I am so very sorry it took so long to update this. Real life always gets in the way, but I was having a hard time figuring out where to go with this as well. I'm a little iffy on this chapter, but I hope it turned out ok.
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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Three Days Later
The funeral was held on a dark, overcast day. The rain threatened to spill from the clouds like the tears of the few mourners who attended. Lauren watched the service from a short distance away. She didn't want to have to speak to anyone. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't know why she even came. Tamsin had kidnapped her, caused her harm, and almost killed the woman that she loved. There was no good reason to come. Lauren thought maybe it would provide some kind of closure. Now she wasn't so sure.
Climbing back into her car, she headed to the place she had called home for the last few days... Bo's room in St. Michael's Hospital. When Lauren had realized that Bo wasn't breathing anymore, she panicked. Normally, she was able to stay clear headed in a medical emergency, but this was her girlfriend. The woman who had just died saving her life. Hale had come running when he heard Lauren scream. They started to do CPR on the detective, but it was causing her to lose blood even quicker. When the paramedics came through the door, Lauren collapsed on the floor. The relief of knowing Bo was in good hands mixed with the immense amount of pain she was in, and Lauren's body was no longer able to handle it. She passed out with her hand still on Bo, refusing to let go.
When she came to, Lauren had prayed that this was all a dream. She hoped that she would open her eyes and be snuggled up in bed with Bo. What she actually saw was the inside of an ambulance. The paramedics had inserted an IV and were giving her fluids. She assumed that one was a strong painkiller because she was feeling fabulous. At least until she started to move. The closest EMT quickly put a hand on her shoulder. "You should stay still, Doctor Lewis. We're almost to the hospital. You need to get your arm looked at. Also, it appears that you may have some damage to your ribs." Lauren looked at the woman's name tag before speaking up. "Listen, Lydia... I'm fine. Really. My arm is broken, and I may have a couple cracked ribs. I promise I'll lay down and be calm though if you tell me how Bo is. She's the detective that was shot. Were they able to resuscitate her at the scene?" Lydia glanced down at her hands briefly before answering the doctor. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure how she was doing. They put her on a board and got her back to the ambulance pretty quickly. They took off while we were still assessing your injuries. I'll check on her as soon as we get to the hospital." Lauren was so frustrated. "How much longer until we get there?" Lydia tried to calm her down, but she knew it wasn't really working. "It should only be another couple minutes. Just try to relax. We don't want to make any of your injuries worse." Lauren finally realized that there wasn't anything she could do for the moment and laid back on the gurney.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Lauren immediately started asking for Bo's status. After a few minutes, the doctor promised to go check on her. When he returned, his face was somber. "Your friend is in surgery now. She has lost a significant amount of blood. The bullet broke off one of her ribs, which punctured her lung. They're repairing the tissue damage in the area as well. It's going to be at least another hour before she's out of surgery, but it looks promising."
Lauren took a deep breath and cringed at the pain in her side. She was so glad that Bo was alive, she had almost forgotten she was injured too. The doctor looked at her chart from the EMTs and called x-ray to come in. Lauren laid back and tried to think calm thoughts. It ended up being three cracked ribs. Her arm was broken in two places, and she had deep bruising in several places. She knew it could have been way worse. These injuries would just take time to heal.
When Lauren got back to the hospital, the nurses smiled at her warmly. They knew her well on this floor. Visiting hours were from 8am to 8pm, and Lauren was here every minute that she was allowed to be. She had barely been sleeping the last few days. Forensics had finally been able to link Tamsin to the murders. They found her trophies in a box at her apartment. Detectives were able to link her car to the tires that were purchased at Massimo's shop. There was no evidence to indicate that anyone else was still after Lauren. The sergeant had pulled the car that had been posted at her home, but they continued to provide increased patrols in the neighborhood. The problem was, Lauren didn't like her big empty bed. She didn't like Bo being so far away. If they'd let her, she would gladly stay at the hospital.
Walking into Bo's room, she was surprised to see the brunette sitting up in the bed. "Hey, you." The smile on Bo's face made her heart melt. "How are you feeling? You look like you feel better this morning." Lauren leaned down slightly to place a soft kiss on the brunette's lips and sat down in the chair next to the bed. She scooted it closer until she could take Bo's hand in hers. Immediately, Bo laced their fingers together and rubbed her thumb lightly on Lauren's hand. "I'm feeling pretty good. This morning, I walked down to the nurse's station and back. It's feeling so much better when I walk. Still hurts pretty bad to cough though." She smiled at Lauren, who was looking at her with doctor eyes. "Lauren, I'm fine. Really. I'm on the mend. I can't wait to get out of this room." She laughed lightly, which caused her to wince. Maybe she wasn't ALL the way better just yet.
Lauren cleared her throat nervously and looked up at her girlfriend. "I've actually been thinking about that quite a bit. You're going to be off work for a while so you can heal, and I'm doing much better now. There are only a few things I can't do with this cast on my arm." She glanced down at their hands and then back up at the soft brown eyes she loved so much. "Maybe you could come and stay with me for a while. Uhm, for health reasons, of course." Bo thought the blonde was adorable when she got nervous. It wasn't often that she got to see this side of her. "Oh, of course. Health reasons." She shifted slightly so she could give Lauren a kiss. "I would love to come and stay with you. Does this mean that you will be my personal nurse?" She raised her eyebrow at Lauren and grinned. This was the type of plan she could get behind. Lauren chuckled at her suggestion. "Yes, I guess I would. I could make myself available for anything you need." She felt the blush creeping up her neck at the thoughts that were running through her mind. Bo was the only person that could bring this side of her out. She ran her finger up Bo's arm softly. "I'm especially good at giving sponge baths." She licked her lips as she saw the look on her girlfriend's face. They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
The doctor came into the room and sat Bo's chart down on the table. "Hello there, Ms. Dennis. How are you feeling this morning?" He washed his hands as he listened to her update about walking around more and feeling better overall. After he checked her injuries and took her vitals, he smiled and picked her chart back up. "How would you like to go home this afternoon?" The smile on the patient's face told him everything he needed to know. "I'll get your discharge instructions together. There are going to be a lot of restrictions for a while. Do you have someone that can stay with you for at least a couple of days?" She turned to Lauren and smiled brightly. "I think I can arrange that." The women shared a look that was not missed on the doctor. He patted her foot before turning to leave. "Take it easy for a while. Call me if you need anything or have any questions." He smiled at the pair and closed the door on the way out.
Lauren helped Bo get dressed and ready to go. The wound on her side made it hard to maneuver the way she wanted. Lauren knew that the stubborn woman would have a hard time not doing things her own way. Letting out a sigh in frustration, Bo lowered herself down to sit on the edge of the bed. "This is going to be a long couple of weeks. I hate it already." Lauren sat down on the bed and put an arm around her girlfriend. She smiled as Bo's head tilted to lay on her shoulder. "I know, Bo, but you have to listen to the doctors. I've got the next week off from work to take care of you. I went shopping after they kicked me out last night, so the house is stocked with all of your favorites. Twinkies... Potato chips… Ice cream…" Bo's eyes lit up at the mention of ice cream. "Is it double chocolate chunk?" Lauren laughed at how adorable the brunette was when she got excited. She leaned over and gave Bo a soft kiss. "Of course it is. Why would I get anything else?" They shared a smile as the nurse walked in with the discharge papers. A few signatures later, she was officially checked out. Lauren threw the bag over her shoulder and took Bo's hand. "Come on, beautiful. Let's go home." Bo thought she liked the way "home" sounded.
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Lauren was finally able to sleep a little bit now that Bo was in bed next to her. The first night home, Bo had woken her up in the middle of the night. The concern on her face was evident when Lauren opened her eyes. Bo had gone to the bathroom, and when she came back, the blonde was twitching in her sleep and had tears running down her face. Trauma can cause much more damage than just the physical injuries. Bo was upset that Lauren hadn't told her about any nightmares. She woke the blonde up and pulled her in close to her good side.
It took close to ten minutes before Lauren started talking about her dream. "I know the dreams will go away, Bo. That's why I didn't tell you about them. It's almost always the same dream. Tamsin has me tied up, but it takes you days to find us. She does terrible things to me in the meantime. That part is different in every dream, but it's always very painful. I can feel my arm breaking all over again. Finally, the door opens, and it's you instead of her. You're trying to free me from the restraints when she comes back. There's a struggle, and she shoots you, just like she did in the warehouse. Only sometimes she stabs you in my dream. I try to save you, but I can't overpower her. She makes me watch as you die, and there is nothing I can do."
Lauren had tears streaming down her face by this point. Bo held her close and kissed her forehead. "I'm right here, Lo. I'm not going anywhere. Tamsin is gone. She can't hurt you anymore, and she can't take me away. You're safe now." Lauren clung tightly to her girlfriend until she finally fell asleep again. Bo made a mental note to check into some trauma counseling for the both of them in the morning. She drifted off to sleep tracing small circles on Lauren's shoulder, and the rest of the night was uneventful.
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The next few days were spent alternating between the bed and the couch. Bo was only able to move around for short periods at a time. Everything took so much more energy than she was used to. True to her word, Lauren had stocked the kitchen, and she had even picked up some of Bo's clothes from her apartment. The pair spent hours cuddling on the couch watching Netflix. They discussed who was their favorite inmate at Litchfield and whether Linden or Holder was more of a badass. They spent very little time talking about what had happened and instead focused on looking ahead and healing both their minds and bodies.
By the end of the week, Bo was feeling much better. She was able to do most things without help from Lauren, which is not to say that she was ready to go back to her apartment. Lauren's house felt like home to her. She could only hope that her girlfriend felt the same. On Monday, Lauren had to go back to work. Bo had been trying not to be too clingy, but she was just so much happier here. Lauren's voice shook her out of her thoughts.
"What are you thinking about so hard over there?" She smiled outwardly, but Lauren was a little worried about her girlfriend. Bo had been pulling away the last few days, and she wasn't sure why. Bo smiled lightly back at her. "I was thinking about you. How happy I am when I'm around you." She took Lauren's hand in her own and looked down at them in her lap. "Sometimes I think about what would have happened if I hadn't found you that day. If I hadn't gotten there fast enough. I can't help it. The thoughts just creep in." She swallowed deeply and looked up with tear-filled eyes. "I can't imagine a world without you in it, Lauren. I don't know why it took me so long to tell you how I felt. But now that you know, I don't have any idea why I waited so long." She closed her eyes as the tears threatened to spill free. "I feel like we've been in a fairytale or something this week, and I don't want it to end." She looked up at Lauren and saw her emotions reflected back at her.
Without taking the time to second guess herself, Lauren spoke up and said what she felt. "Then don't go." She took a deep breath and sat up just a bit straighter. "Move in with me." Bo could barely believe that she was hearing the woman correctly. "Are you sure?" Lauren's smile melted Bo's heart. She could see the excitement in Lauren's eyes, and she knew there was no way she would say no to her, ever. " I'm sure, Bo. I know we haven't been dating that long, but we've known each other for years. You know more about me than anyone. Besides, you spend so much time here anyway... And, I like having you around. I don't want to go back to sleeping in my bed alone. This house is so much brighter with you in it." Bo leaned in to place a kiss on her girlfriend's soft lips. "Of course I will stay. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be."
Lauren's hand slid easily underneath the hem of Bo's shirt to meet skin. She leaned in and whispered in Bo's ear. "I can think of somewhere else I'd rather be..." She placed a trail of kisses down Bo's neck and listened to the groan that fell from her lips. "Maybe we should go back to bed..." Bo was pulling her up from the couch before she even finished the sentence. "I'm in. I can't believe he banned us from having sex! This is going to be the longest three weeks ever! Living in a house with you, not being able to touch you whenever I want... Grrr!" Lauren chuckled and pulled her girlfriend in for a hug and then led them toward the bedroom. "He didn't say that we couldn't make out like teenagers..." They snuggled up for the evening and fell asleep in each other's arms.
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Monday morning was a first for Bo. She watched as Lauren got ready for work, smiling at how sexy she was in her dress pants. She didn't mind that Lauren hadn't found a shirt yet. The lacy black bra was plenty for her eyes. Finally, she crawled out of bed in her tank top and boy shorts, and the blonde stopped in her tracks. Bo walked over and pulled Lauren in for a searing kiss. "Good morning, Doctor Lewis. You're looking mighty fine this morning." She hoped the cheesy line would make Lauren laugh, and she was not disappointed. "Do you always spend this much time without a shirt on? Because I think I'm going to be very glad I moved in." She peppered the blonde's neck with kisses before pulling away, leaving her hands wrapped softly around her girlfriend's waist.
Lauren blushed at Bo's words and leaned in to kiss her again before walking back over to the closet. "No. It doesn't usually take me this long to get ready. I can't find any shirts that will fit well with this stupid cast. Grrr!" She pushed another shirt to the side, making a mental note to go shopping soon. "I can't wear a t-shirt on my first day back. Maybe I should stay home." She felt Bo pull her into a hug from behind, and she leaned back into the strong arms. "As much as I would absolutely love for you to stay, you need to get back to work. It'll be good for you. I see the doctor this afternoon, and I'm hoping he'll clear me to come back tomorrow. I know I'll be on desk duty for a while, but I'm ready to get back to doing something." She grinned mischievously and kissed Lauren's neck softly. "It was nice spending yesterday in bed though..."
She reached forward and pulled a blue shirt off a hanger. "This one is mine, but you should wear it today. It has an extra button on the sleeves, and we can roll them up. It'll be terribly cute, and the cast shouldn't be in the way." After the outfit was assembled, Lauren took a look in the mirror. She smiled at the fact that she was wearing her girlfriend's shirt to work. "Looks good. We can just go shopping tonight." She kissed Bo quickly and headed back to the bathroom to finish getting ready for the day.
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Luckily, Lauren's first day back was relatively uneventful. She caught up on some paperwork, but much of the day was spent talking to people who stopped by to see how she was doing. They let her take an early day and leave at two, which she wasn't going to complain about. She pulled into the driveway right behind Bo, who was just getting back from the doctor. They shared a quick kiss in the driveway before heading into the house. Lauren set her bag down on the counter and turned around. Before she realized what was happening, Bo had pinned her to the counter and was peppering her neck with kisses. "Mmm... I missed you too." Lauren was practically purring.
"How did your appointment go?" Bo placed a final kiss on the blonde's lips and pulled back so she could look at her. she decided that every conversation should be had with her arms around Lauren's waist. Nothing else in the world mattered when they were just like this. "It was great. He said that everything is healing well. He is clearing me to go back to work next Monday, but I have to sit at a desk for six weeks. He wants to see me in two weeks to check my progress again." Lauren smiled brightly at how bubbly Bo was. She really must be feeling better. "That's great news babe! Let's go out for dinner to celebrate." Bo reminded her that they needed to go shopping first, so they headed out the door.
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Bo's first week back was pretty calm, but she had a feeling she was going to hate riding a desk. Maybe if things healed up well, the doctor would let her go back to active duty earlier. She missed talking with Hale, and now that he was dating Kenzi, they had plenty to gossip about in the tiny bits they got to talk. He had called the little Russian woman after Bo was shot so he could fill her in. They had spent two hours on the phone that night and had talked every day since then. Bo hadn't seen him smile this much in ages. She was so glad she had introduced them.
The week went extra slowly since she was catching up on filing and doing paperwork all day. She had gotten caught up some online training and had even learned to use some of the equipment she didn't normally touch. She was just waiting for Friday to see what the doctor said. Her appointment was fantastic. He put her through some physical testing to see where she was at in the healing process. Bo stayed in such good shape that her body bounced back quicker than normal. He was still making her wait to go back out on the streets, but he told her she could get back to the gym and start jogging again. Strenuous physical activity was ok, in moderation. Bo was especially excited to hear that little tidbit. She was going to have big plans for her girlfriend this weekend.
She decided to send Lauren a text since she was down in the lab. The detective could have walked down there, but she didn't want to get in the way. Plus, it was kind of fun to just send a little flirty text.
B: Hi beautiful! I miss u. :)
L: Hey you! Aren't you upstairs? Come and see me! :)
B: I always want to come see you! Can't now though. But I have a question for you...
L: Ok. What's up?
B: Can I take you on a date tomorrow? Like a real date.
L: Lol. Of course! I would love that. :)
B: Awesome! Have a great afternoon honey! See you after work.
L: You too babe!
Lauren couldn't help but smile at how cute the brunette was. She always knew how to make Lauren feel special, even if it was just a cute text midday. She hoped that living together wouldn't change the little things that she already loved so much. They had both started counseling earlier this week, and she hoped that would help them both learn to deal with their emotions about the situation better. She was sleeping a little better with Bo next to her, but she still had the nightmares several nights a week. There were still nights that Bo woke up crying too, but Lauren thought they could get through it. Together they could do anything.
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I'm going to stop here so I can get this posted for you guys! The next chapter will let the girls have their first "real" date and see how they are healing. I think there may only be one or two more chapters to this one, but we'll see how it goes. :)
Thanks for reading! As always, any reviews are appreciated. :)
xo