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?

53. Chapter 53: Setting Sail

A/N: SECOND chapter of double chapter post – Chapters 52-53

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CHAPTER 53: SETTING SAIL

ON BOARD THE ISOTOPES, ONE HOUR LATER…

Lauren's smiled, knowing that her worries had been for naught as she watched the two little girls standing at the bow of the boat, their arms extended with Mary and Molly holding them from behind as they shouted into the wind,

"We're the Queens of the World!"

Patrick hit stop on his cell phone and winked at Lauren and Bo who were standing back at the helm. It had taken a while, but Lauren had finally convinced Bo that she could handle steering the boat. Her first comment was,

"Dang. This wheel is heavy."

Lauren had reminded her that she was handling not only the speed of the boat moving forward, but the weight of the boat, the opposing current beneath the boat against the keel and the wind trying to tip the boat against the ballast in the hull of the boat. She had her release the wheel for a split second to show her how fast it would spin back in favor of the forces against it and she was shocked,

"Okay, you win. This is much more badass then driving a sled. Now I know where you got those guns."

Lauren laughed, standing behind Bo to help her regain control of the wheel before joining Patrick at the sails. Several times, the sails had lost their form, but with a little coaching, Bo had caught on. Lauren had no doubt that she would. Her mind was perfect for driving a boat and they made quite a team with Shannon on board too.

Rudy and Elise had giggled their way through cranking the 'coffee grinders'. Their tiny hands were simply not strong enough to keep a grip, so ultimately, they would crank six or seven times in one direction, lose their grip and then watch the grinder spin twenty times in the opposite direction until Shannon or Patrick would catch it and spin it back.

Mary and Molly were having a blast, both women holding their own every time Lauren called for a tack or a jib. For Bo, it was good to see her mom was back to the woman she remembered. She was healthy and strong, just like the woman she now remembered from her childhood.

It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, she slept most of the day and could barely walk from the house to her prayer area in the backyard. At her worst, she couldn't stretch her arms out to call to the Spirits.

Now, she was working as a grinder, hauling masts, laughing and ducking the boom. Bo looked around the boat and smiled. Her mom was back, Lauren was her wife and the woman of her dreams, Rudy had come into her life and she was perfect even when she wasn't and they were in the process of adopting a wonderful child who was so much like Lauren, it was unbelievable that she wasn't her own flesh and blood.

Bo could feel the winds turn, but it felt different, "Lauren?"

The blonde came running back, taking the wheel, "Time to turn back. There's a storm coming."

"It's supposed to be sunny today."

Lauren nodded off to the east, "That's a storm, Bo – no matter what the weather says. I don't want to be out here with the kids when that hits. We're going to head to the island and wait it out there. We're too far from home."

She looked up to see Patrick looking east before turning back to her. She gave him a nod,

"Coming about! Get on those sails! We've got a storm to outrun, kids! Let's get to it!"

Patrick yelled back to her, "Where are we heading?"

"I think we can make Pamet Harbor. It should give us the shelter we need. Agreed?"

He checked his watch, then the sail overhead, "We'll use the jib and the spinnaker. We'll make it."

Lauren nodded, "Double check the mast and the port and starboard lines. The last thing we need is to lose control of those sails."

"On it!"

Lauren made her turn, "Watch that boom! It's coming your way – everyone duck!"

The blonde smiled as she watched the girls literally lay down on the deck until the boom swung past. Shannie, Patrick and Bo were on the sails and working hard as she guided the ship into the wind. The mainsail tightened, but Lauren could see the slack at both the top forward and boom end,

"Trim the main!"

Patrick and Shannon hustled forward to the mid-sail areas of the boat, doing as ordered while the rest watched. Finally, they were full sail and read to go. Lauren looked east again, watching to see that the storm hadn't turned. She looked up to check the wind direction once more, then called out to her mates,

"Secure the passengers!"

"Aye, Captain!" Patrick and Shannie called out, moving the girls to the seats between Mary and Molly, Shannie telling them, "Under no circumstances do you stand up. Repeat what I just said."

"Under no circumstances do we stand up," they said together.

Shannie tweeked the noses of the two girls, "Nothing to fear. Patrick and I are just going to have to move quickly and we don't want to hurt you by running you over. We're gonna go really, really fast now," she smiled, "You're gonna love this. Ready?"

Rudy's face held a wide smile and big eyes while Elise's looked just a bit more hesitant. Shannie knelt in front of her,

"We'll be fast, but safe, Elise. You good?"

She nodded.

"Okay then – are you ready to go fast?"

"Yea!" the two shouted with smiles on their faces.

Shannie looked at Molly and Mary, "Fasten those safeties we gave you and hold tight."

She watched as the two women secured the leashes to the lifejackets of the girls, then wrapped their arms tightly around the two. She leaned in and whispered to Mary,

"Look to your right and you'll understand. We're going to outrun it. Don't worry."

She took a peek, then looked back at Shannon who nodded,

"Remember when I told you about east coast thunder and lightning?" she pointed up, "That mast will attract the lightning to us because it's the highest point on the water and lightning loves water. No choice but to move fast."

She pointed up, "That second sail is going to open and that's when we'll really be moving at race speed. The boat is going to lean hard. This side is going to come up out of the water. That's why we put a leash on you. Hold tight to the girls and keep your weight against the boat. Be sure you prepare Molly and the girls. We've done this many times. We know what we're doing and Lauren is the best there is. I've gotta get to work."

Mary nodded, closing her eyes as she took a few calming breaths before she told Molly all that Shannon had said. They held the girls just a little tighter, both women gripping the outside of the boat when Lauren yelled,

"Release the jib!"

Patrick gave Shannon a nod and the 2nd Mate released the sail, stepping back as it flew up, snapping open.

"Trim!"

The pair set to work on the grinders.

"Bo! Keep up with the trim on that main!"

"Aye!" Bo shouted, tightening the grinder of the main once more.

"That's good. Bo, I need you back here with me!" Lauren said.

"I'm fine, Lauren!"

"Bo! Do as I tell you! I'm going to need help!"

The brunette hesitated, causing Patrick to turn and yell,

"Bo! Move your ass! You're not stable enough for what's coming next. You need to be in the helm seat for your knee and Lauren will need the extra muscle to handle the wheel! Go!"

Bo barely made it to her before Lauren shouted,

"Release the spinnaker!"

She turned to Bo, "Dammit, Bo! Do not question me on this boat. Not now."

"What's going on, Lauren?"

"Look to your right, Bo. Do you remember the thunderstorm that kept you awake in the hotel the last trip here? Well, that one's going to be worse and we're out on open water with a gigantic lightning rod in the middle of our boat. We've got to outrun the storm, so hang on. You're about to experience the kind of racing I've been doing my whole life."

She looked up, hearing the mast strain, "I just hope this old boat can handle the strain. It's been a while since she's been put thru her paces. If the wheel slips out of my hands, help me hold it. If I slip and let go of the wheel, it's your job to steer the boat until I'm back at the helm."

Patrick released the large foresail, the pop much louder than the jib sail. The boat lurched forward, all eyes on the mast as it creaked under the stress,

"Trim the jib!"

Lauren watched as Shannon had the sail tight in no time.

"Trim the spinnaker!"

Patrick adjusted quickly, the low groan of the boat following,

"Counterbalance!" Lauren called, stepping towards the starboard side of the boat. The two Mates did the same, anchoring themselves as the boat rose up out of the water. They climbed onto the side, leaning out over the water Shannon holding tight to the line of the jib and Patrick the spinnaker to keep them trim.

Rudy and Elise looked up at the pair, Rudy laughing, "Momma! They're hanging off the boat!"

Mary nodded, terrified at the sight until she saw the two wiggling their thumbs and pinkies at each other. She smiled at Rudy,

"They're hanging ten, dude!"

Rudy laughed, looking at her friend who looked worried, "Don't worry, Elise. Lauren said they all know what they're doing. See? Patrick and Shannie are laughing."

Elise turned to look at the two hanging off the boat, then looked to Lauren who was smiling as she held tight with one hand to the line while the other kept the wheel turned completely into the wind.

"Shit, Lauren! What the hell!" Bo said.

The blonde looked back at Bo, a wide grin on her face,

"I trusted you on a sled being pulled at top speed by eighteen canines with minds of their own. I just need you to trust one mind and one person's skill – mine. Enjoy the ride, Bo. This is sailing at its best."

As long as we can outrun the damn storm, Lauren thought to herself, dipping her head down so she could see the storm behind the mast. It was going to be close.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE GUEST HOUSE

"This is one nasty storm!" Kelly said, running inside and pulling off her rain jacket, "I got Lauren's boat, the woodpile and the firepit all covered. I laid down the surfboards so they didn't get tossed God knows where."

Lynnie nodded, staring out at the inlet, "Thanks. They should be back by now. There's no way Lauren would have kept going. She had to see the storm coming."

Kelly sighed, "I'm sure they're fine. Lauren wouldn't take any chances with the kids in the boat. Hell, Lauren wouldn't take any chances in a storm, period. She's our safety girl, remember?"

Lynnie's cell phone rang. She rushed to the counter and picked it up,

"Shannie? Oh, thank God! Are you guys all okay?"

"We're fine, Lynnie. I take it the storm made it to you?"

"Yes. About ten minutes ago. Where are you?"

"We had to make a run for it. We were too far south of the point to try to make it back with the wind against us. She pulled us into Pamet Harbor hoping for shelter from the bulk of the winds and she was right. It was the perfect hiding place. We lowered the sails, dropped the anchor and now we're all hanging out in the cabin."

"Oh, thank goodness. So, what's your plan?"

"Right now, we're eating lunch while we wait out the storm. The kids are looking for games or a deck of cards or something. Mary and Molly are looking at a book about P-Town, Patrick is laying here with his shirt off looking all kinds of man hot – we're all just trying to dry out and stay warm. The temperature dropped.

Lynnie nodded, "It's fifty-two degrees here. Guess the weatherman was wrong."

"Again. The guy is wrong six out of seven days a week. Does he realize the point doesn't get the same weather as the east coast or the west coast of the Cape?"

"Guess not."

"Send him a memo."

Lynnie laughed, shaking her head, "Okay. Well, I'm going to let you go so you can conserve your battery. Call us if you need anything. We have Lauren's speedboat if we have to come get you."

"Will do. We should be fine. The joys of sailing. Gotta embrace it all."

"Have fun."

"Definitely. You guys okay? Tosh?"

"All's good here, Babe. No worries."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On Board the Isotopes

Rudy leaned back against Lauren, curling into her side, "I know – who are the five greatest surfers in the world in my age group?"

Lauren smiled, "What is your age group?"

"Under fourteen."

"Wait – you're surfing against fourteen-year-olds?" Lauren asked, looking at Mary who nodded,

"There are no age limits for surfing, so as soon as a child proves their skill, they're in, no matter their age. It just happens that the youngest age group at this time is the under fourteens."

Rudy smiled, "My friends call us the teeny-boppers, though."

"Well, I must say that I don't know any names from that age group so you're going to have to teach me about this teeny-bopper group."

Rudy sat up, counting on her fingers, "Okay. The first one Is this Aussie kid names Summer Vince. Isn't that a cool name?"

"It is."

"He started surfing when he was four. He's crazy good and he runs this charity for clean water around the world. He started a day dedicated to surfing in Australia, Inueesa and here. I don't know about that second one."

"Indonesia?"

"That's it!" Rudy smiled, "People donate their spare change and just with spare change, he's made a ton of money for the charity. He gets schools to host the days."

"He sounds like an excellent person."

Rudy nodded, "I would run a charity for abused or really old sled dogs. The ones that people toss aside because they can't pull a sled anymore and they're too lazy to train them to be good pets."

"That would be a great charity," Lauren said, looking at Bo who nodded,

"There's a lot of dogs that would benefit from something like that. If you want to get it going. I'd be on board and I'm sure Kyle and LJ would be willing to have the kennel back it as well."

"It's your kennel. Can't you decide?" Rudy asked.

"Kyle's my business partner, Roo. She gets to decide too. LJ is being considered for promotion, so it's only fair that he knows as well. Maybe Mom could get the Iditarod Committee behind it too."

Rudy held up a finger, "Ooh – "Baby" Stephen Robbie is amazing. I saw him surf at Honolua Bay. It's a world-class point competition and he surfed it at age 4. He's my age, so we'll always compete together. Well, he's in the boys and I'm in the girls, but you know what I mean. He surfed the Waves of Jaws which is a place for the legends. He's the youngest to ever surf there. Pretty cool."

She continued, "Quince Simmons they call the Flying Squirrel."

Mary chuckled, "It's very gracious of you to add her to your top five."

Rudy pouted, "She cut me off in a competition. I was totally on the wave, but she came right in front of me and hit my board with her board. She's another girl from Australia. They call her the flying squirrel because she supposedly flies while riding the waves."

Mary sighed, "But she's quite an ill child."

"Yea. She was born with something that made her not have enough adalin so she doesn't have energy and gets sick all the time."

Lauren looked up at Mary who said, "Adrenalin deficiency."

"Oh, my. That's terrible." Lauren said.

Mary nodded as Rudy said, "She still cut me off."

Lauren smiled, "You've got to learn to be more forgiving, Roo. You always want us to forgive you, right?"

Rudy sighed, "Yes."

She was silent for a moment, but Lauren kept her going, "Okay, so who else?"

"Ceera Kamp. Her dad is a big surfer and she's really good at tubes. There are adult pros that can't do the tubes at Surf Ranch, but she can. She started surfing when she was four too. She's pretty cool. She just wants everyone to surf if they want to – especially kids our age."

"Okay, so who's your number five?" Lauren asked.

Rudy smiled, "Bray Burns. He's thirteen and he won the last two WSA contests. He's the top in the ratings and in the SSS, too."

"SSS?" Lauren asked.

"Scholastic Surf Series. School kids," Rudy replied, "He's got sponsors and he travels all over to compete."

She paused, looking up at Lauren, "Can you help me with my big mouth now?"

Everyone shouted as the boat rocked unexpectedly, Patrick sitting up,

"I'll double check…"

"My job, Patrick. You relax," Lauren said, "I'll be right back, Roo. I need you to find some paper and a marker while I'm gone."

"Okay."

"Try my desk behind the bunks over there."

Lauren headed out through the cabin door, head down and hood up, immediately seeing that the main sail had come loose and was flapping in the wind. She walked forward, struggling to secure the sail, but was ultimately successful.

She walked further, checking to be sure that the anchor wasn't getting dragged by the current. Certain everything was secure, she headed back to the helm and double checked the lines in the back, making sure they were secure. The last thing she needed was to lose the mast.

The plus side was that she had her jet boat in the water at home and Lynnie could drive it out to give them a tow if it came down to it. She also knew a woman who had a boat repair shop on the west coast of the cape, so that would be another option if she needed one.

She headed back down below, shaking off her jacket before she walked through the door. Everyone looked up, worried, so she smiled,

"Rogue wave. Everything is fine."

"I found the paper and the marker! Let's fix my big mouth!"

Lauren looked at Mary who gave a nod. She took the paper, folded it in half and tore,

"You've used flashcards before, right?"

"Ugh! Math times tables!" Rudy said, sticking out her tongue.

Lauren smiled, "Well, this will be a little more fun."

She printed words on each page, flipping them over as she went. Mary peeked at each until she finally caught on to what Lauren was writing. When the blonde was finished, she turned to Rudy,

"Okay, so on each of these pages, there is one word. There are good words and bad words. I'm going to flip the page up and if it's a good word, you say it right away. If it's a bad word, you say 'pass'. It's going to be timed. You have thirty seconds to say as many good words as you can, avoiding the bad ones. Got it?"

Rudy smiled, "Got it. Shannie, will you time me?"

Shannie readied her watch, "30 seconds. Ready, Set, Go!"

Lauren held up word after word,

"Kind!"

"Please!"

"Thank you!"

"Elise!"

"Stupid… oops!"

"Keep going, Roo!" Shannie encouraged.

"Po… pass!"

"General?"

Mary smiled, "Generous, Child."

"Oh. Generous."

"Helper!"

"Jerk… oops! Sorry!"

"Hard working!"

"Pretty!"

"Looney?"

Lauren shook her head, "Would you like it if someone called you looney?"

"No."

"TIME!" Shannon yelled.

Elise showed her fingers where she was keeping score, "You said all good words except three."

"That's not bad, right?" Rudy asked.

Lauren smiled, "That's three times you would have had to say 'sorry'. What do you think?"

"Oh. I have to get them all right then."

"Right. Now, that's the first time you did this. The more you do it, the more you'll start to think before you speak. Get it?"

"Oh! I'm practicing keeping my big mouth shut!"

Lauren nodded, "Not the way I would have said it, but yes."

Rudy smiled, "Thank you, Lauren."

She gave the blonde a hug before turning to her Mary, "We have to do this a lot, Momma. Do you think we can make more flashcards?"

Mary smiled and nodded, "Of course," she said, opening the cooler, "But right now, it's time for dessert."

"Should we wake Sister?" Rudy asked, looking into the cooler.

Lauren shook her head, "My friends kept us at the beach restaurant very late last night, so we should let her sleep. Did she tell you about the huge fish she caught?"

Mary smiled, "Yes. A tuna worth six thousand dollars? It's hard to believe."

Lauren nodded, "Yup. Alicia insisted on paying her, but you know Bo. She insisted on not being paid. Alicia's restaurant just re-opened for the season, so not having to pay for that fish will really help her to get off to a good start. I was so grateful to Bo for the favor. She gave her a good haul of fish for the customers that don't want the experience of catching their own."

"I'm not surprised," Patrick said, "For someone who was so hated by a community, she is probably the most generous person I've ever met – except maybe you."

Lauren smiled, "Thank you… I think."

"So, people go to this Alicia's restaurant, but have to catch their own fish?" Mary asked.

Lauren grinned, "I understand how strange that may sound to you, but many tourists don't live on a coast, near a lake or a river to have the experience of fishing. She has a deck out back that has a long, large grill mounted to it. There's a ramp down to the beach with a huge storage shed of fishing rods for adults and children. Those who want the experience, go down to the beach and one of the waiters will help them to fish."

"So, what happens after they catch the fish?" Rudy asked.

"Once they catch enough for their family's table, the waiter will show them how to clean the fish at the cleaning station. They throw the scraps into a big bin which Alicia uses as bait in her crab traps that she has in the harbor. She doesn't believe in waste."

"We don't either," Elise smiled.

Lauren nodded, "Then, the people take their filets up to the grill where Alicia or one of her other chefs supervise the cooking of the fish starting with seasoning or marinades and then grilling. When the family takes their food to the table, there's a large salad, a vegetable, bread, fruit and some sort of potato dish waiting for them. It's a fun experience."

"So, you fished for your dinner last night?" Rudy asked.

"Yes, we did, and your sister caught that big tuna among other fish, but naturally, once we all saw the tuna that's what we decided on. Alicia made us some wonderful sushi as well as a beautiful salad with your sister's tuna on top."

"Raw?" Rudy asked.

"No, of course not. The sushi was raw, but the tuna in the salad was seared."

"You ate raw fish?" Rudy asked, looking at Lauren with wide eyes.

"Yuck," Elise said, expressing her distaste of the idea.

Lauren grinned at the pair, "Don't knock it 'til you tried it, kids."

"No way!" Elise said, "I don't want a fish crawling around in my insides."

Molly chuckled, "Child, the fish was not alive anymore."

"I'll give Alicia a call and see if she can bring some sushi along with her tonight for you to try."

"Tonight?" Mary asked.

"Yes, your daughter also invited my friends for a traditional family pit-fire dinner tonight - crabs, shrimp and clams fish and whatever else Alicia dreams up. Bo and I will go easy on the fish due to the amount of mercury we probably consumed. We ate a lot."

Mary nodded, "Lynnie mentioned that can be an issue on the Atlantic Coast."

Lauren shrugged, "Thanks to generations of mines and factories dumping their waste into the ocean or nearby bodies of water that gain access to oceans and fishable bodies of water."

"We're eating poison?" Elise asked.

Lauren shook her head, "We're being very careful to watch how much you two eat. Because you're smaller, your bodies are more susceptible. Hold out your hand," she said, watching them stick their hands out, "A serving size of fish is about the size of your hand. So, you eat the fish and then fill up on anything else."

Rudy smiled, "Like those noodles that you made? I liked the noodles."

"Me too!"

Lauren smiled, "Well, I'll be sure to make more noodles one day soon."

"So, we're having everyone over to the fire tonight? Shannie? You guys are coming too?" Rudy asked.

Shannie nodded, "Kelly is going into the city to pick up Kenzi and Hale from the tour they took today, then they'll be back here in time for dinner… or maybe the last boat ride before dinner."

"Cool!"

"This is lovely. All of us together for a meal," Mary smiled, "What do you need from us?"

"Fish. We'll have to do some fishing when we get back. We promised everything would be fresh. Unfortunately, I don't have a garden of fresh herbs, so we'll have to go to the produce market for those."

Molly smiled, "The boys have been dying to go fishing again. They had so much fun the first time. I think they'll like it even more if they know they have reason to keep more of what they catch."

Lauren smiled, "Stephen had mentioned the same thing. He really enjoyed going out with them. He said he finally had an idea of what it would be like to have a son… many sons."

Molly and Mary laughed, before Molly asked, "What is a produce market?"

Lauren nodded, "It's a sort of shack a few blocks from the house that has all sorts of fruits, vegetables, herbs, fresh meats and fish… all of the ingredients for a cooking. You and Molly would actually love it."

The blonde noticed Mary's eyes lower to Rudy, then turn up to stare out of the small round window in the hull. It was the second time she'd seen the reaction when they spoke of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Molly smiled, "Can we go with you?"

Lauren turned back to Molly, offering an apologetic smile,

"I have boat driving duty when we get back for these guys to ski and wakeboard, but one of the girls can take you there. Just go over the menu with sleepy here so you get what she needs. Just keep in mind that the salinity of the water in the pacific is higher than the west coast when cooking saltwater fish, so the taste is a bit different. Choose your herbs and spices carefully. It's common for us to do a spicy or sweet rub on most fish."

Mary nodded, "Similar to what we've eaten in Alaska and Hawaii then?"

"Ahi Tuna!" Rudy shouted, "Can we get Ahi here?"

Lauren nodded, "Ahi is Yellowfin Tuna, so yes, that species is common in these waters. Some tuna that you're accustomed to in Hawai'i are not found here in Provincetown. It's always important to know what ocean you're in. Do you know what body of water we're in right now?"

Rudy and Elise looked at each other before Elise said, "Atlantic?"

Lauren smiled, "Well, if we were on the east side of Cape Cod, that would be the case, but…" she looked up at Shannie, "… can you show them the chart?"

Shannie stood and opened the chart cabinet, pulling it out and laying it across everyone's laps, "Here is where we are right now, Pamet Harbor."

"So, if I threw my line over, that's where I would be fishing?" Rudy asked.

"Yup."

"Where did the storm get us?" Elise asked.

Shannie pointed, "We started to outrun the storm here. And all of this, around the tip of this stretch of land is on Cape Cod Bay. If you go all the way around the curl and follow it to the East Coast of Cape Cod, you're on the North Atlantic Ocean."

"That's a lot of water and just a skinny little piece of land," Rudy observed.

Elise nodded, "It kind of looks like an arm with a hand shaped like a 'c' at the end."

Shannie smiled and nodded, "So right now, we're at the middle of your forearm and back at the house, we're in the palm of your hand, right?"

"Can you get skipjack?"

Lauren nodded, "And bigeye, and bluefin but bluefin is endangered on this coast, so we throw those back."

"Really?" Rudy asked.

Lauren nodded, "Some people don't, but to the people on the Cape, it's the responsible thing to do to give them a chance to grow their population again."

"By making babies?" Rudy asked.

Lauren smiled, "Yes, by making babies."

Rudy turned to Mary and Molly, "Bo and Lauren don't have the right parts to make babies, so they're going to make a baby for us with Patrick."

Patrick spit out his water, looking up at Lauren, "I thought we were waiting for a bit."

Lauren nodded, "We are," she turned to Mary and Molly – then noticed that Shannon's eyes were popping out of her head too,

"It was a very late night and we actually consumed some adult beverages so by the time we got home, the girls were asleep in our bed. We opted for sleeping where Bo is right now and… well, we came here with the… bare necessities… so when the girls woke up, they came to the boat garage and found us… down here… sleeping."

Rudy and Elise giggled, Elise putting a finger over her lips as she whispered to Shannie – loud enough for everyone to hear, "They were naked. I saw Bo's boobies."

Everyone burst out laughing, the girls included as Lauren's cheeks reddened. The laughter wasn't dying down anytime soon and when Rudy mentioned the size difference between the two women's breasts, Lauren decided it was time to check on the weather again.

"Lauren! We're just kidding. You have to admit it's funny," Patrick shouted, but she turned and smirked at her friend,

"Yea. We'll go with funny. I'm going to go check on the weather. It sounds like the storm may have passed."

Mary took hold of the girls' hands, "Okay, girls. Settle down. Now, it's very important that you not share that story with anyone else. Bo and Lauren have never spread stories about the two of you when something embarrassing happened to you, did they?"

Elise lowered her eyes, "No, Ma'am."

"Rudy?"

"No, Momma."

"Okay then. What happens on this boat, stays on this boat. Promise?" Mary asked.

The two girls nodded before Mary's eyes landed on the Patrick, Molly and Shannie – all three nodding.

"Okay – pinky fingers in for a group pinky swear."

"Aw, man!" Rudy said, reluctantly hooking her pinky into her mom's with the rest of the group.

Bo walked out into the outer bunk area, pulling her hair up into a neater bun, "Thanks, guys."

"You heard?" Rudy asked.

"Well, your giggle isn't exactly quiet."

"Chop! Chop, everyone! The skies are clear and we're ready to go!" Lauren shouted from up above.

"Yes! Hoist the mainsail!" Rudy shouted.

"Release the jib!" Elise followed.

Lauren laughed, "Don't do either of those until we're out of the harbor."

"Aye Captain!" The pair saluted.

Lauren shook her head, "Double check the straps on your lifejackets and get into position."

Bo came up and gave Lauren a kiss on the cheek, "Where do you want me?"

Lauren smiled, "Do you want to steer us home?"

"Uh… do you think that's a good idea? I mean, there's other boats around in this harbor."

"I think you can handle it. You can drive a sled, a plane, a truck, a snow machine… you can handle a boat."

Bo shrugged, "Okay."

Lauren kissed the brunette, then headed up where Patrick was already using the trolling motor to take them out of the cove. Lauren headed towards the main sail, helping Shannie to set it free before the two worked together to hoist it up the mast,

"Ready, Bo? You're going to feel a tug on that wheel when the sail snaps open. Whenever you're ready!"

Bo nodded, tightening her grip on the wheel, "Ready! Let's head home!"

Patrick laughed as he, Lauren and Shannie shared a glance. He looked back to Bo and shouted,

"You're supposed to say release the main sail! Once you catch the wind, then the jib and once that catches, then the spinnaker is you think we need it."

Bo waved the crew on, "Right! What he said!"

Shannie laughed, "This should be an interesting sail home."

"I'll run back and forth to get a look at the sails and make sure she's catching the right tack. Here we go."

The three popped the main sail to Rudy and Elise's applause. The boat lurched forward, immediately catching the wind. The boat leaned, the mast strained, and the hull croaked while Bo let out a quick 'whoa' before she caught hold of the wheel and steered it into the wind as Lauren had taught her. She smiled when she saw the sail fully open, not a wrinkle in sight.

She smiled, feeling the wind on her face as the boat picked up speed, learning further towards the water. It was like taking a fast corner on a sled, only much smoother and, in some ways, she felt… free.

She would have loved to have been on the bow of the ship, stretching her arms out wide as the spray off the ocean and the strong wind pounded her body. She felt more alive out here than she did on a sled, but she couldn't help but smile when she thought of all of her dogs hanging over the side of the sailboat, watching the water go by. Harper would love this, but she was too busy with her new boyfriend, Tosh to seem to care that Bo wasn't around.

"Hey, Sweetie. What are you thinking about?" Lauren asked, wrapping her arms around the brunette from behind.

"I love this, Lauren. Don't ever sell this house. I want to come here. I want to spend time here."

"You do?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but… I love sailing. I just wish that Harper were with us. She would love this."

Lauren smiled, "She's going to love the speedboat even more."

"We can take her?"

Lauren nodded, "Of course. I'll give Meena a call and ask her to bring a doggie life jacket. She has two German Shepherd's so she should have one that fits."

"Will we get back in time to call her?" Bo asked.

Lauren checked her watch, then shook her head, "It will be close, but if we don't make it, she only lives about ten minutes away, if that."

"Okay."

"So, ready for the jib?" Lauren asked.

Bo grinned, "More speed? Bring it!"

Lauren cocked her head, "You're at the helm, Sweetie. You're the one that has to bring it."

"Oh! Right!"

Bo looked up, smiling as she shouted, "Jib ho!"

Lauren shook her head and rushed back up to help Shannie and Patrick. She shouted a reminder to the girls to duck as the boom slid a little closer to them. The sail snapped open and the ship caught more wind. The boat leaning way over.

Lauren, Patrick, and Shannie rushed to the opposite side, clipping in and leaning out over the side. They occasionally checked the sail and the direction, Lauren eyeing the waters ahead for any hazards she may have to warn Bo about. She saw four speedboats coming in their direction, so called to Shannie who was closest to Bo,

"Four boats coming. Don't let her panic."

Shannie looked back, seeing the look on Bo's face as she pointed at the boats, "You have the right of way! They have to avoid you, so just hold your line."

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt anyone!"

"It's their job to keep themselves safe and not to hurt us!" Shannie shouted back, "We're the ones hanging off the boat!"

Bo nodded, for the first time noticing that the three of them were completely exposed to the boats heading towards them. It was tempting not to turn, but she did as Shannie instructed and watched as the boats, one at a time, gave them a wide berth. She heaved a sigh of relief when they passed and returned her focus to the sails above.

The wind broke just a bit, leading the three to jump back into the boat, Lauren rushing back to Bo,

"Want to run up around the point and into the open ocean for a bit? It's really beautiful."

"More time on the boat?" Bo asked, holding out her hand, "Twist my arm."

Lauren laughed, taking the wheel and spinning it hard, "Heading to port and the open ocean!"

Rudy and Elise jumped up and down, clapping their hands before Rudy yelled, "Can we go faster, Lauren?"

The blonde smiled, looking at Patrick and Shannie, "Starboard bow – looks like we've got tack out there. What do you think?"

The two ducked under the boom, eyeing the water and the current before they both nodded, "Head for the northern buoy and back?"

Lauren smiled, "Our practice course?"

Shannie nodded, "Yes! I never got to run that with you two!"

"Okay, if you're both in, let's hit it! Shannie, remember…"

"Three sails to watch. I know. I can do this, Lauren."

Patrick looked at Shannie, then his partner, "She's got this, Lewis."

"Dennis," Lauren smirked, "Let's go."

Lauren headed back to Bo, grinning, "You like the speed of the boat?"

Bo nodded, "Yea, why?"

"Well, head up front with the girls and hold on tight."

"Why?"

"We're going to show you what it's like to ride in a racing boat," she looked up to Mary and Molly, "You're going to need to come to the center of the boat right here in front of the helm. Sit on the deck and hold tight."

The women moved the girls quickly, Rudy asking, "We're not going to work the sails anymore?"

Lauren shook her head, "I'm sorry, Sweetie. It would be too dangerous. We're going to go really fast."

"Faster than we are going now?"

Lauren nodded, "Faster than we're going now."

Elise smiled, "Are we gonna fly?"

Lauren laughed, "It's going to feel like it."

Elise and Rudy looked at each other, big grins on their faces before they locked arms and leaned back into the arms of Molly and Mary.

"Mom? Are you excited?"

Mary smiled, "Very. It's nice on water, isn't it."

"It's like flying," Rudy smiled.

Molly nodded, "I wonder if we can hook a sail to a dog sled?"

Mary shook her head, "Don't give them any ideas."

The two women laughed, Molly looking down at the pair, "Don't you dare try that."

"We won't. I'd probably get in trouble because we'd crash or the dogs would end up in the air bouncing off the tree tops. But it is a cool idea, Aunt Molly."

Molly smiled at Rudy, "You do know that I'm not really your Aunt, right?"

"Sure you are. You're my sisters' niece by married – she said so. That makes you my Aunt!"

Molly shook her head, "You're Bo's sister so whatever I am to her, I'm the same to you."

"Wait. I'm your Aunt?"

Molly smiled, "You're my Aunt Rudy."

"That's just weird. Aunts are older than their nieces."

Molly nodded, "Usually, that's true but in our case, it's not. It's just another way that we're a special family."

Elise looked up at Molly, "Because you and Mark adopted me and then let me be adopted by Bo and Lauren? Does that make us special?"

Molly's eyes brimmed with tears, "That makes us a family who loves each other no matter what, Elise."

"I love you."

"I love you too, little one. I just want you to be happy. Very, very happy."

"Will you still be happy?"

Molly smiled, "Of course, Child. We're still going to have our playdates and you said you want to stay overnight with LJ sometimes."

"Won't you please move down to the river so I can see you more?"

Molly smiled, "Mark and I are talking about it, as we promised."

"It can be like a vacation house like this is for Bo and Lauren."

Rudy smiled, "But you don't have to take two planes and a big boat to get there!"

Molly laughed, "That's true!"

"Raise the spinnaker!" Lauren shouted.

Mary smiled wide, "Here we go, girls! Hold tight to us!"

The large forward sail opened with a loud thump, dragging the boat into the wind. Bo watched as Lauren's arms flexed under the effort to steer into the wind, fulling inflating the sail. She leaned out, eyeing the horizon ahead, listening for Patrick's voice.

"Starboard!"

She nodded, letting him know she saw the buoy way out on the horizon. As she steered them past the point, the last piece of land before they hit open air, she noted the direction of a large flag flying on land. Wind currents from there to where they were sailing would vary, but decades of sailing these waters had taught her plenty about how to catch the perfect angle with her sails,

"How do you feel about unfurling the staysail?" Lauren asked.

Patrick eyed the main sail, giving her a nod. He hurried back to the helm and took the wheel, "I think you put it off the starboard side. Are you sure that furler works?"

Lauren shrugged, "Indy said he fixed it."

"That was two years ago, Lauren."

She smiled, "And we haven't used the boat since, so no chance we broke it again, right?"

She laughed, tying a line around her waist and heading up the mast.

"Hold that sail tight, Shannie! Keep us steady!"

Shannie looked up, watching Lauren scale the mast. She held on with one arm and slipped the line through the pulley, then slid back down to the deck, running the arm through the furler, tying it secure before running back to the helm.

"Good to go," Lauren said, with a wink to Bo as she took the wheel, "Fingers crossed."

Bo eyed Lauren, whispering louder than expected, "My wife is so hot."

Patrick laughed, "Let's hope he really fixed this thing, or we could have a tangled mess up there."

"Have a little faith!" Lauren shouted, hoping her repairman really did fix the furler. She needed the sail to help trim the main and jib,

"Unfurl the staysail!" She called out, watching, teeth clenched as he cranked the furler until the sail opened.

"Shannie, tighten that jib!"

Lauren watched as she moved quickly to do as instructed, bring the sail to the perfect angle,

"Patrick, the main! Shannie back to the spinnaker! Coming about! Hang on girls!" she shouted, turning back to Bo, "You good?"

Bo nodded, holding tight to… well, whatever it was she was holding onto as all three sails filled,

"Wow," was all Bo could manage as the wind hit her squarely in the face.

The staysail was doing its job to direct wind to the other three, trimming them out to catch every bit of wind. The boat leaned harder, as Patrick and Shannie rushed to counterbalance, Shannie hanging on with one arm as she leaned out over the water, her fist pumping,

"YEA!"

Patrick grinned, turning to look back at Lauren, the two nodding. They'd found their third. If they started to race again, she would be the perfect addition to their team. Her mind began to race with the wind, wondering if they could bring together a fifteen-person team to bring the old family boat out of retirement to enter one of the big regattas. Her grandmother had left it to Lauren in her will, but she couldn't be sure that her parents hadn't sold it to pay their bills.

Still, if the boat was there, it would be cool to pull a team together. She knew that some of her former teammates were working the pro circuit. She would have to talk to Patrick and see if he would want to go in with her on the boat. It would cost money to clean it up. It was probably in bad shape after all of these years sitting in storage. New equipment would be expensive not to mention finding the right class to race in since the boat was older.

They raced to the buoy in record time – according to Patrick who wasn't wearing a watch – rounded the buoy and headed back towards home,

"Coming about! Unfurl the staysail! Watch the boom!"

Shannie looked up, seeing that the jib was about to tangle with the staysail, so she called to Lauren, but the blonde was already turning back away from the wind to buy Patrick more time to get the sail down,

"I see it! Get ready to trim that out again," she turned back into the wind, the jib filling out as Shannie tightened the sail.

Patrick tucked the staysail in before rushing to the spinnaker and trimming that sail as well. He turned to Lauren,

"I'd really rather that was anchored on the deck rather than the mast. What do you think?"

Lauren nodded, "I hate to anchor anything into the deck, but I see your point. That added about thirty seconds to our time."

"You guys were serious about racing?" Bo asked.

Patrick shrugged, "We can't do this course and NOT see if we've still got the goods, Bo! That would be like you quitting in the middle of the Iditarod because you got a little boo-boo on your knee!"

He laughed before hanging out over the water and dipping his head into the sea. As he climbed back in, he flipped his long, wet locks out of his face and hurried back to the mainsail, tightening the line.

Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren from behind, sure not to interfere with her ability to steer the boat,

"I love sailing."

Lauren grinned, "I had a feeling you would. So, you really want to keep this as a vacation home?"

"I mean, it's your house, so sell it, keep it, whatever you want. If you're asking for an opinion, I say keep."

"But you hate flying commercial, you hate leaving Alaska and you hate Boston."

Bo smiled, "I now know that getting onto a big, crowded plane isn't so bad if I fly my plane, then someone else flies me on a bigger plane and then we get on the really big plane. The ferry ride was a piece of cake and this… well, this just makes it all worthwhile. Besides, we're not in Boston and we don't have to go there, right?"

"Right," Lauren said, "Trim the mainsail!"

Bo smiled, "I do wish I could bring all my dogs and run them down main street. They'd love the beach and the ocean."

"The town would love that," Lauren laughed, "This is very much a dog love kind of town. I'll buy them each a different colored bandana with their name on it – all the colors of the rainbow and we can come back during Pride Week."

"Pride Week?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "I keep forgetting your sheltered existence prior to me. We'll read all about it tonight."

"There's a book?"

Laughing, Lauren shook her head, "On the internet, silly."

She ducked under the sail, seeing her turn, "Lower the spinnaker!"

Lauren watched as Patrick and Shannie quickly lowered the sail, gathering it onto the deck, then moved to the jib, eyes on their captain.

"Release the jib…" Lauren watched, adjusting her course as the lowering of the sail changed the angle of the wind on the main.

As the point came into view, she called out to her crew, "Ready to lower the mainsail!"

The two moved to the boom, keeping themselves low until they were told to lower the sail, the boat righting itself to center. Lauren made the final turn, rounding the point and heading for home. When they were barely drifting, she turned on the motor and steered them the rest of the way into the dock.

Bo slid up next to the blonde once more, gripping the brim of her hat and pulling it back onto her head,

"You lost this."

Lauren smiled, "It always falls off if I don't have my ponytail through the back."

"Thanks for this, Lauren. It was great."

The blonde nodded, "I'm so glad you liked it."

"So, when are we coming back?" Bo asked.

"I have meetings again in May," Lauren smiled.

Bo sighed, "Hmmm… raincheck?"

"Why?" Lauren asked.

"Because the babies are due in May," Bo smiled.

"Ohmagosh! I forgot! I've got to get Carolyn to reschedule my meetings to virtual. How about June?"

Bo shrugged, "I really can't leave until they're at least eight weeks old. You'll have to talk to Kyle about dates since she'll have to cover me."

"Okay. You know, I haven't seen them much since we got here. Where have they been hiding?"

Bo chuckled, "Apparently the Swift siblings are loving the big city. It's ironic, really. Tamsin and Kelly want to chill out at the beach and their partners both want to see the sights."

"I guess I'm not surprised by Kyle. She's kind of game for anything, but Kurt is such a shy guy. He's the real shocker for me."

"He's not so shy since he started working for you and hanging out with Kelly. Kurt has really come out of his shell. Think back to when you first met him and you'll probably start to notice. When we would work on my truck or snow machine, he wouldn't say a word to me. Of course, it may have been because he was terrified of me, but from what I saw, he didn't talk much to anyone – even his sister - unless it was to argue."

Lauren nodded, "I guess you're right now that I think about it. Of course, if he's going to date Kelly, she wouldn't really give him a choice. Meena and Maeve said they got to talk with them yesterday when they stopped by after having a lobster lunch."

"Lobster?" Bo asked.

"You've never had lobster? Not even the lobster on the seafood platter in the middle of the table last night?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "Nope. Crab – which was amazing, clams – which were delicious, oysters – which are apparently an aphrodisiac? I've had mostly everything in a shell, but never lobster."

Lauren turned the boat quickly, heading towards the opening of a narrowing inlet, "Shannie!"

"What's up, Lauren?"

"Bo has never had lobster!"

"Alicia didn't make it for you last night?"

Lauren nodded, "She did – just the claws. Apparently, Bo didn't get any. I guess Maeve, Meena and Bev got to it first. There was a ton of other food. We mostly ate the tuna that Bo caught, some scallops, clams and a lot of fruits and salad."

"Aw, man! Fruits and salads have been going into me on the daily! We decided we're going to work with Mary to figure out how to grow fruit trees in our greenhouse… which I'm hoping Bo will help me build."

Bo laughed, "I'll trade you puppy-sitting duty!"

"You're on!"

"Great! I'm reserving two weeks in late June or July!"

"Two weeks?"

Bo grinned, "Whenever Carolyn schedules Lauren's meetings that she's going to have to move from May because we're having babies."

Rudy stood up from behind the cabin overhang, "I thought we weren't making a baby yet!"

Bo shook her head, laughing, "Puppy babies, Roo! Not human babies. They take nine months."

"Nine months? That's forever! If you wait until next year to put a baby in Lauren, it will take two years until we have a new sister!"

Bo and Lauren chuckled, Bo explaining, "Roo, you'll be her Aunt and she'll be your niece unless we have a boy in which case you'll have a nephew. Being an Aunt means you have to teach her, take care of her and help her to grow up to be safe, strong and smart like you and Elise."

Rudy's face scrunched up as she looked down at Molly then back to Bo and Lauren, "But I already have a niece! Molly says I'm her Aunt. Does that mean I'm supposed to do that stuff for her too?"

Again, the adults laughed, Molly looking up at Rudy, "I'm a grown up, Child. You need not worry for me. You should, however, sit back down for your safety."

Rudy looked at her sister, "I've got to sit down now. Bye."

She disappeared behind the wooden overhang as Bo shook her head, "We've got to talk about this baby plan."

Lauren nodded, "Let's wait until after the puppies are born, the trauma center is built and your store is in full swing. We've got enough on our plates, and I don't want to ruin Patrick's joy right now."

They looked up to see Patrick standing at the bow, line in hand as the blonde pulled the boat into the dock at Alicia's restaurant.

"I'll run in!" Shannie said.

"Can we come?" Elise asked, standing up.

Shannie looked at Mary who nodded, "Come on, girls. We're in a hurry."

The two ran off to Shannie, holding up their arms as she helped them over the side of the boat to the dock. Lauren turned off the engine, running to tie off the other end of the boat, then met Patrick in the middle,

"That was fun, right?"

"Definitely," he smiled, "Shannie's got game, right?"

Lauren nodded, "You know, I was thinking – and given where we're living, this may be just a pipe dream, but do you by any chance know what happened to the Gaoth Láidir when I moved?"

Patrick shrugged, "I know that Penelope is still paying the bill for storage."

"A bill for storage?" Lauren asked.

He nodded, "Your parents sold the boat house and told Penelope to let you know that if you didn't get the boat out of there, they would sell it. I told her not to let them sell the boat – that she should hand pick movers to take it to a storage unit that was climate controlled and pay the bill each month."

"How much is it costing me to store it?" Lauren asked.

Patrick shrugged, "Since when do you care how much a storage unit costs? All of your other stuff is in storage."

"What other stuff?"

"Lauren, how do you not know this?"

She sighed, shaking her head, "I probably should and I probably even answered Penelope when she asked me about it – maybe even signed something. I just... when I moved, I was just... distracted."

Patrick smirked, "Well, that's interesting since that boat has been in storage for seven years."

The shock on Lauren's face was apparent, "It's been that long?"

Patrick nodded, "What do you want to do with it?"

"Clean it up and race it."

"Lauren, we live in Alaska."

She nodded, "But if we co-owned the boat and we raced it in a few regatta's each year, it could be a money-maker for us."

Patrick shook his head, "Lauren, the boat is old. I don't think it could hang with the boats of this generation."

"If we found the right class of boats, it might. We could ask Bat what he thinks."

"Let's see if we can take a drive out and see the boat. Maybe have Bat meet us there. Then we'll know more. It will probably take us a year to restore her."

Lauren nodded, "Agreed. In the meanwhile, maybe we could fix up Woody and race her up in Maine?"

Patrick grinned, "We'll have to teach Shannie how to run manual sails."

"She already knows how. I took her out in my two-man a couple years back. She was brilliant. It's how I knew she could handle the boat today. She knows her way around the water, Patrick."

He nodded, "She told me she worked in a fish processing plant to make money for college, then met some guys that got her onto a cod boat. I didn't know she ever sailed."

Lauren shrugged, "She didn't come from money – or a great family support system so she did what she had to do. Waitressing, movie theatre, you name it, she did it. She's tough – not just a tough talker but resilient. She was a hand on a tourist tall ship out of Bar Harbor in summers for a few seasons to make extra money."

"She sure took commands well enough."

"Well, she's been my right hand in surgeries for almost a decade. We've got the right chemistry for teamwork."

Bo emerged from the restaurant carrying an open box. Lauren looked up and smiled, "I didn't realize you'd gone into the restaurant."

She smirked, "I had a craving."

"And where are your crutches?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "My knee feels okay in the brace walking on flat, solid land. It's sand that's rough."

"Okay. Just be careful, please."

"Very careful," she said, holding the box out to the blonde, "She's making milkshakes for the girls, so they'll be a bit. Shannie's eating sushi while they wait. I got some sushi for all of the adults and crabcakes for you and me."

"Mmmm, yes! Her crab cakes are to die for!" Lauren said, taking the paper tub, "And you'll love her special sauce."

Lauren handed Patrick, Mary and Molly each a sushi tray, telling the two women, "If you don't like it, let me know and I'll go back in and get something cooked."

Mary smiled, "If we don't like it, we'll cook it when we get to the house and eat it. This is probably the most beautiful display of food I've ever seen... and Hawai'i has truly beautiful food."

Molly took a bite, her eyes going wide, "This is... amazing!"

Lauren smiled, turning to Patrick when he spoke,

"This is Alicia! She's the best. Her mom grew up in Japan and met her dad when he went there with his family for a vacation. They wrote to each other through their childhood and decided to go to the same college – unbeknowndst to their parents. They just clicked and married in their junior year – again, without their parents blessing. They moved to Boston and the rest, as they say, is history."

Molly shook her head, "Very romantic, but did they ever talk to their parents again?"

Patrick nodded, "Lauren knows that whole story."

The blonde swallowed a big mouthful before answering Molly's question, still chewing as she spoke,

"Sorry. This is SO good! Anyway, yes, of course. They told their parents they had gotten married at their graduation and that they had gotten jobs in Boston at a big engineering company. They had Alicia about three years after that and her brother two years after Alicia. He moved back to Japan because he met his wife on a trip home with their mom."

She swallowed again, taking a sip of water, "Anyway, Alicia's parents both loved to cook, so she grew up in this sort of Italian-Japanese cultural fusion home. She's got some really unique methods and dishes. Best food from here to Boston in my opinion."

They looked up to see Rudy and Elise walking out, holding Alicia's hands, "Mom! Molly! This is Alicia! She made us milkshakes!"

Elise added, "With whipped cream and a cherry on top!"

"And this dust stuff," Rudy looked up at Alicia, "What's it called?"

"Malt."

"Right! Malt!" Rudy said, "It's so good!"

Shannie lifted the girls into the boat before Alicia handed them their milkshakes again. They walked over to the equipment box and climbed on, happily sitting and sipping their cold treat while they chatted about their sailboating experience.

"So, have a good sail?" Alicia asked.

Lauren grinned, "It was a blast to be back out on the water."

"So are you two going to get in on the Winter's End Lighthouse race? It would be great to see the old team back together again."

"Winter's End Lighthouse race?" Patrick asked.

Alicia nodded, "It's a race the P-Town restaurants association used to do back in the sixties. It was a strickly wooden boat race when fiberglass started to come on the scene. Of course, fiberglass won out in the racing class, but now it's making a comeback."

"Okay, so when is this race?" Lauren asked.

"On Saturday. It's open to anyone. Two-hundred dollar entry fee per boat. All boats have to be at least 20 feet, no more than 25 feet. No more than three sails of any kind. Boats must have a fully wooden hull with a cabin and a single mast."

"No weight class?" Patrick asked.

Alicia shook her head, "It's assumed that if the boats are made within those specs that the displacement weight would be approximately the same. Single mast means the sails can only be so big or the mast would break under the stress."

Lauren shrugged, "I guess it makes sense."

Patrick nodded, turning back to Alicia, "What's the course?"

"Race Point Lighthouse to Scituate Lighthouse and back again," Alicia explained.

"That's about what, four hours?" Lauren asked.

Patrick shook his head, "It's only about an hour and a half by the fast ferry and Scituate is further south – closer to the point."

Lauren nodded, "You want to do this?"

He grinned, "It would be fun."

"It would be," she smiled, "I'd have to ask Bo."

"Seriously? She ran a seven-day long race and blew out her knee doing it! You've been waiting on her hand and foot since her surgery. It's time for Lauren to have a little fun of her own!"

Bo waved her hand, "Um... the wife is right here and she can hear you."

"Right. Sorry, Bo. I just... well, I know this is your honeymoon and you may have other plans, but if it would be okay with you," he swung his head around, dropping his shoulders and rolling his eyes, "Can Lauren come out and play with me on Saturday for about..."

Alicia shrugged, "Four hours tops on the water, family day for the restaurant walk when they get back for the rest of the day and at night, fireworks at nine o'clock on the lighthouse beach."

"Fireworks!" Rudy shouted, Elise echoing her sentiment.

"I haven't seen fireworks since I was little!" Elise smiled.

Bo looked at her Mom and Molly who smiled, Molly smirking, "Sounds like fun to me. Besides, watching fireworks with your wife sounds like the perfect romantic ending to your honeymoon... two days early."

Bo sighed, looking at her mom, "We're going to have to find a spot for the dogs during those fireworks. The last thing I need are three young dogs that get spooked by loud noises. They'll be useless dragging a sled. Harper is fine around them."

Lauren raised a hand, "The lab in my basement is sound proof."

"You have a sound proof lab?" Bo asked.

"Some of the tests I do in my research were with the impact of sound waves on tumors. I needed a sound proof room to be sure no other noise other than those I generated could taint my findings."

Bo looked at Mary and nodded, "Okay then. Firework situation solved."

"Any other concerns?" Lauren asked.

"Well, we didn't really have anything planned," Shannie shrugged.

"We?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "You didn't really think I planned all of this on my own, did you? My job was to distract you while the wedding event planners did their job."

Elise and Rudy nodded, Elise reminding Bo, "And remember, you are paying us with bunk beds in both of our bedrooms at all three of our houses!"

"Three houses?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Molly's house too. They're apparently a package deal when Elise goes to Molly and Mark's."

Lauren looked at Molly, "You're okay with that?"

Molly smiled, "We can sell the new bed as gently used in the store, so yes, it's fine."

Bo turned to Elise and Rudy, "Someone failed to mention to me that Molly and Mark had gone to the expense of buying you a new bed."

Elise lowered her head, "Sorry."

"Wow. That sorry word is contagious. Have you not been listening to what we've been telling Rudy?"

"Sor..." Elise began, but stopped herself, looking up at Bo, "I didn't think it mattered."

Bo nodded, "Okay, well here's what we'll do then. The bed at Molly's will come to the cottage..."

"But..."

Bo held up a hand, "And we'll paint it pink. I'll build a second bed for Rudy – possibly a bunk if I can make it work out of the bed that Molly and Mark bought you. That's the deal or you work at the general store instead of with Cassie until you pay off the bed."

Molly went to speak, but Bo held up her hand, "Deal?"

"Deal."

Bo held out her pinky finger, waiting for Elise to accept while Alicia looked on, asking Shannon, "What's that?"

"Pinky swear. It's a family thing. It's how they keep the kids open and honest. It's also how Bo and Lauren keep each other open and honest."

"Really?" Alicia asked, laughing.

"It works. I'm not sure why, but when those kids extend a pinky to me, I just can't lie to them. A promise is a very big deal with this family. If you make a promise, don't break it. You won't be welcomed by these kids."

"Promise. Got it."

Lauren stood, tossing her paper tray into the box, "Well, we'd better get back. Alicia, are you coming over soon?"

"About an hour or so. Just finishing up prep for tonight. Anything you need?"

"Actually, can you ask Meena and Maeve if they have a doggie life jacket that would fit a Siberian Husky that's the size of a German Shepherd?"

"Wow. That's a big dog."

Bo smiled, "And she'll bite your ass if you call her that."

The brunette winked as she tossed her trash into the box, "Don't worry. She bites down so hard that your cheek is gone before you even know you're unconscious from the pain."

Lauren shook her head as Bo walked away, turning to Alicia, "You'll love Harper. She's a perfect dog. My three girls are younger, so they'll probably greet you a bit more enthusiastically. They've had full run of the beach this weekend and way too much table food, so their manners are on vacation as well."

"I can't believe you have a sled dog team," Alicia said, "You sure have changed, Lewis."

"Dennis," Lauren said, frankly.

"See? Even your name has changed."

"Let's get ready to shove off!" Lauren shouted, "See you at my place."

"Four doggie vests, big dog size, but don't call them that," Alicia said, lifting the trash box off the boat and heading back up the steps to the restaurant.

Rudy and Elise waved, "By Alicia!"

She waved back to the girls, "By girls! See you soon!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beach House

"Hey, Pops! Nice to see you outside," LJ said, dropping his chair and having a seat next to his grandfather.

"LJ! Hey there young man. I thought you went out fishing with the rest of the guys."

He shook his head, "Honestly, I'm just not used to the rocking of the sea. I felt sick for hours after the last fishing trip. Besides, Bo thought I would really love to do whatever it is Lauren has the kids doing today with all of the chicks that are coming here."

"Chicks? What are they, women, or animals?" Tosh asked, "Who are you and what have you done with my more respectful grandson?"

"Sorry, Pops," LJ said, "I meant to say Lauren's friends. Anyway, I thought we could hang out a bit and maybe even surf fish from the dock."

Tosh shrugged, "Sounds like something I could handle if you can move this wheelchair onto the dock. I'm not sure if these wheels are supposed to be on wood since they're meant for sand."

LJ shrugged, "I can ask. If not, I can wheel you to the dock and you can walk the short distance to another chair, right?"

Tosh nodded, "I can walk a short distance. I'm hoping I start getting my strength back now that I'm done that last treatment."

"How do you feel, Pops?"

He sighed, "Well, let's see… as I've had a lot of time to think during these wretched treatments, and I feel… that my mom and my wife were murdered by some whack job with a vendetta against my dad who was then imprisoned with the help of Bo… the sister I didn't know I had and Mary… the stepmom I didn't know I had."

He wiped his brow, "My dad then died in jail and good riddance, finally freeing my family to be the good people we should have been all along. One of my sons will not forgive himself for what he did to my sister and my other son is in jail for trying to pick up where my asshat of a father left off. He left his son and nephew behind after dragging them through more dirt and leaving the family name with a permanently shit reputation."

He smiled, "Oh and by the way, I thought I was having a heart attack, but actually had I had a tumor removed, could have been paralyzed or worse, met my maker but instead, I survived, and as it turns out, just have this little old thing called cancer."

Looking up at LJ, he smiled, "Other than that, I'm great. I'm supposed to live despite feeling like walking death right now after chemicals were sent coursing through every tissue in my body to kill said cancer. Of course, for a hot minute there, I thought the chemicals would kill me before the cancer, but alas – here I am – still alive."

He grinned, "My long-lost sisters are both happy, the eldest just got married to a wonderful woman and invited us – all of us – on her honeymoon. The girl is bat-shit crazy. So, I'm alive and here on this fabulous family vacation. I can't do anything but lay around this week, but it's sure as hell great to feel the sun on my face and the ocean breeze on my skin… well, sort of thanks to this required hat, but hey – I'm not complaining.

Placing a hand on LJ's, he smiled, "My grandson chose to stay back with his sickly grandfather rather than go with the men on a fishing trip and he just invited me to go fishing with him while most kids his age would rather be hanging out with their buddies getting into trouble. My grandson is also going to be a proud puppy-father in fifty-five days or so and he's building his skills in the family business."

LJ smiled, "Family business, huh?"

Tosh nodded, "Well, you already know the General Store business. Now, you're learning about the Dennis family business."

"Well, the Dennis family isn't really my family."

Tosh smiled, leaning down and pulling an envelope from his bag. He handed it to LJ, "Sign that and it is."

"What?"

Tosh nodded, "Bo and I had the papers drawn up before we left town. It's your choice – no pressure but I have officially changed my last name to Dennis. Michael is doing the same. Molly and Mark are… considering it."

LJ looked at his grandfather, then quickly opened the envelope as Tosh continued,

"As we discussed, I want you to have a future that will not have you forever tied to the Morton family name. It's up to you, but in my opinion as a businessman, I believe that the name could hurt your future business dealings when my generation and that of my children have retired or gone to the great beyond."

"But you think the name Dennis will help? Pops, Bo has had just as much trouble in our town."

Tosh shook his head, "People have learned the truth now, LJ. It's up to them to believe it or not. With our businesses so close together, we plan to build a town center that is polite, friendly, fun and filled with laughter – Bo's words, not mine."

"Cool," LJ smiled.

"Bo wants the kids and your kids to be raised without all of the crap that we've all had to endure at the hands of our father and his name. Lauren, of course now has parent-felons named Lewis and since she doesn't want her future family to be associated with her past lineage, she is transitioning fully to Dennis. Not an easy task for the world-renowned Doctor Lewis, so although there may be hyphens of Lewis-Dennis here and there, she'll be able to free herself of the old name eventually."

LJ turned to look at his grandfather who had grown quiet, "Pops?"

"I fear Lauren has a rough road ahead of her. This meeting she must go to tomorrow in the city…" he reached down and pulled out a newspaper and magazine, handing both to his grandson who read the headline.

"Oh man," LJ said, "But still, it's one Boston newspaper. How much damage can it do?"

Tosh reached out and pointed to the line beneath the brand, "That's a national newspaper, LJ, and they have an online version as well. Big cities in the lower forty-eight have many papers. If one has this story, I believe they all will have… some form of it."

"So, this headline, 'Embezzlement Scheme at Franklin Lewis Holdings implicates L3 Conglomerate', what does it mean?"

"The L3 Conglomerate of Businesses includes several groups – Franklin Lewis Holdings or Lauren's father, L.L. Events or Lauren's mother, L3 Legal Associates and T.S. Esquire, Inc who are associated with both Lauren and Patrick's fathers and Hartley Investments."

"Hartley… that's the guy who proposed investing in the hospital," LJ said, remembering the man who upset Lauren, Patrick and Penelope at the wedding.

Tosh nodded, "Yes, but if you recall, Lauren walked away from the meeting and Patrick refused the deal after hearing what happened to that woman Patricia. Somehow Hartley was involved in not providing her mom's breast cancer treatment because it would have cost too much money to save her life."

"Wow. What an asshole."

"Indeed," Tosh agreed as LJ looked back down at the paper,

"So, this will be bad for the Lewis name."

Tosh nodded, "So Lauren is going to distance herself from it… of course, that was her plan for months now before she knew what was going on with her parents."

"Why?"

Tosh scowled, "Why?"

LJ nodded, "Why would she give up the name that turned her into the greatest surgeon on the planet and helped her to build this great hospital with all of these fantastic doctors?"

Tosh smiled, "One day, I hope you'll understand that if a job is going to take up eight or more hours of your daily life for most of your life, it should be a job that you love. Lauren has always felt a tremendous sense of reward in saving the lives of her patients or at least improving their quality of life, but she never wanted the fame and it wasn't fun for her. I mean, now could it be? I look at that young girl who just moved here – to Talkeenta - and I can't imagine being the doctor who has to wait for someone else to die so that she may live."

LJ nodded, "Yea, I talked to Shannie about that. She said it's not even that someone has to die so the kid can live – the right person has to die. The heart has to fit, the tissues have to match – there's all sorts of complicated stuff to do a heart transplant and after it's all done, the patient's body could reject the heart, or it could fail or the heart could be damaged when they get it."

Tosh looked shocked that he knew what he knew. LJ shrugged,

"The family came to the kennel to meet the dogs a while back. The kids come quite regularly after school and their mom picks them up there. Thea – the one waiting for the heart – she loves animals and… I guess I was curious about what was wrong with her. She's so pale and thin and always out of breath. I did some research online," he shook his head, "It's really bad, Pops."

Tosh looked up at the large group out on the water, "It is, but if anyone can save her, it's Lauren and her team."

He smiled, "We've got some pretty amazing women in our lives, Grandson. Let's hope that we can keep the presence of mind to never take them for granted."

LJ looked down at the newspaper, folded it up and handed it back to his grandfather before reading the cover of the magazine,

"Wow. You should have put this one on top," he said, beaming at the cover photo of Alaska Magazine.

"I threw that one in there because that's why I think that wearing the Dennis name would be good for you. Good for all of us," he smiled before heaving a great sigh and turning to LJ,

"I will always regret not standing up to my father, but living the isolated life that I chose allowed me to continue to avoid participating in his world after my wife died. I could have stopped my sons from getting involved with him, but I didn't. I chose to let them choose their path rather than guiding them away from him. I was foolish to think they were strong enough to stand up to him when I didn't do it myself. It was a piss-poor example I set for them."

LJ shrugged, "Maybe it was for them, but it was the right example for me and Michael. We saw what our fathers did – mine more than his. We talked about it a lot because we had each other. We chose… we decided that we would be different. We talked to Bo to learn the truth of who she was and we listened to Hale and Dyson. We had strong male role models, Pops. We had Molly – I had Molly. She knew the truth and she also knew how to pull Uncle Mark away from his grandfather."

Tosh nodded, "Still, if I had stood up to him, maybe your dad wouldn't be going to prison. Maybe your grandmother and your mom would still be alive. Maybe Bo's mom would never have left and maybe Bo's dogs would still be alive."

LJ smiled, "All of that is true, Pops. You're absolutely right. However, if Big Jim hadn't driven out the clinic doctors, Evony never would have brokered the deal to come here and build a hospital which means Lauren never would have come. That means Bo is still living on the North Slope – maybe even having gone to college and becoming an engineer in which case she's building in the Lower Forty-Eight or staying up north with her mom. Her mom never leaves here to move to Hawai'i and she never has Rudy…"

"But…"

"And…" LJ interrupted, holding up his hand, "Lauren not coming here means the Valaria's never hear about her, never leave Elise to her or worse – because Lauren doesn't come, that damn virus kills twice as many people and Elise never makes it out of her parents' house alive."

"Wow. That's a rather dark take on…"

LJ shook his head, "…Pops, everything happens for a reason. Period. What happened, happened, and the life we have is better for it. We have to believe that and continue to move forward with our lives otherwise, the past will catch up to you and swallow you whole."

Tosh nodded, smiling, "When did you get so smart?"

He looked up at the women out on the water, "I had great teachers."

Tosh grinned, "Indeed you did. So why hesitate to become a part of that family?"

LJ smirked, "Maybe I'll get Shannie and Lynnie to adopt me. They think they may want a kid."

Tosh pulled off his hat and smacked LJ over the head, "Smartass. My grandson is a smartass. I need a nap, so you read that article and wake me when you have an opinion about it."

"Well, I can tell you right now that Bo's not going to be happy with this cover photo. Harper's in the basket instead of leading the team."

The grandfather shook his head, "She'll get over it when she sees the pictures inside. Besides, that's proof that Harper wasn't running for at least part of the race before she was pulled. Read."

Tosh sat back, pulling his hat down over his face, "Wake me when you're finished reading."

LJ set to the task of reading which included two articles printed from the internet that had been put inside the cover. He was amazed by what the reporter, Gwen, had written. They had all been wrong about her behavior at the race. Gwen was in Bo's corner, which is why she was fired. Of course, now that he had read it, LJ knew that this was likely the article that had gotten her the new job on the east coast, thanks to the efforts of Stephen, Betsy, Carolyn and Shannon.

When he had finished reading, he tapped his grandfather, rousing him from his nap, "Someone finally wrote the truth about our way of life."

Tosh grinned, "Yup. And Bo's reputation is kind of national hero type… well, Alaskan hero, anyway."

LJ nodded, handing his grandfather the magazine. He picked up the envelope from the ground and pulled the papers and pen from within. He flipped through the document, signing where each of the yellow stickers had been placed, then sealed the papers back inside the envelope and handed it to his grandfather.

"Tosh and LJ Dennis," he smiled, shaking his grandfather's hand.

"You're okay with it?"

LJ looked out at the water and smiled, "I think I'll be proud to be a Dennis."

Tosh smiled, closing his eyes, "Me too, LJ. Me too."

LJ grinned, "I have a step-grandmother and you have a step-mom."

"We're lucky men, LJ. Let's not forget it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, in the speedboat, out on the water…

"Lauren? Is it supposed to be this tight on my feet?" Rudy asked of the wakeboard's fit.

The blonde nodded, "Yup. It should be tight, but not painful, right?"

Rudy nodded, "I'm just used to having plain feet on a board."

"Well, you said you want to do tricks, so the boots are necessary."

She sighed, "Maybe I'll just wake surf like Lynnie did."

It was Lauren's turn to sigh, "Okay. You've got to decide, Sweetie because they're two different things. One, the boat is going to pull you and you'll be able to launch into the air and do spins and twists. The other, your feet won't be attached to the board – the boat will pull you up by the rope and then you'll drop the rope once you're settled into the wave."

"But once I drop the rope, I have to stay on the same side of the wave, right?"

Lauren nodded, "That's right. You're either riding facing the wave or with your back to the wave."

Rudy leaned forward, "And if I pump the front of the board, it's like the gas pedal on your truck and if I pump the back side, it's like putting on the brake."

"That's right. You can surf right up to the back of the boat, hit the brake and settle back down into the middle of the wave again."

Rudy nodded, "Maybe I'll do with the boots first."

"That sounds like a plan. Now, you remember what I taught you on land about getting up on the board?"

Rudy smiled, "Cannonball position like when I jumped into the pool and splashed Sister. The boat will start, I press my board edge against the water and it will pull me up to bucket poop squat position, then when I'm up, you'll gimme lots of speed so I can have fun."

Lauren nodded, "That's right. My run is going to be really short, okay? I'm going to show you a few tricks just so you have an idea of how surfing translates to wakeboarding. Then, I'll climb into the boat, and you'll go."

"Okay, but maybe you should not do too short… so I can watch a couple times."

Lauren smiled, "Okay. What tricks do you want to see?"

Rudy shrugged, "Well, you said when I take the boots off that I have to olley like on my skateboard to keep up with the wave, so you should show me that."

Lauren nodded, "Okay. I'll leave some slack in the rope and show you that. What else?"

"You're going to do a cross wake grab?"

Lauren smiled, "Yup. I'll do that first to warm up, maybe add a roll."

"Then you'll show me the heel side front flip?"

Lauren nodded, "Okay and do you remember what I told you about that one?"

"Don't let go of the rope, keep the rope tight and at my chest, enter the wave at an angle, press my back heel down as I take off, but don't lose my edge, think like a cartwheel but let my legs just follow my body."

"You are a very good student," Lauren said, tweaking her nose, "What else?"

"A tantrum?"

Lauren nodded, "I'm out of practice, so I may not land it, but I'll give it a few tries. Just remember that landing it…"

"Is the hardest part because if I don't clear the opposite side wake, I could land in the white water and crash."

Lauren smiled, "You'll either be going up the wake or down the wake when you land, so be sure to let your heel guide you when you land."

"Plant my toe and I plant on my face," she giggled.

"Exactly," Lauren smiled, "Okay. Three tricks," she looked up at Kelly, "You ready driver?"

Kelly nodded, "Shannie's spotting, everyone else in the back of the boat to give Lauren a better wave."

Alicia moved to the deck at the back of the boat with Shannie. Lynnie and Elise moved to the side rear, Ronnie and Bev took the back middle and Maeve and Meena moved to the opposite side. Once they were all seated, Kelly gave Shannie a thumbs up. Standing on the platform, holding onto the wakeboarding tower, Shannie gave a thumbs up to Lauren.

"I hope I have the trim right, Lauren. Sorry if it's off. You really should get one of those new electronic setups. They're really awesome."

Lauren smiled, "Yea, well for how much I'm actually here, it's not really worth the expense. Besides, this isn't a competition and the boat is pretty heavy with the audience on board. Whatever I get, I'm just glad to get some rides in after all this time."

They all watched as Lauren jumped into the water and Kelly pulled the boat away, coming back around to pick her up. As the handle of the towline came towards her, Lauren grabbed hold, waiting for the slack to leave the rope. She gave Kelly a thumbs up and the boat began to move forward.

"Cannonball position, poop bucket position and she's up!" Rudy shouted, "That was easy!"

Shannie smiled, "Just remember that the pull of the engine and the height of the tower want you to stand up faster than you should. Stay in that tuck, keep your edge down and your weight back until you're out of the water. Then, turn your board and stand up. Here she goes."

Rudy watched as Lauren whipped out along the side of the boat, giving her a wave. She smiled and waved back before turning her board and heading towards the wake, launching herself into the air and landing on the other side.

"YES! That was so cool!" Elise shouted, "I wanna learn to do that!"

Lynnie smiled, "It's not too late to try."

Elise shrugged, "Let Rudy go. I got to tube and ski. She only got to tube so far, and she was beached all day yesterday."

Lynnie pinched her cheek, "That's very nice of you, Squirt."

"I'm a nice kid," Elise nodded, "What's she gonna do now?"

She crawled onto Lynnie's lap so she could see around the tower and pointed, "She's gonna do the flip thing?"

Lynnie nodded, watching Rudy whose eyes were glued to Lauren as she hit the wake and flipped around and over the wake, landing on the other side.

"YES! You landed it!" Rudy shouted, looking back at Elise who was also cheering.

"Here comes the hardest one," Shannie said, "This is Lauren's least favorite trick."

"She doesn't like doing tantrums?"

"She doesn't like not landing them. She loves doing them when they work."

Rudy laughed, "Nobody likes to wipe out."

They watched as Lauren moved outside the wake, allowing all of the slack out of the rope. She came into the wave, launching feet over head backwards, her momentum carrying her across the calm water of the central part of the wake before she landed on the downside of the outer rim. She pumped her fist overhead, everyone on the boat cheering before she began to pump her board, coming right up to the edge of the back of the boat. Rudy yelled,

"Show me how braking and going!"

Lauren nodded, shouting as she demonstrated, "Olley forward…" she pushed down her back edge, "Brake or reverse olley."

Kelly slowed the boat, Lauren sinking slowly into the water, "Your turn, Roo!"

She clapped as Lauren climbed into the boat, "You landed it!"

Lauren smiled, "Believe me – I was as surprised as you!"

She climbed onto the platform, releasing her bindings, and slipping out of the boots, then took a seat on the deck next to Rudy,

"Ready?"

Rudy nodded, "Yup."

She whispered several times, "Cannonball, poop bucket…" as she slid into the water. Lauren handed her the rope handle and gave a nod to Kelly to take up the slack in the rope.

"Okay, Roo. Board up, knees to your chest, edge in the water," Lauren smiled, "Ready?"

"Go!" Rudy said.

Kelly responded, taking the boat up to one mile per hour, then two miles per hour until she saw Rudy's body come out of the water. She gradually increased the throttle and in mere seconds, she was in her stance and riding the wake.

"YEA SQUIRT!" Shannie yelled, "I can't believe she got up on the first try!"

"Go Rudy!" Elise shouted as well.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, at The Pier

Bo approached her brother and his grandson, smiling at the two sitting back in their chairs, neither noticing the rods that were in the holders attached to the pier railing were bending towards the water,

"You guys want to reel those fish in rather than torture them?"

Tosh sat up so fast that his hat flew forward landing at his feet. LJ looked around, trying to figure out where he was before he heard the drag on his reel,

"Whoa! I got a fish!"

"Me too!"

Bo laughed as the two reeled in their catch,

"Nice one, LJ," Bo smiled, "That's a striped bass. Very nice catch."

She noticed Tosh struggling a bit more before he finally looked up at his Sister,

"Strange as this may sound, this is hurting the skin on my hands. Can you?"

Bo smiled, "Thanks for being man enough to admit it, big brother."

"What's left of my pride was gone the day Shannie had to help me sit up on the toilet to pee. This chemo really wipes me out."

Bo nodded, "As they said it would, Brother. It's behind you now. You'll start getting stronger. Be patient. Until then, we're all here to help."

"What is that Bo?" LJ asked.

"That, my boys, is a Winter Flounder if memory serves," she pointed to the tackle box, "I put a Fish of Massachusetts page in there. Double check me."

LJ pulled out the chart, comparing the fish in Bo's hands to the one pictured, "Yup – that's the ugliest fish I've ever seen."

Bo frowned, "Now, how would you like it if I called you the ugliest boy I'd ever seen? This big guy can't help what he looks like any more than we can. Be kind. He's dinner. The last thing he should hear are insults given he's about to die so you don't go hungry."

"He's going to make the ultimate sacrifice and if he's good, I'll give him the ultimate compliment by eating all of him."

"You're just cruel," Bo said, shaking her head.

"So, my new name is Cruel Dennis?"

Bo lifted her head, eyeing LJ before turning to Tosh who gave her a nod. She smiled, turning back to LJ, "Welcome to the family… nephew."

"Thanks, Aunt Bo."

She scowled, "Okay, let's agree we stay LJ and Bo. Those titles just sound weird."

"Agreed," he smiled, "You could call me son if you want."

"No son of mine would be caught dead in that fishing hat. Where did you get it?"

He smiled proudly, "Stephen bought it for me at the shop down on the pier. Aren't all of the lures and flies cool?"

Bo shook her head, "I think Stephen has found a new hobby. Gods help us."

LJ shook his head, "More like Gods help Betsy. He's planning fishing trips for them."

"He's not," Bo laughed.

"I wish I was lying, Bo."

She turned back to Tosh, about to make a joke, but noticed he was holding his stomach, "Bo, help me up."

"Tosh! Are you okay?"

"I'm gonna be sick. Just help me get over the railing…"

Bo dropped the fish into the bucket and ran to his side, LJ running to the other. They got him standing just in time, each of them turning away as he tossed his cookies into the water below. It took a few minutes, but when he was finally finished, they helped him back into his chair, Bo handing him a rag,

"Don't inhale. It might smell like fish."

"Got any gum?" He asked.

Bo looked at LJ, "In the tacklebox there's mints."

"Even better. Gum is too much work," he smiled.

"Tosh, are you okay?"

He shrugged, "I'm really weak, Bo. Really, really weak."

She nodded, looking down at the dock and seeing the wave runner, "I'm going to go get one of the girls. I'll be right back. LJ, don't let him fall out of that chair."

As she made her way down the ramp as quickly as she could yelling to her mom and Molly who were shucking corn on the cob on the front porch,

"Mom! Molly! Help!"

The two women came running, "Can one of you go get the medical bag from the guest house? I'm going to go get Lynnie off of Lauren's boat. Someone needs to go up there with LJ until I get back."

Molly headed for Tosh while Mary went for the bag. Bo made her way to the wave runner as fast as her leg would allow. She hopped on, started the engine, and headed out to the boat.

She approached just in time to see Rudy land a back flip over the waves behind the boat,

"Damn that kid's good," she said aloud, waving to Lauren.

The blonde waved back, so Bo used a cutting motion across her throat, hoping she would understand that she needed her to stop. Rudy landed another jump before the boat slowed. Bo waited for her to climb into the boat before she approached,

"Something's up with Tosh. Can I take Lynnie with me?"

Shannie shook her head, at her fiancé, "You stay. I'll go."

Lynnie had no time to answer since Shannon was already diving into the water and heading for Bo. She climbed onto the back, wrapping her arms around the brunette before they sped off.

Rudy looked at Lauren, "Is Brother okay?"

"Do you want to go in?"

"Yes, please. I just want to make sure he's okay."

Lauren wound her finger in a circle towards Kelly, then pulled in the towline and helped Rudy out of her boots. The two sat on the platform, Rudy sitting behind Lauren until they made it to the dock.

She climbed out of the boat and immediately noticed Shannie pulling out her phone and talking to someone, so turned back to Kelly and their friends,

"Will you park the boat? Show the girls how to tie it off and how to rinse off the equipment?"

She looked at Lynnie, "With me, please?"

Lynnie looked at Kelly who nodded. The two women left the boat, leaving the third behind. Kelly turned to Rudy and Elise,

"Okay, girls. This is the single most important job of a boat crew. Tying up at the dock."

"Is Tosh okay?" Rudy asked, looking back at Lauren.

Kelly smiled, "He's going to have a doctor and two nurses with him, so he's in good hands if he's not. Right now, we handle what we're qualified to handle."

Alicia smiled at Elise, "Do you want to take the front of the boat with me?"

Elise nodded eagerly, "Do you know the front of the boat is actually called the bow of the boat?"

Rudy took Ronnie's hand, "We'll get the back part of the boat, Rudy."

"The back is called the stern, right?" Rudy asked.

Ronnie nodded, "Do you know what the right side of the boat is called?"

"The starboard side and the left is the port side!"

"Well done!" Ronnie smiled, "Okay, knot demonstration for tying off a boat…"

Rudy smiled, "I lived in Hawai'i, so I think I know unless Lauren uses different knots. Can I try and you tell me if I'm wrong?"

Ronnie grinned, "Sure thing. Show me your stuff, kiddo."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

PROVINCETOWN CLINIC

The doctor came out into the waiting area where Bo, Lauren, Shannie, Lynnie and Molly were all waiting. She moved to Lauren immediately,

"Lauren, it's nice to see you."

Lauren's eyes went wide at the sight of her former colleague Boston. They had lab together as interns and worked the same surgical rotations. Maggie eventually chose oncology for a specialty so other than a few rare cases, they had rarely seen each other beyond staff meetings or conferences where they both spoke. She was amazing as an oncologist, but she could also kick Lauren's butt with a microscope.

"Maggie Pierson…"

"Actually, it's Maggie McTierney now."

Lauren smiled, "Congratulations and it's so good to see you again."

Maggie only nodded, offering no information about her family as she continued to talk to Lauren and the group,

"I understand this is your family and that Mr…" she flipped the pages on the chart back and forth, "… strange… I'm not sure if it's Morton or Dennis but he's your brother-in-law?"

Lauren looked at Bo who nodded, "Yes and my brother. The last name is Dennis."

The rest of the group of family and friends looked baffled by Bo's claim that Tosh's last name was Dennis, but the doctor continued, before they could ask.

"He's resting comfortably – sleeping actually. He'll do a lot of that for the next twenty-four hours or so. I believe the drugs his doctor chose to ease the side-effects were counterproductive. I'm not sure why they chose the drugs they did – not to question his physician – but this specific chemotherapy and those meds," she shook her head,

"Anyway, Nurse McCarthy was quite right – his cell counts were very low, likely from the last round of chemotherapy. She said he's finished now?"

Bo nodded, "Yes."

"Well, there's no sign of infection, but since infection is common and you are about to take another flight in a week, I've put him on a broad-spectrum antibiotic just to stay ahead of any potential problems. In addition, he had only had one sixteen-ounce bottle of water today and we all know that is not nearly enough. His calorie intake is also low. He's only had one protein bar to eat, so…"

Shannie shook her head, "That little loser. I'm going to bust his balls with a sledgehammer!"

Lauren eyed Shannie who huffed, shaking her head, but Shannie stopped her before she could reprimand her,

"No, Lauren. We are not at our hospital so to hell with the professionalism. I gave him strict instructions that he was to eat and drink all the food and fluids that we left for him before we finished playing with the girls. He had one job! You've always said it yourself – we can heal a patient's body, but we can only do so much for their minds to get them to follow our advice. He didn't follow our advice!"

"Shannie," Bo began, but she wasn't finished,

"No, Bo. He's being selfish. I know that he's had a shit family for most of his life but this new family – all of us and everyone back at the beach house in addition to a lot of people who are back home – he has to think about us now. He has to think of Rudy and Elise – he can't take their big brother from them. It would crush their happiness. Haven't they been through enough?"

Bo looked at the group, her eyes seeing Carolyn's hand wrapping around her fiancé's, "You're right and I'll talk to him."

Shannie sighed, calmer now, "He's lucky. He's lucky that you were able to give him two pints of your blood given that you had surgery not long ago. If you weren't such a connoisseur of all things protein, you never would have been able to handle it."

The doctor cleared her throat, "If I may, proteins are exactly what he needs now. Nuts, nut butters, dried beans, peas, lentils and any soy foods will all help him. Of course, fish, meat and chicken are all good as well, though some may not be as tolerable as others given the nausea. Knowing the mercury contents of some species of fish, please take the advice of the locals on how much fish he should consume. We don't want his body to have anything else to fight."

"And the nausea?" Lauren asked.

The doctor nodded, "I am trying a new anti-nausea medicine as well. Hopefully it will work better than the one that was previously prescribed."

Lauren nodded, "Can we discuss those medications?"

"Of course, Lauren," she turned to the rest of the group, "He is sleeping, but if you would like to see him, please feel free to go back while I talk to Doctor Lewis."

The group walked away, Bo giving Lauren a nod before she joined the rest of the family.

Lauren smiled, "Maggie, please – call me Lauren… and it's Lauren Dennis now."

"Really?" Maggie asked, shocked, "I thought that you didn't take Nadia's last name."

Lauren nodded, "I didn't, but… well, Nadia and I were divorced and then she was dating someone else."

"I haven't seen you for so long. I had no idea. I've been out of the hospital gossip circles. So, are you and Nadia still working together?"

Lauren sighed, "There's no easy way to say this, Maggie… Nadia was killed crossing the street in Boston. Hit and run driver."

"Oh my God! Lauren!"

The blonde nodded, "I know and it's an awkward position for me. I mean, we were divorced but I did care for her despite some of the questionable things she did."

Maggie scowled, "I'd heard she was somehow connected to something that Evony had done that resulted in legal action against Evony. I suppose all I really know is that Evony's empire fell."

Lauren nodded, "Evony is in jail and Nadia did serve some time. She also lost her medical license. I brought the charges against them. Also named in the suit were any doctors who chose to join and the town of Talkeetna – a small Alaskan community where Evony had built a deal to build a clinic and a hospital."

"Alaska?"

Lauren nodded, "I think she was hoping to hide her investments – at least my business manager believes that was her plan."

Maggie nodded, "More like business losses. She was probably hoping to tank the hospital to offset her gains."

"Something like that, yes," Lauren admitted.

"So, what was Nadia doing after all of that?"

Lauren shrugged, "She was getting her paramedic's license. She wasn't permitted to work in medicine, so I suppose it was the next best thing. She had a girlfriend and had actually emailed me to apologize for everything. From what I heard, this new woman had a very positive affect on her and she was starting to turn her life around. She was waiting for Nadia on the other side of the crosswalk when it happened," Lauren said, "I can't imagine."

Maggie nodded, "That is tragic. That's the only word to describe it. So many people in our profession get caught up in the wrong world. Donors and galas… they forget the mission and choose the road to the paycheck."

Lauren laughed, "Not that the paycheck is that big. I always find myself laughing at people who think we're all rich. If I worked in the tech industry, my paycheck would be three times bigger – especially now that I'm out of cardiothoracic surgery."

"Yea, but at least you had family wealth to fall back on," Maggie said, seeing Lauren's smile faulter, "I'm sorry, Lauren. I didn't mean…"

Lauren nodded, "Sure you did. Just keep in mind that you should never assume that what happens in a home is what you think is happening in a home."

Nodding, the doctor replied, "I'm sorry about your parents."

Lauren was taken aback by the comment, "My parents?"

Maggie nodded, "I saw the paper this morning."

"The paper?" Lauren asked as Maggie walked to a table in the corner. She picked up today's news and walked it back to her former colleague,

"This morning's paper," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Lauren unfolded the paper, reading the headline. She froze, swallowing hard, "I didn't know the news had traveled… here."

"I suppose that's what you meant about your family's money?"

She shook her head, "I severed my connection to my family's holdings soon after accepting my residency... before that, actually. You know I was ROTC. That's how I paid for undergrad and medical school."

Lowering her eyes to the headline, she shook her head, "I needed to take back control of my life," she shook her head, "Of course, that was before I mistakenly handed that control over to Evony."

"I'm sorry, Lauren. I didn't know things were bad with your family. I mean, the papers always showed you all together smiling."

Lauren offered a weak smile and a nod, "Yea well, that was all for show. Failure to attend my parents' various gatherings was never an option."

She sighed, thinking back to her life as a young resident, "I had the trust fund from my grandfather and the money my grandmother left me to pay off my loans. I really didn't need much. Evony kept me at the hospital six days a week, sometimes seven. My shifts were sixteen hours a day. Who had time to spend money?"

Maggie nodded, "The machine that is healthcare."

"Yup. When I finally opened my eyes to what she was doing to the doctors and departments around me, I started to dream about what I would do if I was in charge of the hospital. When doctors began to speak to me about their contracts and what Evony had done to them, I was presented with an opportunity to set things right and build the type of healthcare system I'd dreamt of most of my career."

"So, what are you doing now?"

Lauren smiled, "I'm finally living life – both personally and professionally – on my own terms. Stephen Archer and I opened the hospital that Evony had planned to build. There's also a clinic and we're currently building a trauma center as well."

"No big cardiothoracic center?"

"I'm not doing cardio surgeries anymore unless they come in through the new trauma center or a doctor specifically asks for my consult."

Maggie shook her head, "I just can't imagine. There are hearts breaking all over the planet with that declaration… quite literally!"

The two laughed, Lauren shaking her head, "Trauma surgery has always been my number one love. Evony groomed me into heart surgeries because it's what she wanted. She needed a face for her empire to bring in the big donors and wealthy patients and – well, you knew me back then – shy, reserved and obedient like everyone else was forced to be."

Maggie shook her head, "And now there's a new you, huh?"

Nodding, Lauren smiled, "I'm loving my life, Maggie. I am no longer doing anything that I don't want to do. I'm consulting on heart surgeries and teaching techniques rather than watching patients die waiting for a heart to become available. I'm building a trauma center and our new lab is in its own building. We're just waiting on equipment and staffing. We have a new oncology wing with… well, I think you know her - Savannah Hawthorne?"

Lauren could see from Maggie's body language that she was not a fan,

"Ugh. I mean… I'm sorry. She's tops in reputation for oncology treatments but… well, how do I put this…"

"No bedside manner? Possessive of patients? My way or the highway? Impossible to work with?" Lauren laughed, "Those are just some of the comments Stephen and I have received. She's a work in progress."

"Yea, well I hope you have the patience for lots and lots of time within that progress."

Lauren smiled, "I'm not sure Shannon does and I know that Carolyn is running thin on patience with all the complaints from nurses on that floor."

"I thought Nurse McCarthy was your surgical right hand. How did she end up as Tosh's nurse in Oncology?"

Lauren shook her head, "Her hands belong to another cardio doc now. In addition, she's become a very good friend to my wife. She was taking care of Tosh as a favor to Bo. She went to pick him up when he was discharged and got into it with Savannah - apparently a big argument over him coming on this trip."

"Oh boy."

Lauren nodded, "Savannah wanted him to stay in the hospital and Bo couldn't imagine not having her only brother with us. It was too late to change everyone's travel arrangements by the time he was diagnosed, so it was now or never and dear Doctor Hawthorne was betting on never. Fortunately, Shannon doesn't hear the word 'no' easily."

Maggie frowned, "Lauren, when I told you I wasn't sure about the meds his doctor had prescribed, I was being quite serious. The combination of targeted chemotherapy drugs in use are contraindicated in his case."

Lauren paused, "What exactly are you saying, Maggie?"

"The specific combination would not prevent infection and may not alleviate side-effects, but could, indeed – potentially – make them worse."

Lauren's hands balled into fists, "What are you saying, Maggie?"

She heaved a heavy sigh, "I don't know, Lauren. Those are the facts of treatment, so as to the motivation of using them against what we know about drug interactions, especially post-surgery… well, if he were my patient, nothing could have motivated me to prescribe that combination of chemicals in the human body."

Lauren pulled out her phone and called Betsy knowing that Stephen's phone was probably dead. He'd been enjoying his vacation so much that he'd taken to leaving it behind,

"Lauren, dear. We just got back and heard. How is Tosh?"

"He's resting comfortably, Betsy. Please let everyone know."

"I will. The girls were very worried."

"I'm sure they were. Please tell them that their big brother is going to be fine. Is Stephen there?"

"Why yes. They just got back from their fishing trip. They're all very proud of themselves."

"I'm sure they are. Would you please ask Stephen to come down to the Provincetown Clinic?"

Lauren held while Betsy asked. She could hear him respond that he would be there right away,

"Lauren?"

"I heard Betsy. Thank you."

"Do you need me to come along?"

"No. Please, stay and relax. We'll be back in another hour, but…" she paused, but moved forward, "Is Patrick there?"

"No, they're not back yet. Do you need him?"

Lauren shrugged, "Stephen will call him after we chat if we do. Thank you."

"Okay. Mary wants to know if she can do anything."

"If she wants to start prepping the food, she can do that. I think Bo told her what she was putting on the dinner menu tonight."

"Hold on. Here's Mary."

Lauren nodded, waiting to hear her mother-in-law's voice.

"Lauren, I'm happy to hear the good news about Tosh. About dinner – Bo gave me the menu, but the men have brought back clams, crabs and lobster as well. Patrick just left and took them to your other traps?"

She smiled, "Have you cooked shellfish before?"

"I've cooked opihi, pipipi, puho 'okani and 'olepe."

Lauren nodded, "And those are?"

"Shellfish from Hawai'i. Opihi is a limpet, pipipi is a small mollusk, puho 'okani is a conch and 'olepe looks very much like the clams and oysters we saw at the market today. We at mostly shrimp, mahi mahi, ahi and lomi lomi salmon in the islands."

"Okay. Well, if you have an idea of how to cook those in a firepit, we can certainly experiment. I'd work with Patrick on the shellfish when he gets back. He's actually a very talented cook… and you do have a chef there."

"Yes, but Betsy and I thought you would want to give her a night off."

"That would be nice, but if you want her advice, she will certainly give it. You just have to remind her she's there to learn how to cook in a fire pit."

"And make sand bowls."

"You're teaching sand bowls?" Lauren asked.

She could hear Mary laugh, "Not without you and the nurses. I'm just getting everything prepared."

"Okay. We should be back in about an hour," she looked up to see Stephen walking in the front entrance, "Oh, I see Stephen. Duty calls. See you soon."

"See you soon, Child. Apparently, we're just down the road if you need anything else. Give our love to Tosh."

"I will, Mom."

She turned to Maggie, as Stephen entered, "Do you remember Stephen Archer?"

Maggie grinned as Stephen wrapped his arms around her, smiling at Lauren, "My very best lab rat."

"Very best, huh?" Lauren asked.

Stephen smiled, "You were my number two lab rat. You loved surgery too much but this one was in love with test tubes and the tiniest critters in the human body."

Lauren sighed, "Alas, I cannot argue. She is tops in the lab."

"So, have you brought me here to interview our new recruit," Stephen asked, turning to Maggie, "We have a brand new state-of-the-art lab that needs a Chief and Lauren's right, you would be the perfect candidate."

Lauren saw Maggie turn to her, surprised by Stephen's declaration. She shook her head, "Honestly, we hadn't talked about that yet. I asked you here to talk about Doctor Hawthorne."

Stephen's smile vanished in an instant as Lauren continued,

"Maggie just shared some rather unnerving information with me and since you are handling this matter due to my close relationship with the patient, I thought it was better that you hear what she has to say. I was going to get Shannon and Carolyn down here so the four of you could compare notes."

Lauren went into her phone, unlocking it so that Stephen could use it,

"I'm guessing you need my phone to call Doctor Spiro. He would be best for a consult and could access the patient records."

Stephen took the phone, smiling at Maggie, "I left my phone on the dresser in my room the first day we got here and haven't touched it since. I feel – almost - retired again."

Lauren smiled, "Almost. Sorry for the reality check."

Stephen turned to Maggie, "With Lauren's blessing, I do wish to speak with you about the position and possibly, Chief of Oncology if things go where I think they're going. Would you be open to that discussion?"

Maggie shrugged, "I'd never even considered moving from this town let alone moving clear across the country," she sighed, "But with my parents gone and being an only child…"

Stephen eyed the wedding ring and nodded, "I'm sure you have to discuss it with your spouse."

Maggie looked at Lauren, offering a weak smile before she turned back to Stephen, "He passed away, so… well, I honestly have nothing but this clinic keeping me here. I mean, I love my house and the Cape…"

Lauren placed a hand on Maggie's, "I'm so sorry, Maggie. I had no idea that…"

"I was married. It was my best kept secret… an even better secret that he was dying of pancreatic cancer."

"Oh, Maggie," Lauren said, her hands on her mouth, "So that's why you disappeared all of those years ago?"

She shrugged, looking up between the two acquaintances, "Evony wouldn't give me money to fund the research I wanted to do on his condition. Of course, at the time, she didn't know I was married let alone that I had a husband who was dying of the very illness that I wanted to research."

Shaking her head, she explained, "I was so close to a new treatment option, but you know that takes funding and FDA trials and approvals. He was running out of time, and we were desperate, so I took a job here. My contract with her wouldn't allow me to operate…"

"At another hospital," Stephen said, filling in the tough parts.

"You know?"

Lauren nodded, "Our hospital and board of directors is almost exclusively former employees of Evony's hospitals, all whom had the same contract."

Maggie's eyes went wide, "You're the one. I didn't follow the case – I just heard about the end result. You're the one who took her down."

Lauren nodded, "One of many thanks to Patrick, Stephen, his partner Betsy and Penelope, my accountant who is a master of contract law despite not being an attorney. So, we started a hospital using the money from the lawsuit to build a hospital based on our Hippocratic Oath. First, do no harm, then, treat all patients no matter what they can afford. The town has embraced us and our hospital. More and more people are trusting doctors and doing preventative checkups."

Stephen smiled, "I was paid for a recent cardiac catheterization in fishing lessons. He's alive and well and I'm learning how to catch a fish while having a blast," he smiled at Lauren, "I caught a tuna today! It wasn't that big, but it gave me a heckofa fight and I landed it. I caught food for the family dinner. Me!"

Lauren laughed, "Now, do you see that face? Money would have gone into his bank account that really doesn't need to get any bigger. Life experience is what we get paid with sometimes and it works for all of us."

Maggie laughed, "Somehow I cannot see Savannah Hawthorne settling for a fruit basket."

"Well, she wouldn't get one in Alaska. That's a very expensive gift. It's more likely she'd get preserves in a jar. That's invaluable for winter," Lauren smiled.

Maggie shook her head, "It sounds like a different way of life."

Stephen nodded, "Different, but amazing. I was stuck in a rut after I retired from medicine. Now, I'm getting out and doing things I'd made up my mind I was too old to do. And I'm back in the operating room! I own a hospital with this fantastic woman, we're doing cutting edge medicine and our hospital staff is more than a team – it's a family."

"Wow. You both look so… enthusiastic."

Lauren nodded, "This is the look of two surgeons who are living life while also practicing medicine on our own terms. We have just taken two and a half weeks off from a hospital we own. We've had some video conference calls and paperwork to sign to keep things running, but it's not running our lives largely because it's such a cooperative atmosphere."

Stephen nodded, "The doctors, nurses and staff are on the board of directors and can purchase shares in the hospital via paycheck deductions if they choose. It's truly a cooperative healthcare system."

"Healthcare system?"

Lauren nodded, "We own about half a dozen hospitals."

Maggie smiled, looking up at Stephen, "I'll consider it. It would be a big change. A really big change," she turned to Lauren, "Maybe we could talk about how you're handling it? I know you loved this town as much as I did… probably more."

Lauren smiled, "My beach house was my escape from the world and coming back here this week has only made me want to be here more. Bo, in fact, has made me promise we would come here at least four times a year. She's having much more fun than we had on our first trip here which was largely spent in Boston. She hates the city. But I can't see myself ever coming back here full time. I love Alaska, I love the home we're building, I love my town and the people in it, and I love the work I'm doing."

Stephen nodded, "May I ask? How did you get out of your contract with Evony?"

Maggie shrugged, "I sued her for breach of contract, harassment both in and out of the workplace, mental health compensation and malpractice."

"Mal… did you say malpractice?" Stephen asked as the statement peaked Lauren's interest as well.

"I'd learned about her impersonating a physician in several cancer cases. Treating this disease can get expensive and insurance companies certainly don't want to pay for the costly drugs as the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture them continue to raise their prices. It's a vicious cycle that… well, I just don't see an end in sight as long as greed is driving the people who aren't in the trenches seeing the faces and the plight of the families. From diagnosis to cure or death, it's debilitating for families to go through cancer."

Lauren nodded, "I don't suppose you recall a patient by the name of Patricia Ross?"

Maggie shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't."

"She just caught Evony on the same thing. She came into a waiting room and told her there was no treatment for her mother."

"So, she died?" Maggie asked.

Lauren nodded, "Patrick is working on her case which is also tied to my father's company which likely ties back to Evony which is likely how I was put under her thumb to begin with. I'm starting to think I was sold into servitude by my parents for everyone's benefit but my own."

From the corner of her eye, she could see Stephen's head lower as he jingled his keys in his pants pocket. She spoke firmly as she kept her eyes set on his and waved the rolled-up newspaper as she spoke to her former colleague,

"Maggie, this headline you read in the paper this morning about my parents is likely tied up in it all as well. This woman – Patricia Ross – claims that she had given money to my father to buy our hospital in Talkeetna, Alaska. My father told her it was for sale and that purchasing it – probably then destroying it or keeping me under her thumb – would give her the justice she sought. It seems that they were just seeking justice against me."

Stephen looked at Lauren shaking his head, "They were waiting to show you the headline until tomorrow, Lauren. You weren't going to be around anyone from Boston. It was just family, so…"

"We won't talk about that right now, Stephen," she wagged the paper at him, "But know that this was in Maggie's waiting room and if she and her patients saw it, then so did everyone at the house who have been silently doing the 'poor Lauren' thing all day. This isn't how we work, Stephen."

He nodded, "You're right, Lauren and I'm sorry. You don't need our protection… neither of you… but you do need our support, and we should have told you."

Lauren's expression softened a bit, "Did Kyle put you up to this?"

He shook his head, "Actually, it was Tosh…"

She could see his hesitation, "Stephen? Tell me now."

He released a big sigh, "Bo is on the cover of Alaska Magazine. The article from that Gwen woman at the race."

"Jaysus, Mary and Joseph, Stephen! She's got her phone on her in Tosh's room right now with nothing to do but browse and check emails since he's sleeping!"

Stephen waved his hands, "It's a great article, Lauren. Honest. That reporter took Bo's side… took the Alaskan lifestyle's side. She even called out the people spreading lies and the pictures of happy pups – well, they're beautiful."

"Then why on earth would they keep such good news from her?" Lauren asked.

Stephen sighed, "Maybe because she's… she's the cover photo?"

Lauren snapped her fingers, demanding her phone back, but Stephen shook his head, "There are about five copies back at the house. Kurt and Kelly printed the article so everyone could read it and see Bo's picture. Tosh was the one that said she wouldn't be happy about the picture."

"And why not?"

He sighed, "Well, for one thing, Harper's in the basket and not running. I think she looks adorable with her head peeking out. She's clearly barking commands at her kids and grandkids… probably telling them to get their asses moving."

Lauren shook her head, "Well, that's not terrible news. What else?"

"Come on, Lauren. She's on the cover. The magazine is on newsstands all over Alaska. Kyle got a call from Wendy Cardon…"

"Sam and Scott's mom?"

Stephen nodded, "They called her from the store as soon as the stack of magazines came in because Michael wasn't in yet and they weren't sure if they should put them out or not."

"Please tell me Michael hasn't been leaving two thirteen-year-old boys alone at the kennel," Lauren replied.

"No, no. He's been there. He just had a late night because of an online test he had to take for one of his college classes. They were there to do the early morning feeding and to be with the veterinarians for the dogs' morning check ups. Dyson was there for security rounds, too."

Lauren sighed, "Okay. Well, I'll show her the magazine tonight if she doesn't blast me about it when I go down to Tosh's room. He's going to be glad he was asleep for this," she turned to Maggie, "We should get together and talk."

Maggie nodded, "I must admit… dogs, a kennel…"

"A new lab and a trauma center as well," Lauren smiled, nudging her arm.

"Okay. When can we get together? Will you be here much longer or do I have to book a flight to Alaska?"

Lauren shook her head, "Only a few days. I'll tell you what – why don't you come to dinner tonight. You would have a chance to meet Kate and Anna, two other doctors at our hospital. You could meet my new family and some of my dearest friends from Alaska. I'm not sure if you know Bev and Ronnie that own the bookstore two doors down…"

"Yes, I know Bev well. We've had lunch in her little café when I only have a few minutes."

"Have you been to Murphy's Seafood on the Wharf? The owner and head chef is Alicia and she'll be there tonight a well."

Maggie shook her head, "I've heard of it, but I haven't been there. Honestly, since losing my husband, I don't get out much… at all, really. I work here and then go home, read and do it all again the next day."

She saw the look on Lauren's face and nodded, "I know – pathetic. But I go to the beach during my break to get my daily dose of vitamin D and I try to get out on weekends."

"You used to love the water. You don't go out anymore?"

Maggie's eyebrows raised as she shook her head, "Actually, I really should get out there. I'd have to get a mechanic in to check my boat and the wave runner. My husband handled all of the machinery. My surfboard is probably rotted to the shed."

Lauren smiled, "Well, luckily, you have a friend with a shed full of boards you can borrow any time. Please, Maggie. Come tonight."

She paused for a moment before she admitted, "Maggie, Nadia was still very much alive when I had stopped living. My entire life had become about my job. If my three surgical nurses or Patrick didn't drag me out, the only time I voluntarily left my house was to see Stephen and Betsy for our weekly lunches. There's a life out there, Maggie and we only get one to live… to the best of our scientific knowledge."

Maggie chuckled, "I'll come tonight."

"Great. You know the place. They're already starting to prep the food, so close this place up and come on over."

She nodded, "As soon as my relief doctor is here."

Lauren nodded, looking at Stephen, "I'll send Shannie and Lynnie down here. Maybe we can be out of here in the next thirty to forty minutes?"

Stephen nodded with a smile, following Maggie to her office to discuss Doctor Hawthorne's actions while Lauren headed off in search of Tosh's room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lauren eased into the room, smiling when Bo gave her a wave. She looked up at Shannon and Carolyn, motioning for them to meet her outside. She leaned down and kissed Bo's cheek, letting her know she would be right back, then head out into the hallway.

She looked at couple, "Down the hall to the lobby, make a right and Maggie's office is on the right," she focused her attention on Shannie, "I need you to be calm during the meeting you're about to have. Stephen will be recording it and taking written notes. You are going to hear information that will likely make you angry, so Carolyn, I need you to keep a hand on her leg and give her a reminder squeeze if she starts to raise her voice. Keeping your calm will ultimately get you what you want."

"What?"

"Listen to me, Shannie. Keeping your calm will ultimately get you what you want with regards to what you are going to discuss."

Lynnie looked at Shannie, then back to Lauren, "What's this about?"

Lauren sighed, shaking her head, "You are about to go into a meeting that Doctor Archer will be hosting with Doctor McTierney."

"Who's Doctor McTierney?"

Lauren shook her head, "Doctor Pierson is now McTierney."

"She's married?" Shannie asked.

"Widowed, now please, Shannie. We don't have a lot of time. We have a house full of people that Bo is supposed to be cooking for and…"

"Sorry. We can hang here until she discharges Tosh."

Lauren shook her head, "I don't think she's going to discharge him unless he wakes up on his own. He's very sick, Shannie and it's not your fault. Now… one more time…"

She looked at Carolyn who was nodding her head as she spoke,

"Doctor Archer will record and take notes on the meeting for our records and when I say our records, I mean mine and Stephen's. All recordings and notes obtained at the meeting will be forwarded to our legal team for investigation into the matter. The recordings and notes cannot and will not be edited. Do you understand?"

Shannie opened her mouth, but Carolyn put an arm up and nodded,

"We understand perfectly and understand that you cannot discuss this further due to your relationship to the patient's family."

"Thank you," Lauren smiled with a big nod of her head and a wink to Lynnie, "I'm going back in to see Tosh. We'll meet you in the waiting room unless you finish before we get there."

Lauren turned and walked back into the room, taking a seat next to her wife,

"Has he opened his eyes?"

Bo shook her head, "He looks so sick, Lauren."

The blonde nodded, looking up at Molly who shook her head. She took Bo's hand, "It's only temporary, Bo. When he wakes up, he'll feel much better."

"So, the medicines he was on did this?"

Lauren shrugged, "In Maggie's opinion, the combination of medicines did this. Chemotherapy literally throws the body chemistry off. It's already a very delicate balance, so adding chemicals to the mix can sometimes make a patient feel worse before they can feel better."

"But he was fine all week. I mean, he was weak and really sick on his treatment days, but he was okay."

"And he will be okay again, Bo. I promise."

Bo looked up at her wife, "You promise?"

Lauren nodded, "I do."

"But you don't make promises in healthcare. It's your rule."

She grinned, "I can make this promise. That's how certain I am, Bo. Okay?"

She nodded, "Okay."

"Molly, are you okay?"

She smiled, "I'm fine, Lauren. Thank you. Do you know if Mark and the boys got back to the house yet?"

"Stephen is here in a meeting with Doctor McTierney, so I would think they're all back."

"Why is he in a meeting with Doctor McTierney?" Bo asked.

Lauren knew that she could not tell Bo about the investigation of one of her doctors, but she did have another option,

"He's talking to her about moving to Alaska."

Bo grinned, "Are you going to get rid of Doctor Your-Brother-Can't-Go?"

Lauren shook her head, "If she chose oncology, I'd be happy to have her, but she is brilliant in the lab."

"More brilliant than our resident microscope addict?" Bo asked.

"Actually, yes."

"Really?" Molly asked, surprised.

"Yes. I worked with her as an intern and she left the hospital setting to work on new treatments for pancreatic cancer. She really is superb."

"So, Stephen is trying to steal another fabulous surgeon from the Lower Forty-Eight. Good for him," Bo grinned.

Lauren nodded, "So there's a hungry crowd back at the house. What do you want to do?"

Bo sighed, taking Tosh's hand, "I hate to leave him here all alone."

"We could take shifts?" Lauren replied, "I can stay with him now so you can go back and cook with your mom. The house is only a mile away, Bo."

She nodded, "I guess you're right."

"You have to eat, Bo," Molly said, "And Lauren, those are your friends back there. You two go. I'll stay. Besides, I'm sure Mark is going to want to come, possibly LJ as well."

Bo sighed, "Okay," she leaned over and placed a kiss on top of Tosh's head, "Get well, big brother. We still have a lot of catching up to do, Mr. Dennis."

She stood, noting the look on Molly's face, "He didn't tell you?"

Molly shook her head, "We knew he intended to change his name. We just didn't know he had started the process."

Bo nodded, "I'm sorry if his decision bothers you."

"It doesn't bother me. I would welcome the name change," she lowered her eyes, "I never wanted the Morton name to begin with. I didn't like Big Jim and it's no secret to my husband that I didn't like his brother Jon. I knew that Big Jim would never allow Mark to change his name and Gods help me, I loved the man so… I became a Morton. Six months ago, I wanted to take it all back when I started to learn what had been done to you."

Bo could see Molly's eyes well with tears, "I'm sorry for your suffering and I'm sorry I didn't speak up. I should have left Mark."

"Molly, I would never…"

"I know you wouldn't. You were always kind to me and mine. When you walked in the door of our store with furs to trade, I never saw what other people saw. Everyone saw anger and hatred, but I saw fear. A mother knows to look into the eyes. They're the window to the soul."

She wiped her cheeks, "You were afraid walking into our town because you always had to be on guard that someone may try to harm you or your dogs. It's why you stayed with them – why they became your best friends instead of humans. Humans never showed you love – never tried to save you but those dogs saved your life time and again, never asking for anything in return."

Molly smiled, looking down at Tosh, "But he saw you when no one else did. He is the one that ordered us to trade with you even when his father was sitting right there in the corner of the store like the king of the castle."

She looked up at Bo once more, "We can all try to run from what happened to you and no matter how much forgiveness you offer, the guilt will still be with us over how we treated with you. That's our burden to bear. But how you handle showing us so much kindness and so much love… well, I'll never understand how you do it."

She sighed, "We've got a lot of work to do to earn that love and kindness, Bo. I want you to know that I'm committed to it no matter what my name is. If Mark changes his name, I will do the same. If he doesn't, I just may return to my maiden name and he is aware of that. Right now, he doesn't believe he is deserving of the Dennis name, but he has given Michael the freedom to change his name if he chooses."

Bo nodded, "Whatever you decide is fine with me, Molly. Remember – this wasn't my idea. I was fine with you all being Morton's. To me, you're Molly. A woman who has always been kind to me despite what the rest of her family did. Just Molly… and that's good enough for me if it's good enough for you."

Molly smiled, "Thank you, Bo."

She gathered her emotions and took a deep breath,

"Well, you two should be on your way. You can take my rental truck and have Mark come and pick me up when he comes to see his father," she looked up at the couple, "Make sure he comes to see his father."

Bo frowned, ready to ask why Mark wouldn't come, but noticed Molly had turned away from them. She looked at Lauren who shrugged and held out her hand. Bo took the hand and followed Lauren from the room, stopping in the doorway,

"You'll call Lauren's phone if he wakes up or if there's any change?"

Molly smiled and nodded, "I'll call."

Bo nodded, "I'll be back after dinner."

"No rush, but if you could send us a couple of plates along, that would be nice."

Bo smiled, "High protein plate for the patient and for you?"

Molly grinned, "A little smidge of everything."

"Got it," Bo smiled, "I'm sure LJ will volunteer to bring the plates. He was pretty upset with me for not letting him ride along."

Lauren smiled, "It was the right thing to do."

Bo and Molly nodded, Bo giving Molly a wave, "See you later."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX