You guys are great with the reviews! I know this is a very different route for these ladies, but it's intriguing to see them, at least in my head, go perfectly toe to toe in their stubbornness and Bo is definitely struggling with a lot more than what she is showing...and Lauren. She has secrets. So enjoy! Tomorrow I will be working on the next bit to strangers!

I felt different, looking up at the ceiling. I didn't feel weary even though I still felt pain. The bandage on my body was free from blood and when I poked around the edges it didn't hurt as much. I still wasn't clear as to what was real and what I had dreamt. The medical supplies that I vaguely remember seeing on the desk were gone; I still had an IV that I slowly pulled out of my arm. I sat up in my bed looking around trying to find anything to clue me in as to what exactly was going on. I swung my legs to the side of the bed and tried to stand up, my knees buckled. Clue number one, it was obvious I had been in bed for a while. I gave it a second try and was able to get my legs to slowly work with me. I walked out of my bedroom and towards the kitchen, I could hear voices laughing and chatting. I stepped slowly using the walls as my crutch. My body was weak but my mind sharp, minus the missing chunks of how I ended up in bed.

I edged around the corner to the kitchen and looked in. sitting in the breakfast nook was Grace and Kenzi, sipping tea and eating biscuits. I leaned against the kitchen door frame, "The smell of those biscuits is driving me insane. Will someone please let me have one?" I suddenly felt my body begin to shake from hunger.

Grace and Kenzi both swung their heads around so quickly I feared they would fall off; Grace was the first to jump out of her seat and rush over to me. "Ysabeau, dear, what are doing walking by yourself?" her voice was shaky as she wrapped her arms around me, helping to steady me. Kenzi was staring at me as if she was looking at a ghost. "Grace I am fine, I just want a biscuit then will you tell me what the hell happened to me?"

Grace nodded lightly and helped me towards the table, sitting me down in a chair next to Kenzi, who was still staring. "Kenzi, stop staring you are making me feel like a zoo animal." they were both making me feel uneasy and even more confused.

Kenzi smiled a little, "sorry Bo, I am surprised and happy to see you up." she was choosing her words carefully. I was about to ask what everyone's problem was, but I was starving and my only goal for the moment was to get my hands around the biscuits. I reached out to the plate in the middle of the table and noticed there was another tea cup aside from Graces and Kenzi's. I smiled, "you two were obviously expecting me." I was trying to cut the tension that was flooding the breakfast nook.

That's when I heard the side bathroom door open and heard her voice, "Grace, I am going to check in on Bo one more time, then I will be on my way." Lauren came around the corner and stopped hard when she met my gaze. The sight of her caused me to forget about the biscuit that was inches away from my mouth. I suddenly felt irritated when I saw her and said, "What are you doing here?"

Lauren was frozen, "when did she wake up?" she looked at Grace, her own voice in quiet shaky tones.

Grace shook her head, "It seems just a handful of minutes ago, she startled Kenzi and I. Lurking in the doorway." Grace was looking at Lauren with concern and relief.

I was fed up, "will someone please talk to me? Why is this woman in my house and why are you all treating me like a little kid?"

It was Lauren who spoke first, "Let's get you back to your room, you're bleeding." she pointed to my arm where I had pulled out my IV, I didn't do a great job removing it, and there was blood running down my forearm. I absently wiped at it, frustrated with the three women around me.

"It's nothing, will any of you please just talk to me! What the hell is going on?"

Grace stood up and motioned to Kenzi, then bent down in front of me, putting her hands on my face. It looked as if she was about to cry, "Lauren will explain it all. I am so glad to see you awake, Bo." she kissed my forehead and smiled at me, a tear escaped and Grace quickly stood up wiping the tear away, pulling at Kenzi to leave the kitchen. I was now left in the kitchen with Lauren, who kept looking at me in a way that I had never experienced before and made my stomach wiggle. She came to me, "Let's get you up and back to your room." her smile was gentle and genuine, but I could see worry behind her eyes.

I stared at her for a minute, then realized she wasn't going to leave me alone, "fine. Can I take this with me?" I waved the biscuit in front of her. She nodded and half smiled, laughing lightly. Lauren then bent slightly as I put my arm around her shoulders and lifted me up, carrying half my weight. I took a sharp breath when I felt her body next to mine; it was warm and filled my own body with her body heat. I cursed myself; at least I knew my libido was healthier than it ever had been, if the innocent touch of this woman made me gasp. Lauren and I walked slowly back down the hallways, my legs had seized up again. As we walked, Lauren began asking questions, "When did you wake up?"

"I don't know, maybe twenty minutes ago, why is everyone so concerned with when I woke up?"

Lauren ignored my question, "did anything wake you up? A sharp sound? Any sudden pain?"

I was about to give a smart ass answer but I felt Lauren's hand come around my hip tighter, trying to hold me steadier, It sent a strange tingle through me that I wanted to run away from but knew there was no way, "uh…I just opened my eyes. I stood up and came to the kitchen; I don't understand what the big deal is."

Lauren kept quiet as we came into my room, she sat me down on the bed then asked, "Will you please lay back, Bo, I need to look at your bandage." her voice was full of authority but it was softer than usual. I looked at her, nodded and scooted to sit against the headboard as Lauren used delicate hands to pull up my shirt; I swallowed hard as I twisted to allow her to get at my shoulder. I half blushed as I felt the cool air hit my bare skin and caught Laurens eyes drift to uninjured places on my body. Lauren checked under the bandage, and then cleaned up my IV mark. She tried to reinsert it, but when I saw that it was a painkiller cocktail I pushed her hand away, "no drugs. I am foggy enough." I could tell she wanted to ignore me, but just nodded and covered up the sore spot with a small band aid. Lauren's movements were careful and precise, as if she was afraid to touch me too much. "Good, good. You are healing well." She held my shirt as I snaked my arm back in, quickly pulling the shirt down, I folded my arms.

"Super. Now answer my question. What's going on?" I wanted to grab her and shake her to talk to me like a person and not a patient.

Lauren sighed then sat on the bed next to me facing away, not looking at me, "do you remember anything that happened? How you got your wound?"

"All I remember is vaguely waking up here, my desk was covered with medical supplies, my bandage was soaked in blood and I couldn't move without passing out from the pain. But I am not sure if it was a dream or not."

I could see Lauren clench her jaw, she paused before speaking, "You have been in a partial coma for three weeks, Bo. Today is the first time you have been awake and up since we took you out of the ICU and brought you home."

I laughed, "I don't sleep, Commander, I have not slept more than three hours in almost two years. is this a joke?" Lauren flinched when I called her Commander.

Lauren turned to look at me, her eyes were watery, "Your body was tired, is tired. You would not wake up after surgery. That's when I, we became afraid and brought you home." she drifted off. "You have not been taking care of yourself since you got home, sleeping, eating, resting. Have you?" She whispered it all, as if it was a quiet realization of what I had been through rather than a question.

Something in her eyes told me she was far from lying to me, she looked away swallowing hard. I was even more confused. "I don't remember how I got here." I also drifted off. I knew lost time was a part of the coma process but I was in disbelief and wanted answers.

Lauren suddenly reached over and grabbed my hand, holding it in hers, "we will talk about it later, After you get your bearings down." she stood up, letting her hand linger in mine, "I will be back later, try to stay in bed for a little while, try not to move around too much until you get some fluids and food in you. I will ask Grace will bring you some food." she stole a glance at me and I could see tears on the edge of spilling out. Lauren dropped my hand, whispering something I didn't hear. She left my room without looking at me. I rubbed my face with my hands, trying to rub some of the memories that were hiding up to the front of my head. I was missing pieces and no one around me wanted to give them up easily. I ran my hands through my hair and found that I desperately needed a shower. I fell out of bed with a little more ease than before and shuffled into the bathroom. I leaned in the corner of the shower, letting the corner of two walls be my foundation. The hot water felt incredible and as I closed my eyes it made sense why I felt so clear minded. I had been asleep for three weeks, and it had been more sleep than I had gotten in what felt like a lifetime. I was angry that it was because of the painkillers and it was another reason why I don't remember any nightmares invading my sleep. It was also probably the main reason why I couldn't sketch out the missing memories of why I was in this state.

I reached down and pulled off the bandage Lauren had just put on, the hole was healing well like Lauren said; I stared at it and ran my fingers around the sore, pinking edges. I kept staring at it when I heard my bedroom door open, Graces heels clicking on the floor as she set a tray down on the desk. I reached to turn off the shower when I heard Kenzi's voice drift into my room. They were whispering. I could not make out their exact words. I stepped out of the shower and yelled, "I will be out in a second, Grace." I knew if I didn't say anything she would come in with her worried face and ask vague questions. I covered myself in a plush towel; grumbling as I remembered I left my clothes on the bed.

As I reached for the door knob I heard Kenzi turn the TV on, flipping through channels. She stopped on what sounded like an action movie, I laughed. Kenzi was addicted to any and all action movies she could get her eyes on. I kept smiling as I pulled the door open; when I was a step out of the bathroom I heard a loud series of firecracker pops that stopped me in mid step.

Something clicked in my head; I heard another firecracker pop and instinctively put a hand over the healing wound. Everything flooded back to me and I dropped to my knees. The memories hit so fast and so hard that I had to squeeze my eyes shut. "Oh my god."

Grace and Lauren turned at the sound of my voice, both rushed over to me, with worried faces. I looked up at Grace, tears falling freely down my face, "where's Lauren?" Neither of the said anything, they just looked at each other with sad, panicked faces.

I had fallen asleep as soon as Grace and Kenzi helped me dressed and back into bed. The small bit of moving around I did, had worn out my body. They continued to hover around me; I now understood their overwhelming concern for me. I tried to apologize to Grace but she just shushed me and squeezed me in a tight hug, "all that matters is you are here, Ysabeau." she kissed me on the forehead and left with Kenzi. I slept through the night without any nightmares, I still had some drugs in my system and for once I was grateful that they were there.

The smell of breakfast drew me out of sleep; I sat up in bed to see Grace setting down a fresh tray full of food. She turned to face me, folding her hands in her lap, smiling. "morning." her face was more at ease that I had been the day before. I smiled back, "morning, I am starving."

Grace helped me out of bed and to my desk so I could eat sitting like a normal person, my body was still adjusting to the fact that I now wanted it to move after all this time. I was starved but only ate half of the food Grace brought, seems my liquid diet had caused my stomach to shrink and I could not eat like I used too before I went to the desert. Grace sat with me, talking about random things I asked her to tell me, the local news, the weather, anything. I wanted to put my Aunt at ease and let her know that I was back. Finishing the last bite of eggs Grace smiled and asked, "What would you like to do today?"

"I want to walk around as much as possible. I hate feeling like a piece of wood, I also want to find out about work, what is going on there since my, um...break." I had not been to work in three weeks and was curious how far behind I was with my students.

Grace patted my arm, "We will walk around the property. The fresh air will do you good. As for work, I don't think that's very important right now, but I can call the hospital for you and see what I can see."

"Please. Find out when I can come back to work." Grace gave me a motherly work, but said nothing. I wanted to get back to the routine of life; I couldn't sit still for long. I felt an overwhelming sense of duty that had been burned into me. Others needed me; I could not sit and wait knowing that.

It took Grace and I more than a minute to get me dressed and up. My body was still sore, the painkillers were falling away, I could feel my wound and how it would not let me move in certain directions. I had to use Grace as a crutch, allowing her to hold onto my arm. I knew I had to retrain my muscles and start some sort of physical therapy, walking was the first lesson. My legs were stiff and fought me on every step. By the time we made it out the front door and to the gate leading down to the woods, my legs were working better. Grace and I kept up a slow steady pace and feeling the air, the sun, and smelling the greenery outside I felt better. Grace and I chatted about random things, keeping conversation light. She would look at me every so often and smile, I could see in her eyes she so badly wanted to ask all the questions she had since the day I came home. After the fiftieth look I patted her arm, "you can stop looking at me like that, I know you want to ask me questions, you can and I will do my best to answer them."

Grace took a deep breath as she looked around at the expansive open acreage, "I know, but I am not sure I want to know it all Bo. A parent feels helpless when their child hurts and there is little you could have done to prevent it."

My heart broke hearing Grace, "It was my choice. My only regret is that I put you through this."

Grace nodded, "I know dear, I just wish I could take the pain away and take away the bad nights you have. No one who saves others deserves that pain." she squeezed my hand on her arm. I let the conversation drop. I knew there was no real way I could tell her everything, there was also no real way I could tell anyone what I had been through. We walked in silence for a few until Graces cell phone beeped. She pulled it out and looked at it, she then smiled at me, "I have to run inside for a quick moment, a package at the door. Will you be fine if I leave you outside, here?"

I shrugged, "It's not like I can run away, grace." She gave me a funny look, I smiled and gently pushed her away, "It's fine, the sun feels good on me and I honestly could not stand going back to bed right now."

Grace helped me to the white fence that surrounded our property, leaving me with something to grab onto. She hurried away and I let out a breath, I felt like an invalid and kept walking, letting go of the fence, forcing my body to regain its natural balance. I would just stumble and have to grab onto the fence to right myself. "God dammit."

"You would think that a doctor would listen to doctors' orders." Lauren's voice was quiet but it seemed to echo around me. I hung my head down, feeling a twinge in my wound. I didn't turn to look at her as I said, "I'm not one to sit around."

Lauren came up to stand next to me, "This I have grown to realize." I looked at her, she was smiling at me and her eyes were a lot less heavy than the night before when she surprised me in the kitchen. "Grace told me that you wanted to walk more?"

"I need the fresh air." I felt nervous and awkward, my heart was beating a little faster and I couldn't place if it was because I remembered what happened or if it was something more.

"Can I walk with you?" it was the first time Lauren asked me for anything since I met her.

"If you would like." Lauren held her arm out like a gentleman offering a hand to a lady. I reluctantly took it, sliding my arm around hers but trying to keep my distance. Her hand was warm against mine as we started forward. A moment of silence passed before Lauren spoke, "so, how are you feeling today?"

"Wobbly. That's the best word I can find to describe it." I heard a small laugh from Lauren.

"I can imagine."

We walked a few more feet from where Grace had left me before I asked, "Where is Grace?"

"She had to take care of some things, left me in charge of you." Lauren half smirked.

I bit my lip; I knew Grace had left me on purpose so Lauren could come out here with me. I couldn't resist asking, but I wanted to know, "why are you here?"

Lauren dropped her head for a second, I could see she knew the question was coming, she raised her head and looked at me, "I just stopped by." she was lying; it was all over her face.

I pulled my arm away from hers and stepped to the fence, forcing Lauren to face me. I searched her face, Lauren was smiling lightly, I saw that she was still under the impression that my memory was failing me and I didn't remember her with a gun to her head. I stared at her for the first time since I woke up from my lengthy nap. She looked different to me; her hair was not perfect like it always was at the hospital. Lauren was not wearing her uniform, just dressed in jeans and a button down shirt covered by a zip up fleece. My eyes settling on her lips that I could still feel on mine. All I had to do was close my eyes and simply think about the moment on the fire escape. Lauren was beautiful and as I made eye contact with her I admitted to myself that I felt more than I should for her, my feelings ran away from her being a pain in the ass and toward that she was one of the most beautiful woman I had ever come across. What kept my feelings on edge was I had no idea why she was in my house, why she was now in my private life, why she was standing in front of me and not shoving her ranking officer authority down my throat. "You just stopped by? You live in the city; I am an hour outside of the city, in an unlisted old manor." I stared at her, "You now know that I come from a silver spoon childhood and I am sure that you will hold over my head the next time I screw up." Even though I was speaking calmly, I was unnerved that Lauren had infiltrated my very private life outside of the hospital and outside of the military, a life that I kept private as soon as I signed on the dotted line with the Navy. I did not want to be her pity party.

Lauren fidgeted, "I am here, because…."she paused, looking for what to say, "I am your physician and I want to follow up on you." she straightened up and I saw the doctor's tone she carried at work slide in.

"Thank you, but I can take over from here." I was suddenly mad that Lauren couldn't leave her ego even for a minute and speak to me like a person, a friend even.

Lauren flinched, closed her eyes, "I didn't mean that, I am sorry, Lt. Dennis." her walls were coming up, and her using my rank was a defense mechanism.

I had enough, I felt suddenly very tired as I was gentle in my voice, "look, don't worry about it, I won't tell anyone that you were out here, acting like a person and not a hospital administrator. Your secret is safe with me, Commander Lewis, both of them. I will back to work soon enough and you can hover over me there, just let me be at home. "I turned to walk away from Lauren, "When you go back in, please tell Grace to come out here to help me walk to the house."

She said nothing, I could feel her eyes on me but I didn't want to look, I heard her feet crunch on the gravel road as she moved to walk from me, I couldn't hold it in any longer, "I knew what I was doing, that night. Don't ever blame yourself, Lauren. It was my choice to put me between you and the gun. Don't let your guilt be my pity. "It was soft and void of any anger, I needed her to know so I could know if her presence with me was out of guilt or out of something more.

Her footsteps stopped, she whispered, "you remember."

"I do, hit me like a wall of brick. I just needed a trigger and the gates opened." I leaned on the fence, my body feeling heavy from being overused, I looked up at her, "I don't want you here if you feel obligated. I have lived my life up to this point without ever having felt owed, and I sure as hell am not going to start with you. It's not fair, to you or me." I took a deep breath.

I dropped my head; I was tired but didn't want to show it to Lauren. I just wanted her to leave. She didn't, "I think you are mistaken, I am not here out of obligation I am here, Lt. Dennis."

I cut her off "Please stop calling me lieutenant right now, right here. It has no place here not here not now." I didn't mean to yell as loud as I did but I had enough. "Maybe you should go." My exhaustion was amplifying my temper; it was also hard for me to sort through the emotions I had rolling through my body.

Lauren stiffened up and I saw her cheeks redden, "what is your problem with me, Dennis?"

I shook my head, "Just go. Please get grace for me on your way out." I turned to ignore Lauren, but took a step and stumbled a bit, I felt Laurens hand on my arm steadying me. I pulled it away quickly, "I'm fine."

As Kenzi would say, I was about to get what I had been giving out to Lauren, her tone was firm with me "no you are not, and you are too stupid to see it." Lauren was on the verge of yelling at me. I stared at her hard, "Please, go."

"Oh I fully intend to, and I promise I won't be back." her words made my heart twinge, I shook it off. Lauren stepped closer to me so I was forced to look her in the eyes. "I have no sense of obligation, I have no ego, I am here because," she paused searching my face, "I care about you." Lauren reached out to touch me but pulled back.

My irritation spoke for me, "You don't care about anything aside from your silly policies and procedures. You proved that to me day after day, in the way you push me around at the hospital. I want nothing from you, that's why I am confused as to why you are in my house and here telling me that you care about me. Am I in the way of your next promotion?" I stared hard at her, "what is it really Lauren?" I had failed in keeping my temper at bay; it was rolling freely with my words.

"You really want to know? Lt.?" she stared hard back, my rank falling out of her mouth with pure venom, "I am here because I am done running from the feelings you bring up in me, I can't stand you but I cannot stand to be away from you. That night on the fire escape, you took my pain away selflessly, and I wanted nothing more to sit with you but I could not help myself and kissed you. You make me feel so much, that I can barely handle it. You are just some stupid pompous American, that's what I keep telling myself, keep trying to tell myself. I put a wall between you and I, my heart was doing all of the thinking for me and It was the last thing I needed." Lauren was angry but speaking from her heart, I stared silently, listening with a blank face but deep inside my heart was choking. "That's why I took the out of town conference, I didn't want to see you, I wanted to get you out of my head, you have been in it since the moment I saw you at the bar and you saw me on my date. You know things about me no one else knows and you don't use it to gain anything from me." Lauren closed her eyes, breathing deep, "I didn't even know you were in the hospital that night, until I saw you come through the doors. I was so scared."

She reached out to me again, but for whatever reason she couldn't bring herself to touch me, "You saved my life, Bo, and what scared me more than anything, was as I saw you fall, all the blood, everything. It scared me that you saved my life and I would never be able to tell you how much you save me every day I have you in my life."

She looked at me in the eyes, full of tears, she opened her mouth to say something but I didn't let her. I stepped forward and pulled her to me, kissing her, not clearly thinking what I was doing, only knowing I had to kiss her in that split second.

The intensity of the kiss increased, and without thinking I leaned into her, losing my balance and almost falling into her, Lauren had to reach up suddenly and grab me around the waist, pulling me into her closer, I broke away from her and leaned my head against her forehead. Both of us were breathing heavily, I whispered, "Sometimes you just need to shut up Lauren." Lauren pulled me into her arms, holding me so close to her I could feel her heart beat against mine. She reached down and intertwined her hand in mine; she pulled it up and placed it on the fence, steadying me. Lauren stepped out of the embrace she had wrapped me in, looked at me with a look that I couldn't place, "I will go get Grace." she let her hand linger on mine for a second, "I have to go." Lauren started to slowly walk away from me, I reached out grabbing her arm, dropping my cane, "No, don't. I don't want you to go. When I said that earlier, I was bullshitting you." I smiled weakly.

We just stared at each other for a second, finally I said, "Walk with me?" Lauren smile and took my arm like she had before, but this time holding my hand in hers, waiting patiently as I readjusted my balance leaning against her more. We kept walking along the fence; there was a calm but awkward silence that was settling between us. My mind was full of words but I had no idea how to get them out. It was Lauren who carved away the silence, "I'm very intrigued as to how an American girl ends up living in England for the better part of her life but still falls into the American navy?"

I looked at her, half smiling, "Are you asking me the basic first date, so where are you from question?"

"Pretty much, yes." Lauren smiled back, "so where are you from? And do you come here often?"

"I was born in Brooklyn, New York. That is where the good chunk of my American accent is from and the best parts of my poor grammar at times." I winked at her.

"Alright, second part of my question, how is it that you came to be who you are now? Were you adopted? Taken away from the family of wolves that I often wonder you were raised by?" Lauren nudged me lightly as she said it. I just shook my head.

"Ha. Funny. My mother is from here, born and raised with Grace and two other brothers, my uncles that I have never met." I glanced at her, "And now you know, this is a very wealthy family. The McCorrigan's are horse breeders and liquor distributors that go back four generations all the way to my grandfather Fitzpatrick, who moved the family business, to Spain. Grace still runs the behind the scenes operations while my two uncles run it in Spain."

"Okay, right. Your mum is English, check, where does the American bit come in?"

"My mother left for America when she was sixteen, ran away to New York to try and make it as an actress. That's where she met my father, an aspiring but struggling photographer, also from England." I shrugged, "They lived miles apart from each other here, but it took them to the other side of the ocean to find each other. They fell in love and when my mother sent word home that she was marrying a poor Brooklyn boy, it divided the family. In the fashion of all upper crust English families, grandfather opposed along with my two uncles. After much fighting and arguing, my mother married my father and was cut out of the family. I was born shortly thereafter and my parents lived a very quiet and simple life."

I stopped walking, looked at Lauren, "I know, you are going to ask how is it a Brooklyn born brat came to be raised in England."

Lauren smiled and nodded.

"My parents passed away when I was six, I don't remember much from that day except sitting with the next door neighbor who babysat me occasionally. She picked me up from school early and I could tell she had been crying, but didn't say anything to me. She sat with me on the steps to our house and that's when Grace appeared from a shiny black car. She knelt in front of me, tears in her eyes and told me she was my aunt and that she would be taking care of me. I was six, didn't understand much outside of my tiny little world. I asked her where my mom was, she just cried. The next thing I knew I was sleeping in a room that was bigger than the entire living room in the brownstone. Grace raised me, was and is my only family I know. I have only seen my grandfather a handful of times in my life, he never quite moved past what my mom did, and that she did it against his will. I grew up here, following the road to being a fine English lady until I went to New York for medical school, and let's just say that was the catalyst of me joining the navy and heading into the desert for the last year and a half." I drifted off as Dyson flashed in my head.

I looked over at Lauren, "That's my story. I am a rich English lady who came from a poor Brooklyn parents."

Lauren had a weak smile on her face, "I'm sorry, I didn't know." I could tell she was embarrassed and at a loss of words.

"Nobody does, outside of Kenzi and you now. Everyone I worked with and know, only know me as the stubborn navy doctor. My secrets are my secrets; Dennis is actually my father's last name so no one knows that I am the heir to the McCorrigan fortune." I stared out into the acres of land that I was heir too, "Everyone has their secrets."

Lauren squeezed my hand tighter, "Very true. I just don't know what to say, I feel like I need to apologize. I falsely judged you, criticized you."

I shrugged, "I am nobody special. I am just me, a stubborn tired girl."

Lauren turned to face me, she reached up and put her hand against my face, "Bo, I think you are absolutely fantastic. A stubborn, frustrating woman." I couldn't help but smile when she said it, "I don't know what it is about you, but you have me hooked, Bo."

Lauren ran her thumb over my lips, I felt my heart pick up and I wanted to reach out and smother her with another kiss again when I heard grace call out to us. Lauren turned, dropping her hand from me, "We better head inside, it's getting a bit chilly and I think Grace wants us to join her for tea."

I laughed lightly, "The only thing I hate about being part English, tea time can be an awful interruption."

Lauren laughed, "It's still early." she held out her arm and I took it eagerly, this time sliding my hand into hers, letting her pull me close to her.