Disclaimer: Characters belong to Showcase and Prodigy Pictures except for the ones I've created.

Notes: My apologies for the weeklong absence. Life got in the way. As always, thank you for reading and the reviews.

The story is based on the movie, Somewhere in Time, which was based on the book, Bid Time Return by Richard Matheson.

Chapter 14

Bo was anxious to get the photograph session over and done with. It was never something she enjoyed doing, and Lauren's presence was added motivation for her to wrap things up quickly.

That and the way Lauren was looking at her.

The second the photographer said they were done, Bo leapt to her feet and rushed to Lauren's side.

"Hi." Lauren's voice was as soft as a summer's breeze.

"Hi. Sorry, they dragged me out to take photos at the last minute."

Lauren shrugged, a tiny smile on her mouth. "It's okay, I found you anyway."

Bo studied her face. Lauren was looking at her as though she had just seen her for the first time. "Are you alright?"

Lauren brushed her hand lightly against Bo's as a sigh escaped her lips, "More than perfect."

"Let's go back to my dressing room." Bo suggested.

Without a word, Lauren took firm hold of Bo's hand and tugged her along. Together they navigated the narrow walkways of the theatre, out to the cool air of autumn and onwards to the hotel, and Bo's room.

"You're anxious to get back here," Bo remarked as she closed the door to her room.

She turned only to be met by Lauren's hungry lips. Rendered helpless by the passionate assault, she sank into Lauren's embrace.

"Oh God," Bo gasped as they parted. She held on to Lauren, afraid she would crumble if she didn't.

"In case you can't tell, I miss you," Lauren whispered into her ear.

Bo laughed, light and gay; she had been laughing a lot these past two days. She pulled herself away reluctantly from Lauren's arms. "There's something I want to tell you."

Lauren's brows came together. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's not bad news." Bo pulled her down to the couch. "I made a decision about the contracts. I told Julia I'm not signing them."

"Are you sure about this? It could really take your career to a whole new level."

"Yes, I'm very sure. The tabloids are kinder to stage actors. In fact, I don't think they care much about us, we're just not as glamorous as movie stars and that is perfectly fine with me. The last thing I want is to subject you, us to vicious gossip."

Lauren didn't look convinced. She played with Bo's hands, grazing her thumbs over her knuckles. "I don't want you to do this because of me. I can deal with the gossip, the press, whatever it may be." She cracked a smile. "I know I'm not exactly adept at tree climbing, but don't let that fool you. I can be tough, you know?"

Bo was reminded of the way Lauren came to her defense, and smiled to herself. "Oh, I don't doubt you're tough. While you are definitely a consideration, I'm doing this mainly for me. It's not what I want, never was. You have shown me what it's like to live the life you want. That's what I'm doing."

Lauren's eyes softened as she cocked her head, silently appraising Bo. After a moment, she said, "If this is what you want, I'll stand by you. Actually, I'm such a sucker for you that I'd agree with whatever you want."

Bo shook her head, laughing. "Be careful, I might turn into an unreasonable shrew one day and you'll come to regret what you just said."

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." Lauren grinned, then turned serious, "What did Julia say when you told her?"

Bo sighed, remembering Julia's unreadable expression. She was far too calm and that scared Bo a bit. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing. She just nodded her head and walked away."

The frown came back. "Okay, that's weird."

Bo agreed, "It is but I'm hoping this means she had anticipated my decision and is already on her way to accepting it."

Lauren ran a hand through her hair carelessly. Bo could hear the skepticism in Lauren's tone. "I hope so."

Bo didn't want to worry about Julia or spend what little precious time they had talking about her. "Let's forget about her for now. There are other things I'd rather be doing and we only have an hour before I have to get ready for the play."

This brought out an impish smile from Lauren. "Now you're talking. What do you have in mind, Miss. Dennis?"

Bo answered by planting a burning kiss on her.

On some level, Julia already knew Bo was going to turn down the offers from the studios. But she had stubbornly hoped Bo wouldn't be so foolish.

And there was only one person to blame for this - that wretched Lauren Lewis. She cursed the day that woman showed up at the hotel, she should have sent her away from the very beginning instead of waiting till Lauren had wormed her way into Bo's heart.

But there was no point in dwelling on things she couldn't change. Instead, she would focus on what she could.

She glanced at the rapidly filling hall from behind the curtains, seeing the scout and lawyer from the two studios in the front row. She told both gentlemen to give her till tomorrow to give them an answer, although she had already decided on taking up the offer from RKO.

She turned around in time to see Stevens strolling up to her.

"Mrs. Morland, you asked for me?" Stevens asked.

"Yes, we're going ahead with the plan."

Stevens' features hardened. "Is there no other solution?"

"If there is, I wouldn't have asked for you," Julia snapped.

His expression ever so stoic, Stevens queried, "May I ask just what has Miss Lewis done?"

Julia could sense his hesitation, which irked her. "You have never questioned me before."

Stevens took a step forward. "This time is different."

He didn't need to say more, Julia understood him perfectly. She softened her approach. "Stevens, I know you care for Bo but trust me, I'm trying to save her. You know how important Bo is to me, I would never do anything to harm her."

Stevens darted his eyes away for a few seconds before replying, "Very well then."

Without another word, he turned on his heels and walked away.

Emma carefully navigated the narrow and busy corridors of the theatre's backstage. In her arms were several bouquets of flowers, all for Bo.

It wasn't her job to deliver the flowers, but she had volunteered. It was a much needed excuse to get away from her fuming father.

Her father was unbearable to work with when he's angry at her, giving her the silent treatment and offering nothing but a glare and the occasional disappointed shake of his head. She wasn't exactly pleased with him either.

She could not believe her father.

How could he threaten to fire Bobby just because she wanted to go out with him?

Bobby appeared to be equally shocked when her father confronted him. He stammered, clumsily trying to explain himself and his intentions. Even then, Bobby had defended her, telling her father that she was not to be blamed.

It was at that moment when Emma realised her crush had definitely evolved into something more. Something stronger, more powerful.

But what was she to do when her father was dead set against Bobby?

Emma wished she was braver, so she could stand up to her father. Alas, her obedience to her father was ingrained in her from birth. So, she did the only thing she could - she fled.

"Oy, watch where you're going!" A man carrying two table lamps yelled, twisting his body to avoid collision.

"I'm sorry." Emma said meekly, startled by the rudeness of the man. It did nothing to alleviate her foul mood.

Thus, she was grateful when she finally made it to Bo's dressing room. At least she knew there would be a friendly face waiting for her inside.

"Come in," Emma heard Bo say after she knocked on the door.

Bo was sitting in front of the dresser, putting the final touches to her makeup. She beamed when she saw Emma. "Hello Emma!"

"I have flowers for you, Bo. Where should I put them?"

Bo pointed at the table already stacked with flowers behind her. "There will do."

Emma did as told, and hung back to appraise Bo, who had stood up to help her arrange the flowers. Bo was dressed in a flowing white dress with her hair pinned up, exposing the lovely shape of her neck and shoulders.

Emma thought she looked like an angel.

"Do you like it?" Bo inquired as she twirled to show off her costume.

"You look beautiful," Emma exhaled in wonder.

Bo playfully bowed. "Why thank you." Her smile quickly faded as her eyes settled on Emma. "Are you alright? Your eyes are puffy, you look like you've been crying."

Emma's hand flew to the eyes that gave her away. She lowered her head self-consciously. "It's nothing."

Bo moved closer, hand reaching out to lightly touch her arm. "Are you sure?"

Emma braved a glance and found curious eyes searching her face. Her resolve to stay strong weakened considerably. "I..."

Bo said gently, "Why don't we sit down?"

Emma allowed Bo to lead her to the lone couch in the room.

"You can tell me if you want to. I've been told I'm a pretty good listener." Bo encouraged.

Emma could feel the words crawling up her throat, even if she thought it would be inappropriate to unburden herself on someone who was not only a stranger but also a guest of the hotel. It was exhausting keeping her problems locked up with no one to tell; she didn't have any close friends, her siblings were too young, and her mother tended to side with her father.

Her gaze traveled to Bo and in that lovely face, she found nothing but kindness. When the silence dragged on, Bo ventured a guess, "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the gardener, would it? Bobby, right?"

Even a stranger could see her heart's yearning, Emma sighed inwardly. She smiled timidly, no longer able to stay silent. "Yes, it's Bobby. No, actually, it's my father."

"Ah, your father disapproved of him."

"How did you know?"

"You mentioned Bobby, then your father, I guessed it was heading in that direction."

Emma caught the knowing tone, and sensed that parental disapproval was something Bo had intimate knowledge of.

"Bobby asked me out and I made a big mistake by telling my father. He was really angry, and confronted Bobby, even threatened to fire him. I don't know what to do."

"And what did Bobby do?"

"He tried to explain himself and his intentions, but my father didn't care. After my father left, Bobby told me he's not giving up and if my father were to fire him, so be it."

Bo placed her hand on Emma's. "That's a keeper right there. It's clear he's crazy about you, and I think you feel the same way, no?"

Emma nodded, keeping her gaze on her folded hands. The words slipped out without her knowing, "I think I'm falling for him."

She gasped, shocked at her own admission yet relieved just to be able to say it out loud. She turned to see Bo sporting a gentle smile.

"Bobby is right not to give up." Bo leaned back, her chin lifted as she took on a faraway gaze. "I'm not encouraging you to rebel against your father, but love, true love, is hard to come by. If you're lucky enough to find your once-in-a-lifetime, you should fight for him."

Emma heard Bo sigh, as if in contentment, her smile growing by the second. "It would be worth the wait, worth the battle. So worth it."

Bo rested an elbow on her knee, absently touching her hair. Emma noticed her finger lingering on the pretty hairpin holding her hair in a bun, and she knew Bo was speaking from experience. Immediately, her mind traveled back to the previous night; the two rain-soaked women, giggling, teasing and laughing, so happy were they that she was envious.

Could it be possible? Emma wondered. She didn't have time to finish that thought for as if on cue, in walked the other woman.

"Sorry, I took so long. There's a queue a mile long at the la-," Lauren stopped when she spotted Emma. Instantly, she smiled. "Hi, Emma. Am I interrupting?"

Emma stood up quickly. "No, not at all. I have to go back to work before I get an earful from my father."

Bo stood as well, grasping her arm and said in a hushed tone, "Remember what I said."

"I will, and thank you." Emma wanted to give her a hug but didn't think it was right. "Break a leg tonight, Bo."

She bid Lauren goodbye and as she closed the door, she caught sight of the two women moving toward one another, their smiles so bright that she thought, even the sun paled in comparison.

Shutting the door, she leaned back. Again, she wondered, could two women fall in love with each other?

The voices in the hall buzzed like a massive swarm of bees. The moment the orchestra began playing, a hush fell over the crowd. She could understand why, the tune was so lively that Lauren couldn't help but tap her foot along to the melody.

She fixed her gaze on the heavy velvet curtains, willing it to open. She could barely sit still, excitement coursing through her veins like a raging river.

The music stopped. She leaned forward, knees bouncing and hands rubbing anxiously. The couple seated next to her looked at her in a strange manner.

Lauren flashed a sheepish smile at them. "I don't get out of the house often."

The couple quickly turned away to whisper to one another. Lauren only shook her head, and chuckled to herself.

A few seconds later, the curtains parted, revealing a scene in the wood with two sleeping men, and the spotlight doubling as the moonlight.

Out walked a man, followed by another, talking about The Minister. Then came Gavin, played by a man she could no longer take seriously, and thus had even less interest in watching.

The scene seemed to go on forever. If Bo doesn't appear soon, she might just keel over from her restless, excited energy. Then she heard her; the voice she knew so intimately singing, melodious and enchanting. Lauren sat up straight, frozen in anticipation.

Bo twirled into view, her movement nimble and graceful. Her bewitching smile seemed to light up the stage, ushering in an air of magic.

It was a gift to be able to watch Bo cast a spell on the audience. Lauren understood now the glowing reviews of Bo's performance tonight, every bit of praise was more than well-deserved.

The scene ended to thunderous applause. Lauren relaxed, listening to people talking about Bo. If she were still in 2005, she would have tapped them on their shoulders and told them proudly, that's my girl!

The next scene began soon after and Lauren lost herself in the play, enamoured by the woman who held her heart.

All too soon intermission came. Lauren wished she could slow time, just so she could savor the magic. It was like reading a book that gripped you so that you didn't want it to end, even when you're dying to know the ending, because you feared you might never find a book like it again.

With fifteen minutes to spare, Lauren wandered into the foyer to help herself to some refreshment. A man was waiting for her at the entrance, someone she had seen the previous day and knew to be a member of Julia's staff.

He spoke with an air of authority, "Miss Lewis, can you come with me? Mrs. Morland would like to speak to you in private. It concerns Miss Dennis."

Lauren wasn't keen on the idea, expecting another round of argument with Julia about Bo. That would only ruin the wonderful mood she was in tonight.

"Can't it wait until after the play?" Lauren inquired.

"I'm afraid not. It's an urgent matter. It won't take long, is waiting for you in the garden," he insisted.

Reluctantly, Lauren agreed. She supposed she should make an effort to please Julia, at least in some small measures, considering they would be seeing a lot of each other in the future.

It would only be for a few minutes, Lauren reasoned as she followed the man to the garden. Julia was seated on Bo's bench.

Julia looked up, lips drawn in a humourless smile. "Thank you, Stevens."

The man now known as Stevens nodded and excused himself.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Lauren." Julia patted the empty spot on the bench. "Come, sit with me."

"No, it's fine. The play is about to start, so I only have a few minutes."

"Very well, I shall cut to the chase. Name a price," Julia said calmly, catching Lauren completely off guard.

Though the implication seemed clear, Lauren had to ask just to be sure, "What do you mean by name a price?"

"You know perfectly well what I mean. Isn't this what you're here for? Name me a price and I will give it to you. Then we can all go back to our lives, you richer than when you first came here."

The gall of the woman! Lauren reined in her anger the best she could. "What do I have to do to convince you that I truly love Bo?"

Julia laughed derisively. "Why do we have to play this game? I've seen the likes of you many times, although you're the first woman to try."

Lauren inhaled deeply to calm herself before speaking., "I'm trying to understand you, Julia. Bo told me what you did for her. You clearly care for her, yet you don't seem to want her to be happy."

Julia puffed her chest, and even in the dimness of the garden, Lauren could see her hands ball into fists.

"You are quite wrong. Everything I have ever done was for her good, including this. You weren't there, Lauren. You didn't see the state she was in when I found her, you weren't the one who put in the time and effort to make her who she is today. You didn't see how hard she worked, the sacrifices she made..." Julia's voice cracked as her shoulders slumped. "You don't understand, she's destined for greatness and as long as you're in her life, she will never achieve that."

Unexpectedly, Lauren felt sorry for her, even empathised with her. She herself saw the same thing in Bo, and like Julia, wanted her career to flourish. There was a marked difference, though. Lauren would never force her desires and dreams on Bo.

She could hear the faint ringing of the intermission bell from inside the theatre. It was time to go. She could see no resolution to their situation, at least not tonight.

"I'm sorry, Julia. There is nothing you can do to chase me away," Lauren said firmly.

Lauren thought she saw a hint of sadness cross Julia's features as she said, "I'm sorry too, Lauren."

She couldn't discern the tone, but she didn't feel like dwelling on it, not when she was dying to get back into the theatre to watch Bo.

Lauren turned to leave only to be blocked by Stevens, jumping at his sudden appearance. She stepped to the side, and again he blocked her path.

"Let me through," Lauren growled. Her patience was wearing thin.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Lewis."

Her body tensed as uneasiness crept up her spine. Julia wouldn't dare, would she?

She saw Stevens' eyes shift to something over her shoulders. She turned quickly, and was startled by Julia standing right behind her.

Her mouth opened to speak, but it was too late. The last thing she saw was the glint of Julia's cane bearing down on her.

October, 2005

Heavy clouds had gathered by the time Tamsin made it back to the hotel. She stood at the entrance for a moment, watching the sky. Lightning cut a jagged line through the dark clouds and the atmosphere grew heavy. It was a fitting reflection of her emotions.

"Tamsin!" Dyson yelled as he dashed down the stairs.

Tamsin steeled herself for the lecture she knew was coming, and Dyson did just that.

"Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you the whole damn day! You know, for all the times you bitch about Lauren switching off her phone when she doesn't want to talk, you're doing the exact same thing. People get worried, you of all people, should know that."

Tamsin let Dyson go on with his tirade. Just seeing him was comforting; Dyson had been a great friend to her and Lauren for as long as she could remember. He was goofy and silly at times, but more often than not, he was solid and true.

Unable to help herself, she hugged him, effectively cutting off his speech.

His arms went around her body immediately, securing her with a firm hold. Breaking apart, he swept Tamsin's tousled hair from her face in a tender gesture and cracked a smile. "Is that your way of shutting me up?"

"It's either that or a kick in the groin. Which do you prefer?"

"I'll have to go with the hug. Blinding pain in your nuts is not fun."

"Good choice."

"Now, do you want to tell me where you've been the whole day?" Dyson asked, arms still wrapped around Tamsin's waist.

Tamsin saw no point in lying. "Lauren left me her notebook and I've been retracing her steps."

When she offered no more than that, Dyson asked impatiently, "And? Don't leave me hanging. Tell me you know where she is."

All that she had learned came rushing back to her. "I...I think she'll be back."

"You have to give me more than that. If you don't know for sure, I think it's best for us to file a missing person report."

"No, no cops. Please, just wait till tomorrow evening," Tamsin pleaded.

Dyson wasn't entirely convinced. "Why tomorrow evening? Why not now? This could be a life or death situation."

Tamsin couldn't tell him, she didn't even know how to begin to make him understand. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do," Dyson answered without hesitation.

"Then, please wait. Do this for me and Lauren."

Dyson shook his head slightly in frustration. "Do you know where she is?"

Bo's written words floated in her head and she said, "Lauren is where she's supposed to be."

Dyson pulled away, and looked like he was about to ask more questions when they were interrupted by Emma. "Tamsin, I'm so glad you're safe. I was starting to get worried when Dyson couldn't reach you."

"I'm sorry, I should have at least called," Tamsin apologised sincerely.

"Have you had any luck finding Lauren?" Emma asked.

"Some...can I speak to you for a minute?" Tamsin recalled Lauren's notes detailing her conversations with Emma.

"Of course, would you like to come to my house? It's just down that way." Emma gestured towards a small path by the side of road.

Tamsin nodded and turned to Dyson. "I'll see you in the room when I'm done, okay?"

They made their way to the bungalow in silence. Tamsin cast occasional glances at Emma, noting the frown on her face as if she's deep in thought.

Emma offered Tamsin a drink when they got into the house, which she declined.

"Emma, Lauren wrote in her notebook that you met Bo Dennis when she was here in 1938. I'm just wondering if you happened to..." Tamsin faltered, trying to phrase her question correctly.

Realising it was just easier to ask the question directly, she went on, "You told Lauren that you think someone broke Bo's heart. It was a woman, wasn't it?"

Emma showed no surprise, prompting Tamsin to say, "You knew."

"There's something I want to show you." Emma walked over to the cabinet beneath the bookshelf and took out a large leather bound book, which Tamsin recognised as the hotel registry.

Pushing the book towards Tamsin, she said, "Lauren came to me the night she disappeared. She wanted to see the hotel registry from 1938." She spread her palm over the leather, words coming out slowly. "Why don't you take a look yourself? I've placed a bookmark on the page."

Tamsin anxiously opened the registry, even though she already had a strong suspicion what she would find there.

"October 19, 1938," Emma said, "Go down the page to 9.21 am, room 309."

Tamsin traced the entries with a shaky finger, her breaths coming in shallow gaps. Oxygen vacated her lungs when she found the entry. She could recognise Lauren's chicken scratch anywhere.

Emma rested her elbows on the table, a hand cradling her head. "I don't know what this means. I-I don't understand how it's possible."

"You saw her, you saw Lauren in 1938. You saw her with Bo," Tamsin stated.

"I'm beginning to think it's her, but... I'm afraid this...whatever this is, might be too big for an old broad like me to comprehend."

Tamsin grabbed Emma's hand. "I have a strong feeling Lauren will come back tomorrow evening, unwillingly, and I need to know why."

Emma sighed wearily, her voice barely above a whisper, "One of them didn't come back..."

Tamsin's heart jerked, and she pleaded, "Even if you don't believe, please just tell me what you saw. Please?"

Emma regarded her for a few seconds before saying, "They were so happy." She drew a deep breath and began, "It was on the night of the play..."