Hey, everyone. Sorry for the delay - this is literally my first day out of court since I last posted. I have more coming up so the slow down might persist a bit.

A few people have asked about the case from this portion, so an information dump is coming, feel free to scroll past if you aren't interested.

Yes, this case is based on one I had. The stuff with Bo is, obviously, all fiction, but the case facts themselves are pretty accurate, with the exception of the officer that died. In my case, the defendant was arrested without violence. I'm from a very small town. My brother in law is a volunteer firefighter/EMS and was actually on the ambulance call for this case as well. My sister woke up to him sobbing and dry heaving. She got enough out of him to know it was kids. My sister is in education and at the time this happened she was working as a teacher in these kids' school. The other real part, therefore, is the phone call between Bo and Ciara - we had a very similar exchange that morning when she called me to figure out which of her kids was hurt. Because of my job I couldn't actually tell her anything. So, it was really just a lot of shouting and crying while I just told her I was sorry and that it was bad. The youngest was, incidentally, in my oldest daughter's class at school. She was four at the time, it happened around the time I was first writing this story. She came home and said her teacher told her that "boy's name was very sick." I told her that was true, but to this day she doesn't actually know what happened. I'll tell her when she's older.

The mother died from her injuries, but both children lived. I saw them not long ago. They are actually doing amazingly well. The community really rallied behind them. The hospital staff and officers were made to do mandatory counseling as it was a very gruesome thing. My office wasn't required so we didn't, as we were really all okay. The only real lingering thing I have is I am still really weird about SpongeBob music due to something from the scene. My kids know they aren't allowed to watch it, though they have no idea why.

The defendant is currently serving life plus forty, so at least there's a partial happy ending.

Alright, one with the story. Hope everyone is well! Here we go.

Over the next ten days, Lauren and Bo continued their routine of sleeping on the couch. Bo continued to attend therapy, and, much to Lauren's relief, it seemed that she was sleeping more, with less disruption from nightmares. She still startled occasionally if Lauren surprised her, but the reactions were becoming less constant, and less pronounced.

On a Tuesday night Lauren arrived home from work and found two cars sitting in her driveway. She noted Bo's immediately, her eyes lingering on the second. Dyson? Confused, she went inside.

"It's not even." Bo's voice. "The left side needs to be higher."

"For God's sake, Bo, just move it then, I'm just trying to keep it from falling." Dyson, sounding irritated. "I told Ciara I'd be home like a half hour ago, can we just speed this up?"

"Don't be a drama queen, you're, at most, ten minutes behind. Now pull the – no, the other thing. Yeah, there, pull that." There was a loud banging sound, followed by a pause. "Huh. Maybe it was the first one."

"Jesus, Bo, it's not supposed to be this hard."

"That's what she said," Bo said, her tone jovial.

"Bo." Dyson was irritated, sounding very much like an older brother. "I have to go. Can we just get this done, please?"

Lauren walked into the house quietly, as it became clear that neither Bo nor Dyson had heard her enter. Their voices were coming from the bedroom, and Lauren crept closer, listening further.

"Just attach it, Dyson, seriously, Lauren is going to be here soon."

"Oh, I didn't know you were in a hurry," Dyson deadpanned. "I'll speed up then."

"I knew I should have called Nate to help with this."

"You know, I really wish you'd done that too. Now hand me the screwdriver."

There was a sound of scraping, a Lauren heard Dyson mutter a curse under his breath.

"OH MY GOD I thought you were good at this stuff?!"

"I own a bar, Bo, I'm not a handyman."

"Clearly."

"You know, I could just leave now. I'm sure you can figure this out since it's so simple."

Lauren walked in further, finally seeing what Bo and Dyson were struggling over. On the wall, across from the bed, they were attempting to hang a television. The angle was all wrong, and Bo was struggling to hold the weight of it while Dyson attempted to screw the holder into the wall. She could see a sheen of sweat on them both as they bickered and attempted fix the angle.

She crossed her arms and leaned against the door jam. "The bracket is upside down," she commented, and both Bo and Dyson jumped. The television wobbled in Bo's hands and Dyson quickly ducked to avoid being hit.

"Jesus, Bo, hang on to it, you're going to kill me!" he exclaimed.

Bo righted herself, regathering her grip on the television. "Just move so I can put it down," Bo said. He skirted to the side and straightened, joining her grip and helping her lower it to the floor.

Once the television was safely on the floor, Dyson straightened, stretching his back. Bo also stood, stretching out as she turned to Lauren. "You're home early," Bo said.

"It's six."

"Dammit, Bo!" Dyson said, grabbing his phone and checking the time. "I told Ciara I'd be back by five!"

"Well then you should have worked faster!" Bo replied.

Dyson rolled his eyes, dialing Ciara's number as he stepped away. "Hey, babe, I'm sorry, I was trying to help Bo, and you know how that goes." He walked out of the room as he continued talking.

Lauren turned to Bo. "You're installing a television?"

Bo rubbed a hand on the back of her neck. "Yeah, see, this was supposed to be a nice gesture, and it would have been perfect if Dyson wasn't so terrible at DIY projects."

"Seems like Dyson took time out of his day to help you, so maybe lighten up on him," Lauren replied with a smile.

Bo smiled back. "Yeah, well. I just thought…well, we probably need to move off the couch, but…baby steps, I guess. I thought we could start sleeping in here again, but maybe keep some parts of the new routine, at least until…at least for a little longer?"

Lauren stepped closer to Bo, drawing her in. She inhaled as she fully drew herself into Bo's space, her fingers lightly skimming Bo's waist, as she kissed her. She felt Bo lean forward slightly as she kissed Lauren back, her lips soft and yielding, her head tilting slightly to better capture Lauren's lip between her own.

"Are you kidding me?" Dyson said behind Lauren, and Lauren jumped as she and Bo broke apart. "I'm groveling because I'm an hour late to meet my girlfriend but you're in here making out?" His comments were obviously directed at Bo, but Lauren felt herself blush regardless. She attempted to step back but felt Bo's hands tighten at her side, preventing her retreat.

"You could have left an hour ago if you'd just hung the television," Bo replied, but Lauren could hear the playfulness under her tone. She bit back a smile of her own as Bo goaded Dyson.

"You know, the only reason I agreed to help with this is because it was for Lauren," Dyson shot back.

"And yet the TV isn't hung," Bo answered.

Lauren heard Dyson's deep sigh.

"Thank you, Dyson," Lauren said, turning even as Bo continued to hold her sides. When she was facing Dyson, she felt Bo step into her back, her chin resting on Lauren's shoulder.

"I mean, he didn't finish, you don't need to thank him."

Brotherly annoyance flashing across Dyson's face for a moment, but left when he returned his gaze to Lauren. "I'm happy to help for you, Lauren. Your wife, however, is a brat."

"So, are you coming back tomorrow to help me hang it, or…?" Bo pressed.

Dyson rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'm going to go buy flowers for my girlfriend and beg her forgiveness before work. Lauren, always nice to see you. Bo, good luck with the TV."

"Bye, Dyson," Bo said over Lauren's shoulder, and Lauren could feel her smile.

Dyson left, the front door closing easily behind him, and Lauren and Bo remained where they were. "You're mean to your brother," Lauren said, lightly.

"Ciara is way too nice to him, it's good for him every once in a while," Bo replied. She turned her face towards Lauren's, her nose bumping at Lauren's ear. She placed a gentle kiss there and Lauren shivered at the contact, her body instinctively moving back further into Bo's embrace.

She felt Bo tighten her arms around her, encircling her, and she rested her arms atop Bo's, her eyes falling closed at the comfort of feeling Bo, solid and warm, behind her. They stayed there for a few more moments, enjoying the feel of one another.

"Do you want me to help you hang the TV?" Lauren asked, her voice pitched low with the softness of the moment.

"Do you know how to do that?" Bo asked, her face nuzzling back into Lauren's neck.

Lauren felt goosebumps rise in response to Bo's breath. "There are instructions in the box."

Bo stepped back. "Wait, really?"

Lauren just laughed in response.

Thirty minutes later, the television was hung. While Bo set to work logging it in to streaming services, Lauren went to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. Bo came to the kitchen to join her a short time later, sitting on a barstool to talk to Lauren while she worked. Once dinner was ready they ate, and the Bo started cleaning up the dishes.

While Bo worked, Lauren heard her phone buzz. She looked down and saw Dyson's name appear on the screen, and the message appeared to just be an emoji of a middle finger.

"Why is Dyson flipping you off?" Lauren asked.

Bo let out a quick laugh. "I just texted him a picture of the TV and told him how easy it was to hang," Bo answered. She finished washing the last dish, setting it aside in the dish drainer. "Speaking of which, do you want to go try it out?"

"It's a TV, not a bike," Lauren replied playfully even as she got up and followed Bo to the bedroom.

Once at the bedroom they quickly changed into tee shirts and shorts, taking turns in the bathroom to wash off makeup and brush teeth. Lauren finished last, and when she walked back into the bedroom Bo was under the covers, flipping through Netflix.

Lauren crawled in beside her, nestling down in the soft blankets while Bo turned on the show that they had been watching over the last few nights in the living room. A moment later the show started and Lauren pulled herself closer to Bo, wrapping them together, her head resting against Bo's chest.

"This feels nice," Bo commented, her body warm against Lauren's. "I forgot how good it felt to be in a bed."

Lauren ran a hand down Bo chest, lightly over her breast, coming to a stop on Bo's stomach. "It feels good to have you back," Lauren said, quietly.

She felt the slight twitch of Bo's muscles, the subtle squirm in response to Lauren's hand. "I'm sorry I –"

"Shh," Lauren said, cutting Bo off. "No apologies. I'm just glad you're here. That's all."

Bo quietly accepted this, the arm that was around Lauren tightening slightly, holding them close together.

Lauren's hand traced indistinct patterns on Bo's stomach as they quietly watched the show. She used her nails to lightly scratch to Bo's skin as her shirt rode up slightly, exposing skin to Lauren's touch. She felt Bo shiver at the contact.

The show continued on. As the characters talked, and laughed, and worked, Lauren continued to run her fingers over Bo's skin, dipping lower and lower until her fingers found their way to the loose waistband of Bo's shorts.

Bo squirmed slightly at the anticipation of touch, her hand rubbing Lauren's back. She attempted to shift Lauren, to pull her up her body so she could touch her also, but Lauren resisted. "I'm okay," Lauren murmured against Bo's neck. She kissed Bo's lightly there, her tongue darting out just for a moment, just enough to feel Bo's response. "Just be still."

Her fingers fully found their way into Bo's shorts, and into Bo's underwear. She felt Bo's whimper now, felt the heat and wetness radiating off her wife as she dragged her finger over her, felt her hips jerk in response to her touch.

She returned her lips to Bo's neck, kissing softly, sucking slightly, and Bo's hips moved against her hand. She felt her arousal answer Bo's, felt a thrill run through her as Bo quietly groaned her name when her fingers firmly ran across Bo's clit.

She pushed two fingers into Bo, felt the heat surround her, as she moved to speak directly into Bo's ear. "You feel so good, baby," she said in a throaty whisper. "So wet…" she angled her fingers forward, moving them inside of Bo, and felt her hips move responsively.

"You look so hot like this," Lauren mumbled, her lips latching onto Bo's earlobe for a moment before she continued. "I just want to keep doing this for a while." She used her thumb to run over Bo's clit again, feeling herself throb at Bo's grunt of pleasure.

Lauren moved back down slightly, her fingers stroking firmly inside her wife, making occasional passes over Bo's clit. She felt Bo's pleasure increase, increase, increase…and then she backed off, letting Bo come back down, lightly reducing the pleasure until Bo's movements calmed.

And then she began the process anew.

The show ended and the next one began. Lauren continued to pull Bo to the edge before backing off. The characters found themselves in an amusing mix-up. Lauren firmly stroked her fingers against Bo's center, her thumb rubbing tight circles over her clit, until she felt Bo's legs fall widely open as she tried to grind herself against Lauren's hand.

Lauren backed off, causing Bo to whimper in frustration.

"You feel so good like this," Lauren said, her mouth back on Bo's ear. "I love being inside of you. I just want to keep doing this, keep feeling you like this." She attached her lips back to Bo's neck, her tongue running over Bo's erratic pulse.

Bo ground down against Lauren's hand. "Please, baby, please," she whimpered. "It feels so good, please…"

Lauren's thumb made another firm circle, and Bo hissed with pleasure. "Yesssss, baby, please…"

Lauren pressed hard, rubbed faster, and soon Bo was squirming in earnest. "Yes, baby, please don't stop, it feels so good, you feel so good…I just…oh God, I just…please…I want to…please…"

Lauren felt Bo teetering at the edge. And that is when she removed her hand entirely.

"No, no, no, baby, please!" Bo sobbed, her hips writhing, looking for Lauren's fingers. "Please, God, baby, please!"

"You feel so good, but I bet you taste better," Lauren said, exhaling against Bo's ear. And then she shifted down Bo's body.

Bo groaned loudly as Lauren's tongue made contact with her, licking firmly and deeply against her. Without thinking she thrust her hands into Lauren's hair, desperately trying to hold Lauren's mouth to her and her hips writhed, seeking stronger contact.

Lauren was more than happy to comply, her hands gripping Bo's hips as she pulled Bo harder against her mouth. She felt herself squirming, unconsciously wishing for friction against herself as her mind was consumed with Bo. She felt Bo's pleasure uptick, felt her draw closer to the edge, and with strength she didn't know she possessed, she pulled herself back.

Bo sobbed out, desperate. "Lauren, please, please," she chanted, trying to find her again with her hips.

Lauren used her hands to gently keep Bo primed, denying her the release she wanted. "I just don't want to stop, baby," she murmured. "It feels so good to have you back…I just want to keep going."

Before Bo could reply, she leaned in for another long lick before pulling back, and Bo groaned.

"We can…dammit, we can keep going, baby, I swear, I can keep going, just, please, just…let me, please…I can make you come too, I promise, and we can have sex all night, just…shit, just let me, please, just let me…"

Lauren pushed two fingers back into Bo, pulling herself up Bo's body to kiss her. She quickly found herself lost in Bo, Bo's tongue insistent in her mouth as her fingers continued to work inside of Bo. She was so lost in the kiss that she almost didn't pull back in time. She managed it, just, and Bo sobbed in frustration.

Lauren removed her hands from inside of Bo, kissing her again. She was dimly aware of Bo roughly pushing off her shorts and underwear and then the world exploded into stars as Bo thrust her fingers inside of her. Lauren felt her legs fall open on either side of Bo's hips, felt her wetness drip against Bo who groaned and arched her hips up in response.

As Bo rubbed inside of her Lauren felt herself become lost, desperate against Bo's touch. She pushed her hips down, strengthening the contact. Soon she was on the edge, and when she felt Bo attempt to back off, she pushed her own fingers back inside of Bo, rapidly pumping and hurtling her towards the edge of bliss.

The sensations overwhelmed Bo, and soon both were writhing in pleasure as they tipped over the edge, their bodies pressed together, their mouths fused as they moaned in ecstasy.

Eventually they began to come down. Hands stilled and breathing, while still ragged, began to regulate. Lauren felt sweat on her skin as she laid, boneless, on top of her wife.

"I love you so much," Lauren said, kissing Bo again. The kiss was languid, unhurried. After a few moments Lauren felt Bo slide her fingers back into Lauren's center.

Lauren jerked back slightly. "Sensitive," she mumbled into Bo's mouth. Bo moved her hand slowly, gently, and soon Lauren felt pleasure beginning to build again, surprising herself.

"I think someone mentioned all night," Bo said back as the credits of the show rolled.

The next episode began, but neither Bo nor Lauren noticed.

Reviews are always welcome