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?

48. Chapter 48: A Gala Surprise

A/N: This one goes out by special request from the Scottish Grandmother for her long flight across the Atlantic. Safe travels. Here's a double chapter update for your trip!

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CHAPTER 48: A GALA SURPRISE

THE OPENING

Stephen and Betsy stood in the corner, eyeing the group across the room. Betsy asked, "So the tall blonde man in the traditional black and white is Franklin Lewis?"

Stephen smiled, lifting his drink to his lips to hide them as he spoke,

"Yes, pompous ass."

"Looks the part," Betsy smiled as Shirley waved and walked over to the couple.

"I haven't been this dressed up since nineteen ninety-nine at my bar's Y2K party. This is gonna be some kinda party, isn't it?"

Betsy nodded, "It is. Did you get the word from Kenzi?"

Shirley nodded, "The entire FOBAL Club is aware. We sent out a group text."

"I'm sorry. FOBAL Club?" Stephen asked.

Shirley smiled, "We started a group text and Kenzi gave us a name so everyone would know when a text came through on our phone."

Betsy nodded, "Okay, but what does it stand for?"

"Friends of Bo and Lauren's, of course."

Betsy and Stephen smiled, "That's wonderful."

"Hey – those two have saved or helped so many people in the last year and – well, let's face it – we all owe Bo quite a bit of gratitude after how she was treated all of those years. We're happy to help."

"Thank you, Shirley. It means so much to us that you were there for Bo when no one else was and here tonight for Lauren when she needs you."

Shirley nodded, "Of course, Doc. We know she's like a daughter to the two of you."

Betsy leaned in and smiled, "Well, don't say that too loud because her actual parents are the ones you're helping her to avoid tonight."

"Right," Shirley said, "Damn outsiders. We got a picture of the mom. Which one is daddy?"

Betsy nodded, "Classic black and white penguin, blonde hair, hands in pocket, gold pocket watch hanging from the vest pocket."

Shirley took a sip of her drink, stepping back from Betsy to scan the entire ballroom. She laughed a few times and waved at a man across the room before finally laying eyes on her target,

"What's his name again?"

"Franklin."

"What? Like Ben?"

Betsy laughed, "Yup."

"Figures a man that's all about money would be named after a guy on the front of a hundred-dollar bill. And those other penguins?"

Stephen smiled, "His friends."

"They're the party crashers?"

"Yup," Stephen said, "Though they don't know that because they don't know that the Lewis' weren't invited by me and Lauren."

"I see," Shirley said, "Well, I guess I'll invite them down to Anchorage or maybe Point Siku where they can get a real native welcome and be called cheechakos," she laughed, "I'll see ya'll later. You have fun now."

Betsy and Stephen raised a glass to the woman who walked away, joining another group of friends. Betsy smiled,

"Those are some of her regulars at her bar. I recognize Sam and Alex."

"Yes, I remember them too. They've been begging Lauren to take them to Provincetown. I told her to treat her house like an Airbnb when it comes to her Alaskan friends. She doesn't have to charge them much, but at least it would pay her taxes at the end of the year."

Betsy nodded, "Penelope is going to try to get her to start thinking about ways that she can make money to defray costs – not eliminate them."

Stephen nodded, "We all know she doesn't want to make a profit, but breaking even would be advisable. Otherwise, this hospital will go under before she has a chance to retire. Penelope has got to make her see reason."

Betsy nodded, "I think Mary and Patrick are the ones who are best equipped to do that now. I think that Anna and Faith Gray can help as well."

Stephen sighed, "Well, whatever we do down the road financially, tonight, we don't let her parents know that she's tossed a quarter of her total wealth into this hospital in just under a year."

"Agreed."

"Stephen? Betsy?"

The pair turned to see a smiling Lauren opening her arms to the pair,

"Lauren! How are you dear? We heard you had a very rough night."

Lauren smiled, releasing Betsy and giving a hug to Stephen, "Oh, it was fabulous! I mean… of course, it was tragic, but it was so… exciting and… and new and I feel… I feel new!"

She looked at Stephen, "Diaphragmatic rupture, liver laceration – I had to go in twice, open compound fracture of the femur, T-10 fracture – thankfully without spinal cord compression or severance, two concussions, one Grade 2 and one Grade 3. They both woke up, but I called Hannah Jane in for the Grade 3 just to be on the safe side. The pilot had a heart attack mid-flight, so I had to go in and roto-rooter his left anterior descending coronary artery… oh, and helping Kate with the transplant case – a little bummed it wasn't for Thea, but we saved her. Kate really is amazing and getting better at thinking on her feet every time I work with her… oh and I also had a venous replacement for a foot! I haven't done that since my residency. Small job, but nice to see those toes wiggle post-op!"

"That's child's play for you."

Lauren smiled, "But it was fun. It's been so long since I did one. If we didn't have this gala, I would have stayed all night hoping for another patient. That's horrible, isn't it? I'm wishing people have accidents! What is wrong with me?"

Stephen smiled, "It looks to me like you've found your love of surgery again."

"Oh, Stephen, I have and it's great. I didn't do one transplant in two days – just that assist – and even though I consulted on four other cardiac patients who may need them, I felt free! For the first time in years, I wasn't tied to a cardiac operating room and a bypass machine. For the first time in years, Nurses were calling my name for something other than a stopped heart! Did you know that two of the consults flew here from Seattle – imagine that?"

"They came here instead of going to… wow. That's amazing."

Lauren nodded, "Word is spreading. It's happening, Stephen! And the best part is that they knew I was here, but they were fine with other doctors doing the surgeries knowing that I was consulting. Stephen, consulting was good enough to keep them here!"

Stephen smiled, "It looks like you're finding your way, Lauren. I'm so proud of you."

"We all are."

The three turned to see Bo standing just a few feet away, staring at Lauren with a big smile on her face. Lauren took two steps towards her, taking her hands in her own. Bo tried to release them, but Lauren held tight,

"Lauren, your parents…"

"I know and I don't care, Bo. They weren't invited. The donors from the Lower Forty-Eight weren't invited. I don't care. I am marrying you and they will either accept it, or they won't. The ball is in their court and I've never felt more free. You freed me, Bo Dennis and I have never been happier."

She leaned in and kissed Bo on the lips, pulling back to whisper in her ear,

"I thought you might have surprised me by wearing a gown, but the tux is a very happy surprise. You look so incredibly sexy. I like the short jacket and tails. It emphasizes your slender waist, strong legs and that deep arch that is followed by the beautifully rounded ass I love to touch. I love the long french braid that shows off your slender neck and the red accents against the tux add just a little more touch of sexy. Good choice, Miss Dennis."

Bo smiled, feeling the heat build in her cheeks as Lauren's words caused her to blush. She reached up and traced the bare skin of Lauren's shoulder,

"This single bare shoulder, jet black dress with the thin red seams down the sides and the thigh-high slit up your fabulous legs is amazing. When you walk away, I'm hoping there is a very low-cut back that reveals the deep slope in your back and a clingy cloth that emphasizes your perfect, absolutely flawless, impeccable ass."

Lauren smiled, kissing Bo's cheek, "I have to go mingle now or my mom will catch up to me."

She turned to walk away, but Stephen leaned over and whispered,

"I hate to ruin whatever your next step was, but it's time for us to start this party," he extended a hand, "May I lead you to the center of the floor?"

Lauren looked at Bo, "I'll be walking in this direction."

Bo grinned, watching as Stephen led her fiancé towards the dance floor. Her eyes traveled down, causing her to grin as she noticed the very low dip in the back. Seeing the small freckle to the left, she also knew that the dress was very close to revealing the top of Lauren's butt crack. She giggled, sure that was Lauren's intent. She felt Betsy against her shoulder,

"You okay, Bo?"

"Rapid pulse, blood pressure sky high and all I did was look at her. Is it possible to have a heart attack from just looking at the woman you love?"

Betsy giggled, "I love that you're so in love."

She leaned over to Betsy, "God I'm so in love with that woman."

Betsy laughed, "Well, you're lucky then, because she is certainly in love with you."

"I know and I still don't understand what the hell she sees in me," Bo laughed.

"Everything ready to go with the wedding?" Betsy asked.

Bo nodded, "Yup. My surgery tomorrow is sort of throwing a wrench into things, but at least I'll be able to relax after the ceremony."

Betsy smiled, "Here they go."

"Hello and welcome, everyone!" Stephen shouted, his hands high before he pulled them together and bowed,

"To every adult and child gathered here tonight, we welcome you to this celebration of a new age in healthcare! Tonight, we officially open the Talkeetna General Hospital and Trauma Center – a hospital for patients, staffed by healthcare professionals and specialists who have taken an oath to put patients first and profits last."

He placed an arm around Lauren's shoulder, pulling her close, the two sharing a knowing grin for a moment before he turned back to the crowd,

"But first, I would like to introduce you to, Doctor Lauren Lewis, the visionary behind our hospital. Here she is – Talkeetna's very own, Doctor Lewis!"

The crowd cheered as Lauren stepped forward, waving and nodding to the crowd, but as she opened her mouth to speak, a man stepped forward,

"Excuse me, Doc," he removed his hat and, holding it at his waist, he turned to face the crowd,

"If you don't mind. I'm not drunk ya'll… for a change… and I got all dolled up… well, because the wife made me but also because it's the least I could do for Doc Lewis here after she saved my sorry ass two months back."

He turned and nodded to her. Lauren cocked her head to the side, tears welling in her eyes as she grinned and gave a nod. She knew that he would thank her, but if this man – of all the people in this town – had the nerve to stand in front of a group and speak, she would allow it just this once. She would hate it – but she would allow it.

"She was on an off day, so she should have been hanging out with Elise and Squirt or having lunch with Kyle and Kenzi but instead, she made the mistake of coming into the hospital to sign off on some papers for something one of her Docs needed. She takes good care of her Docs from what I can see,"

He fumbled with his hat, his nerves clearly getting the best of him as Lauren watched his heels, covered by pants that were too long, shuffle back and forth,

"Well, they rolled me in on a gurney off the helicopter and there she was. She was like some kind of superhero you see in them comics. One minute she's in street clothes and the next, she's stepping out of the telephone booth in them green pajamas doctors wear to get my blood and heart goin' again."

He lowered his head, "Lost three dogs to the lake that day, but somehow, my sorry ass lived because of Doctor Lewis. She saved me and two of the other dogs Kurt and Kelly managed to pull out. Without Lauren starting that helicopter rescue group, I'd be at the bottom of the lake right now and if that chopper had to take me all the way to Anchorage, I probably wouldn't have made it."

He turned to face Lauren, "Doc? Thanks, from the bottom of my heart and my wife and kids thank you too. I'm gonna be smarter from now on just like you asked, but if I ever do something stupid again, I'm glad to know you and all these hospital people are around here to try to save my ass."

He walked back to his wife, wrapping his arms around her as Lauren watched. She cleared her throat to being, but again, she was interrupted,

"Sorry, Doc. If you don't mind," she turned to face the group, "My name is Mindy. I live – well, you all know I teach in town, but I live an hour away by sled, about forty-five by tin dog. You can't drive a truck to where I am… no roads go there, but back in February of last year, I was halfway between school and home."

She looked down, smiling, "It was a beautiful morning… you all know what I mean… morning moon was big and bright, lots of stars out to light up the winter darkness… and I was thinking about my students and what I was going to do at recess since many of them had colds."

Gazing back up at the people gathered for the gala, she recalled the events of the morning,

"The pains started… about five minutes apart a mile out from home. The contractions got closer and closer, but staying upright through labor… well, I'd love to see Bo Dennis win an Iditarod pregnant!"

The crowd laughed as they found Bo nodding, smiling and waving at Wendy,

"No thank you, but I am impressed!" she replied.

"I thought so!" Wendy said with a grin before turning back to the crowd,

"Somehow, I managed to stay on my sled, but eventually, my water broke. My legs were freezing cold and all I kept thinking was 'please God, keep this kid in'. Well, the kid had a mind of his own and I could feel he wasn't going to wait. It all happened so fast and everyone kept telling me I'd have time to get to town from my house – that labor didn't happen that quickly. Well, they all lied because little Max didn't wait, did he, Jeb?"

She turned and looked over her shoulder at her husband who was cradling the baby in his arms,

"Yea, that's my husband and little Max. Well, the baby came out and I didn't have anything to cut the cord, so I crawled into the basket of my sled, grabbed the center line and hoped the dogs would get me to town. Obviously, they did since we're both here today. Our dogs took me right down Main Street. Doctor Lewis was walking from her clinic to the hotel for breakfast and saw the sled with no driver. She stopped the dogs, set the brake and stomped down the anchor, then unzipped the sled to see me and my baby huddled up, freezing and almost unconscious."

She shook her head and continued,

"It's a bit of a blur from there. Everything happened so fast. She shouted for help right away… I never heard a scream like that. I could tell she was scared. I hadn't met her yet, but I knew who she was and she was worried – I could see it on her face."

She shook her head, looking up at Kenzi, "Well, half the town came. When Doctor Lewis calls, you know we all come running. Kenzi's restaurant emptied out. She came out with blankets, Bo came and picked me up like I was nothing, carrying me and my baby to the barn since it was closest. She laid us in the hay - I swear it was like I was Mary birthing the little baby Jesus in a manger."

She chuckled, turning back to see her husband smiling down at their child,

"Anyway, Doc cut the cord and treated both of us for hypothermia, but the baby's breathing wasn't good. I hated having to be separated from him, but I knew Doctor Lewis would do everything in her power to save my little boy. She rushed him over to the clinic with Nurse Shannon and they did their doctoring to give us that healthy, chubby bouncing baby boy."

She turned to Lauren, "Thank you, Doctor Lewis, for saving us. Hypothermia and frostbite are the enemy out here, so having you and your emergency crews around have made all the difference. God Bless you, Doctor Archer and all the wonderful doctors, nurses and staff at the clinic and the hospital that I thankfully haven't had to meet yet!"

Lauren smiled, "That's very flattering, thank you. So tonight…"

An image popped up on the screen, "Hey there Lauren! Sorry to interrupt!"

Everyone shouted, "Tosh!" as he continued,

"Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I couldn't be there in person, Lauren! I just wanted to pop in until your damn doctors catch me out bed! Can you believe they wouldn't let me out to go to your Gala tonight? I mean, come on! What's a little spinal surgery and chemotherapy among friends! I don't know, Doc but I think they're taking this whole concept of patient-first a bit far, don't you think? I mean, isn't it fun and frivolity first, chemo second?"

Lauren shook her head, "Get back in bed, Tosh!"

He stood, the camera panning back to show his full view, "Come on! I dressed up in hospital green for you! How do you like the bow tie?"

He turned, bending over but instead of revealing his butt, he revealed a massive red bow covering his private parts. He turned back around and leaned forward towards the camera as he sat down,

"Bo wanted us to where matching red bow ties – you know, sibling solidarity and all. Anyway, in all seriousness. Some of you may have heard that Doctor Lauren Lewis saved my sorry ass at the Iditarod. I was too stubborn to tell her that I wasn't feeling well the week before and then at the race, I started having chest pain. Being the world reknowned cardiothoracic surgeon – the title that we all know she secretly hates - she knew I was probably having a freakin' heart attack, so she shipped me off with Kurt and Kelly in their fancy helicopter."

He leaned in, searching for Bo, "Hey Bo? You out there?"

Bo waved, "Lookin' good, little Sis. I just want to say again, I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark about my whereabouts, but the family did a great job keeping the secret. Squirt, sorry I lied. I'll add a sweet ten bucks to the swear jar to make it up to you."

Rudy pumped her fist, "Yes!"

"Elise? I'll throw in an extra ten for you too!"

Elise grinned, waving at Tosh who blew her a kiss. She caught it and held it against her cheek.

"Don't you just love those two? Anyway, just so you all hear it from the horses' mouth so Lauren doesn't get in trouble with those HIPPA Laws… which I now love since they forced the surgeons to keep their mouths shut which allowed Bo to finish her race…"

"Get to the point, Tosh!" Bo shouted with a laugh.

"Right. Bo's making up for twenty years of not being able to tell me what to do. But she's right. To get to the point, as she has with so many others, Lauren saved my life by sending me in. Of course, we know now that I wasn't having a heart attack. I had a tumor that was pressing on my heart and spine. So, long story short, her amazing staff worked for hours to remove the tumor. Now I'm here having my chemo to remove the parts around the spine that Doctor Jane didn't want to chance removing and then, I should be back in town in no time."

He looked at Lauren, "That's right, Lauren. Your brother-in-law is moving to town, so get ready for another guest at the table for dinner. I can't cook for shit and now that we're going to be related, you and I are gonna hang out! Love you, Lauren! I won't take any more of your time. Thanks for everything. You're the best."

The crowd again erupted in applause and again, Lauren waved her arms, encouraging silence. She stepped forward, again but as before, was interrupted… by Bo.

"Hello everyone. My name is Bo Dennis."

A man shouted, "All hail the champion!"

The crowd cheered, causing Bo to blush. She shook her head, her eyes low as she waved to everyone to quiet down,

"Please, I thank you for that, but tonight is not about me. Tonight, is about a clinic, a hospital, a doctor, her mentor and the people they have pulled together to build something that allows all of us in this community to live better lives."

Bo paused, gathering her thoughts,

"I first want to thank all of the people who have chosen to uproot their comfortable lives in other states to come to our small town. I think it's important that all of us recognize exactly what they've done."

Everyone applauded and Bo nodded,

"First, they had jobs – good, well-paying, prestigious jobs at other hospitals. Now, with a job comes an apartment or a home and in that home is furniture, applicances, food, paintings, pictures… memories. It doesn't get more personal than that. How many of you would voluntarily leave Talkeetna for Boston or India or Minnesota or Michigan or India or Ireland or Scotland or Denmark?"

She surveyed the crowd, "From the looks on your faces, you are just learning what I've known since Lauren and Stephen started hiring staff. The people that work in the hospital have given up all they knew for most of their lives to live here, to set up a new home here, to work here – for us. Our doctors – the ones that work here – didn't go into medicine for money. They went into medicine to save people, to help people live healthy lives. To make us feel better."

She looked over at a woman she had met in the lab this week and asked her to come to her. The woman looked at Lauren who nodded and she approached. Bo smiled, putting her arm around her,

"This is Polly. I'm guessing that very few of you know her by name unless you looked at her name plate when she took your blood or ran your EKG. She works in the lab and did my pre-op testing this week. She lived in Florida. Florida, people! The land of sunshine and warmth! And she chose to move here! She CHOSE darkness and ice!"

She looked at Anna, "Doctor Ricci, I think we need a consult," Bo laughed as she held a hand up to Polly's forehead. The crowd laughed and Polly doubled over, laughing so hard she cried.

"Not only did she leave behind a beautiful environment, she left behind four grandparents, her mom and dad, a twin sister, a little brother and a border collie named Metal… because she loves heavy metal music," Bo could see the crowd cheer and laugh, "I know, right? Who would have though Polly is a metal lover? It's always the quiet ones, folks."

Bo smiled, "Anyway, Polly shared with me…" Bo leaned in, "Do you mind if I share the lesson you taught me?"

Polly shook her head, smiling up at Bo before she continued,

"Polly shared with me that she knows she will only be able to fly home once or twice a year. The flights are expensive and while she is satisfied with her salary and benefits, Florida is a long way to travel. She hopes her family will come here, but her grandparents are in their seventies."

Bo held Polly tighter, "She knows what none of us ever want to admit. We are all living on borrowed time. We never know what life has planned for us and we never know when death will come. The employees of this hospital know that story all too well and Polly knows it too. She knows that the last time she saw her family at the airport could be the last time they see her or the last time she sees one of them. Death shows no respect for the choices we make in life."

Bo gave Polly a hug and released her to her friends before she continued,

"All of these people who came to our town a year ago or less may or may not stay for the long haul. But I, for one, will be forever grateful for any time they give our fair village. Why? Because I realize all that they have sacrificed to be here for us. They put the needs of the many before the needs of the few – their former life, their families, their oldest friends – before the needs of the many – us."

Bo smiled, "They didn't do it because they're martyrs or because Archer-Lewis is paying them huge sums of money. They did it for the opportunity to work under conditions that they fully believe in. Patients first, profits second. We, as a town, have the opportunity to help them prove to the world that this type of hospital can succeed. That this hospital does not need big-money donors. No, this hospital… they came to the right place because we are Talkeetna and we take care of our own!"

The crowd cheered, fists pumped in the air as they chanted rhythmically, 'We take care of our own, hey! We take care of our own, hey!'…

Bo continued,

"You all know who I was just over a year ago. By now, you all know what I went through to be standing here today. What you may not know is the role that Talkeetna Clinic and Hospital have played in this moment. They have saved my life more times than I can count. From Big Jim to big bear attacks, hypothermia to knife wounds, broken bones to a ripped-up knee and of course, what Nurse McCarthy will never let me forget… the dreaded pox."

"Damn right I won't, Bo!" Shannon shouted from a space near the kitchen.

Bo laughed, "Yea! I hear you over by the kitchen, McCarthy! Save some for the rest of us!"

She could hear her friends laugh along with Shannon and she couldn't help but relax as she continued,

"I never had friends before. You were all afraid of me. Of course, if I had heard what you heard about me, I probably would have been afraid too. But when Lauren Lewis entered my life, she didn't just heal my body of my wounds, she helped to heal my spirit – my soul."

She looked down, at Lauren, thinking back over their year together,

"She taught me to trust her and the more I trusted her, the more I trusted others. The more you all saw her trust me, the more you trusted me too."

She stepped closer to Lauren, "She taught me…she taught us… that love is contagious. All the love you have showed us and your love, Lauren Lewis, for the people that came together to build this hospital - from the groundbreaking to this grand opening… all of that love helped us to form a community like no other."

She looked at the crowd gathered before her,

"You are a community that has taught me – and I hope I have taught you – that love is the most powerful force on earth. For when you remember to lead with love and not anger, with love and not jealousy, with love and not fear, with love and not prejudice, with love and not sadness, with love and not hate – you will always do the right thing and your actions of love will come back to you tenfold."

She smiled, looking down at her hands, "As a child, my mother and I had such high hopes for my mind. That I would graduate with honors and go on to be the first in a long line of Inupiat-Athabascan Warriors to attend college…"

She sighed, allowing herself only a moment to think of the tragedy of those dreams,

"Life, however, sometimes has other plans for our plans. Now, I'm a survivor. I look down and see the hands of a laborer. I've gotten a different form of education from the love showed to me by all of the people here today… and you, Lauren Lewis."

Bo's eyes drifted from Lauren's, searching the room for all of the people who had been there for her when others had not. Then she searched for the people who had a change of heart when Lauren changed her,

"So many of you have worked with me with my team, to build a new community out of love and respect for each other rather than for profits. The love you all have for me and Lauren… for all of the people of the Talkeetna Clinic and Hospital… well, we hope you know it means so very much to us. Together, you have helped to heal my family and to bring love and light into our lives."

Bo turned back to Lauren, squeezing her hands tightly before leading her to the center of the floor. She waited and watched as LJ and Hale carried a large arch covered in white roses into the space behind them while Mary stepped into the arch.

Rudy and Elise walked in from either side, tossing white and red rose petals onto the floor until they came to stand beside the two women - Rudy by Bo and Elise by Lauren. Patrick moved to stand next to Elise and Kenzi came to stand next to Rudy. Betsy moved in to stand next to Patrick and then, LJ next to Kenzi. Finally, Kyle came to stand next to LJ and Stephen next to Betsy.

The crowd encircled the group, the FOBAL club making sure to step in front of the uninvited guests who had no idea what was about to happen.

Bo turned to Lauren, taking both of her hands,

"Before the Iditarod, Kenzi worked her magic with texts and created a group chat called the FOBAL Club… Friends and Family of Bo and Lauren. It spread by word of mouth to all the people who have helped us on our journey. Eventually, that club started to talk to mom, Rudy and Elise about our wedding. Shirley came up with the idea to hijack your Gala so that we could have a moment this evening. I mean, since we're all here and we're all dressed up…"

Lauren's eyes went wide as she looked around the room at all the smiling faces. She turned back to the brunette,

"Bo?"

"So, I'm wondering, since we're all here and we're all dressed up and the FOBAL Club would love to be at our wedding, maybe we could do this now?"

Lauren grinned, her eyes set on Bo's, "Yes. Yes, I would love to do this here in front of the FOBAL Club."

Everyone applauded until Mary raised a hand. The room fell silent as Bo and Lauren stepped closer and Mary began to speak,

"We are gathered here tonight to celebrate the many blessings that have been bestowed on this community, but…" she looked between the two women, "… one special blessing in particular. The love of this couple, Lauren Lewis and Ysabeau Dennis."

"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I WILL NOT HAVE IT!"

Everyone turned to see a blonde woman marching towards the center of the ballroom floor, her arm linked with a blonde man,

"I FORBID IT! YOU ARE NOT MARRYING A… THIS… WOMAN!"

She turned to Lauren, "Really, Lauren? Could you find anyone less suitable? A… musher?"

She looked at Bo, "What is that anyway? It's not even a career!"

Franklin stepped forward, "Lauren, I insist that we have a family meeting right this instant. I have brought our family lawyers and..."

"And you need to come with us, Dear. These people have obviously forced you into this against your will…" Elizabeth said, grabbing Lauren's elbow.

Kenzi shook her head, looking at Betsy, "Obviously I'm going to have to intervene with Looney Lizzy,"

She stepped between Lauren and her parents, "Hey Lizzy. No one cares about what you have to say. No one cares about your objection. No one cares about your 'absolutely nots' or your fancy plates or the thread count in your linen tablecloths or the fact that your skin is completely and totally void of any imperfections…"

Kenzi shook out her thoughts, moving her eyes away from the superficial features of the woman,

"In case you haven't noticed, your daughter has found a community that doesn't want her for her surgical talents or her money. They want her for who she is – exactly who she is, just the way she is – a lesson that seems to have been lost on you for the first twenty-eight years of her life."

She stepped towards her, sticking her finger in her chest, "You had your chance to have Lauren in your life. You had your chance to show her you loved her no matter who or how she loved. You had your chance to show her you loved her beyond threatening her with a trust fund!"

Kenzi planted one fist on her perfectly cocked hip and waved a hand over her head, "Well, guess what, Liz, you blew it! Now, she's ours. She's our citizen, she's our doctor, she's our Lauren, she's our friend, and she's MY SISTER!"

Kenzi lowered her eyes, shocked at the words that had come from her mouth. She turned to Lauren,

"You are… you've become… like a sister to me. I know, I'm annoying and I talk too much, but you love my pancakes and waffles and, oh God, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I love your rich, stuffy doctor face and I love how much you love Bo and… dammit, I love you!"

Lauren smiled, "I love you too, Kenzi, but you don't have to speak for me. I'm grateful that you tried, but you really don't have to… not to them."

"Lauren…" Kenzi began, her face filled with worry, but Lauren smiled,

"I promise. I've got this."

The blonde stepped around Kenzi, coming to stand nose to nose with her mother, her eyes looking up at her father for a moment before they drifted back to the woman who was still eerily, practically her twin,

"She's right. You had your chance and you blew it. You've never showed me love. Not once. Not a day in your life. As a matter of fact, I know that when I was born, you never held me. I was messy, so you had the nurses clean me up first and from that point forward, the nanny held me, cuddled me and took care of me. I never had your love – not for one moment in my life."

"Of course, we love you, Lauren…"

"No, you don't. You couldn't wait until I was old enough to have a job that would contribute to the family wealth. I was just a tool. You loved having another asset for your portfolio. You loved having someone to control since you were both too head strong to control each other. I was just another chess piece on the board that you manipulated to gain access to positions of power, influence and money."

Franklin spoke, "Lauren, you cannot seriously be considering a life in this backwoods town in the middle of nowhere. This is beneath your station. I mean, these people… this… this woman… Patrick was a much better fit…"

Lauren shook her head, laughing as she grinned at Patrick, "What part of Patrick is gay don't you get? What part of I'm a lesbian don't you get? This woman is the love of my life!" Lauren said a smile stretching across her face when she reached back for Bo's hand.

The brunette came and stood by her side, standing straight and tall, her right hand sliding behind her, gripping the knife that was tucked into the back of her cummerbund beneath the tails of her coat. Lauren sighed, feeling the squeeze of Bo's hand. She held tight as she spoke,

"You were the only example of marriage that I had most of my life, so I latched onto Nadia and figured it didn't get any better than that. We had the same career, the same ambitions, the same schedules, and we came from the same… station in life… a station that I never quite fit into."

Lauren could feel the anger, but kept the tears at bay,

"There was no love there - only control and living life for appearances. You see, you never got that. But when I came here – actually was moved her by Evony – now there's irony for you - I found what I'd been missing all of my life. I learned from these amazing people… I learned the truth about life… and about love. I also learned the truth about the value of money."

She shook her head, "From this community and a small clinic with no fancy equipment, I came to understand Hippocrates and the oath I've held so dear my entire life. The oath wasn't about what I do, it was about doctors being charitable… about who we are at our core. Hippocrates created the oath to prevent doctors from putting financial gains over choosing the patients who could pay before the patients who couldn't. Of course, Hippocrates probably didn't foresee health insurance companies and…" she peeked over Franklin's shoulder at the three power players they've brought, "… pharmaceutical giants taking a doctor's oath from their hands."

Moving her eyes back to her parents, she shook her head,

"The doctors you've met here this evening – if you even bothered to meet anyone – are all here to reclaim their oath to do no harm, to deny no one the best possible care and to put the lives of others before profits… three concepts you can't possibly understand because to do so, requires heart… not just a beating one that functions for the sole purpose of circulating oxygen and nutrients, but a compassionate one that cares… truly cares about medical ethics and what happens in the life of every individual patient."

Lauren released Bo's hand, kissing her on the cheek. She walked to Shirley, taking her hand,

"This is Shirley. I did surgery on Bo and another woman in her bar on a pool table after the two of them were attacked by a bear and were forced to dive into a sub-zero lake to get away. She sent someone out to find them and then brought them back to her bar. We did surgery on both women right there on her pool tables. She didn't say sorry, you can't do that here."

The doctor looked at Shirley and smiled, "But that wasn't all. Soon after we found them, a terrible storm hit town. She opened up her hotel and bar to every customer in the place as well as some people who came in off the street. She didn't charge them and no one complained if the best she had for them was a bed on a tabletop with extra coats. In the morning, before everyone left, she made sure each person got a hot meal before they headed out into the deep snow."

She gave Shirley's hand a squeeze, "That night, in the same way a doctor would, Shirley lived by the Hippocratic Oath even though she isn't a doctor. She put the needs of her customers before her checkbook and I am proud to call her friend."

Lauren smiled at Shirley, then walked to where Shannon, Carolyn, Kelly were standing with Kurt,

"The three woman you see here have been my friends and Nurses for more than six years now. They know everything a friend could possibly know about my life and what they don't know, they will know tonight."

She began with her number one, "Carolyn was the one who protected me from your never-ending calls during my work hours because she knew that my patients had to come first no matter how emergent it was to you that I sign some ridiculous form that would allow you access to my business accounts."

She gazed at the three as she continued, "They have put in physician's hours as we've transitioned from the small clinic to the large hospital setting. They are three of the most talented surgical nurses I have ever worked with, and they take care of me."

Glaring at her parents, she spat, "Imagine that - someone taking care of me for a change! It was a new experience when I first came here, but now, many of these people take care of me just as they know I would do anything to take care of them."

She turned to Kurt,

"This is Kurt. For years, he was a man who was called on for all sorts of jobs because his knowledge was so vast. My first day on the job, a man had a heart attack. He needed a bypass machine that Evony would not buy for the clinic. Kurt cobbled one together from oxygen lines, a lawnmower engine and… hell, I don't even remember what else. He knew what I needed and he built it right there on the spot. We saved a man's life that day because of Kurt. He's not a doctor, but he is now the Chief of the Talkeetna Emergency Team that choppers patients from all over Alaska to our little… I believe you called it 'backwoods' town."

She shook her head, "Well, last night, this guy who is so far beneath my station, flew three trips to the Talkeetna Mountain Range. That's an altitude of about eight thousand feet in sub-zero temperatures. Again, he's not doctor and he didn't take the Hippocratic Oath, but you couldn't prove it by me. He and Kelly risked their lives to bring nine people down from that mountain after their helicopter crashed. They're all alive today because of the people from this town who ran to their aid until Kurt's team of medics could get to them, stabilize them and get them to our hospital."

Lauren moved to Molly and Mark, "These two… and Mark, if you don't mind… but Molly especially - are my Alaskan mentors. They have taught me how to survive here. They have been my advocates and my teachers. When an epidemic swept from the north through to Anchorage, I found my reputation from the clinic had swept north to a small town called Chase."

She waved Elise over to her, "The doctor who was caring for the people of that town died in the performance of his duties. They called me and when I arrived, I was sent to a home where I found parents - a doctor and a lawyer – that had fallen ill. Sadly, by the time I arrived, they had passed, leaving their young daughter alone in the house with their bodies. She had done all she could to care for them as they slowly fell to the disease before I could arrive."

Lauren turned to Elise, kneeling before her and wiping away her tears as memories of her past came to the forefront,

"It's okay, Sweetie. I've got you," she pulled Elise into a hug, holding her tightly until Rudy came to her friend and hugged her.

Lauren turned, tears in her eyes as she looked at her parents,

"I knew what it was to be a child left alone. Of course, my parents were still very much alive. But I was left alone in my home when my grandmother passed. I called 9-1-1 and did CPR on her until the paramedics arrived, then the coroner. And when I called you, crying and asking you to come home, you told me that I was being dramatic… that death was part of life… that I could stay home from school if I felt I had to."

Ignoring the gasp that escaped from Kate at the news, she felt Bo's hand on her waist, and it comforted her,

"You never came home. You didn't hold me. You were more concerned about how the flowers would be arranged by her casket and that the make-up done by the mortician would make her look the sophisticate she was. You didn't know her either, Mother. She never would have wanted an open casket for people to gawk at her body. She would have wanted to be buried with decency and respect. But you needed to see her. You needed to look upon her with that smirk on your face as if somehow you had won something. Well, you didn't win, mother, did you. Because that was the day that I committed to the ROTC program after graduation. That was the day I rejected your money for college. That was the day that I swore I would never owe the two of you anything ever again."

Lauren stepped to her parents,

"Do you know what's more important than my wealthy station in life? The respect I have from the people of this community. Do you know why I have that respect? It's not about my wealth. It's that I do the right thing and the right thing always, always comes from the heart."

She turned to Elise, "That little girls' parents didn't know me. They only knew that I put patients before profits. I was a stranger and yet I made them feel they could trust me to raise their precious daughter with the proper focus on life."

"Lauren!" her mom said, hands to her mouth while Franklin added, "You cannot take in some stray child!"

"They were a lawyer and a doctor who moved here to escape the pompous world of the affluent people in their fields – to flee their station in life. They had all of the paperwork signed and filed. I arrived to an orphan and she left that home with a legal guardian. Me. And I accepted the position without question. I make the best choices on her behalf and in accordance with her wishes because a child deserves a voice and I'll be damned if anyone will ever take that voice from her."

She turned back to her parents,

"That child means everything to me and as I stand here before you, I cannot fathom a world where a parent of any child could possibly treat their daughter the way you have treated me."

She stood in the middle of the group gathered around the wedding arch,

"Do you see the people around me, Mother? These people are my family! This is Mary Dennis. She has been my spiritual counselor, helping me to remember to always walk my path and to make my own decisions. On this day, she will legally become my mother-in-law and I can't wait."

Lauren smiled, turning to Stephen,

"This is Stephen Archer, a man you've known has served as a mentor and father figure to me since I met him. This is Betsy Carnegie, a woman who is all too familiar with your financial dealings. She has been like a mother to me for as long as I can remember. Whether we were going for a bike ride or a luncheon together, she was there for everything from picking out a dress to talking about love and life. I would be lost without her."

Lauren moved to the two youngsters sitting on the floor holding hands. It was good to see that Elise's tears were gone and she was smiling with her best friend,

"This is Rudy and Elise. You already know a little about Elise, but Rudy is Bo's little sister. She has taught me that sometimes the kids act more like adults than adults do," she smiled, whispering to Rudy, "Right, Roo?"

Rudy nodded enthusiastically as Lauren continued, her eyes locked on the two girls,

"They are two of the smartest people on the planet. Elise wants to be a veterinarian one day and Rudy wants to be a champion musher and follow in her big sister's footsteps, though she has many other interests as well. It will be my mission in life to see that whatever they choose to do for employment, that their lives are happy ones."

The two girls grinned at Lauren as she cupped each of their faces and smiled before standing to face LJ and Kyle,

"This is LJ and this is Kyle. LJ is the grandson of Bo's brother Tosh," she pointed up to the screen where Tosh was waving. When the couple turned back to Lauren, Tosh stood, turned around and bent over, drawing laughter from the crowd as there was no longer a bow tie on his butt.

Bo covered her face, shaking her head, but by the time Lauren looked up, Tosh was sitting down waving at her again. Lauren waved looking at Bo who whispered, "I'll tell you later."

She turned back to her parents,

"LJ is like a younger brother to me. He has taught me about dog sledding and sled dogs, he has taught me how to drive a sled with the help of Bo. He was the first person I met when I landed and immediately saved me from a polar bear."

She gave LJ a wink before she turned to her friend,

"Kyle was my first friend in Alaska. She taught me about the cultures of Alaska and Talkeetna. She invited me to her farm where I got my first lessons in planting, growing crops in all temperatures, raising dogs, training dogs, building sleds, designing sleds, the mountains and… how far friends will go to protect friends when they truly love them."

Lauren reached up, pushing back the short locks on the side of Kyle's face, tracing the burn scars. She smiled as she spoke,

"These scars show the true beauty of this woman's soul and the beauty of her love for me. The clinic was on fire. I was trapped inside. She crawled in through an opening beneath the walls and dragged me out, getting trapped herself. I have a few small scars which will heal in time, but this woman was in critical condition."

Lauren turned, looking past her parents to see William Grace standing in the corner, his eyes lowered,

"I believe it was Doctor William Grace who brought these… guests… to this event. Am I right, William? You see, working with me brings with it a spotlight that shines very brightly in our profession, doesn't it, William?"

Lauren's question was more a suggestion, "But what you don't yet realize is that tying yourself to these people has a price. I don't believe it's a price you will be willing to pay in the end, but maybe you're not the man I had hoped you were. Of course, I'm sure you knew you were the bait they used to get to me. What did they promise you?"

She walked towards him,

"Did they tell you that if you got me to 'play ball' and join you in Seattle, they would make big time donations to your hospital and bring you the clout you've sought your entire career? Well, that's it, isn't it? You bring me back under their control and you get to parade me around just like Evony did. Did you think you would gain control of this hospital or our company? You did see what happened to Evony, didn't you?"

He looked up, his eyes scanning what appeared to be an angry crowd, then looked back to Lauren. He held her gaze for just a moment before he lowered his eyes again. She shook her head,

"I'll take that as your admission of guilt for your part here, but I would like you to know that even if you don't talk, we know what you did."

She turned to Penelope who walked forward, removing her shoulder bag and placing it on the floor. She pulled out a large manilla envelope and handed it to Lauren who continued,

"I almost feel bad for you because I know the pressure my parents can bring to bear to get their way. Of course, if you had called me, I could have helped you to avoid this… unpleasant display in front of all of these people… all of these well-known, skilled and prestigious doctors and nurses. But you didn't do that. Instead, you went behind my back and followed along with their plan to get their promised wealth."

She shook her head, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, such a pity. You see, Penelope is quite skilled with computers and what she can't figure out, the youngsters she hired in her office can. You had her computer hacked to get your hands on the guest list…"

She turned to her parents, "Or was that your people?"

She held up the envelope, "No matter. The ones who did that part are identified in here. William, did you also give them the name of the party planner that Stephen and Betsy hired? And did your people hack Penelope's assistants' computer to get your hands on the gala budget and costs?"

She again turned to Elizabeth and Franklin, "I forget – maybe that was your secretary, Father?"

"Lauren…"

But she had already opened the envelope and was waving a page of phone records,

"Apparently, your secretary of the month – Jill, is it? She called various members of our staff at the hospital to have seemingly innocent conversations about the invitation she lost to get names of hospital staff, locations, hotels where you could stay, even book a flight since in one call, she was the event planner coming in from Lauren's old home in Boston – an old friend, I believe – to cater the event for her. Of course, she was doing it for free in exchange for air fare!"

Bo again placed a hand on Lauren's low back when she saw the veins popping out of her neck and temple. She had every right to be upset, but Bo hated seeing her like this. She was in pain and this was not the day they had planned for her. She wanted to step in and knock them both out, drag them into a corner and cover them with a table cloth so they could get on with the real reason they were all here, but she took a deep breath and stayed behind her partner. Lauren needed this… had needed this for a very long time.

She listened as Lauren spoke again,

"What my dear Doctor Grace doesn't understand is that doing these things for the two of you would have become part of his daily life," she turned to the doctor she had grown to trust, "You would have gotten in deeper and deeper to their scheming and plotting. You have no idea what these two are capable of to maintain their wealth. They never would have forwarded your career. They would have destroyed it." She shook her head, "Maybe they already have."

William began, "They said they were doing this for you, Lauren. They said you were making some big mistake. I didn't…"

She shook her head, "They didn't do this for me, William. They didn't do anything for me – not ever. It was always to hide money in my name or to build their own reputations through mine. It was Evony who built my reputation as a surgeon – not them. As much as I resent her, she is the one that kept me doing surgery, after surgery, after surgery. Those surgeries became conference after conference. She needed the market saturated with my knowledge and procedures. These people? They needed the position and authority that Evony built using my name and talent. I was a convenience to them because my parents had access."

She looked to her parents, "I mean that's the way it is, right? A daughter can't very well deny her parents help when they ask, right?"

Lauren laughed, "Your choices are your own, William. I can't say I wasn't disappointed to hear that you were at the source of all of this, but I still have hope that you will turn back from the precipice. These people are bad for your career. Maintaining your association with this 'backwoods hospital' will bring you a greater sense of fulfillment than any amount of money. Of course, if this is about needing funds to further your hospital, I would ask you to ask why your hospital needs more money. We've started a new way of funding medicine here. If you had come here to visit, we could have shown you."

She shook her head,

"This morning, Stephen and I approved a renovation to our brand new hospital. Our pediatric and gynecological specialists want to create a neonatal care unit. They're using their existing budget to do the renovations, asking only that we provide the funding for the new equipment. Now, I'm sure I could have used any of the investors back in that corner over there to build a new wing, but that would put us in a position of owing them… of buying and using their drugs at their inflated prices, even when they're not the best drugs for our patients. Under our new funding plan, our hospital won't owe anyone because our community will support the hospital."

She stepped back, turning to the group who had gathered, "You heard their collective testimony and that was only the few from our community who are gathered here. Our hospital has touched everyone in this room in one way or another and I trust that they will be there when we need them just as we will be there when they need us. Each of us keeps our oath to the well-being of our community. No huge profits needed."

Franklin shook his head, "And when you've drained your accounts dry and you have not a penny to your name?"

Lauren smirked, "First off, looking into my accounts is a legal faux pas, Father."

Patrick didn't need to hear his name to know that was his cue. He stepped up, standing next to Lauren,

"You remember Patrick Lloyd? You tried to force us to get married? He has been and always will be my very best friend. And you've already been reintroduced to Penelope," she came to stand beside Patrick and Lauren,

"Do you recognize her yet? She's not just a long-time friend, she's also my long-time accountant hired by your accounting firm, Father. The two of them were working on tracking all of those gala hacks when they finally found a financial error they've been looking for over the last twenty-four hours. Well, they found it. If they hadn't had to pour over emails, phone calls and our calendar software, they would probably have had the embezzlement of funds nailed down in about thirty minutes or less. They're really, really good at what they do and when they can't figure something out, they call Kenzi because..."

Kenzi stepped up, cracking her knuckles,

"…she's even better," Lauren finished before turning towards the sound of the door,

Oh, our guest is here. He was at an event for the elementary school tonight, so we were sort of stalling until he could get here. You know – community first, money second and all that."

Lauren stepped back, introducing the final guest, "This is Sheriff Dyson Thornwood and this…" Lauren turned to her right, "Is Special Agent Tamsin Sorensen… that's the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

The doctor couldn't help but smirk as her friends crossed their arms over their chests, Tamsin cocking her hip and twisting her mouth,

"Now, if there's one thing my parents did teach me, it was manners in social situations. What's ironic is that they have somehow managed to betray those teachings in order to betray me. So, to be polite to the guests who have come to attend our wedding and celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of the people gathered here who helped to build this hospital, I must bring our… 'family' business… to a close. You have taken up enough of their time… and mine… already."

She stepped towards her mother, "I believe it was Christmas Eve… I was seven years old and the two of you decided to have a party for your friends, which – let's be honest – were really investors or people you were trying to con into investing. You only had business associates. During the party, I asked if I could open one of my gifts so I would have a toy to play with and do you remember what you told me, Mother?"

Elizabeth was still eyeing Tamsin, so Lauren placed a hand on her mother's shoulder,

"Let me refresh your memory. You said,

"Lauren, please. You're being selfish by inserting your individual needs into our dinner party. Our guests come first. Go and take that tray around and do something for others. It's Christmas. A time for giving, not receiving."

Lauren shook her head, "Well, guess what, Mother? I've given my last 'give' to you. Because you see whether it's Christmas or any other day of the year, life is always about giving, but in honesty, if someone is going to take and take and take, at some point, they must find their moral compass and do this thing called giving back. What have you ever given me?"

Franklin cleared his throat, "We gave you a trust fund that has allowed you to build this hospital of yours."

Lauren held out her hand to Penelope, who gave her a single piece of paper, "Actually, this is a record of the distributions from my original trust fund. The vast majority of that fund was donated, in equal amounts, to animal shelters across the country."

Franklin's eyes went wide, "We saved for years to give you that money! How dare you…"

"How dare I? You didn't save money, Father. The original contribution at my birth is in the records. You've never scraped and saved a day in your life. You put a flat deposit of ten grand in that fund and made sure it was invested in places that would maximize its capital gains."

She shook her head, "Dare I say you didn't have to lift a finger to raise me… quite literally in fact. My nanny changed my diapers, was there for my first steps, my first words, to feed me everything from bottles to solid foods, to put bandages on my cuts, to take care of me when I was sick, to teach me right from wrong, and to take me to and from school. I had tutors that helped me with my homework, maids that changed my sheets, did my laundry and even that first deposit was done by an accountant. You just made a phone call and signed a paper. He and Penelope did all of the investing. Penelope was the one who grew my money and she's the one who advised me that a quarter of my wealth had been spent on this hospital project."

"My God! Lauren! You cannot put your own money into this hospital!"

"Oh, can't I? Well guest what, Father? I will spend every single cent of my wealth on these people until the day I die if it means they feel loved and cared for by the hospital system that bears my name! Because you see, this woman I will marry tonight and her family have taught me about this simple thing called subsistence living. I can catch my own food and I can cook that food with or without a kitchen. I can build my own shelter and I don't need fuel for transportation. I can treat my dogs with love and kindness, care for them, feed them and keep them healthy to have a means to get from point A to point B. I have a symbiotic relationship with these people and these lands. I don't need money to live and I don't need you!"

She took a breath, her eyes spilling over as she spoke now through angry tears,

"But, since you've given me the opportunity by not only hacking my accounts, but also by embezzling funds from those accounts…"

"Now Lauren…" Franklin began,

"Do you deny it?" Lauren asked, Penelope pulling out a thick manilla envelope.

He eyed Penelope, then turned back to Lauren, "I just needed to know if you were doing okay financially and… I found a good investment for you, so I did take a lite million to invest so that you would have…"

"No, Father. You took from me to save yourself. It wasn't such a reach once I heard that Mother was here putting her hands on the Gala in person. She clearly couldn't afford help, so saw the opportunity to use Kenzi and her staff to put on a grand event that would impress those poor gentlemen back in the corner. You invited them because they were a way for the two of you to rebuild your businesses with the rich and powerful."

Lauren shook her head, "It's really too bad. Because if you had come to me and explained that your businesses were in trouble, I might have given you the Gala contract and invited some of my more well-off associates - including William Grace."

"We're fine, Lauren," Elizabeth said, "All of this isn't really necessary, is it? We can work this out. We're family, dear. Now, let's just you and I go into the kitchen and talk…"

"No, Mother. This really is necessary. It's the only way the two of you are going to learn. It's the only way the two of you are finally going to see yourselves for who and what you are. Maybe after some time apart… some time with the little people of the world, you will finally learn the realities of life… which will now be the realities of your life."

"Lauren, I'm not sure where you got your information, but our accountants…" Franklin began, but Penelope stepped up and explained,

"Mr. Lewis, I've looked into your current business profile – through legal channels. If Lauren were to invest in your corporation, she would lose her shirt. You're in trouble and I didn't have to hack your records to learn that. I just called my former associates who were more than happy to tell me I left my employment with Lewis Enterprises at just the right time. Apparently, you owe my former accounting firm over four hundred grand. You're in deep, Sir. No need to lie to Lauren. Your company is publicly traded."

Lauren turned to Dyson and gave him a nod. Dyson moved behind Franklin, taking his hands behind him as the blonde spoke,

"Since you have presented the opportunity and you've taught me lessons of how to use my power for good, I will press charges and force you into bankruptcy. I will have both of you prosecuted just as I did Evony and I will continue to use the law in my favor to take down anyone who tries to mess with me, my friends or my family ever again."

She caught her breath and continued, "If you're in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, or Alaska – among others - chances are, you're messing with friends. Stay away. Leave me alone. Leave them alone. I don't exist. If you try to hurt me or mine, I will do more than just force bankruptcy. I will seek damages. You need to understand that I am not that scared, submissive little girl anymore. I am done being used! I am done catering to the petty needs of your kind! I am done with both of you."

Dyson stepped forward, gripping Franklin by one arm as Tamsin took Elizabeth, "You have the right to remain silent…"

Lauren watched as her parents were escorted from the grounds. She turned to Bo, quivering and crying, "I know it was the right thing to do. I know… I had to…"

"Do you want to go home, Sweetie? We can leave now if it's what you want," Bo said, pulling her into her arms and holding her.

She looked over her shoulder at her mom who gave her a nod, putting up a hand. She was asking Bo to just give Lauren a minute, but Rudy and Elise walked to the couple. They lifted their arms and leaned in, wrapping their arms around their hips. Rudy spoke first,

"Uh, you guys? There's two hundred people here to see us get married."

Bo looked down at Rudy and smiled, "We know, Roo. It just may not happen tonight."

Elise shook her head, "Look. We all just had a really sad time. This is supposed to be a party and if you really want to do what you told your parents, Lauren, then we should celebrate all the reasons we came here. I mean, look at me? My parents are dead, but I still want us to be a happy family. You told your parents that you're staying here because we all love each other."

Rudy nodded, "Yea, so let's do that focus thing that Doctor Faith taught us and focus on all the love from all of the people here. We have to close our eyes…"

Bo and Lauren looked down at the two girls who were squeezing their eyes shut. They looked at each other and smiled as Rudy continued,

"Now, we have to focus on feeling the love. Feel the love. Feel the love. Feel the love. Feel the love. Do you feel it?"

Rudy opened one eye and looked up at Bo who smiled at Lauren and asked, "Do you feel the love?"

Lauren shook her head, looking down at the two children, "I definitely feel the love."

She looked back up to Bo and nodded, "Let's get married."

"You're sure?" Bo asked, but Rudy shook her head,

"Will you stop asking her that? She said it, so let's do it before she figures out you're a total dork and changes her mind!"

"Hey!" Bo pouted, tickling her little Sister who broke free, ran to the center of the floor, threw her arms up in the air and shouted to the crowd,

"THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED! LET'S DO THIS!"

The room exploded into applause and cheers as the witnesses came to stand on either side of the two women once more. Bo gave a quick wave to Tosh who now had the large red bow tied around his neck. Tamsin came rushing back into the room, quickly moving to stand with the rest of Bo and Lauren's friends and family,

"What did I miss?"

Shannon leaned over, "Nothing. They're just getting started."

Tamsin nodded, "Dyson said he'll be back with Ciara and the kids. He's got to go lock up Lauren's P's for the night. There's a storm in Boston, so they can't fly out to pick them up."

Lynnie smirked, "A night in the 'backwoods' poky. Just what they deserve."

"Better than they deserve," Shannie said as Lynnie wrapped an arm around her waist. Tamsin looked at her, but Lynnie shook her head, mouthing the word 'later'. Shannie had history with Lauren's parents, so Lynnie was grateful she had stayed put during the altercation.

They all turned their attention back to Mary where a white podium was now in front of her and a small table between the crowd and the couple,

"What's all that stuff on the table?" Tamsin asked.

Kate replied, "Lauren asked Mary a long time ago that the ceremony have elements of Bo's Inupiat-Athabascan heritage in it as well. I think that's the stuff Mary needs for those parts."

They all nodded and turned their attention to the sound of Mary's voice,

"It wouldn't be a Bo and Lauren event without a little family drama, right? Let's try this again, shall we?"

There was a short burst of laughter before Bo and Lauren joined hands and Mary began,

"Dzaanh nezzonh or hello and baasee' or thank you, for your patience this evening. Many months ago, Lauren asked if there was a way to blend elements of her traditional western culture with that of Ysabeau's Athabascan or Inupiat-Inuit Native Alaskan culture for their wedding. So, tonight you will see some things in this ceremony that were done in my family for more than six generations as well as things that have been done in the lower forty-eight for what Lauren refers to as non-denominational ceremonies. I will do my best to translate the few Athabaskan phrases or words I will use. Let us begin."

She raised her arms and began the Athabascan prayer that Bo had used at the Iditarod. It seemed fitting that as Bo had asked for aid from the Spirits in the race, she and Lauren would ask for that same aid in their marriage. Rudy, Elise and Bo joined in, Bo glancing at Lauren when she too, joined the song. Some of the guests joined in while Kate and Anna took to their knees, arms over head as they had at the race. It seemed that everyone joined in their own way until Mary lowered her hands and spoke,

"As we have just demonstrated, each member of this community brings something different to our combined culture. We bring ourselves, our hearts and our souls to the loving community of Talkeetna, where we are gathered tonight to celebrate the first of two special blessings that the Spirits have seen fit to bestow upon us… the love and commitment between Doctor Lauren Lewis and Miss Ysabeau Dennis."

She opened her folio raised her arms overhead and spoke,

"Spirit eagle, you bring life in the form of an egg. You are one with our Ysabeau. It is said that if an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends. If an egg is broken by an inside force, life begins. Great things are sent to us by the Spirit within so we know that the love of these two people is great for it began from deep within."

Rudy walked to the table and lifted a black metal dish, then carried it back to Mary. She handed the folio to Elise and then put the dish down on the podium. She lifted the object from the dish,

"This is a raven egg," Mary could see Bo shudder, her eyes watching carefully, "The raven was once joined with our Ysabeau's blood. Through her vision quest, she has been cleansed of the raven spirit and born to the spirit of the bald eagle. Today, we cleanse the blood of her future offspring."

Mary broke the egg, allowing the contents to spill into the dish. She handed it to Rudy who returned it to the table and came back to stand beside Bo,

"The egg containing the spirit of the raven is broken from the outside, thereby killing the spirit within. May evil never find them again."

Bo visibly relaxed, a small smile stretching across her face as she looked up at her mom. Mary raised her arms to the guests,

"If it were spring, we would have built a round community house for this event. Since we don't have such a thing at this time, if you would all form a circle around us…"

She pointed to Kate and Anna to come to the arch and then pointed to Molly and Mark to move to the other side of the arch. The guests all fell in behind and next to the two couples until a circle was formed around Bo and Lauren,

"A circle is never-ending, and such is the love of Lauren and Ysabeau. Around the two are those who call themselves family and friends. We stand in a circle as a show of our never-ending support for their love. As members of this circle, we pledge to never contribute to misfortune in their love and marriage, instead pledging to serve to encourage and support the continuance of their love and marriage. So, say we all?"

The crowd replied, "We do."

Elise stepped away from the arch, moving to the table where she picked up a pillow and returned it to Mary who nodded,

"Baasee', thank you."

Elise nodded and replied, "Enaa neenyo, you're welcome."

Mary smiled, holding up the pillow, "This pillow is made with the traditional moose skin. A strong, powerful animal whose spirit bestows the same strength and power upon the rings that sit atop it. May the power endure and never be broken as with a circle. The beaded design of this pillow represents the path each of the two took to unite as one family."

Mary lowered the pillow, tracing the design for the couple, "Two paths converge as one, walking together in an endless circle bringing all of the family into the fold with them. While the skin represents strength and an unbreakable power, the beads represent family and unity."

She took the pillow and handed it to Rudy who took one of the rings. She then held out the pillow to Elise who took the other. She placed the pillow on the podium,

"Place your right hands on the pillow," Mary said, placing her hand over the two, "Ysabeau, do you pledge your endless love to your life mate, Lauren? Do you promise to love and honor her, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, until the end of time?"

Bo looked up at Lauren and smiled, "I do."

Mary turned to Kenzi, giving her a nod. The young woman moved to Lauren, handing her a leather bracelet with two beads tied together at the center. She angled it so that Lauren could see that there was a sentence hammered into the leather on the underside,

"You read the inscription to Bo and then tie it on her wrist with a square knot. Make that sucker tight!"

Lauren smiled and nodded, looking up at Bo, "Like a circle has no end, so it is with our love."

She slid the center of the bracelet beneath Bo's wrist and tied the knot, then returned her hand to the pillow. Mary gave Patrick a nod and he walked to Bo, handing her a leather bracelet. Bo gave him a nod, signaling she knew what to do,

"Like a circle has no end, so it is with our love," Bo tied the bracelet onto Lauren's wrist before placing her hand back on the pillow with Lauren's.

"The wedding bracelets remind us that a circle has no end and so it is with the true love of two lost souls, brought together to be as one."

She turned to Betsy who walked to the podium between Bo and Lauren. She held up a candle. LJ moved to stand by the podium, handing a long, thin tapered candle to each of the two, then lit each wick. Betsy held the candle out to the two,

"Two hearts that have walked their separate paths through life, now unite to walk the great path together. May the Great Spirits light the way for their journey."

Mary nodded to Betsy who held the candle out to the two, nodding to Lauren to light the candle with Bo. The two extended their flickering candles to the single candle that Betsy held, waiting for the unity flame to ignite, then handed their candles back to LJ who placed them in their receptacles on either side of the large, illuminated candle.

"This candle will burn for the night, reminding each of us of the union formed through the lighting of the unity candle by Ysabeau and Lauren."

Mary looked to Rudy and Elise, "The rings?"

Rudy smiled, handing a ring to Bo. The brunette smiled, "I know I've sprung this on you, in all fairness, I'm tossing my vows out and speaking from my heart, so bear with me…"

She lowered her eyes, choking back tears before she looked up,

"Great Spirits, Lauren - you are a vision of beauty tonight. It's not the dress or the fancy gala – it's you. It's your willingness to open your life to me… to walk this path with me. I've told you this before, but I'll say it again now - I've never thought much of myself… when other people tell you that you're a bad person enough times, it becomes easier to believe. But you didn't do that. From the start, you helped me to see the good in me. You peeled back the hardened layers until you exposed the beauty I've always had inside of me… the love I had to give… and I can't thank you enough for waking up my heart and soul. If you hadn't… I don't know what I'd be right now…"

She looked down, but Lauren placed a finger under her chin and lifted until their eyes met. She thumbed away Bo's tears, causing her to smile before she continued,

"Now, whenever I see you or think of you, my heart just explodes with love. I believe that the Great Spirits put you in my path so that I could help you to overcome your past and you could help me to do the same. Whenever I have doubted myself, you have been there with encouragement and patience. I hope that I can always give the same to you."

She smiled, looking at the circle around them, as tears streamed down her cheeks,

"Look at what we did. All of these people who barely knew each other before, have become a family in their own right – united by this love that just… exploded like confetti and spread through them."

Bo smiled, "So Lauren, I want to be done with the past. I want to look ahead with optimism for the future we design. I want to walk the Great Path together – whatever it may bring because I know that we can do greater things together than we can apart. I believe deep within my soul that I am meant for you and you are meant for me. I love you with all that I am for the rest of time."

Mary turned to Lauren, "Doctor Lauren Lewis, do you take Ysabeau Dennis as your partner and wife in this life and all the lives beyond, until the end of time?"

Lauren nodded, "I do."

Bo smiled, placing the ring on Lauren's finger. She lifted the hand to her lips and placed a gentle kiss on the ring before lowering her hand.

Mary turned to Elise who passed the other ring to Lauren. The blonde smiled, looking up at Bo,

"Surprise wedding, so surprise, I have no vows. I will speak from the heart as well. Just bear with me. You know I'm a planner," Lauren smiled as those standing closest laughed with her.

"My beloved Ysabeau, you have brought me one surprise after another since the day we met, but this one is the biggest surprise of all. Only you could go from Iditarod to wedding in three days or less."

She smiled at Bo, tilting her head slightly to the side as she spoke,

"I feel like you have been a part of my heart my entire life – I just didn't know you were missing until the day I met you. I hid behind the clothes rack when you came in. Three rowdy tourists were giving Jon a hard time. You came in and slammed the guys' face into the counter and pulled a knife," Lauren laughed, "That tough outer shell hid the truth of your heart… you were protecting someone who couldn't protect themselves – something I've seen you do over and over again."

Lauren smiled, "I was lost, wandering through life one surgery at a time with no direction in my life other than work. There was nothing else for me. No matter how much I tried to fit, I always felt like an outsider… until I came here. This is where I was meant to be. You helped me to find myself again – the curious, adventurous, fearless me that I'd lost amid the constant stream of conferences and interviews of Evony's world. I know I've still got work to do, but I want to do that work by your side - sharing my path with you. Together, we will do great things. Together, we will love, laugh and live the way we choose with the support of our family and friends."

Mary smiled, and asked, "Miss Ysabeau Dennis, do you take Doctor Lauren Lewis as your partner and wife in this life and all the lives beyond, until the end of time?"

Bo smiled and nodded, "I do."

As Bo had done for her, Lauren placed the ring on Bo's finger, lifting the hand to her lips to place a kiss on the symbol of their timeless love. Mary gave a nod to Kyle and Stephen who moved to the table and came back carrying a woven blanket.

They unfolded it as Mary spoke,

"I give to you, this wedding blanket. May it serve to keep you warm, holding you heart to heart for all the days of your life and unto dust with you."

The two walked to Bo and Lauren, wrapping the blanket around the two of them, bringing them close together as Mary raised her hands high,

"Great Spirits, see your children united in this bond of loving marriage, encircled by those who hold them most dear. See them along The Great Path and help them to walk united as one soul until the end of time. Gganaa'."

Mary looked up at the guests gathered around the couple,

"See their love and witness their marriage. Give of your hearts your blessings to Doctor Lauren Lewis Dennis and Mrs. Ysabeau Lewis Dennis!"

Lauren leaned over to Mary and whispered in her ear, Mary asking her if she was sure before she announced,

"Apologies for my error – give your hearts, your blessings to Doctor Lauren Dennis and Mrs. Ysabeau Dennis!"

She looked to Bo and Lauren, "You may seal your marriage with a kiss," she whispered, "But remember, there are children here."

Bo laughed as she leaned in, brushing a stray piece of hair that had fallen from Lauren's bun. She leaned in, cupping her face with her hands as Lauren's fingers grazed her jawline. Their lips met in a soft kiss that deepened for a long moment, each seemingly suspended in time before they pulled back, gazing into each other's eyes.

"I love you, Bo Dennis."

Smiling, the brunette replied, "I love you, Lauren Dennis, but are you sure about the name?"

"I will never be a Lewis again," Lauren smiled, "And Dennis is a proud name that I will wear with honor for the rest of eternity."

They kissed again, the entire crowd cheering before Lauren pulled back and turned to face the group, holding tight to Bo's hand. She addressed the crowd,

"I can only imagine how you all made this happen for us tonight and I know we all want to get to the fun, but if you will humor me for a moment, I would be forever grateful."

"SPEECH!" Tamsin yelled, making Lauren smile.

"Thank you for that, Tamsin," she lowered her eyes, gathering her thoughts,

"A little over a year ago, I came to Alaska on a special assignment. I brought with me the ideals and business plan of a hospital in the lower forty-eight. I was cheechako, an outsider and I quickly learned that Alaska and Alaskans saw the world differently… as they should. The view from the top of the world is quite different and life lived here is nothing like life in Boston. For one thing, I love that there's no traffic!"

It was obvious from the laughter who the people were who had traveled from the East Coast to be here.

"I was under contract, so I stayed even when I felt like I didn't fit. Let's face it – I was used to feeling like I didn't belong. But over the course of just a few weeks, maybe even days… Alaska began to change me… each of you, as we met… changed me. You changed me for the better. You made me see that life doesn't have to be perfect because we will never find a perfect life – but we can find a beautiful life. Beauty here, in Alaska, is all around us. Our land, our people, our culture, our food, our customs and our 'live, let live' attitude all make Alaska special. People love each other here. People care for each other here. People rely on each other here and people come through for each other here."

She sighed, remembering her life early on,

"So, after just a few months, you taught me that's what medicine should be. Doctors should not horde their skills for a price – we should use our knowledge to save the lives of friends, family and neighbors because those are the people who will one day come through for us when we need a sled repaired, a cord of wood for a fire, enough fish to see us through the winter, or a helicopter ride when we break a leg after a fall."

She shook her head, "We have had this idea that doctors – because they pay so much money for their education – have more value. But honestly, I couldn't fix my truck if you paid me twice my salary. I don't have that knowledge – but Kurt does, so I'll fix him if he fixes me. Isn't that what life should really be?"

She sighed,

"But, unfortunately, this is not a perfect world, so money is a factor for our hospital to have the tools and supplies we need to treat our patients appropriately. Obviously, our doctors have to make money because a gallon of gas and a loaf of bread cost a mint up here. But what we shouldn't do is refuse care to people just because they happen to work a job for which they make less money than us. So, that's what we set out to create here in Talkeetna and at our other hospitals in lower forty-eight states."

Lauren led Bo forward, closer to the group, "We have brought staff to this hospital who lived here for six months before they signed a contract so that they knew this was where they wanted to be before we salaried them. We brought staff to this hospital who were sick and tired of having to beg for money to save lives, instead choosing to rely on their own problem solving and knowledge of medicine to bring quality medical care to our hospital for less money."

"All of this comes from the knowledge that here in Alaska, we need only shelter, food and clothing enough to survive because our neighbors will take us as we are, whether that be our best or worst – but hopefully not on the operating room table!"

Bo smiled, "You hear that, McFarland?"

"I've got you, Bo! Don't worry!"

Lauren smiled and continued, "Doctors don't need to make hundreds of thousands of dollars and hospitals don't need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. We don't need weathly donors who want to donate money so that they can get a piece of the proverbial pie in return. We seek donors who truly want to donate because they know they have plenty in their pockets and heart enough to share. If that's you, we welcome your donation."

The group applauded until Lauren continued,

"Tonight, we celebrate a new philosophy in medicine and a promise that we will be here to serve this community in a manner that each of you can afford. If you can't get to us, our elite rescue unit will come to you. The members of that unit are all wearing a lapel pin tonight, so please give them your thanks when you see them. They are here and ready to serve you in our fleet of twelve high altitude, arctic air medical evacuation helicopters!"

Lauren held up her hand, "And now I turn you back over to Stephen because I have no idea what's happening now! Thank you everyone and best wishes to you and your families."

"Doctor Lewis! Is it true what your dad said? That you spent a quarter of your total wealth just to build, staff and buy equipment for the hospital, clinic and trauma center?"

Lauren smiled, "I can't see who asked, but as I said, money isn't the important thing here!"

There was mumbling through the crowd causing Lauren to turn to Stephen,

"I'm not going to tell these people about my personal finances."

Stephen was about to speak when another person spoke,

"That's not right, Doctor Lewis! You shouldn't have to go broke to take care of us."

Lauren looked at Bo, then back to the crowd, "I'm not going to go broke, don't worry! I just married the Iditarod champion!"

Merv stepped forward and spoke, "Hey Bo… Lauren, nice to meet you."

Bo moved to Lauren's side, "Lauren, this is Merv."

Lauren extended her hand, "You're the musher who placed right behind Bo at the race, right?"

He smiled, "Hardly right behind. She was a couple hours ahead, but yes I was second."

"And you're going to work with Bo to breed a new line of dogs. That's great, congratulations!"

Merv nodded, "It is. Bo has been very gracious in helping me over a rough spot… given that no one ever helped her – myself included until a few years back when I started to get a clue about what Big Jim was doing."

"It's okay, Merv."

He rolled his head back and forth with his reply, "No, Bo. It's really not. None of this is okay. You never should have been treated as you were, Lauren's parents are assholes if I'm telling it like it is and Lauren giving up her nest egg to give us all a free ride when we do something stupid is wrong too."

"Merv, I assure you, it's okay. It's what I believe in," Lauren assured.

"Well, it just doesn't sit right with me, Doc and a lot of other people here feel the same. We want to make right for the damage that's been done to Bo over the last… well, at least a decade. We want to help you get back some of that money you've given up for us."

Lauren shook her head, "Merv, I assure you that if this gala does well and the hospital continues to grow and do well… and if we are wisely invested, I'll regain my losses. I promise you it's nothing to worry about."

He pulled out his wallet and five hundred dollar bills, handing them to Rudy,

"Miss Dennis, if you could put this into the collection box, I'd be much obliged. With your sisters' help in breeding, I won't need as much of my race winnings. It's a small price to pay to help out two outstanding women in this community."

Matt, the helicopter pilot stepped up behind Merv, "Here's a hundred, Miss Dennis. I didn't win an Iditarod race, but thanks to your sister-in-law here, I did make a nice chunk of change selling pictures she took from my helicopter the last seventy miles. I hope this helps."

Lauren shook her head, "It's really not…"

Stephen took her hand, turning to the group, "Let me explain how a fundraising gala works – all of you, please, may I have your attention?"

Everyone gathered, Merv whistling to get them to pay attention before he began,

"Okay, so we lied about the timing of dinner, but there is plenty of our Alaskan favorites to keep your tummies full until then. Over the next sixty to ninety minutes, we invite everyone to the train cars out back for The Alaska Experience! It's especially for the hundred or so of you that are from out of town and have never been to our fair state."

He smiled, "Have a drink in an ice glass, try your hand at axe throwing, sit out by the bar and experience the Iditarod from Bo Dennis' sled – she'll be there to answer questions as well! Try all of the food, listen to the live music or just hang out and talk to friends – old and new!"

He pointed behind him, "The donation table is behind me. This is what makes this a charity gala and if you feel as Merv and Matt do, that's the place where you can donate if you'd like to. Now, you can donate to the hospital's general fund, the new pediatric neonatal care unit or the new trauma center being built to adjoin the clinic. Please be as generous as your means will allow, but don't put yourself in financial trouble over this! There are plenty of donors who are not present!"

He nodded, "If you can't give but have a skill we might be able to use, we'll accept the donation of your time as well. Thank you all and enjoy The Alaska Experience until you hear our host, this town's very special hotel owner, Kenzi Malikov ring the dinner bell!"

Kenzi stepped up on a table, waving her hands to the crowd who chanted her name until she finally told them to get to check writing and drinking,

"This is a party!" was the last thing she said before dismounting from the table with help from Kurt.

The group broke apart, most of the crowd heading out back while some stood, waiting for the inside band to start playing so they could dance in the ballroom. Mary moved to Bo and Lauren,

"LJ and Mark are going to load all of your wedding things into Bo's truck. Would you like me to put the blanket with your things?"

Lauren nodded to Bo who took the blanket and folded it before handing it to her mom. She nodded to the candle,

"The candle must burn out on its own, so Kenzi has offered to have LJ put it up on the top shelf behind the bar if that's okay with you. He'll mount it in front of the glass and in a shallow metal bowl so that there's no chance of it starting a fire."

Bo looked at Lauren who nodded, "That's fine, mom. Thank you so much. The ceremony was beautiful."

Lauren smiled, "It was perfect, Mary."

The elder Dennis smiled, "I'm Mom now."

"Really?" Lauren asked, her eyes welling up.

Mary took her in her arms, holding her closely, "You are not a motherless child, Lauren. I am here. I may not have given birth to you, but you are as precious to me as Ysabeau and Rudy. I love you, Child."

"Thank you, Mom. I love you so much."

Mary pulled back, wiping Lauren's tears,

"Now, you need to straighten up and put on your business face. Those guests your parents invited did not leave yet. Maybe they wish to make an unconditional donation to your hospital? I would have Patrick or Penelope go with you so you have a witness to each conversation."

Lauren smiled, "I'm afraid they would never let me speak to a potential donor otherwise. They are my friends, but when it comes to business, they each have very high expectations for performance and do not like when I make their jobs more difficult."

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I will cover for Ysabeau at the Iditarod station until such time you make it out there. If you wish, I can tell them you'll sign autographs inside at dinner when the two of you make the rounds to your invited guest tables?"

"Make the rounds?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "It's expected at a wedding, Bo. We greet each of the guests and thank them for coming."

"Have you seen how many tables there are?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "Yes, but there's ten guests at each. That's twenty tables, minus our own table and our closest family and friends who we can talk to later. We'll come back to them if we have time. If not, we'll see them tomorrow after your surgery. That is still happening, right?"

Bo smiled, "Yes, that is actually happening. Honestly, this all came together earlier today. Kenzi through the idea by me and I didn't know it was actually happening until about an hour before we left for the hotel. When did you find out about your parents?"

"Penelope and Patrick came to see me between surgeries. They said it was urgent and could not be delayed, so Dala and Amelia came over and picked up a couple patients so I could go meet with them. Did you know they were here?"

Bo shook her head, "Betsy and Stephen figured it out from some things Kenzi said at my practice dinner."

Lauren smiled, "So I guess you didn't have to learn all of those manners after all if these guys leave."

Bo grinned, "Your mom had separated us, apparently, but now it's a family table so no one will care if I use the wrong fork or slurp my soup from the bowl."

"Patrick is waving to me. I guess we're going to go learn a little about our uninvited guests."

"Good luck. I'll be outside trying not to cringe at my mistakes in the race. Hopefully Kurt won't call me out in front of the entire crowd when he sees some of the crap I pulled."

"Just remind him you were racing on a blown-out knee."

Bo shook her head, "It's the moment that I injured my knee that he's going to have a field day with… my mom too… and Kyle, and LJ… oh, forget it. Maybe I'll just go find our wedding blanket and hide under it."

Lauren laughed, "You'll do no such thing. You kicked butt and none of those people are five-time consecutive race champions, so hold that ace in the hole."

"True. Thank you."

Lauren leaned in, giving Bo a peck on the lips before heading off towards Patrick. Bo watched her walk away, shaking her head,

"I really love that dress, but it will be even nicer when I get you out of it."

Bo headed for the door, but was stopped by William McFarland, "Hey there, Bo. How are you?"

"I'm great, Doc. How are you? Ready for tomorrow?"

He looked at his watch, "Well, according to my watch, if you eat anything right now, we'll have to push back the surgery."

Bo sighed, "Oh, crap. I forgot that twelve-hour thing. I'm starving!"

He nodded, "That's what I thought. You lost quite a bit of weight during the race. I'm thinking we postpone the surgery until Monday. What do you think?"

Bo did some quick math in her head, wondering when she would be back on her feet and then nodded,

"I guess that will work out. I'll let Kyle and LJ know – I just have to make sure they can cover the store and kennel. Maybe we'll start breeding tomorrow or Saturday then."

"I'm not sure what that means, but okay. Same time Monday then unless Lauren calls me?"

"Sounds good, Doc," Bo said, sending a text off to Lauren.

"Great and congratulations, Bo."

"Thank you, William!"

They parted ways, Bo heading for the outside. While she and Lauren had been focused on each other, she hadn't noticed, but now that she stood in the middle of the ballroom, she noticed there were people on the dance floor, people standing at the high-top tables with drinks and, in general, people everywhere.

The walls were closing in. She quickly made a beeline for the door, but suddenly, Cap was in front of her,

"Bo! Congratulations! I hope you and the Doc will be very happy!"

Bo smiled, nodding, "Thanks, Cap."

She continued forward, eyeing her goal but was again stopped by Hale,

"Bo! My girl! Congrats to you and the Doc. I hope you'll be very happy. You know, Dyson is on his way back with Ciara and the kids, so…"

Bo was struggling to listen, struggling to breathe, struggling to see until she felt two strong hands grab her shoulders. She took one step, then two, her pace quickening as she was literally pulled to the door until she felt the wind on her face.

She took a breath and felt the cold rush of air enter her lungs. Life. Smell. Air. The feel of a thin layer of snow beneath her feet. She looked left, then right… people… everywhere… crowded…

"Bo? Come back, Bo. Do you hear me?"

Bo tried to focus, her vision was blurry, then slowly, a face came into focus. Two faces.

"Shannie?"

A smile, relief.

"Lynnie?"

Another smile, words… "What did you say?"

"I said are you okay, Bo?"

It took a minute to figure out the question. She shook her head,

"Walls… roof… closing in…"

Shannie nodded, "You're outside now, Bo. Breathe. Just breathe."

She turned to Lynnie, "Find Anna or Faith. I'm going to take her over to that table."

Lynnie rushed off and Shannon took Bo's arm, leading her to an isolated table away from the crowd. She sat down beside her,

"Breathe, Bo. In… out. Deep breaths."

"Too… many… people…" Bo said, trying to take a deep breath as her eyes scanned left and right.

"Up, Bo. Look up," Shannie said, tilting her head to the sky.

Bo took a deep breath in, looking up at the sky, "Stars."

"That's right, Bo. There's stars. Now exhale that breath."

Bo breathed out, taking another breath in, "Beautiful night."

Shannie smiled, "Yes it is, Bo. Keep breathing."

"In… out…"

"That's right, Bo. In and out. Keep breathing."

Lynnie arrived at the table with Faith Gray on her arm. She pulled Faith's chair over next to Bo,

"I'm going to go get her some water."

Faith nodded, "In an ice glass, please with just a bite of lemon or lime."

"Be right back," Lynnie said.

"Ysabeau, how are we tonight?" Faith asked, taking Bo's hand. She traced her fingers up and down her forearm gently. Bo looked down, focusing on the sensation,

"That feels nice."

Faith nodded, "Focus on how it feels, Ysabeau. When the fingers go to your elbow, take a deep breath in. When they move to your hand, exhale. Inhale… now exhale."

Shannie watched as Bo's eyes followed Faith's fingers. Her breaths deepening with each lap up and down her arm. Back and forth, complete focus on the task at hand until finally, she looked at the doctor,

"Faith?"

The familiar kind, gentle smile that Bo knew stretched across her mouth, "Yes, Child. How do you feel?"

She smiled, "I married Lauren tonight."

Faith chuckled, "Yes you did. What happened after that?"

"She left me… I was alone… walls closing in…"

"Okay. Look at me now. Lauren didn't leave you. She's talking to some men in suits back in the ballroom. Do you remember who they are?"

Bo nodded, "Suits. Donors. She didn't know why they stayed, so she went to talk to them… with Patrick. She's not allowed to talk to them without Penelope or Patrick. It was Patrick."

Faith nodded, "Good, Child. Now, do you remember what you did after Lauren went to talk to these prospective donors?"

"I… I was coming outside. It was… loud… crowded inside… walls… roof…"

"Okay. Look around you now. What do you see?"

Bo focused, "You. Shannie," Bo smiled, "Hi Shannie."

Lynnie arrived with the water, "Here you go, Bo. Water with lemon."

Bo's eyes were trained on the new arrival as her hand took the glass. She looked down, "Cold. Ice glass."

She smiled, looking back up to see another friendly face, "Lynnie."

"Hi Bo. How are you?"

"A little… lightheaded. Where…" Bo looked up to see the night sky, "Stars… no snow falling…"

She looked back down, "Trees are green. Did the snow melt?"

Faith shook her head, "Only off the trees… just today."

Bo nodded, "It's March. Spring is coming soon. One more snow."

"That's usually the way of it, yes," Faith nodded, "Do you know where you are, Ysabeau?"

Bo looked left, seeing the train cars, then turned and looked behind her, "Kenzi. We're at Kenzi's hotel. Why are we… the wedding… I'm married! I married Lauren!"

A big smile stretched across Bo's face, "Where's my bride?"

Lynnie placed a hand on Bo's, "She'll be out just as soon as Penelope can pull her away from her meeting."

"With the donors," Bo said, "I remember."

"That's good, Ysabeau," Faith smiled, "Who are you seated with right now?"

Bo smiled, "Shannie… Lynnie… Faith…"

She stared at the older woman, slowly shaking her head, "Faith?"

"Yes, Ysabeau."

"Faith. Shannie? Lynnie? What happened?"

Faith smiled, "There you are."

Bo looked around, "Um… I was heading out to the bar to help my mom. What the hell happened?"

"Lynnie and I were behind you when you made a beeline for the door. You were white as a sheet. Cap stopped you, then we got stopped, then Hale stopped you and your legs got pretty wobbly, so Shannon got a grip on you and walked you to the exit while I cleared a path. We didn't want to have to carry you when you were out cold."

Bo shook her head, "Well, that's embarrassing. Thanks."

Shannie smiled, "No problem. I love collecting IOU's from you, Bo."

The brunette smirked, shaking her head, "I'm not helping you clean your kennels again. If you clean up the poop every day, you won't have to burn all the hay."

"Actually, I busted my sled again."

"Geezus, Shannie! If I didn't know it was too heavy for the dogs, I'd make you a sled out of steel."

"I know, I know! I just… I got flipped and hit a big rock. My runner cracked. I duct taped it to get home, but it's a mess. At least I held onto the sled."

Bo laughed, "At least there's that," she turned to Faith, "What happened to me?"

"You said the walls were closing in," Shannie explained.

Faith nodded, "Have you slept inside since the race?"

"For a few hours at a time," she lowered her eyes, "Lauren doesn't know. I sneak out onto the roof and then come back in before she's awake. I make it through breakfast fine and then head out to take care of the dogs. I've got plenty to do outside, so it's not a problem during the day."

Faith shook her head, "You're giving into the need to be outside, Ysabeau. You have to start your intervals again."

Bo nodded, "I know. I know. I just… I thought I was good, you know? A little at a time."

Faith sighed, "Ysabeau…"

"I know."

"Okay," Faith said, "Well, you were inside that ballroom for some time, so stay outside for a while, help your mom and then you'll have to talk to Lauren about dinner if you aren't going to be able to eat at the table."

Bo shook her head, "I'll be fine. I'll focus on Lauren and the food on my plate. When I focus on Lauren, I'm fine."

"That's strange. You just said you only sleep for about three hours."

Bo nodded, "Well, I do and then I wake up and I stare up at the stars in the window or I look at Lauren. But eventually… I mean… have you seen my wife? She's hot, so… I mean, I can only stare at her for so long until I kind of want to wake her up, but I know she needs to sleep, so I just go outside so I'll leave her alone."

Faith shook her head, "You're married now, Bo. Are you really going to start your marriage on a lie?"

"A lie of omission. There's a difference."

"What omission?" Lauren asked, as she came to the table, "Penelope said you needed to see me?"

Shannie and Lynnie stood, "We'll leave you to talk. Congratulations – both of you."

Lauren nodded, "Thank you."

She sat, looking to Faith, "It would seem that Bo did not want to worry you, so she omitted a small problem she's having. Shannon just helped her from the ballroom. It seems the walls were closing in when you left her side."

Faith stood, "May the Spirits bless you both and your marriage. I couldn't be happier for you. But I would remind you on this day that what drew you to each other was the fact that you could each be completely yourselves with the other. There was nothing you didn't share. Remember that and I believe the Spirits will bless you with a long, happy eternity together."

She kissed each woman on the top of their head and then headed off to join the party. Lauren turned to Bo,

"I've known you were sleeping out on the roof since we got back from the race."

"You did?"

Lauren smiled, "Contrary to popular belief, love is not always blind – particularly when I roll over at night and the sheets on your side of the bed are cold."

"And you didn't ask? You just let me?"

"I figured you wanted to work through it on your own and that you would ask me if you wanted my help."

Bo nodded, her eyes brimming with tears, "I was embarrassed. I think I need your help."

Lauren smiled, taking Bo's hand, "Here I am. Ready to help. Are you hungry?"

"You have no idea."

With a chuckle, Lauren pulled Bo to her feet, "I hear there are a lot of your favorite foods in the first train car. It's open at both ends and in the middle. We can get you fed and then head over to the bar to watch your race."

"Do we have to?"

"You don't want to?"

"I'm dreading seeing the footage of when I hurt myself. I was probably doing something stupid."

Lauren shook her head,

"Nope. Kyle watched the footage and told me you couldn't have avoided it. Something about a rock, the sled runner gave out on that side, the sled tipped and you were thrown into a rock face. You put your leg out to keep the sled upright and your knee smashed right into a sharp outcrop. She said if you hadn't put your leg out, the sled would have flipped and you would have been dragged along the rock face… at best a grade three concussion but more likely, brain damaged for life or worse."

Bo nodded, "Great to know."

"Oh definitely. Loved hearing that. See? No reason for me to sit around and worry."

Bo shook her head, "You still married me."

Lauren smiled, "Yes, I did, Mrs. Dennis. And I wouldn't change that for all the money in the world."

"Speaking of money, what did the uninvited guests have to say for themselves?"

"They were actually quite charming."

"Charming?" Bo asked, "Well, they gave their apologies for my parents method of getting them here, but they were actually intrigued by the idea of how we're building our hospital system. When we explained that we were developing our own lab and manufacturing our own generic drugs to avoid paying pharmaceutical giants like themselves, they were outwardly supportive."

Lauren held up a hand, "Of course, that doesn't mean that they aren't seeing some angle that Patrick and I don't yet see, but they did make a twenty-five thousand dollar free and clear donation."

"Are you sure?"

Lauren smiled, "Oh, definitely. Patrick and Penelope thought it was important to have a form that they sign verifying that fact. We are keeping all of our financials publicly available, so we want to be sure that our community knows that we are not trading favors unless those favors are in our favor."

Standing in the back of the fairly large group who had gathered to watch Bo's footage, the brunette shook her head,

"Do you want to hang around and watch this?"

Lauren smiled, shaking her head, "Kyle gave me a flash drive with the footage on it so I could watch it. She wanted to post it on your company website, but she said you told her that I had to give the okay first."

Bo nodded, "First, it's our company now and I told her that because you're in some of the footage. I wanted to be sure you were okay with it."

"Oh. I see."

"As a doctor – not as my partner."

"You mean wife," Lauren smiled, laying her head on Bo's chest and wrapping her arms around her torso.

Bo grinned, turning her face into Lauren's hair, "You smell wonderful, Doctor Dennis."

Lauren smiled, "You know, I'm only going to use the hyphenated Lewis-Dennis on official documents. I'm going to be Doctor Dennis around here."

"I thought Stephen wanted you to keep the Lewis part so that professionally…"

"I know, Bo and I will use Lewis as an 'aka' or a 'formerly' when I'm with the people who are looking for Lauren Lewis in written documents or conference programs. But when I'm in person, I can start with introducing myself as Lauren Lewis, newly married Lauren Dennis and add a 'get used to it' as a punchline. I really want the Lewis name gone within a year, Bo. I need it gone or I think I'm going to scream."

Bo smiled, "Well, I was looking forward to proudly using the Lewis. Do you really think it's important to detach from the name? Kyle thought we should change it on our marketing packages, so she was already on the Lewis-Dennis logo… or should I say hiding it – just in case you came around the office."

Lauren nodded, "Keeping secrets already, Mrs. Dennis?"

"Only those that would ruin a happy surprise if shared, Doctor Dennis."

Lauren grinned, "I love that."

Bo smiled, "So do I."

"Well, since we're being honest, there's another reason I don't want to use Lewis."

"Oh?"

Lauren nodded, "Tosh and LJ…"

Bo smiled, "Well, if LJ takes him up on his offer for the name change…"

"Tosh told me… they're either going to use Moore as a sort of shorthand for Morton or they're going to go Dennis. How does your mom feel about it?"

Bo smiled, "He wouldn't have suggested switching to Dennis without her approval. Until she came back, I didn't realize that Dennis hadn't been my name in childhood. She changed it with the village elders just after she discovered Big Jim's plot to have us… eliminated… just before she left."

"So, you were born a Morton?"

Bo nodded, "Hyphenated, actually. I was born Ysabeau Mary Denali-Morton."

"So where did Dennis come from?"

"My mom wanted to go back to her maiden name, Denali, but…"

Lauren nodded, "He would have known to look for that name."

"Exactly, so my four times great grandfather's name was Ivan Inis and my four times great grandmother's maiden name was Moon Denali, so she sort of threw all of the letters together and came up with Dennis. She thought it sounded lower forty-eight enough that no one would think to look for it."

"So how did he find you?"

"He didn't at first. That's how I was able to survive for so long. Eventually, stories traveled west and then south about the girl left alone on the North Slope and how she was trying to find her mom. I heard about her… or me… for the first time when I was in a bar in the northwest. A guy asked if I was her."

Bo flipped up her hands, "I was so shocked that, well, I guess I looked guilty. I left pretty quickly and then headed inland. I took a job with a mining company for a while and got questioned again. From that point on, it was rare that people didn't ask so I guess word spread and he started having me followed. I guess he figured it out for sure once I hit the southwest and started to seek membership in a native community. When I landed in Point Siku…"

"Selene."

Bo nodded, "From there it's all history."

"Hey Bo! Can we drag you away from your new wife long enough to ask some questions?"

Lauren lifted her head, looking at her wife, "Your fans beckon."

Bo laughed, "What can I say? A superstar's work is never done."

Lauren giggled, "Yea, well enjoy it because tomorrow… oh no! You can't eat! The surgery!"

"Check your phone, Sweetie. I sent you a text. William didn't want me to go hungry tonight so he bumped the surgery to Monday if that's okay with you."

"Oh, yes! That's great! We'll have the weekend for a quickie honeymoon at the cottage without having you writhing in agony."

Bo smiled, "Well, we'll have to see what condition the cottage is in at this point. They started demo, but Parth and Path haven't mentioned anything about work being done since."

Lauren shrugged, "Well, at least we'll be able to go see it. Maybe we can access the lower floors. I'd love to do some exploring in the library."

"Well, I was thinking about taking advantage of the weekend and having you go to the new store with me? Maybe you could help me with the layout?" she smiled, "And maybe we can make a few puppies?"

"Really?" Lauren smiled, "I would love to make puppies with you!"

Bo smiled, "Okay then. This weekend we start the process of becoming puppy parents."

"Did you decide on the pairings?"

Bo nodded, "Cassie finished the genetic testing and gave me the favored pairings, so I think we're ready to go."

"Harper?"

Bo nodded, "We'll give it a try, okay? I'm not sure if she'll be interested in any of the males she's paired with. I think they're all sort of beneath her now."

Lauren laughed, "Well, she is the winningest Iditarod Champion of all time now."

"Yes, she is. Maybe we'll put her in a kennel with the five guys on her list and let her pick."

"Won't the dogs fight?"

Bo nodded, "The animal kingdom – survival of the fittest. I think Harper would enjoy seeing them fight over her and we can use pole harnesses to get the dogs out of harms way that are getting pushed out of the running."

"As long as no one gets hurt."

Bo smiled, "No one will get hurt."

"Rudy and Elise will be so excited."

"Are you kidding? My mom is going to be at the front of the line watching every move they make. Honestly, I'd rather Rudy and Elise weren't there for this part."

"Why not?" Lauren asked, "It's the miracle of life?"

Bo laughed, "That would be the birthing part. This part would require you to have a next level sex talk. Are you ready for that Doctor Dennis?"

"I think you're late for your Q&A session," Lauren avoided.

Bo leaned in, kissing Lauren soundly, "We'll have that next level sex talk later."

She left Lauren grinning, her fingers on her lips as she walked to the front of the group. Bo smiled, waving as the crowd applauded her efforts,

"Okay? Other than questions about my ugly crash, fire away – within reason." Bo asked, "Cap?"

"Hey, Bo! I heard you're having surgery? Is that true and will you be back on a sled afterwards?"

Bo nodded, "That nasty crash you saw where I was in the rock face happened because my runner broke. I'm not sure if you could see it or not since I honestly haven't seen the full footage yet. Anyway, there was a nasty gash, and two torn ligaments, so yes, I'm having surgery on Monday. With a little work, I'm expected to have a stronger knee than before, so yes, I should be back on a sled in four to six months. It's a lot longer than I'd planned, but it will get me back just in time to start training again."

Looking over the crowed, she saw a hand go up, "Hey Merv! I didn't realize you would come to see this! Good to see you!"

Merv waved, "Hey, Bo! Good to see the front of you for a change! Seems I'm always behind you lately. I came to watch my humiliation in front of a live audience… and to try to pick up on some of your racing secrets… but I got nothing other than damn your good, woman!"

The crowd and Bo laughed as Merv asked his question,

"So does that surgery mean I have a chance next year?"

Bo laughed, "A man can dream, Merv. A man can dream."

Merv smiled, "I'll do that, Bo."

Pausing for a moment, she called out to Merv, "Hey Merv, as long as you're in town, bring your team by the kennel tomorrow, okay?"

He hesitated, but saw that she was nodding. A grin stretched across his face, "Matt and I are going up in the chopper in the morning, so I'll pop by in the afternoon sometime."

"Great! See you then."

Bo looked up to see Poppy waving her hand enthusiastically, "Poppy! How's the big sister?"

"I'm good, Bo! My new baby sister has a "P" name! It's Paxtyn!"

"That's great, Poppy! Do you have a question for me?"

Poppy nodded and smiled, "Is Hopper okay?"

Bo smiled, "Harper is fine, Poppy. Thank you for asking. She just got pretty tired, so we gave her a break."

"Okay. She's my favorite."

"Mine too, but don't tell my other dogs!"

"I won't, Bo!"

"Thanks, Poppy!" she eyed Poppy's dad, "Carter, we'll be at the kennel all weekend if you want to bring the family by for a visit."

"That might be a great activity to get the kids out of the house, Bo. Shawna can use the break! Thanks for the invite."

Bo nodded, moving on to the next question and the next. The group kept her busy for another fifteen minutes before Mary asked the crowd to head to another activity so a new group could view the race footage and ask questions.

Bo settled in behind the bar, having casual conversation and signing a few autographs as she poured drinks. It was nice to have the large brick counter between her and the people. She had her own safe zone and it helped to keep her social anxieties at bay. She hadn't been to a community event like this since she was a young child. Frankly, she never thought she would in this town since she had been at odds with the community until recently. She found herself relaxing, her steel exterior dropping just a bit the more she talked to the guests.

Eventually, Kenzi came out to check on her during the second showing of the race footage. The bar had only an occasional customer since most were glued to the screen.

"Uh, BoBo, the tip jar has to be emptied. Call me when it's overflowing like this and I'll clean it out."

"What jar?"

Kenzi nodded to the large fishbowl to Bo's right, "That and the box that someone put up there for you."

Pouring the fishbowl into the box, she started to fold in the ends, but stopped, "Holy tip jar, Batman! BoBo, you've got hundred-dollar bills in here!"

Bo laughed, "Everybody got their government checks."

Kenzi shrugged, "Well, better donating the money than blowing it on booze and casinos, I guess."

"I don't understand why people would tip so much."

"Uh… this is a charity event? They're supporting you and Lauren, they're supporting their championship team and they're supporting the hospital. I think the whole wedding vibe changes the spirit of the occasion as well. I mean, we blew a lot of money on this shindig, so hopefully the donations help us to break even."

"I thought we weren't going to pay the gala bill."

"We're not… well, not Elizabeth's. That will just be tossed into the rest of their debt, but we still had to pay the costs for the company that Liz screwed. Plus, when Stephen added in this Alaska Experience, the costs really went up."

"I don't expect you to donate the food, Kenzi."

"Oh, I know you don't and I really can't. I mean, the renovations to the train cars are costing me most of my savings. I'm hoping I'm doing the right thing by adding them to the property. A bunch of empty train suites would suck."

"Kenzi, you're always booked through tourist season. You turn people away every year and while it's really nice of you to send your fellow hotel owners your overflow, it couldn't hurt you to keep the business. Besides, train car hotel rooms will be a novelty people will want to enjoy. Plus, no stairs, no noisy neighbors doing the nasty next door… there are lots of perks to consider.

"That is all true, BoBo, but the restaurant will have to be expanded as well."

Bo shook her head, "Just open up half of the ballroom. I can put in folding doors that can separate it into what… three or four different rooms?"

"And if you do that, I can host conferences here. We could be the new medical conference destination town," Lauren said, walking up to Bo and slipping an arm around her waist.

Kenzi rolled her eyes, "Great. More stuck up faces in my hotel."

Lauren smiled, "You just admitted that you love my stuck-up face."

"Yours, yes! A hundred others crammed into my ballroom, I'm not sure I can handle!"

Lauren shrugged, "But they'll tip really well and they'll stay all weekend – probably in the big suites you've put in the new train cars. You have to charge more for those, Kenzi. They're private and room service will require the wait staff to come outside to serve them. You can also add some other amenities to them that the indoor rooms don't have."

"You saw the new train cars?"

Lauren put a finger over her lips, "Shhh… I wanted to check one out. It's our honeymoon weekend. Do you have one available? Maybe you could be the only one who knew where we were?"

Bo frowned, "I thought you wanted to stay at the cottage?"

Lauren shrugged, "I saw Slate. He said the floors are being done this weekend, so the lower levels will be inaccessible."

"Oh," Bo said, disappointed.

"But, I thought that since we're starting with the dogs, it might be a good idea for us to stay in town through Tuesday."

"Tuesday?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "You'll be close to the hospital while I continue catching up at work, Kenzi can bring you food, I can send Shannie, Lynnie or Kelly to check on you throughout the day and I'll be able to spend more time with you instead of more time on the trail home."

Kenzi nodded, "She's got a point, BoBo."

Lauren nodded, "I do and you might even feel up to going over to the kennel on Monday and Tuesday before we head home."

"What about mom and Rudy?"

Lauren shrugged, "They're going to have to get used to us not being at The Homestead eventually, so they would have a weekend alone before we're back."

Bo nodded, heaving a sigh, "It's going to be weird not having Rudy under the same roof."

"I know, but you're going to start building that fenced in trail to our house as soon as you're back on your feet, right?"

"Well, until I'm back on my feet, that might have to wait. I can't very well dig fence posts into permafrost while I'm on crutches."

Lauren nodded, "Well, talk to your mom and then let Kenzi know so that she can get a room ready for us if it's what you want. We'll have to go home tonight to get bags for the long stay anyway."

"Hey, Bo! Can I get two Dark Mesmer's from the tap?"

Bo nodded, as Lauren and Kenzi took a step back, talking about their possible weekend stay while Bo replied to the familiar customer,

"Sure thing, Rain. How's Reesa?"

He smiled, "Getting big. One more month until the new arrival."

"I haven't been around much, because of training, but I heard she was pregnant. I didn't realize she was due so soon. Is everything ready at the house?" Bo asked, not really sure what her question actually meant, but she'd heard people ask that question of pregnant couples, so figured it was appropriate.

"The nursery is painted and I'm just working on putting the crib together. I swear the damn directions are in Greek cause things just don't seem to fit right."

Bo smiled, now understanding the question, "I'm sure you'll get it right."

Rain smiled, handing Bo the money for the beers, "Keep the change. I heard you bought the property on the corner across from the General Store. Expanding the kennel?"

Bo shook her head, "Nah. We've got plenty of land behind the kennel to expand when the time comes. I also have more land back home to hold dogs there if I get desperate. I'm actually making that property into a showroom for my furniture. The two barns out back will be my workshops. Molly and Mark are selling a lot of pieces and they really don't have the space to stock my work, so for now, I'm going to use a showroom where people can make pieces to order."

"I don't suppose you have any cribs built," he laughed.

"Sorry, Rain. No such luck."

"Well, we bought one of your rockers for the nursery. The wife says the wood fits her butt perfectly. She says it feels like home whatever that means."

Bo smiled, "I've heard that. The process I use to cure the wood just makes it really smooth. It was passed down from my mom's family for generations. I burn the wood to make it stronger before I mold it."

"I'd love to come and see you work at your shop. Will that be something people can do?"

Bo grinned, "You're welcome any time, Rain. I don't know if I'll actually open my workshop to the public – I mean, there's a lot of tools that people could get hurt on, but I trust you to know the dangers."

He nodded, taking a sip of his beer, "I've worked with your company for eight years now. I know your safety speech by heart. You know, we bought two of your Adirondack chairs for our porch, too. The wife wants four more to put around the firepit out back too, but I told her that would have to wait until after the baby comes."

Bo smiled, "Well, let's make a deal. You come by the workshop once I have it set up, we'll build six more chairs together. I'll throw in the two extra as a baby gift."

"Really?"

"Sure thing, Rain. As long as you don't steal my design or open a competing store," she smiled.

"Oh, I can't do what you do, Bo. I can run a saw and make boards, build frames and do roofing, but I'm not a wood crafter. What you do is art. I still remember when I came out to help you install the roof and solar panels on your house – that peek I got of the railing to your loft was just ridiculous. I mean carving those decorative spindles out of a solid piece of wood was just… well, incredible."

"Thanks, Rain. I truly appreciate it. Are you on the cottage project?"

He shook his head, "I'm on that house down in Point Siku."

Bo nodded, "The boys just called me about that one. You're back to work on that this Monday."

"Great. Thanks for the heads up. Gotta rack up those hours with the baby coming."

Bo scowled, "Aren't you salaried by now?"

He shook his head, "Not until Troop Windam retires."

"I thought he retired after he fell off that damn roof?"

Rain shrugged, "The Doc cleared him to go back up. He can't drywall for shit, and he doesn't have the strength to put up framing anymore."

Bo nodded, "Between us, do you know anything about his financial situation?"

"He's got no money problems if that's what you're asking. He banks his state checks. His house, his truck, his tools – everything is paid for. He's got food storage packed to the ceiling thanks to his wife… I mean, that will run out eventually, but the man fishes like a demon. Every night he goes fishing. He even brings frozen fish back for all of us to the job site."

"He's fifty-five years old and climbing roofs after a broken back? Why in the world is he still working on a roof? I mean, counter tops, finishing work, flooring, cabinetry. He's got wood skills."

Rain leaned in, "Honestly, Bo, I think that since his wife died, he doesn't really have anything else. Some of the guys think he has all that frozen fish because he doesn't want to throw away what she stocked. Anyway, they had plans to use all that money to travel and now he doesn't have anyone to travel with."

Bo nodded, "He was always talking about dusting off one of his fancy planes or jumping on one of those big cruise ships and taking off for an island with palm trees. Remember that?"

"You heard?"

Bo smiled, "I may not have talked much, but I listened to you guys on every job, Rain," she chuckled, "There was some hot gossip. Who was dating who, how to get out of the dog house with a wife, best recipe for cooking steak on a grill… I learned a lot. Do you know anything about his planes?"

He shook his head, "I just know they're those long-distance small jet types."

"Really?" Bo asked, knowing the price tags on those planes were astronomical.

He shrugged, "You paid him well all these years, Bo. The years before you, he had plenty of work so while he didn't make as much per hour, he was younger and worked fast so he worked more hours in a day."

Bo nodded, "He always bragged about how little money he spent each month."

Rain smiled, "His biggest expense was gas for his truck. Everything else was solar. The river down at his place is like a fisherman's lottery and he takes a deer or two every year."

"I heard he used to be a crabber," Bo said, though Rain knew she was fishing for information now.

"Yea. One of those big commercial jobs. He pulled in about sixty-five grand per season, so subtract all the money he didn't need, and I guess his bank accounts swelled up quick."

Bo smiled, "Bank accounts tend to do that when subsistence is your way of life."

"That's how you got your wealth, huh?"

She shrugged, "I lived on the run for a lot of years before I came here, so I never had a reason to spend it."

Of course, she decided Rain didn't need to know that she'd sent her checks to Judge Payne, asking him to donate them to whoever needed them so she didn't have to carry checks that would just expire or cash that would be extra weight or reason for someone to attack her.

He laughed, "I've never seen you like this… kind of after-hours-Bo."

She shrugged, "Well, life has become less complicated, so I feel… better."

He nodded, hesitating before he spoke, "Well, since we're having this sort of personal chat, I'd just like to say – I'm sorry if I ever treated you like you weren't welcome. I mean, when I got thrown in jail after that bar brawl, no one wanted to give me a chance, but you did."

Bo shrugged, "I knew what you were going through."

Rain nodded, "I know, but none of us were really kind to you. So many of us guys… and the women too… you built a company of people that… well, it's just really nice to go to work. You pay us well, you take care of us when we get hurt and you keep the jobs coming. People that I work with are good workers who don't mess with anyone. There's none of that trash talkin' bullshit that I had on so many other jobs, so thanks, Bo. I'm glad I took a chance with you and that you took a chance on me. Just… thanks."

Bo smiled, "You're welcome. Look Rain, I may have another position for Troop. Don't say anything, please, but if he'll accept it, Path and Slate could get you on salary which would allow you to pick your job site to suit your schedule when the baby comes."

"That would be a huge help, Bo. The commute to Point Siku isn't an easy one from up here."

Bo nodded, "I know. I used to do it."

"I know and I appreciate it. Thank you again."

Bo smiled, "Well, I'll see you at my shop one of these days. Good luck when the baby comes."

"Thanks, Bo. Good luck with your surgery."

Bo nodded as he picked up his beers and headed over to a table with some of the other guys from her company. She smiled, knowing that she might be able to help one of her eldest employees. The man had skills she could use at her furniture store and with his back injury, he really shouldn't be on a roof – she didn't care what some doctor said. She understood that most men his age weren't retired, so maybe his pride was keeping him on the job. Bo hoped he wouldn't think she was demoting him. She really could use him and there was that special order piece that Path and Slate needed. Now, she just needed to figure out how to approach him.

She turned to Lauren and Kenzi, disappointed to see that Lauren was gone, but Kenzi was now sitting on the stool behind the bar watching the movie,

"Hey Kenz? Do you know where my mom is?"

Kenzi nodded, "She moved to the axe throwing to help Molly since you were back.

"Oh. Okay. Hey – you know Troop Windam, right?"

The young woman nodded, "Native dude, lots of salt and peppery hair, sexy beard."

"Sexy?" Bo asked.

Kenzi shrugged, "I mean, I'm not going to go dumping Hale for the geriatric type…"

"He's not geriatric, Kenzi. He's my mom's age."

"Whatevs. I'm sticking with Hale, but the man's got game. He's polite, kind, he doesn't yell, he's got that super deep kind of raspy voice and he looks like a sea captain without the boat."

"He's got a dinghy docked behind his house. Fishes every day," Bo argued.

"No straight woman wants to hear that a man's got a dinghy."

Bo shook her head, "I did not need to hear that. Do you remember when he broke his back?"

"Falling off the roof of some house you were building."

"Yup. Apparently, a doctor cleared him to go back up on roof tops."

"I know. He was helping with the train renovations. Did all of them. Just climbed from one roof to the next," Kenzi said casually, unwilling to move her eyes from the screen, "I think your crash is coming up soon, BoBo."

Bo sighed, ignoring Kenzi's last statement, "Well, at least the boys are keeping him on low roofs."

"Yea, but he still got crap from the foreman for not wearing his harness."

"Really?" Bo asked.

"Yup. Twice that I heard when I was out here. I gave him crap after the second time because he was on my property."

"Did he put it on after that?"

"He did that time. Not sure after that because most days I was out there after they finished. I had breakfast and lunch crowds to serve."

"Well, at least I've got two violations I can use."

"Are you going to fire his ass?" Kenzi asked.

"Actually, I'm going to ask him to help with another aspect of the business… one where both feet are firmly on the ground. I've just got to talk to Path and Slate, then talk to my mom."

Bo smiled as a woman stepped up to the bar, "Hello. What can I get you?"

"I've heard there's a traditional Alaskan drink that resembles a martini?"

Bo nodded, "The Alaskan. Would you like to try it?"

"Yes, please," the woman nodded, placing a twenty-dollar bill directly in Bo's hand, her fingers lingering on her wrist.

Bo scowled, handing Kenzi the money, "Can you get the woman's change, please?"

"No change necessary, Miss. Can you tell me where a woman can find a place to lay her head tonight?" she asked, eyeing Bo's well-covered breasts, "I love your bow tie."

She winked at Bo, but the brunette turned to Kenzi, "The woman needs a place to lay her head, Kenz. I know you're full but maybe Shirley has room down in Anchorage?"

Kenzi was enjoying watching her friend squirm, but she also knew this woman would spell trouble for half the women or men in town if she stayed here. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was too late.

The woman smiled at Bo, "And do you live in Anchorage?"

Bo shook her head, placing the drink on a sleeve and sliding it to her,

"No Ma'am. That's an ice glass, so keep your glove on to drink. Otherwise, you'll burn your skin on the ice."

"Well, isn't that sweet of you to look out for my very skilled fingers. Perhaps you have an extra room at your place?"

Bo turned, closing up the three containers she had combined for the bitters. She turned back around, a smile stretching across her face when she saw Lauren leaning on the end of the bar, holding back her laughter. Bo walked to her, kissing her cheek before whispering,

"Not helpful."

Lauren whispered back, "Well, I won't always be around to help you when beautiful wealthy women hit on you. Let's practice, shall we? It's really quite simple. You ask, 'are you hitting on me' and if she confirms your suspicion, you simply say, 'I'm flattered, but I'm happily married to the most beautiful woman on earth and while you may be attractive, I crave her more than food… and I always crave food'… or something like that."

Bo grinned, pulling back to look at the blonde, "I have a better idea."

She lifted Lauren from the stool and dipped her beneath the bar. She traced Lauren's lips with her tongue before kissing her deeply. When she felt the blonde go limp in her arms, she released her lips and stood her back up, holding on to her for support.

She turned to Kenzi, "I've got a Q&A to do. Will you sit here with my wife until I'm finished?"

Kenzi smirked, "Of course, Mrs. Dennis."

She turned to the woman at the bar, "If you'll excuse me?"

Kenzi managed to hold back her laughter at the sight of the woman watching Bo walk away, mouth open. When Kenzi turned to see the look on Lauren's face from Bo's kiss, she shook her head and handed her an ice glass, filling it with wine,

"Easy there, Doc. You don't want to give yourself an aneurysm. Drink."

The younger woman turned to the guest, "Ask around for a woman named Shirley. She owns a hotel and bar in Anchorage. I think her bar will be exactly what you're looking for this evening."

Lauren nodded, "Exactly."

The woman looked at Lauren, studying her carefully before she propped the elbow of the arm holding her glass up on the bar. Looking over the rim, she asked,

"Are you the doctor?"

"Excuse me?"

"The doctor. Doctor Lauren Lewis?"

The blonde stood from the stool, "Doctor Dennis. Yes."

"I'm Patricia, Patricia Ross."

"I'm sorry. I don't believe you were on the guest list."

The woman shook her head, "I was invited by Franklin. We're… acquainted."

Lauren stepped around the bar, "Acquainted how?"

She grinned, "I'm his new business partner."

Kenzi laughed out loud but pulled herself together when she saw the look on Lauren's face. The hotel owner walked to Lauren,

"I'll leave you two alone."

Lauren whispered back, "Find Penelope and Patrick. Now."

Kenzi hurried off, leaving the two alone at the bar.

"I'm afraid my parents were… called away earlier this evening."

"My plane was delayed due to weather. Do you happen to know where they're staying?"

"In town, but they're unavailable."

Patrick and Penelope came to stand at the bar, Patrick raising his hand,

"Can I get a Mesmer Light?"

Penelope nodded, "I'll have the same."

Lauren stepped behind the bar and began pouring the drinks.

"So, you're a surgeon and a bartender?"

The blonde smirked, "I'm a woman of many talents."

"So, you mentioned your parents were unavailable. I was told to meet Franklin here. Are you saying he's not coming?"

"Yes."

"Are you involved with the sale of the hospital we're purchasing?"

"To the best of my knowledge, there is no hospital for sale here."

"And do you know about all of the hospitals that are for sale in Alaska?"

Lauren shook her head, "I only know of the one where I work."

Stephen and Betsy arrived at the bar, followed by Lynnie, Shannie and Tamsin. The ranks were falling in and Lauren was grateful, but she needed more information.

"Well, as an employee of a hospital, I'm sure you are not privy to all of their financial dealings."

Lauren nodded to Penelope, "This is Penelope Stackhouse. She is the head of the financial department at the hospital. She may know more about any potential sale of Talkeetna General Hospital."

The woman turned to Penelope, pulling a set of documents from her handbag, "I have these agreements of sale."

Lauren's blood ran cold as she looked up at Stephen. He shook his head, an easy smile stretching across his face. She turned back to Penelope who was paging through the documents,

"These signatures are forged."

"Excuse me?" the woman asked.

"Do you need me to spell it out? The signatures are forged."

The woman laughed, "Miss, I paid two point five million dollars for this hospital. Those documents are most certainly not forged."

Tamsin stepped forward, asking Penelope for the documents, but the woman snatched them away,

"And who, pray-tell are you?"

Tamsin reached beneath her coat, slipping her hand into the slit of her dress and produced her badge,

"Agent Sorenson, FBI. This is Patrick Lloyd, Legal Council for Talkeenta General Hospital and its owners, Doctor Lauren Dennis and Doctor Stephen Archer. This is the President of the Hospital Board, Ms. Betsy Carnegie."

They all stood, offering only a nod and a smile as Tamsin spoke to the woman,

"Earlier today, Franklin and Elizabeth Lewis were taken into custody by Sheriff Dyson Thornwood. They are being held in the local jail until such time a flight is cleared to fly them back to Boston where they will stand before a judge on charges of forgery, federal cybercrimes, embezzlement, and other charges yet to be disclosed."

"What?"

Tamsin began to repeat her answer, but the woman stopped her, "Are you saying that I'm out millions of dollars?"

Tamsin shrugged, "I'm saying that I don't know where your money is, but if you'd like, I can call Sheriff Thornwood over and he can take you to visit Franklin and Elizabeth Lewis so that you can ask them directly where your money might be."

Penelope spoke, "Consequently, your money and those documents will be evidence until such time that this unfortunate situation can be squared… if you have any hope of getting your money back."

Tamsin held out her hand and the woman handed over the documents, but Patrick intercepted them,

"Do you have copies of these?" Patrick asked.

She shook her head, "No. I only have the one copy."

"Well, I'm not your counsel, so you can do what you wish, but I would advise you to get six copies of these documents before you hand them over to the federal agent."

Tamsin gave the woman a wink. She hesitated, but took them back, "Is there anything else I should know?"

Stephen nodded, "Never trust a rich person unless you research their holdings first."

"But he's Franklin Lewis!" she said.

Lauren sighed, "My parents are broke. They came here to try to manipulate me into helping them out of debt. They embezzled funds from my personal accounts and our corporation. I didn't know what their angle was… until now. I'm sorry they used you."

"Well, pay me back!"

"Excuse me?" Lauren asked.

"They're your parents! Your responsibility! Pay me back if you're not going to sell me your hospital!"

Patrick shook his head, "Ma'am, that's not the way it works. Doctor Dennis has no connection to her family business and they have no connection to her… they haven't for ten years or more."

"This will ruin me!" she exclaimed, heaving a heavy sigh.

Penelope shook her head, "Tamsin, can you step away, please?"

"Uh… no."

Patrick shook his head, "Oh for crying out loud. Lady, give me a dollar."

"What?"

"Give me a dollar! Just do it!"

She reached into her bag and began rooting around for her wallet, but Lauren reached into the tip jar and handed her a twenty,

"Here. Give him this."

The woman looked at Lauren, "Thank you."

She handed it to Patrick who smiled at Tamsin, "She's just hired me as temporary counsel and I wish to speak to her without you present."

"Fine. I'm going to go find Dyson."

"Yes, please. Thank you," Patrick smiled, turning to the woman.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Patricia. Patricia Ross."

"Hello Patricia. We'll have to make this quick," he turned to Lauren, "Doctor Dennis and Doctor Archer filed suit against Lewis Enterprises earlier today…"

She turned to Lauren, "You're suing your own parents?"

"They're not my parents and they embezzled over a million dollars from me."

"So far… that we know of… probably more," Penelope added with a shrug, "Sorry, but it's the truth. Forensic accounting takes time, Lauren. You know the drill."

Patricia shook her head, her hands on her temples, "Wait - they're not your parents? And… are you fucking kidding me?"

Lauren shook her head, "Biologically, yes they're my parents but I separated from them over a decade ago. And sadly, no I'm not fucking kidding you and that money is needed for this hospital."

"Franklin told me the hospital was in financial trouble because the owners were unwilling to accept donations. Not true?"

Lauren turned to Penelope who answered,

"Tonight's event is a fundraiser for three projects we have going on at the hospital. If we don't raise enough money, Doctor Lewis had planned to use her own funds and recoup the project costs down the road. Without that money, she will be dipping deeply into her own personal funds just as you did, but she doesn't have a problem doing that if necessary, therefore, no – the hospital is not in financial trouble."

"Well, I can certainly get you donors," Patricia said, "Hundreds of donors."

Penelope shook her head, "The donations are conditional. The philosophy of this hospital is to take true donations…"

"Free and clear?"

"Absolutely," Penelope nodded, "So unless you have the altruistic, charitable-type, no kickbacks, no go-to-the-front-of-the-organ-donation list donor, we're not interested. We seek donations that don't come with an obligation for our hospitals to use products, buy products, push products or sell products. No guaranteed contracts and no guaranteed position on the board. No percentage ownership…"

"Okay, okay. I get it. Legally defined charitable donation donors."

Penelope smiled, "Yes. Lewis-Archer Enterprises is running a hospital for patients – the kind that doesn't inflate prices to meet the demands of wealthy donors."

"Lewis-Archer? So, the Dennis?"

Lauren nodded, "My wife's name as of tonight. The name change to Dennis-Archer is in the works."

"Yea, well I'd lose the Lewis part real quick," Patricia said, rolling her eyes and taking a long swig of her drink… to the bottom of the glass, "Another please?"

Lauren sighed, "Unfortunately, that will take time since it's directly linked to my worth as a surgeon."

"Right. I did some reading. You're a wanted woman, Doctor Lewis."

"Not Lewis. Dennis."

"Yes, of course. The brunette. I'm very sorry that I…"

"It's okay. I understand. She's… difficult to resist," Lauren smiled.

"You're a lucky woman," Patricia nodded, "So, this donor thing… does that mean… ohmygod - you're taking on big pharma!"

Lauren shrugged, "In our own small way, I suppose. There are many hospitals around the world. They don't need us, so we don't impact them at all. We are, however, building our own lab to make our own drugs."

"You know, my mother died last year and my brother ended up in an Emergency Room ICU. They were both diabetics and neither could afford their insulin. They were taking less to make it last longer."

"Why didn't they ask you for the money?" Lauren asked.

Patricia smiled, "My money came from a lawsuit. I worked in data entry at an insurance company. My aunt died because they wouldn't approve a breast cancer treatment that could have saved her life. She didn't have the right insurance."

Lauren shook her head, "I'm so sorry."

"Franklin didn't know why I wanted to buy a hospital."

Lauren smiled, "You wanted to…"

"…do what you're doing."

Lauren turned to Penelope and Patrick, "So, how do we help her?"

"Do you have attorneys back home?" Patrick asked.

She nodded, "The same ones that helped me win my mom's case."

"Perfect," Patrick said, "If you give me their card, I'll do what I can to help them with this. We have information that their side will probably not share willingly."

"You'll help me?" Patricia asked.

Patrick nodded, "Penelope and I will do our research. If you're on the up and up, yes, we'll help you."

Penelope nodded, "When they sell off their assets, the money remaining should be enough to settle all of their debts. They won't need cash where they're going."

Patricia turned to Lauren, "And you're okay with this?"

Lauren shrugged, "I have to be. They're my parents, but they're not good people."

"I see."

Patricia opened her phone, pulling up an obituary and turning it to the group,

"This is my mother. A beautiful woman. She was a very good person. She put my brother, two sisters and I all through college. I was a finance major. When I got out, there weren't many jobs so I took what I could get because I wanted to use the degree she paid for."

"Oh? And what did you want to do?" Lauren asked.

Patricia smiled, "I wanted to be a travel writer. Go to exotic places and tell everyone what I found there. All the best places to eat, the best places to stay, all about the locals and the culture… you know, a real insider look – not travel for the rich and famous, but the best for people like me. I wanted to prove that you didn't have to be rich to see the world."

The look on the woman's face changed completely in Lauren's eyes. She was passionate about her dream job and it reminded her of Rudy on a sled, Elise with a newborn puppy, Bo building chairs, Mary mixing medicines and her… in a trauma room saving a life against all odds.

"You should do that," Lauren said.

"What?"

"Be a travel writer. It's clearly something you're passionate about."

Patricia shrugged, "I have to do this… for my family. It's not right. What they're doing to people is not right."

Lauren smiled, "Yes, but the beauty of this fight is that you can do it from anywhere. Create a blog or vlog and do what you love. Once you gain enough followers, your travel will pay for itself and then some. That's when you start to engage people about the causes you are passionate about. Trust me – when you travel, you'll find there are problems to be passionate about all over the globe."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience."

Lauren nodded, "A little bit, yes."

"Maybe I'll write my first blog about Talkeetna, Alaska," Patricia smiled.

Kenzi stuck her head between Patricia and Lauren, waving her hand,

"The Talkeetna Hotel, Bar and Restaurant is a great place to stay. We have newly renovated antique train cars that serve as suites for honeymooners, families, couples or travel writers. We don't have any rooms available right now, but…"

"Kenzi, why not let Patricia stay in one of the newly renovated train cars tonight? I know they're not open tonight, but they're finished except for paint, right?"

Kenzi looked at Lauren, nodding before her eyes moved to Patricia's,

"If you don't mind drywall, I could put you up here tonight, free of charge. The party shouldn't go too late."

Penelope smiled, "Well, as it turns out, we have two vacant seats at the table of the other donors that were invited by Franklin and Elizabeth Lewis."

Patrick smiled, "Perhaps you could sit with them and compare notes? I'm sure you'll recognize one of the donors they brought on board."

Penelope smiled, "Hartley Investors, Inc?"

Patricia's eyes went wide, "I know that guy! He was in with that bitch doctor who refused to treat my mom's breast cancer!"

"Oh God," Lauren said, looking up to see Shannie and Lynnie shaking their heads.

Penelope shook her head, "And her name was?"

"I don't know… she came into the waiting room after my mom's mastectomy. The cancer had metastasized. She said there was nothing she could do."

"Think, Patricia. Do you remember the name?"

She searched her memory, "She was wearing a lab coat, her name was Doctor E-something. The last name was fancy – something Marquis. It was hyphenated."

Lauren closed her eyes, "Evony Fleurette-Marquis?"

"Yes. That's her," Patricia said.

Lauren looked up at Patrick before she turned to Patricia, "Evony was not a doctor."

"Maybe it's a different one? She saw my mom at a hospital in New York. They transferred her there to get the surgery because they didn't have a bed in Boston and then they said they couldn't treat it."

"Patrick…"

He nodded, "I know, I know. I'll inform her lawyers."

Lauren turned to Patricia, "Do you know L3 Legal Associates or T.S. Esq., Inc."

Patricia opened up the document of sale she held in her hand, "That T.S. group is on this stationary. See?"

Penelope looked at the document and shook her head, as she showed it to Patrick. He looked up at Lauren,

"My father is involved."

Lauren began, "But that's not…"

Patrick nodded, "It is. They changed the name of the company after I left and my dad had some financial problems. I didn't know the details but Taylor, Swift and Lloyd became just Taylor and Swift."

Lauren shook her head as her friend read the document. She could see his eyes water for a moment before his jaw clenched and his fingers curled. Penelope took the document from him before he could damage it and turned to Kenzi,

"You have a copy machine in your office, yes?" Penelope asked.

Kenzi nodded, then Penelope explained, "Patricia needs six copies of this document before Dyson shows up. It's important, Kenzi."

"Oh. He ran back to swap places with Hale so that he could come back here to be with me. They're switching places until the night shift comes on. Then they'll both be here."

Penelope shook her head, "Kenzi, when Hale gets here, he'll have orders from Dyson to confiscate these forms. Get her the copies, Kenzi. Quickly. Hale won't do you a favor on this one. It's a federal case and he'll have strict instructions to hand everything to Tamsin immediately. They have to do their jobs, Kenzi or the case against the Lewis' can be thrown out on a technicality – Patricia will lose her money. Lock the door behind you. Make the copies."

She looked at the visitor, "Patricia, you can't be with her or they would have reason to forcibly enter. Come with me – you suddenly have to go to the bathroom… for five minutes."

Penelope walked towards the train cars, mouthing to Kenzi, "Five minutes."

Patrick handed the forms to Kenzi, "Protect these. Don't fold, bend, mutilate or spill shit on them."

"Got it," Kenzi said, "I feel like a detective!"

She tucked the papers into her jacket and rushed off to the hotel's rear entrance while Lauren, Stephen, Betsy, Patrick, Shannie, Lynnie and Kelly all stood silently. Finally, Lauren threw her hands up,

"Well, this wine isn't cutting it. I need a beer. Anyone else?"

Everyone raised their hands, stepping up to the bar while Lauren and Patrick stepped behind to start pouring. She leaned over to her friend,

"I'm so sorry."

Patrick shrugged, "We both knew Franklin would bring him down one day. I tried to tell him. He didn't listen any more than your dad did. They've made their graves - now they'll have to lie in them… and Lauren?" he said, looking up at her, "I won't hesitate to hammer the last nail into both of their coffins if I must. I will never be corrupted by them. You and I? We're done paying for the sins of our fathers."

Lauren clinged her glass against Patrick's, "And mothers."

She leaned in, kissing him on the cheek before she returned to her beer pouring duties, taking a sip of her own between pours.

Lauren shook her head, "Can you believe that in the middle of all of this drama, I actually got married?"

Patrick smiled, "You did, and I couldn't be happier for you. Now, before the night ends, I have a wedding gift for you. Don't leave without it."

Lauren grinned, "Interesting and… okay."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

GALA DINNER

Rudy leaned over to Bo and whispered, "Sister? Why are there so many forks and spoons? We always just use one. Isn't this going to give Kenzi a ton of dishes to do?"

Bo smiled, "We're all going to help Kenzi clean up and so will her staff, so don't worry, okay?"

Rudy sighed, "But it seems like an awful waste of water to do all these dishes."

"I know but giving donors a fancy dinner is a way of saying thank you for giving the hospital money."

"That makes no sense," Rudy said, looking at Lauren who was looking at Bo. Rudy smiled at Lauren and then leaned closer to Bo, whispering more quietly, "Isn't Lauren spending the donated money by having a party for the donators?"

Bo chuckled, "I guess she is, Roo. We'll have to ask her after the gala."

"But if we stop now, she won't have to do the food."

"But what would we do with all the food that Lauren ordered?" Bo asked.

Rudy shrugged, "Take it to the people in town who don't have enough to eat."

Bo smiled, "Do you want to tell Lauren that right now?"

Rudy looked around the room at everyone laughing and smiling at their tables, then looked at Lauren before she shook her head,

"No. I guess not. Everyone looks so happy."

Bo dropped her fork, looking at her sister, sitting with her hands on the napkin placed carefully in her lap to protect her dress,

"Roo, if you're sad, you can go talk to Lauren."

Rudy shook her head, "Momma said we shouldn't offend people who know more about something than we do. Lauren knows more about galas than we do."

Bo shrugged, "Or, maybe this is something that Lauren learned from the people who raised her. Maybe it's something she's doing because it's the way they did things. Maybe now, it's not the right thing to do because Lauren is trying to separate herself from those people. Maybe this time, you're the one who's right."

"Do you think I should ask her?"

Bo smiled, gripping her wife's hand under the table to draw her attention as she raised her voice just a little bit so she would hear her,

"Lauren is your sister now, Roo. I think if you think Lauren is missing your point of view and you think it's important that she hear you now, you should try to talk to her."

Rudy lowered her eyes, staring at the place setting before her. She didn't look at Bo as she spoke,

"The table does look beautiful. I've never been to a gala and a lot of our town has never been to a gala. I mean, we're even gonna eat the pretty food in Kenzi's kitchen. I don't want to spoil it for my family or my friends or my friends families or even strangers from town and their families." She looked up, "They're all having so much fun. They all look so happy."

Bo smiled, "Everything you're saying is true."

"But I still feel bad. I already had a bunch of food. I'm not all that hungry."

Bo grinned, "Well, trust me, Roo – there won't be much food on that plate when it comes out."

Rudy looked up at her Sister, "Are you sure you won't be mad at me if I talk to Lauren about what I'm feeling?"

Bo smiled, "Never."

"But I don't want Lauren to be mad at me on my very first day as her sister."

Bo smiled, "She won't be, Roo. I promise. You're just asking her a question. But maybe ask her over there away from the table. And maybe ask Stephen and Penelope too since they're part of the planning as well."

Rudy climbed down from her chair, walking around Bo to Lauren,

"Excuse me. Sister?"

Lauren looked down at Rudy and smiled, "Hi Rudy. What can I do for you, Sweetie?"

"Can we talk for a minute? And Doctor Stephen and Miss Penelope, too?"

Lauren was hesitant, "Is it important?"

Rudy hesitated for a moment before she looked back up at Lauren, "I think it is… maybe."

"Okay, Sweetie."

"Bo said we should probably talk away from the table."

Lauren nodded. She took Rudy's hand and stood, nodding to Stephen and waving to Penelope at the next table. The four walked towards the bar, Lauren lifting Rudy onto a bar stool. She could see the youngster's hesitation, so she reassured her,

"Roo? What is it, Sweetie?"

"I have a question," her eyes welled with tears, "But maybe I shouldn't ask it. I mean… it's probably like my mom says… none of my business. She says that I shouldn't question people who know about stuff that I don't know about and I don't know anything about a Gala."

Several tears fell down her cheeks, so Stephen pulled the handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her,

"Even your hanky is soft and pretty."

Stephen smiled, "Well, thank you, Miss Rudy."

She looked up at him and smiled, "You called me Miss Rudy."

He grinned, "Well, you're dressed like a princess tonight, so it only seems fitting that you have a title to match your dress."

She giggled before Stephen asked, "Now, what is this question that's bringing tears to your eyes, my young friend?"

"Are we really friends?"

"Of course we are, Miss Rudy."

She looked at Penelope, "I don't know as much as you do about money, so maybe I shouldn't ask."

Penelope shrugged, "I'm always learning new things about money, Sweetie, so if you feel you can teach me something, please do."

"I don't think I can, but… well, I guess when my teacher asks me a question and I don't know the answer, I learn when I learn the answer."

"Yup. That's definitely one way that I've learned things in my career. Come on, Roo. What's making you so sad?" Penelope asked.

"The hospital is paying for the Gala, right?"

Penelope nodded, "We are."

"And we live in Alaska and all the food at the Alaska Experience… well, most of it, we didn't have to pay for because we caught the fish and trapped the stuff the meat came from, right?"

"Except for vegetables, fruits and spices used to cook it, yes."

"So the food out back cost us no money and the tiny foods we're about to eat cost us a lot of zeroes behind the dollar sign?"

Penelope smiled, "You're right about that, Kiddo."

"Aren't we losing money, Sister? It doesn't make sense to me. I'm worried for our hospital. Why are we doing this?"

Lauren smiled, "Well, first, we do this because it's a party and we want to celebrate the opening with them. Second, we do this as a thank you to them for attending, recognizing what we're trying to accomplish and donating as their means will allow. Finally, I suppose tonight, it's also because your sister and I got married. It's customary – in my culture, anyway – to have a reception after the ceremony where people can dance, socialize and have a meal together."

Rudy nodded, "I have another question."

"Okay," Lauren smiled.

"It seems the extra plates and all of the extra forks and spoons are probably really expensive plus we have all of Kenzi's extra employees to pay and there's all these fresh flowers which definitely don't grow here this time of year and there's even more food to go with the fancy plates and then there's washing all of these dishes that will use a lot of water and generator power to keep the water hot… I mean, isn't this all really expensive?"

Lauren looked at Penelope and smiled, the accountant nodded, "It's very expensive, Rudy, yes."

"Okay, so you know Math isn't my best subject so maybe I am just doing the numbers wrong but it doesn't make sense that we're spending money on the people to ask the people to give us money. Aren't we just taking money away from the hospital by having this second meal?"

"Second meal?" Stephen asked.

Rudy let out her belly and shook her head, "Ahhh… that feels good to let my belly out. I've been holding it in so I don't bust the zipper in my dress! Look! My belly is already full! Did you see all that amazing food out back? I tried all of it! The reindeer hotdogs were the best!"

The three smiled and laughed until Penelope and Stephen noticed Lauren's gaze fall upon Rudy. She was silent,

"I guess you're right, Roo. Gala's are kind of a waste of donations. It's just something that… well, I guess we're used to hosting when new hospitals are opened in order to get donors in the door."

Rudy shrugged, "Well, I think what we did out back was perfect for an Alaskan hospital."

Stephen sighed, "I have to agree. It was quite the party."

Penelope nodded, "Well, when we open the trauma center, we know to do things differently."

Rudy shook her head, "But what about this year?"

"Squirt, I appreciate the wake up call, but we've already paid for all of the food and fancy place settings. People are expecting a meal," Penelope said.

Rudy looked up at Lauren, "Did you really mean what you said to your parents and all of these people?"

Lauren nodded, "I did."

Rudy looked up again, her eyes gazing over all of the tables, "They're all really happy and I think that all of our neighbors never had a Gala before, so they're really excited. They're all smiling, so I didn't want to say anything but…"

Again, tears flooded Rudy's eyes, "Well, what better way to show them you mean what you said than to cancel the meal?"

"And what? Throw away all the food?"

Rudy cried harder when Penelope raised her voice, but she quickly noticed and leaned in, wrapping her arms around Rudy,

"I'm sorry, Squirt. It's just that… this is really expensive and we can't just throw it all away. It would be such a waste of money and, well all the work the cooks and the waiters did. They would be upset if no one tasted their food."

Rudy pulled back, her head down, "But I thought that… well, Mrs. Renfrow has the list of all the people that come to the food kitchen to get food boxes every week. Why not give them the food if we're full."

Lauren looked at Penelope and shrugged, "It is all cooked. We could package the meals instead of doing dishes. It would be the same amount of money for Kenzi's staff either way – maybe less since they won't have to deal with busing tables. The guests can gather their place settings to save Kenzi the extra time of having to wait for her staff to get back from delivering the meals to the kitchen."

"If people didn't eat yet, they should still have the option of having a meal."

"There's still food left outside – a ton of it!" Rudy smiled.

Lauren nodded, waving Kenzi over and sending Rudy to get Mrs. Renfrow. Lauren asked Kenzi to gather her chefs and wait staff so that they could also participate in the discussion. Finally, the group stood, discussing a plan before the hostess stood on the bar with the microphone in hand,

"Attention, Attention, please."

The room fell silent, "Hello! I'm Kenzi Malikov, owner of the Talkeetna Hotel, Bar and Restaurant," she nodded to Lauren who lifted Rudy onto the bar, "This is Miss Rudy Dennis, sister of Doctor and Mrs. Dennis. She just posed a question that got all of us adults thinking."

She wrapped an arm over Rudy's shoulder, "You know that saying, out of the mouths of babes comes truth and wisdom? Well, no statement could be more appropriate for the question she has brought to our attention tonight, so I hand this over to Doctor Stephen Archer."

"Miss Dennis brought to our attention that having a fancy gala in the image of the traditional hospital systems we are trying to break free from wastes a lot of donated money, water to clean the dishes and silver, food that could feed others and time that the workers could be spending with their family and friends. So, we have a proposal for all of you before the first course is served."

He handed the microphone to Rudy who pushed out her belly and laughed,

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm full from all the food I ate at The Alaska Experience party. I want to donate my food plate tonight to Mrs. Renfrow and the town Food Kitchen. Saturdays and Sundays are really big days for food pickups, so it would give one kid in town a really fancy meal – maybe the only fancy meal they'll ever have in their entire life. I mean, it won't have the fancy plates and they won't have a fancy dress but the food is good, it's healthy which hospitals think is important and Kenzi says it's quality stuff… whatever that means."

Kenzi smiled, taking the microphone, "Now, our dessert tonight is perishable, so we are going to serve dessert, but what we're asking is…"

Kenzi looked at Lauren who moved to speak but was suddenly lifted off her feet and onto the bar by her wife. The doctor smiled down at Bo before standing, taking the microphone and addressing the crowd,

"If you are willing to give up the high-end gala meal to the shelter, please stack your plates and silver where you are sitting and we will just bring you a dessert. Be sure to keep your spoon and coffee cup available if you would like those."

Kenzi took the microphone, nodding, "If you did not eat at the Alaska Experience, you have two choices. First, you can go out there and have a meal because there is still plenty of hot, good food – particularly those of you who have never eaten traditional Alaskan cuisine - and we'll wait for you to return to your seat to bring you a dessert. Or…"

Rudy took the offered microphone and smiled, "You can get the fancy food by just leaving the fancy dishes out and we'll bring you that meal. None of us are judging. We know that some of you – like me – have never had a fancy gala dinner in your life and you may want to try it, so if that's you, go ahead. I'm just super full and some of my friends don't have food at home, so I'm gonna skip it and hope that someday in my life, I get a chance to eat a fancy gala meal some other time… but I'm just a kid, so if you're old, feel free to have the good stuff… I mean… not old, but… you know… older than me, but not a kid anymore."

Rudy saw her Mom shaking her head and quickly thought about what she said before quickly adding,

"Not that I think any of you are really old or anything. Well, I mean… some of you are but…"

Kenzi smiled, taking the mic, "We get it, Shortstack. Moving on! Okay, so stack 'em or leave them as they are and my waiters will come around in a minute to count how many meals we're serving and how many meals we're packing. There are plates and cutlery out at The Alaska Experience. Please don't take the fancy china outside!"

Stephen took the offered microphone, "If anyone lives near the Food Kitchen and wants to help us deliver the meals there for Mrs. Renfrow tonight, please let us know. If we can't move them all there, we can have people pick up here in the morning as well. We don't want to keep our wait staff here any later than we'd already planned. They've been working hard all week for us."

Lauren smiled, "One last thing – when we're finished here tonight, if you're interested in donating some time to help clean up, we'd appreciate it given we'll now be packing plates and washing plates and cleaning up from The Alaska Experience much later than planned. We'll be sending left over food from that event home with anyone here who wants some first, then shipping the rest to the Food Kitchen as well."

Vex stood, "If you haven't already, please be sure to toss your name into the raffle fishbowl over at the donation table! It only costs one dollar to put your name in! We'll draw one winner per left over keg to take those home. You'll simply return them to Kenzi when they're empty. We're also drawing one winner per six pack left over, so if you prefer a six pack and your name is drawn for the keg, we're happy to oblige, Loves."

Bo raised a hand, taking the microphone from Vex, "So you're aware, you all put quite a hit on the Mesmer Ale tonight! There are only about ten six packs left. There are two kegs left, each one about a quarter full – one pale ale and one dark belch."

"PULL MY NAME FOR THAT DARK BELCH, VEX! LOVE THAT STUFF!"

Vex laughed, "I'll do what I can, Mate, but it sounds like you've had enough already, eh?"

Kenzi raised her hands, "Okay then! Shift those plates! We'll come around for food service and then for dessert. Thank you for your generosity! Enjoy!"

Kenzi jumped down from the bar while Penelope lowered Rudy to the floor. Lauren was lifted to the floor by her wife who smiled,

"You've made your little sister very, very happy tonight."

Rudy looked up at Lauren, "Thank you, Sister."

The blonde smiled, "You're welcome, Roo. Thank you for helping us to see another side to this dinner."

Rudy looked at Penelope, "I heard a lady talking at the Iditarod that she was making a donation to a dog charity because she could get a tax back or something?"

Penelope smiled, "I'll have to talk to Patrick about that, Squirt. We might be able to work a tax angle for this for sure."

Stephen smiled, "It is a charitable event and we are donating food to the Food Kitchen."

Penelope nodded, "Maybe we'll break even."

Stephen shrugged, "Doubt it, but it might not hurt as bad."

Rudy smiled, "But maybe you got a whole lot of donations!"

She rushed back to her table, smiling when she saw the whole family had stacked their plates, "You did it! You all did it!"

Elise nodded, "Of course we did, Sister! We've always got your back!"

Rudy smiled and sat down beside Elise, stacking her own plates, but keeping her spoon, "I was thinking about what I was gonna say while I was standing there, so I don't remember what else Kenzi said to do. Are we supposed to take our dishes somewhere?"

"I don't think they would want us little kids to pick up these fancy plates. I think we better not move them."

Rudy nodded, "It was bad enough when we broke Molly's favorite mug!"

Elise nodded her agreement, "What are Bo and Lauren doing?"

"Dunno," Rudy said, turning to her mom, "Momma? What are Bo and Lauren doing?"

Mary leaned in so she could talk across Elise to Rudy, "They're visiting all of the guests to thank them for coming. Bo is also signing autographs because they promised to do it during dinner."

"But they'll never make it to every table now that we're only having dessert! Did I ruin everything?"

Mary smiled and shook her head, "No, Child. Of course not. They're going to the people they don't know well first. That way, if they don't get to anyone, it will be someone they can stop and see later."

Rudy looked at Elise, "We don't really need to have dessert. Kenzi will give us some later. Should we go say hi to all of the family and friends from town for Bo and Lauren? We can write down names of people who want autographs!"

"That's a great idea!"

"Can we Momma? Can we help Bo and Lauren visit tables?"

Mary smiled, "Go ask them."

"Okay!" Elise shouted, the two girls running off to Bo and Lauren.

They waited politely as the couple made their way around the table and when they were walking to the next one, they tugged on Lauren's arm and told her what they wanted to do. She and Bo smiled, thanking them for the offer, but told them what would be even better is if they could see if Kenzi needed their help sorting the silver in the kitchen.

The two girls agreed and ran off to the kitchen. Kenzi put the boxes for each piece of silver on the floor and explained what they should look for when sorting the silver as it came in. The two waited for the waiters to bring back the trays and got to work pulling the silver right away.

"I like the sound when they cling together."

"Me too," said Elise.

Kenzi headed out to the bar, deciding it was time for her to open up the indoor full bar so that people could purchase drinks other than what remained at the free bar outside. There was immediately a line, so Shannie, Lynnie and Kelly immediately jumped in to help her, pouring the drinks while Kenzi handled the register.

The rest of the evening flew by quickly with more than fifty people staying to help with the clean-up and moving of food to the Food Bank. When they were finally finished, Bo and Lauren's close friends and family sat around three tables pushed together, everyone happy, yet too exhausted to move.

"Well, let me just say to all of my family and friends – I don't know how you pulled off a wedding, but thank you so very much. We've all been so busy, I was truly worried that putting the wedding on your shoulders was just too much for all of us. Now, we only have to worry about Kate and Anna getting married."

Kenzi, who was laying belly down on the bar lifted her head, "Make up your damn minds before you schedule anything with me if you're doing it here."

The couple laughed, "Actually, we'd like The Alaska Experience – only without the snow."

Kenzi lifted her head, "Really? How is that an experience? I mean, life without ice mugs is no life at all!"

Bo laughed, "You've heard of these things called freezers, right Kenzi? You've got two portable ones in the back."

She flipped up her hand, "Oh. Right. Forgot."

The couple laughed, Kate explaining, "We just sent out e-vites and set the RSVP date as the end of March so you'll know then exactly how many outsiders you'll have to deal with in the train cars."

Kenzi smiled, "I hadn't planned to be booked solid in April! This is fantastic!"

Kate nodded, "I'm pretty sure we'll get a good number of people coming this way."

"Really?" Kenzi asked.

Anna nodded, "Boston public schools are on spring break the week after the Saturday we're getting married, so a lot of our friends will take vacation that week. Of course, most of our best friends – and our family, of course – already know when the wedding is, so they're either planning to come or not."

"Do you know how many are coming?" Lauren asked.

They looked at each other before Kate said, "About fifty that we know of – not sure about the rest. You know that our parents are not happy about us not having the wedding there…"

"And they're really not happy Kate moved here."

"I'm the youngest child. They've had empty nest syndrome for the last ten years."

They all laughed, Mary asked Anna, "How do your parents feel about you living here?"

Anna shrugged, "I video chat with them once a week and they seem to be handling it. They wanted to come out in the summer, so I'm hoping they'll come in April instead… maybe both. My parents are the reason I'm an adventurer. They sold their house and bought a sailboat. They've been sailing up and down the east coast ever since. They go north in the summer and south in the winter. They follow the weather."

Kate shook her head, "Her Dad absolutely hates to fly. We're thinking they'll take a train to get here."

"Well, they could take a train to Seattle and then hop the Alaska Ferry from Bellingham, Washington to Whittier, Alaska. It's a two-hour drive from there to Anchorage, but they have to time the trip from Whittier to Anchorage because there's times when you can't get through in one direction or the other," Kenzi explained, "It's eight hundred miles so it'll take a little over a week to ferry here."

"Of course, if they love to explore, there's a lot of ferry ports along the way, so they can hop off, explore by bus or train, then hop back on and keep doing that. If they get off in Haines or Skagway, they'll have access to Canada's Yukon Territory where Bo was last summer. They can also pick up Alaska's Alcan Highway, aka Alaska Highway. The ferry takes cars, so if they rent a car in Seattle, they can drive. The ferry takes RV's or Camper Vans too if they'd rather. RV's can't be longer than sixty feet on most ships. You can even bring your dog or cat or hamster or any other adorable little critter you are attached to. Of course, you have to have reservations."

Bo laughed, "She's doing her tourist speech."

Anna looked at Kenzi, then back at Bo, "What?"

"She's asleep. She's doing her tourist speech that she gives when people ask for a cheap way to see southern Alaska."

"Are you serious?" Anna asked, "She said all of that in her sleep?"

Bo nodded, "Do you know how many times a year she has to explain all of that?"

Kenzi mumbled, "The ferries have roomy, comfortable cabins that you can rent or camping areas that are available for those who choose to camp on board. The Ferry is fully equipped with cafeterias, theatre, play rooms and sometimes a restaurant, though the food cannot compare to what we have here at the Talkeetna Hotel, Bar and Restaurant. Can I take your order? For breakfast, we recommend the pancakes or waffles. If you're going carb free, we have egg white omelets with your choice of vegetables or meats."

Bo chuckled, "And I believe we've reached the end. Anyone care for breakfast?"

The group laughed, but Hale noticed Kenzi wrapping her arms around herself. He got up, taking off his jacket and covered her, then walked to the love seats beneath the front window and took a pillow from the corner, putting it under her head.

"Hale, why don't you carry her upstairs?"

Bo laughed as Hale explained, "Oh no. The last time I did that, I was in the doghouse for two weeks. When little momma's sleeping, you let her sleep… especially when she falls asleep on the bar. If she wakes up, she won't be able to get back to sleep so she'll lose quality sleep time to keep the bags away from under her eyes… not that she has any bags under her eyes ever."

Bo looked at her Mary, "Do you want the guys to put Elise and Rudy down on the love seats? There's blankets in the coffee table."

Mary looked at Molly who nodded, so Mark and LJ stood, holding the girls in their arms and laid them on the cushions, covering them in the blankets. They walked back to the tables, LJ stretching his arms over his head,

"This was a great party, everyone, but I've got an early start in the morning, so I think I'm going to head out."

Bo looked up at LJ, "Really? It's not even midnight."

He shrugged, "I'd like to be there when you release the pairs into their kennels and I've got a lot of dogs to run in the morning with you out of commission."

"I'm so sorry, LJ," Bo said, shaking her head, "I could put my brace on and… owa!"

Lauren shook her head, as Bo rubbed ribcage, "You deserved it. LJ, I'm sorry too, but she can't do any more damage to that knee."

He nodded, "I know, Lauren. You just keep elbowing sense into her."

Bo smiled, "Thanks for that, LJ."

He shrugged, "I'm just looking out for my investment. You are part of my yearly income and I need you back on that sled in winning form again next year."

"So that's all I am to you now? A paycheck?"

LJ grinned, "And an annoying big sister. Good night, everyone."

The group waved their goodbyes as LJ exited and Kelly, Lynnie and Shannie entered carrying boxes. They put them down on a nearby table and peeled off their coats.

"You brought food back from the Food Bank?" Lauren asked.

Kelly shook her head, "Nope. We picked up pairs of scrubs for anyone who might want to crash here tonight instead of driving home. She said Bo's old apartment is open for them and we can take any of the new train cars. They're not painted yet, but everything else we need is in there. She had the employees that were just standing around make the beds."

Bo smiled, "Leave it to Kenzi to make sure the kids are earning their checks."

Kelly nodded, "There were like twenty of them sitting outside eating the desserts and the gala meals. She was pretty pissed. Said if she didn't make all of the beds in all of the cars in thirty minutes, she would charge them for each plate."

Penelope grinned, "Um… they're not cheap."

"Yea, we know. Evony used to have us stuff envelopes for all of her galas when we were working the Nurses' desk," Kelly explained.

Carolyn shook her head, "Yea, she said as long as we were just sitting there doing nothing, we could stuff envelopes, have them done by the end of shift."

Shannie laughed, "Of course, the charts weren't done and you had to stuff envelopes in between rounds and patient vitals crashing, but they got done."

Kelly nodded, "That's why we made the big bucks, right girls?"

Lauren shook her head, "She didn't pay you girls for shit."

Molly laughed, "Tell us how you really feel."

Lauren covered her mouth, "Sorry. I'm really tired."

Bo stood, extending her hand to Lauren, "Well, friends and family, I believe it's time for me to take my beautiful bride up to bed. She starts at nine a.m. tomorrow morning."

Kyle raised a hand, "So what time are we going to start the humping?"

Bo laughed, "I'll leave here with Lauren so around nine."

"Do I need to do anything?" Kyle asked.

Bo shook her head, "Nope, not until the magical boinking starts. Then we just have to protect the males that aren't… chosen."

"That's rough," Hale said.

Mary smiled, "It's survival of the fittest, kind sir. No woman wants to be stuck with a substandard male."

"Oh, that is harsh!" Hale said, pulling his fedora down over his eyes, his neck disappearing into his jacket.

Mary laughed, "In the animal kingdom, women don't settle."

"Double burn!" Hale laughed.

Bo smiled, turning to Kyle, "Cassie and I will handle dropping the dogs in, but pulling males out is what we'll need you, Mom and LJ to do. Cassie's going to make sure the girls are busy up in the clinic with my dogs. Oh, crap! My dogs!"

Mary smiled, "Molly and Mark offered to pick them all up in the truck in the morning so I didn't have to make multiple trips."

Bo looked at Mark, "Is there gas in the truck? I would have thought we were almost on empty."

He shook his head, "I put a half tank in so that the lines wouldn't freeze."

"Right," Bo nodded.

"I insisted," Kurt said, barely able to keep his eyes open.

Lauren cocked her head, "Please tell me you're not on the morning shift."

Kurt lazily shook his head, "The three pilots that shuttled out the mountain crash patients aren't on again until Sunday. Too many flight hours without sleep."

"Thank goodness for regulations," Lauren said, smiling at Kurt, "We saved them, Kurt. We saved them all."

He smiled back, "We did good work, Lauren," he wrapped an arm over Kelly's shoulder, "We all did."

Lauren looked at Shannie and Lynnie who smiled as well.

Kate slapped her legs, "I really should go over and check on my patients."

Lauren shook her head, "Just call, Kate. You've been on your feet for over twenty-four hours too. We all need to get some sleep," she turned to Stephen, "You especially, Mister. I'll bet you're reconsidering that retirement now, aren't you."

Stephen smiled, "I'll hang in there a little while longer. Just don't make me wait too long. This little lady here is ready to get out and see a little more of Alaska and I'm on board for all of it."

Lauren smiled, "See? Getting out of Boston was just the shot in the arm you needed."

"It's the fresh air here. I want to travel again. It's amazing that I've gone from sitting in my house with my books to… well, anything and everything goes!"

Betsy smiled, "He's a changed man."

"We're going to make our golden years exactly what they should be."

"Good for you," Lauren smiled, "You'll be an example to us all."

Bo smiled, leaning into Lauren, "Well, we're going to head upstairs. Make yourselves comfortable, everyone."

She turned to her mom, "Do you want help getting them out to the train cars?"

Mark stood, looking down at Mary, "Do you mind having both of them for the night? I'm afraid to split them up."

Mary smiled, "Of course. It's no problem. We'll get up in the morning, have some of Kenzi's pancakes and head over to the Veterinary Clinic for their shift. Once I drop the girls off, I'll head down to the kennels."

"Perfect. Thanks, Mom. Thank you, Molly and Mark," Bo said, "See you in the morning, Kyle. Is Tamsin coming back?"

Kyle nodded, "She just sent me a text. She should be back in ten minutes."

Lauren looked out across the street and down the road to the Sheriff's office. Her eyes locked on the light in the office. Bo leaned in and whispered,

"Did you want to go see them?"

Lauren shook her head, "I'm too tired to deal. Maybe I'll see them before they take them away."

She released Bo's hand and turned, heading for the stairway. Always the well-mannered doctor, she stopped and turned,

"Thank you all for a wonderful wedding and gala. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you and all you bring to my life."

She turned quickly and hurried up the stairway. Bo's eyes remained trained on her until she disappeared down the hall. She listened for the door and heard Lauren fumble with the lock for a moment before it opened. When the door closed, she looked back down at her friends and family who were all looking up at her,

"I'll be just outside, Bo. Any time of night, just call my cell," Anna said.

"Thank you. I truly appreciate it. Hopefully, she'll fall asleep."

"On your honeymoon night?" Hale asked.

Bo shook her head, "Perve."

"Hey!" Hale laughed.

Bo shook her head and smiled, "We'll have a proper honeymoon when her parents aren't in the jail across the street, Deputy. Unfortunately, she has a great view of the place from my old apartment, so I think I'll go up there and pull the shades. Kelly, can I have two sets of scrubs?"

Kelly nodded, tossing Bo what she needed, "Goodnight Bo."

"Thanks, Kelly – thanks to you all for helping me to pull that off. We're all good on Plan B?"

Everyone nodded, Molly asking, "What if we have pregnant dogs?"

"Luckily, our kennel has a fully staffed veterinary clinic…" Bo began with Hale adding, "And Dyson and I are going to handle the post-race mile runs with the rest of the dogs. The dogs will be locked down inside the clinic at night."

"All of them?" Kate asked.

Bo nodded, "This time of year, my dogs are particularly prone to incidents of theft."

"Dog theft is a thing?" Anna asked.

"Hello? Five time champion Harper Dennis? Breed from her and you'll have a dog that can compete with Bo in a few years. Take a couple of her males and pair them with the right females, you can start your own line, kill Bo's males, burn them and no one would ever know you were the thief. Racing is big money."

"Not this year it wasn't," Bo said, yawning, "Of course, the males aren't usually the target since they can't reproduce."

"They're sterile?" Kate asked.

Bo laughed, "Tired huh? They're males?"

Kate shook her head, "So embarrassed."

"Anyway, Dyson and Hale being on the property every day will definitely be a deterrent. Acacia, Adam and two other agents will be around as well now that Lauren's parents are in the news. Guaranteed reporters will be around."

"I wouldn't be surprised if that Boston paper doesn't send Gwen back here now that she has an 'in' with us," Lynnie said.

Bo shrugged, "Then there's Merv. I really want to trust him, but I don't know that he won't try to use another one of my dogs to breed one of his females and heaven forbid one of his males "accidentally" gets into the pen of one of my females."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Kelly asked.

"Having my champion blood line on someone else's team raising dogs that will one day run against Rudy's dogs who will be their siblings?"

Kelly nodded, "I see."

"Plus, he could lay claim to pups from one of my females if his dog is the stud since I didn't have consent to use him as the sire. Males will do anything to get to a female in heat, so all he has to do is 'take them out for a walk' past my kennels and let them off the leash. They'll get to my dogs for sure."

"Remember, big novice here, but what's the big deal about the breeding?" Kelly asked.

Bo nodded, "My dogs are from the Denali family blood line."

"Denali?"

"Sorry. Dennis. Denali is my mom's maiden name, Inis is from the other side. My mom combined them to become Dennis when she was hiding from Big Jim."

"But…"

"Remember? My mom went on the run? Changed our name…"

"Right," Kelly nodded, "Sorry to bring that up."

"Not to worry, Child," Mary smiled, "I'll be happy to answer any other questions you might have. For now, let us allow Ysabeau to go take care of her bride."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll see you at the kennel tomorrow."

Bo carried the scrubs up the stairs, staring at the doorknob for a moment before she opened the door. Once inside, she saw Lauren's dress on the bed, the bathroom door closed, the water running. She opened the scrubs, laying them on the bed.

She smiled when the scent of lavender immediately hit her senses. She remembered Lynnie telling her about how they had the laundry service use a hint of lavender on the physician's scrubs because it was a calming scent that would help surgeons to relax before their first incision. She carried one set to the window, noticing the circle where the fog on the glass I been wiped away.

Bo shook her head, having an idea the weight of the sadness Lauren must feel when peering out the window. Bo had lost her parents once – of course, her story had drawn to a close but with her mom alive and a new little sister as a bonus. Lauren's life had been nothing but loss.

Looking out at the building, Bo wondered if Lauren's parents knew anything about her brother. Was he truly dead or in jail? Lauren didn't seem to know. Had she ever asked Tamsin to look into it?

Bo pulled out her phone, hesitating for a moment before sending off a text to her friend. She could at least ask Lauren's parents if they knew anything. She made sure to warn her that Lauren wasn't asking – that she really didn't know if Lauren wanted to know – especially if it was bad news.

She also told her not to reply to the text – that she would talk to her about it when she saw her. She moved to put her phone away, but pulled it out once more to send a thank you text – for everything she had done for her since they'd met.

She turned and moved to the bathroom door, hearing the water turn off. She knocked and slowly opened the door,

"Lauren?"

"Come in, Bo."

"Are you sure?"

Lauren smiled, "You're my wife. You always have permission now."

Bo frowned, looking down at her wife in the tub, "You think that marriage takes away your right to alone time when you want it?"

Lauren shook her head, "No. I mean… it's the bathroom. If you have to use it, I don't want you to pee on the floor."

"Oh. Well, I don't really have to use it. Well, maybe I could pee, but… I wanted to give you a pair of scrubs. I'll get you a towel and… well, are you okay?"

She looked up at Bo, smiling, "We're married."

Bo knelt by the tub, "We're married."

"It's our wedding night."

Bo smiled, "Yes, it is. Lauren, I know you've had a rough night…"

"They won't take this from me, Bo. Not tonight."

She sat up, leaning into Bo and kissing her gently on the lips. The kiss deepened, before Bo felt her stiffen and pull back,

"Um… can we just sit in the tub for a bit? Do you have any bath oil up here anymore?"

Bo sighed, her head dropping to one shoulder, "Lauren…"

The tears fell, the blonde's hands covering her face. Bo grabbed a towel from the cupboard and opened it, reaching in and lifting Lauren from the water. She wrapped the towel around her before grabbing another and wrapping it around her hair. She rubbed her shoulders, her back, her arms, her torso and finally dried off each leg. She turned, opening the closet and pulling a bathrobe off the hook. She held it up and Lauren stepped in, putting one arm in before Bo wrapped her arms around her from behind and held her for a moment.

Finally, they walked out into the bedroom. Bo pulled down the sheets, but Lauren shook her head,

"I can't… not in this room. They're… I can feel them here."

Bo nodded, "Can you put the scrubs on?"

Lauren nodded, quickly pulling on a pair of scrubs. Bo caught sight of the patient booties in the empty bag,

"Kelly grabbed booties too. Want these?"

Lauren smiled, "Yes. It took me weeks to find the perfect ones. I love these. They're great quality, but not super expensive and the little rubber treads prevent patients from slipping."

Bo smiled, "Good. They'll keep you from slipping for now."

Lauren nodded, her eyes moving to the window, but Bo shook her head, "I pulled the shade."

"Good. That's good."

Bo smiled, "Okay, so we have some choices. I can go downstairs and look for an odd-numbered room key on the other side of the hotel. We can sleep in a train car. We can go to the hospital and pull up a cot somewhere. We can go to the clinic and stay in your old apartment."

Lauren smiled, "Go where it all began?"

Bo chuckled, "That would be the old barn. It's a little chilly in there."

Lauren shook her head, "Our first night together was in my old apartment. You took off your clothes to keep me warm."

Bo smiled, "I remember."

"Let's go there."

Bo nodded, grabbing her bag of scrubs, "Is your coat downstairs?"

Lauren nodded, "Kenzi put it in her office closet with yours."

"Great. Let's get going then."

Bo folded Lauren's dress and put it in her empty scrub bag before the two headed out the door. They waved to their family and friends as they moved quickly into Kenzi's office, pulled on their coats and headed for the door,

"We're going to Lauren's old apartment," Bo said as Lauren exited the hotel in front of her. Bo lowered her voice, "Creepy view upstairs."

Kyle shook her head, "The parents?"

Bo nodded and headed out the door just as Tamsin was coming in. She had stopped to talk to Lauren, but she looked up at Bo and smiled,

"I got your thank you text."

"You're welcome, my friend," Bo smiled, "We're heading to the clinic apartment. If anyone needs us, tell them we're on our eight-hour honeymoon… maybe twelve… twenty-four… forty-eight hours if I'm convincing."

Tamsin grinned, "Got it."

"Thanks, T."

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