SNOWSWEPT

by CuddleFae

Dr. Lauren Lewis has been assigned to oversee the opening of a new hospital. Overwhelmed by all there is to know and learn in an unfamiliar land, she crosses paths with a mysterious woman with a dark past - a past that has caused her to live by one rule. Trust no one. Thrown into a desperate struggle, can they overcome the barriers between them in their fight to survive?

1. Chapter 1: Break Up, Break Out

A/N: So… I was working on the sequel to Finding Our Way – which means I'm re-reading it, which means I'm re-writing it because of all of the mistakes I'm finding – and there are SO many… and this popped into my head. I thought to myself… self, stick with FOW. Then, I saw this video of Alaska on Twitter and the story wouldn't leave my head. So, I had to chase it. I will still be working (slowly) on FOW but dabbling in this little ditty along the way.

I've spent several weeks in Alaska – beautiful state, beautiful people, beautiful stories of an amazing culture. I learned so much and truly loved the experience. I would go back in a blink!

This story, however, will start out in the harshest winter. I'm not all that well-versed in Alaskan winters other than what I know from friends I made there during my travels. Some live in the far north and what they showed me in photos and explained of their life there, I can only imagine. Some areas have snow throughout the year. This story is set in the areas that get the harshest winters. So, hope you enjoy this little story. Let me know if it catches your interest! Cuddles.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 1: Break Up, Break Out

"Kelly, you need to stop gawking." The Nurse said, slapping her colleague on the thigh.

Kelly batted the hand away, shushing the other nurse, "I'm not gawking."

"Yes. You are. It's unprofessional and you know she doesn't believe in fraternization in the workplace."

"Well, she sure married a woman from her workplace." Kelly snapped.

"They were engaged when Dr. Anastas started working here."

"My point exactly. She hired her fiancé! Clearly she's in favor of fraternization. Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little flirting." Kelly defended.

"Flirting with a married woman is just wrong. Where's your sense of sisterhood? Women should have other women's backs – not stab them."

She sighed, looking down from where she sat atop the call desk, "Carolyn, you are such a kill joy." Looking back at the blonde doctor, she smirked, "Besides, looking isn't fraternizing and that's all I'm doing... but boy would I love to look at her naked just once. Her ass is…"

Carolyn held up a hand, "Do NOT go there! It's gross when what should be your inside thoughts become outside thoughts that the rest of us can hear."

Kelly laughed, looking down at the other Nurse, "I can think of plenty of inside things I'd like to do to Dr. Lewis."

"Yes?"

The two spun around to find big brown eyes fixed on Kelly's face.

"I… uh…" She jumped down from the desk, quickly turning around to shuffle through some papers on the desk, "I was uh… looking for orders for the patient in… uh… Carolyn, what patient was I looking for?"

Carolyn's face grew red as her friend pulled her into the fine mess she'd gotten herself into, "Mrs. Gardner?"

Kelly nodded, "Right. Mrs. Gardner, Room 319… I mean… 318."

The doctor's eyes widened, "Oh. Is she awake?"

Kelly looked at Carolyn, the two women sharing a panicked look until Shannon interrupted walked up to the counter, offering a file to the doctor,

"Dr. Lewis? Mrs. Gardner is awake."

The doctor nodded, "Yes, Kelly was just telling me."

"Kelly?" Shannon asked, looking at the curly red-haired nurse whose eyes seemed to plead with her colleague to cover for her, "Well, it was thoughtful of Kelly to check up on one of MY patients. But Kelly, Mr. Johnson is complaining that his bed is wet again."

If looks could kill…

"Thanks, Shannon. Thank you very much… for that." Kelly said, pulling a pair of gloves from the box in front of her, "I'll get right on it."

Shannon and Carolyn snickered, watching their colleague march off to one of the duties she absolutely abhorred.

"Something funny, ladies?"

The two turned to face the doctor, "Uh… no, Doctor Lewis. Nothing at all."

The blonde doctor gave the two a nod before adding her signature to a form on a clipboard and handing it to Shannon,

"I'll check in on Mrs. Gardner before I leave."

Shannon smiled, "All ready for your trip?"

The doctor gave a tight smile, "Just about. I still have some… things to arrange."

The Nurse nodded, "I'm sure Dr. Anastas is picking up the packing since you're on call. You two are a helluva team when it come to getting things done on time. What one doesn't do, the other handles."

"Yes, well, I'm handling things solo now."

The two nurses looked at each other, their eyes wide as they turned back to the doctor whose head was down, flipping through Mrs. Gardner's file. Shannon nodded to Carolyn who shook her head, pointing back at her colleague. Finally, with a huff and a sigh, Shannon spoke,

"Are you saying…"

Lauren closed the file, pulling it to her chest as she looked up, eyes still half closed as she decided she might as well just rip off the proverbial bandaid. Word was about to travel fast anyway,

"Dr. Anastas has filed for divorce, so I would appreciate any associations or communications that may be assumed between us, be… well…"

Carolyn interrupted, seeing the doctor struggle, "We understand. We should speak directly to the doctor on the chart or the doctor on call."

Lauren gave a sigh of relief, "Yes. Thank you, Carolyn."

There was a long moment of awkward silence before the doctor finally tapped the file held tightly to her chest with her hand while shoving the other into the pocket of her lab coat,

"Well, on to Mrs. Gardner then. Shannon, if you would accompany me, you can pass my notes on to Dr. Anastas as she is the on-call doctor for the next rotation."

Shannon nodded, "Of course, Dr. Lewis."

The nurse reached down, grabbing her stethoscope and wrapping it around her neck before moving around the desk,

"Never in a million years…"

"I know, right? I thought they were the real deal." Carolyn replied.

"Almost makes me lose faith in true love."

Carolyn shrugged, "Don't let that happen. We only ever saw them here at work. Who knows what was going on outside of here."

Shannon chuckled, "Outside of here? When were they ever together outside of here? Dr. Lewis never left this place except for meals and sleep."

"Maybe that's what happened." Carolyn offered.

Shannon nodded, "Maybe. I better get going."

Looking up, she noticed Dr. Anastas arriving, "This should be interesting."

She stepped away before she could explain, but Carolyn's eyes soon made contact with the reason for her colleague's comment,

"Good Evening, Dr. Anastas."

A tall woman with long, thick curly hair approached, "Good Evening, Carolyn. Quiet on the home front tonight?"

"Home front? Uh… you mean…"

"Our patients?"

Carolyn relaxed, "Right. Everything is mostly quiet. Shannon is handling our resident bed-wetter and Kelly and Dr. Lewis just went in to check on Mrs. Gardner who awoke from surgery."

The doctor's eyes remained down, staring at the chart she'd picked up, "Dr. Lewis is still here?"

Carolyn froze, her eyes remaining fixed on the list of occupied beds before her, "Yes. She was leaving, but Shannon reported that Mrs. Gardner woke up, so I think she just wanted to check on her before she left. I mean, she did perform her surgery."

The doctor nodded, "Quintuple bypass. I remember. She is conscientious about her patients."

"Very much so. It's what makes her such a fine doctor."

"And such a horrible wife." The doctor mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Carolyn retorted, without thinking.

"Heard that, did you?"

Carolyn nodded, "I suppose it wasn't as quiet and backhanded as you'd hoped."

"Well, you might as well know…"

"We've already been informed. Speak to the two of you separately about your patients."

The doctor smirked, "Beat me to it, huh? I guess she wants to make sure that she has everyone's support around here. That's okay. I'll be the bad guy if that's how she wants it. Just remember that Lauren may be an amazing doctor, but there's a helluva lot more to life than work."

Carolyn's opinion of Dr. Anastas was quickly diminishing, "No need to air your personal laundry. Doctor Lewis literally told us the two of you were getting divorced and that she would appreciate us addressing the two of you separately about your patients rather than expecting one or both of you to carry messages home to the other. She was quiet professional about it."

Dr. Anastas chuckled, "Quite… spirited… aren't you."

Carolyn shook her head, "Just stating the facts, Ma'am."

"And I appreciate that, Carolyn. Professionalism in the workplace is something I expect of all of my staff regardless of their position or standing in this hospital."

Carolyn looked up to see Dr. Lewis standing before her, "If you would be so kind as to help Shannon with Mrs. Gardner's port and post-op clean up?"

Carolyn nodded, "Right away, Dr. Lewis."

"Thank you." Lauren grinned, her eyes remaining on Carolyn until she had left the nurses' station. She took a deep breath before turning to her soon-to-be ex-wife, "Is there something you would like to say, Nadia?"

The brunette folded her arms over her chest, "I can't believe you're going to make the staff take sides, Lauren."

"I don't have time for this, Nadia. My flight leaves in five hours and I still have to finish moving the rest of my boxes from the moving truck into my apartment."

Nadia shrugged, "You've had all week. Are you seeing someone?"

Lauren scowled, "Now why would that be the first thing you think I was doing with my time? You do remember why you're divorcing me, right? How I spend my time has not changed. If I didn't have time for my wife, I certainly don't have time for anyone else."

"So you admit you didn't have time for me." Nadia snapped.

"My patients have always come first. You knew that from day one with me. I've never lied to you about where my priorities would have to be. I was not going to let someone die because you wanted to have me in your bed."

"There are other doctors in this hospital, Lauren! Doctors are entitled to lives outside of here!"

Lauren shrugged, "I'm not going through this again with you. We've been on this merry-go-round conversation for the last six months. I told you – this is who I am. I'm not going to change. You can't accept me as I am. You filed for divorce… not me. You want a life that I cannot give you. I gave you my blessing to go seek that life. As much as it hurts… and it does… I'm not going to make promises I can't keep and I'm not going to try to hold you in a marriage that is making you unhappy."

"Excuse me…"

"WHAT!" The two doctors, spoke in tandem, both pairs of eyes turning to land squarely on Carolyn.

Lauren sighed, "Sorry, Nurse. What is it?"

"Mrs. Gardner's I.V. is… well, the vein collapsed, so we had to take it out. We can't get another vein."

"I'll be…"

Nadia interjected, "Go, Lauren. You have a lot to do. I can handle an I.V., I'm sure. I promise I won't kill a patient you worked so hard to save."

"I know you won't, Nadia. I just…"

"Go." Nadia insisted.

Lauren looked at Carolyn who offered a small smile, "Dr. Anastas will help. Anything else?"

"If you don't mind, could we look at Mr. Jeffords chart quickly before you leave? I have a question about his transition to his new meds."

"Of course." Lauren said as Carolyn walked around the desk. She stuffed her hands into her lab coat pockets and looked up at Nadia, "I'll see you when I get back."

Nadia nodded, "You should know, Lauren… I've applied for jobs a several hospitals out of state."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "And you're waiting until now to tell me this?"

"I just decided."

"You said you have applied. Not that you're going to apply. It took time to get a resume together and do job searches. Just turning the screw a little tighter, huh?"

Nadia shrugged, "Like you said – you gave your blessing for me to find the life I want. I'm doing just that since my life is obviously not here."

"So typical."

"I've been nothing but patient and good to you, Lauren."

Lauren kept her eyes down as a sarcastic smile spread slowly across her face, "Right… until now. The gloves come off when Nadia Anastas doesn't get her way. It's exactly what you did to Olivia and Suzanne in college and med school."

The brunette had no reply, "I have a patient to check on."

Lauren watched as the brunette turned to walk away, but called out to her, "Just remember that your contract requires that you provide two weeks' notice."

"Right." She waved, not looking back.

Lauren shook her head, looking down at the counter top. She pulled out her phone and dialed the last person she wanted to talk to right now,

"What!"

"Well, hello to you too."

"If you want to whine about that bitch of a wife again, I'm not interested. It's the best thing that ever happened to you."

"I know and I don't whine."

"You know? Well, that's a new tune and it's music to my ears, darling."

Lauren sighed, "She's already sent out applications. I thought you should know."

"I thought we did know."

"I told you I expected her to be immature about this and pull something like that, but I wasn't absolutely sure until now. She's already sent them out. I doubt she'll honor her two weeks and I leave in a few hours."

"Darling, we'll be better off without her. She wants to be a doctor who works 9 to 5. I'm not sure why she ever went into medicine to begin with. It seems she's more interested in the bottom line than actually making lives better for our patients."

"That's funny coming from you, Evony."

"I'm not a doctor, Darling. The bottom line is my life's work and it's because of that bottom line that you can do your life's work… and, by the way, your life's work is the reason that people are coming to my little hospital."

"Little?" Lauren laughed into the phone.

"Okay, so it's not so little anymore with the new trauma unit, surgical center and neo-natal care unit."

"Don't forget the pediatric cancer center that opens this spring."

"How can I ever forget those adorable little rugrats that are going to bring in the best oncology specialists in the world? Not to mention top of the line research center that is going to find a cure for that horrid disease."

"We can only hope."

"You sound absolutely depressing. Why don't you come over for a quickie before your flight? I'll show you what you've been missing with that ball and chain tied to your ankle all of these years."

"I am not… you know what, I have to go finish…"

"Moving? No, Lauren, you don't. I know you and I took care of it."

"You what?"

"I went over to your apartment this morning after you left. When I saw all of the boxes still loaded on the truck, I called my incredible hunks and watched them move the boxes into the appropriate areas. They were delicious. All of that flexing and grunting. Anyway, I made sure everything was moved into the rooms you had labeled on the boxes, so don't get your OCD panties in a bunch."

"That wasn't necessary, Evony."

"Anything for my Chief of Surgery."

"Still, thank you for that. I can reimburse you for the movers."

"Honey, they're salaried employees. I use them for gardening, cleaning the pool, work functions when I need some man candy on my arm and… well… other necessities in a girls' life. They're well cared for, trust me."

"I'm sure they are." Lauren said, rolling her eyes.

"My house staff unpacked the boxes. If you can't find something, check the list I had them create that itemizes all of your possessions and their locations. You can hand that list to your insurance company for your new Renters' Insurance policy."

"I don't have renters' insurance. Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it."

"And that's why you have it. I was pretty certain you'd forgotten all about living in an apartment since you haven't done it since your med school days."

"Those were called dormitories, Evony. I paid for my housing with my job as a Resident Advisor. I couldn't afford apartment living."

"Well, before then."

Lauren laughed, "Evony, before that I was living in a tent in Afghanistan, remember?"

"What a cesspool that must have been."

"Yes, well it was a war zone."

"Well, when you arrive home, everything should be taken care of for you. Your passport and luggage should be packed and in the foyer. Your carry-on has a neck pillow and snacks since I was fairly certain you would not have eaten a thing all day and would be due for some sleep."

"Yes, well I was hoping to read over all I needed to know for the patients I'm overseeing at your new clinic."

"Lauren, they can wait. It's a ten-hour trip. You'll have time when you get there to meet and greet all of your resident sickies. Remember that these people are not going to welcome you with open arms, Doctor. You're going to have to spend some time getting to know them and they you. Even then, you may not win them over."

"I trust that when they're on their death beds, they'll give in, Evony. But if that happens, I have to be ready. I'll never win them over if I can't save them."

"True. And you'll never save them if you die from exhaustion on your way there. We always promised to be honest with one another, Lauren. The day I hired you, we agreed I would tell you when you were pushing too hard. Well, you're pushing too hard. While I'm impressed with how hard you work and I'm not unhappy that the bitch Nadia is moving out of your life, the fact that your marriage fell apart is a good indicator that you're life is very one-sided, Lauren. Hell, even I get out and party once in a while."

"I get out and party."

Lauren's eyes were drawn to the two nurses' who were now giggling, their eyes quickly moving back to their computers as they tried, without success, to straighten their mouths.

"Relax, Lauren. That's an order. Now be on your way. I know you're still in that hospital."

Sighing, she looked up at the ceiling as she pulled her phone away from her ear and shoved it into her coat pocket. Looking down at the two nurses', she spoke,

"Glad you could have a laugh at my expense. Am I really that bad?"

Carolyn offered a sympathetic smile, "Well, if we're being honest, we've been concerned about how much you work for some time. We've tried to get you out for Friday happy hours when you're not on call, but even then, you've refused."

Lauren checked around her before she spoke, "Honestly, my wife was not comfortable with the idea of me going out without her."

Kelly laughed, "Jealous much?"

"You have no idea." Lauren said before stiffening in horror. She was never this unprofessional, "Sorry. That was very…"

"Unprofessional? God, you need to loosen up a bit, Doc. You're allowed to laugh and have a little fun. We're all experiences medical professionals who spend a lot of time in life and death situations. We need to take our work seriously, but we also need to take care of ourselves. Having a little laugh during the day is okay… in my humble opinion."

Lauren nodded. Maybe Kelly was right. Maybe she needed to lighten up.

Carolyn smiled, "Besides, you're about to start a whole new life! You're helping EFM to start up that new clinic and you're soon going to be single and ready to mingle. I'd say that means you should have a new outlook on life. Besides, you gave Doc Anastas permission to chase her dreams. Doesn't that mean you should be chasing yours too?"

"That's a fair assessment." Lauren replied, "Well, I've got to run, Ladies."

"Your new life awaits!" Kelly replied while Carolyn offered a fist pump from beside her.

Lauren smiled and headed out, anxious to leave before Nadia came back out from Mrs. Gardner's room. As she stood by the elevator, she thought about what the two nurses' had said. Maybe they were right. Maybe a new life was ahead. One with adventure and a new direction. She grinned as she stepped onto the elevator and hit the button for the parking garage. As the doors closed, the symbolism hit her.

"The doors close on the last chapter of my life." She laughed when she reached the floor and the doors opened. Stepping out she smiled, "Watch out, world. A new state means a new Lauren Lewis."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anchorage, Alaska – Local Airport

"Dr. Lewis? Dr. Lauren Lewis?"

Lauren looked up to see a young man smiling as he held up a hand-written sign with her name on it.

"Yes. And you are?"

"My name is Jon. My Dad sent me to pick you up?"

Lauren smiled, "I wasn't expecting a ride. Thank you so much for coming, Jon."

"No problem, Doctor. I'm supposed to take you back to the village where you'll be staying."

"Village?" Lauren asked.

He nodded, "Yes, Ma'am. The village is where you'll live while you're here. It's about five miles from the hospital. There isn't any residential housing around the hospital just yet… I mean… I guess it's not really a hospital yet."

Lauren smiled, pulling the handle from her luggage, "I've been told it's referred to as a clinic, so I expected it to be in a small town."

He waved her towards the exit, "Well, the clinic serves five villages, so it's centrally located to all of them, but closest to ours. My Dad thinks that between what will be the hospital and the villages, more residential areas will be built over time."

Lauren nodded, "I see."

He looked at how she was dressed, "Do you have a jacket, Ma'am?"

Lauren shrugged, "We're getting into a car, right?"

He laughed, "Well, you are in Alaska and it is winter, so it only takes a few seconds outside to get frostbite."

"Of course." Lauren nodded, "I'm sorry. I haven't had much chance to read up on Alaska. I was just focused on studying the patient files. In addition, my suitcase was packed for me by my bosses' staff, so I'm not even sure what's in here."

Lauren knelt down and opened her suitcase, finding nothing but clothing for indoors. She closed it up and stood, looking around the airport for a possible place to buy outdoor gear.

"Did you check your carry on, Doctor?" The boy asked.

"Right. My carry on."

She put down her large purse and opened the smaller piece of luggage that had been stored in the overhead compartment. She grinned,

"How's this?" She asked, pulling out a fleece-lined North Face jacket and pants, a pair of gloves and a hat.

"That's more like it, Doctor. You'll need these too."

He handed the blonde a pair of ski goggles.

"Are we going skiing?" Lauren asked.

He chuckled, "It's minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit out there, Doctor Lewis. Your eyes – I don't have to tell you – are mostly water. They need to be covered."

She nodded, quickly dressing herself before taking the offered goggles, "How's this?"

He reached up and pulled the hat down, "You need to make sure the hat covers the goggle straps. This neoprene mask goes over your mouth."

She held up the mask and turned it so the holes would go over her mouth, "Okay. Ready?"

"Now we can go. It's coming down pretty hard today, so I'm going to clip you to me."

They headed out of the terminal to the lobby of the small airport where Lauren got her first glimpse of the outdoors through the large windows.

"My God. It's a blizzard. Are you sure a car can make it through this?"

He smiled, pulling his goggles down, "Oh, my Dad would never send me out in this in a car."

"Then how…"

"We're traveling by snow machine, Doctor Lewis."

"But how will you know where you're going in this?"

"I'm a native, Doctor Lewis. I'm a walking, talking GPS device."

Lauren stopped dead in her tracks as they reached the door. This was her new life and it was going to end just as it started. She was going to die out there, frozen to death behind a teenage boy who got them lost in the middle of the tundra of Northern Alaska. Suddenly, she missed the warm of the southeastern lower 48.

"Doctor Lewis?"

She looked up to see the young man standing at the door, "Ready?"

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Lauren asked.

He scratched his head, "Well, it's actually my first time coming to this airport, but I made it here, right?"

He couldn't see Lauren's face beneath all of the gear, but he could see the fear in her eyes. He laughed, "I'm sorry, Doctor Lewis. I'm just joking. I've been doing this trip since I was about ten years old. You can trust me."

He pulled up the hood of her waterproof jacket and tied it tight. He pulled the Velcro shut tight on her jacket and tightened her sleeves around her wrists. He reached down and made sure her socks were over her pants and her pants in her boots, then double checked her goggles and mask. Giving her a thumbs up, she nodded,

"Trust the teenager. Right."

"Come on." He walked to Lauren and grabbed her suitcase, leaving her carry on and purse for her to carry. Pulling a long, bright orange tether from his belt, he wrapped it around Lauren and clipped it back to his belt, "My Dad insists. Whiteout conditions can get you turned around very quickly."

Lauren nodded, pulling the shoulder strap of both of her bags over her head, "Here we go then."

He opened the door, allowing the snow and wind to flood the lobby. He gripped the rope when he felt Lauren get blown backwards. She tilted her head down and leaned into the cold, arctic blast, gripping the rope attached to her. She couldn't see a thing. She had no idea how this young boy knew where to go. She couldn't see any sort of vehicle anywhere. Not that she knew what a snow machine was anyway.

She felt a nudge and was suddenly pulled to her left. She looked up, wiping away the ice and snow that had already built up on her goggles and saw the shadow of what appeared to be a snow mobile.

Soon enough, Jon was strapping the luggage to the front of the vehicle before opening the seat, and yelling, "Put your laptop in here or it will be useless by the time we get to the village."

She nodded and did as she was told. He quickly closed the seat and hopped on to the machine before offering a hand to Lauren so she could get on behind him. He detached the tether,

"Wind this around us until it's good and tight. If you fall off, I'm going with you. I'm tethered to the ignition, so we don't use the snow machine."

"Are you sure this can make it?" Lauren asked.

He nodded, "It's got treads like a tank, not skis like a snowmobile."

She looked down and noticed the distinct difference as she felt him start up the machine. Next, she felt him grip her hands and wrap them around his torso,

"Here we go. Hang on tight."

Lauren did as she was told, gripping him as tightly as possible until she felt the pull of the engine nudge her back in the seat. She slid closer, regripping as they sped off into the whiteout. She tried to make out anything – a sign, a parking lot, a road, a tree – but she could see nothing. Fear gripped her like never before. If he was even a foot off course to the right or left, they could travel miles from their destination into the middle of nowhere. She'd seen the tundra when the small plane had flown her in. She had no idea she was landing in the middle of it. Why on earth would Evony be building a hospital here? What could she possibly have to gain that would be of interest to her?

To Lauren, the sickness that had gripped the village was a researcher's dream, but for Evony, it made no sense to the bottom line that was usually of interest to her. She was pulled from her thoughts when Jon stopped.

"Are we lost?"

He motioned to her to be silent as he pulled a shot gun from beneath his seat. He pointed with three fingers, making the shape of a triangle over to their right. Lauren wiped her goggles clean, seeing what appeared to be three black dots in the middle of the white sky ahead.

"Jon?"

"That's a polar bear. Three black dots are the two eyes and its nose. It's hunting and we're the only food around for miles."

Lauren tightened her grip, "Polar Bear? Aren't the bears supposed to be sleeping? It's winter!"

Jon slowly loaded his weapon… methodically… quietly, "Don't let Big Jim here you say that. It will just give him one more reason to call you Cheechako."

"Who? A what?" Lauren began, flustered. She shook out her thoughts, "So bears don't sleep in winter?"

Jon grinned, looking back at the doctor, "That's an old tourist myth. Our lands are not nearly cold enough to force a bear into hibernation. Average winter here in Anchorage is around 28 degrees. Better chance of sub-zero temps in the northern inland states."

"It's freezing out here!" Lauren shouted, to which Jon raised a finger over his mouth, "Sorry."

He gave her a chuckle and a nod, "So you've never been to Chicago or Minnesota in winter? Now that's cold, Doc. Here, we get occasional days or short stretches of extreme cold, but we're very close to the coast, so the waters keep us on the mild side of freezing… freezing, but not as freezing as other places in the country."

"Still, I thought polar bears would be floating around on icebergs."

He chuckled again, "You haven't heard? The ice is melting which means we see more polar bears. They've got to eat too and we're easy pickins' in winter time… not to mention that polar bears love snow. It's sort of their thing."

"Right. Of course." Lauren replied, concerned about the fact that there was now very little distance between them and the bear… of course, she'd prefer it be floating on an iceberg in the ocean they couldn't see right now, so distance was probably a relative term. Watching the bear sniff the air, she froze, somehow thinking if it couldn't hear her breathing, it wouldn't smell her. Boy was she wrong. He began moving closer. She watched Jon's hands tighten around the gun,

"Wh-What do we do?" She asked, her eyes fixed on the large white mass with the three black dots.

"Pray I don't miss if he sees us and charges."

"Praying." Lauren said, tightening her own grip a bit more.

"Doc, you're going to have to let me move if you want me to make this shot." He said, raising the gun to his shoulder. Lauren heard the click of the safety being released. She covered her ears as the bear began to move closer to them.

Everything happened quickly, a great roar, the deep breaths of exertion as the bear charged forward, no longer just a big blob of white. He was massive and it only became more obvious as he closed the distance. Suddenly, one shot. Two shots. A long groan, then silence. Lauren looked down to see off-white fur blowing in the wind as the snow slowly became stained pink, then red.

Part of her wanted to run to the bear and try to save him, but her eyes fell on the long, sharp claws of the massive front paws and she heaved a sigh of relief. She was a card-carrying member of PETA, but Evony had warned her that hunting was a necessary part of survival on the tundra. It was either kill or be killed, starve or eat nothing but the fish you might catch in a little hole drilled through the ice.

Jon reloaded his gun, scanning the surrounding area, "Keep your eyes open, Doc. He may not be alone. Stay on the machine."

Lauren nodded, shuddering when Jon fired one more shot into the neck of the bear, then moved back towards her. Opening another compartment beneath the seat, he pulled out what looked like a very large dog collar with a leash attached. He went to work attaching it to the animal before attaching the leash to a chain at the back of the snow machine. Coming back to the open compartment, he pulled out a massive hunting knife. He worked quickly, running it through the belly of the animal, clearing out its insides. The whole thing seemed barbaric to Lauren, but she remembered from the native culture articles she had read that if Alaskans were forced to kill an animal that attacked, they would make full use of it. They hunted to survive, not for trophies and most, not usually for profit.

She watched as Jon mounted the snow machine again and offered her the tether once again. Lauren tied herself to him again and then, as if nothing unusual had just happened, they were on their way with a polar bear carcass in tow.

This certainly was a new way of life and Lauren realized that she just may be way out of her depth. Oh well. It was only a year and she would have two weeks at home in the summer. Surely, she would adjust. Wouldn't she?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Big Jim's General Store, Point Siku

"Dad? Pops? Big Jim?" Jon called as he entered the rear of the store and pulled off his hat and goggles, instructing Lauren to do the same.

"I didn't expect it to be almost as cold inside as it is outside." Lauren said, stripping off her jacket.

Jon smiled, hanging up his coat and then taking the doctor's, "This is… well, let's just call it cold storage for now. Most structures have these rooms. It'll get warmer once we get inside."

He watched as Lauren jumped around, trying to pull off her boots. When she fell onto stack of dogfood bags, he shook his head and laughed,

"Yet another reason for Big Jim to call you cheechako." He led Lauren to have a seat and lift the boot up towards him.

"Who is Big Jim and what is a cheechako?" Lauren asked.

The door behind them slammed shut, causing Lauren to spin around, tripping over the boot Jon had dropped to the floor. She fell backward, catching a shelf filled with toilet paper, pulling it down on herself. Jon managed to catch the shelf, but the rolls of bathroom tissue covered Lauren.

Laughing, Jon pushed the shelf back up and began digging through the rolls to find the doctor. Finally, he found a hand and pulled her up to her feet.

"You okay?"

She moved everything around before she replied, "I think so."

Looking up, she saw a large man with long black and gray hair, his head and torso covered in fur. He shook his head as he walked past the pair, mumbling,

"Cheechako."

Jon laughed, but Lauren scowled,

"There's that word again. What does it mean?"

"He's insulting you, Doctor. But he insults everyone from the Lower 48 who come up here thinking they can survive in Alaska. All of these people move up here because of this trend to move 'off the grid'," He said, using air quotes, "These people think they can make it here because they read a few books and watched a few TV shows about surviving in Alaska, but the truth is, most don't make it through the winter."

Lauren sat down again, untying her remaining boot. Jon again waved her foot up onto his thigh, "But I thought you just said it's colder in Minnesota."

"Minnesota, Michigan, the Dakotas… they're really cold and they get a ton of snow. The coldest city is actually Fairbanks right here in our great state of Alaska. It's inland, so doesn't have the benefit of warming from the Pacific Ocean. Of course, Fairbanks doesn't get the most snow…"

"It's coldest but doesn't get the most snow?"

Jon shook his head, "Cold does not always equal snow. Actually, Talkeetna which is north of here and Alyeska which is east of here, get the most snow."

"How much is 'the most'?" Lauren asked.

Jon shrugged, "Well, what you see out there is just the beginning for us here in Point Siku."

"And where exactly are we? I couldn't see a thing on the way here."

He smiled, "We're just north of Anchorage. We get about 79 inches of snow and ice."

"Seventy… are you kidding?"

Jon laughed, "Now, Talkeetna, they're about two hours north of here. They get about twice what we get because they're in a higher elevation."

"Great. It's my understanding that the clinic isn't far from Talkeetna?" Lauren asked.

Jon nodded, "That's right. But at some point this year, you'll get to see Denali. She's a beauty, I'll tell ya."

"And Evony said she's building a satellite clinic elsewhere?"

Grinning he replied, "Yup. That would be in Alyeska."

"The same Alyeska that you said gets the most snow?" Lauren asked, her eyes wide.

He nodded, "They get about 179 inches of snow a year. Beautiful area, though. You'll have to get out there in the spring."

"Well, I'm certainly not going there in winter." Lauren said, turning her back to Jon and placing two hands on a nearby shelf, her head down as she mumbled quietly, jaw clenched, "She can't make me." She needed a phone… soon. Evony was going to get an earful. She could have sent her here spring to spring and there would have only been one winter to survive. Lauren was furious."

"Yup. She picked a helluva location, but there's a train that runs year-round from Anchorage to Talkeetna, so it makes sense for people to get to and from the clinic. It will also help you to get back and forth when you need supplies since Anchorage is a major port. You'll be staying here in Port Siku most of the time, but if the weather is bad near the clinic – which it will be - then you'll have to make do staying there."

"In the clinic?" Lauren asked.

He led her through the door into a room behind the general store counter where there was a coffee pot and mugs, "Your boss had us build apartments above the clinic. One is for you and the other two are rented out to local tenants to help your bosses' bottom line. Quite the penny pincher that one." Jon laughed.

Lauren shook her head, accepting the offered mug, "Sorry if she's given you any trouble, but she's very careful about where she invests her money. When she does invest, she's an exceptionally shrude businesswoman… one who might not live to see next winter."

Jon laughed, now getting a pretty good idea that the doctor had not been prepared for the living conditions here, "I'm sure. That's probably how she got those pretty rich girl red shoes."

Lauren sat down at the table near the coffee machine and wrapped her hands around the hot mug, enjoying the warmth on her cold fingertips.

"Doc, don't worry. We're all here to help you out."

She looked up to see Big Jim shaking his head and mumbling something before he walked toward the front door of the store. She guessed he was insulting her again,

"Does that include Big Jim there?"

Jon laughed, "He's my great grandfather. He's a native who isn't too fond of people with pale skin."

Lauren nodded, "I'm okay with that. I know enough to know that the native people of this state were treated poorly by some people in his lifetime."

Jon nodded, "My lifetime too. We don't always have a say in our laws and our land. People in my grandfather and great-grandfather's generations are working really hard to keep our traditions alive, but… well, as Big Jim would say, I like my fancy toys too much. He hates when I play video games."

The doctor laughed, "I can only imagine."

"The worst part is that my Dad plays with me." Jon laughed, looking up when he heard the small bell above the door ring, "Well, we're open for business. My Dad should be here soon to get you settled."

"JON!"

He rolled his eyes at Lauren who laughed, "I take it Big Jim is the boss?"

"Coming!" He called out before turning to Lauren, "My grandfather took over the business a few years ago, but my great grandmom kicks Big Jim out of the house every day because he gets on her nerves now that he's retired with nothing to do."

"Do he comes here?"

Jon nodded, "He and his buddies hang out over here and play cards, tell old stories, talk about the idiots in the government or the lower 48 and pass judgment on the customers that come into the store. My Dad calls them the color commentators of all the action here at the store."

Lauren chuckled, as Big Jim called Jon's name again, "You'd better get going before you get in trouble for talking to the cheechako."

Jon nodded, "Really, you'll win him over eventually. Just don't expect him to be a cooperative patient if you ever want to use your fancy lower 48 medicine on him."

Lauren smiled, "Not a fan of that, either, huh?"

"Did you expect him to be?"

"Of course not." Lauren chuckled, "Get to work."

Jon walked around the counter, calling back to the doctor, "When you're warm enough, throw a couple more logs in the wood stove and then have a look around the store for any personal items you may need. We've been instructed to run you a tab and send a bill to Evony."

"Good to know. I think winter is go to cost her… just for the hell of it."

"Paybacks, huh?"

"Darn right." Lauren laughed as Jon walked out to meet Big Jim who immediately pointed to a stack of boxes, then some empty shelves.

She took a few minutes to finish her coffee before she decided to get up and shop around the store. She decided to start with some clothes that would make sense for the weather… now that she knew how much snow she would be experiencing. Evony had made it sound like it was no different than being in Boston or Toronto, but in her first hours here, she'd learned one very important difference. Here, everything was built on permafrost and permafrost was not a reliable foundation for things like roads. That meant travel was going to be rough and plows practically non-existent where she was going.

She looked up when she heard Big Jim mumbled cheechako again, thinking he was talking about her, but instead, she saw a group of young men walk in, laughing and carrying on about how they'd put their truck in a ditch down the road.

Two men walked out from behind the counter, sending Big Jim back to the table near the coffee machine. She watched as the older of the two men, spoke to the young men,

"Did you guys come in here to cause a ruckus or to buy something."

"A ruckus?" One young man laughed, removing his hat to reveal blonde hair that looked like it had been bleached by the California sun, "What is this dude, from the fifties?" He asked his friends who joined in their laughter.

Lauren shook her head. This is why people from the lower 48 were referred to as cheechakos. These guys come in to a town where their land and way of life are precious and begin by insulting them. The one thing Lauren had read about in preparation for medical treatment was weather-related conditions and common injuries in Alaska. She wondered which ones she would have to treat these young men for if they ventured near her clinic. One thing was for sure, they didn't seem to respect the environment they were in.

"Dude, we need a tow truck."

The older man looked at the younger man and said, "Tow truck? Big Jon, do you know anyone who has a tow truck 'round here?"

Lauren grinned, now recognizing the resemblance between the two men and her teen chauffeur. She looked around the store and found Jon, who she now guessed was a junior. He looked nervous as he looked back at her, nodding his head towards the door where she had entered the store. Slowly, Lauren put down the soaps she had been considering for purchase and moved slowly back towards the door.

A red-haired young man from the group picked up a chocolate bar, ripped off the wrapper and started eating it. Big Jon typed in some buttons on the old cash register,

"That will be a dollar twenty-five."

"How about that two truck, old man?" The man mumbled in reply, his mouth full.

"Settle that bill first and maybe we'll help you out with that tow. Where's your truck?"

"Round the corner, flipped over on its side in a ditch."

The man she assumed was Big Jon's son, shook his head and laughed, "Ditch divers."

Big Jon nodded, "Cheechako."

The room fell silent just before the doorbell rang, the silence holding as Lauren's gaze traveled to the sound of the door closing. A traveler walked in, dressed head to toe in fur, snowshoes strapped to his back, a string full of furs in one hand and a rifle in the other.

The largest of the four young men, leaned across the counter, cocking his baseball cap back and leaning in nose to nose with Big Jon, "You know, I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds to me like you're being a smart ass. Are you a smart ass, old man?" He leaned in, now nose to nose with the older man.

"Well, seeing as you put your truck in a ditch, I'd say I'm definitely the smarter of the lot of us."

In a flash, the young man gripped Big Jon by the collar, snow flew through the air as the large fur hood of the new arrival flew back, a rifle spinning around the finger of a dark-haired woman with angry dark eyes as the tip of the weapon landed squarely on the back of the young man's skull,

"I'd say you're not too smart if you don't take your hands off of that old man."

"Dude, Tommy let him go. Dude, she's got a shot gun to your head."

The woman moved slowly to the side of the young offender, the barrel traveling to his ear, "I certainly hope the old man here is wrong and that you're smarter than you look."

In a flash, she pulled a knife from her waist, throwing it across the room, pinning the blonde man's jacket sleeve to the wall. She kept her eye on the man as she raised the butt of her rifle, pressing the large man's head to the wooden counter. Finally, Jon's Dad spoke,

"Boys, you don't know this woman, but we do. She is as native as native gets and I guarantee you that she's already reviewed the law and determined that she has every right to blow your friend's head off right now."

Big Jon added, "And she not only wouldn't hesitate, but would leave your bodies here bleeding while she finished her business and got on her way. Right now, you're holding up her schedule and she doesn't take too kindly to people interfering with her schedule. She's got traps to check."

She leaned down, pulling another knife from her waist and putting the tip to his chin to lift his head off the counter, "You hear that? I've got traps to check." She gave him a wink, "So, are you going to show the fine owners of this establishment some respect seeing as you're in their home or am I going to use the Alaska Stand Your Ground law to put you four gentlemen in a frozen Alaskan permafrost grave? Huh, boys?"

"Hu-hu… how many of those things do you have?" The young man asked, fear filling his eyes.

Lauren took a chance to look behind her, surprised to see that Big Jim and Jon both had shotguns trained on the other young men in the group. She suddenly felt like she was at a shootout at the O.K. Corrale. Maybe she should read up on knife and gunshot wounds… and traps? Was he talking about traps with teeth like she'd seen in movies when she was young? They were so cruel. How could this beautiful woman possibly kill helpless animals pinned in a trap. She sighed, collecting herself as she thought,

'Careful, Lauren. This is their way of life. He said she was native as native gets, so she must have been raised this way. Subsistence living, right? Isn't that what the article called it? But… natives call it something else. Oh well. Whatever it is, you can't judge these people. You have no idea why they live the way they do. Wait, watch and learn. If there's a better way, you can explain it when you invent it. She really is beautiful. She doesn't really look like a typical native Alaskan. Of course, there are many villages and the lineage of native Alaskans was complex.'

Still, Lauren couldn't take her eyes off of the mysterious woman. She didn't like guns… hated them, as a matter of fact, but yet here she was, in a territory where they seemed to be as common as the toilet paper that had humiliated her less than an hour ago. This woman, however, was standing up for the owners of this store. Her heroism was not in question, but there was a darkness in her eyes that both excited and terrified the doctor.

"Thata boy. Good choice." The woman said, watching the four men retreat into a small group, "Now, are you the ditch divers?"

"Huh?" The blonde guy asked.

"The truck! Are you the idiots I watched skid off the road and flip your truck in the gulley on the side of the main road into town?"

"Uh. Yea." The blonde replied, now looking appropriately embarrassed.

The woman nodded, "You almost killed my dogs."

Big Jon moved quickly around the counter, "Now, Bo. I'm sure they weren't intentionally trying to kill your team. They're from the lower 48, Bo. You know how they are. They had no business being on the road, 4x4 or not. Anyone would have taken a dive. Just wrong place, wrong time. Now, what do you say you go back there with Little Jon and settle up for the furs. Your supplies are on a skid in the back. He'll help you load those too."

She eyed the group of men, "These idiots going to behave?"

"We'll make sure of it." Big Jon assured as he heard his Dad cock his pistol. He grinned at the boys, "Just so you boys know, that man over my shoulder can put a shot through the skull of a bear with that rifle in one hand at his waist while taking out a rabbit with the pistol in the other hand at the same time. Seen him do it myself. I wouldn't try anything." He pulled a toothpick from behind his ear and put it in the corner of his mouth, "Big Jim, you make that call to the sheriff?"

"You're calling the sheriff?" One of the young men asked.

The blonde man stepped up to the counter, "Now, I don't think there's any need for a sheriff, right, Big Jon? I mean… we got… your lady friend's message loud and clear… it's Bo… right?"

He turned to the trapper, offering a charismatic smile, but instead, she pulled her knife from her waistband,

"Don't you dare speak my name."

"Bo, really. It's okay." He nodded to the back, "Big Jim and Little Jon have them in their sights. I saw it from the mirror in the front of the store. They drew right after you. Big Jim called our boys…"

The doorbell rang and the sheriff and his deputy came in, handguns drawn. They quickly looked around, the tall sheriff coming to stand between Bo and the group of men,

"Lower the weapons, Bo. We've got it."

Hesitating for a moment, the dark haired woman lowered her weapons, but kept a tight grip on them as she spoke through a clenched jaw, "Behind bars, Dyson. They belong behind bars."

"And that's where I'll be taking them, Bo. Now let me handle the law while you get back to making your trade and sale." He looked down eyeing one of the pelts in her bundle before giving her a nod.

She nodded back, taking the few steps to gather her bundle of furs, her eyes remaining set on the four men. Once she'd collected her things, she turned and walked back to Little Jon who was lowering his weapon at Dyson's non-verbal command. The sheriff then directed his attention to the intruders,

"Come on, boys. My deputy and I are going to take you down to the station. Looks like you've overstayed your welcome here." Dyson gave a nod to Big Jon who watched them walk out the door. He then looked over his shoulder at his Dad before looking around the shop for any damage.

Bo made her way to the back counter, her eyes landing on Lauren who was partially ducked down behind a rack of sweatshirts. Pausing for a moment, she looked down at the pile in her hands, then back up at Lauren before she placed the bundle on the counter. Looking at Little Jon, she spoke as she shuffled through the stacks of furs,

"Does she know sweatshirts don't stop bullets?"

Jon gave a chuckle, his eyes shifting to Lauren who flushed red as she stood, fumbling with her hands. The young man turned his attention back to the trapper, watching as she pulled out a massive gray, brown and black fur. She laid it out before Jon,

"Holy shit, Bo! You got a wolf? Damn!"

She didn't react, but calmly explained, "That one was kill or be killed. Luckily, I'm still alive."

"Gotta report that." Big Jim grumbled from the corner, his eyes never leaving his paper.

Likewise, Bo's eyes stayed firmly fixed on the young man, "It's already done. Report it to Dyson if you see fit."

Jon watched the corner of Bo's mouth twitch, a sure sign that his great-grandfather was getting under her skin… again. Nothing unusual, but he worried that one day, Bo wouldn't be able to hold her temper and someone would get seriously hurt.

"How much?" Bo asked.

"A lot! I've gotta weigh him, but I think we can agree that this guy was huge."

"Kind of like that bear you've got strapped to your Tin Dog out there? Mighty impressive." Bo nodded, her emotions still even, but Jon could see a smile in her eyes.

"Oh that? That was kill or be killed. The Doc and I are still alive." He laughed at his clever use of Bo's own words. He could have sworn he heard her chuckle, but he wasn't sure. Same old stern gaze, no turn up at the corners of her mouth.

He always wondered what she would look like if she smiled. When he was younger, he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Since then, the ten-year-old boy's crush had been replaced with admiration and respect for how she lived and how she had survived. By now, he'd heard many stories from his family and the townspeople. He was sure a lot of what he heard was absolute trash, but some of the less ridiculous stories… well, he could imagine Bo doing such heroic feats. She was strong, brave and determined… everything he hoped he would grow up to be.

Now, as he stood here watching her sort out her other furs across the counter, he could see her getting antsy... agitated. Knowing how she hated to be kept waiting, he refocused on the task at hand,

"I can tell you that Dad will have to pay a bundle for this one, Bo. The Marten is awesome too. Let's go put them on the scale."

But Bo shook her head, her eyes fixed on Jon, "That the new doctor that was hiding in the clothing rack?"

Jon nodded, "Bo, this is Doctor Lauren Lewis."

"It's nice to meet…" Lauren began, extending her hand, but the trapper did not turn to acknowledge the doctor. Instead, she maintained eye contact with Jon,

"These two furs should pay any medical treatment I need for the year she's here. Agreed?"

Lauren moved to interject, but Jon's eyes went wide as he quickly shook his head. Lauren pulled her hands back, silencing herself as Jon jumped in to reply,

"I'm not so sure Doctor Lewis would know…"

Bo shook her head, "You do. Your word is good. Furs, plus the cost of the clothes your Pops makes for her. Start with the coat and hat. Those sweatshirts won't work up near Talkeetna. Hell, they don't work here in Point Siku. Have your grandfather make the clothes and I'll pay the labor. Next pelts I bring will be for gloves and boots. Should square the medical bills for me and my team. Agreed?"

"Her team?" Lauren asked, but again slammed her mouth shut, shoving her hands in her pockets when Bo's jaw clenched and Jon again shook his head at her not to ask,

"Agreed. Consider it done, Bo." Jon replied, "You still showing me how to set the traps this weekend?"

Bo looked down the counter to where Big Jim was shaking his head. She kept her eyes down as she gathered her bundles,

"Let's go weigh these. You tell your Dad to give me a shout if he's okay with you learning traps from me." She looked up at Big Jim, "Wouldn't want you learning something from an outlier like me without your Dad's say so, Jon. Not my place to say how you're raised."

She threw the bundles over her shoulder as Jon protested, his eyes traveling from his great-grandfather back to Bo as she moved towards the back room,

"Why do you do that? Why do you let my great grandfather push you around? It's not Big Jim's decision! You've been here for almost ten years now and you've always done right by me and mine. It was proven! I've known you all my life. Hell, you saved my life and everyone knows it!"

She spun on Jon, slamming him against the wall by his throat, "I did NOT save your life! You survived that ice all on your own!"

Bo froze when she heard the rifle cock. She dropped the boy, putting her hands up next to her ears as she heard the gruff sound of Big Jon's voice,

"Hands off my boy, Bo. You know I've always kept my door open for you despite Big Jim's thoughts of you, but we part ways if you hurt my son."

Lauren could see the trapper's face twist into a cross between a scowl and a frown. She was conflicted, but why, the doctor could only guess.

"I wouldn't hurt Little Jon, but he needs to mind his mouth. He's not helping things by getting involved with what's between me and Big Jim. He needs to mind his own."

Lowering the rifle, the man nodded, "I'll talk to him about that. Now, you best do your business and head on out, Bo. I thank you kindly for helping us out with those chee… those boys."

Lauren could see Bo flinch when Big Jon started to use the descriptor she'd heard way too many times since she'd arrived. She found it interesting that the man held back on using the word when his grandfather had used it quite freely.

She shoved the pelts into his chest, "Weigh 'em and I'll stop back for payment on my way out. Have to go over to the tannery and pick up the leads for my team. Make sure you take out money to pay for the load of supplies your Dad set up for me."

She pulled her hood over her head, hiding her face before turning and heading for the door. Lauren watched her leave glancing towards Big Jim who shook his head and returned to his newspaper. She turned to Jon who was rubbing his neck,

"Let me see that."

Jon swatted her hand away, "It's fine. I shouldn't have pushed her like that."

"Seriously? How about blaming her for slamming you up against a wall by the throat? That was completely uncalled for. That woman is out of control." Lauren replied, unaware that Big Jim's ears perked up at her comment.

Jon turned to Lauren with fire in his eyes, "She's not! She's my friend!" He sighed, rubbing his throat, "She's just been through a lot so… she's quick to anger sometimes… and… well, she won't admit it, but she did save my life!" He took two deep breaths, running his hand through his long, dark hair, "Sorry. It's… complicated. Come on. You can help me weigh these."

Lauren followed Jon into the back, "What's an outlier?"

Jon sighed, his head down as he began untying the bundle of furs again, "She's an outsider. Her Mom was Athabascan and her Dad they think was white or maybe part Navajo. They don't know. They call her a cheechako or a half breed, but she's neither. She's earned her place among my people. She's lived here long enough to be a native… all her adult life wandering through Alaska… all alone…"

He closed his eyes as he waved his hands, "It's not my place to tell. It's… complicated."

"But…"

"Please, Doctor Lewis. It's not my place. It's just…" He turned to Lauren, "Look. My great-grandfather blames Bo for my near death. I say she saved me. He thinks she's a cheechako because she's not full Alaskan. I don't agree with him, but he's… well, I have to respect him. He's an elder in my village and… like I said…"

"It's complicated." Lauren finished for the young boy, "How about you show me how to weigh furs?"

Jon smiled, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For not pushing for more information. The whole thing stresses me out. I really like Bo. She's taught me a lot. It makes me kind of angry… and sad… the way the village elders treat her."

"I don't want to press, so tell me to shut up if you don't want to answer… but… well, if they treat her so badly, why did she step in and stop those morons at the counter?"

Jon smiled, "Like I said… I like Bo. What she did today – well, she'd do it for anyone, no matter how they treat her. It's just… it's just her way. I guess it's sort of that 'turn the other cheek' philosophy, huh?"

Lauren nodded, "I guess so."

"Okay, so… did you see the furs she had me set aside for you?"

Nodding, Lauren asked, "So your Dad will make clothes from the furs for me?"

"My Pops – my Grandfather. Dad doesn't do that sort of thing. Pops says he's lost his culture. But, yup. It'll get done and the new clothes will be much, much warmer than what you had on today – and drier. The wolf pelt will keep you super warm, but it's not as soft as the marten fur."

"I've never heard of a marten."

Jon grinned, "You guys in the lower 48 would call the fur from a marten, sable."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Sable? That's like a super expensive fur, isn't it?"

He nodded, "Yup. You're going to be dressing in style, Doctor Lewis. Evony will be so jealous."

"Well, I'm not crazy about wearing a dead animal on my body. I'd prefer they get to live."

"Well, here…"

Lauren nodded, waving him off, "I understand… well, at least I'm starting to. Besides, when in Rome."

Jon looked at her, confused, "But you're in Alaska."

"I'll explain later." She smiled, turning her attention back to the furs with Jon. When finished, Jon pulled out the company checkbook, wrote a check out for the trapper and took it out for his Dad to sign.

"Excuse me, Dad? Can you sign Bo's check?"

Big Jon nodded, taking the check from his son, "You know, you really need to stay out of what's between Bo and your great grandfather."

"I know, Dad. I just…"

"I know. I like Bo too and just in case you're worried, I'm with you on this one, Jon. I always will be. Bo no sooner tried to kill you out on that ice than Big Jim tried to drown you. Just let them be. They'll work it out on their own one day."

He nodded, taking the check back from his Dad, "That's a hefty chunk of change there. You sure you did the math right?"

Jon smiled, "She got a wolf, Dad. It's huge. Besides, you'll get most of it back when Pops makes it into a coat for Lauren."

"For Lauren?"

Jon nodded, "Bo traded it and a few other items for free doctors' visits for her and her team."

Big Jon nodded, "I see. And did you take the supplies out of the check?"

"Yup. I'm going to go load up her sled."

"Good man. I'll help the Doctor with her supplies and then get her settled in at her cabin here. Are you taking her up to Talkeetna in the morning?"

"Sure thing, Dad."

"You know it's winter and it's an early train, right?"

Jon hesitated for a second before he nodded, "I'll make it."

"Set your alarm."

"I will, Dad."

He ran off to do his chores, leaving Lauren with Big Jon.

"Okay, Doctor Lewis. Let's get you settled… Alaska style."

Lauren smiled, following the man over to the food shelves in the corner of the store.

"Okay, first you'll need the basics…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Behind the General Store, Point Siku

Jon had just finished putting the last box of supplies on Bo's sled and checking that everything was tied fast. Bo wasn't known for holding back on the reins. She let her dogs run free and that meant a lot of speed – even around turns. He had made sure the weight of the load was balanced just as Bo had taught him after she'd flipped the sled on one run a few years back. His Dad had yelled at him, telling him she could have broken her neck because of the way he'd packed the sled. After apologizing over and over, Bo had taken the time to show him how to correct his mistake.

Now, he was tending to the dogs. He knew Bo would be back soon and it was his job to make sure they're ready to go. He'd fed and watered them all once. Now he was offering one last bit of water to each pair, checking each of their health and harnesses as he moved along. He moved from the wheel dogs, Gaea and Athena in the back to the six team dogs in the middle, Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia and Iris checking their feet for cracks or cuts before wrapping their booties securely to their feet. He then moved to the two swing dogs, Harper and Aphrodite before tending to the two lead dogs.

"I know, Nike - soon, girl. Good girl, Diana. She's coming." Little Jon said, patting the lead dog's heads before laying a pan of water before them, "Drink up, kids. You're heading all the way home when she gets back. I think. But who knows with Bo. She's a wanderer. Heaven forbid she should lay down roots or let anyone in."

The dogs barking gave away the presence of the dark-haired woman. He looked up to see her pulling the leads from her pack and moving to say hello to all of her dogs. In her mind, these were the only beings deserving of her trust. They'd never shown her anything but love and loyalty. They took care of her and she took care of them. They were her family whether hunting, playing or racing. They'd been together for years now. She would never part with them… or let anyone hurt them.

She saved Harper for last, placing a kiss on her head before unwrapping her feet and checking them even though she was sure Little Jon had already done it. She'd noticed that their booties were cleanly fastened with electrical tape. He'd done a good job, just like she'd taught him, but still, Harper was the oldest dog, so she always double checked her. Still, Bo knew that no matter how healthy she looked right now after only a short trek this morning and lots of rest, it was likely that on the trek back to Talkeetna, she would eventually end up riding on the sled. Harper was really too old for long hauls anymore, but Bo didn't have the heart to leave her at the homestead alone even with her old neighbors willing to care for her. She didn't trust anyone to take care of Harper for any long period of time. Besides, she'd promised Harper long ago that she would never let anyone separate them again. Looking at the perked ears and wagging tail of her long-time friend, she smiled at the bottom line… Harper loved to run and she was clearly anxious to get going.

She looked up at Little Jon who was obviously still awaiting her reply. She shook her head, "Maybe it's you who let people in too easy," Bo suggested.

Little Jon sighed and stood to reply, but his Dad's voice cut him off, "It's called trust, Bo. You should try it."

She looked up at him, a darkness in her eyes, "Like I trusted Big Jim when he told me they were just taking me in to ask me what happened that day? You really should ask him what happened at my… inquisition." She spat the word, "It was a mighty fine time."

"Bo, he's just an old man, set in his ways." He handed her a small sack, "Snacks for the dogs."

Shaking her head, she accepted the bag, "I don't have any cash on me. Not until I get to the bank in Talkeetna with your check."

Little Jon stepped in and passed an envelope to Bo. She gave him a nod, accepting the payment as Big Jon replied,

"It's a gift for the dogs, Bo. They are the ones who actually hauled the furs here. It's their fair share."

She nodded as Big Jon continued, "This thing with my grandfather… you've got to put it behind you."

"Oh really? I should just put it behind me. It's that easy, huh? That man had me questioned and when he didn't like the answers I gave, he had them beat me over and over until I gave them the answers they wanted. But even that wasn't enough for them. They wanted blood. My blood. My half-breed blood. So they used the lynching laws of the village to drag me…"

Big Jon clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to hear anymore of what he had seen from the shadows all of those years ago. The guilt of not having the courage to intervene sooner still haunted him every time this dark-haired woman entered his store. He would never be able to do enough for her to make up for his failure to stop what they did to her… for what they continued to do to her… largely because she would never allow it. She was proud which is why he had little doubt that the stories of her father being Navajo rang true for him,

"Bo! I know. I know what was done to you."

Veins popped from her brow and neck as she tightened her grip on the freshly tanned leather in her hands, and spoke through gritted teeth, the memories locked in her conscious mind as if it were yesterday,

"They took possession of everything that was on my sled. Everything! All of my worldly possessions were on that sled! Every ounce of gold, every coin, every photo and memory from my past and they… they put my team down." She moved to Harper, "All except Harper."

She stroked the old dog's face, before rubbing behind her ears, "I have you to thank for Harper being here today… and that I have a place to see my catch and make a living."

She stood and turned to him. He could see her eyes soften for a moment, but it passed quickly as she steeled her will, "It's taken a long time for me to get back on my feet… to rebuild. I won't make the same mistake again. I won't trust him again. I won't trust them again. So how exactly do you think this feud will ever come to an end. You don't really expect him to apologize for all that he did as the leader of that mob, do you? Hell, you can't even stand up to him. No one can. He's a village elder and they hold all the power. They're above the white man's law."

"Then ignore him, Bo. The people around here – they know you. They know you aren't who he says you are… who the elders say you are."

"Think so, huh?" Bo chuckled out, shaking her head as she began to turn back to her team, but the screen door slammed, causing everyone to turn and look.

Lauren stood with a hooded coat, arms wrapped around herself as she walked towards Big Jon. Bo could only wonder how much of their conversation the blonde had heard through the open screen door to the cold room. The area outside of the store was surrounded by trailers filled with stock for the winter and while it protected them from the whiteout conditions on the other side, it created a sort of amplifier effect to conversations that happened here. Everyone knew not to raise your voices in this space if you didn't want the people inside the cold room to hear what you were saying. Seeing as the blonde had on a jacket, boots, a scarf, hat and gloves, she had to have been in the room for at least a few minutes.

"Pops wants Bo to have these." She said, attempting to be firm, but her eyes were hesitant as they landed on Bo for only a moment before moving back to Big Jon, "They're…"

"I know what they are. Thank you, Lauren."

She nodded, stepping over towards the dogs who were wagging their tails, seemingly excited to see her.

He held onto the pouch Lauren had given him while Bo continued her work. Besides, he didn't want to talk about the contents of the package from his Dad. He didn't want to distract her from their original conversation. He wanted to continue it. He knew he wouldn't see her again for at least two weeks, so he needed to say his peace while he could. Maybe if his were the last words she heard before she headed out on her long journey, they would have time to set in and she might realize she had people who cared about her here… that she could have a home here.

"Big Jim doesn't have the ear of everyone in this town, Bo."

Bo shook her head, taping the last of Harper's booties fast before moving around the sled to check the balance of her load. She always double-checked Little Jon's work, even though his skill at packing the sled almost matched her own since her accident. She could feel Big Jon's eyes on her, so with a big sigh, she finally offered a reply to his comment,

"He's a village elder. He has the ear of the other elders. The elders still rule this town. They always will. You and I both know that. They are determined to keep native traditions alive, as they should. When he dies, the elders will still hear his voice... his side of the story… his side of my story. As long as that story is around, I'll never have a place here… not really."

"LITTLE JON! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE, BOY!" Big Jim's voice sounded loud and clear across the snow, "Get away from that cheechako and do your chores."

Bo watched as Little Jon cringed, his shoulders tightening up around his ears at the sound of his great-grandfather's voice. The boy sighed,

"Safe travels, Bo." She gave him a nod, watching him pat the heads of Nike and Diana before he turned and headed inside. She stared at the door for a long moment, contemplating how to respond, she hated how the men in Jon's life would rather yell than teach the boy, but alas, he was not her son. He wasn't her anything, really. Still, she couldn't help but speak her mind,

"You know, that boy is going to grow up and leave this place one day if your grandfather keeps treating him like he does."

"Like you?"

Bo shrugged, "This place was never my home, but it's the only home Little Jon has known."

Big Jon looked back at the screen door, "Maybe leaving here isn't such a bad thing for him."

Bo froze, looking up at the tall, dark-haired man. She studied the look on his face, unable to read him… a first for her, because she had learned that it was crucial to read people correctly when you did not allow trust to factor in to your interactions with others.

Her dogs became restless, so she looked up to see that the doctor had become tangled up in the leads that were spiked to the ground. She shook her head as the blonde struggled to step out of the group of four,

"Stay still." She ordered.

"I'm sorry. I just… I was just petting one and they all…"

"Stay still." Bo repeated.

Lauren stood still, closing her mouth as well while the brunette released the clasps from the harnesses of the four dogs. They took off like they'd been shot out of a cannon, leading the other dogs to begin barking and jumping, straining their leads.

Bo mumbled a few curse words as Lauren stepped back out of her way,

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm. I was just…"

Bo looked up at the woman, "Stop. It's fine. Just… just stop apologizing."

"I didn't know I shouldn't pet them."

"That's what's wrong with you people from the lower 48. Always thinking you know how things are here. Well, things aren't like they are in the lower 48. Here it's survival of the fittest. My dogs are too trusting sometimes. They think you're going to give them love, next thing they know, they're being strangled by their leads while you say sorry."

Big Jon intervened, not wanting to let Bo say anything to the doctor she might regret. Winter was upon them and in all likelihood, Bo would need the services of a good doctor at some point. It might be the flu, it might be frostbite, but sooner or later, natives who lived like Bo needed care.

"Bo, I sent the snacks and food for the girls up by-pass mail. Should be at the half-way point when you get there tomorrow. Pops wants me to give you these," he handed Bo a canvas sack, "He used the scraps from the last furs you traded to make your girls more booties. He does love your girls… and he wants to keep all of you safe… hope you know that, Bo."

She turned to Nike and Diana, letting them off their leads, "Go fetch up your sisters. Go on."

She watched as her two lead dogs took off after their siblings. Turning back to her sled, she smiled at Harper who was still laying calmly by the stake attached to the frozen tundra, while her remaining sisters barked and jumped at their lead, trying to follow Nike and Diana.

"Good girl, Harper." She walked to her old dog, rubbing her head, "I know they're just stupid teenagers to you, but some day they'll settle down and stay put like they're supposed to."

"Bo, I really am… I do regret causing the tangle of your dogs. I hope it doesn't delay your trip, though I must say going out in this blizzard seems crazy to me."

Bo didn't reply, instead choosing to snap the canvas sack onto the sled. She looked up at the blonde doctor, shivering in the cold,

"It's not a blizzard. It's just Alaska. This is normal." Bo replied, as Nike and Diana ran to her side followed by the rest of the team. She got to work setting up the gang line for her team. She'd wasted enough time in this town. It was time to move north so she could reach the halfway point before midnight. She set the snow hook into the ground, assuring that her sled wouldn't move once the dogs were attached, then moved back to Nike and Diana, clipping their neck lines to each other, then their tug line to the central tow line.

Lauren stepped back to stand by Big Jon, "Looks complicated."

He shrugged, "Maybe someday she'll warm up to you enough to take you for a spin. She's got one of the strongest teams in Alaska. These dogs are finally old enough to run as a team that could be a real contender this year."

"Contender?" Lauren asked.

"The Iditarod. They've run a lot of smaller races and placed in the top five consistently… the last year they're mostly first and second place. Bo and the girls have a real shot this year at the big prize."

Lauren nodded, "I've heard of the race, but I don't really know much about it."

"I've got a couple of great books in the store, but I'm sure you have a computer to look it all up." He smiled.

"Actually, I love holding a good old-fashioned book in my hand to read. I spend enough time on a computer at work." Lauren replied, "So the short collars get hooked to the long line in the middle?"

He nodded, "The short leads are called neck lines. They're attached to the tow line – what you called the line in the middle. The tug lines connect to the dog's harness at one end and the tow line at the other."

Bo called out, "Diana, Nike! Line out!"

Lauren watched while the two lead dogs walked forward, stretching out the center line and forcing the dogs to stand and space themselves out.

"Diana and Nike are called the lead dogs. They're the most important. They set the pace and keep the rest of the team on the trail as Bo dictates. She says "gee", they turn right. She says "haw", they turn left. They're smart and have an instinct about what's safe and not about a trail. Bo knows to listen to them if they don't listen to her. If the rest of the team falls off the pace, they pull the gang line taut. Bo says she used only one dog as lead on her old team but decided to go with two since Diana and Nike seem to read each other's minds… and hers."

Lauren laughed, "Sounds like a beautiful relationship."

Bo commented, "It is. Dogs are trustworthy."

"And they trust you even though you named them after a sneaker?" Lauren quipped, immediately regretting her temporary loss of manners.

Bo's gaze fell on the doctor, a smirk spreading across her mouth, "Smart city doctor like yourself has never heard of the Greek Goddess Nike? The Goddess of speed, strength and victory?"

Bo moved her gaze slowly to Big Jon before turning back to the task at hand. Jon smiled, nodding his head as he turned to Lauren to explain,

"Actually, Bo's entire team is named for the Greek Goddesses. The dogs closest to the sled are the wheel dogs. They're the biggest and strongest since they have to get the weight of the sled moving."

"I noticed they're a different breed." Lauren said, her eyes traveling over the various types of dogs attached to the sled.

"Pops calls it Bo-sledding. He's watched her career closely and thinks she's onto something big with all the studying she's done about the history of every breed of dog. Something her Mom taught her. Bo's original team was very similar to this one in breeding. These dogs in the back are working breeds. Lauren, meet Gaea and Athena."

Lauren smiled, "Hmmm… it's been a while, but I believe Gaea is Mother Earth and Athena is the Goddess of wisdom and warfare. Strong women, indeed."

Bo mumbled something that Lauren couldn't make out, but she guessed it was either something to do with the trouble she was having with one of the lines or the fact that Lauren knew more than Bo had expected.

"Now, there are six team dogs between the wheel dogs at the back and the swing dogs near the front. They are Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia and Iris." Jon smiled at Iris who barked at him when he said her name, "And Iris loves hearing her name."

Lauren chuckled, "So these two are?"

"Those are the swing dogs. The team dogs do all of the heavy lifting… often 300-500 pounds depending on the weight of the sled, supplies and musher. Luckily, Bo keeps herself fit, so she barely weighs in at 140 and that's all muscle mass. Her sled is sleek and well made, but right now, she's got a ton of supplies on board. A good 80 pounds of food and water will go into the dogs and Bo before the trip ends, lightening the load as they go, but in all likelihood, the team will have a dog in basket before they arrive at their destination."

"Dog in basket?" Lauren asked.

Jon nodded, "Harper will be riding on the sled with Bo. She's too old to make the full trip. She wears out, so the 80 pounds they consume will be replaced with an 80 pound Harper."

"Got it. So, Harper is one of the swing dogs?" Lauren asked.

Jon nodded, "Yes and that's Aphrodite, a fitting name for the dog who takes the best care of Harper. It's why Bo kept them together. That and because the swing dog helps to steer the team around the corners. These two are almost as smart as the leads. Sometimes the other dogs are watching the leads, so when they turn, they want to jump off the trail out of line to follow them. The swing dogs force the team to follow them in an arc around the lead dogs so both the sled and Bo make it safely around corners."

"So when Harper goes… in the basket… there's only one swing dog?" Lauren asked.

Jon shook his head, "Naw. Bo will realign the team and run with just one lead dog."

He walked over to Harper, "This old gal is also Bo's oldest dog and dearest friend. She's been with her since she left Utqiaġvik and came down here to the southern coast." He lowered his face to the graying canine, "You'll keep Bo safe, right? If Nike and Diana don't listen, Harper will make sure they do."

Lauren smiled when Harper barked at Big Jon, seemingly understanding every word he'd said. She watched as the man stood back up, his eyes running down the tow line,

"The new lead looks good." Jon said, "Different, but strong."

Bo nodded, "Yea. Archie wants me to give it a try. He tanned that bear pelt I gave him, tore it into fine cords, braided it with that synthetic tow line I've been using and then covered the whole of it in something I can only say looks like the same stuff they wrap sausages in. Stinks like it, too."

"That why the dogs are licking at the tow line?" Jon asked, nodding at Hera.

"Archie insisted they won't bite on it more than once and won't be able to bite through it, so no fear they'll snap the line. Apparently, he coated the inner rope with some foul tasting, unpleasant surprise for their taste buds."

Jon laughed, pointing at Hera who was now wiping at her snout and rubbing it in the snow. Bo grinned,

"I guess it works." She pulled a snack from her pocket and shoved it under her dog's nose who took it and chewed it down, seemingly grateful for a better tasting mouthful.

Bo turned back to Jon, "I have a new set of synthetic leads, so if anything happens to these, I'll stop and switch them out. I best be on my way. I want to make Hollow Pass by midnight."

"You're sure I can't talk you into spending the night and heading out first light along the train tracks?"

Bo scowled, "This is the way I live, Jon. You know I'm not about to follow those tracks like I need a lifeline. The day I start living in fear of this land is the day I die."

"Actually, the day you stop fearing the possibility of death out in that weather is the day you die." Lauren said, again, covering her mouth the minute the words were out.

Bo looked at the doctor, wanting to spit out a smart-ass comeback, but stopped when she saw genuine fear in her eyes. She lowered her eyes as she walked to the back of the sled, the team coming to life with vocal anticipation of the chance to get out on the trail,

"I guess that's the difference between me and most people, Doc. I've lived through more death than you can imagine. Death is just another part of life. I've been close to it myself, oh five times now or so. I won't live my life in fear and I definitely won't live my life fearing that my death is just around every corner. That's not living. Besides, if anything happens and I am near death, at least I know you're not far now."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Not far? Have you seen where we are? It could take me days to get to you!"

Bo laughed, "Well, I'll try not to bleed out until you find me." She turned to Jon, "I'll make the Pass by midnight. Hopefully Sam will have room at the Inn."

Jon nodded, "Sam told me he has space cleared in the barn for your team."

"You talked to Sam?" Bo asked.

"He was in the store two days past. He asked if you were coming in on the train for your new job."

Bo looked down, keeping her foot on the snow hook as the sled lurched slightly forward. The dogs were anxious to move. She pulled on her gloves, "Told you about that, did he?"

Jon nodded, "You always take winter work. I wasn't surprised to hear you took a job with a big company like that. I'm sure the pay's good and I hear everyone gets benefits too. You haven't had a physical in years, Bo. Time to have someone look at…"

"It's fine, Jon." She said, not wanting the doctor to overhear, but surely, she had.

"If you have something you want me to look at, Bo, I'd be happy to give you a checkup."

Bo cringed, "I'm fine, Doc. Don't usually need medical attention."

Lauren shrugged, "That's fine, but since you've paid in advance, you might as well make me do my part to earn the money."

Bo gave no indication of a reply, but instead offered a suggestion of her own, "Speaking of medical conditions, you should get inside. Your blood's not up for this cold."

Lauren scowled, "I can take care of myself, but thank you for your concern."

Bo retorted, "Strong words for someone who just got here what – a few hours ago? This place will take your life if you don't heed those who've survived a lifetime." She looked at Big Jon, "You sure she's smart enough to be a doctor?"

Big Jon chuckled, "We'll see, huh?"

Bo nodded, "Guess so."

"I'm right here." Lauren said, frustrated at being the topic of conversation.

Bo nodded, "Yes, you are. You sure you don't want to run back to the Lower 48 where it's more comfortable?"

Lauren blew out a breath, "I've got a job to do here, but don't worry, I'll be out of your hair in twelve months."

Bo laughed, "If you last that long." She snarked, calling out to the dogs, "Nike, Diana! Line out!"

Jon put his arm out, effectively pushing Lauren back from the team who all began to bark and pull. Bo reached down, pulling the snow hook from the ground. Giving a nod to Jon, she called,

"Hike!"

Lauren stepped back as the wheel dogs began to jump and pull, causing the rest of the team to do the same while Bo pedaled the sled behind.

"Does Bo have to run behind the sled the whole way?" Lauren asked.

Jon smiled, "You really do have a lot to learn. Bo's right about that."

"She'll never last!" Lauren said, waving back at Bo while she followed Jon into the store.

"Bo's doing what's called pedaling. Riding the sled with one foot while she pushes with the other takes some of the work load off the dogs to get started… and if they slow to take a corner. She's fine, Lauren. Bo's gone for weeks at a time, but she always comes back. You've got to trust her."

Lauren pulled off her coat, "Right. Trust the girl who trusts no one. Got it."

She glanced back at the fading sight of the sled team and the mysterious dark-haired woman who had somehow found a way to pull her interest. She didn't know why, but Lauren wanted to know more about this woman… not just more… everything. So far, the story sounded grim. Maybe it was the doctor in her, but she wanted to help this woman heal from whatever scars lay beneath the layers of protection she wore… protection from the cold… and from those who had done her harm.

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