N: this is all Bo POV. So enjoy, and what not. Some aspects of this plot twist is basically me also working through the lingering aftermath of my accident, and how i've mentally continue working through it. Anyway, this story is coming to the end in a few more chapters, i think. Who knows, but read and enjoy!

"I'm very close to asking for your resignation." I mumbled the words through the heavy scarf around my neck. I glanced at Effy as she drove through the muddy one lane road, taking me to who knows where. We landed in Scotland an hour ago, Effy giving me some reason that we had to meet the sound team on location to re-record some of my dialogue. Something that apparently couldn't be done in a warm studio, it had to be done up on a hill to catch the wind. I knew it was bullshit, but went with it. I had a flight out to England that night, where I would end up at Lauren's home in Nottingham. We were meeting there since it was a safe place and we could talk freely without worrying who was around. I wanted to talk to her after watching her interviews over and over, every night before I fell asleep. It was monumental to me that Lauren took that huge leap and told the world I was hers. It made me nervous that first night I watched them, the panic at the fame that would follow sinking in quickly. But then I would talk about it with my therapist, and she pointed out that it was Lauren's own way of healing, and strengthening herself to be stronger for me. She was proving to me that all of her promises would be fulfilled. She would never let anything bad ever happen to me ever again.

"My contract doesn't allow for resignations, only terminations." Effy winked at me. "You're just going to have to fire me, Bo." She reached over, turning up the heat. "This will only take a few minutes, then it's off to Nottingham." She grinned. "Trust me this will be worth bundling up."

I shook my head, pulling my knit cap closer around my ears. "I've spent a month in a warm paradise, nothing is worth traveling back to the cold of Scotland. No matter how beautiful this country is." I turned to look out the window, the greens mingling with the light dusting of snow, painting a calming scene for me. I allowed myself to zone out, like my new therapist taught me, and absorb the pieces of beauty I saw. It helped to chase out the anxiety and fear, replacing it all with memories I could call upon whenever that damn fog threatened me. "Lauren's going to worry if we're late."

Effy reached over, patting my shoulder. "She's been notified about this minor derailment. She was the one who wanted the list of re-recordings done. The woman is a perfectionist and hates relying on digital alterations when she can easily throw an actor back outside and do it right."

I smiled thinking about Lauren. I had missed her incredibly, but was focusing on healing before I rushed back into her arms. It was what I had to do, for her. I couldn't go back to her while the fog of my accident lingered. Threatening us whenever it wanted. I had to learn how to manage my fear, especially when the cameras were turned my way. If I didn't, I couldn't be the strong woman she deserved to stand at her side as we continued in this life. Yes, I only had a handful of therapy sessions, but everything always circled back to Lauren in those sessions. She was my strength, my foundation, my drive, my passion, and the one thing that I knew I would want in the future. Each time my therapist asked what I saw in the coming years, it always landed on Lauren and I, together. And that was had me pushing through my fog and increasing the communication between Lauren and I. I never stopped loving her, I just was drowning in my PTSD, missing her as the lighthouse silently guiding me back. I grinned to myself, I had a lot of work left to do, but I loved her. Every time I said it, thought it, it made my heart skip.

Letting out a soft sigh, I dug my hand into the deep pocket of the winter coat Effy thrust on me the second we landed in Scotland. The small box had arrived just as I was walking out of my villa to meet her at the car. I barely got in a peek at the ring I designed that first week I landed in France. Call it a bold stroke of hope, but the engagement ring was me manifesting my relationship with Lauren. It didn't matter that at that moment I sent the design off, she was still hiding from me, I knew in the bottom of my heart, I would marry her. The ring arriving today, it was another sign that she was my inevitable. Nothing could keep me from her. Not a stupid past full of shotgun marriages, horrifying car accidents, and breaking her heart twice, could keep us apart. She proved that herself, slapping on a small animal on her face and breaking all the rules to sneak on to set. I laughed lightly, remembering that stupid disguise she wore. It was remarkable anyone believed her, and yet it did something to my soul. Lauren effectively handed me back the broken parts of my soul that night, offering me the tools and undying love to put them back where they belonged.

I smiled, tucking my chin into the scarf. I had no idea how to propose to her, when I would do it, or if she would even say yes. I only knew I was going to do it, I had to do it. I had to promise her that even though I was still on shaky ground, I was healing and she was my endgame. Running my fingers along the edge of the box, I broke out of my thoughts as the car came to a stop. "Is this it?" Leaning forward I looked out the front windshield, vaguely remembering this place from a location scouting trip I took that first week we all were here.

"It tis." Effy slapped the car into park, and looked at me. "Out you get, Bo."

I gave her a strange look. "Excuse me?" I motioned to the hill, the sun rising up and soaking into the vivid green and whites around us. It was beautiful, but I didn't see a crew, nor anyone else. "You're coming with me, right?"

Effy smirked. "No, I'm not. That wasn't part of my orders." She dug into her pocket, removing a small piece of paper, pointing at the bulletin points. "See here? Get Bo to the airport. Get Bo to Scotland. Get Bo to hilltop. Kick Bo out of the car and wait for her." She squinted at the bottom. "Oh, make sure Bo is bundled up and very warm." She grinned, flicking the paper with a finger. "Orders followed to a tee."

I frowned, heaving an irritated sigh. "What is this? Seriously, Effy." I snatched the paper out of her hand. It was an official studio memo signed by Lauren and Roger. "For shit's sake, can you tell me what this really is about? This feels like a screwed up scavenger hunt." I read over the page, trying to find a chink in these so-called orders.

Effy delicately removed the page from my hand, replacing it with a fresh crisp one. "And here are your orders. It's best you follow them to a tee, or you're flight to Nottingham will be delayed." She cocked an eyebrow my way. "I don't want to be late, they're showing the Queen's jubilee live, and I do not want to miss it."

I glared at her. "When we're back in a warm place, you need to explain your Queen, royal family obsession." I turned to the page in my hand, frowning deeper. "Really? Bo walk to the top of the hill. Bo look north at the mountains. Bo wait five minutes, a crew will meet you. What is this? Are you and Gillian that bored, you have to pull really elaborate pranks?" I crammed the page into the cup holder. "Lauren know about this?"

Effy gave her patented detective look. "She signed off on it." She huffed, exiting the car and walking to my side to open the door. A brisk, cold wind rammed into the car, making us both gasp. "I'll walk you to the top of the hill. That's all the orders I'm going to break." She held out a gloved hand. "We need to hurry, my bones are already shriveling from this painful chill."

I groaned, taking her hand and stepped out of the car. "Fine." I shivered under fifteen layers. "Was it this cold when we were here?" I buried my face as far as I could in the scarf.

Effy did the same and nodded, taking the first few steps up the hill. I followed, keeping my hands deep into the warmth of coat pockets. This was ridiculous. I would have to question why Lauren had to do ADR like this, and not in a digital studio.

After slogging up the hill, Effy turned to face me. Her nose was bright red as she squinted against the bright sun. "Okay. I'm going back to the car." She nodded curtly, and rushed back down the hill.

I rolled my eyes and climbed that last few steps to stand at the top. Even though it was bitterly cold, the view was indescribably beautiful. The sun was gracing the land with strokes of bold light, making me forget for a second how god damn cold I was. Cold and irritated. I stomped my feet, trying to generate more heat, and looked to the north.

"I'm second guessing this idea of mine. I had no idea it would be this cold."

I spun around at the sound of Lauren's voice appearing in the wind. She walked towards me, huddled in coats. She looked incredible with her red cheeks, and nervous smile. I bit my bottom lip, it had been almost a week since I saw her. She looked different, or maybe it was because I was looking at her with a new sense of self, either way, she was gorgeous. "You signed off on these orders." I held up the crinkled piece of paper. "That are bullshit orders." I tucked my hand back in my pocket, clutching the ring box. "Are you going to finally tell me why I'm here?" I motioned back down the hill. "And why Effy is acting as strange as her girlfriend?"

Lauren grinned, walking towards me, lifting her hands up to my face. She pulled me closer, kissing me tenderly. I melted into her, closing my eyes as I reveled in the feeling of kissing this woman. She parted too soon for my liking, licking her lips. "I had to do that first." She dropped her hands from my face, and tucking them back into her own warm pockets. "You remember this place?" She looked out onto the horizon, squinting against the sunlight.

I nodded, staring at her instead of silly hills. "Vaguely. I think we came here on a location scouting trip."

Lauren nodded, grinning. "And it was the same place that picture I carry in my notebook was taken." She met my eyes. "It was here that I fell uncontrollably in love with you at second first sight." She tipped her head down. "I created this elaborate, yet cheesy, plan to bring you here, Bo. I wanted to start here."

She drifted off, her voice trembling with nerves. I moved closer to her, my hand sweating as I held that box. "Start what?" I swallowed hard, something in the air was telling me something. That Lauren was about to do something way out of her comfort zone.

Lauren took a slow breath, and pulled her hand from a pocket. She opened her hand and revealed a small black box in the palm of her hand. "I know you're still working on getting healthy, and our schedules are nowhere near matching up, and this is possibly the most spontaneous, stupid thing I've ever done, but." She took in another breath. "Bo, I love you. Will love you for the rest of my life and probably into the next one, and I…" She went to open the box, when my hands shot and covered hers in both of mine.

"Lauren, please don't tell me you brought me all the way up here to propose to me." I stared at her wide eyed, my heart thundering in my chest.

Lauren's eyes went wide as the cliffs next to us. "Um…I…uh." She was starting to panic. "Bo." She dipped her head down, looking at my hands. "This was a stupid idea." She mumbled the words out, and went to pull her hand free.

I clutched her hands tighter, preventing her escape. "I vaguely remember asking you to marry me a few weeks back. You told me to ask you again in three weeks." I cocked an eyebrow as she looked up at me confused, and mildly devastated.

"I guess." She turned to look back out on the horizon. "This was stupid. I know you're not in the right mind frame and I'm being pushy." She shook her head, she furrowed her brow. "Let's get to a warm car."

I chuckled at the adorable look on her face. This woman was tenacious when it came to me, and I adored it. I let go of her hand, going into my pocket for the ring. "I'm not completely in the right mind frame, but truth be told, choosing to be an actress is not a choice made in sound mind." I smiled as Lauren held her grumpy face. "I have a lot of healing to do, from the accident, from my past life as a movie star. But there's one thing that has stood out in these last few months since we came back to each other."

I picked up Lauren's left hand. "And it's always been you, Lauren. My heart refused to let me walk away from you, akways circling back to you like a boomerang." I paused, waiting for Lauren to look at me. "You triggered something between us seven years ago, and it's been a game of cat and mouse for us, playing with destiny. Doing our damndest to prove it wrong, when it was right the entire time." I tugged at the thin gloves I wore, dropping them to the ground as I held out the ring box in my right hand. "You're not being pushy, Lauren. Furthest from it, but I asked you first and I'm asking you now." I flicked the lid open, revealing the understated, yet intricate ring I had made for her. "Will you marry me?"

Lauren's grumpy face dissipated into one of utter shock. "What?"

I plucked the ring out of the box and held it up. "You heard me, you always hear me." I smiled as she gave me a dirty look. "I designed this ring after us, our story." I ran a finger over the weaving knots. "This is our paths always crossing, tangling together before breaking away, but never apart." I pointed out the tiny thistle flowers. "This is for Scotland. The frozen land that brought us together, and lastly." I pointed out the inset diamonds in each thistle. "Diamonds. The strongest stone in the world." I met Lauren's eyes, brimming with tears. "So, will you marry me, Lauren Lewis?"

She let out a happy sob. "This isn't fair, Bo."

I gave her a confused look. "Fair?"

She nodded, lacing her fingers in mine. "I was going to propose to you, and you made me feel like I had screwed up big time." She let out a slow breath. "Are you really asking me to marry you?" She looked up, a lone tear slipping down her cheek.

"If you're willing to spend the rest of your life with a gay divorcee. Who suffers from an irrational fear of fame, and will probably in a year, be back in the Midwest teaching drama at the senior center due to said fear." I pressed my palm against her warm skin. "Yes, I'm really asking you to marry me, Lauren. The love I feel for you is the only thing that makes perfect sense to me, no matter what my thoughts want me to think." I grinned as she smiled sheepishly. "I love you, Lauren."

"I love you, Bo." She whispered the words out. "Yes." Her face split into a shit eating grin. "Yes, I will marry you." I burst out in nervous laughter and grabbed her face, kissing her. I felt her smile against my mouth, and I felt the power our love truly had.

I took her shaking left hand, and slid the ring on, kissing her once more when it was settled at the base of her finger. I let out a puff of air that the ring fit perfectly. Lauren held her hand up to the sun, grinning with tears streaked cheeks. "It's unbelievable, Bo. Perfect."

I nodded, shoving frozen hands into my pockets as the chill returned. My adrenaline fading away a little too fast. "You're perfect, and as much as this moment is perfect. Can we please go find Effy and that really warm car?"

Lauren laughed, bending down to pick up my gloves. "Yes." She winked at me. "I'll race you down the hill?" I heard in her voice how excited, and happy she was.

I half smiled. "Race?" Lauren was giddy like a hyper little kid. I loved that I had this effect on her. That I was the one who pulled out the many sides of the girl from Boston. All of them I loved more and more as she revealed them to me.

Lauren nodded, taking a few steps back and holding out her hands. "Yup. Race me down the hill, if I win, you have to let me propose to you wherever, whenever." She patted her pocket. "I also have a ring for you, and have this amazing proposal I spent days writing." She looked up at the blue sky. "It's quite possibly my best writing, even Gillian shed a single honest tear. She only cries when she chips her French manicure. Hmm, maybe I'll save it for a film."

I shook my head as I stepped towards the woman. My heart was bouncing at the idea of Lauren getting down on one knee and proposing to me. We were just traditionally engaged in the sense of the word, but who cared about tradition. Nothing about Lauren and I screamed tradition. "What if I win?" I started moving quicker. "Do I get to choose when and where we get married?"

Lauren scrunched her face up, thinking about it. "Okay, that's fair." She winked at me and broke out into a full run, shouting over her shoulder. "But you won't!"

It took me a minute to chase after her, determined to beat her, but as we reached the car Effy left for us, I slowed down. I wanted Lauren to win, I was going to marry her either way. Plus I secretly needed to hear this proposal that made Gillian cry.

I slowed to a trot as Lauren opened the passenger side door, gasping for air. "I won."

I nodded, sliding into the car and pulling her into me so I could kiss her. "We both did." I motioned for her to get into the warm car. "Get in, we have a flight to catch."

Lauren kissed me back, closed my door and ran to the driver's side. "We do." She glanced at me as she put the car in reverse. "Tonight, we stay in Nottingham and then first thing in the morning, we leave for the states." She smiled, nervously. "I'm making a quick stop in Boston before I meet you and the wonder twins in California." She hesitated for a moment. "You can come with me, or go straight to California. I know you have to clean out your apartment, and look at a few open houses."

I felt a wave of panic start to ebb, but after taking a deep calming breath, I forced it back. "I probably should meet your mother, now that I've asked her daughter to be my wife." I looked down at the ring on her finger. "Those open houses can wait, until we both decide where we want to live." I picked up her hand, linking our fingers together. "And it would be healing to make good memories in Boston, replace the ugly ones I left there."

Lauren lifted our hands up, kissing the top of mine. "I agree, but tell me if it's too much. I can rearrange everything. Shit, I'll even cancel the press junket."

I chuckled, squeezing her hand. "Don't cancel it on my behalf. I love nothing more than sitting in a hotel conference room for three days. Repeating over and over like a broken record about my character's motivation and what it was like to share love scenes with the sexpot Gillian Harris."

Lauren laughed. "Tell them it was the most disgusting experience ofyour life."

"And have your maid of honor throttle me in public? I think not." I leaned back into the seat, looking out the window as Lauren drove us back down the hill. "Can we come back here when it's warmer? I'd like to enjoy the country that gave me my love back."

"Anything for you, my love."