I thank each and every one of you for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting this story. I am amazed at how wonderful you all are and I thank you, sincerely for the support you've all given my little story.

A little bit of drama must come into everyone's lives, but I think Bo and Lauren may have had enough. Let's see shall we?

I own nothing but the mistakes

Chapter 25

Previously

Her head dropping; fear, her old friend once again making an appearance, "I want to give you the greatest gift I could ever give you, a child. And I am failing."

Leaning forward on her knees, pulling the sobbing doctor into her arms, kissing her forehead, the top of her head, lightly brushing her lips, "You've already done that. You gave me Charley back; you saved her when no one else could."

Sobbing against Bo's shoulder, "It's not enough, Bo. It's not enough….." taking a deep breath, "what if you decide we are a mistake? What if you ever stop loving me?"

Holding Lauren tight against her chest, dropping kisses on the top of her head, "I fell in love with you in the blink of an eye. You are my world, you are my forever." Palms on either side of Lauren's face, lifting it up to look into her eyes, "You picked me up." thinking of her 6 year old self, sobbing on the side walk as her mother walked away, "and piece by piece, you put me back together, when no one else could. We'll figure this out...together and no matter what happens, I will never. stop. loving you."

Dissolving into Bo's arms, Lauren shudders as she lets out the breath she had been holding, mumbling against Bo's neck, "I love you so very much Bo. I never thought I'd find someone to love as much as I love you. It's always been the other way around; I love too little." Lifting her head, a sudden, frightening thought emerges, "Do I love you too much, Bo?"

Kissing Lauren's temple, "You love me the way I've always wanted to be and never thought I deserved."

Sighing and laying her head back down on Bo's shoulder, "What if it never happens Bo? What if I can't solve this problem?"

"There are two of us Lauren." Pulling her head back to be able to look into Lauren's tear stained face, "You are not alone in this." Running her thumbs across Lauren's cheeks, wiping away her tears, "We'll figure it out. Together, ok?"

A slow nod and an exhausted sigh, "Ok."

Letting go and standing up, Bo holds out her hands for Lauren to take, "Come on, you're completely done-in. You need sleep, my love. And you're not going to get it out here, on the couch."

Lauren stands reluctantly and follows Bo to the bedroom, holding Bo's hand in a death grip. She is weary and worn out. She knows she needs to listen to Bo and let it go, at least for a little while; the real question is if she can.

Tucking Lauren into the big fluffy bed with all of the pillows, Bo sits on the edge, her hand on Lauren's chest, "I know you feel the desire to have a child, for me; one that reflects both of us, but there are other ways to go about it, my love." Brushing Lauren's cheek with the back of her hand, "I know you're not ready yet to talk about it, but when you are, I'm here." Smiling gently, "I love you, Lauren; that's not going to change, no matter what happens. Or doesn't happen. Ok?"

Nodding and leaning up to wrap her arms around Bo's neck, a soft sigh and "Ok."

Closing the bedroom door behind her, hugging herself around the middle and leaning back against the doorframe, Bo finally lets the tears fall. The tears she's been holding back for days, being strong and supportive for Lauren, but she too is devastated.

Turning to art to cope with all of the emotions swirling inside her, as she has always done, she grabs her laptop from Lauren's office and heads back to the living area, picking up her field pack on the way. Sitting cross legged on the couch, the laptop balanced on her knees, she digs around in her pack for her sketch pad and pencil box. Finding those items, she lays them on the couch next to her as she opens her laptop. Clicking on the pictures folder, she hunts through, looking for the ones Mrs. Lewis brought the other day when she stopped by to check on her daughter. As luck would have it, Mrs. Lewis was in the process of having both Lauren's and her older brother Henry's baby books digitized. At Bo's request, she brought a flash drive loaded with photos from both books.

Chuckling as she looks through them, Bo is thankful Mrs. Lewis is as meticulous as her daughter. There were photos of both siblings, every month until they were a year old and then every 3 months until they were school age. She had an idea and she intended on being as precise as Lauren would be if she were trying to diagnose a sick child. She found the folders, one each for Lauren and Henry and proceeded to open several photos for side by side comparison, beginning with their newborn pictures and advancing up to 1 year.

Scrutinizing each shot, Bo sets the laptop on the coffee table she pulled up to sit right in front of her crossed legs and picks up her sketch pad. Up until about 7 months, the only way to tell the siblings apart was by their outfits, after that it was because Lauren was thinner and a bit smaller than her brother. Both had the same color eyes, the same shape to their faces, the same mostly bald heads with wisps of blond hair sticking out at odd angles and perhaps most importantly, the same smile. After they reached school age, she could see the cute little bump near the bridge of Lauren's nose and Henry's ears had developed a different shape to the whirl, but other than that, mirror images and nothing a casual observer would notice. Bo was quite pleased by the resemblance; it needed to be almost exact if she was going to convince Lauren. Her pencil poised over the blank page, she takes a deep breath and mumbles, "Here goes nothing."

Several hours later, Bo looks up to see the sun slipping behind the tall building across the street, a telltale sign it was no longer afternoon, but early evening. Glancing at her phone, she sees a text from Tamsin, "Heads up, we're heading for the elevator. All clear to bring munchkin up or head to your studio?" Putting down her pencil and eraser, picking up her phone, she sends the "All clear", closes her sketch pad and stands to stretch, figuring she should check on Lauren and make something for dinner.

Looking in the refrigerator, the pickings are slim, she exhales through pursed lips. Lauren won't want to eat anyway, she hasn't for days. The only way she will is if Charley offers some off her plate. Closing the door to the fridge, she reaches for her phone to order take out, scrolling through, looking for Lauren's favorite Thai place, hoping she'd be able to entice her with a favorite meal; she is interrupted by Charley and Tamsin giggling their way in through the front door.

Holding out a white take out bag, "I know, I know. Doc said no fast food, but who can resist a cheesesteak and pieorogies? It's not her favorite place, who was gonna drive all the way out there, not me, but its Joe's, she cannot say no to this."

Reaching for the bag, Bo smirks, only Tamsin would take Charley to a bar for dinner, "Um, did you guys eat it there or in your car?"

Rolling her eyes, "Neither. We ate at the park, didn't we munchkin?"

Charley nods, "Mmmmhmm."

Opening the bag and pulling out two cheesesteaks and two orders of pierogies, hand on her hip, "They're still warm Tamsin."

Shrugging her shoulders, "We ate, went to the library and then we went back. Joe's is only a block away from the library. Bo, I'm not gonna take your child into a bar for dinner."

Nodding, she's not one to judge, lord knows she had Charley in The Dal often enough, but it's different when the bar is owned by the kid's great-grandfather, "Ok Tamsin. I believe you." Turning to Charley, "Go change out of your school clothes Bear and do you have any homework?"

Taking off her light jacket and handing it to Tamsin to hang on the coat rack beside the door, "No Momma, Tamsin and I did it at the library." She runs down the hall to her room to change.

Leaning on the counter separating the living area from the kitchen after hanging up Charley's jacket, "Did she talk to you at all Bo?"

Scrunching her forehead, "Yeah, she did. A little bit."

Out of character for her, Tamsin doesn't push for details; whatever they talked about was between the two of them, she simply says, "Good." Tapping the counter with her keys, "I'm outta here Bo. I'll be back in the morning right?"

Taking a minute to think it over, she needed time in her studio; she needed to work on her idea for Lauren, "Yeah, if that works for you? I need some studio time."

"Yup. I'll be here before you leave to walk Charley to school."

"Thanks Tamsin."

Bo moves to the cabinet to pull out plates for her and Lauren as Charley bounces into the kitchen, Eeyore tucked under her arm, "Momma?"

"Charley."

Plucking at Eeyore's ear nervously, "Can I go see if Ren is awake?"

Running her hand over the top of Charley's head, brushing the hair back from her forehead, Charley has been quite concerned about her Ren and a visit from Charley might be just what Lauren needs, "Sure baby, go ahead."

Opening the door, Charley sees Lauren lying on her side in the middle of the bed, facing the door, eyes closed. Charley hangs on the doorknob, only part of the way in, hesitating. She's never seen her Ren like this and to be honest, she's scared. Biting her bottom lip, she decides she'll come back later and moves to swing the door shut as Lauren opens her eyes. A tired smile breaks across Lauren's face as she sits up, holding her arms out, "Come here Charley. Ren needs a hug."

That being all the encouragement Charley needs, she runs to the bed, clambering up and into Lauren's open arms.

Hugging Lauren tight, she turns and snuggles into Lauren's chest, tugging on Eeyore's ear, "Ren, can you tell me why you're sad?"

Lauren chooses her words carefully, while Charley has the concept of a little brother or sister, she doesn't have the details. Lauren decides to go with a simple explanation, "I have a problem that I can't figure out how to fix."

Leaning with her back to Lauren's front, encircled in her arms, Charley can't see the tears forming in Lauren's eyes, but she can hear them in her voice and much like her Momma, Charley boils it down to the basics, "Why don't you ask Momma to help you?"

Sighing as she leans her chin on top of Charley's head, "She is Charley, but this is something I need to figure out myself."

Asking the simple question, as only a child can, "Why?"

Rubbing her cheek against Charley's silky, curly hair, she has no explanation, not one Charley would understand anyway, "I don't have a reason that makes sense to anyone other than me."

Turning in Lauren's embrace, Charley wraps her little arms around her Ren's neck, "If you're scared to ask her, you can have your necklace back?" Charley reaches for the chain holding the lock Lauren gave her. Lauren places her hand over Charley's, stopping her, "That's very sweet of you Charley, but this is yours now. I'm not afraid, I'm…." She trails off, looking for the right words, "I'm too determined to work it out on my own and too stubborn to ask for help. That's different from being afraid."

Charley looks up and into Lauren's eyes, Bo is something like a superhero to Charley, there's nothing she can't fix, moving her hands to cup both of Lauren's cheeks, "Trust me Ren, Momma will help you. She helps me all the time."

Smiling at Charley's simple logic, "She does, doesn't she?"

Nodding, "Mmmmhmm. She's good at taking care of me; she'll be good at taking care of you too."

Hugging Charley tight to her chest, "She already is Charley."

Bo knocks gently on the open door, carrying a tray table and Lauren's dinner, "Hey, Tamsin brought back dinner."

Seeing what Bo has on the tray, she frowns, "I told her no fast food."

Shrugging her shoulders, "Its Tamsin, fast food for her is Mickey D's not Joe's Steaks."

Lauren smiles, "I guess I need to be more specific with that one." Looking to Charley, "Was this your idea?"

Smirking like her Momma, "Yes. I know you love cheesesteaks, but Tamsin didn't want to drive out to Roxborough," rolling her eyes, a habit she picked up from Lauren, "she said Joe's will have to do. You like Joe's right?"

Moving to settle with her back against the headboard allowing Bo to place the tray over her lap, "I do."

Bouncing on her knees, "Good."

"Charley, no bouncing, you'll knock Ren's food over." Holding out her hand, Bo motions for Charley to get off the bed, "Come on, bath time."

Face falling and in uncharacteristic defiance, crossing her arms across her chest, Eeyore clutched in one hand, "No Momma. I want to stay with Ren until bedtime." Before Bo can launch into a motherly lecture on not questioning her authority, Lauren interjects, "If you don't mind Bo, I'd like her stay and keep me company."

Bo can't just let it go, "Alright, as long as you," pointing at Lauren, "Eat something. You're far too thin as it is; people are going to begin to question my culinary skills if you lose any more weight."

Smiling and nodding, "Yes m'aam. Charley will make sure I eat, won't you?"

Nodding enthusiastically, eyes directed at Bo, "I will Momma, I promise."

Relishing the first real smile she's seen from Lauren in days, Bo leans down, kisses Lauren's cheek, winks at Charley, "Ok. I have some stuff to work on anyway; I'll be back when it's bedtime."

After Bo leaves and Lauren takes a bite of her cheesesteak, Charley asks, "You're going to let Momma help you right? Then you won't be sad anymore?"

Finishing her bite, Lauren nods, "Yes Charley, I think I am. You've made me see something I was missing. We three take care of each other, none of us is alone."

Clapping her hands as she eyes the food on Lauren's plate, "Umm, can I have one of your pierogies?"

Smiling as she hands it over, "Did you not order any?"

Taking the offered piece, "I did, but Tamsin ate them all."

Chuckling, "Figures. You can help me eat these and I won't tell your Momma if you don't. Deal?"

Holding her hand out, speaking around the potato and pasta pocket of yummy deliciousness, "Deal."

Opening the door to their bedroom to collect Charley for her bedtime ritual, she finds both of her girls asleep; Charley nestled in Lauren's arms. Smiling at the two of them, she decides to let Charley stay and backs out, closing the door softly behind her.

Back sitting crossed legged on the couch she decides to make the call she's been gearing up for since she came up with this plan. She stands to grab her phone, paging through her contacts, finding the one she needed, presses the call button. Biting her lip and pacing as she waits for an answer, almost hoping it goes to voicemail. Picking up on the second ring, she hears a cheery, "Hello Bo. How are things?"

"Hi Mrs. Lewis. Things are…a bit shaky at the moment and I am calling to ask for some help?"

Lauren's mother sighs, she knows her daughter and Bo are going through hell, "Anything you need Bo, I'm here. And please, call me Claire."

Frowning, she is totally NOT comfortable calling Lauren's mother by her given name, but does so anyway, "Claire, I was wondering if Henry was coming into town anytime soon?"

"As a matter of fact he'll be flying in from Bali next week."

"Good, good, I have an idea and I need buy in from him and, well both of you actually, if I'm going to convince Lauren it's a sound idea?"

"As I said Bo, anything you need."

Bo proceeds to lay out her idea, as she paces, waving her free hand during the process, even though no one can see. Holding her breath, still pacing, she waits for Mrs. Lewis' reaction.

A long pause and then, "I think it's an excellent idea Bo. And I feel certain Henry will agree, he's a bit of a free spirit, as you know and will do practically anything for his sister. Now, the hard part will be convincing my very strong willed daughter."

Nodding, "I know. I think I have that part covered, I'll just need everything in place before I bring it up to her."

"Understood. I'll speak to Henry, explain the situation, although he has an idea of what's been happening, and then the three of us can meet next week when he's back in town. Sound good?"

Moving to Lauren's laptop, Bo opens the aptly named 'Baby' folder, with all of Lauren's spreadsheets, donor databases, the fertility appointment notes and all the other pertinent research the meticulous doctor has done, "Yes. Great. I have everything we'll need right here."

"We'll go over everything, the three of us, you, me and Henry next week?"

"Ok. Thank you so very much Mrs… Uh, sorry, Claire."

"You're welcome Bo." Another long pause and then, "Bo?"

Scrunching her forehead, thinking 'oh boy, here comes the mother lecture', "Yes?"

"If I haven't said it before or at all, I want you to know, I think you and Charley are the best thing to ever happen for Lauren. She's always been so inside her head and uncomfortable around other people, except when she was with my sister, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth passed away, Lauren was devastated." She pauses, taking a deep breath, "I worried she would never find someone with whom she felt that same kind of connection, but she did, with Charley. And, luckily enough because of that connection, she found love with you." Bo can hear the struggle in Claire's voice, "She's had people in her life before, ones who never quite fit the bill, for Lauren..." Another pause, Claire is not in the habit of reveling her inner most thoughts and feelings, but she pushes on, Bo needs to know she has her full support and care, "Honestly, Bo, it warms my heart to see her finally find someone to love her the way she deserves." Claire chuckles, "In case you missed it, this is my long winded way of saying thank you Bo, for everything you've brought to my quiet and shy daughter's life."

Blushing and tearing up, her voice cracking, "I should be thanking you; she's done far more for me and Charley than we've done for her. Thank you Claire."

"You're welcome, Bo, we'll speak next week."

"Ok, goodbye."

Ending the call Bo flops down on the couch, thankful again for the warm welcome she and Charley received from the Lewis family, cementing her commitment to go the distance and make Lauren's dream of a baby come true.

6 Weeks later (Early July)

The meeting with Claire and Henry went surprisingly well. Thankfully, Mrs. Lewis had gone over the awkward parts with Henry, sparing Bo from having to do it. Henry was on board immediately; the only questions he had were surrounding the when and the where of what he had to do. Using all of the data Lauren had gathered previously, Bo and Henry worked out the logistics. Being a travel writer, the kind that actually does the things he writes about, Henry took care of his end while he was in town and then was off to Southeast Asia until the end of the year.

Lauren had pulled herself back up by the boot straps and was back at work the week after her most recent, in her mind anyway, failure. She wasn't ready to give up entirely on her hope of giving Bo a baby; she also wasn't ready to ask for her help either.

Sitting in her office at Keystone Medical Center, looking over her schedule for the next couple of weeks, Lauren drifts off, lost in thought. She had a lot of travel time scheduled, to make up for the last 4 months, when she cut back on travel to….not ready to think too much about why she cut back on travel, she thinks about her work instead. She wasn't sure she wanted to continue heading the Genome Project. It was a massive boost to her career and reputation and if she was single, she'd be neck deep in the trenches, not sitting here questioning her choices. But work, in and of itself, didn't satisfy her anymore. She'd much rather be lazing around the pool at Riverrun with Charley, or enjoying the sounds of the city as she lounged in the common outdoor area of their building, watching as Bo sketched the skyline. She loved watching Bo sketch, the way she lost herself in it, completely absorbed; simply beautiful.

She and Bo hadn't talked much more about babies; a discussion that needed to happen. Sighing and running her hands through her hair, she glances back at her schedule. She was scheduled to fly to Atlanta the following day; it was a two for one deal. Lauren and Charley were flying together, the one to check on one of her labs and the other spending a couple of her summer vacation weeks with her Daddy. Lauren would be there for a couple of days; Charley was staying until the end of July when Lauren would be back to visit the same lab and the two would fly home together. This was the first time Charley was going out of town for an extended period of time without her Momma or her Ren and she was excited. She was almost eight after all, it was time she spent time without both of them, plus she was going to see her Daddy. She missed him and was eager to spend time with him.

Turning back to reviewing the most recent data on her project, she pushes thoughts of babies, being away from Bo and not seeing Charley for a few weeks out her mind and drowns herself in work.

Having put all the moving parts and pieces together, Bo had to figure out when she was going to present her idea to Lauren. Flipping through her own calendar as she walks with Lauren and Charley through the airport, she decides the day after Lauren returned from Atlanta would be the day. Lauren would be rested from traveling and they wouldn't have to worry about finding someone to watch Charley. She'd take her to dinner, then home to present her idea. She almost felt like she was back in corporate America with the power point and the handouts and everything else she had created to convince Lauren her reasoning and idea were sound. She had high hopes Lauren would be willing, even eager to begin this next adventure.

Charley rouses her out of her inner musings with a tight hug and a murmured "Bye Momma. I love you."

"I love you too Bear. Have fun with Daddy. I'll see you at the end of the month."

A kiss for Lauren, a hug goodbye and 'I love yous' exchanged, Lauren and Charley head off to wind their way through security.

Waving as her girls disappear into the depths of airport security, Bo is unexpectedly solemn. She knew she'd miss them both dearly, but this reaction was a surprise. Pulling her phone out to call Kenzi, hoping to lure her to Riverrrun for the next couple of days, Bo heads toward the airport exit and home to an empty apartment.

Walking through the concourse towards security, Charley is excitedly chattering to Lauren about the last time she flew, "It made my ears pop, does it always do that?"

Her hands full with boarding passes, luggage tickets and id's for both her and Charley, Lauren nods, "Yes, usually." And hands their boarding passes to the TSA agent at the entrance to the security line.

"Oh Dr. Lewis, you have priority boarding." Pointing to the area with no line to Lauren's far left, "You and your daughter can go to the line under the Priority sign." And hands Lauren and Charley's boarding passes back to her and says, "Next." Dismissing them.

Lauren smiles, "Thanks." As she takes Charley's hand.

Whispering, "Ren, she said I was your daughter. Am I? Your daughter? Can I say that?"

Pursing her lips and thinking, she and Bo are not married, she didn't adopt Charley, but she is as much her daughter as if those things had happened, "Is that something that makes you happy?"

Swinging their hands back and forth between them, her back pack bouncing on her back with each step, Charley smiles, "Yes!"

Dipping her head and blushing slightly, a smile on her lips and the feel of happy tears in her eyes, "Then you can say that."

Chattering matter of factly, "I'll still call you Ren though, because if I call you Momma," rolling her eyes, "then Momma will get confused. Me and you won't but she might. Ok?"

"Works for me Charley."

Both beaming as they walk up to the TSA agent at the podium, Lauren hands the agent their boarding passes, he scrutinizes their ids as Charley smirks and says, "I'm her daughter."

The agent doesn't crack a smile, "Is that so Miss Dennis?"

Nodding vigorously, "Yes."

Looking between the two, he simply hands their passes and ids back and says, "Good to know. Thank you Dr. Lewis, go ahead." And waves them through.

Charley proceeds to tell everyone they run into, quite proudly in fact, that she is Lauren's daughter. After she told the screener, the agent at the gate, the flight attendant and the passenger lucky enough to sit next to them, Lauren asked if she wanted to make an announcement over the PA system of the plane. Charley's dead serious response, "Can I?" Caused Lauren to fall into a fit of giggles that lasted almost until take off.

Four days later, Lauren once again finds herself riding down the airport escalator looking for Bo in a crowd. And just like every time she's flown home in the last 9 months, she knows which stance, which body is Bo's and just like every other time, it takes her breath away. Deciding on the spot she was ready, finally, to talk babies with Bo. She was ready to explore other options, ready to ask for help; Bo is not only a super hero to Charley after all.

Arriving at their apartment in the city, Lauren plops on the couch, "Bo? Did you plan on going out for dinner?"

"Nope, I figured you'd be tired and want to stay home."

Nodding and rubbing the back of her neck, "Good, can we order in? Thai maybe?"

Sitting down next to her, Bo wraps her arm around her shoulder, "Anything you want." And leans in for a proper welcome home kiss.

Lauren watches as Bo pulls back with her eye lids half closed and licking her bottom lip, savoring her kiss, asks, "Do you always do that?"

Frowning, "Do what?"

"Lick your lips after you kiss me?"

Raising her eyebrows, Bo thinks about it, she does enjoy savoring the taste of Lauren's kisses, "I guess I do." Scrunching up her forehead, "Do you think that's weird?"

Hands on either side of Bo's face, cupping her cheeks, she pulls her back for a lingering kiss, "I think it's sexy."

"Mmmmmm, good." Leaning in, and pushing Lauren down on the couch, she brings their lips together, slow and sultry, licking Lauren's bottom lip, "Welcome home, my love."

Sitting with her legs criss cross applesauce, as Charley says, on the couch, Bo's head in her lap, brushing Bo's hair back around her ear, "Bo, don't fall asleep."

A mumbled, "I'm not asleep, I'm resting my eyes."

Chuckling, "Ok." Running her finger along Bo's cheek, around her ear, across her forehead, "I uh, want to talk about babies."

Oh shit is the only thing running through Bo's mind as she sits bolt upright, totally not drowsy anymore. Lauren snaps back, narrowly avoiding smacking heads with Bo "Whoa there tiger. What's wrong?"

Standing, bare feet slapping on the hardwoods and holding up her basketball shorts as she runs to Lauren's office to grab her laptop, "Nothing."

Smirking as she watches Bo run across the living area and down the hall towards her home office, wondering what the brunette has up her sleeve, thinking whatever it is, it ought to be good.

Bo rushes back to the living area, laptop under one arm, two canvas boards under the other. Plopping down on the couch next to Lauren, kissing her cheek, "You are sooo not stealing my thunder." She sets the laptop down on the coffee table in front of the couch, pulling it closer so they can see the screen and sets the canvas boards face down on the other side of her.

Turning towards Lauren, holding both of Lauren's hands in hers, "Ok, I planned on doing this tomorrow night, after I softened you up with an elegant and romantic dinner, not after we pigged out on Thai food and lounged around on the couch like elephants in jammies, but this will do."

Reaching over to open a file on the laptop, she clicks away until a power point pops up, title page proudly displaying: Baby BoLo

Lauren smirks as she rolls her eyes, "Baby BoLo?"

Shrugging her shoulders, "I thought it was cute."

Settling back into the couch, still holding onto one of Bo's hands, "Oh it is, it is. What you got going on there Bo?"

Face lighting up eagerly and turning to face her, "I know how you like details and plans and examples and all of that other stuff."

Nodding, "Plans and details are kind of my thing, yes."

"And they're not really mine, but I knew I had to get this right. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show."

Looking at Bo skeptically, "Alright."

Bo clicks the start button and the power point begins…..

After several slides showing graphs with the amount of DNA shared by siblings, a pie chart with the percentage of DNA shared by both 1st cousins and half siblings, tables depicting heterogeneous inheritance, homogenous inheritance, a graph charting the likely hood of using a donor who is a relative versus an unknown….while the presentation is still running, Lauren turns to Bo and simply says, "Yes."

Confusion on Bo's face as she looks at Lauren, "Yes?"

"Yes, I want you to be the birth mother and yes, I want to use Henry as the donor."

Bo stammers, she did not think it was going to be this easy, "But you didn't see the best part." She reaches forward, clicking ahead a few slides until she reaches the piece de-résistance.

Turning to face Lauren, she points to the screen, "See." The screen is filled with 'an artist's rendering' of a little girl with wavy blond hair, dark brown eyes, a tiny bump near the bridge of her nose and a dimple on either side of a smile as bright as Lauren's.

Lauren beams, but she cannot help but poke a little fun, "You know there are websites that do those for you. Meld two photos together to predict what a child will look like."

Pouting, "I didn't like the final product. Too photo-shopped. Besides, you don't learn a face until you draw it." Running her finger over the tiny bump near the bridge of Lauren's nose, "This right here, is genetic, Henry has one too, it's smaller on him and barely noticeable, but our baby will definitely develop one, even if her nose is shaped like mine. Plus he has dimples too, both sides and a shallow one in his chin, raising the odds baby BoLo will too. Plus, Charley gets her curly hair from Dyson, but my hair is wavy, yours and Henry's is poker straight, my hair in your color."

Looking at Bo in amazement, she did all of this for her, to convince her to let Bo help her, Lauren's heart melts, "You are truly amazing, you know that right?"

Looking down and shaking her head, "No I'm not. I'm taking care of you, that's all. I want you to have everything you've ever dreamed of having and if I can give it to you, I will."

"Oh Bo." Wrapping her arms around her Bo, kissing her cheek, her chin, her forehead, whispering against her lips, "I love you Bo, so much."

Bo's voice wavering with tears, "I love you more."

Three weeks later

Bo is in her studio, wearing her favorite pair of overalls, a tight tank underneath, feet bare, ear buds firmly in her ears blasting her favorite playlist as she begins to lay the first layer of paint for her newest original. She's been sketching this one for a couple of weeks and was eager to get started, hoping to have at least the preliminary layers down before Lauren returned from Atlanta with Charley at the end of the week. Once Charley was back from visiting Dyson, they'd be packing up to head to Riverrun for the rest of Charley's summer vacation and Bo wanted to make sure everything she started was dry enough to safely transport to the suburbs. She'd finish a few pieces up in her studio at Riverrun, but she didn't have enough originals for a show in the fall as she and Maureen Thatch had hoped. She was given the opportunity to join another artist showing in the fall at Lyrical Abstractions, but Maureen wanted her second show to be solo and was not opposed to pushing it off until the end of winter or even the next spring.

Setting down her 4 inch base brush, Bo picks up her palette, already loaded with the colors she'd chosen for this piece and her round mop brush and loses herself to the music pumping in her ears and in the forms she's creating on canvas.

Lauren unlocks the door to Bo's studio and… stops. Her attention focused all on Bo. Side lit by the floor to ceiling windows, Bo is half-in, half-out of silhouette, completely unaware Lauren is watching her. If she wasn't head over heels in love with this woman already, she would be now. The grace with which she moves her brush over the canvas, the way she's biting her bottom lip, the concentration in her eyes, beautiful even in old overalls covered in paint, hair up in a messy pony tail, Lauren sighs, "and she's all mine."

Just as she finishes sighing, Bo looks up; a smile lighting up her face, she reaches up with her hand and pulls out one of her ear buds, "Hey! What are you doing home? You're not due until Friday?" laying her palette and brush down, "Not that I'm complaining, but umm what about Charley?"

Lauren unbuttons her suit jacket as she moves towards Bo, her hands reaching for her, Bo's hands going up, "Wait, I'm covered in paint."

Leaning in and pulling Bo towards her, hard, "I don't care." She dips her head to Bo's lips, Bo's hands snaking around her waist, Lauren kissing down her neck, hands sliding under her overalls, griping her toned back, "I've missed you so very much and I know what today is."

Tilting her head back, giving Lauren greater access to her neck, "Oh what's today?"

"Did you check the app on your phone, the one I loaded for you?"

Snapping her head up to see Lauren smirking, "I didn't, but I'm guessing you checked yours."

"I did. I have everything we need, upstairs in our bedroom."

Smirking, "Do you now?"

Biting Bo's neck, "Mmmmmhmmm."

"And Charley?"

"We're flying to Atlanta, in my family's private jet, on Friday to pick her up."

"Why do I keep forgetting your family is rich enough to have their own private jet?"

"Because I don't flaunt it, unless it's necessary. Now stop talking and come with me, we're going upstairs to make a baby."

Once in the elevator, Lauren commences to explain what will happen to Bo, who is rapidly losing interest in the science part of it all, she was eager to get started on the romantic aspect. Hands all over her quiet and shy doctor, nodding in all the right places, she follows Lauren into their apartment and hears Lauren say orgasm, "Mmmm, now you're talking." as she pushes Lauren towards their bedroom.

"Bo, hold on a second, I need to get everything ready."

Flopping down on the bed, "Then we'll get back to the kissing part?"

Smirking as she makes sure everything she'll need is within reach and ready, "Yes."

"Good, I like the kissing part."

Turning to face Bo sitting on the edge of the bed, Lauren holds her hands out, "So do I. Come here."

Bo stands, smirk firmly in place as she reaches out to unbutton Lauren's blouse, slowly, button by button, placing a kiss on her soft skin for each as she travels down to the last button. Her hands slide up Lauren's taught stomach, up and over her shoulders, the blouse slowly drifting to the floor. Bending her head down to trail open mouthed kisses up Lauren's neck to her ear, "I love you." Lauren's head thrown back, a moan making its way to Bo's ear as she turns them, pushing Lauren down on the bed. Lauren's hands undoing the clasp on Bo's overalls, hands skinning the tight tank up and off, joining the blouse on the floor. An old pair of overalls, a tight black skirt quickly follow.

Bo leaning down over her, Lauren looks up and into Bo's eyes, so much love, so much trust showing through the desire, wrapping her arms around the love of her life, pulling her down to feel her skin against her own, to feel the weight of her. Kissing, touching, tasting .….. neither can get their fill of the other….

Crawling up Bo's body, her lips leaving a wet trail as she makes her way to Bo's lips, licking the bottom one, nipping at her neck, sucking the skin behind Bo's ear, Bo's arms around her bare back, nails teasing her skin into goose bumps, kissing her way to Bo's ear, whispers, "let's make a baby…"

Eyes dark, breath short, head thrown back, gripping Lauren's shoulders as she feels Lauren moving inside her…then she's falling, falling…..sighing…. "Yes….our baby…"

Eight weeks later (September)

Sitting in the fertility specialists office, leg bouncing as she waits for her name to be called, Bo is squeezing the life out Lauren's hand, biting her bottom lip, waiting for Lauren to end her call with Evony. Lauren was supposed to be in Cleveland this week, but she cancelled that trip to be here, with Bo and Evony was pissed.

Leaning into Bo, Lauren whispers, "I'll be done in a minute."

Bo nods distractedly.

Lauren goes back to her call and speaking through gritted teeth, "If I recall correctly I am heading this project and I make the final decisions." She pauses, listening to whatever Evony was saying, then, "The lab will be there next week, this appointment won't and I wasn't going to miss it. Not for you, not for the FDA, not even for a chance at a Nobel Prize." Rolling her eyes and losing her patience, luckily she is saved when the nurse with a chart in her hand calls out, "Bo Dennis?"

Bo shoots out of her seat, "That's me."

Lauren ends the call with Evony, "They just called us in, I'll get back to you tomorrow Evony. Goodbye" Shoving her phone in her pocket and gripping Bo's hand between both of hers, "Ready?"

Raising her hand and kissing Lauren's knuckles as they follow the nurse to the exam room, "As I'll ever be."

More to come, until then, thank you for reading.