Thanks for all the feedback! As always, hearing from you all is one of my favorite parts of doing this.

Let me know what you think of this one, too - this is probably the last chapter before we head back to our familiar environment. Unless it isn't. Who knows lol.

Enjoy!

The rest of the day passed quickly. After everyone had the opportunity to get some much needed sleep, the group reconvened for dinner, followed by a quick visit to Bo's mother at the hospital. Mrs. Dennis was sleeping, much to Bo's relief, so the group asked a nurse to let her know they had been there, and they left, heading to a dive bar near the hotel.

"Is it a bad sign that we're always spending time in bars?" Ciara asked after the waitress had taken their orders.

Dyson, Kenzi, and Bo downed their drinks, practically in unison. Dyson signaled to the bartender to bring them another rounds. Nate, Ciara, and Lauren looked at them in surprise. "Yeah, if we're going to be here, we're going to need you all to keep up," Kenzi commented.

"You guys might want to slow down, you're going to be trashed before our food gets here…" Nate said.

"As long as we're stuck in this hellhole of a town, we're going to be drinking," Dyson said, handing his empty glass to the waitress who was bringing over their fresh drinks.

"We'll also order a round of shots," Bo said to the waitress.

"Okay, what kind?" the waitress asked.

"Literally anything," Kenzi answered, taking a generous gulp of her new drink.

Lauren leaned forward as the waitress headed back to the bar, resting her forearms on the table. "Alright, just ballpark, scale of one to ten, how worried do we need to be about you three right now?"

Bo gulped her fresh drink. "Sweetie, trust us, we grew up here. You need to drink," Bo answered, pushing Lauren's drink toward her.

"It's weird hearing you call someone 'sweetie'," Kenzi commented. "You barely even used Kevin's first name, much less a cutesy nickname."

Bo shrugged, taking another sip of her drink. The waitress returned, carrying a tray holding six shots.

Bo, Kenzi, and Dyson had downed theirs almost before the waitress had left the table.

"Oookay, I have a feeling we're going to be going back to the hospital later for you three to have your stomachs pumped," Lauren said, sliding Bo's drink away from her.

"I know this looks unhealthy, but what you have to understand is that this town is…" Bo thought for a moment. "How can I put this without exaggerating it? This town is…"

"The geographical equivalent of herpes," Dyson supplied.

"Satan's asshole after eating bad Indian food," Kenzi said.

"Exactly."

Nate, Ciara, and Lauren glanced at each other and, in wordless agreement, pushed their shots toward Kenzi, Dyson, and Bo.

"Hey, I really appreciate everyone coming, but I really do think you all should go back in the morning. You have the bar to run," Bo said.

"You can't stay here by yourself," Dyson said, shaking his head. "We've talked about this."

"I'll stay with her," Lauren said, slightly surprised at the intensity of the hatred Kenzi, Dyson, and Bo seemed to have for their hometown.

"Seriously, what is with the three of you and this place?" Ciara asked, echoing Lauren's thoughts.

"Nothing good has ever happened here," Kenzi said. "This place…I don't know, cursed or something."

"It can't be all bad," Nate commented. "I mean, you three met each other here, that's good, right?"

Dyson, Kenzi, and Bo considered that for a moment. "Yeah…" Bo said, reluctantly. "But still. This town is the worst."

"Amen," Kenzi and Dyson said in unison, raising their shots.

After dinner, the group returned to the hotel. They had rented two additional rooms. Bo made Dyson and Kenzi promise to leave first thing in the morning, so they said their goodbyes and retired to them.

Lauren steered Bo to their room. Bo was definitely buzzed, no question about it, but she wasn't as drunk as Lauren had expected her to be. If she drank some water, Lauren didn't think she'd even really be hung over in the morning.

Once in their room, Lauren filled a glass of water for Bo and made her drink it. Bo complied, and when she was done they stripped off their clothes and crawled into bed.

Bo was quiet for a bit, running her fingers lightly across Lauren's scalp. Lauren glanced at her and found her looking pensive. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Just that I wish our first weekend away could have been somewhere better than this," Bo said, continuing to run her fingers through Lauren's hair. "Somewhere…fun. Romantic."

Lauren put her finger on Bo's check, gently turning Bo's face to hers so she could give her a lingering kiss. "We have the rest of our lives to have fun weekends. And, besides, this isn't really a vacation, so it doesn't have to count."

Bo looked at her with a half-smile, wondering if Lauren realized what she'd just said. "Still, I would have liked to do something better than this."

Lauren rested her head against Bo's chest. "Alright. What would you have picked for our first weekend away?"

"Hm," Bo said, thinking. "I don't know. Something different. Maybe skiing?"

"Do you ski?" Lauren asked.

"No," Bo said.

"Great trip planning," Lauren said with a laugh.

Bo swatted her back lightly, playfully. "Hey, I might not ski, but it would be fun to be with you in the lodge, in front of a fire…" Bo kissed the top of Lauren's head.

"Why do I feel like your plan for this ski trip would never involve us going outside?"

"Because it wouldn't," Bo confirmed.

Lauren laughed. "A beach would be fun. Sand, sun…a private room with a view of the ocean…"

"I don't think your plan has us going outside either," Bo said.

"No, it doesn't," Lauren said with a laugh.

They were quiet for another few moments. "Okay, maybe not a weekend. You can't go very far in a weekend. Maybe just a trip, a real vacation."

"Okay. Where would we go?"

"I don't know," Bo said, thinking. "I'd want to take you somewhere you hadn't been before. Somewhere that would be interesting, with great food and things to see. Maybe Greece."

Lauren laughed and sat up. "Seriously? Greece? When you plan a trip you really go all out, don't you?"

Bo grinned. "Hey, I just want to give you the best."

Lauren leaned into Bo and gave her a kiss. "You always do."

Bo ran the back of her index finger down Lauren's cheek. "Hey, have I thanked you for coming here, even though I told you not to?"

"Yeah, you have."

Bo leaned in and kissed Lauren, feeling Lauren's tongue against hers. She felt the tension slip out of her shoulders as she ran her hand through Lauren's hair to cup the back of her head. Lauren reciprocated, running her hand across Bo's collarbone and over the top of her breast. They continued for a few more minutes, neither advancing things any further, both just enjoying the feeling of lying together, holding each other.

"You need to get some rest," Lauren said against Bo's lips.

"I don't want rest," Bo answered, pulling Lauren back.

Lauren moved her mouth to capture Bo's lower lip between hers, relaxing into her again and continuing to luxuriate in the feeling of unhurried time. A few minutes later, Lauren pulled back again.

"You're tired, you're stressed, and you need to relax," Lauren whispered.

"This is relaxing," Bo answered, her eyes still closed, her finger tracing the line of Lauren's ear.

Lauren could feel herself falling under Bo's spell. Damn, she was trying to have willpower here. Bo needed to rest, and she had a feeling if they started this, sleep would be pushed back considerably. On top of that, Lauren knew that Bo had a tendency to wake up early when she was stressed out, meaning if Lauren kept her up she wouldn't get much sleep at all. Bo needed to rest. It was important. It was vital to her staying healthy.

But, damn, she felt good.

Lauren ran her fingers across Bo's face, over her cheekbones, down the bridge of her nose, tracing the line of her eyebrows. She saw Bo's eyes relax closed at the light contact, and Lauren could see the weariness in her. Lauren slid up slightly so she was more even with Bo, continuing to run her fingers along Bo's hairline on her forehead, over her jawline.

The more Lauren touched Bo, the further Lauren saw Bo slipping. Bo was trying to fight sleep, Lauren could see that. Lauren could also tell because Bo was trying to distract Lauren by running her own hands against Lauren's breasts now, but Lauren continued on, undeterred.

A few minutes later Lauren saw Bo's breathing deepen. Bo's hands stilled on Lauren's chest, resting against Lauren's breasts unmoving and relaxed.

Lauren continued her ministrations a little longer, making sure Bo was actually asleep. When she finally stopped, Bo made no movement, and Lauren knew for sure that Bo was asleep. Lauren gazed at her for a few moments, watching her face soften with rest, and Lauren felt her heart swell at the peace she saw.

With a note of sadness, Lauren realized she could still see some of the tension in Bo's neck and shoulders, even as her face was relaxed. Kenzi and Dyson were right – it was clear that being here wasn't good for Bo. Based on their behavior at dinner, it wasn't good for any of them. I need to get her home, Lauren thought. She needs to get away from here.

Lauren reclined against the pillow, letting Bo's hands stay on her. Her motion caused Bo's hands to fall slightly, dropping Bo's hand to the top of Lauren's stomach, under her breasts. Lauren started thinking about the next few days. Mrs. Dennis would be released either tomorrow or the day after, and as soon as she and Bo had figured out what to do with her – should she really go home by herself? Lauren was doubtful she would consent to going to a women's shelter – Lauren would take Bo home and try to convince her to take the rest of the week off work. She needed the break. Lauren could go to work and let Bo rest during the day, and then at night Lauren could cook for them, and they could just spend their evenings doing nothing…

A moment later, Lauren realized that when she thought of Bo going "home," she was thinking of Bo staying with her.

Lauren bit her bottom lip. Bo had a home. She had an apartment. When they went back, that's where Bo would go.

Maybe I could convince her to stay with me?

Lauren sighed to herself. She needed to stop this. She and Bo had been together for, what, a few months now? And, yeah, everything was going well – amazingly well, actually – but Bo had never hidden the fact that she wasn't a "relationship girl."

But she is with me.

Lauren and Bo were at the beginning, Lauren reminded herself. Of course everything was going well – they were still at the stage where everything was new and thrilling and exciting.

You're lying in a hotel room in the middle of nowhere dealing with her heroin addicted mother. I think you're past the honeymoon moment.

Still, it was too soon to breach the idea of Bo staying with Lauren, short or long term. Bo was a very independent person. She was strong. Yes, she had been good about letting Lauren in more and more, but that didn't change the fact that Bo was fundamentally someone who stood on her own. Actually, it was one of the things Lauren loved about her.

Wait. What?

The thought froze Lauren for a moment. Okay, it was definitely too soon for that. Lauren tried to clear her head.

This is a normal reaction to an emotional situation. Of course everything seems more intense and heightened – look at what you're going through together. But that doesn't mean it's time to start making sweeping proclamations. That's what you did with Nadia. Look where that got you.

That had given Lauren five years. Five years, most of them good. Five.

Five years isn't enough.

Lauren really needed to stop thinking about this. She looked back at Bo whose breathing was getting deeper and slower as she sunk deeper into her sleep.

Get a grip, Lewis.

Lauren pushed the thoughts away and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to find her.

The next morning, Bo and Lauren headed to a nearby coffee shop before heading back to the hospital to check in with Mrs. Dennis. While they were standing in line, Bo felt a tap on the shoulder.

Bo turned, and her motion caught Lauren's attention who turned around. Standing behind them was a tall woman in a suit.

"Bo? What are you doing here" the woman said.

"Hey, Angie!" Bo said, giving the woman a quick hug. Bo turned to Lauren. "Lauren, this is Angie Porter, she's a prosecutor here. Angie, this is my girlfriend, Lauren."

"Bo keeps me sane at boring conferences," Angie said with a laugh.

"Nice to meet you," Lauren said with a warm smile.

"So what brings you into town?" Angie asked Bo.

"Just here to see my mom," Bo answered. "She's in the hospital here."

"Oh, wow, I'm so sorry, is everything alright?" Angie asked.

"Yeah, just…you know, things happen. I'm probably only going to be here another day or so."

Angie hesitated for a moment, thinking. "I don't remember, what's your mom's name?"

Bo told her, and Angie stood for another moment, thinking. "Listen, I don't want to…I know this is personal and everything, but I think she's on probation with us."

Bo paused. "She's on probation? For what?"

"She had a case about a year ago as I recall. She got a suspended sentence and probation."

"She didn't tell me that," Bo said, thinking. Angie looked at her quizzically. "She overdosed," Bo said.

"Wow, so this will violate her…" Angie said, thinking.

"What's going on?" Lauren asked.

Bo turned to her. "If my mom was on probation she would have a condition that she can't use illegal drugs. Her positive toxicology from the overdose would violate her probation."

"I haven't made it into the office yet, but I imagine there will be a warrant for her soon."

Something broke over Bo's face, and she started smiling. "Oh, my God," she said. "Vivitrol. She can do Vivitrol."

Lauren was unsure what Bo was talking about. She knew what Vivitrol was, of course – it was a prescription medication that made the user unable to get drunk or high on certain substances. Each dose lasted 30 days. Lauren also knew that it cost roughly $1,000.00 a dose.

"She would be the perfect candidate for it," Angie commented.

"How could she afford it?" Lauren asked.

Bo turned to her. "If it's court ordered the cost could be deferred through the Health Department," Bo answered.

Understanding dawned over Lauren and she understood Bo's excitement. This could be the thing that broke the addiction. If she wanted to get clean, there was a chance she could.

Bo and Angie kept talking for a few more minutes. "Hey, if you want to come by the office with me, we can call the probation agent and see what we can find out," Angie said. "Lauren, you're welcome to come, too."

"You know what, why don't you two go ahead? I'll go back to the hotel and do some work and meet up with you later," Lauren answered.

Bo turned to her. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Lauren said, leaning in to give Bo a quick kiss. She turned to Angie. "It was so nice to meet you, Angie."

"Nice to meet you, too," Angie said.

Lauren bid her goodbyes and headed out of the coffee shop.

Lauren headed into the hospital. She didn't know how long Bo would be with Angie, but she knew she needed to do this quickly. She hit the button for the elevator and waited impatiently for it to come.

She finally made it to Mrs. Dennis' room. She was awake when Lauren entered.

"Good morning, Mrs. Dennis," Lauren said when she walked in.

Bo's mother was clearly surprised to see Lauren, particularly considering that Bo wasn't with her. "Hello, Lauren."

"Listen, Bo, doesn't know that I'm here, and I want to keep this quick," Lauren said. "There's a chance that you could be a candidate for Vivitrol. I think that you should do it."

"What?"

Lauren sighed. "Vivitrol is a shot. It would make you medically unable to get high for 30 days at a time. It's a tool used to help people with drug addiction. It also helps curb cravings." Bo's mother started to speak, and Lauren put her hand up. "Look, I get it. This is absolutely none of my business. But…I care about your daughter, and your daughter cares about you. I'm just asking you to think about this. It might be an option that you get later, and if you do, I think you should seriously consider it. You deserve better than this, Mrs. Dennis. I don't know you, but I know Bo, so that makes me believe that you must be a good person like she is. If you get this chance, I think it might be something you should do. Not for me, not for Bo, but for you. Just…think about it, okay?"

Bo's mother was stunned and quiet. "Um…"

"I would also appreciate it if you didn't tell Bo I was here," Lauren added.

Mrs. Dennis nodded, not saying anything. With a quick nod, Lauren turned and left.

Thoughts?