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?

4. Chapter 4: Running the Distance

A/N: The Iditarod ran last month! You can find a lot of information, pics and videos on the main website. Check it out if you're interested. Apparently, once again, they had to change the route. Lots and lots of races are being shortened, altered or cancelled due to the warmer climate. Likewise, the Iditarod apparently featured some man-made features this year since some of the frozen rivers they'd usually run on weren't quite as frozen as they used to be. Check it out if you're interested!

Sorry for the incredibly long delay! Didn't realize it had been two months until a message told me so! It wasn't my intention to post this late, but we all know how the work world can get sometimes. Hoping for some clean writing time in the coming month to finish this up. Again, please pardon errors of any kind! Tossed the extra proofread again. Thanks for the continued support, reviews and encouragement! Happy to have you all along for this ride!

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Chapter 4: Running the Distance

"Bo, it's been two weeks since my daring sled run. I am 100% healthy. There is no reason we can't start my lessons!" Lauren argued, running after Bo down the steps.

"Lauren, you may feel fine, but with the temperatures outside and your low body fat percentage, you do not have the natural body type to survive if anything should go wrong!" Bo volleyed back.

The doctor threw her hands up in the air, "What could possibly go wrong while driving a sled back and forth behind the clinic across a what – two-hundred-yard stretch? You do remember I drove the sled almost a mile, right?"

"And you do remember you almost died, right?" Bo replied before realizing she was, again, raising her voice, to the doctor. She stopped, turning back towards the blonde, "I'm sorry."

Lauren turned away from Bo, shaking her head as she placed their coffee cups in the sink, "You know, you sure do apologize a lot about raising your voice to me. How about you stop saying sorry and start controlling that temper of yours?"

"How about you stop pushing me when I don't want to do something?" Bo snapped.

The two stood, each with their hands on their hips glaring at one another. Finally, Lauren sighed,

"Stalemate?"

Bo sighed, giving the blonde a nod.

"Bo, I appreciate that you want me to be safe, I really do, but you promised. You do remember what a promise is, right?"

"Of course I do. I just… well, it's just that…"

"There are no excuses, Bo. I'm a doctor. I'm 100% healthy and you know it. We promised we weren't going to let this thing between us stop us from being who we are."

"And I'm keeping that promise. I don't train people on sleds anymore… not since Jon. It's not who I am."

"Now that's a lie. You are still training Jon." Lauren replied.

"His Dad is paying me to train him. That's different."

Lauren turned and opened the jar on the counter, pulling out a dollar. She turned and placed it on the counter,

"Okay. Here's my first installment on my lessons. You're hired."

"A dollar?" Bo asked with a laugh.

"Well, I figured you wouldn't accept my money, so we'll call it a symbolic payment." Lauren replied.

Bo shook her head, "You're right. I won't accept your money because I'm not training you."

Lauren frowned, "Fine. I'll find someone else. Alaska is a big state. I've heard there's plenty of people down in Skagway willing to train people who want to learn."

"Who told you that?" Bo asked.

"Uncle Mark."

"That traitor." Bo mumbled.

Lauren walked over to pull a folded piece of paper off of the bulletin board near the entrance, and then walked back to the phone and dialed the number written on the note. A woman's voice on the other end spoke,

"Kyle's Sleds and Things, this is Kyle. How may I help you?"

"Hi. I'm in the market for some sled dog lessons? I don't want to race in the Iditarod or anything. I just want to be able to drive my dogs from my apartment to my clinic and to my hospital. I guess it's about 10-12miles or so round trip, although I haven't actually been to the hospital yet.

"Do you have any experience?"

"Well, I did drive the sled once already, but it didn't go so well after the one-mile mark. I ended up stranded with a frostbitten finger and hypothermia. The finger is still healing, but otherwise, I've recovered. I've got great dogs, but I've lost my teacher."

"Oh? Who was teaching you?"

Lauren looked up to see the brunette turned profile, staring at the floor, her hands jammed into her jacket pockets,

"Bo Dennis."

"THE Bo Dennis was training you?"

"Well, she sort of rescued me and promised to train me. Now, she doesn't have time to follow through on that promise, so I'm on my own again."

The woman laughed, "No time, huh? That's a new one."

"New one?" Lauren asked as Bo's head cocked slightly towards her – enough that Lauren knew she was listening.

"Bo always has an excuse not to train people. She thinks she's saving people by not helping them learn to sled. Truth is, she's becoming part of the problem. People are going to go out with or without proper training if they need to get somewhere and if anyone is going to save people from themselves, it's Bo. If she would stop blaming herself for the past and do her job as a teacher, there'd be less idiots getting themselves killed out there. No offense."

"None taken. I guess I do sort of fit the bill." Lauren replied, knowing she was being an idiot the night she went out. She didn't have to go out, she chose to… probably just to spite the brunette at the time. Now she wanted to do it the right way. She was determined to learn… she was excited to learn.

"Well, I'll certainly train you."

"That would be great. When can we start?" Lauren asked, finally about to learn how to handle her own sled.

"Aren't you an enthusiastic one." The woman laughed, "Where are you located?"

"My clinic is in Talkeetna and I have an apartment here…" Lauren cringed after she said the words, wondering if the ever-growing depth of the snow here would put her off, "…but I also have an apartment just north of Anchorage in Point Siku if that's easier for you. I could take the train there on my days off."

"No need. No need at all. I'm a regular visitor to Talkeetna. That will work just fine."

"Wow. You come here regularly? What a coincidence." Lauren replied.

Kyle laughed, "Actually, I'm delivering kit supplies to a customer who is racing in the Iditarod."

"Kit supplies?" Lauren asked, her eyes on Bo who turned her back to the blonde at her question.

"Yes. My customer likes to get in the habit of using kits while training before the race."

"Okay… whatever a kit is." Lauren said, looking at Bo who ignored her.

"Anyway, your name?"

"Doctor Lauren Lewis."

"Oh, of course! You're the new doctor everyone's been talking about. That was quite the first outing you had on a sled. You had Bo fired up something fierce." She laughed.

"I did? I mean… you know about that?" Lauren asked as Bo walked to the sign-in book near the entrance and began writing something.

"Half the town was on alert when she brought you in… so Jet tells it." Kyle explained.

Lauren nodded, "I see."

She watched as Bo pulled up her hood and pulled on her gloves. She looked over her shoulder at Lauren, a pained expression on her face before she pulled on her mask and turned to leave.

Lauren covered the receiver of the phone, "Bo…"

But the brunette only shook her head as she interrupted the blonde, "See you tomorrow."

With that, she pulled down her goggles and headed outside. Lauren sighed, returning at least some of her attention to the phone conversation,

"So you'll come?" She felt guilty even though she knew she shouldn't. This was something she had to learn or she would become reliant on people for practically everything. That was just not Lauren's style. She was fiercely independent in every way before coming here and she'd be damned if she was going to become a new and more pathetic version of Evony while she was here.

"See you in the morning, Doctor Lewis. Bo's dog kennels and supply house are just behind your clinic. My delivery is there, so how about we meet there?"

"Your delivery is for Bo? You know her?"

"Everyone knows Bo. I just happen to know her… well."

Lauren swallowed hard at the way the woman said the word. Of course, she could mean she knows her like a sister… sure, that's it… they're like sisters in sledding.

"Dr. Lewis? Are you there?"

"Uh yes… sorry. Did you want to meet at the clinic or the kennels?"

"The clinic is fine so we can do some paperwork first. Okay with you?"

Lauren nodded, nudging open a single blade of the blinds on the windows to look outside. Bo was pushing her sled out of the storage barn and readying the lines for the dogs. The blonde sighed, knowing she had maybe thirty minutes until Bo would be gone… maybe less with how angry she was.

"Doctor Lewis?"

"Uh… right. Sorry, Kyle. I was distracted for a moment. That would be fine. Just so you are aware, the bill will be going to E.F.M. Enterprises. If you could bring an invoice for however many lessons you think I'll need, that would be great."

"Evony's paying the bill, huh?" Kyle laughed.

Lauren's face twisted with confusion, "You know Evony?"

The woman's laughter never waned as she replied, "Oh, everyone in these parts knows Evony, Doctor Lewis."

"Oh. I wasn't aware." Lauren replied.

"I'd swear that woman was buying the entire state so she could rename it Marquis." Kyle giggled.

Lauren laughed. Evony's ego was big enough for her to do just that, "Well, you have to admit, she'd make a beautiful postage stamp."

"Oh, no. Please don't tell me you've fallen for her too." Kyle groaned.

"Oh, definitely not. I like my women much more…" She looked up again to see if Bo was still outside and sighed when she saw her carrying blankets to her sled, "… curvy and muscular, though I apparently have a habit of falling for stubborn as well." She shook her head being drawn to Bo despite her bullheaded nature, though she supposed she could be the same at times, "Wait… what did you mean by too? You make it sound like everyone has fallen for Evony."

Kyle laughed, "Just the police chief, my ex, the head of construction at the hospital, and a large number of the guys who frequent the bar at the hotel… maybe ten people or so."

Lauren shook her head, "Yea, well that's Evony's style. One is never enough. She doesn't believe we're built for monogamy."

"Yea, I sort of already figured that one out. Too bad for my ex. I think she's in deeper than she'd care to admit."

Lauren shrugged, dropping the single blind she'd been peeking through as Bo looked up at the window. She hoped the brunette didn't see her,

"Well, hopefully Evony will let her down easy."

"Are we talking about the same Evony?"

"Right. I guess my brain had a meltdown for a moment there." Lauren chuckled.

"Remind me not to let you cut me open, Doc."

"Don't worry. I watch YouTube videos of how to do all my surgeries." Lauren deadpanned.

"Funny." Kyle quipped.

"Well, I've got to get going…"

She wasn't entirely sure what else Kyle said before she hung up. Her eyes were peering through the frosted windows as Bo gathered her team. She was doing an overnight training run with stops in Anchorage and two other places Lauren couldn't remember. Jon had hung a map of Alaska in her office and explained the entire Iditarod trail – well, both of them, actually since they alternated trails most years. He then helped her to mark the spots on the map so she could try to follow Bo's journey of just about a hundred miles.

A hundred miles. This was insane. The only thing more insane was the Iditarod itself. Over a thousand miles? Jon had explained that everyone in the race was required to qualify, assuring that only the most elite mushers and dogs were permitted. Still… elite athletes or not… to Lauren, it sounded like all of these mushers had a death wish.

She noticed Bo stirring the special nutrient mix she fed the dogs before they ran, and it clicked that if she was going to try to make amends before the brunette left, it was now or never. She also wanted to try to convince Bo to leave Harper here… just for this run so that the dog could get some rest if she was going to race her. She doubted she would listen, but she had to try… for Harper's sake.

Lauren quickly ran around the clinic, gathering her gear to go outside. All of her cotton clothing was now gone except for her favorite T-shirts for spring and summer. Synthetic layers followed by fleece and a fur parka were now the norm as her experience grew. Knowing when to strip off layers outside was still something she was learning, but she was getting used to being aware of when her clothes were getting wet with sweat.

She took a quick peek outside to see that Bo was finishing up with giving the dogs their water mixture. It was nearing whiteout conditions and it reminded her of the discussions she'd had with Bo in the last two weeks while they had readied the clinic to open for patients. Lauren was like a sponge, soaking up every bit of advice she could get from anyone who offered it. She'd read four books on Alaskan climate and common conditions, which led her to build three large emergency backpacks for calls where she might have to do 'house calls' or more likely, 'wilderness calls'.

When she'd learned that all emergency services in the region were basically average citizens who volunteered because they happened to have a plane, helicopter or snow machine, the Doctor had also arranged with Evony to have an emergency transport at the ready twenty-four seven. Sure, Evony had argued about the budget, but Lauren had assured her that she could eliminate costs elsewhere over time to make financial allowances to cover the new costs.

Pulling on her mukluks, Lauren ran through the mental checklist of what Bo would be doing right now. The musher had invited the doctor to do the morning checks of the dogs in the kennel with her. The first morning, Lauren was shocked when the barn door opened and she got her first glimpse of the dogs' home. Bo had thirty dogs, which apparently, was not that many. Apparently, some owners had upwards of one hundred dogs, choosing the best ones for each race. While Bo was partial to her current team, if any of them were sick, injured or just not as cooperative or as fast as one of the others, she would consider taking a different dog.

The room was lined with hay, each dog having their own open-front home, a water dish and a food dish. They were free to roam, something not all mushers permitted in their kennels. Bo had explained that her Mom had taught her that all creatures required socialization and that setting up the kennel in this way allowed them to have that opportunity or not. No dog would venture into the home of another – that was a social norm in a dog's community. If a dog wanted to be alone, they could simply stay in their home.

As they raked out the dirty hay and spread new, Bo taught Lauren about the Iditarod. This year, some rules had changed and Bo had a choice to make. She could only start with up to fourteen dogs instead of previous years where they could start with sixteen. If dogs got sick or injured, she would carry them on the sled, something called 'in the basket', until the next checkpoint, but she had to have five running dogs at the finish line, or she would be disqualified. Harper had never missed a finish… never. That seemed important to Bo and Lauren understood. The pair had crossed the finish line together each and every race. Lauren could only imagine the sense of accomplishment and the bond Bo would feel from that shared victory for finishing the grueling race.

Lauren had also been introduced to the three sleds Bo would be taking to the race, including the one she usually used. Apparently, the sled Bo had given Lauren to use was the one the brunette had won the Iditarod with for the past two years. When Lauren told Bo she should take the sled back, the musher only laughed and shook her head. Still, Lauren felt it belonged in a museum if Bo won again this year. If she did, she would join a select group of mushers who had won the race three consecutive years. Jon and his family – except Big Jim, of course – were the ones who would be towing Bo's extra sleds and dogs. In truth, Lauren was hoping she would – at some point – be invited to go. If not, she had already decided she would take the train down to Anchorage and see at least the start of the race.

Lauren double-checked her gear to make sure no skin was exposed and rushed outside to where Bo was just about to step on the sled,

"BO! BO!" Lauren called, waving wildly.

She stopped for a second, thinking about how desperate and pathetic she might look, but knowing how far Bo was going in these conditions, she wasn't taking any chances. She didn't want them to part ways angry at each other even though they weren't necessarily a couple.

"BO!" She ran, grabbing the brunette by the arm, only to find herself tossed onto her back, a hand wrapped around her throat. She slapped at the forearm, panicked when air was growing short until she was finally released. Bo pulled the mask down from her mouth,

"Lauren! What were you thinking!?"

Lauren sat up in the snow, her hand rubbing her neck as she swallowed hard, making sure everything still worked,

"I was…" she rolled over, smacking Bo's hand away when she tried to help her up, "I was coming out to make things right between us before you left! What were YOU thinking?!"

Bo shook her head, "I thought… when you grabbed me… I… I didn't know it was you, Lauren. I didn't think you'd come out here."

"Well, who else would I be?" Lauren asked, again rubbing her throat.

Bo sighed, looking at her team, "Whoa, girls."

Lauren watched as the dogs all relaxed while Bo turned and walked back towards the barn. Lauren looked down, stomping on the snow pick to make sure it was firmly in the ground before following Bo. She didn't want the dogs to take off with the sled while she and Bo were… well… were wherever they were going.

She looked up to see Bo entering the barn. She groaned but walked the distance to follow the brunette inside. She found Bo pulling back the fur hood of her parka and removing her heavy mittens before pulling off her goggles and mask. She turned to face Lauren who was removing her gear as well.

"I didn't want to tell you." Bo began.

"Tell me what?"

"I won't tell you if you're going to get upset, Lauren. I mean it. I'll walk back out there, get on that sled and leave."

"Okay. I'm calm. What?" Lauren asked, sitting down on a gear crate.

"Rumor has it that Big Jim has a plan to make sure I don't win this race. He's planning something and I don't know what. I thought you were… someone else. I'm sorry. I'd never hurt you."

Lauren stood, rubbing at her throat, for a moment, Bo's words replaying in her head until they settled in. When they did, her eyes went wide, "You mean he's trying to kill you?"

Bo shook her head, "I said stay calm."

"This is as calm as I can be when I hear that man's name anymore. Tell me." She replied, sitting back down on the crate.

I'm not sure if he's trying to kill me or just take me out of the race by killing my dogs, smashing my sleds or smashing me. Like I said, it's just rumor, but it sounds like something he would do. He hates that I've won the race once let alone twice. Three times would be too much for him to stomach. When you grabbed me…"

Lauren waved Bo off, nodding, "You thought you were being attacked."

Bo nodded, standing silently, her eyes set on the mittens in her hands.

"So what are you doing about it?" Lauren asked, breaking the silence.

"Not much I can do about it." Bo replied, slapping her gloves together and sitting beside Lauren on the crate, "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. It was rude and immature."

They sat in silence, Lauren not knowing what to say. Honestly, she was sick of apologies. She wanted Bo to get her temper under control, but she knew the brunette needed to learn to do that in her own way and in her own time.

"So… Kyle's going to give you lessons?"

Lauren nodded.

"She's good. She'll give you all the basics."

Again, Lauren nodded.

"You're mad at me."

Lauren shrugged, "I'm disappointed. I wanted to learn from you. You're the best… Kyle agrees."

"The dogs are trained, Lauren. They're listening to you because you've taken the time to learn how to care for them and bond with them. You've really connected. Kyle's job will be easy from here."

"So you're saying you've given me all you can give me?"

Bo nodded, "For now, yes." She turned to face the blonde, "Lauren, I've got this race… it's a huge undertaking and it requires all of my focus if the dogs are going to survive… and me… I mean, I plan to survive too. It's a thousand miles of some really harsh conditions. It requires all of my concentration and every single bit of my energy."

Lauren nodded, "I don't want to do anything to interfere with your training and preparedness for this race, Bo. I've told you that. I'm not mad at you for that. I just want you to stop snapping at me. You have to want to do that for me. It's all I need from you if we are going to be friends or otherwise."

Bo gave her a tight smile, "I know. I'm still trying to learn how to be around someone... anyone… on a regular basis. I know that probably sounds horrible, but please try to remember that you're the first person that I've let in, Lauren. I haven't talked or spent this much time with any one person since my Mom was alive. I don't even spend this much time with Seline."

"I assumed that was the case, Bo. I'm trying to be patient, but when you snap at me, I just want to tell you to leave… not permanently, but definitely for a day or so. Still, even after our blow up, I didn't want us to part ways angry with each other."

Bo nodded, "I appreciate that. Me either. And I promise to work on my temper. Honestly, when we part ways after an argument, I spend hours kicking myself for raising my voice to you. If it's any consolation, I'm always sorry. You don't deserve that. It's just… I've always had a short fuse and since I was never in anyone's presence for long, I could usually control it."

"But I push your buttons."

Bo shrugged, "You push truths I'm not ready to face about myself, my life… hell, even my past."

"I need to keep my opinions to myself." Lauren frowned.

"Actually, you need to keep telling me. I need someone to call me out when I'm not seeing both sides of an issue. I can be stubborn."

"Ya think?"

Bo chuckled, "So can you."

Lauren smiled, "Fair enough. Let's just not part ways angry, okay?"

"Deal. I hate fighting with you."

"Good." Lauren replied, "I'm glad we cleared that up."

Bo nodded, "Lauren… I just… I have to take some time… I need some space."

"Oh."

"No, please. It's not like that." Bo took the blonde's hand, "You see… it appears as though you've gotten under my skin. Lately, I don't sleep well if I'm not wrapped up in you. I don't think of much else than the dogs and you... well, sometimes more you than the dogs and that's not good… not right now. I'm off schedule at work and with my training."

"I'm a distraction."

Bo chuckled, "A beautiful, wonderful, welcome distraction, but yes, a distraction. Apparently, I'm not as disciplined as I'd thought."

Lauren smiled, "Well, you've come to the right place."

"Tell me about it. I called your name three times the other day when you were looking through that telescope thingy and you didn't even hear me walk in the clinic let alone hear me call your name."

Lauren laughed, "It's a microscope and I was studying that mystery virus the outer villages are experiencing. I tend to geek out over stuff like that. When I'm involved in my science projects, they sort of absorb all time and space."

Bo nodded, "I wish I had that kind of focus."

"You do when you're with your dogs… especially Harper." Lauren said with a sigh.

Bo was quiet for a long moment before she said, "You think I'm making a mistake."

Lauren nodded, "Do you want an honest response to that or were you just stating what you think is a fact?"

"I always want you to be honest."

"Okay then. Yes, I think you're making a mistake, but you already know that so why make me say it again?"

Bo sighed, "I'll think about it on this trip. Tell you my decision when I get back."

"Okay." Lauren replied, "Can I just say that cancer… it needs oxygen and blood to grow just like any other cells in the body. While being in the cold so much has likely slowed its growth, running increases oxygen and blood flow. I'm afraid the tumor will double in size by the time this race is over, making it inoperable and too big to shrink with chemotherapy or radiation. I was also thinking that maybe Harper would benefit from more days off than the other dogs… maybe not run her in the worst conditions?"

"Understood." Bo replied, her shoulders visibly slumping.

"I mean like… conditions like right now." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "I'll put her in the basket once we get out there on the flats. She won't like it, but I'll do it for her own good."

Lauren nodded, "Fair enough. So how have you prepared for Big Jim's rumored plan?"

Bo shrugged, "I've got my shotgun, my sidearm and… well… a little something extra that Uncle Mark added to my sled should anyone try to mess with the dogs when I'm taking a pee or sleeping."

"Oh? And what's that?" Lauren asked.

"I'm afraid you wouldn't approve."

"Okay, now I really want to know." Lauren insisted.

Bo shrugged, "Have you ever heard of something called an electric fence they use to…"

"Yes, I know what an electric fence for pets is. Why?"

"Well, with a flick of a switch, I can lay a fence around my dogs anywhere we are. We've been training them to obey the perimeter I lay so that they stay inside the powered area. Anyone that comes inside that perimeter while me and the dogs are there will get the shock of their life."

Lauren laughed, "And why would I not approve of my girlfr… uh… of you and the dogs being protected from an intruder?"

"Mark says it's powered by that AED thing you use… well, parts from a portable one that used to hang on the wall in the school gym. They got a new one, so he 'borrowed' the old one."

"So, you're saying it could stop the intruders' heart?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Yes, but then it could also restart it too, right?"

"Theoretically, but layman AED's are only used once before the batteries – or possibly the whole machine must be replaced." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "Well, Mark has worked his magic with it, so it can be used the whole trip just like a car battery. And I have warning signs and will tell all of the other mushers that aren't part of Big Jim's team."

"Okay then."

"You don't approve." Bo stated, her eyes lowered.

Lauren shook her head, "Honestly, I'm okay with it. I want you safe out there and if someone is going to try to do their worst to you, I suppose your worst – or Mark's worst as it turns out – is only fair."

They were silent for a moment, Lauren's eyes set firmly on Bo, trying to figure out what was going through the brunette's mind. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Bo? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I know something is bothering you. Something has been bothering you for a while now."

She waited as Bo slowly nodded her head,

"He'll come for my dogs, Lauren. I know he will. He did it before, he'll do it again. But this time, he'll start with Harper. He'll start with Harper because he allowed her to live last time. He won't leave any of them alive. I know it. I'm sure of it. I won't lose my dogs again, Lauren. Not to him. Not again. I'll die first."

The blonde nodded, "I don't know him like you do, but from all I've heard, I have to agree. I'm just worried that this time he'll try to finish you too… maybe by killing your dogs because he knows you'll die to protect them."

Bo nodded, "Agreed. So… all I can do is make sure the way I protect the dogs will protect me in the process."

"Okay then, electric fence it is. Stay safe. Stay warm. Stay alert and don't take any chances. This is just training."

Bo smiled, "I will." She stood, pulling on her gloves, "So you're okay with seeing less of me… for now?"

Lauren nodded, "I am. I want you to win, Bo. I don't ever want to be a hinderance to you."

"Thank you." Bo replied, her voice and eyes carrying all the sincerity Lauren needed to know that this was just a temporary parting of the ways, "After this, you and I… we'll see about this thing between us."

Lauren smiled, "No pressure, Bo. I've actually fallen behind at the clinic, so this will be good for me too."

Bo nodded, "You gonna watch me race?"

"Is that an invitation?" Lauren asked with a smile.

"Do you need one?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I'm an outsider, Bo. I'm never sure what I am and am not welcome to attend."

Bo nodded, "Understood. I'll be sure to remember to give you invites then. But just in case, you're always welcome as long as you're in Alaska, Lauren. Of course, part of me is hoping that you might stay a bit longer than a year."

Lauren laughed, "Just a bit?"

Bo chuckled, grinning as she offered Lauren a shrug. She grabbed a large barrel of food, carrying it to the exit, where she put it down and began pulling on her protective equipment. Lauren's eyes were set on Bo, but she remained seated on the crate, allowing her mind to race back to the argument they'd had about Harper a few days ago…

Flashback…

Lauren entered the kennel to find Bo sitting up against the wall with Harper on her lap. The brunette had been dodging the discussion about her eldest dog all week,

"So, have you made a decision?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "If I do the surgery and chemotherapy before the Iditarod, she won't be able to race."

Lauren came to sit beside her. Harper's head popped up and she extended her paw, placing it in Lauren's hand. The blonde smiled,

"Hello, little lady." She smiled, giving her head a rub, "But letting the tumor grow for another month could make the surgery impossible, Bo."

The brunette shrugged, "The vet said they could do the chemo first to shrink it, then do the surgery followed by radiation."

Lauren nodded, "Yes, but that is not the process that will give you the best ."

"Well, we'll take our chances. Harper loves the Iditarod. I can't keep her out of this race." Bo replied.

"You said it yourself, Bo. The vets at the pre-check may not pass her because of her health record now showing cancer."

Bo shrugged, "I'll fight it. It's her dying wish to run in this race."

Lauren laughed, "Oh. I didn't know Harper told you that."

Bo scowled, "We've been together a very long time. I don't expect you to understand, but I had certainly hoped that you wouldn't mock me after all you and I have been through... and come to mean to each other."

"What we've been through has nothing to do with my medical assessment of what's best for your dog and you know it. Believe me, if I could give you good news, I would. I know how much she means to you…"

"You don't." Bo snapped.

Lauren sighed, "Okay, maybe I don't know exactly how much…"

"You don't."

"Fine. I don't," She shook her head, "But I know cancer and I know how horrible treatment can be if delayed and that is something I trust you don't know since – from what you've told me – you've never known anyone who died of cancer and you aren't any kind of doctor. So, I am telling you as a doctor who does know, Bo… I am promising you… that if Harper runs this race, it just may be the last thing she ever does. On the other hand, if she starts treatment now, she may have years of races in her future. I'm not saying any of this out of disrespect for you. I am saying this because my medical decision disagrees with your very personal decision.

"Very personal decision? What's that supposed to mean?" Bo turned, angry.

Lauren spoke quietly, "It means that – in my professional, objective opinion – you're making your decision out of fear of losing the most cherished being in your life. You're in denial, Bo."

"Oh, so now you're a Psychiatrist, too?" Bo laughed.

"As a matter of fact, all physicians do several psychiatry rotations as it is part of…"

"ENOUGH!" Bo said, slamming her eyes shut and raising her fists over her head, "You're… you're relentless!"

"No, Bo. I just care about you and I care about Harper. I'm terrified of what will happen to you if Harper…"

"Don't say it! Don't you dare say it!" Bo said, not wanting to even think about losing her beloved companion.

Lauren shook her head, "Don't you see? You're in denial that anything bad is happening here! Bo, I care about you and I'm worried that you'll live to regret this decision. More importantly, I care about you and Harper…"

Bo shook her head, now digging in even deeper to her point of view, "If we meant anything to you, you would respect my decision."

Lauren sighed, "And if I meant anything to you, you would respect my medical opinion."

"You. Are not. A veterinarian." Bo grumbled.

"Did you forget I'm the one that found the tumor and did the biopsy that determined it was cancer? None of the vets at hundreds of regular checkpoints in your many races over the last year didn't find it. With the size of that lump, it's been there for at least a year. If they're all so good, how was it not found? Or was it? Have you known it's been there all along?"

Bo turned away from Lauren who urged her one last time,

"Bo, early treatment is crucial with cancer."

"All I know is, if you'd never laid a hand on her, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Bo snapped, "I wish I'd never met you."

Lauren stilled her movements, taking a step back, "Well, that certainly stung… after all we've been through… and all we've come to mean to each other."

"Cute. Throwing my own words back at me. Funny." Bo snarked.

Lauren shook her head, "Bo, you're being ridiculous. You let me perform the biopsy on the tumor – which you decided I was more than qualified to do. Then you had me by your side at the vet to determine next steps. I can't believe you would dismiss my opinion now regardless of whether my patients are human or canine."

"Whatever."

"Oh, that's real mature, Bo." Lauren replied.

Bo stood, throwing down a handful of line, her hands slicing through the air as she exclaimed,

"This conversation is over! No surgery! No treatment! She's fine! We're fine! We're always fine! We're waiting! The decision is made!"

The brunette stormed out of the triage area into the cold room leaving Lauren to stand for a long moment. Finally, she heard the outer door to the clinic slam. She slammed her hands against her hips with a huff, walking towards the door, then turning back and walking towards the dogs who were huddled together near the wood stove, ears perked up towards her as if awaiting her reply to Bo's departure.

The blonde ran her hands through her hair, flipping it over to the other side, her hands trailing down to rub her neck. After a long pause, she finally looked up at the dogs again,

"I guess she's going back outside. Anyone care for… what round is this? I've lost count." The dogs offered a collective groan before dropping their heads to the floor as the blonde plopped onto the easy chair near the cast iron heater. She sighed, smiling as Belle hopped up next to her and lay her head on the blonde's lap.

Lauren smiled, rubbing her head between her ears, "I know. I promise I'll try to just go along with her decision. It's her choice after all. She is Harper's owner, right?" She considered her words, "Owner. That sounds so… inappropriate for her, doesn't it? How about teammate? Better?"

Belle lifted her head, looked up at Lauren and barked once. The blonde laughed, "Well, I guess one blow out argument like this was bound to happen sooner or later, right? What's one little argument? Nadia and I fought all the time. Well… she fought, I just listened and then pretty much ignored her. Wow. I guess I was a bit of an ass, huh?"

Lauren looked up at the window. She could see the top of Bo's head pacing back and forth beneath the window. Should she go out and see her? Patch things up? Really, she'd done nothing wrong, but still…

"You know, I think that's the first time I actually invested the energy to argue back with anyone… ever. This place really does change a person, huh?"

Belle snuggled in, adjusting her position to get more comfortable against Lauren. The blonde laughed, "Okay, so maybe a person can change another person."

That statement earned a soft whine from her furry buddy, "You are wise. And you're such a cuddler… not that I mind. You know, I never considered myself a dog person until I came here. Now, I can't imagine…" she sighed, looking into the warm, puppy dog eyes staring back at her, "…not having you in my life."

Lauren heaved another great big sigh, "She's terrified of losing her, you know. So much so that she's terrified of making a choice… any choice." She looked up at the frosted windows, "I just think… well… I think I'm going to have to go out there. I just can't leave this alone."

She stood, staring out the window, "What the hell is wrong with me? It's her choice, Harper is her dog. Why am I being… well, unprofessional is what I'm being."

FLASHBACK END…

"Lauren!"

The blonde's head snapped up to see Bo standing in front of her. She looked around for a moment, fully expecting to be in the clinic, but suddenly remembering Bo standing by the kennel door while she replayed their last argument over in her head.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine. I just… I guess I sort of dozed off." Lauren replied, thinking of the last thing she'd said before she'd been startled awake… one little argument had become three big ones now. She looked up at Bo standing above her looking very much like the woman she'd met in the general store in Point Siku months ago. Not just her physical appearance, but her demeanor as well. This was not the woman she'd grown to care for over these past months. This woman was in race mode. She may be standing here, but her Bo was already gone.

"You should head inside. I finished putting the rest of my gear on the sled and am ready to head out as soon as Mark and Little Jon get here with my hot pack."

"Hot pack?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Warm liquids. Mark has these new Yeti brand insulated packs that can supposedly keep soups and stews warm for up to twenty-four hours, even in these temperatures, supposedly. We thought it would be fun to test another product in the good old state of Alaska just to prove their claims wrong. Anyway, he wants me to try them on this run… see if they work. If they do, he'll probably sell a ton of them."

Before she'd had a chance to reply, Lauren's head snapped up at the sound of voices in the doorway. In walked Mark and Little Jon, the dogs responding with wagging tails and barks of approval. Mark pulled off his mask and said hello to a few of the dogs before he asked,

"So, who are the lucky fourteen?"

Bo didn't give Lauren another look, still upset about their argument. Instead, she simply stood up and walked to Mark and Little Jon,

"I'm sticking with Gaea and Athena as the wheels, Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia and Iris as the middle team, Harper and Aphrodite as the swing dogs and Nike and Diana at the lead. I'm carrying Dorothy and Toto in the basket for this trip just to give the champs something a little heavier to pull since I'm not carrying the full trip load."

Little Jon nodded, "Good choices."

Bo shrugged, "The only choices."

"Are these the sleds we're taking down?" Jon asked.

Nodding, the musher walked to the front of the kennel, "Yea. Hopefully I don't have to use that new one. I don't really like it."

"You could take old faithful." Little Jon smiled, nodding towards Lauren, "I'm sure Doc wouldn't mind if you borrowed it back."

Lauren stood, "Of course."

Bo didn't look up, just shook her head, "I gave that sled to her. It's hers."

"And I can't loan it to you?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "No."

She looked up at Jon, "We take these two and the one I'm using out there for my run tonight. Anything happens to the one out there, I'll go for one of the four sleds on the back wall."

Mark ran his hand over his head, "Those all need a tune up, Bo."

"I'll be back tomorrow. If I come back with a busted sled, you'll have time to tune one or I'll do it myself."

Mark nodded, "Okay then. We'll load these two in the shed now. After dark, we'll come back for the other four and the rest of the supplies. Shamus is going to shelter the rest of your dogs with his. They'll blend in nice since he has almost three hundred dogs. No one will know they're yours unless they get close enough to see the collars. I want every dog and all of the supplies that we're using for the race out of here tonight. Too easy to set this place to flames."

Bo looked up, staring into Mark's worried eyes, "You know something."

He nodded, "Yea, I know a thing or two. I know my brother has something to say over the phone that he can't say because our gramps is camped out at his usual table where he can hear everything. Fortunately, my brother can hear everything gramps says just as well. Difference is, Big Jim's grandsons have learned how to speak to each other when he's around."

"And?"

"He's got a team of ten men, Bo. Maybe more. They've got some sort of hybrid wolves mixed with Alaskan sled dog that they plan to get past the veterinary inspection."

"How? The vets aren't idiots." Bo replied, her face now covered in worry as well. Hybrids were unpredictable and that made them dangerous in the wild.

"No worries. We're on it. I've already got a guy on his way to Seline to get the word out to look for these mutts. They'll be a danger to any dog on the course."

Little Jon shook his head, "OF course, that will work as long as Big Jim doesn't have the vet team in his pocket."

Bo's eyes went wide, "That's possible?"

The two men looked at each other, than back to Bo, only nodding.

Bo shook her head, "Geezus. Those dogs won't be a danger just to the dogs. They'll be a danger to humans as well. What the hell, Mark. He's really lost his mind."

He shrugged, "He won't rest until you pay, Bo. I don't know why he can't let it go, but he can't."

"I'm the one that went into the water that day and even I don't understand what she has to pay for. I mean, I'm standing right here. Alive and well."

Bo shook her head, "I have to pay for being me, Jon… for being a filthy half-breed."

"Bo…"

"No, it's true. No one wants to say it, but everyone knows it's true. My blood isn't pure and he can't stand that. He can't stand that anyone in this state would give me the time of day knowing I'm not one of you."

"You are as far as we're concerned." Little Jon replied.

Bo laughed, "Case in point."

She turned to Mark, "And the Elders?"

Mark shrugged, "They don't believe he's doing any of it. But mind you, anything happens, Seline intends to see them to the truth or have them removed from their positions of leadership."

Bo chuckled, "Nice of her to do something after I'm already dead."

Mark shrugged, "That's not all. You should know that some of the younger villagers that you've helped over the years are none too happy to hear the rumors that are circulating. They're planning something, Bo… a counter measure of their own against Jim's plan."

She shook her head furiously, "No one dies for me. They can't. Jim will have told the men he hired that anyone else is some sort of acceptable loss. He won't hold back this time. He knows this may be his last chance to get me alone without anyone around to stop him… no witnesses."

Little Jon cleared his throat, "Oh, there will be witnesses."

Bo turned on the young boy, "You stay out of this, Little Jon or I swear to you…"

"You swear what, Bo? I'm not the little boy you pulled from that water anymore! I've got a mind of my own and I'm going to make sure that my great grandfather is kept in line. He's my blood and that makes this my fight. I won't stand for him harming you or anyone else. Don't try and stop me. I have to do this or I'm no better than him. I have to do what's right because he never has…" He lowered his head, "Honestly, my Dad and my Grandfather never had the guts to stand up to him to do what's right either, so I'm going to be the one. I have to step up and do what's right. This has gone on for too long. It's wrong and it has to stop. I'll be damned if my kids are going to live this way."

Bo looked to Mark, "Surely you're not going to let your son and nephew…"

"This is Alaska, Bo. You and I both know that in the eyes of the village, they are old enough to make decisions for themselves. Besides, Big Jon had lunch with Dyson, Hale and your buddy Kenzi two days ago. They have Tamsin coming to town tomorrow."

Bo slammed her gloves to the ground, "Fuck! That's all I need right now."

Mark shrugged, "You'd best get on your way if you want to be at the checkpoint on time."

Bo shrugged, "Dark and cold is dark and cold no matter what time it is."

Little Jon laughed, "Forecast doesn't look good west of here. I'd say time matters."

Bo nodded, picking up her gloves and walking to a bin along the wall. Lauren watched as she counted out six plastic bags,

"Another twelve pairs of booties, just in case. Tomorrow morning, can you make sure you…"

"Already talked to her, Bo. We're backing our trucks up to each other. The boxes will go directly from her truck to mine. They won't be touched by anyone else. You're sure the order is complete?"

Bo nodded, pulling on her gear, "She said it was. You think she switched teams?"

"Nah. Just heard that she shorted Tommy's order." Mark laughed and Jon joined in.

A grin slowly spread across Bo's face, "She didn't."

Mark laughed harder, "Can't say for sure, but if his order is short and yours isn't… well, I guess it pays to have friends with benefits…"

Bo cut Mark off before he could say more, "Ready to go."

She slapped her hands together before rubbing her neck and giving Mark a shake of her head, throwing it towards the doctor. It took Mark a moment to get what Bo was saying, but after an elbow from Jon, he finally caught on,

"Shit. I had no idea."

Bo shook her head, as she walked closer to Mark and Jon, she whispered, "And that's how I wanted it. You know people around here aren't too friendly about… my kind."

Little Jon shook his head, "Damn conservatives. People need to leave their personal beliefs out of other people's personal beliefs."

Mark rubbed his neck, "So much drama. I miss the old days before all the drama."

Bo sighed, "I miss being alone in the open tundra."

Lauren's eyes filled with tears at the brunette's remark, catching her by surprise. She stood, turned away and shoved her hands into her pockets to compose herself. When she turned back to the group, she found herself left to watch as the other three handled the two sleds and a few boxes. No one looked her way. No one asked for her help. About twenty minutes later, the kennel was quiet and only Lauren and the dogs remained.

She sighed, walking over to where Elsa, Anna and Belle had made themselves comfortable against the tall stacks of hay bales. Her girls had followed her outside when she'd come to find Bo and had been laying wrapped around each other ever since. As she walked towards them, they grew excited. Tails wagged in anticipation of a sled run, making Lauren feel guilty that it was now too late for that since she had some clinic hours to do soon. One thing was true, they loved to run, that was certain. She supposed that Harper felt that way too. Maybe she was wrong to criticize Bo's choice.

The dogs came to lay beside her on the adjacent hay bales, Belle draping her head across Lauren's leg as usual. The doctor rubbed their soft, thick fur, leaning back against the bales stacked behind them before closing her tired eyes.

"I guess it's just us now, girls. Apparently, we're more of a distraction than I'd thought. She's heading out to her quiet, open tundra… happy to be alone. I guess she's had enough of humanity for a while." Lauren looked down at the girls, "I guess I have too. I need to focus on my science. Yes, that's it. I need to focus on my girls and my science. Perfect."

Lauren sat still, her hands running over and through the thick coats of her sled team. Her eyes, however, betrayed her. They lifted and found themselves watching the methodic checks and balance of the musher as she prepared for her one-hundred-mile run. Earlier, she'd come out here to make sure they didn't part ways mad. Apparently, she'd failed. For out there, was a woman determined to find her comfort zone – alone with her dogs and the vast, white empty tundra. In here was a woman who sat huddled together with her dogs, already feeling the distance growing between her and the mysterious Bo Dennis. Of course, the woman had warned her that she needed to get focused on her race.

Lauren sighed. She had work to do in the clinic and in the morning, Kyle would be here for her first real sled dog lesson. She supposed she should end the pity party and get up to go be the brilliant scientist she'd always been, but somehow as she watched Bo prepare, she wished she was going out there with her. Was it that she wanted to be with Bo or was it her growing desire to be a part of this land… to live as a part of this land.

"Rome wasn't built in a day and you won't find the answers to the many wonders of your complicated life in a day. Get up and go do what you do best. Find a cure or treatment for this sickness. Answers will come to all of the other stuff in due time."

She stood and turned to tie her dogs back to their kennels before pulling on her gloves and hood. As she walked to the entrance, she found Bo standing in the doorway. The brunette lifted her goggles and pulled down her mask,

"You didn't want us to part ways mad."

"So you came back?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "I'm sorry for being such a bitch. This thing with Harper, Big Jim, the race…"

"You've got a lot going on, Bo."

"And none of it is easy."

Lauren took a step closer, "Anything I can do?"

"Here my confession?"

Lauren looked confused, but responded, "Okay. I'm listening."

She watched as Bo looked out the window, then down at the dogs, "I am afraid. For the first time in my life, I'm truly afraid. I've never feared dying before. I'd never had anything I felt particularly intent on living for other than Harper… no offense to my other dogs, but she's all I have left of my Mom. My other dogs, well, they're champions so someone would want them and care for them. Actually, I know Little Jon would take good care of them. But still… I'm afraid."

She looked up at Lauren, her eyes holding a swirl of emotions the blonde had not yet seen in their time together. She offered the brunette a soft smile,

"Bo, you have every right to be afraid."

Bo laughed, "Wow. You do know you're supposed to say something that reassures me not to be afraid, right?"

Lauren shrugged, "I only know how to be me. I'm not going to tell you not to be afraid. Your best friend has cancer, your arch enemy is sending people to kill you and you're feeling something for another human for the first time in – well, at least a very long time. Fear is an appropriate emotion, but you can't let fear use you, Bo. You can't let fear control you. You have to let that fear fuel you just like you have allowed anger and love to fuel you in the past."

"Love?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "Why do you think you didn't think twice about jumping into a frozen lake to save Little Jon and the dogs? You knew the chances of coming out of that water alive were slim to none, but you went in anyway."

"Out of guilt."

Lauren shrugged, "I don't think so. You said it yourself – he was the closest thing you've ever had to a little brother. I think you love that boy just like I love my little brother, and you did what any big sister who loves her little brother would do. You dove in to save him. You didn't think about it. You just reacted. That's love, Bo. The purest, most selfless form of love there is."

Lauren watched as Bo turned to look out the windows, pulling on her gloves. The brunette turned back towards her,

"I've got to get going or I'll miss my window to avoid the worst of the storm. I just… I just wanted to come back in and say thank you for everything you said. I know it didn't seem like I was listening, but I was and… well, I needed to hear a lot of what you said. I just had to take the time to think it all through."

Lauren nodded, taking a few steps towards Bo who held up a hand, "No long goodbyes, okay? It's already hard enough…"

"Bo, you don't have to say anymore. Get back to your training routine. I understand. Besides, I have a clinic to open and I've been neglecting my work too."

"Thanks for being so understanding." Bo replied.

"Of course. You just be safe out there. Take care of yourself and let the dogs take care of you. Don't let the fear consume you, Bo. Use it to keep yourself aware, sharp and ready for anything."

Bo smiled, "Will do."

They stood, looking at each other for a long moment before Bo walked quickly to the blonde and wrapped her arms tightly around her. When she pulled away, she handed Lauren an envelope,

"Take care of this while I'm gone, please. I trust you. Thanks."

Lauren stared down at the envelope in her hand, trying to understand what was being asked of her. When she looked up to ask Bo what she was talking about, she was alone once again.

She quickly pulled on her gear and ran outside, only to see Bo and her team pulling out. She ran back into the barn and opened the envelope,

Talkeetna Veterinary Hospital – Surgical Consent Form…

"Shit." Lauren said, reading quickly through the medical legal jargon until she saw Bo's signature giving permission for surgery and granting Dr. Lauren Lewis medical power of attorney.

Lauren put the forms up on a hay bale and once again covered her face and head before running out into the kennel. She quickly moved through the sea of barking canines until she came to the largest house,

"Harper?"

The dog stood, wagging her tail at Lauren, "Oh, God. Harper."

In that moment, Lauren understood why Bo had been dead set against the surgery. The older dog looked no more than a year old with her wagging tail as she stared up expectantly at the blonde. Little did she know that for the next several days, she was not only staying home from a training run, but was going to feel like she was knocking on death's door.

"I'm so sorry." She said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Harper's head cocked to one side as she gave a soft whine. She sat, staring at Lauren as if asking her if she was okay. All the blonde knew in that moment is that she was anything but okay. She would do this so that Bo didn't have to, but it was going to be hell.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two Weeks Later…

"Rearranging the furniture, Doc?" Little Jon asked, entering the clinic through the cold room entrance, "Whoa. You really did do… everything. But if you don't mind my sayin', it looks like you're moving that bed out of place rather than into its place."

Lauren said nothing, but instead continued to push the bed across the clinic floor. Little Jon pulled off his hat and scratched his head, rubbing his hand over his smashed down hair. Just before they'd parted ways, Bo had given him strict instructions to help Lauren while she was away – some big surgical thing that she'd have no nurses for while she was gone.

"It's good that Bo got all of the walls hung this week, eh?"

Lauren gave a nod as she pulled back the curtain to the room closest to her office, then pushed the bed inside next to the other one,

"Yea, well it helped that she had you and Mark helping her out. She told me you guys did most of the work."

Little Jon nodded, stepping further inside to see what the doctor was doing in the room. His feet stopped suddenly, followed by a sinking feeling in his chest,

"Harper. What the…"

Lauren walked around the bed where Harper lay on her side, two I.V.'s leading from two bags, one clear and one sort of yellow into her front leg and her neck,

"Bo didn't want anyone to know just yet. She wanted everyone on her team focused on the race prep." Lauren chuckled, "She said that I was Team Harper… that she was all I needed."

Little Jon moved quickly to the blonde's side as he watched her fall apart. He draped an arm over her shoulder, squeezing her hand when she gripped his,

"Doc, I know I'm playing catch up here, but I've been watching you in action around here these last few weeks and… well, I agree with Bo. You're the best there is when it comes to your patients and I'm pretty sure that will apply to the canine variety as well."

"Thanks. Sorry about that." Lauren said, standing upright and wiping her cheeks, "I just hate seeing her like this… knowing it's my fault she's in this situation."

"Your fault? What happened?"

Lauren chuckled, shaking her head, "Bo really didn't tell you anything?"

He shook his head, "Nope. I'm completely in the dark on this one."

"The first time I met Harper… well, touched her… I was rubbing her coat and ventured along her neck. I felt an abnormality, but didn't say anything at first. At some point – I don't really remember when right now – I brought it to Bo's attention. She was in denial at first, but I convinced her to have a biopsy of the mass done a few weeks ago. She insisted Harper was going to remain on her training schedule to do the Iditarod. We argued… boy did we argue… but when she went on the overnight trip two weeks ago and left Harper behind, she also left me signed surgical consent forms."

"So that's why she replaced Harper. She told us there was something wrong with her foot, but I noticed the small spot that was shaved under her chin. I figured she would tell me if it was important."

Lauren nodded, "I doubt she'll talk to anyone about it. She hasn't said a word to me."

Little Jon shrugged, "How could she? It's like she's a woman possessed. She hasn't stuck around more than eight hours since she started training. I told her today she needed to take some down time before the race next week."

"What did she say?"

"She said she wants to run all of the dogs on a rotating schedule." Little Jon sighed.

"That's what she told me. Unfortunately, she's got twenty-nine dogs and only one Bo. I'm worried about her, Little Jon. She's got to rest. She can't keep going like this and then do a thousand-mile race."

"I was out at the kennels with Kyle. She gave all the dogs a clean bill of health… except Harper, of course." Little Jon said, his face clearly holding a sense of betrayal that he was left out of the loop on this one.

"Kyle was sworn to secrecy, Jon. Don't be mad at her." Lauren replied.

He nodded, "I know. Doctor-patient privilege and all."

"Well, she's a vet tech, not the doctor but she does have to keep patient confidentiality." Lauren informed.

He watched as Lauren leaned down and stroked Harper's head between her ears. The champion dog replied by closing her eyes and heaving a sigh,

"So you and Kyle are getting close."

Lauren smiled, "We've bonded over my mushing success." Lauren looked up at Little Jon, "I made it two miles last night and didn't hit any trees!"

Little Jon laughed, "Wow. That's some accomplishment considering the super thin tree you hit about five-hundred feet from the kennels two nights ago."

"I'll never live that down. Your Uncle Mark called it the crash heard round the world."

"You did sort of destroy the sled."

"Kyle fixed it." Lauren argued.

"She wouldn't have had to if you hadn't hit the only tree around for a mile."

"I didn't see it."

"Gotta know your trails."

"It's in the middle of the road!" Lauren argued.

"Still gotta know your trails."

"Whatever." Lauren replied.

Little Jon waited for a long moment, standing silently by the doctor as she consoled Harper. Finally, Lauren stood up,

"What, Little Jon? Just ask already."

"What?"

"Exactly. What? What do you want to know about me and Kyle."

Little Jon shrugged, "Bo thinks you're sleeping with her."

"Bo doesn't want a commitment, so what's it to her?"

Shrugging again, Little Jon replied, "It hurts her."

It was Lauren's turn to shrug, "Well, if she wants to know what's going on with me and Kyle, she should ask me or Kyle. If she is hurt by me sleeping with someone else – and I'm not saying I am – she should talk to me about that – not you and not anyone else. My personal life – particularly my level of intimacy with another human being – is not up for discussion by anyone except those involved in said intimacy."

Little Jon took a step back as Lauren's voice rose, "Right. Got it. Sorry. Didn't mean to overstep."

"Look, Jon. I know you love Bo and have a very special relationship with her, but her experience in relationships is about as extensive as yours. Both of you need to learn that gossiping about someone else's personal life is not cool. If you have to report back to her, let her know that if she's up for an adult conversation about our relationship – not mine and Kyle's – she should make some time to spend some time with me. Otherwise, she should keep focusing on her race prep."

Lauren stormed past Little Jon and into her office, leaving the young man standing there, startled by the altercation. He'd never argued with Lauren… not ever. The question was very innocent. He hadn't actually talked to Bo about it. He had drawn conclusions from his own observations and from Bo's comment about Lauren being too busy with Kyle to spend any time with her between runs.

Lauren walked back into the room carrying a stethoscope. She inserted the tips into her ears and placed the diaphragm against Harper's chest. Little Jon remained silent, knowing that the doctor was probably listening to the dog's heart. She stood,

"I need you to get Kyle for me, Jon."

He hesitated, leading Lauren to shake her head, "Geezus, I am not sleeping with her, Jon! I won't deny we're getting closer, but I don't sleep around and I resent either you or Bo thinking I do. The bottom line is that I'm alone here other than my friendship with you. When someone offers me conversation, meals or access to things that interest me, I'm going to accept the invitation. I'm not one to sit around on my ass by myself. If she wasn't here, I'd be seeking out people who were willing to do for me what she's doing for me. I'm not going to spend a year in Alaska and not have any fun or make any friends."

"Doc, please believe me when I say that Bo and I didn't have an actual discussion about you and Kyle, so please don't be mad at her. We were talking about plans for the evening when she was last home and she just mentioned she had hoped to spend a night with you but didn't know if you were already had plans with Kyle. She didn't actually say anything – I was just putting all of the pieces together and assumed she was hurt… I mean…she looks hurt… she looks lost."

Lauren sighed. She wasn't trying to avoid Bo and she definitely didn't want to hurt her. She had been very focused on the fun she was having with Kyle. It was a stark contrast to the time she'd been spending caring for Harper – it was actually a very good form of stress management. The truth was, she felt guilty about the state that Harper was in and Kyle had been very good at reminding Lauren that cancer wasn't anyone's fault. That if anything was true about Lauren's role in this, it was that Harpers' cancer was caught early enough that she would likely make a full recovery if the chemo didn't kill her first.

"I'm sorry, Jon. I guess I've been a little caught up in my own world. I'll try to talk to her the next time she's home. For now, I really need you to get Kyle. I'm not liking what I'm hearing."

"How can her heart be affected by a tumor in her neck?" Jon asked.

Lauren shook her head, pointing at the bags hanging on the I.V. stand, "One of those bags is nutrients, the other is chemotherapy. Right now, we're essentially wiping out all of the cells in Harper's body – good and bad cells alike. Unfortunately, I'm concerned that she has a bacterial infection that is causing pneumonia and she doesn't have the immunities to fight it off. I know how we would treat it in a human but have to be sure the same protocol is used for canines. Kyle will know and if she doesn't, she'll call her boss to find out."

"So, you listened to her lungs?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes and I'm hearing fluid when she breathes. Please, Jon. Go get Kyle at the hotel."

Little Jon replied, "Will do, Doc. Be back in a flash."

Lauren returned to Harper's side and leaned down over her ear, "It's okay, girl. You're going to be fine. We're going to help you breathe, give you something to help you fight off whatever this is and get you better. You just relax and let me take the lead. You've done enough running for now."

Laying her head on the soft fur of her canine friend, Lauren once again allowed the tears to fall, "Dammit, Bo. Where are you? She needs you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two Days Later, The Kennels

"Well, look who's home!" Mark shouted to Bo over the barking of the dogs.

The brunette didn't respond, but instead continued to wipe down each of the dogs on the team she had just brought back.

"They still on your trail?" He asked.

Bo gave a nod, "One less. They made a bad decision to follow me across the ice."

"What did you do, Bo?"

"I went across the ice. They followed. Nothing more to say."

Mark rubbed the back of his neck as he approached the brunette, "Bo?"

She turned quickly, he eyes filled with rage, "They got to Hercules."

She waved him off before he could say another word, "He's alive and with Seline. I was afraid to bring him back here. He was losing too much blood. I didn't think he would make it on the patch job I did to the wound. They're from the same litter, so he looks just like Harper... just a little bigger. I'm hoping they'll report back to Big Jim that they took her out. Maybe they'll ease up for now thinking I might drop out if I don't have her."

Mark's eyes ran up and down over the blood-soiled fur of her parka, "Bo, you've got to report this…"

"Don't say it, Mark. You know there's no evidence yet. I have to stay on the move. As long as they think my dogs are out and running, they're all safe. I'll just keep going until after the race. I never take the other dogs. Everyone knows it. As long as no one lets slip that I'm rotating my teams, they'll just think I'm being my typical crazy Bo Dennis self."

"Won't say people aren't thinking that already. Truth is, I agree with them, Bo. You're running yourself into the ground. You'll never win the big one if you don't get some rest, much less be strong enough to protect yourself if they come after you."

"I can recover in a few days' time, but I'll be doing that with my best team in an undisclosed location in a few days. Nine days, Mark. I just need to make it nine more days. I'll run three and rest three with the team I'm using. You just make sure you and the rest of the guys are ready to bring my kits and sleds to the start. I'll meet you there."

Mark looked out the window towards the clinic to where Lauren was peering out the window. She held up a piece of paper with one word written in black bold marker… HARPER. He rubbed his neck again as he slowly approached Bo,

"Bo, you gonna stop in and see Harper?"

Bo was silent for a long moment as she busied herself with the task of switching lines and harnesses among the dogs who she'd brought back and the ones she was about to take out after a quick nap and kit replenishing. Once all of the dogs were secured and the new team had harnesses in place, she turned to Mark,

"She's safe as long as no one sees me go into that clinic. They'll assume she's with the dogs out here unless I make a point of going in there."

Mark shook his head, "What about the Doc? You just gonna leave her to deal with all of that on her own? There are things she wants to talk about, Bo. Things you should know."

Bo shuddered, "Harper's alive, right?"

"Yes, but…"

"Lauren's still overseeing her care with the vet and… Kyle?" She gritted her teeth.

"Bo, you gotta let that go…"

"Consider it gone. Lauren's life is her business. She wants to bed Kyle, that's on her. I sure don't need it rubbed in my face."

"Geezus, Bo. She's not bedding Kyle."

Bo paused for a moment, her heart fluttering in her chest at the news, but still she remained stoic, "I stay away from the clinic, everyone inside is safe. I go in there, I put a target on their backs. It's already unusual that Kyle is here for almost a month. Jim and his boys will be getting suspicious."

Mark shook his head, "Kyle's a member of your team. She's always been here pre-race."

"Not for this long she hasn't."

Mark smiled, "Sure she has. Besides, this year she's also doing checkups on Brad's dogs and old man Crenshaw's dogs."

"Good thinking, picking up those jobs." Bo nodded.

Mark grinned, "Kyle's a smart one. You know that. Oh, and Tamsin's back so naturally she's spending a little time hanging with her too."

Bo mumbled, "Of course. Kyle never could keep her legs together. Lauren, Tamsin… I'm sure the list goes on."

Mark laughed, "Damn, woman. You sure do have a yellow streak running down your back for just about every woman in the state."

Bo looked up at the man, "No, I have a red streak running down my front from the bastard who stabbed my dog and the longer I stand here talking to you, the better chance those idiots have of finding me."

"Where'd you lose them?"

"Somewhere between Nikolai and McGrath. I took the long way back."

Mark looked confused, "The long way?"

"I left the groomed trail and headed into one of my old haunts."

"Your old haunts?" Mark asked.

Bo laughed, "Now Mark, you do know which rumors about me are true and which ones are false, don't you?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure what to believe when it comes to the stories about you, Bo. If I did, I would swear your eyes were blue and you came across that frozen lake as a White Walker out of Game of Thrones."

"Well, I do have a somewhat symbiotic relationship with the land I grew up on."

Mark chuckled, "And that's why you just took out a team of dogs named after the characters in the movie Balto."

Bo smiled, "Are you going to sit there and criticize me or are you going to help me rub their tired legs down?"

Mark took a seat on a nearby hay bale and grabbed a dog's leg, "Hi Jenna. Do you know that you star in an animated feature film? Yes you do. One of Bo's favorites, matter of fact."

The two laughed when Jenna let out an excited bark.

"Okay, so let's play a game of true or false. You don't have to give me any details, so you're not giving up any of your privacy." Mark proposed.

Bo shrugged, "I reserve the right to say no to any question."

"Okay then. Question number one, if the Iditarod was run from start to finish on an ungroomed, unmapped course, you would win every year, hands down."

"Seriously? That's your first question?"

"What? It's not a good one? You do know people have placed bets on that very question every year since you came onto the race scene, don't you?"

Bo shook her head, "I didn't. How exactly to people bet on a race that never has and never will happen?"

Mark smiled, moving on to a red Siberian named Muk, "Well, apparently it just did. Well, half of it, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"You just ran from somewhere near McGrath off trail to here. I'd say that qualifies as an off-trail race considering you were running from a pack of Jim's men sent to do who-knows-what to you and your team."

Bo shrugged, "Off-trail is how I lived for years when I came here and before that I lived fully exposed in the tundra out west and up north. Nothing special about it in my book."

"Yea and that what makes you so unique. We may get tons of snow around here, but we're nowhere near as exposed to the elements. Landscape and mountains make for great protection."

Bo laughed, "Yea and it also traps freezing temperatures and blizzards close to the ground."

The musher stood, "Okay. That takes care of the legs. I'm gonna catch a nap and then head back out."

Mark nodded, "I'll drop the water and food for the dogs. What time are you thinking of pulling out?"

"Eight hours. Can I get a wake up call?"

"You sure you want to run at night? It's getting mighty cold out there."

Bo shrugged, "We've all run in colder than this and there's enough stars out this time of year to use them as my map."

"Running at night, using the stars as a map. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm a half-breed whose parents taught her how to do things without fancy GPS and paper. I've lived off the land all my life and I have no intention of changing that any time soon."

"Okay. I'll pass that message on to Lauren as well."

"What?" Bo asked, spinning to face Mark.

"She was staring out the clinic window at us for the better part of this conversation. She knows you're here and she knows you're not coming in. I'll explain to her that you don't want her and Harper to be targets. I'll also explain to her that you have no intention of changing your lifestyle, so she might as well have at it with Kyle if she's offering."

"I didn't mean… I mean… I don't…"

Mark laughed, tears coming to his eyes, "Geezus, Bo. That woman has you twisted into knots. It's not like she's asking you to marry her. She's just asking for a little conversation about the situation with your dog. You've been avoiding her since you dumped the full burden of Harper's cancer on her."

"She told you?" Bo asked.

"Little Jon walked into the clinic while she was giving Harper a treatment. He told me. Not cool to leave us out of the loop, you ask me."

"I didn't ask you."

"I know and you didn't ask Little Jon either. Gotta tell you we both feel a little bit bad about that. We've known Harper a lot longer than the Doc. We're not saying she doesn't know better than us about how to care for her in this situation, but we are saying we had a right to know. Harper's family just like you. Family sticks together in tough times."

Bo was silent, as she stood to the side of the window and snuck a peek out to see if Lauren was still standing by the window. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed that the blonde wasn't visible, but she really was trying to avoid her in order to protect her from getting pulled into the violence that had befallen her world.

"It's too much. It's all too much. Running is just easier than talking."

Mark nodded, "Running is what you know. A life of solitude is what you were given by your parents. We all get that, Bo. But you're here now. You've got friends and friends who consider you family now. Those relationships come with responsibilities that you've never had to live up to before."

"I'm trying." Bo replied.

"No, you're not. You're avoiding."

The two turned towards the entrance to see a Lauren standing in the doorway.

Mark cleared his throat, "I'm gonna… you know… go get the stuff to feed the dogs."

He looked at Lauren as he spoke, "Get some sleep, Bo. I'll have Little Jon wake you in ten hours."

"Mark, I said…"

"Don't argue, Bo. I'll get your gear together so you can get the extra two hours. Fire up the heater back there so you're body has a chance to get back to a normal temperature while you sleep. No sense getting hypothermia sleeping out here."

He placed a hand on Lauren's forearm, giving her a nod before he stepped out into the cold Alaskan air. Lauren crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Bo to speak. Instead, the brunette got to work raking hay. Too exhausted from the all-nighter she did with Harper, Lauren took a seat on a nearby haybale and watched Bo work.

"I thought you were supposed to sleep." Lauren remarked.

"Well, since the dogs can't rake their own poop and I don't want to sleep in it, I'm going to do this first."

Lauren shook her head knowing there wasn't much poop around if any, "Little Jon raked about three hours ago. I can't imagine there's much excrement to worry about. But if you'd like to appear busy to avoid talking to me, that's fine."

Bo tossed the rake into the corner, planting her hands on her hips, "You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me, Bo. We haven't spoken since you left me here with Harper and you haven't seen her since her surgery. She needs you, Bo."

"This wasn't my idea."

"Oh really? That wasn't your signature on the consent forms?" Lauren shot back.

"I would not have chosen to do this right now while I'm on the run from… I mean, while I'm on my training runs."

"These aren't training runs, Bo. I may be a rookie, but even I know that you don't train this much without more than 8-12 hours rest between runs… very, very long runs." She crossed her arms over her chest again, the cold getting to her, "Are you going to tell me what's going on so I can understand why I was left as the sole care-giver and decision-maker for your most prized dog?"

Bo sighed, taking a seat on a hay bale across the room from Lauren, "Well, I guess Mark will tell you anyway."

"Tell me what?" Lauren's tone softened, but Bo could hear the shiver in her voice.

The brunette walked over to the corner of the room where the heater was mounted overhead. Firing up the pilot, she turned up the heat and turned back to the blonde,

"Sorry. I didn't think to turn it on earlier."

"You're stalling."

Bo smiled, "No, you had it right the first time. I'm avoiding."

Lauren only nodded, returning Bo's smile.

"I'm a little overwhelmed. Actually, I'm more than a little overwhelmed." She walked over to the empty dog house, "Big Jim's guys came after me and my team a few days ago. I'd managed to stay ahead of them since we last talked and… well, I guess I relaxed a bit. No, truth is, I let my guard down. I got sloppy and it cost me."

Lauren watched as Bo's hand came to rest atop the dog house, "Hercules?"

Bo nodded, "He's alive. I was able to staunch the bleeding until I could get him to Seline. I left him there."

She turned to Lauren, "He's from the same litter as Harper… Ares, too. I bought Hercules and Ares a few years ago from a woman I tracked down while trying to learn more about my Mother. Thing is that Hercules and Harper are identical except for the obvious gender differences. It was dark, so I don't think they were looking between the dogs' legs. They stabbed him in the side – got his lung good. I fired off three shots and they took off running long enough for me to get the sled moving."

Bo walked to the window, her back to Lauren as she looked up at the sky, "I took off into the woods, deciding I had a better chance of losing them there than if I stuck to the groomed trails. They made the mistake of trying to follow me when I circled around back across the lake."

"Mistake?"

Bo nodded as the volume of her voice drifted off, "Too many of them on too many sleds too close together. They're clearly inexperienced mushers or they would have known."

"What happened?" Lauren asked.

"Ice is funny. It's solid as can be if you maintain speed and a consistent weight. Fluctuate either and it does starts to crack. The problem is, if you keep moving, the crack just gets longer and longer until it hits a weak spot. Then it just swallows up anything above it."

"Oh God."

Bo lowered her head, "I only saw one sled go in before they all stopped. I… I didn't stay… I didn't help. Hercules was bleeding so much… I needed to get away so I could get enough space between us to stop and treat his wound."

She looked up at Lauren,

"Gods forgive me, I didn't help. I don't know if the man lived or not."

Lauren stood and marched across the room, gripping Bo by the shoulders, "Bo Dennis, you listen to me. This is not your fault. Those men were pursuing you. They're grown adults who made a choice to follow you on to that ice. That man lives if his friends saved him. If he dies, it was because of a choice he and his friends made… and a choice that Big Jim made. This is not your fault, Bo."

The brunette slid down to sit on the hay bale below the window, "I can't make it right in my head. It feels like it's my fault."

"Oh, so you should have let them catch you so that they could kill all of your dogs and maybe even you?"

Bo shook her head, "Why is he doing this, Lauren?"

The blonde shook her head, "I don't know, but we've come up with an idea."

"We?"

"Well, actually Dyson, Hale, Kenzi and Tamsin came up with the idea and passed it on to Kyle who brought it to me."

"Wow. All of my favorite people coming up with an idea to save me? You'll forgive me if I have a hard time believing that."

"Kyle is a member of your team and Kenzi is your best friend. Why would you say that?"

"Let's just say when Tamsin and Kyle are involved, there's history. So what's this brilliant idea?"

Lauren went back to her jacket and pulled a small device out of the pocket, "Have you heard of GoPro cameras?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm not much into technology. I spent most of my adult life living off the grid."

The blonde nodded, "We all figured that, but this is very easy to use. While you nap, we'll attach this to your coat. If anything happens, all you have to do is remember to turn it on."

"Okay, so if I'm attacked again, rather than think survive, I should think turn on a frickin' camera?"

Lauren twisted her mouth into a disappointed frown at Bo's remark, "This will gather the evidence they need if you remember to turn it on, Bo. Of course we want your safety to be the first priority, but let's hope your second thought is to turn this on so that we can put these men away. Tamsin and Dyson seem pretty certain that this particular group will turn on Big Jim if they're threatened with any significant jail time."

"They know who these men are?"

Lauren nodded, "They've been missing from work for weeks without warning. I'd say they have the group nailed down."

"So why can't they just have their bosses threaten their jobs to get them home?"

Lauren shook her head, "They work at Big Jim's mill… well, his former mill."

Bo sighed, "Of course they do and it doesn't matter who owns the deed to the business. Big Jim will always have his grubby paws in everything around here. Bastard."

"So you'll wear the camera?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "If you think it will help, yea, I'll wear it."

"Great. Little Jon will show you how to work it in the morning before you leave."

"I'm leaving tonight."

"Bo, you can't keep…"

"I have to, Lauren. Right now, they just might think Harper is dead because Hercules looks so much like her. I don't want them to know anymore than the town may have already given them about your connection to me."

"The town? What?" Lauren asked, confused.

"I'm sure there's gossip out there about the two of us. People around here don't like our kind, Lauren. Well… they'd never say it to our faces, but it's pretty conservative here."

"You mean Mark and Little Jon…"

"No, no. Of course not. Everyone you've met who is a friend of mine is very accepting of two-spirit people and members of the LGBTQ community. Of course, Big Jim is another story as are his people. It's why I go out armed and ready to fight. They wouldn't just kill me and get it over with. They'd want to make a point first. I need to keep you away from this, Lauren. I didn't expect it to start so soon. It's why I've been avoiding you… and Harper. They don't have a reason to go into the clinic, they don't see you or Harper."

Lauren nodded, "Okay. So you're just going to stay out here and sleep?"

Bo nodded, "It's just the way it has to be right now, Lauren. I'm sorry. I want to keep my distance to keep you and Harper safe. Besides, it will give you time to figure out what's going on with Kyle."

Lauren grew angry at the remark, "Was there a question there or are you just making assumptions?"

Bo shrugged, "Kyle is attractive, fun, caring and unburdened by a lack of social skills from living on her own most of her life. I'm just saying I could understand if you were interested in her. I'm pretty high-maintenance by comparison. It would be much easier to do an uncomplicated relationship with her."

"Maybe I'm interested in high-maintenance complications. It's not your decision to make, is it?" Lauren snapped.

"Lauren, I'm not trying to offend you here. I'm just saying that you're free to do whatever you want with Kyle. That you shouldn't feel obligated…"

"To you? Of course I'm not obligated to you! You made it very clear you don't do relationships!" Lauren snapped

Bo shot right back, "And you made it very clear you're just coming off of a bad marriage and didn't want to be committed!"

"And to think I missed having you in my bed at night!" Lauren shouted, waving her arms in the air.

Bo pointed a finger at the blonde, "And to think that I thought about just dropping out of the race because I wanted to be here with you and Harper!"

Lauren froze, "You what?"

"Nothing!"

"No, you said you thought about dropping out of the race."

"So what if I did?" Bo asked.

"Bo, you can't. This is your dream… your goal."

Bo sat down, defeated, "Dreams and goals change."

"Not this one." Lauren challenged.

Bo looked up at Lauren, her eyes now brimming with tears, "I can't put you in harm's way. Big Jim will stop coming if I drop out of the race… let his guy win."

Lauren cupped the brunette's face, "Bo, you can't quit. We have to stop Big Jim. This has gone on long enough. You have to stop him for Little Jon, for Harper, for Mark and for all of the people he has every done harm to in this life. You're not fighting him alone this time, Bo. We're all in your corner. You have family and friends this time, Bo. Let us in. Let us help you and this time you will win."

"I'm so tired, Lauren. I'm so tired of fighting him. I'm tired and he knows it."

Lauren smiled, "You're a champion, Bo. One more long run for the finish, okay? Then we have the rest of the year to have fun, explore Alaska in the springtime and make love in a warm bed."

"Make love?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "Mindless fucking isn't working for me anymore. I like the morning cuddles and late-night hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows."

"So what are you saying?" Bo asked.

Lauren grinned, "I'm saying I'm not sleeping with Kyle, Bo. I'm saying I have no intention of doing so. We're bonding over common interests, but at the end of the day, I miss you terribly. I'm saying that when all of this is over, it's you I want to share my time in Alaska with, not anyone else."

Bo smiled, "I like that. I like all of that."

"Good." Lauren said, standing, "Now go make a hay bed and get some sleep. I've got to go switch over Harper's I.V."

Bo watched as Lauren pulled on her coat, hat and gloves, her words stuck in her throat as she slowly stood and tossed some hay into a pile near the dogs. She tossed a blanket down and grabbed her fur jacket off the hook to use as a top cover. But instead of laying down, she turned back to Lauren,

"Doc?"

Lauren turned to Bo, "Bo?"

"How is Harper?"

"She's fighting, just like her owner. She's a champion and champions always find a way to win."

Bo nodded, "So she's not doing so well?"

Lauren sighed, "She just finished her final chemo treatment. Unfortunately, she developed pneumonia. We're treating it and she's fighting like hell to win this race."

"Do you think she'll live?" Bo asked.

"She better. The alternative is unacceptable to any of us."

Bo nodded, "Thanks for being honest."

Lauren nodded, "Of course. I've gotta get back."

"Thanks for taking care of her. I'm sure it's been a challenge in many ways."

Lauren raised her eyebrows as she gave a nod, "It's emotional and we've had quite a few all-nighters. Nothing you're not doing as well."

"I guess we're all in the race of our lives." Bo replied, realizing that they were all fighting a battle to survive.

Lauren smiled, "Let's win."

"Failure is not an option. I've got hot-chocolate with mini-marshmallows in my future."

Lauren chuckled, "Take care, Bo."

"You too, Doc."

The blonde laughed, "I still hate it when you call me that."

Bo laughed, "I know."

She watched as the blonde left the kennel before turning back to the spot on the ground amongst the dogs. She sighed, fighting the urge to go inside and share Lauren's bed for the evening. Knowing that she would probably be with Harper gave her the strength to resist. Harper needed the doctor more than she did right now. She needed to fight this battle on her own and let her dearest canine friend have the support she so desperately craved, "Okay, Ladies. Make room. We leave in ten hours."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

52 Hours to Iditarod Start

Bo was on her way back to the start where it had been decided that Kyle would be hauling her Iditarod race team with Tamsin and Dyson in the back of the large truck with the dogs. The benefit of using Kyle's truck was, first and foremost, that it had a cab on the back, so the dogs and the two law enforcement officers would be concealed. The other benefit was that Kyle's presence was expected – for three teams that were not Bo's. There were only five people who knew that she was working with Bo and the brunette trusted every single one of them… as much as Bo could trust people.

The one thing that Bo did feel badly about was Lauren. Weeks ago, she had invited her to the race. The doctor had been so excited about attending her first Iditarod and Bo was actually excited to have her there for the start and several of their planned checkpoints. But three days ago, when Bo was heading out from the kennel for her final training race with her back up team, she received a report of three strangers in town who had been inquiring about the new doctor, the new clinic and the new hospital.

Bo had urged calm and had immediately headed out, but Lauren had insisted that Evony be notified immediately since the three projects were hers and she had a right to know. Bo had pleaded with the doctor to wait it out and see if the men left, but she didn't. Word had traveled quickly that Evony was coming in to investigate which only drew more attention to the situation. On top of that, the owner had called in Dyson, Tamsin and Hale as extra security on the property. When the three showed up in Talkeetna a long way from their normal beat, things became even more tense between the three State officials and the local police.

Still, Bo had finalized their plans and left, hoping that if the men were new hires of Big Jim's, they would be more interested in following her. But now, as she made her way back to drop off this team, take a long nap and then take a snow machine to hideout near the start line, she had this sinking feeling in her stomach that she just couldn't shake.

No one had followed her. She had examined the GoPro footage on zoom over and over to be sure, but there was no one within her viewing area. No tracks, no sounds, nothing at all. The quiet was eerie. It was never this quiet on these lands. Never.

The dogs became restless, picking up their pace which drew Bo's attention back to them. She was on a cut back away from the Talkeetna to draw any unwanted company away. She'd been using switchbacks like this over and over along the way. It made the journey longer, but she wanted to be sure that no one was following her back to the village… back to Lauren.

The dogs began to argue over their direction, Ares and Bacchus not following the leaders, Julius and Apollo.

"Whoa, boys." Bo said, pulling the center lead hard to bring the team to a stop, "Whoa!"

She dropped the ice pick and stomped it into the deep snow before dismounting from the sled and walking to the front. She checked the leads along the way, making sure nothing had gotten tangled or loose. When she reached the four dogs at the front, she put her hands on her hips and glared at them,

"You see, boys? This is why I use the girls for the big races. Now, what seems to be the problem here? Ares, Bacchus? You two are the swing dogs. You're supposed to follow the leaders." She looked at the leads, "Julius, Apollo? Are you leading us all to our deaths? That would be the only reason I would think the four of you would be arguing."

The four started barking, Julius and Apollo looking back as they bucked and tried to turn. All of the other dogs followed suit, leading Bo to yell,

"Whoa! Whoa! Okay, what am I not understanding here. In all my years, I've never had a team…" As she looked up behind the sled, her heart sunk, "What the…"

In the distance, she could see the faint orange glow on the horizon. She took a quick peak up at the sky to get her bearings and then ran quickly back to the sled. Pulling the pick from the snow and slinging it around her shoulders, she pushed the sled as she called for a 180-degree turn from her team,

"Hike! Hike, boys! Come Haw! Come Haw!"

It didn't take long for the team to pull out and make their turn, Bo continuing to demand more speed from her exhausted team,

"Mush! Mush! Come on boys! Gee! Gee!" She watched as Julius and Apollo took the right turn. She need to get back to the groomed path for at least or part of the run to save a few minutes and make the work easier for the dogs. The deep snow was going to slow them down and she didn't want to take a chance on hitting a rock or tree at this speed.

Her mind was consumed with fear as they closed the distance to Talkeetna. For the sky to glow orange from this distance, it was huge. This was a multiple-structure fire, there was no doubt. The dogs began barking again, giving Bo reason to survey her surroundings. Sure enough, a sled came out of nowhere to her right.

"Shit." She spat, deciding it was best to head back into the woods where she would be faster, but another sled was gaining on her to the left. A shot rang out, the bullet hitting a tree up ahead,

"Fuck! Guns? Really! That's cheating!"

Slapping at the lead, begging as much strength as she could get from the dogs, they responded and kicked it into another gear,

"Good boys! Julius! Apollo! Gee Haw! Gee Haw!"

The unusual command was Bo's patented speciality. Her lead dogs would now pick a zig-zagging line through the woods, making it harder for the men to follow. Bo had counted heads. They each had 16-dog teams compared to her current 12-dog team. She may have less leg power, but she was much more mobile and much more experienced than Big Jim's men.

Another shot rang out, causing her to duck. She heard the bullet before it hit another nearby tree.

"Okay, so now we know you're definitely after me and not just the dogs. This just got even more personal boys."

She grabbed a rope she had rigged for just this occasion and hung one end with a hook attached out to her right. She had a moment where she wished Nike and Diana were in the lead, but she pushed that aside, putting all of her trust in the two young boys at the front of her team. She waited for them to cut right and when they did, she paused long enough for the entire team to follow and then pulled the lead hard, leaned left and yelled,

"HAW! HAW!" They narrowly missed a large tree, two of her dogs skinning their sides on the bark. They whimpered but never stopped, "Good boys!" She leaned left as she came to the tree, tossing the hook out to her right and letting the rope go as it ran out with the distance.

She watched the white rope stretch out behind her before calling, "Gee! Gee!"

As the team turned back to the right, she took the other end of the rope, grasping the second hook and tossed it out, hoping for it to catch the tree to the far left. She held her breath, looking back over her shoulder and cheered when it caught, effectively hanging a semi-loose clothesline across the path.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four…"

"Aargghh!"

"Vince!"

The name caught Bo's attention, causing her to look over her shoulder at the man caught at the throat by the barbed-wire rope. Guilt rushed through her like a raging river as the other man's sled came to a stop just short of his clotheslined friend.

"Dammit, Bo! How could you do this!" The other man shouted, trying to lift the man's legs so he wasn't hanging.

"Julius! Apollo! Come Haw! Come Haw!"

The sled turned, Bo pulling out her rifle as they ran back. She threw a leg over the sled, holding up her weapon, setting the site on a man she knew as Jeffrey,

"Whoa! Whoa!" She commanded. The dogs came to a stop, all twelve of them growling at the two men.

"Help me! Help me, Bo! You can't just let him hang here! Geezus, Bo! You strung him out by his neck!"

"Seriously! You're going to come at me with all that when you just took three shots at me? The last one nearly hit me in the back of the head, thank you very much! I could be dead right now and you're saying I'm the monster? I helped you two when you were lost in the woods and dying of hypothermia and starvation six years back and now you go to work for Big Jim trying to kill me?"

Jeffrey shook his head, "Not kill you – just scare you out of the race!"

"Those shots say different." Bo said, raising her rifle, "You shot at me, now I shoot back."

He waved his hands in desperation, "Please, Bo! Big Jim hired us to kill you, but we both agreed that was not going to happen. No way we'd kill anything but game for our families. I promise we agreed. But you hung this at his neck, dammit! He's gonna die I don't get him down."

Bo slowly moved her hand from the front of her rifle, holding the trigger steady as she pulled her hunting knife from it sheath on her hip. She tossed it over, gripping the blade between her finger tips and raised it to throw,

"Bo! Please!"

Letting it fly, it hit the rope where it was anchored in the tree, sticking tightly and successfully freeing the man,

"There. He's free. Now slowly, bring my knife back to me… your gloves off before you pull it from the tree, please."

When his back was turned, Bo reached down and adjusted the zoom on the GoPro to make sure the faces of the two men were visible. Finally, the man returned with the knife,

"Drop it on the sled and walk back to Vince. Cut the rope on either end. Don't take those spikes out of his neck until you get the hospital, or he'll bleed out. You'll have to carry him on your sled to the clinic. It's the closest place to get him treated."

Vince turned visibly white, while Jeffrey began to panic, "I… I can't take him there!"

"He'll never make it back to Anchorage. You have to take him there, Jeffrey. That's also where I'll be turning you two over to the authorities."

Vince hung his head, nearly unconscious now as Jeffrey relented and explained, "I can't take him there, Bo. The clinic was the bait."

"WH-what?" Bo asked, looking back at the now growing orange glow on the horizon.

"Big Jim sent three of his men to burn it down... along with the Talkeetna General Store, the Hospital and the Kennels. He knew you'd run back. We tried to convince him not to touch the Hospital, but he went on about not needing white man's medicine… that the hospital would just bring more… Cheechakos."

He cringed saying the word. Everyone knew Bo hated that word, though not many knew why. They did know she had thrown her hunting knife through a man's hand for speaking it in reference to her friend Kenzi, though.

"Anyway, he knew you'd come back if they were in danger and a fire was the bait. He had Vince and I waiting back at Harp's Hook Bridge when you made the turn so we could come up behind you and take you down. We had just planned to scare you enough so that you would see he's serious. That's why we figured we could get away with not killing you like he wanted. We thought if the clinic, hospital and General Store all burned and your friends were shook up enough, you'd see winning another trophy wasn't worth the risk. If the kennels burned, you'd definitely be out of the race. Honest, we knew the dogs could make it out before the fire burned. We helped build the place, so we know about the escape hatch. Honestly, Vince here was worried that they wouldn't be able to break free of their leads staked to the ground. I thought your dogs are smart enough to get out if they have to."

Tears streamed down Bo's face as she lifted the rifle to her cheek, aiming it at the man. Jeffrey raised his hands over his head, pleading for his life.

"My dogs? You went after my dogs! All of them!"

He shook his head, "Only the best ones. We all agreed you were doing too many training runs to be using your best for all of them. We knew you would rest your best before the race… that they'd be in the kennel. At the very least, you wouldn't win the race without the best dogs."

She shook her head, "You're monsters. You're all monsters."

She shook her head, "Kneel!"

"Bo…"

"I said kneel! Now! Pray to any God you worship because you're about to meet your maker. God knows I hope it's the devil because after what you've been party to here tonight, you've proven yourself pure evil and worth of eternity in hell!"

He watched as she flipped off the safety on her rifle and moved her finger to the trigger once more,

"Bo, please! You don't have to do this."

She could see the panic in his eyes as he waved his open palms at her,

"You help me get Vince back. We both live and we both testify in court."

"Trust me when I say I don't need you to go back with me. I've got a full confession and enough to put Big Jim away along with anyone they find guilty of setting those fires. According to village law, I've got every right to put a bullet in you and Vince."

"But you don't abide by village laws. Why would you start now?"

"Because the white man's court will take too long and they also won't allow me to kill you where you kneel."

"Bo… please. I swear we were just trying to do damage control by joining Big Jim. If he sent his men, you'd be dead by now and your dogs would be cut up in little pieces."

Seeing Bo squeeze her rifle tighter, he added, "I swear, those were Big Jim's words… not ours! We would never hurt your dogs!"

"And that's why I just can't believe you'd have any parts in this. What the hell is wrong with you, Jeffrey? You could have given Mark a heads up they were about to burn his store to the ground. Geezus, his own fucking Grandfather burned his livelihood to the ground. Can you not see how sick that is?"

She looked up at Jeffrey again, "Mark and his wife helped you when your Daddy ran off and left you, your Momma and your sister alone. You're like a big brother to Little Jim and Little Jon. You were the moral compass for those two. What happened to you?"

"I didn't have a choice, Bo. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Really? That's your lame excuse?" Bo asked, "I swear to God if any of them are hurt, you will not live to apologize again for your part in all of this. So, give me just one reason I shouldn't kill you right now and get it over with? I could save the taxpayers a lot of money holding you in jail, feeding you and putting you through a trial."

"Bo, please! My wife… my sons…"

"Really? And were you thinking of them when you bought into Big Jim's psycho plan? What will they think when you're in a courtroom on trial for attempted murder?"

"Bo, I promise! Vince and I had a pact! We were not going to kill you! We haven't killed anyone! I swear!"

"So wait… what you're telling me is that you two idiots were not aware that bullets bounce? You're lucky you missed me to begin with! You're even luckier that I wasn't taken out by a ricochet and even luckier you didn't hit one of my dogs! If you had, you'd be dead where you stand, and I would have tightened the rope around Vince's neck instead of cutting him free."

"We'd never hurt your dogs. They're the most innocent in all of this – especially Harper. She didn't deserve her fate."

"Oh? And what fate is that?" Bo asked, wanting to get everything on tape.

"The knife wound. I heard her lungs are in bad shape… that she's dying."

Bo lowered her eyes. Hearing it was difficult even though she knew that was the lie that Lauren and Mark had been circulating since the stranger came to town and learned that Harper was in the clinic.

"But we also know that's not what's killing Harper."

That got Bo's attention. She adjusted her finger on the trigger, holding the rifle tight to her cheek as the dogs nudged the sled just a big at the sound of Harper's name,

"Educate me."

"Cancer."

"Horrible disease. What about it?" Bo challenged.

"The dog house sent up from Point Siku General Store after the Iditarod two years ago… it's lined with asbestos, not insulation. Big Jim put it in the liner personally. Bragged about the slow, excruciating death the dog would have breathing that in for even a year… that it would rip your heart out just the same."

Bo could feel the anger build. It took all of her strength to keep her hand steady and not pull the trigger,

"You knew and you did nothing? You said Harper was the most innocent in all of this and yet you allowed him to sentence her to death by cancer? You could have snuck into the kennel and fixed it. You could have taken the house and dumped it in the woods and replaced it yourself. What in this fucking world is wrong with you! I swear you're going to pay for this. You're going to pay for your part in this Jeffrey."

"What was I supposed to do, Bo? You know Big Jim. He rules the land. You get a call from Big Jim and you do what he says."

"No, Jeffrey. You don't. You do what's right… you and all of the other gutless men and village elders in this land and you stand up to the bastard. That's how you take away the psycho's power. You want to know why I stick to my own? Because none of you are worthy of my time, help or trust. Since the day I set foot on these lands, you have allowed that man to ruin my life. That ends now. You're either with me or against me, but I promise you, Big Jim is going down one way or another. Hope you're on the right side of history. Of course, right now, Vince is laying there dying and you made the choice to burn down the only place that could have saved him. Good luck getting him back to Anchorage alive. I'd bandage that wound if I were you."

Bo lowered her rifle, "I trust you won't shoot me in the back as I leave?"

He hung his head as he continued to kneel in the snow next to his friend, "I won't hurt you, Bo. I promise."

"Yea. Promises don't tend to mean much to me in these parts." Bo replied, getting onto the sled and calling out to her team.

"WAIT! Bo!"

She turned back to Jeffrey, "That new doctor? Will she help him? I can't just let him die."

Bo sighed. It was her fault, after all, that he was in this condition. She looked up at the sky, hearing a plane… no, several planes.

"Fire planes."

"What?" Bo asked.

"We got word that Evony was back… she called for fire planes to be on standby. Apparently, she's onto Big Jim and received intel on what he was planning. The woman is always prepared."

Bo nodded, "Let's hope she's not too late."

"Bo? About the Doc. Will she help me? Will she save Vince?"

Bo lowered her eyes, looking down as she turned her head slightly to reply, "If she's still alive, she will try her best... Hippocratic Oath and all."

With that she set her team in motion and hurried back to Talkeetna and whatever awaited her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Bo pulled into town, the air was filled with ash and the smell of wet smoke. She moved past the hotel which was packed with villagers. She didn't stop, but instead moved on, knowing that her only goal right now was checking on the three buildings that held her dearest friends and companions.

As she rounded the corner she gasped at the sight of the General Store. It was completely gutted with only two of the four walls still standing. Mark and his wife sat on the concrete steps, half of the old sign at their feet,

"Whoa." She spoke quietly to the dogs who came to a ragged halt, panting hard. One by one they laid down in the snow, but Bo put the snow pick into the ground regardless.

She walked slowly to the couple, "Mark… Molly."

The pair looked up, Molly jumping to her feet, "Oh, Bo! Thank God you're okay! They said you were dead!"

She threw her arms around the brunette, taking her by surprise. It took a moment, but Bo returned the embrace, looking over the woman's shoulder to Mark who was also standing and moving towards her,

"Good to see you, Bo. I have to admit, you had me worried."

She released Molly and was immediately pulled into a hug by her friend, "Come on, Mark. You know I'm hard to kill."

She stepped back, eyeing the pair, "I'm so sorry you got pulled into this mess. Your store and your home are gone."

"Please, Bo. This has nothing to do with you. This is something that my brother and I should have put an end to long ago. Our Dad actually should have done something. He could have had Big Jim committed years ago. We begged… even went before the council ourselves."

"You didn't." Bo said in disbelief.

"We did. That's why our store was burned down, not because of you. You were just an excuse to do what he's wanted to do for years. We betrayed him… in his eyes, anyway. The council backed him. We warned them he would come unhinged and people would die. Now, here we are."

Bo swallowed hard, "Someone… died?"

Mark looked up, "Jared and Bert died fighting the fire at the hospital. Roof collapsed on them while they were trying to get young Sam Hobbs out. Sam's in the make-shift hospital we set up down at the visitor's center. Tamsin's in the hospital, too… smoke inhalation from getting the Doc out of the clinic when Kyle got trapped trying to get her out."

"Lauren's out?"

Mark nodded, "She's got a few small burns, but she's down there patching everyone else up. We're waiting here for Kyle's brother. They're coming in on the train."

Bo froze, "Um… Kyle… is she…"

"She's in bad shape. Doc said to call next of kin. Her upper body is burned real bad. Doc's doing what she can, but a lot of her supplies were burned in the fire. She and Little Jon tried to put the fire out, but when it kept spreading, they grabbed the emergency bags she had for the emergency services group she made Evony wrangle a couple months back and tried to make their way out. They got separated by that main support beam falling. Little Jon got out through the cold room, but collapsed in the snow. He's got some frostbite since it took us a while to find him back there."

"How did Lauren get out?"

"Kyle went in and found her unconscious. Picked her up and went towards the exit, but the floor gave out. She literally threw Lauren to the other side of the gap, then ran and tried to make the jump, but the floor gave out again, dropping her into a total firepit. Tamsin came in just as she was trying to make the jump and saw her go down. She dragged Lauren out and then crawled beneath the clinic and dragged Kyle out, rolling her over to put out the flames that caught onto her clothes. Tamsin got burned up in there pretty bad too, but she's expected to make it. She'll need a few surgeries to fix her skin, but being as she was face down in the snow for a while, the burns on her face look more like frostbite than burns."

Molly chimed in, "Doc expects that a new layer of skin will just grow in its place. She said she's never seen burns that look like the ones on her face, neck and hands."

"Lucky Tamsin. She somehow always manages to make it out of bad situations in pretty good shape."

Mark and Molly nodded as Bo looked up the road, "So, what am I going to find up there?"

"The Clinic is a total loss and so is the Kennel. Sorry, Bo. We tried to save everything and ended up saving nothing. The only reason the rest of the town is standing is because of Evony's fire planes. Hate to say it, but we owe her one. Tom and Mary's house will need some repairs, but it's not a total loss. Barney's truck is a total loss. It still had some of your race kits in it because he took a break to help move the dogs into Kyle's truck to take them down to the… designated location."

Bo sighed, "The dogs made it out?"

Mark smiled, "They all stuck together in the woods. They dragged Elsa out with them."

"Elsa?"

Molly placed a hand on Bo's shoulder, "Lauren's team was in there because she had just finished a training run with Kyle and was out there being fed with the rest of the dogs… her whole team was. That's when the propane tanks went up at the clinic. Whoever did this had laid a gas-soaked wick from the propane tank to the Kennel. Lucky you reinforced that wall in the clinic. It saved Lauren and Little Jon."

"So… Elsa…"

"She's burned, but the Vet says she should make it."

"The Vet was up here?"

Mark nodded, "Those strangers came around again last night, so Lauren had Harper moved to the Vet's room in the hotel. She has Elsa and Hercules there with her now… and Athena's feet are burned, Bo. She's questionable for the race."

Bo shook her head, "The last thing on my mind right now is the race, Mark."

"No."

"No?" Bo asked.

"No. You cannot let him win, Bo." He held out his hands, surveying the damage around him, "All of this was to keep you from racing and to destroy the worlds of all you hold dear. You don't race, he wins. You don't win, he wins. We don't help you win that race, we all lose. We show up… all of us. Hell, Kyle said she's going to the race even if it's in a box."

Bo chuckled, "That sounds like Kyle."

"You should go see her, Bo. She may not have much time."

Bo nodded, "You sure you two are alright?"

Molly nodded, wrapping her arm around Mark's, "We're going to wait here for Kurt. We'll see you at the visitor's center once we have him with us."

Heading back to the sled, Bo gave a wave and headed off around the corner to the clinic. It was a very short trip and Bo's heart dropped when she saw the two buildings were devastated. Even the dog houses were burned to the floors. She gritted her teeth as she thought about the house where Harper had been staying. She wasn't sure if Lauren could prove the asbestos admission, but if she could, that would surely be the final nail in Big Jim's coffin.

She went to move on when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She brought the sled to a stop again and drove the pick into the icy ground that she guessed must have formed from dropping water on the fire. She walked carefully around the rubble to the back wall that was still half standing and stopped suddenly,

"Lauren?"

The blonde looked up, but kept digging, "Bo, help me! Help me! I'm looking for an oxygen tank. It was in this wall. I didn't hear a second explosion, so it's got to be here. I need it for Kyle. I can't keep her lungs going without another oxygen tank. I sent Little Jon to try to find one at the hospital, but I can't wait. I only had the small emergency ones and they're almost gone. She'll die without another tank."

"Lauren… Lauren, calm down. Come here."

"No, Bo. We need it now!"

Bo moved to the blonde, gripping both of her hands. Lauren struggled, starting to speak, but when she caught the sight of Bo's eyes she stopped,

"We lost Jared and Bert. Sam Hobbs was fine, but he took a turn. Tamsin's burns are fine, but she had smoke inhalation and I burned through an oxygen tank treating her. Kyle is… God, Bo I just want to try to keep her alive until she can see her brother. I don't know if I can do any better than that, but at least I can do that much, right?"

"And you will. I'm just asking you to take a minute to take a breath for yourself."

It was in that moment, that Lauren seemed to realize, "You're alive. They told me you were dead. You're alive."

Bo smiled, "I'm alive and, thanks to this GoPro you insisted I wear, I have all of the evidence we need to bring down Big Jim and at least two of his men. Of course, I'm pretty sure those two men will be ready to roll over on any other ones they're aware of after the little chat we had. You should be getting another customer soon, by the way. Save him, don't save him… it doesn't matter to me. They shot at me and the dogs, so they should be your last priority, even though I know you won't treat them that way."

"I took an oath, Bo and…"

Bo waved her off, "I told them that which is why I told them to make their way here. I sort of had to resort to that clothesline trick that Little Jon and his friends came up with."

"The one with the barbed wire?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Yea, but I sort of set the wire too high. In my defense, there were a lot of trees and we were going really fast."

"Where did you get them?"

Bo shrugged, "I only got one of them… at the neck."

"Geezus, Bo."

"I know, I know. The guy's name is Vince. His friend is Jeffrey. I did tell the healthy one not to pull out the wire, but just to bandage over it. Vince is still bleeding pretty bad."

"Great. I have very little blood. That's hopefully on its way from the hospital too."

Bo nodded.

"Look, I've got to find this tank and get back. You with me?"

"I'm looking for that big long tank?"

Lauren nodded, "It should last for a long time. The problem is how heavy it is."

"I remember. My dogs can handle it." Bo said.

Lauren looked up at the team, "You sure? They look a little…"

"Strong? Because they are. They were amazing. If they didn't need a lot of rest, I might have used them for the race."

"No, you wouldn't have." Lauren laughed, beginning her search again.

"Okay, you're right, I wouldn't have. Still, they were amazing." Bo stood and tried to get an image of where they were digging. She should be able to zero right in on the tank that she had installed. It was inside a steel box, so would have fallen down sideways if it wasn't melted by the heat of the fire. Given the temperature outside, she didn't think that would be the case. The problem was, the steel wasn't a bright color to begin with and if the tank inside hadn't exploded, the steel casing would likely be black and blending in with the rest of the charred mess.

"Mark and Molly told me about Elsa. How's she doing?"

Lauren shrugged, "I think she's okay. I haven't seen her since the Vet took her and the others. You heard about Athena then?"

Bo nodded, "I'll come up with a plan depending on how she is. I'm just glad they're all alive."

Lauren nodded, "I'm glad we decided to move them all early. Tamsin thought we were being a little paranoid, but Kyle insisted she wasn't being paranoid enough. That chick's a real piece of work."

"Who, Tamsin?"

Lauren nodded, "Yea. She hinted that you had history with her and Kyle?"

Bo nodded, "Sorry, but yes. It was a long time ago. The two of them are the ones with history now."

"So I gathered. I'm trying to keep Tamsin calm so she can heal, but she just wants to see Kyle."

"You should let her." Bo said, quietly.

"Well, it will upset her which will increase her heart rate and…"

Bo gripped Lauren's wrist, "Lauren… if I only had hours to live, I would think someone would get you to my bedside and if you were the one dying, I would move heaven and earth to be by your side until your last dying breath."

The blonde watched as Bo's eyes filled with tears, raising her hand to thumb away the few that escaped. It moved her to tears as well,

"Wow. Aren't we a pair."

Bo smiled, "It's been an emotional time."

Lauren nodded, "It certainly has been."

The two shared a moment before they set back to digging. It must have been another twenty minutes until Bo finally struck pay dirt.

"Lauren! I found it!"

She ran to the sled and grabbed some clean rope. She quickly wrapped it around the tank and started back to the sled, calling the dogs to attention. Once the line was secured, she pulled as hard as she could while Lauren stood on the sled and gave commands to the dogs. It took several attempts, but they finally pulled the tank free of the steel sheath onto the icy road.

"Well, if the dogs stay in the snow and I can keep the tank on the ice, it should be an easy trip for them to the Visitor's Center. How did you get here?"

Lauren shrugged, "I ran."

"You ran?"

"Adrenaline."

Bo nodded, "Okay, well… I guess you're in the basket, rookie."

"I'll take it. It will give me a chance to take a ten-minute power nap."

"My dogs are tired. We'll be trotting at best. It will be more like fifteen minutes."

"Even better." Lauren replied, turning on her side and pulling the sled cover over herself.

"Can I ask how you were planning to get this tank back to the center on your own?" Bo asked.

"I hadn't thought that far." Lauren replied.

Bo chuckled, "Take that nap. I'll wake you in a bit."

She looked down at the blonde, grateful she was alive and safe. As she headed into the wind, she could only wonder what she would find when they got to the center. At some point, she needed to get some sleep herself. It was now about forty hours to race time and she had a lot to figure out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Next up, we'll check in on the patients and run the Iditarod!