Sorry for the long delay. I'm all finished up with finals now and trying to get back on track with this one. Thank you for all the reviews. I really enjoy seeing what you're thinking about the story. :)
Lauren, Bo, and all other Lost Girl characters belong to the incredible people over at Prodigy Pictures. I just borrowed them for a bit.
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Sitting between the two women uncomfortably, Hale let the conversation sink in. "So... When did this happen? And why didn't you guys tell me? I would have supported you both." He turned to Bo and looked her in the eyes. "You're my partner and a very good friend. I just want you to be happy. If Lauren makes you happy, then I'm all for it." Bo reached over and put her hand on his. "She does. But this just happened yesterday. I've wanted to be with her for a long time, but I just couldn't talk to her about it. This whole situation made me reevaluate priorities. But we haven't even figured things out for ourselves yet. We certainly haven't told anyone else about it. You would have been first."
By this point, all three of them were wearing puzzled looks on their faces. Hale spoke up first. "So if you haven't told anyone, and it just happened yesterday, how would this guy know?" Lauren gasped as she realized what must have happened. "Oh my god! He's been watching us!" She pointed to the high window at the side of the kitchen. "If there was a way to look in that window, he'd be able to see us here in the kitchen. It's where we were last night when I kissed her." The doctor blushed slightly at the admission in front of Hale. He spoke up, realizing the problem. "It's high enough up that he couldn't be close to the house though. He would have to be on top of something. I'll have a couple patrol officers look for somewhere that might give a view through this window. Then, while they do a search, we'll finish looking at these files. Bo, will you cover that window while I call them?"
Lauren hung her head in her hands while Bo pulled the blinds closed tightly. She didn't know how to process the emotions she was having. She couldn't stand knowing that someone was watching her, for who knows how long, in her own home. This was supposed to be her safe place. Her first kiss with Bo was supposed to be something sacred, only to be shared between the two of them. Now it felt tainted. Bo cupped her cheek softly and lifted her head so their eyes met. Lauren hadn't noticed the tears falling until she felt Bo gently wiping them away. "Lauren, baby, I am so sorry this is happening. I promise you, we will catch this guy and I will make him pay for what he's done. I'm not giving up on us just because some nut job told me to. I only just got a chance with you." She reached down and laced their fingers together. How could this be happening? They had to find something to use against this guy. Bo couldn't just sit by and watch what it was doing to Lauren. Her breath caught as she felt Lauren lean in and kiss her gently. She wrapped her arms around the blonde and pulled her in for a tight hug. They stayed that way until Hale came back into the kitchen.
Taking in the scene before him, Hale was conflicted. He knew that Bo had a thing for Lauren. She would never admit it, but he had seen the way she looked at the doctor when she thought no one was looking. The thing was, he remembered what had happened with Dyson. What if that happened again? And would Bo be able to protect Lauren with her emotions in the way? He should have said something when they first put a detail on Lauren's house. He felt like there wasn't much he could do now though. Clearing his throat, he entered the room as the women pulled apart. "Patrol is checking out the area. Let's go over the rest of this file, ok?" He sat down next to Bo and took a deep breath.
Lauren spoke up. "I've already noticed some anomalies with the autopsy. He was beaten severely, just like the other victims. The report mentions bruising over much of his body, concentrated on his torso. Almost all of his ribs are broken, along with his collarbone, several vertebrae, and both arms. He also has a fractured skull. Judging from the photos, the killer kicked him repeatedly while wearing some type of boot or hard shoe. None of the marks are clear enough to identify a type though." She flipped to another set of photos. Seeing the detective's face, the trio was silent for a moment. Lauren was reminded that this wasn't just another case. This was Dyson. She felt Bo's hand squeeze her knee gently, and she shook her head to clear it. "Sorry. I uhm... There is a puncture mark on his neck. It's noted in the report, and they sent a swab to toxicology. It will likely match what's in his blood stream. I believe he was injected with some kind of drug to sedate him and then carried into the warehouse nearby. The cuts are less precise this time. It looks like two of them hit major veins. That may have been intentional, I guess. They ruled cause of death as exsanguination caused by complete transection of the carotid. Based on what I have, he would have bled out very quickly. This kill looks so much more violent than the other ones. He was definitely angry." She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Turning to look at the detectives, she noticed how upset they were. She wanted to get this over with. Hopefully there was more useful evidence in Hale's emailed files. "What else did you guys find?"
Bo wiped her eyes and turned the laptop so Lauren could see as well. "It looks like possibly a different knife was used altogether. The lab will try to identify the type of weapon based on the wound patterns, so hopefully that will give us something. Evidence logs show that there were trace fibers found on his clothing. Analysis on those may give us something, too." Hale continued to scroll through the pages in the file. The note was being run through the lab for fingerprints and handwriting analysis. Nothing had come up on the other notes, but they'd run it just in case. Looking at the last page of the CSU paperwork, Hale's face lit up. "They found a footprint near the doorway! It says the lab took molds and collected the trace evidence that could have come from the sole of the shoe the killer was wearing. Maybe this will give us somewhere to start looking. Also, it looks like he was dragged by his arms into the warehouse, rather than carried. There are drag marks going through the door over to where he was found. I don't know if that will be useful, but maybe this guy isn't quite as strong as we thought." The team looked at each other and tried to hold on to this newfound hope.
Hale stood up and started packing away the laptop. "I'm going to head home for the night. Captain said he didn't need you ladies today. If you want to come in tomorrow, we can take another look at the other cases and see if we can match anything to this one." Bo nodded at him. "We'll be there. Hale, can you hold off on telling them about us? I'll tell the captain tomorrow. I just feel like it should come from one of us." He understood completely. Plus, he didn't really want to be the one to drop that bombshell. "Sure thing, Bo. See you in the morning."
Walking him to the door, the detectives shared a hug. She looked at Hale and realized how glad she was to have him as a partner. "I'm really sorry about Dyson. I had no idea that this guy was so infatuated with Lauren. I feel like it's my fault that he's dead." She looked tearfully into Hale's eyes, and he pulled her in for another hug. "I'm sorry too, Bo. But it's not your fault he's dead. We're going to get this guy. He's got to pay for this." He pulled away and stepped out the door before turning around. "Go take care of your girl." He smiled slightly and walked out to his car.
Bo returned to find Lauren still sitting in the kitchen. She looked so lost and so upset that it broke the detective's heart. She had to catch this asshole. For now, she would have to just try to ease Lauren's mind whenever she could. "Hey, you. The door is locked up. I'm going to do a security sweep, and then I'm thinking maybe we could go to bed. I'm feeling pretty wiped out." Lauren stood up and stepped into the brunette's embrace. "Sounds great. I'll see you in the bedroom." Bo watched her walk away slowly and felt her shoulders slump. How was she going to catch this guy?
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The next morning, the girls arrived at work to find Hale already looking at the files spread all over the table. He had an intense look on his face. Bo sat a coffee down on the table in front of him and pulled up a chair. She was so determined to find something today. "Morning, Hale. What do we have? Good news, I hope?" She smiled tightly at the other detective, knowing that he was as hopeful as she was.
"We're waiting on tox reports from the lab. I was just looking over the other crime scene photos to see if we missed anything. The other two victims were hit on the head rather than injected with something. I don't know why that was switched up, but it looks like Dyson was knocked out by a drug rather than a physical blow. With him being killed at the warehouse, it feels more like a spur of the moment thing. This guy usually likes to take some time with the victims. Judging from the note though, Dyson was definitely the target." He turned to look at Bo. He could see that she hadn't been getting much sleep this week. This case had been taking its toll on all of them, but he hadn't known just how hard it was hitting her before today. "I'm sorry I flipped out on you a little last night. There was so much on my mind... I really am thrilled for you and Lauren. I just want to see you both happy." Bo smiled at her partner's words. "Thank you, Hale. That means a lot to me."
Both detectives looked up as the office door opened. "Tox results are back. He had ketamine in his system. Looks like it was injected shortly before he was killed. The results were sent to the detectives working the case, but I have connections over there. I had them get me a copy. I hope it helps someone catch this guy." The lab tech dropped the paperwork on the table and walked back out of the office. Bo picked up the paperwork and started flipping through the pages. "Ketamine... Good move going with a street drug. That will be almost impossible to trace. At least we know how he was knocked out. I'm gonna look through his file again." She pulled out the folder and opened it on the table in front of her. She had looked at this last night, but the pictures hit her just as hard today. I'm a detective, she told herself. I have to solve the case. I have to save the girl. My girl. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she looked at the pages again, she was more focused.
The two detectives sat in silence for a long while, looking at pages of evidence and trying to find the thing that would give them a lead. When Hale's phone rang, Bo thought she might jump out of her skin. She had been so immersed in the file. Hale chuckled slightly and reached for his phone. Bo looked back at the file and the notes she had been making. It was almost lunch time. She wondered if she could talk Lauren in going to get lunch with Hale and herself. That would be a nice treat. Looking up to meet Hale's gaze, she thought they might be skipping lunch instead. He hung up with a sigh.
"They found the lookout. It looks as though the killer has been watching Lauren from the roof of an apartment building. It's a couple blocks away, but the patrol unit says there is a direct line of sight to that kitchen window. There was a boot print next to the edge of the roof where they were probably standing. CSU took a mold. They also found a few gum wrappers next to the ledge. They're in the lab, but I'm not holding my breath for prints." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I want so badly for something to give us a lead. This is so frustrating! I know it must be ten times worse for you. Do you want to go check out the roof?"
Bo started to say yes, but she decided it wasn't going to be a good idea. "No. I trust CSU. I don't want to see it. I think it would just let him get further inside my head." She put the paperwork back in the folder she was holding and set it down on the table. She looked back up at Hale with teary eyes. "This is my fault, Hale. I'm the reason Dyson is dead. You saw the note. What if we can't catch this guy? What if I can't protect Lauren? Maybe she would be better off without me trying to protect her..." She swallowed down her tears and closed her eyes. "Things wouldn't have escalated if I hadn't told her how I felt about her." The detective dropped her head into her hands dejectedly.
Hale looked over at his partner. As much as this was hurting him, he couldn't imagine what she was feeling. "Bo, this isn't on you. You didn't make this guy target Lauren. He did that before you said anything, remember? That note might have blamed you for Dyson, but it wasn't your fault. Believe me." Wiping at her tears, Bo voiced what she had been thinking last night. "Last night, when you called and said that there was some evidence this time, I was so glad. I thought we were going to get him this time. I told Lauren that whatever made him so mad was a good thing. Except that thing was me!" The tears were falling again at this point. She felt like punching something, but she knew it wouldn't do her any good. "We have to stop him, Hale! I can't lose her too!" He pulled her into a tight hug and let her cry until she felt better. "We'll get him, Bo. We'll get him." He just hoped he wasn't lying to her.
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Lauren was trying to keep moving down in the lab. It was weird for her to be doing things that the interns would normally do, but it kept her mind busy. She was taking inventory of supplies and stocking shelves. At least she felt useful here. Besides, she couldn't blame them for taking her off the case. Hell, it was her case. The medical examiner they had brought in was doing a very thorough job. She had googled him, and he seemed very qualified. She needed to stop thinking about it so much and keep doing the little things.
She closed her eyes at her desk and thought of Bo. She daydreamed about her girlfriend's warm embrace and wished they could just run away somewhere together. How nice it would be to not have to watch her back every step she took. "Doc?" The voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, Tamsin." The lab tech gazed at the doctor with a sad look on her face. "Are you ok?" Lauren laughed before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry. That's not funny. I appreciate you asking. I'm doing ok. Just ready to get back to work, you know? It's been a long couple weeks." Tamsin nodded and backed away from the office. "Yeah. Well let me know if you need anything." She was gone before Lauren could even thank her for the concern.
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Bo and Hale had finally left the station to grab a bite to eat. She was enjoying the fresh air and trying to participate in the conversation. Hale was telling her about this blind date he had gone on a couple weeks ago. When the girl showed up, Hale realized she had dated one of his good friends. He felt so weird about it that he didn't even stay for dinner. "What was I supposed to do? I feel like there's a guy code against that or something. She was cute though..." Bo laughed at the look on his face. "Maybe you should ask him if he minds. It may not be a big deal, you know?" He shrugged and smiled at his partner. "Maybe so." He dug back into his sandwich just as Bo's phone started ringing.
"Dennis." She was quiet as the voice on the other end rattled on. "Do you want to just come meet me? I'm at that little sandwich shop on Broadway. Yeah. The one next to the kickass ice cream place. See you in a few." Hale's look made her smile without even realizing it. "That was Kenzi. She used to be an informant for me. Helped on several cases a couple years back. We stay in touch, but I haven't seen her in a while. You're gonna love her."
Ten minutes later, the detectives had finished their lunch and were chatting. They both seemed to be making an effort to keep the topics light. Bo saw Hale's eyes flicker and she turned to see what he was looking at. Sashaying toward them was a tiny little Russian with stiletto boots on. Her jeans couldn't possibly have been any tighter. She had paired the black boots and black jeans with... What else? A tight black top. The fishnet sleeves didn't look like they were doing much to keep her warm, but she didn't seem to mind. "What up, Bobo?" She hollered at the detective as she walked toward the table. Hale's eyes shot to Bo's. "You know her?" Bo laughed and stood up to wrap her arms around the little goth girl. "Hale, I'd like you to meet Kenzi. Kenzi, this is my partner, Hale." As their eyes met, Hale felt the smile taking over his face. "Hey there, lil mama." He raised her hand to kiss the back of it softly. Bo could swear she saw Kenzi blush. "Well, hello." She smiled back up at him. When Hale pulled her chair out for her, Kenzi's eyes met with Bo's. She mouthed to her friend, "OMG! He's hot!" Bo just laughed at the pair. Maybe Hale wouldn't be calling that girl after all.
The trio settled back down at the table, and Kenzi ordered a drink. They made small talk for a few minutes before Bo asked Kenzi why she had called. "Oh! I completely forgot. I wanted to see if something is going on with Dyson. I know you aren't really close anymore, but I can't exactly call the station." Bo did a terrible job of hiding the shock on her face. "What? Uh, why do you need to talk to Dyson?" She looked at Hale desperately. She didn't know how to tell Kenzi that he was dead. "I'm helping him on a case. Don't be mad, ok? We don't like hang out or anything, but sometimes I help him find people. You know, like witnesses and stuff." Her eyes shifted between the two detectives.
Hale spoke up first. "Kenzi, he uhm... Dyson was murdered the night before last. I'm sorry." He watched as the information sunk in. "When did you talk to him last?" Kenzi turned back to Bo and saw the tears in her eyes. "He's serious? Dyson's dead?" Bo nodded and laid her hand on top of Kenzi's. "I'm sorry Kenz. They won't let us work the case, officially, but we're doing everything we can to catch this guy. Do you have any information that might help us? Which case were you working on?" Kenzi closed her eyes and hung her head. "Poor D-Man..."
She took a deep breath and looked back up at the detectives. "I was helping him find some guy. Homeless. Hangs out downtown, but he's totally off the grid. I called him that afternoon to tell him I had a good lead. The guy had been seen hanging around these abandoned warehouses. I told him I'd check it out later that night, but he said he would go instead. He said he didn't want to put me in any danger." She sniffled softly. "I didn't think he was in any danger. When I hadn't heard from him by the next night, I tried calling a couple times, but he never answered. I guess now I know why." She looked back up at her friend. "I'm sorry, Bo. This is my fault, isn't it? I didn't think anything was going to happen!" Bo grabbed the girl's shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "No Kenz. This isn't your fault." Her eyes met Hale's as she continued. "It was no one's fault." She tried to believe her own words.
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The next several days seemed to just fly by. Bo and Hale were working on other cases, and Lauren was finally back to working on autopsies now that the victims weren't related to her case. The work days went quickly, and then she went home with Bo. Things almost seemed calm. But Bo was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It had been six days since Dyson was killed. She and Hale had been checking the few tiny leads they had (off the record, of course), but they hadn't come up with much. The prescription pad the note was written on had been stolen during one of the hospital burglaries. The footprint hadn't given them much. It was a size 9 1/2 men's boot. The pattern was a match for Timberland work boots. The problem was that too many people had that type of boot. It wouldn't help unless they found the person wearing the boots. One lead they did have was at the apartment building. There were tire marks in the alley where police believed the killer had taken off quickly. Probably when they flew into the rage that caused them to to kill Dyson. The tread pattern matched those of an expensive brand of tires commonly used for racing. Bo had spent the afternoon calling tire shops around town to see if any of them had sold a set. Her mind was exhausted, and she was ready to call it a day.
As if on cue, Lauren walked into Bo's line of sight. Both women smiled as their eyes met. Lauren thought that she would never tire of seeing the detective smile. She walked over and sat down on the corner of the desk with her legs dangling next to Bo's chair. "Hey. I was wondering when you might be able to head out. I'm done for the day, but if you're still working, I can get an officer to take me home." She was fidgeting with her hands.
Today had been interesting for the doctor. The women had been taking the physical aspect of their relationship very slowly. They both knew how much was going on in their worlds, and neither of them wanted their first time together to be tainted by it. This morning, though, Lauren had woken up with Bo's arm wrapped protectively across her. Something about having her girlfriend's hand on her stomach had caused an ache to form between her thighs. She had closed her eyes and tried to think calm thoughts, but Bo had stirred. Her hand had moved just inside the waist of Lauren's panties before she fell back asleep. Lauren felt as though a fire had ignited itself within her. Later that morning, she had relieved the tension in the shower, something she hadn't done in a long time. She just didn't know how much longer she could handle being so close to Bo and not just jumping on her. Lauren took a deep breath and let it out as she looked up at Bo.
The brunette had noticed that something was going on with her girlfriend today, but she couldn't really place it. She had seemed awfully jumpy when they woke up this morning, and now she looked all nervous sitting on her desk. She wanted nothing more than to take Lauren home and see if she could get the woman to relax. "I can go. I can finish calling these places tomorrow. Do you want to pick something up for dinner? I don't really feel up to cooking tonight. I could call that great little Italian place you like. Then we could go home and relax for the evening." Lauren smiled at how Bo knew exactly what would make her feel better. "Sounds good. I'll just go grab my coat. Be back in a minute." Bo watched the blonde walk away. She was trying to contain her desire for Lauren, but it was so hard. She didn't know how much longer she would last before giving in. She grabbed her jacket, turned the lights off, and locked the office door. Time to go home.
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Just as the pair were leaving to head home for a (hopefully) quiet evening, a fire began burning across town. The car's darkened windows made it hard to see if anyone was still inside. As the flames reached the gas tank, a fireball erupted. There wouldn't be much left for the crime scene unit to analyze when they finally arrived. The dark figure turned and walked away from the blaze.
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Bo tried to make small talk as they ate their pasta. The food was delicious, but Bo was more focused on the woman sitting across from her. Tonight, she was acutely aware of every tiny move Lauren's lips made. Twice, Lauren had caught her staring and smirked at the brunette, running her tongue along her teeth. When she saw Bo biting her lip, she knew her little trick had worked. She was hoping that Bo was having as hard a time holding back as she was. She held eye contact as Bo took a long drink of her wine, and in that moment, Lauren decided that she was done waiting. Getting up from the table, she took her plate over to the sink and rinsed it off. She finished the end of her wine and turned to look at the object of her desire. Bo had risen from the table and was bringing her plate over as well. Their eyes met, and Lauren could see her desire reflected in Bo's eyes. As soon as the plate was rinsed off, she took Bo's hand and led her to the bedroom.
Bo was feeling so many things all at once. She wanted Lauren so badly, but she didn't know if the timing was right. What she did know was that she was having a hard time keeping her hands off the blonde. Suddenly, her mind went blank as she felt Lauren push her back against the wall. Then, Lauren's lips were on hers and she was being pressed harder into the wall. The kiss was electric. It was as though a pulse was going through her whole body. She threaded her hands into Lauren's hair and deepened the kiss. They broke apart only for air, but Lauren took that opportunity to pull Bo's shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. Every thought that Bo had about waiting went out the window in that moment. Lauren reached down and pulled off her shirt as well. She maintained eye contact with the brunette as she backed slowly toward the bed, discarding her bra as she went. "Bo, I need you." Her voice caused Bo's breath to catch and her panties to flood with arousal. She closed the distance between them just as Lauren unbuttoned her pants. Their lips crashed together as Bo tried to show Lauren how much she wanted her. She felt her bra being unhooked, and then both women moaned as their breasts came together. Bo pulled back and started kissing her way down Lauren's neck.
The feel of Lauren's skin was driving Bo crazy. She felt as though she couldn't get enough of the woman. Lauren was intoxicating. Bo trailed her fingers down the soft skin of the blonde's neck, over her collarbone, and around the curve of her perfect breast. She ran her thumb softly across Lauren's hardened nipple as she took the other one into her mouth. By this time, Lauren was writhing below the brunette. She craved more contact, but Bo was taking her time exploring her torso. Lauren could feel her excitement building.
"Bo, please. I want you inside me..." The whispered words caused Bo's breath to catch. She didn't think she could get any more turned on, and then Lauren would say something like that. But she wasn't going to deny this woman a thing in the world. She ran her tongue over the blonde's collarbone and kissed her way back up her slender neck. She hovered over Lauren's lips for a second as her fingers dipped into Lauren's soaked folds. "Oh fuck..." Bo couldn't believe how wet Lauren was. And to think that all of this was for her. She held eye contact with Lauren as she slid first one, then a second finger inside of her. She watched as Lauren's eyes closed briefly with the new sensation, but they soon opened back up to meet Bo's. Their lips met hurriedly as Bo began thrusting faster. Lauren was the first to pull back from the kiss, letting out a moan and leaning her head back into the pillows. "Oh god, Bo!" It wasn't long before she felt herself nearing the edge. She was so focused on the fingers inside of her that she didn't feel Bo moving lower on the bed. The next thing she knew, Bo's tongue was on her, matching the rhythm of her hand. It didn't take long before Lauren felt the waves of pleasure crashing over her. Bo heard her name being cried out and felt Lauren clenching tightly around her fingers. She continued to place soft kisses on the blonde's inner thighs as she watched her coming down from the immense high.
Bo crawled back up the bed and collapsed next to her girlfriend. She draped her arm across Lauren's stomach and traced small circles on her hip. Lauren shivered at the sensation. She shifted to look at the brunette lying next to her. The desire in her eyes made Bo's bite her lip. Lauren groaned as she lowered herself down onto Bo, the amount of skin contact causing another wave of arousal rocketing through both women. Lauren's hands and mouth roamed freely, exploring the lithe body below her. She kissed her way down the taut abs and across the brunette's hips until she reached her soft inner thighs, committing every inch of Bo's body to memory. Settling in between Bo's thighs, Lauren could see just how ready she was for her. While maintaining eye contact with the brunette, Lauren slid her tongue slowly through the wet folds and let out a moan as she got her first taste of her incredible girlfriend. Bo's eyes clenched shut tightly as she gave in completely to what she was feeling. Lauren teased her briefly, running her tongue everywhere except where Bo needed it most. Soon, Lauren couldn't take it any longer. She focused on the small bundle of nerves and moaned softly, the vibrations resonating to Bo's core. "Oh god, Lauren! Don't stop, baby! Please..." Her words became incoherent as Lauren doubled her efforts. Soon Bo was gripping the sheets and arching her back as she tumbled over the edge into pure ecstasy. Lauren peppered Bo with soft kisses as she worked her way back up to the pillows.
When Bo opened her eyes, she was taken aback at how beautiful Lauren looked. She had never been so insanely attracted to someone before. And it wasn't just her body. Bo realized that she was hopelessly in love with this woman. Lauren spoke up in a husky voice that almost had Bo squirming. "Whatcha thinking about, sexy?" She smiled at the brunette and lifted their hands to place a soft kiss on the back of Bo's. Their fingers fit together as if they were made for each other. Bo smiled at how amazing this felt.
"I was thinking about you. Lauren, you're so beautiful. And smart... You're probably the smartest person I've ever met." She grinned at the blush rising on Lauren's neck and leaned over to kiss her full lips. "You're just incredible. I know we haven't been together very long, but its like you fill this hole that I've had inside of me. I've spent so much time looking for something to fill it. For a time, it was women in bars. I've tried to fill it with my career. I've tried to find a hobby... Nothing has ever made me feel as good as I feel right now, here with you. I feel whole again." Lauren laid her head on Bo's shoulder and snuggled tighter against her. "I've had that feeling too. Like I was always looking for something... I've come to a realization this past week though. It was you, Bo. It's always been you." She looked into Bo's eyes and saw all of the emotion she was feeling reflected back at her. "I love you, Bo Dennis." Bo felt her heart melt even more, which she didn't even know was possible. "I love you too, Lauren Lewis." Their lips met in a kiss that felt as though the world had stopped spinning just for them.
The pair spent the next several hours talking and kissing and making love, again and again. They fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning, completely spent physically but feeling more content than they had in ages.
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Lauren woke up the next morning feeling better than she had in a long time. She was snuggled up naked against the woman she loved. She ran her hand softly along Bo's back and down her side. She could feel herself getting more aroused the longer she was awake. The skin contact was driving her mad with desire. Bo's breast was pressed into Lauren's side, and their legs were tangled together. Lauren knew that it wouldn't be long before Bo would be able to feel how wet she was. She closed her eyes to try and gain control of her body. When she opened her eyes again, Bo was smiling up at her. "Good morning, beautiful." Lauren thought that her morning voice was incredibly sexy. It was husky from the combination of sleep and all of the crying out she had done last night. The blonde smiled and decided she could definitely get used to this. Bo leaned up for a soft kiss that caused both women to sigh. This moment felt so perfect. Lauren wanted Bo to knew how she felt. "Good morning to you, sexy. You're just adorable when you're sleeping. I think I'd like to wake up like this every morning..." She smiled and kissed Bo softly. "I would like that too. Very much." The brunette moved slightly so that she was on top of her girlfriend before leaning in toward her ear. "Does that mean we can go to bed the way we did last night? Because I would definitely like to do that again." She took Lauren's earlobe into her mouth and sucked slightly, eliciting a small moan. Lauren's hands slid lower down Bo's back and gripped her hips tightly. Bo kissed her way down Lauren's perfectly sculpted jaw to find her lips. Their tongues met in a delicate dance as Bo pressed her hips harder against Lauren's.
Things were starting to heat up when Lauren's phone rang. She let out a throaty growl and looked at the display. "It's the precinct. I probably better answer it." She closed her eyes as she raised the phone up to her ear. "Doctor Lewis." She listened as the voice on the other end told her about a crime scene that needed her attention. She tried to focus on the words, but Bo was kissing her way down her neck. She felt the brunette's hand gliding down the side of her breast and then across her stomach. As it traveled lower, she knew that she wouldn't be able to contain herself on the phone. "Ok, uhm... I have to go. I'll be there in forty five minutes." She hung up just as Bo's fingers found the wetness she had caused and plunged inside.
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Bo had insisted that she accompany Lauren to the crime scene since she was essentially her bodyguard for the time being. She was going to just make sure that someone would be able to bring the doctor back to the precinct, and then she would go in and get to work. When she got to the scene, she saw a burned out shell of a car. The body was in the trunk. It looked as though he had been tied up, but the exam would tell them more. Lauren told Bo that she would have the body moved to the lab shortly, so she could ride with them. Then she put on her gloves and got to work. Bo smiled at the doctor and turned to leave. As she walked back to the car, she overheard the officers discussing the victim. "Victim appears to be a Massimo Price. His wallet was found in a dumpster down the block. The face is obviously badly burned, but it looks like our guy. We'll have the doc check his dental records to confirm."
Bo turned around and jogged back over to the car. "Lauren, you have to stop. You can't work this one." The confusion was evident as the blonde looked up at her girlfriend. Bo turned back to the officers, who had followed her back to the doctor. "What's up detective?" Bo took a deep breath before speaking. "I talked to Massimo Price yesterday morning. He may be related to a case we're working." Lauren took a deep breath and stepped away from the car. "How? I don't know him. Do you? Why him?" Bo looked at her notes from the day before on her notepad. "He works at a tire shop. I talked to him about those racing tires we were looking for. He said that he sold a set of Asanti rims with those racing tires about three months ago. Real expensive. He was pretty sure the owner had the invoice in his office. When the owner got back from lunch, he was going to have him check and call me back. I didn't hear from him before I left, so I figured I'd call this morning."
She shook her head as she put the notebook back in her pocket. "It had to have been our guy. Look at the rims on this car. I'd bet my paycheck that those match the set he sold. I called the shop and the next day he's dead and the car is burnt to a crisp. Someone must have known we were getting close. Damn it!" Lauren reached out and put her hand on the detective's arm. "I'll call the medical examiner. He's still in town, so he can come work this scene. Let's go back to the lab." The pair walked back to the car in silence.
Today had taken a sharp downhill turn.
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Bo had spent a large part of today kicking herself about this latest victim. If she had remembered to call back sooner, maybe he'd be alive. If she'd worked harder and been a better cop, she could have caught the killer already. She had broken down crying in the bathroom after the women had returned to the station. The stress was really starting to make her crack. Lauren had known that Bo was upset on the drive back, but she wasn't sure what to do. She had tried to comfort the brunette in the car, but Bo told her she just wanted to be alone for a little while. After she was all cried out, she had locked herself in the office and started going over the files again.
Hale was really getting worried about his partner. He had never seen her like this, almost manic about the case. He was trying to figure out what to do about it when the lab tech walked over. "Hey Ciara. What do you have for me? Something good, I hope." He smiled slightly, but they both knew how desperate the team was getting. She handed him the thin folder. "We got DNA from the gum wrapper. The computer is searching for a match now. I'll let you know if I get any hits. What I can tell you from looking at the DNA profile is that your suspect is a female." Hale looked up from the folder, completely stunned. "It's a woman?!" Ciara pointed to a section of the printout. "Without a doubt. The person who put that gum in their mouth was a woman. I don't know if they're your killer or not, but she was definitely on that roof." Shutting the folder, Hale turned toward the office with a renewed sense of urgency. "Thanks Ciara. Call me if you get a match."
Bo's head shot up when her partner came bursting through the door. "It was a woman! There was a woman on the roof!" Hale tossed the folder on the table, and it slid over toward Bo. She snatched it up and looked at the profile on the page. "Holy shit, Hale! This is huge! Do we have any matches yet?" She stood up from the table. If they had a lead, she was going right now. Hale shook his head. "Not yet. It's running through the computer now. Did you start a list of anyone who purchased those rims and tires? If there were any women on the list, we can start with them." Bo grabbed the folder she had started filling this morning. Several shops had faxed over lists after she left last night. They had twelve names to go on, only two of which were ladies. She circled the names and addresses and handed the pages to Hale. "Let me grab my coat and we'll get out of here." As she pulled her coat on, she heard the fax machine running. She decided to check it before they left, just in case. Looking at the list, she felt her heart stop.
"Hale!" She stalked out of the office to find Hale on the phone. He hung up and looked at the detective tensely. "I know someone on this list. Tamsin bought a set of those tires three months ago, from Massimo's store. That's right about the time she moved here, isn't it?" Hale nodded and dropped his phone into his pocket. "She's a match for the DNA. Lab just called. Where's Lauren? You need to get her somewhere safe until we find Tamsin. She has to know we're close." Bo hurried toward the stairs. "She was in the lab last I knew. I'll go find her."
Circling the lab, Bo saw no sign of Lauren. She wasn't in any of the testing areas or at her desk. Then Bo noticed that her coat was gone. She picked up the phone and hit the speed dial. When Lauren picked up the phone, the detective let go of the breath she had been holding. "Hey babe. I was down in the lab looking for you. Where'd you run off to?" Lauren smiled at the term of endearment. "Babe, huh? I'll be back shortly. I rode along to check out a scene." Bo immediately felt her heart sink. "Where? Who did you ride with?" She felt as if she was starting to panic. "Lauren, we caught a break on the case. Tamsin is the lead suspect. Where are you? I'll come pick you up. We need to get you somewhere safe!"
Lauren slowly turned to look at the blonde lab tech driving the car. She was shocked to see Tamsin looking right at her with a smirk on her face. "Guess they finally got something on me, huh? Good thing I already have you." She rolled down the passenger side window. "Ditch the phone." Not knowing what else to do, Lauren tossed the phone out the window and prayed that Bo would come find her.
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Thanks for reading! Your reviews really mean a lot to me. Let me know what you think of this latest turn of events... I'll try not to keep you waiting too long for the next chapter! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!