Chapter 4

Kate smiled at the group as she sat at the head of the conference table once again. After she'd had opportunity to meet with Bo and Lauren individually she'd spent a little while gathering her thoughts for the meeting that afternoon. So far the only thing she knew for certain was that the couple was at a stalemate with regards to their relationship. She knew both women had a stubborn streak that was contributing to their unwillingness to deal with the issue of Bo's infidelity and despite what they both say the main reason is because they are deeply hurt and lost in how to fix things.

"Okay, well, first of all thank you to both parties for indulging me today I think it was helpful in understanding the context of this situation."

Evony rolled her eyes as she shuffled the papers in front of her. "Now that you have that out of the way what is your next move Ms. Reed?"

Kate gave her a calm smile. She had prepared herself for the snarky attitude of the brunette attorney and the opposing intimidating demeanor of the blonde one. "Well at this point the next move isn't up to me is it?"

Evony raised her perfectly manicured eyebrow in her typical skeptical fashion. "Come again?"

Kate sat back in the seat and put her elbows on the armrests comfortably. She gave Evony a smirk of sorts as she looked at the other three members in the room in turn. "Mediation is about the two parties coming together to reach an agreed upon outcome, not about an obscure third party coming in and making a decision. So, sure I can give you my perspective on things, but ultimately the question is what is it going to take to get this resolved?"

Bo chanced a glance at Lauren and was met with a cold stare in return. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, perhaps a sign that Lauren was willing to at least talk things through but she foolishly kidded herself in believing this based on the look of pure hatred she'd received from her wife. Sighing she looked at Kate with slight annoyance. "Why don't you tell us? Since you're the problem solver here?"

Kate smiled and shook her head lightly. "Not quite how it works but okay, I will tell you all what I think." She paused for a second and looked at Lauren who looked way in annoyance. Kate knew the bottom line was that these two women were very hurt by the other's actions and lack of verbal communication and it was driving their resistance to compromising about this detail of their separation. "I think you two have some unresolved issues that need to be addressed before you can consider the business decision regarding Dennis Enterprise and the Lewis Foundation. Ultimately I think the outcome of your personal situation will resolve the professional one."

Lauren rolled her eyes slightly. "That's not very insightful."

Kate laughed slightly. "That's the point to all this Lauren. You and Bo need to actually communicate or the lack of it will destroy you."

Tamsin snorted. "I think that makes sense…that is if Evony can stay out of her client's briefs."

The brunette looked at her counterpart with a smirk. "I'm sorry Tamsin what was that?"

The taller blonde gave her a sweet smile. "I'm just pointing out the fact that you've been known on more than one occasion to stick her nose, and other things, where it doesn't belong."

Lauren glanced curiously at Evony and Tamsin as they quarreled and then looked over to Kate with a serious face. "I don't think a lack of communication is what destroyed us. I think it was Bo and Evony fucking behind my back that did."

Bo sat up quickly. "Nice Lauren…that took all of what two minutes?"

Lauren snorted and spoke in a dry tone. "I'm not sure how long it took but I'd be willing to bet that might be about right."

Bo laughed sarcastically. "Gee Doctor I'm surprised you kept track of things like that but then again I shouldn't be. Everything is an experiment to you right? A planned process that has expected outcomes?"

Lauren shot Bo a look of disbelief as she shook her head with a smirk on her face. "That never seemed to be a problem for you before but perhaps we should ask Evony if it affected your performance in bed."

The room went silent as Evony and Tamsin stared at their clients in disbelief. This was the first time the pair had actually addressed the affair in the presence of others. Sure, when Lauren found out about it she had been beyond livid and she and Bo had their share of screaming matches about it but up until this point they'd remained tight lipped about it in the presence of even their closest friends.

Tamsin cleared her throat and sat up slightly. "Seeing as how neither party is willing to discuss this matter at this time is there anything else we can consider to resolving the terms of this separation?"

Kate shrugged. "My honest opinion? Your two clients need to talk this through in order to deal with the separation. The longer you let this sit unresolved the worse it is for all."

Lauren growled slightly as she glared at both brunettes across the table. "Perhaps we'd be able to have a civil discussion if her whore wasn't here."

Bo sighed and rolled her eyes. "She's the company attorney Lauren you know why she's here."

Lauren looked at Bo evenly as she spoke. "If this was strictly a company matter yes I would agree. Shame that you can't separate business with pleasure where she's concerned."

Not wanting to let the blonde take cheap shots at her any longer Evony smirked as she looked at Lauren with what appeared to almost be pity before looking at Tamsin with annoyance. "Keep your client in line Tamsin otherwise I'm sure I'd have a case for slander here."

Tamsin snorted. "Of what? Your precious reputation? Give me a break Evony, and besides, it's not like anything she's said isn't true right?"

Evony was about to respond but Bo cut her off. "Enough. What do you want Lauren? Really?"

Lauren looked at Bo curiously before glancing at Tamsin for confirmation. This was the first time Bo had actually addressed her like this and she wasn't sure if it was a trick or not. She'd taken the stance of offense is the best defense never giving Bo an opportunity to explain or whatever and she wasn't ready to start having these kinds of conversations with her just yet let alone in the presence of others.

Tamsin shrugged and nodded for Lauren to go ahead and the blonde Doctor looked more at the table than at Bo as she spoke. "I just want you out of my life. In every way."

Bo frowned and glanced at Evony briefly before looking at Lauren sadly and responding. "That's not possible Lauren. We've built too much together. Whether you like it or not I'll be in your life."

Lauren frowned as she glared at Bo angrily. "Yeah and you tore it all down when you decided that was more important than us." Her glare at Evony was pointed and everyone rolled their eyes a little at the verbal sparring that was taking place.

Bo frowned. "Our personal life isn't what we're talking about Lauren but I forgot you make everything about that right? Relax, I'm talking professionally and about the foundation."

Lauren snorted sarcastically. "Oh yes…because you built your empire up through blood, sweat and tears right? Let's ignore the inheritance you got just a few years ago. Who was that from again?"

Bo growled as she glared at Lauren. "Well I didn't have the privilege of growing up in the lap of luxury Lauren. In case you've forgotten I didn't have go to the high priced private schools and spend my summer at space camp. My family has nothing to do with this and you know it so leave it the fuck out."

Lauren sneered. "I would but you blurred those lines when you decided to use blood money to invest in the foundation. But then again you're good at blurring the lines when it comes to your business dealings aren't you?"

Tamsin glanced nervously at Lauren as she heard the dig at Bo's family ties. She wasn't sure how public that knowledge of the young brunette was and if anyone started looking into Bo's history they would most likely come across her own family's ties to the racketeering and corruption in Sweden. Being a known associate of a member of the Irish mob family wasn't exactly favorable for her and she needed to make sure her secret was kept.

A slight brush of her foot against Lauren's shin told the Doctor all she needed to know and Lauren shot her a sideward glance before sighing and sitting back in her chair. "Fine, fine. Do what you like, I just want to sign the papers and be done with this."

Evony raised her eyebrows. "So you are withdrawing the request to have Dennis Enterprise stop contributions to the Lewis Foundation?"

Lauren nodded almost too quickly. Both Tamsin and Evony found it odd that Lauren suddenly wanted to rush this to an end and Tamsin looked at Lauren with concern. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The blonde doctor nodded and looked at Tamsin almost pleadingly. "Whatever gets the papers signed."

Evony looked smug as she nodded and pulled out the divorce papers that she'd drafted that week. "Well I'd say it's the right decision Doctor. After all, wouldn't want the cash flow to stop now would we?"

Lauren barely heard her as she looked at her with confusion. "What?"

Evony sneered slightly. "Dennis Enterprise is the primary contributor to the Lewis Foundation. Over the years you've acquired quite a bit of money for your 'research' which I have to say, I'm a bit skeptical to call a good investment at this point."

Lauren looked at her coldly. "What does that mean?"

Evony smiled sweetly. "It means that after two years and billions of dollars you have nothing to show for it doctor. So I have to admit I'm slightly curious, what exactly were you doing with all that money anyway?"

Lauren ground her teeth as she fumed in her seat. "Because someone like you wouldn't understand I'm going to ignore that statement. If you have a problem with my research you are free to ask but do not ever, ever, doubt my integrity or ability."

Bo sat up as she glared at Lauren in annoyance. From time to time they'd joked about her not understanding a lot of Lauren's 'science stuff' and up til now it had always been a point of laughter between them but here, now, it was just an annoying thing Lauren was doing to piss her off. "Get off your pedestal Lauren not everyone is as science geeky as you are."

Lauren smirked. "Gee Bo I would have thought you'd have learned a thing or two over the years but I guess I was wrong about you completely."

Evony smirked as she slid the papers over to Tamsin to review. "My my, have I hit a nerve Doctor?"

Kate watched Evony goad Lauren and she wanted to step in and cut it off but she had a feeling this discussion needed to happen. Like she'd observed before Lauren and Bo had a lot they hadn't said in the presence of the other so now was as good a time as any to get it out if needed.

Lauren huffed in annoyance. "It's fine Evony. Let's just get the papers signed." It was clear she was done talking about this and she was ready to just put this behind her and move on.

Bo looked at Lauren in frustration. "If you were going to give in then why put us through all this?"

Lauren rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't understand Bo. And in truth I should be asking you the same thing right?"

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "What exactly wouldn't I understand Lauren? I think I've been pretty damn understanding for our whole fucking marriage."

Lauren looked at her in disbelief and laughed sarcastically. "That's funny Bo because as understanding you may have been you seemed to forget the one basic function of what our marriage is based on."

Bo rolled her eyes. "Well I think I handled the part about for better or worse pretty damn well."

Lauren gave her a disbelieving smile. "Really…you think so?"

Bo nodded. "I do. I gave you ten years of nothing but patience and supported your dream. And in return I had a shell of a marriage that crumbled the minute things got tough."

Lauren could feel her eyes starting to burn but she refused to let the tears form. "I think our marriage crumbled when you decided your career was more important than we were."

Bo laughed in frustration. "Sure because I don't know what that feels like right Lauren? Or did you forget how the first three years of our relationship went? And then after everything all I asked was for us to have a family, something you couldn't even consider because it would get in the way of your precious career."

Lauren shook her head sadly as she looked at Bo with frustration. "If you think that's the reason why I wasn't ready then you don't know a thing about me Bo. And that's sad."

Bo sighed. "Then why Lauren? Tell me why. Because I've been asking for years with nothing from you."

Lauren looked away and shook her head. "Give me the papers Tamsin." She reached over and took the papers from Tamsin without letting her friend finish her review of the forms. Tamsin started to object but stopped as Lauren paused with her pen poised over the forms. She glanced down at them and then looked at Bo with a cold stare. "Tell me."

Bo looked confused. "What?"

Lauren didn't even flinch as her stare bore into Bo's skull. "Tell me you agree with Evony in that my research was all for nothing. Tell me you believe I was sabotaging the research because I didn't want to have a family with you."

Bo opened her mouth but wasn't sure what to say. She still wasn't sure how she felt about anything these days. She still hadn't fully convinced herself if she believed that Lauren hadn't sabotaged the research but deep down she knew that was ridiculous and that Lauren had been completely truthful with her where that was concerned. What she couldn't account for though was what Evony was alluding to…what had all that money been spent on? It wasn't the money per se that Bo was concerned about because in truth she would have given Lauren every penny she had, but the point was she was sure she understood exactly what the Lewis Foundation was doing with the funds and that left an unsettling feeling in her stomach.

Unfortunately for her though, Lauren took Bo's hesitation as confirmation and she shook her head as she dropped her gaze and signed the document. When finished she pushed it across the table towards Evony with a final glance in Bo's direction. "It worked Bo. I was going to tell you that night."

With that she stood up and gathered her things as Tamsin stood to follow suit. "I was going to tell you that everything we'd been waiting for was finally coming together and we could have that life that we both wanted. But you never showed up that night. You disappeared on the one night I thought would be the second best day of our life. And because of that, there is nothing you can say that will make me forgive you. Nothing."

Lauren walked out of the room quickly with Tamisn following suit leaving a stunned Bo to watch her walk away after dropping that bomb on her. Anger built up in her quickly and she jumped up to follow Lauren out of the room but was stopped by Kate's voice. "Hold on Bo. Let her go for now. As asked she's signed the document so give her some time to cool off."

Bo turned to her and let the anger she'd felt build up explode as she walked toward the mediator. "Did you know about this? Did she tell you about this? How could she keep something like this from me?"

Kate looked at her calmly and shook her head slowly. "She didn't tell me Bo. This is news to me as well. But I think we need to let everyone calm down for a day or so okay? We can all talk about this again."

Bo slammed her hand on the table. "I'm done fucking talking. Lauren owes me some answers and I'm going to get them from her. And isn't there something you can do about this? Make her legally tell me as the benefactor about her research? If her research proved successful then it would be possible for us to have a family."

Evony sighed as she spoke in a bored voice while glancing over the forms. "Calm down Bo, there's nothing you can do at this point unless she willingly shares the information with you. That means Lauren isn't breaking any laws so that's where my expertise ends. As for what Kate said, she's right Bo. Give her a day to calm down and I'll call Tamsin to arrange a meeting."

Kate smiled at the agreement and snatched the document out of Evony's hand with a sheepish smile. "And why don't you let me review this? Just for a second set of eyes?"

Evony opened her mouth to contest this but Bo's low, controlled voice beat her to it. "Give me the papers."

Kate looked at Bo cautiously and glanced at the documents before sighing and handing them over. Bo glanced down at Lauren's hurried signature and shook her head as she shut her eyes letting a single tear fall from them. She could tell by the erratic nature of the signature that it was totally done on a whim, something very uncharacteristic of the blonde. Although she was a doctor, Lauren's handwriting had always been neat and legible, very proper, just like everything else she did in her life. Tucking the papers under her arm she looked back at the pair with an empty stare. "This isn't over."

Without another word Bo walked out of the conference room leaving Evony and Kate to wonder what just happened. Kate looked on with confusion as Evony shook her head and picked up the pieces of torn paper. "Well counselor…I guess you can't go back to San Francisco just yet." She shrugged and stuck the pieces of the documents in her briefcase as she walked out of the room leaving Kate in total silence to think about what just transpired. After a few minutes she sat up and took her phone out dialing as she brought it to her ear.

"Kate Reed's office."

Kate sighed. "Leo…it's Kate. I need you to do something for me."

Leo pursed his lips as he calmly replied. "What do you need?"

Kate ran her hand through her hair and sighed. "I need you to find out everything you can about the research Dr. Lewis was doing at her foundation."

Leo looked confused. "We already looked, nothing was published because it wasn't complete yet."

Kate nodded and stood up to pace. "I know…I need the incomplete reports."

Leo smirked slightly. "Are you asking me to hack their system Kate?"

The brunette mediator sighed. "I need you do to this for me Leo. I don't care how you do it."

Leo nodded and drummed his fingers on the table. "You got it. Oh and Kate?"

She sighed. "Yes?"

Leo smirked. "You owe me."

Kate laughed. "Yeah yeah, just get this done. Preferably today."

Leo nodded. "I'll call you back."

Kate hung up and tapped her phone on her chin in thought. She knew it was kind of wishful thinking but she knew if she could get her hands on that research and help the two of them understand how much they were both working towards the same goal that they might be able to resolve this. She wasn't sure she cared about their relationship being resolved but she knew the way things were currently going weren't right and she hoped she would be able to get them to a place where they could make it so.