Disclaimer: I do not own Lost Girl or any of its characters, except the ones I created. The following story has been written for entertainment purposes only.

Special thanks: to G, for giving me the last push I so desperately needed to start writing and to PK, for revising my work and helping me to make this little story better. Your unwavering support is the light that guides me through my darkest days.

Chapter 1

"There you go. Caffè latte, croissant with cheese and a serve of french toast. Anything else, Bernie?" She asked the charming old man with chestnut skin sitting at the counter. A fond smile spread across her lips as she watched Bernie cautiously take his first sip and immediately hum in approval.

"No, Bo, this is perfect, thank you. It's great to see you here, kiddo. The Dawning wasn't the same without you," he stated with a smile of his own.

The brunette gazed at her old friend, eyes glazing over with emotion, "Thanks, Bernie. It feels great to be back," Bo responded softly in return. She then noticed a young redhead waving at her to come over. "I have to go, Sarah needs my help, but let me know if there's anything else I can do for you, okay, handsome?" She winked playfully.

"You bet, hottie," Bernie winked back and they laughed at their familiar, good-natured banter.

Bo stepped out from behind the counter and took a long, deep breath. She looked around the spacious main area of the coffee shop and a smile tugged at her lips effortlessly.

It was a little past seven on a Thursday morning and the Dawning Cafe was buzzing with activity. Customers of all ages laughed and chatted with noticeable delight while the attentive staff moved diligently from table to table and along the row of booths. Every single one of the shop assistants was impeccably uniformed with a short-sleeved, white button-up shirt, black trousers and the distinctive carmine apron with the flourish gold calligraphy of the Dawning logo embroidered on it.

Bo had always loved that uniform and not being able to wear it anymore was the only thing that she had truly missed about her previous job in the shop. Not that she didn't appreciate her new outfit. The long-sleeved, deep red blouse that she was dressed in was absolutely gorgeous and as far as she knew, tailored especially for her. In the end, Bo was thankful that she managed to keep the black pants and her old but trusty black Adidas sneakers, much to the utter displeasure of her boss. Chuckling at the thought, the brunette delicately smoothed out her blouse, took another deep breath and with a confident smirk, walked purposefully in the direction of the redhead.

"Thank God you're here," she muttered anxiously as Bo approached her.

"That bad?" Bo asked under her breath while she followed the young waitress. The answer soon proved unnecessary when she spotted a little boy wearing a Spider-Man costume, jumping like crazy on the bench of booth number six.

"You have no idea..." Sarah breathed out as she waited behind Bo. The brunette stood still in front of the U-shaped booth while she took in the scene unfolding in front of her.

There was a lone man in his mid-thirties with a baby in his arms, clearly having a hard time as he tried to bottle-feed the infant and handle the other four children around him.

Sitting on his left side was a little girl that couldn't be more than three years old. Her cute face was flushed from the constant weeping and her tiny hands were clutching a weird stuffed giraffe that was half her size. Meanwhile, two identical-looking girls that were about seven, sat on the man's right side. They were ripping open all the sugar packets available on the booth's table, giggling in unison as they licked the sweet grains from their fingers.

Standing on the upholstered bench and next to the crying girl was the amazing little Spider-Man, apparently taking a break after all the jumping. He was sporting an adorable grin with a couple of missing teeth, while his big, blue eyes were fixed on Bo.

Clearing her throat, she started, "Good morning, my name is Bo and - hey, careful now, Spidey," Bo said, chuckling as her strong hands caught the little boy at the exact moment he was losing his balance. She held the kid close and smiled tenderly when he wrapped his small arms around her neck.

The man's face was pale from the shock when he flashed her a grateful look, nodding his acknowledgment at Bo's timely help. Bo nodded back with a gentle smile and asked animatedly, "Alright, now who wants pancakes?" The four children raised their hands almost immediately, eliciting a joyous laugh from the brunette. Yep, Bo thought. Her work day had officially begun.

Around an hour later, Bo was back to her previous spot at the far left side of the counter. Bernie had long gone and she had just said her goodbyes to the young family. With a mug of steaming coffee in hand, she sat on a high chair and withdrew the latest issue of the Morrigan Magazine that she had hidden there earlier. Placing it on her lap, she took a sip of the delicious, dark liquid and began to flip through the first pages as a knowing smirk appeared on her face.

"Hey, Captain!"

"Yes, Sarah?" The brunette replied with her eyes down.

"I just wanted to thank you again for saving my ass..." The young redhead grinned while she leaned forward, resting her arms on the counter. "I mean really, five kids?! Who in their right fucking mind would want that?! Fucking unbelievable," she sighed heavily.

"Do you use this colorful language in front of the customers or is it something you reserve exclusively for me?" Bo asked evenly, her eyes still glued to the magazine on her lap.

The girl swallowed hard as her entire body stiffened up with tension, "Of course not, I... I'm sorry, Captain, it won't happen again, I swear! I mean, not swear, like, a bad thing, I - "

"Sarah, hey... Relax," Bo chuckled as she interrupted the redhead's babbling, this time looking straight at her. "I was kidding, I believe you. Just be careful, that's all I ask."

"Absolutely, Captain, I will," Sarah replied quickly.

"Just Bo is fine," the brunette sighed as her eyes fell on the magazine again. "I don't know, I'm starting to think that this whole captain thing Stella came up with is going a little too far for my liking," Bo admitted, her voice lower as if she was talking more to herself.

"I think it's cool. It suits you," Sarah said timidly. "I mean... What you just did for that father and his kids was incredible, for real. I still have no clue how the hell you managed to make those little devils behave, they were driving me nuts!" She chuckled and then gazed at Bo with genuine admiration, "You are the captain of this ship, Bo."

Bo looked at the young waitress and swallowed the lump in her throat, trying hard to keep her emotions in check. Hearing such words meant more to her than Sarah would ever know. "Thank you, Sarah," Bo smiled softly. "I could say that I was just doing my job, but truth is, I've always liked children and somehow children have always liked me," she confessed before sipping her coffee.

"Yeah, I could see that. But the children were not the only ones that liked you, Captain," the redhead said as she arched her eyebrows and smirked knowingly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bo replied nonchalantly as her eyes returned to the magazine.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me that you didn't notice the way their daddy was looking at you?" Sarah asked with a mischievous grin.

Bo narrowed her eyes as she stared at the redhead with a slight smile. "No, I did not. The man was just being nice after all the help he'd received," she stated calmly. "And for your information, he wasn't the father, but the well-intentioned uncle who unfortunately had a disastrous idea. Now off you go, a dead ringer for Alex Turner just sat down at table number five," Bo motioned with her head.

Sarah didn't need to be told twice, hurrying excitedly towards the new customer while Bo followed the scene with an amused grin. When the brunette lifted her mug to take another sip, her eyes absent-mindedly diverted to a woman entering the Cafe.

She may be the face I can't forget

A trace of pleasure or regret

May be my treasure or the price

I have to pay

She was tall and slender with long, dark blonde hair that was nothing less than pornographic, falling gracefully in loose curls all around her shoulders. The aviator sunglasses adorning her face accentuated her natural sexiness and matched perfectly with the brown leather jacket and tight dark jeans she was wearing. Bo couldn't take her eyes off of the woman, watching enthralled when the blonde finally removed the aviators and scanned the place with a subtle smile.

Then, before Bo could blink, the woman's gaze locked on hers.

Shit, Bo cursed mentally, her cheeks warming up instantly from embarrassment as she looked away from the blonde. She stood up, leaving the magazine on the chair and turned her back to the counter, breathing in and out as she tried to calm down her nerves. What the hell was I thinking, she questioned herself in irritation. Oddly enough, Bo knew too well what was truly bothering her wasn't the fact that she had been caught staring, but the unexpected way her body was reacting to the woman's presence.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blonde approaching the counter and her hand grasped the handle of the coffee mug tightly when the woman sat on a stool positioned right across from her, waiting in silence. Inhaling deeply, Bo raised the mug to her lips and prepared herself for facing the new customer properly. As she took a long swig of her coffee, a loud sound of raging drums suddenly exploded from the blonde's jacket, making Bo choke and spit the dark liquid down her chest.

"I'm so sorry," the woman apologized while she fumbled with her phone, trying to ignore the disapproving glares that the nearby patrons were casting her way. Three long seconds passed before she finally managed to hit the call button. "What the fuck, Michael, did you mess up my phone?!" The blonde hissed as she glanced at Bo, who was now drying off her blouse with a napkin. "It's not funny, Michael! Stop laughing," she demanded.

Bo didn't mean to eavesdrop on the conversation, but she couldn't help noticing how quickly the tone in the blonde's voice had already changed less than a minute later. "No, it's okay. Yeah, I'm sure. Tell Dad that I can help this Sunday," the woman said lovingly. She ended the call and shook her head as she stared at the blank screen with a look of adoration painted on her face. She glanced at Bo again, "Hi."

Bo heard the cautious greeting and couldn't help but chuckle, "Hi."

"Are you okay?" The blonde asked, pointing at Bo's chest and at her now stained blouse. "I'm so sorry, I - "

"It's alright, don't worry about it," Bo cut her off gently. "At least you have good taste in music," Bo remarked with a smile.

The blonde dropped her head and chuckled too, "Well, it was all my baby brother's doing, actually. He messed up my phone when I wasn't looking," she admitted.

"Oh," Bo raised her eyebrows. "So you don't like Led Zeppelin?"

"On the contrary," the woman answered with tranquility. "I just don't feel the urge to make people choke or spit around me on a regular basis," she added in a serious tone.

A laugh escaped Bo's mouth as the blonde gazed at her with a broad smile. Taking the chance to really look at the woman's face, the brunette's eyes traveled along her delicate pink lips, strong jaw and prominent nose, lingering over hazel orbs with little specks that looked like stars.

"So... since this is my first time here, I'm definitely open to suggestions. What do you say... Captain?" The blonde asked playfully, her eyes falling purposely on the black coffee mug with the word captain written on it in white bold letters. "Nice mug, by the way," she added smirking.

For a few seconds, the only thing that Bo's brain managed to process was the fact that being called captain had never sounded so good. "Thank you," Bo smiled as she subtly shook her head, regaining her focus. She glanced at the mug and touched its rim with her fingertips. "This was a gift from the owner of this place, Stella Nashira," Bo said reverently. "I guess she thought it would work as a good reminder... For everyone," the brunette added almost in a whisper.

When Bo returned her attention to the blonde, she found the woman watching her intently. There was an unexplainable sense of familiarity in those whisky brown eyes and soon the words were leaving Bo's lips before she could even realize them. "You know, it is said that the original Dawning, built from the ground up in Ireland fifty years ago, was always doomed to fail. Everything was strangely hard and strenuous, from the first brick they bought to the last wall they lifted, as if a shadow of misfortune walked side by side with the Nashira family."

Bo made a pause and smiled brightly as she observed the blonde straightening her upper body and looking at her with rapt attention.

"The Nashira patriarch, Paros, had no doubt that he was the one responsible for the family's disgrace," Bo continued. "Paros had been a fisherman most of his life and despite his pure love for the endless seas, opening the Dawning had always been his heart's greatest desire," the brunette said affectionately. "Three days after Paros had finally chosen the shore over the salty waters, he was haunted by a dream. In the dream, a mysterious woman surrounded by darkness, emerged from the ocean calling his name. He couldn't see her face, but the woman's powerful voice was clear as day, travelling through the wind and echoing in his very soul."

"And what did she say?" the blonde rushed ahead with a smile, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Come back, Paros... come back..." Bo answered in a sinister tone, impersonating the woman of her story.

The blonde's eyes opened wide in wonder while Bo tried to stifle a giggle. They burst into laugher a second later and the people around them turned immediately to see what was going on. Bo's grin was luminous as she stared at the woman, obviously enjoying the reaction she had just provoked. She couldn't help but think how beautiful the blonde looked at that moment, running her long fingers through her silken, golden locks while a last chuckle escaped her mouth. Such realization made the brunette's heart pound inside her chest. What the fuck is wrong with me? Bo thought nervously as she averted her eyes with a frown.

"Let me guess, he didn't go back, did he?" The blonde asked eagerly.

Bo looked at the woman again and the corners of her lips quirked up instantly.

"Oh, I see... A strategic pause to add a little more suspense," the blonde smirked as she leaned forward and crossed her arms on the counter.

Bo chuckled at the remark, no longer fighting the broad smile that was now back on her face.

"Bo Dennis? Is that you?"

The brunette's grin vanished the second her eyes made contact with the owner of the voice. Following Bo's gaze, the blonde turned to look over her shoulder and saw a man in an elegant dark navy suit, standing a few steps away from them. He had curly, black hair and was staring at Bo with a puzzled expression.

"Hello, Lachlan," Bo said politely.

The man approached the counter and studied the brunette with squinted eyes for a moment. "What the hell are you doing here, Dennis?" He asked promptly with a thick British accent and a smug smirk on his face.

"I work here," Bo answered in a plain tone.

"You work here?" Lachlan parroted with a frown. "You work here, at this coffee shop?" he reiterated.

"I believe that's precisely what she just said," the blonde intruded into the conversation, her voice mildly irritated.

Lachlan glanced at the woman with arched eyebrows and his cocky smile got wider, "Forgive me if I'm a little shocked to see you standing behind a counter, Dennis." He turned his attention back to Bo, "Honestly I've never thought that I would see the day that Evony would kick you out of The Morrigan. She seemed so... fond of you, don't you agree?" He asked smugly.

Bo felt her body tense up, but held Lachlan's piercing stare with one of her own. "Evony didn't kick me out. For your information it was my choice to leave," she said firmly.

The man's dark eyes opened a little more for a second and then narrowed as he observed Bo carefully. "My, my... You are indeed full of surprises, aren't you... Bo," Lachlan remarked as he flashed a malicious grin.

"Whatever you say, Lachlan," Bo replied, her jaw clenched and eyes blazing with anger. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to take care of," the brunette stated, forcing a tight-lipped smile. She threw an apologetic look at the blonde and her lips curved genuinely this time. "I'm sorry, may I take your order now?" Bo asked the woman with a caring voice.

In that moment, a middle-aged woman who had been occupying the stool on the blonde's right side, hopped off her seat to leave and Lachlan didn't miss a beat. "You can take mine," he spoke up in a bossy tone as he sat in the recently vacated stool. He unbuttoned his navy jacket and glanced between Bo and the blonde with his trademark smirk, practically challenging them to say something.

"Excuse me, Captain..."

The three of them turned to look at a young black man wearing the Dawning uniform while he approached Bo from behind the counter. He was tall and very handsome in his own modern, hipster style.

"What is it, Andre?" Bo asked right away.

"Sorry, Captain, but they need you in the kitchen," the young man answered.

"Captain," Lachlan snorted mockingly.

Bo glared at him, but her expression softened immediately when she saw the other woman rolling her eyes at Lachlan's annoying behavior. "Alright, I'm on my way," she said, resting her hand on Andre's shoulder. "Could you please take care of them for me?"

"Sure thing, Captain," Andre answered unhesitatingly.

Bo was already leaving when she turned around and gazed straight at the blonde's hazel eyes. "Make sure to add a slice of cherry pie to her order, please. On the house," she smiled softly before walking away and disappearing behind the wooden swing doors that led to the kitchen.

- X -

Lauren Lewis strode across the entrance lobby of the 39th Division with a paper bag in hand, offering a hurried greeting to the police officers passing by. She walked along a corridor and entered the main office, making a quick beeline towards the last two desks positioned to face each other on the left side of the room. A man with short, curly, sandy hair was already seated at one of them and had his back turned to her.

"Good morning, Thornwood, sorry I'm late," she said as soon as she got within earshot. "This is for you," she added while placing the small paper bag on his table.

The man held the paper bag and a frown appeared on his face as he stared at the logo of the Dawning Cafe printed on it. "Thanks," he said flatly. The detective put the paper bag away and resumed his typing on the computer keyboard.

"How come you've never mentioned that coffee shop before? The food is amazing and it's only ten minutes from here," Lauren questioned good-naturedly as she removed her jacket and placed it over the back of her chair.

"I don't eat there, Lewis. It's not my kind of place," he answered in a disinterested tone, his gaze never leaving the screen.

"Oh, I know," she rolled her eyes humorously as she flopped down on her chair. "You prefer the cheap, artery clogger food served in the worst hygienic conditions I've ever seen, from Mayer's Diner."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a nod, a smile finally gracing his lips.

The blonde shook her head and chuckled at the man sitting across from her. She had known Dyson Thornwood for only three weeks and although he had already proven to be a stubborn, arrogant fool from time to time, Lauren knew in her heart that they would become lifelong friends.

As she leaned back in her chair, an involuntary smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She just couldn't stop thinking about the gorgeous Captain of the Dawning Cafe and it didn't take long for her mind to start reliving the recent events that morning.

When Lauren saw the brunette staring at her from behind the counter and their eyes had met for the first time, she'd felt as if the air had been stolen from her lungs. Nothing could have ever prepared her for the vision that was Bo Dennis. Guess I have to thank that asshole after all, the blonde detective smirked as she remembered the moment she heard Lachlan saying the woman's name.

Lauren's smile spread wider as she recalled Bo's initial embarrassment. It was never her intention to confront the brunette or make her feel even more uncomfortable. She simply couldn't stay away. How someone could be so adorably vulnerable and breathtakingly sexy at the same time, was beyond her understanding.

She had lost count of how many times she found herself drowning in the woman's beauty. Bo looked stunning with her long, dark brown hair pulled up in a tight ponytail that left her neck and sculpted face completely exposed. Her deep, dark chocolate orbs were perfectly highlighted with the right amount of makeup, attracting Lauren's attention like a magnet.

Yes, Bo Dennis was the epitome of grace and sexiness, but for the blonde detective she was more than what the eyes were able to see. During the short time they shared in each other's company, the gorgeous brunette had proved to be a natural charmer, exuding smartness and a sense of humor. Lauren had never felt so at ease with someone she had just met and her disappointment was evident when Bo had had to leave. After ordering her breakfast, she waited for as long as she could, but the captain of the Dawning never returned.

"Hey, Lewis."

Lauren heard Dyson's baritone voice breaking the silence and immediately snapped out of her musings.

"Where did you go? Didn't you hear me calling you?" He smirked.

"No, I guess not," Lauren answered, mildly abashed as she straightened her back in the chair. She cleared her throat and busied herself pulling out some files from a drawer. After a moment, she glanced questioningly at Dyson's face as he seemed to hesitate. "So...?"

"So, did you find a dress for tomorrow?" he asked nonchalantly, while scratching his beard.

The blonde frowned at the question and sighed deeply, not looking at him. "Yes. They had to make a few adjustments, but I'll pick it up this afternoon," Lauren answered in a tone that was far from excited. "Do you really think that this is a good idea?" She questioned tiredly.

"Of course I do," Dyson answered quickly, his eyes focused on the computer screen.

"I'm serious, Thornwood," Lauren exhaled.

"And so am I," Dyson replied as he stared at the woman. "How exactly could attending a wedding in the richest area of the city, be considered a bad idea?"

A sarcastic laugh escaped Lauren's mouth, "Oh, I don't know, maybe when you've never seen the bride or the groom before, like, ever and the last time I checked, they were the reason for people to go to weddings! And for your information, I'm not a fan of Wedding Crashers," she grumbled the last part, drawing out a smile from the man.

"That's a shame, I really enjoyed that movie," he said, smirking despite Lauren's scowl. "You're over-thinking, Lewis, I told you Kenzi and Hale are my best friends, they're family. And you are my new partner," Dyson stated with seriousness in his voice.

"We've been partners for less than a month, Thornwood..." Lauren sighed frustrated. "I just... I don't feel comfortable around people I don't know," she admitted.

"Hey..." Dyson bent forward and his tone softened, "I really want you to come with me. I promise that you won't feel uncomfortable or left out. I'll be there by your side the whole time. Well, except during the ceremony, I'm the best man after all," he grinned proudly. "Come on, Lewis... Please."

The blonde rubbed her face with her hands and groaned comically, "Okay, okay, I'm going... I did after all buy the damned dress, didn't I?" she added with a smirk.

Before Dyson could say anything else, the voice of a man moving towards them diverted their attention, "Thornwood, Lewis. Captain Ash wants to see you both pronto."

They nodded their acknowledgements to the fellow officer and Dyson was the first to stand up. "Come on, Lewis. Duty calls," he said softly.

A light chuckle fell from Lauren's lips as she glanced at Dyson. Maybe her partner was right, it was time to start focusing on the fun and stop worrying so much about the fateful wedding. High class booze and food wouldn't hurt, after all. Yes, she was a complete stranger to his friends and the possibility that they would end up hating her, was very real, but so what? It wasn't like she had never experienced rejection before, far from it, actually.

Rising from her chair, Lauren looked at Dyson and flashed him an honest smile. "Lead the way, partner."

- X -

Track list:

- "She" - Charles Aznavour

- "Rock And Roll" - Led Zeppelin