A/N - Hi all. Thanks for the really fantastic feedback over the past few chapters, it's been helpful for me much appreciated. I thought I'd do a chapter examining a little more fully (without giving the whole game away) where Lauren is at. I am staying with the dual past/present model for the time being and will do until I get to the point of full exposure of what has happened between Bo/Lauren. I hope you enjoy.


Lauren always found New York to be a complete sensory experience and often thought that the L train was the embodiment of it all. The smells of decay and piss mixed with the heady perfumes of the citizens of the gentrified Brooklyn borough. Across the creaking carriages Lauren watched the comings and goings of people as they clambered onto the train and allowed herself the silent gift of judgment, wondering what the world might look like through the lenses of their lives.

As the train pulled into Lorimer Street the blonde stood up, pulling her rucksack over her always favored left shoulder. She knew how to travel and had full spatial awareness with that pack on her back, maneuvering crowds and small spaces without the slightest knock to anyone around her. As she made her way out of the station Lauren looked upon its famous tiled mosaics and their words, which she read so many times before, with new eyes; history – your story. With Bo back in her life she felt as though her past was engulfing her once more. She didn't want to be defined by their history again. The whole reason she had travelled to New York was to seek counsel from a friend, she wanted to be told that it was right and reasonable to let go of the past, to run away from it if needs be.

As she alighted the station's stairs Lauren allowed the light and air of the street to wash over her. Taking a moment to gain her bearings the blonde then began walking the six familiar blocks to the red masonry condominium where Daniel Wiseman now lived. Since she returned from the Pacific nearly two years ago she made an effort to get down to see him every couple of months. He was really her only friend in the world, as close to family as she now had and she held tightly to their relationship particularly given how close she came to losing it and him.

Buzzing his apartment she smiled broadly as she heard his voice for the first time, "Lo! Get your ass up here". Taking the elevator four floors as she exited she saw Daniel standing in wait for her. She was always taken by how handsome he was, a tall lean man with bright blue eyes. From a distance his face was almost boyish but up close there were the small signs of a life lived on the frontiers; a couple of small scars that sat above the corner of his left eyebrow and another across the peak of his chin.

Dropping her rucksack at the entry of the door Lauren threw her arms around Daniel and enjoyed his strong embrace for a moment before pulling away to look at his face. She brought her hands to his cheeks, squeezing them in play, "My god you're a good looking man"

Daniel smiled, "Ha! Not much use to me when it seems to be only the ladies that think so." The tall man pushed the door open in invitation "come in, I've got a fridge stocked with cheese and enough bottles of red to have us cursing ourselves in morning".

Lauren picked up her pack and entered the light filled apartment. Walking over to the living room she placed her bag by the couch and stood by the window looking out onto the street below. Daniel, already in the kitchen opening a bottle of red, watched the blonde contemplating the world below, "can you believe we ever thought that there was a better view than the rubbish filled streets of Brooklyn?"

Lauren turned around to face Daniel, who was now filling their glasses in the small kitchen and laughed, "Who needs pristine seas and white sands when we've got streets of used condoms and ten day old pizza boxes?"

As she watched her friend slowly make his way towards her with wine glasses in hand she couldn't help but to notice his limp. He often tried to walk a little more carefully in her presence, as any type of speed seemed to accentuate the stagger that he now had and would always have. She blamed herself for what happened to him even though he'd long stopped trying to convince her otherwise.

Handing Lauren a well-filled glass the tall man sat himself on the couch while she continued to stand by the window.

"So, have at it Lo, what's happened that has you rushing south to my side? Not that I don't love having you here mind you. Any excuse for too much red wine and all that but I'm hoping there is some delicious gossip to be shared. I've got my fingers crossed you're pregnant from a three-way gone array." Daniel took a gulp of wine, shutting his eyes briefly as he settled in to enjoy that first sensation of the tannins besieging his tongue.

Lauren rolled her eyes, Daniel certainly loved a bit of drama. For so long her life had been relatively mundane and then Bo. With the brunette came all the lewd gossip and scandal that her friend so enjoyed reveling in. "There is gossip Dan, really good juicy gossip", she paused for a moment considering where the starting point should actually be but her delay only agitated her friend.

"Lauren, you should know better than to tease a gay man with the promise of gossip only to go quiet. Give it up."

Cut to the chase thought Lauren, there's no other way, "Bo was shot and I ended up treating her in Emergency three nights ago."

She could see immediately Daniel was floored, he stared at her for a moment in a daze, placing his glass down before forcing a response, "Bo? Your Bo? Holy shit, is she ok?"

Lauren took her first sip of wine and nodded, "the bullet perforated her kidney, she's had it removed and it looks like she's out of woods but it was a close call, really really close Dan" and with those words the blonde began to crumble. From where he was seated Daniel could see light glistening on the tears that had begun to well in her eyes but before he could move to his feet to offer her his support she had collapsed beside him on the couch, doing enough to settle her glass of red on the coffee table in front of them before leaning into his arms. Lauren was able to maintain enough composure to allow only an occasional sniffle but Daniel could feel the tears falling onto his neck where her head lay.

"This has obviously given you quite the fright, hey kid?" Daniel placed a gentle kiss on the crown of Lauren's head. He knew there was a lot to work through but he also knew that before they got into the dissection of it all that Lauren simply needed a moment to care for Bo, to allow her heart to break just a little. There was no time to revel in drama of this, it was far too serious for that. The two stayed like that in silence for just a few minutes before Lauren sat up reaching again for the glass of red in front of her.

"I saw Tamsin. She said that she and Bo were told I was killed. After the hurricane, they thought I was dead"

Daniel, shook his head in disbelief, this all seemed to fantastical to be real, "whoa, well that explains a couple of things doesn't it?"

The storm that had hit the Solomon's devastated the islands, leaving so many hurt and killed. Bo had left only a matter of weeks before the Hurricane had hit and although they had broken up Lauren had often evidenced the lack of contact she had from her after the storm as proof the woman had never loved her, that she could not have ever cared the way she said did if she didn't even attempted to check on her wellbeing. It was a fact that Daniel had never disputed with her, it had seemed so cold which was unlike Bo, but neither she nor Tamsin had attempted to contact him either. He admitted not long after that he too was hurt by the lack of contact as he had considered them friends.

Still digesting what was being said, Daniel began to understand why Lauren had so quickly jumped on a plane to New York, "have you spoken with Bo yet?"

Lauren shook her head, "no, when I left she was still in ICU, she hadn't really regained consciousness and to be honest I didn't want to be there when she did. I have no idea what to say to her, or whether I should just avoid her completely. Nothing changes right Dan? I mean regardless of whether she thought I was dead or not, we were still over"

Daniel mused over her words for moment, "Yes I guess, but there's over and then there's over Lo. In your mind, prior to the storm, was there any hope of resolution between you both?"

Lauren took a deep breath. She wanted to answer honestly but her mind was clouded. There was so much hurt at the end of it all, "I don't think so. It was so broken and truthfully I don't think I want to dredge any of it up again, I've moved on and obviously assumed she'd moved on too. I guess she had no option but to move on from a dead woman. What do you think I should do?"

Daniel let out a sigh, it was an impossible ask. He'd known Lauren long enough to know that her time with Bo was her happiest, the two had fit in a way that had everyone around them sure their relationship was for the long haul. Even for Daniel himself, he looked at the period after Bo and Lauren got together as some of the best months her had in the Pacific. He struck up great friendships with Bo and Tamsin and with Lauren the four became something of an inseparable quartet. When Bo and Lauren had ended their relationship Daniel's friendships with the two detectives ended too. His loyalty was to Lauren in the same way that Tamsin needed to support Bo.

"I don't know. I really don't, I guess you need to do what's right for you. There is one thing though Lo, you walked into this apartment today and were clearly upset about seeing her almost die in front of you, and that's after three years of hating on her. Imagine what it must have been like for her thinking you died just a few weeks after everything ended. I mean, fuck, that's intense, especially given the last words between you both weren't exactly pleasant right? I mean, you know her well enough to know that she would have been pretty cut up."

Lauren stood and went back to the window, looking out while trying to find the answers in her head. "I don't know what I know Dan, not when it comes to her, not after what happened."


Solomon Islands – 3 Years earlier

The roof was open on Lauren's Jeep, the air flowing in over the four passengers within. Tamsin sat surly in the back with Daniel still laughing next to her, he was enjoying baiting the detective a little too much, "cheer up sweet cheeks, you're still learning to adjust your brain to left hand side of the road."

After a period of constant pestering Lauren had finally agreed to allow Tamsin the opportunity to drive her car. The streets of Honiara were tough to drive at the best of times but for someone who had never driven on the left hand side of the road they were tougher again. The little group were heading out to a sunken World War Two Japanese transport ship just outside of the capital. Lauren had offered to get them outside the worst of the city limits but Tamsin was having none of it. Unfortunately it turned out the taller blonde had been a little over confident and within a couple of minutes had almost hit one car and sent crowds running from a local market in fear as she attempted to a right hand turn. Everyone in the car agreed it would be safer if Lauren took over again.

Tamsin could only take so much of Daniel's taunting, "you can curse my mother, you can throw a shoe at my head but I swear if you ever call me sweet cheeks again I will break you."

Daniel went quiet for a moment before looking at the blonde sullenly, "I'm sorry Tamsin, It's just Mark Duncan said you loved it when he called you that….", Bo, Lauren and Daniel all erupted in laughter while Tamsin nodded her head sarcastically, "yeah, yeah, lap it up hospital boy, yours will come. And! By the way there is a reason we in northern hemisphere call it driving on the right side of the road"

In the front seat a still smiling Bo looked at Lauren who had her eyes fixed on the road. Feeling the glare upon her Lauren turned her head to the left, her heart quickening when she saw the look in the brunette's eyes. It was a look full of what, Lauren wasn't quite sure. Perhaps it was simply lust, desire…love? She couldn't say but she knew it was a look that harboured whatever emotions it was the brunette had for her. Reaching over to her the blonde picked up Bo's hand and brought it to sit on her upper thigh. Satisfied with the contact the brunette returned her eyes to green jungle zipping by on the side of the road.

The two women had been seeing each other for two months and things could not have been going any better. As the weeks progressed and the feelings intensified the demons began to creep into Lauren's mind. Bo had already hit the half way mark of her contract period. In three months she would be gone back to Toronto for good. Lauren on the other hand still had another 15 months of a contract to run. She had not wanted to broach the subject with Bo for fear of what the brunette was thinking. Was this simply a six-month romance for her? Was there even a chance for something else between them and if so how would they make it work? Lauren was reluctant to waste the little time they did have left with each other talking through the logistics of what 'they' were and where 'they' were going.

Arriving at Bonegi Beach after a quick 30 minute drive the group pulled out their snorkelling equipment and walked up the precious white sand about a mile from where they parked and got their snorkelling gear on. Lauren and Daniel had both been unsuccessful in their attempts to convince either Tamsin or Bo to take up diving. They'd agreed a snorkel at this artificial reef might just be enough to change both women's minds.

Walking out five meters into the water Lauren encouraged both detectives to put their heads under and swim out a little further. Both complied and within a few seconds had their faces out of the water yelling at Lauren and Daniel in delight. There is nothing like seeing a wreck for the first time teaming with it's soft corals and explosive ecosystem. The colour and wonder of it all is enough to make you forget to breath.

Feeling more adventurous as the swim went on Bo allowed Lauren to take her further out across the stern of the wreck where she showed her how to adjust her ears to allow for deeper diving and identified some of the colourful fish that swam past them on mass. Bo's enthusiasm for everything made it all seem and feel new to Lauren too. Every experience she had was made better for this woman's company.

There were moments that day while swimming and laying on the beach where Lauren felt a need to keep her emotions in check, to hold back, such was the overwhelming desire to just give herself completely over to whatever it was she feeling. In truth, she barely knew this Bo, they were still learning about each others pasts, their ambitions and even personalities. She had no idea whether the brunette was feeling the same but occasionally she would see that look in her eyes and sensed that she felt what Lauren was feeling too.

As the warm sun began to set the four packed up their towels and snorkelling equipment and began the walk back to the car. Lauren threw Tamsin the keys, "you interested in trying again?" The tall blonde smirked, "hells yeah!"

Bo and Lauren climbed into the back of Jeep allowing Daniel the opportunity to take over Tamsin's driving mentorship. Within seconds of driving away they were bickering like a married couple. Daniel attempting to grab the wheel on a number of occasions and the tall blonde growling at him to stay away. In the back Bo and Lauren couldn't help but to laugh. Throwing an arm around Lauren's shoulder the brunette leaned in and kissed her cheek and ear gently before whispering, "Doctor Lewis?" Lauren, still indulging in the feeling of Bo's breath against her skin, could only whimper out, "hmmmm?"

Peppering Lauren with light kisses Bo continued in a whispered voice that was so close to the blonde's ear that she could feel the words resonating within her, "I think I'm falling in love with you".

The world stopped for the doctor, her face turning to look at the woman sat next to her and all she could see were those eyes staring at her with that look again. She smiled at the brunette, bringing her hand up to cup the cheek of the face staring expectantly at her, "I was really hoping that was what that look meant". Lauren leaned down to Bo's lips and kissed her with such emotion that she knew the woman would be left without any doubt as to her feelings too.

In the front of the car Tamsin and Daniel both caught a glimpse of the happenings in the back seat via the rear-view mirror.

"Stop checking them out in the mirror Tamsin and keep your eyes on the road or you'll get us killed"

"Shut up Daniel"

They both then looked at each other and smiled knowing that something had just changed for both of their friends and even though neither were the type to show it, they couldn't be happier.