Author's Note: When it came out that Lauren was in the Army I loved the idea, but was disappointed when there wasn't more to go with it. Partly where this lil piece of fiction came from. Also I want to give a shout out to my beta witchblade821 over on Tumblr. You can thank her for cleaning up any misspellings and elusive commas that may have occurred.

Enjoy!

Rays of sun were just beginning to blush the sky, the day still caught in the precarious twilight between night and dawn. Bo lay awake despite the time, having been unable to sleep well the night before. Her eyes traveled to the alarm clock that read just 5:40, to the framed picture resting next to it. In it she was smiling brightly, caught in the arms of her lover. Lauren's face was tucked into the crook of Bo's neck, laying playful kisses that were the source of Bo's caught laughter. Bittersweet warmth filled her as she recalled the memory, a normal day at the Dahl after Lauren had gotten back from deployment. They had been with friends, enjoying being together again.

But a month later Lauren had been deployed again and now, eight months later, Bo felt her heart aching for her lover. Distance might make the heart grow fonder, but it also hurt like a son of a bitch too. She played with the ring on her finger, slipping it off to read the inscription in the faint morning light. "I love you because," She breathed, smiling. It was a game they'd played for a long time, taking turns and giving reasons they loved each other. Almost every time it would dissolve into silliness.

"I love you because you understand dear

Every single thing I try to do.

You're always there to lend a hand, dear.

I love you most of all because you're you."

Jim Reeve's crooning notes came from her computer, stopping Bo's trip down memory lane. She launched off her bed and lifted the lid, brightening instantly at the face that popped up on the Skype app.

"Hey, beautiful."

"Lauren. I didn't think you were going to be able to call today," Bo said, eyes greedily taking in every inch of her lover's pixelated features. The blonde looked tired and drawn, even the tan from the desert sun did little to hide the bags under her eyes. But her smile was bright as she winked at Bo from the other side of the world.

"You seriously think I would miss today of all days? Perish the thought. Did I call too early?" Lauren added when she saw the still darkened room and Bo's rumpled state.

Bo shook her head, "No. Never. I wasn't really able to sleep so I'm glad you called. What time is it there?"

"1900 or so. We just got back from the last exercise for the day. Now we get Liberty the next few days."

"Are you going to do anything?"

"Some of the others want to head into town for some R&R. I might go with them. Why weren't you able to sleep?"

"Because you're not here next to me," She said, instantly regretting it when she saw Lauren's shoulders droop slightly. "No. I know it's not your fault. It's not like you told the higher ups to change the rotation."

"I know. I just was really hoping to be there for today. It's our fifth anniversary."

"I'm proud of you, Lauren," Bo said, knowing her lover felt guilt that her job took her away from her home and loved ones. But Bo also knew how proud Lauren was for helping to keep her country safe, for following in her beloved grandfather's footsteps. Even after all this time and the confidence that the army had given her, Lauren still had moments where she was that gangly, awkward science geek from high school. So Bo would make sure, whenever insecurities reared their heads, to tell Lauren how much she loved her and was proud of her. It helped keep her mind clear and her focus on staying safe. To Bo that was the most important thing.

"Thanks babe," Lauren replied, a slow smile spreading across her face. "So tell me what's been going on in civilization." Bo smiled and began to recount what had happened in their world since they'd last spoken a few weeks before. Everything began to fall away as she spoke, the uncertainty and lingering fear gave way to laughter and memory. Her eyelids fluttered closed and for a moment she could imagine Lauren's arms curled around her as they cuddled on the couch after a long day. She could feel Lauren's stomach muscles quivering as she laughed, snorting softly occasionally.

"Babe?" Lauren's voice, laced with concern, pulled Bo from her reverie. "What is it?"

Bo blinked her eyes open, surprised when she felt tears roll down her cheeks. She reached up and brushed them away, shaking her head. "Nothing. Just miss you."

Brown eyes misted and Lauren nodded. "I do too, baby."

A knock had both turning to the door behind Lauren. Bo saw it crack open and a deep voice telling Lauren to hurry up. Bo wanted to reach through the screen and slam the door close, closing them off from the outside world just a little longer. She brought her fingers to the screen and wanted to cry when she saw Lauren's shoulders and spine stiffen. The solider was slowly draining back in.

"I've got to go," Lauren replied, her voice husky.

"I know," Bo whispered, wanting to stretch this moment out, to not say goodbye. As much as she tried not to, in the back of her mind lingered the fear that this would be the goodbye, that something was going to happen and this would be the last image. So she soaked in everything, memorized every plane and curve a thousand times over.

"I'll call you as soon as I can," Lauren said, breaking the tenuous moment. She kissed her fingertips and brushed the screen. "I love you, Isabeau Dennis."

"And I love you Lauren Lewis." Bo returned the kiss and watched as Lauren finally signed off. She sat for a time, aching and raging at the circumstances, but resigned that there was little she could do.

"Bobo?" Bo turned to see, her sister, Kenzi leaning against the door. She was sleep rumpled but her eyes were clear and concerned. "How's Soldier Hotpants?"
The ridiculous name had its desired effect and Bo laughed, shaking her head. "You know it's a little weird that my sister calls my fiancé that."

Kenzi smiled unrepentantly and wandered over to the bed, sitting down. She watched her sister's smile slowly drop as dark eyes looked back at the equally dark screen. "How is she?"

Bo moved over to sit next to her sister and let out a breath, feeling tired all of a sudden. "She just got back from a run. She and her team are going to relax for the next few days since they got screwed on their rotation."

Kenzi leaned her head against her sister's shoulder, slipping her arm around her shoulders. "Just a bit longer. Then you're lady love'll be back and I'll be spending the night over at Hale's."

Bo laughed and pushed Kenzi away. She had never met anyone as dirty minded, or open mouthed, as her sister, but it certainly was part of her charm. She kissed her on the cheek and hugged her close. "I promise, we'll kick you out before we start anything."

Kenzi smirked and stood. "Come on. If we're gonna be up at this ungodly hour then let's get our day started. We gotta get ready for the par-" She was cut off by a loud yawn. "Tay," She finished.

Bo laughed. "What say we get coffee first, then go get ready?"

"I like it," Kenzi did a double snap of her fingers before turning and walking out the door, a chuckling Bo walking behind her.