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?

36. Chapter 36: Revelations and Resolutions

A/N: Hi All! I hope this chapter finds everyone well. I believe all of the story points that seem broken will come together. If not, sorry about that! If I ever publish this one, I'll fix it before I publish. Otherwise, please forgive any small snags. It's been a long time since I started this and having stepped away for over a month for "real life" responsibilities, I didn't take time to review. I just wanted to move it along. We're getting closer to the starting line of the Iditarod, a new home for our favorite couple and a wedding planned by two little kids! It's gonna be a hoot!

Be well, all!

Cuddles

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Chapter 36: Revelations and Resolutions

Six Hours Later, The Homestead

Rudy came running out of the house and followed Bo and Lauren into the barn. Mary wasn't far behind her daughter, but she also had three puppies running by her side.

Bo laughed, waving her Mom off amidst the chaos erupting from the garage and turned to Lauren,

"Let's help my mom out and take the dogs over to the big barn kennel. We can inspect the sleds there and let Rudy cool down the teams to give mom a break."

"It's still early. Do you think they would rather cool down in the back yard?" Lauren asked.

"We can leave the door open so they can come and go as they please, but we haven't checked the fence for days, so before we put them out there…"

"I checked it, Sister! They can play in the yard." Rudy said, running to Nike and Diana before moving down the line to say hello to each of Bo's dogs, then Lauren's.

"You're sure you checked top to bottom on each section and the fence posts?" Bo asked.

"Uh-huh. Momma showed me how to do it right. She was with me. Can we take them to the garage?"

Bo nodded as Rudy started her rapid-fire questions, "Did they eat? I should give them water, right? I know to check their feet and their private parts. Mom showed me how on my dogs and I can take their sweaters off when we get to the garage, too, right? Can I open the side door so they can run in and out of the garage and the yard?"

Bo laughed, "Did Mom show you what to do with the males?"

"Huh?" Rudy asked, her nose scrunched up, showing her confusion.

Bo smiled, giving a nod to Lauren who unhitched her team and walked them over to the garage before disconnecting them from the center line. Mary held the pups and watched while the two women worked with her youngster to get the dogs into the kennel area. Lauren chuckled to herself when she saw Rudy bending down and looking under Hercules, pointing at his groin area and asking Mary where it was. The youngster then headed off towards the side door, but Lauren stopped her,

"Don't open the side door just yet, Roo. We'll let them out one at a time after they're checked," she smiled, deciding another 'birds and the bees' discussion was coming. She turned to Mary,

"Do you want this chat?"

Mary smirked, "I'd love to, but I heard you did so well with the last one. I'd love to watch and learn from the doctor."

"You heard about that, huh?" Lauren smiled.

"Oh, you opened up quite the can of worms. While you were gone, Molly and I took the girls to the library. We borrowed books about all sorts of creatures and how they're conceived. There were lots of questions and lots of giggles."

Lauren smiled, "I can only imagine."

Mary shrugged, "As I told you, I always answer her questions. When she's ready to know, she's ready to know."

Lauren nodded, turning to Bo as she entered the garage with her team. Rudy was by her big sisters' side, helping her to get the dogs into the kennels before she started wandering around to see what everyone was wearing. She turned to Bo,

"I don't get it. They all look the same."

Bo smiled, "Look closer. Lauren had two males on her team. Go see what they're wearing, then look at two of the females and see what they're wearing. Then ask yourself if you know why they're wearing different pieces of clothing."

Rudy shrugged, pointing, "They all have sweaters and booties."

"Look closer, Roo. They're all wearing much more than just fur."

She laid down under Hercules and then under Aphrodite, her eyes wide as the moon, "Ooooh! Got it!"

She walked to each dog, then announced their gear piece by piece,

"They all have their sweaters on, so that tells me it must have been minus twenty or lower when you left. Wait, if it gets warmer, do you stop and take the sweaters off?"

Bo smiled, "If I was in a race, I wouldn't stop until a checkpoint unless they were panting excessively. While on a training run, I'll stop and take them off since the runs are shorter and the weather is less likely to change from the start to the end of a trail."

Rudy nodded, "They all have leggings on, so that means the snow was deep – at least in some places. When I take the leggings off, I check all their legs to make sure their fur is still all there on the front of their legs."

The three adults all smiled and nodded, so Rudy continued, "They all have their harnesses on," she looked to Mary, "Hey Mom, did you show Bo that new harness you made?"

"Well, since I made it while she was gone and she quite literally just got home, I suppose not." Mary smiled, telling Bo she would explain later.

Rudy nodded, "They all have booties on but Sister, it looks like you shoulda changed them about ten miles ago! Look at these," she said, shaking her head, as she approached Kikkan, "She's got holes in her booties. That could give her blisters or frostbite! That's a mistake, Sister! You do that in the big race and you'll have to drop a dog."

Bo nodded, examining Kikkan's paws, "You're absolutely right. We ran out of booties since we didn't expect to be gone as many days as we were. If you look beneath the booties, however, you'll see that their feet have a special wrap on them. Go on, check."

Rudy pulled off one of Kikkan's booties, revealing a clear, thin membrane, "What is that?"

Bo smiled, "Something Kyle invented. She's still trying to come up with a name for it. It works well from what we could see, but we'll have Cassie check everyone's feet to be sure that no harm came from the material the wrap is made of."

"Safety first!" Rudy smiled.

"Dog health first," Bo replied, "No matter how you see other mushers treat their dogs, remember that the Dennis family always treats our dogs like part of our family."

"And we always protect our family," Rudy nodded.

"That's right," Bo smiled.

Rudy continued checking the dogs, "So, the harnesses, sweaters and booties are all fit to the right size. Is that what you mean?"

Bo shook her head, "There's something else everyone is wearing. Look under the dogs."

"I did! Twice!" she replied.

"Look again," Bo said.

With a huff, Rudy laid down and rolled around under each dog, finally pointing to Diana, "Wait. They all have these funny sort of front sweater things. Are they attached to the regular sweater?"

Bo nodded, "They're called belly wraps. The ones that Mom made are attached to the sweaters with snaps so it looks like it's all one piece, but either part can be removed at the snaps when needed."

Rudy rolled onto her back, looking up at Bo, "But what do you have to protect? I mean, I guess their bellies don't have fur so their skin can get frostbite?"

Bo nodded, "Not just their skin. What else is under there?"

Rudy looked under Diana again, her eyes going wide. She looked at Bo and started to giggle, "Her titties?"

Bo laughed, "Yes, but we call them teats on dogs."

"So, they need a bra like Momma?"

Bo smiled, "Well, women wear bras for support and breast health," she whispered to Lauren, "Although I still question the wisdom in making our breasts feel like they're in a vice."

"So, girl dogs where a sweater for breast health too?"

"Sort of," Bo explained, "Their teats can get frostbite and that can cause all sorts of problems, especially if they're still of age to have babies and need to feed their pups."

"Oh," Rudy nodded, rolling onto her back, and looking under Logan. She unfastened the cover and quickly pulled back, "Whoa! What's that thing?"

Bo and Lauren both looked at Mary who smiled, "You know what that is, Roo. It's just covered up. We talked about it when we read one of your library books. You must have noticed it on the dogs before."

"Oh! That's the penis?" Rudy asked.

The three women nodded.

"You can't tell with that furry thing on there. What is that?"

"A pecker protector." Bo said matter-of-factly.

"A what?" Rudy asked.

Bo laughed, "Girls wear belly wraps and boys wear a male wrap or what is commonly called a pecker protector by mushers."

"What's a pecker?" Rudy asked.

Bo looked at her Mom who looked at Lauren. The blonde shook her head, "Honestly, you two," she turned to Rudy, "Pecker is a slang term for penis."

"What's slang?" Rudy asked.

Lauren sat on the kennel fence, knowing there would be a chain of questions that Mary and Bo were not going to want to answer,

"It's a word that's substituted for a real word."

Rudy giggled, "Like I said titties and not teat?"

"Exactly." Lauren nodded with a smile.

"So, a pecker is a penis, but what is that thing that it's wearing?"

Lauren laughed, "Logan's penis is wearing a male wrap, just as Bo told you."

"I know that, but what's it made from and why does his penis need it? I mean, it's covered in fur."

Lauren nodded, "Not always." She reached out and removed the protective gear, "What you see is called the prepuce or penile sheath. The actual penis is inside that fur-covered membrane. If snow gathers and clings to the sheath, the temperature will drop and the penis inside will be surrounded by frozen fur. Think of it like what happens when we put meat in the freezer for too long."

"Frostbite!"

"That's correct. And if that happens, the dog can suffer from a condition called paraphimosis."

"Pa-ra-pimotis?"

"Paraphimosis."

"Pa-ra-fa-mo-sis."

"You've got it!" Lauren smiled.

"What's para-famo-sis?"

Lauren explained, "Well, first, it's very painful for the dog. They won't be able to run and it can result in permanent damage."

"So, Logan wouldn't be able to make babies?"

Lauren nodded, "It's possible unless it's treated quickly."

"But what happens that makes them not have babies?"

"Well, the sheath freezes, so the penis is stuck in whatever position it's in when that happens. Remember we talked about the female dogs coming into heat?"

"Yup. Kyle said the boys get all crazy when that happens."

Lauren nodded, "Because their instinct is to sire children and the scent of the females changes to attract them and drive that instinct."

"Awesome!"

Bo cocked her head, "Awesome?"

"More puppies, Sister!"

Mary shook her head, "No, Child. We're not going to allow that to happen right now."

"But why? We all love puppies!"

Bo smiled, "Because puppies are expensive, they need round-the-clock care, as do the mothers and they will prevent you from training your current pups on the sled this spring. They're ready, Roo. If you miss this window, your dogs will never run as race dogs. They'll only run for fun or for work."

"But I want them to be my lead dogs!" Rudy said, her eyes emphasizing the sadness she felt.

"Then there can't be any puppies right now," Bo said, hoping her sister would understand.

Rudy looked over at where her pups were playing with Harper, "Okay. No puppies this year."

"Thanks for understanding, Roo."

The youngster nodded, then turned to Lauren, "So why does the penis come out of the sheath? If it's dangerous, why doesn't it just stay in there where it's warm and safe?"

Bo laughed, "Because it has a mind of its own and it's too stupid to know any better."

"Ysabeau!" Mary scolded, causing Bo to apologize.

"Listen to Lauren, Roo. She'll explain."

Lauren smiled, "Well, Bo isn't wrong. The male penis does sort of have a mind of its own. Sometimes it comes out when the dog becomes excited by a nearby female in heat. Sometimes the dog must pee so it comes out for that reason. Remember that urine is liquid, so after he relieves himself, that liquid can freeze to the fur that covers the sheath…"

"And he'll get parrotosis!"

Lauren laughed, "Paraphimosis, yes."

"Right."

"So, because I had a male on my team, I had to be sure he's near a female who is past child-bearing age and frequently check that his wrap… or pecker protector… was secure and doing its job."

"Ewww… you mean you had to touch it?"

Lauren laughed, "Well, the dogs aren't going to put on the wraps themselves, right?"

Rudy looked at Bo, "Now I know why your teams are all girls."

Bo sighed, "Well, I am considering a male or two for the Iditarod, so we'll see."

"Are you still considering Muk and Jenna?" Rudy asked, hopefully.

"You really want me to use them, huh?"

Rudy nodded, "I think they'll be awesome."

Bo nodded, "Well, then it sounds like we have to do some three-dog races before I leave. Think you can handle a ten-mile stretch of trail?"

Rudy looked at Mary who shrugged, "That's up to you, Child. You won't have anyone on the sled with you – not with only three dogs. You'll travel with very little gear, so mistakes cannot be made. If you are confident, use what you've been taught, pay attention to the dogs and their needs, be aware of your surroundings and keep pace with your sister. You'll be fine."

"I think… can I tell you tomorrow?" Rudy asked, looking up at Bo.

"You need time to think about it?"

Rudy nodded, getting to her feet. She looked up at Mary, "May I be excused to take the dogs out in yard now?"

Mary nodded, "Of course, Child. Be sure to take all of their gear off, put what cannot be reused in the trash bin and what can be reused in the barn to dry."

"Yes, Ma'am."

She hurried off, quietly.

Bo turned to her Mom, "Who was that and what did she do with my little sister?"

Mary sighed, "While you were gone, your sister had an encounter with a brown bear. She was with Elise and Molly coming back from Talkeetna. Molly was on the other sled with Elise and Rudy was on her own. She was ahead of Molly and the bear was in front of Rudy. Molly didn't have a clean line to throw her axe and since she had Elise with her, she stopped her sled and ran to Rudy on foot. By the time she got to her, Rudy was curled up in a tight ball. When they got back, Molly was white as a sheet as she described the scene. She said that bear was rolling my child around like a toy."

"Oh God," Lauren said, hands to her mouth.

Mary nodded, her eyes glassy as she spoke, "Molly righted Rudy's sled, hopped on and shouted to the bear, drawing her away. She called to Elise to get Rudy on their sled and take her to The Homestead."

"I take it Molly's okay."

Mary nodded, "Yes, as always, she had her faithful twins with her."

Bo sighed, "She had to take it down?"

"Sadly, he gave her no choice."

"He?"

"A massive male. She unloaded Dorothy and Auntie Em before pulling out the Tin Man to finish him."

"She unloaded three guns into that bear?"

Mary shrugged, "You know Molly doesn't believe in taking a life."

Bo nodded, "She took out the knees first."

"She said she's never seen anything like it. He kept running at her, so she went for the shoulders, hips, missed the throat and finally put two into the skull."

"Lucky shots."

"Believe me, she's fully aware."

Bo sighed, "And Rudy?"

"Like you, nightmares ever since. Hasn't been on a sled without a co-pilot since… except for short drills with Carolyn and Shannon."

"Who's co-piloting?"

"Me, Molly or LJ. She won't go with anyone else."

"I'll go talk to her." Bo said.

Mary nodded, "So you are aware, I've had her talking to Anna. She offered."

Bo nodded her head down as she spoke, "Good. That's good."

Lauren agreed, "Well, it appeared that she was happy when we arrived, so that's a good sign that her innate coping skills are kicking in."

"She's still easily distracted, thank the Spirits." Mary said with a nod, "Unfortunately, she's not responding as she usually would to a physical challenge."

"She needs time," Bo replied.

"Yes, but not too much. She's got to get back on a sled, Ysabeau."

"I know, Mom." Bo had an idea, "What do you think about me taking her with me next week? You could meet us in Anchorage."

"She would slow you down, Ysabeau. I appreciate the gesture, but…"

"No, Mom. I meant travel with me in the basket or on the bench. I could let her drive when I need rest and the dogs are still good to go. Everyone gets the training they need. You and the team can bring the gear that I would usually carry to the race so she doesn't have to drive a top heavy sled. Her body weight will still give the dogs what they need in addition to the supplies the two of us will need for the week."

Mary looked at Lauren who nodded and offered her opinion, "I think it's Rudy's best chance at a comeback if you're asking for my two cents. Bo can take the satellite phone. If they have any problems, Kurt can drop us in by plane with an extra sled, extra dogs or pick Rudy up - whatever they need."

"Understand, I will not have Kurt fly out to pick up a scared child. If she goes, she goes, fears and all." Mary emphasized.

Bo nodded, "I understand. We'll make that clear to her."

Mary smiled, clapping her hands together, "Well, let's check teats and peckers, then get everything cleaned up. I want to hear all about your week on the trail, Lauren."

Lauren "Oh! I won a sprint!"

"You cheated!" Bo was quick to add.

"No, I used your worry-wart nature against you. There's nothing wrong with that." Lauren defended.

The couple laughed, sharing a kiss,

"Agree to disagree," Bo said, kissing Lauren once more.

Mary grinned as the couple got to work on the lines, making idle chatter. It seemed they could not keep the smiles off their faces, nor their hands off each other. It was good to see. It warmed her heart to see that the trip had brought them closer together and released some of their inhibitions of showing affection in front of family. She decided it was time to kick the wedding planning into high gear. It was just another thing that would help to lift and distract Rudy's spirits.

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Next Day, Trailhead by Carolyn and Shannon's House

"Sister, can we go back now?" Rudy asked, pulling her team to a stop.

Bo stopped her team and set the brake and anchor before walking back to her sister's sled,

"What's up, Roo?" Bo asked, pulling her googles up on her head.

Rudy didn't remove her goggles, but Bo could hear the quiver in her voice, "Nothing. It's just… I'm a little tired. Maybe I'm coming down with something."

She coughed twice, but Bo could tell it wasn't a real cough, "Sick, huh? Well, you know if you go home sick, you'll have to go straight to bed. No playing with Elise when she comes over, no playing with the dogs, no…"

"Uh… maybe I'm not too sick… just tired."

Bo cocked her head to one side, a frown on her face, "Hey – we have a no secrets policy, right?"

"Yes. I'm not keeping a secret."

"Well, you're not telling me how you feel and with us, that's a secret."

Rudy sighed, setting her brake and anchor before looking over her head and scanning the horizon. She turned back to Bo,

"While you were gone, I got attacked by a bear."

"Well, you're still here, so he didn't eat you." Bo smiled.

Rudy tugged at the fur on her hood before turning and studying her surroundings again. She turned back to Bo and smiled,

"Right."

Bo couldn't help but notice her little sister checking their surroundings. Bo knew the paranoia all too well as events of her own childhood had caused the same wary feelings in her. She smiled, taking her sister's hand, and leading her off the rails to the bench of her sled. They sat quietly, the elder Dennis observing her sister's nervousness reach a peak before she put an arm over her shoulder. She felt Rudy relax almost instantly and was glad she could bring her some comfort.

"You know I would never let a bear hurt you, right?"

Rudy nodded.

"And you know it's not likely they would come near houses when there's so much open space for them to roam? The temperatures are on the rise, so there's more easily accessible food. The first river rapid is about a quarter mile downstream from The Homestead which puts the bear restaurant over a mile from here."

"We weren't far from home when the bear attacked." Rudy said, looking over her shoulder, "They can be anywhere. The only safe place is inside."

Bo sighed, "Roo, we've been running these trails for almost a year and have seen many, many bears. This is the first time you've ever been attacked by a bear."

"But do you know how many times I'll be attacked if I stay here my whole life?"

"What?" Bo asked, confused.

"In my gifted math class, we learned about this stuff called probably."

Bo asked, "Probability?"

"Why are you repeating me?"

"What?"

"Never mind. Anyway, if I was attacked once in a year, that means I'll probably be attacked every year for the rest of my life. That's probably!"

Bo chuckled which only caused Rudy to get more upset, "Don't laugh at me, Sister! It's not funny! You didn't see! You don't understand! It was a big brown bear! I didn't even have time to get my axe out! I couldn't even get my bear spray out of its holster! All I could do was curl up in a ball and then he played kick ball with me for an hour… and I was the ball! It's not funny! I was so scared… so scared!"

Bo lifted the goggles from her sisters' eyes, freeing the tears to stream down her face, "Roo. I'm sorry that happened to you, I really am."

"You told me to be aware. I was having so much fun, I let my guard down. I can't be trusted on a sled."

Bo shook her head, "Rudy, I have trusted you with my life on a sled. But you are young, and you do get easily distracted which is why you are still required to have an adult with you when you drive a sled."

She looked up at Bo who shook her head, "That look on your face is kinda breakin' my heart, kiddo."

Rudy looked behind her, scanning the land before turning back to Bo, "I'm scared, Sister. I'm really, really… really scared."

"Roo, anyone would be if they had gone through what you did, but you cannot spend the rest of your life indoors and you love sledding too much to give up on it."

"But I can't be out here. I'm… I'm just waiting for a bear to run up, jump on me and eat me."

Bo smiled, "Bears don't eat people, Roo."

"No, they just rip them apart with their claws while they're still alive so that other animals can eat the tiny little pieces they leave behind!"

Bo sighed, "Okay, so if that's what you think they do, why do you think the bear didn't rip you apart?"

"Because I remembered the poem. He was brown, so I laid down and curled up into a ball."

"So, you do know what to do during a bear attack." Bo reasoned.

Rudy shrugged, "I guess, but I don't want to do that again… ever. I was so scared he was gonna kill me, Sister. I thought about Momma and you and Lauren and my puppies and never seeing any of you ever again and all I wanted was for him to go away and for me to get home and stay with all of you safe in the house forever."

Bo sighed, "Well, that's not gonna happen, Roo. I'm not going to stop racing. Mom isn't going to stop going out foraging and clearing the fish wheel by sled, and Lauren… well, you should have seen her this week. She was a natural out there. Did she tell you a bear snuck up on her?"

"Really?"

Bo nodded, "It was a black bear."

"What did she do?"

"Well, she hesitated at first. I mean, I still do that to this day. It's a little shocking when you see them turn towards you."

"But what did she do?" She asked, stomping her feet and waving her hands.

Bo chuckled, "Patience, Squirt. She's alive, right? What do you think she did?"

Rudy concentrated on her answer, "If it's black, fight back," she looked up at Bo, her eyes wide, "She fought a black bear?"

Bo smiled, proudly, "She raised her arms up over her head and screamed in this funny low voice that I'd never heard before. She ran towards the bear, so the bear ran towards her."

"You never run towards a bear," Rudy said, her eyes hanging on Bo's every word.

Bo nodded, "Well, when she realized she'd made a mistake, she lifted her axe with both hands over her head and threw it as hard as she could."

"Ohmagosh!" Rudy said, her eyes wide and set firmly on Bo, "Then what?"

"I was running towards her with my axe in one hand and knife in the other, but the axe hit the bear square in the shoulder. It stumbled and fell forward onto its face, howling."

"Awww. Poor thing." Rudy frowned.

"Hey! Poor thing? Big bear attacking my fiancé! What about poor Lauren?"

"Oh. Right! Sorry. So did he die?"

Bo shrugged, "She and I don't know. She ran off limping."

"But Lauren is a doctor! She wouldn't hurt a momma bear and then leave her to die alone in the woods!"

Bo laughed, "You're right. She wouldn't."

Now it was Rudy's turn to laugh as she saw her sister shake her head, "She made you follow the bear, didn't she, Sister?"

"Yup. We tracked that bear for more than a day. She was more worried that it had cubs that would be left to fend for themselves. When we left it, it was in a river, fishing. It was still limping, but throwing an axe hard enough to do permanent damage to a bear's shoulder from that distance is pretty hard. She finally agreed to get back on the trail once I convinced her it was probably just a bad bruise."

"Is that why you took so long to get back?" Rudy asked.

Bo shrugged, "Lauren was just having a good time and wanted to stay out on the trail with me."

"Even after getting attacked by a bear?" Rudy asked.

"Well, I have to admit, Roo… what you went through is much worse than what Lauren went through. I mean, the bear didn't toss her around like a toy. But, both of you learned that you know how to handle yourself with a bear. It doesn't make it any less scary to know that it could happen again, but at least you know the poem works, right?"

Rudy sighed, "I guess so."

"You know, Lauren says, when you fall off a horse, you've got to get right back on it."

"Why?" Rudy asked.

"Because you've got to face your fears, otherwise, they'll follow you for the rest of your life."

Bo waited while Rudy processed her reply. She had lived her little sister's fears and although many of her childhood memories remained a mystery to her, those attached to fear she remembered best. Doctor Gray had told her that our most resilient memories are usually associated with deep feelings of love, anger or fear - however, because they came with such powerful emotions, the memories were often misconstrued. Bo could only imagine what Rudy saw when she replayed the bear attack over again in her mind – worse yet, in her dreams.

"So, I should get back on my sled?"

Bo smiled, "Well, we're on your sled."

"I mean on the rails. I've got to get back on the trail and run with my dogs."

Bo nodded, "Exactly and we have to start to work on emergency maneuvers too."

"Mom already started. My bruises have bruises from being dragged by my sled. I kept forgetting to drop the anchor before trying to pull myself up."

Bo laughed, "Mom had you lay down and then spooked your team, eh?"

"Over and over and over again! Mom is relegess!"

"I don't know that word, Roo."

"Relegess! You know – she never stops!"

Bo chuckled, "You mean relentless?"

"That's what I said! Elise, Shannie and Lynnie had to do it too – all because I got attacked. I think Mom is worried about all of us now."

Bo shrugged, "That's only natural, Roo. She did the same with me when I was only three years old."

"Three?"

Bo nodded, "Remember – we lived on the tundra and there were polar bears. I basically looked like a seal, so my only chance was if I could get pulled away by my dogs."

"Wow," Rudy said, reciting the poem in a low voice, "… if it's white, good night."

"You never mess with a polar bear. It's why we always carried a shot gun on our sled."

Rudy nodded, "I still feel bad for them."

"Me too," Bo nodded.

They sat in silence for a long while, Bo watching her little sister carefully… the occasional glance around them, the sudden jerk at the sound of a falling tree branch, the constant picking at her gloves. The changes were subtle, but to Bo, they were very apparent. When she looked at her eyes again, she could see a tear leave the corner of her eye,

"Roo?"

"How do I make the bear go away, Sister?" Rudy asked, her eyes welling with tears.

Bo got up and knelt in front of her little sister, taking hold of her hands, "Roo, when you close your eyes and see what happened with the bear, what do you see?"

Rudy shrugged, lowering her eyes. Bo waited, but she did not speak, so she lifted her chin until their eyes met. Bo could feel her chest tighten. Her little sister's eyes were red and swollen, but worse yet, they showed fear. Bo had never seen fear in Rudy's eyes,

"Hey. What's going on in that little head of yours, Roo?"

She looked up, Bo's heart breaking at the sight of her face, "I'm so scared."

Bo nodded, "It's okay to be scared, Roo, but it's not okay to stop living your life because of that fear."

"I can't stop it."

Bo sighed, looking up at the position of the sun on the horizon. They would have some daylight soon. Maybe her idea to have Rudy run in the dark so she couldn't see any wildlife was a mistake. Maybe putting her on her own sled instead of sticking with her original plan to take only one sled was a mistake.

What she knew for certain was that she needed to get going one way or another.

She stood, hopping onto the rails of Rudy's sled, the child standing behind her and holding on in a panic,

"Don't leave me!"

Bo turned, "I'm right here on your sled with you, Roo. Sit on the bench, kiddo."

She turned to her team, "Nike, Diana – stay girls. I'll be back. Relax."

One pair at a time, her team laid down before Bo got Rudy's team to their feet.

"Where are you taking my sled?"

"Daycare," Bo replied, driving the sled down the driveway to Shannie and Lynnie's place. She'd already called that they might be stopping by but babysitting a team of dogs hadn't been part of the agreement. By the time she reached the door, the couple was waiting outside.

"Whoa," Bo called to the team, setting the brake, and dropping her anchor, "Hey Ladies. How are you?"

Both came to the side of the sled, each glancing at a very silent Rudy and then looking back up at Bo cautiously,

"We were heading out for a run but have decided we want to take just the one sled. Any chance you're up for babysitting Rudy's team?"

Shannon smiled, "I was just about to take Lynnie out for a run on my sled. If you want Rudy's team to get some exercise, I could ride with her and Carolyn can ride with you."

Bo turned back to Rudy, "What do you think, kiddo. Do you want to ride with Shannon?"

Rudy shrugged, offering no reply.

Bo sighed, stepping off the sled, and pulling the two away from her sister, "Shannie, have you got that 16-gauge shotgun on you?"

She shook her head, "I sled with a 12-gauge now."

"Why?"

"You've got more experience, Bo. If you pissed off a bear, you could fight them if you had to and probably still walk away. For me, I'd be dead. The twelve gives me a better chance of taking them down on the first shot. I know you don't approve of killing a bear, but it's loaded on my sled with the safety on. After what happened to Rudy…"

Bo nodded, "Say no more. I understand everyone is a little skittish right now, " she looked back at Rudy, "Well, apparently my approval of the use of guns is changing for my friends new to Alaska – as long as you're properly trained."

Shannie nodded, "Molly has me on the range every day she's at The Homestead."

Bo nodded, "Good enough for me. I guess you were there when Rudy was attacked?"

Carolyn shook her head, "They called us. I treated her wounds."

"Wounds?" Bo asked.

Lynnie nodded, "She has one large gash on her side as well as some scratches on her limbs and a bruise on her chin… nothing too serious."

Bo nodded, "I didn't realize. I wasn't told."

"How can we help?" Carolyn asked.

Bo looked up at Shannon, "You feel confident you could take down a bear with that gun if you had to?"

The nurse nodded, "Hundred percent. When I'm not training with Molly, I'm working with Kurt at the range. He's been making me shoot on the move, from my belly, on one knee, both knees and from a stand. Overkill if you ask me. I've been out hunting with my uncles since I was old enough to have a license during deer season. It's how my parents fed our family. Trout and venison was pretty much our diet."

"Oh. I didn't know," Bo replied, surprised.

Shannie shrugged, "Why would you? I think most people saw how I lived in Boston and assumed I came from money. Don't get me wrong – I'll hunt to eat, but I'm not a fan of guns or killing animals. I do it out of necessity. I like how you thank the spirit of the animals you take for food."

Bo offered a nod, "So if you have an issue…"

"I would have no issue with taking down a bear to save Rudy's life. That child will not die on my watch. Not unless I'm dead."

Bo paused, eyeing Shannon's determined stance. She had come to know the tough, blunt, brutely honest nurse but this was a whole different level of badass. Bo nodded,

"Good. I need to get Rudy back on a sled, but my mom is worried that if it's with me, she'll come to rely on me and… well, I'll be gone for the next few weeks. My mom doesn't have anyone to leave her with while I'm at the race since we're all going, so she's got to be able to trust any of us on a sled."

"You want me to take her?"

Bo nodded, "I want you to grab your gun and hop on the rails of her sled right now before she can hop off of that bench. Lynnie, you can ride with me if that's okay."

"Whatever we can do to help, Bo."

Bo nodded, "Sorry, we've got a bit of a walk. I left my team at the top of the driveway. Shannie, we'll be right behind you. Make sure Rudy sees that big ass shotgun of yours."

"Will do." Shannon said, kissing Carolyn and heading towards the garage.

Bo walked to Rudy, "I'm going up to my sled for a second. You're safe here with Shannon. She'll bring you up to me."

"Bo…"

"Don't argue, Roo. I'll see you in a minute."

Bo and Carolyn headed up the driveway while Rudy's eyes followed, then diverted to scan the land around them. She held tight to the armrest of the bench, nervously watching her surroundings until her head swung around at the sound of Shannon's voice,

"Gosh, Roo. A little twitchy, are ya?" She smiled, shotgun over her shoulder.

"You… you have a shotgun?"

"Yup," She said, sliding it into the rest mounted on the side of the sled at the handle and top rail.

"You kill animals?" She asked.

Shannon released the anchor and brake, "We're gonna go meet up with Bo and Lynnie at the top of the driveway. Can you stand in front of me and talk to your team? They don't know me too well, so they may not listen. I don't want to put us in a snowbank. Your sister will laugh at me for a month."

Rudy wiped her face, "She would."

"Okay, then - help me out, kiddo."

Rudy stayed on the bench, her eyes still working on her surroundings, so Shannon pressed,

"Whatcha looking for, Squirt?"

"Bears. You've gotta be aware."

"Oh yea? I heard bears don't come around homes too much."

"You can't be too careful." Rudy replied, nervously.

Shannon shrugged, "Yea, well if I thought about the bears all the time, I'd never leave the house. That's no way live."

"Guess not," Rudy said.

Shannon set the brake and turned around, holding out her hand, "I need your help, Squirt."

Rudy looked at the hand for a long moment, Shannon encouraging,

"Roo, I'm not going to let one brown bear take away your love of sledding. I've never seen a kid more excited about anything in my life. The wind in your face, the speed on the trail, the focus, the skill… I can only dream of being as good as you."

"I'm scared."

Shannon shrugged, "We're all afraid of something Roo. It's what we do with that fear that matters."

She sat on the bench next to the child, "Let me ask you something. When you look at your sister, who do you see?"

"My Sister."

"Tell me about her," Shannon said, hearing Bo's sled coming down the driveway, but she waved her off.

"She's… my sister. I love her and she loves me. We share our Momma's blood. She's a Champion."

Shannon nodded, "What makes her a champion?"

Shannon chanced a look up at Bo and nodded towards the trail, then turned back to Rudy who answered,

"Her dogs have a great blood line. I don't really know what that means, but they're all super fast and super strong. So's my sister."

"I agree. What else do you admire about your sister?"

"She teaches me stuff. She tells me I'm great when I don't think I am. She gives me that stuff… confidence," Rudy nodded, "She gives me confidence. She reads me stories at night with Lauren. She helps me with my homework if Lauren is being a doctor. She plants food with me, she fishes with me, she plays with me and she sleds with me."

"You have fun sledding with her, don't you?"

Rudy nodded.

"Have you beaten her in a sprint yet?"

Rudy shook her head, "I'm so close. You know, Lauren beat her while they were away. Sister says she cheated, but Lauren says she just used her motions against her."

"Motions?"

"Yea. Sister gets worried about Lauren like she does about me on a sled. Lauren hid so Sister would get worried and come back for her. When she came back and had her sled facing the wrong way on a narrow trail, Lauren took off from the woods on another trailhead and beat her to the finish line."

Shannon smiled, "Good for her."

"Lauren's really smart," Rudy smiled, "Do you know she's going to be my sister soon?"

Shannon laughed, "Of course I do, silly. I helped you make the wedding invitations while they were away, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

Shannon nodded towards the top of the driveway, "Look up there. Do you see how Bo and Carolyn are both sitting on the bench and the dogs are all laying down?"

"Yea?"

"Well, if we sprint up the drive, we could get ahead of them and win the first sprint. Do you think your dogs are still warmed up enough?"

Rudy nodded towards the team, "Well, they're not laying down, so they're better off than Sister's dogs. She won't push them to win – not when the Iditarod is this close. She can't afford anyone getting hurt."

Rudy stood up, eyeing her team, "But I don't want Jenna and Muk to get hurt. I want Sister to use them in the Iditarod."

"Oh? Is Bo considering them?"

Rudy sighed, "No, not really. But I'm trying to prove they can do it so maybe she will."

"Well, here's your chance."

Rudy nodded, "Is your gun loaded?"

Shannon smiled, "It is. Are you sure you'll be okay if I shoot a bear? I know you've been raised to hurt them and not kill them, so I'll try to wound it and not kill it."

Rudy nodded, "You just can't kill a Momma bear with cubs."

"Deal." Shannon said, "Now, let's see how we can do against your champion sister."

"Let's take them out slow so we don't make a lot of noise." Rudy whispered.

Shannon smiled, "Okay, grab the handle and get your feet set. Ready?"

Rudy looked down at her feet, "Ready."

"If I'm in your way, you let me know and I'll sit on the bench and watch for bears."

"Okay," Rudy replied, "Uh, Shannie?"

"Yea, Rudy?"

"Would you mind sitting on the bench and holding your gun so you're ready?"

Shannon reached up and grabbed the shotgun, then sat back on the bench, her gun across her chest, "Ready."

"Thanks, Shannie."

"You're welcome, Squirt. Now, let's see what your team has got!"

"Hold on!" Rudy smiled, pulling her team out quietly.

Meanwhile, at the top of the drive, Carolyn patted Bo's thigh, "Relax, Bo. I'm sure Shannon will have Rudy going in a few minutes. She's got a way of talking to that little sister of yours and they've just gotten closer this week while you were away."

"I know. But you didn't see her Lynnie. That bear really messed up her head."

"That's what Kate is for. She's working on it and believe it or not, she's better now than she was earlier in the week."

"Yea, well I don't know if talking about what happened is going to get her back on a sled."

"Uh… Bo…"

"I just can't believe that the sister I left behind was so passionate about sledding…"

"Bo…"

"… and I come home and she's like a frightened little kitten."

"Bo!"

"What?" Bo said, turning to Lynnie who was pointing to the trail in front of them,

"Uh… I think we're racing."

"So long, suckers!" Shannon called out as Rudy shouted out to her team.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Bo asked, getting to her feet and disengaging the brakes.

"Like I said, Shannie has a way with your little sister."

Bo shook her head, "I really have to stop letting people use my empathy against me. Hold on. Hike! Hike! Come on Nike! Come on Diana!"

Carolyn smiled, "Yea, but if they needed you and you weren't there, you'd never forgive yourself."

"The curse of being Bo Dennis," The musher replied with a chuckle, "I'm just glad my little sister is driving a sled like she usually does. Of course, Shannie can't ride shotgun… literally… every day of the week."

Lynnie nodded, "Agreed, but for now, she'll be there for Rudy. I know she will. Sometimes I think she loves your little sister more than she loves me. She's her little Squirt and there's nothing she wouldn't do for her."

Bo's eyes teared up as she realized the truth in Lynnie's words. She watched Shannon's head moving left and right, scanning for bears much more than she usually would. Right now, the nurse was in the role of protector, and she was going to make sure there wasn't a repeat of Rudy's last time on a sled. Seeing her friend in this role was all she needed to leave for the Iditarod confident that someone would be looking out for her little sister while she was on the trail from Anchorage to Nome.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Homestead – Four Hours Later

Lauren had made her calls to Stephen and Anna in the morning, then checked in with Kate about Thea. Everything was running well and the architects had been in for the first meeting about the new Trauma Center. Lauren would attend the next meeting when the first draft of the plans would be presented. Bo had agreed to be there as well to be sure that things were done properly. Still, with Path and Slate overseeing the project, Lauren felt confident it would fine.

Once she had finished her work responsibilities, she had turned to some household chores that needed to be done. She made a plan with Mary and the two of them got to cleaning the homestead, making a list of things they needed for the week and then heading outside to do some work in the yard.

While Lauren chopped wood, Mary foraged for food. When they came back together, they say down by the river,

"Ugh. I feel much, much better, but I still get terribly winded."

"Every day?" Lauren asked.

Mary shrugged, "All day. I'm walking without a cane and I'm walking longer but… I just don't feel quite right yet. I can't explain it. Maybe my lungs just need more exercise."

Lauren nodded, "Well, your most recent scans are clear, so it's just a matter of getting your stamina back. Doing a few hours of work like this each day will help."

Mary smiled, "I still want to get into the seed house before Rudy gets back. If she goes in there with me, she'll want to plant for another two hours."

"She does love working in the greenhouses."

"I'm glad she's got such enthusiasm for this subsistence lifestyle of ours. I just hope our Ysabeau can get her back on a sled."

Lauren nodded, "It is a difficult situation. She is at a very young and impressionable age and overcoming powerful fears that stem from such a traumatic event will take time."

"Indeed," Mary nodded, "I recall."

Lauren had forgotten she was talking to the mother of her fiancé, "I'm sure you do. Was there anything you did with Bo that might help Rudy as well?"

Mary sighed, "Well, life on the tundra is much different than life in the forest near a river that feeds bears salmon. There was no other mode of transportation for us. It's like you being in a car accident and then refusing to ever drive again."

Lauren nodded, turning to walk with Mary towards the house once more, "So, fish for dinner?"

"Yes. I've found some berries and fresh spices that would go well with some trout, but I promised LJ everything in the fishwheel for his contracts."

Lauren nodded, "I can get us some trout."

"Really?"

Grinning, the doctor nodded, "I've actually become quite good with my spear."

"Spear fishing?"

"Yes. I caught two rainbow trout, a king salmon and a herring."

"Well done!" Mary smiled.

"Not all at the same time, obviously, but I really prefer it to using a rod and reel now. I can be sure to kill them on the first blow rather than hook them and slowly torture them to death."

"Ever the compassionate doctor – even to a fish."

"A life is as life," Lauren replied, "Even when that bear was coming at me, I was trying not to kill it."

"Well, just be sure you do not sacrifice your own life to save hers."

Lauren nodded, "I understand we're in the wild and sometimes it's them or us, but it doesn't change my compassion for the animals."

"As it shouldn't," Mary replied, "I just worry about my Ysabeau and Rudy if you ever allowed yourself to be killed because you hesitated out of concern for the creature."

"Understood," Lauren replied, "I can feel myself changing in that right. There is a predator growing inside of me as I become more a part of the wild."

Mary nodded, "I'm glad you can see yourself that way. I always have concern over the seemingly stereotypical nature of humans in their fear of bears when the moose is much more likely to kill us. Of course, both wolves and bears would take a moose or its young. The lynx is another nasty cat of which you should be wary. It just so happens that we live among a fairly high population of bears."

"I've read that there are about 100,000 bears in Alaska."

Mary nodded, "Those are just our black bears, child. I believe the last estimate in grizzlies was about 30,000 in addition to about 11,000 wolves. They are a part of our land, and we are a part of theirs. They need no money or deed to occupy our space, so we must respect what they want and give them the space they need to live their lives."

"That's a good way of looking at it," Lauren replied, "Well, I suppose I should get started on getting us some fish for dinner."

"You fish, I'll cook." Mary smiled, "I'm going to head to the greenhouse and check on our many babies."

Lauren stood as well, "Are you taking some to Faith?"

"Yes, I promised her some of the cedar saplings."

"Yes, she told us," Lauren acknowledged, "She'll be grateful for the help. She's got a greenhouse full of trees, but apparently it's not going to be enough to fill the order she promised."

"The fires were horrible. There is much to replant to bring back the wildlife habitat."

"We'll all chip in. We'll get it done," Lauren smiled, placing a reassuring hand on Mary's, "Well, I'm going to gear up and get fishing."

"Be safe, Child," Mary replied, nodding towards the river, "The water is cold and the current is strong, even in the shallows."

Lauren smiled and nodded, "Thanks for the warning."

The two went their separate ways, each doing their final chore for the day until dinner.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Homestead, Two Hours Later

Bo and Rudy pulled into the garage, immediately releasing their teams, prepping their food and water and laying fresh straw in their kennels. They stripped off their outer layers and hung them in the new open closets Bo had designed for wet gear and then washed their hands and faces.

Finally, Bo turned to Rudy,

"How do you feel?"

"Good." She said, drying her hands.

"Fear factor?"

"Uh… 3. But I'm inside, near you and all the dogs and the door is right there," she said, pointing towards the kitchen entrance.

Bo nodded, thinking about why her fear wasn't a zero. Shannon had invented the fear factor scale for Rudy to use with them so that the child could convey her fear level to the adults in her life at any time. They agreed that if she was a nine or higher, it meant she wanted to leave the situation.

"So, why not a zero then?" Bo asked, hoping to continue to help Rudy to gain some awareness of the numbers she was using and what they represented. They didn't want her to just say 'nine' to avoid situations. They wanted her to develop a definite association to specific feelings and conditions with the number she chose.

"Because I still see the bear in my head and I know he could come through the garage doors since they're open. Then we might be trapped in here with a bear, the dogs might die trying to protect us and we might not be able to get into the house before he got to us."

Bo pulled the hunting knife from the sheath on the side of her leg, "But that's what this is for."

Rudy smiled, "I don't know how to use one of those."

"Honestly, unless you can be super accurate, it probably wouldn't help you, Roo. You've got to have a good deal of strength and a very sharp blade to pierce the layers that would allow a weapon to pierce a vital organ and even if you do, they'll still have plenty of fight left to do damage before they stop."

"Then what good is it?"

"I'm not only strong enough, but I'm also accurate enough," Bo smiled, "You had a good run on the sled, and you said your fear factor was only a six while you were out there. I call that a healthy amount of fear. It means you're focused on everything you need to be focused on. Your concentrating on your driving, your dogs and your surroundings."

"Will you be mad if I say something that might be bad about Shannie?"

Bo shrugged, pulling Rudy to sit on the kennel fence with her, "Nope. The Dennis sisters tell each other the truth no matter what. Everything we say to each other stays in the vault, right?"

Rudy smiled, "Right. Except for Lauren because you tell her everything, so talking to you is just like talking to Lauren… unless it's about a surprise, right?"

"Right," Bo smiled, "So what's up with Shannie?"

"I didn't trust her with the gun at first."

"What?"

"I mean, I knew she could shoot it and it's why I decided to race. But then I started to think about it and I just wasn't sure she would actually hit the bear if one came."

Bo smiled, "So, the bad thing about Shannie is that you didn't trust her?"

"Uh huh and I told her I did."

"I see. You're upset that you lied to Shannie."

Rudy nodded, "And that I didn't trust her to begin with… until you did the training drills with her."

"Impressive, isn't she," Bo said, "I was surprised too, Roo. I've heard a lot of people from the lower forty-eight tell me they've been hunting. It usually means they sit in a tree and wait for some unsuspecting animal to come walking beneath them and while they're innocently grazing, they shoot them."

"Really? That's mean."

Bo nodded, "I agree. When do you think it's okay to kill an animal?"

"Really, Sister? It's never okay!" Rudy said, "I mean, they're just living their life and they were here first. I really hate that Molly had to kill my bear, but if she didn't the bear would have eaten me, so… well, I guess that's okay then. Is that bad? That I think it's okay for the bear to die so that I can live?"

"It is, Rudy. The bear was probably attacked you because they were afraid you would harm their young, so it's the same thing, isn't it?"

The youngster shrugged, "I guess so. Kyle said it's about survival of the fittest. I'm not really sure what that means, but Tamsin said she was right."

Bo sighed, "Survival of the fittest is a term that means in a dual to the death, the one that lives or survives is the one that has a right to life."

Rudy nodded, "I wish we could all just get along and not kill anyone. I'll never understand why we humans kill each other. War and murder are stupid."

Bo nodded, "I'm glad you still feel that way, Roo, but can I ask how you felt about Shannie after you saw me put her through a training course?"

"I thought she was like Supergirl or something!"

Bo laughed, "Well, that's good to know, but Supergirl doesn't use guns."

"Her sister does, so maybe Shannie's more like her sister."

"Okay then. I'll take your word for it," Bo grinned, "Ready for some grub?"

Rudy's excitement exploded, "Yes! I'm starving!"

Bo nodded, "Good. Let's get the dogs out in the yard. They need to stretch out their legs and the snow will be good for them."

"Because it helps their muscles and their circation?"

"Circulation, yes."

"And it keeps down the flames or something?"

Bo smiled, opening the side door while Rudy opened the kennel gate, "Inflammation. That's swelling in the tissues."

"Right," Rudy said, following Bo to the door where she stopped and looked both ways.

Bo shook her head, "There's nothing out here, Roo."

"Ya sure?" Rudy asked, squinting towards the trees.

"I'm sure," Bo said with a sigh. Big sister was looking forward to the day they got little sister over this rough patch. As they turned the corner, they found Lauren by the shed using the sharpening wheel. Bo smiled when Rudy screamed her name and ran right to her, suddenly quite unaware of her surroundings.

"Lauren! Shannie and I beat Bo and Lynnie in a sprint!"

Lauren smiled, looking up first at Rudy, then Bo, "That's fantastic! Congratulations! So, I take it you drove the sled?"

"Yup!"

"Good for you!"

"Wait. How did you know that?"

"Well, I noticed your sled was gone from the garage, so I just assumed. Did Jenna and Muk lead the charge?"

"Of course! They're my champions!" Rudy said, her eyes suddenly moving to the two dogs running in the yard. Her smile slowly turned to a frown her head dropping. She stood staring at the ground for several minutes.

Bo and Lauren shared a glance before looking back to see the youngster who was seemingly deep in thought. The doctor leaned over and whispered to Bo, "I'm concerned. She's not moving… her eyes aren't moving. I think she's remembering the attack. Talk to her, Bo."

The brunette sat behind Lauren on the sharpening bench facing her little sister, "Roo? What's going on?"

There was no response, so Bo placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I need you to talk to me, Roo."

Rudy looked up, her eyes red with tears, "They warned me and I didn't listen."

Bo looked at Lauren who shrugged, so she turned back to her sister, "What are you talking about, Roo?"

"I coulda got them killed, Sister!"

Bo put her hands up, "Whoa. Slow down, Roo. What are you talking about?"

"Jenna and Muk. I coulda got them and all my dogs killed! I didn't listen!"

Bo shook her head, "You're going to have to go back to the start of the story, little Sis. I'm not following you."

Rudy knelt in front of Bo, her hands up like she was holding the handle of her sled, "We were on the trail home."

"Okay, where were you?" Bo asked, looking at Lauren nodded her agreement to Bo probing Rudy's memories.

"The row of tall pine trees was on our right and the lake was on our left. I wanted to cross the lake, but Molly made us go around because… well, you know, the time of year and stuff."

"I would have done the same if I had both you and Elise with me without another adult. There's no guarantee the entire lake is frozen this time of year, so better safe than sorry."

Rudy nodded, "That's what she said."

"Okay, so what happened next?" Bo asked, now realizing that Rudy was reliving the moment the bear attacked. She had never gotten the full story. She wasn't even sure her mom had the full story from Rudy's point of view. Chances were that Molly was too traumatized to share the details as well.

"I was yelling to the dogs to hike because they were slowing down. They weren't acting right. Jenna and Muk tried to turn left which would have taken us onto the lake, but I shouted 'gee' at them over and over, so they obeyed. They started barking and then, Jenna and Muk pulled hard to the left right when I saw the bear. I guess I lost my focus," she said her shoulders dropping for a moment before her hands were up again and she was leaning left as she described what happened next,

"Then I felt the sled go on one rail and I couldn't keep it down… or maybe I was just looking at the bear. It happened really fast," Rudy said with a frown,

"It's okay, Roo. What do you remember next?"

"Jenna and Muk went after the bear… I yelled no… then… I was just… face down in the snow. Then I felt the sled run over my leg, I heard the dogs barking… I looked up and the bear was running at me. He was really big… I could see his teeth… he was brown… lay down… lay down… I just thought lay down and so I did. I was curled up really tight… I was so afraid... I thought about you… I…" she looked up at Bo, "I thought about you coming home and finding out I was dead…"

Bo's eyes filled with tears at the thought, and pulled Rudy into her. They held each other for a long moment until Bo released her,

"Want to go on?"

Rudy nodded, "The dogs were barking and Molly was shouting and I heard Elise screaming. Then I felt the bear hitting me. It hurt really bad on my back and my leg. Then I heard gun shots and then I didn't feel the bear but I couldn't move… I wasn't sure if I was alive… I was… I just… I was just so scared…"

"Take a breath, Rudy," Lauren said, rubbing her back, "Breathe, sweetie."

She opened her eyes, looking at Lauren. She matched the doctors breaths, despite the tears streaming down her cheeks. Once she was calm, Bo looked at the blonde who nodded that she could continue,

"Is there more that you want to tell us?"

Rudy didn't respond, taking a few more deep breaths. Then, all at once, the words spilled out,

"Elise pulled the sled up next to me and pulled me into the basket, then I just remember her yelling to the dogs a lot. She kept telling me not to die… that she needed her best friend… that we would be at The Homestead soon. That was the last thing I remember. When I woke up, Shannie and Lynnie were making my cuts burn and your new Doctor Anna was there with Mommy."

Lauren nodded, "I'm glad they were there for you."

Rudy turned to Bo, "Jenna and Muk… they could have died and it would have been my fault. They tried to turn away from the bear and I didn't let them turn, so they went after the bear. It was my fault."

Bo smiled, "You have always been proud that they're so much like Harper, right?"

"Of course. Harper is a champion and your best friend. She's practically human," She looked back over at the older dog who was entertaining the young dogs, "And she always takes care of the puppies. She's a good role model for my team like you guys are for me."

The two women smiled, Bo asking "Roo, do you remember how Harper got hurt?"

"She went after a bear that went after her team and you." Rudy said quietly.

Bo nodded, "And thanks to you and Elise, she's alive and walking again."

"Do you think Jenna and Muk would have survived?" Rudy asked.

Bo shrugged, "I don't know, Roo. I only know that in a moment when something bad is happening, everyone acts in the way they choose. It's an instinct based on what you are most concerned about at the time."

"So, because I didn't let Jenna and Muk turn left, do you think I wasn't looking out for them?"

Bo shook her head, "Is that what you think?"

Lowering her eyes, she nodded her head, "I should have listened. They know things that I don't know. They're really smart and I told you so, but I didn't believe them. I should have stopped when my team started acting up. I knew something wasn't right."

Bo nodded, "Rudy, I know you didn't intentionally put your team in harm's way. You just wouldn't do that. Your instinct is to protect them. I've seen you do it before. There was just a lot going on in a very short period of time. They were following commands, you were on a narrow section of trail, there was a row of trees that were able to conceal the bear, your sled was getting flipped and you were probably traveling at your team's top speed or close to it."

"I guess."

"Not I guess, Roo. That's a lot for any musher to handle in that moment. Your team was caught between following your commands and following their instincts. Remember, they're very young."

"Is that why you don't want Jenna and Muk?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled, "That's part of the reason, but really, they're yours, Roo. They listen to you, and they protect you."

"So, what would your team have done?" Rudy asked.

Bo considered the question, suddenly realizing that Molly also played a roll in Rudy's decision – an important role,

"Nike and Diana would have been insistent and if I didn't listen, the rest of the team would have followed them. That's why I've learned not to override the dogs when they don't listen."

"What do you do?"

"Well, first – I never override my dogs when they're being insistent and I want you to understand that. I believe part of the reason you didn't listen to the dogs is because you were listening to Molly."

"She said no to crossing the lake, so that wasn't an option."

Bo smiled and nodded, "But it was, and I think that if Molly knew all of these details, she would agree that you should have disobeyed her and listened to your dogs."

"She would be okay with that?"

Bo shrugged, "Well, you asked what I would have done so, first – Molly wouldn't tell me what to do."

Rudy smiled, "No one would."

Bo smiled, "That's because they know that I have enough experience to make the best decision for me and my team."

"But how do you know what do choose?" Rudy asked.

"There's no guarantees out there, Roo but Mushers train the way we do to develop skills just like dogs have. I pay attention… sight, sound, smell and feel because in that moment when dogs sense danger, there's something going on that I don't recognize. Remember, all of their senses are more powerful than ours – especially if they're well-trained and experienced. Keep in mind that there's also things like earthquakes and volcanoes…"

"There's volcanoes in Alaska? We have a bunch of those in Hawai'i."

Bo nodded, "We've got over a hundred volcanoes in Alaska. Some of them are on the trails from here to Anchorage and beyond. Then, you must remember that there's avalanches, flooding, and other natural hazards that most humans cannot sense coming."

"And dogs can?" Rudy asked.

Bo nodded, "And other animals as well. Any time an animal is doing something unusual, look at the land, sea, sky and other animals to know if it's just the animal or something in the environment."

"Wow. There's a lot of stuff to worry about." Rudy said, picking at the callous on her hand until Lauren placed a hand on her shoulder,

Bo smiled, bopping her nose, "Or you can choose not to worry until you know there's something to worry about."

"Is that what you do, Lauren?" Rudy asked.

The doctor nodded, "Yup."

"How do you do that?"

Lauren shrugged, "Actually, you know about Thea, right?"

"Yes. Is she okay?"

"For now, yes. Rudy, we all worry sometimes, but really, it's a waste of energy. That's what Thea taught me."

"Really?"

Lauren nodded, "Really. Her heart could give out at any time, but she doesn't worry about it. She just lives each moment of her life, plans as if she'll live to be an adult and really enjoys each moment. She's also very responsible about taking her medication, being honest about how she feels and getting plenty of rest and good foods."

"Live each moment…" Rudy replied, in deep thought about the concept.

Bo nodded, "Right now, you're out here with the dogs. If a bear or wolf or moose came around, what would happen?"

"Ohmagosh, they would all go crazy!" Rudy said, eyes wide as she moved her arms all over the place to demonstrate what she expected the dogs to do.

Bo and Lauren both laughed, Bo adding, "It would get pretty loud, huh?"

"Yup," Rudy nodded, "They'd all be howling and barking and baring their teeth."

"And that would probably scare off any bear or wolf, right?" Bo asked.

"Moose are a maybe," Rudy smiled, "We never know what a moose will do."

"That's right, so we always have to watch them, hide when we can, stay quiet and stay away."

"Give them plenty of room to make up their mind, and hide behind something hard in case they run at you," Rudy laughed.

"That's right," Bo smiled, "Even a skinny little tree will work."

She sighed, pulling Rudy to her, "Roo, you didn't do anything wrong. We can work on you being able to read your team and teach them what to do in certain situations. It takes a lot of time, but until then, please don't blame yourself."

"Okay," Rudy nodded.

Bo smiled, "Now, call your two champions over here."

Rudy turned and shouted to Jenna and Muk. The pair came running, "Down Jenna. Down, Muk."

The two dogs obeyed, so Rudy rewarded them with rubs on their head.

"Now, I know you love them, Roo, but what you must understand is that when they follow a command as simple as 'come', they are showing you they love and respect you, too. That means, for as much as you are upset that they might have been hurt or killed by that bear, they would also be upset if anything happened to you that they could have prevented. They are animals, Roo and animals have protective instincts. Just as a momma bear will kill to protect her cubs, these two will kill… or die… to protect you."

Rudy nodded, hugging both of her dogs as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She took both of their faces in her hands,

"I promise I'll be more aware. I'll work harder to learn. I'll work harder to listen. I'll do my best to keep all of us safe. I don't want you to die for me… but I guess I understand that you would. You guys are the best!"

Jenna and Muk placed kisses all over the youngster's face until she was on her back giggling. Bo and Lauren smiled, knowing that Rudy had just taken another step in her recovery. She had a long way to go, and there was no doubt that there would be setbacks, but for now there was a sense of optimism.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Homestead One Hour Later…

By the time the dogs were back in the kennel and the garage was closed up for lunch, there was a truck in the driveway. Neither Bo or Lauren recognized the vehicle, so they heaved a collective sigh and entered the house.

To Lauren's surprise, Patrick was sitting in the kitchen with Mary when they entered,

"Hey Friend! What brings you to the river?"

Patrick stood, giving Lauren a hug, "Actually, I came for a bit of business…" he leaned in and whispered, "… and a big helping of pleasure."

Lauren grinned, turning to her friend and whispering back, "You met someone?"

"I did and he's a big hunk of gorgeousness. We met at the bar in Anchorage about a month ago. I couldn't tell you about him at the time because of his job, but now I can, so I wanted you to meet him and tell me what you think."

"Patrick, if you're happy, I'm happy," she smiled, "And what job prevented you from telling me?"

Just then, the bathroom door opened and Jake Mammoth walked into the kitchen. He walked to Lauren and extended his hand,

"I'm not sure if you remember me. I'm Jake… Jake Mammoth."

"Yes, I remember you… the undercover special agent from the FBI," Lauren said with a nod.

Bo came into the kitchen and stood beside Lauren, "Jake, right?"

He nodded, extending a hand to Bo, "That's right. Nice to see you again."

"Well, if you tell me the latest murderer in my life is behind bars for life, then yes, it's nice to see you again."

Jake smiled, "Sadly, justice is not that swift, but it is in progress. We're here for both business and pleasure."

"Oh?" Bo asked.

"I need statements from you, Mary and Lauren. I already got Molly, Mark and Tosh. I've got the hospital schedule to get the various doctors and nurses who have been involved with treating your Mother, but I will need your help with the villagers on the North Slope. Tamsin has the reports from the previous agent who was tailing your mother and the details of the poisoning done by the doctor there. It's… a lot to retrace and organize which is why justice is not that swift."

Bo smiled and nodded towards Mary, "You'll want my mom's help. She's a former elder and has a good deal more power than I have up on the North Slope. Actually, Lauren may even be a good connection since she knows the healer who treated my mom this time around."

"Perfect. I won't need her to go up there, just to negotiate their cooperation." Jake explained, but Bo laughed,

"As Tamsin can tell you, my former village is not really fond of federal laws, so good luck with that," Bo said.

Jake nodded, "Tamsin mentioned that, but she also felt that they – the tribal council both up north and Scout's tribe in Canada - would be very interested in putting this woman behind bars since she broke her own tribal laws."

Mary spoke from her seat at the table, "There is truth to that, young man."

"Well, that's a relief. I'd like to get all of these statements collected by Monday, if possible. Once we have federal charges filed in full, a court date will be set. She's already refused counsel, so we're hoping that the elders will come down and witness the trial, then meet with the federal judge to offer a combined sentence."

"Her brother has said that she would be put to death by her village," Mary stated flatly.

Jake nodded, "I remember and while Alaska does not have state capital punishment, it does have the death penalty at the federal level. That will be up to them to decide in the end. My concern will be only those statements I've been asked to gather."

"Understood," Mary replied.

Bo asked, "I'm not sure you can say, but is there any truth in my brother's belief that Storm poisoned his wife?"

Jake shrugged, "Acacia is the one that re-opened that case, so I'm not able to say. As you know, retrieving a body in this state at this time of year to conduct another autopsy is difficult at best. They'll have to wait for the thaw and even then, the cold temperatures could interfere with what they can learn. We may never know for sure if her cause of death was poisoning or illness as the autopsy had said at the time. Regardless, Acacia told me that your brother is quite troubled by all of this."

Bo nodded, looking at Mary who spoke, "Your brother came around several times while you were gone. He spoke with Scout on every visit, though I was not privy to the conversations. You should talk to him, Ysabeau. He looks… tired."

Bo sighed, but nodded her agreement. Still, even though it felt selfish, she was simply not interested in spending her remaining hours of off time talking about Storm, so she went for a temporary change of subject,

"So, you said you were here for business and pleasure? I hope we can get to the pleasure part sooner rather than later. I've only got a few days left at home, so would love to enjoy time with family and friends."

Jake nodded, "Understood. Conveniently, my boyfriend is the lawyer who will be prosecuting on behalf of the Dennis Family."

"Oh?" Bo said, looking to Patrick, "You're not our lawyer?"

Patrick smiled, turning to Jake, then back to Bo, "Actually, I have everything I need for your case. I'm just here to keep my boyfriend company."

It took Bo several glances at the group before she turned to Lauren who was grinning. She turned back to Patrick

"Wait… so, you and Jake?"

Patrick nodded, "We met over a month ago at the bar in Anchorage."

Bo smiled, "Why didn't you tell us, you jerk?"

She slapped Patrick who grabbed his arm, "Hey! No beating on the best friend of your fiancé!

Lauren smiled, "I'm guessing Jake needed to stay undercover, but Patrick knew who you really were?"

"Not at first. I introduced myself as…"

"Sam Sledge," Patrick laughed, "I was fairly certain I was being given a fake name and phone number, but he was hot and I was horny, so…"

"What's horny?" Rudy asked, sitting down at the table with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a mug of hot cocoa."

The four friends froze, but Mary saved them from the need for an answer, "Mind your business, Child. They're having an adult conversation."

Rudy shook her head, speaking with peanut butter on the roof of her mouth, "Ell, if ere onna ave dult confleration ay ould ot do thit in flont uh thu kid."

"You're absolutely right, Child," Mary said, giving the group a glare.

Patrick walked around Bo and Lauren to sit beside Rudy, "Your Mom is absolutely right, Rudy. We're being incredibly rude."

She swallowed down some hot chocolate, then turned to Patrick, "And you broke your promise."

"I did?" Patrick asked, trying to remember the promise he had, apparently, forgotten.

"You said you were going to come visit me and you didn't," Rudy said, "You said you promised."

Bo raised her eyebrows and took the seat at the head of the table while Jake and Lauren took the seats opposite Rudy and Patrick,

"We take our promises quite seriously around here, Patrick, "Bo began, "If you use the words I promise, it's a very serious commitment."

Patrick sighed, "I'm so sorry, Rudy. If I'd have known how deeply it would hurt you, I would have made sure to take a day off to be here with you. Why didn't you call me?"

"Oh, that's right. Blame the kid who doesn't have a phone to call you," Rudy pouted, but Mary scolded,

"Child, watch your tone. You are talking to an adult who has a job and responsibilities."

"I'm sorry," Rudy said, hanging her head, "But he did say he promised. Why do adults use that word if they don't mean it? You could say I'll try or you could say 'we'll see' cause my mom says that one all the time when she doesn't want to promise."

"You're right and I'm the one that is sorry. I could have at least called. I'm not holding up my side of our friendship. I do promise to be more careful about the promises I make and following through on them. Friendship is a two-way street. You helped me with my first sled, and I promised to help you build the 3D puzzle that Path and Slate gave you. I let you down and I'm sorry."

Rudy nodded, "Apology accepted."

"Already?" Patrick asked, shocked.

Rudy shrugged, "Well, just like worrying, holding…" she looked up at Lauren, "… what are those things that you hold, but can't really hold them when you're mad at someone?"

"Grudges?" Lauren asked.

"Yea! Grudges is a waste of energy. Lauren taught me that and she learned it from Thea. We have to live in the moment and not worry about things that haven't happened yet or that will happen in the future."

She turned to Lauren again, "Is that right?"

"That's perfect, Roo," Lauren smiled.

"Wow. I've never been forgiven that quickly before," Patrick said, staring down at his hands while contemplating the wisdom of the child beside him.

Rudy shrugged, "I'm a fast learner. My teacher says so."

Everyone smiled at the youngster until Jake pulled them all back to reality,

"Well, if we're all ready, can we get the business part of this visit finished so we can stick with the pleasure for the rest of the day?"

A collective sigh rushed through the room until Rudy once again lightened the mood,

"Sheesh! More adult talk? I'm going back outside with the dogs," She lifted her plate and moved to the sink, pulling the step stool over, but Lauren spoke up,

"Rudy, I'll wash your dish and mug for you. Run along and play with the dogs."

"Thanks, Lauren," Rudy smiled, rushing over to the mudroom and grabbing a sweatshirt, speaking before her Mom had a chance, "I'm not going to open the garage door, Momma. If I do, I'll come back and put my gear on before I do."

"Dry gear, Child. Not the wet gear in the garage from your sled run."

"I know, Momma. See ya!" She rushed through the door, the garage immediately coming to life with barks and playful growls.

"Wow. I guess she's popular with the canine kids," Jake smiled.

Bo nodded, "She's their best friend or little sister, depending on which dog you're talking about."

"So, a mini-Bo in the making?"

Bo shrugged, "She's going to be better than her mom and her sister combined… at least, that's my prediction."

Jake nodded, "Okay, so we have to do this one at a time. Who wants to go first and where should we do this?"

"Why don't we use Rudy's study room in her house?" Mary suggested, "Come. I'll go first so I can show you to the room."

Jake stood grabbing his backpack, and followed Mary while Patrick, Bo and Lauren remained at the table.

"You're not going with him?" Bo asked.

Patrick shook his head, "Jake must remain neutral. I get a copy of the full report including witness statements and evidentiary materials when the investigation is completed by the agents on the case. It's important that none of you speak to each other while he's gathering statements. I'm here to assure that rule."

"Oh. I didn't realize," Bo replied.

"I do need to know what you and your family are seeking in damages."

"Damages?" Bo asked.

"Yes. Cash, pain and suffering, death penalty… ultimately, what do you hope sentencing would include?"

Bo shrugged, "I thought all of that was up to the judge."

"And jury, yes but it gives me an idea of how to approach prosecuting the case," Patrick explained.

"Do we have to tell you today?"

Patrick shook his head, "No, Bo. Talk it over as a family and then let me know."

"Great," Bo nodded, "So, are you hungry? We were about to eat some lunch."

Patrick smiled, "I'd love some lunch."

"Okay then, let's see what we have," Bo said, getting up from the table.

Patrick smiled, asking the two women, "So, what do you think of Jake, ladies?"

Bo grinned, "He's cute!"

"Hot and horny, huh?" Lauren laughed.

"Very and he didn't exactly help the horny that night. I could spend two straight weeks in bed with that man and I still couldn't get enough. I swear his body is made of steel and that rugged native cowboy look is just… ugh. He makes me swoon."

"Swoon?" Bo laughed, turning around to face him, "Seriously?"

He turned to Lauren, "You never told her about swooning?"

The blonde's face was beet red as she responded with a quiet, "No."

"Uh-oh. What's swooning?" Bo asked, laughing at Patrick while she moved to drape an arm over Lauren's shoulder.

"Well…"

"Don't you dare, Patrick!" Lauren warned, but Bo wanted in on the fun,

"Are you saying you want to keep a secret? Didn't we just discuss that toxic relationship element?" Bo nagged with a smirk.

Lauren sighed, "This was well before there was an us."

"Well, I would think a fiancé would need to know what would be swoon-worthy in her future wife's world… don't you agree, Patrick?"

"Absolutely," Patrick laughed.

"I hate you!" Lauren said, pointing a finger at her friend.

"You love me and you know it," Patrick replied with a laugh, "Now, tell her or I will."

Lauren sighed, "Fine."

She took a moment to gather her courage, her eyes shooting daggers at Patrick before she began,

"It was one of many rough nights between me and Nadia…"

"And one of their many breakups as well," Patrick interjected.

"We were driving home from a bar and Patrick had bought me many more drinks…"

"Shots."

"… shots, then I should ever have for my body weight. We were driving home…"

"I was driving, we left Lauren's car at the bar."

"… because I was too drunk to drive, and Patrick suddenly slammed on the brakes and turned into this dark parking lot. It turns out, it was an adult novelty store."

"… Triple X," Patrick said, biting his knuckle and rolling his eyes.

"I was embarrassed to go in, so I put on my sunglasses and baseball cap. My friend here just walks in, proud and gay as can be. Now, remember, we are supposedly in a relationship at this point… or so our parents thought… so I was worried that someone my parents knew could be in there and tell them…"

"… and I remind her that if her parents' friends are in the store, they're not going to say anything because they would be too paranoid about being caught as well."

"So, I barely look at the shelves as I'm following behind him, but then he starts to show me all of these things for lesbian women and… well, I sort of became interested."

Patrick couldn't contain himself, "Let me tell this part. So, then, this super-hot woman walks into the store and she cannot take her eyes off of Lauren. She not-so-casually makes her way to our friend here and picks up this dildo and asks Lauren if she thinks the average gay woman who has never slept with a man could handle it."

Patrick starts laughing, "Naturally, Lauren goes all doctor mode and starts spouting off about the clinical aspects of a woman's vagina and its ability to stretch to allow a baby to pass through, so it could certainly handle a dildo of that size if the recipient was willing."

Lauren shook her head, palming her face as Patrick continued, "Well, she walked right into that one, because the woman asks her if she was willing. Lauren started spouting all kinds of weird scientific gibberish which the woman clearly thought was adorable, so she started asking our doctor about other items on the shelf."

"Remember, I was already drunk and it was really hot in that store…"

"Right," Patrick said, rolling his eyes, "So by now, the woman has her hands all over Lauren as she starts talking about the positions they could try with the various toys. She's practically shoving her breasts in Lauren's face and naturally, Lauren can't take her eyes off them. All the while, I'm trying to keep my distance so it's not obvious we're together so the next thing I know, I turn around and Lauren's gone."

Lauren planted her face in her hands as Patrick continued,

"So, I walk around the store and find the sign for the bathroom with a posted 'no sex' sign. I go to the door and I hear this woman screaming the name Francesca over and over again…"

"… I wasn't about to give her my real name!" Lauren defended.

"But really, Lauren, Francesca?" Patrick laughed, "That was the name of her rival in medical school. Lauren topped her GPA by a full point. Anyway, this woman is screaming 'FranCHESSca! FranCHESSca!' over and over again until I hear this thud. Well, Francesca opens the door with this panicked look on her face and just runs out of the bathroom leaving Lauren laying on the floorl"

Lauren rolled her eyes at Bo, "I passed out."

"What?" Bo asked, laughing.

Patrick grinned, "She woke up about thirty seconds later and when I asked her what happened, she said… 'I think I got so turned on by all the toys and sex talk… and then I was using this toy on her and… I just got so excited and I just swooned."

Lauren shook her head, palming her face as Bo and Patrick laughed, "Drunk Lauren is very funny. And here, I thought she was finally going to get laid by someone other than Nadia for the first time in years and she can't even manage to stay conscious to get one good orgasm in for herself."

Lauren shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a giver."

Bo shook her head, smiling at the blonde, "Well, apparently, I'm not swoon worthy since she hasn't passed out on me yet."

Lauren smirked, looking at the two doors to be sure they were alone before she stood on her chair and crawled across the table, placing a steamy kiss on the brunette's mouth. Afterwards, Patrick cheered and Lauren licked her lips before whispering,

"I would never pass out on you because I would hate to miss a single second of pleasure with that sexy, sexy body of yours," She pulled back, a smirk on her face, "And by the way, that woman's chest couldn't hold a candle to yours."

She retreated across the table and sat back down in her chair, rendering Bo stupefied. Patrick was amused,

"Wow. She looks as bad as you did that night and that was just one kiss."

Lauren smirked, "I've got skills."

Bo sighed, "You certainly do and I think it's time we find an adult store."

Patrick shrugged, "Nah. Just go online. That way you don't have to worry about her passing out in the store. It wouldn't do to have to call the chopper for Doctor Lauren Lewis in an adult store with a dildo in her hand."

"True," Bo replied.

"Very true," Lauren emphasized.

Patrick smirked, "Of course, you could just use the bag of goodies the doctor has already collected in hopes that someone would enjoy sexy, sexy playtime with her. Nadia was too frigid to try."

Bo and Lauren could only smile at one another, a blush of red revealing their truth to Patrick,

"Oh. My. God! You found her toy chest!" Patrick said, leaning towards Bo and slapping the table in front of her.

"I would never kiss and tell about the bedroom acrobatics I share with my fiancé," Bo grinned, biting her finger as she gave Lauren a suggestive glare.

The blonde swallowed hard, sliding down in her chair a bit as Patrick laughed, "Oh my. You've rendered take-charge, always-in-control Lauren Lewis mute! So you can keep up, huh? That's a first."

Lauren smiled, "Would I ever marry someone who wasn't my equal in every single way? I gotta pee and change. Be right back."

They watched Lauren leave and once she was gone, Patrick sat back, locking his fingers behind his head as he smiled proudly,

"To answer her question, never again."

"What?" Bo asked.

"She asked me if she would ever marry someone who wasn't her equal in every single way. I'm saying to you – no, she wouldn't. Not after Nadia. Never again," He turned to Bo,

"I hope you know that, my dear Ysabeau. That woman that you're marrying – she swore off of love long before she signed the divorce papers with Nadia. She swore off marriage before the ink was dry on the divorce papers. She said never again would she allow anyone to have control over her. I've asked her multiple times if she was sure about you – especially when she was back in Boston in the fall. When she'd made up her mind, I even offered her a pre-nup so she would have some protection so that if you two ever did get divorced, she would still be protected. She refused it... angrily,"

He shook his head, "She was really pissed at me for even suggesting it. So, if you have any doubts – run, Ysabeau Dennis - because Lauren Lewis is in this one for life."

Bo leaned forward, "For the record, I may be able to match Lauren in the bedroom, but she will always be the better woman."

"She doesn't see it that way."

"I know," Bo replied sharply, "If you feel that strongly about the pre-nup, draw it up and I'll sign it. I don't want her money. Have all the wealth I need. I have her, I have my family and I have my friends. I had hoped to count you among them, but I'm smart enough to know that when our relationship is tested, you will be Lauren's most important friend. I just hope that in those moments, you'll know that helping her to find her way back to me will be the right thing for Lauren and if for any reason you think it's not, come and kick my ass so that I am right for her."

He could see Bo's eyes turn red as tears threatened to fall, "I did not fight my way back to her to hold her anywhere but first in my heart. Our life together… it's the reason that everything else makes sense," she looked up at him, "I will do anything for her happiness."

"You were ready to walk away for it," They both turned to see Lauren standing in the doorway, "I'm glad you didn't."

Bo smiled as Lauren came to sit beside her, "You were ready to do the same."

"I'm glad I didn't," Lauren replied turning to Patrick, "Don't you dare let her sign a pre-nup. We do, however, need some other documents completed though. We need to update our wills and create a trust for Rudy."

Bo frowned, "Uh… I don't have a will."

"What?" The two of them said simultaneously.

"Wow. I never had family or friends to leave anything to. I mean, I never owned anything of value until… well… now I have The Homestead, the land and properties that I've deeded to our friends and family, the businesses… I guess I'd better get a will."

Patrick nodded, "We're going to do that first thing tomorrow, Bo."

"Awww come on! I've only got a few days…"

"Until you go into a race that could kill you, Bo!" Patrick shouted, "I'm sorry for raising my voice, but people count on your businesses whether you like it or not, Bo."

"And you do have a substantial amount of money and investments now, Sweetie. He's right. The state could take The Homestead, your money, your businesses and anything else you own if the contracts and your will aren't done correctly."

"I'll look over everything tonight if you can give me your files," Patrick suggested.

"Files?" Bo asked.

Patrick nodded, "The mortgages on your properties, the kennel, the store, your sponsorship contracts…"

Bo shook her head, "I don't… I don't have any mortgages. I mean, I have the deed to my land and the kennel, the store and a few other pieces of land that my trapping business was built on. LJ is running the business."

"You own the land you trap on?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "Of course. Otherwise, I'd have to deal with permits to trap on state lands or ask people who own lands if I can trap on their properties. The fishwheel is on the homestead land and…"

"You own all of your land and properties outright?" Patrick asked.

Bo looked between the pair, "Yea. I mean, it was super cheap…"

Lauren turned to Patrick, "Bo bought swamp land and waited for over a decade for it to pass a perk test in places where she could build The Homestead."

Bo nodded, "The barn, the kennel and store were pieces of land that Evony sold off to me as part of the deal when I built the clinic. I renovated the barn into kennels before it was burned and after the fire, I built the new store, barn, kennels and sled barn where Kyle's office is."

"You have an office there too, Bo," Lauren said.

"I do?"

Lauren laughed, "You do. You just always go to Kyle's."

"Oh. Well, LJ can have that office."

Lauren smiled, "I think he would like that."

Bo nodded, turning to Patrick, "I was reading that businesses have titles for the people in charge. I would like to do that. I mean, I'm the owner, but I would like Kyle to be the President of the company and LJ to be the Vice President. Can I do that?"

Patrick shrugged, "It's your business. Does Kyle own it with you?"

"I've always said she does. We're partners in the business."

"Did she actually contribute any capital to the purchase of the business or the fees to create the business?"

Bo shook her head, "No, that was my part. Hers is to handle the people since I suck at people."

Patrick smiled and nodded, "So you are the owner, Kyle is your CEO and LJ would be your COO."

"I have no idea what any of that means," Bo sighed, "Do we have to talk about this right now? Any minute, I'm going to have to go in there with Jake and talk about Storm's insanity and I just got finished dealing with Rudy's trauma. We just got home after being away and I would really love a little down time."

Patrick smiled, "Of course. We can do this all tomorrow. Can we schedule a meeting with Kyle and LJ as well?"

Bo nodded, "If we meet at the kennel, they'll all be there and that's where all of the paperwork is too."

Patrick nodded, closing his folio, "Fair enough. Tomorrow it is. Just be sure to bring any contracts or deed with you."

"They're in the safe under the floorboard beneath my bed."

Patrick smiled, "That's good for Lauren to know."

"Do we need another safe?"

Patrick shrugged, "That is something you can discuss with Lauren and then we'll put that information in your wills."

"Great," Bo said, a shiver going down her spine at the thought of losing Lauren. She could hear the two friends making idol chatter, but her mind took her to the old cottage on the river and her old friend who had lost her husband. She wondered what that would be like… to grow old with Lauren. To rock in their chairs on the porch and stare up at her mountain.

She turned to the pair as they laughed and said her name. She wasn't sure what the joke was, but looking at Lauren, she could only imagine she would be just as beautiful with the weathered look of the years lining her face as she did now. Those eyes would never dim – she would make sure of it. They would always carry love, happiness, laughter, wonder and excitement in them. She wanted so much for her fiancé… for her future wife. She wished it was all in her power to give, but she knew that Lauren would have to walk her path through much of life. What she knew for certain was that when her wife was too weak or tired to walk, she would carry her and when she was strong enough to walk or run, she would be right there by her side, supporting her in any way Lauren chose.

"I love you so much," Bo whispered.

Lauren turned to her, the laughter fading, the smile shrinking slightly, "Are you okay?"

Bo smiled, "Sorry. I was just… I was in deep thought. I didn't realize I said that out loud."

Lauren leaned in and kissed her softly, "I'm glad you did. I love you too, Bo."

They turned their attention to a voice in the doorway. It was Jake coming in to take Bo and then Lauren. Mary sat with Patrick who helped her chop vegetables for dinner until finally, all of them were reunited at the table and the dinner hour was approaching. Mary invited the gentlemen to stay for dinner and that gave Patrick the chance – with Bo's help – to begin the build of the 3D puzzle with Rudy. They wouldn't finish it tonight, but he promised to come back over the weekend to finish the job. Rudy was sure to remind him about the meaning of the sacred Dennis family word.

As the dinner hour came and went, family time by the fire brought laughter and more puzzle time. Bo found herself an outside observer to her Mom, Rudy, Lauren, Patrick and Jake as they laughed and smiled together. She looked up at the windows and noticed the snow had begun again. In a little over a week, she would be standing at the ceremonial starting line in Anchorage and her family would be behind her.

She suddenly realized… she had been inside for hours. She had even been in Rudy's tiny study room giving a statement about a traumatic event to a man she barely knew. Not once had she felt the need to get out from under the roof. Even now, as she came to the realization… she felt no need to run.

What she did know is that rather than craving the sky over her head, she was drawn to this group. Rudy needed her nearby. She felt compelled to be near her beautiful fiancé and she wanted to talk to her Mom and friends. Right now, there was nowhere she would rather be – roof or not. Had she finally come through her bout of claustrophobia?

She gazed up at the loft she used to share with Lauren. Could she finally get a good night's sleep laying side by side with her lover?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two hours later, Loft Bedroom

"Bo, are you sure? I don't mind sleeping in our porch bedroom," Lauren said, watching as Bo hung from the rafters and completed her final set of crunches before flipping around the beam and starting on pullups.

"I'm… good… Lauren," She said, between breaths, "I've… been… good… all day."

Lauren nodded and whispered to herself, "Interesting."

She opened her laptop and went into the day's reports, skimming through each. Most of them were quite routine but she took the extra time to review Thea's most recent test results. Occasionally, she would peek over her laptop and take a long moment to check on Bo, but when the brunette got to the rope climbing, Lauren lost all focus. Her computer was cast aside in favor of a walk to the railing to watch the show.

Since they had only been together under water and under heavy clothing and blankets, she had become unfamiliar with the appearance of her lovers' body. Bo was much more muscular than Lauren remembered, but she was slimmed significantly at the torso. For a moment, the doctor grew concerned about Bo sacrificing any weight this close to the Iditarod. Last year, she had lost a little over ten pounds during the race. Looking at her now, she did not appear to have ten pounds to spare. Lauren believed Bo may be too weak to maintain her pace in the final days of the race.

The doctor walked to her desk and pulled out her notepad. She thought about how Bo had eaten during their week away, then jotted down some dietary changes the musher could make in the days before the race to make gains that would not interfere with her ability to run early on. She would pass the ideas on to Bo tomorrow and leave it to the professional to decide.

She put the notepad by her bed and moved back to the railing where Bo was doing a set of alternating straight leg lifts and pull ups. Her body glistened with sweat, her muscles flexing and stretching under the effort. Lauren was mesmerized by the raw power the brunette possessed. Lauren noted that she was much stronger now than she was last year judging from the number of repetitions it took for her to reach failure in each exercise.

As she watched, Lauren could feel her libido rise at the sight of the defining lines along the sides of Bo's quads, the ripples over each rib and the deep indentations between each of the eight abdominal quadrants layered across her mid-section… of course, she didn't ignore the thick bulge of her bicep and could only imagine what was going on with her back… Bo had a very nice back.

Every single inch of the brunette was chiseled to perfection and while the doctor in Lauren felt a sense of relief that she would be ready to perform in the race, the woman in her wished she would finish her workout so that she might lose herself in her lover's body.

She licked her lips and the slight moan that left her mouth led her to move away from the railing and back to the desk, whispering to herself,

"Emails. You have emails to check. Yes. Emails are a good distraction," she said, but her body betrayed her, and dark eyes fell on the brunette's form over the distant railing. She looked at her phone,

"Why not? Something to remember her on those late nights alone while trying to sleep on some cot in a freezing cold shelter near a checkpoint."

She picked up her phone and opened the camera app, then walked towards the bed where she lowered herself to the floor before making her stealthy move towards the railing. There, she held her phone up between two spindles and began to snap pictures, zooming in on her favorite body parts. Her eyes obeyed her body's desires as she moved along the railing to steal images now perceived by the doctor as a seductive dance, not a workout. Finally, she moved to the corner behind the large vertical support beam to snap a few more pictures before lowering her camera and falling into a trance as she took in the sight of the woman she craved.

Finally, she snapped back to reality and looked down at the phone she had dropped between her legs. With one last look at Bo, she sighed and moved back to the bed before standing and walking to her desk. She downloaded the photos from the cloud onto her laptop and scrolled through the enlarged images,

"I can't believe this woman is mine… all mine," she said, licking her lips, "Perfect. Absolutely perfect."

"What's perfect?" Bo asked, standing beside the bed, wiping herself down with a towel.

"Uh… um… how long have you been standing there?"

"I just finished. Why? Please tell me you aren't working," Bo said.

Lauren shook her head, "No, just doing a little pre-race prep. Last years' experience taught me how to… um… prepare."

Bo stared down at the laptop, a grin slowly stretching across her face, "Pictures of me in a sports bra and spandex shorts doing my workout is race prep?"

"Um… well… yes. It gets… lonely," Lauren said, shutting down her laptop and closing it, but Bo picked up the blonde's phone and opened the camera app, then handed it back to her.

"Well, if you want something for those lonely nights, I think there are better pictures you could take," Bo smirked, pulling off her workout clothes and stepping back, "Let's spice up those workout pictures for you."

She turned away from the blonde and dropped to the floor, straddling her legs and positioning herself to do one arm pushups. Lauren's eyes moved from the posterior muscles of her shoulders and torso, down to the arch of her low back then landed atop a perfectly firm and rounded buttock. The slender cavity separating the two mounds of flesh led to two folds of skin that Lauren would have loved to explore with her fingers, but she needed two hands to take her pictures.

Bo rolled over onto her side and held a straddle side plank while a wicked grin remained firmly planted on her face. Lauren shook her head and laughed,

"You're a bad girl, Bo Dennis."

Bo smiled, rolling onto her back, "You like me when I'm bad."

She put both arms behind her head, then held a six-inch leg raise, moving her legs apart and together during the hold,

"Let me know if you need me to hold any specific position. I want to be sure this impromptu photo shoot gets you exactly what you need for those cold, lonely nights while I'm away."

Bo moved to the wall and picked up her dumbbells and began performing bicep curls. Lauren finally spoke,

"Side view, please."

Bo chuckled but did as asked before raising the weights over her head and beginning tricep extensions. She watched as Lauren's tongue ran back and forth over her top lip, her mouth twisting to one side before she rubbed her lips together.

Finally, Bo returned the weights to their storage space and moved over to the pitcher and basin set. She poured the warm water into the bowl, soaped up a washcloth and began to bathe. When she was rinsed, she dried herself off and walked to the bed where Lauren lay naked on her side, head propped up watching her every move.

"Welcome back to our bed," Lauren smiled.

"It's good to be back," Bo replied, stoking the fire in the stove so that they did not have to use the blankets for now.

The brunette slid onto the flannel sheets and mirrored Lauren's position before commenting, "The bed linens are warm. How did you get them warm?"

"Hot water bottles. I put them beneath the blankets as soon as we got up here. I only have six of them, so the bed is warmest near the pillows."

Bo nodded, "That's a brilliant idea."

Lauren shrugged, "I used four of them on my side."

"You know me too well, Doctor Lewis," Bo smiled.

"You can't sleep if you're too warm."

"Still, I stoked the fire so that we can stay uncovered for a while. Is that okay? I mean, are you cold?"

Lauren grinned, "I'm fine, Bo. My fire is properly stoked."

"I want to see you, Lauren. It's been so long since I've seen you. Part of me wishes I'd installed electricity so there was a bright light shining down on you right now, but the lamp and stove light will do until spring."

Lauren smiled, "I love it when you're backlit by the fire. The orange glow on your skin… you're beautiful, Bo."

The brunette smiled, "Your beauty far exceeds my own. I dreamt about you while I was away for all of those months. You were lying here just like this backlit by a full moon behind you. I've memorized the outline of your body, the smell of your skin, the sensation I get when I touch you…"

Bo reached up, trailing the back of her hand from Lauren's shoulder, down her arm, to her waist, her hip and down her thigh before flipping her fingers over and gripping her calves,

"I love the feel of your skin."

Lauren reached out and placed her fingers on Bo's neck, trailing her hand down to her collar bone, she traced the dip in her pecs down between her breasts before cupping one with her hand. She thumbed the nipple until it was hard, then leaned down and took it into her mouth, softly caressing the hardened flesh with her tongue before releasing it gently. Her hand continued down Bo's ribcage, to her waist, then her hip before moving to the small of her back. She reached behind her and gripped the muscular buttocks,

"You made me watch this ass for an hour. I'm not going to wait any longer to grab it," She smirked, giving it another firm squeeze.

Bo moved closer, capturing the blonde's lips in a soft, sensual kiss that deepened quickly. Each pulled the other to them, flesh meeting flesh as legs intertwined and a slow rhythmic dance began. They whispered words of affection and desire, gripping each other with a desperate thirst until they both came together, eyes locked, lips touching before they relaxed in each others' arms.

"Perfect," Bo whispered.

"Enthralling," Lauren replied.

"Captivating," Bo moaned, taking Lauren's mouth once more.

"Mmmm… hypnotic," Lauren growled, sliding down Bo's body, exploring every inch of skin as she moved.

Bo watched as her lover suckled and kissed her way down her neck, breasts, torso, hips and inner thighs before the blonde parted her legs and moved her gaze to her glistening core. Big brown eyes turned up to hers,

"I've missed seeing you, Bo," she said, her eyes remaining locked on the brunette's as she pressed her tongue between folds of skin. A soft moan escaped her as she tasted her lover.

Bo propped her head up with her arm, her hands moving to push the blonde's hair back behind her shoulder,

"I love when you look at me this way," Bo smiled, "You feel so good, Lauren."

The blonde released another quiet moan, her tongue probing deeper before her mouth settled on Bo's firm clitoris. She moved a hand to tease the brunette's opening until she could see the need in her eyes. She thrust one, then two fingers inside, meeting the pace of her lover's hips.

"Lauren…" Bo moaned, her eyes locked on the blonde's, "I love you so much… so damn much."

Lauren continued to touch, mesmerized by every twist, turn, gaze and sound of her lover. She watched Bo's pleasure build and with a few more well-placed thrusts saw the brunette's back arch up off the bed, her body rocked by a powerful orgasm that left her spent and breathless. Lauren slowly made her way back up to the brunette, sliding her head into the crook of her neck,

"I love you, Bo," the blonde said but before she could relax, Bo had her hand between Lauren's legs, her fingers quickly entering her,

"Sorry. I just need… I need to be closer… I need to be inside you…" Bo said, her eyes filling with tears, "I'm going to miss you so damn much."

Lauren stopped, opening her mouth to speak, but Bo placed a finger over her mouth, "I want to watch you. I want to see you. Give me this memory, Lauren. Please."

The blonde placed a hand on either side of the brunette and began a slow ride of her fingers. Bo placed the fingers of her free hand on Lauren's lips, the blonde capturing them in her mouth and sucking them gently before Bo pulled them free to cup her breast.

The blonde moaned as the sensual dance of her hips drew Bo's attention. The free hand moved to the small of her back and buttocks,

"You are my addiction, Lauren Lewis. To see you like this… to know that this Lauren is mine and mine alone is sacred to me," Bo said, her emotions still apparent to the blonde as she spoke through her tears.

"I'm yours, Bo," Lauren said, her head back, hips bucking forcefully as she drove herself to a mighty climax.

Bo could only watch as pleasure rocked her lover's body, her hand muffing the sounds of her own scream before she fell forward onto her body, slowly lifting herself free of Bo's hand.

"I wish I had a picture of that," Bo said, pulling the hair from the blonde's face, "So incredibly beautiful."

Breathless, the blonde replied, "Well, in our new house, I expect you to soundproof our bedroom so that I can scream my full head off when you provide a deserving effort."

Bo went from tears to laughter at her fiancé's request, "Yes, Ma'am. Is there anything else you will need…"

"Storage for our toys, of course," Lauren smirked, "And be sure to leave space for new ones."

"And you say I'm the bad girl," Bo laughed.

Lauren smiled, "You're bad. I'm just a little kinky."

Bo laughed again, "Okay, kinky. Wanna get out the bag?"

"Did you bring it in from our barn room?" Lauren asked.

"Hell yes! I wasn't about to leave it there with Scout out there. The man would have freaked out!"

"Oh, gawd! I didn't even think about that room being used," Lauren replied, "But it was locked while we were away, yes?"

Bo nodded, "Yes. My crews didn't use that room, but when we had to take in Jake and Scout, I didn't have a choice but to free up those spaces."

"Well, thank you for remembering to remove them. I'd prefer people weren't intimately aware of our bedroom activities. I mean, knowing we use toys, I don't care about but actually seeing what we use would just feel very wrong," Lauren clarified.

"I agree."

The pair were quiet for a moment before Lauren sat up, "So, are you okay?"

Bo sighed, lowering her eyes, "Yea. I'm good."

The brunette rolled them over, snuggling into Lauren's neck.

"Hey. What happened to no secrets?" Lauren asked.

She could feel a tear slide down her neck, so pulled her head back and looked down at Bo, "Please tell me what's happening for you."

Bo sighed, looking up at Lauren, her eyes red and wet, "I was so… closed off. It wasn't just that I couldn't be indoors, it was that I couldn't fully be… well… this."

"This?" Lauren asked, "Bo, you're not making sense."

"How we are now… free… sexually. Before I left, we explored each other… and ourselves, really. We finally admitted what we liked and told each other. I'd never been that open with anyone before. Hell, I'd never been open about anything in my life before you. Then, I went away…"

"We went away," Lauren corrected, but Bo shook her head,

"You took a trip, I stowed myself away…" she nodded towards the window, "…out there somewhere. My body came back, but until now, I don't think I was fully back here. I think that… I think that while we were making love just now, that the last wall I'd rebuilt finally came down."

Lauren nodded, kissing Bo gently on the lips, "I know."

"You know?" Bo asked.

With another nod, she smiled, "During my last session with Faith, we spoke about it. I felt like you were holding back. I thought it was me."

"It wasn't you…" Bo interrupted, but Lauren placed a finger on her lips,

"It's okay. I know. Naturally, Faith is your therapist too, so she wouldn't say anything other than it wasn't my fault. You were working through something."

Bo sat up, her weight on one elbow as she looked down at Lauren, "I didn't mean to hide it from you…"

"I know, Bo. It's okay."

"But it wasn't," Bo frowned, "I was… damn… I felt like a guy who needed Viagra. I finally talked to Dr. Gray about my little problem, and she reminded me that when I closed myself off from the indoor spaces where those I love the most dwell, I likely closed other doors as well."

Lauren nodded, her hand tracing Bo's shoulder, "So by being inside today and tonight…"

"I don't feel like I'm jumping out of my skin tonight. Honestly, I don't know why. My mind was willing to let me be where I needed to be. Rudy needed me to be inside to avoid the bears. Granted, I kept the garage door open and I'm not sure if that was more for me or to keep her from allowing herself to close herself off to the outdoors but somewhere along the way, I didn't see the outside versus the inside. I only saw her and what she needed."

"And when we all came inside?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged with a sigh, "It was just a continuation of the same need. You were all inside, so I came inside. I was only focused on my family – not where I was. I guess being in the living room with its vaulted ceiling to the loft helps. At one point I looked up at the beams and just wanted to use them for my workout."

"And you were comfortable under the ceiling?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "It was my workout space – the one I've used since I moved in here. I thought about building the roof, my hands on the wood, the trees the wood came from… it was a little trip down memory lane. Then I saw you sitting there at your desk after I worked out and when I got closer, your scent, the bear skin on your shoulders… something just snapped. It had been so long since I saw you fully naked and the images just flashed through my mind like I was watching one of those slide shows Rudy has made."

She laid down, tracing a finger along Lauren's collar bone and down her sternum, finally placing a hand in the center of her chest. She focused on the beat of her heart. It calmed her as she spoke,

"I remembered our first time when you had hypothermia… the time in the barn… the time by the lake… the time in the forest… the time on my sled… in my truck… the first time we made love in this bed – a bed that wasn't mine, but ours. I remembered us, Lauren. I remembered the us that we found just before I left and suddenly, my body was alive and my emotions… I just… everything just fell out and my body opened up and I felt…" she looked up at Lauren, "I felt everything. My body yearned for you, my mind was racing with ways to fill the desire and my heart… my heart ached for you. The tears came…"

She replaced her hand with her head, listening to Lauren's heart race. The blonde smiled, pulling Bo's hair out of her face so she could see her. Big dark eyes looked up at her,

"And those tears don't seem to want to stop," she wiped the brunette's cheeks.

"Some champion I am. I'm a blubbering idiot."

Lauren shrugged, "You opened the floodgates. Look at us now – loving freely. If it takes tears to bring back that closeness we've both missed, I'll happily get a box of tissues."

Bo shook her head, "That would involve you moving out of my reach and I'm feeling quite clingy right now. I'll use the bed sheet."

Lauren smiled, reaching over to grab her tank top, "Use this. It's already dirty."

Bo took the offered item, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"You mentioned that you missed the closeness too… and that you talked to Doctor Gray as well. I guess I wasn't hiding my discomfort with the physical stuff as well as I thought."

Lauren shrugged, "There's no way you could have hidden it from me, Sweetie… not after how close we had become – physically – before we parted ways all of those months ago. Can you tell me now what it was?"

Bo chuckled, "It seems ridiculous now… now that I'm lying here in your arms with you holding me tight."

Lauren connected the dots, "You felt claustrophobic with me holding you like this?"

"I'm sorry if that hurts you. It wasn't about you, Lauren."

"I know, my Ysabeau. I know. Unfortunately, your brand of claustrophobia has taken a lifetime to learn. It's not going to go away overnight and – I suspect – you might have a bit of a relapse after the Iditarod."

Lauren immediately felt Bo squeeze her harder and regretted mentioning that possibility, "So it will be important that you hug Rudy to death at each checkpoint you stay at least fifteen minutes."

Bo smiled, relaxing a bit, "I doubt she would let me get away with at least one hug even if I'm blowing through the checkpoint. I can hear her now – 'Sister, if you have time to get stamped, you have time to give me a hug!'… or something like that."

"I'm sure," Lauren smiled, "I'm fairly certain she'll be bunking down with you on your overnights as well. Of course, you'll also have to listen to Coach Rudy's advice."

"On everything I'm doing wrong and very little of what I'm doing right. She'll want to inspect my sled, double check the dogs' feet and…"

They looked at each other and laughed, "… and their peckers and teats!"

They laughed and laughed, rolling into each other's arms, and holding each other closely. Finally, Bo pulled back and found Lauren's lips. It was a warm, sensual, and inviting kiss that both women felt surge through every inch of their bodies. They pulled back, Bo breaking into tears yet again.

"Sweetie…" Lauren said, gathering Bo into her arms, "It's okay. I love you, it's okay."

Bo laughed, "I'm such a mess! What is wrong with me?"

"Nothing at all. You're just releasing a lot of pent up emotions. It takes a very thick shell to hold back all of your needs. Give yourself a break, Sweetie. Let your mind, heart and body feel what it needs to feel."

Bo smiled, "And you'll help me fill the needs?"

Lauren paused, not quite sure what Bo was asking until she looked down and saw the smirk on Bo's face as she looked up at her and asked,

"So, where's the bag?"

Lauren laughed before she noticed Bo's hands roaming across her body. She smiled, "You're serious? You're not tired?"

"Very, but we only have two nights until you're going to have to start getting plenty of sleep. I'm going to use you up until then, Lauren Lewis."

"Do your worst, Miss Dennis," Lauren laughed, sliding out of Bo's grip.

"Wait! Lauren, where are you going? Aren't we going to…"

"It's a surprise. Trust me, my naughty lover. You're going to love this. Stay right where you are. No peeking," The blonde instructed, "Close your eyes!"

Bo laughed and did as commanded, "Have I mentioned how much I love take charge Lauren?"

"Bo!"

The brunette laughed again, "Fine! My eyes are closed, I'm not peeking and I'm staying put."

After several minutes, Bo could hear the bed move when Lauren climbed back in. Her eyes remained shut until Lauren said,

"Open your eyes and tell me what you think."

Bo opened her eyes to find her lover standing over her with a black strap-on in place. She could hear the vibrations as Lauren knelt in front of her,

"So, are you ready for your belated Christmas present, Naughty Miss Dennis?"

Bo reached up and gripped Lauren's hips, pulling her closer, "I'm pretty sure you won the naughty title tonight, Doctor Lewis. Bring it on."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Homestead, Next Day

It was three a.m. when Bo awoke, her legs restless, her anxiety a bit high. She finally realized that her legs were wrapped tightly in the sheet which was restricting her movement. Frantically working to kick her legs free from the bed linens, she sighed with relief as panic seized her for a moment,

"Stop. You're fine. You're fine. There's plenty of air. Just breathe. Breathe. In… out… in… out… Lauren…"

She looked to the space next to her and found it empty. She sat up bolt straight and looked around the room until she saw her lover standing by the window, an almost three-quarter full moon providing a beautiful silhouette of her form. Bo threw off the sheet and walked to the blonde, kissing her cheek and wrapping her arms around her waist,

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Lauren leaned back into Bo, laying her head on the brunette's shoulder,

"You okay?"

Bo nodded, "Just a little argument with the sheets twisted around my legs, so I'll ask again – penny for your thoughts?"

Lauren smiled, "For once, I'm thought-free."

"Well, I find that hard to believe. That big brain of yours never turns off."

Lauren chuckled, "I think you broke me."

"Mmmm… that good, huh?"

"The best," Lauren hummed, "Seriously though, I was just admiring my mountain. Of course, now that you mention it, I'm thinking that I'll lose this view if we move beneath it."

Bo shrugged, "That's very true. Your view will be of our friends and family."

Lauren nodded, considering the various locations for their house, but Bo had a better idea – at least, in her mind it was,

"Are you tired?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "Not really. I don't have to work tomorrow, so I guess my body is not in any hurry to shut down."

Bo smiled, "Wanna go for a walk?"

"A walk?"

"Sure. It's not snowing, so it's probably warmer than it was while we were away."

Lauren shrugged, "Sure. Why not."

Bo smiled, "Have I mentioned that I love you?"

"Mentioned?" Lauren smirked, "No. Screamed? Yes."

Bo laughed, "I hope our housemates didn't hear me. I tried to be quiet, I really did."

Getting dressed, Lauren grinned, "Oh, sweetie, you couldn't have stayed quiet no matter how hard you tried. I spent over a decade in medical school and residencies making these the most desirable hands in the country. You didn't stand a chance."

Bo grinned, "I accept defeat at your hands… literally and figuratively."

Lauren smacked Bo's ass, "I'm ready. Let's get walking."

Bo pinched the blonde in reply, causing her to let out a high-pitched squeal, "I win the butt wars."

Lauren giggled, jumping on Bo's back, "Did I mention you were going to do the walking? I'm going to ride on your back. It's good for your training."

Bo gripped Lauren's legs, "You do realize I'll be walking in sand, right?"

"You do realize you have the Iditarod in a week and a half, right? You'll be running in knee deep snow while pushing a sled that weighs at least three times three of me!"

"Yes, coach. Whatever you say, coach."

The pair headed down the stairs, Lauren shaking her head as he realized how effortlessly Bo made the descent with her added weight. She really was the most powerful woman she had ever known… possibly more powerful than anyone she'd ever known.

Once outside, Bo carried Lauren through the gate of the backyard to the river and turned downstream. Lauren immediately noticed the change from their usual route,

"Going to check the fish wheel?" she asked.

"Nope. There's something I want to show you."

"Oh? What's that?" Lauren asked.

"Why is it that you always want me to ruin your surprises?" Bo laughed.

Lauren shrugged, "Well, for one thing, maybe it's something I won't like. I could save you the walk."

"Really? Miss 'you won't know until you've tried it' wants to decide if she likes something before she's seen it?"

Lauren laughed, whispering in her lover's ear, "That philosophy only applies to positions and toys in the bedroom."

Bo giggled, biting her bottom lip, "I love when you whisper about the bedroom in my ear."

"Well, don't get any ideas about throwing me in the snow and having sex out here. It's too cold – especially when there's a toasty, wonderful bed not one hundred yards away."

"Kill joy," Bo laughed.

Lauren kissed Bo's neck, "Okay then, lead on to this mystery place, but I will be thinking that I wish I would have put that small silver vibrator inside you before we left. It would have made for an excellent distractor to your training."

Bo felt her pussy clench, "Hush, woman. You start whispering things like that in my ear and I will lose all restraint."

"Don't tease."

Bo tossed Lauren over her shoulder into the deep snow and laid on top of her, "It was a threat, not a tease."

Lauren struggled to get free, but Bo was so much stronger than she had been a year ago, "You promised not to throw me in the snow. It's cold, Bo."

"You promise to keep the training professional?" Bo asked.

"I promise," Lauren pouted.

"Don't pout," Bo said, helping her up, "You can talk dirty to me on the way back when we're getting closer to our bedroom."

"Or the hot tub?" Lauren suggested more than asked.

Bo grinned, dusting the snow off of Lauren before wiping her goggles clear, "It has been a while since we used the hot tub."

"I'm getting warmer just thinking about it," Lauren said as Bo hoisted her back up onto her back.

"It's not too far now. You just relax and enjoy the scenery. Before you know it, Summer Solstice will be here, and we'll be back to nineteen-hour days. You're going to miss this beautiful winter wonderland."

"I'm going to miss the stars," Lauren said, looking up at the thousands of glittering lights visible to them.

Lauren nodded, "Can we go to your hometown this summer to see the Midnight Sun?"

"That's something you want to see?" Bo asked.

"Of course. I want to see everything you've seen, Bo," she said quietly, "And I want to see it through your eyes."

Bo smiled, "Well, I love watching your reaction to all of your first-time Alaska experiences. And I love watching you stare out at your mountain."

"It's the best when Denali is visible behind it – that extra light bouncing off of that massive peak is just something I'll never tire of seeing."

"What was your Denali back in Boston?" Bo asked.

"Hmmm… I suppose it was sunset at the beach house," Lauren replied, "Maybe sunrise, but it was always the beach house that moved me like that mountain… and the lighthouse down at the point. I used to love to paddleboard down to the lighthouse and back on the mornings the surf wasn't good."

Bo nodded, "So, I never asked and you never said… did you keep the beach house?"

"Yes," Lauren replied, "Is that a problem for you?"

"Not at all. I just wondered."

Lauren gave Bo a squeeze, "Are you afraid I kept it, so I had somewhere to run to?"

"Nope. If you ever need time away, a warmer climate, a place to surf or just a beach to sit on, you'll have a space of your own."

"We'll have a space of our own… a space we can take the family for a warm vacation. I fully intend to put your name on the deed to the property, Bo – to all of my property. And what about you having a space of your own?" Lauren asked.

Bo laughed, "Look around you, Lauren. I've got all the space I could ever want or need. I own plenty of land deeds from my trapping contracts. Eventually – if we're okay financially – I'll give that land to LJ so he owns the land he traps on just like I did. Anyway, when I really want to get away from the world, I go climb."

"I thought you took the dogs out into the wilderness," Lauren replied, though it was more of a question.

Bo shook her head, "That's when I need to figure things out. I like to have the dogs with me so we can all talk."

"Talk? And they give good advice, do they?" Lauren chuckled.

"They don't talk back and I'm always right. I love talking to them."

Lauren had to laugh out loud, but she also wanted to know more about Bo's climbing, "So when you say 'go climb', do you mean Denali?"

"Maybe. There are a lot of other mountains around here, Lauren. For tourists, it's about Denali. For me, it's about my mood. I'm not foolish enough to climb if my emotions are at an extreme. I don't have a death wish and I don't consider myself an extreme sports athlete. I'm calculated and educated."

"So, what other mountains have you climbed?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "Actually, I flew to Red Rock, El Capitan and Joshua Tree in the U.S. to climb with my Denali Team. They didn't tell me we were leaving Alaska because they knew I wouldn't go if we were leaving the state. That's why I say I've never been out of Alaska. I never went voluntarily."

"Until me?"

Bo smiled, "Until you convinced me to go to Boston. That was my first voluntary trip out of the state and my first time on a commercial airliner."

Lauren sighed, "Your claustrophobia…"

"Was horrible."

Lauren nodded, "I remember begin in the city with the people…"

"Can we not talk about that?"

Lauren whispered, "Sorry. Where else did you climb?"

Bo smiled, "I climbed Squamish, Bugaboos and Mount Logan in Canada. I mean, they're the highlights. If there's a mountain where I am and I'm in the mood, I climb it. I've written about every climb in my journals. There's always something to know about the local scene so you don't get yourself into a bad situation."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you never climb Red Rock when it's wet out since sandstone can crumple and break."

"That could definitely ruin your day," Lauren replied.

Bo chuckled, "Definitely."

"How are your legs?" Lauren asked.

"You were right. This is a great workout."

Lauren laughed, "Well, anytime you want to carry me around for a day, just let me know. I'll be happy to oblige."

"With that little silver vibrator in you?" Bo asked, earning a slap from Lauren. The brunette laughed, "Seriously though, thanks for the offer. My legs are starting to burn a bit. This was a great idea. Thanks."

"Of course. I'm more than willing to make the sacrifice to ride you," she giggled, Bo rolling her eyes, "I'll bring a book to read to you, so I don't get bored hanging on your back."

"Are you saying this conversation is boring?" Bo asked, her lungs now beginning to feel the strain.

Lauren shook her head, "Of course not, but if you're really going to get a good workout, you'll need to run, not walk. You can also do some squats, lunges, jumps – I've got a lot of ideas."

"Lucky me," Bo said sarcastically.

"Are we there yet?" Lauren asked.

"Actually, we'll be there in a little less than a minute," Bo said, "I put two spotlights in the pack that's on your back just in case there isn't enough light."

"I guess that's my first hint. The moonlight won't be enough to see what you're showing me."

Bo smiled, "Possibly. You'll either see it right away or you won't. When I turn right up here, if it's pitch black, pull out the spots."

"Well, since we're in the homestretch, time to run, Babe. Giddyap!" Lauren yelled, trying to contain the chuckle and hold on for dear life.

"You're so mean," Bo said as she broke into a sprint.

Lauren spoke softly, but firmly in Bo's ear,

"Not mean – mighty, like my lover. You're going to be the champion. Not just because you're the best, most knowledgeable and have the best team, but because you can match your teams' strength. You can run for them when they can no longer run for you. Run, Bo. Run hard. Drive that sled, Bo. Peddle. Faster…"

Lauren could feel her fiancé pushing beneath her and it was exhilarating. Her power was incredible. Just as she was about to speak her next motivational words, her jaw dropped at the sight of a beautiful yet quaint private cove. If Bo hadn't rounded the curve from the river path, she would never have known it was there… no one would. It was completely secluded – invisible to the outside world unless you knew to look for it.

Bo slowed to a walk, but Lauren was oblivious to anything but the landscape before her. The snow lay differently here, blown in from the river as if swept in by the spirits with a giant broom to dust the edges of the sand where it met the overgrown grass. Icicles hung from the bows of the great pine trees and cedars that lined the right side of the property, visible only as Bo made the right turn up the sandy path.

Bo continued along the trail until it met a small beach that outlined the lake-like body of water that gathered against the land from the glacial river waters. Bo gently lowered Lauren to the ground as her inquisitive mind continued to whirl with questions. What would daylight bring to this piece of land? Was the water was glacier blue like the river near The Homestead? How long had it been since someone had been here?

There was a dock that jutted out from the center of the beach and a small rowboat that was pulled up onto the sand beneath. She was certain there were fish that dwelled beneath the water's surface for the cove, dock and boat provided an excellent habitat for them to flourish… and hide from would-be hunters like Bo and herself. For a moment, she felt the guilt that had become a daily emotion when killing fish for food, but this was Alaskan winter. Other than frozen berries, there weren't many other options for protein and nutrients when living off the land.

Her eyes moved to the thirty yards of beach that surrounded the cove. The beach was backed by plush grass and both sand and soil looked different than The Homestead lands. Maybe it was because this property was below the rapids? Maybe the grass was thicker because it had more shelter from snow and wind? She really didn't know. She just knew it was beautiful.

In the middle of the grass, she could see a walkway that was overrun with taller grass and weeds. It extended up to the front porch of what she could only imagine had once been a beautiful cottage surrounded by a white picket fence. Of course, like the cottage, the fence was green with moss and had many missing posts.

The cottage was about twenty yards from the water. It was a perfect distance to prevent flooding of the home when the melt began, yet close enough to catch fresh fish for dinner and cook inside or outside.

She turned towards the wind, noting that the air didn't seem to cut like ice as it did at home. She slowly raised her goggles and placed them atop her head when she saw that Bo had done the same.

Lauren could feel Bo's hand pulling her towards the path, so she followed, now noticing a large shed bordering the left side of the yard and an even larger glass greenhouse a short distance beside it not far from the home. Some of the greenhouse glass was broken, but she was sure Bo could repair it… that was, if the property even belonged to Bo.

It was the first time Lauren realized she had asked the question. What was this place? Did Bo own this property or was she considering buying it? It looked a little worse for wear, so she couldn't imagine it was currently occupied,

"Is it okay for us to be here, Bo?" Lauren asked, giving Bo's hand a tug, but the brunette smiled and pulled her along,

"It's okay, Lauren. This is still our land," Bo replied.

"You own this property?" Lauren asked, surprised.

"We own this… we. You really have to get used to the 'what's mine, is yours' thing," Bo smiled.

Lauren shook her head, "I don't understand. I thought you just owned land. Why didn't you just move into this cottage?"

"Well, that's a bit of a long story. It involves a kind elderly woman and a fishing wheel," Bo smiled, "Let's go inside and I'll explain. We'll need those spotlights. I haven't been here in quite a while, so I want to be sure we scare off any animals before we go in."

"Is that code for, Lauren, have your knife ready?"

Bo smiled, "See? You're learning about Alaskan life faster than you thought."

Lauren shook her head and rolled her eyes while Bo pulled the spotlights from the backpack that had been on the blonde's back. They both clicked them on, the large beams immediately illuminating a much larger area than their headlamps. Bo slowly approached the gate of the white fence, but movement in the water had her move protectively in front of Lauren, her knife quickly coming to her shoulder,

"What in the world?" she asked, stopping her throwing motion.

"What is it?" Lauren asked, still trying to see what Bo saw, "What's out there?"

"In the rowboat," Bo replied, "Don't shine your spotlight, you'll scare them away."

"I still don't know what I'm supposed to be seeing!" Lauren replied, frustrated.

Bo took her hand and pulled her close, pointing to the rowboat, "River otters."

"They're adorable," Lauren whispered, a smile on her face.

Bo nodded, "They are, but I've never seen river otters here. It's a problem, Lauren."

"A problem? Why? I mean… they're otters. They're adorable," she laughed, moving closer, but Bo pulled her back.

Lauren looked up at the brunette, surprised to see a very worried look on her face,

"Bo?"

The brunette sighed, "I'm going to catch them, take them down to the Harbor Cove in Point Siku and release them there."

"Why?"

"Lauren, river otters are from the weasel family. They've got very sharp teeth and a very strong bite to go with them. They have been known to kill dogs in packs."

The blonde laughed, responding with sarcasm, "I'd love to see those little things take down Aphrodite."

But Bo's face was all business as she explained, "They would attack when she's in the water, then would bite down on her legs, drag her out into the water and drown her, then tow her back to this cove to feed their young."

Lauren's eyes went wide with disbelief as Bo shook her head and added, "You cannot let the dogs out while I'm gone, Lauren… not unless you, Molly and Mom are all with them. They'll be more cautious around humans, but they're brazen little things, so stay vigilant… please. I would hate to see anything happen to any of our dogs."

Lauren nodded, "Of course, Bo. Your Mom…"

"The family is all aware of the damage they can do. Keep Rudy and Elise away since the otters could potentially see them just as they see the dogs. Just mention to any Alaskan that we've got river otters and they'll understand – and they will teach the girls as well. I'll move this little crew tomorrow."

"How on earth will you catch them?"

Bo smiled, "That's where you come in. You think they're adorable and I'm sure you would love to feed them. Treat them kindly and they'll eventually trust you… that's when I'll use my traps to catch them, load them into my plane and fly them down to Harbor Cove."

"You're going to land your plane on the river?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "My plane is already on the river."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"You know I have more than one plane, Lauren."

Lauren nodded, "Yes, although I've only flown in one. You know, you would think this whole 'what's yours is mine' thing would mean I would get more plane rides."

Bo chuckled, "I am sorry for not being more attentive to my piloting duties. I'll work on that."

"Thank you," Lauren smiled, "I think you told me about the planes, but I'll need a refresher course since airplanes are definitely not my area of expertise."

Bo took Lauren's hand, leading her towards the cottage, "Let's go check things out and I'll tell you about our planes."

"I know that you own… I mean we… own a beaver and an otter."

Bo smiled, "Those are the models, but the make is DeHavilland. The Beaver can carry seven passengers and the Otter can carry ten. They're both sea planes, so they're actually parked on the other side of that tree line next to and behind the cottage."

"You've been hiding two planes near The Homestead and I didn't know about it?"

Bo shrugged, "You never asked."

Lauren sighed, "Fair enough."

"We have the Cessna 185…"

"…I know about that one. It's parked on Kenzi's airstrip with the Peter?"

"Piper. Piper Chieftain Twin Engine and the Cherokee Six are both at Kenzi's with the Cessna."

"Oh," Lauren said, a bit surprised, "I didn't realize all of those planes were yours. I thought they were Kurt and Mark's."

"Their planes are there too." Bo explained as they arrived at the front of the cottage. They walked up the stairway, Bo clicking on her spotlight again so that she could check the condition of the porch before they stepped on it,

"Everything should be okay, but I'm going to be extra cautious," Bo explained, waving Lauren up the stairs.

Lauren nodded, "Understood. So, tell me about the elderly woman who lived here."

"Her name was Sharynne Windwalker. She owned this property and everything down river that I don't own. I was up at our fishwheel, and she was out for a walk, so naturally, she stopped to talk about what I'd caught. I offered her part of my catch and invited her to take fish from the wheel any time she wanted. She thanked me, but it didn't take long for her to admit that she knew who I was – the infamous Bo Dennis."

"So which side was she on?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "She didn't really say. She just told me her philosophy."

"And that was…"

"That she believed people should hold judgement about others until they've walked a mile in their shadow."

"I believe the phrase is in their shoes." Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "That's what I said, but she said it was a silly phrase since no one could ever walk in someone else's shoes. She said even if you put them on - your choices, your feelings, your relationships and your perspectives would likely be different – therefore…"

"Your version of the person's life would be different," Lauren concluded, "So you walk in their shadow to serve as a witness to their life."

Bo nodded, "And none of the townspeople had witnessed anything about my life. I was, more or less, a ghost to them since I did business with very few people. They just bought into whatever Big Jim said. Of course, we now know that was largely just due to their fear of him, but still… the damage is done."

Lauren smiled, "Well, that is slowly changing. I take it she liked you?"

Bo shrugged, "She said the person Big Jim described would never have offered to feed an old woman. Instead, I would have taken advantage of her age and weakened body, killed her and taken all that she owned. So, over time and many conversations in those first two years that I owned the land, we became… neighbors, I guess you could say. In the worst winter weather, she offered her shed to me when I refused her spare room."

"So how did you end up with this land?"

Bo shrugged, "The Judge called me in one day to tell me that she had deeded all of her land to me if she ever died or became unable to care for herself. I came here directly from the court house and tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. She said having anyone else on the land adjacent to mine would just cause trouble for me. She wanted me to have a safe haven away from the ugliness Big Jim had created for me in town. She actually encouraged me to set down some roots here when the day came that the deed became mine, but she knew I would never stay inside the cottage. She actually suggested I fix up the old camper out back, but I never did."

Bo grew silent before she finally said, "I had just come back from the Iditarod and went into town to buy gear for trapping when Mark told me that The Judge wanted to see me again. I walked over to the courthouse, and he handed me the deed to the property. I was pretty… shocked."

Lauren sighed, knowing Bo was likely a lot more than just shocked, "Where is she now?"

"A nursing home," Bo replied, "I mean, she was in a nursing home about nine or ten years ago. I'm not even sure if she's still alive."

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

The brunette offered a weak smile in reply, "It's okay. Circle of life and all that."

"Yes, but that doesn't make it any easier. It sounds like she was very kind to you. I can only imagine how grateful you must have been for her presence in your life."

Bo nodded, "Whenever I went to the wheel, she would come around the corner and visit with me for a bit. I finally asked her how she always seemed to know when I was there."

Bo used her spotlight to point to the gap in the woods, "She could see the wheel from her front porch rocking chair."

Lauren smiled, "That's sweet."

"It's actually very sad. She cooked for me a couple of times," Bo said, waving Lauren inside. The blonde followed as Bo led her to the kitchen, "The only thing that was ever in that fridge was a single fish or cooked portions of fish. If I didn't hand it to her, she didn't eat. I failed to recognize that she couldn't bend down to get the fish out of the wheel. She also couldn't bend down to pick up berries, so she used this…"

Bo reached behind the door where there was an old broom stick with a nail in the end, "Ingenious device, right?"

Lauren smiled, "Yes, but how can anyone survive on berries?"

"The better question is how many berries can a person possibly collect with this thing?" Bo replied, holding up the stick.

"Not enough."

Bo sighed, pulling out a sealed bucket, "In here is jerky… made from the meat of small game and rodents."

"Oh, gawd! Seriously?"

Bo shrugged, "It wasn't like she could go out and set traps or hunt big game and I just…" Bo shook her head, "I was so damn unaware of the needs of others back then. I was so focused on avoiding people that I never truly saw her. She saw me, though. She saw into my very soul and told me I was the kindest, most generous soul she'd ever known next to her husband. I'll always regret that I didn't see into her the way she saw into me. I was a different person back then."

Lauren shook her head, "Bo, you were just a kid trying to survive. Worse yet, you were trying to survive in a world that showed their disdain for you even when you were good to them. With all you had going on back then, I would think it was hard to see beyond your own nose."

Bo sighed, "Still, I wish there was something more I could have done for her," she kicked the jerky bucket, "By the time I knew this was the shit she was eating, it was too late. I was off to another Iditarod, and she was apparently on her last leg."

"I don't understand how she was put in the care of a nursing home."

Bo shrugged and shook her head, "The Judge told me she was committed by the state because someone in town made a call that she was a danger to herself."

"I take it you didn't agree?"

The brunette was clearly upset as she walked to a wall and began straightening the faded pictures that hung there,

"It's not what she wanted. She wanted to close her eyes and not wake up one morning. She wanted to die after a night of dreams about her husband Willie."

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

The brunette sighed, "I guess that's the real reason I've never lived here. I just… being here…"

"It's hard, I'm sure but I would like you to think about what she would have wanted, Bo. What would Sharynne have wanted?"

Bo led Lauren to a small living room where there was an antique trunk. She opened it handing several quilts to the blonde, then pulled out a long roll of paper,

"These are beautiful, Bo. The stitching rivals your Mother's," Lauren said.

"Let's be honest, Lauren, those are better than anything my Mom makes. Sharynne worked in a Mill and was a seamstress by trade. It was her profession… one she chose and loved. The few times that I came into her house to share a meal with her, she shared several things with me. The contents of this trunk was one of those things. These quilts were very important to her and these…"

She held up the roll before removing the rubber band and laying the pages out on the table, "… were her beloved Willie's plans for the cottage. He was an architect… died in the collapse of an old gold mine that a friend had asked him to check for structural integrity. Ironic, isn't it?"

Lauren shook her head, "Tragic."

"That too," Bo said, showing Lauren a sketch, "Willie drew this. It's what the finished home would have looked like if he'd been able to complete it. I'm actually not sure how much of it is done."

"So, you have the architectural plans and a picture of the finished product, why not build it?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded, "That's why I brought you here. Of course, thirty minutes ago, I was thinking of tearing this down. Now that we're here…"

"Bo! You can't!"

She nodded, "I know that now, Lauren, but I just don't know if I could live here. The memories… their memories…"

"Maybe that silly idea of walking in someone's shoes isn't such a bad idea after all," Lauren replied, "We can walk the path that life didn't choose for her and Willie. We can fulfill their dream for this cottage."

Bo nodded, "Maybe you're right. I guess I can have Path and Slate take a look at the plans."

"Are you sure the boys aren't being overworked?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, "I have to give them the work so that they can make the money to pay me to own the company or their mom won't let me sell it to them. The more jobs they complete, the faster they'll own the show… their words, not mine."

Lauren nodded, "I just don't understand what the rush is."

"The rush is that I'm still paying all of the bills since I still own the company… and since I'm not working, I'm not taking any of the profits."

"How is that fair? Of course, you should be taking a cut of the profits." Lauren replied, "I'm not working as a surgeon right now, but I'm the co-owner of the company. The meetings, directing higher level employees, contracts, supply orders, ambulatory services, hiring, firing, training and education, intern programs… I'm not physically present and working as a surgeon, but I'm certainly still working and all of the liabilities will fall to me to explain and be accountable for whether I'm there or not."

She sighed, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that the company still has your name on it, Bo. As long as that is the case everything your workers do – every failure or success will be associated with you. And sadly, if those boys fail, the liability will be yours since you are the owner of the company."

Bo nodded, "I guess I forgot that part."

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, but in my opinion, if you set them free to do as they please with no oversight – and no experience in the business world – you could find yourself in court for their mistakes. The way they handle employees, the accounting of your financial records, the contracts they use and the wording of those contracts, the buildings themselves and whether they're sustainable… I mean, we live near one of many earthquake regions – are they aware of that and are they building… well, come to think of it, is our hospital going to hold up in such a natural event?"

"Wow. I didn't even consider… I mean, I just assumed they knew…"

"All that you've learned during your tenure as a business owner?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled, "I'll never forget the first time I had to do my business taxes. Kenzi sat up with me all night on April fourteenth until I was finally able to put them in the mail at the post office. That's how she got her 'free for life' trapping contract."

"And your free bar tab for life? Where did that come from?" Lauren smiled.

"A Moose charged her and I…"

"…saved her life," Lauren concluded.

Bo nodded, "Yup. Of course, a free bar tab to someone who rarely drinks except for social occasions isn't nearly as valuable as a free trapping contract. LJ gave me an earful about that when we talked last night. He's still trying to negotiate a new deal with Kenzi, but I think he's got his work cut out for him."

The pair made their way out of the cottage, coming to sit on the two Adirondack chairs on the lawn. Lauren looked down beneath her hand and saw an engraved quote filled with moss and mold,

'My love is yours, sunset after sunset and eternities beyond'

Lauren smiled, "That's lovely. Did you build these?"

Bo nodded, "The quote is Willie's handwriting. He wrote it in an anniversary card he had made for Sharynne on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary."

"Wow. Twenty-five years. When did she lose Willie?" Lauren asked.

"They had just celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They had been married when they were eighteen years old. He had planned to retire two months after the accident so that they could travel and hop on one of those fancy cruise ships that came to port in Skagway. They had a daughter who lived down there, and she worked for one of the foreign companies."

Lauren nodded before taking Bo's hand, her eyes set on the inlet in front of her, "Let's promise that we will never put off until tomorrow what we could do today. You just never know when the end may come and I don't want to be sitting beside an empty chair regretting the things we didn't get to do."

Bo gave her hand a squeeze, "I promise."

"Promise recorded and I'll tell Rudy just to be sure you keep it."

The brunette couldn't help but laugh, "Somehow I think I just gave up control of my life."

Lauren grinned, "Our life."

"What's mine is yours including my time," Bo replied.

"And what's mine is yours including my time," Lauren agreed.

"I mean, other than when work or family obligations take time from our hands," Bo suggested.

"And even that, we must talk about. I don't want work to take over my life again, Bo. You have to tell me when you think it is."

"I think we should put a calendar right inside the door. When we come home each day, we add to it. I like visuals, so it will help me to see if our calendars are getting out of control."

Lauren nodded, "Agreed… especially mine."

"Yea, well I think your whole hospital staff has to catch on to the idea of living a west coast pace. We all know that the pace on the east coast does not allow for lives outside of work."

"Well, you have to understand the culture of the healthcare field, Bo. People that enter the field are called to the profession because they want to help people. Turning that instinct off is difficult whether on the east coast or west coast. People get sick all the time, so we're at their beckoned call."

Bo nodded, "I've seen that firsthand watching you, Lauren. But it's not healthy. Look at where that lifestyle led you?"

"How do I untrain something that has been engrained in my employees?"

"Anna."

"What?" Lauren asked.

"Anna. She needs to lead the charge in finding your employees hobbies and interests that are just as compelling work. You've got plenty of doctors, nurses and other support staff to cover all shifts. They've just got to leave the hospital and have something else that calls to them."

Lauren cocked her head, "That's a good idea. We can set up activities with various companies in the area. Dog sledding, climbing, kayaking, nature hikes, historical tours, subsistence skills… there's so much to do."

"They can learn how to live here while they also find new things to love," Bo smiled.

"I'll call Anna and get her started on it as soon as we get home," Lauren said excitedly.

"Hold on there, Champ. It's maybe four o'clock in the morning."

Lauren blushed, "Right. I'll wait until a reasonable hour."

Bo stood, turning to face the cottage, "So, we're agreed? This will be home sweet home?"

Lauren stared out at the mountain before rising and walking to Bo, "The view is fabulous, there's plenty of room for the dogs to run, there's already a shed and greenhouse are both already bigger than ours and there's still room for a seed shed. We can build a firepit down near the dock and I'm sure you can fix up that rowboat once the otters are gone."

Nodding, the brunette replied, "The cottage needs a lot of work. As soon as I get back from the Iditarod, I'll start checking the structural integrity, then, depending on what I find, we'll either tear this one down or begin renovations. Either way, I'd like to get started on plans for the design before I leave for Anchorage."

"Bo, don't you think you've got enough on your plate? You really should focus on the race."

Bo shrugged, "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today, right?"

Lauren grinned, "Right."

"Now," Bo said, bending over, "Your chariot awaits."

Lauren laughed and hopped on Bo's back, the brunette heading back down through the gate and to the trail around the cove,

"Wave goodbye to your otter friends. You won't see them again."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'll be coming to trap and collect them tomorrow."

Lauren shook her head, "You are not going for an airplane ride without me, Bo Dennis. Tomorrow, I want to fly along the southern seaboard."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"And I want Rudy to come with us. She'll love it."

Bo nodded, "She'll want to bring Elise, too. We'll ask Mom and Molly."

"Sounds like fun," Lauren said, "Now, get to work, Champ!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Homestead, Afternoon the next day…

"Momma? When are Bo and Lauren going to get up? I wanna do something."

Mary smiled, handing Rudy a dish towel, "You can dry the dishes, Child."

"That's just as boring," Rudy said, taking the towel, stepping up on her step stool and setting to the chore, "I swear, sometimes they sleep half the day away."

Mary smiled, "I believe your Sister and her fiancé were up very, very early this morning. I'm sure this is just a bit of a nap."

"They were up already?"

Mary nodded, "I heard them come in the house just as I was waking up."

"Wow. That is really early."

"Yes, Child," Mary replied, drying her hands and putting the food into the icebox before moving to check on the status of the dry ice in the base, "Do you want to call Mark at the General Store and place an order for two blocks of ice?"

"Sure! Maybe I can talk to Elise?"

Mary shook her head, "She and Molly are on their way here, so you'll see her soon enough."

"Really? They're coming?" Rudy asked.

"Really. Molly is reviewing the packing list for the Iditarod. Don't forget that you offered to help with the prep for your sister's race."

Rudy smiled, "I can't wait! I'm going to see my first Iditarod and I get to follow the team to the checkpoints! I wish I could ride with her on the course."

Mary nodded, "You will, Child. Soon enough, you will."

"Soon? Maybe next year then?"

Mary chuckled, "Soon by my definition, Child. Any amount of years will always be soon for me."

Rudy laughed, "You're funny, Momma."

Mary sat down and pulled Rudy to her, "Do me a favor?"

"Anything, Momma. You know that," Rudy smiled.

"Don't be in such a hurry to grow up?"

Rudy grinned, "You want me to stay your little girl forever, right Momma?"

"You know I do, my little Roo," Mary smiled, giving her a hug. When she pulled back, Rudy saw a tear escape from the corner of her eye.

Rudy frowned, catching the tear on her cheek, "You don't have to keep giving me wishes, Momma."

From the time she was very young, Rudy had seen her Momma cry when she thought she was alone. She was too young to understand at the time, but now that she was here and saw the bad people first hand, she knew her Momma had good reason for her tears. She stared down at her wet fingers, closed her eyes, placed her forehead against her Mom's and whispered,

"Water and salt, we came from the sea, what you feel in your heart, you give to me. I take your gift and close my eyes and make my wish to the spirit in the skies," she was quiet for a long moment – the moment it took for Mary to compose herself. When she heard her Momma take a deep breath, she opened her eyes and smile before wrapping her arms around her neck and squeezing tightly,

"I'll always be your little girl no matter how old I get, Momma. Nothing can change that," Rudy smiled, "And besides, Bo told me she has always needed you… even when you guys were apart and she was old. She said she guesses a girl never stops needing her mother."

"She said that, did she?" Mary asked, her eyes welling with tears.

Rudy smiled, "Yup. But… are those happy tears, Momma? Do I need to make more wishes?"

Mary smiled and shook her head, "These tears are just because It's nice to know I'm needed."

"I need you too, Momma," Rudy said, running out into the family room and then coming back. She opened up a very large map and laid it on the table, "I need you to help me understand where Sister is going in the race? She tried to show me, but it's very confusing."

Mary smiled, "I've got a better idea. Go to your school supplies and get a red marker, a yellow highlighter, a ruler and your iPad."

Rudy nodded, shouting the list repeatedly as she ran to her house. Mary smiled, shaking her head. Her daughter was an energetic one and while she was flattered that she felt she would always need her mother, her close call with death had become an ever-present reminder that she would not always be here for her. Now that the cure had been found, she knew she had plenty of years left, but as life had taught her, one could never know when their end would come. So, she would teach her daughter the lessons her mother had taught her as a child, with a modern flare.

"Here you go, Momma! What now?"

Mary smiled, "Now, I'm going to show you how to answer your question. Go on the internet and find 'Iditarod 2021'.

"There's a lot of answers, Momma."

Mary looked at the results and clicked the appropriate link, "The Iditarod has a website of its own, so you can go here and see everything you want to know – even interviews with some of the racers, their mushing experience, the odd and even year race courses, the rules – anything you want to know."

"Cool!" Rudy said as Mary clicked on the race map and list of checkpoints,

"Now, this is the list of all of the places your sister has to check in during the race."

"So they know she's not cheating?"

Mary smiled and nodded, "That's one way to put it. Now, from what Kyle has told me, she stops less frequently than any other musher…"

"Because she's used to living out there," Rudy said, signaling outside – way outside.

"One of the benefits of her lifestyle and the one that makes her the best candidate to win the race," Mary smiled, "But there are reasons that she is required to stop."

"Like sleep for the dogs and her?"

Mary smiled, "Sleep may be one thing she stops for, yes. Now, look at your Map and find the first place on the list."

"Anchorage?"

Mary nodded, "That's correct."

"But that's the fake start, right? It doesn't really count."

"You wanted to know where your sister would be and she'll be in Anchorage," Mary said, deciding to ask the question she had been asked by Bo, "Your sister told me she invited you to make the trip with her to Anchorage. Are you going to go? It would give you an inside look at all of the things that go on to get ready for the Iditarod and you would be like a real musher – you may even see some of them as you get close to town."

Rudy continued to search the map, "Anchorage! Found it!"

Mary didn't press on her question, instead continuing the map lesson, "Okay, now put a small red 'x' over the black dot next to Anchorage, then find the next stop."

"An-vik."

Mary watched as her daughter searched the whole map for the small town. Smiling, she offered some advice,

"Do you remember which direction the race runs?"

"Uh… it's an odd year, but Bo said they're running the even year map because of trail conditions, right?"

Mary nodded, "So which route is that?"

"Uh… southern route is odd years, northern route is even years and 2021 is an odd number so they would run the southern route, but they're switching the routes, so… it's the northern route. That means it's up here!" Rudy exclaimed, pointing towards the northern portion of the state.

Mary smiled, "That is definitely north, but when they say the northern route, they mean the route goes slightly north and west of the starting point, not the northernmost part of Alaska. Remember, they'"

"Oh! Right!" Rudy said, finding Anchorage again, "So I want to go towards the north from Anchorage…"

Mary corrected, laying the ruler down on the map, "And west past Nome, so if you lay the ruler down across the map towards the west and on a slight angle towards the north, you will find the checkpoints along the way. Try going to the final checkpoint next."

Rudy moved her eyes to the left, searching until she finally found Ynetna Station Roadhouse, "Here!"

Mary smiled, "Okay, so mark that with a red x," she watched Rudy and then added, "Now put the ruler between Anchorage and Ynetna Station. Along that line, you'll find all of those locations listed on the website."

Mary watched as Rudy, tongue hanging from the corner of her mouth, carefully plotted each red x along Bo's race. Big Sister walked into the kitchen as Rudy worked, Mary signaling her to remain silent. Bo quietly tiptoed behind Rudy, looking over her shoulder. She smiled brightly when she realized what her little sister was doing. The process was slow, but both Mary and Bo remained patient, allowing the child to figure things out for herself.

Finally, she was finished and ready for the next step, "Okay! What now?"

"Now, you use the highlighter and ruler to connect the dots."

"Like in my connect-the-dots art?"

"Exactly the same. Start with Anchorage and continue west on the map until you reach Ynetna Station."

The two women watched as Rudy carefully connected one checkpoint to another until the map was complete.

"Now what?" Rudy asked.

Mary smiled, "Now, we refold the map so that only the course is visible, then you put it in a plastic bag and store it inside your coat. Each time you see Bo at a checkpoint, you know where she is in the race."

"So, it's sort of like I'm running my sled right beside her!" Rudy smiled.

"Just about," Mary smiled, "And if you want to, you can also map a route from Talkeetna to Anchorage. That is the route you will take with Bo to get her to the race… if you choose."

Rudy searched the map, placing a red x over Talkeetna before she spoke again, "What if I go with her and I make her late for the race because I can't keep up?"

Mary chuckled, "Roo, she can tow your sled behind her and add your dogs to her team so that you can ride on the bench behind her or in the basket of your sled."

"Why can't I ride in her basket?"

"She'll be carrying much of the gear she'll need for the race. This trip to Anchorage is to get her dogs used to carrying what they'll need to carry."

"But hasn't she been doing that already?" Rudy asked.

Mary nodded, "Yes, but she needs the time as well. It would do her no good to go from the comforts of home straight to the course. She has to get into an off-grid mindset and so do her pups."

"But I just got her back!" Rudy said, frowning, "It was awful when she first got home. Don't you remember? She couldn't be inside. She was acting like… well, I won't say it because it's not nice."

Bo finally spoke up, "I was acting like an animal. You're right, Roo."

Rudy spun around, her eyes slowly going from Bo's midsection to her eyes, "Uh… I… I didn't know you were standing there. I didn't mean…"

"Yes, you did, and you were right," Bo smiled as she knelt beside her sister, "But I promise you that I am not going to become that person again, Roo. I won't because I'll see you, our family and friends at every checkpoint – even if it's just for you to wave me through after I'm stamped."

"You promise?"

Bo smiled, "I promise."

"I'm gonna need a pinky swear," Rudy said, holding out her little finger.

Bo grinned, hooking her finger in her little sister's, "Pinky swear."

"Good."

"Now, are you going to ride to Anchorage with me because honestly, I'm a little nervous about this race and… well, I'd like to go over some things on the way. I think you could help me."

"Me?"

Bo sighed, "Yes. I've decided to take Jenna and Muk."

"Ysabeau…" Mary began, but with one look from her daughter, she fell silent.

"Really?" Rudy asked, a hesitant smile stretching across her face.

Bo nodded, "But I'll have to run them to Anchorage to see how they do with the rest of the team, and you'll have to drive my backups so that I have them there in case any don't pass the Vet inspection."

"They'll be awesome, Sister. I just know they will."

"Well, they'll have from here to Anchorage to prove themselves, so anything you can do to get them to listen to me would help their cause," Bo said, "But you need to understand that if they don't perform, they're back on the bench and you'll have to accept 'no' if that's what I choose."

"But you'll give them a fair chance?"

"I will give them a fair chance. You can run beside them with your team, but you can't sit on my sled, Roo. I need to know that they'll listen to me if you're not there. I can't take you along on the race. It's against the rules."

Rudy nodded, "Because I'm not old enough."

"That's right," Bo said, "So… deal?"

"Deal," Rudy smiled.

Bo shook Rudy's extended hand and then turned to the map,

"So what's all this?" Bo asked, sharing a wink with her Mom who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Momma showed me how to map your route! I'm going to follow along the whole entire way!"

"That's very cool. You know, you can follow along on the virtual Iditarod that Shannie's setting up."

"Really?" Rudy asked.

Bo shrugged, "I have no idea what she's talking about. You know me and technology, Roo."

"Is she having you wear a GoPro Camera?"

Again, Bo shrugged, "She said something about a body camera. Is that the same thing?"

"Maybe. I'll talk to her about it. Is she doing a live stream?"

"Dunno. I told her that whatever she's doing, it has to run by itself and it has to stand up to sub-zero temperatures at night," she paused, "And it has to be comfortable or it's coming off."

Rudy stared at the map, shaking her head, "I better show her this map. There's no way you'll have a signal to live stream here or here or here… or definitely for all of this. But if she used our satellite phones as a hotspot… hmmm… I wonder if you can do that."

"Me?"

Rudy looked up at Bo, "I didn't mean you you… I meant you like anyone. Don't worry, Sister. I'll talk to Shannie."

Bo shook her head, "How did you learn so much about technology?"

Rudy shrugged, "In school in Hawaii mostly, but I have STEM classes here too. They're a little behind where I was on the island, but the teacher gives me extra work to do when I already know what he's teaching us. He says I'm… what was the word he said, Momma?"

Mary smiled, "You're gifted, Child."

"Yea. I'm a gift!" Rudy smiled, turning back to the map and picking up the highlighter and ruler to map the route from The Homestead to Anchorage.

Bo sat, watching her little sister meticulously map out her race route. Yes, she thought, Rudy was definitely gifted. Now, she could only hope that Jenna and Muk really had enough in them to run the race. She knew Rudy was going to be disappointed if she didn't take them, but she wasn't about to risk their lives this year. Not when she knew they would eventually get their chance again.

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Two Hours Later…

"Lauren! Look!" Rudy shouted, waving Lauren over to the table to show her the map she had finally finished.

"Wow. What's all this?"

Rudy laughed, "You have a funny line on your cheek."

"I do?" Lauren asked, feeling her face, "I was talking to Stephen and a bunch of the doctors at the clinic for a long time. I guess my phone was against my cheek all that time. So, tell me about this map."

"It's Sister's race! See? All the red x's are her checkpoints. There's Anchorage, which is the fake start, then Anvik, Campbell Airstrip, Cripple, Deshka Landing, Eagle Island, Eagle River, Elim, Fairbanks, Finger Lake, Galena…"

Lauren looked up at Bo who was smiling at her little sister while she read off the name of every checkpoint. Eventually she noticed her fiancé looking at her and gave her a smile. Lauren turned her attention back to Rudy,

"…Nikolai, Nome, Nulato, Ophir, Rainy Pass, Rohn, Ruby…."

She looked up at Bo once more who held up her coffee mug as a way of asking if she wanted coffee. Lauren nodded before turning to see Mary grinning as she followed along and helped Rudy with the more difficult pronunciations of the towns near the end of the race,

"…Wasilla, White Mountain, Willow, Yentna and Yentna Station Roadhouse," she looked at Lauren, "Whew! That's a lotta checkpoints, huh?"

Lauren smiled, "It is, but when she gets to the end, it's all worth it."

"Really?" Rudy asked.

Lauren nodded, "Especially if she wins. The dogs are happy and she gives them steaks for the next several meals…"

"That's to replace their protein and help them gain back any weight they lose, right?"

Lauren nodded, "Wow. You're really learning a lot in your internship with Cassie."

"Elise is much better at the vet stuff than me, but I really love it. So the dogs just keep eating steaks after the race?"

Lauren smiled, "That's right, but she can't feed them too much at once."

Rudy held up a finger, "… or they could get twisted gut! That can kill them if they don't see a doctor, ya know."

"I know, so you'll have to check the dogs well at the checkpoints when Bo stops. If she drops a dog, it's for good reason, so we'll have to get that dog to the Vet right away."

Rudy turned to Bo, "Have you ever had to drop a dog?"

Bo nodded, "Several times, Roo. Always remember that our dogs are family and family always comes first, not prize money or trophies. Okay?"

Rudy nodded, "I could never let anything happen to my dogs."

She lowered her eyes to the map, her finger moving around aimlessly before she looked up to Bo and asked, "Can you show me where you went while you were away?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

Rudy was silent, so Bo looked up and gave Mary and Lauren a nod.

"I'll be back, girls. I've got to go take my medicine."

Lauren picked up her coffee, "I've got two more phone calls to make. I'll be back soon."

Once they were gone, Bo asked Rudy again, "I want to know why you want to know where I was, Roo."

The child looked up, her eyes watering, "So if you run away again, I'll know where to find you."

Bo stood and moved to sit next to her sister once more, "Roo, I'm not running away again. The only running I'll be doing is the Iditarod and then when we come back home – which I will absolutely do – I'll run to train the dogs or give them some exercise, or maybe to run errands, try new equipment or go to and from work. Of course, it might also be to race my little sister."

Rudy looked up at Bo, "You promise?"

Bo smiled, extending her pinky finger, "I pinky promise."

Rudy smiled, wrapping her little finger around her sister's, "Good. We should make a packing list for our trip to Anchorage."

"Well, we can do that later. Right now, I've got a job to do and I'm going to need your help with the second part."

"Really?" Rudy asked, "But Elise and Molly are coming."

"Elise is coming to go with us, Molly is going to stay with Mom and LJ is coming to help too."

"Really? Where are we going? What are we doing? Are we sledding? Does Mom know? Did she say I could go? Is it gonna be fun? Is Lauren going?"

"Hey, slow down, kiddo. If you're finished with this map for now, let's fold it up. I already have a packing list for Anchorage, but we'll have to make a revised one for you. We're going to do some axe and knife throwing for the next few days to be sure you're on target and throwing strong. But, before we practice that, we're going on an otter hunt."

"An otter hunt?"

Bo nodded, "I need to catch a family of otters that are living in the rowboat that's on the land where Lauren and I are going to build our house."

"Wait – you and Lauren aren't living where I can see you?" Rudy frowned.

Bo smiled, "No, we're living just down the path not far from the fishing wheel."

"But that's so far!" Rudy said, her expression turning to worry.

Bo laughed, "Roo, this is a good thing so please don't cry. If we live across the river, it would be dangerous for you to come and visit. Living down the path makes it easy for you to come and see us."

"Because I don't have to cross the river."

Bo smiled, "Exactly."

"So you're moving there so I can see you more?"

"Absolutely," Bo grinned, "You're going to love it… after we get rid of the otters."

"Get rid of… are you gonna hurt 'em?"

Bo shook her head, "No, we're going to trap them and then fly them down south and release them to a new home at Harbor Cove."

Mary entered the room, "And while your sister is trapping them, Molly and I are going to talk to you younger girls about otters and why they can be extremely dangerous."

"But they're cute!" Rudy smiled.

"They've got very sharp teeth and a very strong bite, Child. They're wild and you need to know that they could harm you or your dogs."

Bo nodded, "Now, let's fold up this map so that the race route is on top, then I'll give you one of my map bags so it doesn't get wet. Then, you can help me pull out the trapping gear until LJ gets here."

"Cool!" Rudy said, but stopped suddenly, "Wait. You said you were going to fly the otters down south. Are we going on a plane?"

Bo smiled, "Yup!"

"Great! I get to see Kurt!"

"Nope," Bo smiled, "I'm flying the plane."

"You?" Rudy asked, her eyes wide.

Mary smiled, "Your sister is an exceptional pilot from what people in the town have told me. Her small fleet of planes are well-maintained by the mechanics at Kurt's garage and apparently, she once flew tours from here to the North Slope."

"Wow! My sister's a famous pilot!" Rudy shouted, folding her map and rushing off excitedly to put away her school supplies.

Mary turned to Bo,

"Let me guess… you flew tour groups hoping to spot me?"

Bo nodded, "It's why I got my license. After two years of trying to cover ground by sled, it just seemed to make more sense. I was looking for a needle in a haystack. Little did I know I should have been flying over the Hawaiian Islands."

Mary shook her head, "I'm so sorry, Child."

"I know you are, Mom. But hey, I got a pilot's license, a fleet of planes and a job out of it," Bo smiled.

"Is that my child finding a silver lining in a dark cloud while talking about a dark time in her life?"

Bo considered her mom's words, a smile stretching across her face, "I suppose it is."

"It's a nice change, Ysabeau."

Bo nodded, "You know what, Mom? It feels good to think of it that way now, too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Onboard Bo's DeHavilland Turbine Otter

"Huh?" Rudy shouted, staring out the window.

Bo looked over her shoulder, "Roo, the engine is too loud for us to talk without the headsets. You have to keep it on, kiddo."

"Can't you turn it down?" Rudy asked about the engine noise, "It really is really, really loud!"

Bo and Lauren laughed while LJ quipped, "Sure, squirt. She'll turn off the engine so you don't have to deal with the noise and we'll crash into the ground and maybe live to enjoy the silence."

"Ha. Real funny, LJ," Rudy groaned, "Boys are stupid."

"Hey there, Roo. We don't call people names… even if it's true," Bo said, looking back at LJ.

"Insulting me, Bo? Really? Do you want to dump these otters on your own? Who would be the stupid one then?"

"LJ, I brought you along to teach you how to dump the traps – not because I need you to get the job done."

"You could dump these on your own? Won't you get bit?" LJ asked.

Bo shook her head, "Not if you do it right and by the way, we don't trap and kill otters. It's not a part of the contracts. But, otters can drive away the game you're contracted to get, so relocating them is commonplace on our lands. One day I'll figure out how they're getting there. It's not a good habitat for them. They become landlocked when they come in. They need the rivers that run towards the ocean."

"Got it, Boss." LJ replied.

Bo looked at Lauren, thinking of the conversation they had about handing off her businesses. She didn't want to be LJ's boss. She wanted him to be able to prove to Big Jon that he could handle all aspects of the job, so it was time she started the conversation,

"We need to sit down and discuss getting rid of that title."

LJ did a double-take before asking, "You mean…"

"I meant what I said, LJ. I want this business to be yours. Your Aunt and Uncle have been asking the customers how you're doing and everyone feels you're holding your own. There's still some things I can teach you that will make you more efficient so you don't have to be out checking and setting traps for so much of the day, but there's also things like the accounting books, taxes, customer relations and other aspects of how I've run my business that may help you."

"Do you think growing the business is a bad idea?"

Bo shrugged, "The contracts you have are with people who want individualized service. If they wanted to buy their furs, meat, fish and other products from a big-name company, they would go to the General Store and buy what they need."

"I didn't think about that," LJ replied, "Do you think I would lose existing contracts?"

"Worse than that, I think you would lose the contracts and those people would come back to me and ask me to fill their orders again. I'd be right back where I started from and we'd be competing with each other for business."

LJ shook his head, "You'd kick my ass. Everyone loves you."

Bo's eyes teared up. She'd never considered that anyone in this town loved her. She was always shunned by the community,

"I doubt that."

"Well, you're wrong. Mrs. Korba had muffins ready for you on her first order. When I explained that I was assuming your contracts, she said that I could have the money for they order, but the muffins were for you."

"Really?" Bo laughed.

"Her exact words were, 'Bo loves my muffins. I make them special this time of year for her training. We can't have her giving up that trophy because she didn't get her favorite muffins from her favorite customer.' So, I took the money and put the muffins in my sled for you."

"And what happened to the muffins?"

LJ shrugged, "I got hungry."

"And when I see Mrs. Korba at the finish line and she's telling a reporter I won the Iditarod because of her muffins, what would you like me to say?"

"She'll be at the race?"

Bo smiled, "Every year. She is the first person I talk to at the meet and greet. She gives me a basket of muffins for the trail, says a prayer to the Spirits with me and then heads off to volunteer at the tenth checkpoint."

"The tenth?"

"The first year I won, she volunteered for the tenth checkpoint. She's superstitious, so she follows the same routine each year so I win. After I clear her station, she heads for the finish line where she gives me another basket of muffins and gives the dogs jerky treats… same ingredients every year that will help them recover. The dogs love them."

"Oooohhh," LJ said, "Now I get it. She said to tell you she was going to bring jerky for Harper even though she wasn't racing. She said she has a special relationship with Harper."

Bo smiled, "She actually does. Harper will do anything she asks because she loves her jerky treats."

LJ nodded, "She was very upset that Harper was injured. She tried to visit her at the kennel, assuming she would be there, but when she wasn't, she left some jerky for her."

"And did you give it to her?"

"Uh… sorry. I gave it to the dogs on a training run."

"My backup dogs got Harper's jerky when she was on her death bed, LJ? Really?"

LJ sighed, "Actually, my dogs got Harper's jerky when she was on her death bed. Sorry, Bo. I didn't know. I thought she was just some obsessed fan. You really can't blame me. You've got a lot of them."

"I do?" Bo asked, surprised.

LJ sighed, "I know you've always felt hated by the people in our community, Bo but since I've taken over your contracts, I've learned that not everyone believed what great grandfather told them. They knew you one-on-one and you were always good to them. You gave them a fair price and helped them when you came to deliver. That's what Mrs. Korba called 'above and beyond' service – something I apparently haven't learned is good business."

Bo laughed, "So apparently our first lesson will be that customer service lesson. I've got relationships with each of these people, LJ. Relationships that you've got to realize took me a long time to establish. Like you said, I wasn't exactly Ms. Popular around town with your great grandfather spouting crap about me."

"That's for sure," LJ mumbled.

Bo's head spun around when she heard a loud smack and an 'OW!' from LJ. She watched as Elise wagged her finger at her brother and scolded him,

"I'm telling Molly and Mark what you did. You're being mean and that's not how they raised you!"

LJ scowled, "They didn't raise me!"

It was Bo's turn to scold LJ, "Hey! You've lived with them for at least six months a year for as long as I've known you and this year you never left! With all of the hours your Dad spent at the General Store in Point Siku, I doubt he was doing a lot of raising."

LJ sighed, "Fine."

The young man fell silent… too silent. There was something up and Bo was going to have to make time for a heart to heart to find out what it was.

"So, is anyone going to answer my question?" Rudy asked.

Lauren and Bo shared a smile, Lauren offering, "What was your question, Roo."

"I asked where Dr. Faith's greenhouse is. Can we go see her?"

Lauren smiled, "We'll see how late it is when we finish up, okay? If we have time, we might be able to pop in and see her."

"Cool!" Rudy smiled, turning to Elise, "You'll love Dr. Faith's greenhouse. It's a-MAZE-ing!"

"If we have time, Roo. Remember, LJ may want to get home."

"Nope. I'm all caught up with everything, so don't blame me for what we don't do," LJ said, "But I'm almost out of water. Are we close to the drop point?"

Bo nodded, "A few more minutes. I'm going to call the tower now."

Rudy called to Lauren when she heard the switch in the headphones and knew Bo was no longer listening on their frequency,

"What's up, Roo?" Lauren asked.

"When we land, will it be really bumpy?"

Lauren shrugged, "I'm sure your sister will bring us in as smoothly as she can, but if the water is bumpy, then I suppose there's not much she can do about that."

"Okay. But we won't drown, right?"

LJ shook his head, "We're landing on a river, Rudy, not an ocean. The plane is too big to sink where we're going."

"Good," Rudy said.

Lauren sighed. There was an edge to LJ's voice. Something was going on with him, but she wasn't sure what it was. He'd been fairly distant since they'd come home even with Iditarod planning going on. Perhaps he regretted not entering the race? Maybe he was mad at Bo for not being around more often? Regardless, she hated that he was displacing his mood onto the girls. It wasn't fair. He knew better.

As they came around for their approach, she signaled to Bo to switch the two of them to a different channel,

"What's up?" Bo asked.

"That's what I want to know. What's up with LJ?"

"You noticed too?"

Lauren nodded, "Will you talk to him while you're releasing the otters? I'll start walking to the boat with the girls."

"I feel like I've got so many issues to resolve before I leave. I don't want to leave any loose strings."

"Just in case?" Lauren asked, knowing that Bo always prepared for the worst before the big race. It didn't offer her much comfort, but she knew it was something her fiancé had to do.

"I'm sorry. I know you don't like to talk about the possibility of the worst happening but…"

"It's okay, Bo. Get your resolution with LJ. I have a feeling he needs it more than you."

Bo nodded, "Okay. I'll meet you at the boat."

"Thank you." Lauren replied before Bo switched back to the open channel.

"Hold on everyone. We're going in."

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