AN: I am finally back!

As I have told you guys, I have had a lot of stuff going on in my personal life and my personal life has prevented me from updating this story since the beginning of November. I am happy that my personal life is now looking much better and I will again be able to update the story regularly.

A few people have had a hard time understanding and respecting that I have a personal life that I have to see to. I LOVE writing this story! I truly do! BUT my personal life and the people in it come first. I have received some very negative and impatient messages about how I have abandoned this story etc. etc. which has honestly pissed me off! I informed you guys that I had issues in my personal life that need my full attention and I honestly expected people to respect that.

BUT by far the most of you have just been awesome! You guys have been so supportive and patient, thank you so much for that! It means the world to me. And I love your reviews and messages here as well as tweets, retweets, messages and follows on Twitter. Thank you. You guys really are the best. I really hope that you are still interested in this story and I really want to show you my gratitude through the next couple of chapters.

And I seriously miss Lost Girl and especially Lauren and Bo, so I really want to help keep them alive with you guys and the other FF writers!

With regard to the last chapter and some of your comments: Lauren has fallen for Bo! It's not that she doesn't want to trust Bo, it is just that Lauren has been through a lot and she is just afraid of opening up and getting hurt again. Combining that with Bo's past and what Bo has told Lauren about her casual relationship with sex and women, well it puts Lauren in a situation where she has to put a lot of faith in Bo and will be risking a lot.

Since "This isn't a date" was a two-part I decided to make this chapter "The date" a two-part as well. I will update the second part of the date as soon as I possibly can.

The next two chapters after this two-part chapter are going to be interesting and I promise that they will be updated in the near future. The chapter after next is called "the storm" and is actually my personal favourite.

I hope you like the chapter and sorry for the long AN.

Twitter: Susanne_KJ

Disclaimer: I do not own Lost Girl or any of the established characters. Established characters from Lost Girl belong to The Lost Girl creators.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It is Friday afternoon. Bo has just finished telling Kenzi about her plan for her date with Lauren tomorrow.

"So, do you think Lauren will like it?" Bo asks nervously. She wants to be with Lauren so bad but after the fundraiser she knows that Lauren doubts her intentions and whether or not she is capable of having a real relationship. This date is her one chance to show Lauren that she is serious about wanting to date Lauren, she just hopes she doesn't mess it up.

"OMG Bo! Are you kidding me?! I'm absolutely blown away! You did really good! You planned a wonderful date. It's really personal and I think she will really like it. I'm very proud of you. You put a lot of thought and effort into planning this date." Kenzi says proud and exited on her best friend's behalf.

Bo feels relieved and takes a deep breath. "Thank you Kenz! I know you offered to help me plan the date and while I genuinely appreciate the offer I really wanted to do it myself. I just hope the date goes well, if it doesn't I'm afraid Lauren won't give me another chance." The idea of loosing her shot with Lauren is a gloomy thought.

"She told you that she has feelings for you Bo and she has shown that over the last couple of months. She is just really afraid of your past, that you are not serious about this, about her, that you only want something casual and that she will get hurt….. And taking your past and what she has been through into consideration, you really can't blame her….." Kenzi shrugs apologetically. "But, I think your date tomorrow will show her that she should risk it and take a chance on you. And Bo, you should show her the "date plan" that you made it will definitely help convince her that you want to date her and be with her." Kenzi says reassuringly.

"I hope you're right Kenz. And I think I will show her the "date plan" at the end of the date."

"Good idea. Did you get the information you needed from Crystal?"

"Yep! She also invited me to her place next Saturday for dinner."

"Yeah, it's going to be just the four of us. Even though we went up to the cabin because of her birthday, she decided that she wanted to do an official celebration of her birthday as well, seeing as how it is 'The BIG 30'. It should be a lot of fun. I'll pick up a birthday present from the both of us, I know how bad you are at the whole present thing."

"Thank you! You are the best Kenz!"

"Great! I'm actually meeting up with Crystal at the bar tomorrow night while you and Lauren are on your date. We've had a long and rough week at work so we decided it was time for a night out and a whole lot of tequila." Kenzi informs with a devilish smile.

"Sounds like a terrific plan, you guys deserve it. As a thank you for all your help and for just being the best friend ever, tell Vex that it's on me." Bo says with a loving smile and gives Kenzi a huge bear hug.

"Thanks Bo! But, you do know that I never actually pay for any of my drinks at the bar, right…..?!" Kenzi says with an endearing expression. Bo just laughs because this is Kenzi in a nutshell.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After Kenzi leaves, Bo sends Lauren a text.

"Hi miss Lewis. I'm really looking forward to our date tomorrow. I will pick you up at 10 AM. Be prepared to be dazzled. - The master mind of dates"

Lauren's reply comes 10 minutes later.

"Hi miss confident. 10 AM? Did you get the time wrong by mistake? - Miss Confused"

Bo cannot help smile. "Hi miss adorably confused. Nope, the date starts at 10 AM. You will need to set aside the whole day and night. You gave me 1 date to convince you that I am serious about you and us, so I am making it count. – Miss exited for tomorrow."

"Hmm Miss Cryptic … Okay…. I'll be ready. And Bo… I am looking forward to it too. – Miss intrigued."

Smiling, Bo puts down her phone and gets started on the last preparations for tomorrow. Everything will have to run perfectly for her to be able to pull all of this off.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It's 9.58 and Bo is walking up to Lauren's door. She is really nervous. She really wants the date to go perfectly and she really hopes Lauren won't be disappointed. Luckily the weather is holding up, which is a big relief.

Bo knocks on Lauren's door. As she waits for Lauren to open the door she takes a deep breath, straightens her clothes, and looks at the bouquet of flowers that she ordered specifically for Lauren.

Lauren opens the door. As soon as she sees Lauren all her nerves seems to go away and instead Bo immediately feels calm, happy, and content.

She gives Lauren a big smile. "Good morning miss Lewis."

"Good morning Bo." Lauren replies with a gorgeous smile.

Bo extends the flowers to Lauren "These are for you. I heard flowers are a nice touch for a first date." Bo winks.

"Aww…. Thank you Bo." Lauren gives her an appreciative smile. "You didn't have to do that. It is beautiful though, very beautiful. Thank you. I'll just go and put it in a vase. Come on in." Lauren turns around and heads back into the apartment to look for a vase and Bo takes two steps forward so that she is standing just inside the apartment.

"Where did you get these Bo? I have never seen a bouquet like this, it is beautiful." Lauren shouts over her shoulder.

"I ordered it. It's my favourite."

Lauren turns around smiling. "Well, you have excellent taste."

"That I do." Bo regards Lauren and thinks to herself 'I sure do'.

Lauren has finished putting the flowers in the vase and places the vase on her dining table. "It's kind of early for a date, isn't it?" She asks.

Bo gives her a smug smile. "Well, I have a lot of things planned for today. I hope you didn't make any plans later because I don't plan on having you home until late tonight."

Lauren raises an eyebrow. "Well, I am certainly intrigued and curious about what you have planned. Anything that I need to know? Do I need to bring anything?"

"You might want to bring some extra clothes, just in case. You should bring something warm for outdoors and then an extra set of regular casual clothes, what you're are wearing now might get dirty or wet."

Lauren looks mystified. "Okay…. Let me just go get that real quick then."

Lauren walks up the stairs and packs the spare clothes. "And you are sure that what I am wearing now is fine?" She asks as she comes back down the stairs.

"It's perfectly fine Lauren. You look beautiful as always." - It's the truth. As always Lauren looks undeniably beautiful, even now when she is 'just' wearing jeans and a white woollen sweater.

Lauren looks embarrassed. "Thank you but you don't have to say that."

Bo sighs. "Lauren, we need to get a few things straight before we actually go on this date. First of all; you look beautiful. You always look beautiful. When I say you look beautiful, and I probably will tell you that quite often, then I really mean it. You need to accept that I think you are absolutely stunning and beautiful. This is not a game to me. I am not saying things because I think they are what you want to hear, I'm being honest with you. I will do my very best to always be very honest with you Lauren but then you need to promise to stop doubting everything I say and my intentions for saying them. Okay?"

Lauren looks pleased and nods. "Okay. Fair enough."

"Good!" Bo replies and feels glad to have made that clear. "Now, secondly; I will respect your rules for this date, the whole no touching thing. Trust me, I planned the entire date trying to avoid extended physical contact. But I need to ask you to break the rule in one regard; I hear handholding is acceptable for first dates… I loved holding your hand the other night and I really want to be able to hold you hand during the date today. Just holding hands, that's all… Would that be okay?" Bo asks and looks down shyly.

When Lauren doesn't answer, Bo is forced to look up and into Lauren's eyes. Once Bo looks up Lauren gives her a big genuine smile. "Yes, that would be okay. I would like that very much too." Lauren replies and extends her hand.

Bo happily takes Lauren's hand and lets her fingers intertwine Lauren's. "Thank you. Now let's get this date started."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The two of them are in Bo's car driving towards the date's first stop.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going or what we are doing today?" Lauren asks curiously.

Lauren's curiosity amuses Bo. "You don't particularly like being in the dark do you? You like to know things ahead of time."

Lauren chuckles. "You are right, I don't…. It's a control thing."

"Well, maybe I'll just have to make you give up some of that control miss Lewis…" Bo says suggestively.

Lauren smirks at Bo. "Hmm…. Let's see…"

"Well, that wasn't a 'no'." Bo remarks while tilting her head. "Okay, I suppose I should tell you something about this date. I won't tell where we are going right now, you will know that soon enough. But, I am taking you on 5 dates today, that's why we're starting this date so early. We are going on 5 dates. Listen, I know this is just one date. I don't expect it to count as 5 'dates' in your mind. I am not trying to speed up anything. You doubted that I want to date you, that I want more than just a random fling with you. By taking you on 5 dates today, I want to show you that I do want to date you Lauren Lewis, I want to do a lot of things with you. I hope you will like what I have planned and by the end of the date I have something to show you, something that will hopefully help convince you that I am very serious about wanting to date you, about wanting a lot more." Bo says sincerely.

Lauren seems very surprised and she just sits there staring at Bo without saying anything.

Lauren finally breaks the silence. "I think you were right… You said that you would surprise me and I am already quite surprised."

Bo smiles. "Good! Now, at some point during each of the 5 dates I will be giving you an envelope. Each envelope contains a piece of personal information about me, information about myself that I want to share with you. I want to share this information with you because I really want you to get to know me better but also because I recognize that you probably need me to open up more, which I get. Please know that I don't normally open up to people Lauren, so me opening up to you is actually a really big thing for me, and you can take it as a testament to how I feel about you." As she finishes, Bo takes a deep breath because it was really difficult for her to say this, to be so vulnerable. She is quite happy that her driving meant that she had to keep her eyes on the road, letting her avoid eye contact with Lauren while speaking.

"Wow Bo…" Lauren places her hand gently on top of Bo's on the steering wheel. "Thank you. That means a lot and I think I know how big this is for you, so thank you. I will love to get to know you better because I love what I know so far." Lauren says acknowledging the significance of what Bo is offering her.

Lauren's reply makes Bo instantly feel more comfortable and cheerful.

"Thank you. And I hope that you will let me get to know you better as well." Bo says.

"I would love to Bo."

They have arrived at the first stop of the day.

Confused, Lauren turns to face Bo when she realizes where they are. "What are we doing at the hospital Bo?!"

"We are helping others. I have put a lot of thought into each of the 5 dates, I want them to signify something somehow. This first "date" is actually two-part and the hospital is the first part. We are donating blood. I know that a big part of who you are is being a doctor and helping others so I thought that we could start the day out by going in there and donating blood together and help others together. Then for the next part of this first date we are helping others in a different way."

Lauren begins to laugh. "This really is going to be an unorthodox date. I don't think I have ever heard of someone going to donate blood together on a first date…"

Bo's face falls slightly in disappointment. Bo obviously messed up on this one.

Lauren sees Bo expression and stops laughing. "Bo, don't look so discouraged. I love it! I don't need orthodox or conventional. I love that we are doing this and I love that you thought of it." Lauren says affectionately and gently places a kiss on Bo's right cheek.

And with that Bo feels extremely happy again. "Hey miss Lewis! Boundaries! Haven't you heard?! Touching, beyond handholding, is breaking the rules and not allowed on this date!" Bo jokes, feigning disapproval but secretly loving that Lauren kissed her. Even if it was an innocent kiss, it was still a sign of affection, one that Bo loved.

The two of them exit the car laughing and walk hand in hand towards the entrance of the hospital.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Walking up the hospital Lauren tells Bo that she can't actually donate blood today. It turns out that doctors donate blood as often as they possibly can, which is every 56 days, and Lauren gave blood a few weeks ago so she can't donate blood today. "….but I will hold your hand while you donate Bo and I still love the thought."

"Sounds good. I think I could probably be persuaded to donate a kidney if it meant you holding my hand." Bo says flirtatiously.

That comment lands Bo a smack on the shoulder but Lauren cannot supress her smile and looks rather pleased by the comment.

After filling out some paperwork and talking in private with a nurse, another nurse leads the two of them over to an area in the corner and starts drawing blood from Bo. Lauren is sitting next to her holding her hand.

Bo faces Lauren. "So doctor Lewis, I was hoping that while we are waiting you would tell me why you decided to become a doctor."

Lauren smiles. "Of course. When I was a child I had a friend named Josh. We were best friends since kindergarten and we were just inseparable. We were together every day of the week. But, Josh was born with cystic fibrosis. Normally people with cystic fibrosis live until they are an average of 37-47 years old but cystic fibrosis patients often have a lot of health problems, particularly they are prone to lung infections. Lung infections are manageable most of the time but when Josh was 15 he died from a serious lung infection…. Since we were 8 years old he and I would talk about how we wanted to one day become doctors or scientist and either cure cystic fibrosis or come up with treatments that meant patients with cystic fibrosis could live a 'normal' and long life. After he died I kept that dream alive. I became a doctor and my research area, when I am here at the hospital, is cystic fibrosis and then at the free clinic I practice general medicine." Lauren is emotional but not sad. To Bo, Lauren just seems like she is remembering a dear old friend that she still holds close to her heart.

"Wow Lauren….. You are fantastic…. I am sorry you had to loose him too. You are a very good friend and I think Josh would be proud of you." Bo says while giving Lauren's hand a squeeze. "Thank you for telling me Lauren."

Lauren gives Bo an appreciative smile.

The nurse comes back and removes the needle from Bo's arm. "Thank you. You are done. Grab a cookie and some juice on the way out."

"Thank you, but I am fine." Bo gets up and starts to leave but Lauren tightens her grip on Bo's hand and holds her back. "No Bo, you really should at least drink some juice to avoid feeling light headed. Doctor's orders…" She says with a stern look.

"Hmm… You make that sound really dirty….. But, I have to say, I like it… A lot…" Bo flirts. Bo likes the idea of "doctor Lewis" bossing her around.

Lauren rolls her eyes and hands Bo a glass of juice which Bo obediently drinks.

"Good job" Lauren says and as she says it she smacks Bo on the butt while smiling ominously.

Bo is caught off guard. Oh, Lauren knows exactly what she is doing…

"Okay Lauren, you seriously need to play nice! I'm on my best behaviour here because you wanted no touching on the date, remember?!"

"Who says I play nice…..?!" Lauren says and walks out of the room.

Surely Lauren is the devil, Bo thinks to herself. That was hot but damn! Bo hasn't had sex in what feels like FOREVER and if Lauren keeps this up Bo will die from 'blue balls' before the date is over. Bo better get her shit, and hormones, together. This date is way too important for her to let her hormones and sexual frustration get in the way. Maybe it would help to think about something that really isn't sexy…. Clowns… Zombies…. Brussels sprouts… Smelly shoes… Sewers… - Yep, that helped a bit.

Bo rushes after Lauren.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They have arrived at the second location and are currently standing in a sneaky back alley looking at a rusty door.

"You really have picked unorthodox places for a date Bo….." Lauren says while looking around nervously.

Bo laughs. "I guess I have… I told you that the first of the 5 dates was two-part and about helping others. The blood drive was something related to you and you being a doctor. This second part takes place behind that door and has a personal significance to me. Let's go inside."

Holding Lauren's hand Bo leads the two of them inside. When the door closes behind them they are standing in a large kitchen where 4 people are busy cooking.

"What is this place?" Lauren seems surprised and confused as Bo leads them through the kitchen and into an office.

"This is the shelter on 5th street. We came in through the back door. We are helping them get ready for the Saturday lunch rush." Bo explains just as she spots Jane. "Hi Jane!"

Lauren looks at Bo puzzled.

Jane, a woman in her early sixties, sees Bo and Lauren and gives them a big heartfelt smile. "Hi Isabeau! It is so good to see you! We've missed you. You normally don't miss 4 Saturdays in a row…"

Bo smiles apologetically. "Yeah, sorry about that Jane. This lady right here has been keeping me busy. Lauren, this is Jane Monroe, she is the director of the shelter. Jane, this is doctor Lauren Lewis, my date."

Jane focuses on Lauren and extends her hand "It's a pleasure meeting you doctor Lewis."

Lauren shakes Jane's hand. "Just Lauren, please. And the pleasure is mine."

Then Jane turns to Bo and raises her eyebrows and smiles. "Your date huh…? Well let's get the two of you to work. Lauren do you cook?"

Lauren nods. "Yes."

"She is a great cook." Bo adds proudly.

"Okay. Bo, we know that you can't cook to save your life so you can go help Hector in the dining room as usual and then Lauren can come with me and help out in the kitchen. I am sorry to be splitting the two of you up, since you are on a date, but we are really busy and we need to get ready for lunch so it would be a huge help."

"Is that okay with you Lauren?" Bo asks attentively.

"Yes, of course."

Jane takes Lauren with her back to the kitchen and Bo goes to find Hector in the dining room where she helps him get things ready for lunch. As Bo is busy setting the table Bo's thoughts wander. She is nervous about bringing Lauren here because opening up like this is not easy for her, but she really wants to let Lauren in. Hopefully Lauren doesn't mind that they are spending part of the date helping out here at the shelter. Lauren was right, it really is an unorthodox thing to do on a date, but Bo wants to show Lauren a different side of herself and she hopes that Lauren will understand why Bo brought her here once she gives her the first envelope with information about herself. Bo really wants Lauren to understand that while she has a real though time opening up she wants to open up to Lauren and hopefully this date will make that obvious to Lauren.

Meanwhile in the kitchen:

Jane and Lauren are peeling potatoes.

"So you are a doctor?" Jane inquires in a friendly tone.

"Yes, I am. I work at St. Michaels and then I volunteer at the free clinic on Freemont Street."

Jane gives her a warm smile "God bless you. You are a good soul."

"How long have you worked here at the shelter Jane?"

Jane scratches her chin "Oh, it would be 25 years now, I believe."

"That is a long time. It's very kind of you to spend so many years trying to help others. Jane, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know Bo? And, does Bo really volunteer here?"

Lauren mentioning Bo makes Jane light up but Lauren can also see a more serious and sad thought flash across her face.

"Yes, Bo volunteers here. She usually comes here and helps us out most Saturdays. Mostly alone but sometimes together with her grandfather. Trick volunteers as much as his schedule allows. Both of them are gentle and good souls, bless their hearts. As for how I know Bo, you will have to talk to her Lauren, it is not my story to tell."

Lauren is surprised to hear that Bo volunteers here at the shelter regularly.

Jane picks up on Lauren's surprise. "You are surprised?"

"Yes. Not because Bo isn't kind enough or good enough to volunteer here, because she is, even if she doesn't know it herself. It is just Bo hasn't mentioned it to me before now." Lauren says thoughtfully.

And with that comment the expression that washed over Jane 's face earlier is back again and now Lauren can see that it is one of worry and concern.

Jane seems pained. "Bo is, as you say, kind and goodhearted but she puts up a wall between her and others, it is in her nature to do so in order to protect herself. And you should know Lauren that I don't think she tells anyone about volunteering here, not besides Trick. She has never brought anyone with her here before, so you must be very special to her."

Lauren feels a pit in her stomach because she gets a distinct feeling from what Jane is saying and her way of saying it. that she should feel sorry for Bo and that this place holds a key to understanding Bo's childhood and Bo.

"Not even Kenzi?"

"She has spoken about Kenzi, a lot, but she has never brought anyone before you Lauren."

Lauren feels very honoured that Bo brought her here. She just wished that she understood why this place is important to Bo.

…...

Back in the dining room Bo has finished setting up for the lunch and goes back into the kitchen to look for Lauren. Lauren is busy mashing up a large pot of potatoes.

"Hi chef. How are we doing out here? Has Jane been good to you this last hour?" She asks while giving Lauren her most charming smile.

"Hi miss Dennis. Everything here is good. Jane is really nice and kind."

Bo likes the way it sounded when Lauren called her "miss Dennis".

"Yeah she is great." Bo acknowledges.

"She told me a lot about you." Lauren continues.

Bo is immediately worried about what Jane has told Lauren, Bo wants to tell Lauren herself. "Did she?" Bo asks nervously.

Lauren must see the anxiousness in Bo's expression because she is quick to let her know that Jane didn't really say that much, which is a great relief to Bo.

"You are good in a kitchen Lauren and I know from the cabin that you are a really good cook, who taught you?" Bo asks, interested in knowing more about the wonderful woman next to her.

Lauren smiles. "My grandmother and my mom, they are both really good cooks. Ever since I was a little girl I loved to help them out in the kitchen. My grandmother made these fantastic jams and fruit porridges from the fruits and berries from her garden."

As Lauren speaks about her childhood memories she lights up and Bo watches her with delight. Lauren continues to talk about her memories of cooking with her family as a child and Bo listens attentively to everything she has to say. At 12.30 the food is all done and the doors are opened and people start to enter the shelter's dining room.

"You should go wash up Lauren, we are leaving. Use the restroom if you need to because our next stop doesn't have a restroom." Bo says and motions for them to leave.

"We are not staying to help serve the food?" Lauren asks confused.

"No, Jane has plenty of help for that. Besides, we are eating lunch at the next location."

The two of them say goodbye to Jane. Bo promises her to come back and help again soon.

When they get back to the car and are ready to go, Bo leans back and grabs the envelope with the number "1" on it from the back seat of her car and hands it to Lauren. "The first envelope with information." She tells Lauren and then she struggles with the words. "Please know that..."

Lauren cuts her off. "Bo… It's okay. I know… I know…" Lauren says while looking at her with kind eyes and placing a gentle and calming hand on Bo's thigh.

Bo looks into Lauren's eyes and immediately feels her nerves calm.

Lauren opens the envelope and reads what the note says. 'I came to this shelter as a child'.

It is only one sentence and yet Lauren keeps staring at the note. Bo cannot figure out what is going through Lauren's head and it makes her feel anxious but then Lauren looks up and Bo sees that her eyes are a bit watery.

"You are telling me something from your childhood Bo….." Lauren says in a soft voice. It is obvious that Lauren understands that this is huge, this is the one part of herself that Bo never lets others in on, the one part that she has refused to talk about up until now.

Bo struggles to find the words. "Yes….. I am…. I am not ready to talk about my parents… But I will tell you that…. I had a rough couple of years as a child and…." Bo pauses and takes a deep breath.

"Bo, you don't need to tell me any more if you're not ready to yet. I get what you are trying to do and I appreciate it more than you can imagine but I can wait to hear the whole story until you are ready to tell it. It is okay." Lauren says with a warm smile.

Bo's impulse is to kiss Lauren because of what an absolute wonderful woman she is. Lauren understands what this means to Bo and how difficult it is for her to open up about her childhood, and that means the world to Bo. "Thank you Lauren! Really. Thank you for understanding. "

Lauren tries to change the mood for Bo's sake. "So where are we grabbing lunch?" She says in a cheery manner.

"A place that I have always loved. When we get there you might want to put on the sweater that you brought because we are eating outside."

Bo turns the ignition and the two of them drive away from the city. It is a 40 minute ride but neither of them mind, they are right where they want to be.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So this was part 1 of "The date". Still 4 "dates" remaining for part 2 of "The date".

I hope you liked it?

Thank you again for all your support.