N: someone mentioned being curious about the two month gap. Bascially, Lauren was a jerk to Bo in jerky little ways, and Bo would confide in Wynn and that made him fall for her. There really wasn't much to embellish on at the point i was writing, and felt it better that Bo just drops a big ole bomb just when Lauren is all business is normal here. Anyway, read on this mess. The next chapter will be them talking, and stuff. Read on and enjoy!

Also, you'll notice i shifted POV's...it might not happen to often, here and there. depending on how the mood strikes.

The Next morning.

I was buried under a mountain of blankets, sleeping hard in a cocoon of warmth. The day before had run into a long night, and by the time I got home, I was frozen, exhausted and collapsed into bed. Falling into a deep sleep by the time I pulled the covers over my head.

I had heard my phone ring, followed by a few knocks on the front door. But I wasn't getting up. I was on the verge of wallowing in self-pity as I found no way out of this mess I created with Bo. Bo who had run off the set the second I called it a wrap for the day, and I couldn't find her. The last anyone saw of her, was attached to Wynn's arm as he escorted her to the transportation van. I debated calling her from Effy's phone, however childish that would be of me, but was stopped by Gillian telling me to sleep on it and deal with it in the morning.

"Jesus Lauren, it's rather critical that you answer the phone, or the door, when we have a schedule to keep." Effy rushed into my bedroom, bringing in the cold air soaked into her coat. "Get up, everything has been shifted around. The entire schedule has been switched with our after break day one schedule. We have a heavy day of SFX and explosions."

I pulled the down comforter down just far enough to peek one eye out at my assistant. "What? And are you really in my closet?"

Effy ignored me as she started pulling clothing down and tossing it on the end of the bed. "You heard me. We have to be at the set in an hour and a half, the rest of the cast is scrambling, it was most of their day off." She held up a ragged, yet beloved, concert shirt of mine. Frowning before tucking it back into the shelves, picking up a cleaner looking button down.

I sat up, clutching to the comforter. "We're supposed to do the first kiss scene between Maggie and Annie today. It's primarily a whole day of shooting with Gillian and Bo." I frowned at the way saying her name made my stomach twist.

Effy moved to the end of the bed, crossing her arms as she glared at me. "Bo called in sick. A terrible cold brought on by the last weeks dreadful weather. The set doctor checked her out, she's on bed rest for the next few days. Poor girl has no voice and looks as grey as my mother's Christmas roast chicken."

The way Effy glared at me, it made me feel this was my fault. I also felt my heart wobble in my chest. "Is she okay?"

Effy sighed, dropping her arms. "Yes, she sounds like hell, but like I said. She'll be back at it after our break." She then walked to my bathroom, starting up the shower. "I'm not surprised, Lauren. The girl has been exhausted. Working endless hours with the rest of us, slogging in the rain and cold, then having to deal with you. No wonder her body is punishing her."

I swung my legs out of the bed, and stood up. "Effy. Please don't rake me over the coals. I tried to find her last night, but she ran off with her boyfriend." I cringed, remembering clearly the conversation Bo and I had. The things she said. "I don't know what to do, I've made such a mess."

"Then like any mess, you clean it up. Don't cry over spilt milk unless its curdled, Lauren. You haven't curdled Bo's feelings for you, completely." She leaned against the doorframe to my bathroom, looking me over. She suddenly smiled, pushing off the doorframe to walk over to me. "Since the schedule change has thrown us all in a tizzy, and it's our last day before break. I think we will end a few hours early. We're already ahead of schedule, we can spare an hour or two."

Shuffling towards the bathroom, I kept my head down. "I don't really want to go out for drinks with the cast tonight. I need to focus on fixing this."

Effy threw her arm around me, guiding me into the bathroom. "You'll be too busy making a special delivery to have drinks with us tonight. I've already have a plan and it's better than locking you two in a room to verbally duke it out."

I tried to turn in her grasp, confused at what she was suggesting, when I was rudely shoved into the bathroom. "Shower Lauren, before I call in the big guns. Big guns with red hair and excellent knowledge of all your physical weak points." Effy grinned, winking at me. "Trust me, Lauren. I've yet to steer you aground."

XXX (Bo)

I was miserable, achy, and every time I coughed, it felt like a rib was going to break. The doctor had diagnosed me with a mild case of bronchitis and a nasty cold virus that had moved around the crew as we spend day after day in the rain. I was miserable because I had to take the day off, calling Effy at the crack of dawn to tell her I wasn't going to make it, let alone get out of bed to pee. She immediately sent the doctor over and here I was now. Sitting in front of the fireplace in the house the studio provided me, a house four times bigger than my cruddy apartment back in California, debating on calling Wynn back just so he could bring me soup and other supplies I had neglect to get over the last week. But I couldn't bring myself to do it, the poor guy had been calling incessantly when I messaged him that I wasn't going to the set today. I also messaged Gillian, making a joke that as much as I'd like to kiss her, she wouldn't want this nasty illness. She messaged back with kindness, and it made it that much harder for me to hate her.

I coughed, wincing and burying my face into the giant quilt I found in a closet. It wasn't that I actually hated Gillian, she was truly a very kind, incredible person, I just hated her for her ability to be close to Lauren. Their relationship, and the way she was able to make Lauren smile, when all I could do was make the blonde do was scowl, or stare at me with indifference.

Then there was Lauren. Lauren Lewis. The shy girl who shuffled awkwardly in front of me at the stupid convention, the shy girl who left such an impression on me, that I spontaneously asked her to dinner that night. I didn't want the others to know what I was doing, for they would probably follow the poor girl to get to me. So, I slipped her a note asking her to find me in the green room later and I would give her my number, my hotel information, and get to know this woman that sent shockwaves through my body when I shook her hand.

But then I was a stupid ass when I met up with the rest of the cast. My male costar making fun of me for taking the script from Lauren, then the rest joined in. Perhaps it was meant to be in jest, but I was at the end of my rope with the overwhelming fame I was sucked into. I did something stupid, having no idea Lauren was watching, and threw the script out. When Lauren didn't come to the green room that day, or the rest of the days of the convention, I was sad. Thinking she had gotten scared, or put off by my boldness. I never forgot her though, I went to every convention after, hoping to see her standing in line. But it never happened, and soon my star started to dim.

Then one day, Lauren popped up on my TV during award seasons. Golden Globes, Oscars, SAG, she was there. She had changed, grown more confident in her body, and in herself, but I knew it was her. Those brown eyes, it would always be her eyes that I remembered. The way they looked at me as if I was a person, not an object, not a fictional character, but a real person. The way she looked at me with pure adoration, the adoration that comes with slowly falling for a stranger. I absorbed everything I could about Lauren. Reading her interviews, going to her movies, and watching all of the stupid entertainment shows. Lauren was different, guarded, protective as fame exploded into her life, but her eyes always remained the same. Showing all of her true emotion, even as she spoke stone faced, or refused to answer personal questions.

I sniffled, chuckling as I remembered developing a bigger crush on the woman as I followed her, I knew it was something more, but I never believed in love at first sight, even if it was smacking me in the face. Even if this particular woman had an even more particular effect on me. I tried to reach out to her PR team through my agent, but I never got a response and soon I drifted into having no agent, no representation, and working at the public annex, teaching drama classes. Then came that open casting call. Walking into a room to meet with one of the greatest directors was nerve shattering to start with, but then I recognized her. Sitting hunched over, hiding under a hat and glasses, acting like no one important. But then she made the mistake of looking me in the eyes as she asked those questions. I knew it was her immediately, and grabbed the opportunity to tell her the truth. My mistake, and that it had taken me years, but I finally realized I had fallen in love with her at first sight. I wanted to pour my heart out to her in that room, but didn't.

I walked out of that audition knowing I didn't get it, but I waited outside. Waited for hours, hoping for a chance to catch Lauren. But like the first time we met, she never came out and I walked away, telling the universe that I got it. I had screwed up and now had to live with my consequences.

I was ecstatic my new agent called me and sent me Lauren's new script. I felt my luck was turning around when they loved my audition tape and sent me to England to read in front of her. I spent days plotting out what I was going to say to her, that it was the universe finally giving me that second chance to at least tell her that I never stopped thinking about her. That no matter how hard I tired, I could never recreate that spark she lit in me every time we were in the same room. Even as she tried to be the hard director, I could read her eyes, that was the one thing that would never change about her. She could be hard, cold, professional, and rude, but her eyes would always be kind and loving.

I coughed hard, tears squeezing out as I gasped for air and clutched at my ribs. I stood up slowly, my body revolting as I walked to the kitchen to check on the status of the medication the doctor prescribed. I needed that cough syrup stat, and the Tylenol to ease my aches. Making it to the kitchen I leaned on the small table for a moment to catch my breath. I looked up at the fridge where I had stuck a picture Alan had taken. He was a photographer in his spare time, and always taking picture. He gave me loads of them, using the excuse that my excitement of being back in film was making him feel young again. He gave me this one picture last week, it was one of Lauren and I standing together. She was giving me direction on whatever scene it was, and she was smiling because she was lost in her characters, her story. I was smiling in return, not because of the same reason Lauren was, but because Lauren was smiling and it was a sight that warmed my heart, gave me hope. I rolled my eyes, wiping my nose, I was beyond in love with the woman, but she couldn't see it.

For the last two months, I tried. I tried everything in the book I could think of to get a moment alone with her. Pour my heart out to her, and tell her everything. But she kept me at arm's length, acted distant and would only interact with me if it was for a scene. I couldn't stop myself from falling in love with her, she was incredible to watch, not only because she was beyond beautiful, it was her passion for making this film her best. She was invigorating be around, and when our hands brushed against each other, I still felt that buzz from the first time we touched. And it made me want to try harder, but she just shut me down harder and would walk in with Gillian first thing, and go home with her at the end of the day. Clearly in love with the sexy red head. I think that's what broke me last night and I spewed my heart out to the woman, I no longer cared to keep fighting if she wasn't even going to bother. My jealousy had reached a breaking point, and maybe the endless rain and mud had worn away my resolve. I had to tell her, especially after Gillian let it slip that it was for sure Lauren in that Spielberg audition that day. Lauren knew, had known, and yet she was playing a game with me. She was also wrapped up in set gossip about Wynn and I, to even listen that I was telling her I had never stopped loving her. I just didn't have the advantage to find her when my star fell out of the sky.

I sighed hard, cringing as the simple action hurt my lungs, and I struggled to hold back a coughing spell. I reached for the kettle to put it on, I need something warm to soothe my throat. While the kettle warmed, I closed my eyes, debating how to tell Wynn that he was misreading everything. I wasn't interested him in the way he wished, he just had been the closest friend I'd had in a very long time, and made me feel like I was back home with my family. Not a thousand miles away, letting my heart break over and over in silence over a woman I hurt so long ago. I would have to tell him after the break there was nothing there between us.

I opened my eyes when the kettle whistled, and went to reach for it when my doorbell rang. I smiled weakly, coughing lightly, it had to be my medicine. I could take it, fall into my bed and sleep for days without dreams, or my overcrowding thoughts.

I shuffled to the door, rasping out that I was coming when the doorbell rang again. I opened it, squinting at the late afternoon sun. "Please tell me you have my cough syrup."

"I do, along with a fresh pot of chicken soup, fresh baked bread, and a few other things Effy shoved into these bags."

I held my hand up to block the sun, hearing Lauren's voice confused me. I must be hallucinating from the fever. There was no way the woman would be standing at my door. And yet she was. Arms full of grocery bags, and an awkward, nervous smile on her face. "What are you doing here?" I tried to be firm, but my cold made it come out like a croak.

"I um, came to check on you. Effy told me you weren't feeling well, and I wanted to check on you. Like I do for all of my actors." Lauren stumbled over her words. "Can I come in? You look like you're about to fall over, Bo."

I shrugged, holding my hand out for the white drugstore bag. "I'll take that, you can leave the rest in the kitchen. I'll put it away." I took the white bag from Lauren and went to step away. "Thank you for dropping by, you can go now. I'm sure you have people waiting for you." I peeled open the bag, relieved to see the big bottle of cough syrup sitting like a giant with the other orange pill bottles.

I went to grab it when another coughing spell hit, the cold air from outside hitting my throat just right. I coughed so hard, I dropped the white bag, and almost fell over, clutching to my ribs instead of steadying myself. I backed up, hoping I would back up into a wall to hold me, when I felt two arms wrap around me and pull me into a unique warmth. "Easy Bo, easy. Try to relax and breathe." Lauren's voice was soft, comforting as she held me protectively against her chest. I wanted to push away from her, but was too weak to fight it. Plus her warmth was doing the trick and relaxing me as the coughing fit passed. I knew I was crying from the pain of coughing, but I didn't want her to see it. I went to push out of her arms, keeping my head down. "I'm okay."

Lauren held onto me, guiding me to the stairs. "No you're not." She set down the grocery bags, moving her arms around so I was pressed into her side as she carried most of my weight. "Bedroom is up the stairs and to the left?"

I nodded weakly, glancing at Lauren who was looking straight ahead with a worried look on her face. "Yes, how do you know?"

She smiled. "The studio owns this entire block. All the cast has the same floorplan." She helped me up the stairs, holding me tightly.

I cleared my throat. "Ah, you do spend a lot of time at Gillian's. It makes sense." I was being petty, but whatever. I could blame it on the plague I was harbouring.

I heard Lauren breathe in. "I lived next door when I was filming my second movie. Knowing the floor plan has nothing to do with Gillian, or the time I've spent with her." Her tone was firm, as if she was angry that I was suggesting she spent any time with her love.

We said nothing further until Lauren sat me on the bed. Pulling back the covers and fluffing my pillows. "Get in, and I will warm up the soup and bring you the medicine and some water." She looked at me, those damn brown eyes of hers telling me she was here not out of courtesy, but because she wanted to be.

I nodded slowly and crawled into the bed, sitting up since it hurt to lay down with all of my aches and pains. Lauren pulled the covers up and turned away quickly, running back down the stairs. I didn't have time to sort out why she was here, I had an idea Effy sent her here, before Lauren reappeared with a tray. The tray had a steaming bowl of soup, a glass of water, a glass of orange juice, and all of my drugs lined up.

She set the tray on the bedside table next to me, dragging a chair to sit down at the side of the bed. She went to pick up the bowl when I shook my head. "I'm very capable of feeding myself."

Lauren frowned, handing the bowl over to my shaky hands. "Fine. But I'm not changing the sheets if you spill." She waited until I had a firm grip on the bowl before leaning back. "How are you feeling?"

I gave her a dirty look. "Like hell." I took one spoonful of the soup, and sniffled. "I have bronchitis and a nasty cold virus. I'm sure Effy filled you in as she sent you over here."

Lauren cocked an eyebrow my way. "She didn't send me over here, like you think she did. She did tell me you were sick, and where to pick up the best chicken soup. But I'm here, because I want to be here, Bo. I care about you." She sputtered the last four words out like a broken engine.

I took another sip of the soup. "I wish I could believe that. You probably only care how me being sick sets us behind schedule." I set the bowl of soup on my lap. "I'll be better in a few days, I can come to the set for anything I missed." I was being rude, but didn't care. I had decided to stop fighting for Lauren last night, and wanted to give her a dose of her own shit. It was hard, Lauren looked adorable in her old jeans and the rare non-concert t-shirt, even though I had suspicions she had a band t-shirt underneath the pale grey flannel button up she wore.

Lauren sighed, leaning forward on her knees, running her hands through her hair. "Bo, I know this isn't the time. But we need to talk."

I chuckled, inspiring a few coughs to edge out. "What is there to talk about? I think our conversation last night was clear. I meant what I said, including letting you be happy with Gillian." I gripped the warm soup bowl, letting the heat soak into my freezing hands. "I appreciate the kindness of bringing me food, but you can leave. I won't hold it over your head if you do. I know that I'm the last person you want to be around."

I watched as Lauren's jaw twitched, and she stood up, nodding. "Fine. I'll send your boyfriend Wynn over to nurse you." She looked around the room. "He's just about done with his scenes for the day, and has been worried to death about you." Lauren grabbed the back of the chair and went to shove it back to it's place when I asked her. "What makes you think he's my boyfriend? You never expanded on that gossip. And before I drown my sorrows in cough syrup, will you tell me what gives you, Lauren, the impression that Wynn is someone I'm interested in. Especially given what I said to you, unless you don't remember that." I dipped my head down, staring at the chunks of chicken and carrots floating in broth.

"God dammit Bo! I do remember what you said last night." Lauren half shouted at me, but reeled it back when she saw me flinch. "To answer your question, I think, know Wynn is your boyfriend because of the way you two interact. The way he fawns over you, and you are always on his arm. The way he is worried about you right now, that's love, Bo. He loves you." She was pacing around the room. "That's what makes it so hard about what you said last night, makes me so scared now. Because I've carried you with me for years, and when you fall back into my life, I'm not ready. Then when I think I'm ready, you fall into the arms of a handsome boy. Shoved willingly by me because I'm so scared to feel anything for you, because when I do. It's the same thing I felt when we first met."

She looked over at me. "I've never stopped, Bo. I couldn't, even when you broke my heart seven years ago, and then stopped it in that audition. I just fought it, fought being in love with you. Buried my feelings." Her eyes filled up with tears. "But what about Gillian, I know you're going to ask it. Gillian is my friend, yes she is a woman of my past, the one I got really close to loving but couldn't because she wasn't you. She will never be you." Lauren threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "I've made a mess of everything out of my own fear of having you back in my life. The things you make me feel overwhelm me to the point that I shove you away, keep you away. Hoping that a Wynn would sweep in and take you away from, and I could stop worrying. But when he did, it only made it hurt more. Hurt more that you weren't mine, Bo."

I stared at Lauren, pacing and waving her hands around like a mad woman. A mad woman who was letting out seven years of pent up emotion.

"Everything I've accomplished in my life was to prove a point to you. Whether it was vindictive when I started, it's become nothing close to that now." She turned to look at me. "This film is my story, you're my Maggie. The one I could never resist, forget, and that's the truth." She smiled weakly. "I know my film will have a happier ending than this." She waved a hand between us. "But I can't anymore, Bo. I can't pretend that I don't feel things for you. That I still hurt from watching you throw my heart into the trash when I gave it to you. That I have no idea what I'm going to do next outside of finishing this film." She huffed out a large puff of air. "Yes, Effy made me come over here, because I asked her how I was going to fix the mess I made, before I lost you forever."

I sniffled, not from a dripping nose, but from the fact I was crying. I set the bowl down on the bedside table. Tucking my shaking hands back under the blankets. "No wonder you've won the Oscar for best drama, you sure know how to make a scene." I swallowed hard a few times. "I need to confess one thing, I never knew you were standing, watching me throw out that script. Everything made sense after you told me, that you hadn't just disappeared on me without a reason. I know I hurt you."

Lauren crossed her arms, scowling at the floor. He face was pale and flushed at the same time, the woman was on the verge of running out my room and never coming back. I could smell it in the air, well what I could smell with a stuffed up nose. "I figured by your reaction that day in the coffee shop. And yes you did hurt me, Bo. But I didn't make it any better by hurting like I have, when I…" Lauren paused, afraid to say it, and I couldn't blame her.

I nodded, sniffling and wiping my eyes with the edge of my sweater. "It was stupid of me. I hate to say that as a grown woman, I succumbed to peer pressure from my cast mates, and threw it away. Threw away a chance at something that I had to wait so many years to have again." I bit the inside of my mouth, struggling for words in a foggy, stuffed up brain. "Lauren, I…" I started to cough again, harder than the last time, bending over in pain as my lungs fought for air. And like last time, two strong arms wrapped around me, lifting me up and into her chest so I could get air in. Lauren held me as I gripped onto her back, coughing unabashedly into the sleeve of my sweater. It hurt so bad, but I wouldn't give up the way it felt to be in her arms.

When it passed, Lauren was rubbing my back, whispering comforting words against my ear. I laid my head on her shoulder, closing my eyes and breathing in slowly. I could just barely catch hints of the way she smelled of clean linen and hints of that cherry coke she loved so much on her breath.

She leaned back, holding me up reluctantly, wiping hair from my sweaty forehead. "Are you okay?" She searched my eyes with her own worried filled ones. "I should've given you the cough syrup before the soup."

I smiled weakly, finding her hand pressed against my cheek, pressing mine against it. "Would you hate me if I said, I faked that last coughing fit just so you would hold me again?" I looked up in her eyes, watching them shift from worry to a devilish glint. A hint of a smirk on her face as she shook her head.

"Not at all, Bo." She leaned over, still holding onto me, and grabbed the bottle of cough syrup. She poured out a cap full and had me slop it down, followed by a glass of water to chase out the horrible fake cherry taste. When it was down, Lauren let me curl back up into her arms, I didn't want to lie down until the syrup did it's magic. I always coughed hard when I was on my back.

I soon felt the sedative effects taking hold, resting my head back on Lauren's shoulder. "What happens next?"

Lauren pressed her cheek against the top of my head, pulling me deeper into my arms. "You sleep, try to get rid of this cough, and then we talk. We start where we kind of left off at that convention." She took a deep breath. "I know I've changed, you've changed, and whatever happens, happens. I think we've both fought the wrong battle for far too long."

I nodded slowly, slumping deeper into her arms as my eyelids grew heavy. "Will you be here when I wake up?" My voice came out like a child's, the cough syrup working faster and faster.

Lauren laughed lightly. "If you want me to be, yes. The break started an hour ago, so I have nowhere to be."

I smiled into her shoulder. "Good, I want you to be here, Lauren." I took a deep, sleepy breath in. "I love you so much, Lauren."

I didn't hear if she reciprocated, all I felt was her heart beat harder before I slipped away into the deep sleep I had been craving all day.