Wow sorry for the über long delay and thank you for the PMs to make sure I was alive...a short beach trip turned in to a three week vacation across multiple states. Thanks for your patience and thanks for sticking with me. We are getting near the end -a few more chapters should wrap it all up, so here you go :)
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Hale's question went unanswered, instead met only with silence. Surprised at his casual recognition of Bo's state of being head over heals for her, Lauren widened her eyes at the announcement. She waited calmly for Kenzi's reaction and kept her vision fixed on her patient, cautious of potential responses. Kenzi stared at the floor while Lauren assumed she attempted to process what the statement truly meant. The young woman eventually exhaled an audible deep breath, surrendering her mind to the night of rediscovery. She stood from the recliner, carefully and quietly taking two steps to the hospital bed. She placed her palms flat on the mattress and closed her eyes, channeling her strength from within to comprehend her sister's connectivity to the very people in the room. Her lungs filled with air and expunged it just as quickly several times over. Even with closed eyes and a hunched frame, Kenzi appeared focused and calm. The hospital gown hung loosely from her thin body, her long black hair draped over her face to hide each thought and feeling coursing through her. Not two minutes into her silo of silence, Kenzi wobbled slightly before her fragile frame lost its battle with her mind. She slid slowly to the floor, her palms dragging across the bed sheets leaving trails of indents from her fingertips grasping to hold on. She crumpled downward in a heap of that unattractive gown and into the pile of used tissues below.
Lauren raced around the bed as Tamsin crouched to Kenzi's side. The weight of information pouring through her mind had simply worn down the girl to the point of collapse. A moment of lost consciousness was more than unsettling to the doctor who had already mentally elevated Kenzi's status from healing patient to one with potential complications. Too much information at once pushed the woman too hard, too far and much too fast. Her memories, coupled with the subsequent evoked emotions, created a physical recoil: a drop in blood pressure that sent Kenzi's head spinning and her body tumbling into that small space between the bed and the recliner. Her body had slid down into a seated position, her knees bent and her back pressed against the foot of the chair as her arms fell helplessly to her side.
"Kenzi! Kenzi!"
Lauren's sharp repetition of her patient's name brought Kenzi to blink her eyes a few times yet remain speechless as she regained consciousness. The bed cast a shadow over Kenzi and the small space she occupied, not allowing much lighting for Lauren to examine her patient. She did so as best as possible to ensure there were no major medical emergencies from the fainting spell. Lauren sped through her typical motions. Heart rate: Check. Breathing: Check. Pupils: Check. The fall wasn't hard enough to cause any physical injuries, but Lauren still exercised caution given the state of Kenzi's condition. Passing out was not uncommon for stressful moments as a body could react in any number of ways, so keeping the moment calm and removing any additional stresses, including the horrible crumpled position in which she fell, could only help.
"Help me get her up, Tamsin."
With care, Tamsin looped Kenzi's arm over her own shoulder and gripped around Kenzi's waist. She followed Lauren's lead and together, they gently guided Kenzi off the floor. The woman had no strength to stand on her own but didn't need any as the detective scooped up her legs, lifting her fully into the hospital bed. Kenzi's collapse brought Hale further into the room, wearing his concern and confusion blatantly across his face. He had set his crutches aside and aided with shifting blankets and sheets on the bed to assist with Kenzi's comfort.
Kenzi's complexion remained a bit pale but she was conscious. She mumbled a few words about wanting to be alone and to sleep. Lauren heard her requests but had to delay fulfilling them momentarily until she was certain that Kenzi experienced just a simple faint and nothing more. The doctor needed to be confident in her initial assessment, so she attached a blood pressure cuff and tightened it accordingly. She grabbed a few electrodes and pressed the sticky backs to her patient's chest under the hospital gown. Individually, Lauren connected them to the appropriate machines and flipped the switches bringing the irritating beeping sounds to life. Along with Lauren, Tamsin and Hale both watched the machines, even though the detective and the firefighter had no idea what the numbers or lines meant. For several minutes, the doctor carefully observed each initial reading to cross the digital screens, playing special attention to Kenzi's blood pressure. Fortunately, the results were positive. Kenzi's blood pressure was rather low but strengthened over a few minutes time. All remaining vitals registered well within an acceptable range, allowing Lauren to breathe a little easier over the incident, but as Kenzi's doctor, Lauren wanted nothing else to occur that night that carried the potential to upset her further or induce further unconscious moments.
Focusing on her patient allowed Lauren to avoid her own personal shut down. She too felt the weight of the moment with her own internal stress. With Kenzi physically exhausted, mentally torn, and emotionally distant, Lauren had to follow her own rules and refrain from asking any questions, especially the one wearing on Lauren's mind: gaining patient permission to tell Bo confidential information. She momentarily thought Hale's disclosure of Bo's interest in Lauren would bring about a much bigger conversation between them, but Kenzi's silent collapse declared otherwise. The only person who would be asking any questions of the young woman once she had some rest would be Doctor Hall, who finally returned to the room carrying the sedatives in hand.
Lauren crossed the room and stood next to Doctor Hall. She spoke in a quiet voice as to not disturb Kenzi, who had already drifted to a semi-sleep state without any medication.
"Doctor, can we speak in private?"
He nodded to accept Lauren's request, turned on his heel and exited the room. Lauren followed two steps behind, taking slow, focused breaths as they proceeded to the nurse's station. She appreciated the quiet of the fourth floor critical care unit at this late hour, as it helped her organize thoughts into a more structured framework and allowed for fewer distractions. The nurses on shift were absent from their station, most likely visiting patient rooms or completing rounds. It allowed Lauren and Doctor Hall some privacy in the typical occupied space. Lauren leaned against the station counter as the heaviness of the night forced her from her typical authoritative stance. Gone were the pushed back shoulders and head held high, as her elbow bore the brunt of her weight against that counter top while her shoulders drooped forward. She scratched her head and enjoyed the tingling sensation it caused through her scalp. The load of emotions that Lauren carried in her chest made each breath tougher to inhale. The intensity of this anxiety escalated due to the combination of her concern for Kenzi's well being, her own exhaustion, her indecision to tell Bo or not tell Bo, and her worry knowing that her best friend was about to hunt down a psychopath.
Lauren recognized that full disclosure to Doctor Hall could only aide in Kenzi's therapy. While Lauren didn't feel obligated to expose her personal life, she found no harm in sharing information in the best interest of her patient. In a weary yet clear voice, Lauren informed Doctor Hall of Hale's comment to Kenzi prior to her fainting spell. Lauren also confirmed that, yes, her girlfriend was in fact the same Bo Dennis spoken of during Kenzi's recount of her life story. As the respectful man that he was, Doctor Hall didn't blink an eye at Lauren's briefing, but instead thanked her for sharing and discussed a course of treatment for the morning and subsequent days to ensure physical, mental and emotional needs of their patient would be addressed. Lauren appreciated his professionalism. She truly held Doctor Hall's opinion in very high regard, not only because of his lack of reaction to such disclosures but also due to his balanced approach of proven treatments with some non-traditional, progressive ones mixed in. In light of the potential criminal activity, Doctor Hall even suggested they order a no visitor protocol for their patient to avoid any further complications until they could assess Kenzi's overall well being. He advised he would process that internal request before the hour was over.
The click clack sound of Hale's crutches in the hallway pulled Lauren's attention to the firefighter who, along with Tamsin, walked in their direction. It felt odd to see them walking side by side. After all, it wasn't so long ago that Tamsin and Lauren were the two holding conversation, waiting for that ambulance to arrive at the emergency room carrying the injured firefighter and the fire chief she had since fallen in love with. All the connectivity between people in her life felt more than coincidental. She silently questioned if the universe had more odd plans in store for her but the moment the thought echoed in her mind, she quickly regretted that mental question.
From previous experience, Lauren knew to never tempt fate and plans for the future. She cringed at her own thought, wishing to take back the words that had just crossed her mind: What else is going to surprise me tonight? Those types of questions seemed to always yield unwanted answers. She gulped down the unsettling feeling rising up in her stomach. In moments of stress, Lauren always trusted her mind to guide her decisions. Over time, she had learned to trust her gut and its instinct. And even though she fought it tooth and nail, she finally found how to trust her heart and believe in her own feelings. And at that moment, all three: mind, heart, and gut, blared out the same proclamation: go to Bo, tell her about Kenzi, and tell her now.
Lauren faced Doctor Hall again, the panic most likely visible on her face as she felt an urgency to get to the Fire Station. To close out their private conversation, Lauren advised she was stepping out of the hospital but would be reachable via cell phone if needed. Without question, he nodded and excused himself back to Kenzi's hospital room. Tamsin escorted Hale to his own patient room near the elevators. Once he disappeared through the doorway, Tamsin joined Lauren at the still vacant nurse's station.
Tamsin leaned against the counter facing Lauren. The doctor looked upon her best friend with a thousand words on the tip of her tongue but said nothing at all. Lauren noticed the dark circles under Tamsin's eyes; the kind that had existed for weeks, making the detective appear worn and tired. Beyond tired, she actually looked pained: pained like she felt the situation's intensity with the knowledge that some parts of Kenzi's agony couldn't be fixed, and that a madman was out there planning to destroy power grids and orchestrate chaos. On a daily basis, both women typically hid their emotions fairly well, and yet here they stood, each shouldering heavy thoughts and exposing their feelings through dark circles under eyes, poor posture and shaken heads. Lauren smiled weakly at her best friend, who returned the smile as best as she could, considering the circumstances.
"I'm going to the Fire Station to tell Bo about Kenzi."
She spoke firmly but quietly, indicating her decision was final. It was Lauren's announcement of her plans and nothing more. She didn't voice it as another burden for Tamsin to shoulder or worry about, but a simple broadcast of her choice to forego protocol and tell Bo the identity of Jane Doe.
Tamsin nodded and followed with her own confirmed intentions.
"I'm going to get Massimo. The minute I leave here."
The brief conversation posed an interesting dynamic between them. Tamsin could lecture Lauren on waiting to allow someone else to break the news to Bo and avoid the potential for a patient confidentiality conflict. Similarly, Lauren could lecture Tamsin on waiting to get back-up, set up a calculated sting to catch Massimo and lessen the danger. They could both lecture the other about why rushing into their respective next steps could have repercussions. They had danced to this song many times prior throughout their decade long friendship, but they were now at such a point where they could simply skip the arguments and opinions. Going right to acceptance of Tamsin's decision, Lauren shoved her hands in her lab coat pockets and smiled.
"Be safe?" Lauren asked.
"Hey, you know me. I carry two guns remember?" She patted her side and then her ankle.
"Yes, I remember. It's your backup until your new partner arrives."
Tamsin nodded. "Right, which should be tomorrow."
"Excellent. Can't wait to meet him." Lauren stated.
Tamsin lightly laughed and shifted her weight from one foot to the next as she corrected Lauren's assumption. "Her. Can't wait to meet her."
Lauren cocked her eyebrow. "Another female partner? Aren't you lucky?"
Tamsin smiled. "Well, let me meet her first. Then I'll let you know if I'm lucky or cursed."
She stretched her arms behind her back. She looked to the floor for a moment while composing her thoughts before standing a little taller and looking directly at Lauren's face. The detective's voice grew stronger when she pointed at Lauren and spoke.
"Tell Bo I'll get him. For her. And for her sister."
Lauren smiled at the heartfelt statement. She breathed through her fear of Tamsin hunting down a madman before grabbing her and pulling her into an unexpected embrace. Lauren wrapped her arms around the detective and squeezed with the conviction of their decade long connection. She felt her breath catch as Tamsin returned the hold with an even tighter grip, not in any sexual way, but in a way that two best friends support each other, understand each other, and love each other. Another experienced pinnacle moment for the two women, not knowing what lie on the other side of their quick decisions, had them maintain that hug for several long, drawn out heartbeats before saying goodbye and parting to embark on their own private missions of the night.
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Lauren considered several possibilities of what to say to Bo as she drove that BMW through vacant streets in the middle of night. No matter which words seemed most sensitive or direct, there was only one outcome: telling Bo that Jane Doe was none other than Kenzi Dennis. Her true rationale was that she loved Bo: loved her enough to want to ease her worry about Kenzi's whereabouts, more so than protecting her own career as a doctor. Her concern about breaking confidentiality faded to the background the closer she got to the fire station. Rationally, she knew that she could pull any number of cards if needed: next of kin notification for a somewhat incapacitated patient, her own outstanding record as a doctor, the hopes that Kenzi really wouldn't care that Lauren told Bo. If anything, she'd get a suspension or a slap on the wrist. She would use loopholes if needed, and as a last resort, she'd call the best of attorneys. But even without these safeguards, Lauren had made her decision: to tell Bo that Kenzi was alive, she was in the hospital, and she was none other than her Jane Doe.
Lauren barely shut off the ignition before she pushed open the car door outside Station 55. Still wearing her scrubs, Lauren stepped from the vehicle and closed the door before pressing the lock button on her key. The breeze had increased considerably and her hair whipped around her face in several directions. The moon was hidden by thick clouds and the humidity had grown to suffocating levels. Leaves, from the small trees sprinkled along the street, rustled about as the branches bowed to the force of the wind. Perfect recipe for a storm. She tucked her hair behind her ears, shifted her work bag to the right shoulder and walked quickly through the sharp bursts of wind, feeling little bits of dry dirt flicking against her skin as she crossed the street.
The bright lights flooded out from the station windows and lit up the concrete slab outside. The bay doors were shut tonight but one twist of the door knob allowed entrance into the building. The wind slammed the door shut behind her, echoing through the garage. Lauren smoothed out her disheveled hair and wiped down the front of her scrubs once to make sure there wasn't any random debris stuck to her clothes. She caught a rattling sound to her left, pulling her attention to the larger fire truck parked within the space. A figure moved inside the back seat passenger compartment, but the shadows cast down from the lighting obscured her view inside. Not seconds later, the figure emerged through the partially opened truck door and revealed a surprised but smiling Bo Dennis.
"Lauren?"
Lauren returned the smile to her girlfriend. Bo's hair was matted down around her face and her usual crisp uniform shirt was now replaced with a tight tank top.
"Hey Bo."
Bo hopped out of the truck and her feet landed on the concrete floor with a thud. She wore gym shoes, a pair of every day striped gym shorts and a black tank top with the "55" logo on the front. The blinding lights from above reflected against Bo's sweaty arms and brow. Lauren thought the image looked rather similar to the fire chief's appearance after their usual first rounds of playful passion except Bo's body was currently covered in clothing instead of naked in her arms. Enjoying the view, Lauren kept her eyes fixed on her lover and took a few steps in Bo's direction to meet her by the truck.
"Wow, you've shed your uniform and look like you've just gone two rounds. What's going on inside that truck that doesn't involve me?"
Lauren teased Bo with a dip in her voice, pulling the brunette in with the slightest change in tone. Bo slid her hands on Lauren's waist and placed a quick sweaty kiss on Lauren's lips. Sweaty or not, Lauren never denied Bo's kisses.
"Yes, I have shed my uniform but only for a good workout. I just finished lifting with some of the guys. It's been a slow night, so I thought I'd take advantage of the down time and now I'm currently checking truck supplies."
"Ahhh, I see…" Lauren replied.
Bo lowered her voice. "You know, I'd much rather be getting a good workout from you."
The brunette tightened her grip, causing Lauren to close her eyes as the sensation traveled straight to her core. She took two slow breaths while enjoying the closeness of Bo's presence and her touch before reopening her eyes. Lauren slid her hands to Bo's lower back, absorbing the heat the brunette's skin had to offer.
"Mmmmm, I'd love to give you a good workout."
Bo raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. Her smile curled at the devious nature of that statement. Lauren noticed Bo's eyes narrow and that smile change. She felt her own need flare the minute she felt Bo's hands on her hips, but they were standing in the middle of the fire station garage. Bo was on shift, and Lauren's presence occurred because of one reason and one reason only: to tell Bo that Kenzi was Jane Doe. While the doctor's mind told her to stand firm and have a serious discussion with Bo, her body fought against it as her focus was pulled further and further down Bo's low cut tank top.
"So not that I'm complaining, but why are you here? Is everything okay? Did something happen?"
Lauren took another deep breath. She brushed a stray hair from Bo's face and smiled at her love. "Some things happened at work tonight. I wanted to talk with you about it."
Bo acknowledged Lauren's statement with a simple nod. She didn't ask what happened at the hospital or press for a quick release of information. Instead, she slid her arms further around Lauren and her fingertips dipped under the hem of the doctor's scrub shirt. If her intent was to relax the doctor from whatever stresses occurred, it failed. Relaxation was the last feeling Bo's touch caused at that moment as it instead spiked Lauren's excitement ten fold. Lauren closed her eyes and lost her thoughts in that simple touch. She felt Bo's breath on her face and wanted nothing more than to feel the fire chief's lips grace her own. But without warning, Bo's breath was gone as were her hands, causing Lauren to open her eyes. Bo had stepped back and reached for Lauren's work bag, pulling it carefully from the doctor's shoulder. She then took Lauren's hand in her own and stepped closer to the fire truck. Willingly, Lauren let Bo lead her and observed the fire chief's movements with a cautious curiosity. Bo placed the bag gently on the concrete floor next to the truck, safely out of the way. Bo took another step and opened the truck door, pulling Lauren behind her.
"Bo where are we going?" Lauren asked.
Bo looked over her shoulder before releasing Lauren's hand and hoisting herself into the back of the truck. Lauren looked inside, noticing the space inside where fireman rode en route to a fire. Once in the truck, Bo turned around and offered her hand to Lauren.
"Come. Sit. You can tell me about work. And then I can give you a tour of the truck."
Even with the heavy discussion looming ahead, the offer was too tempting to deny. Bo smirked in a way that Lauren had grown to love. It indicated her excitement, her desire and her confidence all at once. So Lauren accepted Bo's hand, and she took the giant step into the truck. The doctor knew exactly how tours with Bo operated, as she learned first hand when the fire chief gave her a tour of the station and the equipment room. She was confident a tour of the truck held the same meaning. Lauren knew this passionate moment before she revealed Jane Doe's identity was selfish, but she was certain Bo's playful demeanor would disappear the minute she learned Kenzi's whereabouts.
"How about you give me the tour first, Bo? And then we talk?"
Bo voiced a low throaty growl to signal not only her approval but her appreciation for conducting the tour first. As Lauren entered the truck, Bo shut the door and effectively shut out the rest of the station and the world from their private space. With hungry hands, Bo pulled Lauren on the seat next to her, wrapped her arms around the blonde and kissed her. She kissed her like Lauren wanted to be kissed. With heart. With soul. With desire. With passion. With love. Each pass of Bo's lips across Lauren's neck encouraged her mind to drift further away from the hospital and those bombshell revelations. Each caress of Bo's hands under Lauren's scrubs persuaded her to let go: to momentarily forget the crucial and significant information in her mind and listen only to the cravings coursing through her body. She wanted to feel the physical connection with Bo, even it if would be quick and awkward in the back of a fire truck. The return of Kenzi's memory and the history it brought forth had Lauren's emotions swirling, but the first of Bo's touches decreased the doctor's rising panic and replaced any hint of anxiety with excitement in mere seconds. Enjoying this pure pleasure quickly surpassed all other plans and ideas as Bo's kissing escalated and the fire chief's hands slowly explored Lauren's body hidden within her medical scrubs.
The space was awkward but not more so than the one in the convertible or in the small cramped space of the equipment room. It mattered little, however, because the couple's movements ebbed and flowed with give and take, touching and being touched, as quietly as possible sharing this stolen moment inside the back seat of the fire truck only separated from outside space by the steel door and plexi-glass windows. Had the garage portion of the building been occupied by any other firemen, Lauren would have hesitated, but Bo's casual insistence to their private moment gave Lauren nothing but confidence in their intimate moment.
Lauren never questioned Bo's spontaneous side, and the rather meticulous, well planned doctor found it rather refreshing. Having the opportunity to feel physical release as well as bring the same upon Bo was beyond pleasurable. As their intimate relationship had grown leaps and bounds in such a short time, Lauren's hands had committed to memory the most sensitive ways to push Bo's sensual torture to the brink. Not caring that Bo was covered in sweaty workout clothes, the moment Lauren's hands gripped Bo's ripped biceps and forced her back on the seat, Lauren's heart rate increased ten fold and her center flooded with wetness. Getting her own hands inside Bo's shorts became the new goal for Lauren Lewis, and by damn if she wasn't going to get her way.
The moment wasn't rushed as Lauren thought it would be. The challenge of remaining rather quiet ruled their thoughts as mouths ignited sparks and hands stoked fires. No sounds but their breathing and kissing occupied the space inside that fire truck, and as Bo's touch engulfed Lauren in flames, the doctor bit down on the fire chief's shoulder to muffle her cries, silently allowing the fire within to reduce her to ashes. But for a quiet whimper, Lauren remained completely silent as her body shuddered fiercely against Bo's hand and gripped her fingers from within. The culmination of the moment did not smother Lauren in calmness or relaxation, but rather sent her pouncing directly to Bo, orchestrating her own touches and kisses over the fire chief. Lauren graciously thanked the universe that Bo no longer wore her neatly pressed uniform, for her workout attire offered much quicker and easier access for the blonde to manipulate under her hands. Bo didn't battle her either, but accepted the moment just as Lauren did: full of want and need and all the pleasure it brought to the surface. Bo had a harder time remaining quiet, so much that as she began to rock fiercely against the doctor, Lauren used her free hand to cover Bo's mouth as she came, muffling those sounds against her hand and absorbing every ounce Bo offered from head to toe.
The feeling of such a strong woman like Bo giving in and giving herself to the moment and to the doctor fed Lauren's ever growing appreciation for the control she could maintain during such passionate moments with her lover. It was a balance of power and elegance, each woman articulating such through their control and grace. Post-coital smiles and stares kept the women locked in the moment, sharing an intense connectivity of love that only grew stronger with each passing minute. Moments like this, protected in a solitude bubble shared only by the two, allowed Lauren to breathe a little easier and her heart to beat a little stronger. Each and every day they shared reinforced their love for one another. Neither woman may have been perfect, but they felt perfect for each other. That in itself meant the world to them both.
What began as a probable quick fuck in the back of the fire truck ended more like a sip of the finest wine. Their admiration and affection for one another reflected the decadent taste of charming delicacy, not to be rushed or gulped quickly. Love trumped lust as fears of interruption dissipated. Layers of passion peeled away exposing pure, raw emotional connectivity expressed through perfectly placed caresses. Nothing could have broken their solitary space. The universe allowed the moment as they needed, and as their breaths evened out and their touches morphed into the most intense of embraces, the shared silent and motionless moment lasted as long as they wanted. Just enjoying the other's physical, emotional and mental presence elevated their love to a level that Lauren couldn't ever remember feeling. Ever.
"Lauren…"
Bo's tone shouldered love and emotion in just that whispered word. Lauren's arms were protectively wrapped around the fire chief, holding her against her chest as Bo listened to each heart beat.
"Yes, Bo?" Lauren replied.
"Can we stay in this moment? Forever? Just us?"
Lauren smiled. Forever. A word Lauren really did not believe in and yet, the many shared occasions with Bo since they met had made the doctor consider the word's potential. Staying in that very moment and maintaining the height of love pressing through every cell of her body made Lauren more than consider it: it made her want to believe in it. Bo shifted and looked up at Lauren. The doctor glanced down at deep brown eyes, waiting for some type of response. Just the connectivity they shared with a simple glance answered Bo's question, but Lauren entertained her with a verbal response anyway.
"Yes, love. I'd like nothing more."
The unfortunate screech of the fire alarm buzzer pierced their pristine secluded bubble. It sent Bo jolting out of Lauren's arms and upright in the back seat. Lauren jumped as well, the unexpected loud sound scaring her. Bo quickly pressed open the door and listened as an announcement echoed through the building.
"Station 55. Explosion reported at Main Street power grid. Grid currently unaffected but building on premise engulfed in flames. Report."
"Shit!"
Bo jumped from the truck faster than the expletive crossed her kiss swollen lips. Lauren followed quickly, knowing any moment the garage would flood with fire fighters racing to pull on their gear. Her own step from the truck had her land next to her work bag, still resting where Bo had placed it earlier. She grabbed the bag and tossed it over her shoulder, straightening her scrubs that were never removed but rather shifted carefully when Bo took access to the body held within. Bo had already disappeared from sight and the garage began to fill with fast moving firemen. Lauren hustled out of the way before she heard the repeat of the call, but for the first time, she actually listened to the words spoken.
""Station 55 now confirmed. Explosion reported at Main Street power grid. Grid currently unaffected but building engulfed in flames. "
Lauren's feet carried her to the edge of the garage. She didn't realize her own steps until she leaned against the wall. Her thoughts battled to comprehend the moment. The power grid. Tamsin. Massimo. Her memory was certain that Kenzi voiced the Main Street location as the place where Massimo hid. Knowing Tamsin had raced there as Lauren raced to the fire station, her stomach churned with a tormented nausea triggered by a wave of terror mixed with fear. Not only did Lauren give in to her selfish desires with Bo, but she had yet to tell her about Kenzi, Massimo, or even Tamsin for that matter. The bay doors opened and the increased swirling winds whipped inside the building and snapped Lauren's focus back to the space surrounding her. Fireman everywhere pulled on gear and hopped into trucks. She saw Bo now donning her own gear and trotting to her battalion chief vehicle. Lauren's body reacted faster than her mind as she raced to the vehicle.
"Bo!"
Bo was in the car, rolling down the window to hear Lauren's plea over deafening sirens.
"Bo, Tamsin is at the power grid! She went to bust a crime ring!"
Bo's eyes widened at Lauren's statement. Before the chief could reply, the fireman driving the vehicle shifted it into gear. Lauren only saw Bo's nod to acknowledge her understanding of Lauren's message. They sped off with sirens blaring and lights casting out into the darkness. Both fire trucks followed in quick succession. The air temperature had dropped considerably but the humidity felt thick. Lauren felt the storm in her bones and on her skin. She looked into the darkness of the night sky and felt the eerie sensation of a summer storm brewing but it paled in comparison to the building swirls of a storm inside her heart. Tamsin. Bo. Her best friend. Her girlfriend. Two women whose existence occupied a monumental presence in her life. Her mouth went dry and the pressure building inside her chest felt irreversible. The threat of another kind of storm disrupted the steady flow of her universe. The walls holding out the fear not only cracked but crumbled, allowing her entire being to be engulfed in an unknown terror of what lie ahead. She didn't want to stand by and feel helpless. She couldn't allow another moment to happen where someone knocked on her door with devastating news. Instinctively, Lauren did the only thing she could do: she bolted out of the fire station. Through swirls of wind and blowing specs of debris, Lauren crossed the street and hopped into her BMW with a new mission of the night: to follow those fire trucks and her girlfriend to the collossal storm forming at the epicenter of Tamsin's crime ring: the Main Street power grid.