Welcome back, everyone. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review - you have no idea how much I love hearing from you.

So, we're 38 chapters in. Seems like a good time to change the story telling format for a chapter, right? Sure it does. That's not weird at all. LET'S DO THIS.

Not going to lie to you all - some shit goes down in this chapter. That actually isn't a joke for once.

Enjoy!

Dr. Lauren Lewis was about to make a mistake.

A huge fucking mistake.

"So?" the pretty woman standing in front of her asked.

She sighed. She shouldn't do this; this was probably going to ruin everything she had with Bo. This could be the end of the whole relationship. This was a terrible fucking idea.

She sighed and looked at the woman again, who was waiting expectantly for her to say something. She needed to just say "no, forget it" and walk out. That's what a smart person, a person who wanted to preserve a pretty fucking amazing relationship, would do.

She shouldn't do this. There was no question about that.

And yet, here she was, still standing here, still looking at the woman with the dark hair and dark eyes, and maybe this was a mistake she just needed to make. Her thoughts went back over the last few days, over what had happened and…fuck, maybe she just needed to do this. Maybe she just needed to do this, get her mind off of it, and move on. Besides, Bo didn't need to know, right? She could just keep this to herself. She would get this out of her system, and things would be fine.

Right?

Sunday

Bo met Michael and Lauren for lunch at 11:30a at a tiny café. When she arrived Michael and Lauren were already there, sitting at a table outside, drinking coffee and laughing. She smiled as she walked up, caught for a moment by the way the light hit Lauren's hair.

"Hey, Bo," Michael said, warmly, when he saw her.

Bo smiled. "Hey, guys, am I late?"

Lauren, taking a sip of her coffee, shook her head 'no.' Before she could vocalize the thought, however, Michael chimed in. "Not all. We were crazy early because your girlfriend here was in such a rush to see you."

He said it playfully, but Bo saw a slight blush rise to Lauren's cheeks and she felt a smile split her own face. Lauren shot Michael a withering look that Bo felt confident was a classic "I'm going to murder you later look" that many siblings shared.

Bo leaned down and gave Lauren a kiss, resting her hand lightly on the back of Lauren's head. "Hi," she said, simply, making eye contact with Lauren.

Lauren grinned. "Hey. I ordered you coffee."

As if on cue, a waitress walked over with a mug, and set it in front of Bo.

"Wow, this place has really great service," Bo said with a laugh. She sat down and took a sip, nearly spitting it back into the cup immediately. "What the hell is that?!"

"Decaf," Lauren said calmly.

Bo stared at Lauren in open-mouthed horror. "Why would…but…why? Why would you do that? It's coffee. It's sacred."

Lauren took another sip and shrugged. When she put her cup down, Bo reached over, switching her coffee with Lauren's, and took a sip.

She shot Lauren a look. "Seriously? You ordered decaf too?"

Michael looked at Lauren with a slight amused smile. "Wow, you were right, I didn't think she'd steal your coffee."

Bo glanced over at Michael, eyeing his cup. "Mine is decaf, too," he said. "I promised my wife I wouldn't drink caffeine as long as she couldn't."

Bo slouched back in her chair. "You know I'm ordering real coffee as soon as the waitress comes back," she said to Lauren.

"You can try, but I told her if she refused to give it to you, I'd double her tip. So you might find that she is 'all out' of regular coffee."

Bo stared at Lauren for a moment, gauging the truth of the statement. "This is payback for looking at the pictures, isn't it?"

Lauren took a sip and let out an exaggerated ahh. "Sure is," she answered with a smirk.

"I will get you for this," Bo said.

Michael looked back and forth between them, a slight smile on his face. Lauren glanced at him. "What are you smiling about?" she asked.

"Nothing, just trying to decide whose side I want to take in this," he answered.

"I'm your sister," Lauren answered. "We share DNA."

"I can get you out of every speeding ticket you get while you're here," Bo countered.

"I'm with Bo," Michael said.

"Yes!" Bo said, triumphantly.

"Seriously?! I'm your sister," Lauren said.

Michael shrugged. "Call it payback for the time you ratted me out for sneaking out past curfew," Michael said. "Which, if I may add, you only did so mom and dad wouldn't know you had snuck out. It was actually brilliant – have them focus on me, and when I try to tell them you did it, they think I'm lying. Genius."

Bo rested her elbows on the table, leaning closer to Michael. "Please, tell me everything. Don't leave out any details," she said.

Michael grinned and started talking as Lauren groaned, slouching back into her seat.

After finishing their lunch, Bo said her goodbyes to Michael and Lauren, saying that she needed to go home and catch up on some work. It wasn't a lie; things had been piling up on her desk, and while it was nothing overly urgent, she decided to go ahead and work on it, giving Michael and Lauren a little bit of extra time together. She liked having her weekends with Lauren – hell, she liked having any time with Lauren, really, it didn't matter when it was – but still, Michael would be leaving town soon, and Bo could tell by the way she interacted with him that Lauren missed him more than she let on.

Bo had been home for a few hours when her phone buzzed on the table beside her. She looked at the screen and saw an incoming call, the name Lauren appearing on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hey," a man's voice said. "It's Michael."

"Oh – hey," Bo said. "What's up?"

"Listen, Lauren was in the middle of something, so I just stole her phone for a minute. I wanted to see if you wanted to get lunch with me on Tuesday. I had something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh, okay," Bo said, surprised by the request.

"Yeah," he said. "Just a one on one thing, if that's okay."

"So…Lauren doesn't know about this?"

Michael laughed. "No, not technically, but it's fine if she knows. I just wanted to talk to you, that's all. Nothing scary, I promise."

Bo relaxed slightly. "Oh, okay," she said. "Sure, lunch sound great."

"Great," Michael said. "And, hey, while I have you, I also wanted to let you know it's fine if you stay with Lauren tonight. Seriously. I don't want you to think it would be weird or anything, and Lauren is way more annoying when you aren't around."

Bo laughed. "Spoken like a sibling," she commented.

"Hey, who are you talking to?" Bo heard Lauren say in the background.

"Oh, it's just a Canadian hooker. Don't tell Jenn," Michael said to Lauren.

"Give me that," Lauren said. "Hello?" she said into the phone.

"Hey, baby," Bo said. "Michael called."

Bo heard Lauren sigh. "Seriously?" she said to Michael. "Sorry he bothered you. How's work going?"

"It's fine. He called because apparently you were all annoying last night."

Lauren sighed again. "He's a brat. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Bo said, laughing. "I grew up with Kenzi and Dyson. I speak brat."

"Are you coming over for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah," Bo answered. "Michael invited me to stay the night with you, actually. He said you were crabby."

"Well, yeah," Lauren answered. "I think you and I covered that."

Bo smiled to herself, noting Lauren's phrasing and the fact that she clearly didn't want Michael to know he had been right about her mood and the reason for it.

"So, it's not going to be weird if I come over?"

"Of course not." Bo could hear the smile in Lauren's voice.

Bo smiled also. "Okay. Love you, see you later.

Monday

Bo woke up wrapped around Lauren. She sighed contentedly; despite the fact that she needed to get up for work, waking up like this was much better than waking up alone. She leaned in and dropped a light kiss onto Lauren's cheek before grabbing a robe and heading to the kitchen to start the coffee.

She padded quietly through the living room, trying not to wake Michael who was asleep on the couch. She had just finished pulling the mugs out of the cabinet when she heard Michael stir.

"Morning," he said, his voice still rough with sleep.

"Hey," Bo answered. "Coffee?"

"Please," he said, yawning and crossing to the kitchen.

"What do you take in it?" Bo asked.

"Sugar, no milk," he answered.

"So, the opposite of your sister," Bo said, walking to the cabinet for the sugar.

Michael laughed slightly. "Yeah, in pretty much every way, I guess," he answered.

Bo passed Michael the sugar, smiling at him.

Michael hesitated for a moment. "She really is crazy about you, you know," he said.

Bo smiled and looked down at her coffee. "Yeah. I'm crazy about her, too."

Michael nodded. "Yeah, I see that."

"Hey," a sleepy voice said. Bo and Michael looked up to see Lauren walking toward them. "What are you two up to?"

"Just telling Bo about the time you got arrested for public nudity," Michael answered.

"Wait, what?!" Bo exclaimed.

Lauren groaned, grabbing her coffee mug.

Tuesday

Bo sat at the restaurant, waiting for Michael to arrive. She felt nervous, but she wasn't sure why. She hadn't told Lauren that they were meeting. She hadn't been planning on keeping it from her, not really, it just hadn't come up, and Bo hadn't found a time to mention it without it seeming weird.

She bounced her leg absentmindedly, wondering what Michael wanted to talk to her about. She had thought about it, off and on, since he asked her, and she genuinely had no idea what this conversation was about. Her relationship with Lauren, probably, but beyond that, Bo had no clue.

Michael arrived right on time, looking somewhat flustered, joining her at the table.

"Hey," he said with a smile, and Bo was struck again by the resemblance he had to Lauren when he smiled. "Sorry I didn't pick somewhere nicer, but I have to get home soon, and I figured you had work to get back to, too."

Bo nodded. "Yeah, that's fine, don't worry about it."

Michael nodded, ordering a drink from the waitress who had walked over. When she left, he turned back to Bo. "So, look, I'll get right to the point. It's pretty clear that you and my sister have a serious relationship going, and I think that's great. It's just…Lauren has stopped talking to our mom. She and Lauren…don't see eye to eye on some things."

Bo nodded. "She's mentioned that."

Michael nodded as well. "Yeah. It's just…look, Lauren and my mom were actually kind of close when she was younger, and when she came out…I don't know, this rift happened, and its always bothered me, because I know it bothers Lauren and mom, but they're both too stubborn to deal with each other, you know?"

Bo nodded again. "Okay."

"I don't think Lauren has talked to mom since you two got together, and I think that's because Lauren doesn't want to hear our mom say anything that could be taken negatively about you. She's…protective about you, about your relationship."

Bo's thoughts dragged back momentarily to her own mother and she nodded. "Yeah, I get that."

"So, I just," Michael sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I don't know. My mom calls me, a lot, when she can't talk to Lauren, and for the last six months it just seems like she's been calling more and more. I think she's finally accepting who Lauren is, and I know it's way too late, but, still, it's something. I know I shouldn't put you in the middle of this, but…well, you love my sister, and I think if they would just talk to each other, maybe they could move past some of this, you know?"

Bo sat quietly for a moment, thinking. "So, what, you want me to tell Lauren to call her mother?"

"No. Well, yes…I don't know. Maybe. Just…maybe talk to her about it. Lauren won't talk to me about mom. If she doesn't want to talk to her…well, fine, I guess. Lauren has every right to be mad. But ultimately I think it would be good for both of them to clear the air."

The waitress returned with their drinks and asked to take their orders. Michael indicated that they needed a few more minutes, and the waitress left again.

Bo sighed. "I don't know, Michael. I'm not sure I should get involved. Whatever relationship Lauren wants to have with her mom…I don't think I should insert myself in that."

Michael nodded. "Okay. That's fair."

"Lauren doesn't even know I'm meeting you today," Bo commented.

Michael shrugged. "It's fine if you tell her. This was just kind of, I don't know, an end run. I just feel like…look, it's clear that you and Lauren have something special. And I'm worried that if she doesn't tell mom about you, if she shuts her out from the relationship you two have…that's it. That'll be the end of any chance they have of repairing their relationship."

"Why?"

"Because I have a feeling you're going to be in my sister's life for a long time. You're important to her. By not telling my mom about you…that's a huge thing. That's a massive part of her life."

Bo nodded, taking this information in.

"Just…maybe think about it, okay? Just think about talking to her about it. That's all I'm saying. It's ultimately Lauren's choice, anyway."

Bo nodded. "Yeah. It's Lauren's choice."

Wednesday

Lauren sat at the restaurant, waiting for Bo to arrive for their Wednesday lunch. She glanced at her watch; Bo was late. That was unusual – Bo was never late meeting Lauren.

When Lauren looked up, she saw Bo walking toward her, a strange look on her face.

"Hey," Lauren said, uncertainly. "What's up?"

Bo took a deep breath and sat down, an envelope in her left hand. "Hey," she answered.

"Everything okay?" Lauren asked.

Bo took another deep breath. "So…Michael asked me to have lunch with him before he left yesterday."

"Okay…" Lauren said, feeling puzzled.

"He told me you haven't been talking to your mom."

Lauren dropped back in her seat, crossing her arms. "Alright."

"He wanted me to, I don't know, talk to you about that, I guess."

"There's nothing to talk about," Lauren answered.

Bo nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

They were quiet for a few moments, not looking at one another.

Finally, Bo spoke. "Listen…your relationship with your mom is your business. God knows, I know all about bad relationships with parents. So I'm not going to tell you to call her, or to forgive her, or to do anything."

Lauren looked at Bo, her arms still crossed, but her eyes looking more open. "Okay…"

"It's just…remember that day when we were coming back from seeing my mom, and you were saying that she could change, and she and I could have a relationship again? Well, I started thinking about that after I talked to Michael and I realized…maybe you weren't really talking about me and my mom. Maybe you were talking about you."

Lauren didn't respond.

"You and your mom were close. I know that things changed, but the fact is…me and mom never had that. That's why we can't repair things, because there's just…nothing there. But for you, I don't know, maybe there is." Bo took a steadying breath. "So, after I talked to Michael, I thought about it, and I decided…well, maybe there was something I could do." Bo laid the envelope on the table.

"What's that?"

Bo hesitated for a moment. "I wrote your mom a letter. I didn't seal it, so you can read it if you want. Michael gave me the address. If you want to send it, all you have to do is put it in the mail. If you want to shred it, you can do that, too. You don't have to tell me what you decide. It's just…if you want to be close to your mom again, I want that for you. If you don't, then that's fine, too. It isn't up to me."

Lauren uncrossed her arms, running a hand through her hair.

"So, I'm going to go," Bo said. "I'm going to give you some time to yourself. Like I said, don't tell me what you decide. It isn't about me. I just…I just want you to know I support you, whatever you decide. It's not going to change anything with us." Bo slid the envelope across the table to Lauren and stood up. "I love you," Bo said. She took two steps around the table and give Lauren a kiss. "I'll see you at home." And with that, Bo left.

Lauren sat unmoving, looking at the envelope on the table. Well, she certainly hadn't expected this today. Taking a deep breath, she reached out for the envelope. She pulled out the paper inside and started reading.

Dear Ms. Lewis,

My name is Bo Dennis. We've never met, and you don't know me, but I'm writing to you because I love your daughter. When I met Lauren I wasn't in a good place in my life, but just getting to know her, getting to be around her, changed things for me. I don't know if you know what an incredible person you brought into this world. I suspect you do, but to be safe, I wanted to write to you and tell you, and also to thank you.

Lauren is the kindest person I have ever met. I've never known anyone who loves as selflessly as she does. She takes care of everyone, not just me, but her friends also. She gives of herself freely and makes everyone she meets feel special and important and cared for.

She's brilliant. I'm sure you know that, but I want you to understand that kind of work she's doing here. She is so well respected at her job, with her colleagues, with everyone she meets. She's so knowledgeable about everything, but she doesn't flaunt it, doesn't make anyone else feel unintelligent or inferior. I've never met a person who could set other people at ease with the grace of your daughter.

I could spend the next thirty pages telling you all the wonderful things about your daughter, but I'm sure you know them. Suffice to say, Lauren is overall the best person I have ever met. Time and again, she demonstrates that she is the best of us.

I am in love with your daughter. I have been for a long time now. I want you to know that this isn't a passing phase, this isn't an experimentation, this isn't anything other than deep and lasting love. Lauren is everything to me.

I understand that you have a hard time accepting this, and that it might not make sense to you. I'm not writing to you to make you understand. I just wanted to tell you, sincerely, how I feel about your daughter, and about the person she is.

Thank you for bringing such an incredible person into this world. The world is better place for having her here. She brightens everything and everyone she comes in contact with. That is truly a rare gift.

If you can't accept my relationship with your daughter, I understand. Please just know that I'm not going anywhere, not unless she asks me to. I'm with Lauren, as long as she'll have me.

Sincerely,

Bo Dennis

Lauren arrived home and found Bo in the kitchen, a bag of takeout food on the counter.

"Hey, baby," she said, brightly, when Lauren walked in.

"Hey," Lauren said.

"I got Chinese, is that cool?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," Lauren said. "Hey, Bo…"

"Oh, God, remind me to tell you about the new case I got today. I'm calling him Blue Balls McStabby."

"Really? Blue Balls McStabby?" Lauren said, her attention diverted from wanting to talk about the letter for a moment.

"It's crazy. So, these two guys meet on Craigslist," Bo started. As she kept talking, Lauren settled onto a barstool, listening. The more Bo spoke, the more she understood – they weren't going to talk about the letter, and whether Lauren was going to send it.

Lauren listened to the story, watching Bo's animated movements, listening to her voice as it rose and fell, and smiling at the more humorous aspects. Bo transferred the food to plates and the sat at the counter, talking and eating.

When they were done, Lauren looked at Bo again. "Hey," she said. "I love you."

Bo smiled and kissed Lauren on the cheek. "I love you, too."

Thursday

This was a huge mistake. Lauren knew that. Just for the record – she knew that.

"So?" the pretty woman standing in front of Lauren asked.

Lauren sighed, looking down. She should leave. That would be the smart thing to do. And yet…she couldn't just leave. She needed to do this. Bo didn't have to know. Sure, eventually she would, but for now…Lauren could just do this, and keep it to herself. Bo didn't need to know, at least not yet.

Lauren looked down one last time.

"So? Is this the one?" the woman with dark hair and eyes asked again.

Lauren looked at the ring in the velvet box on the counter. "Yeah. This is the one."

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