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?

5. Chapter 5: Into The Storm

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and messages. I'm so sorry I've had so little time to write, but that should change for the month at least! Thank you so much for your patience and encouragement. You're the best! I'm not totally happy with this chapter, but there is a lot of necessary Iditarod backstory in it. Despite that content, this is a massive chapter to make up for my absence and to satisfy those who are asking why my chapters have been so "short"?! Apparently they aren't long enough to get some people through their work day! Ya'll are too funny! Okay then - let's check in on the make-shift hospital and then get Bo to that race. What will they do about Big Jim now? Will Bo put her life and the life of her friends at risk to run the race?

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Chapter 5: Into The Storm

Bo stood over Kyle's bed watching Lauren gather tubing she planned to use to perform a makeshift tracheotomy. Their friend's breathing had become more labored, her chest unable to expand because of the burns on her chest. Lauren had explained the procedure to Bo so she could help her find a way to create a machine that would do the same job. Bo wasn't sure about all of the details, but they had found a compressor, some tubing and sharp pocket knives that were now sterilized. They had some gauze left from the emergency kits and alcohol.

Now they were waiting while Kyle's brother Kurt, who was a mechanic at Barney's garage down in Anchorage, worked to hook up a car battery to a machine that was melted and burned. Lauren was skeptical, but Bo assured her that if Kurt said he could make the machine run, he would make it run. His sister's life was on the line, after all.

Lauren prepped the area on Kyle's throat, assuring that it was clean and picked up the sterilized pocket knife. She felt for the correct spot for the incision, having to find it by feel rather than appearance due to the burns.

"Okay, Doctor Lewis. You're in business." Kurt said, wiping his hands on his shirt.

"I'm… I'm what?"

Kurt laughed, "Your machine. It's ready to run. Will it help her?"

"Really?" Lauren asked, her eyes wide as she froze at his reply.

"Yup." He said proudly.

"Perfect. Here we go then." Lauren replied, beginning her incision.

"Really. Uh… you're really going to stick that in my sister's…"

The two women could only watch from the opposite side of the bed as Kurt hit the floor with a thud.

"Evony! Can you get the smelling salts again?" Lauren yelled to Evony.

The brunette moaned, "What is wrong with these people? I thought Alaskans were tough. They're all passing out at the sight of a little blood."

Lauren laughed as Evony approached Kurt, "Actually, he passed out from watching me perform a tracheotomy. We have to give him credit for getting the respirator running first."

"Daahh! Wh-what the… what… what happened?" He looked at Evony, "Are you an Angel? Am I in heaven?"

Evony shrugged, "Oh brother. Is that the best pickup line you've got? And… you passed out."

"You're beautiful."

Evony stood, wiping off her pants, "Right." She looked at Lauren, "Anything else I can do?"

"Same as the last time you asked, Evony. I need a staff. Doctors, nurses. I know the hospital isn't built yet, but it would be great if I had even one more doctor and two nurses. At least then we could rotate shifts."

"That's not the priority right now, Lauren. You'll have staff in due time." Evony replied.

Lauren shook her head, nodding towards the other patients around her as she continued to work on Kyle,

"Not the priority right now? I'm trying to save this woman's life and that firefighter's arm and Tamsin's hand and treat I don't know how many other burns ranging from relatively mild to critical by myself! I need help!"

She shook her head, taking a deep breath. It wasn't like her to lose her temper in medical situations, but she knew Evony didn't have staff here because of her financial bottom line. It had always been Lauren's experience that money and medicine did not work well together. She didn't treat people for cash. She treated people because it was the right thing to do and people who worried about their bottom line rarely did things because it was the right thing to do… at least that's what her experience with Evony had taught her.

She turned to Bo, "I'm so grateful he didn't target the hotel. I don't know how I could possibly deal with more than what I'm handling right now. Do you think we could get help from Seline and the villagers?"

Bo shrugged, "I'm not sure. I can ride out and talk to her about it. She'll definitely be at the race. She comes to check on me every year… and to double check what the race Vets do with our dogs."

"I guess I'll talk to her at the race then about setting something up for future emergencies until the hospital is built and fully staffed." Lauren replied, her eyes staying focused on Bo's before she glanced quickly at Evony and then turned away to refocus her attention on her patient.

Bo turned to Evony, gripping her arm and pulling her a short distance from Lauren, "I don't care what it takes. You get her staff and you do it now. She's been going nonstop with no sleep. If someone gets dead because she makes a mistake, I will make sure that every single person who could possibly even consider using your clinic or hospital in the future lose all trust in you."

Evony forcefully pulled her arm free, "Oh really? And how would you do that?"

"I'd start by telling my friends and co-workers that you refused to bring in help that could have saved lives because you were concerned about your bottom line. If you haven't noticed, people talk without discretion around these parts, Evony. Business as usual on the East Coast will not work here."

"I have appropriate staff on call."

"On call isn't present and you know it. With all of your private planes and helicopters, you could have a team of doctors and nurses here in a matter of hours. If you had listened before you came, you would have brought them with you knowing what she was going to be dealing with."

"Nothing was for certain when I was leaving."

"Bullshit." Bo said, gripping Evony's arm and pulling her further from Lauren's ear, "I don't need your paycheck and neither does anyone else who works for me. We have plenty of other work we can do to make a living and keep in mind, we don't need much of what the east coast needs to survive. We can do for ourselves."

She pulled Evony closer, "So here's my bottom line. You get Lauren staff and you get them here today. You don't do that, it will take years… years… for me to rebuild your clinic and hospital. My guys will suddenly be too busy to help with the electric, the plumbing, the drywalling… it could take a decade for me to build a hospital all by myself. That land will sit there, useless, generating zero income while you pay the taxes and the costs for maintaining the land."

Evony pulled her arm free again and laughed, "Oh, please. I'll just hire a new contracter."

It was Bo's turn to laugh, "You're forgetting how 'iron clad' you insisted my contract be. I also made sure you couldn't fire me if I had other jobs or race responsibilities that came up. Besides, one word from me and my guys will set up a picket line around the property. I dare you to find builders from another town to cross the picket line of local workers."

Evony maintained, "Everyone's got a price."

"You don't know Alaska, Evony, so stop pretending you do. No one will cross a picket line, particularly on a property being constructed by some east coast hot shot who is already starting to rub the locals the wrong way. You talk down to everyone, you strut around here in your city girl clothing expecting everyone to wait on you hand and foot. You're getting under everyone's skin."

"Well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black. I'm not the one who has half of Anchorage trying to kill me. Talk about getting under someone's skin."

Bo gripped Evony's arm, squeezing hard, "Get. Her. Help. Get her help or I swear I will throw you over my shoulder, strap you to my sled and drop you in the middle of the woods for a bear snack."

Evony rolled her eyes, "Oh, relax. Help is on the way. I'm just pushing Lauren to be her best."

"She's always gives this job her best. The last thing she needs is any fake motivation or added stress from you to be her best. If she needed it, you wouldn't keep her tied to a contract. You would have fired her long ago. I'm in her life now, Evony. Treat her well. Treat her with respect or you will deal with me… not that Lauren needs me to. She's not the Lauren you knew back east. She's a different woman now. She's not someone you want to mess with. She's not your obedient little toy anymore."

Bo felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Lauren standing in front of her. She inwardly cringed, "I'm… sorry. I was…"

"Defending my honor? It's a nice gesture even though I don't need you to do it. Can we talk?" Lauren asked, nodding towards Kyle's bed.

Evony interrupted, "So…"

Bo turned, "We're done here. Get it done and Lauren will continue to get her job done."

"And you?"

"And I'll be happy to start rebuilding as soon as the Iditarod is over." She followed Lauren, whispering under her breath, "If I'm still alive."

Bo looked down at Kyle, then to Lauren, "How's she doing?"

Lauren focused on opening the airway, then stripped the plastic off the tubing and inserted it into the opening until she felt the resistance of the tube entering the lungs. Removing the tools and her gloves, she took a deep breath and flipped the switch on the machine. She stood waiting, watching the make-shift monitor for any sign that it was working.

"Is it working?" Kurt spoke almost incoherently.

"Lauren smiled, "It will. Close your eyes and rest, Kurt. It's up to your sister now."

She watched as the young gentleman relaxed back into a chair and closed his eyes. But Bo was still concerned. She spoke quietly to Lauren,

"I don't see her chest moving." Bo said, her eyes fixed on a response from the doctor.

"Give it a second." Lauren said, breathing a sigh of relief as the machine hummed to life. The monitor was old, so the resolution wasn't great, but at least she could see the oxygen saturation to adjust the flow from the tank.

"Is that a tire gauge?" Bo asked.

Kurt's eyes popped open, "Doc said she needed to measure psi's and that was the only thing I had that I could rig to fit with the machine." He looked up at Lauren, "Remember, I don't know if it's accurate. That port is pretty much melted. I'm sure it's open which is why you're getting a reading, but just keep an eye out. It could be off by a pound or two. I'm dizzy."

Lauren laughed, "You hit your head when you passed out."

She looked back at the monitor, "Considering oxygen saturation is usually measured in much smaller increments, it won't make much difference. I'll have to watch her color and the inflation rate." Lauren looked over at Kyle's younger brother, "It's a good thing he got here when he did. Kyle would surely be gone by now if he hadn't been able to put this together when he did. She was struggling to breathe."

Bo chuckled, "You'll be in debt to him for life. He loves to barter."

"So I've learned. He was bartering to save his sister's life which is why he built this machine. Of course, since he did my job, I owe him five free yearly physicals or accidents – whichever comes first." Lauren smiled.

"If it's for him, it will be accidents. Chances are, he's going to bring his kids here for their school physicals."

"Sounds perfect." Lauren smiled, "I'll have the lollipops ready. Of course, I'm not sure where I'll be seeing patients since we have no clinic and no hospital. Maybe I'll rent out a car on the train and become a mobile doctor."

Lauren laughed hysterically at her own joke, "The train doctor. Yes, I'll be having T-shirts made."

Evony shook her head, "Your attempt at humor is… well, I'll be heading out to check on… things."

Bo smiled politely while Lauren rolled her eyes and headed for another patient, mumbling, "Only I find me funny."

Bo laughed as Kurt opened one eye and looked at her, "You like her."

The brunette looked down at his friend, "She's a good person, so yes, I like her."

"I didn't mean like that. I mean you like her like her."

"What is it with everyone and their concern over my love life lately."

Kurt sat up, "Oh, so it's love, is it? That's so uncharacteristic of you, Bo Dennis."

"Bite me, Kurt."

"Hmmm… now that's an invitation I can get behind. Turn around and bend over."

"Perve."

"Icicle."

He looked over at Kyle, suddenly serious, "She's dying, Bo. What am I gonna do without her?"

She placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, "She's not dead yet, Kurt. She was supposed to be dead twenty-four hours ago, but here she is… still fighting."

He nodded, picking up his phone and reading a text. He stood, steadying himself before leaning over and kissing his sister's cheek,

"Keep fighting Sis." He stood, cupping her chin, "I need you. You're the only one that knows how to do the books at the store." He chuckled, "You know I'm a math idiot."

Bo grinned, "You know, she's always regretted that you didn't want to be her partner in the family business."

He nodded, "I know. Maybe if she beats this, I'll change my mind."

Bo laughed, "Nothing is free with you, huh?"

Kurt shrugged, "Well, I'm certainly not going to partner with a ghost."

"True." Bo nodded, "But if she lives, I hope you realize she's never going to be the same."

Kurt nodded, "Doc said she'll probably never walk normal again."

"If she walks at all. Her burns are bad, Kurt. They're deep – especially the ones on her legs and torso."

He nodded, "The Doc said…"

"The Doc said what she had to say to keep you calm. I'm giving it to you straight, Kurt. If she lives, she's gonna need help. If you're not going to commit to playing nurse, you'll have to hire someone."

Kurt stood staring at Bo, his eyes brimming with tears, "I'm handling the business for now. No promises for the future. That's all I can say right now."

"Fair enough." Bo replied.

Kurt sighed, "I'm gonna go back to the hotel, Bo. Kenzi's got a full house and some breaker keeps blowing."

Bo nodded, knowing that Kurt's brain just went into overdrive and he needed to do something. In that way, they were very much alike… runners, "There's too many hairdryers running at once. She really needs to shut that place down for renovation. I told her to do it this winter. Not much business until spring anyway."

"Or until there's a fire, apparently. Of course, I'm sure no one would mind if she shut down for renovation as long as she keeps that bar open." Kurt grinned.

"Ha. Ha. Get going. Tell her I'll come by as soon as I can." Bo replied before calling out, "And tell her Hale is fine."

He gave her a wave and left. Bo turned and looked for Lauren. She finally spotted her, a pair of tweezers in hand as she carefully worked on Big Gus' arm. Evony was running around with a clipboard, probably keeping track of who would owe her money for services rendered. Of course, the woman would probably make out fine on all of this since she probably had a ridiculous insurance policy on the clinic, not to mention she would sue everyone from Big Jim to the State of Alaska for allowing a criminal to run rampant.

Bo sighed, turning back to Kyle, "Hey there. You want to wake up sometime soon? Your brother is moving into his cocoon and Tamsin's worried as shit. I know that for a fact because she didn't have any insults for me when I was talking to her. She's taking a nap now, but it would be really great if you would pull through this. If you don't, she's going to be unbearable. Hell, she's unbearable now. Lauren had her put in a private room because she wouldn't stop barking orders at everyone. I think Dyson's glad she's out of commission, so he doesn't have to deal with her going rogue on him. She sure is Miss Independence."

Bo sat in the chair next to the bed, "I guess I was pretty independent too. I'm sorry I could never be what you wanted me to be. Maybe if we'd met later, it would be different, but I wasn't willing to trust anyone back then. I know now that I should have trusted you… you tried to give me everything and I… well, I sucked."

She looked over her shoulder at Lauren before turning back to Kyle, "I want you to know that I'm trying to do right by Lauren. I'm trying to do things differently. We're going slow and I'm trying not to run. When I do, she calls me out on my shit. She's tougher than her polite doctorly mannerisms would suggest, but I guess after working with her on her sled, you've learned that much about her. I guess I should thank you. You told me there would come a time when I would be tired of going through life on the run… that I would want to slow down and take a stand… that life was better when you stood for something instead of running from everything."

Bo stared down at her hands, her eyes welling with tears, "You were right. Every time I leave with the dogs, I can't wait to come back to her. Honestly, I can't put my finger on any one thing." She looked back to Lauren again, watching her work for a long moment, most of her face shielded by the long curtain of blonde hair, "I just… I'm drawn to her. It's like you said… just standing next to her is enough to calm me… comfort me."

She looked back up to see Kyle's eyes open and set on her own, "Kyle?"

Unable to talk and probably in pain, Kyle began to panic, causing Bo to yell for Lauren. The doctor came running, looking at the screen then down at her patient. She placed a gentle hand on her cheek, lowering herself until they were face to face.

"Kyle, I need you to focus on my voice. Look at me. Kyle, look at me."

Bo watched the two, eyes locked. She felt a streak of jealousy creep in, but pushed that back into the horrible whole it had crawled out from. She wasn't that woman anymore. She refused to be. Lauren was not her possession. She had a mind of her own – a strong and brilliant mind, at that – and she had the free will to make her own choices.

She watched as Lauren waited patiently, giving the woman a chance to gather her bearings and recognize her before she continued, "I've placed a tube in your airway, so you can't speak. The tube is helping you breathe. I'm giving you morphine for the pain because it's all we could salvage, but we don't have a lot of it. I'm sorry if you're in pain, but I can't give you as much as I'd like and I have nothing to keep you in a medically induced coma which is the usual protocol with someone in your condition. It would allow you to be comfortable and give your body a chance to heal."

Bo could hear Lauren's voice crack as she spoke. She was upset that her friend had to endure the pain of the burns, particularly because of how she'd acquired them,

"You saved my life." Her eyes roamed her patient's body, "I'm so sorry this happened to you because of me. I'm so sorry all of the things I need to help you were burned in the fire. I should have grabbed more."

Lauren's eyes moved down to Kyle's hand gripping her thigh as she tried to shake her head. Bo spoke for her,

"I think what she wants to say is that you would have done the same for her, as would any of us. She has no regrets, Lauren. Kyle will always take the high road and do the right thing. It's who she is."

Bo could see Kyle's eyes soften and close at the words she spoke.

Feeling Kyle's grip on her leg relax, Lauren continued, "I'm sorry for the delay, but Evony has assured us that she has supplies and more staff on the way, but right now we've got what we've got. You'll have to hang in there."

Kyle nodded and blinked once.

"Good. You can move your head. That answers my question about your neck. Can you wiggle your fingers and toes?"

Lauren and Bo looked down, both sighing with relief when she moved them, "Good. That's real good."

Kyle let out a moan, causing Lauren to cringe, "I know it hurts… everything hurts. I'm so sorry."

Lauren looked up at Bo, "Is there something Seline uses for pain like this?"

Bo nodded, "She has all sorts of things she uses for pain depending on what it is. Most of it puts you out."

"Honestly, that wouldn't be the worst thing right now. How could we get those medicines here?"

"I could go get them with a snow machine, but it will take a while."

"No. You're not going into the village with Big Jim after you. Can't someone else go?"

Evony approached, "I couldn't help but overhear you, darlings. My friend General Baron over at the Air Force Base has his boys flying in the emergency supplies by helicopter. They should be here within the hour."

Bo nodded, "It would take me that long to go one way."

"Okay. We wait. At least now I know how long I have until I get a good-sized supply of equipment that actually works efficiently."

She looked up at Kyle, "The supplies are almost here, so I'm going to up your dosage now, okay?"

Kyle's eyes welled with tears as she gave a single nod of her head.

"I'm so sorry." Lauren said again, "If I'd just been faster."

Kyle tried to speak, but Bo placed a hand carefully on an unburned patch of skin, "I've got this."

Kyle relaxed as Bo spoke on her behalf once again, "Kyle has a belief that everything that happens in life – good or bad – happens for a reason. She believes that everything plays out exactly as its meant to. What happened in that fire… it happened just as it was supposed to, Lauren. If you had done something differently, Kyle would still be laying here in the Visitor's Center."

"Yea, well I beg to differ. If someone had gone after Big Jim decades ago, none of us would be in this situation tonight." Lauren said, her temper surprising even her, "Sorry. I'm just… so… angry!"

Bo nodded, "We all are, Lauren."

"Then why don't you do something other than run all over the place with your dogs?!" Lauren yelled, causing everyone in the room to look her way. She hung her head, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

Bo shrugged, "Yes, you did and with good reason. If you're looking for someone to blame here, blame me. If I'd stood up to Big Jim years ago…"

"You'd be dead." Came a voice from the corner, "He always made sure that during your encounters you were outnumbered. He always brought muscle with him and he always planned ahead to make sure he had the council's blessing."

Bo turned, watching five men enter the room. She was shocked to see Pops, Big Jon, Mark, Little Jon and Little Jim walking stride-for-stride towards her. It was Pops who spoke first,

"This is on us, Bo… not you. This is on the Morton Family and the village elders." The man looked at Little Jon, "My grandsons had quite a bit to say to me and my sons tonight… and they were right to do so. Not for the first time, my Dad went way off the rails tonight. He targeted his blood and burned a store to the ground that I opened when I was just nineteen years old. I should have acted long ago. What was done to you the night that you and your dogs pulled Little Jon from the lake… it was wrong. Everyone in this room knew it and none of us had the guts to stand up to Big Jim. We all owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my grandson, but we also owe you an apology for not doing right by you when he was wronging you so badly in every way he possibly could."

He pulled off his hat and stepped closer, "And despite it all… despite the way you were treated for so long you still work your ass off for this community. So, it's long past time this community does something for you."

The room erupted in applause, Bo's eyes traveling around the room until they landed on Kyle's once more. Her friend had tears in her eyes, causing the brunette to lean down and whisper,

"Don't you go getting all mushy on me here. Lauren will have my hide if your breathing tube gets clogged with snot and stuff that blocks your ability to get air."

Bo could see the corners of Kyle's mouth turn up, "Glad my sense of humor still makes you smile. Now rest."

Kyle glanced moved sideways towards the Morton Family again as Little Jon stepped up next to his grandfather and spoke,

"Bo, this flash drive holds all the evidence they need to take down Big Jim. This is your copy and believe me, there are a whole lot of copies…" he glanced around the room, "…should anyone get any ideas about hurting Bo to get to this drive."

Bo looked down at the long stick in her hand, "Okay. So… what is this?"

Lauren smiled and took the drive from Bo, plugging it into her laptop. She opened the first file on the drive which happened to be the confession from Jeffrey. Bo's friends gathered around the screen to watch while Lauren walked around Kyle's bed and administered another dose of morphine.

Before she closed her eyes, Lauren smiled down at her, "Do you hear that? You got your wish. The Morton men grew a collective pair and stepped up. They've almost got him. It's just like you said… the wolves are coming for him."

Kyle nodded, closing her eyes, the morphine doing its best. Lauren sighed, worried for her newfound friend, but happy that she would be rid of the pain long enough to get more sleep. That was the difficulty with third degree chest burns. The patient's lungs would fill with fluid and their fried skin would become stiff and brittle, losing the elasticity that allowed them to take a breath. Back East, she would have been flown by medical helicopter to a burn center where she could get the best possible care. Here, the best Lauren could offer was the make-shift ventilator until the weather cleared. Her respirations had been shallow and inefficient, so if Lauren hadn't taken this drastic step with the makeshift ventilator, Kyle wouldn't have survived the night.

If fighting to breathe wasn't enough, there was also the constant, extreme pain Kyle had to battle. Any burn that allowed the pain receptors to survive would continue to feel the heat as if the skin was still on fire. The constant, prickling, burning sensation on the surface with the unrelenting deep nerve pain would be with her non-stop until the damaged tissue and, eventually, new skin started to grow.

Unfortunately, that would not be possible in all areas where Kyle was burned. It would be unlikely that new skin would grow where she had third-degree burns, which meant that she would require multiple skin grafts on the right side of her neck, her chest, right arm, hip and thigh. Of course, the surgeries were just the beginning. Weeks of lying in bed would lead to the need for physical therapy and considering the burns on her legs, that would be painful as well. Lauren was very concerned about the considerable pain she was having in her right hip. Without an MRI, she couldn't tell the extent of the damage, but she was worried about the woman's hip. If the bone was dead, she would require hip replacement surgery at the least… she didn't want to think about the possibility of the damage being too severe to save her hip at all, but she knew it was possible. It was possible walking normally would not be in Kyle's future… if she had a future at all.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Bo's concerned gaze bearing down on her. She reached back and placed her hand on Bo's,

"She's sleeping again."

Bo nodded, "Good. That's good."

"I've got to get her to a burn center, Bo. It's her only chance."

"Let me guess, Evony doesn't see a need for such an expense."

Lauren shook her head, "Actually, she would be happy to put her there since she wouldn't have to pay for the treatment. The problem is, the nearest burn center is University of Washington in Seattle. Airlift Northwest will fly out here to get her as soon as they have clear air."

Bo nodded, "I've seen them… out in the bush. People around here are so mistrusting of the Lower Forty Eight, but Kyle will fly with them… especially if she knew the alternative."

Lauren nodded, "I've got a call into their director. She's going to call Dyson to coordinate the pick up of the most severe patients as soon as they can get a chopper out here."

"How will she survive the flight off the respirator?" Bo asked, now concerned about the idea of her friend being so far away.

Lauren replied, "Airlift Northwest is a very special operation, Bo. They're basically an Intensive Care Unit inside of a helicopter. They save thousands of people in the Pacific Northwest every year. I'm surprised this town doesn't know more about them."

"Like I said… mistrust…"

Lauren nodded, "I get it."

"A side effect of living such an isolated life for so many years. Between the years of the gold rush and then the newer cruise line and tourism industries coming in… not to mention the crazy thrill-seeking adventurers and extreme climbers that arrived just before them, native Alaskans are a bit weary of the true intentions of outsiders. It's why people aren't too keen on your boss."

"Hell, I'm not too keen on my boss." Lauren laughed, leading Bo to join in for a short moment of humor amidst the horror that surrounded them for the last twenty-four hours.

When the laughter quieted and they had both refocused on listening to each shallow breath the ventilator provided to Kyle, Bo placed a hand on the patient's shoulder as she spoke to the doctor, "Well, the weather should break in the next hour or two."

"Good." Lauren replied, "That's good. I'll check in with Dyson. He's been here taking statements and running down leads. Actually to be more precise, he and Hale are going back and forth between here and the hotel gathering statements from witnesses."

"Anyone see anything that you know of?" Bo asked, not having considered potential witnesses until now.

Lauren shrugged, "Last I saw him, people had mostly just described the big fire ball and the resulting explosions. I knew about the people in the store and the clinic, but they moved me here to treat the wounded before I was aware the fire had spread back into the woods behind the store and clinic."

Bo nodded, towards a man lying on a sofa across the room, "That's Moe Baggs over there. He's lived back in those woods all his life."

Lauren nodded, "Yea, well he tried to save his home by fighting back the fire with two buckets."

"I suppose he lost the fight." Bo sighed.

Nodding, the doctor replied, "The left side of his face is going to be permanently scarred and I'm not too sure what will happen with his left leg. He's going to the burn unit as well. There's nothing more I can do for him here."

"You're saying he may lose his leg?"

"Bo, from what Dyson told me, Mr. Baggs is lucky he didn't lose his life. The only reason he's here is because Dyson commandeered an armored truck from the bank to get up here. It was the only vehicle around for miles that could make it through those flames. Dyson got there just in time."

Bo smiled, shaking her head, "That's Dyson for you. Always the hero."

"What is it with the two of you? Some sort of love, hate, angst kind of relationship you've got going."

Bo heaved a great sigh, "My problem with Dyson is that he thought he had to be my hero. He finally got the message, so things are a bit… awkward between us."

"Awkward as in sexual tension awkward or awkward as in stressful tension."

Bo shrugged, "He has a thing for me and I don't have a thing for him, so I guess a little of both."

Lauren smiled, "Good to know."

They remained silent, the awkward tension from the topic filling the silence until Lauren found a change of topic,

"So, it sounds like Big Jim's finally going to get his due. If the elders don't give him village justice, the town certainly will. Plus, there's the testimony of the two men who tried to kill you. When they catch him, he's going to prison, Bo. I just wish they had done something before he'd done all of this damage."

Lauren looked around the lobby of the center at all of the patients scattered around on cots, sofas, chairs and even the floors. It looked like the aftermath she'd experienced in some of the villages she'd worked in during her time in Afghanistan.

Bo only nodded, as her eyes, too, scanned the room. It only compounded the guilt she was feeling. This all happened because of her relationship with the town. He did all of this to make Bo pay for her very existence. How was she supposed to bear the weight of the guilt from this?

She looked up at Lauren, "I'm so sorry this happened. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, Lauren. I should have been here. It should be me on that table… not Kyle."

"Bo, this is not your fault. This was Big Jim's distorted sense of the twisted form of justice he believes you deserve. No one is blaming you."

"Just because they don't blame me doesn't mean I don't feel the guilt of them… and you… becoming the victims of his attack on me. I should have known. I should have been thinking it through. I should have been here… gotten back here faster."

"Well, you were sort of busy being shot at." Lauren cringed seeing the look on Bo's face, "Too soon to joke about it?"

The brunette shrugged, "The whole thing is a joke. It's a joke that anyone ever sided with his bigoted point of view, it's a joke that anyone ever thought I would actually intentionally do harm to Little Jon, it's a joke that anyone has decided my dogs or I should die for winning a stupid race too many times and it's a joke that anyone could repeatedly bring harm – mental or physical – to anyone as many times as that man has. The worst is that he has never been held accountable despite there being two branches of justice that govern him in this state."

Lauren smiled, "You finally admitted it."

Bo's face twisted, her brow furrowed with confusion, "Admitted what?"

"That what happened to Little Jon all those years ago wasn't your fault."

Bo began to speak, but stopped. She stared at Lauren for a long moment before she finally said, "Wow."

"Yup." Lauren smiled, "Congratulations on learning how to forgive yourself. Now you have to forgive yourself for these fires. You can't control Big Jim and like you just said, the people who can, haven't. You didn't give the order. That was Big Jim too. You didn't set the charges that caused the propane tank to explode at the clinic and the hospital. You didn't set the wick that caused the propane fire to ignite Mark and Molly's store. From what that guy Jeffrey told me before Dyson hauled him off to jail, the whole plan was to start the fire at a time that there was no way you could make it back to save us all."

Bo nodded, "Luckily you were all able to save each other. Mostly."

Lauren agreed, "We're all stronger together, Bo."

"Does that include you and me?" Bo asked quietly.

Lauren smiled, "I'd like to think so."

"Good. Because I think so too."

"Good." Lauren replied, "So what did the Morton family men have to say?"

"Well, you saw the evidence… at least a smidge of it."

"A smidge?" Lauren laughed.

Bo smiled, "I got one of those word-a-day-calendars. Smidge was the word on Tuesday. I've been trying to work it into a conversation ever since."

"Word-a-day-calendars?" Lauren chuckled.

"I get bored on the trail. Dogs offer one-sided conversation which also gets boring. I have to keep myself out of my own head. I finished both of my books, so I stopped at a bookstore and found an old 2018 word-a-day calendar on sale for a dollar. It was small and easy to carry. I went all the way back to January 1st and made myself recite ten sentences for every word. I'm up to March 12th."

Lauren laughed, "And you've used smidge in how many sentences so far?"

Bo lowered her eyes, embarrassed as she replied, "Uh… that was the first time… except I did tell the dogs to move up a smidge. They laid down instead."

Maybe they were in an inappropriate place for laughter, but it felt good for both women to let it out… loudly. Naturally, Evony came running,

"This may sound strange coming from me, but are you sure this is the proper time for…" she wagged her finger between the two of them, "…whatever this is?"

Lauren looked up at her boss and tried to contain herself as she replied, "Laughter is the best medicine, Evony. I don't think there's anything wrong with laughing just a little bit right now."

She looked at Bo who smiled as they both said, "Just a smidge."

The two allowed the laughter to pour from them once again, leading Evony to roll her eyes and walk away. Finally, they stopped and Lauren changed the topic,

"So… the race."

Bo smiled, "What about it?"

"Are you ready?"

She shrugged in reply, "Somehow it doesn't seem quite as important anymore."

"Bo, we talked about this. You don't run that race, Big Jim wins even if he can't line up at the start because he's a wanted man."

"We've got him, Lauren. Either way, I win and he loses."

"You have been running for weeks to train for this. Hours and hours of work… of your dogs' work just… thrown away because it's not important anymore?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, Harper can't run, now I've lost Athena. I can't replace her with Elsa."

"You were going to use Elsa?"

"Thought about it. She's been great, she's got great endurance, great instincts and she's bonded with the other dogs. They respect her because Harper treats her like a daughter." She paused before adding, "I would have asked first, but… well… I'm sorry she was injured. How is she?"

Lauren nodded, "Her burns are mostly first and second degree, thankfully. She has a small third degree burn on her tail. I'm glad she was with the other dogs. I don't know that she would have made it out of the clinic if she were in there with me and Kyle. We barely got out ourselves."

Bo nodded, "Those dogs are smart. If she or any of them were inside with you, you would have known sooner that a fire was coming. Hell, they probably would have heard whoever was outside setting the trap at the propane tanks."

Lauren sighed, "I never thought about it that way."

Bo was quiet for a moment before she spoke again, "Well, you can believe that when we rebuild the clinic and the kennels, there will be a lot more ways to exit in the case of fire."

Lauren smiled, "And a full-sized apartment upstairs? I mean, there's no sense in me taking up space at the hotel when I can just live at the clinic. I really miss cooking my own food."

"You cook?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I used to… I mean, before I got married. Then things got chaotic and… well, just the other day I realized that cooking used to help me relax. I miss having a kitchen. I actually cooked Ramen Noodles on a Bunsen burner in my lab a couple of days ago."

"Wow. Mad culinary skills there, Doc."

Lauren frowned and Bo laughed.

"Don't think I don't realize you dodged the question about the race. I was really looking forward to watching you run. You've got thirty dogs, Bo. You've been training with all of them. Choose a team and go with it. I mean, those four dogs who saved you from Vince and Jeffrey seem like a good start." Lauren suggested.

Bo turned towards Lauren, "Okay… there's something I have to tell you."

"Okay… I don't like the sound of that."

Bo nodded, "The reason the Morton men came to see me was to tell me to stay put and stay alert."

"Why?"

"Big Jim and his men… they're missing. No one knows where they are."

Lauren swallowed hard, "So they think they're coming here?"

"Apparently, they had a huge blow up at the Point Siku General Store and when he left, he swore I wouldn't see the finish line. He apparently told them he had a backup plan. His truck, his dogs, his sled were all gone. Four of his men are missing too."

"So where did they go?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "They don't know. That's why they're talking to Jeffrey and Vince. They're trying to find out what they can… get them to fill in some of the blanks."

Lauren nodded, "Well, I'm afraid they won't get much out of Vince. He still can't talk."

Bo hung her head, unsure of what to say in reply. Ever since she'd returned, she'd felt uneasy… no, that wasn't it. She concentrated on the feeling… every nerve in her body was on high alert, her gut was filled with acid, her blood was on fire and her heart ached for what she had allowed herself to do to that man. She felt anxious, afraid, angry and guilty all at the same time. She could have killed him… honestly… part of her wanted to kill him… not for trying to kill her, but for trying to kill her dogs. They were innocent… but still, most would see killing a human much worse than killing an animal. Of course, Bo wasn't most people… she was anything but.

She felt Lauren's gentle hand on her shoulder and looked up, unaware that her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. Lauren shook her head, pulling Bo with her away from onlookers before she caught a traitorous tear as it traveled down Bo's cheek,

"You did what you had to do to survive, Bo. No one is questioning what you did to Vince."

"It still feels wrong." Bo replied, hanging her head once again.

"All of this feels wrong. But you have to finish this, Bo." Lauren insisted causing the brunette to raise her eyes to meet the blonde's.

"Are you actually on board with me going out there?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Absolutely not." She replied conclusively before her eyes softened, "But I know you have to and therefore, I know you will. There's nothing I can do to change that, so I'm choosing to put all my strength and support behind your effort. It's who you are and that is exactly who I want you to be no matter how terrified I am about the odds likely being five of them to one of you out there."

Bo grinned, "You're forgetting my dogs… and from what I've heard, the town suddenly has vigilantes bent on their own special brand of justice."

Lauren lowered her eyes, shoving her hands in her pockets, "You're forgetting that Big Jim and his four men will each be on a sled with a full team. Their dogs will outnumber your dogs."

Bo shook her head, "Actually, that's not true. They'll drive most of the distance and only use the dogs and sleds when they run out of road to reach me. Because of the size of my team, I'll be most vulnerable in the woods and Big Jim knows that, so he'll have them use a smaller team so they can out-maneuver me. Their sleds will be empty beside weapons, ammo, water and a first aid kit while I'll be bogged down with supplies so will run deeper and slower if he comes at me in the beginning before my supplies run out.. They'll be fast… much faster."

Lauren stood, mouth agape for a long moment before she placed one hand on her hip while the other gestured as she spoke,

"So… is there any good news about your chances of getting out of this alive?"

Bo grinned, "You do remember I'm a tracker and a trapper, right? The trap that got Vince is one of the less complex that I have to offer that bastard. I've set snares that have caught big game just as well as small."

Lauren sighed, "Are you sure you're okay with doing that considering how you felt about what you did to Vince?"

She shrugged, "All bets are off now. Vince and Jeffrey were my warning shot across their proverbial bow. Big Jim knows I survived and I'm sure that by now, he also knows how. Secrets are tough to keep around here. He'll go snoop around the site where I took down Vince and Jeffrey, try to learn what he can about what I might do, but…"

"You're too smart to use the same methods twice." Lauren grinned.

Bo smirked, "I'm super smart… well… not as smart as you, but smarter than Big Jim, that's for sure. It's time I stopped taking a back seat to that mule. When I left the north, I was trying to find my family. Instead, I found Big Jim and my life has been nothing but trouble ever since. I forgot my roots because of what he did to me. I forgot the skills I used to survive to get here from the North. I just have to become the Bo Dennis I was born to be again."

Lauren placed both of her hands on Bo's shoulders and looked her squarely in the eyes, "Then I think it's time you put a stop to this so that you can take back the life he took from you."

Nodding, Bo replied, "Right. Take back my life. It's time. It ends now. No matter what."

"Well… I'd prefer you come back to me in one piece if you don't mind." Lauren smiled, dropping her hands to her sides.

"Right. One piece."

"One piece." Lauren agreed with a definitive nod.

They stood, staring into each other's eyes for a long moment before the alarm on the monitor of a patients' bed sounded. Lauren sighed, turning towards the woman, then back to Bo,

"Duty calls."

"Go save lives." Bo smiled, waving the blonde off.

Lauren nodded, placing a hand on Bo's arm while offering a small smile before rushing across the makeshift hospital. Bo watched as the blonde's eyes traveled dutifully to the monitor of the fire victim. Pulling a syringe from a tray, she injected a clear substance into the tube that ran into the patient's chest. It only took a moment for the monitors to stop, but Lauren stayed by the woman's side, checking her vital signs and making notes on the clipboard for a long moment before taking a moment to pull her hair up into a messy bun. She then began moving around the makeshift space to check in with each of her patients.

Bo smiled as she watched the doctor… her doctor, "Beautiful," she whispered.

Bo turned to stare out the window into the darkness, thinking about how great a life with Lauren could be if she won the race and put her past behind her. Their life could be… normal… although she didn't actually know what that meant. She'd seen 'normal' in her travels… families that lived in a house with land and chores and… well… a routine. She thought that now, with Lauren, maybe she could have that… maybe she could finish building her secret home in the woods and establish a real relationship with the doctor… make a commitment like real people do.

Then again, Lauren was from the lower forty-eight. Would she even want to stay in Alaska? She had been married back east. That wasn't easy for two women living on these lands. While they had a group of friends who would support them, there would always be the Big Jim's of the world here. Of course, Bo had heard they were everywhere, but still… could she leave Alaska if Lauren wanted to go home? She'd never lived anywhere else and her search for her family was not yet complete. She sighed, looking back at the doctor who had a stray strand of long blonde hair hanging over her right eye as she changed the bandage on the burn of a young boys' leg.

He was in pain, that much was obvious, but he managed a forced smile as Lauren spoke to him. The wince on his face eventually turned to laughter as she poked his belly. When she finished, she removed her gloves and reached into her coat pocket, handing the youngster a lollipop. He grinned as he took the offered treat, his smile growing as Lauren sat beside him to help him remove the wrapper. She had a way with people, and it was something Bo loved to watch. She seemed to get along with everybody and anybody. She was easy to like, and even easier to fall in love with… Bo knew that first hand and it had caught her by surprised when she realized it was happening to her.

Bo smiled thinking about how easy it had become to admit that to herself. She was in love with the doctor. She was sure of it. She was deeply, happily in love with the doctor and even though she hadn't been able to verbalize it to anyone yet, she knew it was a big step in her personal evolution that she could admit it to herself even though it made her feel somewhat weak and vulnerable.

The bottom line in Bo's mind… Lauren was amazing, and she couldn't imagine living life without her now that she'd experienced a small sampling of what life was like with her. Lauren challenged her and held her accountable for her behaviors. She questioned her actions and motives. She didn't allow her to be impulsive and rude… she forced her to think. Lauren made her a better person. Of course, it was an added bonus that the doctor was also smart, adventurous, capable and beautiful - both inside and out. If Bo survived this race, it would be nice to have a life with Lauren knowing that Big Jim was safely behind bars or worse… yes, to have a life with Lauren, if it came to it, Bo would do her worst.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twenty-eight Hours to Race Start

Lauren slipped quietly down the basement steps of the old hotel, stopping when she saw about twenty pairs of eyes look her way. Holding two fingers to her lips, she begged for quiet from the prospective race dogs as she walked towards the sleeping musher at the back,

"Shhh… good girl, Gaea. Good girl, Hera, Demeter, Artemis…" she continued along, "…lay down Nike, it's okay girl…"

She paused when she came to the boys, "Propping her hands up on her hips, Ares, Bacchus, Julius and Apollo… this could be your debut. I hope you boys are ready because those girls back there won't take any nonsense from you guys. They're champions and they have no time for being held up by a couple of boys that are subbing in for their fellow champion sisters."

Lauren had to laugh when Apollo groaned and lay down, covering his eyes with his front paws, "Well, I hope you get some confidence in the next twenty-four hours or we're in trouble."

She patted the snow-white dog on his head and moved on until she reached a sleeping Bo. She was out cold, though Lauren had to admit she wasn't surprised. She'd been running herself ragged for weeks. It was only a matter of time until she crashed. As a doctor, she was glad it was twenty-four hours before the race. It meant she'd have another good night's sleep and a chance to load up on nutrients.

Checking her watch, she knew that Bo had four more hours until her designated wake up call, so she grabbed a heavy blanket knowing the brunette was likely cold, laid down next to her and pulled the blanket over both of them.

"Wh… what time is it?"

"Ten in the morning. You have four more hours to sleep. Your team is getting everything ready. Mark said to tell you not to worry if you woke up when I came in."

"Kyle?"

"Still with us."

"You okay?"

Lauren nodded, "Evony's people arrived. A team of twelve doctors and eighteen nurses. She sent me to get some sleep after I briefed them on the patients."

"You single-handedly took on twenty-seven patients after all was said and done. You deserve some sleep."

The blonde agreed, "I was having trouble concentrating and I was making mistakes. Sleep was the only option."

Bo nodded, "Come closer so we can share body heat. I'm cold without the dogs."

Lauren slid into Bo's embrace, grateful for the warmth, before asking, "No heat in the basement?"

Bo shook her head, wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde, "Every room and free space in the hotel is holding guests, dogs or necessary equipment, so the furnace is running overtime. There are five wood stoves on the first floor and the one down here, but she ran out of firewood about six hours ago. Kurt called some of his buddies to have them bring wood and space heaters, but they're still a couple hours away. Kenzi just went to take a nap in her room – Hale's orders. She was getting cranky."

Lauren nodded, "Okay. So this is as good as it will get. Enough talk. We both need the sleep. Little Jon will wake us up when lunch is ready upstairs. Molly is feeding the hotel guests first, then family and friends."

Bo nodded, "Okay. G'nite."

"Nite."

The pair fell off, unable to fight the need for sleep any longer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anchorage, Pre-Race Final Prep

Bo's team was running through the inventory, making sure they had everything in Kyle's delivery truck that they needed. They'd decided to move all of the gear into the large closed truck so it could be locked up until the race start. If Big Jim had a plan to try anything at the start, it would surely be to tamper with the equipment so Bo would have an 'accident'. Any equipment in the pick up truck was a decoy. She wouldn't be using it in the race.

The super cab of Kyle's pick-up truck did hold the dry goods for the other three teams she was supplying. The rest of their gear was stored in a portable shed. Those teams would be here soon, but Kurt had called all of them to let them know of Kyle's condition. He felt it only fair they knew they were walking into a situation that may not be ideal, so they could give themselves extra prep time. He'd quickly diverted the condolences in favor of conversation about their gear and hurried off the phone, but he was pretty sure that when they arrived, there would be more conversations to avoid.

"How are you, Kurt?"

He turned to see Mark standing next to the bumper of the truck, "Doing okay, Mark. Thanks. Do we have everything?"

"All of Bo's gear is prepped and ready. The food mixes are all prepped into individual bags and marked by the dog's position on the team since we don't have names yet."

Kurt pulled off his gloves and turned to Mark, "I don't know half of what my sister knows about mushing, but isn't it getting pretty late for Bo to pick a team, isn't it?"

Mark shook his head, "She's never been in this situation before, so I guess we're just going to have to follow her lead… no pun intended."

Kurt nodded slowly, "Sounds risky."

"Bo's been driving dogs since she was five years old. If I had to trust anyone's instincts, it would be hers."

Kurt nodded again, "Okay then… we'll wait her out. Don't see how we have any other choice."

Mark gave a nod, "We also don't know if she's going to pull a trailer behind for her hay and non-essentials. She said she wants to travel light just in case she has to lose a tail."

"Honestly, I'm more worried about these people who are coming out of the woodwork to 'protect her'. Some people are talking about being on sled patrol. The last thing Bo needs is a bunch of unskilled riders trying to intercept Big Jim and his boys. I'm afraid they'll collide with her or slow her down by crowding her or spooking her dogs. If it was her regular team, I wouldn't worry but using an unfamiliar team, she's already going to have her challenges."

Mark could understand the younger man's concerns. Kurt had been a highly respected competitive musher for five years, but he retired young to pursue the opportunity to buy his bosses' garage when he retired,

"Well, Bo has been running day and night rotating combinations of teams. I think she has a good feel for who can do what. She's just got to get out of her own head about not having Harper and Athena. Of course, she was thinking of using Elsa and Hercules in their places, but now she doesn't have them either. Like I said, I'm not going to second guess her. We'll just have to wait her out."

Kurt nodded, "Bo knows her shit unlike anyone I've ever met. She'll figure it out."

"Hey Dad!"

Mark turned to see Little Jim waving to him, "Let us know if you need any help unloading orders for the other mushers when they arrive… or dodging all the questions about Kyle."

"Appreciate it." Kurt replied as Mark moved back towards the large delivery truck.

"What's the matter?"

"Little Jon got word from a few of the village scouts about three men camping in the woods just outside of Campbell's Airstrip."

Mark sighed, "So they're going to try to go after her before the first checkpoint? Seems unwise."

Little Jon joined the pair and shook his head, "I doubt that's the plan. Word has it they're highly visible. I think they wanted to be seen and that they're going to stay a checkpoint ahead of Bo and backtrack to make their move."

Mark shrugged, "That would make more sense. Did you get rid of those other 'sled patrol' volunteers? I'm afraid they're going to get Bo or her dogs killed."

Little Jon and Little Jim both nodded their agreement, Jon voicing his concern first,

"I'd love to know where all these people were when the elders were siding with Big Jim years ago."

"No one died in a fire set by arsonists sent by Big Jim. People lost loved ones. They're as angry as we were with the way Bo was being treated after saving you. Honestly, my biggest concern is that they're all from the village which means village justice. They're all going to be carrying guns which means Bo could get hit in the crossfire."

Little Jim nodded, "Maybe that's Big Jim's plan. Run next to Bo so that she's between them."

"Could be. The bottom line is that we just don't know. Bo's smart. She'll figure it out once she knows what's happening." Mark assured.

"She's going to be pissed we let her sleep while all of this is going on. She'd want to know early."

"And that won't make a bit of difference." Mark countered, "I'll handle Bo. Don't worry."

Little Jon laughed, "Good luck with that."

"Thanks." His Uncle Mark replied.

"Come on. Let's go count the booties out and get the lines ready."

The three men headed off to the truck to prep the start line gear, all quietly pushing back the the fear over what was to come.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Basement of Talkeetna Hotel, 3 hours later…

Bo felt a throbbing in her arm and awoke to find that it was asleep beneath Lauren. The pins and needles surged as she tried to pull the limb free, but she had to stop when the blonde began to stir. Lauren had been exhausted and the last thing she wanted to do was wake her, but at the same time, she needed her arm to drive her sled. Trying again, this time Lauren rolled away allowing her to yank it free but then found the blonde draped across her body.

She had to chuckle as she saw a tuff of hair blowing gently up and down with each breath the doctor took. Lauren was adorable when she slept, that much Bo had learned in the first month they'd begun this… arrangement… of theirs. She ran her fingers gently across Lauren's brow, brushing the hair away so that she could gaze upon the face of the woman she had quietly, secretly fallen in love with.

Bo took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, thinking about the race ahead. Truth was, she was determined to do her best to win, but she was also sure there was a battle ahead. She could feel it in the air. Big Jim was coming for her and he was not going to hold back. It was him or her this time – they would both lay it all on the line. As Bo gazed down upon the beautiful face of her first and likely only true love, she prayed that the battle would go in her favor. She didn't want this goodbye to be their last. She had too much to live for now.

She sighed, knowing she had to get up. She really didn't want to wake the sleeping doctor, but at the same time, she didn't want to miss the chance to look into her eyes, hold and be held by her, kiss her deeply and tell her… what to tell her… what would she say? I hope I don't die?

"Shit." She whispered, slipping out from under the blonde and carefully sliding from beneath the sleep sack to head up stairs. She would leave a message with Kenzi that her bestie would get her to the start tomorrow. There, they would say a heartfelt goodbye. Looking back at Lauren one last time, she allowed the image to carve itself into her memory and turned to walk up the stairs. It was time to face her past… or die trying.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, good afternoon Doctor Lewis. What can I get for you?" Kenzi asked from behind the bar.

"Do you know where Bo is?" Lauren asked, her eyes surveying the patrons of the restaurant.

The owner wiped down the old wood as she replied, "Yup."

Lauren turned and waited for a moment before she asked, "So… are you going to tell me where she is?"

"How 'bout you have a seat, let me get you something to eat and we have a chat."

"As much as I'd love to chat, I've got patients to visit and I'd like to know where Bo is." Lauren replied, her tone holding a slight edge to it.

"Well, Bo is my best friend and since I hold the best friend card, I believe a short chat is appropriate for the occasion."

"Occasion?" Lauren asked, clearly confused.

Kenzi placed her elbows on the bar and planted her chin in her hands, "I get an interview with all prospective girlfriends. The bestie stamp of approval is an important step."

Lauren shook her head, "What are we, twelve? I believe that Bo is a grown adult, as am I and whomever we choose to become intimate with is our business… no one else's."

"Lil' Mama, you're crossing a line here." Hale cautioned the petite younger woman.

"Uh, if you want to lose the sugar you currently get in your coffee, you'd better choose the right side, Sheriff." Kenzi replied to her beau, pointing a finger in his direction.

He raised his hands and his eyebrows, shaking his head, "Okay, but don't blame me when Bo isn't on your side for making demands of her Doctor."

Lauren was done, "I'm nobody's property, now is someone going to tell me where Bo is or not?"

"Fine! She headed down to the race start to meet up with the team. She has to register her dogs."

"Thank you." Lauren replied, "Can you explain to me how to get there?"

Hale looked at Kenzi who sighed, "Fine."

Lauren watched as she turned away and picked up a long velvet box with a red bow on top. Turning back around, Kenzi deposited the item on the bar in front of Doctor,

"That's from Bo."

"For me?" Lauren asked, surprised.

"You're the only one standing here." Kenzi snarked, watching Lauren stare at the box, "Look, what are your intentions with Bo?"

The doctor looked up at the young barmaid, "I intend to see her through this race and then do anything I can to support her in any way she wants for as long as we're keeping each other's company."

"Keeping each other's company?" Kenzi laughed, "How romantic."

"Yea, well living in freezing temperatures surrounded by the constant threat of impending doom has not helped the romance department." Lauren snarked.

Kenzi stared at the blonde for a long moment before she replied, "Okay… that's better. The train leaves in a little over three hours. It's the only one headed there until tonight. If you miss this one, you won't get to see her before the race start."

"Okay. Thank you."

Lauren picked up the box and turned away, but Kenzi called out, "Aren't you going to open it?"

Lauren nodded, "In my room. Thank you."

She quickly made her way up the stairs, giving polite nods to the locals who waved and gave her thanks for helping out with the fire victims. The truth was, she never liked having to listen to the accolades people tossed her way. She was awkward with compliments and generally unresponsive when people spoke. A nod and a half smile was usually the best she could muster.

As she reached her room, she put her key in the door and moved quickly inside. She could soak in a tub for an hour, check on her patients in the town center and walk across the street to catch the train. She wanted to be at the platform early since it might be crowded with people going to see their friends and loved ones who were participating in the race.

Moving to her bedroom, she smiled when she saw rose petals covering her bed. As she moved closer, she laughed when she found that they were all silk. She should have remembered that roses were not exactly a staple item in these parts. There was an envelope with her name on it leaning against the pillow. She laid down amongst the roses and opened the letter. When she saw that it was from Bo, she pulled it to her chest, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and smiled. After a long moment, she began to read,

Dear Lauren –

I'm not sure what things will be like when I see you next. I just know that I will likely be barking orders at my team, dealing with my dog, running through my race strategies and putting the finishing touches on my plan to handle Big Jim and his men. That means, I may not have time with you and any time I do have, it may not be great for you. I tend to become distant when focused and abrasive when stressed… but of course, you already know that about me.

Still, I debated whether or not to wake you, but ultimately, you looked so peaceful sleeping that I simply didn't have the heart to wake you. I'm writing this while eating breakfast at my favorite corner table and watching the skies. A storm is rolling in again – I'm sure of it. Big Jim won't know because the weather stations haven't predicted it yet. I'm happy to have a slight advantage already.

Kenzi has a gift for you if you didn't stop at the bar. It was my Mom's. She gave it to me and told me that one day, she would be happy if I gave it to my partner or daughter… that it would protect them when I was away. I'm not sure I'll ever have a daughter, but I do have you. I want you to know that if I don't make it out of this, there is no one on earth I would rather have this than you because no matter what we were or could have become, you had my heart and I am grateful for all we've shared. If the Spirits grant me reprieve and return me home to you, then I will spend my time making you as happy as I am able while you are here.

Lauren, if he wins, I've made arrangements with Evony to get you as far away from all of this as possible. It won't be safe for you here if he isn't locked up or worse. Please don't resist. I wouldn't want you to get hurt because of your association with me. Of course, if you wear the gift from my Mom for the race, maybe we'll both be protected.

Take care, Lauren.

Love,

Bo

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anchorage, Race Pre-Start Area

"Where is she, Mark?" Lauren asked, storming up to the delivery truck, her eyes wild as she searched the grounds.

"What's wrong, Lauren? Is it Kyle?"

"What?" Lauren asked, scowling before she realized why he would ask the question, "No, Mark. Kyle was flown to Seattle last night. She's fine… well, as fine as she can be considering her condition is dire. Where is Bo?"

"She's in the kennel choosing her dogs. You're here much earlier than I expected." Mark replied.

"Yea, well Bo did something I didn't expect." Lauren replied, walking quickly off towards the small structure that Mark had pointed to.

She looked around as she walked, all too aware that Big Jim or his men may be watching. Just before she entered the kennel, she spotted a motorcycle with a rider wearing a black helmet up on a ridge above the kennel.

"Strange. I would think motorcycles to be useless in the snow." She whispered as she quickly lowered her eyes and entered the kennel. Inside, Little Jon and Bo were walking amongst the dogs, talking about what Lauren could only guess was various combinations for the team.

"Lauren." Bo said, looking up to find the doctor standing just inside the door.

"Hi. Uh… sorry to disturb you, but I got this somewhat disturbing message from Kenzi and…"

"Disturbing?"

Lauren looked at Little Jon who quickly took the hint and moved towards the door. The blonde grabbed his arm, "Thanks for the privacy, but could you carefully and without being noticed take a look up on the ridge at the man on the motorcycle, black helmet?"

Bo and Little Jon looked at each other, Bo giving her young apprentice the nod before he headed out. Bo took a few steps towards Lauren,

"So, I had hoped the letter would be more romance than… what did you call it? Disturbing?"

Lauren nodded, "What's all this talk about you not coming back and me going home? That's not the plan, right?"

"Right, but…"

"No buts, Bo Dennis. You will bring that perfectly toned ass back to me or I will come into the afterlife, find you and kill you myself. Is that understood?"

Bo's eyes went wide, "Yes, Ma'am, it certainly is!" She chuckled.

"Okay then. So… well, I guess that's all I had to say." Lauren said with a scowl, crossing her arms over her chest, "You can go and… well… win."

"I'll do my very best." Bo replied with a softer smile.

Lauren fidgeted with her jacket, shifting her feet in the snow, "And be aware of your surroundings, especially when you're near Big Jim's replacement."

Bo nodded, "You heard about that, huh?"

Lauren nodded, "Do you think the man driving his sled is one of his men?"

Bo shrugged, "Probably. I can't worry about that. He starts behind me, so my plan is to keep him there."

"You do know that bullets fly forward, don't you?"

Smiling, the brunette replied, "I do, but there will be too many people around most sections of the course in order for him to take a shot without a lot of witnesses."

"Still… be careful, Bo. Watch your back."

Bo grinned, holding up a mirror, "That's what this is for. It's from Mark's motorcycle. He's attaching it to my sled so I can literally see behind me."

Lauren nodded, staring down at her wrist, "The necklace and bracelet are beautiful, Bo. Thank you very much. Are you sure…"

She smiled, "I'm sure that my Mom approves, Lauren."

The doctor's hair blew forward across her face with a gust of wind. Bo brushed the mane back over Lauren's shoulder,

"You're beautiful." She smiled, leaning in and kissing her cheek. She whispered, "I'll be thinking about you every night. Wanting to get back to you will get me through this."

She pulled back, "See you soon, Doc."

Lauren laughed, knowing Bo had taken to calling her that just to annoy her, "You'd better."

The brunette turned to walk away but stopped when Lauren called out to her, "Bo, about what you said earlier… about your feelings for me. I…"

"Lauren, it's okay. I just wanted to say it so that you would know. You take your time. I was well aware that you may not say the same in reply. I'd rather you were sure if and when you say the words. It's okay, really. I just wanted you to know."

She smiled and turned away, walking off towards the shelter that held her dogs. Lauren stood, watching her walk away, her eyes brimming with tears as she whispered into the wind, "I love you too, Bo. Please come back to me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo's team stood against the walls watching the Musher as she walked back and forth along the aisle between the twenty dogs they'd brought to the pre-race shelter. They'd all passed the Veterinarian check, so all qualified to race. Now, all eyes were on their master, tails at full wag as they awaited any command.

Hale and Dyson were perched by the door of the structure. They were the primary security for the Musher until she hit the trail. They would be by her side until the start whether she liked it or not. The orders had come down from the race officials at the mandatory mushers meeting on Thursday morning. As soon as they pulled Bo aside before the meeting, she knew there was going to be additional rules for her now that word was out about Big Jim coming for her.

Once they explained their point of view, the decrease in sponsors, bad PR over dog deaths, PETA's constant badgering about the sled dog breed and the resulting decrease in the championship purse, Bo knew she was going to have to give a little. Add to that the bigger climate issues they were now dealing with – having to bring in snow at some spots to have something for the dogs to run on and Bo had softened her view completely.

She stopped arguing altogether when they had informed her of the mass of vigilantes bent on protecting her as well as their culpability for allowing her to run the race knowing that Big Jim might have people shooting at her and her dogs on the course. She knew this was for the safety of the dogs, the other racers, the spectators and the historical event they all loved so much. She would accept the protection and the knowledge that there would be sheriffs and anyone else the committee saw fit to put on the course.

They finished by telling Bo that the other mushers were being informed at the meeting which is why they had wanted her to know before the mandatory meeting. It would draw attention to Bo and they wanted her to be prepared for calls from the mushers to have her disqualified from the race.

FLASHBACK… PRE-MEETING DISCUSSION WITH THE RACE DIRECTOR…

"Now Bo, we have no intention of doing that. Most of these mushers would want you out of the race because you're a threat to them not winning the big purse. They are going to be required to sign confidentiality agreements, courtesy of the F.B.I."

"The what? What is the F.B.I. doing here?"

"This is an international race, Bo. The committee is an international committee these days. They've insisted on having them here to scout out the course."

Bo looked down at her feet, telling the Race Director all he needed to know, "Bo, we go back a long way and I've heard about how you defended yourself before the big fire over in Talkeetna. You've set traps along the Iditarod Course, have you?"

Bo nodded.

"You'll need to make sure none of the Feds get caught up in those traps."

Bo nodded again.

"Kenzi know where they are?"

Bo nodded.

"All of them?"

"All except the ones at Iditarod. That ghost town is where I'll be on my own and at times, in the open. The snow is deep there and depending on the temperatures, it may make it hard for me to gain speed and outmaneuver anyone coming after me and my dogs. I've got to protect my dogs, Director."

He nodded, "You have a right to do that and no one – not one person on our committee – things that after all your hard work prepping for this event – after the attack on your team and… well, I was sorry to hear about Harper… none of us want to see you pushed out of this race by that maniac. You should have had the Feds here long ago, Bo."

Bo looked up at the man, tears threatening to fall. She swallowed hard, "You're not a native, sir. I don't expect you to understand, but I need to stay in good standing with the village elders. If I go around their justice system to the Feds, any chance of being accepted by my community is gone."

"They don't accept you now, Bo. What's the difference."

"Look… Mr. Director…"

"Bo, we've been friends for a long time…"

"And that is why, Mr. Director, that today of all days, we must follow the rules. We can talk later about what Bo should and shouldn't have done and how she's screwed up all this time, but the bottom line is that talk is cheap at this point. The situation is what it is. You'll either let me run or you won't. The other mushers will either ostracize me or they won't. Bottom line is that I'm here and we have a meeting to get to. You've got Kenzi's number. Put her in contact with the Feds so they know what to look for. I'll just have to hope that Big Jim has never crawled up the ass of any of them."

"Why's that?"

"Because if any of them get wind of where… they could be stopped… they'll tell him and that will put me or my dogs at risk for actually being hit by whatever weapons these guys will be carrying."

"Damn, Bo. You really think a Fed could be in league with Big Jim?"

"I think anything is possible where that wackadoodle is concerned at this point. I'll tell you this. Big Jim is mad… furious. He's at the end of his rope and someone that desperate is likely to come at me himself. He'll want to use a knife and he'll want to gut me up close and personal… after he makes me watch him slit the throat of everyone of my dogs. Where else will he have time, space and no witnesses to do that if not in the ghost town of the races' namesake? Fitting end for me in his eyes, don't you think?"

The race director nodded, rubbing the back of his neck as Bo quietly walked away. He waved a a man in dark sunglasses in the back of the room, calling him to the front of the room. Bo sat down in a corner chair away from the other mushers and watched as the two men whispered quietly to each other. The Race Director then walked over to the members fo the committee. They all circled up, some looking at Bo, others looking at what Bo could only guess was one of the Federal Agents. Bo laughed thinking to herself that the Fed would die of frost bite in the first twenty-four hours if that was what he planned to wear. She wondered if agents had training as mushers, before the meeting was called to order.

END OF FLASHBACK -

Hale removed his hat and scratched his head, whispering to Dyson, "Does she always do this?"

Dyson shrugged, "How would I know? The only reason I'm even this close in proximity to her dogs is because the race officials required security for her if she was going to race."

Hale laughed, "Guess not. Hell, the dogs would have bit your ass by now if she gave them free reign. They really don't like you. What'd you do, try to steal their food?"

Dyson looked at Bo, "I tried to steal their master, but she wanted no parts of me."

Hale's eyes went wide as he turned to look at the Sheriff, "You tried to bed the one and only Bo Dennis? Dude, you know she doesn't do relationships. Everyone knows that."

"Yea, well she seems pretty set on doing a relationship with that new doctor." Dyson growled.

"You jealous?" Hale laughed.

"No. Of course not." Dyson lied.

"You are, but good for you pretending you're not. I just hope you can do the job we've been assigned to do."

"Don't worry about me, Hale. I'll do the job just fine."

Hale returned his hat to his head, "Sure hope so. I'll be pissed if you get me killed."

"Yea, well Bo's gonna be mega pissed if she sees Tamsin pretending to be a Musher in this race."

Dyson looked around, "Shhh. No one is supposed to know about that, so keep it to yourself."

"You really think she can keep up with Bo?" Hale asked.

Dyson shrugged, "It won't matter. Her sled has a modified snow machine beneath the sled. All she's gotta do its turn it on and the dogs will be running to catch up to the sled."

"Gentlemen, your silence would be appreciated." Mark leaned over and cautioned the men, "This is a crucial decision and Bo needs to concentrate. You are both well aware she doesn't want you here, so please do not do anything that will further upset or distract her from her routine."

"Of course." Dyson bowed his head apologetically.

All three men turned their attention back to Bo who now had a pad of paper and pencil out. She was scribbling away, drawing and writing, drawing and writing while occasionally tapping the eraser against her bottom lip. After another twenty minutes or so, she looked up at her human team,

"Lead dogs Nike and Diana, Swing dogs Jenna and Muk…"

"Bo, you do realize that Jenna and Muk have never…"

"I know your concerns, Little Jon but I've been running the backup dogs for weeks. You're gonna have to trust me the way I trust them."

Little Jon nodded as Bo turned back to her paper and continued,

"Ready Gaea and Aphrodite at the wheel position. They both lost their running partners. They'll do well together and if anything happens to any of the forward dogs, I can still move them up." Bo paused, re-reading her list.

Little Jon leaned over to his Uncle Mark, "I get it now. She's sacrificing Jenna and Muk since they're most likely to get hit if someone takes a shot at the dogs while they're on the run."

Mark nodded, "Smart move. Shame she has to think this way at all, though."

Little Jon could only nod in reply as he looked towards Bo's voice,

"The team line up is tough. I can only add two to the rig, so I'm going to keep Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia and Iris paired in order from back to front as usual. Pair Atalanta and Persephone in front of Hera and Demeter. They'll keep them in line. Besides, Atalanta has a crush on Nemesis. She'll follow her anywhere."

The team chuckled as Bo moved to Nike and Diana, releasing the two from their leads and bringing them together,

"Okay, ladies. It's time to go to work. I know you've got some inexperience behind you, but they're strong, I promise you. Just lead the way and they'll get the job done. Ready to go?"

The two dogs barked, leaning in to Bo's embrace. The Musher moved down the row, releasing each of the selected dogs so that her team could pair them up. They'd have a few hours for them to get used to each other before they'd need to get started with the race prep.

Bo walked towards the door, "Get Ares, Bacchus, Julius, Apollo, Anna and Belle together for the Ceremonial start. I guess throw six of the pups into the mix to round out the team. Who's running the drag sled?"

Little Jon stepped towards the brunette, "Bo, I've talked it over with my parents and they're on board. If you want, you can run my team for the start. If my Grandfather's going to have his men take a shot at your dogs, he'll hit dogs bred by my family and not you. It's only right."

"Jon, I'm not getting your dogs shot. They're young and they're gonna race for you in a few years."

"I know you don't see it this way, but me and my family do. We owe you Bo. We owe you so many times over it's become ridiculous now. You have to let me do this. I have to make it right in my own head… my cousin's head too. It's my kin that have let Big Jim run wild you your life. This is what's right. You have to let me do this, Bo. Please!"

Bo watched as tears began to stream down Little Jon's red face. He wasn't making eye contact with her so she knew he was in a bad way, emotionally. She took a breath and relented,

"Okay, let's see how six of your pups run with six of mine. You pick the group and you put them on the line as you see fit. Just remember that horn toad of mine."

Little Jon laughed, "He'll breed well one day."

"Yea, well let's just see if he can run a straight line with the distraction of a crowd at the Ceremonial start. Anchorage gets pretty loud and these dogs are used to running the backwoods of Talkeetna and the quiet trails from Willow on." Bo explained.

She placed a hand on Little Jon's shoulder, "You know how to handle the drag sled?"

The young man smiled, "I'd been practicing with Kyle before the fire."

"She was teaching you because she wanted to retire from doing the Saturday run."

"She hates ceremonies."

Bo nodded, "She always did. It's another thing we always agreed on, though we both understand why they do it. It's cool for the community to get to meet the dogs and the Mushers."

"You'll tell me if we're going to fast?" Little Jon asked.

"Sure will." Bo nodded, happy that he understood his role driving the sled that would run behind her to the official start.

Race dogs were known for their energy and a drag sled helped to slow them down, making it safer for both the dogs, the drivers and the spectators. If a sled skidded out of control at top speed, it could do a lot of damage to dogs, people and property. She'd seen it before, but she was confident that Kyle would have taught Little Jon everything he needed to know.

"Thanks, I just want to do it right my first time out. I know how important it is to keep a proper speed. I'm just not sure how fast is too fast for the safety of the crowds."

"I'll let you know if I need to. You just show me what you learned from Kyle and I'll finish off the teachings if there's any lessons to be had."

Little Jon grinned from ear to ear, "This is awesome!" He jumped a bit as he beamed at his Uncle, "I'm driving a drag sled in the Iditarod start!"

Bo leaned over to Mark, "How about that other surprise for the Anchorage start?"

Mark grinned, "All taken care of, Bo. Kenzi should be there by now with the… package."

"Great. You have some extra gear, right? It's colder than last year." Bo replied.

Mark nodded, "The package will be snug as a bug. Promise."

Bo laughed, "You're making an awful lot of promises this year, Mark. You sure?"

He laughed in reply as Bo's tone grew serious again, "You'll see that my starting team is fed and watered?"

"I will." He replied.

"Get their first pair of booties on their feet so they can start wearing them in. I'd like to keep my back up dogs here until I leave Willow… just in case anyone doesn't pass the vet check. Someone will have to take the dogs I don't use back to the kennel."

"I understand. Kurt is going to fly them back to Talkeetna rather than send them with the race planes. We're not taking any chances with personnel who aren't directly tied to our team."

"Thanks, Mark. I know that's an extra expense." Bo replied.

Mark shook his head, "Kurt's company is covering the expense… actually Kyle's company is covering the expense. Kurt refuses to call the company his unless his sister actually passes. If she lives, Kyle's going to have a ton of money after the lawsuit being filed on her behalf."

"Isn't that your family's money?" Bo asked.

Mark shook his head, "A little known fact… none of Big Jim's money is family money. It's his money. When my brother and I turned eighteen, we were financially on our own completely. He always told us if we can't earn our own money, we don't deserve money. We worked our asses off day and night to make enough money to buy land and at age nineteen, we built the store in Anchorage."

Bo nodded, "Good to know."

Mark nodded in reply, "Anything else?"

Bo shook her head, "I'm going to go load gear."

"It's already done, Bo. We've taken care of everything, I promise. We've been your team for a long time now. We've got your back. We wanted things done before anyone else got out there. Your gear is all locked up where no one can get at it. Kurt is the only one getting into that truck but just to be sure, Molly and our boy are there as well."

"Mark, you brought your wife and kid into this shit show?" Bo questioned.

"Now you know Molly is an expert marksman, Bo. She put herself down there with Dorothy and Auntie Em planted firmly on her hips. She's also got the Tin Man stuffed into her boot. Little Jim's no different than his cousin Little Jon here. He'll stand a post as well. I told you, our family is going to see this through. My Grandfather's reign is over and we're here to make sure of it… no matter what."

Bo nodded, "Well, I've seen the damage that Molly's two pistols can do, so if they're on her hips, I feel much better about her being involved. Never let it be said that I thought your wife couldn't take care of herself."

Mark grinned, "She's lived here all her life. She knows the risks."

Little Jon nodded, "Besides, if Aunt Molly can take down a Grizzly with those two pistols, she can surely take down three men with the Tin Man as her backup."

Bo nodded, though the young man wasn't thinking about the fact that the three could come at her from different sides and there could be more than three. Big Jim had ways of recruiting people and he wasn't done yet. She turned to Mark,

"So you're sure I don't have to worry about having all of my gear?"

Mark assured her, "Positive. We've been through this with you many times now, Bo. We know you are very particular about your gear and we made it just as ordered. Kyle took really good notes and we took care of any changes she had written down."

"And the latest weather?" Bo asked.

Little Jon replied, "Temps will range from 5 to 30 from Willow Lake to the end. They're expecting winds and weather as you travel west. There's a big one coming into the Bering Sea, so the closer you are to the finish, the more wind you'll have. Plus side, you've got a hard, fast Rondy trail right now. There will still be slush so they're not expecting any course records being set, but it's good for now. Probably about six degrees in the morning."

"Are you sure we have the right size booties now that I'm taking two of the bigger dogs?" Bo asked.

He nodded, "Actually, I bet on Ares and Apollo, so yes, the correct sizes are there."

Bo turned to Mark, "You bet I'd take the boys?"

He shrugged, "Nope, but I did think that my bet could be wrong, so I packed the big sizes based on my own stupidity."

Bo smirked, "Good man. Who bet on the boys?"

She surveyed the room and watched three hands go up, their heads down, "Sorry guys. If there was a year I was going to race the boys, this might have been it. Hercules was a definite if he hadn't gotten hurt. Ares was definitely in the running since he's from the same line as Herc and Harper, but he'd have to run lead in order to avoid getting a bad case of the hornies being around the girls. I'm not replacing my leads."

They all laughed as Bo leaned down and looked fondly upon the face of the dog in question. He barked twice in her direction, standing up and wagging his tail,

"I know you would have run hard, boy. Maybe someday you'll get your shot at glory when your libido calms down."

He whined as she turned and walked towards the door, seemingly knowing he'd lost the Iditarod lottery.

"Frick, Frack, let's go." She waved to Dyson and Hale who rolled their eyes.

"Apparently she forgot our names. This will be fun." Hale moaned as they set out towards the registration area.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anchorage, Iditarod Ceremonial Race Starting Area, thirty minutes to race start…

Lauren stood with Kenzi who had driven an insistent Evony to the race start. The woman had whined about the cold and the damage to her boots the entire walk to their current location, insisting that her helicopter could have dropped them right on the very spot where they now stood. Kenzi had countered that the police would never have let that happen, but Evony reminded her that everything has its price.

"I don't understand why they start this stupid race twice. How do they call it a start if it's not actually the start?"

Kenzi shook her head, "You're sounding like a tourist, Evony. Didn't you research this at all before you came? You see, there's this thing called Google these days and even Alaskans know how to use it."

"Why look it up when I have you to explain it to me." She snarked.

Kenzi sighed, "It's basically community PR for the race. They get to interact with the Mushers and the dogs. It's our kind of fun. There's something for everyone."

"Not for me."

"You're not Alaskan so who cares."

"Anyone who wants my money should care. Don't you want that hotel of yours renovated? Your furnace fixed? It's colder inside than it is outside."

Kenzi had no reply for Evony's snark so she simply closed her mouth and turned her attention back to the starting line, watching with Lauren for any sign of Bo's team… or more specifically… Mark. She was slightly concerned about the shiver the doctor had going considering she had already had hypothermia once since her arrival in Alaska. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"So, they're going to go from here to the actual start which is Willow Lake?" Lauren asked Kenzi.

The younger woman nodded, "Every year they do this big send off on 4th and Cordoba. It's a fun time. This year there's fifty-two teams and they'll go down the stretch in their regular race order so everyone can meet them. Each Musher will have a drag sled attached that will slow them down so everyone stays safe. Kyle usually drives Bo's drag sled, so I'm not sure who's doing that this year."

Lauren nodded while Evony pulled her collar up closer to her ears and groaned more about the cold. The other two women just rolled their eyes,

"Honestly, it's not that cold out here, Evony." Lauren stated. She was getting tired of her bosses' incessant complaining since her arrival. She'd forgotten just how much the woman got on her last nerve. There was no need for her to be at the race. If she was going to be miserable, why didn't she just leave?

"It is cold out here and you know it. You're just trying to impress Kenzi, though why you would feel a need to do that I can not for the life of me understand." Evony looked over her shoulder at Lauren, "Unless you think she can help you land wondersnatch for your next marriage."

Lauren winced at the statement, knowing that Bo had decided not to mention her previous marriage to her best friend.

"You were married?" Kenzi asked, surprised.

And there it was. Lauren glared at Evony who smiled at her own snarky success.

"I was, now I'm not. If you want to know about it, ask Bo. It's not something I'm going to rehash again no matter how much Evony may feel a need to broadcast my personal life across the winds of Alaska."

Kenzi noticed the look of victory on the brunette's face and decided to drop the topic for now. She definitely hated Evony a whole lot more than Lauren. Of course, Bo had insisted on her being more friendly towards Lauren before they'd parted ways this morning. Kenzi shrugged as she spoke to Lauren,

"Yea, well maybe Evony will be going outside real soon and you won't have to deal with her." Kenzi replied.

"We already are outside." Evony huffed.

Kenzi laughed, "And you're definitely from the lower 48. I meant going outside of the state, as in leaving so that we don't have to deal with you anymore."

Evony glared at her as Kenzi turned back to Lauren, "I don't know why you keep working for her."

Lauren frowned, "It's this piece of paper called a contract."

"Ugh, you poor, poor thing. That's like thirty more months of indentured servitude! I'm not sure I could do it." Kenzi said, shaking her head vigorously.

Evony snapped, "Wow. You're capable of basic addition. That's some pretty advanced math for you considering you can barely turn a profit on that hotel of yours. You really should let me buy that from you. I would still allow you to work there."

Kenzi laughed, "You'll get your hands on my hotel when hell freezes over."

"Look around, goth Queen. We're in hell and it's definitely frozen over."

Lauren looked up, "Seems to me the sun is shining in hell today. Nice weather."

Kenzi smiled and nodded in agreement, "So it is. Nice place, hell."

"Lovely." Lauren smiled.

"Afternoon, Ladies."

"Gordie. How's it hangin', buddy." Kenzi said, greeting the elderly gentleman who came to stand between she and Lauren.

"High and to the right."

Lauren held back the laugh, but Kenzi gave a snicker, "That sounds like it could be painful, Gordie."

He laughed and nodded, "That it is, considering these days it's more likely to be hangin' low and left."

Kenzi howled, "Oh, Gordie. You are always good for a laugh."

He smiled, "Well, I'm eighty-eight years old and the doc here says there's nothing she can do for me, so…"

"Gordie, that is a flat out lie!" Lauren interrupted, "You never told me there was anything wrong with… your… uh… reproductive area."

"Relax, Doc. Kenzi and I are just having a laugh at your expense. No need to get all riled up."

Kenzi laughed in Lauren's direction, "You've got to work on recognizing sarcasm, Doc. This sourdough's been making people uncomfortable with his jokes for as long as trees have been on this land."

"On the serious side, Kenzi, do you have any idea when Bo is gonna be able to come and help me out with my cache?" Gordie asked.

Kenzi turned to Gordie, "She sent Hack and Paul out to do that weeks ago. They never showed?"

Gordie shook his head, "Nope and Bo ain't been around to tell her, not that I don't understand with Big Jim tryin' to kill her and all. Asshole."

Again, Lauren fought back the need to laugh while Kenzi replied, "He sure is."

Gordie leaned in and whispered in Kenzi's ear, "So… I've got that thing you needed."

Kenzi nodded, "Thanks, Gordie. Sorry for the last minute request."

He shrugged, "No worries. Everyone knows I've officially retired from silver smithing."

"Yea, but they also know you're still doing orders for people if they ask."

Gordie smiled, "It's a hobby. I only do orders for people I like. It's a retirement luxury."

"May be, but you're still better than anyone else in town." Kenzi smiled, sliding her hand out so that she could take the velvet pouch in hand without anyone seeing the exchange, "You got your bucks, right?"

He nodded, "Tell Bo it was nice doing business with her."

"Will do." Kenzi nodded.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! It's that time again!" The announcer's voice rose above the mumblings of the crowd pulling the attention of Gordie and Kenzi,

"Looks like you were just in time, Gordie." Kenzi smiled.

"You'd better get her over to the start." Gordie reminded.

Kenzi smiled, "Thanks again." She turned to Lauren, "Doc, I'm gonna need you to come with me."

"Oh? Where are we going?" Lauren asked.

"Yea, where are we going?" Evony asked.

Kenzi turned to Evony, "You are staying right here with Gordie. Lauren, you're coming with me. It's a surprise. I promised I wouldn't spoil it."

Lauren's mouth had barely opened to protest when Kenzi shut her down, "Now, Doc. No arguments, no questions, don't shoot the wee messenger. Come on."

Kenzi grabbed Lauren's elbow and pulled her towards the starting line. Lauren wasn't sure what was about to happen, but she decided that pulling away from Kenzi would be a big mistake.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Iditarod, Ceremonial Start

"Here's the package, BoBo."

Kenzi noticed immediately that her best friend was in a foul mood as she presented Lauren to her. Bo looked up at Lauren,

"Hi."

Then looked at Kenzi, "I can't believe that Dolly and Biddy are covering the race with Talkeetna's local TV news station."

"Dolly and Biddy?" Lauren asked.

Kenzi held a finger up to Lauren as she emphasized her point, "Not their real names, but they are old rivals of Bo in the Iditarod. Dolly beat her the first year she raced and Biddy got her the second year. Bo beat them both every race after, so they started spreading gossipy crap about her in town. You can bet they won't be saying many nice things about Bo during the race."

"They've already started, saying that a lot of the changes this year are because of increased security around me and my team."

"They did not say that!" Kenzi replied.

"They did!"

"Them bitches be nasty witches!" Kenzi said, "But we'll have to deal with them later. I've got many ideas for how to get revenge on them. For now, let's get the sled loaded."

Lauren's brows knit together, "I thought the sled was already loaded."

Bo smiled, "She means my ceremonial sled. You see, it's tradition for the mushers to have someone who is important to them ride in the sled to the start. They're called the idita-rider. Usually, people pay for the privilege of riding in a sled, but this year that fee was handled for you."

"By who?"

"That doesn't matter, Lauren. What does matter is that I'd like the person in my sled to be you, Lauren. You've done so much for me since you came to Alaska. You've taught me to open my eyes to the world… well, to everything around me and all of the possibilities my life has to offer. You've changed me… hopefully for the better. I can't think of anyone else I would rather have in this position of honor. Will you ride with me?"

Lauren's eyes filled with tears, "Bo, I… I… I'm not a native. Why wouldn't you take Seline or someone closer to you?"

"There is no one closer to me than you, Lauren."

The blonde cringed as she awaited a snarky comment from Kenzi, but none came. She looked up to see Bo's hopeful eyes staring back at her,

"You know, you're like a newborn pup, looking at me with those big sad eyes. Yes, I'll ride with you."

Bo grinned from ear to ear as she took the velvet pouch from Kenzi, "Well, I believe you just met Gordie. I had him make this for you to commemorate the occasion."

Handing the gift to Lauren, Bo waited anxiously for her reaction. Opening the small bag, Lauren poured the contents into her hand.

"What a beautiful bracelet, Bo."

"If you look at the charms, I think you'll find there is one for every big moment we've shared since we met."

Lauren looked down to examine each of the charms, "Dog, the caduceus…"

"The what now?" The two observers said in tandem.

Lauren chuckled, "That's what this is called. Historically, it was the symbol of Hermes. It's two snakes winding around a staff that, like this one, has wings. It's a fun fact that in our country, we often mistakenly use it as a symbol for medicine instead of the Rod of Asclepius."

"You mean he made the wrong thing?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "It's an honest mistake. The asklepian would be the appropriate charm, but since it's so often mistaken, it's very common to see it as a representation of medicine."

"I'll have him fix it." Bo replied.

Lauren shook her head, "Not necessary. Bo, this is great. Is the dog house representative of the kennel or of you being in trouble with me?"

Bo laughed, "Take it as you will, but yes, I meant it to be the kennel."

"Look at this beautiful, tiny sled… and is this the Labrys?"

Kenzi asked, "The what?"

Lauren looked at the young woman, "The Labrys is the symbol of female strength."

Bo shook her head, "It's a take on that." She leaned in and whispered to Lauren, "I asked Gordie to design something that represented a woman gaining the strength to love… something you did for me. It's his take on that."

The blonde smiled, "It's beautiful, Bo… and meaningful. Will you help me put it on?"

Nodding, Bo pulled off her gloves and attached the bracelet to Lauren's wrist while the blonde continued to take inventory of the various charms.

Kenzi pulled the backpack off her shoulders, "So, this isn't hot chocolate, alcohol and snacks as I previously suggested. This is cold weather gear for the ride."

Lauren smiled, "Thank you, Kenzi. You two had this all planned out, huh?"

Bo grinned, "More like us five or six. A lot of pieces had to fall into place since I was previously running unaccompanied with Kyle as my drag sled driver. We had discussed me not going at all and using Tamsin in disguise as a decoy, but the race officials wouldn't allow it since it would have left me unprotected."

There was a moment of silence before Bo asked, "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, Big Jim could take a shot at me and hit you."

Lauren shrugged, "We're together most of the time, Bo. It could happen anywhere."

Bo shook her head, "Not during this race, we're not. Maybe this is a bad idea."

"No. You don't get to do that. You don't invite me to take place in the greatest race ever run and then take it back because you're afraid Big Jim will be stupid enough to take a shot at me with thousands of witnesses around."

"I just... I wasn't thinking about the danger I might put you in when I…"

"Stop it. Stop it right now. Do not ruin this beautiful moment you've created for us. Courage, Bo. We're going to face this thing with Big Jim together. If you want a life with me… if we're going to be together… we have to respect the decisions each of us makes. I am making this decision because I refuse to allow Big Jim to taint this memory for me… for us. If something bad happens, it happens because we chose to have the courage to take the chance to make this journey together."

Bo nodded, but Lauren knew the fear had set in. Loving someone meant you feared for their safety. In Bo's case, she had been conditioned to feel responsible for anything that happened to her loved ones and that guilt is what had caused her to shut down. All of it had come at the hands of Big Jim,

"This is about us, Bo. No one else. I could just as easily get attacked by a bear on the trail. But it only took a near death experience on a dog sled months ago for me to decide that I was not going to let fear ruin my life. Alaska and Big Jim will not stop me from doing the things I love with the people I've come to care about in this town."

"Okay." Bo replied.

Lauren smiled, "Now… are we doing this or not?"

Bo grinned, taking a deep breath, "Let's do this."

Lauren clapped her hands together, giggling with excitement, "I'm actually riding in a real Iditarod sled! This is so exciting! Can I give the left and right commands along the trail? Will they listen to me?"

Bo laughed, watching Lauren's adorable rant. She'd learned the doctor got this way when she was both nervous and excited about something.

"You've got to get this gear on, Lauren. We're up soon." Bo picked up the backpack and opened the zipper, revealing the cold weather gear that Kenzi had packed for her.

Lauren asked, "I suppose this goes under what I have on?"

Bo nodded, "We're just adding a couple of extra layers for beneath your waterproof outer jacket. The goggles, gloves and hat are the usual brands you've been wearing. Kenzi had them shipped up from Big Jon's store in Anchorage. You shouldn't need most of it until we're out on the trail."

Lauren nodded as Kenzi helped pull the rest of the gear from the bag, "Okay you two, I'm gonna head back out. Gordie has probably had all he can take of one Evony Fleurette Marquis."

"That man is a national treasure." Bo smiled, "I can't believe you left him alone with Evony."

"Which is why I have to get going. He doesn't deserve to be left with that witch for longer than is absolutely necessary." Kenzi replied.

The two friends hugged, before Kenzi reminded, "You be safe out there, Bo. Watch your back, front and sides. Listen to the dogs. I know they're not your usual team, but they're every bit as good at detecting danger. You have the trap map, right? I wouldn't want you to get caught in your own snares."

Bo laughed, patting her left chest, "Thanks for laminating it. You'll get one of these to the…"

Kenzi pointed to Lauren who was distracted by getting dressed and pulled Bo away to talk security news with her friend,

"I've already dealt with the Feds. They'll be in hiding in and around the pass through Iditarod since the map only covers where the traps aren't, not where they actually are. You're sure none of the mushers can hit any of these traps you've set, right?"

Bo nodded, "Positive. The traps are set up at entry points to the trail, not on the trails themselves. The Feds know to stay out of sight, right?"

Kenzi shrugged, "They'll have sharpshooters out there. That's all I know."

"Not the kind of protection I had in mind, but the ghost town does have structures they can hide in. I just hope they don't get buried inside of them. They're not very stable."

"Not your problem, Bo. The sharpshooters are for the good of every dog, musher, race worker and spectator out there, Bo. Seline has been working on getting the vigilantes to back down as have Dyson and Hale."

The musher nodded, "Right. Have you got the trail report?" Bo asked.

Kenzi nodded, holding up a finger, "Almost forgot. Sorry." She pulled out the document from her backpack and handed it to Bo.

The musher grabbed the report and slid it in with the other documents and maps that were in the rail pouch on her sled, "I'll read this when I get to Willow unless you think there's something important that I need to know for the first eleven miles."

"Nope. Just remember that your life is more important than a trophy."

Smiling, Bo glanced at Lauren, then back at Kenzi, "It is now."

"I'm happy for you, Bo. Really, I am."

"Thank you, Kenzi. And thank you for giving Doc a chance."

Kenzi snapped her fingers and pointed them at Bo, "She's actually not the stick-in-the-mud that I thought she was. And she's good at insulting her boss."

"Don't even get me started on that. We've got to find a way to buy Evony out of some of the stuff she owns around here. She's got way too much power."

"Agreed. We'll work on that after Big Jim is behind bars." Kenzi replied, "See ya later."

Kenzi turned to Lauren who had politely stepped away to allow the two friends to speak privately, "Have fun out there, Doc. Enjoy the scenery and the atmosphere of the last great race on earth! Hopefully the dogs behave, Little Jon handles the drag sled well and you don't crash."

"Crash?" Lauren asked, her eyes going wide as she looked at Bo.

Bo laughed, waving her friend off, "Get out of here." She turned to Lauren, "She's kidding. Well… mostly. The dogs run… it's what they love, it's who they are and it's what they do. We're going to try to keep them under their top speed, so the dogs behaving is important. The problem is, we're running a team mostly full of rookies."

"So crashing is entirely possible." Lauren replied.

Bo shrugged, "Not if we talk to the dogs and keep them focused on my voice rather than the crowd."

"You mean we're expecting them to hear our voices over the thousands of people lining the streets out there?"

Bo laughed, "Yup."

"Of course." Lauren smiled, getting into the sled as Bo held back the blankets and cover. Once settled, Bo covered the blonde and pulled the waterproof cover across and snapped it to the frame.

"All set?" Bo asked.

Lauren looked at the team of dogs in front of her, "You kids behave!"

Bo laughed, as the dogs turned around and barked at the blonde, "They said they will. Here we go."

Bo expertly steered the sled from its position away from the other sleds to the starting area. They sat listening to each rider announced, Bo feeding Lauren information about each of them. The blonde asked questions, wanting to know who the favorites were, how many sponsors they had, where they were from and other information. Bo was happy Lauren was excited about the race and taking an interest in something that was so special to her.

"Ready to go, Obi-Wan?"

Bo turned to see Little Jon approaching with the drag sled that he would hook behind the main sled, "Good to see you, my young Padawan."

Lauren laughed, "So what is Little Jon going to do?"

"His sled will slow our sled down. That's his primary job. If our dogs get out of control, he overrules them… well, at least, he makes it difficult for them to keep up their speed."

"Do a good job then." Lauren suggested to Little Jon who smiled and nodded,

"Will do, Doctor Lewis!"

Finally, they were the next sled in position,

"And now, our returning 2018 Champion, Bo Dennis, Ladies and Gentlemen! Sponsored by the Morton Brothers and Kyle's Sled and Things, the Alaskan native is hoping to make it a three-peat this year. Riding in the honorary sled position is the new doctor hailing from Talkeetna, Dr. Lauren Lewis! She's saved many lives since arriving in our fair city and we hope she'll continue to find us worthy of her talents. Many of you know Harper, Bo's prized dog who is battling cancer right now. Let's all give a cheer for Harper – loud enough for her to hear us back in Point Siku!"

The crowd cheered, causing Bo's throat to tighten at the sentiment. It filled her heart to see signs that said 'Get Well Harper' and 'Harper's #1 in our Hearts' on the sidelines. Finally, the announcer signaled,

"Coming up on the start. Let's give these special ladies a wave and wish Bo luck on her attempt at another win!"

"Mush!" Bo called out to her team and the dogs were all too happy to obey. She leaned back to Little Jon, "Let 'em run this straight away and get some of the energy out. We'll slow them down at the trees, okay?"

"Got it." Little Jon nodded, easing up on his brake hand, "Bo, look."

Bo turned to see that the crowd was completely silent accept for a few people who were probably visitors to the state. As her eyes scanned the crowd, she saw sign after sign,

"We've got your back, Bo" and "We believe in you, Bo" and "Go Bo!" and "The Bo Brigade".

But the one that got her the most was the sign that said, "Bo Dennis, Alaska's #1 Daughter."

As the sled moved down the street, she heard the clear shouts, "We're with you, Bo!" and "Big Jim must go, Bo!"

She looked down at Lauren who was staring out at the crowd, then back at Little Jon who was grinning from ear to ear,

"Did you do this?" Bo asked.

Little Jon smiled, "I had absolutely nothing to do with this, but I'd love to shake the hand of the person who led this effort. This is awesome, Bo."

She turned and slowly began to look at the faces in the crowd. Most were smiling and waving, some were pumping fists of encouragement as they shouted very specific suggestions of what should happen to Big Jim. Some remained silent and allowed their signs to do the talking.

Lauren turned and looked up at Bo whose eyes were now filling with tears. She could only imagine what this moment felt like for her. She'd waited for so long for someone – anyone – to believe her. She'd waited for so long to be accepted by her community and now, finally, after all of this time, it was happening.

"Bo?"

The brunette took a moment, but she finally looked down at Lauren, "They… they're…"

"You should wave back, Bo. Smile and wave back. We'll talk later."

She gave Lauren a nod and looked back to the crowd. Her wave was awkward at best, but the blonde figured it was the thought that counted. Just after the first turn, they moved closer to the crowd. Lauren worried for a moment until she finally heard Bo calling to the dogs,

"Gee! Gee! Whoa! Whoa!"

"Bo?" Lauren asked wondering why they had parked so close the crowd.

Security surrounded Bo almost immediately, but she waved them back before turning to Lauren,

"Stay here. Little Jon has the brake."

Lauren watched as Bo left the sled and took two steps to a little girl who was sitting in a wheelchair adapted for the snowy surface. She was holding out a marker and a sign. Lauren looked back at Little Jon who replied,

"The little girl called to Bo and asked her if she could have a hug."

Lauren turned back to see Bo embracing the child. She pulled back, knelt down in the snow and signed her poster before they began to talk,

"I'm Jilly."

"Hi Jilly, I'm Bo." She replied, shaking the little girl's hand.

"We all want you to win, but if you don't it's okay. All that matters is that you try your hardest because then you did your best, okay?"

Bo smiled, "Okay."

"Oh, and stay safe too, okay?"

"I'll be safe, Jilly."

"Good. My Dad wasn't safe when I was little so I ended up in this chair. Being safe is really important."

Bo looked up at the little girl's mother and gave her a half smile before replying to her daughter, "I promise I'll be safe."

"Thanks for stopping to see me, Bo. I hope you three-peat."

Bo smiled, "Me too. How about if I win, you get to keep the trophy?"

"Really? That would be so cool!"

Bo nodded, "I think so too. See you at the finish line?"

Jilly looked up at her Mom who nodded, "Yes! See you at the finish line!"

Bo stood and gave the Mom a hug, whispering in her ear, "Anything she needs, you tell me."

The Mom whispered back, "I'm not to proud to ask. She needs a surgery that might help her to walk again."

Bo smiled, "Well, I just happen to know the woman who is building the new hospital in Talkeetna and Doctor Lewis back there is a very close friend of mine. Write down your information for me and I'll see you at the finish line."

The woman pulled back, "Safe travels, Bo. You deserve some goodness."

Bo nodded, "So do you and Jilly."

The two nodded before Bo looked down at the little girl, "See you soon, Jilly."

"I'll be tracking your race. Stay on pace." She looked at the dogs, "Good luck doggies!"

Bo smiled, heading back to the sled, giving Little Jon a nod to release his brake. She called out to Jilly,

"Do you want to give the command?"

Jilly pumped her arms excitedly,

"Okay kids, listen to Jilly!"

The young girl called out, "Mush! Mush! Go team go!"

Bo calling out to the dogs to make sure they followed the command. She gave one last wave to Jilly and a wink to the mom before getting focused on the trail. It wasn't long before they were on a more wooded area of the trail to Willow. From here on out, the spectators would be in smaller groups.

"We go to Willow, right?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Just about. We're going to go eleven miles. At that point, Mark and the rest of the team will be there to pick us up. From that point, it's all business. I sleep and prep before heading out to Nome."

Lauren nodded, her eyes traveling back out to the scenery surrounding them. The trail was a bit slushy, but the dogs seemed to be handling it well. So far, they'd been working well together – something that surprised Bo. Little Jon's dogs were performing just as they'd been trained and were very obedient. They did a good job of following the lead of Bo's more experienced dogs.

She and Lauren made idle chatter, unable to talk about anything too personal with Little Jon on the back of the sled. Bo thought it was nice, however, to not talk about business or the impending doom. It was relaxing and fun to not worry about anything. The sun was out, and the scenery was beautiful. Usually by this time, she was all business in a race. Today, however, was different. She had Lauren and a young man who was essentially a brother to her. If things weren't going to go her way in the coming days, she was happy she could have this experience before… well, before whatever would happen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Willow, Alaska

Lauren sat watching the team of Vets do yet another health check on Bo's dogs as the veteran Musher watched and answers questions. Lauren could see the small notebook sticking out of Bo's back pocket. It was her race notebook with details about every single one of her dogs. Lauren had never seen such meticulous records. Bo tracked everything from training and performance routines to feeding schedules. She tracked any changes in behavior, noted the slightest change in gait, eating habits… even bowel movements and sleep schedules. To say the vet was impressed would be an understatement.

"You must be Lauren."

The blonde looked up, sheltering her eyes from the bright sunlight that surrounded the visitor. She stood and immediately noticed the long black hair and practically yellow eyes of an elderly woman,

"Seline?"

The woman smiled, "In the flesh."

Lauren grinned, "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"I can say the same thing. You certainly have been an energetic topic of conversation in my home."

The blush immediately took over Lauren's cheeks as she struggled to reply, "I… uh… well… I hope… all good?"

Seline laughed, "You doubt Bo's feelings for you then?"

Lauren shrugged, "It's not that. It's just that… well, I can be stubborn and strong-willed, and she did run off for a while. I had a feeling she ran to you."

"You know her well then."

Lauren smiled, "Well enough, I suppose. She's not what I would call an open book. We… us… well, what we have… it's still all very new and recently, we haven't had much time together because of her training schedule."

Seline sat back down on the bench where Lauren had been sitting, pulling Lauren down with her, "I'm old, dear. Sitting is much easier."

"Of course." Lauren replied, nervously. Though she knew this woman was not Bo's mother, it felt like a 'meet the family' kind of moment. With Nadia, that had not gone well at all. If not liking their daughters' lifestyle was not enough, the fact that Lauren wasn't Greek was even worse in their eyes… especially Nadia's mother. They'd never gotten along. There was always something Lauren was doing wrong or poorly or just plain not good enough.

Lauren felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to her right to see Seline staring at her.

"Sorry." Lauren said, looking across the field to where Bo was laying out food and hay for the dogs to sleep. Since they'd arrived in Willow, she'd had very little access to the brunette. Between the security, the press, her responsibilities as a Musher and a former champion, it seemed everyone wanted access to Bo. It was apparent that she wasn't one bit happy with the attention and she was concerned about how she was feeling… emotionally. Bo didn't trust people as it was. Being surrounded by strangers was not going to help her mental state. Lauren was absolutely certain that Bo just wanted to get on the trail and if she couldn't do that, she wanted to be with her dogs and only her dogs.

She looked at Seline, "I tend to get stuck in my own head sometimes." She pulled her eyes from Bo and looked at Seline, "A lot has happened since I arrived in Alaska not so long ago. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by it all. Sometimes there's just… a lot of feelings."

Seline nodded, "Adjusting to a new people and places is always a somewhat arduous journey. Give yourself time, child. You will find your way through this snowswept land and end up exactly where you belong."

Lauren nodded, looking across the field once again, a pang of guilt settling into her chest as she spoke, "What if that's back east?"

Seline moved her gaze to Bo, "Then that is where you belong."

"But what would happen to Bo?" Lauren asked.

"Bo would continue to live her life as she would choose." Seline smiled, "As she has always done."

Lauren nodded, "It would be my fault if she wasn't happy."

Seline chuckled, "Happiness is of one's own choosing. If you are necessary for Bo's happiness and she chooses to be happy, she will do what she must to be happy. You will choose the same."

"So one of us will have to move."

Seline shrugged, "A move is simple geography, child. It's not where you live in this life that determines your happiness. It's how you live. We must each choose life, not location."

Lauren smiled, "I see why Bo is drawn to you. You are wise."

"Every wrinkle on my face is a life lesson. Some wrinkles are long because the lesson was hard to learn. Others are short because the lesson came easy to me." Seline placed a firm hand on Lauren's shoulder and gave it a shake, "Don't give yourself longer wrinkles than is necessary, my dear."

Lauren nodded, looking up at Bo. She was again surrounded by reporters. Lauren noticed Bo's stance change. Her arms were crossed, one leg forward, while her other leg held all of her weight. She was angry. Lauren moved her gaze to the two women interviewing her and frowned. It must be Dolly and Biddy. Kenzi said they would try to get in her head so Bo wouldn't win. Lauren was in protective mode and she knew it. She could feel her hands balling into fists and she was anxious to run… no, sprint, across the field to push the two bitches on their asses in the snow and tell them to back off.

Lauren was pulled from her thoughts by the soft, calming voice of Bo's mentor,

"You fear for her safety." Seline stated, matter-of-factly.

"I do." Lauren nodded, realizing this woman could somehow read her like a book, so there was no sense in lying. Honestly, she didn't really feel a need to lie to her. What would be the point?, "Although right now, I'm feeling for the safety of those two women if I actually get off this bench like my instincts tell me I should."

Seline howled with laughter at Lauren's words, "Oh, my! You are so much like my Bo!"

Lauren laughed. She supposed to did sound like an idiot. Bo definitely did not need her to fight her battles for her, "How so?"

"I believe Bo uncharacteristically shows a great deal of restraint around you. She fights her instinct to protect you from things she perceives harmful because you don't like it when she tries to play the hero. I believe we were having a conversation about the sheriff when she realized that about herself… and you."

"She has tried to play hero a few times and I suppose I did come off as a bit resentful of that behavior. As I said, I'm rather strong willed and stubborn."

Seline nodded, "She fears for your safety as one new to these lands. Our world holds many dangers to human flesh and you have little experienced with most of them."

"Well, I've learned quickly about polar bears and hypothermia." Lauren chuckled, "I've also treated a great deal of frostbite and lately, more burns than I ever thought I would see in a civilian population."

Seline smiled, "You've worked with a non-civilian population?"

Lauren nodded, "It's not something I've talked to Bo about. Actually, it's not something I've talked to anyone about other than my brother – but even with him, I couldn't bear to share any specifics." Lauren shook her head, her brow furrowing at the memories that often surfaced at the mere mention of the topic, "There's too many images I can't shake. It's uncomfortable to talk about."

Seline nodded, "I'm certain it is. We all harbor such memories. Sometimes those images hiding in the darkest corners of our mind serve us better when we bring them into the light. Our Bo still hides the images of her parents in the dark. I believe it's why her journey to find them continues."

"You think she knows where her parents are?" Lauren asked.

Seline turned and gave a nod towards Bo, "She was very young when she was abandoned. The images she keeps hidden in her mind may be clues to where they are and why she was left to fend for herself."

Lauren turned to Bo, her mind working hard to process all she had learned about Bo, "Do you believe there is any truth to the rumors about who her parents are?"

Seline gave a sigh, "The problem with rumors, child, is knowing what's fact and what's fiction. There is always some truth at the core, but problem is finding that seed of truth amidst the colorful tales that people weave around it to make the story more fascinating. Big Jim has done a good job of burying any trace of that seed."

Lauren slid a bent knee into the space between them on the bench, turning to fully face the older woman, "Do you believe he knows more about Bo's parents than he's telling?"

Seline's eyes sent a flash of warning to Lauren, "You must not speak of such things to Ysabeau. If she suspects that he knows more, she will do him great harm to get to the truth."

"And you don't think she has been pushed to that point now? He burned the businesses and homes of people she cares about to the ground in order to get to her. He tried to kill me, Kyle, Mark, Little Jon… everyone she cares about. He took another run at her dogs and sent assassins after her. He has now disappeared, but left a death threat for her before he did. Seline, this is it – the final battle between the two of them."

"You believe one of them will die."

Lauren swallowed hard, "I do. I don't know who or how, but I can feel it in my gut. Look around you. All of these people carrying guns. Is that normal for the Iditarod?"

"I see no guns." Seline replied, her eyes traveling the expanse of land.

Lauren laughed, "We see what we want to see, Seline. My guess is that you've spent too much time in the village and not enough time in Bo's reality."

Seline's eyes went wide, her face twisting into anger before she turned forward, looking again to Bo. Lauren watched her posture slouch, her body rocking forward and back, forward and back, slowly. She'd struck a nerve in the older woman and while she felt a deep sense of guilt for bringing any form of stress to a respected and skilled healer of these lands, she was not sorry for what she believed to be a much-needed wake up call for the older woman. She had, after all, not fought hard enough – in Lauren's opinion – as a village elder, against Big Jim's reign of terror in Bo's life. She was as guilty as the Morton Family men if not more.

"You are, indeed, as bold as Bo claims. There are not many who might speak to me in that tone, nor speak such words to me."

Lauren shook her head, "I will not apologize for speaking what I believe is true, but I am sorry if my words hurt you. I just believe they are words you need to hear."

Seline nodded, "You believe I have not done enough to protect Ysabeau from Big Jim."

"I was not here when Bo intervened to save Little Jim, but I believe the account she provided to me about the events of that night and those that followed. When she speaks of what happened, there is a look in her eyes… she relives the moment as if it were happening all over again. That's what we in modern medicine call PTSD."

"Yes, I've heard of this PTSD and we have adopted the term to some extent for use in teaching our children how to live life without fear after bear attacks and the like. You believe Bo has this PTSD?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes. But I believe it's not the first traumatic event she has suffered, so events of her parents' demise may be merging with the events of Little Jon's accident and her treatment afterwards. If so, there may be flashes of her past she doesn't even realize she's seeing because she's associating them with the wrong memories."

"In other words, the timeline of her past may be… out of order?" Seline asked.

"It's possible."

"Interesting." Seline replied, "I will use this information when I next meet with Ysabeau."

"Seline, may I ask why you call her Ysabeau?"

Seline smiled, "That is her full name, child. She hasn't told you?"

Lauren shook her head, "She hasn't. She told me it was just Bo."

Seline nodded, "Then it is true what you said. There is much the two of you have to learn about each other."

Looking across the field to the brunette, Lauren replied, "Hopefully, we'll get plenty of time together after this race to do just that."

Seline watched Rick and Rob Pritchard walk past, her eyes fixed sharply on their legs, "I suppose you were right about the town arming up."

Lauren turned to Seline who was nodding towards the twins now standing amidst a group of men that had gathered just down the trail from them. She recognized them as the young men she had treated for food poisoning just last week. She immediately clocked the weapons hidden in their jeans.

"Their sidearms are sticking out from beneath their jackets." Seline added.

Lauren's eyebrows raised, "Oh? I was thinking you were referring to the shotguns in their pantlegs."

It was Seline's turn to raise her eyebrows. She studied the group and then looked around at some of the others who were standing around talking. She shook her head,

"And here I thought it was Iditarod as usual. It seems I must apologize for misjudging you, Doctor. You have a much keener eye than this old woman gave you credit for, I suppose."

Lauren gave her a tight smile, "Military experience. We were taught to look for hidden weapons. Terrorists rarely carry them in plain sight."

"Apparently, neither do vigilantes. I'd heard rumor of such groups gathering to protect Bo. I'd not felt a need to recognize the truth of such rumors."

Lauren nodded, "Yes, well our concerns are many with this situation. First, that one of them interferes the race and costs her a win. Second, that one of them is actually working with Big Jim to kill Bo and her dogs. Third, that one of them is working for Big Jim and will lie to have Bo disqualified after feining an attempt to save her life."

Seline nodded, "Those are all legitimate concerns, I suppose."

Lauren only nodded in reply.

"So what is the plan to deal with this problem?"

Lauren shrugged, "Bo just wants to run her race and deal with things as they come."

Seline nodded, "Well, that doesn't seem a very proactive plan, now does it?"

"It's what she wants. We are all trying to respect her wishes."

Seline laughed, "When it comes to Bo, respecting her wishes is sometimes allowing her to be her own worst enemy."

Lauren watched as the old woman leaned on her walking stick and pushed herself up to a stand, "It has been nice meeting you, Lauren. We will meet again to share healing techniques, yes?"

Lauren stuttered, surprised by the invitation but finally found her words, "I would be honored."

"As would I, child. I've studied about you on… what do the young ones call it… the world, wide, web?"

Lauren laughed, "Yes, ma'am."

Seline nodded, "You have earned worldwide respect for your surgical techniques and research. You have saved many lives. I should like to learn more about your skills."

"And I would like to learn more about yours. Sometimes the new way is not the best way."

Seline smiled, "You are wise, indeed. Now, I have business to attend to. If you will excuse me, please."

"Of course." Lauren replied, curious at the older woman's sudden need to go. She watched as she walked down the trail towards the group of men. She pushed her way between the twins and disappeared into the circle.

Lauren stood, worried for her safety. She waited, resisting the urge to rush forward. She was, after all, unarmed and still considered a cheechako whether Bo liked it or not. She looked over towards Bo, wondering if she'd looked this way at all, but the brunette was now busy with the dogs. Lauren watched as the musher made sure that each was secured to his or her own lead which was also secured to the ground. It didn't take long for all fourteen dogs to be prone in their own private patch of hay. It seemed they knew that they would need the rest.

Lauren didn't know much about Bo's plan for the race. That was something that she would announce only to Mark and Little Jon at each stop. The circle of trust was three and Lauren was not included. She supposed she could feel offended, but at the same time, she realized that the less she knew, the less she would hold expectations for when and where Bo would arrive. Lauren decided that less knowledge meant less time pacing and worrying.

She did know that Bo planned for a steady clip from at least Willow to McGrath. The official race rules require that the first stop for all sleds be twenty-four hours long so she would go longer or shorter depending on how her team was doing. This group had never run together, so her plan was to do what was necessary for the sake of the team. Bo had confided in her that she had always hated the twenty-four hour rest rule, but this year with this team, she welcomed it… just in case. It evened the playing field for her amongst the other mushers by allowing her time to drop dogs or work with individual dogs as needed.

For Lauren, it meant containing her doctor's instinct to worry until Bo arrived at whatever checkpoint she didn't drive right through. Mushers were permitted to take the twenty-four-hour rest at any time, but Bo had decided she would rest the team after the three-hundred-mile mark. While Lauren thought that was an awfully long distance, the musher had assured her that she had run that distance - and then - some plenty of times.

Lauren had laughed when Bo had reminded her that her first-ever sled dog journey had begun when she was a young teenager with the trip from her family home in Utqiaġvik in the far north to the Elim Indian Reservation on the mid-eastern coast of the state. She had done the distance when she'd caught wind of a rumor that Elim was the birthplace of her father. She'd then mushed back up to Utqiaġvik to resume the search for her mother before coming south permanently.

But Bo's biggest reason for using as little rest as possible was that she wanted to remain unpredictable and as far away from her friends and the crowds as possible. She knew the more contact she had with others once the race began, the more likelihood of someone getting hit in the crossfire if those who were after her were carrying weapons more powerful than she was permitted to carry.

A clacking sound drew Lauren's attention back to the circle of men where they were all throwing weapons into a pile. She watched as they all lowered their heads to Seline before walking away.

"What in the name of Einstein…" Lauren began as the elder flagged down a race official and pointed to the pile of guns. The race official, in turn, picked up what appeared to be a satellite phone and ten minutes later, the police were on the scene loading the guns into a lock box and putting them into their vehicle.

Seline wandered back to Lauren, "Well, that's five vigilantes disarmed. Much to do. I think you should take a moment to go see Bo before she beds down for the night. It will be your last chance to see her before the start as they've closed down the area for security reasons."

"Is that normal?" Lauren asked.

"Nothing is normal this year, dear." Seline smiled, waving over her shoulder as she moved to another group of men along the trail.

"Okay then. Off to see Bo it is." Lauren said, heading across the snowy field to see her favorite musher.

MUSHER'S AREA… WILLOW, AK…

"Miss Dennis. How are you?" Lauren smiled as she walked slowly towards Bo. She had learned not to startle the brunette the hard way.

Bo looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Well hello, Doctor. Come to check up on me?"

"Just a friendly visit to make sure that my favorite Iditarod team has everything they need to win. I've got a huge bet on the line, ya know."

Bo laughed, "I didn't know you were a betting woman."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Bo Dennis… or, should I say Ysabeau?"

Lauren watched Bo's smile relax into a pout as she replied, "I take it you met Seline?"

"I did. She referred to you several times by that name, so I asked. You never told me. I suppose you don't like the name?"

Bo shrugged, "The only time people have used that name are when I was in trouble or in court. I don't associate it with good memories, so I don't use it."

Lauren nodded, "Well, I would hope that a mentor that you care so much for would change that tune."

Bo turned and continued scooping what looked like garbage disposal waste into sealed plastic bags.

"Can I ask what's in that bucket and why you're putting it in bags?"

The brunette continued to work, patting the downed tree stump beside her. Lauren took that as an invitation to sit, unsure of whether or not to push the subject or not. She didn't want to upset Bo before her race, but she was tired of the secrets.

"Bo, you're really going to give me the silent treatment over using your full name?"

"I don't know how to respond to what you're asking, Lauren."

"What I asked is what's in the bucket? What? Is it a top-secret formula?" Lauren asked, with a laugh, "Does it violate the race drug program?" She chuckled again.

"That's not funny."

Lauren crossed her arms over her chest, "Wow. You're in a foul mood all of a sudden."

"I don't like you using my full name."

"Okay, so just say so and move on."

"It… it just caught me by surprise. I didn't think Seline would share that with anyone."

Lauren shook her head, "Always have to blame someone for something, huh? Well, I think Seline was just talking the way she usually would. Besides, I'm not upset about the 'energetic conversations' you've been having with her about me. Some women would be angry that their lover was talking about them behind their back to a total stranger."

"She's not a stranger to me."

"And apparently I'm not a stranger to her. You've shared quite a bit about me via the internet."

Bo stopped what she was doing, "She told you what we talked about?"

Lauren shook her head, laughing, "Wow. It really is all about you, huh? Okay then. I had this idea that I would have a great conversation before the woman who claims to love me went venturing off into the wilderness with men chasing after her who want her dead. Instead, she seems to want to pick a fight. Well, I'm not biting. As a matter of fact, I'll just head back to Talkeetna with the backup dogs."

Lauren turned away, only looking back over her shoulder to say,

"Good luck with your race, Bo. Hope you're still alive to apologize when it hits you that you were a real shit to me. This is why I can't tell you that I love you. One minute I think you might be the love of my life and the next, you take out your past on me and I absolutely hate you for it."

She stomped away, the snow crunching loudly beneath her heavy footsteps. Bo stood staring at the blonde, watching her leave. She slammed down the scoop that was still in her hand and scolded herself,

"Why am I such an asshole all the time!" She looked up and called out to the blonde, "Lauren! Lauren, please come back!"

She looked at her sleeping dogs, knowing she was not permitted to leave them. She shouted again, "Lauren! Please! I can't leave the dogs! Lauren! I'm sorry!"

She watched as the blonde stopped, standing perfectly still, her hands shoved deep into her pockets. When she didn't move, Bo called out again,

"I'm an ass! I'm nervous and worried and I'm sorry!"

Bo waited, hoping that the blonde would turn around. When she finally did, Bo breathed a sigh of relief. She watched every step Lauren took until she stood just a few feet from her,

"Bo, I can't talk to you right now. I also can't allow you to shout apologies across the field to me because I truly do want to preserve the privacy of our relationship."

Lauren looked around at the groups of people. Most had turned away since her short stroll back, but some were still fixed on their interaction,

"We have no privacy now and you have a race to focus on. I told you before, Bo, you can't treat me the way you just did and expect me to continue seeing you. You can't tell me you love me and then pick a fight with me. I went through a marriage that was like that every minute of every day. It wasn't love, it was constant stress and strife. I don't want that in my life. It's not healthy."

Lauren tucked some loose hair up under her hat to keep it from blowing across her face, took a deep breath and continued,

"I wish you all the best in this race, Bo. I want you safe. I want you to win. I want the same for those beautiful dogs of yours. I'll see you at your first twenty-four hour stop. No matter what it takes, I'll find a way to talk to you. Right now, you can't focus on me or us. Right now, you have to focus on this race and being aware of your surroundings. Good luck, Bo. Take care out there."

"Lauren…"

"No, Bo. Focus. I mean it. Get out there and fight. Fight to take back what's yours. Fight to be the woman your mother raised. Fight to put your past behind you and move forward. Then we'll see what we have. Good luck, Bo."

Lauren reached for Bo, pulling her into a firm hug. She pulled back, "You can do this, Bo. We're all pulling for you."

The blonde turned and started her walk back to the truck.

"Lauren?" Bo called softly.

The doctor stopped, turning back to look at the brunette.

"Will you stay? Please?"

Lauren sighed, "I'll see you at the first stop. Get some sleep. You'll need it."

Bo nodded.

Lauren went to turn away again, but Bo called to her once more,

"Lauren?"

"Yes, Bo."

"It's dog meals."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"The bucket. I know it doesn't look good, but the dogs love it and it has all of the nutrients they need."

Lauren smiled, "Good to know. I'll have to get the recipe from you."

Bo smiled, "You're planning on running a race soon?"

Lauren shrugged, "Why bother raising sled dogs and training if I'm never going to run a race?"

The pair shared a laugh, "Get some sleep, Dennis."

"Thanks, Lewis."

Bo watched the blonde walk back across the field, wishing she hadn't been such an ass before. She knew that Lauren was going to stop by and she was really hoping for more time with her before she started the race. She turned back to the dogs, satisfied that they were down for the night. She gave a wave to Dyson and Hale who moved towards her position.

Dyson spoke first, "The Feds are out there, watching. You can sleep. You and the dogs are well covered."

"Have they thought about the fact that Big Jim could have his own sharpshooter out there waiting to take out my dogs one by one?"

Hale replied, "Yes, as a matter of fact they have. But unlike our guys, Big Jim isn't likely to have night-vision scopes and goggles."

"Any chance I can get some of those?" Bo smirked before getting a bit more serious, "With only about ten hours of true daylight, Big Jim will have plenty of opportunities to strike in the dark."

Hale laughed, "Afraid they aren't bending that rule for you, Bo. Did you see those new headlamps Kurt put in your bag?"

Bo shrugged, "There's plenty of light around here with all of the portable lighting and lanterns, so I didn't bother. I figured they're all the same. He has one that mounts to your sled too. Said he showed you how to use it."

Bo nodded, "I forgot about that."

Dyson jumped into the conversation, "Read that weather report, Bo. Those lights may be the only things that save you out there. There's deep snow around Egypt Mountain, Rohn and Nicolai. From Rainy Pass to Rohn, there's open water where they've had to build bridges because the ice is too thin. You've got be careful around Dalzell Gorge out there."

"I'm always careful around that sled eater stretch." Bo snapped.

"Bo, just use extra caution, especially if you get there at night. They used trees, brush and snow to build the bridges. They can shift or give way."

Bo nodded, "Got it. How's that wonderful wall of ice at Post River Glacier?"

Hale laughed, "Still a wonderful wall of ice that everyone hates."

"And the old wildfire zones? Did they clean up anymore of the debris?"

Dyson shook his head, "The one fight everyone wanted PETA to win, they lost. Protect your team's feet."

Bo smiled, "I talked to Lauren about it. She and Molly sewed these special pads into double booties for that stretch. I forgot to check on those." Bo said, quickly running over to her sled to check the bootie pouch. She turned to Hale and Dyson waving a fluorescent green bootie at them, "Here are the special boots for my girls… I mean… my girls and boys."

"How's the team working out?" Dyson asked.

"They're running strong. They're giving me everything they've got, so I can't complain." Bo replied.

The two men nodded before Dyson brought up two more areas,

"At Elim and Golovin…"

"They covered that at the race meeting. I take the overland trail instead of going across the sea ice… because there is no sea ice." Bo grumbled, cursing the constantly warming climate.

"Oh, and there's no straw at Eagle Island. You've got to carry from the previous stop if you need it there." Hale added the last-minute piece of news he'd heard.

"Shit, really?" Bo asked, frustrated with another obstacle.

Dyson nodded, "Air Force delivery planes couldn't get through the storms in the north. They're buried up there."

"I thought our straw supplies came from the Lower 48?" Bo asked.

Dyson nodded, "They do, but all of those states along the Canadian border are getting hammered with storms this year. It's March and they're buried, Bo. Not normal for that part of the country."

Bo sighed in defeat, pulling out her map to figure out how she could have hay ready for the dogs. Of course, she also had those emergency blankets that Lauren had given her to use. They were waterproof and thermal, so they might just work. She would try one tonight to see if she stayed somewhat warm and dry. If it worked, she would sleep with the dogs at Eagle if she had to stop there.

Bo shoved the map back into the pocket and turned to the two law enforcement officers, "Any other good news?"

Hale shrugged, "Not that we know of."

Bo nodded, "I really wish that I was going to know where these Federal Agents were positioned. How will I know the difference between them and one of Big Jim's guys… or Big Jim himself? Especially at night."

Dyson sighed, "They're all carrying badges, Bo."

"A badge buried beneath layers of clothing… which, by the way… is all wrong."

Hale laughed, "We already talked to them about that. The last thing we need is a bunch of dead federal agents on the trail."

Dyson smiled, "These guys do stealth really well, Bo. They're highly trained specifically for Alaskan and cold weather climates. Big Jim and his guys are clumsy. We've seen it. If you see someone who doesn't belong out there, guaranteed, it's them."

Bo nodded, "I still don't like all of these people out there."

Hale could understand how Bo felt. She was used to taking care of herself. Now she was going to feel responsible for everyone else out there,

"You just worry about running your race, Bo. Be vigilant but focus on the race. Trust us to do our job. You just focus on winning that trophy and sticking it to Big Jim. It's about time someone gives that man a taste of his own medicine. We're all pulling for you, Bo. And when I say all, I mean most of the state, not just your friends and acquaintances."

Bo nodded, "Thanks, guys."

The pair walked away, Hale whispering to Dyson, "Did she just say thank you to us?"

"I think that's just the stress talking." Dyson replied.

Bo lay down on her back, staring up at the dark sky, brilliant stars twinkling overhead. She thought about Lauren for a long while, wishing she were laying here with her so she could teach her the constellations she used to travel. It's a skill she wanted to be sure the blonde had before she started traveling back and forth between towns. She supposed that now that Kyle wouldn't be able to teach her anymore, the responsibility would fall to her. Actually, she never should have relinquished the job to her friend. She'd made a promise – Lauren was right about that. She had been scared of losing the doctor and allowed that fear to influence her decision.

Fear could be a natural paralytic. Bo just hoped that wouldn't be the case throughout this race. She rolled over onto her side, snuggling in to the makeshift bed she used on her sled. Pulling the bag over her shoulders and her hat down over her ears, she settled in for what she hoped was a long sleep before the grueling race began.

Next Day - Willow, Alaska – Official Race Start Line

Lauren stood watching the team pack up the extra dogs and gear. The official start had been all business, just as Bo had said. They'd barely spoken this morning with Bo completely focused on running down the list of mushers she would be competing against. They all had their habits and Bo knew them well. She and Mark had planned her pace, her stops and sleep. They were ready. Kenzi had reviewed the traps that had been set or moved at the request of the Feds in accordance with Bo's instructions. Little Jon had gone out with his Dad to set them, so Bo felt confident they'd been done correctly. The youngster had, after all, learned everything he knew about traps for self-defense from Bo herself.

Spectators were not permitted near the official start, for security reasons, so other than dogs barking, it was oddly quiet compared to yesterday. The sun was hotter, so there was more slush than the day before as well.

Lauren had run into Jilly and her Mom. They'd discussed a bit more about what had happened to the young girl. Apparently, the ex-husband was an alcoholic who had gotten into a four-wheeler with his daughter on back while drunk. They flipped, the recreational vehicle landing on her legs while her dad lay unconscious and unable to move it from her. He'd been killed in a hunting accident some years ago. The Mom seemed indifferent to the conversation, but one thing was clear. She loved her daughter and would do anything to see her walk again.

Lauren took her contact information for Bo and promised to talk to Evony about flying in specialists who could handle the surgery. Her boss owed her at least that for handling all that she was handling on site in Alaska, despite receiving no additional pay. Lauren was going to call her on it. She was done working for free.

"Hey, Lauren. How are you?" Hale asked, approaching Lauren.

"Hi Hale. What are you doing here? I thought you were race security."

He smiled, "I am and I've just been assigned to stick with you and Kenzi for the start. She'll be over in a few minutes."

"Why for the start?" Lauren asked.

Hale pulled his gloves tight as he responded, "We don't want them running in here and grabbing you two to create some sort of hostage situation. I assure you it's just a precaution. There hasn't actually been a credible threat. We're just trying to think like Big Jim and plan for anything he may try."

Lauren nodded, "Of course, thank you."

Hale smiled, turning to face the race starting area once again as Kenzi came rushing over,

"Doc, you're wanted over at the race start, like right away."

"Me? Why?"

"Bo needs you to talk to the Vet about Jenna. Get on over there." Kenzi said, giving Lauren a shove from behind, "Hale, come on, you've gotta guard us."

The three moved back to the start area where Bo was waving to them. Lauren moved in next to Bo,

"What's going on?"

Bo looked up at Lauren, worry covering her face, "Jenna… she has a lump… this is Doctor Harrow, she works with Harper's surgeon. She…"

The woman placed a comforting hand on Bo's forearm, and looked up at Lauren, "You detected the first tumor on Harper. I'd like you to check this one and tell me if it seems to be similar."

Lauren looked at Bo, then turned back to the doctor, "I'm not a Veterinarian."

The doctor nodded, "I understand, but I'd like a second opinion and we are very close to the race start. There's still time for Bo to replace this dog if we think it's necessary."

Lauren looked at Bo again, searching her face for any hint of what she wanted from her, but Bo stood and stepped back, turning away towards Kenzi. Lauren took that as a sign that Bo wanted her to be completely honest with the Vet, so she knelt down in front of Jenna to have a look,

"From what we've learned about how Harper was exposed to asbestos…"

"I'm aware of the actions that led to the exposure. Bo tells me as far as she knows, it was only Harper's house that had the illegal lining. With current events coming to light, I'm concerned that it's possible that he did not share the full extent of his treachery. If that's the case, all of Bo's dogs could have been exposed over time since she has switched out all of the houses in the last three years. The Morton sons have no details about the houses."

Lauren nodded, "Jenna is only about three years old, so…"

"That coincides with the replacement of the houses." The Vet reminded.

Lauren reached along the side of the young Siberian Husky's neck and felt deep into the muscle. Bo turned around watching the expression on the doctor's face go from hopeful to helpless and she knew. She turned to Kenzi,

"He wiped out all of my dogs. They're all going to have tumors. They're all going to die." Bo's eyes flooded with tears that streamed down her face.

"Bo, we're not going there. Not yet. You're going to go out on that course with the best dogs we can gather and end this thing. They're going to catch Big Jim in the act and bring him in dead or alive. Then, he's going to pay."

The Veterinarian and Lauren stood, talking to one another before turning to Bo. Lauren broke the news,

"We agree that it's likely a similar tumor to Harper's, but it's very small at this point. We both agree that Jenna should be able to run without ill effects if she has been running without consequence throughout your training runs."

"But what you said before about blood feeding tumors. Isn't that a concern?"

Lauren nodded, "Of course, but she is very young and the tumor is very small. Where Harper's tumor has metastasized, this tumor appears to be free of anything but muscle tissue. We'll know in a couple weeks after we run some tests. Right now, we have no equipment to do the tests since everything has burned to the ground. Our suggestion is that when the race ends, we take the dogs to the hospital in Nome and have them checked out there. They have one of the largest pet hospitals in the state, so it only makes sense."

Bo nodded, "So you're both sure it's safe for her to run?"

Dr. Harrow nodded, "I only wish every musher was as concerned about their dogs as you."

Bo smiled, leaning down over Jenna, "They're my family and my best friends." She grabbed Jenna's face in her hands, "What do you say? Do you want to run with the team?"

The dog barked excitedly, wagging her tail. Dr. Harrow smiled, "She definitely has the energy. I can't imagine she has anything more than an isolated tumor. I'll want to check the rest of the dogs now."

Bo nodded, "Of course." She turned to Kenzi, "Call Mark and make sure Kurt doesn't leave with the backup dogs. I may need them. That includes Little Jon's dogs."

Kenzi nodded, pulling out her satellite phone.

Dr. Harrow asked, "Who's next?"

Bo's eyes flooded with tears as she scanned the beds of hay, her eyes landing heavily on her veteran dogs who had been put in new homes just after Harper was put in hers.

"You'll have to check all of the females, Nike, Diana, Aphrodite, Hera, Demeter, Nemesis, Artemis, Hestia, Iris and Gaea. The males all received houses that were built in Talkeetna right near the kennels."

Mark approached just as Bo spoke, "I built those kennels myself. There's no asbestos in them, guaranteed. I'm so sorry, Bo."

Bo nodded, "It's not your fault, Mark. You never could have known." She turned to Little Jon, "What's the longest distance you've run your dogs all out?"

"They just hit the four hundred mile mark last week." He replied, "They ran well, but three are clearly at the top of the heap. I changed the lineup and we ran much faster."

"Any health issues?" Bo asked.

"They're certified to run. They were checked with the other dogs on Thursday just in case." Little Jon held up a stack of medical records, "Files are here."

Bo nodded, "Thanks, Little Jon."

He smiled, "You helped train them, Bo. I'd be honored if you used any of them, but I'm hoping you won't need to if it means your dogs are sick like Harper."

Bo gave him a tight smile, unable to muster anything else as she waited for the Vet to finish checking Diana while Lauren started on Nike. Bo waited patiently as they checked, double checked, talked and scribbled notes until finally, they were all finished. The pair approached Bo, Dr. Harrow delivering the news,

"Hestia, Nemesis and Iris all have tumors. The others do not have any noticeable tumors, but we'll do full body scans to verify that for sure at the hospital in Nome. We recommend replacing Hestia and Iris as theirs are quite large."

Bo's eyes moved to Lauren who gave her a nod, "I'm sorry Bo, but I concur."

The musher turned to her human team, "Do I drop out of the race? Is this crazy that I'm taking a team of dogs out there who have very little experience in the Iditarod?"

Mark smiled, "The first year you won it, only four of your dogs had experience. It didn't seem so crazy then."

Bo smiled, "You're right. I can't panic here. I've just got to trust the dogs."

Everyone nodded their agreement, so Bo pulled out her notebook and started reviewing how she could realign her dogs,

"Well, I'm going to have to scrap my plan to use only twelve dogs. I think I definitely have to go with fourteen to have the same speed. I'll lose the maneuverability I wanted to have, but it's a chance I'll have to take."

Everyone watched as she paced back and forth, back and forth, "How long do we have?"

Mark looked at his watch, "Four hours to the race start."

Bo nodded, "And they all still need Vet checks." She turned to Dr. Harrow, "Can I have an hour to decide?"

"Take two if you need it." The Vet smiled, "I'll be back to check in soon."

"Thank you, Doc."

"You're welcome, Bo." She replied.

"So, how can we help, Bo?" Mark asked, quietly sharing glances with everyone in the room. He could see the expressions on each face while he waited for Bo's reply. Frustration, hopelessness, anger – a whirlwind of emotions – until he set his eyes on Lauren and he saw… confidence… confidence in Bo. Her eyes were set firmly on the musher, jaw clenched as she watched Bo read her notebook.

Lauren decided it was time to clear the room, "Why don't we all grab a dog and take them to the truck for transport back to either their haybed or the truck for transport to Nome?"

Everyone nodded, Mark and Little Jim taking Hestia and Iris. Lauren reached up and grabbed Little Jon's hand before he could pick up a dog,

"Do you have a notebook like Bo's?"

"Of course." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small notebook identical to Bo's. He handed it to Lauren, "Everything she needs to know about any of my dogs is in there. Bert and Ernie are just pups, so it's nothing but birth information, feeding schedules… well… you get the picture. All of the three year olds are strong, but Elektra is my overall top pick for a race like this. She won't let you down, Bo."

He turned to leave the area, but stopped and turned back, "I'm really sorry, Bo. I would give any of my dogs for you to have your varsity team out there."

Bo looked up and gave him a weak smile, "I know you would, Jon. I appreciate it. I only wish now that I had not been such a loner. I should have taken the help you offered. Lesson learned, I suppose. If you had been running my back up dogs, you would have something to compare Elektra to, but because I was my typical stubborn, isolated, self, I have to try to figure this out on my own. I'm the one who's sorry, Jon. But thanks for offering your dogs to me at registration. You did the right thing, pushing me to register them just in case. If you hadn't, I'd have no team right now."

Little Jon nodded, "You called me Jon. Just Jon."

Bo smiled and gave him a wink, "There's nothing little about you anymore. You're a grown man who is wise beyond his years and twice the man that Big Jon is. Sorry, but after hearing all that they've known and that they did nothing about it, I'm struggling a bit with your dad and uncle."

Little Jon went to speak, but Bo stopped him, "There will be time to talk about that later. Right now, I've got to figure out this team and be at the starting line in just under four hours. You'll see to my team? Since you have dogs registered and I have a medical emergency, they should allow it."

Little Jon nodded, "I've got your back, Bo. I won't let you down."

He turned and walked away leaving Bo and Lauren in his wake. The blonde turned back to Bo, "I guess I'm going to…"

"Stay, please?"

"Bo, there's really nothing I can do to help you here. I can, however, help the Vets with the other dogs."

Bo shook her head, "You calm me, Lauren. Just being here, you calm me."

Lauren smiled, "You don't need me to calm you, Bo. You just need me to be your cheerleader out there. To know that I'm on your side and I am. You've got this, Bo. Yes, you've had more setbacks than any musher should have to deal with before the most grueling race in America, but you know mushing, Bo. Having Kyle as a teacher has taught me that much. You are one of the most respected drivers in the field and given that you're a woman, that's not easy feat."

The doctor ran a firm hand down her lover's arm, "Now use that Bo Dennis determined, I'm gonna kick your ass mindset and go after this bastard with the best team you can muster. Speed, agility, smarts, teamwork and longevity… that's what you look for in a dog team… or that's what you told me. Pick the team and demand their best out there while you give them your best. Get your head in the game, Dennis. I'll be with the Vets setting up testing for all of your dogs in Nome. I'm sure Mark is already redirecting Kurt so he doesn't take the dogs back to Talkeetna. I'll see you soon."

Bo nodded, turning back to her notebook. She took a deep breath and set her mind to the task at hand. First, she would put together the strongest team she could. Then, she was going to beat the odds and win this thing by outsmarting the field and Big Jim.

NINETY MINUTES LATER…

"So what do you think, Dr. Harrow?" Bo asked, approaching the vet who was now surrounded by Bo's new team.

"They all look good. Young, strong and a bit hyperactive, but healthy for sure. Are you sure about this one?" Dr. Harrow asked.

Bo laughed, "Sure, why do you ask?"

"Well, your trainer, Jon…" Jon shrugged, lifting his outstretched palms up. Bo caught on quickly that Jon had been forced to classify himself as something with the team to be able to care for the dogs, "…said this dog just turned three and hasn't had much time on the line. You know your entire team can be disqualified if even one dog is deemed uncontrollable."

"Shadow is young, but she'll do what she's told. She's surrounded by my more seasoned athletes, so they'll keep her in line. Have faith, Doc."

Bo smiled, walking away from the doctor, satisfied that she had a healthy team. Everyone had cautioned Bo about using Shadow. She was very hyper, but Bo knew that when things got serious out there, Shadow would pull her weight. She was strong and more than hyper, she was hypervigilant. If something was snooping around out there, Shadow would alert her."

Jon strolled up, coming to stand beside her, "All watered and fed."

"Thanks, Jon. I couldn't have gotten this all together if it weren't for you."

Jon nodded, "I was surprised at how quickly you picked the group."

Bo nodded, "Well, that was the easy part. Now, I have to figure out the line."

"Are you really going to take Shadow?"

"For the millionth time, yes, I'm sure about Shadow."

"You know, I named her that because…"

Bo turned back to Jon, "I was there, Jon. She used to run from her own shadow, bark at her own shadow… hell, she even fought her own shadow. It's a great name for a great dog."

"Are you going to pair her with Elektra? Because she sort of annoys the hell of out her and…"

"Jon… can I use your dogs or not?"

"OF course, Bo. I'm just saying that…"

"Jon, let me show you what your dogs can do, okay?"

Jon smiled, "It's just… I know them… have worked with them…"

"And you're afraid they're going to let me down." Bo smiled, placing a hand on Jon's shoulder as he nodded his head, "My pick, my loss if they screw up."

Bo walked the distance to Shadow who was sitting up, tongue hanging from her mouth, tail wagging back and forth in the snow,

"Look closely, Jon. Look in her eyes… deep into her eyes." Bo knelt down, lifting the dogs chin up so that their eyes met, "Shadow, we've got a job to do out there. A dangerous one. I'm counting on your girl. No one around here thinks that you can do this. I think you can. I think you were born for this. You're going to have to listen to the big dogs out there and you have to pull your share of the load. Can you do all that?"

Bo released the dogs jaw and watched as she remained seated and barked three times in response, tail still wagging. Bo looked at Jon,

"Sled dogs don't respond that way, Jon. Only special sled dogs do."

Jon's eyes remained set on his dog, "That's how you talk to Harper."

Bo nodded, "It is. She's something special, Jon and we're going to show you just how special she is."

Jon watched as Bo pulled out her notebook… he noticed it was a new one with a leather cover that was engraved Iditarod 2019. He smiled knowing that two of his dogs would be in one of Bo's Iditarod notebooks. She started the race notebook on official race day each year. Though she'd never allowed him to read any of them, he knew that she started with a summary of events leading up to the race, then details beginning with race day. He hoped that one day he could read the summary of this event… he was sure it was a doozy.

He watched as Bo walked amongst the dogs chosen as her team, pencil at the corner of her mouth when it wasn't busy jotting notes. She laid out the line, hooking each lead to a dog, double checking all of the leads and lines for any imperfections. She attached the fourteen dogs to the center line, then watched them interact. If she didn't like what she saw from any pair, she rearranged them as needed. The only pair that never moved were her champion leads, Nike and Diana as well as her remaining Wheel, Gaea. Those were the dogs that Bo was counting on to keep the children in line.

NINETY MINUTES TO RACE START…

Lauren stood, hands in pockets, watching Bo throw her ax at a tree far away from the crowd. She'd been doing this for about thirty minutes now. Throw, retrieve, sharpen, examine, throw again, over and over. Her dogs were having their last bit of food, water and rest. In thirty minutes, she would be setting up the sled and heading to the race start.

Once she had picked her team, they had gone for a walk and sat below this very tree. Bo was braiding rope, sharpening knives and then her axe before having a final meal. It was a nice, quiet conversation… more personal than any they'd had lately. It was nice. Bo seemed… at peace with what was about to happen over the next nine days… or, if Bo had her way, a record breaking eight days, three hours and thirty-nine minutes or better.

FLASHBACK…

"The guys have repeatedly told me how I shouldn't expect to break a record this year. With the weather, being on the southern route, my team being so unfamiliar… they said I should just concentrate on finishing in the top five, alive and with all of the dogs healthy. This isn't a trapping trip, it's a race."

Lauren smiled, "Well, I'm the last person to give advice on this race, but I think you just have to remember to just be you. The race isn't about the opinions or advice of anyone else, Bo. Once you're out there, it's about you, the dogs, the trail and the elements. I would think that if you just focus on your connection with the dogs, and your collective fight to the finish, you'll surprise them."

"Surprise them, huh?" Bo laughed.

Lauren slid her arm around Bo's elbow, "Surprise them."

"Let's sit here. It's sort of my pre-race tree." Bo said, guiding Lauren to an old, barren tree, "It's away from everything and everyone, so I can relax and focus on what's ahead.

"Do you want me to leave? I really don't want to mess with your routine, Bo. That's not why I'm here. I mean, I had planned to be spectating on the other side of the start area by now."

Bo smiled, "And now look at you. You have an official race pass for all of the checkpoints as a Veterinary assistant."

Lauren laughed, "Dr. Harrow insisted. Apparently, they have plenty of Vets, but they're short Vet Techs this year so having me do an initial evaluation of the animals at various checkpoints will help. I'll pass my concerns on to the Vet and they'll take it from there."

Bo nodded, "I think it's great. Bridget is top notch. I've been working with her since I came to Point Siku." Lowering her eyes, Bo pulled her pack between her legs and opened it. She retrieved a sharpening stone and knives wrapped in a thick cloth and set to her task, "I hope you don't mind if I do a little prep while we chat."

"Of course not. Can I help with anything?"

"Nah. This is just mindless little jobs I do to keep my hands and mind busy before the race. I'll braid this spool of rope to make a stronger single length in case of an emergency, sharpen these knives and my axe and then do a little axe throwing just to make sure I can still hit a target from a distance if necessary."

"A target?" Lauren asked.

"You do realize this race is not on roads and there aren't homes every block, right?"

Lauren laughed, "Of course I know that, silly."

"Well, there's wolves, bear, and all sorts of wildlife out there on the trail… not to mention the apparent human threats this year. I've got to be able to defend myself."

Nodding, Lauren replied, "Well, hopefully all of these law enforcement people will be able to hit any target before it comes to that."

"Would be nice, wouldn't it?" Bo laughed, "So which checkpoints are you going to be checking dogs?"

"Any I'd like, apparently. I'm a last-minute volunteer who isn't a security risk. Having a doctor who can treat humans at any given point along the course is evidently an added bonus. Obviously if I knew where you were going to be sleeping, I'd go there, but since you're playing it by ear, I'll see you when you pass through the ones where I am."

Bo nodded her understanding, then smiled as she joked, "Well, I can probably narrow it down for you if you're one of those obsessive fans who wants to catch a glimpse of me."

"Well, why don't you tell me about this very dangerous race. Where are the meanest, toughest parts that will challenge this brilliant musher that I will be fangirling all over?"

Bo giggled as Lauren kissed her cheek, but looked out across the icy field ahead of them, the race start in the distance and began,

"Let's see… I'd say the first rough stretch is actually a stretch that covers three checkpoints - Finger Lake to Rainy Pass and Rainy Pass to Rohn. Finger Lake to Rainy Pass pretty much starts with flat, technical trails through forest, rocks and rivers. Rainy Pass to Rohn is a bad-ass climb of over three thousand feet that's probably the most dangerous section of the trail ending with the Dalzell Gorge. The Alaskan Range is a fierce section of the state and it'll be hard on me and the dogs. The nice part is, I doubt Big Jim will come out there. There's too many other places where he'll have better cover and easier access to me."

"Sounds harsh."

Bo nodded, "It is and both parts suck. The first section is the Happy River Steps. Personally, I've never been hurt there because I had my Mom's advice, but some people just try to go too fast or they haven't trained the their dogs well. They lose their sleds because they fall and can't hang on to the sled so the dogs take off or they get too close to a tree and break a leg or a hand." Bo shook her head, "I wish people knew better how to prepare for the race – especially the rookies."

Lauren watched as Bo tied off the rope she was braiding and started sharpening her axe. She continued, to talk about the steps,

"The steep drops and sharp twists of the Happy River Steps are probably harder on the driver than the dogs. At least mine seem to love running that part of the trail. If you haven't packed your sled well and aren't able to handle your sled well, you're going to flip and the dogs are going to rip the sled right out of your hands. If you're lucky, the sled will get stuck in a tree. If not, you're out on the Alaskan range by yourself with no supplies because they're on the way to the next checkpoint with your dogs… if they make it there."

"Why not harness yourself to your sled?" Lauren asked.

"Because if you fall and the sled is on top of you, you're going to be dragged under the sled until the dogs decide to stop – especially dangerous if you're unconscious."

Lauren nodded as Bo continued,

"The second section after Rainy Pass is where I tipped my sled and almost fell right into the Dalzell Gorge, but I've since learned this wonderful thing called pace and patience. The climb will take about four days and the descent only takes about two hours. It's real easy to lose the trail, the snow will likely be deep, the trail is narrow, the land barren… it's just a really rough stretch. If I'm going to lose any of these young dogs, that is where it will happen."

Bo lowered her head and took a deep breath, "So, I guess you'll want to see me get to Rohn."

Bo gave Lauren a wink. The doctor smiled and asked, "Bo, do you know if the agents traveled the course or are they just being told about it?"

Bo shrugged, "Don't know, don't really care, honestly. I'm going to run this as if they're not there. They'll do their thing, but I'm not counting on them, Lauren. They don't live here, so they'll never know all we know. Living this and being told about what to expect are two different things. I think you get that."

Lauren smirked, "I certainly do and that was a simple, straight stretch of land that covered three miles. Maybe they should have practice in my front yard first."

Bo laughed with Lauren, but she could see the growing concern on the doctors' face as she explained more and more about the race. Still, she wanted to be truthful, so she pressed forward, talking about the course… all except the notch in the mountain at the end of the pass. It was always low visibility, windswept snow drifts and a merciless, desolate stretch of trail followed by the rollercoaster section of the course,

"So, if mushers make it over Rainy Pass you hit the Gorge before the checkpoint at Rohn, then you head for Nikolai. That section's biggest challenge is the Buffalo Chutes which is all rock and glacial ice. Then comes the Farewell Burn which is more bark than the bite they talk about. It's come back pretty well since the fires, but you still have to watch the feet of the dogs."

"That's what the booties that Molly and I made are for?"

Bo nodded, "Yup. If I make it to Nikolai, life is good."

Lauren cringed and Bo stopped what she was doing, "Are you sure you want to hear about all this?"

"It worries me, I'm not going to lie, but I want to know because it will help me plan where I want to be and when I want to be there."

"You'll have Kenzi to explain things to you as well and Pops will be there – he's run the race fourteen times in his day."

"Wow. I didn't know." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "His sons too. It's in the blood. That's why Little Jon is training."

"And Jon's cousin?"

"He's training. He's just not sure if he wants to run it or not. No pressure." Bo shrugged.

"So when everyone else rests, you keep running? When do you sleep?"

Bo smiled, "We don't sleep. We nap. We run, then nap, run, then nap. If they sleep too long, they get stiff just like we did if we worked out super hard and then tried to get up the next day."

"Lactic acid."

"They may be canine, but their muscle physiology is very similar when you compare them to us. They're basically Olympic athletes and I treat them that way from the way they eat to the way they work out or compete."

Lauren nodded, "That's a good piece of insight. Why is it that they have all of these Vets and Vet Techs, but only one human physican for some sixty mushers?"

Bo shrugged, "I guess they figure most of us know emergency first aid. If it's something worse than that, we'll probably need a flight out."

"How do they find you if someone gets seriously injured?"

"Personally, I'd send my dogs back… keep one with me so they can track me."

"Track you?"

Bo nodded, "Remember those microchips we put in your dogs? All of them are required to have them. They keep the records in one place and the race officials can access our location through the dogs. As long as I have one with me, they'll find me if they know I'm in trouble."

Lauren smiled, "That actually makes me feel a whole lot better."

"Well, I'm glad I can reassure you."

"So, what's the next stretch you have concerns about?"

"I'd say Nikolai to McGrath. I had a gangline snap on that stretch once, so it's more dangerous in my head than in reality. I just wasn't careful, but that's not going to happen again. There's just a lot of open lakes and swamps, so I have to stay aware – especially if I'm forced to run that section at night."

Bo checked her watch. Realizing she was almost out of time, she summarized,

"I'm almost out of time, Lauren so let me just say this, Iditarod is a ghost town that I reach by traveling ninety miles from Ophir. It's the place I think Big Jim might strike. There's miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles. After that, I'm on to Shageluk so it's a good thing if I make it there. Then Anvik to Grayling is the first leg on the Yukon. If Jon's dogs don't like their first taste of the big river, chances are they'll refuse to run, so we'll see."

Bo tucked her axe back into her pack,

"Grayling to Eagle Island is just windy and miserable, Unalakleet to Shaktoolik is another tough uphill pass and then the final summit is a thousand foot climb at Little McKinley about eight miles past Walla Walla between Elim and Golovin."

Bo took a breath, "White Mountain to Safety is flat out dangerous if there's storms or ground blizzards because the visibility will be near zero and from Safety the home stretch to Nome might be susceptible to heavy snow but I've never had a problem there."

Lauren nodded, "Bo, just please remember that there will be other races. Other chances for records and other chances for first place finishes… if you live. Please don't let this battle with Big Jim over a win or loss in this race lead you to make a poor decision that could cost you or the dogs their lives."

"In other words, don't let my emotions lead me to do something impulsive." Bo smiled, "It's my greatest weakness, I know."

"And I won't be there to talk you down… not that I've had much success with that."

Bo nodded, "I think you're right about me letting my past dictate my present." She looked up at Lauren, "I'm thinking that maybe I should talk to someone other than Seline about things. I think she's become more of a friend and I'm not sure that she's really qualified to help me."

Lauren nodded, "Are you saying you want to seek counseling?"

"You sound surprised."

"I am." Lauren laughed, "What made you want to do that?"

Bo looked out across the field, "I don't want to be angry anymore. I don't want to be impulsive. I don't want to be someone that people fear. I want to be someone that people love and respect."

Lauren smiled, "Bo, it sounds like you're ready to do the work and if that's the case, I'll support you in any way that I can. It's your choice."

Bo nodded, "I still really hope I find out what happened to my parents some day."

Lauren hesitated, but then decided she might as well take a chance while Bo was in this frame of mind, "You know, Seline told me that she believes the images you see about Little Jon's accident may have merged with childhood memories of your parents… that maybe there's more that you remember than you believe. What do you think about that?"

Bo shrugged, "I suppose it's possible. She mentioned that to me a long time ago. I didn't realize she still thought that was the case."

"Apparently she does."

"Would a counselor be able to help me sort all of that out?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Possibly, over time."

"Time." Bo replied, "Time is funny, huh? It seems like just yesterday I was running my first Iditarod."

"Why do you do it?"

"Run the race?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, her eyes set on Bo's. The brunette smiled, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek, "I don't know, really. I just always have. I like the challenge and I like the relationship that I have with the dogs out there. I like the isolation, the relationship that I feel with the land while I'm out there. If I ever died doing this race, I'd die happy. This land… this wilderness… it's always been a part of me. I feel like I'm home out there. Back in Talkeetna, Point Siku, Anchorage.. I just feel… I don't know… out of place?"

The blonde nodded, "Do you feel that way with me?"

"You feel like an anchor to me. You're my connection to the real world… my reason to being there. If it weren't for you, I would spend a lot less time in town." Bo smiled, "Do you want to know my secret?"

Lauren laughed, "You have a secret?"

"I do." She smiled, "Back in my apartment at the hotel is a safe that Kenzi had installed for me. It's fireproof just in case of a fire… Kenzi insisted a long time ago when she learned that I don't use banks and credit cards."

"Really? Wow."

Bo shrugged, "In there is a deed to a piece of land that I bought with some of the money my mom left me. I've been building a house for just over a year now."

"A house? Wow, that's great, Bo. Can I see it?" Lauren asked.

"Well, obviously not today, but sure. We can take a sled out there one day after we get back. It'll be a good cool down for the dogs."

Lauren smiled, "You mean I get to ride with you on a sled?"

Bo laughed, "You get to drive the sled while my ass takes a much deserved rest in the basket!"

It was Lauren's turn to laugh, "You're not afraid I'll crash or get us lost?"

"I'll take my chances, Doctor." Bo replied with a grin, "Hey, speaking of doctoring, have you heard any news on Kyle?"

"Nothing new. I just know that she's in the burn unit and she's receiving the best care." Lauren replied, "Tamsin's leg is doing well. She's supposed to be out here at some point this week."

"That's good. Real good." Bo replied, "I guess I'll be busy when I get back to town. There's a lot of rebuilding to do between the homes, the businesses, the clinic and the hospital…"

"Let's not worry about that right now." Lauren smiled, running a hand down Bo's arm.

"I wish we had more time… and more privacy." Bo said, shyly.

Lauren nodded, "What else do you have to do?"

"Take a nap?"

"I have broad shoulders." Lauren smiled, pointing to the shoulder closest to Bo.

The brunette smiled and leaned into the blonde, closing her eyes, "Every nap I take on the trail, I'll imagine I'm right here with you."

"And every nap I take, I'll pretend you're with me." Lauren replied.

It was only minutes until the familiar soft sounds of Bo's deep breathing set in and Lauren knew she was asleep. Lauren carefully slipped Bo's notebook from her jacket pocket and opened to a blank page in the middle and wrote,

'Bo, I'm not sure where you are right now, but know that I miss you and I'm thinking of you wherever it is. Please stay safe, smart and speedy because I want you back as soon as you can get here….'

Lauren paused for a long moment, looking out across the snowswept fields of a land she was beginning to call home, then looked back to the book,

'… I love you. Lauren'.

END FLASHBACK

Lauren sighed, knowing it was time. She let Bo get one more throw in and when she was returning from retrieving the axe, she made her presence known,

"Bo? It's time."

The brunette nodded, picked up her pack and joined Lauren, "Okay then. Let's go face the music."

Lauren smiled, staring into the brunette's eyes for a long moment before diving into her arms and kissing her with all of the passion she could muster. She pulled back, her hands tracing the brunette's lips and cheeks,

"Come back to me, Bo Dennis."

Bo smiled, "Wait for me, Lauren Lewis."

They separated and headed back to the race start where destiny awaited.

OFFICIAL RACE START – WILLOW, ALASKA

Bo pulled up to the starting area, "Bo Dennis."

"Hi Bo. Your bib number?"

"Number one, Ma'am."

"Thank you, dear."

"I need your signature here. You have fourteen dogs?" The woman turned the clipboard towards Bo so she could sign the checkpoint form.

Bo nodded, "Yes Ma'am."

"Good luck, Bo."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

She pulled up to the starting line and waited for the signal to go, taking one last look to her right where Lauren and the gang were all waiting. She gave Kenzi a thumbs up, gave her team a wave and then locked eyes with the woman she loved until the signal to go. She tore her eyes away, closing them for just moment to commit the image of Lauren to memory before calling out,

"Hike! Let's go kids!"

She smiled as her makeshift family cheered from the start area as the dogs happily took off running. There was no turning back now.

Bo called into the wind, "Nome or bust, team! Big Jim, wherever you are, we're coming for you!"

A/N: Next up... warning signs ahead!