A/N: Some stuff going down now. Remember to leave me tons of reviews. Enjoy x

Chapter 7: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Joe's Fighting Gym (2 Weeks Later)

To aid in her recovery, Bo had been spending a lot of time in the gym that her Father owned. Since he was a retired cage fighter, he always wanted to own one himself. He taught both Bo and Kenzi how to fight, and if it wasn't for his lessons they wouldn't be the badasses they were today.

Lauren suggested that Bo see a physical therapist at the hospital, the person she had picked out was a friend of hers and they were very good at their job. But that wasn't Bo's style, she never asked for help. She was just too proud.

So she kindly declined, telling her Girlfriend that it was a lovely gesture but she would handle her recovery in her own way. And that way, was sparring at her gym with people she trusted. It was week two of her recovery, and she was feeling a lot stronger.

Which was what she was aiming for, she had to be ready to take on the Murphy's. They had been sending her threatening letters all week. Telling her that running her down with a car was only the beginning. That next time it would be something much worse.

Bo welcomed them, she wasn't going to allow herself to be pushed down by fear. She was rarely scared of anyone. Only her Father, when he got angry. But she wasn't going to be made to look like a coward. She was Bo McCorrigan; she was the leader of a lucrative organisation.

She had nothing to be afraid of.

"Hit me again!" Bo's trainer, Theo; told her. Holding up the two jab pads he was wearing on his hands.

She perfected this sequence, one jab to the right and left and then two to the right again. When Theo tried to catch her off guard with a swing of his arm, Bo ducked but let out a groan of pain. "Damn it!" she hissed, standing with a slight hunch as she held her ribs.

Theo breathed deeply, that was quite the work out. "Still sore huh?" he slipped the jab pads off his hands, "Come on, let's go cool off…" he helped her walk to the medical room. "… You know the drill; sit back, relax your muscles" he left her by the medical bed then went to grab an ice pack.

Bo rested her back against the bed, sitting comfortably and relaxing like he told her too. She had a black sports bra on, so not to hurt her still sore ribs. Looking down she could still see the bruising, it was improving but it still hurt like hell. "I lasted longer this time. That's gotta count for something right?" she was pleased with herself.

He nodded, walking back over to her. He wasn't a Doctor but he knew the basics when it came to fractured and bruised bones. "Sure does. You're getting stronger. Slowly, but you're getting there. Okay, this's gonna be cold…" he gently placed the blue gel ice pack on her bruise, making her jolt from the feeling of the cold. "… There, all done" he smiled.

"I really appreciate what you're doing T…" Bo tapped his arm. "… The last thing I wanna do is take up all your time. I already feel bad for the classes you've missed because of me" she had to have Theo's focus for her recover so she could get strong, but she hated cutting into his actual job.

"Forget it Bo. You're family. Besides, we need to get you back into shape so you can take down those bastards. I see Shamus Murphy down by the harbour every week. You say the word, and I'll take him out for you" Theo hated the Murphy's.

"No. I need to deal with this. And I will; as soon as I can deliver a punch without feeling any pain" Bo chuckled, that was a long shot. Especially since she didn't know when they were going to make a move on her. So she had to hurry up.

Theo unwrapped her hands, throwing the tape away. "So, what's your Girlfriend say about all this training we're doing? I'd imagine she'd prefer you to see a professional Physiotherapist" he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, handing it to her.

Bo sipped it, grateful for the refreshment. "Lauren's cool. She just wants what's best for me. But I told her that I would rather train with someone I trust. I'm sure her friend would've been great and all, but I just don't have time to follow all their PT rules. I need quick results" she drank more water.

"Yeah well, not too quick. If you push yourself too hard you could make your injuries worse. And that would just set you back. You've improved in these last two weeks; I think you need to take a few days to rest up. Let your bruises heal a little more. We can pick it up again next week" Theo said.

He didn't want Bo pushing herself.

"You sound like Lauren" Bo rolled her eyes, thinking of what her Girlfriend would say about pacing herself.

"Lauren's right…" He smiled. "… Take a breather. I'll be back" he tapped her arm, then walked off to check on a few things back in the main gym.

Bo decided to take the time and close her eyes for a second, only when she opened them again Kenzi was standing over her. And it had been at least half an hour since she closed her eyes. That was fast. "Hey Kenz, what's up?" she looked down, seeing that the ice pack had gone warm.

"Nothing much; just wanted to see how my sister was getting on with her training…" Kenzi was lying, she knew exactly how Bo was doing. She's come her for a much more selfish reason. "… So uh, is Theo around? I didn't see him on my way in" she and Theo had a complicated history.

And as much as Bo loved her little sister, she was too tired to hear it all over again. "He's probably in his office. I've been taking up a lot of his time lately. If you wanna talk to him then just go!" she laughed at her.

"And make him think that I'm chasing after him?" Kenzi made noise, shaking her head. "Girl please. He chases me, not the other way around. So, are you ready to head home? I don't know about you but I'm starving!" she really was.

Bo hopped off the bed, feeling a little soreness but it was better than earlier. She walked over to the couch in the corner, this room was safe to leave her things in. She picked up her gym back, finding her phone and turning it back on. "I'm supposed to be having dinner with Lauren; but you can always tag along if you want?"

She still found it weird, how close her Girlfriend and Kenzi were. They'd bonded a lot while she was locked up. Which wasn't bad. But sometimes they'd laugh at things, and Bo would have no idea what they were talking about.

That made her feel left out.

Kenzi waved a hand, "Na, I hate being the third wheel. Although, I hope by having dinner you meant having it at home because you don't look like you should be heading out for a night on the town" she noticed her limping.

"I'm fine Kenz; I just pushed myself a little too hard today. But, good news is I'm getting stronger. Thanks to Theo, I wouldn't be able to do any of this without him. You guys should really give it another go" Bo liked it when she got along with Kenzi's boyfriends, and Theo was like a brother.

"Hey! That's my decision to make, got it?" Kenzi pointed at her, seeing her sister nod.

Bo held her hands up, knowing her place. "I got it. Sorry. I just want you to be happy Kenz…" she hooked an arm around her sister's neck, kissing her cheek. "… Come on, you're having dinner with me and Lauren. No buts" she stopped her from protesting.

Bo's Loft - Later

Even though she didn't want Kenzi to be right, by the time Bo got home she was feeling even more sore from her work out with Theo. She could barely walk to the kitchen, let alone go out for a meal. Which was what she wanted to do, thanks to the threat looming over her head she hadn't spent a lot of time with Lauren lately.

And she wanted that to change.

When Lauren showed up, she could see that her Girlfriend had ignored her advice to rest instead of training in the gym. Bo could barely stand straight. So she told her that going out for dinner wasn't happening tonight.

The three of them ordered some Chinese food, and just relaxed while watching a horror movie. Which would've been more interesting, if Kenzi hadn't already seen it and then spoiled it for them before they had a chance to watch it themselves.

After her fifth beer, Kenzi decided to call it a night. She insisted that she was sober enough to drive, but Bo wasn't taking any chances. So she had someone pick her up. With Kenzi gone, Bo turned to see Lauren washing the dishes in the kitchen. "You don't have to do that you know…" she walked over. "… Leave it for the dishwasher, that's the reason I bought it"

Lauren just laughed, "I don't mind doing it. Besides, do you even know how to turn it on?" she watched Bo look puzzled. The dishwasher had so many buttons on it. "I didn't think so" she finished the last glass, wiping her hands.

As Bo went to turn her body, she let out a low moan. "Why is it that bruises are always more painful than an actual wound?" she took a second to breathe through the pain.

"Well, it wouldn't be more painful if you'd listen to me and take it easy…" Lauren still hated it that Bo wasn't listening to her. "… Your training is hurting you Bo. How much more pain do you have to feel for you to realise that?" she just wanted her to get better.

And to do that, she needed to rest.

Bo nodded her head along with her words, hearing the same thing as before. "It's not the pain that bothers me. It's the time it's taking to recover. I just wish I could get back into shape faster" she sighed.

"Pushing yourself isn't the answer. You'll heal when you're ready. Until then you just have to take it easy. You're not Wonder Woman Bo, just give it time" Lauren touched her arm, seeing Bo in pain was something that was hard for her. Mostly because she was a Doctor and it was her job to heal people.

The two of them finished cleaning up, then headed off to bed. Bo wanted to have their special time, but Lauren told her it wasn't the best idea since she was always moaning and groaning in pain every time she moved awkwardly.

They had plenty of time for that when Bo was all healed up.

Murphy's Bar - Across Town

Being a crime boss wasn't always that much fun, especially not for Conall Murphy. Ever since he was a little boy he always wanted to be the best at everything. He wanted to be number one. Years ago he tried to accomplish that by taking out the only other Irish Mob boss in the city; Joe McCorrigan.

But that wasn't the only reason that he wanted to obliterate the McCorrigans. Years ago, he found out that his Wife was seeing someone behind his back. And that someone, was Joe. She was sleeping with the enemy, literally.

Before he could even confront her on it, she fled. And he never heard from her again. He thought that his Wife was happy, that they were going to make a good life for themselves. Have children, build a better future than what they'd grown up with.

Which was nothing.

Joe McCorrigan took that from him.

Conall hadn't long returned to the city, only to find that in his absence Joe had moved on and passed the reigns over to his children. And just like when he was a child, Conall wanted this city for himself. He wanted to be known as the top dog around here.

When Conall found out that Joe's oldest daughter Bo; had been released from prison. He thought it best to send her a little message. He gave his son Shamus specific instructions, to run her down with his car but to make sure that it wasn't so bad that she would die.

And he'd already gotten word that she was still alive and kicking. He was hoping that maybe she was smarter than her Father, and would take his warning and leave. But it'd already been two weeks, and if anything Bo had upped her game.

Her men were causing him real problems on the streets. His business was suffering now. So he had to kick things up a notch. Going after her little sister would've been his first choice, but then he found out that Bo had a romantic interest in a Doctor at the local hospital.

She would go there on various days, and he'd seen the blonde going to Bo's loft. Bo was stupid to think that she could keep this girl a secret for long. He admired her for trying though. Conall was going to have that Girl killed as retaliation against Bo and all the trouble she'd caused for him lately.

Then he'd see just how sorry she was.

Hospital

Lauren had just received a text from Bo, offering to meet her for lunch. She was more than happy to leave the hospital for an hour. She's already lost two patients today and could use the distraction. She grabbed her jacket and headed out of the front entrance.

The front was full up with ambulances everywhere, they'd had a mass trauma this morning. So she texted Bo and told her to park around the corner by the river that was next to the hospital. As she was walking, Lauren noticed someone following behind her. This had been happening a lot lately, but every time it was nothing just her paranoia.

So she kept walking until she got to the place where Bo was supposed to meet her, only Bo wasn't here and neither was her car. Great! Turning around, Lauren came face to face with her follower, and he was holding a gun to her. "What'd you want?" she held her hands up.

"Not much…" he said. "… But boy did you choose the wrong Girlfriend" he smiled, getting ready to pull the trigger.

Lauren closed her eyes, bracing herself, but she didn't hear a shot fire off. She did here something strange, followed by a groan. Opening her eyes, she saw Bo standing before her with a gun in hand.

Bo shot him in the shoulder, but he wasn't dead. She kept true to her promise of not killing. She always kept a silencer in her car just in case. When she was driving towards the hospital, she saw Lauren walking in the distance and she saw the man following her.

"Lauren? Kick his gun over to me. Don't pick it up, I don't want your prints on it…" She waved her hand, waiting for her Girlfriend to do as she asked. Lauren was shaken, but she did it. Bo pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, picking the gun up and tossed it into the river on her left.

She hid her own gun, placing it in the back of her jeans. "… Are you hurt?" she stepped forward, welcoming a hug from Lauren. She was shaking, that wasn't good. But she heard her whisper a No as her answer. Bo breathed relief. "Hey?" she pulled back, "You're okay. I'd never let anyone hurt you"

Lauren kept hearing her attacker moaning in pain, "What're we gonna do about him? Someone might find him if we leave him here" she really didn't feel like going to jail.

Bo was way ahead of her. She took her car keys from her pocket, giving them to her Girlfriend. "Take my keys. My car, is just around the corner. Bring it around. I have to take him back to the bar and find out who sent him" she waited for Lauren to run away, then kicked the bastard's legs.

"I don't know anything!" he rolled around, holding his injured shoulder.

"Whoa! I didn't even ask you any questions yet? Don't worry, I will. But not before I beat the living crap out of you…" she knelt down, looking at him. "… Going after her, was a big mistake! And you're about to find out, just how big. When it's over, you'll be wishing I had killed you" she pulled him up, hearing a car in the distance.

She knew the sound of her own engine, so when she saw Lauren pull up; she opened up her trunk and threw him inside. Hitting his shoulder to make him stop moving, she kept duct tape in her car so she stuck a piece of it on his mouth and around his hands.

Bo rounded the car, getting into the driver's seat now that Lauren had moved over. Looking at her, Bo could see she was having a hard time with what just happened. And she didn't blame her. This was the last thing she wanted for her. Without another word, she drove off to the bar.

This guy was going to talk, one way or another.

Lucky Joe's Tavern - Later

As soon as they got there, Bo told Benny to take their new friend down to the basement. She then brought Lauren to sit down at their table, offering her a drink which Lauren graciously accepted. "I'll be right back…" She touched her arm, then walked away. "… Sit with her" she told one of her men.

Making her way downstairs, Bo walked right into the basement seeing the shooter tied to a chair in the middle of the room. She looked at his wound, seeing the blood continue to spill out. "That looks bad…" She stood close to him, grasping his shoulder in her hand and squeezing tight. "… And I bet it hurts even worse" she heard him scream.

"I'm not telling you anything bitch!" He spat at her.

She laughed, "Oh you will, but I like your confidence…" She turned around, grabbing her brass knuckles from one of her guys. Her ribs were still hurting whenever she used her fists, but she wasn't going to let this guy off easy. "… I'm gonna ask you again. And it would be in your best interest for you to answer me. Who sent you?" She stood beside him, cracking her knuckles in preparation.

"No one" he said.

"I'm gonna enjoy this…" She delivered a hard knock to his jaw, watching his mouth begin to bleed. "… Again, who sent you?" When he didn't answer her, she punched him again, this time even harder. "… There goes your nose, but you've still got plenty of other bones for me to break. You can make it stop, just tell me what I want to know" she touched her ribs, feeling the ache.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his jaw felt like it was hanging off and thanks to his nose broken and gushing with blood he felt like he couldn't breathe either. "Murphy!" He coughed, spitting out more blood. "Conall Murphy!" He clarified it for her.

Bo guessed as much, she hasn't helped matters by going after his guys in these last few days. "Why Lauren? What was his plan for her?" She needed to know that above anything.

"He told me to take her out, that's all I know. I was just doing a job" He answered.

To hear those words made Bo so angry, so much so that she couldn't stop herself from what she did next. "So that's what she is to you huh? Just a job?" Her frown was an angry one. "Well guess what?" She grabbed his throat with her left hand, raising her right fist. "Now the Hunter, is going to become the prey"

"But I've heard you don't kill anymore" He had heard all about her tragic past, and that she was never really seen doing the dirty work anymore.

That was Bo's struggle, she didn't want to break her promise to Lauren. Or to herself. But this man had tried to take the one thing she loved more than anything in the world. He didn't deserve to live after what he's done, "I do for her" she punched his face, repeatedly until he wasn't talking anymore.

By the time she'd finished, her arm was hurting and so were her ribs. She stepped back, seeing his bruised and beaten face. He looked lifeless. She looked down to her hand, taking the brass knuckles off and seeing the bruising on her own knuckles.

Suddenly, the door opened behind her. Kenzi walked in, seeing the mess Bo had made. She couldn't believe her eyes. Had she killed someone? She didn't say anything, she walked forward and checked the guy's pulse. He was breathing, but barely. "He's alive Bo" she turned to her.

Bo breathed in relief, she was having second thoughts as soon as she finished hitting him. She still believed that he needed to pay. But she hadn't killed for so long, maybe now she just wasn't made for it anymore. "He came for her Kenz…" She began to cry. "… I could've lost her"

Kenzi swept her into a hug, letting her get it all out. "But you didn't. That's the main thing. Look at me…" She held her face, smiling at her. "… I'm gonna take care of this. You, go back upstairs to Lauren. She shouldn't be alone right now. Go" she pushed her towards the door gently.

Without even saying anything, Bo just nodded and left the basement. Making her way back to the bar, and she found Lauren where she left her still nursing her scotch. "Hey, are you doing okay?" She knew it was a stupid question, but she had to ask.

"Someone just tried to shoot me in the head…" Lauren said, facing her Girlfriend. "… What's there to be okay about?" She frowned at her. She went through something similar when Bo was in prison, but this was different. These people came to her place of work, and they had a gun. "Am I even safe here?" She asked.

Bo nodded within a second, "Of course you are. You're always safe with me, I promise. Lauren, I'm so sorry this's happening. I never wanted this for you. And when I think about what he would've done to you…" She shook her head, not able to finish her sentence. "… He can't hurt you now" she found her voice.

Lauren wanted to be mad, but she chose to remain with Bo. Even when Tamsin was warning her of this very situation. How do you turn your back on someone you love? She leaned into Bo's arms, wanting to feel safe. And she always did when Bo held her. "This's just the beginning, isn't it?"

Holding her tight, Bo breathed her in. "I'm gonna fix this…" She said. "… The last thing I want is for you to be scared to live your life. But, for now I think you should stay with me at my place. I can protect you there"

"Okay, I'll call work and tell them I'm sick or something. They're usually pretty good with that sort of thing…" Lauren pulled her phone from her pocket, dialling her boss' number. "… I need to go home and get a few things first though" she mentioned to Bo.

"We can go when you're done…" Bo smiled, "… Everything's gonna be fine" she kissed her cheek, then let her talk in private. She walked back down to the basement, walking in at the moment Kenzi was zipping up a body bag.

Kenzi dusted her hands off, seeing her sister's face she knew what Bo was thinking. "Don't worry. You're beat down didn't kill him…" she finished with the bag, telling her guys to take it out to the van. "… I took care of the rest. He was too much of a risk to let live" she knew her job, and she was good at it.

Bo sighed, "Yeah, you're probably right…" she looked down at her hands again, making a fist and feeling the ache of her knuckles from the beating. "… I'm taking Lauren back to the loft. She's gonna stay with me until we figure this thing out"

"That's good. She's safest with you…" Kenzi wiped her hands in a towel. "…. We're gonna get him for this Bo. No one messes with our family and gets away with it. I know you and Lauren haven't been dating for that long but, she is that to me. She's family" she loved Lauren.

Just not in the way her sister did.

"And we protect our own…" Bo gave her sister a hug. She didn't know what she would do without Kenzi. She'd be dead if not for her. Kenzi had saved her life in more ways than one. "… I'm gonna go. Call me if you hear anything" she left the basement, then took Lauren back to her place.

Bo's Loft - Later

After they'd had some dinner, Bo laid with Lauren in her bed. Lauren wasn't feeling up to eating much, but Bo didn't want to see her go down that road. She knew that what happened today, had scared Lauren. Actually, it probably terrified her.

But Bo didn't want her to live in fear. That wasn't a good way to live. So with some gentle persuasion, Lauren ate her dinner. But she was still exhausted after the events of today, so they went straight to bed.

Lauren held onto her as she slept, she needed to feel safe and that's what Bo did for her. But Bo needed to leave her for a couple of minutes, because there was something she had to do. She carefully untangled herself from her Girlfriend, slipping out of the bed quietly.

Before leaving, she placed a large pillow in her place and Lauren subconsciously grabbed onto it as she continued to sleep soundly. Leaving the room, Bo crossed the hallway and went into her spare bedroom which she used as an office space.

She turned her computer on and opened up a video chat with her Father back in Ireland. She didn't have a clue what time it was over there. But her Father never ignored a phone call from her or Kenzi. No matter what time of day it was.

When the screen lit up, Bo saw her Father's face. He was wide awake, so that was something at least. "Hi Dad…" she knew that the only one who could give her insight on Murphy was her Father being that he faced him years ago. "… Sorry to call you so suddenly, but I've got a bit of a problem"

"Nonsense, you're my daughter. I would drop anything for you. What's the problem sweetie?" he asked, eager to listen.

Bo didn't even know where to begin, "I probably should've told you, and I'm a little surprised that Kenzi hasn't yet; two weeks ago, I got hit by a car…" she saw his expression turn worried. "… I'm okay, nothing more than a few bruised bones. But the guy that did it, was Shamus Murphy"

Joe knew that name, he sat back in his own chair and took a breath. "The son of Conall Murphy; my oldest enemy…" he couldn't believe that prick had the balls to go for his daughter. "… He marked you?" he knew exactly the kind of term Murphy liked to use.

"Yes sir…" Bo nodded. "… But that's not all. He sent a hit man after Lauren today. He would've killed her if I hadn't gotten there in time. Going after me is one thing, but I cannot have her caught in the crossfire Dad. You've gotta help me, or tell me what I'm supposed to do! How do I stop him?" she needed his council.

"Conall Murphy is filth Bo…" he said. "… To go after Lauren, means that he's desperate. He never was the sharpest tool in the box. I know why he's doing this. It's to get back at me. And since I'm not there with you-"

"He's targeting me and Kenzi instead…" She finished for him. "… What'd you do to him that was so bad? Did you kill someone he loved? I know how bad your temper is when someone annoys you" she knew her Father was a teddy bear really, but when someone angered him; he was an animal.

Joe sighed, "I don't want to talk about this over a video call. I'm taking the next flight out; I'll be there soon. Don't worry sweetie. I won't let anyone harm Lauren. I know how much she means to you. It'll all be fine" he smiled.

That was like a weight off of Bo's chest, she didn't ask for help normally. But she needed her Dad right now. She'd do anything to keep Lauren safe. "Thanks Dad. Call me when you land, I'll have someone pick you up from the airport. I love you" she smiled back at him.

"I love you too. Sleep well" he signed off on his end.

With that out of the way, Bo turned her computer off and went back to her bedroom. As she was walking in, Lauren was waking up. "Hey, it's okay…" she got back into bed with her, holding her close. "… Go back to sleep. I'm right here" she kissed her head.

"I thought you left" Lauren was having a little separation anxiety right now. Bo was the only person that made her feel safe, and she didn't want to be without her. Not even for a second.

Bo shook her head, "I'll never leave you…" she whispered. "… I promise" she felt Lauren relax in her arms, so she let herself fall asleep too. This day had gotten the best of all of them.

Her Dad was on his way now, so Bo didn't have to worry about doing this alone. She didn't know how to handle Conall. But her Father did, and when he got here they were going to make that son of a bitch pay for what he'd done.

What Kenzi said was true. They protected their own, and Lauren was family now.

A/N: Well, what's gonna happen next? Will she be able to keep Lauren safe? Find out next time. In the meantime, let me know what you thought. Much love xoxo