"Hey I saw a farmer's market sign do you think we could stop there? I need to pick up a few things." Bo asks on our car ride back home from the docks.

I smile and nod, "That's fine babe. What are you getting?"

Bo shrugs, "Just some stuff to make us dinner."

"What are you making if you don't mind my asking?"

"It's a surprise." she says with an easy going smile.

As I turn a corner I take Bo's hand and kiss the back of it before intertwining my fingers with hers. Bo's skin was soft and warm and whenever I made contact with it it either calmed me or excited me. I would never get tired of Bo touching me or me touching her. She made me feel safe and protected. I had never felt so sure that everything was going to be alright until I met Bo and I was very thankful for her. Bo saved me and continued to save me everyday and that's what makes me love her.

I pull into the farmer's market and Bo and I get out of the car, "May I hold you hand beautiful?" Bo asks with a wink.

"Why yes you may gorgeous." I say and take her hand with a grin.

We begin to walk through the market and Bo looks over all of the fruits and vegetables that we passed. She would occasionally stop to buy something, I still couldn't tell what she was going to make yet. "Is that..no it's not." she says quietly.

"What?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "I thought I saw..." she gasps and puts her hands over her mouth. "Kenzi?" she whispers her eyes instantly turning glassy.

"Who?" I ask confused looking where Bo was.

"My old roommate. The one I was telling you about." she says her eyes locked on the girl. The girl looks at Bo and does a double take before covering her mouth. Bo just stares at her before the girl comes running towards her. Bo catches her when she jumps to her arms. "Kenz." she sighs.

They hug for a bit and Bo sets the girl down, "Oh my god BoBo where did you skip off to? I've been looking for your ass since you left."

Bo wipes away a few stray tears, "I had to get away, you know that."

The girl nods, "I know but I've been worried sick about you. I didn't know if you got you ass killed or some shit." she pushes Bo's shoulder. "You're like my sister man and the way you left tore me up. That was so not cool."

Bo pulls the girl into a tight hug, "I know Kenz I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to try and follow me and him be right behind you ya know?" she says and then lets her go.

The girl nods and looks at me, "Shit I'm sorry, sup I'm Kenzi the one and only." she holds out her hand and I take it but she does an elaborate hand shake that I didn't even get.

"Shit I'm sorry babe." she says wrapping her arm around my waist. "This is Kenzi my old roommate and best friend. Kenzi this is my girlfriend Lauren." she says with a a big smile.

I smile at the dimple appearing on her cheek, "Nice to meet you Kenzi, I've heard a lot about you."

Bo puts her hand just over my ass and squeezes me closer, "Aw shit BoBo you got yourself a blonde! She cute cute." Kenzi says with a nod. "How ya been babe?" she asks.

Bo's smile fades slightly and I rub her back, "He's after me again so not too hot." is all she had to say before Kenzi's face turned into a hard line.

"I thought, I thought um Mary took care of him." she says folding her arms across her chest.

Bo shakes her head, "Well not good enough because I saw him before we left for here. He just stood there and stared at me with that look on his face."

Kenzi nods, "Where are you guys staying? My place is a lot cheaper than a hotel and I got a kick ass collection of shit to beat his twisted ass with if he shows up."

"We're staying in Lauren's beach house." Bo says cooly squeezing my waist again.

Kenzi gasps and smiles wide, "Oh my shit you got a beach house blondie?"

I chuckle and nod, "Yeah I've had it for a while now, I thought Bo would enjoy it so I invited her."

"I still like the boat better. For reasons that will be left unsaid." she smirks and kisses my forehead.

I look up at her and smile, "You are a perv." I chuckle.

"That may be so darlin but I'm not the one who.." I elbow her in the side and glanced at Kenzi. "Ouch woman. I was going to say likes music more than me damn teach." she winks.

I chuckle again, "Whatever Dennis I know your game."

"Teach?" Kenzi asks in confusion.

"Lauren used to be my literature professor." Bo says with a chuckle.

"Shit, can't you get fired for that blondie?" Kenzi asks seemingly concerned.

I nod my head, "Yeah but before we left I put in my early retirement. I wanted to be with Bo so I stop teaching and I'm gonna go back to school for medical science."

"Damn that's some hard on shit man." Kenzi says with a nod. "Well hey what are you guys doing for dinner? We could totally meet up somewhere or some shit like that.." Kenzi suggests hopefully.

"Babe if you want to have some time to catch up with Kenzi I don't mind." I say with a smile. "You can take my car."

"Lo you don't have to do that, you can come with me." she says furrowing her brow.

I giggle and cup her cheek, "No it's fine, I don't want to get in the way of anything."

Bo puts her hand over mine and leans into my hand, "Are you sure?" I nod. "Okay." she drops my hand and looks at Kenzi who is smiling widely. "What's with the creep smile Kenz?"

Kenzi just shakes her head, "You're in lurve Bobo. I see it all over both your cute little faces." she says and squeezes both our cheeks.

I chuckle and Bo squeezes me closer again, "I'll tell you all about it tonight Kenz." she smiles.

"I need to give you da address, you still have the same number?"

"Yeah except the last number is a six now." Bo says and looks at me with a smile.

"Great I'll text you when I clean up and all that shit."

"Kenz it's just me you don't have to give me a special treatment." Bo chuckles.

"Oh it's not for you, my parents are coming down from Russia tomorrow and if I don't clean now I'm just not going to do it at all." she shrugs.

"Oh and you know your mom will kick your ass."

Kenzi scoffs, "You're tellin me. Well I'll get going and l see you later. It was very nice meeting you blondie and I'll send food with Bobo when she goes back to ya."

I nod, "It was nice meeting you too Kenzi."

"See ya later Kenz." Bo says as Kenzi walks off. "Wow, she looks exactly the same as she did when I left."

I nod and look down, "She is really pretty." I say softly.

"Yeah she is." Bo nods and looks down at me.

"I don't have be jealous of her do I?" I ask still looking down.

Bo lifts up my chin and looks into my eyes, "Lauren I love you. I want you. No one else. You don't have to be jealous of anyone but your own reflection." she kisses my lips softly. "She's like a sister I don't see her in that way at all, and if you want to come with me or you don't want me to go I'll do it."

I shake my head and Bo drops her hand to the side of my neck, "No no I would never ask you to do that. You can go I was just...being dumb I guess."

"No you're not being dumb you're being my girlfriend."

I smile at the word coming from Bo, "I like the sound of that."

Bo smiles, "The sound of what?"

I shrug and put my hand over hers, "When you call me your girlfriend. My stomach erupts with butterflies and I just want to kiss you."

Bo hovers her lips over mine, "What's stopping you teach?"

I sigh against her lips and pull her to me. For a moment I forget that we were in a public place and there were probably people watching us but I didn't really care. Bo was mine and I was hers and I wanted everyone to know that. I want the whole world to know that Bo is mine and how much I love her. I lean away from Bo and smile, "Can we go back to the beach house before you have to go to Kenzi's?" I ask innocently.

Bo smiles and nods, "There's one more thing that I have to get." she says and looks at the booth of jewelry behind me.

"No no, you got me a diamond necklace you don't have to get me anything else." I say trying to stop her from spending any more money on me.

"I don't I know but I want to. You're my special girl and I need you to feel that way." she says blushing.

I smile and kiss her lips softly, "You being here with me makes me feel special enough. You don't have to spend your money on me."

Bo nods and looks into my eyes, holding my gaze for a minute with a certain gleam in her eye, "I really love you." She cups my cheek,"Did you know that?"

I look down then back at Bo and smile, "No, you'll have to show just how much later." I grab her hand. "Lets get out of here.

When Bo and I get back to the beach house she puts everything she bought at the market away and we go for a walk on the beach. As we walk along the shore I get lost in my thoughts. A few weeks ago I would have never pictured myself here with Bo, or even feeling this strongly for her. I never fell this hard this fast, that just wasn't how my heart or mind worked. It took my a year to fall for Nora but I guess that's just apart of Bo's charm. I'm completely, utterly, heartbreakingly in love with this woman and I don't want to turn back. She's my future and I don't want to go forward with anyone but her.

"Hey what's going on in that head of yours?" Bo asks squeezing my hand pulling me out of my head.

I smile at her and look at my feet as they leave marks in the sand, "Just how lucky I am to have you and how much I love you." I shrug. "That kinda stuff."

Bo smiles, "Do I get to hear any of these thoughts?"

"I don't know can you read minds?" I smirk and look over at Bo.

"You're a smart ass Lewis." she giggles and her phone rings. "Hello? Hey Kenz, nothing much taking a walk on the shore with my lady love, what's up?" she looks at me and smiles. "No she's not coming remember, she doesn't want to get in the way." a small frown comes on her face. "No I'm not going to force her to come Kenz. If she doesn't want to come then she doesn't have to. We can always hang out together the day before we have to go back home."

I look at the ground and pick up a seashell that was in the shape of a perfect heart and hold it tight in my hand. I could do something for Bo with it.

"Give me about an hour and I'll be there. No Kenzi stop being a perv." Bo chuckles and hangs up the phone and wraps her arm around me. "She thinks we're gonna bang our brains out before I go over."

I giggle, "Im sure last night took care of that and then some." I say and bite my lip remembering our night on the boat.

"You got that right." she says lowly before she scoops me up in her arms and runs into the water.

I squeal and kick my legs, "Bo Dennis you out me down right now!" I scream laughing.

Bo doesn't listen and I feel the cold ocean water seep through my shorts, "I need to get you wet." she winks.

I bring my lips to hers and give her a hard kiss, "You don't need to bring me to the ocean to get me wet ." I say and kiss her neck. Bo sighs and tilts her head to the side giving me better access to her sensitive skin. I feel Bo turn around and lead us out of the water and I suck and bite on her neck. I was also fully aware that there was a man and his wife staring hard at us. "We have a audience babe." I say and nod towards them.

Bo glances at them then smirks, "Why don't we give them a show?"

I smirk and turn so my legs are wrapped around Bo's waist and it's like I'm taller than her, "Sounds like a plan to me." I put a hand on the side of her face and kiss her deeply, our tongues swirling together. Bo nips on my lip and I put my hands in her hair and pull gently making her moan into my mouth. My body was on fire, I wanted Bo just like I do any other time but every day we were together the want got stronger. I wasn't sure if I could take wanting her to the point it hurts. I wouldn't let her out of my sight if that was the case.

Our lungs betray us and Bo breaks the kiss, "When I get home we are sleeping on the beach okay?"

I kiss her nose and nod, "Sounds good to me, but be aware it gets really cold and you get sand in place sand is not supposed to be."

"Good thing I have you to warm me up and wash me off when its all said and done." she smiles and kisses my chin.

"When you get back I'll have a surprise for you."

"Is that so?" Bo asks adjusting me slightly.

I nod and smile widely, "Yup, I'm gonna make you something."

"Creative and sexy. I love it." she says and gives me another quick peck.

I climb off Bo and grab her hand, "Come on you have to get dressed."

"Trying to rid of me so quickly ? I am offended." she says with a chuckle.

We walk past the couple who was still staring at us and I nod, "They are a really cute couple." the woman says as we pass her.

"You here that babe we're cute."

"Gross." Bo says and laughs making a fake gagging nose.

When we get back in the house Bo gets ready while I busy myself with getting the things I needed to make her gift. I would have to walk to the store down the street to get a picture printed or something but other than that I had everything, "Babe where are your keys?" Bo asks walking into the room in a light blue t-shirt and a pair of faded blue shorts, her hair pulled back in a casually ponytail.

"Mantel." I point. "The key with the pink ring around it is for the door." I say and sit on the floor in front of my supplies. "You look cute honey." I smile.

"Thanks babe." Bo walks over and kneels down next to me, "Aren't you going to give me a kiss goodbye?" I look up at her and give her a peck. "Another." she says with a smile. I chuckle and kiss her again. "One more and make it a good one." I place my hand on the side of Bo's face and kiss her how I did on the beach but slower. I wanted Bo to know that I loved her through my kiss, that she was the only one. "I love you." she says.

"I love you too." I say and she pecks my lips a few more times before getting up and leaving. "Be careful please!" I yell after her.

"I will,love you!" she says and the door shuts.

I sit at the table smiling at myself for a bit, I could get used to coming home to Bo and living with her on a regular basis. I know we already did back home but somehow it meant more to live with her now. Like if she didn't live with me she would probably stay with me all the time. Have her own drawer full of clothes and her own tooth brush in my bathroom. I think things like that are what mean the most. I smile and shiver when I notice that the balcony doors are open. I decide to go and get Bo's sweater that she often brought with her everywhere and curl up on the couch to start her project. She would love it because it would remind her of our time here. We would have to leave in two days and I wasn't looking forward to it. Going back home meant going back to the drama, Bo's stepdad, and I would have to go and enroll in school after spring semester was over but I might wait until fall. I was ready to start a new life with Bo but we had to work out both of our pasts before we could have a future.

Around eight thirty I finished Bo's present. I had managed to change it up a bit and wrap it. I decided to go take a shower before Bo got back. When I step under the hot stream I sigh at the feeling and smile. Hot water on my back always made me relax and I've been worrying about Bo since she left and the fact that she's been gone for three hours doesn't make my worries any better. I grab my loofa and squirt some of Bo's vanilla body wash on it, smiling at how much I loved that Bo smelled this way. When I get out of the shower I hear rustling in the kitchen, "Bo?" I say wrapping my towel tightly around me. "Baby is that you?" I go to my bag and grab my pistol when there's no response. I always brought one with me no matter where I went as a precaution. "Babe?" I say and put the gun behind my back and walk into the living room.

"Where is she?" I here a gruff voice say from the shadows.

"Who are you?" I say squinting to see who the man was.

He steps out from the shadows, "She picked a good one this time." he starts to walk toward me. "Where is she?" he asks again.

"Where's who?" I say trying to keep my voice shaking.

"Bo, where's that bitch Bo?" he takes a few more steps towards me and pulls out a knife.

I pull out my gun and aim it at him, "One more step and you'll have a bullet in chest. Im guessing your her ex-step father."

He chuckles darkly and steps toward me again making me back up, "You would be correct, let me introduce myself. Im Dyson Steel Bo's ex-stepdad."

He takes another step and I fire a warning shot in the air. "I got all night. Stay where you are."

Soon after the shot rings out Bo comes storming into the house with a dagger, "Lauren you okay?" she says and freezes when she sees Dyson.

"Bo get behind me." I say firmly. She hesitates, "Bo get behind me now." I say again and she moves quickly behind me.

"What are your doing here Dyson?" she asks her voice shaky.

He shrugs and puts his knife back in his boot, "Im doing fine thanks to asking." he says sarcastically, "Look, call off your little girlfriend and we can settle this like we should've the last time I saw you."

"The last time you saw me you raped me!" she yells behind me. My finger is still firmly on the trigger pointed at the intruder. "Im not settling anything with you!"

He chuckles darkly again, "Oh come on now Bo, I gave you a little present with that too, or have you forgotten?"

I hear Bo's breath catch and her heart quicken, "That so called present you left me died inside of me. Don't you dare call that a present."

He takes a step forward and I raise an eyebrow stopping him in his tracks, "Look I just want what's mine." he points at Bo. "Her. Your bitch mother killed herself and left me alone. But you were always such a sexy girl and I swore that I would have you to myself."

"Looks like you're going to have to find someone else because Bo is mine." I say getting territorial.

"Lauren don't. You'll just piss him off." Bo says resting a hand on my shoulder.

"I would listen to her professor. You're pretty hot yourself I might have to take both of you." he takes his knife out again and starts walking towards us.

"I will shoot." I say firmly.

Dyson shakes his head, "No you won't. If you were you would've done it already." he keeps advancing and I back Bo into a wall.

"One more step asshole." I say and ready myself for fire.

He takes another step, "Opps." he says and as he chuckles I close my eyes and fire my gun twice.

He falls to the ground clenching at his stomach and his arm, "You fucking bitch." he chuckles and coughs up a clump of blood.

I turn around and see Bo on the phone with the police, "Just come and get him out of here. My girlfriend shot him twice and now he's bleeding out on the floor." she gives them the address and runs to my side. I didn't notice I was hyperventilating and Bo sits me down on the counter still wrapped tightly in my shower towel. "Breathe babe." I couldn't, I couldn't catch my breath at all. "Hey look at me. Look at me." she says gently and looks into my eyes.

My breath slowly starts to come back when I notice Dyson dragging his way to the door. "He's trying to get away." I say breathlessly.

Bo looks back at him and quickly goes and puts his arms behind his back, making him scream out in pain, "You may have stopped me this time but when I get out I'm going to come right back for both of you." he looks at me.

The police burst through doors and Bo gets off of Dyson and walks over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist when I get off of the counter. "You okay?" she asks noticing my breathing is still kind of fast.

"I'll be fine I just want him out of here." I say and lay my head on her shoulder.

A blonde woman walks up to us eying the EMT's as they take Dyson away while he cursing our existence, "Hello ladies, Detective Tamsin." She holds out her badge, "I'm going to need you both to tell me what exactly happened in your own words."

I look at the woman and tears start to run down my face and I start hyperventilating again, "Breath babe, slow breaths. Look at me, I'm right here okay. Im not going anywhere." she softly and brushes hair out of my face.

"Sweet." The detective says sarcastically, "You, tell me what happened." she points at Bo and starts her tape recorder. "Tell exactly what happened."

Bo sighs heavily and pulls me closer to her, "Well, I was coming home after I had a dinner with an old friend and when I got out of the car I heard a shot come from the house." she points up at the ceiling. "When I came in he had a knife pointed at my girlfriend and she had her pistol pointed at him. She pushed me behind her to make sure he didn't get to me again."

"Again? This isn't the first time?"

Bo sighs heavily, "No it's not. He's come after me twice before. He's my deceased mothers husband. He raped me a few years ago and was in prison. Before we came to California for spring break we saw him at our university. I didn't know he would follow us, I thought he would just stay and wait for me or something."

"Why didn't you call the cops?" the detective asks.

Bo shrugs, "My foster mother said she was handling it but I guess she didn't." Bo sighs. "I should've just handled it myself. If anything would've happened to her," Bo squeezes me tighter. "I would've never been able to forgive myself."

The detective sighs, "Look here's the deal, we get your statements he's gonna get to fixed up and go on trial, I'm sure he has a past so he will probably be punished for his actions so I'm going to need your girlfriend's statement and both of your phone numbers and addresses."

I give my statement and information to Detective Tamsin, "Do we have to stay in California or can we go back to Illinois?" I ask.

"You can go back home whenever you please but I will be in touch and so will my partner." she says and nods. "Here's my card. If you need anything let me know and I'll have someone come to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you so much detective." Bo says and walks her to the door.

"Don't worry about it, be careful you two." she says and closes the door behind her.

Bo walks around the house making sure all the doors and windows are locked before she comes and stands next to me again, "Come on let's you to bed."

I shake my head, "No I want to go home." I say clutching my arms to myself.

"Baby if we leave now we could be at the airport all night. How about we sleep here and first thing in the morning we go home?" Bo suggests rubbing her hand on my back.

Tears start to slide down my cheeks and I look at Bo, "I want to go home now." I whisper.

"Okay, alright, well lets get you dressed and packed okay?" she says softly wrapping a arm around my waist. "Im right here honey it's okay."

I had shot someone today, I shot someone and I don't know if they would even live. Even though I promised myself that he would pay for hurting Bo I didn't want to kill him, I'm not a killer. I didn't want to have to shoot him but if he kept coming towards us we both would've been either dead or raped. I wasn't going to be responsible for letting that happen. I wasn't proud of shooting him, not one bit, but I'm glad I stopped him before he hurt either one of us. Dyson would be put away for a long time and I hoped he would rot in the prison were he belonged. Right now I just wanted to get back to my apartment and into my bed, and I want Bo holding me. That's all I wanted and I was going to get it