N: Short, I know, but writing is still a bit of a mystery for me. Meaning I have a ton of writer's block and no drive right now, so these aimless chapters come out. I threw in the ending because I often get out of a rut via angst...so I apologize, we might have a happy ending in here. Anyway, read on and enjoy!

Lauren

I glanced at the clock on the wall over the stove, frowning a bit. "I have to get back to the restaurant. The dinner service will be here in the blink of an eye." I looked at Bo, smiling as she sipped the last of her wine. I smiled back, "Did you enjoy lunch?"

Bo nodded, setting the glass down. "I enjoyed making it. With you." She leaned forward, picking up my hand. "Thank you for this. It was the most fun I've ever had cooking. And I hate cooking." She chuckled when I squeezed her hand.

"You did very well for a beginner." I stood up, collecting the dishes. "But you could use a few more lessons." Teaching Bo how to cook was more fun than I'd had in a long time. And as we ate our hard made ravioli, we sat and talked like we did that snowy night in the diner. IT was as if the conversation never stopped. She went on to tell me about how she fell into television work, it basically paid the bills and gave her a ton of free time to work on side projects. She told me why she chose New York over Los Angeles, she hates being hot and loves when it snows. Bo went on and I listened, loving the fact Bo had not changed a bit in the time we had been apart. She'd only grown more beautiful, and I more stupid for ever walking away from her. Something I was never going to let happen again.

"It was a joke, I know how to boil water." Bo stood up with me, bringing the leftovers and half empty bottle of wine. "I was trying to ease the tension, and my nerves."

I smiled, taking the plates from her. "I'm nervous too." I paused, looking in her eyes. I was such a fool to ever think I didn't want this woman. I tipped my head down, "Tomorrow night, can I make you dinner?" I wanted to spend all the time I could with Bo, there was something in the bottom of my gut telling me to take advantage of the time we had together.

Bo's smile faded as she took a step back to lean against the counter. "I can't."

I felt my heart skip a sad beat. I'd screwed up beyond repair. This lunch, that kiss, it was a hopeful thought, but reality was harsher. "I understand." I turned to grab a small container from the cabinet. "I'll send you off with the leftovers. You can feed Bonnie." I let out a slow breath, this hurt more than I expected.

"Lauren, it's not that I don't want to." Her hand fell to my forearm. "We leave in the afternoon to move up north to shoot a wine segment. It's three days there and then back to New York to put the pieces together." She waited until I turned to look at her. "Lauren, I want this. Distance and all, I want to try with you." Bo looked at her hand on my arm, "I may have spoken to Fulvio last night, investigating how much longer you would be in Italy. I have vacation time saved up, I can fly back here when the episode is done." Her voice was soft, unsure.

I covered her hand on my arm, turning to face Bo. "Did you know that I've never been to New York? I think it's time I knock it off my bucket list." I cupped Bo's chin, "I think it's time I follow Cupid's arrow and put you first." I bent down, kissing her softly on the lips.

Bo sighed into the kiss before leaning back, "Are you sure? You love Italy. I don't want to interrupt…"

I pressed my fingers against her lips. "I've ignored fate for too long. I need to listen to my heart no matter how scary it is." I sighed, "I want to find out what we can have, Bo. I want to know why cupid keeps shooting its arrows at us." I suddenly grinned, "I want to fall head over heels in love with you and throw caution to the wind. Then let that wind take us wherever it may."

Bo blushed, biting her bottom lips as she pulled me into a warm embrace. "When did you get so romantic and cheesy?"

I laughed, moving away to pick up the half empty bottle of wine. "Blame the wine. I'm a bit of a light weight." I glanced at the clock once more, I was about to be late for work if we didn't leave now. "Will you walk with me back to the restaurant?"

"Of course." Bo grinned, "As long as you let me have the first taste of those tarts you made?" She leaned up, kissing me on the cheek. "I'm so glad we found each other again." Bo whispered the words out, smiling as she turned away to collect her bags.

"Me too." I grinned, feeling my heart start to beat differently. I would have to talk to Fulvio immediately and start working on getting back to the states. Time and fate would not stand in my way.

Tamsin

I got to watch these two idiots all night long. They smiled, blushed, and did their best to keep to themselves. But anyone could see my "arrows" had found their mark. Let's sidetrack for a moment. I don't have arrows, I don't go around like green arrow shooting people in the vital organs with love soaked weapons. I just zap them with a bit of energy that fires up their heart chakras. The little jolt of energy is what helps humans see clearly about love, and pushes them in the direction to follow it. I've never worn a toga, had curly blonde locks…well maybe in 1983 when I did that perm…anyways. I just wanted to let you all know the idea of cupid you all know and love, it's not the truth and every time one of our beloved fools brings up the stereotype, imagine me rolling my eyes and shaking my head no. I'm a big bad god. Oh, and never ever bring up the cupid shuffle or I'll slap you to Hades and back.

Okay, sidebar done, let's go back to our girls. Love had blossomed like a chia pet and I was so confident that in a weeks' time, I'd be collecting the office pool and heading off on vacation. I'd already seen Lauren getting on a plane in the near future, chasing after Bo to the big gross apple. I could see it in their eyes, the way they looked at each other. How Bonnie and Fulvio had to, more than once, snap fingers to get either girls attention. I was excited, hopeful. These were two of the purest souls I'd ever worked with, and their love was so strong and pure.

Then those three buttheads at the loom of fate started knitting away, and things went south and I was left to fight harder than I ever had before to keep one of them alive while I guided the other to find her.

Read on while I go have a shot. I hate bad memories.

A day later – Bo

"The train is faster than car. We should be there in a few hours, in time for us to catch the old ladies crushing grapes with their feet." Bonnie yawned as she tucked our bags in the overhead compartment of the train car.

I flopped down on the bench seat, yawning as I checked my phone. It was too damn early to be thinking without coffee. I looked around the car, "Is there coffee somewhere?" I grinned when I felt my phone vibrate with a text from Lauren.

"There is. But whoever is messaging you is clearly better than coffee." Bonnie leaned over to try and sneak a peek at my phone. "Lauren again? Does the woman ever sleep?"

I rolled my eyes, "She does, but she got up this morning to say goodbye at the hotel." I typed a quick message back, tilting the phone away from Bonnie. I blushed at the memory of the mind blowing kiss Lauren laid on me in the elevator. It was one for the books and one that had me almost quitting my job, my life, and following her around like a puppy. I closed my eyes, she looked incredible with her wild bed head hair, her white chef coat haphazardly button. She threw it on so she could sneak into the hotel, claiming she was the night shift cook and needed my room number. She surprised the hell out of me when I opened my door to find Lauren there, holding a bag of fresh made pastries for me the night before.

"You two have been inseparable since that lunch date." Bonnie sat across from me. "I thought you hated her, or something." She rubbed her face, "It's too damn early to sort through your romantic affairs, Bo."

I set the phone in my bag. "I never hated her. I just hated that I loved her so much that I couldn't hate her." I grinned sheepishly and looked out the window as the train started to pull away from the station. "We're going to give a relationship a shot. She's coming to New York in three weeks, and we're going to date." I shook my head at how silly it sounded, and let out a slow breath. "Is this crazy?"

Bonnie gave me a tired look. "Is this the same girl you've compared all of your suitors to? And none of them could match up to?"

I nodded slowly, "She is." I glanced at my phone as another text came in from Lauren, another grin splitting across my face.

"Then no, it's not crazy." Bonnie grinned with me. "This side of you, I like it, Bo. You're not so stoic and stiff." She stood up, pointing at the white bag of goodies. "Let's get coffee and bring those. If anything, you should keep Lauren for her chef skills. The woman can cook and bake."

I snatched the bag and clutched it close to my chest, "You can have one." I quickly sent Lauren a text before I followed Bonnie out of the car.

- In search of coffee. I will text you in a few with some pictures of the scenery. I'll be thinking of you. –

I went to toss the phone in my bag, when I felt a weird tingle in my gut and sent one more message, before Bonnie hollered at me to move my ass.

Lauren

"Tabella quattro, servizio!" I hollered at the wait staff to get the last lunch plate out. I wiped my hands on a towel and looked over at Fulvio. "That was a hell of a lunch rush."

He nodded, chuckling, "Si, Lauren. It's the start of the end of summer. We're going to be busy up until you leave." He began wiping the prep area down. "I'm sad to see you go, Lauren." He cocked an eyebrow with a smile, "But I'm happy you're leaving for love."

I sighed happily, feeling the weight of the day falling over my shoulders. I had stayed up way too late to make pastries for Bo, only catching a quick nap before I ran to see her off. I grinned to myself, it was definitely worth losing sleep, to kiss her goodbye. I licked my lips, still tasting subtle hints of her on them. "Me too." I pushed away from the long silver table, watching Tamsin coming my way with a load of dirty dishes. "Let me help you." I smiled as my mind raced with the future, and what was ahead for us. I was excited, renewed, and ready to take charge like my heart asked from me when Bo first walked into Pho-tastic.

I took the top stack and walked with Tamsin to the dishwasher. "Shit, it's been a minute since I've run my wheels like that. I need to peace out when it gets busy, or take on the disguise of a lunch guest."

I laughed at the strange that was Tamsin. "You did well. I'm sure Fulvio noticed and will offer you a full time spot when I leave."

Tamsin gave me a look, "You're leaving?" She began loading dishes into the industrial dishwasher. "I thought you were going to die here. Drowning in pasta, wine and sorrows." She squinted at me, before grinning. "That TV team, Bo. You're smitten, aren't you?"

I nodded, "Yes. I'm beyond smitten. She's had my heart from the start." I looked at the blonde. "Is it that apparent?"

"As if cupid was standing right next to you, poking her finger in the bottom of your heart, it is." Tamsin winked at me.

"His finger, you mean. Cupid is a boy." I finished loading the dishes and yanked the door down, catching Tamsin mumbling something about her ass he's a boy. I ignored it, digging in my back pocket for my phone. I swiped it open and smiled as I saw texts from Bo from this morning. She was getting coffee, and about to eat the pastries I sent her off with. I was about to open the next one, when Tamsin bumped into me, as if she'd slipped on the floor. She clutched my arm, breathing heavily. "Shit, shit. You three mingling turds, why?"

I grabbed her elbow, helping her up. "Are you okay?" I looked around on the floor to look for the wet spot to clean up. "I can get Tomas over with a mop."

She shook her head, and grabbed my arm harder. "Please, indulge this weird fucking question. When's the last time you heard from Bo?"

I gave her a dirty look, "What? Have you been drinking the table wine again?"

Tamsin groaned, grabbing my wrist. She pointed at the phone, "Last time she messaged you? When was it?"

I shook my head, holding up the phone, "Right after seven this morning. Her train was leaving the station for Verona." My heart dropped, "They should've been there by now, it's half past three."

"Dammit." Tamsin shoved past me, walking straight towards the one TV the busboys kept in the back. "Atropos, don't get the scissors out just yet."

I followed the blonde as we both walked out onto the back porch, three of the busboys were huddled around the TV filled with breaking news headlines. As I listened, I had to reach back and grab Tamsin for support.

"At ten this morning, a train headed to Verona derailed, sending the middle section of train cars into the havoc you see here. We're still receiving reports from those on the ground, but so far, ten people have been confirmed dead. There are multiple injuries as more passengers are rescued and taken to local hospitals. Again this is Italiarail 78, Florence to Verona."

I stumbled back, Bo's voice repeating that same number to me as we walked into the elevator. She was reading it off her ticket, making a comment that it was a good year.

"No." I looked at Tamsin, my heart pushing up into my throat. A sinking feeling filling my stomach as the look in her eyes told me she was equally as fearful. "Not Bo."

Tamsin looked around before she grabbed the sides of my face, a strange radiating energy coursing through my skin. "Look at me. I can't make you forget this, or what I'm about to say. Atty hasn't cut the thread yet, as a favor to me, but we have a limited amount of time." Tamsin tipped her head down, letting out a huge breath before looking back up at me. "She may die..."

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face as I tried to pull away from her grip. "I have to go. I have to go now, and find her. She's not..." I shook my head harder, my tears falling faster as the news anchor kept prattling out more scary numbers. "She can't..." I felt another jolt, like a defibrillator to my soul. I had to act now, time wasn't on my side. I covered Tamsin hands on my face and glared at her. "You're weird as hell, but for whatever reason, I think I need you go with me."

Tamsin grinned, sighing with relief. "Let's go, I'll drive." She spun around and hollered at Fulvio, shouting that she was taking me on a mission of love.

I stood motionless for a moment, staring at the TV screen. I had a scary feeling of dread I couldn't shake, one that would normally chase me away and into hiding. But I wasn't going to do that, I needed to get to Bo. I needed to find her. I absently pulled my phone from my back pocket and read the last message from Bo.

-If I never get the chance, I want to tell you I love you, Lauren. Always have, always will. In this life and the next. –

I broke down, clutching the phone as more tears rolled. I wanted to collapse to my knees, but Tamsin appeared out of nowhere. "Don't, don't. It's just Lachesis spinning the beginning of this thread." She yanked me hard, pulling me from my feet. I half ran behind her, confused but ultimately trusting the odd woman.

With every step I felt the pull of fate tugging at the strings of my heart, quietly telling me I was about to begin the fight of my life.

XX

Tamsin

Yes, I meddled. I never, ever meddle in the affairs of my cases, but you'd do the same if you were in my place. Watching Lauren's world quietly shatter. I still have no idea why the three bored butt heads in fate and destiny, decided to play with trains. But they did, and things got really heady and full blown angsty for a few weeks. I went from being to love matchmaker to therapist, best friend, and corner coach. Fighting alongside Lauren to turn back the threads of fate.

And it wasn't easy, and I still wondered what we could've done differently.