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?

13. Chapter 13: The Return

A/N: I know, I know… sorry! But, since I'm so late, there's a bonus chapter! Yes, this update includes Chapters 13 and 14! Let's get right to the story!

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Chapter 13: The Return

"Wanna go for a little run, Harper? Just you and me?"

Bo's best canine friend wagged her tail, "The snow is too spotty for a sled, so we'll run side by side, on our paws, okay? Besides, I don't think you're quite ready to pull me."

Bo bent down, examining the site of Harper's incision, "You can hardly tell you had surgery." She smiled, kissing her between the ears, "You sure do seem to have your energy back."

The thought of Lauren telling her Harper had cancer flashed through her mind. The blonde had handled the entire regimen of treatments, dutifully standing by the dog's bedside even though Bo had been pushing her away.

"I should have stayed. I should have let her explain. I owed her that much." Bo whispered to Harper, "It's too late now. She's probably sound asleep."

She sighed, turning to her closet. She pulled out her insulated stretch pants and boots. Bo dressed quickly, anxious to get a run in before bed to burn off some of the excess emotional energy she'd built up. She needed to refocus on her live-in-the-moment philosophy. The truth was that whether she and Lauren worked out or not, she wanted to live her life the way she always had... savoring each moment, paying attention to detail, taking the time to smell the proverbial roses just as her mom had taught her. Being in love shouldn't change anyone's life philosophy. She hoped that Lauren was the one who could live that type of life with her, but she also had to prepare herself for the fact that it just might not happen. There were millions of people on the planet who had loved and lost. Why should she be any different?

When she'd talked to Doctor Gray about her feelings for Lauren, she had realized that the deeper she'd fallen, the more connected to the blonde she'd felt. Unfortunately, that also meant she was giving up parts of herself. The idea to show Lauren Alaska this week was so that the blonde could see the parts of Bo that she'd kept in the shadows. Denali was one of the big ones, but there were many more. She hoped that she would get the chance to show her more before she left, but that would now be up to Lauren.

She wanted to have fun with the blonde, not get bogged down in the coming doom and gloom of going their separate ways. She hoped that Lauren could find a way to live in the moment and not worry about whether or not she was going to stay back east.

She pulled Harper's booties on one paw at a time, then pulled on her running T-shirt, tying it beneath her midsection. She smiled, looking down at the shirt that Lauren had given her as a gift for her final radiation treatment.

"Do you know the story behind this shirt?" Bo asked her companion, "Did Lauren tell you?"

"She didn't tell you? Well, this is a very special shirt. It's the shirt that Lauren got for running her third Boston Marathon. She decided that after your marathon cancer treatment, you deserved a marathon shirt. You two are almost the same size." Bo chuckled, "You may actually be a bit bigger."

Harper barked twice, causing Bo to laugh, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult your sexy, sexy figure." Bo smiled, "Come on then. Let's run the river trail."

The pair headed to the back door, Harper sitting patiently while Bo hooked her bear spray to the waistband of her pants and strapped one of her axes to her upper back. This was Alaska and going anywhere in the backcountry unarmed would be foolish at best. Finally, the brunette opened the door and smiled as Harper wasted no time breaking into a full stride run to the water. Bo jogged to the river, calling Harper over from the water. They settled into a comfortable pace, Harper running just a short distance ahead of Bo while scouting out the territory with her heightened senses.

Bo breathed in the fresh air of her native land, looking up at the clear, starry sky. The moon was no longer full, but there was still sufficient reflective light from the snow-capped mountains and the river to allow her to see where she was going.

She would have liked to say that she put her thoughts about Lauren to rest during the run, but that just didn't happen. The blonde was never far from her mind and tonight was no different. If the doctor did return to Boston for good, Bo was in for a long road to recovery. Still, it would have been worth it to know what love felt like, even if it was only for this year. Besides, maybe she could find another love in this lifetime. The problem would be whether her heart would allow room for someone else now that it was filled to the brim with Lauren.

She heard Harper bark, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up to see her champion with a fish hanging out of her mouth. Bo shook her head,

"Nice one, Harp! Now throw her back. We've got plenty."

Harper sat, her gentle mouth gripping the fish firmly, but not enough to break the skin. Bo shook her head, running to a stop,

"I know, girl. You want to keep the ones that are actually keepers." Bo examined the fish, quickly seeing that it was, indeed, a very nice fish of about twenty-six inches, "Okay. We'll put that one on ice when we get back. We've got about a quarter mile to go. Ready?"

Harper took off towards the house, Bo laughing as she followed. She hadn't planned on having to add fish to the cache tonight. Still, maybe she would filet the fresh salmon tonight and have it for breakfast. The dogs could use a special treat since she was starting an intermittent training cycle for the next four weeks. The weather was going to get warm and now that they had the barn and its land set up, they could run all day in the massive field behind the barn, each of them taking a turn on the doggie treadmills she had invested in from Kyle's store.

She smiled, thinking of her longtime friend. They'd certainly had their conflicts over the years, but Bo was happy for her. Kurt had told her last week that Kyle would be coming home this weekend. She was still in a wheelchair, but she was now able to stand. She'd had four surgeries so far, but Kurt said it was still difficult for her to look at herself in a mirror. The side of her face and neck were severely disfigured and the hair that had grown back did nothing to cover the damaged skin. Bo had promised to visit her as soon as she was home. She hoped that she would be able to find the words to remind Kyle that she was a beautiful person and that ran much, much deeper than the beauty on the surface.

Bo looked up to see that Harper had dropped the fish into the water, holding it still with one paw. As its tail flipped in and out of the water, Bo ran a bit faster, hoping to put the poor thing out of its misery sooner rather than later. She used her axe to end the torture quickly and had twelve salmon filets in no time. She rinsed each piece of fish off before carrying the large stacks to the shed, placing them on the cutting board. She pulled out some of the burlap sacks she had hand-sewed while she was laid up and tucked the filets inside. She carried them around to the back door, getting Harper settled into her crate with the puppies before taking the salmon inside.

She opened the lower drawer of the icebox, wanting to be certain the dry ice was still holding up and keeping the box at temperature. Satisfied that was the case, she opened the top door and stowed the fish inside. Tomorrow morning, she would make a big bucket of fish stew for the dogs and add it to their kibble. She had almost a dozen eggs now, so she could stir some of them in for some extra protein for the dogs and she might have one with her fish breakfast.

She rinsed off her axe and hung it on the wall by the shotgun, then headed into the bathroom to wash up. She'd clean up more thoroughly in the river tomorrow morning. When she came out, she realized bear spray was still on her waist, so she unhooked it and hung it from the shelf near the door before stripping off the layers she'd worn for her run. She headed for the living room, to make a fire for the night. The temperature was beginning to drop, as expected.

She stepped into the living room and could feel that something was… off. Moving casually, she doubled back to the kitchen and pulled her shotgun from the wall. She took several deep breaths before moving back towards the living room again, stopping at the corner wall to shoulder her weapon, calling out to the back of the room,

"I'm not sure what you're doing inside my house, but it would be a very good idea for you to move slowly towards me right now before I start shooting."

There was a light switch for the small LED lights that were beneath the each of the windows that lined the room. With the solar panels now installed, Bo considered taking the chance to reach for the switch until she heard the voice,

"Bo, it's me."

"Lauren?"

"Yes. Please don't shoot me, even though I might deserve it at this point."

Bo lowered her weapon, reaching for the light switch. Her eyes came to rest on the blonde, curled up in a ball on the window seat and wrapped in a blanket, her eyes swollen with tears. She looked up at the brunette,

"I'm so sorry."

Bo carefully laid her shotgun on the mantel over the fireplace before hurrying back to the blonde, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Lauren took a shaky deep breath, the tears still evident in the sound of her voice, "Tamsin gave me a ride."

"How in the world did you run into Tamsin this late at night?"

"She came to see me… just after you left." Lauren tried to inhale, but struggled amidst the tears,

"I was talking to myself and she overhead me and then she said I was an idiot and she was right but then she dropped a bombshell on me and then I wanted to come here but then she decided she had to set me straight and I never though a federal agent could be an adequate replacement for a therapist, but she really knows about people and it was scary how much she knew about me and anyway, she was right and I am an idiot, but I was just a scared idiot and a flawed idiot and a… well, Nadia said a lot of things to me that made me believe that – while I'm a strong, independent and darn near perfect doctor – I'm a terrible lover and she made me believe that – well, I let her make me believe that and when Tamsin started to talk to me about what a perfect match I was for you, it all started to make sense and if I'm completely honest and I push all of my doubt and fear aside, you are perfect for me and I have been perfectly in love with you since the day I met your very stubborn, yet shapely ass. So if you wouldn't mind, I would love another chance and I swear that I will spend as much time with you as you will let me, but you're probably going to be very busy now considering, but still, I'll take what I can get, even if it's just a bedtime story before you crash, exhausted into your bed. So, what do you say?"

"Uh… well… um…" Bo smiled, her eyes set on the blonde's, "Lauren, the truth is, I don't think I understood most of what you just said, but I think… I mean… it almost sounded like you said… you said you wanted to try to make this work? By this I mean… well, us if you didn't get that."

Lauren smiled the tears coming harder, preventing her from responding in any way other than to nod and wrap her arms around Bo once again. Finally, she spoke in a shaky voice,

"I love you, Bo."

"I love you, Lauren."

The blonde pulled back, taking Bo's hands in her own, "But that's not the only reason I came all the way out here."

Bo chuckled, "Bootie call?"

Lauren smiled, pushing Bo's hands down into her own, "Seriously, Bo. Tamsin brought news to me. She asked me to tell you because she wasn't sure how to break it to you and, well, she had some arrangements to make."

Bo's smile drooped, her eyes tearing up, "No."

"No?"

"My mom… she's dead?"

"Oh, no! Bo, no! She's not dead! Tamsin found her. She's very much alive."

Bo's eyes went wide, her mouth open as Lauren's words sunk in, "She… she found her? She's… she's… alive? She's… where is she?"

Lauren could see Bo swallow hard, her mind racing with the news which Lauren expected. She smiled, "She's on a train. She's on her way here… to you. Bo, your mom is coming home to you."

Bo's smile could have lit up the entire room, "She's… she's coming home?"

Lauren nodded, her hands moving to Bo's face, "Your mom is coming home."

"Did she tell you anything else? Where was she all of this time?"

Lauren took a deep breath, "She was in witness protection, Bo. Tamsin said to tell you the cold case she was working on panned out. The deceased detective had put your mom somewhere safe before he was killed because when she left you, it was to follow your dad. She knew what he was doing, Bo and she confronted him. She was one of the lucky ones from back then because she'd managed to escape and get to the federal agent when she'd heard he was in Talkeetna. That's how Big Jim ended up spreading his interests to this region from Anchorage and the native village. The agent put her into the witness protection program, but withheld the paper trail, hiding it beneath the floor of the bar where Big Jim's men caught up with him."

Bo nodded, "That poor guy must have been looking for the papers so they would know where she was. That's why they beat the crap out of him."

Lauren cocked her head, "What?"

Shaking her head, Bo replied, "It's just another part of the investigation. What else did Tamsin tell you?"

"She said that Big Jim and his boys thought that you had your moms' witness protection papers. It turns out, Big Jim sold your house after he went back there and found no papers. He wanted to make sure you could never get back inside just in case he's missed them, so he sold the house."

Bo shook her head, "He wanted to make sure she'd never be found."

Lauren shrugged, holding out the report that held the information she was conveying to Bo, "It says here that the agent had vowed to never return to the sight of the papers, so no one would ever find out about your moms' whereabouts. She would be safe if she stayed where she was, and he stayed away from her. Of course, your mom wanted you with her, but since Big Jim was having you followed, they couldn't risk bringing you to her. He told your mom the only sure way to keep you safe was to keep you away from her. They devised a plan to make sure you were taken care of by a native like your mom, so he went to the only village he could access from where he was in Talkeetna. There, he found…"

"Seline."

Lauren nodded, "This agent made a deal with her, but after he died, Big Jim's influence came into play and she…"

"Switched sides." Bo shrugged, "The agent was dead, so she needed a new deal for the good of her village. Seline was always about her people and in the end, truth was, I wasn't one of them."

Bo sighed, slowly shaking her head. She took a moment to settle her nerves, her mind filled with questions. The most important question was the one she asked first,

"So, my mom never wanted to come and see me? She never wanted to come and find out if it worked? I mean, it's been over ten years."

Lauren nodded, "As far as your mom knew, the agent had placed you in a village where you would be safe. He also warned her that Big Jim had agents working for him, so… he told your mom to stay put and not trust anyone… that he could have agents anywhere."

"So, she stayed put and didn't take a chance." Bo nodded, her eyes held low, staring at the floor. The doctor sighed at seeing Bo upset that her mom had never pursued finding her,

"Bo, you should know that Tamsin said your mom was extremely difficult to talk to. By law, she had to identify herself as a Federal Agent and show her credentials…"

"So, my mom feared Tamsin could be one of Big Jim's goons, even after all these years."

Lauren nodded, "Tamsin said that the mere mention of Big Jim's name sent her stumbling back several steps. She had to hold onto a nearby counter to keep herself upright. She was clearly surprised to hear his name. She refused to go with Tamsin… picked up a shot gun and pointed it at Tamsin until she held up her hands and backed out of the door."

Bo nodded, "My mom was raised in a tribe that believed in animal spirits… she learned everything by mimicking animal behaviors… including how to defend herself and her young. Backing her into a corner, even at her age, is a very bad idea. Big Jim may have told the town I was nothing but an animal, but I'm a household pet compared to my mom…" Bo scowled, "… except when Big Jim got hold of her."

Lauren gave Bo a moment with her memories before she continued,

"Still, Tamsin didn't want to give up. She went and talked to the local police chief who happened to be the husband of one of your mom's best friends. He helped her out by having his wife go and pick her up, then drive her back to the station. It was there that Tamsin was able to show her the physical reports and mug shots that proved he was behind bars. When she learned that her sons were dead and that they had tried to kill you…"

Bo took a deep breath, "She must have gone mad."

"That's what I said. Tamsin said it was an understatement." Lauren offered a weak smile, "Anyway, Tamsin explained that the judge was not taking the case to trial… that there was plenty of evidence against him, but he did want her recorded testimony about their past so that they could tie up some of these cold cases… especially what Tamsin's agent friend had done for her."

"So, she thinks she's just coming here to testify against Big Jim without any potential consequences? What if he still has friends out there?"

Lauren shook her head, "Bo, she knows you're alive. She insisted on coming. Apparently the last she'd heard of you… well, let's just say she's been as lost on what happened to you as you have been about her. She really didn't trust anything that Tamsin said, so our resourceful special agent had copies of the Iditarod race sent up to the local police office from Anchorage so she could see the actual pictures. After that, Tamsin taught her about YouTube and… well, she's been watching your races ever since. Of course, you can't filter web content unless you think to do it – which Tamsin didn't – so your mom found out about your siblings and dad trying to kill you…"

Lauren took a long pause before adding, "She became violent and had to be restrained. That was when she agreed to calm down if Tamsin brought her here to see you."

Bo was silent, her expression one Lauren had never seen before. Trying to be patient, Lauren waited several minutes before she asked,

"Bo? What are you thinking?"

The brunette slowly raised her eyes to meet the blonde's, "I just can't forget that… well, she never came to find me when I was younger. I understand she was afraid, but she left me alone. How did she know for sure that I was safe? I mean… I was a young teen living alone on the North Slope, Lauren. I didn't come here for almost a decade."

"She was in contact with an old teacher of yours… a Mrs. Anna Chulak?" Lauren pointed out the name on the report, giving Bo a minute to read about the woman. She watched as Bo searched her memories, trying to envision her old teacher and how she would have connected to her mom. Finally, it hit her,

"I remember." Bo smiled, "In the months before I left, she gave me free lunches and space in the school greenhouse to grow my mom's peppers." Bo frowned, "I left them behind. I wonder if they're still there?"

Lauren smiled, "That was a long time ago, Bo."

The brunette smiled, "Yea, but plants go on just like people do. It would be like a piece of us never left the North Slope."

Lauren nodded, "Would you like to go back there?"

Bo shrugged, "A part of me will always want to go back there. It's a hard life, but it was quiet there. Of course, these days, it's much more heavily populated by comparison."

"What else do you remember about this woman?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "She told me I was better off on my own. She encouraged me to leave the North Slope, that there was life for me elsewhere. She told me that my mom had taught me all I needed to know to live a good life as a good person until she could find me again."

She leaned into Lauren, her eyes filling with tears, "I remember. I remember everything."

Looking up at the blonde, she smiled, "She told me not to surrender… to never give up… that my mom would never rest until we were together again."

Lauren smiled, "She must have known."

"So, they're still in contact with each other?" Bo asked.

Lauren lowered her eyes, shaking her head, "In all, Tamsin has connected Big Jim to twenty-seven deaths. He didn't pull the trigger on most of them, but it was by his order that people died to protect his secrets."

"Mrs. Chulak?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "I'm so sorry, Bo."

"She didn't deserve that." Bo replied.

"None of them did, Bo."

She took a deep breath, "And Seline? Did she kill anyone?"

Lauren shrugged, "Not that Tamsin is aware of, but she's still working the case."

Bo shook her head, burying her face in her hands, "I just… when I try to wrap my head around the damage this man has caused, it's… it's just beyond my ability to comprehend. Every time I think Tamsin's found the last piece of this puzzle, she finds another one. When will this nightmare end?"

"Soon, Bo. Very, very soon." Came a familiar voice from the other side of the living room.

Bo looked up to see Tamsin standing by the fireplace, skillfully laying wood in a criss-cross fashion before striking a match on the stone and lighting the tinder beneath the larger logs.

It was Lauren who spoke, "Wow. You really don't have any respect for boundaries or closed doors, do you."

Tamsin smirked, "I've made arrangements for your mom to be delivered here after she arrives in the morning. She should be here sometime in the afternoon. Bo, she's a key witness. She'll have a full security detail. The big question is… can she stay here? It would mean feds all around your property and before you ask, the security detail is non-negotiable, Bo. I know you have your own way of protecting what's yours, but after learning about Seline's roll in all of this, I can't take a chance that more people from the village aren't involved. They could come for you or Lauren or any of your family. There will be undercover agents throughout Talkeetna disguised as tourists. They'll all be arriving on a cruise ship tomorrow and they'll rotate on and off the ships so that they're not seen overstaying their expected 'tourist' welcome."

The brunette looked at Lauren who leaned over and whispered in her ear, "It's a good plan to keep all of you safe, Bo. I know you don't trust Tamsin's people since what happened at the race, but you once told me you would give anything for just five more minutes with your mom. Well, you can have more than five minutes if you allow some men to stand on your land with the purpose of doing harm to anyone who tries to harm your mom. If those who intend harm get past Tamsin's colleagues, you'll hear it and you'll be able to protect her… your way. Think of it as an early alarm system – Home Alone style."

Lauren giggled, but Bo pulled back, looking confused, "Home alone style?"

Laughing, the doctor kissed Bo's cheek and replied, "You and I are going to spend one day in bed with my laptop watching my all-time favorite movies."

Bo smiled, kissing Lauren softly on the lips, "I take it Home Alone is one of those movies?"

Lauren nodded, "You'll love it."

Bo smiled, whispering back into Lauren's ear, "I love you. Have I mentioned that lately?"

Lauren giggled, "A time or two."

Bo whispered, "So it was Tamsin who helped you with your… feelings?"

Lauren shrugged, "She's actually pretty good at revealing people's true character… or in my case, true character flaws. I really am sorry for how our day ended, Bo. We can't get that moment back and I regret that I stole it from us. I can be stubborn and when I get scared, I retreat into professional mode so that I can isolate myself from the situation."

"Sounds familiar… which is why I took off to be alone… well, with Harper." Bo smiled, "Mind you, I didn't understand much of what you said when you came in. You were rambling and you barely took a breath, you were talking so fast." Bo softly moved a few long strands of hair that had fallen over Lauren's eye and pushed it behind her ear, "But I think you said something about Tamsin overhearing something you said." Bo smiled, knowingly, "Were you talking to yourself again?"

Lauren blushed, "I might have been." She placed both of her hands on Bo's chest, leaning in as she looked up into her eyes, "Have I mentioned that you seem to have picked up my habit?"

Bo smiled, "You haven't, but I have noticed that I seem to be talking to myself a bit more than usual. Of course, I've never had many people to talk to, so I have been known to talk to myself quite a bit… but more often than not, I was talking to my dogs."

Lauren smiled, nodding. Bo looked over to Tamsin who was pretending not to hear them, then back to Lauren, offering her a slight smile. Lauren laid her head on Bo's shoulder, her fingers tracing her collarbone as she asked, "So, is your mom going to stay here with you?"

Bo smiled, "With us. She's going to stay here with us."

Lauren frowned, lifting her head quickly, "Bo, you should take some time alone with her. You've spent most of your life away from her and…"

Bo placed a finger over Lauren's lips, "We have just over a week together, Lauren. My mom and I will have our time." Lauren watched as Bo's eyebrows knit together, "Besides… I'm a little confused about why she didn't come back. She just… stayed away for all of this time because a guy said he would call her?" She shook her head, "I just… well, let's just say I have questions and the more complex this whole story has become, the less I trust any of the so-called adults in my life."

"Seline."

Bo nodded, "I thought of her as a mother, Lauren. Her betrayal is the biggest. At least Big Jim never pretended to care about me. And Tosh didn't know he needed to step up for me – hell, he didn't even know he was my brother. He was just protecting his children as best he knew how."

"And Doctor Gray? She was a friend of Seline's. Are you worried about her?"

Bo smiled, "I confronted her on it… and since I knew Seline had betrayed me, I may have texted Tamsin to check Gray and her husband out as soon as I knew she was friendly with my old healer. It turns out, my wonderful Doctor Gray had already been interviewed by the Federal Agents along with many other citizens of Anchorage who were friendly with the village elders. She was cleared while also providing some key information on meetings between Seline and Big Jim. Apparently, she turned up unannounced to see Seline several times and found Big Jim in her residence over the years. She had always been suspicious."

"So when she met you at that first appointment and you told her you were friendly with Seline…"

Bo nodded, "She had been worried ever since. She actually called Tamsin after I left, but couldn't tell her much because of…"

"Doctor-Patient privilege." Lauren nodded, "So Seline actually spent time with Big Jim outside of council meetings? Was that normal for them?"

Bo shook her head, "Nope, they were strictly professional as far as I knew. Doctor Gray described their meetings to me as 'personal' and 'isolated'. They were always in her yurt or the back room of the council meeting house."

"Ewww."

Bo laughed, "Not that kind of personal, darlin'."

Lauren smiled, "Good. So… your mom." She ran her fingers over Bo's cheek, "She's coming home, Bo. You're going to see your mom again."

Bo pulled back, wiping the tears from her cheeks, "Yea. It's been a long time. I'm still a bit angry, but I have to be grateful she's still alive. I've dreamed of this for so long. I can't believe I'm going to see her."

Lauren nodded, "Your dream is coming true."

"What will I even say to her, Lauren?"

Lauren shrugged, "When you see her, you'll know."

Bo nodded, her forehead meeting Lauren's, "Thank you for coming and delivering the news personally. And thank you for being willing to give us a chance."

Lauren nodded, "I want you to know that if you want to bring your mom along for any time we spend together before I leave, she's more than welcome, Bo. I'd like to get to know her a bit before I leave. And I realize that with her being back home, you may not be able to come to Boston, so…"

"Lauren… nothing between you and I is going to change. Granted, my mom will be around a bit more, but… well, we don't know anything yet. We don't even know if she'll stay." It hit Bo in that moment, "I mean, in all the time we've been apart, I've built a way of life for myself. I would think that wherever she was, she did the same." Bo chuckled, "She may have a business of her own… she may have a family of her own."

Lauren gripped both sides of Bo's face, "One moment at a time."

Bo nodded, "One moment at a time."

The sound of Tamsin's throat clearing pulled Bo from her thoughts. She looked up at the agent and said, simply,

"Deal."

She stepped towards Tamsin,

"But I have some questions I want answered before my mom gets here. I don't want any more surprises, Tamsin."

"Surprises? Sorry, Bo but I couldn't really help the surprise factor with your mom. Hell, I was surprised I found her, let alone found her alive."

Bo shook her head, "I know that, Tamsin. I'm talking about the big picture. I mean, think about how all of this unfolded. I'm a little freaked right now. I don't know how much more I can handle without a meltdown." She couldn't help the tears that fell, "I thought I was all alone in this world. I thought everyone hated me… or tolerated me, at best. I put my trust in one person… the only person I thought truly cared about me, but…" she chuckled, "… even that joke was on me. It turned out Seline had a knife at my back the whole time I knew her."

She shook her head, "I've found my father only to find out he was a total dick with a capital 'D', I've found my brothers only to lose them the next day. I found out that my dad had a whole different life that included a half-brother who came with an extended half family I never knew I had. I lost Seline and found my Mom within weeks of each other."

She wiped her cheeks, looking up at the pair, "It's all just a little overwhelming."

Tamsin nodded, stepping closer to the brunette, "For the record, me, Kyle, Kurt, LJ, Molly, Mark and many others in town… we've always counted ourselves as your friends and we've always truly cared. We saw what Big Jim was doing to you and we did our best to try to protect you while not doing anything to tip the balance of power so far in his favor that you lost everything you'd worked so hard to build."

She sighed, continuing to explain the community that had wrapped themselves around Bo for most of her time here,

"You may not want to hear this, but as much of an idiot as Dyson is, he protected you on the legal front in more ways than you'll ever know. He went toe-to-toe with Big Jim on your behalf many times, Bo… his deputy, too. Hale is working hard to earn your forgiveness because he has always cared about you. Kenzi has always had our ear and she helped us to see the side of the story that Big Jim wasn't selling."

Tamsin hung her head, "It's because of Kenzi that I continued to pursue your case in my free time since my bosses wouldn't allow me to pursue it on company time when we had so many other cases to deal with. You've always had a fan club, Bo. I never…" Tamsin looked up at Lauren, sighing, "… nothing that ever happened between us wasn't real and sincere, Bo. I'm not Seline. I never had another agenda and I wasn't secretly manipulating you or using you. We've all been looking out for you, Bo. Big Jim wanted you gone and he followed you like an obsession, trying to break everything you built as you built it."

Bo nodded, offering a slight grin, "I'm aware that he wanted Big Jon and Mark to stop trading with me. I also know that he tried to convince Evony to take her construction contracts elsewhere. He tried hard to sabotage my race sponsorships and – if it weren't for Kyle – I wouldn't have been able to afford to enter the race at all the last few years. I always knew you were all getting pressure from him and probably others, so I've always held a great deal of gratitude for all you've done for me, regardless of why you did it."

She shrugged, "As for Dyson, he saved my life. They would have beaten me to death in that jail cell if he hadn't stopped them. That night… I gave up… I surrendered because somewhere beyond the physical pain, there was an emotional hurt so deep that I was ready for it all to be over. I couldn't speak for myself anymore. I didn't have the strength… I couldn't find the words… any words. It's the moment that I stopped speaking and just started… I don't know… existing?"

Tamsin nodded, "You went into survival mode. It's the day your voice died. From that moment on, none of us could get full sentences out of you. You spoke only when we demanded a response and even then, it was known you wouldn't say more than you had to." Tamsin hung her head, "Big Jim loved that. He loved that he'd broken you… turned you into what he referred to as a dangerous wild animal."

Bo nodded, "He actually told people that I was a female, Alaskan version of Tarzan… that I was more animal than human."

Tamsin sighed, "You were to be feared." Tamsin leaned in, placing a hand on the musher's shoulder, "But that's all changed now, Bo. Everyone sees the difference in you since…" She looked up at Lauren, "… since the doc came into your life."

Bo smiled, leaning into Lauren as the blonde wrapped her arms around the brunette's torso, "She did have an effect on me."

Tamsin nodded, "Clearly. You actually have taste in food now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bo defended.

"Bo, you served me moose jerky for dinner in your apartment last year."

Bo shrugged, "Moose jerky that I make with potatoes, rhubarb, kale and cabbage mixed in. The nutrient content of my jerky is extremely high and nutmeg, red pepper, cinnamon, salt and pepper are all known to have medicinal value."

Tamsin looked at Lauren who couldn't help but chuckle as she spoke softly in Bo's ear, "Thank you so much for the amazing dinners you have cooked for me."

Bo smiled, "As I've said, you're special."

Tamsin smirked, "Apparently. When am I going to get to taste this amazing salmon and crab dish that you made for Lauren? You can hold the ambiance and romance."

Bo looked up at Lauren, "You told her about our dinner?"

Lauren shrugged, "She's my new love guru. Don't knock it. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Tamsin's advice."

"Ugh. Say it ain't so." Bo said, shaking her head.

Tamsin laughed, "Doc was about to make a massive mistake. I saved your heart, Bo. You owe me at least a salmon and crab dinner."

Bo looked at Lauren, "You know you've created a monster, right? She'll be here for dinner every night."

Tamsin shrugged, "Only Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Those are my shift days."

Bo sat up, "No. You're not leaving my mom with those idiot agents. You have to stay, Tamsin."

"Bo, it doesn't work that way. I go where my S.A.C. tells me to go. I have other cases."

"And he has other agents."

"She."

"What?"

"She. My S.A.C. is a she."

"Whatever! Tell her that this is your case and you want to see it through! Those other agents they put on the race almost got people killed! They don't know how to handle Alaska. I don't care who they are or how much they've trained at the military bases!"

Tamsin shook her head, "Bo, please. Trust me on this. I've hand-picked these agents this time. I insisted. Almost all of them are natives. I promise."

"Is that a good idea?" Lauren asked.

"Really? You have to ask me that?" Tamsin asked, surprised at Lauren's conflicting opinion, "Have you met the native Alaskan, Bo Dennis? She doesn't trust outsiders so easily?"

Lauren nodded, "Yes, and I know that, but aren't all of the people who have been connected to Big Jim natives as well?"

Tamsin and Bo shared a long glance, Bo sitting up and leaning in towards Tamsin, "She's got a point."

Tamsin nodded giving Bo a big smile, "She does and I just figured out how we're going to finish this whole case off and make sure that you and your mom are safe."

"Really?"

Tamsin nodded, "Really. We're going to double the detail."

"What?" Bo asked.

Tamsin smiled, "Okay. Here's what we're going to do…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The plan had been made and Tamsin had confirmed her thinking with her boss. Everything was set for the arrival of Bo's mom tomorrow afternoon. Bo and Lauren had gotten the guest room ready for Tamsin while the agent called her boss and got everything set up.

Tamsin came back into the room just as the couple finished with the guest bed. Bo placed her hands on her hips,

"I know my guest room sucks, but when I built this place, I didn't think anyone would be visiting me, so…"

"Bo, it's fine. It's only one night."

Bo nodded, "So, I think you have everything you need, and you know how to handle the bathroom. Lauren and I are going to sit by the fire since it's still burning high. Want to join us for some tea? Lauren makes great tea."

"Sure, thanks."

The three women walked the short distance to the living room and took a seat on the couch, Lauren and Tamsin again flanking Bo,

"Wow. Look at this spread. It's a real tea party." Tamsin smiled as Lauren poured steaming water into each of their mugs.

Lauren smiled, "These little biscuit things that Bo makes are amazing."

Tamsin pouted, "I wouldn't know. She never made me anything but…"

"Jerky." Bo and Lauren chimed, all three of them laughing.

Tamsin sat back, her eyes on the fire as she spoke, "Bo, I want you to know that Big Jim was more than happy to steal your voice all of those years ago. It worked to his advantage. But I also want you to know that where you are now is just another mark in the win column for you."

"Oh? How so?"

Tamsin smiled, "He told me – after one of your conversations at the jail – that he was surprised to see that you seemed to have found your voice. I told him that I set it free when I locked him up."

Bo smiled, "You did, and I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for…"

"Hey." Tamsin said, placing a hand on Bo's shoulder, "You will never owe me for this, Bo. This is my job and you know that I love my job. It's what I do. I right wrongs… and for you, it has been the joy of my life to do this. Of course, Big Jim is a very, very bad man, so despite our friendship, that was probably my primary motivation. I love locking up assholes for life. I'm just sorry it took me so long to handle this one. I promise you, I will tie up every single loose end there is to your case."

Bo nodded, "Tamsin, I need to know… my mom… where has she been? I mean… does she have… well, what's her life like?"

Tamsin smiled, "Some of that is her story to tell, Bo. But I can give you some basics. You want to know if she has another family?"

Bo nodded, her eyes going to fire that Tamsin had made,

"Nice job with the fire."

"Well, that's quite a compliment coming from the most skilled off-gridder I've ever met."

Bo smiled, "Well, let's be honest. You did learn from the best."

Tamsin laughed, "The most important element of a good fire is the tinder and kindling."

Lauren chimed in, "Tiny then small then medium to large and the fire will light with a single match."

"Ahhh, so my fire-building lessons were not as special as I thought. You teach everyone your skills." Tamsin teased.

Bo shrugged, "What can I say? I'm trying to start a movement back to basics. Everyone should know how to make a good fire. I can't keep a secret like that to myself."

Lauren laughed, "Besides, you can learn how to make a fire on YouTube if you don't have a Bo."

Bo, leaned back against her girlfriend,

"Tell me."

Tamsin smiled, "You have a half-sister, Bo."

The brunette nodded, "So, my mom was maybe seventeen when she had her first child with my dad. We were about a year and a half apart or more. I was born when she was in her mid-twenties. She went into witness protection, so must have had some time alone before she had another kid in her mid-thirties?"

"Hey! Would you at least pretend that I'm a better agent that you are?" Tamsin laughed.

Bo shrugged, "I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm super smart." She paused, "And I'd rather not talk about the half-sister right now. Moving on."

Lauren gave Tamsin a nod, encouraging her to do as Bo asked and the agent complied, changing topics.

"Fine, Miss Smarty Pants. Who else could be connected to this from the villages?" Tamsin asked.

Bo shrugged, "You'd know more than I would, but then again, my mom may have theories."

Tamsin nodded, "Well, hopefully you can convince her that I'm safe to share them with."

"I'll do what I can." Bo replied.

Tamsin nodded, looking around the house, "Do you have a place where we can set up an office?"

"This is all there is to my house. There's a very large barn outside. I can shift some of the equipment and machinery around to create a space out there for you, but you should keep in mind that this is off-grid living, Tamsin. There's no running water and I live off the land, so no refrigeration other than a below-ground cache. I don't have enough food to feed your army of agents, so you'll have to carry in."

"No problem, Bo. I don't expect you to take care of us at all. The barn would be a great help." Tamsin replied.

"I'm sure I could hang a few walls and make a few sleeping areas so that they have a place to stay."

Tamsin nodded, "Give me receipts and I'll get you reimbursed for whatever you do."

"Really?" Bo asked.

"Really." Tamsin smiled, "Well, I think I'm going to hit the hay."

Lauren and Bo nodded, watching as the blonde stood and headed to the guest room.

"Thanks, Tamsin. For everything." Bo smiled.

"You're welcome, Bo." Tamsin smiled, giving a nod to Lauren as well.

The pair sat, watching the door close to the guest room before Lauren placed both hands on her knees and smiled,

"Well, I should clean this up," Lauren said, standing, "Unless you want more?"

Bo shook her head, "Nope. I'll help you."

They cleaned up the evening tea before heading upstairs, both more than ready to put this day to bed. They were tired and tomorrow was going to be another big day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo lay on her side, facing Lauren who was staring up at the stars through the large bedroom window. Her fingers gently caressed the soft skin of her lovers' face, as she smiled at the sense of wonder in the blonde's eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" Bo asked, softly.

Lauren's eyes slowly found Bo's, her hand covering the brunette's while her lips softly kissed her palm,

"How incredibly small we are in this universe, yet how big we seem to make the problems between us."

Bo nodded, "My mom used to tell me not to worry over things that aren't life and death when I would cry over someone calling me a half breed. It felt like life and death to be teased and shunned by some of the other kids, but she was right. In the grand scheme of things, no matter which gene pool we come from, we're all here and we are all just trying to survive and find a way to be happy."

Lauren's eyebrows raised, "Well, I'd like to think we're trying to do more than just survive in order to be happy." She looked up again, "I hope we're trying to love and learn and help each other through this life. I'd like to think that even though I'm just one microscopic part of the grand universal scheme, I still have a purpose and that I can find and live that true purpose."

"You don't think you have? I mean, you save the lives of so many people…" Bo closed her eyes, realizing she'd raised her voice, "I just… well, let's just say that if we were on a deserted island and they had to decide who to save, I would hope they would save you before… well, I can't think of anyone they would save over you… surely not me."

Lauren chuckled, "What? Because I'm a surgeon I'm more valuable than others? I wouldn't know the first thing about surviving on a deserted island, Bo." She ran her thumb across Bo's lips, "You, on the other hand, would build us a small city, show everyone how to build fires for warmth, hunt for food, use the medicines of the forest and fight against any cannibals on the land."

"Cannibals, huh?"

"Of course. Any good 'stranded on a desert island' story has cannibals threatening the people stranded by a shipwreck."

Bo chuckled, "I guess I didn't read those stories."

"What stories have you read?" Lauren asked.

"Hmmm… well, there's this woman in Juneau that owns an apartment building with a used bookstore on the ground floor. Once a year – usually the first week of July – I go there and trade her an odd job or two… sometimes three…" she chuckled, "… for any ten books I want. I look for the books that are the most worn, figuring they must be the favorites."

"Or the classics." Lauren suggested, "What kind of odd jobs?"

Bo shrugged, "Maintenance work on the apartments, cabinetry, shelving… stuff like that."

"So what books have you read?" Lauren asked.

Bo thought for a moment, "Well, let's see… most recently, I've read Moby Dick, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Pride and Prejudice, The Count of Monte Cristo, Little Women and The Handmaid's Tale."

"Wow. That's quite a list." Lauren said, surprised.

"I also read Harry Potter." Bo smiled, rolling onto her back and propping up her head with her arm. Lauren slid next to her, wrapping an arm around her torso and laying her head on her shoulder, "This little girl was in the store when I was installing a new set of books shelves. I was up on a ladder and she spotted a book she wanted. She asked me to bring it down to her… I couldn't refuse."

Bo smiled, remembering the day, "When I was a little girl, my mom gave me a doll for my birthday. It was a little Inuit girl in a parka with long black braids like mine, but her eyes were a yellow brown like my mom's. Well, the girl in the store looked just like my doll, so I felt… connected to her somehow… and it didn't hurt that she was super adorable."

"So, you got her the book?"

"Yup and she proceeded to recommend several books to me. She said Harry Potter was her favorite. She said it was a little scary, but it all worked out in the end."

Lauren smiled, "So you've read all of those classics and then you read Harry Potter?"

Bo laughed, "Hey, don't know it till you tried it. It's a good book series." She looked up at the stars, "It made me wonder if there's a world out there where good always triumphs over evil like it did in the books. Of course, I could also relate to Harry. You'd have to read it to understand."

"Well, I have a confession to make." Lauren said, burying her face in Bo's neck.

Bo giggled, pulling back so she could see the blonde's face, "Wait… you read it, didn't you."

Lauren laughed, "Guilty as charged."

"So you have to admit it was good!" Bo said.

"Okay, it was good for a children's book series." Lauren nodded.

"Hey! People of all ages were reading that book. That little girl told me all of the teachers at her school were reading it and so was her mom, her aunt and her big brother. He wouldn't share with her which is why she came in to get a copy of her own."

"So, you do like reading, though?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "I love to read. I love escaping to other worlds and going on the characters' adventures with them. I mean, some of them, like the Handmaid's, I'm perfectly happy to read about rather than actually live. I know I don't seem the intellectual type, but I got really good grades in school. My mom made sure of it. I used to love to sit and read. My mom built a bench next to the window and sewed a pillow to put on top of it so that I could lay in the window and read when it was light out."

"Your mom did a lot for you."

"She did." Bo smiled, looking up at the stars as Lauren wrapped her body around her torso once more, "I wonder how much she's changed? I suppose we've both changed. I just… I wonder if she's anything like I remember."

"I don't know, Bo. I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

Bo nodded, "I just feel… robbed, ya know? I missed out on so much with her and she never got to see everything she dreamed of for me." She chuckled, "I guess I have to win the Iditarod again next year."

Lauren smiled, "She'll be so proud when you do."

Bo pulled back, looking into Lauren's eyes, "Will you be there next year? I mean… can you take off if you're still in Boston?"

Grinning, the blonde replied, "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Bo."

The pair held each other tight, staring out at the stars until they fell fast asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lauren opened her eyes to see Bo hanging from the ceiling over the lower floor. The brunette wore a sports bra and microfiber shorts, her muscles rippling under the effort as she held her legs straight out and climbed hand-over-hand descending below the loft railing. The blonde moved to climb out of bed but realized there were two puppies tangled in her legs beneath the sheets. Raising the cotton fabric, she smiled when the pair came tripping towards her, their big paws getting stuck in the folds of the bed linens until they made it to the pillows. She smiled as they circled and circled until plopping down drifting off to sleep once more. She could only smile at the two clumps of fur breathing softly.

The doctor stepped out of the bed, pulling on Bo's oversized hoodie and walked to the railing. She leaned over, watching as Bo climbed back up the rope, legs still extended, her skin glistening with sweat while her face held all the determination that Lauren remembered from the Iditarod. The musher touched the beam of the ceiling and began her descent once again.

Lauren watched in awe as her girlfriend made trips up and down the rope over and over again. When she thought the brunette was too tired to go on, she would see her summon the strength to do another trip from top to bottom and back again. This was what had attracted Lauren to Bo from the beginning. Sure the muscles were sexy and the show of strength an impressive display of physical prowess, but the sheer willpower it took to move past the limits of the human body with seeming ease was what allowed Bo to overcome all that had been laid before her on her journey through a very tough life. She knew she had nothing to do with who Bo was as a woman, but she was surely proud to be her partner.

"You know, it's rude to stare." Came a voice from the ceiling.

Lauren blushed, moving her eyes from Bo's shapely thighs to meet her dark brown eyes, she smiled, "Well, it's very hard not to stare at… all of that."

Bo chuckled, "So are you going to join me up here?"

"Up there?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "Yup. I can pull out a harness for you."

"A harness?" Lauren asked.

Bo chuckled, "Are you going to answer all of my questions with questions?"

Lauren smiled, "How do I get up there?"

Bo pointed to the beam around the corner from the window at the end of the loft.

Lauren nodded, "Okay. Just let me put on some clothes."

Bo shrugged, "Suit yourself."

The blonde moved to the drawer she'd taken over when Bo was sick and pulled out her recently acquired Iditarod T-shirt and a pair of black shorts. She decided against sneakers since Bo wasn't wearing any and moved to the other end of the loft. She stretched out her wrists and shoulders, watching while Bo did pull-ups on a thin crossbeam.

Finished limbering up, Lauren climbed the thick pillar to the rafters and moved hand over hand over a crossbeam to the center support of the home. She kicked her feet up onto a narrow beam and hung upside down from her knees. Placing her hands on either side of her head, she began a series of inverted crunches. Bo slid across the beam and mirrored Lauren's effort, deciding to make the workout a bit more fun,

"Okay, so whoever gives out first buys breakfast at the hotel."

"Nah." Lauren said, "It's got to be the best of three exercises." She exhaled hard, "Inverted crunches." She took another deep breath, "Pull ups." She looked over at Bo, "Dips."

"Deal." Bo replied, "Even though I've already done pull ups."

"Want to concede on those?"

"No way." Bo protested, "Never surrender."

"Too bad. You're in for a world of hurt, Missy."

Bo chuckled, "Bring it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, bestie… Doc. What brings you two out this early?" Kenzi asked, pulling out her order pad and pencil.

Bo picked up the menu, leaving Kenzi to raise an eyebrow. She looked at Lauren, "Okay, so… that's new. She knows my menu inside out, upside down and backwards. What gives?"

Lauren grinned, "She lost a bet. What you're observing now is the look of Bo Dennis, champion extraordinaire, after a loss."

"You lost?" Kenzi asked with a smirk, her eyes going wide as a grin slowly spread across her face, "Ohmagosh. This is… wow… I have to go write this day down on the calendar. Who did she lose to and what were you playing?"

Lauren looked at Bo whose eyes were shifting back and forth across the menu, "Best of three exercises, endurance reps."

"Wait. Against you?"

Lauren scowled, "What? You don't think I'm strong?"

Kenzi laughed, "I'm sure you are very… fit, but you're no Bo Dennis."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, apparently there's a new champ in town. Bo's buying breakfast."

Kenzi rolled her eyes, "Which means Kenzi's buying breakfast since I still owe her for the kitchen plumbing and solar panel problems she fixed."

"Sorry." Lauren smiled.

"No, you're not." Kenzi replied.

"Okay, so I'm not." Lauren said, snapping open her menu, "I'm going to have the spinach and cheese omelet with the hash browns and a side of reindeer sausage."

"Coffee?" Kenzi asked.

Lauren nodded.

Both women looked at Bo waiting for her to place her order, but she was just staring at the menu with a frown. Kenzi finally slapped her shoulder,

"Bo!"

"Owa!" She said, scowling at her friend, "What was that for?"

"Stop pouting and order, ya big baby! You lost! Get over it!"

"I'll have what Lauren's having."

"Great." Kenzi replied, storming off to the kitchen.

Lauren reached out and took Bo's hands, "Will you please stop being mad at me?"

"Mad at you? I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself."

Lauren laughed, "Bo, you were working out for an hour before we had our little contest. I'd be willing to bet you can beat me if you're fresh. Rematch?"

Bo shook her head, "No way. I couldn't take the humiliation if I lost again. You haven't worked out since you got here and you kicked my ass."

Lauren smirked, "That's not exactly true. The new physical therapist Evony hired last month has been putting me through daily workouts."

"You've been working out?"

Lauren shrugged, "I had to do something. I was just sitting around watching you sleep."

"You've got a point. I would've been going crazy too. But still, you could have warned me."

"Would you have taken the bet?"

"Of course." Bo replied, "You know, you're stronger than you look."

Lauren laughed, "I'm a skinny runt compared to you. I just have less muscle mass to lift."

"I think you just called me fat."

"I did not call you fat. I called you muscular. There's a difference. But I'd still love you if you were fat."

Bo smiled, "Good. I'm going to take the winter off and get fat and happy."

"No, you're not. You will get ready for the Iditarod so you can win it in front of your mom."

"Fine." Bo pouted, "Kill joy."

Lauren could only laugh, "You really are a very poor loser."

Bo smiled, "I haven't had much practice."

"And modest, too."

Bo grinned, "So what do you want to do after breakfast? Are you going to go straight to the clinic or what?"

"I thought I'd help you out at the kennel this morning for a couple hours."

"Really? That would be awesome!" Bo replied.

"You're welcome." Lauren smiled, "So are you going to leave the assistant managers alone at the kennel so you can be at your house when your mom gets there?"

Bo shrugged, "We'll see. I'm going to quiz them again. If they pass, yes. If they don't, no. I can always call Tamsin and ask her to bring her to the kennel, right?"

"I suppose, but won't it be an odd reunion if you're busy and can't talk to her?" Lauren asked.

"If I'm busy, I can turn the customer over to the assistants."

A waitress brought out the breakfast plates and laid them before the two women before heading back to the bar for their coffee. Once they had all of their food, the pair dug in, both famished from their earlier workout. After a short while, their plates were clean and they were sipping their second cups of coffee. Lauren noticed Bo was staring out the window, deep in thought. She was pretty sure it had something to do with her mom, so when she didn't offer, Lauren asked,

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Bo lowered her cup to her plate, "I was just wondering where my mom has been living. I mean, if that agent guy really wanted to keep her safe, I would think he would have put her somewhere warm. She would never have volunteered to give up her dogs and live somewhere warm."

Lauren nodded, "Well, she could give up the cold-weather lifestyle without having to give up her dogs. They do have air conditioning in the south… and lakes… and oceans."

Bo shrugged, "I just can't see it, Lauren. My mom was raised on the ice and tundra. It's all she's ever known other than the yearly trips to the south to forage, grow and make money."

"So, what's your concern?"

"Will she even want to stay here? What if she's grown accustomed to a warmer climate? What if she's lost interest in dogs? What if she doesn't want to be in the kennel? What if this half-sister is part of a much larger family that my mom is now a part of? Does she have a husband or partner of some kind?"

Lauren had no answers for Bo, she could only urge patience, "I think you'll just have to wait and see, Bo. Give her a chance to explain. I think you love her enough to give her that, right? Speaking of loving her…"

Reaching down to pull a small bag from her jacket pocket, she placed it on the table between them, "I have been given this very special necklace by the woman I love." Lauren smiled, lifting the gold necklace from her chest to remind Bo that she was, indeed, wearing it, "You had given this to me and I think that you should wear it for your mom. What do you think?"

Bo smiled, opening the bag to reveal the necklace and bracelet set she had given Lauren to wear, "To keep you safe until I return." Bo smiled, pulling out the items, "That's what she said to me before she went off to hunt. I wore it for a very long time."

Lauren nodded, "So will you wear it for her? At least for today?"

The doctor watched as her girlfriend donned the necklace and bracelet, taking a moment to spin the bracelet a few times, her fingers tracing the gem and beadwork,

"Okay, I'm getting kind of nervous. Can we go over to the kennel? I need to do something."

"Of course, sweetie." Lauren smiled.

Bo gathered her jacket, "I'm glad we parked the truck at the kennel. I think the walk back will help."

They stood, giving a busy Kenzi a wave before heading out of the hotel and up the street to get the kennel ready for business.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as they arrived at the clinic, Bo met with her assistant managers who were already cleaning out the central play area and crates. Six dogs were on the doggie treadmills, two were in with the vets and most of the others were playing outside or in the pool. She reviewed the list of chores for the day and then headed to her office to go over the orders she needed to place.

Lauren headed up to the vets to find out what was going on with the dogs before moving over to check the timers on the treadmills. They were set to an interval incline program that simulated the first half of the Iditarod's north trail, with only a fraction of the mileage. Five of the six had toys in their mouths and all of their tails were wagging as they watched the screen ahead that simulated the snowy path they were running. They all looked happy, but Lauren had been here before when the program came to an end. They would stand there, barking at the screen trying to figure out what was happening.

This time, Lauren planned to stop the simulation video as soon as their treadmills stopped, hopefully avoiding the bark fest that was sure to follow.

"Hey, Doc?"

Lauren turned to see the twins standing behind her, "Sam. Scott. How are you, boys? How was the math test?"

Both boys grinned, before Scott replied, "We aced it!"

The doctor gave them each a high five, "Excellent! So, are you finished with poop detail?"

"Yup. It's all in the mulch bins out back. What now?"

"Well, these ladies are finished in another thirty-eight seconds. Can you open the door and send in six more and I'll send these down the chute to you?"

Sam smiled, "Sure thing, Doc! Can we go play with the dogs then?"

Lauren smiled, "Yup. Make sure they all get equal time!"

Scott nodded, "We will. We'll send your team in with Harper, Nike and Diana. Okay?"

"Sounds perfect." Lauren smiled as the two boys ran off. Their father had finally been discharged from the house and things were starting to get back to normal for them. Working at the kennel definitely had a positive effect on them. Their grades were improving, and they weren't getting into trouble at school anymore. They had a growing interest in mushing and working for the business which Bo was encouraging LJ to nurture. She only wanted people who had a true passion for the dogs to work for them and these two young boys surely fit the bill.

The treadmills slowed to a walk, signaling the cool down period, so Lauren put the simulation in slow motion. It would be another minute until she could bring them to a full stop. At that point, the new group would come in and these six would go out into the yard.

It had taken some time, but the mornings had become routine around here. The assistant managers would monitor that every dog has their feedings, six-week vet visits, daily play time and daily workouts. The harder part was making sure that each dog was having regular bowel movements, socialization, regulated sleep and remaining hydrated. It took a village, but the kennel was becoming a well-oiled machine, thanks to LJ's hard work and Bo's guidance.

Apart from one more part-time musher, Bo had all the staff she wanted for now and the sale of her sleds and feed were turning a very nice profit. When Lauren had asked why she didn't hire any of the applicants, Bo explained that she wanted to wait to see what happened with Kyle. She was hoping that Kurt would take over her store down south and that Kyle would come up here and put down some roots with them. It was a long shot, but Bo wanted to at least offer it to her. She had a plan for how to make a sled that Kyle could handle, and Kurt had already said he would take over the store if she decided to make the move. He would never shut her out completely since he would need her help with the weekly orders and her sledding expertise, but he wanted to help her… and he'd mentioned wanting to put down roots of his own. Bo suspected Kelly had something to do with it, but it was too soon to tell.

Lauren reached up and stopped the simulation before stopping all of the treadmills. She immediately air tossed a treat to each of the dogs and sent them down the chute, watching as Scott triggered the exit door and Sam sent her favorite six dogs through the entrance.

"Oh, my babies! Come here! Come see your momma!" She yelled to her team. All three girls came running, with Harper, Nike and Diana following immediately behind, tails wagging. She hugged all six of the dogs before popping a treat up to each, then starting up their treadmills. She turned on the simulator and stepped back, watching as their attention was immediately on the 'road ahead' of them.

"Hey." Tamsin said, walking up and standing next to Lauren, "Dang, girl. Bo's got you working here too?"

Lauren shook her head, "I volunteered, Tamsin."

"Why on earth would you volunteer to shovel dog poop?"

"Well, for one thing, my dogs are housed and cared for here too. For another thing, I love these dogs more than most humans I've met. And, as foreign as the concept may be for you, Bo is my girlfriend. I love her and I want to help her – especially today when she's so nervous about meeting her mom again."

"They're dogs. How much can they possibly need?"

"They're champions or champions in training, Tamsin. You don't just take a pet out and run the Iditarod. Of course, you could volunteer around here and learn a little something about your girlfriends' hobby."

Tamsin shrugged, "Kyle loves me for who I am. She doesn't need me to do her things."

Lauren shook her head, "Funny. You didn't mention anything about loving Kyle or about what she might need from you. You sound an awful lot like me before you gave me advice that helped me to see a different way of looking at relationships. Too bad you can't do the same thing for yourself."

"Whatever." Tamsin replied.

"How is Kyle?"

Tamsin lowered her eyes, "She thinks she's ugly and she doesn't want me around. Satisfied?"

Lauren nodded, "Actually, I'm not satisfied at all. Kyle thinking she's ugly and shunning any romantic attention is not unusual. Do you know if she's been going to her psychiatric appointments?"

Tamsin shook her head, "Kurt said that she won't go because they're a waste of time and money."

"Get her to the appointments, Tamsin. If you can't, I'll stop in and see her. We've got to make her see that her body wasn't the only injury she sustained in that fire."

Tamsin nodded, looking up at Bo, "So why's she so nervous about seeing her mom?"

"You know, you should really work on your bedside manner, Special Agent."

Tamsin folded her arms over her chest, "I'm not a doctor and I haven't had my coffee yet."

"Geezus, Tamsin. For over a decade, Bo has had to listen to all sorts of rumors about what happened to her mom… she ran out on her, she was killed, she was taken and killed… now, she shows up alive and well. It doesn't matter that she was in witness protection. Bo hasn't said it, but I'm sure as hell thinking it. How in the world could any mother who loves their child leave them behind when they're as young as Bo was… especially at the mercy of that monster of a father of hers."

Lauren felt her hands had balled into fists, her jaw had clenched and her was head leaning forward as she raised her voice to the special agent. She looked around, relieved to see Bo still in the window of one of the Veterinary offices upstairs. She closed her eyes, calming herself before she opened them and looked at Tamsin,

Lauren replied, "Why are you here? Has something changed?"

"Nope." Tamsin shook her head, "I saw Bo's truck and wanted to know if she was going to make it home to meet up with her mom or if I was supposed to just let her in."

"You're going to have to ask her that one." Lauren replied.

"Well, she leaves the door open, so it really doesn't matter, right?" Tamsin asked.

"Tamsin, her mom is a stranger to her. I'm not so sure she would want her wandering around her house unsupervised right now. She really is struggling with trust for the adults in her life. She's been betrayed too many times."

Nodding, Tamsin stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets, "Fine. I'll wait and talk to Bo."

"Good idea. I've got to go meet with the vets. I'll let Bo know you're down here waiting for her. Go easy on her Tamsin."

"You got it, Doc." Tamsin replied.

She watched as Lauren made her way around the piles of straw to a ramp that led up to a staircase. Three little puppies came over to Tamsin's feet, jumping up on her legs and barking at her. She stepped back,

"Shoo. Shoo."

Two young blonde boys came running around the corner from outside, grabbing leashes off the wall before running over, picking up the puppies and running back towards that back of the building. Tamsin shouted,

"STOP RIGHT THERE! WHERE DO YOU BOYS THINK YOU'RE GOING WITH THOSE DOGS?"

Scott turned and looked up at Tamsin, "Who are you?"

"I asked you first. I don't think the owner of the kennel would be two happy about you two stealing her dogs."

"For your information, we're not stealing. It's not polite to accuse people of stuff they haven't done." Scott replied, gripping the two pups tightly in his arms.

Tamsin walked closer to the young boys, "I'm going to ask you one more time before I throw you in my car and take you down to see the sheriff."

"We work here. I'm Sam and this is my brother Scott."

Scott added, "And Bo hates the sheriff. You take us down there and she'll be pretty angry with you for making her hafta see him."

"I'm a Federal Agent and I take bad boys to Federal prison." She flipped open her badge and showed it to the boys, "Now, I think we're going to have a conversation with the owner."

"Good." Sam replied before pointing at Bo who was now walking down the chute towards them, "This lady says she's going to arrest us for trying to steal the pups Bo. She's pretty mean."

Scott nodded, "I told her she'd be in big trouble if she took us down to Sheriff Thornwood and you had to go see him to get us out."

Bo shook her head, "Tamsin, this is Scott and Sam. They're learning all about mushing, responsibility, business skills, the importance of getting good grades and…"

"A TON of other stuff." Scott interjected.

Bo smiled, "They work here with their parents' consent three days a week and weekends to learn about a career in mushing."

"Kind of young, aren't they?"

Bo shrugged, "I had my first sled at five. Define young."

"Fine." Tamsin replied, shaking her head.

Bo waved them off, "Get back to it, boys. I'm not paying you to stand around arguing with Tamsin. Can you check the treadmills? Lauren is helping the Vet with removing Odin's stitches. He's being less than cooperative."

"Now that's a shocker." Sam said, sarcastically, "If he was more cooperative, he wouldn't have needed stitches to begin with."

Bo chuckled, "Very true, Sam. LJ is going to be selling him as a work dog next week."

"Awww. He's not so bad. He's just mis… misun… we just don't get him." Scott finished, his eyes holding some sadness for the dog.

Smiling, the boss asked, "Was the word you were looking for 'misunderstood'?"

"That's it!" Scott smiled.

Bo nodded, "Go put it on the calendar then. I'll hold the pup."

Scott ran off towards the calendar that was hanging on the wall. Tamsin turned to Bo, "What's that?"

"When they don't know a word, they write it on the calendar. Every day, they practice the words that are on the calendar and when we flip to the next month, I get to ask them any word that they didn't know during the previous month."

"Sounds boring."

"You're boring." Sam said before seeing the stern look from Bo, "Sorry, but I don't like people picking on my friends and Bo's my friend."

"Got it, kid."

Sam looked up at Bo, "The kennels are a fun place, right?"

"You know that, why?"

"Because, well I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but if she's gonna be around, she has to help and be nice, right? That's what you expect of all of your employees, right?"

Bo smiled, looking up at Tamsin, "He has a point, Tamsin. It is the rule around here."

Tamsin rolled her eyes before reaching out with a flat hand and tapping her palm on the puppy's head three times,

"There. Is that better?"

Sam looked up at Bo, "She's got to be kidding, right?"

Bo laughed, "We'll have to work on her, kiddo. She's new to puppy love."

"Okay, Bo! Can we take them for leash time now?"

Bo nodded, "Hook 'em up to the three pound today, okay?"

Scott and Sam nodded before Scott asked, "Does that mean we need the longer leads?"

"Good call, Scottie. More weight, longer lead. Go with the six foot."

"You got it, Bo." Scott replied, taking the pup from Bo before he and Sam headed off around the back of the kennel.

Bo looked up at Tamsin, "How on earth can you possibly be dating Kyle and hate dogs?"

"I don't hate dogs. I just… don't particularly love them. I mean, I have my sled team, but I don't actually take care of them. There's a guy who does all of that for us."

Bo shook her head, "That's why you struggle with them, Tamsin. You'll do much better if you learn to bond with your team."

"I'm not sleeping with my dogs."

"Suit yourself." Bo replied, "So why are you here and not at the train?"

Tamsin shook her head, "It's barely nine in the morning, Bo. Your mom isn't even on the ground yet."

"Why can't you tell me where she lives?"

"Just in case we have to put her back into witness protection."

Bo snorted, "But I just stay out here as live bait, right?"

Tamsin was silent, unsure of how to respond, "I wasn't there all of those years ago, Bo. I have no idea why he didn't put you with your mom, nor do I know why she didn't insist on having you with her. You'll have to ask her all of that."

"Fine. So why are you here?"

"I need to know if you'll build an apartment here for Kyle."

"Does she actually want an apartment here?"

"We talked this morning and she's decided she wants to work with your dogs."

"Well that's great!" Bo said, excited.

Tamsin slowly tilted her head, "I'd slow down a bit, Bo. This is not the same Kyle you used to know. She's… well, let's just say she's lost a lot of her confidence and…" Tamsin shook her head, "…being around people is not going to be easy for her, Bo. When I say she wants to work with the dogs, I mean the dogs… no people. Absolutely no people whatsoever."

Bo took a seat on the bench in front of the play area, inviting Tamsin to sit beside her, "The scars?"

Tamsin nodded, "I was telling Lauren yesterday that she finds herself unattractive and therefore thinks that I must find her unattractive as well. I've told her over and over again that I'm just happy she's alive, but she tells me that will pass and it will be replaced with me constantly seeing her big ugly scarred face."

Bo frowned, "Lauren said it's mostly on the side of her face, neck, shoulder and ribs. She said the burns on her chest and back have actually healed pretty nicely and the one on her thigh is still the worst, but they're rehabbing the muscle and she should regain a regular gait."

"All true in my eyes, but now that she's seen herself in the mirror, all she sees is the scar." Tamsin replied.

Bo shrugged, "All I see is a hero. Lauren wouldn't be here if it weren't for her."

Tamsin nodded, "You've got to remind her of that, Bo."

"I will. Look, just get her here. I'll do anything I can. Do you think she would want to stay at my house?"

"She won't want to put you out." Tamsin replied.

"Tamsin, I have acres and acres of land. I can build her a cottage. A bedroom big enough for two with a bathroom, eat-in kitchen and small living room. I'll even give it a front porch."

The Special Agent smiled, "It sounds perfect to me. She liked off-grid living just like you."

Bo nodded, "I'm aware. It's the right time of year to get a garden started and, in a few weeks, it will be warm enough to dig out a cache for her cottage at the same time they dig out mine."

Tamsin nodded, "What if she doesn't like it?"

Bo shrugged, "Then I guess I'll have a guest house on my property. It's probably a good idea anyway considering how cramped you were last night." Bo chuckled, "I believe I heard an 'ow', a 'shit' and a 'fuck' all accompanied by a limb or two hitting the wall."

"I'm not used to a twin bed."

"A little bigger than a twin." Bo replied.

"Not by much."

"Whatever. You did sort of arrive uninvited, so beggars can't be choosers."

"Fair enough." Tamsin replied, "So you'll build the cottage?"

Bo nodded, "I'll build the cottage."

She paused for a moment before she asked, "Tamsin?"

"Yea?"

"Will I need a cottage for my mom?"

Tamsin shrugged, "I don't know, Bo. You'll have to ask her."

"Because she's not sticking around. She's got a kid at home." Bo said, hanging her head.

It was in that moment that Tamsin recognized what Lauren had been trying to tell her – and she felt bad for how she had spoken about Bo. She felt replaced – cast aside for a new family. She'd spent the last few months coming to grips with the fact that she had been the ghost child to a whole other family of kids as well as the fact that her own family had tried to kill her. As she looked at Bo now, she didn't look like the survivor she'd always known. She looked… gutted… hollow… rejected. On top of that, Kenzi had told her this morning that Lauren was leaving in the coming week. She shook her head,

"Bo, that's not what I meant. I honestly have no idea if she's staying for good or just for a while. You've got to understand that the woman I met… the woman I spoke with… she's angry, Bo. She's furious. She just found out that her husband and sons tried to kill a daughter she clearly loves to the ends of the earth. She reminded me… of you."

Bo looked up, "Of me?"

Tamsin nodded, "Yea… that crazy look you always had in your eyes on those numerous occasions I had to pull you off of someone who was messing with someone weaker." The agent chuckled, "We always could count on Bo Dennis to be the champion for the little guy."

Bo nodded, "I do what I can."

Bo wasn't sure how she felt about being compared to her angry mom. She did remember the woman she grew up with could be fiercely defensive of her children and she supposed that applied doubly to her little girl. Maybe it was because she was her only daughter or maybe it was because she was the youngest. She knew it wasn't because she was a girl. Her mom had raised her to believe that whatever a man could do, a woman could do and do it smarter. While a man could lift a deer onto a sled, a woman could figure out how to get the animal onto the sled without having to lift it.

Bo stood, looking down at Tamsin, "Right. Well, I've got to get back to work now. I've got a lot to do if I want to be able to leave my assistant managers in charge when my mom gets into town."

Tamsin nodded, "I can always show her around for a while if you need me to."

"Is that safe?" Bo asked.

"Come on, Bo. You know how things work around here. She pulls into the station and fifteen minutes later the whole town knows someone who looks like you had arrived on the train and that I took them out to your house."

"She looks like me?"

Tamsin shrugged, "Well, her facial features are definitely more native Inuit than you, but you can see the resemblance, yes, she's an older version of you."

"Right." Bo replied, "You'll call or text me when her train arrives? I'll head home then."

The agent nodded, moving to stand at eye level with the musher, "Bo, I can have Kenzi put her up for the night if you'd rather. She asked to stay with you, but I can certainly tell her your house isn't finished. All I've told her is that you have a room above the Talkeetna hotel and that you've been living off grid since you left the North Slope more than ten years ago. She seemed a bit taken aback by that information, but when I explained that you had been looking for her since she went missing, she nodded her understanding. That's when she told me about the death of your old teacher."

Bo nodded, "I've really gotta get back to work. If she wants to stay with me, then she'll stay with me. As much as I'm pretty confused by her absence all of these years, she is my mom. I can't turn her away even though I'm feeling pretty much like a castaway myself."

Tamsin could see Bo's eyes fill with tears, but she also watched her take a deep breath and shake off the emotions. She'd seen that move enough times over the years to know the brunette wanted no sympathy. She wanted to get to work so she could focus on what mattered most… her dogs… and maybe a certain blonde.

"Okay then. I'll call or text when she's in."

"Thanks, T. I called my foreman when I was in my office. We decided to build a loft in the barn. When it's finished, it will have five small bedrooms, each with three shelves for personal items. There will be a single bathroom with a solar rain-catcher shower and composting toilet."

"Rain-catcher shower?"

Bo nodded, "When it rains, the water will fill a bin that will be heated by solar panels. Beneath the bin will be a shower head that will feed the water to anyone in the shower. Keep the showers short and there should be plenty of water for everyone. If it doesn't rain, there's a river out back."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Tamsin nodded, "Any electricity?"

Bo shrugged, "If you guys buy the solar panels and electrical supplies needed to build it in, sure. I'm on a budget. I've got a lot of bills and very little income until the hospital is finished. A six-floor building may not seem like much to big city folk like yourself, but for a small company like mine, it's a massive job. The subcontractors I've had to hire from Seattle don't settle for getting paid when the job is done. They want weekly stipends. This thing is draining my savings account."

Tamsin scowled, "I've never heard you complain about money. Everything okay?"

Bo nodded, "It's fine. I'm just not used to worrying about money."

"Well, maybe if you kept it in a bank or invested some of the mounds of green you have, you could make money on your millions, Bo. I wish you would let me…"

"Shut it, T. I'm not using a bank." Bo replied.

Tamsin nodded, "I know you don't want anyone to know, but are you going to tell Lauren about how much you're really worth?"

Bo cocked her head, "Why?"

"Don't you feel like you're holding out on her?"

Bo shrugged, "She doesn't pay me for anything. She knows I don't need her money."

Tamsin nodded, "I know, but don't you feel like you're holding out on her?"

"I dunno. I never really thought about it. We don't talk about money. I know she has enough. I have enough. It's not an issue. Is that something couples usually talk about?"

Tamsin laughed, "Financial problems are the number one cause of divorce, Bo."

The musher shrugged, "See that? Lauren and I don't have financial problems, so we'll be fine."

Chuckled, the blonde nodded, "Right."

Bo scowled, "Besides, Lauren's going back east soon, so it's not like we're going to be living together or merging our finances anytime soon. Hell, for all I know, she'll be in Boston until the end of time if Evony has her way."

Tamsin shook her head, "That's not going to happen, Bo. If Lauren wants to come back, she'll be back. No contract is going to keep her tied to one of Evony's contracts. Do you have any idea how famous your doctor is? She's probably the most important doctor in the country… possibly the world. Do you know she is the on-call doctor for a huge number of U.S. politicians and a number from other countries? If they have a heart problem, she'll be picked up and flown to them in a matter of hours."

Bo wasn't aware of that part of Lauren's professional life, "I didn't know that."

Tamsin smiled, "Your doctor is tops in her field, Bo. She invented the heart surgeon's handbook."

"There's a handbook."

Tamsin laughed, "Don't know, but if there is, she wrote it. Hell, she probably handed it out for free. She's all about free access for all to the best healthcare. She hates that Evony makes money off her. Word has it they've had some major arguments over money. Get this – Evony wanted to give her a pay increase because someone told Lauren that she was ripping her off. Apparently, there are six hospitals that offered her more money and better benefits. One hospital told Lauren to name her price. Anyway, Lauren agreed to the raise and requested the increase in one lump sum up front."

"She did?" Bo asked, shocked to hear the doctor took a large up-front cash payment from Evony.

"Know what she did with it?" Tamsin asked with a smirk.

Bo laughed, "I'm gonna love this, aren't I."

Tamsin grinned, "It was three point five mil and she used the money to open an emergency pediatric heart center across the street from Evony's hospital in Lauren's retired mentor's old surgical center. They only treat families who don't have insurance. An old college friend invests the money to keep the account growing so that they can afford to continue doing the surgeries. Lauren works there on weekends for free, teaching her procedures to young, up and coming doctors. Her nurses also take rotations there, building a team of highly qualified nurses for the future of cardiothoracic medicine."

Bo looked upstairs, trying to catch a glimpse of her girlfriend, "She's smart. Evony may have won a few battles, but Lauren will win the war in the end."

"Yup. The bottom line is that if your girl wants to come back here, she'll come back when she's ready. My guess is that she'll want to make sure all of her charities are taken care of before she moves here."

Bo looked at Tamsin, "You think she'll move here?"

Tamsin shrugged, "If she loves you as much as I think she does, she will. But Bo… well… this may sound creepy, but… well, you know that Kyle and I just want to make sure you're in good hands."

"Oh, Tamsin. You didn't!" Bo said, ripping her hood off her head.

"Bo, I had to! You're getting in deep and I don't want to see anyone jerking you around!"

"Tamsin, that's…"

"Sneaky, underhanded, creepy, devious, a betrayal of her trust, yadda, yadda, yadda! It's a simple background check, Bo! She was arrested when she was in college for protesting the use of fossil fuels. You would have been proud of her. She handcuffed herself to a land-docked oil rig so they couldn't take it out to see." She elbowed Bo, "Pretty bad ass, huh?"

Bo chuckled, "Okay. Yes, that's definitely very bad ass."

"She has started sixteen charities, Bo. SIXTEEN! The woman donates more than half of her income to charity every year. She's a super smart investor, so she makes more in investments than she does from Evony. She could pay off her two houses like twenty times over and they are far from cheap." Tamsin reconsidered, "Well, actually the one house is now Nadia's. Did you know that bitch tried to get alimony from her? The judge darn near laughed her out of court as he reminded her that she signed a pre-nup. Besides, Lauren saved the judge's sixteen-year-old daughter whose heart stopped during a field hockey practice. The athletic trainers got her back with an AED. When she got to the hospital, Lauren was on call. She ordered the right tests and determined that the kid had a rare heart defect. She was in surgery a day later and the judge is now Lauren's biggest fan."

"Sounds to me like you did more than a simple background check, T."

She nodded, "Well, Kyle asked me to find any skeletons in her closet. She thought it was weird that a massively famous doctor would come to Alaska. It turns out, that was all Evony and her greed, just like Lauren said it was. It made sense that Lauren went to work for Evony after her residency. It was the top hospital in the country after Evony forced the doc's mentor into retirement and built a bigger and better hospital."

Bo frowned, "Lauren hasn't talked about him all that much, but I do know that he's very important to her. He was her teacher through her residency, then became her mentor through her first few years before they became very close friends. She said she owes him her entire career."

Tamsin smiled, "That's what I've heard. She saved his life too… also did the surgery for free."

"He couldn't afford the surgery?" Bo asked.

"He couldn't afford Evony's bill." Tamsin clarified, "But really, he couldn't have afforded any hospital's bill. His wife's cancer ate up his entire savings account. He lost her to cancer about five months before Lauren came here."

Bo took a deep breath, "She needs to go back to spend some time with him."

"I'm sure that would be something she would want to do."

Bo looked up, seeing Lauren was now leaning against the counter in the vet's office, "There's so much I don't know about her."

"Well, going to visit her in Boston will give you a chance to see her in her element like she's seen you."

Bo turned to Tamsin, "T, you know that I want to do that, but…"

"Bo, I'll get you a valium or something to get you through the flight. I can arrange for agents to move you so you don't have to deal with the crowds."

"Tamsin, I can't let you do that. Your boss…"

"Witness protection, Bo. I'll just say I want you followed to be sure no one is following you. It's not a problem."

"We'll see." Bo said, shaking out her thoughts, "Look, I really need to get my work done."

Tamsin nodded, "Okay. Watch out for those twins, Bo. They've been down at the station with Dyson and Hale more than a few times."

Bo scowled, "Give them a chance. They really like it here, T. I think they've found their passion and I want to nurture that. LJ is like the big brother they don't have. Their parents are never around because they have to work to make ends meet, but with us around, they're getting better all the time. Their grades are up, they're not getting into trouble and they're working hard here. I really think we're on to something."

Tamsin nodded, "So you're saying you're going to save all of our delinquents?"

Bo laughed, "I'm not sure about that, but it's definitely something that could work for kids that have an interest."

"I'll let you go then." Tamsin smiled, waving to Bo who headed off towards where Scott was waiting on a customer who was looking at sled runners.

As the pair parted ways, Bo looked up one last time to see Lauren smiling down at her. The blonde waved and blew her a kiss which Bo caught and put in her pocket. The doctor laughed and Bo just shook her head, more because she couldn't believe she'd just done that. She was really whipped… hopelessly whipped. She was in love with a woman that she barely knew. In a way, she didn't want to go to Boston. She wanted Alaska Lauren. What if she didn't love Boston Lauren?

"Hey, Bo! Perfect timing. This is Paul and he's from the North Slope."

Bo smiled, "Hey, Paul. If you don't mind, I just need one more second. I'll be right back."

The brunette turned and ran off towards the parking lot, calling out to Tamsin who stopped and turned around,

"Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"If I told you there's a guy in my store from the North Slope looking at my sled skids in late June, would you be interested?"

Bo saw the instant transformation of her friend from townie to Federal Agent. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and knew her hunch was right.

Tamsin smirked, "So, I think I'm going to take that puppy you offered after all. You are giving me everything I need for free, right?"

Bo smiled, "if you're paying for the solar panel and electric on my barn, yes."

"Deal." Tamsin said as they shook on it.

"So, when are you picking up the puppy?" Bo asked.

"I'm thinking…"

"Now." They said in unison.

She bent down, leaning into her truck to pull open the drawer beneath the seat. She pulled out her backup weapon and handed it to Bo before pulling out a black bifold,

"I hereby deputize you, yadda, yadda, yadda. You know the drill."

Bo took the weapon, clipping the holster onto the back of her pants before pulling her jacket down to conceal it. Tamsin opened her jacket, flipping the safety off of her service weapon before pulling her jacket back in place and zipping it up a third of the way.

"Let's go get our detective skills on." Tamsin said, giving Bo a fist bump.

The pair walked back into the retail area, Bo smiling at Scott, "Okay, kiddo. The pup with the black nose has officially got a home."

"Finally!" He said, "You guys sure did negotiate a long time."

Tamsin chuckled, "You warmed me up for her, kid."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Bo tells me you'll be able to help me gather everything I'm going to need to raise a puppy. Is that true?"

"Yup!" He smiled, proudly before his smiled fell, "But… well… Bo?"

"Scott?" Bo smiled.

"I don't think I have all of that vet stuff memorized yet. Can you help her with that?"

Bo nodded, "Head into my office and get the third clipboard from the door off the wall. There's an informational page there that has the checkup schedule on it." Bo looked at Tamsin, "That is, if you're going to use our vets for your new pup. I don't want to assume."

Tamsin smiled, "I can't imagine going anywhere else. If you trust your team to these vets, I'll definitely be trusting my new put to them as well."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Bo smiled before turning to Scott, "Can you introduce her to the vets and show her around? Explain all of the services we provide just in case she wants to take a vacation where pets are not permitted."

Scott hoisted a finger into the air, "Right!"

Bo smiled, "Go on then. I'm sure she has other things to do today than hang around here the whole time."

Turning to her customer, Bo smiled, "Apologies for the delay. I saw the look of confusion on the boys' face while he was trying to help you and knew that I was going to have to find a graceful way out of finishing the sale of that pup. How can I help you?"

"Well, I came to buy sled rails from the Iditarod champion. I figure if you could win on them, so can I, right?"

Bo smiled, "Well, I'd like to think there's more to winning than just the equipment, but I am quite proud of the runners we've built for our sleds."

"Where did you come up with the design? These look unlike anything I've ever seen."

Shaking her head, Bo shrugged, "Lots and lots of failures. I mean, it took a lot of trial and error with my sled mechanics and a team of scientists who work with metals."

"I heard you're from up North originally."

Bo nodded, "I was born there. Why?"

"I think I might have known you when you lived there."

"Oh?"

The man replied, "You're from Utqiaġvik, right?"

Bo nodded, "How would you know that?"

The man shrugged, "Your Iditarod bio."

Bo laughed, "Read the program book, did you, Paul?"

He nodded, "I was there. Of course, I missed you."

"Missed me?" Bo asked. There were a lot of ways she could take that phrase. He missed meeting me at the pre-event ceremony, he missed seeing me at the ceremonial leg, he missed me at the start, he wasn't at the checkpoints where I stopped or he missed taking a shot at her as a member of her dad's gang. She reached behind her, lifting her jacket to grip the butt of her weapon,

"Yea. I wanted to get down here for the race, but I got stuck in weather and had to put down halfway here. Missed the whole race."

Bo smiled, "Yea, the weather up there is definitely not known for being cooperative."

"Yea, I'm not usually one to set down. Sort of took me by surprise that I actually got a little scared up there. My visibility was practically zero and my instruments were freezing up, so I hunkered down in my plane for about six days."

"Fuel lines froze?" Bo asked.

He nodded, "Thankfully, the radio didn't. Turns out I was only about six miles from the nearest town. I was just glad I didn't land on them."

"I'll be they were glad too." Bo smiled.

"I stayed there for about a month. Good people and a nice warm hotel bed in exchange for running a plow for the town. Their plow driver died of some weird flu they had going on."

Bo nodded, "That's too bad."

Now she was curious as to where this man had stayed, "We had a run in with a weird flu too."

He shrugged, "Luckily, some super smart doctor from down this way figured out what it was. The cure came through about a month ago. A lot of people died, but then again, a lot of people lived."

Bo eased her grip, slowly sliding down the bottom of her jacket, "Same here."

She redirected the conversation, "So, you want sled runners for ice… was it Paul?"

He nodded, "It was. Ice and snow, although it's been a bit wet up north lately."

"Yea, we were in whiteout conditions down here and you guys were at what, forty?"

"I'm tellin' you, Bo, it's getting weird up there. Fishing is hit or miss, Polar Bears are walking right into town, my friend's house dropped right through the permafrost. Wood runners just aren't cutting it. I'm sure everyone will think I'm betraying our native way of life, but I've got to be able to move my goods or I'll have nothing to trade for supplies or cash."

Bo nodded. She may have been gone from the north for a while, but she was well aware of what was going on with the climate there. It was happening all over the state,

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, we've come into record highs as well. Last year they had to use plows to bring in snow for the race. This year they had a similar situation in some spots, while others were dealing with record lows for race month. You just never know around here anymore."

Paul agreed, "I suppose that's true. Our land is melting."

"So, you're a native?"

Smiling, the man replied, "Born and bred."

Bo nodded, "Well, let's have a look at these. Once you decide on a model, we measure your sled and then make your skids. We can ship them or you can pick them up. Obviously, it would be best if we could install them and run them so that we can adjust them if need be, but since you live so far away, we can try to do it by mail if you'd like."

Paul shrugged, "I'll be around for a while. I'm staying down in Anchorage."

Bo stiffened, "Anchorage, huh? Well… that's not such a big hop. Do you have your sled with you?"

He nodded, "I brought two of my sleds. I figure I can use one in ice and one in snow. See how they work out."

"So, you're a short tripper?" Bo asked.

"Mostly. Why?"

"Well, if you were a long tripper, you'd be switching your runners out depending on the conditions. These aren't permanent." Bo pointed to the skids, "See? These slide in and out of the groove on the rails. You do have grooved rails, right?"

Paul shrugged, "Honestly, I've never looked."

Bo nodded, "I see."

She was growing suspicious again. Why would a man who claimed to live in the north have so little sledding experience if he was a native? Not that everyone used a sled these days, but if he was living on the tundra and not in town as he insinuated, he would have to know something about sledding equipment. Broken runners or even rails were a common event on ice. She looked at his hands and noticed he didn't show any signs of frostbite. No scars, perfect nails and good skin color. Bo wasn't sure what else the man was lying about, but he was definitely lying about being a musher.

"Well, you said you brought your sleds, right?"

Paul nodded, "I did."

"I don't suppose you have a picture of them, do you?"

He pulled out his phone, "Actually, I do."

Leaning over, Bo looked at the sled, "I don't suppose you know the sled dimensions, do you?"

Paul handed her his phone before reaching into his pocket to fish out a piece of paper. Bo took advantage of the distraction and flipped back a few pictures before flipping back to the picture of the sled. She enlarged it, moving it left to right until she saw what she wanted to see.

"Here you go." He said, handing Bo the paper.

She tapped the picture to justify it and handed the phone back to Paul, "The sled has grooved rails, so we're in good shape there."

She looked at the paper, no longer worried about which runners she chose. She wouldn't be making them for him anyway,

"I think we have exactly what you need." She smirked, "If you can give me your contact information and, well obviously a credit card for a down payment since we make these from scratch, I'll give you a call as soon as they're ready."

She picked up the third and fourth runners from the display rack and walked him back to the checkout counter. She laid the runners on the counter and pushed a pad of paper and pencil towards him,

"You can write your contact information there."

Paul nodded, handing Bo a credit card from his wallet, "Here's my card."

"Thanks." Bo said, running the card. She waited a few seconds before she added, "I'll need to see some identification." She kept her eyes on the screen so he would think the card company was asking her to check I.D., only looking to him when he handed her his driver's license. She hit the note button, entering the license number so that Tamsin could run it, then handed the card back to him with a smile.

"Do you need me to copy these measurements or can I keep this paper?" Bo asked.

"You can keep it." He smiled.

"Great. So, are you going back to Anchorage now or are you staying in town? I just ask because if my craftsman comes into town today, I might be able to get him started on the runners sooner. It would be great if we could get these onto your sleds before you go back."

"I'll be here for a while, so that shouldn't be a problem. You said about three weeks, right?"

Bo nodded, "Tops."

"Great." Paul smiled, signing the receipt for the down payment, "Do you know how much the balance of the bill will be?"

"I'm not sure. I have some questions to ask and then I can probably give you an estimate." Bo looked up to see Tamsin rounding the corner.

"Hey there. How's puppy shopping coming?" Bo asked.

Tamsin smiled, "Your workers sure are a knowledgeable group. I might have to hire them to come and train my pup."

Bo shook her head, "Trying to steal my help, huh?"

The blonde laughed, "Sure am. The little guy said I can pay my bill here?"

Bo nodded, "Did he give you a list of items?"

Tamsin shook her head, "He didn't."

Bo looked up at Paul, "Okay. Can you fill in this form? I need all of this information in order to recommend the material we want the runners to be out of." Bo started to step away, but stopped, tearing off a second form, "Actually, you should fill out two since one of your sleds is serving a different purpose than the other, right?"

Paul nodded, "Right."

He took the form and began filling it out. Bo scowled, unable to get a full read on this guy. One thing was for sure, he wasn't her average client.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go get a supply list for this lady."

"No problem. I don't want to monopolize all of your time."

"Thank you." Bo replied, stepping away from the counter and walking towards Scott. When she got to the young man, she found Sam with him. LJ walked around the truck with Molly,

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Tamsin called us. Said it was an emergency." Bo watched as Molly holstered her twin friends.

"I see you brought your two favorite ladies."

Molly grinned, "Always around when I need them."

Bo turned to the younger boys, "You two need to take off. I don't want you in the line of fire if things get ugly."

Sam shook his head, "Tamsin didn't send us here to load her truck. She sent us here to get down on the floor in her truck. She said it's lined with… what was it, Scott?"

"Kevlar." Scott replied, "Whatever that is."

Bo smiled, rushing them into the truck, "You'll be safe in here. That's all that matters right now. Get in the truck." She handed Scott her phone and then a small piece of paper, "Take a picture of this and send it to Tamsin right now. Tell her I'm on my way back into the store."

"Got it."

"Where do you want us?" Molly asked as LJ shouldered his rifle.

Bo sighed, "Protect Lauren and the doctors after you open the doggie doors to get all of our pups outside of the kennel."

LJ nodded, "I'm on it."

"What are you going to do with that rifle?" Bo asked, "Looks sort of obvious, right?"

LJ smiled, pulling a string of rabbits from the floor of the truck, "I was out hunting. I stopped by to see if everything was okay and to check in on the vets about an emergency patient I brought in this morning."

Bo smiled, "Wow. If I didn't know there was no emergency patient up there, I would have believed you."

LJ nodded, "Nerves of steel, boss. You've taught me well."

"Okay, well it's sad that you have to have those nerves at all." Bo said, shaking her head as she watched as mother and son walked away, Molly heading immediately upstairs while LJ squatted down behind the truck, giving Bo a nod and a head start into the store area of the kennel. Bo walked back to Paul who was now working on the second page of the documents while Tamsin leaned up against the shelf behind the customer while typing on her phone.

"How are you making out, Paul?"

"Almost finished."

Bo picked up the first form and gave it a look, but was interrupted by the tall, lanky man. There was something in his eyes she just didn't trust. She took a deep breath and pulled her eyes from the form back to her customer who was no shaking his head,

"Why all the math?" He asked.

"What?" Bo asked.

"Math. There's a lot of math here. Mushing is mushing… not math."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Bo replied.

"Well, you want to know how wide my current runners are… that's math. You want to know how much my average load weighs. More math. You want to know how much I weigh. Math. And you want to know how long my current runners are…"

Bo waved him off, "Okay, I get what you mean. Well, the reason is that I need to be able to calculate the psi of the runners to determine which ones will work the best for your purposes. So, if your sled runner is nine feet, it's in contact with the snow for that length. If each runner is, say three inches wide and your load is one hundred fifty pounds and you weight one hundred eighty…"

He shook his head, waving his hands at Bo, "You know what? I'm sorry I asked. I really don't need to know. I just need to know that I'm on the fastest possible skids."

Bo laughed. This guy was definitely not a musher and was even less likely to be delivering any sort of load via a sled. If he was experienced with sledding at all, he would know about the importance of runner setups as well as how to change them out in varying conditions. More importantly, he would know why different runners were used for different purposes. Still, Bo continued to play along, injecting a little humor into the situation. After all, Tamsin loved to laugh during her busts and it sure as hell looked like that was where this was heading,

"Why? You planning on robbing a bank and having to make a quick getaway?" Bo chuckled, looking up at Tamsin, then to the man before her.

"Excuse me?"

Bo shrugged, "I've never known a musher using a sled for deliveries to worry about speed. Balance, yes but speed, not so much."

Tamsin gave Bo a nod and the brunette pressed for information, "I'm thinking you must be planning a bank heist. You know – you'll need a clean getaway… a fast escape. Of course, it's spring, so I'm not sure why you're not just using a truck."

The man chuckled, "I assure you, my purposes are just."

"Just? Looking for justice, are you? That's an odd thing for a delivery boy to say. So… not the boss then."

Paul dropped the pen and pushed the forms towards Bo, "I think that's everything. You know, you're kinda rude."

Bo smiled, placing a finger on the counter and pivoting around the end, her head cocked to the side as she lifted her hand and ran it down his arm,

"And you're not a musher, are you?"

She smiled knowingly before adding, "And, I doubt your name is Paul. I'm going to go with… Fred… maybe Barney… no, I think you're more of the mutt who's doing his master's bidding. Yup. Definitely Dino. So, who's your Master, Dino? You work for Big Jim? Maybe you work for Seline?"

The man smirked, "You're good… but… not good enough."

Now, Tamsin had thought she'd seen fast in her life, but she had to admit, this guy had amazing speed. He had a massive buck knife headed to Bo's throat in a split second, but unfortunately for Dino, Bo was the fastest she'd ever seen in her life and she was only getting faster with age… and anger. It was pretty clear that Bo was sick and tired of people messing with her life.

She held her weapon up as she watched Bo step inside his first blow, gripping his wrist and twisting his arm behind his back with her left hand as she landed a massive head but to his face, breaking his nose. She slid her right arm under his rotated limb, turning as she threw his body into the counter before gripping his hair and slamming his face into the wood just for good measure.

She opened her hands, allowing his body to slide limp off the counter and into a heap on the floor. She stepped to the side and pumped the hand sanitizer on the counter into her right hand a few times before rubbing hard to get enough friction going to rid her skin of germs, then turned to Tamsin,

"Clean up, aisle one, please?"

Tamsin holstered her weapon, reaching under her jacket to retrieve her handcuffs. Pulling the man's hands behind his back, she slapped the metal onto one wrist, then the other before standing up and brushing her hands together,

"First things first, we should probably provide immediate medical treatment to show that we give half a fuck."

Bo shrugged, "Half? Well, I guess between us there might be a half a fuck of giving."

Tamsin nodded, "I'll go get the Doc."

Bo nodded, "I'll go check on the twins."

It was sudden and quick, but Bo found herself being pushed to the floor, Tamsin falling on top of her as gunfire rang out. Bo couldn't move under Tamsin's weight as Harper came running, her front paws hitting the counter as she soared through the air above them, landing on a man dressed in black, her powerful jaws gripping his neck as another shot rang out, the bullet ricocheting off the wood of the shelf next to her,

"HARPER!" Bo screamed, pushing Tamsin off her and crawling quickly to her companion. There was blood… so much blood, "Harper, no! Please, God, no!"

She pulled her dog to her, checking her fur as the dog barked and growled, "No blood. No blood." She quickly turned, looking at Tamsin, "Tamsin…" She crawled back to her, rolling her over and seeing red oozing from her side,

"Bo… shit. Fucking cheap shot. He got me on the rebound. That's just dumb luck."

Bo ripped off her sweatshirt, balling it up and pressing it into the wound on her side. She looked up to see the man going for his gun and called out to Harper,

"Harper! Protect!"

Harper's jaws were around the man's neck once more before he could get a grip on his rifle. Bo turned to see a man on the ground adjacent the counter. Following back to the corner of the yard, she saw LJ lowering his weapon, his eyes wide and locked on the body,

"LJ, you did what you had to do." She watched as his eyes remained fixed, "LJ!"

He turned to Bo, his eyes welling with tears, "You saved me, Tamsin, Harper and yourself. You did what you had to do. Where's your Mom?"

He nodded to Bo's left where Molly was holstering her twin sidearms before picking up a sawed off shot gun from beside one body and a rifle from beneath the hand of another man's body. She walked to Bo, looking down at Tamsin, shaking her head, as she said to LJ,

"You okay?"

He stood, holding his weapon across his hips, "I never shot a person before."

Molly nodded, "May that be the first and only time you ever have to do that, my lovely little boy. You did what you had to do. You protected your family. Their blood is not on your hands, LJ."

"Really, Mom? Because I'm pretty sure I'm the one that shot them."

Molly placed a hand on his rifle, pulling it from his hands and placing it on the counter, "Your Great Grandfather sent them here, LJ. Their blood is on his hands. They're here to kill Bo and her Mom. Do they deserve to die?"

LJ lowered his eyes, "No, Ma'am."

"Damn right." She nodded over her shoulder towards the two men she took down, "I have no remorse over killing those two men. They had Tamsin and Bo in their sights and would have killed them and then you, probably Harper for good measure. We did what we had to do. It's gonna take a long time until you can see it for what it is. Until then, you just keep talking to me about it, you hear?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Mark and Tosh came running into the Kennel just as Dyson and Hale pulled in with lights and sirens flashing. All four men drew their guns, causing Molly to raise her arms,

"Easy there, fellas. All the shootin' is done. How about you make sure there's no more of these hooligans running around out there. Dyson, we're gonna need some of Tamsin's federal friends here."

Dyson nodded, heading back to his truck to make the call. Hale headed off behind the building before Lauren came running down the ramp,

"Bo!"

"Lauren! I need your help! She's bleeding!" Bo went to life the sweatshirt, but Lauren shook her head, "Keep the pressure on."

She lifted her phone, calling the clinic, as she surveyed the scene, "E.R. kit, stat! At the kennel. I need two of you and the coroner."

In just a few minutes, Kelly rounded the corner, almost skidding to a stop at Lauren's feet before handing her one of the kits. Shannon was close behind, nodding to Lauren when she pointed at the bodies closest to Mark. The three women set to work, verifying the dead before turning all of their attention to getting Tamsin stabilized and into the clinic.

After several hours, Dyson and Hale had taken everyone's statements, the Federal Agents had come and gone, gathering evidence and taking photos and the Kennel was restored to its normal state. LJ returned home with Molly and Mark, Bo giving him orders to return to his day off. Scott and Sam were picked up by their parents at Bo's request. She explained all that had happened, assuring them they were never in any danger, but still insisting they take them home for the remainder of the day so that she could shut down the store early. Besides, the shift managers were in now and they would handle the rest of the day. LJ had trained them well.

With the bodies of the dead men gone, an older woman named Acacia identified herself to Bo as Tamsin's superior, explaining that she would be sticking around to cover her shifts and run the operation now that she was sure that Bo and her Mom were still targets. Bo had insisted she could better protect them in the wild than the feds, but Acacia assured her there was a reason she was Tamsin's boss. As long as the agent was unable to perform her duties, the older woman would remain in command and by Bo's side.

Lauren returned from the clinic to find Bo lying on the outside seating area in front of the play area. She lifted the brunette's head and slid onto the bench before allowing her to relax into lap.

"So, how are you?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "Still ready for this shit to be over."

Lauren nodded, "I'm sure. What do you want to do?"

"Apparently, I'm to wait here until my Mom comes in on the train, then me and my sexy special agent shadow over there are going to take my truck back to my house. She's not letting us out of her sight until this is over. Of course, I'm starting to wonder if it will ever be over. I might as well just move in with Tamsin and make it easier for the feds to keep an eye on me."

Lauren chuckled, "Well, you'll be happy to know the bullet was a through and through wound. It didn't hit anything vital, so while she'll be sore for a few days, she'll be out of the clinic tomorrow."

Bo smiled, "I'm sure she wants out right now."

Lauren nodded, "For sure."

The blonde sat, running her fingers through Bo's hair for a short while before she asked, "So do you want me with you or would you rather be on your own with your Mom?"

"I want you safe. I'm worried about having you with me tonight." Bo replied.

"I understand. Do you want me in my apartment or at the hotel with my friends?"

Bo sighed, "I want you to be comfortable, but I would definitely feel better if you weren't alone."

Lauren nodded, "It's fine, Bo. The girls already asked me to stay at the hotel with them. They assumed you wouldn't want me in the line of fire and they don't want me to be alone either."

Placing her palm against Lauren's Bo smiled, "Okay. That's settled. Will you call me?"

Lauren smiled, threading her fingers into Bo's, "Of course."

"Any news from Evony?"

Lauren shrugged, "She's on her way into town. She's decided it's too dangerous for me here. I told her she could stick her emergency plane tickets up her ass."

"You didn't."

"I did."

"And how did she take that?"

"She's hired a private security team. Apparently, her medical team will have round the clock shadows as well."

Bo laughed, "I wonder what Iceland is like this time of year. I've always wanted to go there."

Lauren smiled, "Well, as soon as we have a chance to get away, we'll head to Iceland."

Bo nodded, the pair rolling their eyes when they heard the raspy voice of Tamsin's boss,

"The train will be here in twenty minutes! We should get going."

Lauren looked at the blonde, watching her pull her sunglasses down over her eyes and close her cell phone. She looked down at Bo,

"What a peach."

Bo chuckled, "Tamsin said she's more like a lemon."

Lauren smiled, her eyes showing all the disappointment they both felt in that moment,

"I guess this is good night."

Bo nodded, "I guess."

Lauren leaned over and stroked Harper's head, "So, she really saved you, huh?"

Bo nodded, "Twice."

"She's an amazing dog, Bo. Really."

Bo smiled, "She is. There will never be another dog quite like her. They may have her blood, but I can't imagine they'll ever have her instincts."

Lauren nodded, "Well, let's hope we don't have to worry about that for a while."

"Agreed."

Lauren leaned down softly kissing Bo's lips, savoring every taste, every moment before they parted ways. She hated that her life was in danger once again, but she felt secure in the knowledge that if anyone could protect herself, it was Bo. Now that she knew they were coming, she would take every precaution.

She pulled away, staring into her eyes as she ran her fingers back and forth over her cheek, "I'll miss you. Please stay ready… stay alert. I need you alive, Bo Dennis."

Bo smiled, "Yes, Ma'am."

They walked to the truck together, hand in hand. Lauren promised to make sure the managers closed the kennel properly after she left the clinic for the day. As Acacia got into the passenger's side of Bo's truck, the brunette kept her eyes locked on Lauren's, a soft smile on her lips as she mouthed the words 'I love you' to the doctor. Lauren grinned, bashfully, shoving her hands in her pockets after waving Bo out of the parking space. When the truck was out of sight, she sighed and headed back to the clinic. It was disappointing that she wouldn't see Bo tonight when they had so little time remaining, but it was harder knowing that she might be under fire tonight. Lauren needed a distraction. She headed back to the clinic, ready to ask Tamsin for a little late-night reading.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Talkeetna Train Station

"So… you're the Bo I've heard so much about." Acacia said, staring out at the station landing from the porch of the General Store.

Bo continued working on the small wood carving of Harper she'd been working on in spare moments since yesterday. She flicked off a wood shaving and then admired her work. Taking a breath, she replied,

"And you're Tamsin's boss. The woman who never believes her, always judges her and wouldn't allow her to use federal resources to figure out my mother's case."

"She told you that?"

Bo shrugged, "Nope."

"So… you're making assumptions."

Bo looked up at Acacia, "Nope."

"Then how did you draw those conclusions about my decisions, pray tell."

Bo shrugged, "I'm not one for praying or telling… just observing. You send Tamsin out to these lands because you don't have anyone else willing to come here. You don't want Tamsin to be successful out here on any cases because you'll afraid you'll have to come here to close up the cases."

"I'm here now." She defended.

Bo shook her head, "You've been pacing and looking around since you arrived on site at the kennel. You were checking bodies and running your people, but the entire time you were looking out into the woods, watching every person riding buy with a gun rack in their truck and I swear you almost screamed when the puppies jumped on your legs. You're afraid."

Acacia chuckled, standing up and looking down at the brunette, her voice raised, "Who do you think you're talking to, little girl?"

Bo felt a tickle in her gut that slowly boiled into a slow laugh until she was crying with hysterics, "Ohmagawd. You're a riot! So funny!"

"Funny? I will have you thrown…"

"In prison? In a dark hole?" Bo laughed, "I've been in both. My father did it. You think you can scare me? Intimidate me? You know what I think? I think I scare the shit out of you. I know how to survive out here and you don't. You had planned to ride a cushy desk in Dyson's jailhouse, barking orders at everyone. Now, you have to do what Tamsin does. You have to take the bullet for your client and it's been so long since you've been in a gun fight, you're not so sure what's going to happen."

"That's not true." Acacia replied, but there was hesitation in her voice and fear in her eyes.

Bo stood, moving so she was toe-to-toe with the woman, "You know, you're a real piece of work, lady. You keep Tamsin from taking my mother's case, you order Tamsin to pull my mom out of witness protection so that you can use her as bait to catch the rest of the crooks in my father's inner circle, you send Tamsin galivanting across the country to follow breadcrumbs that you forced her to find and all the while, you're barking your orders from behind a desk… safe and warm.

Hearing the train whistle, the brunette took two steps towards the street, but turned and marched straight back to Acacia,

"I just want you to know that if my mom isn't on this train, has been taken from this train, is dead on this train or is harmed, taken or killed once she's off this train, I'm holding you personally responsible. If you have any fear whatsoever, you'd better find a way to lose it and replace it with more courage than you possess because I will stop at nothing to protect my mother and the rest of my family. And just to be clear, if I have to use you as a literal shield to serve that purpose, I will do so without hesitation or regret."

Bo pocketed her knife and the small wooden carving before adding, "Game on, bitch. Hope you brought your big girl pants, because I've been living in the wild, on my own since you took my mother from me. Do your fucking job, but I'm warning you, stay out of my way."

She took a step away before stopping once more and looking over her shoulder, "Oh, and just so you know, me and my mom are going to have some alone time now. You can ride to my house in one of the seven SUV's you have following us… and not to well, I might add." Bo shook her head, "You know, black doesn't serve you well in Alaska if you're trying to blend."

Bo laughed as she walked across the street to where the train was pulling into the station, "I crack myself up. I hope Tamsin is back on her feet sooner than later."

She looked down at her phone to see a text from Lauren. She swiped up, looking down at the message,

'Tamsin asked me to text you and tell you not to kill her boss no matter how tempting it might be.'

Bo chuckled as she typed her reply and hit send,

'It's only been twenty minutes and I've had the urge more times than I have fingers. I'm so impressed that she hasn't done the deed already that I'll have to buy her a beer.'

She looked up, watching nervously as passengers began to pile off the train. Most were tourists from Anchorage, but some were locals she recognized. A few gave her a polite nod. She had noticed lately that people didn't seem to be crossing the street to avoid her much anymore. She supposed the kennel was helping with that. She was actually having conversations with people. While it felt a bit awkward at times, she was starting to feel like there was more than just the land in her life.

She felt her phone vibrate and looked down to see another message from Lauren,

'Lol. She said it's the least you can do. Is your mom in yet?'

'Standing by the train waiting for her to get off right now.'

'How do you feel?'

'Nervous.'

'It'll be fine.'

Bo nodded, forgetting that Lauren couldn't see her, but smiled when she saw the next text…

'I love you. See you soon.'

She grinned as she texted her reply,

'Love you too. Miss you already. See you soon.'

Bo looked up from her phone to see a woman standing between four men in suits with sunglasses on. Each man had as of spiral wire hanging along his neck, one whispering into his wrist.

She chuckled before whispering sarcastically, "Real subtle."

Crossing the street, she approached the point man who held up a hand, "I'm sorry, Miss. You'll have to stand back."

"What do you say you stand down, Mister." Bo said, her eyes set on the center of the dark lenses until his hand found her shoulder. She slowly turned her head to look at the fingers that were gripping her flesh, her voice stern as she spoke,

"If you don't want to lose that hand, I suggest you remove it." Her eyes again drifted up to the man's, shaking her head at the sight of the corners of his mouth turning up.

"Johnson, stand down."

"Ma'am?" The agent asked his boss.

"You heard me. Stand down. If half of what I've heard about this woman is true, you don't want what she's selling. Besides, she's the one who is being added to your detail."

He removed his hand, "This is Bo Dennis?"

Bo scowled, "What were you expecting?"

He shrugged, "Isn't Bo sort of a dude's name?"

Bo looked over her shoulder at Acacia who shook her head before Bo smirked crossing her arms over her chest as she looked up at the man and said, "Johnson… isn't that a slang term for a big dick?"

The laughter that came from behind Bo was noticed by everyone. The brunette turned and looked at Acacia who was covering her mouth and struggling to compose herself. Bo grinned,

"I suddenly believe there is hope for you."

Acacia raised her eyebrows, "Well, it's nice to know you haven't totally given up on me." The agent in charge stepped forward, nodding to her lead agent who stepped to the side, "Bo Dennis, may I reintroduce you to your mother, Mary Dennis."

Bo watched, her heart racing as a woman with dark black hair, braided down her back stepped out of the barrier created by the group of men. The younger woman immediately noticed the tears in the woman's eyes that were cascading down her cheeks,

"Ysabeau? Is it really you?" The woman reached up, her thumb tracing the small freckle near the corner of Bo's mouth, "You bear the mark of beauty given to you at birth by the animal spirits."

Bo brought her hand to her mother's, "Mom?"

The older woman brushed away the tears from her daughter's cheeks, "I'm so sorry, Ysabeau. I'm so very, very sorry. You deserved so much more from me." She swallowed hard, "But you've grown into such a beautiful woman with such a powerful voice. I could not be prouder to be standing in your presence."

Bo smiled, "I looked for you, Mom."

She nodded, "I knew you would. You were such a stubborn child. I knew you would."

"Where have you been, Mom? Why didn't you come back for me?" Bo hiccupped, but swallowed hard, not wanting to totally lose her shit in front of Acacia. She watched as her mother lowered her eyes,

"I tried, Ysabeau. I truly did, but the agent warned me and… well, then… they found me and… he moved me… and… they found me again and… he moved me again, but not before… well…"

Acacia interrupted, her eyes set sternly on Bo's, "That's all conversation for another time. I don't want to be out in the open for long, Bo. Besides, I believe there is someone your mother would like for you to meet."

Bo looked at Acacia for a long moment, confused until the woman nodded in her mother's direction. Bo turned to see a young girl, gripping her mom's hand, staring up at her with big blue eyes. If she didn't know better, she would bet the child was Kenzi's younger sister.

She looked up at her Mom who smiled, hopefully and said, "Ysabeau, this is your little sister. Her name is…"

Bo's mom didn't get to finish, instead looking down at her younger daughter who held out her hand expectantly to Bo and said,

"Hi! I'm Rudy! It's so nice to finally meet you! Mommy has talked about you practically since I was born! She told me one day we would get to meet and that you would be my sister and you would teach me everything! Is it true? Will you teach me all about animals and how to ride a sled? I've never seen one… well, I saw pictures and videos on the computer but never a real one. Will you be my big sister? Huh? I really waited a long time to have a big sister."

Bo was caught off guard. Not only did she not expect to meet the sister Tamsin had said she had, but she had also not thought she would be this young… or this energetic. She considered the young girl for a moment, her eyes reminding her of the figurines Lauren had showed her in the gift store in Anchorage. She looked up at her mom whose face was now covered in worry. Bo understood. This was the look of a mother who was worried for her child. Smiling at her mom, she knelt before the young girl and took the offered hand,

"It's very nice to meet my little sister, Rudy. Is your name short for something?"

Rudy grinned, "Mommy said she once had a dog team that you loved. They were all named for Santa's reindeer. She said you named them."

Bo smiled, looking up at her mom, "There were two dogs left to name and I wanted to name one Rudolph, but I was afraid the other one would feel left out since there were no names left."

Rudy smiled, "So you named the last two Cinder and Snow because Cinderella and Snow White were your favorite Disney Princesses. You read all the books in your school library. I watched all of the movies!"

Bo smiled, "So you were named Rudy after Rudolph?"

The young girl beamed as she spoke, "I'm your Rudolph! Only Mommy thought it would be weird to give me that name, so she named me Rudy for short! I'm the Rudy you never had!"

Bo's eyes brimmed with tears, for in that moment she realized that her mom had never forgotten her. She looked up at her mother who was smiling down at the two of them, tears in her eyes. Rudy walked over to Special Agent Johnson, tugging on his pant leg,

"Why are they crying so much? Aren't they happy to see each other, Adam?"

Bo watched as the man knelt and smiled, "Those are called happy tears, Rudy."

"Tears can be happy?"

He smiled, "Yes they can."

"Wow. I've only ever had sad tears or I'm hurt tears."

Adam smiled, "You'll have them some day."

"Ewww. I hope not. It's weird."

Bo and her Mom laughed, but the moment was quickly gone as Acacia reminded them of their situation,

"Can we move this reunion to a more secure location?"

Bo watched as Rudy stepped behind Adam, the man standing and placing a protective hand on her shoulder. The brunette smiled at his body language. This agent would lay down his life to protect her little sister. She couldn't ask for anything more in a personal bodyguard. Maybe she had been a bit hard on him.

She stood, turning towards the head agent, "What's your plan?"

Acacia shrugged, "Against my better judgement, Tamsin recommended that I defer to you from here on out. I'll let you know if you're asking my guys to do anything they can't handle. Otherwise, you'll need to tell me what you think is best and we'll work it through."

Bo pondered Acacia's words for a long moment before she explained, "You should know that I've been alone for a very, very… very long time. It's only in the last seven months that I've begun to… some out of my cave." She scowled, suddenly angry again about all of the years she'd wandered alone searching for her mother. She glanced at the older woman before turning back to the agent, "I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm prone to spontaneous acts of aggression when defending me and what's mine." She shrugged, "I just thought that you should know that. I'll try to play nice with the rest of the kids, but I'm not making any promises."

Acacia nodded, "Thanks for the warning and… well, Tamsin already warned me which is why she figured you might as well take the lead."

Bo nodded, "Tamsin will be there soon enough, knowing her. She won't let Lauren hold her long. With her there, even from the couch she'll be able to anticipate a lot of my choices if I go lone wolf."

Bo turned, staring back at the mountains over her home. Even this far away, they were still visible. She sighed, blowing out a heavy breath, not particularly happy that Tamsin had put her in charge. This was unexpected. Still, Bo was grateful for her friend's support in this moment. She looked at her Mom, "I think you and I should travel with Acacia and one of the other agents. I want Adam to take Rudy."

Mary smiled, "I've never doubted your instincts. Whatever you think is best."

Bo nodded, "Are you still a mom who would do anything to defend her child?"

"They may have taken me out of Alaska, but they can never take Alaska out of me." She smiled.

Bo smiled, "Good to hear, Mom."

The older woman took Bo's hand, the brunette smiling as she said simply, "Welcome home."

Mary nodded, "It's good to be home, Bo."

The brunette turned to Acacia, "Does anyone know where we're going?"

Acacia nodded, "Tamsin sent us the GPS coordinates for your home since there's no address."

Bo took a deep breath, "You loaded the location of my home into multiple electronic devices?"

Acacia put a hand up, "These devices continually scramble the signal."

Bo shook her head, "I don't care. Delete the location. Now."

"Bo, you can't drive lead."

"You said this was my choice."

"Yes, but…"

"Delete the location. The men that attacked us at the kennel earlier were city folk. That means they are trained in all of that fancy tech the outsiders use. Delete the location. I'll lead."

Bo knelt down in front of Rudy who was still clinging to Adam's leg, "You're going to go with Adam, okay? You'll be safe. I promise."

She nodded, "Will I stay with you tonight?"

Bo smiled, "Yup."

"Goody!" She smiled, launching herself into Bo's arms so suddenly that the brunette had to put a hand back to stop herself from falling.

She gave the child a moment before standing up and giving Adam a nod. He walked Rudy off to his SUV while Bo turned to her Mom, "Are you ready?"

Mary smiled, "I've been waiting for this moment for over a decade."

Bo smiled, "Me too. Come on."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo's Home

The ride back to Bo's place was uneventful, though the brunette could have done without Acacia's constant head turning and surveillance of the woods. If Bo had a dime for every time the agent had told her there were too many places for Big Jim's men to hide in the wilderness, she would be able to pay for her dogs' needs until next year's race.

"Bo, I still think we're too exposed out here." Acacia said, her hands outstretched as she stared around the vast lands surrounding the property.

The brunette chuckled, "Exposed? Acacia, you just spent the last hour telling me that there were too many places for people to hide in the wilderness. So are we too exposed or is there too much cover?"

Acacia looked around nervously, but Bo had seen this look before. She sighed,

"Listen. I know that this is not the type of setting you're used to which is why you have Tamsin working this territory. I also think that the reason you didn't let her work the case the way she wanted to is because you see Alaska as the haystack that the proverbial needle is hidden in."

"Your point?" Acacia said, planting her hands on her hips.

"My point is that you are trying to apply your more city-inspired training and experience to this place. Since you're having trouble making things fit, it's making you nervous and that's understandable…"

"…I'm not nervous…" Acacia interrupted with a growl, but Bo held up her hand,

"You are and I'd be worried if you weren't because you will have no idea of how to protect my mom and her daughter here."

"She's your half-sister and I suppose you do?"

Bo looked at her mom and Rudy, then smiled, "I learned from the best and what I didn't learn from her, I learned from the experiences of the last ten-plus years."

Mary broke her silence, "Acacia, you and your agents will likely be in our way here."

"In the way? After all we've done for you, how dare you…"

Shaking her hands, Mary interrupted, "I meant no offense, but you must understand that out here, there is much to know about your surroundings. We know those things as do the people hunting us. You and your men do not which means you're at risk."

"I think I can handle some woods and a river." Acacia protested.

Mary smiled at Bo and took Rudy by the hand, leading her towards the yard where the dogs were playing. The large grin on her mom's face when she saw her little girl run to the puppies was precious. She stood for a while, watching until the river called to her. Bo knew her mom's love of the water and she knew she couldn't stay away from it for too long. She walked slowly across the grass and past the new front gate, making sure to lock it behind her. Her long, silky, hair flowed in the breeze as she approached the water. Bo smiled as memories of her mom standing at the bank of the Arctic Ocean came rushing back. Her hair had no silver strands in it back then, but she looked the same in all other respects.

Turning back to Acacia, Bo shook her head, "Your pride will get you killed if you don't listen to us. My mom was raised in harsher conditions than this and survived. She left those harsh conditions to survive in a world completely unfamiliar to her thanks to your deceased special agent, though I'm still trying to figure out why they call you special when you take people from all they know and drop them into a world they are ill-prepared for at best."

Bo took a deep breath, realizing she was ranting about things Acacia had little to know control over despite her being in a position of authority with the bureau. She sighed again,

"Listen, Acacia, my mom and I have no idea how FBI agents are taught to react in various situations. We didn't go through your training and we don't know your rule book. We only know how we will react. The problem with those two things is that if we don't know where you'll be or what you'll do, we could end up shooting one of the good guys instead of the intruders or they could end up shooting us."

Acacia started to speak, but then stopped, instead pacing around the small patch of land where she had been standing, a finger over her lip, the other hand still on her hip. She was deep in thought for several minutes before she finally stopped and looked up at Bo,

"Okay. You tell me the most likely entry points into these woods and onto your property. I'll send my guys about a mile out and set them up there. If anyone gets closer than those hot spots, you'll know before they get to you."

Bo looked around the property, contemplating the plan. Deciding she could work with the advanced warning system Acacia was planning, she gave her a nod,

"You'll need a team upriver, downriver and across the river at the lower pass of the mountain range. I can map it for you. You'll need a team in town listening for gossip about outsiders. That team should also be loitering about the entrance to the road in – not that anyone worth their salt would take the road, but you never know since that one group was dumb enough to march right into town and into my store." Bo sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, "I'll map the rest of the locations as well as the traps I've rigged around them. Your guys will have to take pictures of the maps because no one will be carrying a paper map. I also don't want the pictures shared…"

"Electronically. I got it. You don't like technology."

"No, I don't like that technology can help people find you when you don't want to be found."

Acacia chuckled, "You do know that technology is the reason Tamsin was able to reunite you and your Mom, right?"

Bo shrugged, looking out at her mom who was still standing at the riverbank while Rudy continued to run around the yard with the puppies. In that moment, she felt a sense of… peace. More than that, she felt complete. She had her mom back, she had a home, she had Lauren… for now and she had a little sister. She had a little sister. Wow. If she never had kids of her own, she had someone she could leave all of this to. Would she even want it? Would her mom stay? Did she have another family wherever it was she was living?

"Bo?"

Shaking out her thoughts, Bo blinked twice, her eyes coming to rest on Acacia, "Sorry."

"Lost you there for a minute. Anything I need to know?" Acacia asked, her brow furrowed, "I know you've been through some trauma. You sure you can handle this?"

Bo nodded her face spreading into a grin, "Trauma? I haven't been through trauma, Acacia. I've been through loss. A whole helluva lot of loss and I have no intention of losing any more if it's within my control to keep it." She nodded towards her mom and Rudy, "That goes double for those two."

Acacia clapped her hands together, "Okay then. Let's get busy with those maps then."

"I'm going to go talk to my mom for a few minutes. Remind her that it's probably not such a good idea to stand out in the open by the river."

Acacia turned, "I thought you said she'd be safe here."

"I said she'd be safe at my house, not standing in the yard. I want a team across the river ASAP." Bo said, nodding towards the mountains, "On the other side of that pass is a trail the has access from multiple towns, not to mention air access."

Acacia nodded, "You want me to have plane surveillance?"

"Something should be monitoring from the air. Chopper may be better."

"Maneuverability?"

"Yup." Bo replied, heading towards her mom while Acacia headed back towards her men.

The brunette looked up at the sky, smiling at the sun and fresh air. The only downside of all of this was that she was about to sacrifice her solitude. She did like being alone most of the time – until Lauren – but still, Lauren always respected her need for space when she was feeling introverted and… unsociable. She was about to be thrown into a lifestyle of little to no privacy.

"Oh boy." She whispered, "As Kenzi would say, it's time to put on your big girl pants, BoBo."

She looked back at Rudy to be sure she was still busy with the puppies before pushing open the gate, stepping through and closing it tightly behind her. She walked to the shed and picked up her binoculars, taking a moment to scan the horizon for any unwanted visitors. After a few minutes, she was satisfied that only wildlife was on the prowl, so walked to her mom.

"Beautiful, huh?" Bo smiled, staring up at the mountain.

Mary nodded, "You picked a beautiful spot for your home, Ysabeau… and a beautiful home it is. Tamsin tells me you've built this entire homestead on your own. Is that true?"

Bo shrugged, "I own a construction company. My foreman… well, I suppose he's more a manager since he monitors the overall work of several projects that I have going on right now. Anyway, he came over with a crew to do some of the heavy lifting. The solar panels, house and barn roofs, digging my cache and building the new fence around my yard because… well, everyone thought I needed it to keep the dogs secure since they're of champion blood. It's funny, because I really didn't need all of this before and they had the same blood."

Her mom smiled, "Ah, but no one knew who Big Jim was back then. Now they do and they know just how ruthless he is."

"Was. He's behind bars. He can't hurt us anymore." Bo corrected, but her mom was shaking her head.

"You're mistaken Ysabeau. His puppets are still out there, stronger and more motivated than ever. They've lost their sole source of income and they're angry with me… and you… for the roles we've played in that outcome."

Bo looked at her mom, watching as her eyes seemed focused on a particular part of the mountain. She looked out, trying to zero in on the same spot,

"So you're saying he's talking to them?"

Mary shook her head, "His right hand is a man named Gemini Woods."

Bo scowled, "I know that name."

Mary nodded, "As you should. He's my brother."

"Uncle Gem. He wore an amethyst earring."

"Good memory."

Bo chuckled, "Not really, but I have been remembering things from my childhood a little at a time over the last several months."

"Tamsin said you suffered from post-traumatic stress." The woman hung her head, "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, Ysabeau. I cannot imagine what you went through. The agent… he promised me you would be cared for. I had no idea that your teacher would…"

"I can't believe he killed her." Bo sighed.

Mary nodded, "He is pure evil, Ysabeau. The men who work for him are much the same."

"You talk about him like you've always known he was a murderer." Bo replied, looking at her mom.

Mary's eyes remained set on the mountain, "A murderer." She chuckled, "A murder of crows. The leader is your father and the others follow the formation, doing damage in their travels."

Bo frowned, "Mom, you're not making any sense."

She turned to her daughter, "Have you lost all of the teachings of your Athabascan mother, Ysabeau? While a murder of crows or flock of any bird species is a sign of a path that will provide profit and pleasant news, it can also bring the unexpected… good or bad. Have you forgotten?"

The younger woman lowered her head, "No, mother. I know of your beliefs and respect your right to maintain your faith in the animal spirits. It's just that… well, I've had encounters that have led me to doubt that those ghosts would protect someone like me."

Mary turned to Bo, gripping her shoulders, "Someone like you? And who has my beautiful, spirited, compassionate and kind daughter become?"

Bo looked up, her eyes flooded with tears that ran freely down her cheeks, "My father labeled me a half-breed and cheechako – at first, just on the North Slope, but then in every town I tried to make a life. They rejected me, mom. Some said you were dead. Some said you were Native American and so I had tainted blood. I was ostracized, demonized and targeted by the villagers and their law enforcement officials. To survive, I had to become… someone else. I'm not the daughter you raised. She died long ago."

"You are full blooded, hard-working, knowledgeable Alaskan native! You are well-educated! You are so smart! You were always so smart! You worked so hard in school!" She said, her voice raised, hands gripping Bo's shoulders as she shook her, "You are a proud Athabaskan just as we raised you!"

"We? Big Jim never raised me. He ignored me, cast me aside or threatened me. He didn't raise me. He took my brothers from me. He took you from me. I was left alone and our village elders turned their backs on me. I went to find you and when I came home, they'd sold our home and all of its contents. I was left to wander alone and learn to make my own way. I was just a kid, mom. Do you know what the state does with minor children who have no parents or guardians? They tried to ship me off to foster care, Mom, so I ran! I ran trying to find you! But you had run too! You had run away, leaving your child behind! I never finished school, Mom! I'm not smart! I'm not full-blooded! I'm nothing! Don't you see?"

She broke from her mother's grip, turning upriver so that she could wipe her tears in the wind and gather her emotions before she continued,

"You want to know who I am? I'll tell you who I am! I'm a bastard child who is half Athabaskan and half whatever Big Jim made me. I'm seeing a shrink, mom. I'm seeing a shrink to try to find out who I am, because I don't know how to treat the woman I love properly! You see, I didn't have the best role models when it came to loving relationships. So, you see, I don't know who I am. But if you ask what I am, well that's a question that I can answer. A small part of me is learning to be human, but most of me is part animal, part monster. I lived in the wild for so long, I became more grizzly than woman."

Bo turned to her mother, "I'm a human outcast who was persistent enough to find people who would trade her furs for food and supplies despite the dark and angry spirit that I projected. I am a native who lives off-grid using the skills her mother taught her because until now, I wasn't fit to live among humans. I'm a resourceful bitch who defended herself against both man and beast who wished her harm, so in that way you could also say I'm a killer. I was – until recent months – the most feared resident of the Anchorage region. I'm a skilled musher who has been crowned a champion of the Iditarod multiple times, so am now also a commodity. Of course, only one person was willing to sponsor me – the rest too afraid of me to get anywhere near me."

She scowled, looking down at the dark sand at her feet, "I am a reluctant teacher of my father's great grandson and apparently half-sister to his father and uncle who have recently welcomed me into their families. I'm the product of one fucked up love story and am the result of all of the pain as well as the actions of my parents."

She turned to walk away, but thought better of it, turning back to her mom, "And I don't know if I will ever forgive you for the role you played in the path that was forced on me after you left. I will forever question how you could leave your child behind. I will forever question your love for me. I will forever question any type of rationale you could possibly have for disappearing from my life. Right now, the only answer I have is that you were a coward, Mom, so I fear for Rudy's safety with only you as her protector. I don't trust you, Mom. Not one bit. I can only hope that when the time comes, you will use your knowledge of life in Alaska – if you remember it - to do the right thing when it comes to at least your youngest daughter. I can take care of myself, thank you very much, your forced me to do that long ago. I will do whatever I have to do to be sure Rudy's life is better than mine and if I have even the smallest doubt that you are not making her the number one priority while you are here, I will sue you for full custody and I will win because I have many friends now, no thanks to you."

Bo turned to the mountain and shouted at the top of her lungs, exhaling all her air and anger in one long breath, "AAAHHHHRRRGGHHHH!"

She dropped to her knees, picking up the binoculars she had dropped before standing and looking at her mom with fiery, angry eyes,

"I know that somewhere in my heart is love for you. I know it because I searched for you until very recently. All this time, you were out there, hiding." She shook her head, "I don't know if I will ever forgive you. Part of me is angry at you, part of me hates you and wants to send you into those mountains to fend for yourself as you did to me so long ago. But instead, why don't you take a good, long look at your daughter back there and figure out whether or not you have the courage to stick around this time… or did you just bring her here to dump her on me?"

"Ysabeau…"

"No, Mom. There's a reason you came back here and I don't know what it is yet, but I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with me. You either came here to protect Rudy or you came here to save your own ass. Time will tell." She shook her head, laughing, "You know, all of these years, my young mind had crafted this image of you, allowing it to grow bigger and bolder with each year. You were a superhero… my superhero. Now that I know the whole story from Tamsin, it's like someone stuck a pin in my balloon. I see the real you and you are not the woman I dreamed up. You got into bed with the Feds so that they would protect your ass. You sacrificed me to save yourself…"

"That's not true! I did what they told me to do! I did what I had to do to keep you safe! If he found me, he would have found you! I didn't do anything wrong!" Mary yelled.

"Really? You left a kid alone to be followed from town to town by her brothers and her dad's psycho killer men. He never found you, Mom, but he sure as hell found me and he made my life a living hell! Everything about that is wrong! And do you know what his first act was after we met? It was to ban me from seeing the one kid in this town who had taken a liking to me. I saved the kids life and his second act was to accuse me of trying to kill the kid which led to him killing every single one of my dogs! The ones that you and I raised together! They were all I had left of you. Of course, he left Harper alive."

"Harper?" Mary asked, "What of Hercules and Ares?"

Bo shrugged, "Still alive, but I don't run them…"

"In races. They're too old and too frisky." Mary nodded.

There was a long awkward moment of silence which Mary eventually broke, "Ysabeau, I'm sorry…"

Bo waved her off, wrapping the strap of the binoculars around the lens, "I'm going to go feed Rudy. She must be starving. Then, I'm going to start training her for life off-grid. I'm guessing that needs to happen, right?"

Mary nodded, "We were living in Hawaii. She was raised on a beach. She has very few skills other than fishing and foraging."

Bo laughed, "Wow. You left me to freeze my ass off while you lived life on a beach, had another kid and raised her in an island dream vacation. I'm beginning to see how you could forget I existed." She shook her head, raising her hand when Mary tried to speak. She knew that the Feds had chosen the location because that's how witness protection works, but it still stung.

"You could have sent for me when you were settled in witness protection, Mom. Nothing will ever make me believe otherwise. I'll take care of my little half-sister. Nothing will happen to her. She will be my number one priority. She doesn't deserve any of this."

Bo turned to walk away, but stopped, her eyes set on Rudy, "It's strange. You could have left her with family or friends like you did me, but you chose to bring her here - into the danger. Funny you wouldn't do that for me."

Mary shook her head, "Just so you know, her Father doesn't know about her. She's never met him. He was an alcoholic. I cut ties with him when I found out I was pregnant. She has no other family."

Bo chuckled, shaking her head, at the thought of her mom making the same mistake twice, "You sure do know how to pick 'em."

Mary watched as her eldest daughter walked away. Her eyes filled with tears as she turned back to the mountain. She knew that Ysabeau was right. She's made a lot of mistakes and even more bad choices. She would make this right, no matter what it took. She scanned the property. Spying several sheds, she headed off to check the contents of the first one. She knew what she needed to do to prove to Bo that she was here for the right reasons.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This update includes a bonus update – Chapter 14 is uploaded and ready to go! Feel free to read on!