N: so like two more chapters and then a possible follow up xfiles inspired one shot to give you a last little insight into the girls in the future after everything happens. Updates are slow to come, we know that, but life often gets in the way. It happens when you have to adult. Anyways! Read on and enjoy! Leave us reviews because it actually motivates us.

A month.

I graduated Harvard Law School in a month.

And instead of writing up my final paper I was staring at the bookcase that was in front of me and thinking about engagement rings and proposals. Ever since I had gotten Lauren's parents' approval to marry her it seemed as though that was the only thing I could think about for the last month. I had been looking at ring designs online, every romantic restaurant was stored in my head as a potential proposal spot, and I was writing notes about what I would say when I did propose. I groaned and covered my face with my hands. I needed to focus. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen because my phone started to go off. I picked it up before the vibrating phone caused someone to give me some serious side eye.

I answered it as I got up and headed to the bathroom. "Hello?"

"I was calling to see if you had Prince Albert in a can?"

"Dad, I know it's you." I said as I walked into the bathroom. I pressed my lips together as I tried not to laugh.

"Damn caller ID ruining the element of surprise. Now I guess I'll have to spend my free moment being nosy. What you're doing?"

I shook my head and leaned against one of the sinks. "I'm currently talking to my dad in the women's bathroom at the library but before that I was trying to finish my last paper."

My dad groaned and remarked, "That sounds beyond boring but you got to get it done though kiddo because you gotta pay me back." I rolled my eyes. I knew my dad wasn't expecting me to pay him back.

I smiled and commented, "I guess I should milk this out a little more then."

My dad chuckled then said, "Oh I dare you to do it. I got a buddy that owns a chain of McDonald's and he's always looking for managers."

I laughed and replied, "I'm certain that is a sparkling achievement that you and mom will brag about at the company holiday party."

"Hey you'll be employed so it's something. Though I'm not certain how well your genius girlfriend will feel about that one."

I shrugged and said, "I think as long as I'm happy and we're together Lauren could probably care less what my job is." I chuckled. "She's probably worried about me becoming a lawyer because of the stress but I can handle it. I'm...I'm in a good place."

My dad was quiet a moment then he said, "I'm happy to hear that Bo." I could hear the smile and emotion in his voice. We were quiet a moment, both of us being grateful that I was in this good place. He sighed. "Have you spoken to your mom this week?"

I chuckled and told him, "Yes and Lauren spoke with her this morning before she left this morning." I had a thought and said, "Hey dad I've got a question for you."

"Shoot Bo."

I bit corner of my bottom lip then I took a deep breath then in one breath I asked, "How did you propose to mom?"

"Propose? Bo why would-Oh my god you're going to propose to the pipsqueak." He exclaimed in my ear. I hadn't told my parents that I was planning to propose to Lauren. It was one of those things that I wanted to wait for because there was still a chance I would have backed out of it due to me second guessing myself. I heard my dad chuckle then he said, "This is too funny."

"Why is it funny?" I asked with slight irritation in my voice. "I love Lauren and I would like to spend the rest of my life with her." My dad laughed and I started to scowl. I wasn't sure why he found this funny but it was upsetting me. "Dad."

"I'm sorry Bo," he said as he tried to catch his breath. My dad took another breath then blew out. "I'm sorry sweetheart and I'm not surprised. It's funny because your mother and I were just talking about this."

Now Bo understood and she smiled. "Oh really? And what were you two talking about?"

He chuckled a little then told her, "We were wondering how soon it would be until we saw you two walking down the aisle."

"It'll be awhile because I want to graduate from law school first then I want to get settled into my internship so it'll probably be a year or so." I said as I thought about the timeframe of when Lauren and I would be able to get married. I still had no idea when I was going to propose. "I mean I'm just kicking around the idea so I thought I would pick your brain."

"Please don't. I'm getting old and I only have so many brain cells left." I groaned even though my dad found himself funny. He was the king of dad jokes and it made life unbearable sometimes. He cleared his throat then said, "I was drunk. I wasn't drunk, drunk, but I had enough drinks that I was leaning on things. We were at your grandma's for a Christmas party and we had gone outside because I had told her that I needed some air. It was cold and there was snow and ice on the ground." He sighed as he recounted the proposal, "She was wearing some dress that she looked amazing in and the way she looked under the Christmas light was..." he trailed off and I smiled. I had never asked my parents about their engagement but now I was glad that I had asked. My dad chuckled then said, "I was leaning against the post and I just asked her to marry her. There wasn't any pomp or circumstance, unless you count the Christmas lights hanging above the patio. She said no at first because I was drunk but I explained to her that I couldn't imagine not being with her. In the end she told me to sleep off the booze and try it again."

"At New Years." I said with a smile on my face. I knew that much because my parents' anniversary was the same as the day that they got engaged.

My dad chuckled and remarked, "That was the first New Year's eve since I was sixteen that I was stone cold sober. We had gone to my parents' house for their party and I made your mom stay sober. That was the best New Year's eve of my life."

I took a deep breath and asked, "And how did you know when the right time was right?"

"I didn't. I was young, in love, and stupid as shit but I loved your mom." He said with a small laugh. "It was impulsive."

I nodded as I realised what he was telling me. There was no right time just what I felt in my heart. I chuckled then asked, "I got you dad." I sighed then wondered, "What about her ring."

"That was my mother's great-great-great grandma's ring. I'm certain your mom will let you have her mother's ring if you ask her. I think she has it." He suggested.

I frowned and told him, "No dad I sort of want something that expresses me and Lauren. You know any ring designers that can help?"

He whistled a little then said, "Come up this weekend and we'll go to Providence. I have a friend who is a jeweller and he has some connections. Also he's pretty artsy."

I smiled and said, "Okay. I just need to come up with something to tell Lauren."

"I got you covered. I'll have your mom tell her something." He said in the tone he uses to plot things. I got an uneasy look on my face as I began wonder what my dad was concocting.

I shook my head and told him, "Don't make it anything that will worry her dad because then I have to answer her questions when I get home."

He laughed then told me, "Relax Bo. I'll tell your mom that we need to have a good day of father-daughter bonding and she'll more than agree to have Lauren come visit so the two of them can do whatever."

I nodded and realized that it was a good plan. I grinned and told him, "We haven't had a good father-daughter bonding since I was thirteen."

He chuckled and told me, "You became a young woman. I didn't know how to talk to you. I was too busy making sure no boys took advantage of you." He scoffed. "Instead a pipsqueak got under the radar."

I chuckled then said, "She did." I blew out a breath. "All right dad I have to go back to work on that paper."

"All right Bo. Stay out of trouble and I'll see you this weekend."

I grinned then remarked, "I'm your daughter so trouble is in my blood."

My dad laughed then he told me, "Yes it is." He caught his breath. "I love you Bo."

"I love you too dad." I said with a smile on my face. He told me bye then we hung up with each other. I stood there for a moment as I thought about my upcoming weekend plans. I was going to design Lauren's engagement ring. I was thrilled and scared to do it but I was so excited that I was going to be one step closer to being prepared to proposing to Lauren. Now I just had to figure out when I was going to do it. As I walked out of the bathroom I jumped a little to let out some of the excitement that I was feeling. I was shocked that I was actually going to do this. My life had done a complete one eighty.

XXXX

Bo's parents and I weren't not exactly on great terms, and I wasn't sure if we ever could get there. This sudden Saturday trip to spend the day with them, had me wishing I had feigned ill or taken up my dad's offer of helping to sort soil samples in the garage.

I stood in the living room, holding Bo's purse as she rushed about trying to find god only knows what.

"Five more seconds, and I'll be ready." Bo hollered from the stairs.

I smiled, "You said that ten minutes ago." I laughed when I heard her playfully tell me to shut it. I glanced at my watch, "Your mom is going to freak out if we're late."

Ugh, Bo's mom. She was the half of Bo's parents that I still struggled with. I never knew if I could ever gain her forgiveness for what had happened to her daughter and that I was the catalyst for the relapse. Phil had forgiven me, only telling me that he would continue to call me pipsqueak as his way of keeping me in check. But Bo's mom, she would always be polite and kind around me, but I always felt like she was staring at me. Staring at me to try and figure out what her only child saw in me and if the other show was going to drop. At least with my parents, they let go the moment the truth was out and welcomed Bo in without hesitation. But then again I hadn't fallen down the depths Bo had when we split apart as teenagers.

What didn't help the situation with her parents was the fact Bo was consumed with stress. She was a month away from graduating, we both were, and she had gotten a very hectic internship at the prosecutor's office downtown. Her parents and I were worried that this stress might cause her to slip and fall back into old habits. I held strong and made sure Bo always had an outlet and a way out when her demons started to whisper in her ear.

I sighed, looking up at the sounds of Bo rummaging in our closet. I smiled again, our closet. We had been living together for months now and it was everything I imagined it to be. To wake up to every morning was what made life worth it. Even if we had bickered the night before or sat in silence while she studied, waking up to her sleeping next to me, tucked into my side, it was like waking up with a brand new slate to write the day on. I just wished the world would slow down a little so I could propose to her and calm that last little fear I held.

"Okay, okay, I'm ready." Bo ran down the stairs and towards me, grabbing her purse from me and kissing my cheek. "You ready?"

I gave her a look, "I have been, but I'll be honest. I'm not so sure about spending the entire day with your parents. I think your mom still hates me." I took Bo's hand as she led me towards the front door.

"She doesn't hate you, she thinks you're great." Bo squeezed my hand, "My dad loves you and is excited to see you."

I sighed as I closed the door, waving to Tamsin poking her head out the window with a messy mop of blonde hair falling her face. She winked at me and closed the curtains. "Why are we doing this again?" I frowned.

Bo opened the driver's door for me, grinning at me, "Because. It's what happy couples do. Spend time with the parents and talk about the future. My mom wants to hear about the internship and have us around to plan our graduation party." She winked at me, "I'll make it worth your time later?"

I sighed taking the car keys from her, hating that Bo knew all of my weaknesses, "Fine, but we watch the X-files movie Tamsin got me before we do anything." I plopped down in the driver's seat of the red Camaro. I also knew that Bo had been so tired from school and finals that she would pass out on my lap the second the movie was on. We really didn't spend much time together in the last few months. We were like ships in the night, passing to go to study groups, therapy or sit quietly in the library. I missed Bo being in my arms than I missed having her physically and this was probably the bigger reason why I didn't want to go to her parents. We had a weekend off finally and I just wanted to spend it with her alone. Not put on my manners and smile tightly while her mom asked about random things. It was also the weekend I wanted to tell Bo that I had been accepted to the police academy and would be starting at the end of summer.

Bo hopped into the passenger seat and grabbed the sides of my face, "Lauren, I love you. That's all that matters, I love you." She kissed me deeply and when she parted, she had a weird look in her eyes. "I know we haven't had much alone time lately, and I miss you even when you're next to me. But, I feel like we owe it to our parents to spend time with them after they helped fixed us."

I licked my lips, "I know." I grabbed her hand, squeezing it, "But let's not stay all night? I'd like to at least make out before you fall asleep in my lap."

Bo giggled and turned a bright red, kissing me again, "Finals are sucking the life out of me, I'm sorry." She grinned, "But I promise you, on graduation day it'll be completely worth it."

Turning the Camaro on, I laughed, "I'm not letting you out of my sight on graduation day."

XXX

"Pipsqueak!" Phil held his arms out as Bo and I walked up the stone steps, "Give an old man a hug for being twenty minutes late."

I rolled my eyes with a smile and hugged the older man, "That would be your daughters fault. I swear she was digging for the lost ark up in our closet." I leaned back and glanced at Bo's mom hugging her daughter and giving me a strange look.

"Yeah, well, like mother like daughter." Phil patted me on the back and looked at Bo, "You ready kiddo? We are already behind for that appointment you're taking me to."

Bo grinned and nodded, "I am." She walked over to her dad, throwing an arm around his waist, "Lauren, dad and I have to run up into town for a few hours." She glanced at her mom, "Mom has made lunch for you two since we won't be back in time."

I felt my stomach drop and I gave Bo a look that only she knew, "Um, what?"

Phil looked between us, sensing the tension, "Okay, I'll be at the car." He walked over to Bo's mom, whispering something in her ear as she looked just as nervous as I was about being left alone together.

Bo picked up my hand, "I didn't want to tell you until we got here, knowing you'd probably bolt and hide in Tamsin's basement." She looked up in my eyes, "My dad and I have to do something, it's kind of like a bonding thing he asked of me and I agreed without thinking. He's been so great supporting me, us, and I miss him. We've not really had much time together since I was a teenager before the world fell apart and I grew distant. The booze and stuff…." She started nervously wringing her hands.

I pressed my fingers against Bo's lips, silencing her rant. I laughed lightly, "Bo, never apologize for wanting to be a better person or daughter." I swallowed hard, looking at Bo's mom, "I'll manage, I just hope she doesn't rant as much as you do."

Bo rolled her eyes and hugged me tightly, "Where do you think I got it from?"

I kissed the top of her head, "Fabulous." I stepped out of her arms, immediately missing the unique warmth that was my girlfriend. "Go. The faster you leave the faster you can come back and save me."

Bo poked my side, leaning up to whisper in my ear, "She doesn't hate you, remember that."

I hummed out a half assed agreement and walked over to Bo's mom, "Hello Mrs. Dennis."

"Please, you can call me Colleen. I figure after all these years and seeing how much you've grown into a young woman, it's fitting." She smiled tightly as Bo and her dad honked and waved at us, speeding out of the driveway in Phil's brand new Porsche. "That man is an overgrown child."

I smiled at the sound of Bo's hearty laugh, "He is, but I think that's where Bo gets her tenacity from." I turned back to the elegant older woman, suddenly feeling out of place in my nice t-shirt and jeans. Bo had told me it was going to be a casual thing, and now looking at her mother elegantly put together, I felt severely out of place. "So."

Colleen looked at me, "Lauren, now that I have you alone, I think we should discuss a few things."

I frowned, looking down at the tops of my worn boots. I felt like I did when I first went to her parents house as a teenager and blurted out the request to date Bo. I was a twenty six year old woman who had fought like hell to be the woman I was and now I was swirling down into the shoes of sixteen year old me. Scared to look at the woman in the eyes, for fear of what was going to come next. "Um, okay."

"Let's go inside. I have a nice lunch set up for us in the sun room."

I nodded and looked up, Colleen was smiling softly as she turned and led the way inside the massive house that brought back a million memories. "Okay."

A few steps inside, the silence was thick and awkward. I looked over at the living room where Bo and I had made out on the couch a hundred times before her parents came home. Then to the staircase I knew led to her childhood bedroom, a place that held a multitude of good memories, some bordering on inappropriate and I suddenly felt extremely awkward to be walking behind Bo's mother. Thinking about her daughter naked.

But then I grinned, looking at the pictures of high school Bo. This house was like mine down the road, a place full of memories of the birth of a young, innocent love. A love that tested time and our wills to see it again, build it into what it was today. Strong, unbreakable, flawed and yet beyond perfect.

"Lauren? I asked if you wanted lemonade or something stronger?" Colleen had stopped and was looking back at me curiously.

I blinked a few times, not realizing I had stopped in front of a picture of Bo in her cheerleading outfit. A picture taken the day after our first kiss, I had the same picture tucked away with Bo's bubbly handwriting on it. I cleared my throat, "I'm sorry, I got distracted by old memories of being in this house."

Colleen smiled, "You know, I didn't exactly approve of you when Bo first told us about you." She folded her arms across her chest, "She was the popular girl, following the path we created for her. It didn't make sense when she revealed that the school genius had stolen her affection."

I clenched my jaw, "Well, I guess love is blind, isn't it?" I tried to stay polite, but it was hard.

Colleen smiled tightly, "It certainly blinded my daughter." She fidgeted with the large diamond ring on her hand. "I'm going to be very honest, since we have a moment to ourselves. I really hated you for a very long time, Lauren." She looked up at me, "I barely understood what my daughter saw in you when she was younger, then when you disappeared on her, it triggered a deep rooted sense of worthlessness in her. That caused my beautiful little girl to become this, malfeasant creation of a girl lost in the clutches of alcoholism and promiscuity."

She stared at me, waiting for my reaction but I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the vicious retort at bay. I swallowed hard, "It wasn't our fault. I will accept that I was stupid." I paused, looking down at the floor, reliving that horrible day. I wanted to leave this house and walk back to my parents, this is what I was dreading from spending alone time with Bo's mom.

"You were. Very stupid young girl that couldn't see much of the world around you." She let out a slow breath, "Much like Ysabeau." She took a step closer, "There were nights I cursed your existence. Wished you to find some sort of morbid fate and it was deep and strong. Worse on the days I would talk to my daughter as she laid on a bathroom floor. Listening to the screaming matches her father and her had over getting her into rehab or else. Listening to her hungover with a raspy voice from vomiting out bottles of booze and the underlying tone of not finding a damn reason to keep living. And lastly, my favorite opening the front door at the holidays to see a very thin, grey looking woman with broken eyes." Colleen laughed sardonically, "One year she brought a boy she met at a truck stop and slept with on the way home for Christmas dinner. I blamed that on you and everything stupid thing Bo did to deal with her issues. I blamed solely on you."

I felt my stomach roll and twist. My own anger at Bo's lifestyle boiling up. "Ms. Dennis, I…"

"I don't expect you to say anything, Lauren. I just need you to listen." She paused, staring at me for a moment longer. "I hated you. I hated you quite a bit and wanted nothing more than my daughter to forget you. When she called me and told me you were in her law class, I was afraid. Afraid that she would slip back like she did and we could never get her back. Then that day she called me, and I knew it was the end." She stopped, looking at the photograph of Bo on the walls. "Your mother called me and I cursed her to high hell and back for bringing you into the mix. So, fearful that you would push the final button that would flush my daughter away from us. That I had finally lost my daughter to you."

I looked up at the woman, with tears riddling my eyes, "I never stopped loving Bo. Never."

She smiled genuinely, nodding her head, "I know. It took your mother convincing me in her unique way after telling me about the stupidity of those boys, that you were the only one out of all of us that had a damn chance in this world of saving Bo from a darkness we never knew existed." Colleen's eyes held mine in a way that it seemed she was still unsteady about my love for Bo and our love for each other. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped, furrowing her brow together as her thoughts clearly were forming into biting words.

I sucked in a breath and stood up taller, I would always defend my love for Bo no matter who questioned and I clearly had nothing to lose now, maybe a future mother in law, but I didn't give a shit. Bo was my world, my savior and I wouldn't go down without a fight. "Look, Mrs. Dennis, I understand that you have your misgivings about us. That the past, Bo's past, is something that will take time to fix. I do accept blame for what happened to her, I was stupid, young and had no idea what to do with what my heart wanted. But I love your daughter, have for my entire life and will for the rest of it. I will never let her hurt like she did again, so I understand if you don't approve of us. I would die for her, and almost did." I stopped myself short before I revealed things to this woman that was better left to secrets kept between Bo and I.

Colleen laughed, shaking her head, "Your mother said you were stubborn and outspoken now. "She took a step towards me, "What I was going to say was this. We didn't understand or approve until we saw how much Bo loved you then and now. Saw the love with clear minds and bright eyes. Your mother was right, you were the one to save Bo and in turn you healed all of us." She tilted her head down, "You kept fighting and you were the only one to get through to my little girl and pull her out of the depths, bring her back to life. You fought of all of us, the doubts we had, the hate, darkness that lingers in my little girl. You brought her to life when you stumbled into her, literally, in high school and to be honest, there's no one else in the world that I'd want my daughter to be with than you. Lauren Lewis."

I stared at the older woman, shocked at the warm words pouring forth. "But, I thought." I scrunched my forehead up, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Dennis. I thought you, the things you just said, that you still hated me?"

Colleen placed a hand on my shoulder, "We all let two fucking idiots swindle us and we've all learned to keep our hearts close and protected. I did hate you, as I said, but I can't hate someone who was manipulated as much as the rest of us. The love you two share now, I can't hate. It's too beautiful for me to even think about it sideways." She grinned at me, letting out a slow breath. "But I wasn't going to let our relationship carry on until we cleared the air."

I smiled at the woman's curse word, "Phil told me not swear around you, you hate it."

She rolled her eyes, "No, he hates it. Thinks when I say fuck, it's like he married a biker not a classy gal." She sighed, laughing, "But you do have to be sorry about the one time I came home early from work to hear you and my daughter…doing things very loudly in her bedroom."

I felt my face turn a hot, bright red and I covered my face with my hands, desperate to escape. "Oh my god. No." I peered through my fingers at Bo's mom, "She said…oh god. This is completely and utterly awkward and I might throw up."

Colleen burst out laughing, "Bo had the exact same reaction when I told her all those years ago. Made me promise never to tell you." She patted my shoulder, squeezing it as she motioned to the sun room, "Come on, let's have a drink and you can tell me about how you asked Phil for our permission to marry our little girl. He said you blurted it out, I tend to disagree." She looked over at me, smiling softly, "By the way, I cannot wait for the day to call you my daughter in law."

I blew out a breath, still a bright red from the ultimate embarrassment, "I want to do it soon. I still have to tell Bo that I was accepted to the police academy, but I don't want to add stress to her life."

Colleen glanced over her shoulder at me, "The police academy? But you're about to graduate law school with honors. You can work anywhere from what I understand. Why choose to leave it?"

"I continued with law school to finish it with Bo. I might go back to it, but right now, I want to do something that I feel can help on a larger scope. I want to work while Bo focuses on her internship and doesn't have to worry about brining home an intern's paycheck."

"You know we can help out, Lauren." Colleen raised an eyebrow, "And I thought you have those patents fulfilling a yearly income plus some?"

I nodded moving to the table filled with sandwiches and salads, "I do, but Bo is determined to work and live together. I see it as a part of her healing process, so I don't push it. But yes, she and I both could sit back and do nothing with our lives until our grandchildren had children." I smiled at the woman, "It's a decision we made together, to work like this until she found her footing, solid footing in being an individual in the world."

Bo's mom nodded, grinning, "It sounds like you two have it all figured out." She handed me a napkin, cocking a eyebrow, "Speaking of children, how long do I have to wait until I see some grandchildren of my own?"

I swallowed hard, "Um, well." I paused, feeling completely out of place. Children. We hadn't talked about children yet. I sucked in a breath, "Tell you what, you help me pick out a ring with my mom next weekend while Bo is in her study groups and help me plan a proposal, and I'll promise you that Bo and I give you grandchildren."

"Deal." Colleen handed me a plate full of sandwiches, "However, your mother told me to tell you that dogs don't technically count as grandchildren."

I frowned, "My mother the spy."

Colleen nodded and chuckled, "A good one at that." She plated a sandwich for herself and looked at me, "Well, now that the air is cleared up, tell me everything I need to know about you, Lauren. All of the things that make my daughter look at you like you invented the wheel."

I rolled my eyes and took a bite of sandwich before telling her everything. Everything including what I felt the moment Bo looked in my eyes from across the hall and smiled at me. By the end of lunch I had told Colleen the story of how I quickly fell in love with her daughter and at the same time, hatched the plan of exactly how I was going to propose to her.

xXxXxX

"Is Lauren going to be all right? She was already against coming down this weekend." I asked my dad as we drove down the highway. Getting Providence wasn't a long drive but it seemed to be a heavy traffic day.

My dad chuckled and remarked, "Yes she will be fine. Your mother was actually excited to be able to spend the day with Lauren."

That didn't help my nerves any. I knew my mom would be the gracious host and be nothing short of hospitable towards Lauren, but I knew she still wasn't ready to put her full faith into Lauren. "Dad if she does anything to Lauren I will not talk to her and I will put her in a nursing home. And not the nice one."

"Damn you're going to Shady Pines your ma? That's cold Bo-Bo," he said chuckling. I blew out a breath. I wanted to be annoyed by the irritating nickname but I couldn't be. I hadn't spent quality time with my dad in so long and him calling me that meant that he was excited to spend some time with me. I decided to let it go. He glanced at me and there was a smile on his face as he said, "Don't worry about it. Your mom and I have been talking about you wanting to make an honorable woman out of the pipsqueak and I may have been a little harsh on her when she asked why you would do such a thing."

I got a surprised look on my face. I knew my mom had her apprehension about Lauren and I's relationship, but I didn't think they were that serious. My dad looked over at me. "Cool your jets kiddo. We talked about everything and I got her to see that Lauren isn't going anywhere. She makes you goddamn happy and I will be ever grateful for that." He stared at the highway that was ahead of us and I saw him swallow hard a couple time before he cleared his throat. "I never thought I would ever see you happy again but here you are happy, in love, and growing. I'm proud of you." He smiled at me. "I don't say it enough but I'm going to say it every chance I get. I wasn't there for you enough and I want to be there for you Bo. For you and Lauren." I smiled when I saw the emotion shining in my dad's eyes.

Phil Dennis was a number of things and to those who didn't know, he was jokester that was slightly annoying. My dad never showed real emotion. He covered it up with humor but to see him looking like he was about to cry caused me to tear. I took my dad's hand. "Thank you, dad. It means a lot to me. So much," I said my voice thick with emotion. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I let go of his then chuckled, "Lauren will appreciate it too, once she gets over the idea of you wanting to beat her up."

My dad laughed then said, "It's part of my appeal of being your dad." I got an annoyed look on my face. He grinned. "It is but Lauren's got nothing to worry about. Now I'm just messing with her."

"Yeah, well could you mess with her less?" I asked as a grin came to my face.

His face scrunched up and he tilted his head up a little as he pretended to think about it but then he shook his head and said, "Nope. Don't think so."

I chuckled to myself and shook my head. "I think I'm putting the wrong parent in Shady Pines," muttered under my breath.

"Just be sure to take the hotplate from me."

I laughed even though I wanted to be annoyed at him. My dad was great comic relief and I was glad I asked him to help me with this. Even if he would prove to be useless he was still willing to try and I couldn't love him more for it.

Half hour later we parked in front of a jewelry store and I got out the car. The store wasn't located in the nicer part of the city and I said, "Uh, dad….you sure this is the right place?"

My dad closed his door and he smiled. "Of course it is. Kurt's had this place going on twenty-five years now. He grew up down the street."

"And he thought putting a jewelry store in the middle of a questionable area was a great idea?" I asked as I closed my door then walked over to join my dad on the sidewalk.

He pressed the button the remote to lock the door and told me, "He does a lot around here to help those in the community and it has paid off for him." He glanced at me out the corner of his eye. "When did you get so judgmental? I mean you're wanting to marry the nerd from high school."

I scoffed. "I'm not being judgmental. It's just peculiar."

He let out a sharp laugh then stated, "I guess all that law school learning is paying off. Either way just wait until you see the place."

We went into the jewelry store and when we walked in my dad shouted, "Kurt Peterson get your ass out here."

I felt my face heat up and I walked away from my dad as the other patrons and associates balked at him. This was why I couldn't take my dad anywhere. He was embarrassing as hell. I was looking at a display case that had bracelets in it when I heard, "I know that bellow from twenty miles away. Phil, you annoying asshole, what are you doing here?"

My dad laughed as he gave the short dark haired man a quick hug then he told him, "Well my daughter is in the market for a ring."

"Your daughter?" The man asked his light eyes brightening up with humor. "Is it her birthday or something?"

My dad shook his head no. "Bo get over here and tell Kurt what you're here for."

I got a polite smile on my face and first introduced myself to the man because my dad lacked basic socialization skills. I held out my hand and he shook it as I said, "Hi I'm Bo."

Kurt grinned and his eyes still had a twinkle in them when he said, "I know. Your dad has been telling me about you since you were running around doing Elvis impersonations."

"Dad." I hissed as I turned to look at him.

He smiled. "What? It was cute. I told everybody."

I scowled at him for a second then I forced a smile on my and looked back at Kurt. "Well since you know me I guess I'll tell you why I'm here. I need an engagement ring for my girlfriend but I want something unique."

Kurt nodded in understanding then said, "Well two things, did you want something in one of the cases or did you have a custom made ring already in mind?"

I bit my lip as I thought about it. I knew a customized ring was going to be more than expensive but some ordinary run of the mill ring wasn't going to cut. Not when it came to Lauren. I gave a slight nod and said, "I would like to do a custom made ring."

Kurt smiled and said, "Great. Did you have a design in mind or did you want to sit down and draw something together?"

I smiled as I thought about being able to sit down and draw up Lauren's ring. It would be a fun experience and an awesome story to tell her when we were married for twenty years. "I would love to sit down and draw one up with you."

Kurt chuckled and remarked, "Of course you would. Let's go in back and I'll throw some basic ring designs at you and we'll see what we come up with."

The three of us headed in back and as I sat down on the chair next to the desk I opened my purse and pulled out the gold block that the jeweler had given Lauren and I when we had our necklaces melted down. "If it's possible I wanted to use this."

Kurt took the block of metal from me and he took a moment to examine it then he smiled at me, "We certainly can use this." He set the block of gold down on his desk then asked, "So you're set on a gold ring then?"

"Not really but that has some special meaning for me and Lauren and I wanted to use it," I said as I mulled through the option of going with gold. Gold didn't seem to fit Lauren's personality. She seemed more like a platinum kind of woman.

Kurt chuckled then said to my dad, "She is worse than you when it comes to making things more complicated." He grinned at me. "All right let's start on the design and we'll talk about the metals later."

We started the design on the ring and an hour and a half hour later we came up with the most perfect ring that I jumped out of my seat when Kurt was drawing it. It was gorgeous and the metals that we were going to use worked well together and complimented each other beautifully. The ring was a design that consisted of rose gold and platinum entwining together. I had chosen platinum because it signified the rare and strong love that Lauren and I had. Then I chose the rose gold to represent the beautiful future that we had together. The princess cut diamond was going to be set in platinum. It wasn't a big diamond considering Lauren's abhorrence of anything flashy, but it wasn't small either.

Kurt and I were placing the finishing touches on it and my dad said, "That looks like a nice ring. I think Lauren will be knocked on her ass when you show it to her."

I grinned at him then I looked at the ring sketch. It was beautiful and I couldn't wait to propose to Lauren. I smiled and said, "She'll probably freak out on me because of the price, which I will never tell her, but she's worth it. Maybe I'll tell her when our children turn thirty."

My dad laughed and remarked, "Good luck with that. Remember your future mother-in-law is a spy."

The bottom of my stomach dropped out as I remembered that. Okay so if Lauren asked I would tell then she would probably try to get me to return it but there was no way it was going to happen. "When are you going to do it? Just so I have a timeline." Kurt asked as he scribbled out some notes on the edge of the paper. He was going to use the block of gold that I gave him to use to create the rose gold of the ring.

I bit my bottom lip then with some hesitation I said, "I don't know." Kurt and my dad looked at me and I grinned. "What? I know I'm going to do it but I want us to get everything out of the way. All of life's little nuances and me getting my internship together." I took a deep breath then let it out. "I know it's going to be soon though. Maybe after graduation. Everything will have settled down by then."

Kurt nodded and asked, "And when is that?"

"A month."

"Okay. I'll have it done in two weeks so that way if there is any issue with size or any flaws we have time to fix it." He got a devious smirk on his face, "That way if you decide to drop down on one knee in the middle of graduation you'll be prepared."

I felt my face heat up with slight embarrassment as I told him, "No, there is now way that will be happening. I'm already nervous about graduation and passing. I wouldn't do that."

"But in case you do," he winked, "you'll be prepared."

I shook my head. I now realized why Kurt was friends with my dad. They both had eccentric personalities and never believed a word I said. My dad got up and asked, "We all set here? I thought we could get something to eat before we head home."

Both my dad and Kurt looked at me then I looked down at the drawing table that sketch was laying on. That was Lauren's engagement ring and looking at it on paper made me nervous, excited, and so many other things, but the main thing I felt was love and happiness. I nodded and said, "Yeah. I'm all set. There's nothing else I can think of."

My dad reached into his pocket then said, "Go start up the car and check in with Lauren because I know you want to. I want to talk to Kurt about a present for your mom."

I caught the keys as he tossed them to me then I headed out of the back and out of the store. When I was outside I walked over to the brick side of the store front and leaned back against it. I chuckled to myself as I imagined a number of scenarios in my head of how Lauren would react when she saw her engagement ring. I pulled out my phone and I called Lauren. As soon as her voice came through the phone my smile grew wider. "Are you on your way home?"

I chuckled a little then replied, "No. Dad wants to stop to eat first then we'll be back."

"What did you do with your dad?"

"Stupid stuff. He's thinking about buying a boat. Don't tell my mom," I told her with a small chuckle. It wasn't far from the truth because my dad had been thinking about buying a boat for a while now but we never knew if he was just trying to rile my mom up or if he was actually going to do it.

Lauren laughed. "I won't tell her since we cleared the air between us."

"Oh you did?"

"Yeah, we did." She chuckled a little, "It makes me feel a thousand times better."

The door to the jewelry store opened and my dad out. When he saw me he said, "Let's go Bo. Tell the pipsqueak bye."

I rolled my eyes and said, "I have to go my dad is ready to go. But we'll talk more about you and my mother bonding over lunch."

Lauren laughed then remarked, "That's not what I had planned Bo."

I smirked. "I know Lauren but afterward I would like to talk about you bonding with my mother."

"You might need to schedule that for tomorrow. What I have planned is going to take up the rest of our evening." she told me and the suggestive tone in her voice caused my mind to get a one track mind.

I took a deep breath then muttered under my breath, "I wonder if I can get dad to skip lunch."

Lauren laughed in my ear and that caused my pulse to speed up a bit more. "Bo, I would love to get some food please," my dad called out from his spot next to the car.

I scowled at my dad. "I've got to go but I'll be home soon."

"Okay. And have fun Bo. I'm okay."

I smiled and told her, "I know. I love you."

"Love you too."

We told each other bye then I unlocked the car so my dad and I could get into it. I handed my dad the keys and I asked, "Do we have to get food?"

"Yes we do," my dad said as he started the car. "We've had a good father-daughter bonding day and to finish it off we're going to have a nice meal together."

I couldn't argue that so I settled in my seat. It was a good way to end a day that was more than awesome. I had designed an engagement ring for Lauren and I had spent some much needed time with my dad. Now I just had to figure out when I was going to propose and hoped that I wouldn't spill the beans before the ring was even ready. That was going to be a challenge for me.

XXX

I was relieved to see Bo and her dad pull into the driveway from the backyard where Colleen and I had gone out into to enjoy the spring weather. I grinned when she waved at me the second she stepped out of the car.

"I wonder what trouble those two got into." Bo's mom chuckled next to me, waving at her husband.

I shrugged, "I can only imagine. I've come to realize your husband is a bit of an antagonist." I smiled at the older woman and went to step towards the gate as Bo entered, rushing over to me.

Colleen mumbled an agreement, but I missed it. Bo almost knocked me down with an aggressive hug, kissing my cheek and whispering that she missed me. I sighed with content and squeezed her back, feeling a million times better about our relationship now that her mother and I hashed everything out. I leaned back and looked in Bo's bring brown eyes, "Did you and Phil have fun?"

She nodded, biting her bottom lip in the way she did when she was trying to hide something from me, but was too excited to play it off well. "We did. We went to look at some boats, had lunch and even stopped for milkshakes." She giggled and looked back at her parents, who were hugging and talking lightly, looking at us with a strange knowing look.

I squinted at Bo, "What did you really do?" I ran my thumb under her bottom lip, "I know this look and lip bite. You've been up to some mischief, haven't you?"

Bo blushed, shaking her head, "Nope, none at all. Just good ole wholesome father daughter bonding." She looked over my shoulder at her mom, "How was lunch with mom?"

I sighed, finding Bo's hand, "Informative. Interesting and pretty amazing at the end." I smiled looking back in her eyes, "I think you're mom and I will be okay, I think I understand her better and she understands why the nerd never stopped fighting for the cheerleader."

Bo raised an eyebrow, studying me, "That tells me you two probably had a minor argument, and you won't tell me what was discussed?"

I shook my head, grinning at Bo, "Nope, she made me promise. But, she approves of us and is equally as excited as Phil to have us together." I gave her a playful, "Said something about me being the best thing to ever happen to you and you should let me buy Scully's suit she wore in the first movie that I've been watching on ebay."

Bo laughed, shoving me back, "My mom didn't. She would agree with me that a thousand dollars is ridiculous for a pantsuit that doesn't even fit you." She shook her head, "What would you do with it?"

I shrugged, looking up at the sky, "I was thinking of having one made in your size…for you know, science Saturdays."

Bo laughed harder, squeezing my hand, "Not a chance, the last time I played FBI agent for you, you ripped the pants and the shirt in excitement."

"What are you two lovebirds talking about?" Phil appeared out of nowhere, throwing his arm around me, "Pipsqueak?"

I felt my face turn a bright red, and cleared my throat, "Um, nothing." I looked over at Bo still laughing.

Phil slapped my back, "Good, 'cause mom wants the two of you to look at a few party decorations for the big graduation shindig she has planned."

Bo rolled her eyes, "Ugh. Fine, but Lauren and I want to leave around dinner time. I promised her a dinner date tonight."

Phil smirked, "Oh I bet." He then leaned down close to us, "PS mom told about what you two did in Bo's bedroom when you were teenagers." He gave me a look, "Who knew the pipsqueak had a devious side."

Bo and I both turned a bright shade of fire truck red and froze, which made Phil burst into uncontrollable laughter as he slapped both of our backs, "Oh shit, this made my year." He stepped away and waved us to follow him and Colleen into the house, "Hurry up and try not to let Colleen talk you into looking at wedding invites or start planning a wedding. I told her it would take the pipsqueak years to pull the trigger."

I frowned and looked at Bo, her face turning a different shade of red as she glared at her father.

"Bo? What's wrong? He's just being Phil." I leaned closer to her, "He's right, it's going to be a few years before we can even think about planning a wedding." I smiled tightly to get Bo to believe me. Colleen and I had worked out a plan for me to propose to Bo right before Halloween. It was perfect timing then. Bo would be settled in her internship and I would be out of the police academy. We could be engaged and slowly work on moving towards a summer wedding in a year or two.

Bo looked up at me, swallowing hard, "Yeah, he's just being Phil. My really annoying father." She shook her head and held out her hand, "Come on, if we don't get in there soon, my mom will have already mailed off the graduation invites."

She took my hand and stared at me before whispering, "I love you, Lauren and I don't think I have the patience to wait forever to marry you, but I will." She kissed me softly, "I know how you hate surprises."

I shook my head, "You have no idea. Ask Tamsin about it. I punched her in the face once on my birthday a few years back when she jumped out of the closet with a Scully shaped cake." I sighed, "She bled all over the cake and called me a mother fucking fucker of a fuck for a week." I laughed, "That's how I spent my twenty third birthday in the ER and swore of surprises forever."

Bo laughed with me but when I looked in her eyes, I saw something that told me she was plotting. Plotting what, I didn't have time to think as Phil shouted at us to get into the house again.