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?

28. Chapter 28: The Chase

A/N: Happy 2021, Everyone.Thank you so much for the reviews and messages. Your support is always appreciated and means the world to me. I hope that everyone is healthy and safe. Best Wishes for lots of cuddles and good things in the new year.

Now, let's move on to the return of Lauren and Bo. Feisty Lauren is back in this mega-chapter, so get on board or get out of her way. Another chapter will follow shortly.

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CHAPTER 28: The Chase

February, Lewis-Archer General Hospital site

"RUDY! RUDY, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Lost her again, huh?" Carolyn laughed.

Shannon huffed out a breath, planting her hands firmly on her hips, "Yea, well you're not the one who has to deal with Adam when he finds out she was playing hide and seek with some random construction guys."

Carolyn smiled, "Don't worry, Shannie. Those guys would rather cut off a limb than see harm come to that little girl – mostly because they're worried what Bo would do to them if anything happened to her on their watch."

"Well, explain that to Adam and Bo's not exactly around to do any harm." Shannon replied, rolling her eyes.

"Shannie, don't start again… please?"

"Lynnie, come on. They missed Thanksgiving, then Christmas and don't even tell me they were here through video chat because that didn't make Rudy – or Elise, for that matter - feel much better."

Carolyn shrugged, "I don't know what the two of them are up to, but I do know they sent Rudy a ton of presents that she truly loved, and they have each been keeping in touch through texts, phone calls and video. They haven't forgotten us. I think they both just really want to be sure that Rudy is okay.

"Oh? Well, she's not. She misses them – Bo especially since she's the one guilty of calling the least. You think Rudy doesn't sense that she's keeping in touch more out of guilt than love for her little sister? And you still haven't told me how you got the presents from our absentee friend, Bo."

"I told you. She mailed them, care of us, and I picked them up from the post office." Carolyn replied, turning off the lamp, "Okay, we're ready to go. Grand opening flyers are ready for our February 25th Grand Opening. Stephen and Betsy have the guest list for the Gala from Lauren who has finished all of the departmental hiring from physicians to physical therapists to maintenance staff. Patrick and Penelope are meeting with the last hires to have them sign their contracts by the end of next week."

"Yea. The big question is, will Lauren actually show up for the grand opening of her own hospital or will she continue to hide in Boston."

"Shannon!" Carolyn said, putting up both hands, "Please. I'm really tired of the negativity. We were hired and paid extremely well for the work we're doing. What our boss is doing is none of our business. I'm serious, Shannie. I'm through with listening to you bad mouth Bo and Lauren. I just can't be around it anymore. You're obsessing on it to the point where I'm starting to wonder if you have a thing for one of them. Do you?"

"What?" She asked, shocked, "No! Of course not!"

"Well, I've never heard anyone talk so much about someone they didn't miss for reasons other than work or friendship. Should I start looking for a new place to live? You can stay at the house Bo's company built. We're not finished with the interior so you can do what you want with it – clean slate. I'll move into the clinic apartment."

"No! Stop it! Stop it! Don't you even joke about breaking up!"

"Who says I'm joking? You want me around, stop complaining about Bo and Lauren not being here. They're big girls and entitled to their own life choices. As for the hospital, Lauren is the owner – our new Evony. You never questioned Evony's work hours."

"Yea, but she was a bitch and everyone knew it. Lauren is changing."

"No, Lauren is unchanging. She's trying to get back to the Lauren we knew before Nadia turned her into a stiff, walking, talking basket case who wasn't comfortable in her own skin unless she was doing surgery or out on some sporting adventure that risked both life and limb. Do you remember the old Lauren?"

"Vaguely?" Shannon said, easing back a bit.

Carolyn shook her head, "If you can't handle what they're doing right now to deal with their respective lives, then go work at the Anchorage hospital and take the train every day."

"You would really want me to do that?" Shannon asked, a frown firmly planted on her mouth.

"Of course not. I love you, Shannie. I really do. But you're driving me insane with the constant complaining about them. I've got too much else on my plate and I count on you to be the part of my day that's about anything but work and bosses and controversy!"

"Well, I'm sorry but I just don't understand how anyone can just walk away from everyone they claim to love."

"I can." Carolyn replied, "Because quite honestly, last Wednesday night when I stayed at the clinic, it was because I needed a break from you."

Shannon stood, mouth agape as she replayed Carolyn's words over again in her head, "You… you didn't want to be with me?"

"Not that night. No."

Shannon lowered her eyes, taking in the words of the woman she loved, "Have I really been that bad?"

Carolyn shrugged, "Name one day where you haven't complained at least three times about Bo and Lauren being away… sometimes you added additional complaints about just one of them."

Considering the question, Shannon couldn't remember the last time she hadn't commented on the pair. She sighed,

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize…"

"Nope. Don't say that because I've been telling you every day since they left. You have just chosen not to listen to me and right now, I love you, but I don't like you very much."

Shannon nodded. They'd had this conversation before. It was very early on in their relationship where Carolyn explained the notion of loving someone fully and completely, but not liking them on some days. They'd agreed it was bound to happen, but Shannon had never wanted to be the one who was disliked.

"Am I really that negative?"

Carolyn shrugged, "Sorry, Babe."

"I'm not as bad as Heathcliff Gandy, am I?"

Carolyn laughed, "Nobody's that bad."

"Okay."

Carolyn smiled, "Just try – for me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Thank you. Now, Kenzi's chef is catering the Gala. What about music?"

Shannon shook her head, "Kelly got that band who sent us their DVD from Seattle. Everything from elegant to fun, just like Lauren requested."

"Are you sure they're booked?"

Shannon nodded, "Contract was signed and hand-delivered to Stephen right in front of me at breakfast the other day."

"Where was I?" Carolyn asked.

"You had that tour of the hospital with the Inspector."

"Oh." Carolyn replied, hooking gathering everything she needed into a box and heading towards the elevator, "It's time to call Tommy and tell him to get Rudy downstairs to the lobby."

"Fine," she said, pulling out her phone to text the young man, "Is the elevator up and running or do you need me to help you with all of that."

Carolyn smiled, "It's running. I know you like to take the stairs. It's only one box. You go, I'll meet you down there."

Shannon nodded, "I'm sorry, Shannie. I'm sorry I've been so negative and I'm sorry I've left you to do so much of the work with the contractors both here and at the house. For the record, I wouldn't want to live in that house without you. I know it's your dream home. If we ever were to split up, it would be yours. You've earned it and you deserve it."

Carolyn placed a hand on her lovers' face, "No one's going anywhere right now. I just need to know that you're more focused on us and our life together than you are on Bo and Lauren and their life together. I mean, we're about to move into our new house, Shannie. All of our energy should be focused on that if you really are as excited about this… about us… as you say you are. I just don't understand…"

Shannon took her partner's hand in both of her own, "Lynnie, you are my everything. Nothing in my life would make sense without you. Please know that I love you more than anything in the world."

Lynnie shrugged, "Well, lately I feel like I'm second fiddle to the Bo and Lauren show. That has to change, Shannie."

Shannon nodded, "You're right. I guess I've just been so focused on how much work we have, so I've been blaming Lauren for not being here to take on more of the load."

"We're the employees, Shannon. She's the boss. We do the work that she pays us to do. In exchange, we're getting a free house from her fiancé – a whole house! Instead of thinking about her like a friend, think of her as our bank, because if she wasn't, we wouldn't be able to afford half of what we're doing now. Sure, we'd have a house, but it would be a shack more than an hour from where we work, we'd be house poor until retirement, and it would be furnished with leftover beds and waiting room furniture from the clinic renovation."

"I guess when you put it that way…"

"They've given us so much, Shannie. Much more than any friend has ever given us. Who, in the history of friendships, has ever done for friends what they're doing for us? And think about all of the other people they're doing this for – on Bo's land! She's allowing us to live on her land – the loner, the hermit, the woman who bought land where no one else could ever build near her."

Shannon nodded, "Yea. What they're doing for us is very special – especially Bo."

Carolyn cocked her head and eyed her lover suspiciously, but Shannon was quick to add,

"Not that Lauren isn't being equally generous. I mean, our new salaries and the overtime she's paying us for all we're doing… I mean, we're making surgeon's wages for basically being glorified interior decorators. I'm grateful to her, Lynnie. I really am."

Lynnie smiled, "Good, because in your new role, you're getting to build the surgical rooms of your dreams."

Shannie smiled, "They are pretty sweet."

"Well, next time you feel a need to criticize Bo or Lauren for not being here, think of our beautiful home by the river and those sweet new surgical rooms you'll be working in at our brand new hospital. I can't imagine Lauren will have a penny left to her name when it's all done."

Shannon scowled, "Do you really think she's burning her entire life savings and the money from suit she won against Evony?"

Lynnie shrugged, "I'm not accounting. That's Greta's territory."

The elevator doors opened and Lynnie stepped inside, "And don't you dare go grilling Greta for information on Lauren's finances. That's a line you don't cross, Shannie. I mean it."

Shannon nodded, "Are you at least going to tell me what the big deal is about having Rudy in the lobby right now?"

Lynnie grinned, "See you downstairs."

The doors closed, leaving Shannon standing there. She headed for the staircase, hoping that the guys had found Rudy. She was anxious to get their young charge home so that she could take Lynnie over to their new house.

Today was the day that their home was supposed to be finished. Path and Slate Lightfoot were supposed to walk the inspector through the house yesterday and if all had gone well, their punch list was supposed to be completed this morning, leaving only furnishing the place left to do. Shannon had been pressing Carolyn on choosing furniture for weeks, but Carolyn had decided she thought it only fitting that they purchased Bo's furniture from Molly and Mark's store to pay her back in some way for all she had done for them.

So, they spent the day with Molly going through Bo's furniture catalogue. She promised that Bo would make any pieces that she couldn't deliver, but Carolyn didn't want to stress Bo out when she returned. She would have the Iditarod coming up and who knows what she would be dealing with where Lauren was concerned. If Mary was still bound to the home, she would also have to care for Rudy, so all of their selections were from Molly's existing stock.

Carolyn hadn't wanted it delivered until she could measure each space in each room of their house to be sure it would all fit. So Shannon had worked behind the scenes with Path, Slate, Mark and Molly to arrange for everything to be measured and moved in today after the punch list was complete.

Path had sent her a text, that it was going to be tight, but he was hopeful. She hadn't heard anything since despite sending off two texts asking what was going on. She tried calling Molly, but she didn't answer. It was strange and she was slightly concerned, but she decided they would just have to go ahead with Carolyn's plan to drop off Rudy and then stop by the house to 'check on the progress' of the house. If they were staying there tonight, it would be a nice surprise. She had packed overnight bags and stowed them in the car.

If the place wasn't finished, they would spend another night or more with Mary and Rudy at the Homestead, until Michael, LJ, Path and Slate let her know that the furniture had been placed. Shannon had insisted on paying them for carrying out her surprise, but every time she slipped the envelopes of cash into each of their jacket pockets, she found them back in her backpack, jacket pocket or medical bag. In the end, she decided having them over for dinner may be the only way to repay them.

As Shannon approached the lobby, she heard the sound of laughter… lots and lots of laughter, followed by a familiar voice. She rounded the corner to see Rudy sitting on Lauren's lap, the pair laughing and talking while Carolyn sat next to the pair, smiling.

"It's about time." Shannon mumbled before scolding herself when she remembered her promise to Lynnie.

For some reason, seeing Lauren reminded her of how royally pissed off she had been at the blonde for months, but why? Why was she so mad at her friend and boss? Because she was finalizing her move from Boston? Because she was finding and personally meeting with each and every one of the donors to the transplant wing? Because she was having a last meeting with every patient who was basically ditched by Nadia and Evony without a word about where Lauren went?

If she was being honest with herself, what Lauren was spending her time doing was just flat out good public relations. She'd been in this business for long enough to know that hospitals, unfortunately, were not just about medical care and compassion, they were businesses, plain and simple. The nice part for Lauren was that she no longer had a board to answer to that wasn't supportive of the care and compassion goal. She and Stephen had built a board of former doctors and nurses – not businessmen and women.

Still, she couldn't understand the whole sailing to North Carolina from Provincetown thing - not while the hospital that she claimed to care so much about was being built. She just thought that being absent from a project of this magnitude when you're a person in her position was negligent.

Carolyn had defended the trip by reminding her that both Stephen and Betsy had given their blessing for Lauren to take the time off. In fact, at dinner one night, the pair explained that they had encouraged it. They reminded her that Lauren hadn't had a day off for a decade and it's likely she will have very few off for the foreseeable future once the hospital opened.

"Poor her." Shannon said, glaring at Lauren, unaware that Carolyn was now standing next to her.

"Geezus, Shannie. Are you really doing this again? I left you just seven floors ago and you were going to drop it. I just can't understand why you believe you have the right to judge what our boss is doing on her time or her company's time?"

She lowered her voice, worried that Lauren would overhear them, "We're employees, Shannie. And we're also supposed to be friends who understand that Lauren had a lot of things to deal with – both personally and professionally. She couldn't do that here – not without interference from Bo's family. And you know as well as I do, Stephen and Betsy have been here every step of the way handling anything Lauren would have handled. When they needed her, she met with them in whatever capacity was necessary. It's 2020. Remote work happens."

"Except when there are three heart attack patients…"

Carolyn shook her head, handing her a folder, "I forgot to get your signature on these. Three forms – sign pages three, seven and nine. And don't talk to me about those patients. Doctor Mujambi has proven to be exactly what Lauren believed she would be."

"She has slow hands." Shannon mumbled, signing the last work order on the stack before handing the entire folder back to Carolyn who corrected her,

"She has careful hands. She doesn't have Lauren's experience, so she's much more deliberate in her movements." She shook her head, "What happened to 'Lauren picked a good one'?"

"Fine. She's… adequate."

Again, Carolyn shook her head, "You're tough and I hate it when you're tough… and critical, judgmental and completely lacking any of the compassion you show to our patients."

Shannon frowned, "I'm compassionate!"

"Oh, really? Okay, then let's evaluate, shall we? We've always had vacation days, Shannie. Yes, we were supposed to have three weeks, not ten days, but that was Evony, not Lauren. As a matter of fact, it was our dear friend Lauren who made sure we got at least ten days. If we didn't take them, it was our fault, not hers. Our beloved doctor, on the other hand, never had more than a long weekend once a year, maybe two. Imagine what it has been like for her all of these years. Personally, I would have gone crazy working that much."

"Maybe she did."

"Did what?" Carolyn asked.

"Went crazy." Shannon replied.

"Stop it. You are really being a jerk. She's our friend. Act like it, or you and I will be taking that break I mentioned. I mean it, Shannie. I'm done with this conversation."

Shannon's eyes went wide as she watched her partner storm off. She sighed, knowing Carolyn was right. She wasn't sure why, but for some reason, she had found herself becoming more and more impatient with… well, everyone – including Carolyn lately.

She stayed behind, watching the scene from afar. Lauren looked good… rested… happy… really tan. She actually looked happier than she'd seen her look in… well… ever. Still, for some strange reason, she felt betrayed by the doctor. She'd tried to figure it out, but she just couldn't. Lately, the more she thought about it, the more she took out her frustration on Lynnie or Doctor Mujambi. Dala really was a good surgeon, but for some reason, she resented her for being here. She shook off her thoughts and walked into the lobby to greet her friend. Later, she would call for another appointment with Doctor Gray.

"Look, Shannie! Look what Lauren brought me for my really late Christmas present!" Rudy grinned from ear to ear, holding up a framed picture of what Shannie recognized as Lauren's beach house, "It's where Lauren lives! Isn't it beautiful? She said I could visit there one day! That we could surf together! Wouldn't that be awesome?"

Carolyn smiled, looking down at the picture, "You're quite the lucky little girl. Lauren's beach house is even more beautiful in person."

"Really? You've been there?" Rudy asked.

"Yup. Many times."

"And Shannie and Kelly, too?"

"Yup. They've been there too." Carolyn smiled.

"Wow. I can't wait to go. The waves look radical, Dude!"

Lauren and Carolyn shared a glance, laughing at the sudden surfer's accent that came out of the little girl. They watched as she jumped off of Lauren's lap and onto the other end of the bench, pretending to surf.

"Catching one of those rips would be awesome! They're not as big as the ones on my break, but I'd give anything to get out surfing again! Shannie, will you surf with me? I'm not allowed to surf alone and my surf crew from Hawaii won't be there. Will you? Huh?"

Shannon smiled, "Of course, I'll surf with you, Roo."

"Cool! We'll have so much fun!" Rudy smiled as Shannon slowly turned to her boss,

"Hey, Lauren." Shannon said, hands in her jean's pockets.

"Shannon! How are you?" Lauren said, standing up and giving Shannon a hug.

"Oh. We're… hugging." Shannon said, awkwardly patting Lauren on the back before the blond released her.

"I ran into Path and Slate over at the Kennel Store when I stopped to pick up the truck keys. They said they're ahead of schedule – that you were supposed to be in by today, but there are some things the inspector wanted changed, so they need a few more days. You should be in your house by the river by the end of this week. You must be so excited."

Shannon shrugged. Well, at least she had her answer now. Funny that Lauren knew what was happening at her house before she did when she was the one who was pulling off the surprise for her partner.

Her silence was long enough that Carolyn to jumped in, "We are very excited. Do you want to stop over to the hotel for a drink? We can show you what we plan to do with the inside."

"I've love to. How is Kenzi?"

"She's good. She's got a new chef, so she's in heaven."

Lauren laughed, "Right. She's the one catering the Gala, right?"

"Yup. She actually likes working for Kenzi and Kenzi actually likes her chef. It's amazing."

Lauren smiled, "Yea, well Kenzi is all about food. The way to that woman's heart is definitely through her stomach."

Carolyn smiled, "Yea, Hale has started having Prudence cook romantic meals for the two of them."

"Prudence?" Lauren asked.

Shannon chuckled, "That's Kenzi's totally hot babe of a chef's name. She hired her just after you left."

"Sister says her pancakes are legendary." Rudy said, jumping down from the bench and returning to Lauren's lap to play with her hair.

Lauren looked up at her Nurses, "Speaking of Bo, I thought she'd be here since she's not at the kennel. LJ didn't mention where she was."

Shannon stepped forward, "Hey squirt, you wanna help me get your dogs and their sled loaded into Lauren's truck so you two can get home? Your Mom's gonna wonder where you are."

"I get to ride home with Lauren?" Rudy asked.

Shannon smiled, "Well, there's no sense Lynnie and I driving all the way out to the Homestead if Lauren's going home."

She turned to Lauren, "You are going home, right?"

Lauren shrugged, "That sort of depends on what Bo wants, doesn't it?"

"Come on, kid." Shannon said, extending her hand while Carolyn took a seat on the bench beside Lauren. She looked up at the group of hospital and construction workers who had gathered to say hello to the doctor, smiling as they offered a final welcome back before leaving the two alone in silence. Honestly, Carolyn didn't know where to start, so Lauren did it for her,

"Lynnie? What's going on? Why did you insist that I meet you here instead of at The Homestead?"

Carolyn began, her eyes set on the floor in front of her, "Lauren, this is going to be hard to hear, but you need to know that everyone is confident… well… anyway…"

"Lynnie? Where is Bo?"

Turning to face Lauren, she took a breath and began, "Lauren, the day you left, Bo left as well. She was the logical person to go find the ingredients that Mary needed for both her own antidote and Harper's medicine."

"Harper?"

Carolyn smiled, "She's alive. She's not the same dog she once was, but she's alive."

"Oh, thank God." Lauren sighed, truly grateful Bo had not had to suffer the loss of Harper.

"She headed up to Denali, foraging for the plants and herbs on Mary's list before doing a climb of the lower third of the mountain."

Lauren's eyes went wide, "Of the mountain? The mountain? Denali? There had been white out conditions for days before I left!"

Carolyn nodded, "Two of the key ingredients in the medicines that led to Harper's recovery can only be found about ten thousand feet up at the base of the rock formations. Dr. Mallie did an analysis of the plants and said the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of the plants are unlike anything she has ever seen."

Lauren smiled, "Yes, well there's a reason the native peoples of Alaska have survived for so long."

Smiling, Lynnie nodded her agreement and continued, "Bo retrieved plenty of what Mary needed, despite her injuries. She met up with Kurt and he flew the ingredients back to Mary all in less than twenty-four hours."

"Bo didn't fly back with him?"

Lynnie shook her head, "Bo went on what Tosh is calling a training run and what Mary is calling a Vision Quest." She held up her hand, "And before you ask, it's an ancient Athabascan custom one uses to commune with the Spirits and find one's path in life."

"Native therapy." Lauren smiled.

"They do have their ways." Carolyn acknowledged.

"So, you're saying that Bo has found a new path? One that doesn't involve me?"

"Well, honestly… I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Lauren asked, her frustration growing.

"I don't know because I haven't seen Bo. No one has, Lauren. Kurt was the last one to see her. She hasn't called, texted or even written a letter or post card to anyone but Rudy."

Lauren reached into her bag and pulled out a post card, "Post card. Check."

"What?"

The blonde handed a well-worn postcard to her friend, "From Bo."

"She sent you a postcard?" Lynnie asked.

Lauren shrugged, "She sent me a text a few hours after I had left. I didn't reply for two days. I didn't know what to say. About a week or so after I sent my reply text, I got that postcard at my Beach House. Apparently, she had called Betsy when she didn't hear back from me. She gave her the address so she could send the card When they talked, Bo told her she was calling from a payphone outside of a National Park."

"Bo just offered up that information?"

Lauren shook her head, "No. Betsy asked because it sounded like there was a blizzard over the sound of muffled voices wherever she was."

Lynnie thought about what she had heard and said, simply, "The Yukon to Wrangell."

"I thought you said she was in Denali when she met Kurt."

Lynnie shook her head, "Kurt flew into the park to pick up the package. She was traveling by sled over the Denali range, then heading east to the Yukon, continuing down to Wrangell-St. Elias and then finishing in…. I think it was called Glacier Bay? I mean… that's according to Mary and Tosh… by way of Kurt… to Kelly."

If she were being completely honest, Carolyn wasn't actually sure of the route Bo had been taking. Kelly may have gotten things wrong. It had been one big game of whisper down the lane. Add to that the suspicions from Kyle and Kenzi, the musings of Molly and the concerns of Mark and LJ… she just wasn't sure, she was just concerned and now she likely had passed her worry on to Lauren.

She watched as the blonde pulled her laptop from her bag and hit the power button, intent on searching maps for where Bo may have gone, but Carolyn reached out, stilling her hands,

"Lauren, go home. Mary knows exactly where she went. She didn't leave without showing Mary and Tosh the course she had mapped out."

The blonde sat staring at the start up screen, "No, I'm going to Anchorage."

"Anchorage? Lauren, it's dark out. You're not going to Anchorage."

"I'll get my team from the Kennel and head down. You and Shannie can drive Rudy home."

"What's in Anchorage, Lauren?"

"Tosh."

"No, he's not. He's at the Homestead. He's been staying there to help out with Rudy while Mary is recovering."

Lauren looked at her friend, "Recovering? I thought the antidote was working."

Carolyn sighed, "Well, you didn't call and you told us not to call you, so…"

"I know and I'm sorry. I just needed…"

"Lauren, I understand. I'm not judging, though I can't promise Shannie won't."

The doctor sighed, "So what happened to Mary?"

"She broke her leg."

"What!? I talked to Rudy regularly since we all spoke on Christmas. She never told me…" Lauren asked, her concern mounting.

"Mary told her not to. She didn't want you to worry."

"I can't believe Rudy was able to keep that secret." Lauren smiled.

Carolyn shrugged, "Mary threatened no iPad for three weeks."

Lauren chuckled, "That'll do it. So how did the broken leg happen?"

Carolyn explained, "About three weeks after Bo left, she was trying to carry laundry upstairs…"

"What laundry?"

"The clothes you and Bo left behind. Anyway, she got her cane stuck in the stairway and fell backwards down the stairs."

"My God. She's lucky she wasn't killed." Lauren said, her hands on her mouth.

"Don't worry, she got the lecture from all of us… and I do mean all of us. Kelly was actually the loudest, reminding her that she had a child to stay alive for now that Bo wasn't around anymore."

Lauren looked at her, shocked by the statement, but Carolyn was already back peddling,

"She didn't mean that she'd left for good… she just meant…"

"I know our dear Kelly, so I know exactly what she meant. So, what's the plan?"

"The what?"

"The plan to find Bo. What's the plan?"

"Mary said we wait."

"Wait?"

"Lauren, please – I'm not the expert here. Can you please just go back to the Homestead and have a conversation with Mary and Tosh? I was just supposed to break the ice. I really don't know anything other than the fact that Bo is gone, and no one has heard from her."

The blonde waved the post card, "No one except me, apparently…"

Lynnie smiled, "It's a beautiful post card. And like I said, Bo has also been in contact with Rudy regularly. All she has said is that she's training, but she hasn't called since just after New Year's."

Lauren stared down at the postcard, her thumb tracing the words.

Carolyn sighed, "Can I ask what she said?"

Lauren shrugged, handing her friend the postcard. Lynnie flipped it over and read Bo's horrible handwriting,

'No matter where I go, I carry you with me. You will always have my heart. All my love, together or apart, Bo.'

"Wow. That's beautiful."

Lauren smiled, "She's deceptively charming."

Returning the postcard, Lynnie nodded, "I never would have suspected that there was a poet in that woman."

Nodding, Lauren asked, "So no one in the family has heard from Bo and they have no idea where she is?"

"That is correct."

"For over a month?" Lauren asked, now worried.

"They haven't talked to Bo since she left. Rudy has been the only one to talk to her – other than your postcard." Lynnie replied before asking, "So, I take it the break you took has led you back to Bo?"

Lauren typed into her laptop, her finger gliding over the touchpad before two fingers parted and came back together, zooming out on the satellite image of the area,

"Oh my… how in the world could anyone survive… why would she…" She looked up at her friend, her eyes filled with tears, "Has anyone gone to look for her?"

Lauren turned her laptop towards her friend, pointing to the mountains, "They really believe she's going to come home from this in mid to late February?"

"Geezus," Lynnie said, with a shake of the head before changing her train of thought, "Why do you think that's where she is?"

"The timeline from when she left, to when she met Kurt combined with my text, her call to Betsy and the postcard I received. If we figure on one hundred miles a day max…"

Lynnie leaned over as Lauren pointed to the map, "If she went from Denali to the Yukon, it would have taken her at least four days… more since she was injured. By now, she has healed so my calculations are rough. Of course, traversing or going around mountains, the terrain… I'm guessing she went from there down to Wrangell-St. Elias staying on isolated territory. She likes to be alone when she's training."

"Lauren, all of that makes sense, but I don't know what to tell you. You really need to talk to Mary and Tosh."

Shaking her head, the blonde was insistent, "Lynnie, it's about four hundred miles from Denali to the Yukon. It's about six hundred miles from the Yukon to Wrangell. Even if she takes a full day off in between – which I don't think she would unless something was wrong – it would take her twenty days max to get there and another twenty to come back home. By my calculations, she's twenty days overdue… fifteen at the least. The longer she's out there…"

Carolyn nodded, now understanding why Lauren was so concerned, but she stuck to her original thought,

"So, let's get to the Homestead and run this by Tosh and Mary."

Lauren sighed, "Fine."

Carolyn watched as her friend packed up her laptop, finally deciding to ask again,

"So, you decided about Bo while you were gone?"

Lauren stood, throwing her bag over her shoulder, "I love her, Lynnie. I can't imagine my life without her… believe me, I tried. Everywhere I went, something reminded me of her. I found my love of medicine and I found my love of Bo. I have to find her, Lynnie. I have so much to tell her… so much to apologize for. I was so judgmental. I expected her to change for me. I know now that… well, I just have to know if she feels the same."

Carolyn smiled, "You just hold tight to that postcard and believe. Let's get you to Mary and Tosh."

Lauren nodded as they gathered their bags to head outside.

"My truck is out front. Shannie and Rudy will ride back in her truck."

"Okay."

"So, do you want to tell me about the things that reminded you of Bo when you were gone? Your overnight stay at Betsy's hotel, maybe?"

Lauren smiled, "Something like that, yea."

The blonde was transported back to Eli and the southern trip they took to North Carolina…

Flashback…

Lauren leaned over the rail on the starboard side of the ship. They'd been at sea for a little over two months now. When they'd first left Boston, it was cold and – at times – snowy. The seas were rough one minute and calm the next, just like her moods. She had spent much of her time struggling over her feelings and thoughts about her life and what she truly wanted. Christmas had started out as a celebration and ended with her decision to leave the ship because of Eli. Since their argument, she had stuck to the crew and performed her duties as required but had steered clear of her friend. Likewise, he had communicated with her through Hank.

Running a Tall Ship was a full-time job, so her duties kept her very busy – and very tired. She welcomed the feel of the strain in her muscles as they hoisted sails and tacked windward. After things with Eli, she'd moved from the stateroom across from his to the shared quarters of the other female crew. It was a great group who had fun together, but Lauren was definitely more accustomed to extended periods of alone time. For that reason, she had taken to enjoying time hanging out on this particular spot on the rail.

But today her quiet time would be denied as a crewman shouted out, "Set your eyes to the starboard mid-ship seas, Ladies and Gentlemen! The whales have joined us on our journey!"

Lauren looked back just as a massive Orca breached close to the ship, towering over her head, three fourths of its body exposed. Her eyes went wide, a grin stretching across her face at the sight, before it descended back to its home in the dark waters below them. The enormous splash drenched the blonde, but she didn't care. She was so excited, she turned to her right and called out,

"Bo! They're b…ack." Seeing the empty space beside her, she could only sigh at how alone she now felt. This was just one of the many memories she had wanted to share with the brunette on this journey and again, that opportunity was denied because of their break. Turning back to the large pod of mammals, her eyes brimmed with tears as it hit her. She loved Bo Dennis and whatever or wherever life might lead, she would always want to be by her side to share the journey through good times or bad.

She wiped her cheeks, taking in the show with the rest of the crew until they surfaced no more. It was then that Lauren decided to head below deck and have a final chat with her friend Elijah. She needed to try to make amends. They needed some distance and she hoped he would understand that. He needed to move on, and she needed to give him the space to do that. As long as she relied on him as a friend, he would always remain attached.

The conversation would no doubt be awkward given the distance since Christmas Day, but she had to try. Once that was done, as promised, she would leave the ship at the next port and fly back to Boston. There she would meet up with Patrick, likely share a few more confusing days as she processed what had led to her request for their break, then finish up her business before heading home to Alaska for good.

There was one thing she now knew for sure… careers and jobs would always come and go, but people you love were what made getting up to go to work worth the effort. She wanted… no, she needed to get back to her friends and family. She needed to get back to Bo… if she would have her.

-End Flashback-

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Homestead, Two Hours Later

When Lauren entered the Homestead, Rudy was waiting for her in the living room where a Christmas tree was standing in a large ceramic pot by the windows.

"Oh, my. What a beautiful tree." She said, smiling down at Rudy who ran into her torso and wrapped her arms around Lauren's legs.

"I know it's waaaay past Christmas, but we saved it for you and Sister! It was our first ever Christmas together, so we just had to save it!"

She peeked around Lauren, looking for her sister, "When is she coming home?"

Lauren sighed, cupping the youngster's face with both hands, "Honestly, I don't know. She's talked to you and only you since she's been away."

"But… why wouldn't she talk to you? Aren't you planning the wedding?"

Lauren looked up at the tree, her eyes taking in the detail of the branches for the first time. All of the ornaments were handmade from wood, yarn, painted cardboard, tinfoil and paper. She knew this was the work of mother and daughter. They had put a lot of effort into this tree and the guilt of not being here for the holiday wracked Lauren's conscience as much as it had the week leading up to Christmas. Instead of boarding a flight to Alaska, she was sailing the down the Atlantic Coast on the Gracie Marie. It was the first time she had ever broken a promise to Rudy and she never wanted to do that again.

She offered a sad smile, "Well, batteries – like the ones in phones – don't do so well in the cold. It was very important that Bo talk to you every possible moment that she could. We knew we might not talk so that she could be sure to talk to you."

"But you didn't call her either? You had electricity in Boston."

Lauren smiled, "Yes, but she was going to call me if she had time and a battery. Your sister doesn't stop much when she's on training runs. When she does stop, feeding herself and the dogs is the top priority before making their beds and getting sleep. Think of it as having fourteen children. It's quite demanding, so we have to be understanding that her dogs come first."

Rudy turned to where Harper was curled up in the corner staring out at the river, "But then why didn't she come home to see Harper for Christmas? She's her best friend."

"I'm sure she wanted to, Rudy. But I also think that she knew Harper was in good hands with you." Lauren led the child to the precious canine, taking a seat on the floor behind her. Harper didn't respond.

"She doesn't hear so good now." Rudy commented.

"Oh." Lauren said, the doctor kicking in, "Harper?"

She didn't respond until Lauren reached out and stroked the space between her ears. Harper turned, her tail wagging as soon as she saw the blonde. She struggled to her feet, the marred flesh on her left side startling Lauren, but not as much as the condition of her legs which looked like little more than bones.

"Oh, sweet girl." Lauren said as Harper fell onto her lap, her legs giving way, "Harper."

The dog whined slightly when Lauren lifted her paw, "What do the Vets say?"

Rudy shrugged, "They just took off her casts, so they think her legs will get stronger. She's just got to keep getting up and walking so they do."

"Does she go outside?" Lauren asked.

Rudy shook her head, "My big brother Tosh doesn't think she should go outside because she'll catch a chill."

Lauren smiled, "She clearly wants to be outside, doesn't she? Her legs would have to be wrapped so her skin doesn't get burned by the cold."

Rudy nodded her agreement while Harper's tail wagged with excitement.

"Well, there are good aspects of cold and snow. It will soothe the pain and inflammation in the muscles and joints. If it's deep, it will add support to otherwise weak muscles."

Lauren considered Harper's legs for a moment before she looked at Rudy, "Roo, could I have four of those stretchy bungies you use to make your rugs on your loom?"

"Why do you want those?"

"I'd like to try something."

"Okay. What color?"

Lauren smiled, "You pick. And can you bring scissors too?"

"I'll be right back!"

"Rudy…"

"I know, carry the points of the scissors in my hand so I don't poke my eye out."

"Good girl." Lauren smiled before turning back to Harper, "Now, how to waterproof them. Let's see…"

She ran through the list of household items they usually had that might work and landed on the plastic bags that they carried with their emergency sled supplies to keep things watertight if necessary.

"Be right back, girl." She said quietly, lifting Harper's head and placing it gently on the bedding before heading to the garage to get what she needed.

When she returned, Rudy was lying next to Harper asking for high fives.

"Whatcha doing, kiddo?"

"High fives are part of her therapy. The Vet says it makes her use the muscles."

Lauren smiled, "Good idea."

"Whatcha gonna do with that?" Rudy asked.

"I'm going to get Harper ready to go outside. We're going to support and protect her skin and the muscles of her legs."

"With this stuff?" Rudy asked.

Lauren smiled, "Hopefully. You see, these bungies are actually tubes of material. We may have to fold them down or cut them to fit the length of her leg, but they'll protect the skin and keep her legs warm. We may want to double or triple the layers. I'm just going to cut them to break the loop and… there!" She held up two lengths, "We have two tubes of cloth. We pull one up this leg like a sleeve…"

Rudy watched as the doctor pulled the sleeve over Harper's front left paw, whispering reassuring words when she flinched with pain until she finished,

"There! It works! It compresses the muscle just as I'd hoped! With one more, we can cover all four legs, but I really think we need three on each leg with how thing the material is when it's stretched out like this."

Rudy pulled one over her arm, then cut another and pulled on two more, "Definitely three. It feels a little tight to me, so since her legs are skinnier, it should feel perfect for her, right?"

Lauren nodded, "I think so. Can you bring more out?"

"I'll bring the whole bag." Rudy smiled, rushing off to her side of the house to get more.

"That's a brilliant idea, Doctor Lewis."

Lauren turned, seeing Mary smiling down at her, a walker providing support. The blonde carefully untangled herself from Harper and stood, leaning over the apparatus to give her a hug,

"Oh, I missed you so much." Lauren whispered.

Mary smiled, "Well, that was certainly mutual." She nodded towards the tree, "She insisted on saving Christmas for the two of you."

Lauren smiled, just now noticing the presents beneath the tree. She recognized the wrapping paper that was used on her gifts. Knowing that Rudy and Elise had opened everything she'd sent them on Christmas Day, she concluded that these were sent by her older sister,

"Bo sent gifts home to her? Why didn't she open them?"

Mary shook her head, "That child has more willpower than I had at her age. She wouldn't open the gifts until Bo was with her to watch. You did a video call, so she opened them. Actually, she and Elise haven't taken those necklaces off since they put them on."

Lauren grinned, "That's sweet."

"You'll see when she puts on her pajamas. As for her sister, well, you tell me. Where is my daughter, Lauren?"

The doctor folded her arms over her chest, "I haven't heard from Bo since I received a postcard not long after I left. I had assumed she was in touch with all of you… actually, I had assumed she was here with all of you other than the occasional training run, but now I've learned that is not true. You wouldn't tell me anything on Christmas, but it sounded like you had at least heard from her."

"She hasn't called you?" Mary asked, shocked.

Lauren shook her head, holding a finger over her lips when she heard Rudy running down the hallway, "And I told Rudy that was planned because of battery life on Bo's phone. I'd appreciate it if you stuck to that story."

"You lied to my daughter?" Mary asked.

"I'm sorry if you don't approve, but I won't…"

Mary waved her off, "Oh, I wholeheartedly approve. I'm just surprised you were willing to fib."

"Yea, well my conscience isn't happy about it, believe me." Lauren replied, holding a finger to her lips.

"I got pink! Harper loves pink!"

Lauren smiled, "Wow. I didn't know Harper made such bold fashion choices."

Mary moved closer, observing what the doctor was doing to the infirmed animal. In only moments, she caught on to what she was attempting to do,

"I believe I can sew something more permanent and easier to apply."

Lauren grinned, "I was hoping you would say that. The material needs to be slightly thicker and fur-lined if possible."

"Like doggie Mukluks?" Rudy asked.

Lauren grinned, "Exactly like doggie Mukluks. You'll have to run that idea by Kyle. It might be a great item to sell at the kennel."

"Cool!"

"Indeed." Lauren smiled, "You'll have to measure each limb to be sure there is some sort of elastic sleeve at the elbow that will allow the joint to bend and move naturally. In addition, they must be waterproof. For now, I'm going to wrap the legs in plastic to keep them dry and for additional protection against the cold. As I'm sure you know, her legs will be at extreme risk for frostbite. I fear that even a mild case would cause infection that would result in the loss of a limb."

Mary nodded, "Agreed. There is not much skin or muscle remaining on that one front leg. I'm sure we've got old waterproof jackets. I can make sleeves to go over the… doggie Mukluks… and add Velcro fasteners at the top and bottom."

"Perfect." Lauren replied.

"I'll get started on them right away. Do you plan to take her outside?"

Lauren nodded, "I hate to disagree with Tosh, but cold is a standard therapeutic modality when applied correctly. For Harper, the deep snow will allow her to stand longer which means progress in strengthening her muscles. Simultaneously, the cold will alleviate the pain and inflammation in the muscles and joints."

"Agreed." Mary replied.

"Great." Lauren nodded, "Okay, Roo. Get yourself dressed and let's take her and the other dogs out in the backyard."

"Cool!"

Lauren watched as Harper stood on wobbly legs, but seemingly steadier than she had been earlier. She licked the doctor's face, a gesture the blonde assumed meant it was working. Lauren turned to Mary,

"How about you? Want to get outside and breathe a little of the cool Alaskan fresh air?"

Mary smiled, "Finally, someone who understands. Your Nurses are wonderful women, but they would baby me as a newborn given the chance."

Lauren smiled, "They're afraid of Bo, so they don't want anything else to happen to you."

"I see. I suppose they could put me in a metal box for safe keeping."

The two women laughed as they moved to the door to pull on their outdoor gear. Rudy was way ahead of them, already heading towards the garage to release the rest of the dogs. She waved hello to everyone who was arriving for Lauren's welcome home dinner but didn't stop to say more. It had been months since she'd been outside in the snow with all of the dogs and she was excited to finally have some fun with Lauren.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After Dinner – The Homestead

While Molly, Tosh, Mary, Kyle, Kurt, Tamsin, Acacia and Adam continued to argue over next steps, Lauren was in the garage readying her sled. She had listened to their back and forth for the last hour. It had gotten them nowhere. Lauren didn't have time to sit around waiting for them to make up their collective minds, so she had decided to take matters into her own hands. She was going to get her sled together and – if Kurt wouldn't take her – she would get one of her other pilots to fly her over the mountain range to find Bo. If that didn't work, she would use her sled and find her that way. Something was wrong. She could feel it with every fiber of her being.

"Going somewhere?"

Lauren pulled the strings on the basket tight, securing all of her gear inside, "Well, if you're not going to do anything and her family isn't going to do anything, it's up to me."

"Doc, come on. You have less than a year of experience on a sled and you're going to take a team through Wrangell? Seriously. You're going to get yourself killed."

Lauren turned to face the blonde, "Tamsin, I appreciate your concern, but I am not going to just sit around arguing about where Bo may or may not be. She didn't travel all of that distance and not run into a living soul. She told everyone that she knew people. Well, I'm going to find them. Somebody knows something about where she is or where she was going. I'll find those people and then I'll find Bo."

Tamsin sat down on the bench of Lauren's sled and smiled, "Right. And how are you going to do that? It's not like there's some map app to lead you to her and even if it did, there's no directions out here where you just turn right at the corner grocery store and go straight on until morning."

"That's it!" Lauren said.

"Lauren, I know Bo is a bit like Peter Pan, but the straight on until morning bit was a joke. There's no magic Pixie dust and there's no Neverland. Just lots of forest, snow, ice and huge mountains to go over or around. Finding Bo with what we know would be like finding a needle in a haystack."

The doctor was still waving her phone at Tamsin by the time she finished, "Would you listen to me!"

"Lauren…"

"NO! Listen or leave. Choose, Tamsin!"

Tamsin took a breath, "Fine. I'm listening."

"Before you somehow went off on your Peter Pan tangent, you mentioned a map app."

"Lauren, a map app can't…"

The doctor shook her head and waved her hands, "Listen or leave!"

"Sorry, I'm just saying…"

"Geezus, Tamsin. You don't even know what I'm going to say! I have two doctorates! I'm not a fucking idiot! Let me talk!"

"Fine."

Lauren shook her head, opening her phone and showing Tamsin, "I can track her phone. I'm likely too far away right now, but if I can fly over the mountains, I might be able to pick up a signal. Mary said she took the satellite phone as well as her personal phone."

"But Lauren, if she's lost or hurt, the batteries will be dead."

The doctor shook her head, "The week before I left, Kyle showed me the solar charger mount they'd built into the rear cross rail of the sled. Kyle is almost positive Bo took at least one of the batteries with her because two are missing."

Tamsin stood, pacing back and forth, "Okay… now that's something we can work with. You mentioned she texted you shortly after you left. She would have wanted to keep her phone charged in case you responded, right?" She stopped pacing and turned to face the doctor, "Did the two of you have plans to speak while you were apart?"

Lauren shrugged, "Not scheduled plans, but we both agreed we would talk as we were able."

"Okay. I'm going with you." Tamsin said emphatically, "We'll need to haul another sled just in case her sled is the reason she's still gone."

Lauren shook her head, "I disagree. I say we just take the two sleds and I'll ask for two helo's to rotate shifts flying ahead of us."

"Kurt already volunteered which means Kelly will fly with him."

"Kelly?"

Tamsin nodded, "She's been working part time with the search and rescue teams. They said she's amazing with emergency care and field care. She's in her last week of jump school right now. Your team is ready to add two planes with a team of jumpers who can land on a mountain, find victims and provide emergency care until they can be retrieved."

Lauren was clearly surprised, "Wow. I had no idea that… well, I didn't know any of that was going on. Is Stephen aware?"

Tamsin shrugged, "Not my business, dude. So, back to this – think we can go in there and get everyone to come up with a solid plan without losing their minds again?"

Lauren shrugged, "Let's get your sled ready and then we'll find out. If they start bickering like children again, we'll be ready to head out."

Tamsin nodded, "Are you sure about this, Lauren? You haven't crossed a lake since our… incident on the North Slope and you've never pulled the trigger on an animal before. We're going into a very harsh and untamed wilderness with no hope around for hundreds of miles. I'd hate for Bo to show up only for them to have to tell her you've gone missing."

Lauren shrugged, "I know I'm inexperienced in comparison to you and some others, but I have to do this. I know I can do this. I will bring her home, Tamsin. No matter what."

"Okay then. Let's get this gear prepped and then we'll go talk to the angry mob in there."

Lauren chuckled, shaking her head, "They are a lively bunch."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Three Hours Later – Denali

The weather had turned from snow to ice as Kurt approached Denali's National Park. Seeing no other option, he set down at the entrance, explaining to Lauren and Tamsin that he was going to have to stay grounded until the storm either passed or conditions improved. He lifted his radio and gave orders to the other two choppers that had come with them. Kelly was flying with the programs' training officer. He was hand-picked by Lauren, so Kurt knew his fiancé was in good hands.

After ending the call, Lauren resisted to his plan to stay grounded, but Kyle reminded her that the plan was to save Bo, not for twelve people and six teams of dogs to die before they had a chance to find her. Kurt did offer an alternate plan, in which Lauren and Tamsin would proceed by sled while Kurt and Kyle traveled by air as soon as possible, scouting the ground below using the tools the Special Agent had 'borrowed' from the FBI supply depot. This would allow them to look for a heat signature using satellite imagery, thereby increasing the likelihood they were going in the right direction. It would also give Tamsin and Lauren a heads up if they were headed into wildlife trouble.

As soon as Kurt had pointed Lauren and Tamsin in the direction Bo had gone, he and Kyle headed into the park services office to wait out the storm. They would keep in touch by radio. Kurt stood by the window, watching as the two women packed their sleds and stood talking over the laminated map and GPS device Tamsin had 'borrowed' for their trek. His sister Kyle walked to the front desk, a big smile stretching across her face when she saw her old friend Katrina working the desk,

"Kat Winter! How the hell are you?"

The woman looked up, pushing her glasses up over her head, "My favorite twins! How are you two?"

Kyle smiled, "We're good."

Kurt smiled as well, walking over to give Kat a quick hug before heading to the weather room. He wanted to give Lauren and Tamsin any additional information he could. He was nervous about their plan. They were rookie Mushers at best and this trek was – in his more experienced opinion – insane. He was anxious to get off the ground and follow them, but he knew his sister would want him to hang back. The blades from the chopper could trigger an avalanche, so while he was worried about having them out of his sight, he knew Kyle was right. They would have to follow their GPS tracker and hope they would get there in time if they ran into trouble.

"Looks like a slow day around here." Kyle offered, watching her brother enter the weather room. She knew he was nervous. She was too, but they both knew that if they followed too closely, they risked burying their friends in a mountain of snow – quite literally. Avalanches were very real in the terrain they were traveling. Hell, they were very real just in the mountains of Anchorage.

"Never a slow day when you're around, my friend." She paused, "Hey, it's good to see you up and around. Word had it you would never walk again. Care to tell an old friend a story?"

Kyle smiled, adjusting her collar to hide the scar on the side of her neck and face, "You heard about Big Jim?"

Kat nodded, moving her eyes from the scarred skin of her friend, "Don't hide it, Kyle. It's a badge of fucking honor. You survived that hideous excuse for a human being trying to kill you and everyone in that building." She shook her head, "That bastard finally got his due. How's Bo?"

"How's Bo? I was hoping you had seen her. You didn't?"

Kat shook her head, "I mean, weeks ago she borrowed two climbing axes when she saw that we had ice on the mountain. I asked her about what went down with Jim, but she was in a hurry. When I found out she was planning to head up Denali, I tried to talk her out of it, but she said her Mom needed medicines. At least, I think she said her Mom. I thought her Mom was dead."

Kyle nodded, "Bo did get the medicines back to town."

"Wow. So, it's true? Her Mom is back?"

"Yup. In the flesh. You knew her, right?"

Kat nodded, "Yup. Bo and I grew up together on the North Slope. It's why I'm one of the few people she has actual conversations with… if you want to call them that."

Kyle shook her head, "She's much more… social now."

Kat smiled, "She was a fucking social butterfly as a kid. Too bad the other kids weren't nicer to her - I mean, given her roots. My Mom taught me a more… accepting… approach, so the rumors about her birth origins never bothered us. Our Moms were good friends." She chuckled, "We were thick as thieves, I'll tell ya. Yea. I knew her back then… and her Mom. Great lady. She kicked ass in the Iditarod. I'll bet Mary Dennis would have won if she'd had another chance."

Kyle laughed, "Well, Mary is back and getting better every day. Maybe she'll have another run in her after all. I've seen her on a sled sick and she's no slouch. She'd be a force when healthy."

"That would be awesome. The Dennis women racing together. I'd pay to see that." Kat smiled, "So, what brings you two here today?"

Kurt came back into the room, moving to the window, "Twelve of us." She nodded towards the window, "Three choppers with four S&R crews with two dog teams each. Two of them are out front prepping to leave. Bo's gone missing. Last we heard, she was leaving here, heading over the Yukon and down to Wrangell before finishing her trip in Glacier Bay. From there, she was supposed to call me or Kyle for a ride back."

Kat stood staring at Kyle, her eyes traveling to where Kurt stood by the window as she shook her head, "What happened?"

"What do you mean what happened?" Kyle asked.

Kat stood from her desk, "You and I both know that Bo Dennis is likely going to go down in history as the most skilled Musher that ever got behind a team of dogs. That means you and I both know that Bo would never make that trip this time of year unless something happened to either make her angry as hell or upset."

Kat shook her head, turning back to Kyle, "I'm just glad she didn't try to summit Denali to get her frustrations out. We have six climbers missing that insisted on going up there this morning."

"Shit. Really?" Kyle asked.

Kat nodded, "Just lost contact about twenty minutes ago. Jonathan was actually going to call Bo for the search and rescue team. We haven't seen her over the past eight months or so – turned down every job Jonathan offered… turned him down flat, no discussion. Her people here have been wondering what's been happening. She hasn't been around and when she is, she seems… different – in a hurry to get out of here."

Kyle released a heavy breath, "She seems to be in a hurry in everything she does these days."

They both looked to Kurt who removed his hat and shouted, "Where the hell is she?"

Kyle walked over, placing a hand on her brothers' shoulder. She glimpsed through the window, watching the two women brace themselves against the wind,

"This is crazy. They shouldn't be going out in this. They should wait."

Kyle laughed, "Really? Why didn't I think of that? Oh! I did! And you agreed with Lauren! With Lauren, Kurt! A rookie Musher, at best!"

Kurt pulled his ball cap back on and looked down on his sister, "I know! Okay? I just knew she wouldn't take no for an answer. We'll follow as close as we can. Besides, Tamsin put a GPS tracker on each of them. I have an app attached to my phone and the big receiver is in the chopper."

Kyle grinned, "I knew you two wouldn't let Doc go running off without some plan. I can't believe Tamsin didn't tell me."

"Really, Kyle? You can't keep a secret to save your life. The idea was for Lauren not to know we were tracking her."

Kyle twisted her mouth and cocked her hip, "Ass."

"Brat."

Kyle hugged her brother, smiling until she felt her throat tighten, "I'm worried, Kurt."

"Me too, Sis. We have to trust that Bo is still the same Bo we've always known and struggled to love."

Kyle chuckled, "Speak for yourself. I've always loved that woman, scorning me or not. She's special, Kurt. We all know it. We all have to trust it. She knows what she's doing."

Kurt nodded, "But you're still worried."

Kyle nodded, "Out of my mind."

"Me too." Kurt admitted, "But right now, I'm more worried that your girl won't be able to talk the Doc out of leaving right now. If she gets dead, Bo will never forgive any of us."

"Very true." Kyle admitted, shoving her hands deep into her pockets.

Kat walked up behind the pair, "Why are you two so worried? I mean, we're talking about Bo Dennis. She carried a man down from Denali's summit while dragging another behind her. If anyone can survive out there, it's the Queen of Alaska... yea, I'm having that trademarked and I'm making T-shirts."

"Very funny, but this is no laughing matter." Kyle scowled, "You're right. She is different and she has reason to keep in touch with us."

"Different how?" Kat asked.

"She's got people now."

"People?" Kat asked with a chuckled, "The kind of people that Bo Dennis has in her life are business associates and enemies. Someone must have burned her. Are you sure she didn't just go dark?"

"Not this time." Kyle shook her head, "There's… a woman. She's her… everything."

"Wow. Bo? In love?" Kat asked, clearly surprised by the news.

"Yea, I know." Kyle turned towards Kat, "Like I said, she's… changed. Everything has changed. She's got family. Real family. Not only is her Mom back, but Bo's got a little sister she never knew she had. She wouldn't take chances now."

"Did her lover and her fight?" Kat asked.

Kyle shrugged, "They were going through a rough patch, but they were working things out. They had a plan."

"And was going off on a suicidal sledding trek across the Yukon and Wrangell at this time of year part of that plan, Kyle?"

Kyle pulled back, staring defiantly at her friend, "Wait a minute. I thought you were just all… 'what are you so worried about, Kyle? She's Bo Dennis – Musher extraordinaire.' Now the trip is suicidal?"

Kat shrugged, "Well, it is for everyone else. It's a foolish risk, but Bo isn't one to do something like that unless she's motivated to do it. We all know that, Kyle. Now, if it is like you said, and Bo has these new reasons to stay alive and be cautious, there are easier training runs on these lands. For that matter, rounding Denali would be easier than crossing those two ranges."

Kyle shrugged, knowing Kat was right. Her mind was filled with potential reasons Bo might have chosen this route, but in the end, none of them made sense. What the hell was going on? She looked up at Kat,

"As far as I know, she was of sound mind when she left me at the Kennel Store. We were picking frame designs for the new sleds we're manufacturing. She was going back home and I was meeting her there with the rest of the family."

"Family. Now there's a word you don't usually associate with Bo."

"Not helping, Kat." Kurt snarked, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, well let's talk about this woman she's reportedly in love with. Did she argue with her?"

Kyle shrugged, "Bo was being Bo, so Lauren left – sort of without saying goodbye."

"That'll do it for Bo. She's a hothead, that one." Kat replied, shaking her head.

"You don't understand, Kat. When Bo met Lauren, she really threw her off kilter. Everyone could see it right away. It was like there was this aura around the two of them whenever they were together."

"Oh geez. Don't go all 'new age' on me, Kyle."

"Shut it, Kat. I mean it. They're an amazing couple. I mean, at first it was oil and water, but the opposites attract kind. Then, over time, things evolved and Bo… well, with everything she was going through with Big Jim, she became kind of overprotective of Lauren and at the same time, more reckless with her own life."

"More reckless? That's not even possible." Kat laughed, but Kyle shrugged her off as she continued,

"Anyway, Lauren is a doctor, so she has no time for Bo's brand of heroics – especially when she almost gets herself killed."

Kat cocked her head, "Well, she is Bo Dennis. It's kind of expected. Doesn't this Lauren know that? Sounds to me like this Lauren chick is expecting Bo to change the very core of who she is to fit her lifestyle."

Kyle considered Kat's comment, "I guess I never thought of it that way."

Grinning, Kat replied, "Well, you sort of did the same thing when you were trying to land Bo. As a matter of fact, so did Tamsin and Dyson and everyone else who has tried to get Bo to commit to a relationship."

"Dyson?"

Kyle spun towards the door when she heard Lauren's voice. She gave her brother a side nod, angry he didn't warn her the two women had come inside.

"Hey, Lauren. This is Kat. She's a Ranger here at Denali and a childhood friend of Bo's."

Kat extended her hand to Lauren who hesitated before shaking it.

The Doctor then turned back to Kyle, "Bo and Dyson were together?"

Kyle shoved her hands in her pockets again, "Not… nah."

Lauren scowled as Kyle looked to Tamsin to offer her a reprieve. The agent smiled, stepping towards Kat,

"Hi. I'm Tamsin."

"My girlfriend…" Kyle smiled as Tamsin leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, "… and a Federal Agent. I thought you two were leaving."

Tamsin smiled, "We've decided to wait to see if the weather breaks."

Lauren glared at Kyle, wanting to ask more about the conversation she had overheard, but she pushed thoughts of Dyson aside and focused on what Kat had said before she had mentioned the Sheriff,

"I suppose you're right."

Kat turned to Lauren, confused by the statement, "About what?"

"That I've been trying to change the very core of who Bo is."

Realization struck Kat, "Oh! You're Bo's girlfriend! Sorry. I just heard your name for the first time and… well… look, I really shouldn't judge. I have just met you and I haven't seen you and Bo together. Even if I had, it's still none of my business."

"Maybe not," Lauren replied, "But it's the golden rule in relationships. Loving someone also means loving them just the way they are. I think that I've been so worried about losing Bo to any number of tragic circumstance that I forgot to remember to just simply… love her."

Kat stood still, staring at the blonde, struck by her words, "Wow. That's kind of… beautiful."

Lauren blushed, "Thanks."

Kat turned back to Tamsin, "So you have…" she caught herself, "… all the equipment a Federal Agent could need to track someone?"

Tamsin watched as Lauren turned to a wall of tourist pamphlets, then spoke softly to Kat, "Yes. You should be able to follow us as we conduct our search."

"You're using a standard grid?"

Tamsin nodded, "Affirmative."

Lauren ran her fingers over the pamphlets about Denali, smiling as she remembered the first time the weather had lifted from its peak in Talkeetna, giving her full view of its awesome and powerful presence. It was a moment she had shared with Bo and one she would never forget. She had spent a lot of time over the past months thinking about all of the firsts she'd shared with the Musher…

Flashback, Provincetown Beach House…

Lauren lay by the water's edge, the tide moving back and forth over her legs as her body sunk deeper into the sand with the movements of the current. She dropped her head back onto the surfboard behind her and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of the hot late October sun on her face and chest. The cool northern breeze common at this time of year, rushed over her skin. It was absolutely perfect weather – much warmer than most October weeks in the Northeastern Coast and a sharp contrast to the cold, snow swept arctic fall she had left behind.

"The bathing beauty emerges from her morning workout."

Lauren chuckled, her eyes now open and rolling behind her tinted aviators, "And the post-workout silence is broken by her meddling attorney, who likely has more forms for her to sign that are – of course – urgent. Just once, this week I wish business could wait until after I've had some fabulous fresh fruit and cup of coffee."

Patrick laughed, taking a seat next to his friend and handing her a cup and a bowl, "Your wish is my command, M'Lady."

Lauren looked to her left, a broad smile stretching across her face. She pushed her glasses up over her head, pushing her hair back with them,

"My hero." She smiled, taking a spoonful of strawberries into her mouth, "Mmmm… that is so good! I miss fresh fruit so much."

He smiled, "It's the main reason I haven't permanently moved to your new state."

Lauren chuckled, "And here I thought it was the – what did you call it – murderous wildlife?"

Patrick shrugged, "I do not fear the wildlife, murderous or otherwise. I know first-hand that your hero – the beautiful brunette babe named Bo – will have her axes flying when the bears stand on their hind legs. That woman can run interference like no other human alive."

The blonde frowned, "Don't remind me. I've got a collection of Bo Dennis' X-rays and MRI's and to last a lifetime. As a bonus, I have enough shrapnel to make our engagement rings, wedding rings, two necklaces, two bracelets and hardware for all of our cabinets."

He sighed, leaning back on his elbows as Lauren sat up and continued to enjoy the fresh bowl of fruit, her coffee cup now firmly planted in the sand. Patrick turned to his friend, resuming their conversation from the night before,

"But you love her anyway… and you're exaggerating. You know, when you got here, you were all about getting to Alaska as soon as possible. You'd made up your mind, you couldn't imagine a life without her. What the hell happened? It's been what, two or three weeks?"

Lauren sighed, dropping her spoon into her bowl and cocking her head towards her lawyer, "We've been through this, Patrick. Sometimes love just isn't enough."

"So that's it? You've made your decision? You're calling it quits? Should I stop the paperwork?"

Picking a single blueberry from the bowl, she shook her head, "No, I'm just stating a fact."

"Okay. So, what's the plan? You're just going to keep stating negative facts?"

Lauren looked back at her friend, "Negative?"

Patrick tipped his head to the side, "Yes, negative. All I've heard for the last few weeks is the bad things about your relationship with Bo. You haven't once admitted to loving her since we got here. Until last night, you have continually refused to have any meaningful conversation about it."

"So?" She shrugged.

"So? You'll pardon me if I'm not amused by your flip attitude towards the little vacation I've taken here at your request, but the whole reason you wanted me here was to help me navigate your financial, professional and personal life. Remember that whole soundboard thing…"

"Okay, okay! I know!"

"So, when are we going to talk?" Patrick insisted.

Lauren popped a few more blueberries in her mouth and turned to put the bowl atop the surfboard, grabbing a strawberry before picking up her coffee to take a sip. Patrick remained silent, watching as his friend pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She stared out across the ocean, a finger picking nervously at the lid of her cup. He gave her another minute, then began,

"Lauren…"

"Later." She said, effectively cutting him off.

Patrick sighed, surrendering to the familiar silence. It would be up to him to restart their earlier conversation, so he offered a suggestion of sorts, "You know, this reminds me of the time you were wondering if you should back out of an engagement."

She took another sip of her coffee and ignored the comment, but Patrick knew better than to let her off that easy, so he continued,

"Is that where we are now? Is the feeling the same?"

Lauren took another sip of her coffee, then pushed it into the sand once more. She turned, grabbing the cuff of her surfboard leash, and wrapping it around her ankle as she spoke only one word,

"Later."

Patrick shook his head as he watched her stand, reaching behind her head to pull the zipper up on her wetsuit. The sun was hot for this time of year, but the water was freezing cold. Full wet suits were a must for surfing this time of year. She turned and sat on her board, pulling on her booties, gloves and then stretching the tight hood over her head. Finally, she grabbed her board before heading into the water without the slightest glance or further discussion.

"Just remember, last night you were crying in your soup wondering why Bo asked for a break!" Patrick called out.

"Soup is a great idea for dinner! It's always better reheated anyway!" Lauren called out in return.

Patrick sighed, grabbing the bowl of fruit. He popped a few strawberries in his mouth as he watched his friend paddle out beyond the break. Shaking his head, he put the berries down and spat his sarcastic reply,

"Hey Patrick, by the way, thanks so much for cutting up fruit, putting it in a bowl, making me a great cup of coffee just the way I like it, putting it in my favorite Yeti so it would stay warm for a long while, for coming out to check on me…"

He watched as his friend caught a wave and rode it to shore, before he added, his reply to his own thank you, "… it's nothing, Lauren. Don't worry about it, Lauren. You're welcome, Lauren. I'm always here for you, Lauren, I want to meet your every need, oh wise one… to satisfy your every whim… even when you fucking take me for granted."

Lauren paddled back out, oblivious to her friend's meanderings. Patrick sighed, standing and brushing the sand off of his tan, lean, muscular body. He knew she couldn't hear him, but he shouted anyway,

"You know, sometimes you can be a real bitch, Lewis!" He shrugged, "Oh well, if you can't beat her, join her, Patrick, because only the good Lord knows that you love that woman to pieces… platonically speaking."

He headed back to the shed and pulled out his board, smiling when he noticed that Lauren had already waxed it for him,

"Okay, so maybe you don't take me for granted… all the time."

After putting on his protective gear, he paddled out and joined his friend for the next several waves, the two competing as they often did when together. It was like old times - the times when both of them were still under the respective thumbs of their domineering Fathers - the times before Lauren became a respected Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Patrick a highly respected and sought-after Defense Attorney.

When they were faking their parent-pleasing, society-appropriate romance they would escape here, to Lauren's beach home. By day, the paparazzi would find and photograph them 'flirting' playfully in the water and on the shore, at times even peeking in the windows until they would call the police to chase them away. Still, they laughed it off since it was fantastic fodder for the society pages and helped them to keep up their ruse. At night, they would go to the places the photographers wouldn't go – to the Tea Parties and Drag Shows - to live their true lives.

When they were too spent to surf another wave, they laid on their boards allowing the steady flow of the sea to rock them into a state of complete and utter relaxation. These were the moments where Patrick would wait for Lauren to open up. She always did and, as expected, everything eventually came flooding out,

"I love her, Patrick. God help me I love her. I think I'm just terrified of losing her. When I was at sea, I had resigned myself to the fact that it could happen, but when I weighed it against the idea of missing her for even one more day, I decided it was worth it! Then, I came here and… I was in the E.R. observing the new Chief and this construction worker came in who had fallen from that new building in downtown. He wasn't wearing a harness and all of these other OSHA safety reg breeches were identified."

She threw up her hands, "All of these workers were there, worried about their friend… yellow construction helmets everywhere… it reminded me of Bo… that it could be Bo on that gurney being rushed into the hospital… my hospital… again. She's so damn reckless with her life."

"Why?"

"Why?" Lauren asked.

"Yes. Why do you think she's so reckless? I mean, think of the times where she has put herself in harm's way. What's the common denominator? Was she building a home or building?"

Lauren pondered the question for a moment, allowing all of the times she could remember to pass through her mind. Finally, she replied,

"No, of course not. She was always saving someone."

Patrick nodded, "Yup."

"And that makes it okay? She's not Supergirl. She's human! Flesh and blood just like you and me."

Patrick shrugged, "Well, the concept of a superhero, powers notwithstanding, is what we all dream of having in our hour of need. In my mind, Bo is the very definition of a superhero. She may not have superhuman powers, but she has knowledge, strength and instinct. She has tools, too. Not just her construction tools, gardening tools, trapping tools, mushing equipment or weapons… although we've all seen her use an axe. She handles those things like Mary handles a set of knitting needles or a crochet hook."

Patrick chuckled, though Lauren failed to see the humor in what he was saying, "Look, Lauren. What I'm trying to say is that she's got the tools to do the things she does. She takes calculated risks, but she's survived doing what she does for decades on her own without you there to put her back together. She'll survive for decades more with you by her side."

"So, I'm just supposed to accept that my future wife may someday die trying to save someone else?"

Again, Patrick shrugged, "Let me ask you something. What was the single most annoying thing that Nadia did during your marriage? The one thing that almost prevented you from making the biggest mistake of your life? The one thing that you regretted most after making said mistake."

"Wow. Rub it in much?"

He grinned, "Consider that my way of saying 'told you so' without actually saying the words."

"You're hysterical." Lauren said sarcastically.

"Well?"

"What?"

"Answer the question." Patrick replied.

Lauren crossed her hands behind her head and thought for a moment. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, thinking back on her previous marriage before she replied,

"I hated that she always complained about my schedule… that I was always working. That even when I was home, I was still working. That even my hobbies were work."

Patrick laughed, "Well, you have to admit that while the rest of us were here to relax on weekends and read smut novels, you were reading medical journals and books on surgical techniques." He laughed harder, "I remember the one day you drove back to Boston to buy a sewing machine just so you could…"

"Examine the various types of stitching to see if one would hold better than another." Lauren smiled.

Patrick grinned, "Then you practiced a hand-stitching version of the best one until you figured out a way to use it on patients."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, people take for granted that arteries are not as flexible and easy to hold as they think. They're thick and slippery and sometimes very brittle if the patient hasn't lived a healthy lifestyle."

"Don't go there, Lauren."

"The truth hurts, huh? Well, you're almost seven years without a cigarette. Thanks to me, you're slowly reversing the damage you did in your early years as a smoker."

"Wow. That's progress."

Lauren turned to her friend, "What's progress?"

"You didn't feel a need to say two-pack-a-day-smoker." He smiled.

"It goes without saying." Lauren quipped.

Patrick sighed, "Well, to get back to the subject at hand, it sounds like you hated that Nadia hated the core of who you were… and still are."

Lauren sat up, "How's that?"

He sat up too, extending his hand to pull Lauren next to him. They held each other's boards so as not to drift apart as he explained,

"Saving lives is what you do, Lauren. I know that. I also know that we could be interrupted at any moment and our little weekend getaway together would come to a screeching halt when the reality of who you are crashed down on us. I've never questioned it and never been upset by it. When you have to go do what you do, I just roll with it."

Lauren smiled, "And I've always appreciated that about our friendship. You've always respected my work and my dedication to it."

Patrick nodded, "And the time that we were in the middle of the freeway and you jumped out of your car, dodging traffic to get to that vehicle that had rolled over, I jumped out and stopped traffic to help you."

Lauren smiled, "I'll admit, that was a bit… reckless."

He watched as his friend began to connect the dots, "Yea. But in that moment, the core of who you are kicked in and you focused on the one thing you knew to be true…"

"… if I didn't act, someone was going to die."

Patrick shrugged, "Maybe not, but sure it was possible. A paramedic, firefighter, police officer would all control the scene before approaching. You, on the other hand, are used to working in a hospital where the patient is brought to you. There's no need to check for traffic before you go to them."

Lauren nodded, "That's very insightful of you, Counselor."

He smiled, "I'm a lawyer. My job is to gather and interpret all of the facts of a case – both sides, not just my clients. When facts aren't enough, I look at mental, emotional or social reasons for the actions of both parties to use to support or contradict an argument. Regardless, I'm gathering information and remaining neutral as I interpret the data."

"And that's what you're doing now? Playing neutral party?"

"You and Bo are more alike than you'd care to admit, Lauren."

"Oh?" Lauren asked.

He chuckled, "Come on, Lauren. You're the smartest person I know. You've already come to the same conclusion I have. You're just not ready to admit it."

"Maybe." Lauren replied.

"Okay. Then I'll do it for you." He smiled, "Your Honor, I call your attention to the first piece of evidence. Just as Dr. Lewis ran into traffic without thinking to save a life, Bo put herself between that chick in the bar and the bear all those months ago. Especially since she felt responsible for taking her out there to begin with. When she threw her into the lake's ice-cold water, I'm sure flashbacks of what happened with LJ when he was just a kid came into her mind. That would only make her feel more guilt which would, in turn, make it even more important that she saved her."

"Okay, I get it."

"But I haven't presented all of my evidence, Your Honor. Please hear me out. I've worked very hard on this case and don't want any of my hard work to go to waste."

Lauren laughed, "Very well. Continue, Counselor."

Patrick grinned, "I love when I get my way."

"Oh, I know you do. Especially with that guy… what was his name? Jeb?"

"Jeff."

"Whatever."

"I did have my way with him." Patrick grinned, licking his lips.

"You're gross."

"I'm in love."

"You're in lust. There's a difference."

"True." Patrick admitted, "You're trying to distract me."

"It's not that difficult."

"Not when you bring up that hunk of burnin' love from Friday night." Patrick swooned.

Lauren smiled, "You're dating yourself, Counselor."

"I'm nothing if not retro."

Lauren laughed, "By definition."

"Whatever." Patrick said, waving her off, "If I may continue?"

"Of course."

"I bring into evidence, case number two. Bo is considered an expert in the wilderness of Alaska. So anytime there's an incident in the wild, she'll jump in to save the day. She's the tactical wilderness surgeon to your heart surgeon. She knows what to do, how to do it and her motivation is the same. She's not going to stand by and let someone die when she has the knowledge and skills to save them. Sound familiar?"

"You may have a point."

"I have a point and you know it. Then there's Mary."

"What about her?"

Patrick shrugged, "You know, for a long time now, I've been trying to put myself in Bo's shoes. She had an incredible relationship with her Mom when she was a kid. I've talked to Mary. Did you know they went everywhere together?"

Lauren shook her head as Patrick continued,

"Mary drove her to school with her sled, stayed in town all day long while she was in school and then they would walk to the corner store for a piece of candy. They did that every single day. When Bo was old enough, they drove to and from school together side-by-side on their sleds, each with their own team of dogs. Mary taught her a different lesson about driving a sled every day and she's not too proud to admit she would be dead had it not been a young Bo saving her out on a lake near their home."

Lauren nodded, "I can't get what happened up on the North Slope out of my head. Watching Mary bounce around on the ice like a rag doll… I can't imagine Bo watching her Mom drop through the ice when she was so young. It must have been so traumatic."

Patrick agreed, "I don't think she's ever really gotten over that. I think the fact that it happened to Mary and then again with LJ – I think it's why she buys into this whole idea of a curse. Anyway, they were so close and then she was gone. I can't imagine what she must have gone through at that age. The rumors about her Mother's demise… I mean… they were best friends. What that could do to a kid and how it could impact the adult they became… it's unthinkable."

Lauren looked up, her eyes traveling to the horizon. The sunrise this morning had been beautiful, and it was shaping up to be an equally glorious day. It had not escaped her that Bo would be waking up to darkness and have only two hours of twilight.

"I can't imagine the overwhelming sadness and dismay she must have felt." Lauren finally replied, her voice almost a whisper.

"I would think it would have a great deal to do with why Bo holds on so tightly to things she loves. The fear of losing something she values greatly must be tied to those early memories. It may also explain why she took so long to allow herself to become invested in any social relationships. Sure, she had Kyle, Dyson, Pops, Mark, Molly and a few others, but it seems to me that they were more business relationships than true friendships."

Lauren nodded, "As far as I know, until last year, Kenzi had been her only true friend. I suppose Vex is a friend by default, but he seems to work on her last nerve when he's around. I know that she had… a thing… with Kyle and Tamsin, but they all told me the same story – no relationship, no sharing and nothing deep. She never stuck around until morning and they never spent consecutive days together. In short, she kept her distance from everyone."

Patrick laughed, "I'd have to agree."

Lauren nodded, wanting to take the diplomatic approach.

Patrick continued, "Then there's Big Jim. I think Bo will always feel responsible for the damage he caused… especially after realizing that he was her Father. He ruined so many lives - many of them just for the enjoyment of taking revenge on her. How could a person not feel responsible?"

"You blame Bo?" Lauren asked.

"Of course not, Lauren. Big Jim was a bad man who made malicious choices. Bo had nothing to do with what he did, but that doesn't mean she doesn't blame herself. It also doesn't mean that she doesn't in some way believe she may have inherited some of his traits. The old philosophy that 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree' stuck around for all of these centuries because there is some truth to it."

"The curse." Lauren concluded, receiving nod from her friend.

"Again, I believe we are our choices, but I'm not Bo. Maybe she needs someone to remind her of that. Someone who also believes that she isn't her Father."

Lauren nodded, "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to go for a run."

"Surfing wasn't enough for you?"

Lauren shook her head, "I haven't been able to run in Alaska since I arrived."

Patrick shrugged, "I don't know why. There's streets and roads just like here."

Lauren chuckled, shaking her head, "Yea, but we don't have bears."

"But we do have criminals." Patrick countered, "We're all watching out for something."

"I suppose." Lauren said, her eyes traveling up to the horizon.

"I don't know why you're so worried out there. Just do what it says in that poem Bo taught you."

Smiling, the blonde nodded, "Easier said than done. Every time I've encountered a bear with anyone, I've froze."

"Maybe, but you can't stop living because you're afraid of something that may never happen, my friend. Besides, you haven't been alone in any of those situations. If you were alone, you might react differently. Now, what was that poem?"

Grinning, Lauren turned to her friend, "You and Betsy have hiked all over the place and you don't know it?"

He shrugged, "I'm counting on Betsy to save us. That woman's sharp as a tack. Besides, the one encounter we had, she whipped out that bear spray and he took off."

"That's because it was a black bear."

Patrick laughed, "I wouldn't know the difference. I don't know the poem."

"Well, you should because there's a big difference," she recited, "If it's brown, lay down, if it's black, fight back, if it's white, good night."

"Wasn't a polar bear the first bear you saw when you went to Alaska?"

Lauren nodded, "But LJ took it down with his shotgun," she shook her head, "All I could think in that moment was how cruel it was that he was killing a bear… until it came at us. Until then, I'd only seen the ones in the zoo. They look so playful and innocent there."

"Yea, well they're not fed three square meals a day in the wild."

Lauren smiled, looking down at her fingers, "I'm pruning."

He gave her a nod and laid down on his board before the pair paddled to shore side-by-side, then went their separate ways. Patrick headed in to take a shower. Then, he planned to check in with his office. It was time he started getting Lauren on the road back to Bo. She'd been away for over a month and was getting too comfortable in her isolation.

If he allowed her to do this for too long, she would regress into her old ways and dive into her work, building walls to any and all emotions until she became the robotic surgeon he had first met. That was the heiress Doctor Lauren Lewis, not his friend that everyone knew and loved. The rich girl was long dead and he intended to make sure it stayed that way.

Present Day, Denali Park Office…

As Lauren returned to the land of the living, she looked down, her mind finally paying attention to the tourism pamphlet beneath her fingertips. She recognized the word Yukon and pulled it from its cubby to see the full title, 'Yukon Quest Alaska'. A photo of a team of dogs and a Musher raised her curiosity, so she opened it and began to read softly,

'The race is on and will begin on February 13, 2021 at 11:00am local time in Fairbanks, Alaska. Musher sign up will be Saturday, October 3, 2020 – location to be determined. The YQ300 Qualifier will follow the standard route as in past year and is a qualifier for the YQ1000. As more information becomes available, it will be posted…'

She opened the pamphlet, noting the standard route. She walked away from the group of friends at the entrance, moving to the map in the back. She held up the pamphlet, comparing the race route to the map of the national park and surrounding areas before pulling out her GPS device and loading the coordinates. She then walked back to the group,

"Tell me about this race." She said flatly to the Park Ranger, handing her the pamphlet.

Kat smiled handing the pamphlet immediately back to Lauren, "Bo doesn't do the YQ300."

"Maybe she did. She would need to qualify for the YQ1000, right? So tell me about this race." She said, more sternly, shoving the pamphlet into Kat's chest.

Kat shoved the pamphlet back into Lauren's chest, "Begging your pardon, Ma'am, but I've known Bo for a lot longer than any of you and since her first top five Iditarod finishes, she's never been interested in the YQ. The prize money is shit and other than the weather, it's not a challenge for her. It's a race for other Mushers, but for Bo and her dogs, it's just a normal day of living in harsh conditions… normal conditions by her standards."

Lauren shook her head, "Look, Katherine… you're a Park Ranger. I'm a visitor. I'm asking you a question. Think of me as a tourist and humor me. Tell me about this race."

The doctor's anger and frustration with the ranger was apparent as she held out the pamphlet. Kat turned to Kyle, but Lauren gripped her forearm,

"Don't look at her. I asked you a question. I'd like an answer."

Kat's eyes traveled down to where the visitor was gripping her arm, "Look… Lauren, is it?" She looked down at her wrist again, "Uh… do you mind?"

Lauren released the limb as the ranger continued, "I promise you that I've known Bo Dennis since we were kids. She wouldn't waste her time with…"

"Look… Kat, is it?" Lauren said, sarcastically, "I promise you that Bo Dennis and I have had conversations that you would never understand, and I say there is a good chance she did enter this race. As a matter of fact, I'm certain of it!"

"Why would she…"

"For reasons you couldn't possibly understand!" Lauren shouted, "You know the old Bo. I know the new Bo and I'm telling you that the new Bo entered this race for many reasons that you are not privy too! Now please, I am asking you for the last time before I start making calls to your boss, tell me about this race!"

The Park Ranger just smirked, shaking her head, "She didn't register for that race."

Kyle stepped forward,

"Kat, to be clear, this is Doctor Lauren Lewis, world renowned Cardiothoracic Surgeon, heiress to the Lewis Enterprise fortune and owner of the Talkeetna Emergency Services Brigade that flies this mountain to rescue your ass. If I were you, I would tell her anything she wants to know in addition to the intended names of your first-born children. She is totally pissed at me for telling you all of that right now, but not nearly as pissed as she'll be if you don't tell her what she wants to know about Bo. Stop being a jealous bitch and tell her, Kat."

Kyle offered a small smile to Lauren whose eyes were wide, "Jealous?"

"Let it go, Lauren." Tamsin whispered in the doctor's ear.

Kat sighed, waving the small group to the map on the wall,

"Well, since we have a rich celebrity in the house, let me explain."

Lauren charged around the large desk, heading right towards the Ranger, "You know what? That's it! I'm gonna…"

Tamsin and Kyle grabbed both of Lauren's arms while Kat stood there laughing, her arms folded over her chest.

Tamsin stepped in front of Lauren and walked her backwards for a few feet, "Lauren, she is a Federal employee. You hit her, there's not much I could do to help you out of prison, but I promise you that when all of this is over, I will write her up for conduct unbecoming and interfering with a Federal investigator… well, that second one is a little thin, but the first would be enough to put her on probation here at work."

Lauren sighed, "Deal. She'd better hope she never lands on my operating room table."

"Uh… Hippocratic Oath?"

Lauren shrugged, "I didn't say I wouldn't help her. I'll just be very busy with another patient and she'll have to be treated by a resident and first year nurse."

Tamsin chuckled, "Lewis, you just don't have that kind of heart. Now if it were me…"

"She'd be a goner."

"Definitely." Tamsin smirked, turning around to face Kat. She reached behind her and pulled out her credentials,

"I believe you caught the Special Agent part of when Kyle introduced me. So far, I've got you on conduct unbecoming and you are quickly escalating to interfering with a Federal Agent's investigation."

"Bo is under Federal Investigation? Yea, right."

"She's missing in my territory, she is a key witness in an ongoing investigation of Big Jim Morton, so yes… her whereabouts are always my concern."

Kat lowered her arms, "Right. So, this race is way north of where you suspect Bo was going. You said she was going to Wrangell-St. Elias, but this race starts way up here, north of Denali in Fairbanks. They run up to Two Rivers, then on to Central and Circle City before heading down into the Glacier Mountains and crossing over into Canada. Nasty territory."

Lauren nodded, "Continue."

"Well, from there, they head down into Dawson City, crossing the Yukon River before going through the Klondike Plateau. Most of the lower section travels right along the Takhini River before it follows along the southern steep of the Yukon."

Kat paused, staring at the map and shaking her head,

"That's some gnarly territory and only for older, experienced mushers who are running the race purely for themselves. Like I said, it's a cheap race and the purse to the winner is just as cheap. The people who do this race hate the press and attention of the Iditarod. Sure, there's some Iditarod racers who run this, but they usually do it just to say they did. Bo doesn't have anything to prove. Besides, this race is for mushers who embrace the solitary life. They like it cold, dark and empty – just like their hearts. That's not Bo… at least, not the Bo I've always known and loved. I mean… well, we've known each other a long time, that's all."

Lauren swallowed hard, ignoring the woman's obvious crush on her fiancé in addition to the possibility that Bo had bedded her. Instead, her mind had moved on from Kat's words to memories of the Bo she met over a year ago now. The dark, dangerous stranger… almost animalistic in her demeanor when she busted through the doors of the General Store and held a knife to a man's throat who was three times her size. She looked at Tamsin who shook her head while Lauren cocked hers and turned back to Kat,

"Tell me more."

"I'd heard people up in Talkeetna talk that Bo was more animal than human, but that's not how she was with me. She was different…"

Lauren shook her head, waving her hands as her frustration caused her to raise her voice, "I could care less about what you think you know or don't know about Bo! I want to know more about this race!"

Kat hesitated, her eyes on Kyle who nodded,

"Well, if she did this race, she had to have all of her food to race central in advance so they could deliver it to the checkpoints. There's a lot of nutrition requirements – snacks, variety…"

"Stuff Bo already does. Continue." Lauren said, cranking her arm as if to hurry Kat along.

"Most mushers tend to cycle the dogs in and out of the race by putting them in the basket to rest while the rest of the team continues to run."

"Again, similar to the Iditarod. What separates this race from that one?" Lauren asked, still searching for the reason Bo would have wanted to do this race.

"Are you kidding? Cold. Really, really, fucking cold. Temperatures of -40F and colder are not unusual for this race... and that's without the wind chill factored in. If temperatures are above 25F, she'll probably run more at night when it's colder than during the hotter times of day. The snow will be faster and the dogs will be more comfortable exerting themselves."

Lauren summarized, "So teams pretty much run around the clock. Any sleep is on the sled and any food is at a quick rest stop. So, Bo will be checking equipment and catching a bite to eat while the dogs rest and eat. When does she sleep?"

Kat shrugged, "She won't sleep that often. There are four mandatory layovers where she'll have to stop for a designated amount of time. Other than that, I'd guess…"

"She'll keep running." Lauren replied.

"I'm not sure which checkpoints they're using this year. Looking at the race dates, she should be at least halfway knowing Bo, possibly further."

"Well, we'll need to follow the checkpoints to know for sure." Lauren stated.

Kat shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat, Sweetie."

"Excuse me?" Lauren glared taking two steps forward, both hands bundled into fists. Kyle and Tamsin both stepped up to her sides, both women applying gentle pressure to her forearms to keep her calm.

Kat noted the expression on Tamsin's face and took a step back, clearing her throat before she spoke,

"Uh… what I meant to say is that her first checkpoint will be either here or here," she pointed at the map, "…Mile 101 or Central. Then she'll move on to either Braeburn or Carmacks which is the stop where she must rest for a minimum of four hours and the race Veterinarians examine every dog."

Lauren looked at Tamsin, who was already way ahead of Lauren, "We stop there first, Lewis. If she had to leave a dog behind, we'll find them there."

Kyle shook her head, "No way. Bo won't leave a dog with people she doesn't know unless they're dead – in which case, she would burn the body and carry the ashes back to Talkeetna to be buried with the other dogs at the mountain cemetery."

Everyone turned to Kyle whose eyebrows raised. She pulled Lauren and Tamsin aside, whispering so that Kat could not hear,

"You know – the place where she buried her original team after Big Jim shot and burned them alive. It's why she bought the land on the opposite side of the river. Lauren, surely you knew."

Lauren's shoulders slumped, "I didn't."

Kyle shook her head, "Sorry. I thought for sure…"

"I think… when we talked about what happened that night… she shared details about what had happened to her… horrific details… things she said she had never told anyone else. Honestly, what was done to her… I don't know how she survived." Lauren shook her head, "I don't know how she's as mentally fit as she is – I don't think I would be able to speak let alone trust another living soul."

Tamsin placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder, "Maybe she told you all she had the energy to tell you that night. Maybe she didn't want you looking across the river from the home the two of you share and thinking of all she told you about that night."

Kyle nodded, "It's bad enough that she has to remember."

Lauren turned and walked to the window, staring out at the cloudy summit of Denali. Tamsin and Kyle held up a finger to Kat, asking her to give them a minute before the two walked to their friend. They saw the tears running down her cheeks and hooked their arms in hers,

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kyle smiled.

Lauren just cried harder, "Did you know that Bo didn't know what that phrase meant? It was one of the first things I taught her about the real world. Something seemingly so simple… so common and she had never heard it before."

Tamsin shrugged, "I'm sure you taught her a lot of firsts."

"I should have had more patience with her. I can't stop thinking about the fact that I have more patience with my friends, family, employees, surgical patients and total strangers than I do with Bo. It's so wrong of me."

She stepped back, turning towards the two women, "It's so like Bo to keep something from me that might be hard for me to hear… how now. The eternal protector… for all of us. Our champion. But why shouldn't we… I… share in the burden? Why shouldn't I look out at that mountain and weep for the dogs buried there? If she only lets me carry some of the weight, it would lighten the load for her. Why can't she see that?"

Kyle took Lauren's hand and gave it a squeeze, "She's still learning and getting used to the fact that she's not alone anymore, Lauren. Give her that patience you were talking about and she'll find a way to learn how to balance the right amount of independence with the right amount of asking for help."

Tamsin smiled, "And dare I say that you have a little bit of learning to do in that department too, Lauren Lewis."

The doctor nodded, "I know and I'm working on giving up some control too."

"Wow. Progress." Tamsin grinned.

"Yea, well Patrick set me straight on a few things while I was away." Lauren acknowledged, "Let's get back to this so we can get out while things are clear here."

They turned and walked back to Kat who continued, "Okay then, the halfway checkpoint is in Dawson City. That's a thirty-six-hour mandatory layover. That's the only place in the race where Mushers are permitted to receive assistance of any kind."

Tamsin shrugged, "Okay, so maybe we go straight there and wait for her."

Lauren wasn't ready to decide that yet, "What if she doesn't make it there?"

The three shared a moment of silence before Lauren turned to Kat, circling her finger as an indication she wanted her to continue.

"The last race checkpoint is a mandatory eight-hour layover and I think it's in Braeburn this year. It's another Vet check and they also check the Mushers."

Lauren scowled, "The Veterinarians check the human mushers?"

Kat nodded, "Yup and they can pull them with just 100 miles left in the race."

Kyle laughed, "Bo would be so pissed!"

Lauren shook her head, "To say the least. So how do they finish and what happens at the finish?"

"They head down into the Tintina Trench before hitting Pelly Crossing and then the Dawson Range, the Yukon Plateau and into Whitehorse and the finish line."

"Top race elevation?" Lauren asked.

"2326 feet and it's not until the last 200 miles."

Lauren nodded, "So the toughest breathing is at the end of the race. Still, the distance, weather, altitude… factor in the new dogs… she should finish this race in nine or ten days."

Kyle nodded her agreement, "I'd say ten because of the new dogs and her being unfamiliar with the race. She'll be in the lead, but she'll be following a trail that may be drifted over. From what I hear, they don't have the funds or personnel to really groom this trail the way they do the Iditarod Trail."

Kat nodded, "To put this in terms that you can understand, Doctor Lewis, if the Iditarod is a fancy hospital Gala, the Yukon Quest is a middle school dance."

Lauren rolled her eyes and shook her head, though in truth, she appreciated the comparison. She'd been to both a Gala and Middle School and while she hated both, she understood exactly what that meant in terms of the race,

"So how will she get back to Talkeetna from there?"

Kat shrugged, "There's a big press junket afterwards, but most of these racers avoid the press like they avoid people. Unfortunately, like any other race, it's kind of hard for the winner to avoid having their face plastered on a nearby billboard or attached to some company who pays their fees. Once they've either attended or avoided the press crush, everyone arranges their own transportation. Most people will catch a plane back to wherever they came from."

Kat turned to Kyle, "Speaking of companies, I haven't noticed Bo's face since the last Iditarod. Word has it she lost her sponsors over the Big Jim stuff."

Kyle shook her head, "She opened her own Kennel and started a line of her own gear, so she doesn't need a sponsor anymore. She's doing well for herself and she's decided against having a brand."

"So, the Talkeetna Kennel sleds I've been hearing about are Bo's sleds?"

Kyle nodded, "Like I said, no brand and definitely not a brand with her name on it. I hooked her up with my engineer and they've been working on designs. She and I have put together her latest sled – not something she's selling. She's been testing it on short runs back home."

Lauren shook her head, "She's testing it in the Yukon Quest."

"What?" Kyle asked.

"The attack on her team." Lauren said, staring out the window.

"What?" Kat asked.

Kyle explained what had happened to Bo and her team while Tamsin stood near Lauren, watching the doctor as she fell into deep thought. The agent had seen this before and it usually meant that there was a plan brewing… or at least the start of one. Finally, she spoke,

"Since Bo was young, she worried that if her sled went into the water again, that her dogs would go down with her. It's ironic, isn't it? She had reason to fear the lakes – they almost took her Mom, her team, LJ, that girl in the bar… but what finally took Harper down wasn't a lake. It was the hand of man in a way she hadn't considered."

Lauren turned to Tamsin, Kyle now standing beside her and Kat behind the couple,

"This is all a test. She's testing herself because she wasn't sure if she wanted… or could… run the Iditarod again. Something she said to me last month… I didn't think about it at the time, but I think she felt like she'd lost her edge."

Kyle shook her head, "She was out of shape, but she was still as skilled with a sled as ever."

Lauren shrugged, "True as that may be, you're mind is not Bo's and you don't have to run the race. If she doesn't believe in herself, her team is at risk too. The new center line the two of you designed for her sled. What was that for?"

Kyle explained as much as she could, "It's complicated, but the basic idea was that if they broke through the ice when crossing water, Bo wanted her team to have a fighting chance if they couldn't pull her or the sled free. If she was able to save herself, she would never have the strength to save her entire team. They're tied together."

"So the system you rigged allows they to break free of each other?" Tamsin asked.

Kyle nodded, "In theory, but it clearly didn't work during that bear attack."

Lauren scowled, "The bear didn't attack. She was just trying to protect her cubs, remember?"

Kyle shrugged, "Tomato, to-MA-to."

Tamsin disagreed, "Actually, it's not. Those men from the North Slope who attacked Bo in the hangar verified that there was still another group – possibly organized cell – of Big Jim's loyal followers out there. My people haven't been able to determine if there are more."

Lauren turned to Tamsin, "That's because the men that attacked Bo aren't talking."

"True." The agent said, lowering her eyes.

Turning to Kyle, Lauren asked, "The sled she brought out here is the prototype that broke in the incident with the bear, right?"

Kyle nodded.

"Well, Tosh told me that Mary and Bo had spent an entire day out in the garage analyzing what went wrong."

"The sled frame broke at the base beneath the basket." Kyle smiled, "That's how Harper was able to get out of the basket to attack the bear. The basket is open at the bottom, so if the frame breaks, it's easy enough to slip out through the bottom. That must be why Bo lost sight of her for a minute."

Lauren nodded, "But the riggings didn't work as planned. Her Mom told me that they changed the through design of the center line – whatever that means."

Kyle nodded, "We had three different designs. Her team was attacked on the first version. Both of the other designs involved moving the lay of the support slats on the bottom of the sled and attaching cutters that would be exposed if the slats were broken."

Lauren shrugged, "Her Mom said she had spent three full nights in the barn hammering, sawing, gluing and bracing the slats. Then, she pulled the sled behind her with sand bags on it, running it into a tree over and over again to make sure it would work."

Kyle shook her head, "That's where our parts inventory went."

"Mary did say she hauled a load of supplies in on her truck. She thought Bo was just building sleds to stay busy. I don't think she knew she was intentionally crashing them. Although now that I think of it, the last fire I built was with kindling wood that looked like cut up sled parts."

Kurt nodded, "I was there one night for dinner and went out to the barn to check on her after dinner. She was quiet – very quiet - and she was definitely working on the sleds."

"Okay, so do we or don't we think Bo may have entered this race?" Tamsin asked.

While Kat responded with a firm 'no', Lauren and Kyle's votes were a unified 'yes'. Lauren turned to the Ranger, "We weren't asking you."

Without another word, the Doctor turned and headed for the door while Tamsin followed. Kurt had walked into the room with a weather report in hand and stood awkwardly next to his sister, as she said to Kat,

"She's really very nice. She's just… determined."

Kat smiled, "She's in love."

Kurt whispered to his sister, "Look, I'm not sure when Kat became lovesick puppy over Bo, but I can't be here for this. It's… awkward at best. You set her straight, Sis. You're best with this sort of thing. I'm going outside to talk weather with our friends."

Kyle nodded and turned back to Kat, "Yes, she is. I'm sorry if that crushes some dream you had since childhood about you and Bo."

Kat shrugged, "It's okay. Bo feels the same?"

Kyle smiled, "I think so."

"You're not sure?"

"They've had a rough patch, but as far as I know, they're still engaged."

"Engaged?" She chuckled, her eyes filling with tears, "Who'd have thought Bo Dennis would settle down."

"Come on, we both know that we both hoped she would one day."

Kat smiled, "Yea, but with one of us."

Kyle shrugged, "Life goes on and Bo's in the rearview."

Kat looked out at the mountain. The peak was still surrounded by clouds, leaving only the lower range visible. She thought of the last time she saw Bo through her binoculars making her descent and smiled at the memory of the famed woman of unmatched skill on Denali. Among the women who'd made the summit, Bo was the best there was,

"Maybe she's in the rearview for you, but up here where you don't meet many people, she's still synonymous with that mountain for me."

Kyle nodded, "Well, maybe, but if you take a step back and move beyond the mystery and magic that is Bo Dennis, you'll find that she's a perfectly imperfect human with a whole lot of baggage and zero social skills."

The pair laughed as Kat replied, "But we love her anyway."

Kyle shrugged, "What's not to love? She's such a lost puppy and she doesn't even know it. All of that brawn and bravado masks the wounds of her youth unless you're lucky enough that she lets you see the chinks in her well-crafted armor."

"Like you?" Kat asked.

"I suppose, but I was thinking more along the lines of Lauren. That woman knows things about Bo that no one will ever know. Trust her, Kat. She and Bo… they have something we'll never understand. She knows her in ways that we never have because our resident Musher trusts her Doctor enough to bare her soul… totally lay it out there for that woman to see without hesitation."

Kyle shook her head, "Just trust me, they're meant to be – it's that plain and simple. They're two pieces of a whole and they're lost without each other. I just hope we're not too late to remind Bo of that fact."

Kurt interrupted, "We've got some clear air out there."

Kyle nodded, turning to Kat, "Be well, my friend. Keep moving forward in life. No sense living in a past that no longer exists."

Kat nodded, "Safe travels. I hope Lauren's right and that you find Bo."

Kurt didn't wait for his sister to reply, instead blurting out his belief, "We'll find her. If we don't, she'll find us. Bo's coming home. I'm sure of it."

The pair headed out into the cold where Tamsin and Lauren were boarding the dogs onto the plane. Kurt explained the route they would take and where they would drop them off before parking the plane at a local airport. They reminded them to go to the race office to find out where the teams were at this point. They should have a general idea if not an exact location.

Kyle nodded, "We won't lose her to the darkness and cold of the Yukon Quest. She's got an Iditarod to run."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, in Dawson City – 36 Hour Mandatory Layover Campground…

The group of men had fed and watered their teams before setting up small fires for warmth. Mushers were known to drop out of the Yukon Quest, citing the extreme cold as the reason, but Jake Mammoth knew better. He'd been listening to the three men rant on and on about the temperature since they'd arrived at the mandatory rest stop. Frankly he'd heard enough. Besides, they were here to rest, not gossip, so he finally spoke his mind,

"No colder out here than it is at the Iditarod. This is a race you drop out of because you can't handle the silence, not the cold."

The three men turned their attention to the young newcomer. The burly man with the icy beard let out a laugh that echoed across the snow swept landscape,

"Look at this young feller, boys. You know what we've got here? Well, we're in the presence of the goddamn voice of experience! This here's an expert! Tell us, expert – how can silence break a man?"

Jake shrugged, "The Iditarod has a lot more racers, a lot more checkpoints and a lot more hospitality stops. In the back of your mind, you know that if you don't check in, someone's looking for you. Out here, there are fewer teams, only nine checkpoints, three hospitality stops and as many dog drops…"

He laughed, "… that's right, even your dogs can desert you out here. The idea gets stuck in your head slowly, but surely. As you're mushing along, the silence gets in your head and you start to realize that if things go sideways you have less chance of being found. That's the real reason Mushers give up on this race. Not because it's cold."

"You calling us Mushers yellow, boy?"

Again, Jake shrugged, stoking the fire, "Not calling anyone anything. Just tired of you ladies gossiping about the cold when we're supposed to be getting some shut eye so that we can catch up to that crazy lady. Look at this mandatory checkpoint! It's like a hotel! There's nothing like this in the Iditarod. I mean, you guys have this fancy fire pit, you cooked Reindeer steaks for yourselves and your dogs – who, by the way – you haven't touched since you arrived because your handlers were here before you were. You're living in the lap of luxury here."

"No law against that!" The man replied defensively.

"You're right - not in this race there isn't!" Jake smiled, "Hell, the Yukon Government has even secured this proper campground for us! We're living in the lap of luxury mid-race. Yup, that's right, Ladies. This is the life!" He leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head. He knew he was riling up the big man, but this was gonna be too much fun to pass up.

The larger man quickly moved to stand, but his friends held him back as he yelled, "Who you callin' lady? You 'bout to get yourself a serious beating, boy!"

"Ox, calm down. You'll get us all kicked out of the race again." One of his friends shouted, struggling to hold him back.

A few tugs later the big man sighed, pulling his arms free in anger before pointing a finger at Jake, "Mind your mouth, Mr. Experience or my boys here won't be able to hold me back."

Jake grinned, pulling his hood up over his head and leaning back against a hay bale to catch some sleep,

"Right. Wouldn't want to upset you… Ox." He chuckled, thinking of how perfect the name was for the man. There was no way he was going to last the entire race – well, not his dogs anyway. No matter how strong his team was, the man was in no condition to run and push the sled for them the full distance. They would burn out one by one until he was left with a small team that may or may not be able to haul his massive frame to the finish line.

"You'd better sleep with one eye open, boy." Ox warned.

Jake smiled, closing his eyes before dropping his left hand to his side. He wrapped his fingers around the handle of the long blade he had in his boot, pulling it slightly towards him to be sure it wasn't stuck in its sheath. Then, he draped his right hand over his torso beneath his coat where he found the butt end of his pistol. His thumb found the hammer and slowly cocked it before his finger switched off the safety. He rested the edge of the muzzle against the ground and lay his finger along the barrel before exhaling a long breath.

Yes, Jake would sleep fine tonight. The heavy footsteps of his new friend Ox in combination with the warning voices of his faithful team would wake him if he needed to get off a shot or throw his knife to fend off an attack. He really needed to sleep. Crazy lady had blown threw every checkpoint permitted, making the long haul to Dawson City well ahead of him and the rest of the group.

She was a good four hours ahead of him even with a fully rested team. Word had it she'd dropped two dogs, but he'd heard of this woman. She was no slouch, and he would need to run all out with his team for the rest of the race if he had a chance of catching her. The question is, what did she and her team have left in the tank and what trouble might she run into that would help him run down her lead?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The skies over the border between Alaska and the Canadian Yukon

"I'm guessing you know more about this race than you let on back there. What can you tell us?" Tamsin asked, nervous about trying to find Bo in the terrain she was seeing from the window of the plane.

Kyle turned, looking back at the pair who had their eyes glued to the ground below, "I ran it once. Didn't finish. The Vet pulled four of my dogs before the halfway point. It was cold, snowy, icy, not as well-groomed at the Iditarod trail, less teams, less checkpoints, generally a barren wasteland."

"Less teams?" Lauren asked.

Kyle nodded, "They only allow 50 teams to enter."

"And how many checkpoints?" Lauren was curious now.

"Nine. Well, eleven if you count the start and finish."

"Why are there only Veterinarians at the checkpoints?" Lauren asked.

Kyle shrugged, "It's a small race, not enough workers to cover everything. As you can see, it's not a highly populated area, so you can go from checkpoint to checkpoint and not see another living soul other than the Vet at the checkpoints."

"This race ends in Whitehorse?" Tamsin asked.

Kyle nodded, "Yes, with a max team size of fourteen and unlimited dog drops."

Lauren's head snapped towards her friend, "Unlimited?"

Kyle shrugged, "Bo can finish this race pushing the sled if she still has one dog pulling."

"Does she have a dog that could carry all of the dogs, their gear and the sled if she's pushing?"

Kyle nodded, "Aphrodite could handle that load. Maybe Gaea. I think Nike and Diana would be too tired at that point. If both of them were still running, maybe the two of them could do it, but I'd hate to see what kind of shape they'd be in if they did it."

Lauren spoke, a chill running down her spine at Kyle's words, "But Bo doesn't have a single dog on that team that she would trust to carry her alone and you said she's never run this race. That means the terrain, the trail, the people… all of it is foreign to her."

Kyle looked back at Lauren, her eyes like steel, "Bo will finish this race, Lauren. She will. Remember the Bo you knew in December of last year. The woman you told me you were just a little bit scared of when the two of you first met. Remember the woman you watched win the Iditarod while dodging a team of men out to kill her. Remember the woman who defended The Homestead. She will finish this race."

Lauren released the breath she'd been holding and sat back in her seat. A glance to Tamsin found the blonde using the binoculars to search the white landscape below. Darkness was coming quickly, and Kyle's words did nothing to ease the fear that gripped Lauren's throat.

Why was Bo running this race? The purse was nothing compared to the Iditarod and the race title didn't mean anything to her either – no race title did. Bo didn't race for the glory. She raced for the fun, the challenge, for her dogs and yes, for the money - not for greed. There wasn't a greedy bone in Bo Dennis' gorgeous body. She used the money to pay bills and invested the rest back into her sleds, the business and her family.

Lauren put her binoculars to her eyes and gazed down at the mountains below. A trail over or through the mountains could not be seen which meant Bo had to run along them or around them. Closing her eyes, she imagined the trail map, then looked back out of the window overlaying the image onto the land below. They were in the wrong place. This was wrong.

"Kurt, we're off the trail. Why are we off the trail?"

Kurt shook his head, "We can't fly over the mountains to get to the other side right now, Lauren. Other than the ridiculous combination of updrafts, down winds, cross winds and drag on the plane, those mountains are known for wind shears that can flip a plane upside down and slam it into a mountain like it was a child's toy. So no, I will not put my passengers and the two teams of dogs in the back at risk to take a short cut."

She knew Kurt was right. When they were building the emergency rescue program, she had read the reports from the NTSB and knew that planes of this size crashed or made hard landings at almost five times the national rate. It wasn't usually because of terrain but because bosses demanded pilots take risks instead of letting them use their judgment. Kurt was making a judgement call and she needed to respect that. The choppers coming behind them in an hour or so would be able to handle it, but not this plane.

Lauren turned her attention back to the terrain below. Aside from the occasional glimpse of what she assumed was the Yukon River, it really was nothing but snow, ice and the gray rise of the mountain range. She listened as Kurt once again tried to raise the race office on his radio, this time finding success. Lauren sat forward in her seat, anxious to hear the answers to Kurt's questions. They banked left, heading in the direction of Canadian border,

"Where are we going? What are you doing?" Lauren asked.

Kurt waved a hand, "Relax, Lauren. Your calculations of Bo's location based on the start date, mileage between checkpoints and her average speed were just a little bit off."

"Off? That's impossible!" Lauren argued.

Kurt grinned at his sister, "Lauren, you should know by now that the term impossible and Bo Dennis never go together in the same sentence." She smiled, looking back at Lauren, "Bo already did her 36 hours at Dawson City and she didn't drop any dogs at Scroggle Creek, she only stopped long enough to feed the dogs and have them checked at Pelly Crossing and just blew through McCabe Creek, but not before dropping Hera there with another dog named Chinuk – he belongs to the man who is keeping pace with her."

"There's a man keeping pace with Bo?" Kyle asked.

Kurt shrugged, "That's what the guy said. To get information, I had to tell him we were Bo's Team, so now he expects us to pick up her dog."

Lauren began checking her med kit to see what supplies she had for treating any number of canine ailments. Kyle, on the other hand, was shocked to hear the news about Bo's race,

"At this pace, she'll finish in under ten days. Only one man has finished in nine days."

Kurt nodded, "Nine days and twenty-six minutes to be exact. The guy I talked to said she's on pace to land a new record. Apparently, word is traveling and a crowd will likely be waiting in Whitehorse."

Kyle shook her head, "Bo will not be happy."

But Kurt grinned, "Still, it's cool right?" He turned to Lauren, "Your girl is straight up bold, Doc. She cruised right past the race officials, pointed to her bib number for the checkpoint workers and kept right on going. Apparently, all eyes are on Bo now… well, Bo and this other racer who was right on her heels. I'm sure he won't be a problem. I'll tell you, if our favorite Musher went into this race hoping to keep a low profile, the cat is out of the bag. The Iditarod Champion is on the trail and in the lead at the Yukon and everyone in the world is about to know it."

"Geezus." Kyle whispered, keeping her voice down so as not to alarm Lauren.

Kurt watched as Lauren turned back to the window. He reached out and covered his sisters' hand with his own before speaking in a quiet voice, "We've gotta trust her, Kyle. No one knows mushing or her dogs like Bo Dennis."

"I wish she had Harper. She just came down the highest elevation and she's got the harshest territory in the least populated areas ahead. I'm worried, Kurt. She should have taken at least the four hour rest." Kyle whispered the reply before she turned and shared a glance with Tamsin.

The Special Agent felt her heart drop when she saw the look of doubt in her girlfriends' eyes. The pair turned back to their respective windows as Kurt began his descent, ready to resume a closer search pattern as soon as he cleared the mountains. They could see the more heavily populated town of Dawson City ahead. From there, they would be looking for a needle in a haystack. A haystack covered in snow and ice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, at a make-shift camp in the dense forest just beyond McCabe Creek…

Bo watched as the kindly gentleman threw an extra log on the fire, then turned to check on his dogs. He was a pleasant man who Bo had learned possessed an endless supply of good humor and good moods. He smiled back at Bo, offering her a warm cup of tea from the kettle on the fire,

"Please. Take it. It's the least I can do considering you rescued me and my dogs, gave my Ringo doggie first aid until I was conscious and now, here we are as competitors and you're still building these awesome fires to warm my bones. I still can't believe the famous Bo Dennis found me and saved my ass."

Bo laughed, "Scout, like I've said a million times over the past three months, you're really making too big of a deal out of this. You don't owe me anything. If anything, I owe you. You helped me prep for this race. You gave me a home. That was reward enough."

"Are you kidding? I owe you my life! My team would still be dragging my ass down the trail and bouncing my head into the rocks if you hadn't taken that little detour to stop them all those month ago, Bo. Actually, they'd be dragging my dead body by now, but that's beside the point. Seriously. I told you, I've got a debt to repay. A life for a life. It's tribal law. I stay with you until I return the favor."

Bo shrugged, "It's a bit disheartening that you think a time will come when you will have to be present to save my life… although, going a mile out of my way to stop your runaway team was a bit of an inconvenience, so if you must follow my ass around until you save my life, so be it." Bo laughed, "You know, I still can't believe your teams' first instinct when you fell off the rail was to go into the woods and then across a barely frozen lake? Don't they know it's a lot easier to stay on the groomed path?"

"In all fairness, that lake is usually frozen by this time of year, so cut the pups some slack. As for their questionable choices, I'm honestly surprised that you haven't noticed that my young dogs don't do anything the easy way." Scout laughed, placing a lid on the bucket and settling in next to Bo by the fire. The brunette offered him a wooden bowl of stew which he gratefully accepted. Pausing to examine the utensils, he held up a spoon, "Did you carve these chow kits by hand?"

Bo smiled and nodded, "I did. So, if you are going to insist on hanging around for a while, we need to start laying out these deals of ours because I don't want to let you open a door for me and suddenly owe you my first born. Lauren would not be happy about me giving up our first child."

Scout chuckled along with his young friend, "I assure you there are no tribal laws that would allow me to take your first-born child. Now, your second born, that's a different story."

The pair laughed again before Scout drew attention to a more serious matter, "You do realize you just told me that you plan to have children with your doctor?"

Bo froze, replaying her previous statement in her mind. She shook her head, "I didn't mean… I mean…" she cleared her throat, "So, about these trade deals…"

Scout smiled, letting her off the hook. He knew by now that these conversations about the young woman his friend was smitten with needed to be handled with caution or she would shut down and withdrawal into a very dark place. He smiled,

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, we have our current deal where you keep showing me these unfamiliar lands and I keep helping you with race strategy…"

"…unless I'm on your heels during the last mile." He smiled while Bo laughed her agreement,

"All bets are off to the finish line."

Bo gathered their bowls and put them into the wash bucket as she continued, "And since I can't speak Athabascan like you and you want to learn how to carve, we can swap those skills in trade so that I can learn to speak to my native tongue."

"Sounds good. Anything else?"

Bo sighed, putting the clean chow kits into the empty bucket and sealing the lid. She carried it to her sled and strapped it down next to the dogs' feed bucket, then pulled the cover over the load, making sure everything was ready to go for when she woke. She had no time to waste if she wanted to stay ahead of that group of questionable racers. Sure, they were more than a day behind, but she was taking no chances.

She looked at her team, noticing her missing member. She sighed, but she knew she had done the right thing. The Vet would never betray her. She would get Hera back to her. Bo sighed, turning to Scout,

"Well, I still think that the whole life for a life thing is covered by the fact that your people…"

"I know, I know. They've given you a native home again and my sister… well, did whatever it was she did for you. But Bo, you're not going to stay here forever. You've got a home and a family to get back to eventually."

"Scout, your village took me in and gave me a new tribal home even though I'm technically not Hän. I have people that will never betray me as my original village on the North Slope or my adopted village in Point Siku did. That's a big deal where I come from. Whether I'm geographically present or not, these lands will now always be a part of me and… yes, if I have a child one day, it will be a part of them too. I want to have a native home. You've given me that. It's enough. You should go home to your family."

Bo stared out across the darkness - her eyes set on the vast snow-covered mountain range. She felt small here – yet somehow at home and content. She felt fierce, strong, confident… yet at peace. She felt like herself again and she didn't want to lose that. It's why she had been reluctant to return to Talkeetna. She spoke her truth… one she had yet to admit to herself let alone anyone else,

"I miss Point Siku. I miss having a tribal home. It's what I think was missing since all of the shit with Jim and Selene rained down on my life. I lost the Native Healer who was my connection to my people and now I have you and your sister and of course, you're under no obligation to serve as my mentor but…"

"Bo, I'm flattered that you think of me as your Mentor. It's an honor."

Bo smiled, "I wasn't sure you would consider an Athabascan as a worthy student. Tribal lines and customs are so different from place to place and they seem to be ever changing. I worry for the native people of Alaska. As we lose more and more of the ice and our land, we seem to lose more and more of our traditions. I never thought I would have a truck and a couple of tin dogs parked in my barn, but yet they're there. Hell, I never thought I'd have a barn or a house. The sky was always the roof over my head."

The older man shook his head, "You're used to subsistence living. You're a Naturalist. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Other than the fact that my entire family and the woman I fell in love with want the wooden roof, the running water, the flushing toilet and the synthetic clothes."

Scout smiled, "Compromise, Bo. Meet them halfway. It sounds to me like you already have. You built your home with no public electricity or piped in water just as a minimalist would. You haven't paved the road to the property. You're bringing family and friends onto your land and teaching them to live your way just as they have taught you how to fit into their society. Give them time, Bo. They will grow accustomed to aspects of your life and you will grow accustomed to aspects of theirs. The rest, you learn to compromise if it's important enough to you."

Bo nodded, "Thanks."

"For what?" Scout asked.

Bo smiled, "Sound advice, not taking a side and again, being a Mentor to someone from outside of your tribe."

"Remember what you have learned, Bo. We are not as far removed from each other's blood kin as you would think. Athabascans are most closely related to the Upper Tanana outside of your North Slope culture, and so are we. So, you see, we are both linked to the same third tribe which makes us like family. Besides, after all you've been through with "he who shall not be named" and "she who shall not be named", it's the least we can do for a fellow community member."

Bo shook her head, "I can't believe you knew them… that they were here."

"Yea, well fortunately, they were unable to gain control of our elders. Mina and Robie saw right through their ill-willed schemes to buy our lands and control the decision-making body."

Bo nodded, grateful for the new friendships she had made during her time in the Yukon. It was going to be hard to leave. She had found something here… something different… something special. Here, there were no outsiders. Everyone was welcome. No one was judged. Very few knew her as 'The Champion' and no one ever bought into what her Father had tried to sell them. She wished this community had been put in her path long ago. Things might have been very different for her growing up if it had.

"Bo?"

She turned to Scout, offering an embarrassed smile, "Sorry. Lost in my thoughts again."

Scout chuckled, "I've never seen anyone get lost in their own mind as much as you do."

He considered her eyes and the slight quiver in her bottom lip as her gaze remained set on the fire. He had done his best to provide council during her long stay in his community, but her wounds ran deep. Her soul was scarred and the longer she remained with them, the more she seemed to withdrawal. His wife had suggested that she may do better in the open spaces than inside the tight-knit community and small home where they lived.

"Thinking about your doctor?"

Bo crossed her arms over her chest, "I suppose."

Scout nodded, "You know, you can live the life you choose and still have love as well."

Bo shrugged, "You don't know my world."

"Tell me about it." Scout said, his voice gentle as he slid down deeper into the hay, "if you wish. My sister told me that you were reluctant to speak even to her about your past despite the closeness the two of you had developed."

Bo considered her time with his sister, "Our connection was almost immediate. I found it easy to talk to her." She looked up at her. Friend, "And I've already told you all there is to know not two minutes ago."

"Then tell me again. Say it out loud, but listen to your own words, Bo. Tell me what's bothering you. Tell me over and over until you arrive at a decision or a solution one way or another, because you cannot remain here, frozen in time."

Bo stood, walking away from Scout replaying the thoughts that were stuck in her mind and her gut,

"It still comes back to this! All of this!" She waved her hands at the open air and world around them, "This is how I've always lived…" she pointed to the dogs, "… how we have always lived! The sky was the roof over our heads, the dogs were my family, and the trail was my life. Now there's a literal roof over my head and slowly it was beginning to feel like the walls were closing in. As much as I love Lauren, the pace of life in the real world is so much different. I feel… unsettled… all the time. I just can't find my rhythm there. The only problem is that I didn't realize it until I came here."

Scout nodded, "From what you told me, you suddenly found yourself with a rather large family that you never knew you had. Family means a community and a community means responsibilities."

Bo agreed, "But do those responsibilities mean that I have to give all of this up?"

"Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Why? Because I've got a business to run, a family to feed and a woman to please. My little sister needs constant attention, and my Mother is…" Bo sat up, suddenly feeling a wave of guilt that her Mom was sick, and she wasn't there. Sure, her Mom had told her to go, but…

"My Mother is sick. Lauren had just discovered a treatment, but I left. I told you what Lauren had said to me… what my Mother had said to me. I just wasn't right in the head space, so I left and ended up here. What the hell am I doing?"

"What you must."

"What I must? I should be home looking after my Mom and helping her with my little sister!" Bo stood, rolling up her blankets, "I've got to go."

"Go where? Bo, your dogs need to rest. You've been pushing non-stop since we started."

She shook her head, "They can handle it. We've got about 200 miles to go to the finish line."

"Bo, eight hours isn't going to make a difference."

Shaking her head, Bo was insistent, "I've got to get home."

"Bo! Look at your dogs! You cannot keep pushing them like this. Trust me. I've got young dogs on my team too. You see what happens when I push them past their limit. You're one of the most experienced Mushers I've ever met. Don't make this mistake. You know it's wrong."

Bo sighed, staring down at her dogs. Diana and Nike were huddled together fast asleep. The younger dogs were with Aphrodite. It was like they knew she was Harper's heir and the group had begun to work together quite nicely. She knew that Scout was right. They had come too far and worked through too much all of these months to have Bo screw it up for them now. She laid down the line she'd gathered and settled in next to the fire again,

"You're right. I just…" she shook her head, "What was that? I just went from zero to sixty in under two seconds! One minute I'm thinking that I can't go home and the next I'm realizing I should have been home weeks ago. I'm all over the place! I'm a mess!"

"You miss them, Bo. You miss your Mom and your Sister and your Doctor. I think when you first arrived, you missed them, but you missed yourself more. Now, you've found yourself, but you realize…"

Bo nodded, "I'm no good without them. No matter how hard I try not to, when I close my eyes to sleep, they're there. During the day, I don't think about them as much as feel them. They're with me. Somehow, I sense them, but don't really think about them. It's strange."

Scout smiled, "You tried to run from love, Bo. The problem is that love doesn't work that way. We carry love with us in our heart and soul. It's not something you turn on and off. No matter where you go, those you love will always be with you on some level… especially your Doctor."

"When I think of her, my stomach aches and my chest becomes tight."

"You miss her."

Bo shrugged, "I guess."

"So, your Mom was part Iñupiat, yes?"

Bo nodded, "Her parents were from different tribes - Athabascan and Iñupiat, but she was raised Athabascan. Her Father left his Iñupiat tribe to marry my Grandmother, so she was raised in her Mom's village. Her Father moved her back to the Iñupiat village on the North Slope after her Mom died of pneumonia."

Scout shrugged, "We are all from scattered tribes, but we're here on this continent together. I see it as splitting hairs as do most in my community, but there are those who believe in the old bloodlines."

"Well, the people my Father spoke with held those bloodlines in the highest possible regard. My Mom doesn't really speak of anything other than her Athabascan culture. It was how she was raised."

Scout nodded, "That may be, but have you heard of the Iñupiat Ilitqusiat?"

Bo grinned, "From my childhood language lessons, yes. It's a list of values that we're supposed to live by."

"It was created by elders in one community but absorbed by many. Do you remember the values?"

Bo smiled excitedly as the memories of her childhood lessons rose to the forefront of her mind,

"Are you kidding? They were the household rules I was raised on. Let's see if I can remember them all…"

She sat up and began to list them, counting each on her fingers,

"Cooperation, love for children, family roles – which I obviously didn't agree with since I thought two wives, or two husbands could also make a home…"

He smiled and nodded before she continued, "Then there's humor, avoiding conflict, sharing, knowledge of my family tree, respect for others, respect for elders, respect for nature, hard work, success in hunting, humility, responsibility to the tribe and…" she held out a finger, "I'm missing one…" She thought for a moment, then smiled when it came to her, "Spirituality! Did I get them all?"

"Yes. But, Bo, don't you see that you embody all of those values?"

Bo looked down, "I hadn't thought about it… I mean, I hadn't thought about the values I'd been taught until you asked and before that, since I was a little girl."

Scout laughed, "Momma raised you right until she left you."

"I suppose." Bo smiled.

"The problem is that the values – the way you see them – are in conflict with each other. As you said, you didn't always agree with the definition of family roles. Well, you didn't ask for the family you've now got but I think subconsciously, you know what's expected of you with regards to those teachings."

Bo nodded, "And those teachings are in direct conflict with this way of life… the life I've grown accustomed to until about a year ago."

Scout nodded, "Think on that for a while and see what you come up with but remember Bo… this is a conversation for two people. If you truly want to be Lauren's life partner, you must begin to include her in the talks you have with yourself as well."

Bo nodded.

"We'd best get some sleep." Scout offered.

"Four hours, Scout. That's all. I want to maintain our lead."

"Very well, but you're going to kill this old man yet."

Bo smirked, "Don't worry. I'll make sure your young pups drag your dead ass home."

"How thoughtful." Scout replied sarcastically as the two shared a laugh.

"Let's get some sleep. Double check the wood on your side of the fire before you close your eyes. I don't want to wake up to a pile of ash because a log rolled off and burned you to pieces." Bo laughed.

"Yes, Ma'am. Whatever you say, Ma'am."

Bo shook her head, "Don't call me that."

"Yes, Ma'am." He chuckled kicking a stray log into the fire ring. With one last glance at the dogs, he closed his eyes and let sleep claim him - his last thought was the same image he'd had for months – Bo's face as she pulled him from the icy water.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Whitehorse Finish Area, Canada

Lauren sat on her hands, watching the race officials set up the finish line. People had begun to stake their claim along the final stretch of the race route for the best view, but the atmosphere was nothing like the Iditarod.

There had been no throngs of people arriving days in advance to catch a glimpse of their race favorites, no T-shirt vendors in the streets, no sold out hotels and no lines of people up and down both sides of a busy street as the finishers grew nearer. When they arrived, it was quiet. It was still quiet days later. The one constant they heard was excited chatter about the rumors that the one and only Bo Dennis was running the Yukon Quest… that she had crossed the border into Canada well ahead of the pack and was on a history-making, record-setting pace to the finish line. There was also talk about the stranger that was on her heels at every turn.

Lauren found the quiet streets unsettling on many levels – primarily that if anything had gone wrong, it didn't seem to be the sort of race where help would be readily available. She was also growing increasingly anxious about this unknown racer. Was she running from him or just merely trying to outrun him?

On the other hand, if Bo was fine and she did finish first, she wasn't going to be happy about the press. Hearing about her presence, they were arriving by truck and train every day. She stood and walked to Kurt, hesitating for a moment before she said,

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

Kurt smiled, "Lauren, I assure you…"

He threw a reassuring arm over her shoulder and pulled her to his side,

"…Bo knows what she's doing. She'll be fine. She's handled worse conditions."

Lauren sighed, giving a tight smile, "I know. I know all of that. I've heard you and Kyle every time you've tried to reassure me, but I'm telling you… please… I've got a bad feeling about this."

Kurt nodded, his eyes and voice expressing the empathy he felt, "What can I do?"

Smiling, Lauren placed a hand on his shoulder, "Go up in one of the choppers the other teams used to get here? Use the search and rescue camera? Maybe take Kelly along so someone who has a little more medical training is there?"

"Lauren, you know that Kelly and I will do whatever you need us to do, but remember that we'll have to use the satellite link to transmit images back to base from here. That's going to be expensive for the team's budget and we're already…"

"Strained, I know. I'm so sorry I had to cut the budget, but the board wants equal funds to each hospital in each state and right now…"

"…We have no money coming in. I understand, Lauren."

She assured him, "Once the hospital opens and we start to make money, we'll be able to shift money around. For now, with this… I'll pay this bill from my personal account."

"Lauren…"

The blonde smiled, "Kurt, trust me when I say I have the money to do this and to offer you hazard pay as well. Bo keeps my financial situation well under wraps. She's proud and doesn't want to use my money, but I assure you the bill is not a burden."

He smiled, "So you're the one building the family and friends houses along the river?"

Lauren shook her head, "Nope. That's all Bo and her Iditarod winnings."

Kurt laughed, "Well, now that Kelly and I are engaged, she wants a say in everything I had asked for in what was going to be my home on the river."

Lauren laughed, "I'm sure. You will have the most luxurious off-grid home every built."

He nodded, "I'm starting to get that. But seriously, how on earth is Bo affording this? I've offered to pay for…"

Lauren shook her head, waving him off, "Bo has never spent any of her money until she opened the kennel and store. Until Greta got hold of the accounting books, they were running in the red because Bo just didn't care. To her, whether the money was hers or the kennel's, it was all the same. As long as there was money left in an account, she was spending it. Greta put a stop to that right away."

"But the Iditarod doesn't pay all that much. I mean, it does, but…"

"Well, she sold every truck she won, sold pretty much all of the gifts and never spent a dime. I mean, it's not like she ever went to a grocery store. Anything she needed, she hunted, cooked, traded or bartered for until last year. We were supposed to split the cost of the river houses, but since the break, we haven't really had any time together to…"

He nodded, "No need to explain. You haven't been together to discuss bills or anything else."

Lauren's head slumped, "And as I stand here now, I just don't know why we ever separated."

Kurt smiled, "Because you were at each other's throats – you never asked, but just in case you're interested in a non-female, unprofessional, regular old high school diploma kinda guy opinion – you were both afraid of commitment because of the experiences of the past. Well, take it from me – commitment isn't about your past. It's about your future. About having a chance to do everything right that was done wrong in your past. If you have love, anything's possible."

She smiled, "Wow. That's… brilliant."

Stepping out of his embrace, she looked at him, "Will you go up, Kurt?"

He smiled, "Do you love her, Lauren?"

"More than I've ever loved anyone or anything, Kurt."

"Then your wish is mine to fulfill. Whatever you need, Lauren, just give me the details. I'll take Kelly and her Training Officer with me. Tamsin will want to be here when Bo finishes with all of these strangers around. Kyle will handle the team and anything that might be wrong with any of them. I trust you can handle any Bo issues."

"Yes, if she makes it across the finish line." Lauren replied with the emphasis on the if.

"When she makes it across, Lauren. I'm not sure what this feeling is that you're having. Maybe there is something bad in the air, but I promise you it's not about Bo. She's strong, Lauren. She's so incredibly strong. She'll be here."

He gave her a hug, before pulling back, a tight grip on her shoulders, "Keep the faith. I'll see you soon."

Lauren nodded, "Keep me posted?"

"Have Tamsin call Kelly when Bo crosses the finish, so we know to come back down." He winked before walking over to where the Special Agent and her girlfriend were talking to a race official.

"Everything okay, Ladies?" He asked.

Tamsin nodded, "Word has it our 'friend from Talkeetna'" registered with a friend named 'Scout' and they blew through the last checkpoint."

Kurt picked up on the cue that Tamsin hadn't provided a name to the gentlemen. They had all agreed Bo probably didn't use her real name to register. It would have drawn too much attention and she was clearly trying to live a life of anonymous solitude. Of course, word had still gotten out somehow. When your face is plastered on billboards, it becomes difficult to remain hidden.

Tamsin continued, "Apparently this gentleman believes the chase group – that is about twenty hours behind - is made up of men who are a bit… unsavory, is the word he used."

The official interjected, "They will do whatever it takes to win this race."

Kurt looked over his shoulder, making sure Lauren was still out of earshot, "Thank you for the information."

"You can't interfere. Your friends would be disqualified if you did."

Kurt smiled at Kyle and Tamsin, "Friend. We don't know this Scout guy and I assure you that none of us would feel a need to interfere… except maybe to save the lives of these unsavory fellows."

"I don't think you understand…" the man insisted, but Tamsin cut him off,

"I've seen Bo Dennis take down a black bear with nothing but a dagger…"

The man's eyes went wide, "So the rumors are true? Your friend is Bo Dennis?"

Tamsin sighed, looking at the siblings, "Sorry, guys."

Kyle spoke to the gentleman, "Bo will not be happy if she knows that you told anyone who she was, but she might be inclined to offer you a personalized gift for you and your family."

He smiled, "A Bo Dennis sled?"

Confused, Kyle asked, "You know about Bo's line of sleds?"

He grinned, "Everyone in the sledding world knows about her sleds. Some of the best racers have studied them and said they're unique."

Kyle smiled at her brother, "The sleds are unique."

"Cool." Kurt replied.

Kyle stepped in, "I am in a unique position to offer you a Bo Dennis sled in exchange for your discretion about the true identity of Scout's friend."

"Do you know anything else about her location?" Kurt asked.

The man flipped through the pages on his clipboard before raising a walkie-talkie to his lips. Holding the button down, he asked,

"Spud? You got your ears on out there?"

"Spud here. That you, Bram?"

"Affirmative. Got a leader out there?"

"Crazy lady and her friend are well in front… for now."

The race official looked hesitantly up at Tamsin who was glaring as she said, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He held up his radio again, "Clarify that, Spud."

"Clarify? I mean, the way they're driving them dogs, they'll be lucky they last another fifty miles let alone the final one-fifty."

Bram's eyebrows raised at the statement, "They're at Braeburn?"

"About thirty miles past. These two think they're some kind of professionals. Idiots. Never registered for a Yukon and yet they think they're Iditarod Champions or sumpin'. People who don't know how to treat dogs shouldn't be allowed in the race, I'll tell ya. They should have to have experience. Been sayin' it or years. We need to be pickier. Fine to take only 50 Mushers and keep our race small, but dammit they should be 50 of the very best."

Bram watched as Tamsin crossed her arms over her chest, cocked her hip and twisted her mouth in anger. Her friends, stood in a similar fashion. Lauren joined the circle just as the man cleared his throat and replied,

"Roger that."

Tamsin and Kurt moved to flank Lauren, now concerned about what she might hear from the man on the other end of the radio,

"Want me to kick them off the course, Bram? Be damn glad to do so. Should I do one of those emergency welfare checks of their dogs?"

"No need. They must know what they're doing to go that hard. Besides, the Mushers will probably collapse before the dogs do at that pace."

There was a long pause before Spud replied, "Suppose you're right. If they do, I'll go out and collect the dogs… leave their stupid dead bodies to be taken by the wild."

Lauren lunged for the radio, but Tamsin and Kurt managed to catch her in mid-air. Bram stepped back quickly, stopping when he saw that the blonde was secured. He cleared his throat again and spoke, "Roger that, Sput. Out."

He stuffed the walkie into his pocket and looked up at the three,

"He's a veteran Musher. He hates newcomers who think that because this isn't the Iditarod, it's an easy race. They enter any number of races on both sides of the border and get themselves or their dogs killed… sometimes both."

Kyle nudged Tamsin who was still holding firm to Lauren's arm, "Well, if he didn't recognize Bo, that's a good thing. Her secret is safe at least until the end of the race. Think Spud can tell us where the chase group is?"

While Bram got to work finding an answer to Kyle's question, Kurt told them about Lauren's request. Tamsin didn't hesitate in agreeing that she would want to handle security. Kyle was on board with handling the dogs and would start having the other teams figure out a way to get as many dog kennels in the choppers as possible. If they had to, they would double up in the crates. Lauren was going to keep her eyes and ears open here and keep them all apprised of anything she learned about Bo's whereabouts. They discussed some specifics about Kurt's flight plan before he called into the local air tower to make arrangements.

"Do we know for sure that Kurt will have everything he needs?" Kyle asked.

Lauren looked to Kurt, "Did you bring Super Girl?"

Kyle's face twisted, "Like… from Krypton?"

Lauren and Kurt laughed, Kurt explaining, "Super Girl is the mean machine of the Search and Rescue Fleet. She's the bird I usually fly."

"Oh. You mean that really big helicopter?"

He nodded, "It has the most recent tech for search and rescue and is large enough to accommodate two full sleds with gear. It has beds for four victims, a full medical bay and seating for a crew of up to six. Lauren likes to call it the Rolls Royce of emergency helicopters."

Lauren nodded, "The best part is, it is more than capable of handling the worst weather Alaska can dish out provided we have the right pilot behind the stick."

Kyle's eyes went wide, "When you went away for six weeks…"

Kurt grinned with pride, "Doc sent me to an Air Force Flight School so I would be able to fly the big girl."

"And your modest brother won't tell you this part, but while he was there, he received accommodation for his skills and knowledge. He scored higher than some of the Air Force pilots that had been training for years. I was afraid he might take off and join the military, but he assured them he was dedicated to his family, friends and neighbors in Talkeetna.

"Speaking of my dedication, I'd better get my team together and get up there." Kurt smiled.

"Be careful out there, Brother. Don't do anything Bo would do." Kyle chuckled.

Kurt nodded, pulling out his satellite phone to get search and rescue permission from the area. FAA tower. Once everything was in place, he revealed his true identify and his qualifications to Bram and let him know that he would be volunteering emergency services for the duration of the race. Bram passed word onto Spud that he had professional help if he needed it and gave his thanks to Kurt.

Tamsin was sure to mention to Bram that they were there for Bo first and foremost. Bram nodded, now wary of Tamsin's temper and intimidated by her shiny gold badge, not to mention the sidearm hanging inside of her jacket.

Lauren had slipped away from the group once more and was now sitting on her own. Kyle noticed and began the slow walk to her friend. The frigid temperatures in the region reminded her of the nagging ache that was ever present if she was outside for too long. Still, she had the blonde to thank for the fact that she could walk at all. This time last year, she didn't think she would ever breathe on her own again let alone be able to walk the distance to where her friend sat nervously checking her watch.

She took a seat next to Lauren on the bench made of two old tree stumps and a piece of lumber,

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked the doctor.

Lauren grinned at the words, "Funny. I remember asking Bo that very same question at the hotel a little over a year ago. She was wondering where her Mom was. Now, here I am wondering where she is." She lowered her eyes, picking at a loose thread on her glove, "So much has happened since I met Bo, but the most important thing has stayed the same."

"Oh? And what's that?"

Lauren turned to her friend, tears in her eyes, "That I love her. I love her so damn much, Kyle. I've been such a fool for ever hesitating. I was afraid after she was injured… again. Then she got sick and in the midst of her fever my hesitation about her impulsivity and recklessness came through in her words. I projected my feelings on to her and they stuck."

"Wow. You sound like a dime store psychologist, Lauren."

"No, I sound like a doctor who finally remembered what she was taught in her psychiatry rotations. I finally took a look inward and didn't like what I saw. Fear and anger are two of the most powerful primary emotions humans possess and they can manifest in many different ways. Identifying the root is the key and the roots of my fears and anger were never about Bo. They were about me being afraid of another Nadia. They were about me and my anger that my parents never put me first."

Kyle nodded, "When Bo is reckless, it's because she's putting the lives of others over her life with you. She's not really doing that, though."

Lauren nodded, "I know. She's not choosing them over me. She's just following her instincts which took a lifetime to develop."

"Just like yours."

"I've been so unfair to her and…" she looked up at Kyle, "…what if this time I'm too late to tell her I'm sorry? What if this time is the time she actually doesn't make it back to me, Kyle?"

Wrapping her in a reassuring hug, Kyle whispered, "She'll be here, Lauren. Bo hasn't missed a finish line since she was a kid. She'll be here."

"I've just got a bad feeling that I can't shake. I don't know why but I feel like something bad is about to happen."

Kyle nodded, "Well then, I guess we'd better just be ready for anything."

Lauren placed her hand on the bag by her side, "Med kit, check. Nerves of steel… working on it. Warm hands so I can actually function like a Doctor… well, hopefully warm hands are overrated."

Kyle shook her head, reaching into the inside jacket pocket of her coat. She pulled out a plastic bag, opened it and handed two small pouches to Lauren,

"Shake those, then tuck them into your gloves. They'll warm up your hands in no time."

"Thank you." Lauren replied, "Awww… these are perfect."

Kyle nodded, the two turning to look towards the finish line, "And now we wait."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kurt and Kelly had landed back in Whitehorse about twenty minutes earlier and immediately checked in with Bram back at the finish line. There, they met up with Tamsin for a chat before the three headed over to where Lauren and Kyle had been sitting all day.

"So, what are you going to tell her?" Kelly asked as they approached the pair.

"That there's nothing to tell." Tamsin replied, unwilling to have further discussion.

"But that's not exactly true." Kelly countered.

Tamsin stopped, turning to face the pair, "You saw evidence of life, so you saw Bo. She'll make the finish line."

Kurt gripped Tamsin's forearm, stopping her forward progress, "Tamsin, what we both saw were sled tracks and blood. There was a lot of it."

"Yes, you did, but you also said there's no evidence to suggest the blood was from a human. No bodies, no gear, no busted sleds… nothing. You called race officials to the scene and they'll take it from here, Kurt. That's not our concern. Bo is our concern. It's why we're all here. It's the only reason we're here. Until we see evidence something happened to her or she approaches that line, Bo is our only concern."

Kurt nodded, "You're right. But that still doesn't tell us what you are going to tell Lauren."

Tamsin turned towards the two medics, "That you saw Bo, there's no evidence that anything is wrong and she'll be here. You were out there, I was here. That woman is scared out of her mind and she's convinced that something bad is about to happen. Call it triage if you want, but I'm trying to minimize the worry and fear on this end. Unless you find Bo, there's nothing we can do for her right now. Lauren, on the other hand, we can help – even if it's not telling her everything."

"She's not gonna like it."

"She's not going to know." Tamsin reminded.

Kelly shook her head, "I've never lied to her, Tamsin."

"And you won't be lying to her. By now, the chopper is refueled so it's time for the two of you to go back up. I'll handle this."

Kurt watched as Tamsin turned and headed towards his sister and the doctor. He looked to his right where Kelly was taking his hand, her face filled with worry,

"Let's find some good news, huh?"

Kelly nodded, "I'm with you."

Kurt, "I'm with you."

He kissed her forehead and turned to his left where Bram and Spud were now standing, comparing notes,

"Let's go see what Spud found at the scene. We'll base our flight plan on what he gives us."

Kelly nodded, "Why weren't they on the trail, Kurt? I mean, the whole idea of the race is to follow the trail to the finish line, right? Why would they take an ungroomed path?"

Kurt shrugged, "I'm guessing the blood that was on the trail is the answer to that. I'm not sure what happened, Kel and I'm sure as hell not going to speculate. That will just take us both down a dark rabbit hole. We need to stay optimistic, objective and aware. We're a worry free zone, got it?"

"You sound like my T.O."

"Yea, well he's right. He's got to be done the mechanical check. Let's talk to these two and then get back to the chopper."

Kurt wasn't sure what went wrong, but he was fairly certain it wasn't good. He had reasoned that if Bo had encountered man or animal and fought, either she or her opponent would be in the spot where the blood was found. If she had managed to survive and escape, there would at least be a blood trail. Maybe it was covered over by snow? That's something that Spud would have learned. Still, he had a growing sense that something had gone wrong.

Still, he reminded himself, Bo Dennis was tough to kill.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yukon Quest Finish Line 4 Hours Later…

The Kyle sat on the bench while Tamsin stood behind her, biting her nails and rocking side to side nervously. Lauren was pacing back and forth in front of the group, her eyes never leaving the curve that led to the final straightaway. There had been whispers from the spectators about what was happening – most now believing Bo Dennis, Iditarod Champion to be in the lead, but truly, it was all best guess.

Her head snapped to the crowd that had swelled over the last hour - a wave of voices in the distance drawing everyone's attention. Lauren turned and immediately recognized Nike and Diana at the front of the sled,

"It's Bo!" Lauren smiled, "It's Aphrodite!"

Tamsin squinted, "Now how on earth… googles, mask, hood, fur… you can't know that!"

"And Nike and Diana!" Kyle replied, standing with assistance from Tamsin as her legs were forced to straighten after sitting for hours, "Why is Aphrodite on the lead? Shit! She's only got five dogs! What the…"

Kurt rushed in with Kelly in tow, "We spotted…" Tamsin elbowed him, pointing to where Bo had just made it to the final straightaway, but Kurt pointed back,

"Tamsin, look! Behind her! We're gonna need law enforcement."

"What?" Tamsin asked, Kyle and Lauren both turning to face him.

"See those three mushers rounding the curve behind Bo? Whoever it was that Bo was racing with, those guys took him out. They all have full teams. I don't know if Bo can hold them off."

Kyle shook her head, "How do they still have full teams and Bo doesn't? How the hell did they even catch up to her?"

Kurt explained, "I don't know if they're all together or not, but they took a detour. Instead of following the trail around the Klondike Highway, we saw them literally mushing down the side of the road. They pulled into Takhini Hot Springs and at least that big guy came out with a full team of dogs. He definitely didn't have a full team going in."

Kyle nodded, "No way a single team of dogs pulled a man of that stature all this way let alone made up a massive lead on Bo without cheating."

Kurt agreed, "Spud and Bram are already on it."

Lauren looked over her shoulder, "Really? Looks to me like they're comparing paper. So, what exactly are they doing what's actually happening right in front of us?" Lauren asked, pointing to the course.

They all watched as one of the three came up directly behind Bo with what looked like a rodeo rope by his side. The other two sleds were moving to flank Bo, their lead dogs running dangerously close to the rear of her sled.

"They're too close." Kyle said, nervously, releasing Tamsin and moving to her brother's side to repeat, "They're gonna get the dogs tangled!"

"Bo will handle it." Kurt replied.

"And now what's this guy doing?" Tamsin asked pointing at yet another musher coming up behind the three teams chasing down Bo.

They all watched as the trailing Musher came up on the inside of the tight turn, his team rushing up on the third sled of the trio and easily pushing past them before cutting them off. The lead dogs cut right and off the course, leading the Musher into the woods.

"I guess this sled is Team Bo." Kurt said, all three watching eagerly to see what the mysterious trailing sled would do next.

It didn't take long before he pulled the same move on the second flanking sled, this time sending the chaser into a billboard, which he managed to duck before falling from the rails and watching his team take off with the sled.

Kyle smiled, "He'll be chasing his team for days."

The only man left on Bo's tail was a burly man with a full team of dogs,

Tamsin asked, "How does this guy have a full team of dogs? Even Bo doesn't have a full team running anymore."

Kyle replied, "They're not his dogs."

"What?" Kurt asked.

"They're not his dogs." She repeated, staring through her binoculars.

"Forgive my East Coast upbringing and general lack of knowledge, but how can you possibly know that?" Kelly asked.

"The pairings are off, some of the dogs are snapping at each other… just trust me, those are not his dogs. They don't know each other and they've definitely never run together."

Kurt nodded, "Like I said, that's the guy that was leading the way down the highway. Tamsin, if they go to the Hot Springs, they'll probably find the team he dumped if evidence will help."

Tamsin shook her head, "I don't know the rules of this. Is cheating a thing? It sounded like this was a no-holds-barred-every-man-woman-and-child-for-themselves race."

Kyle shrugged, "Bram's the brains of the finish area. He's already terrified of your badge. Worth a shot, right?"

Tamsin yelled to Bram, waving him over, talking quickly as the pair neared the finish. The man pulled out a whip, unfurling it and curling it over his head, he snapped it out, striking Diana on the hind quarters.

"NO!" Lauren and Kyle called out simultaneously.

Kurt shook his head, "Bo's not going to take that. You mess with her dogs, you're in deep."

They could hear Bo's voice as she called out, "APHRODITE! HAW! HAW!"

Her team veered hard to the left, Bo putting her leg out to the right to prevent the sled from tipping. She pulled the long ice spear from the below the sled deck, watching as the man stretched his whip once more, this time, going for her head. She leaned back, releasing her grip on the sled, allowing the whip to pass over her torso. She stretched her leg, catching the handle with her foot and raising the spear.

The whip wrapped around the lengthy gaff, slack gathering as the other musher's sled grew closer. He blew past her sled, cheering, fist raised over head while his other hand held tight to the whip, intent on pulling Bo behind him to the finish line, but Bo had other plans…

"Let go of the spear, Bo!" Kyle shouted.

But instead, they watched as Bo drove the spear with all of her might into the ice, watching as the man was unseated from his sled, his dogs continuing on without him. He rolled and rolled while Bo called out to Aphrodite,

"Hike! Hike! On Aphrodite! Go Nike! Go Diana! Hike Sadie! Hike Keegan! Come on, girls!"

Bo headed for final stretch, everyone cheering on her and her team. She gained on the dogs to her right, as she reached the basket, she jumped from her sled to the abandoned team, taking the handle as she called out to her lead,

"Aphrodite! On me! Aphrodite! Come!"

Her lead obeyed, pulling alongside the other sled. She looked down at the rail, finding the ice hook hanging from the center crossbar on the handle support. She hit the drag brake to slow the team, waiting for the basket of her own sled to come parallel to her own.

With perfect timing, she put a foot on the near rail of her sled and pulled the two sleds together, she groaned as her groin strained under the effort, then called out as they approached the finish line,

"Whoa! Whoa Sire! Whoa Tug! Whoa Aphrodite!"

The two teams came to a full stop, Bo quickly surrounded by race officials who shouted questions at her. She drove the ice hook of the sled under her right foot into the ice before taking a seat on her sled and doing the same. Breathing heavy, she ignored the questions from the race officials, instead, directing her attention to her dogs first.

She walked from dog to dog, checking for damage until she saw the Veterinary Medic's sled pull up. She recognized the woman from the race start. She had been the one to do the initial physicals on her dogs.

"Miss Dennis? Do you need assistance?"

Bo turned, her instincts driving her to snap at the woman who had clearly seen what had just happened, but her newfound restraint stopped her,

"Well, since I'm sure you're not blind, you know there was a little… contact… at the end of that race. I'll tend to my dogs, but this team… this team belongs to another Musher… well, two other Mushers. Actually, there are other dogs that are also owned by the same two Mushers that were attached to the chase group… well, minus one."

"You're referring to the man you unseated." The veterinarian replied, her face showing her displeasure.

"Wow. That sounded a bit like an accusation."

The Vet shrugged, "Just calling it like I saw it. You cut off his team and endangered the animals. That is not the sign of a champion in my humble opinion."

"Humble? Pardon me if I find your opinion anything but humble. Where were you for the first 900 miles? You know nothing of what happened! The man I unseated stole this team of dogs – the entire team – from two other Mushers. One of those Mushers is lying in a pool of blood about fifty miles past Braeburn where he was attacked by the three men you saw pursuing me at the finish. One of his dogs was shot dead. Got any other opinions to give me, Doc?"

Bo stood carefully, her body getting stiff and sore from days of stress. She waved the small group of Vets and Race Officials to gather around her,

"I only want to explain this once." She began. She knelt down in front of the other team, the dogs whimpering into her hands. They struggled to stand. Bo shook her head,

"Down team. Lay down."

The dogs obeyed the command – most not having a choice. She looked up at the lead Vet,

"This is Sire and this is Tug," Bo was grateful her goggles hid her tears, "I knew the other Musher well. These are his lead dogs. Check the names on their collars if you don't believe me."

"You said minus one? A dog was shot dead? Was it injured? I don't understand." The Veterinarian replied.

"The man I unseated stole these dogs. They do not belong to him. Check the descriptors on your clipboard. Check the names engraved on the collars. These are not his dogs. They belong to another Musher who was left for dead a hundred miles back."

Bram stepped forward, "Miss Dennis. An honor to meet you."

"Yes, I'm sure. Please don't use my name." Bo said, seeing the official race I.D. tag on the man's jacket, "You're in charge of this shitshow?"

"Uh… I'm in charge of the race, yes. The shitshow portion, as you say, no… that was not my doing. That is not what this race is about – I assure you."

"Well, it's my first time in this race…" she lifted the man's I.D. between her fingers and continued, "…Bram. Security is a little… lax."

"All of our racers are thoroughly vetted."

"Yea, well who is that guy then?" She asked, thumbing over her shoulder to the scene where a group of race officials surrounded the man on the ground. He lifted his radio,

"Spud? Got an ID on the guy?"

Everyone was silent until a familiar voice came over the radio. Bo recognized it immediately,

"This man is linked to an ongoing Federal Investigation. His identity will remain confidential at this time to protect the witnesses and innocents in the case."

Her goggles, hood and mask still firmly in place, Bo looked past Bram to see Tamsin standing next to Spud. The blonde spoke into the radio,

"Friend."

Bo took Bram's radio and replied, "Friend."

"Your… team… is here."

Bo paused before she asked, "The doctor?"

"The doctor is the team leader."

Bo nodded, "Does the doctor have transportation?"

"The princesses and their chariot are present and accounted for, Friend."

Bo smiled at the code names Tamsin was using, "Any chance super pilot is here with his chariot?"

"You didn't notice the big red machine flying over the course while you were out there?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "Yea. Actually, I tried to flag it down. Tell the pilot he needs better binoculars. That guy you have back there is not the owner of the extra team I have here. His partners in crime are the two guys that were forced off the trail behind me by Mr. Mystery Musher. Did you see where that guy went?"

Tamsin shook her head, "Spud and race security are on snow machines trying to run them down right now."

"Spud?"

Tamsin smiled, "Yea. Mr. Potato Head has been our walkie talkie entertainment for the day. He knew something bad was happening, he just thought that you – code name 'Crazy Lady' – were at the bottom of it. I'm here to be sure they get the record straight before they tell the press anything."

Bo nodded, "Thanks Special Agent."

"So, Mr. Mystery Musher. Do you know who he is?"

Bo shook her head, "He helped me drag the injured Musher off the track and into hiding. T – he's got half my team. I knew I wouldn't be able to finish the race with these guys chasing me unless I had help. I want my dogs back."

"Wait – you gave a total stranger half of your team?" Tamsin asked, the pitch of her voice on the rise, "Are you crazy?"

Again, Bo shook her head, "Great. You're going to call me crazy lady too?"

"No, I mean… no. Just… why did you give up your team?"

"They stole dogs from the two of them – split them up between three sleds, so I needed help. By the way - you did see how big those guys were, right?"

Tamsin chuckled, "You were worried about size?"

"Nah. I was worried about my dogs having to haul their asses back."

"You could have just left them. Self-defense, not against the law…"

Bo lowered her head, "Yea. Well, the old me might have done exactly that if I were on a bigger race trail. There's a lot more people and it's not as cold. This place… this trail… there was no chance they would survive if I left them behind."

"So, they caught up to you because you had less dog power."

"I had to stop twice to give my team a break… to give myself a break. Mr. Mystery Musher was with me the whole way until they flipped his sled about a mile before the finish. I'm just lucky he caught up and took out those other two Mushers. I didn't have a lot left in the tank. I was out of food for the dogs, so gave them all of mine on the last two rest stops. I was running on melted snow and some frozen berries that I found in the tundra – thanks to Mom's most recent berry-picking lesson. At least I know I don't have to climb Denali to find the plants she needs."

"Well, the pilot and his gal saw the blood pool."

Bo nodded, "Right. They should take the doctor to that spot right away. The other Musher is hidden there. They should hurry. I know there's at least one broken leg – bone broken clean through on the lower leg. I stopped the bleeding and packed it in ice – better chance of not losing the leg. Nasty head wound."

"Got it. Where do we take this injured Musher?"

"Back to Talkeetna if the doctor thinks it's safe to do so. That's where they were headed anyway."

"Oh? To stay with you?" Tamsin asked, now a little worried about who this person was to Bo and what she was leading Lauren into.

"I suppose." Bo replied.

"And the doctor will be okay with this?" Tamsin asked.

She could see Bo shrug, "I don't see why not."

They stared at each other for a long while before Tamsin replied, "I'll get the pilot on it right away. There are four teams here to fly us all home. We didn't plan on another full team, but I'm sure we can figure it out."

"Much appreciated." Bo replied, "I'm going to need some time to explain to race officials what happened. Anything else I should know?"

"They already told Bram and Spud, but they saw a group of teams break off and take the highway from Braeburn to Takhini Hot Springs."

Bo shook her head, "So that's where the Mystery Musher went. I. didn't know. That must be how he lost his team… well, how his team ended up with the big guy. I gave him my dogs because his dogs were pulling up lame."

"Pilot said big guy pulled into the Hot Springs with small team and pulled out with a full team."

Bo nodded, "Mystery Musher was running the lame dogs they left at the Hot Springs, essentially they swapped sleds."

"Okay. So now we have all of that sorted out. Do you know how to identify his dogs?"

"I know how to identify injured Musher's dogs. I'm guessing the rest belong to Mystery Musher. Find him if you can. He'll know. My dogs better be okay."

"Affirmative. Hopefully, I'll be back with Mystery Musher and the other two idiots who tried to run you off the trail.

Bo took a seat on her sled once again and handed the radio off to Bram, "I take it you heard all of that? Questions?"

"Yes, Miss Dennis."

Bo waved him closer. As he leaned in, she quietly said, "You do realize that I am still wearing my googles, hood and mask so that I can quietly slide out of here without getting bombarded by the press, right?"

He nodded, "But Ma'am, the press is always granted an interview with the winner. You set a course record too."

"Well, that's great, but did you see what just happened, Bram?"

"I…"

"Tell me, Bram. Who won? What did we win here? A crazy man just whipped one of my dogs, then tried to wrap that whip around my neck when I turned to put myself between him and my dogs. You do realize that if he had succeeded, he'd have snapped my neck and you would be unmasking an Iditarod champion who died on your watch, right? Are you sure you want me to talk to the press, Bram?"

Bram shook his head, "Nothing like this has ever happened."

The Veterinarian called to Bo who moved to provide assistance. They set to the task of separating the dogs onto beds of hay provided by race officials, bedding them by owner and securing them to a center line driven into the permafrost.

When finished, the dogs were all provided food and water. By that time, Kyle had arrived with Tamsin,

"Boss."

"Sled Builder."

"What?" Kyle asked.

Bo shrugged, "Ask the Special Agent. It's your code name."

She looked at Tamsin, "Sled builder? Really? For that matter, why not call me chief cook, dish washer, laundry doer, snow shoveler, dog trainer and feeder…"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Sheesh. You know, I do some of those things."

"Really, Special Agent? Since when?"

Bo chuckled, "Sled Builder, can you help the Vet with bandaging the paws of these dogs? I really need to sit down. I'm running on melted snow and wishful thinking right now."

"Sure. What's wrong with…" One glance told Kyle all she needed to know, "Dammit! He ran them on the open road! There are pieces of gravel imbedded in their pads!"

The Vet came over with a penlight and magnifying glass to check on Kyle's find. She shook her head and asked Kyle, "You're a Veterinarian?"

Kyle shook her head, "No. I'm a Musher, a sled builder and I'm part owner of a kennel that has full veterinary service."

Bo interjected, "She's one of the most renowned experts on the sport. Everything from sleds to dogs to training Mushers."

The Vet nodded, "Well, you've got good eyes Young Lady. I didn't see the gravel. If that stays in, we're looking at infection and possible amputation."

Bo shuddered, her thoughts immediately traveling to Harper. The last time she had talked to Rudy, her Sister told her she was up and walking, but not like she used to. She wanted to get home to her. She wanted to start working with her on her rehab. She missed her terribly.

"I've done this before." Kyle said, "Bury their feet in the snow so they numb up a bit and the swelling around the gravel goes down. Then use a soft nail brush to remove the gravel from each pad, irrigate with sterile saline, wrap each paw in sterile gauze, cover with a felt bootie, then wrap with plastic wrap to keep them dry."

The Vet nodded, "Not exactly how I would do it, but I like the treatment."

"Okay then. Let's get kids cleaned up and feeling better."

The Vet smiled, "It must feel like a hundred tiny splinters are in their feet."

Bram turned away… right into Bo, "What's the matter, Bram? Can't handle a little blood?"

"That's… awful."

"Yes. It is. That man put these dogs at risk. They may never run again. Some may never walk well again." She sighed, "Look, Bram, the truth is, Mushers get injured and so dogs. There are even those rare occasions when they die, but those moments are rare because we take precautions. You didn't have enough people working the course, Bram."

He nodded, "When we moved the date because of the weather, we lost sponsors and volunteers. There was nothing we could do. We did everything we could."

"Well, I have some suggestions. I'll email you. Now, can you tell us what the registered name of this guy was?"

He shuffled through the papers, "His name is Sven Svenson from Svendsen."

"What?" Bo asked.

"That's what it says on his registration form. He's from Svendsen in Switzerland."

Tamsin laughed, "Bram, you've been had. There is no such place. Svendsen is a Danish and Norwegian surname. I know, because I'm Norwegian. His name is Arman Morton and he is a cousin of James "Big Jim" Morton. My Special Agent in Charge will make that announcement. I've already told Spud and the other officials his name is not to be released under penalty of Federal law."

She turned to Bo, who had slumped back into her sled at the news, her eyes closed and her head shaking,

"Bo, he is the last surviving descendent of The Morton Clan other than those who reside in Talkeetna, Alaska." She sat beside her friend, "We believe he was the last cell. Of course, every time I say that to you, another one turns up, but with any luck, he really is the last."

"How do you know for sure?" Bo asked.

"I've been on the satellite phone with Dyson, Hale and my colleagues at the bureau for the last four hours. They're all still on the North Slope. They got hung up for a bit. Apparently, Dyson went lone wolf on one of the guys – beat the living shit out of him until he talked. That's how we found out there was a cousin, but until I saw that guy coming after you, I had no idea he was here. I mean – hell, we didn't even know you were here."

Bo nodded, "That's not your fault. That was my choice."

Tamsin raised her hood, pulling the zipper up tight. They were losing daylight and it was getting really cold as the winds picked up.

Bo sighed, "Is Dyson in the prison up there?"

Tamsin shook her head, "The Council decided that he was defending his honor and released him to Hale."

"Self-defense?" Bo asked.

"Apparently there is nothing worse than a Sheriff who can't guarantee the safety of his citizens. The council really looks to be making real change… holding these offenders accountable… finally. If they're not going to talk, they're not going to walk."

Bo nodded, "Good."

"Hale also said that he was told to tell your Mom that her family has been reinstated to the village and are welcome there anytime."

Bo shook her head, "We don't want our old house. Nothing but bad karma in that place."

"Yea, that's what I thought your Mom would say. She does appreciate the citizenship though."

Tamsin couldn't see the smile, but it was there beneath Bo's mask,

"I don't think I'll be needing them for a native home. I've found a village who accepts me for who and what I am – including my lifestyle and my Big Jim baggage. They know of him and they rejected him before he could buy any land or form any relationships there in trade or otherwise."

Tamsin nodded, "Sounds like you've been busy making decisions."

Bo shrugged, "Just finding myself. I feel… new. I feel like I've been born again."

"And will that path take you away from Talkeetna… from Alaska? You're moving to Canada?"

Again, Bo's smile stretched across her face, "My path will take me back to Talkeetna just as I said before… back to my family and friends."

"And Lauren?"

Bo paused before looking at Tamsin again, "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather talk to Lauren first before I go discussing our relationship with anyone else."

Tamsin smiled and nodded, "That is a very mature stance."

"Yea, well I've done a lot of growing up over the last few months."

"Well, whatever you've decided about your life, know that I will remain here as needed."

Bo nodded, "I didn't expect to see you here."

"If it weren't for Lauren's insistence that something bad was happening to you, I wouldn't be here. We followed her instincts the entire way. You should have seen her handle your friend the Park Ranger in Denali."

"Kat?"

Tamsin nodded, "Lauren was not taking no for an answer. By the way, Kat is the jealous type… in kind of a creepy way."

Bo shook her head, "She's got a thing."

"And you?"

"Kat? Hell no. She's a little obsessed."

Kyle chimed in, "It's just a little hero worship. I was part of a rescue team who went up for her and another ranger after a chopper crash. She thought she was going to die on that mountain, but then we showed up. I was the first one she saw, so she's always said that I rescued her. It was a team effort."

They were interrupted by the Veterinarian, "Excuse me, Miss Dennis?"

"Yea?"

"Each of these dogs have open lacerations on the outer side of their bodies. All have problems with their feet. They were not provided proper footwear changes and…"

"I stuck to the trail unlike those jerks and I change my dogs booties every one-hundred miles whether they need changing or not!" Bo defended.

"Apologies. Your five dogs are fine. It's these of the other… well, of the other owners. Do you have a way of contacting them?"

She looked at Tamsin who nodded, "The team is on their way there. Do you need me to reroute their return flight here?"

Bo shook her head, "That's the doctor's call. That Musher is in bad shape – they were barely conscious when I left them. I started a fire for warmth…"

"But you can't keep a fire going if you're unconscious." Tamsin deducted, "Well, hopefully they get your Musher friend back in one piece."

There was silence between the two before Bo lifted her goggles and spoke, "Thank you, Tamsin. I don't say that enough to you."

"It's really not necessary, Friend – though the sentiment is appreciated."

The agents' satellite phone rang. She answered, listening to the person on the other end of the line. As the other person continued to speak, she whispered to Bo, "They found Mystery Musher. I'll be back."

Bo watched as Tamsin walked away, then turned back to the Vet, "I will take responsibility for the animals. What are your thoughts?"

Her head drew back, her eyes wide, "Well, my thoughts are that these animals need to be hospitalized. You have noticed that your dogs are still standing and attentive?" She nodded to the other team, "All of these dogs are prone despite having much less work to do considering they were a full team. They're in really bad shape. They need I.V. fluids, some are going to need surgery on their feet. I would take them to my clinic, but it will take me a week to get to each of them."

Bo nodded, "We have a team of vets back in our hometown. I think that once you have them all patched up, we'll take them home with the two Mushers and sort things out from there."

Once finished with the treatment, the two women re-checked each animal, beginning a personal chart for each dog based on the name engraved on their respective collars. They took their time, being sure not to miss anything. Tamsin returned while they were doing the check, reporting that they had the dogs and both Mushers had been found… alive.

"Your all-star med team and their training officer are heading straight back to Talkeetna. They only have the two teams that chopper was originally carrying, but they also have the most gravely injured Musher. That leaves the other three choppers to get all of the dogs and personnel to Denali National Park office where you're the star pilot's plane is. Think you'll be okay to fly us back? You know I'm not licensed."

Bo sighed, "If I can sleep on the way there, sure – as long as you keep me awake."

Tamsin turned to Kyle, "We're going to have to get creative getting all of these dogs back. We're also going to be heavy one Musher."

"As long as it's not any of those jerks laying in the field, that's fine by me." Kyle smiled.

Bram approached Bo, "Uh… Miss… uh…" he rifled through his paperwork, comparing Bo's bib number to his registration list, "Miss Elise Morton?"

Bo grinned beneath her mask, "Yes?"

Tamsin's head whipped around to Bo who just shrugged, as Bram asked, "Do you want me to announce Elise as the winner?"

When Bo shrugged, Tamsin jumped in, "No, Bo. You can't. She's a minor child. I'm putting my foot down on this one."

Bo sighed, removing her goggles and mask, "Hi, Bram. The name is Bo Dennis. You can change that on my registration form. Can you give me about ten minutes to get myself together and get my dogs into any shots they take?"

Bram nodded, "They told me you would never do press… that you never do press at the Iditarod."

Bo smiled, "Well, if they give me the ten minutes, I'll give them a nice long statement and they can take pictures."

"Really?" Bram asked, surprised.

Bo nodded, "Yes, Bram. Really. And Bram?"

"Yes, Miss Dennis?"

"Please – call me Bo. I'm sorry if I was hard on you earlier. This race was one of the greatest challenges of my life – crazed men or not. I'm sure you did the best you could under the circumstances. I knew what I was getting into when I entered the race. It's exactly as advertised. Luckily, I've been well-prepared for the trail you set up."

Bram stepped closer, "Would you mind if I ask… I don't want to take your time."

"It's okay, Bram. What do you want to know?"

He shrugged, "I was a Rec Director in a local town here in Canada. That's how I ended up with this job. I didn't know anything about sledding. I follow Spud's lead and listen to the guys that have raced."

"That's a good idea. I'm successful because I surround myself with people who are the best in their fields… of course, I'm lucky enough that other people don't know that they're the best in their fields.'

They shared a laugh before Bram asked, "Was it really as bad as they say? I mean… they say people drop out of this race because of the isolation, not because of the cold."

Bo shrugged, "I take it you don't know much about my history?"

"Does anyone?" Bram smiled, "You're one of the only top racers who hasn't written a book or had one written about you. No one knows anything about your life."

Bo nodded, knowing that her intentional avoidance of the press and personal questions all of these years had made it so. She considered him for a moment before she replied,

"I never had a home… not until last year. I lived on the road… not the paved roads, but the icy, snowy, cold roads that run through the mountains and forests of Alaska. It's why my team and I were so comfortable in this climate. I entered this race because of how it was described in the brochure. For me, this race was just another day in the life of Bo Dennis. It was good training for us as a team and, well – I needed to go home. For me, home is… out there. Here… this…" she motioned to the press mob standing about twenty-five yards away, "… makes me want to jump out of my skin."

She lowered her eyes, but Bram stepped closer, "I'll be right here by your side, Bo. I'll break up the interview whenever you need me to. Just give me a nod."

Bo smiled, "You're a good man, Bram. Thank you. But I'll be okay. I'm doing this for me as much as I'm doing it to make your life a little easier today. I know you've got a helluva lotta paperwork to do when this is over, and those press junkies won't go easy on you if I back out."

She looked around, noting that everyone had cleared out, "It's not like there's anyone else around for them to interview. This place really does clear out post-race."

He nodded, "No pomp and circumstance - well, unless you count those three medical choppers," He said, pointing to the sky, "Friends of yours?"

Bo looked over her shoulder and smiled, "That's our ride."

"Wow. Quite the contingent." Bram laughed, holding onto his hat as the combined force of the rotors created a powerful wind that blew everyone back.

Bo laughed as her dogs barked, likely thinking Kurt, Kyle, Lauren or Kelly were onboard. Once they had landed and powered down, she turned to Bram,

"Okay. I guess I'm just about out of time. They are the emergency crew for our entire town, so I can't keep them waiting for long."

"Deep breaths. I'll be right back." He smiled brightly before turning excitedly to the race officials. He waved them forward, meeting them halfway. The press group following closely behind.

Tamsin watched as Bo sat back in the seat of her sled, calling to Aphrodite. The lead dog for the last stretch of the race rushed to Bo's side, leaping gracefully onto the seat beside her. Bo whispered in her ear,

"This is your fifteen minutes of fame, girl. Stand tall. You just made history." Bo reached beneath the seat and released the hook that dropped the trail sled and bench behind her.

Tamsin stepped towards the sled, "You sure about this Bo? You hate press."

Bo hesitated, then replied, "I've been training for this part too."

"Oh?"

Bo nodded, "I've been meeting with Faith using this thing called video chat since I've been gone. The village where I was had WiFi… well, sometimes."

"She didn't tell us. We were worried sick about you and she didn't tell us!" Tamsin said, angry.

"Doctor-Patient privilege."

"Bull and shit! She could have told us…"

"I asked her not to, Tamsin. You would have grilled her or tapped her phone until you found me. I didn't want to be found. I needed to do this. I needed to do this alone. Before I left Talkeetna, I was lost. I had to find myself and I did. A new, better version of myself. At least I think that's what I am now. Like I told you, I feel better… clearer. Please don't be angry. Last year I was thrown into a world I was ill prepared for and I needed to go back to my world and ease back into this one… baby steps."

"I understand." Tamsin replied.

"You can't possibly understand, Tamsin… no one can… no one has lived my life. But I appreciate you trying to empathize with what my life in the last year may have been like. People were right – I was more animal than human." She shrugged, lowering her eyes, "So I went back out where the animals roam and… I found peace. For weeks, I could breathe… I felt like I was home again. I welcomed the cold; I welcomed the isolation. I trapped, I lived in caves and igloos with my dogs – I just lived like I always had, and I felt…" she looked up at Tamsin, "I felt like me again."

"Then what changed? How are you here?"

Bo shrugged, "Look, T – no offense, but I'd really rather discuss all of this with Lauren before I talk about it with anyone else."

Tamsin nodded, "Fair enough. I'm just glad you're back and I'm sure a lot of other people will be to."

Bo gave her a half smile, wondering if Lauren would be one of those people who was glad, she was back. She looked over to her remaining dogs who were now lying down, looking up at her expectantly.

She called to Nike and Diana who came immediately to occupy the bench behind her, Diana putting a paw on Bo's shoulder,

"You okay, girl? I promise you that's the first and last time anyone will ever put a whip to you." She chuckled when all three dogs barked. Finally, she called Sadie and Keegan who came and sat obediently on the trail sled. Bo looked over her shoulder at the pair,

"Okay, Rookies! This is called a press junket. Be on your best behavior and above all else – smile for the cameras and strike a sexy doggie pose." She laughed at the pair. They'd run beyond her wildest expectations and she was so very proud of them. She was also grateful to her Mom and Lauren for the work they had done with them before she'd pulled them onto the team for training runs.

She turned to the reporters and took a deep breath remembering her social skills lessons.

Body language, open and welcoming – check;

Focus on content, then match your mood to that content before you speak – I love racing, I love my dogs, we won, we made history so I'm… happy… nah, I'm… ecstatic! Yea. Good word. What else? Well, I'm worried about my other dogs… no, that's emotions, state a fact - my other dogs are being rescued and will be okay; mood – happy… no, I'm a first time champion in an international race, leading the way for women and made history, so… I'm grateful… no… I'm thrilled over the victory and the history, pleased and in awe of my team's performance and grateful we are all healthy enough to sit here and talk to the press…

She paused her thinking and whispered, "Okay, so I'm not grateful to be talking to the press, but I am grateful we're all healthy."

Give credit where credit is due, but don't draw unnecessary or unwelcome attention to family and friends - This is only half of the team I started with. The others are on their way thanks to Bram, Spud, a FBI Special Agent and the Emergency Team who volunteered to aide in the investigation of a lone actor who meant and did harm during the race.

"I'll leave that story to the race officials to tell." she said quietly to herself.

She gave Bram a wink and turned to Aphrodite, "Okay, girl. Here we go. Try not to close your eyes when the camera light flashes. I want them to get a good shot of those baby blues of yours."

Bo laughed as Aphrodite licked her cheek and turned to the first reporter,

"What happened to your team, Bo?"

She offered a bright smile, "These five dogs hauled my exhausted ass the last hundred miles on after doing the first nine-hundred with a full team."

A reported called out, "What are their names, Bo? What about the famous Harper? We've heard… she may have actually…"

Bo smiled, "Died? No, those were rumors. Harper has officially retired from the race circuit…"

Aphrodite barked three times, stealing the attention of the photographers,

"This is the Mighty Aphrodite, Harper's eldest daughter and former fellow Swing position runner. Today, after the unfortunate incident outside of Braeburn, she stepped up as the lone lead dog, giving my veteran leads Nike and Diana the ability to slide into the Swing position to guide those Wheel rookies you see on the drag sled at the rear."

"What are their names, Bo?"

"On the near side of the sled is Keegan and on the far side is Sadie. They're Harper's granddaughters."

Bo kept an arm wrapped over Aphrodite as the cameras flashed and the reporters fired off questions. It was the first time she had done press surrounded by her dogs. It felt… better… like she wasn't alone. She honored Harper for all she had taught her and this team. She gave all of the credit to them – they'd earned it.

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