. Let Nurse Bo take care of you." They kissed, and Lauren's eyes closed. She felt like she was melting when Bo lowered her to the mattress. Bo slid her hand down Lauren's throat and found the top button of her blouse. She tugged it free and Lauren shivered.
"What about our talk... earlier?"
"Hm?" Bo whispered. She kissed Lauren's chin, easing her head up so she could trail down her throat as she undid another button.
"About... you, me... Dyson. About how I know how much you care about him, so from now on it was going to be the three of us?"
Bo lifted her head. "Well, Dyson's not here. So he's out of luck, huh?"
"Yeah. His loss." Lauren smiled and let Faux Bo kiss her again. Her blouse was nearly all the way open. "But since we're not going to have him, why don't we get a couple of toys ready? Just so we won't fumble for them later?"
Bo grinned. "I like the way you think, Dr. Lewis." She slid off of Lauren and moved to the edge of the bed. When she bent over to reach under the bed, Lauren was momentarily bewitched by the sight of Bo's curves clad in tight lacy panties. Her options for weapons were limited, so she grabbed one of the half-burned candles beside the bed and lifted it over her head. Faux Bo turned just as Lauren brought it down like a truncheon. The wax cracked against the shapeshifter's skull, and she dropped to the mattress like a ton of bricks.
Lauren jumped out of bed, trailing the red sheets like Supergirl. She burst out of the bedroom and ran down the hall to the living room. She heard sounds of pursuit and searched the walls for any kind of weapon. She would have given her left foot for the axe Kenzi had been playing with earlier, but it was nowhere to be seen.
She wondered how much of what the fetch had said was a lie. Did Kenzi really think Faux Bo was the real deal? Where was Kenzi? Had she taken Bo to Trick? Surely he would have realized she wasn't the imposter. There had to be some kind of test they could run. She spotted a flash of something bright red hanging on the wall and stopped just long enough to grab it. She spun around, swinging the fire extinguisher like a discus.
Faux Bo was caught off guard by her stopping, and the bottom of the canister hit her on the jaw hard enough to knock her back a few steps. Lauren aimed the nozzle and pulled the trigger, firing a plume of white foam into her face. When the extinguisher was empty, Lauren held onto it for use as a club and ran into the living room.
Kenzi was tied up on the couch, her eyes wide with surprise. Lauren ran to her and pulled the gag from her mouth.
"Is it you?"
"Yeah, it's me. The real me." She untied Kenzi's hands, then went to work on the knots holding her feet together.
"No offense. I've just been tricked so many times tonight."
"Where is Bo?"
Kenzi started to answer, but her eyes bugged out. "Behind you!"
Lauren moved to the side, pulling Kenzi with her as one of Bo's samurai swords sliced the couch cushion in half. Faux Bo's face was bright red, her eyes bloodshot as she fought to get the sword dislodged from the back of the couch. Lauren made sure Kenzi could finish freeing herself and threw her weight into Faux Bo's side. She was forced to let go of the katana handle and grabbed Lauren's hair as they hit the floor.
Lauren pulled her fist back for a punch, and Faux Bo's eyes suddenly widened. "Lauren, wait!"
For a brief moment, Lauren only saw an injured and frightened Bo. The shapeshifter punched her in the solar plexus and Lauren's diaphragm froze. Lauren gasped for breath and Faux Bo bucked her off. She grabbed the fire extinguisher from where Lauren had dropped it on the couch and hoisted it over her head. "I just wanted to have a little fun with you. Would that have been so--"
The lamp shattered on the back of Faux Bo's head, and she dropped the fire extinguisher as she fell. Kenzi pumped her fist in victory. "Booyakasha! Trick or treat, bitch."
"Where's Bo? The real Bo."
"The bathroom. We were waiting until morning to call Dyson and Hale to see what to do with her."
Lauren was moving before Kenzi finished talking. "Tie her up. Make sure she's secure." She went into the bathroom and saw Bo lying unconscious in the tub. Her wrists and ankles were wrapped with layers of chains, and she was gagged. Lauren climbed into the tub, straddling Bo's body before she took down the gag. Bo murmured weakly and Lauren cupped her head with both hands. "Bo? Are you okay? Talk to me, Bo."
Bo's eyelids fluttered and then opened briefly. She smiled. "Lauren..."
Lauren kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, sweetheart... we got her."
"Mm. My hero."
Lauren smiled and started looking for the key that would release Bo's chains.
#
Hale didn't look comfortable delivering Dyson's excuse for not coming in - paperwork-induced headache was the party line - but Bo was beyond caring. The three women sat together on the couch, Bo mourning the sliced cushion by cradling it in her lap as they told him everything that happened. They took turns, starting with Kenzi and moving to Bo before finishing with Lauren. Once the story had been told in its entirety, Hale looked at the tied-up fetch and pushed his hat up with one knuckle.
"Well, one thing you don't have to worry about. The fetch isn't here as a harbinger. It showed up with a group of four others like it about three nights ago. They decided they could have fun with everyone in the world wearing masks and whatnot. Sew confusion and watch everyone panic. Dyson and I were chasing one of them most of last night. When we finally caught him, he gave up where the rest had holed up, but we were short one." He grinned at the captive Faux Bo. "Your boy sold you out. We've been trying to find you all night."
"How did she know how to copy Bo's movements?"
Hale shrugged. "She didn't. Not really. After they spend some time in someone's skin, they get an instinct for things. Sure she got an urge to go to the Dal, but she probably didn't know why."
Bo glanced at Lauren, but looked away before Lauren could feel her gaze. "There she is, all gift-wrapped for you."
"Much obliged, ma'am. Ma'ams." He stepped around the couch and lifted the shapeshifter by her arm. He eyed the nurse outfit and said, "Don't worry, Bo. We'll get your clothes back to you ASAP."
"That's not mine." Bo seemed to sink deeper into the cushions as Hale chuckled.
"Sure, sure. C'mon, sister. We got a nice jumpsuit that I'm sure you'll be much more comfortable in. But for now, it's cold out there." He draped a coat over her shoulders. "And Bo? I'll make sure she's wearing her own face when she gets booked."
"Thank you, Hale."
Once he was gone, Kenzi jumped up and faced them both. "Well, that was a lovely Halloween. Fighting monsters, getting hogtied in my own living room, watching Dr. Hotpants whup Bo's ass all over the living room. But the sun is rising on All Saints, so I'm going to head over and see if Trick has any pumpkin-flavored beer left over." She bent down and kissed Bo's cheek. "See you later. Behave, you two."
She left the apartment before Bo or Lauren could contradict her, not that either of them were in a big rush. Once they were alone, Bo stood up and replaced the cushion on the couch. "So, uh. Coffee?"
"Yes. Big cup."
They went into the kitchen where Bo took a few moments to figure out the coffee machine. Lauren leaned against the counter and hugged herself. Bo had changed into sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt before Hale had arrived, but somehow she made the ensemble look as sexy as her leather pants and low-cut top.
"Probably been a while since you pulled an all-nighter."
"Working for the Ash? I don't think he understands the concept of eight hours a night."
Bo started a drip and turned to face her. "So I guess you didn't come by last night on the off chance we'd get swept up in a monster hunt. If it was candy you're after, we probably still have some Sixlets left."
"No. Maybe later, after the coffee. But I wanted to take advantage of being free from the Ash to drop by and make sure you knew something." She wet her lips and looked down at her hands. Bo was patient, and the only sound in the kitchen was the slow bubbling of the percolator. Finally Lauren took a deep breath and met Bo's gaze.
"I know everything you're going through with Dyson. I know how conflicted you feel about him losing his love for you. It's gotta suck to know that he doesn't love you just because he loved you more than anything. It's hard to reconcile that. And I just wanted to clear up any confusion you might have had. Yes, you enchanted me when we first met. But I've been around the block. I'd know if I was just responding to your pheromones. You don't have to worry about it wearing off with me, Bo. What I feel for you is what I feel. You made me lust for you, but you didn't make me love you."
Bo had turned away and was staring intently at the coffee machine.
"That's all I wanted to say. I'll let myself out." She turned and left the kitchen, hurrying to get as far away as fast as possible. She was nearly to the couch when Bo grabbed her shoulders. She stopped and closed her eyes. "Bo..."
Bo lifted Lauren's hair and draped it over her shoulder, baring the back of her neck. Lauren shivered as Bo's lips lightly kissed the back of her neck, teasing with the tip of her tongue as her arms threaded around Lauren's waist. She flattened her palms over Lauren's belt, pulling her back until their hips pressed together. In her bare feet, Bo was a few inches shorter than Lauren, but she made up the difference by standing on her toes as she kissed her way down to Lauren's shoulder and then back up to nibble on her ear.
Lauren finally found the strength to turn around in Bo's arms. She tucked Bo's hair behind her ears and couldn't help but smile. "Still worried you're going to hurt me?"
"No." She kissed Lauren, opening her mouth as Lauren's tongue swept across her lips. Lauren held the kiss for as long as she could, and then settling to rest her lips against the curve of Bo's cheek while she caught her breath. "With everyone else, it's a necessity. To heal, to feed, to power-up. Even with Dyson, there's always an element of taking my medicine." She pulled back and looked into Lauren's eyes. "Not with you. You are the first person in a long time, maybe the only person ever, that I've just... wanted to be with. Nothing in return, no ulterior motive. I just want you."
"Then tonight you can have me."
Bo glanced toward the window. "The sun is up. It's not Halloween anymore. The Ash--"
"Will be mad anyway. So forget about him. I'm here now. Let's take advantage of that and worry about the consequences in the morning." She kissed Bo again. She pushed gently, and they moved as one toward the bedroom. Bo broke the kiss and turned away, but it was only to move faster. She took Lauren's hand and guided her into the bedroom. Bo started to climb onto the bed, but Lauren pulled her back.
"Take off your shirt."
Bo did as she was told. She dropped the shirt and reached back to unhook her bra. Lauren swatted her hands away. "Did I say bra?"
Bo arched an eyebrow and lowered her hands to her sides. "No, ma'am."
Lauren smiled and stared at her. The moment dragged on, and it felt like the air was being sucked out of the room. Finally, Lauren couldn't take it anymore. "Take off your sweats."
Bo hooked her thumbs in the elastic and pushed them down, bending over unnecessarily so that she could brush her cheek against Lauren's breasts. Lauren closed her eyes, licked her lips, and refrained from responding as Bo stood up again. Bo stared into her eyes as she stepped out of the sweats, dressed only in beautiful lace panties that matched the bra.
"So lovely."
"I wore them for you."
"I'm not talking about the underwear, Bo."
Bo's smile wavered and she shyly lowered her chin. Lauren lifted her chin with one finger, and they kissed. Lauren hooked her thumbs in Bo's panties and knelt to take them down. She let her palms and fingertips tease the back of Bo's legs, tickling the soft skin behind her knee and her soft thighs. She kissed Bo's stomach, kissed her hips, and then stood up. She put both hands on Bo's ass and squeezed as she pushed her chest against Bo's until she moved back to the bed. When her knees met the mattress she sank down onto it, grabbing Lauren's blouse to pull her down as well.
Lauren allowed Bo to retreat up to the headboard before she straddled her. She ran her hands down Bo's back until she found the catch her bra and she popped it free. She pulled it away and sat up, gazing at Bo's breasts before she lowered her head and lovingly kissed them. Bo growled and arched her back, letting Lauren lave them with her tongue and gasping in surprise as her teeth closed around one nipple.
"Too much?"
"Not enough."
Lauren bit harder and Bo whispered her name. Lauren looked up, and Bo's eyes were bright. "I also usually don't like being on the bottom. But you... any time."
Lauren moved up to kiss her, then continued her journey south. Bo bent her knees, and Lauren guided one of her legs up onto her shoulder. She kept her eyes on Bo's face as she kissed down the inside of her thigh, thrilling when Bo's lips parted and her eyes widened. Lauren teased Bo's folds with her tongue, then added a bent finger to part them so she could taste her. She curled her tongue, her eyes closed and her cheek against Bo's thigh as she explored. She didn't know when they would have another opportunity like this, so she was determined to savor it as much as possible.
"Tell me when you're close," Lauren whispered, and Bo managed to nod. Lauren teased her with lips, tongue and knuckle. Whenever Bo whispered, 'now,' Lauren would stop and focus her attention on Bo's hip, stomach or thigh before deciding it was safe to go back. She kept her eyes open and watched Bo's breasts rise and fall with each breath.
"I'm close," Bo groaned.
A few minutes later, she said, "Lauren... now..."
The next time, Bo didn't warn but Lauren saw the signs. She pulled away and Bo cried out, her brow furrowed in frustration as she lifted her head. Lauren slid up her body, Bo's legs trembling like she was about to explode. Lauren kissed her and cupped Bo's mound with her hand. Bo was wet enough that two fingers slipped inside easily, and she gripped Lauren's forearm with steel fingers.
"If you stop, I'll break off your hand and finish myself."
Lauren smiled and kissed Bo's eyebrow. "Come for me, Bo."
Bo pressed her face against the chest of Lauren's shirt and whimpered helplessly as she tightened around Lauren's fingers. Lauren held her as she came, watching as Bo's eyes closed. She tried to count the wrinkles around her eyes, the way her nostrils flared and her eyebrows danced as she pressed down against Lauren's hand, tensing and relaxing around Lauren's captive fingers in orgasm.
Lauren kissed Bo's face until she grew still and started returning the kisses. Bo's hands regained their strength and went to work on the buttons of Lauren's blouse. Lauren let Bo undress her, rising just enough to get her slacks down and off before Bo slid out from under her. "Lay down on your stomach," Bo whispered.
Lauren pulled the pillow to her, wrapping both arms around it as Bo settled on top of her. Bo knelt between Lauren's legs and put both arms around her. With one, she cupped Lauren's breast. With the other she touched Lauren between the legs. Lauren arched her back as Bo buried her face in her hair, breathing deeply as she began to move her fingers in a slow, gentle rhythm.
"I'm not going to tease you." Bo's lips moved against the shell of Lauren's ear. "I'm going to make you come. I'm going to make you come for me, Lauren."
Lauren eased her legs farther apart, lifting her rear end to give Bo more room. Two fingers pushed inside of her and Lauren pressed her face into the pillow to silence her cries. Bo kept up her litany: "Come for me, Lauren, I want to feel you come, Lauren." Lauren lifted her head and turned it, Bo kissing her before she had to beg for it. Lauren pushed her tongue into Bo's mouth in the same rhythm Bo was using on her, and she only broke the kiss to cry out her orgasm.
Bo held her, their cheeks together, both of them struggling to breathe in the sudden vacuum of the bedroom. Lauren lazily licked and kissed Bo's cheek, while Bo stroked up and down Lauren's back with one hand and squeezed her inner thigh with the other. They finally pulled back enough to see each other, and Bo brushed Lauren's hair back over the top of her head. She smiled, and Lauren bit her lip.
"Happy All Saints Day."
"You too."
Bo kissed a line along Lauren's left eyebrow and guided her head down to the pillow. "You're going to be in trouble no matter when you get back today." Lauren nodded. "So sleep here for a while. I mean, it's my fault you were up all night."
"Okay," Lauren said. Her voice was already drifting off. Bo lay beside her, watching her face go slack. "Too bad she was evil. The shapeshifter..."
"Why?"
"Kenzi had some good ideas."
Bo laughed and leaned closer. "You really think you could handle two of me at once?"
Lauren's answer was barely loud enough to be heard. "Mm. What a wayta go..."
#
Kenzi was wearing bulky headphones with an antenna rising from each half-globe. Bo tapped the top of her head and made her jump. She peeled off the headphones and dropped her feet off the kitchen table as Bo went to the coffee machine. "Hey! Look who's up. And it's not even December yet." She twisted in her seat. "Where's Lauren?"
"I escorted her out. We said good morning, but you were deafening yourself." Bo was wearing shorts and a tank top under her robe, and her hair was up in a sloppy bun. She poured herself a cup. "That was probably because of us, though. I guess we got a little loud in the tub, didn't we?"
"Pshaw, I didn't notice." She cleared her throat pointedly. "So I take it you guys had a nice talk after I jumped ship?"
"Talk?" Bo pretended to think. "Sure. There was a little talk. But I don't kiss and tell."
"Since when?" Kenzi said, but she dropped the matter. Bo made herself a bowl of cereal and joined Kenzi at the table. Kenzi smiled at her. "So, getting over Dyson by getting under Lauren again? Did it work?"
"Too soon to tell."
"Yeah. Right. I haven't seen you smile like that in months. I hereby declare you firmly on the road to recovery." She waved her hand as if bestowing a knighthood. "So all in all, Halloween? What's your final verdict?"
Bo breathed in through her nostrils and considered the question. She could almost smell Lauren on her, could still hear her harsh breathing in her ear. She leaned back in her seat, both hands wrapped around her coffee cup. "Halloween... not that bad after all, I guess."
Title: The Face of Bo
Author: geonncannon
Fandom: Lost Girl
Pairing: Bo/Lauren
Word Count: 8,034
Category: Romance, drama, smut
Spoilers: Nothing specific
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.
Rating: Mature
Author's Notes: Takes place near the beginning of Season 2, so there are small spoilers for developments therein.
Summary: A costume party at the Dal Riata gets out of hand, forcing Bo to lift her ban on all things All Hallows' Eve.
header made by syrenslure!
The top of the skull came off with a quiet pop, the convex cap placed upside down on the table. Kenzi slipped her fingers inside without looking and withdrew a handful of the treats inside. She turned to the door and smiled. "Here you go. Who wants Sixlets?" The kids held up their bags and she doled out two packages apiece to a witch, a scarecrow and some kind of robot. She waved goodbye to the kids and kicked the door shut, her smile fading as soon as her face was out of sight. "What kind of parent lets their kid trick-or-treat in this neighborhood without supervision? I don't even like going out by myself after dark."
"Uh-huh."
"Your scintillating contribution to the conversation is noted." Kenzi passed the couch where Bo was sprawled with a paperback. Her feet were bare and crossed on the arm of the couch, so Kenzi assaulted them with her horrible tickling fingers. Bo's knees shot up to chest level and she glared over the top of her novel. "Come on, I'm bored. Let's go out."
Bo went back to her book. "You don't get enough spooks and goblins in your everyday life?"
"Well, sure. But this is Halloween. It's like spook Christmas." She climbed onto the couch and let Bo rest her feet on her knees. She began to rub them as an apology for her tickling. "Shouldn't you be the one all bouncing off the walls?"
Bo sighed and let the book fall open onto her chest. "Imagine you're an accountant..."
"Blech."
"And every year, people dress up in three-piece suits and wander the streets with calculators offering to do your taxes for candy. It's ridiculous. It's a mockery. And I won't be a part of it."
Kenzi stuck out her tongue. "Spoilsport. Even Trick is having a costume party at the Dal, and I'm stuck here with the only person dressing as a stick in the mud."
"So go to the party." She picked up her book and tried to read again. "No one is making you stay here."
"Ha! My guilt is making me stay here. If I left you here all by yourself--"
"I might actually get to read my book?"
Kenzi screwed up her face in mock anger, then let Bo's feet drop to the couch. "Fine. I'll go. And I'll be sure to tell you all the gory details so you know exactly what you missed. Then where will you be?"
"Probably still on this same page."
"Grouch."
Bo swatted at Kenzi with her foot, but Kenzi easily dodged the blow. She went into her bedroom, pouting only a little as she examined her closet for appropriate costume material. The way she dressed normally made it hard to make a statement on Halloween. It wasn't that she felt obliged to keep Bo company, but the party would be a whole lot duller without her there. Trick, Dyson, Hale. They were all fine. But Bo was quickly on her way to BFF territory, and going to a party without her just reeked of a disappointing night.
She found a pair of cat ears and a hot pink T-shirt tucked to the back of her closet. She added a pair of fur-lined handcuffs that she'd gotten Bo as a gag gift. It would still work as a Christmas gift, since Bo wouldn't be at the party to see them anyway. She tucked them into her bag and left her room. "You have to deal with the kidlets."
"I could just ignore the doorbell."
"Then you have to wash the door when they egg the place."
Bo rolled her eyes. "Fine. Where's the candy?"
"Bob the Skull."
"Bob?"
"Dresden Files. You oughta read more than those Twilight things."
Bo made an offended noise. "This is not Twilight."
"Whatever. If you read them, you'd know you're on Team Edward when you really should be on Team Jason."
"It's Team Jacob."
"A-ha! I'll be back late. Don't wait up, Bella." She blew a kiss and left before Bo could find something to throw at her. In the hallway outside, she hooked one bracelet of the handcuffs on her wrist and let the other dangle. She made sure that her cat ears were on straight and headed out into the night.
Ghouls and goblins of all shapes and sizes lined the streets, some of the groups trailed by parents and others all on their own. She saw a group of college guys and fixated on one of them dressed like the Old Spice guy - an economical costume consisting of a towel and a stick of deodorant - and briefly considered skipping Trick's party all together. But she had to focus. She loved Halloween, even though her life was becoming more and more Halloween-y all the time.
The Dal was packed with both Dark and Light Fae, all of whom were either dressed up or freely letting their freak flag fly. She weaved through the crowd until she reached the bar. Trick was behind the counter wearing a shirt with a ruffled front underneath a velvet vest. He had an eye patch flipped up over his right eye and a bandana tied around his head.
"Hey, Trick-r-Treat."
"You still have to pay, Kenzi, even on Halloween."
"Bah humbug."
"Wrong holiday." He looked her up and down. "And what are you?"
Kenzi held up her wrist so he could see the handcuffs. "Cat burglar."
"Not bad. In the spirit of the holiday, one drink on the house."
Kenzi brightened. "You're a rock star, Trick. A true gentleman of the Fae."
"Don't get too used to it." He placed a drink in front of her. "As payment, you can tell Bo to lighten up a little."
Kenzi was grateful for someone to commiserate with. "I know, what is it with her?"
Trick shook his head. "Hell if I know. But she listens to you. I figure if anyone has a shot, it's you."
Kenzi lifted her mug in a toast. "Trick, I solemnly swear to do my best to remove the stick from my friend's backside."
Trick stared at her. "I don't think that's her problem. But whatever you can do to help."
"Will do, my captain." She took her drink and navigated the costumed and, in the case of some Fae, finally outside minus a costume crowd looking for familiar faces. She heard shouts and cheers and made her way toward it, knowing that hooting and hollering usually indicated the best part of the party. She slithered between a cheerleader and a monster to see what had gotten everyone's attention. She nearly dropped her beer.
Bo was grinding against a cowgirl, with a man in a matching cowboy costume pressing against her from behind. Bo wasn't in costume, unless her leather vest and skintight pants constituted some kind of streetwalker disguise. Her hair was down, and Kenzi could see the sweat shining on her cleavage as she sank down and pressed her hips against the cowgirl while the cowboy held her waist from behind.
Kenzi approached the squirming trio and grabbed Bo's hand. Bo shook her off. "You'll have to wait your turn, sister."
"Bo... Bo! How did you even get here ahead of me?"
Bo ignored the question and began running her hands over the cowgirl's legs, pushing up her skirt to almost obscene heights while the cowboy... well, jeans that tight didn't leave much to the imagination. Kenzi looked around for help, knowing that she would never be a match for Bo on her own. And trying to yank her out of the middle of an incipient threesome was a recipe for a black eye. A waiter walked by with a pitcher of beer and Kenzi grabbed it from him. "Tell Trick it goes on my tab." She turned and dumped the contents over Bo's head.
Bo went completely still, and her cowpoke partners pulled back to avoid the deluge. Bo held her hands out to either side like she was forming parenthesis as she slowly turned to face Kenzi. "What... the hell... are you doing?"
"Trick... asked me to, uh, calm you down. So I--"
Bo grabbed the collar of Kenzi's T-shirt and shoved her backward. Kenzi stumbled and Bo went in pursuit. The other partiers were in limbo, having gone from voyeurism to witnesses, and they began to disperse. The cowboy and cowgirl disappeared into the crowd. Bo's eyes were dark as she advanced on Kenzi, who was retreating as quickly as she could. "Bo... j-just hold on, okay? Just keep calm. You know how you can get a little--"
"No one asked for your interference."
"No, that's not true! Trick did! He did!"
Trick appeared as if she had conjured him. "Bo, this is neutral ground."
Bo stared at Kenzi for a long moment before she turned her attention to Trick. She bared her teeth in an almost feral sneer and then aimed her finger at Kenzi. "This isn't over."
"Duly noted," Kenzi said in a meek voice. Bo turned and stormed off, shoving people out of her way if they didn't move fast enough. "What the monkey?!"
Trick sighed. "I take it you didn't know she was making a spectacle of herself when you promised to take care of her."
"Uh, no! When I left our place, she said she didn't even want to come tonight."
"Looks like she changed her mind. Did Dyson do something to tick her off?"
Kenzi shrugged. "She didn't mention anything. I think I better go find her. When she's in a mood like that, there's no telling what she'd do." She sighed. "Or who."
#
Bo opened the door and tried to fake enthusiasm. "Hey! Look at you, you're... you're some kind of green masked man. And you're a princess." She dug into the plastic skull and dumped a handful of candy in each bag. "Nice costumes. Very scary." Once the kids were gone, she shut the door and blew out a mouthful of air. "How late do they let these kids stay out?"
She went back into the kitchen where she was warming some milk on the stove. She tested the temperature before she poured it into a glass, sipping it on her way to bed. She was nearly to the bedroom door when someone knocked. She closed her eyes and groaned, changing direction mid-step. "Come on... isn't it a school night?"
She opened the door expecting kids, so her eyes were level with Lauren's waist. She ran her eyes up the shapely body, arching an eyebrow as she leaned against the door. "Well, there's a costume I haven't seen tonight. Beautiful doctor."
Lauren's smile was forced. "Hey, Bo. You have a minute?"
"Sure. Come on in." She stepped out of the way and ushered Lauren into the apartment. Lauren took off her jacket, and Bo admired her toned arms revealed by a sleeveless shirt. Maybe I won't need warm milk to get to sleep... "What's on your mind?"
She started to close the door, but it stopped when Kenzi planted her hand against it and pushed it back open.
"I thought you went to the party."
"You thought..." Kenzi frowned. "How did you get changed so fast?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that skank ensemble you had on when you were dry-humping Miss Kitty and Wyatt Earp back at the Dal!"
Lauren cleared her throat. "Uh, maybe this is a bad time."
"No." Bo aimed a finger at her. "You stay. Kenzi, you make sense. I wasn't at the party tonight."
"Yes, you were! I dumped a pitcher of beer on your head, and you practically threw me across the room. You were seriously pissed I'd ruined your little threeway."
Lauren moved toward the door. "Lauren, swear to God, stay right there. Kenzi, I think maybe you had a little too much to drink. I've been right here all night."
Kenzi pointed at her eyes. "I peeped you myself! I was standing right next to you!"
"How? I was here when you left and I'm here when you got back."
Kenzi started to argue, but realized she still hadn't figured that part out. "I'm working on that. But unless there's someone going around wearing your face--"
The room got quiet and Kenzi's shoulders sagged.
"Ah, crap. There's something that can do that, isn't there?"
Lauren stepped forward. "You think it's a doppelganger?"
"Unless I have a twin no one ever told me about."
Kenzi leaned toward Lauren. "Admit it, Doc. You just got a tingle in your nethers."
Lauren cleared her throat and neither confirmed nor denied. "Doppelgangers are harbingers of doom. If you really do have one that's hanging around the Dal Riata--"
"Then we should probably check it out." Bo sighed, resigned that both her relaxing night and whatever Lauren had come over to talk about would be put on hold. "Okay. Let me go get ready."
She hooked her hand on Lauren's elbow and dragged her into the bedroom. "We probably have a minute. What's up?"
"Uh, not really something that can be condensed into a Cliff Notes." Bo went behind a changing screen and stripped out of her tights and sweater. In the mirror she could see Lauren staring at the screen, trying not to notice any silhouettes but also not looking away. She wet her lips and Bo smiled. "But, ah... I do want to say if you and Kenzi need any help on this case, I'm free tonight. Halloween is kind of a free-for-all."
"Good to know." She slid out of her granny panties and took something French and lacy out of the drawer. It was hard to say where the night would end up, but she wanted to be prepared. She put on a pair of leather pants over them. It was her standard gear, ever since Jaime in Seattle pointed out how it was like having a second protective skin. She was talking about wiping out on a Harley, but it was the same principle when fighting something with claws or fangs.
She put on a low-cut blouse that revealed just enough of her bra to entice Lauren, flipping her hair out of the collar as she stepped around the screen. Lauren spotted Bo's boots next to the bed and picked them up. She held them out, but Bo made no move to take them from her. She smiled. "Want to put them on me?"
Lauren smirked. "Kenzi's waiting."
"Let her wait." She backed up to the bed, using the boots to pull Lauren along with her. She sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her right leg over her left knee, wiggling her toes until Lauren sighed with resignation and knelt in front of her. She took Bo's foot into her hand and eased the boot onto it, glancing up to meet Bo's eyes to tacitly admit she knew exactly what Bo was doing. She tugged up the zipper and tapped her calf.
"Other foot."
Bo switched legs and Lauren massaged the arch of her left foot, moving up to work the toes. Bo leaned back on both hands, watching as Lauren bent down to kiss the slope of Bo's foot before she slid it into the boot. Bo sighed happily. "So is this what you came over for?"
"This?" Lauren smiled as she tugged the zipper up. "Not exactly. Are you ready?"
Bo held out her hand and Lauren pulled her up. Their bodies brushed together, and Bo was satisfied by Lauren's sharp intake of breath.
"God, you're a bad influence."
"Only if you give in."
Lauren swallowed and took a step back. "Rain check?"
"Hm. Sounds like I'll be getting a treat and I didn't even dress up."
They went back into the living room where Kenzi was swinging an axe like a pendulum. "Finally! I thought I was going to have to go in there and turn a hose on you two. Ob already has a head start on us."
Bo furrowed her brow. "Ob?"
"The opposite of you. Evil Bo."
"We're not calling her Ob." She took the axe from Kenzi. "And we're not going to slice and dice her. We're not even sure she is a doppelganger. For all we know she's just a girl out for a night on the town that happens to look a lot like me."
"In which case I'm going to hightail it so Dr. Lauren can play find the differences."
Bo gingerly shoved Kenzi toward the door. "Let's just go see what Trick has to say before we make any plans." She glanced back at Lauren and smiled. Lauren returned the smile, although Bo thought she may have been blushing a little as she followed them out of the apartment.
#
Bo let Kenzi move ahead of them as they approached the bar, hanging back with Lauren. "So, you have a night off from the Ash? What does that mean, no curfew?"
"It means I can come see you without asking permission." Lauren smiled and let her hand brush against Bo's. "And it means no curfew."
"Awesome. Worth thinking about."
They could hear the music from outside the tavern, and Bo resigned herself to actually attending a Halloween party. It wasn't that she hated the holiday; it just grated on her. Kids, she could understand. But there was something pathetic about full-grown adults dressing up in silly costumes and making idiots out of themselves.
When they got inside, the dull throb of music coalesced into an actual song. "Werewolf bar mitzvah, spooky scary... boys becoming men, men becoming wolves..." Kenzi led the way to the bar, with Lauren bringing up the rear and Bo trying to avoid being pulled into any dances. As she politely rebuffed a female Jack Sparrow and Lauren smirked and leaned close enough to be heard over the music. "You're pretty popular tonight."
"Hormones. That's all it is." She slid her arm around Lauren's in a subtle show of possession as she joined Kenzi at the bar. She was a little hurt by Trick's expression when he saw her, but considering what he thought she'd been up to it wasn't too surprising.
Kenzi said, "Yo, Trick. Is Bo still around?"
"Unless someone has a really convincing succubus costume, you should turn around."
"Not her. That's the real Bo. We're looking for Faux Bo."
Trick looked at Lauren. "Has she been hitting the punch a little early this year?"
"There's a doppelganger of me running around," Bo said. "I swear to you, Trick, I was home all night. Whatever I did to make your night miserable, it wasn't me. Is she... it... still around?"
Trick motioned for them to follow him into the back room. The music was dulled by the walls so they could speak without shouting. "She left a little while after Kenzi dumped a pitcher on her head. I didn't ask for details. I was just glad to see her go. No offense, Bo."
"None taken. If this really is a doppelganger we're dealing with, it shouldn't be too difficult to send away."
Kenzi said, "What do you mean if it really is a doppelganger? How many fae things can look like someone else?"
"You'd be surprised. There's the etiainen, the fetch, the vardoger." He took a book down and opened it to a page in the middle. He flipped around for a moment until he found what he was looking for. "It could also be that Bo was experiencing bilocation." Kenzi snorted but didn't make a comment. "Bo, you said you were home the entire time Kenzi saw you here. Are you sure you were conscious the entire time?"
"I..." She thought back over the night. Between reading and the bath, she supposed there might have been moments where she dozed off. "I guess I could have fallen asleep."
Trick smiled. "Relax, Bo. I've dealt with bilocation before. They generally don't drink and party the way you... uh, the other you did." He picked up the book and turned it around so they could see the page he'd found. There was an illustration of a man on the road who seemed to be startled by his identical twin stepping out of the woods. The twin was extending a hand toward the first man. "Looks like we're dealing with a fetch. Sorry, Bo."
"Why sorry?" Kenzi said. "Fetch sounds friendly enough."
"It's a harbinger of death," Trick said.
Bo picked up the book and tried not to think of the creepy little girl she'd seen a few weeks earlier. The thought sent shivers down her spine, and not the good kind.
"Okay. So how do we smite this thing?"
"You can't. The fetch doesn't cause the death they foretell, they're just the messengers. A sign to get your affairs in order."
Kenzi said, "Okay, uh... well, we don't know for sure it's a fetch, right? It could still be an Etienne."
"Etiainen," Lauren corrected. "And that would mean Bo was the one casting the spell. The etiainen appears as the person who sent the summons, not the summoned."
"Well, whatever. We're not going to let some harbinger tell us Bo's gonna die without having a little sit-down with her. Who's with me?" She picked up a knife off Trick's table.
Bo sighed. "Well, I was looking forward to getting to bed early, but what the heck? If you can't hunt a monster on Halloween, what good is being fae? Lauren? Want to take advantage of being curfew-free?"
"Sure."
Trick smiled. "Happy hunting."
Kenzi pouted when Trick took the knife from her. "So. If this thing is trying to act like Bo, and if Bo got tired of dancing at the Dal... where would Bo go next?"
Bo considered for a second and then raised an eyebrow. "Well. There is one place."
#
"Maybe it's not a doppelganger or a fetch or any of the above. Maybe someone just took a swig of polyjuice potion and - pop - instant Faux Bo."
Lauren smirked. "Polyjuice potion doesn't exist."
Kenzi held her hands out in surrender. "Well, how am I supposed to keep track? You guys need to make a list. Real and made-up. Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, the Tooth Fairy. I need to know these things." She looked around. "So where are we?"
Bo sighed and pointed at a building across the street. "Dyson's place."
"Who-oa. Bad idea jeans."
"You asked where I would go after a night partying at the Dal. Assuming there were drinks to be had, I probably would have made the incredibly bad decision to come here." She pointed at a dark window. "That's his place."
"Maybe he's asleep." Lauren's voice was understandably flat. "Or, you know, Halloween is a big night for vandals. Maybe he and Hale got called in to deal with the rush."
Bo shrugged. "Or he's out. He's a grown-up, he can go out on a date. Come on." She crossed the street, not bothering to see if they followed. She had just reached the street entrance when the door swung open and a dark-haired woman stepped out onto the sidewalk. There was a moment of vertigo as Bo recognized herself, only from an angle she'd never had the opportunity to see before. "Hey... hey!"
Faux Bo turned, spotted her, and ran. She was fast, and she reached the alley a full twenty seconds before Bo. "Kenzi! Cut her off on the next street!"
"Sure," Kenzi called. "Chasing a monster through a dark alley on Halloween, why not split up." She was about to argue back but she heard Kenzi running off. Lauren stayed with her as best she could. The alley was incredibly dark, with only a small amount of light filtering down from a few lofts overhead. Bo heard running footsteps up ahead and charged toward them. She didn't realize they were approaching her until the last second, when Kenzi appeared in front of her with a brick.
"Whoa! Kenzi!"
"Holy cow, you scared the crap out of me." Kenzi dropped the brick and looked around. "Where'd she go?!"
Lauren scanned the wall and spotted a darkened recess she hadn't noticed when they were running. "Here." It was a double door with a thick chain wrapped around the handles, but there was enough give that someone slender enough could duck under the chain and slip through. She pulled and said, "Bo, give me a hand--"
She turned and saw Kenzi pressing a rag to Bo's face. Bo's eyes were still open, but they were rolled far back in her head as Kenzi tossed her aside. Lauren swung at Kenzi, but the shapeshifter was too quick and strong. She wrapped an arm around Lauren's neck and forced her to her knees. The rag, soaked in chloroform, was pressed tight against Lauren's mouth and nose. She tried to hold her breath, but she felt her muscles going slack.
"Bo? Lauren!" Kenzi's voice echoed from the far end of the alley.
The creature holding Lauren shouted in Bo's voice: "We're down here, Kenzi! Hurry! I got her!" She bent down and whispered in Lauren's ear. "Nighty-night, Doc."
Lauren collapsed next to Bo, her eyes still open as she watched Kenzi rush to join the creature. Then there was nothing but darkness.
#
Lauren woke in Bo's bed. A part of her wanted to believe everything had just been an awful dream, but her headache told her that it was all too real. She sat up and discovered that she was still dressed except for her shoes and socks, wrapped up in Bo's luxurious red sheets. The doors to the wardrobe were standing open, obscuring her view of the person standing between them. She cleared her throat and took a chance. "Bo?"
Bo stuck her head around the door and smiled. "Hey, sleepyhead. We were starting to get worried. But don't you worry..." She closed the wardrobe and turned to face Lauren completely. Lauren's mouth went dry.
The outfit was skintight, hugging every curve Bo had. It was white, cut high enough to reveal the lacy tops of her white stockings and unbuttoned low enough to reveal she wasn't wearing a bra. While Lauren was admiring the view, Bo placed a folded white nurse's cap on top of her head and cocked a hip.
"Nurse Bo is going to take extra-special care of you."
Lauren tried not to be distracted. "The... fetch, in the alley."
"Kenzi is taking care of her. I kind of asked her to make herself scarce tonight. Hope you don't mind. I thought we'd need the privacy." She walked to the bed and climbed onto the mattress, kneeling on either side of Lauren's feet. "Was I presumptuous?"
"No." Lauren's voice was barely a rasp. "How did... I-I mean, if we were both knocked out--"
"Kenzi saw it changing. It chased her and gave me enough time to wake up and take over." She tugged down the sheet to Lauren's waist. "You really want to talk about this now? We could go over it in full detail in the morning. Right now I just really want to make sure you're okay." She tugged the sheet lower. "I was going to undress you completely, but I think that's more fun when you're awake. Don't you think?"
"Yeah."
Bo straddled Lauren's waist. "Glad we agree. Lean back. Let Nurse Bo take care of you." They kissed, and Lauren's eyes closed. She felt like she was melting when Bo lowered her to the mattress. Bo slid her hand down Lauren's throat and found the top button of her blouse. She tugged it free and Lauren shivered.
"What about our talk... earlier?"
"Hm?" Bo whispered. She kissed Lauren's chin, easing her head up so she could trail down her throat as she undid another button.
"About... you, me... Dyson. About how I know how much you care about him, so from now on it was going to be the three of us?"
Bo lifted her head. "Well, Dyson's not here. So he's out of luck, huh?"
"Yeah. His loss." Lauren smiled and let Faux Bo kiss her again. Her blouse was nearly all the way open. "But since we're not going to have him, why don't we get a couple of toys ready? Just so we won't fumble for them later?"
Bo grinned. "I like the way you think, Dr. Lewis." She slid off of Lauren and moved to the edge of the bed. When she bent over to reach under the bed, Lauren was momentarily bewitched by the sight of Bo's curves clad in tight lacy panties. Her options for weapons were limited, so she grabbed one of the half-burned candles beside the bed and lifted it over her head. Faux Bo turned just as Lauren brought it down like a truncheon. The wax cracked against the shapeshifter's skull, and she dropped to the mattress like a ton of bricks.
Lauren jumped out of bed, trailing the red sheets like Supergirl. She burst out of the bedroom and ran down the hall to the living room. She heard sounds of pursuit and searched the walls for any kind of weapon. She would have given her left foot for the axe Kenzi had been playing with earlier, but it was nowhere to be seen.
She wondered how much of what the fetch had said was a lie. Did Kenzi really think Faux Bo was the real deal? Where was Kenzi? Had she taken Bo to Trick? Surely he would have realized she wasn't the imposter. There had to be some kind of test they could run. She spotted a flash of something bright red hanging on the wall and stopped just long enough to grab it. She spun around, swinging the fire extinguisher like a discus.
Faux Bo was caught off guard by her stopping, and the bottom of the canister hit her on the jaw hard enough to knock her back a few steps. Lauren aimed the nozzle and pulled the trigger, firing a plume of white foam into her face. When the extinguisher was empty, Lauren held onto it for use as a club and ran into the living room.
Kenzi was tied up on the couch, her eyes wide with surprise. Lauren ran to her and pulled the gag from her mouth.
"Is it you?"
"Yeah, it's me. The real me." She untied Kenzi's hands, then went to work on the knots holding her feet together.
"No offense. I've just been tricked so many times tonight."
"Where is Bo?"
Kenzi started to answer, but her eyes bugged out. "Behind you!"
Lauren moved to the side, pulling Kenzi with her as one of Bo's samurai swords sliced the couch cushion in half. Faux Bo's face was bright red, her eyes bloodshot as she fought to get the sword dislodged from the back of the couch. Lauren made sure Kenzi could finish freeing herself and threw her weight into Faux Bo's side. She was forced to let go of the katana handle and grabbed Lauren's hair as they hit the floor.
Lauren pulled her fist back for a punch, and Faux Bo's eyes suddenly widened. "Lauren, wait!"
For a brief moment, Lauren only saw an injured and frightened Bo. The shapeshifter punched her in the solar plexus and Lauren's diaphragm froze. Lauren gasped for breath and Faux Bo bucked her off. She grabbed the fire extinguisher from where Lauren had dropped it on the couch and hoisted it over her head. "I just wanted to have a little fun with you. Would that have been so--"
The lamp shattered on the back of Faux Bo's head, and she dropped the fire extinguisher as she fell. Kenzi pumped her fist in victory. "Booyakasha! Trick or treat, bitch."
"Where's Bo? The real Bo."
"The bathroom. We were waiting until morning to call Dyson and Hale to see what to do with her."
Lauren was moving before Kenzi finished talking. "Tie her up. Make sure she's secure." She went into the bathroom and saw Bo lying unconscious in the tub. Her wrists and ankles were wrapped with layers of chains, and she was gagged. Lauren climbed into the tub, straddling Bo's body before she took down the gag. Bo murmured weakly and Lauren cupped her head with both hands. "Bo? Are you okay? Talk to me, Bo."
Bo's eyelids fluttered and then opened briefly. She smiled. "Lauren..."
Lauren kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, sweetheart... we got her."
"Mm. My hero."
Lauren smiled and started looking for the key that would release Bo's chains.
#
Hale didn't look comfortable delivering Dyson's excuse for not coming in - paperwork-induced headache was the party line - but Bo was beyond caring. The three women sat together on the couch, Bo mourning the sliced cushion by cradling it in her lap as they told him everything that happened. They took turns, starting with Kenzi and moving to Bo before finishing with Lauren. Once the story had been told in its entirety, Hale looked at the tied-up fetch and pushed his hat up with one knuckle.
"Well, one thing you don't have to worry about. The fetch isn't here as a harbinger. It showed up with a group of four others like it about three nights ago. They decided they could have fun with everyone in the world wearing masks and whatnot. Sew confusion and watch everyone panic. Dyson and I were chasing one of them most of last night. When we finally caught him, he gave up where the rest had holed up, but we were short one." He grinned at the captive Faux Bo. "Your boy sold you out. We've been trying to find you all night."
"How did she know how to copy Bo's movements?"
Hale shrugged. "She didn't. Not really. After they spend some time in someone's skin, they get an instinct for things. Sure she got an urge to go to the Dal, but she probably didn't know why."
Bo glanced at Lauren, but looked away before Lauren could feel her gaze. "There she is, all gift-wrapped for you."
"Much obliged, ma'am. Ma'ams." He stepped around the couch and lifted the shapeshifter by her arm. He eyed the nurse outfit and said, "Don't worry, Bo. We'll get your clothes back to you ASAP."
"That's not mine." Bo seemed to sink deeper into the cushions as Hale chuckled.
"Sure, sure. C'mon, sister. We got a nice jumpsuit that I'm sure you'll be much more comfortable in. But for now, it's cold out there." He draped a coat over her shoulders. "And Bo? I'll make sure she's wearing her own face when she gets booked."
"Thank you, Hale."
Once he was gone, Kenzi jumped up and faced them both. "Well, that was a lovely Halloween. Fighting monsters, getting hogtied in my own living room, watching Dr. Hotpants whup Bo's ass all over the living room. But the sun is rising on All Saints, so I'm going to head over and see if Trick has any pumpkin-flavored beer left over." She bent down and kissed Bo's cheek. "See you later. Behave, you two."
She left the apartment before Bo or Lauren could contradict her, not that either of them were in a big rush. Once they were alone, Bo stood up and replaced the cushion on the couch. "So, uh. Coffee?"
"Yes. Big cup."
They went into the kitchen where Bo took a few moments to figure out the coffee machine. Lauren leaned against the counter and hugged herself. Bo had changed into sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt before Hale had arrived, but somehow she made the ensemble look as sexy as her leather pants and low-cut top.
"Probably been a while since you pulled an all-nighter."
"Working for the Ash? I don't think he understands the concept of eight hours a night."
Bo started a drip and turned to face her. "So I guess you didn't come by last night on the off chance we'd get swept up in a monster hunt. If it was candy you're after, we probably still have some Sixlets left."
"No. Maybe later, after the coffee. But I wanted to take advantage of being free from the Ash to drop by and make sure you knew something." She wet her lips and looked down at her hands. Bo was patient, and the only sound in the kitchen was the slow bubbling of the percolator. Finally Lauren took a deep breath and met Bo's gaze.
"I know everything you're going through with Dyson. I know how conflicted you feel about him losing his love for you. It's gotta suck to know that he doesn't love you just because he loved you more than anything. It's hard to reconcile that. And I just wanted to clear up any confusion you might have had. Yes, you enchanted me when we first met. But I've been around the block. I'd know if I was just responding to your pheromones. You don't have to worry about it wearing off with me, Bo. What I feel for you is what I feel. You made me lust for you, but you didn't make me love you."
Bo had turned away and was staring intently at the coffee machine.
"That's all I wanted to say. I'll let myself out." She turned and left the kitchen, hurrying to get as far away as fast as possible. She was nearly to the couch when Bo grabbed her shoulders. She stopped and closed her eyes. "Bo..."
Bo lifted Lauren's hair and draped it over her shoulder, baring the back of her neck. Lauren shivered as Bo's lips lightly kissed the back of her neck, teasing with the tip of her tongue as her arms threaded around Lauren's waist. She flattened her palms over Lauren's belt, pulling her back until their hips pressed together. In her bare feet, Bo was a few inches shorter than Lauren, but she made up the difference by standing on her toes as she kissed her way down to Lauren's shoulder and then back up to nibble on her ear.
Lauren finally found the strength to turn around in Bo's arms. She tucked Bo's hair behind her ears and couldn't help but smile. "Still worried you're going to hurt me?"
"No." She kissed Lauren, opening her mouth as Lauren's tongue swept across her lips. Lauren held the kiss for as long as she could, and then settling to rest her lips against the curve of Bo's cheek while she caught her breath. "With everyone else, it's a necessity. To heal, to feed, to power-up. Even with Dyson, there's always an element of taking my medicine." She pulled back and looked into Lauren's eyes. "Not with you. You are the first person in a long time, maybe the only person ever, that I've just... wanted to be with. Nothing in return, no ulterior motive. I just want you."
"Then tonight you can have me."
Bo glanced toward the window. "The sun is up. It's not Halloween anymore. The Ash--"
"Will be mad anyway. So forget about him. I'm here now. Let's take advantage of that and worry about the consequences in the morning." She kissed Bo again. She pushed gently, and they moved as one toward the bedroom. Bo broke the kiss and turned away, but it was only to move faster. She took Lauren's hand and guided her into the bedroom. Bo started to climb onto the bed, but Lauren pulled her back.
"Take off your shirt."
Bo did as she was told. She dropped the shirt and reached back to unhook her bra. Lauren swatted her hands away. "Did I say bra?"
Bo arched an eyebrow and lowered her hands to her sides. "No, ma'am."
Lauren smiled and stared at her. The moment dragged on, and it felt like the air was being sucked out of the room. Finally, Lauren couldn't take it anymore. "Take off your sweats."
Bo hooked her thumbs in the elastic and pushed them down, bending over unnecessarily so that she could brush her cheek against Lauren's breasts. Lauren closed her eyes, licked her lips, and refrained from responding as Bo stood up again. Bo stared into her eyes as she stepped out of the sweats, dressed only in beautiful lace panties that matched the bra.
"So lovely."
"I wore them for you."
"I'm not talking about the underwear, Bo."
Bo's smile wavered and she shyly lowered her chin. Lauren lifted her chin with one finger, and they kissed. Lauren hooked her thumbs in Bo's panties and knelt to take them down. She let her palms and fingertips tease the back of Bo's legs, tickling the soft skin behind her knee and her soft thighs. She kissed Bo's stomach, kissed her hips, and then stood up. She put both hands on Bo's ass and squeezed as she pushed her chest against Bo's until she moved back to the bed. When her knees met the mattress she sank down onto it, grabbing Lauren's blouse to pull her down as well.
Lauren allowed Bo to retreat up to the headboard before she straddled her. She ran her hands down Bo's back until she found the catch her bra and she popped it free. She pulled it away and sat up, gazing at Bo's breasts before she lowered her head and lovingly kissed them. Bo growled and arched her back, letting Lauren lave them with her tongue and gasping in surprise as her teeth closed around one nipple.
"Too much?"
"Not enough."
Lauren bit harder and Bo whispered her name. Lauren looked up, and Bo's eyes were bright. "I also usually don't like being on the bottom. But you... any time."
Lauren moved up to kiss her, then continued her journey south. Bo bent her knees, and Lauren guided one of her legs up onto her shoulder. She kept her eyes on Bo's face as she kissed down the inside of her thigh, thrilling when Bo's lips parted and her eyes widened. Lauren teased Bo's folds with her tongue, then added a bent finger to part them so she could taste her. She curled her tongue, her eyes closed and her cheek against Bo's thigh as she explored. She didn't know when they would have another opportunity like this, so she was determined to savor it as much as possible.
"Tell me when you're close," Lauren whispered, and Bo managed to nod. Lauren teased her with lips, tongue and knuckle. Whenever Bo whispered, 'now,' Lauren would stop and focus her attention on Bo's hip, stomach or thigh before deciding it was safe to go back. She kept her eyes open and watched Bo's breasts rise and fall with each breath.
"I'm close," Bo groaned.
A few minutes later, she said, "Lauren... now..."
The next time, Bo didn't warn but Lauren saw the signs. She pulled away and Bo cried out, her brow furrowed in frustration as she lifted her head. Lauren slid up her body, Bo's legs trembling like she was about to explode. Lauren kissed her and cupped Bo's mound with her hand. Bo was wet enough that two fingers slipped inside easily, and she gripped Lauren's forearm with steel fingers.
"If you stop, I'll break off your hand and finish myself."
Lauren smiled and kissed Bo's eyebrow. "Come for me, Bo."
Bo pressed her face against the chest of Lauren's shirt and whimpered helplessly as she tightened around Lauren's fingers. Lauren held her as she came, watching as Bo's eyes closed. She tried to count the wrinkles around her eyes, the way her nostrils flared and her eyebrows danced as she pressed down against Lauren's hand, tensing and relaxing around Lauren's captive fingers in orgasm.
Lauren kissed Bo's face until she grew still and started returning the kisses. Bo's hands regained their strength and went to work on the buttons of Lauren's blouse. Lauren let Bo undress her, rising just enough to get her slacks down and off before Bo slid out from under her. "Lay down on your stomach," Bo whispered.
Lauren pulled the pillow to her, wrapping both arms around it as Bo settled on top of her. Bo knelt between Lauren's legs and put both arms around her. With one, she cupped Lauren's breast. With the other she touched Lauren between the legs. Lauren arched her back as Bo buried her face in her hair, breathing deeply as she began to move her fingers in a slow, gentle rhythm.
"I'm not going to tease you." Bo's lips moved against the shell of Lauren's ear. "I'm going to make you come. I'm going to make you come for me, Lauren."
Lauren eased her legs farther apart, lifting her rear end to give Bo more room. Two fingers pushed inside of her and Lauren pressed her face into the pillow to silence her cries. Bo kept up her litany: "Come for me, Lauren, I want to feel you come, Lauren." Lauren lifted her head and turned it, Bo kissing her before she had to beg for it. Lauren pushed her tongue into Bo's mouth in the same rhythm Bo was using on her, and she only broke the kiss to cry out her orgasm.
Bo held her, their cheeks together, both of them struggling to breathe in the sudden vacuum of the bedroom. Lauren lazily licked and kissed Bo's cheek, while Bo stroked up and down Lauren's back with one hand and squeezed her inner thigh with the other. They finally pulled back enough to see each other, and Bo brushed Lauren's hair back over the top of her head. She smiled, and Lauren bit her lip.
"Happy All Saints Day."
"You too."
Bo kissed a line along Lauren's left eyebrow and guided her head down to the pillow. "You're going to be in trouble no matter when you get back today." Lauren nodded. "So sleep here for a while. I mean, it's my fault you were up all night."
"Okay," Lauren said. Her voice was already drifting off. Bo lay beside her, watching her face go slack. "Too bad she was evil. The shapeshifter..."
"Why?"
"Kenzi had some good ideas."
Bo laughed and leaned closer. "You really think you could handle two of me at once?"
Lauren's answer was barely loud enough to be heard. "Mm. What a wayta go..."
#
Kenzi was wearing bulky headphones with an antenna rising from each half-globe. Bo tapped the top of her head and made her jump. She peeled off the headphones and dropped her feet off the kitchen table as Bo went to the coffee machine. "Hey! Look who's up. And it's not even December yet." She twisted in her seat. "Where's Lauren?"
"I escorted her out. We said good morning, but you were deafening yourself." Bo was wearing shorts and a tank top under her robe, and her hair was up in a sloppy bun. She poured herself a cup. "That was probably because of us, though. I guess we got a little loud in the tub, didn't we?"
"Pshaw, I didn't notice." She cleared her throat pointedly. "So I take it you guys had a nice talk after I jumped ship?"
"Talk?" Bo pretended to think. "Sure. There was a little talk. But I don't kiss and tell."
"Since when?" Kenzi said, but she dropped the matter. Bo made herself a bowl of cereal and joined Kenzi at the table. Kenzi smiled at her. "So, getting over Dyson by getting under Lauren again? Did it work?"
"Too soon to tell."
"Yeah. Right. I haven't seen you smile like that in months. I hereby declare you firmly on the road to recovery." She waved her hand as if bestowing a knighthood. "So all in all, Halloween? What's your final verdict?"
Bo breathed in through her nostrils and considered the question. She could almost smell Lauren on her, could still hear her harsh breathing in her ear. She leaned back in her seat, both hands wrapped around her coffee cup. "Halloween... not that bad after all, I guess."