A/N: Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a chance to enjoy time with family and friends, relax and refresh before the new year began. I'm sorry I didn't get to a holiday update, but once this story comes to a close, I do promise the sequel to FOW will begin.

So, moving forward into 2023! Following up Chapter 56 with another single-chapter post but still extra-long.

I've tried once again to adjust the formatting to make the read easier. Please let me know if there's a difference and/or if it's better or worse.

Thank you again for all of the DM's and reviews. Each and every one is truly appreciated! It's always nice to connect with readers one-on-one and hear your thoughts, so please don't apologize for contacting me! I enjoy our conversations and getting to know you all a bit more.

Take care, everyone! This flu going around is no joke! Sheesh!

Cuddles

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CHAPTER 57: DISNEY DREAMS

A Day at Disney World…

"Here you are! I'll get your bags and someone from the hotel will help you over to the Check-In counter to get you all set up. You've picked a great place to stay," the limo driver explained.

"Are there really real animals?" Elise asked the limousine driver as she shuffled her feet excitedly from the spot she was told to stand in on the sidewalk.

The driver smiled, "Animals you've never seen in your young lifetime, my little lady. You are going to have a blast here."

Rudy and Elise looked at each other, holding hands and jumping up and down, "We're here! This is gonna be awesome!"

The driver turned to Patrick who gave him a nice tip, "It never gets old."

"What doesn't get old?" Patrick asked.

"Seeing kids looking like your daughters do."

"Oh, they belong to my friends. I'm just along to see the look on their faces."

The driver smiled, "Well, in that case, enjoy seeing that pretty much one hundred percent of your visit."

Patrick looked at the two girls and smiled, "I'll enjoy every second of it."

The group headed into hotel, Patrick leading the way as promised. Bo had never checked into a hotel in her life. Even when she first got her room at Kenzi's Hotel, she had never actually checked in.

Flashback…

The young hotel owner was serving a drink to one of her regulars when the entire place went silent. She looked around at the crowd, expecting to see guests arguing or a fight breaking out back at the pool tables, but there was no sight of trouble anywhere.

She followed the gaze of the customers seated at the front of the restaurant near Main Street and saw a dark, hooded figure staring in the window.

"That's Bo Dennis," she heard a customer say quietly.

Another said, "Alma, pay the bill. I'm taking the kids out the back door. We can walk around the front."

The woman stood and walked to the bar, "Keep the change, Kenzi and if that's the kind of clientele you're going to allow in your restaurant, we'll be going elsewhere."

Kenzi turned to the woman, barely registering the money in her hand,

"Alma, she's not even inside. She's just… window shopping."

"Well, you'd do well to keep that kind of trouble away from your windows too."

With that, Alma left through the rear door, leaving Kenzi shaking her head. Hell, if no one had given her a chance, she wouldn't be standing here as the owner of a hotel.

It took another thirty minutes, but the woman finally opened the door to the restaurant and walked in. She didn't look at any of the guests, just walked straight to the bar, her hood and sunglasses still disguising her face. She didn't speak… just stood there.

"Um… I've heard you're all into this mysterious act, but mystery won't help me to help you. Do you need a room or a meal or just a drink? Maybe a job?"

Kenzi could have sworn she heard the woman chuckle but since a response didn't come, she decided she'd just follow her gut based on what she had heard about her.

She poured her a shot of vodka and slid it out onto the table, then leaned over to her bartender and whispered to him before she spoke again,

"That's our own special blend of Vodka. I make it with my business partner – a guy named Vex. Best vodka in the world in my book and my tastebuds have had a lot of vodka poured over them. Unfortunately, so has my liver but you know what they say - you only live once."

Again, the woman said nothing and didn't take the shot, so Kenzi tossed it back and then poured her another from the same bottle,

"Just in case you thought I was trying to poison you or something. I'm not one of Big Jim's goons and I haven't done business with him. He doesn't own a stake in my hotel and he's never going to. I'll give it up before I get involved with that asshole. I've teamed up with this chick named Evony who has this fancy French hyphenated last name that I can't begin to care about let alone pronounce."

She tossed her towel over her shoulder, "Anyway, she's handing out jobs around here like I hand out drinks. Well, I don't hand them out, of course. I mean, I charge for them since I'm not rich. This place will have me in hock for the rest of my gorgeous life. That's okay though. I don't need much."

She jumped up, sitting on the bar, "This gives me a roof over my head, food in my belly, people around who are mostly nice and a source of income even if it's just pennies for what I'm spending out of pocket. My man is just down the street, he's got great abs, an awesome sense of humor and he loves me – three things I've never had in a man."

Kenzi paused, waiting to see if the woman would talk now but again she was silent.

"You know, Evony is planning to rebuild the clinic, a few stores on Main Street that burned in that fire that Big Jim swears he didn't start – yea, right – and a hospital with a whole fancy pants townhome development for the hospital staff that will come with the hospital. I heard you're a builder. I can put a good word in for you if you'd like. I mean, if you have a business card, I can pass it on."

Kenzi watched as the woman pulled off her gloves, pulled the pack from her back, dug around and opened a small metal case. It had intricate carvings on the front,

"That's a beautiful case. I guess it must be very special to you. It seems very old."

The woman handed Kenzi a business card, then closed the case, tossing it on the counter. Kenzi hesitated, but then picked it up and looked at it. She opened the lid and smiled,

"To my Ysabeau. Where I go, you are always with me. Getiy sidinga, Mom."

Kenzi watched as the woman pulled the business cards out of the bottom revealing a picture of a young native girl and an older native woman.

"That's you and your mom?" Kenzi asked, "She's beautiful… I mean, truly beautiful."

Bo replaced the cards and closed the case, tossing it back into her pack. Kenzi picked up the card,

"I'll pass this on to Evony. I assume she can call this number to reach you... I mean, I can pass her message on to you when you come in… if you intend to come in again. And if you want, you can also meet with her here to discuss business. I've got a table on the other side of the grand staircase there that is very private."

The bartender brought out a tray and set it down for Kenzi. The owner lifted a bowl of hot stew from the tray and placed it on the counter along with a bowl of seafood chowder. She gave the woman some crackers, two small rolls and a spoon before pouring her a tall glass of water and dropping in a dash of lemon juice.

"There you go. I wasn't sure if you'd prefer meat or fish, so there's both. I've got some work that needs done around here. I heard your construction company is tops and that you're an amazing wood carver. That staircase is the first priority and then I need about twenty rooms renovated."

She pointed up, "The ceiling fans need replacing before summer and I need a new roof as well. Then, there's old railroad tracks out back that have old train cars on them. There are about fifty cars in all on two sets of tracks that I'd like to make rooms for guests… eventually. I mean, funds are always an issue in any business, am I right?"

The woman continued to eat, not saying a word, so Kenzi continued,

"Right. Well, I have an idea that maybe you could do my renovations and I'll trade you three square meals a day and a room on the top floor. Penthouse, you know? It's the best. It even has a window that leads to the roof so you can sit outside if you put a chair out there. Of course, you should repair the roof before you do that."

Again, there was no response, so Kenzi sweetened the deal,

"You can keep one of your dogs inside with you… for security, if you feel the need. And I have a little more than ten thousand feet of straight land out there that I wanted to turn into a runway for small planes. If you do that sort of thing – the job is yours."

She paused, but the woman remained silent other than the slurping sounds from eating the stew,

"The township is in the process of approving my request. Once they approve it, I just have to bring in dirt and gravel, then pave it out, paint the lines, run the electric for lights and set up the radio tower and communications in my office. I'll take out some of the trees by the railroad tracks where those train cars are so that people can park their cars there."

Getting no response, Kenzi explained further, "You get it? That way the planes can land here and park where the cars are now and the cars can park in front of their sleeper cars or the back parking lot… once I expand that beyond the back patio area."

There was still no reply, so Kenzi shrugged and wiped the counter down again as she spoke,

"I heard you fly, so if you would rather store your planes here instead of down on Swift Farm, it might make more sense since I know you run a lot of flights out of our airport. Build the runway and you can run your planes right out of where they're parked."

There was no reply, no gesture and Kenzi was getting frustrated.

"Look, I think it's a damn good deal. A room at forty bucks a day for thirty days is twelve hundred bucks a month. Add to that your meals at about twenty bucks a day and free use of the runway and parking… well, that's… hang on while I do the math…"

Kenzi pulled out a paper and pen, to start her calculations, but suddenly, the woman spoke,

"I agree on the room charges as long as there is running water and a pot to piss on. Meals are a little low considering I'm training for the Iditarod, but I'll bring you fish and meat daily to be sure what I eat doesn't cut into your budget. When I'm away, I'll still pay for the meals but that means you always help the caretakers in my barn with feeding my dogs."

She took a bite, chewing and swallowing before she continued,

"I'll be away more than I'm here. As for the runway and parking, you're right. I'll bring my Cessna and Cherokee here for now. I use those the least, but I want to be sure they're not going to get blown up first. Big Jim doesn't like me and when he hears that you're helping me out, he'll be coming for you."

Kenzi shook her head, "Actually, he won't. If he does, Evony will bankrupt him. She's already gone down there and talked to him about not interfering in her business. She warned him that she has more firepower, more financial power and more people power than he can even imagine. He called her on it and three of his men were found dead before three of his businesses were destroyed in mysterious fires."

"The ones on Main?"

Kenzi nodded, "She bought the properties for nothing since they were burned to the ground, costing him a small fortune and now, she'll make a mint off of them – especially seeing that one of them is a National Bank. Their mortgage rates and investments… well, the local banks can't compete. She's a smart-ass woman and I'm going to suck all the knowledge I can out of her before she's either arrested or killed, cause I'm pretty sure she's got both coming to her if you get my drift."

The woman pulled back her hood and pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head. She looked up at Kenzi for the first time, a weak smile on her face. She extended her hand,

"I'm Bo Dennis. It will be nice to do business with you."

As she shook her hand, she nodded, "I'm McKenzie Malinkov," she paused, wondering if she was the first person to actually see this woman's face. She was… beautiful… in dangerous, mystery woman sort of way. She felt an instant connection to her in some way that she couldn't quite identify. She spoke in a low voice, "Who knew I'd actually dig chicks."

"I'm sorry. What?" Bo asked.

Kenzi stood up straight, realizing what she had said. Sheshook her head, "Sorry. I'm just… you're beautiful. I mean, incredibly beautiful."

Bo's face soured as she looked down into her stew. Kenzi tried to soften her voice,

"I mean you look so much like your mother. She must be so proud of you,"

A full frown pulled at the corner of Bo's mouth as she scowled and shook her head,

"I wouldn't know. I haven't seen my mom since I was fourteen. Ran off in the middle of the night. I've been looking for her since."

Kenzi took the two empty bowls from Bo's tray and handed it to the waiter who placed another full serving of stew in front of the brunette,

Kenzi nodded, "Wow. That's rough…" she stared at the top of Bo's head as she leaned down to take another bite, "That case… what were those words that weren't English?"

"They mean 'be happy' in our language… not that I remember how to speak it much."

Kenzi shrugged, "I ran away when I was twelve. My dad died and as a present, my mom went out and got me an abusive stepdad. Of course, it took me a few months to realize he would never change since she was always going to side with him instead of her own flesh and blood."

She wiped at the already spotless bar top, "Who cares, right? I left and I'm never going back. Vex picked me up and we've been together ever since. I mean… not romantically but he's like an older brother. Real great guy… when he's not being a dick."

Bo spoke, her eyes down, "My mom was incredible. I've never loved anyone more. I've tried to think of what I did wrong for her to leave. People say she's dead but… I just know she's alive and I'm going to find her. I know I will."

Kenzi could see that Bo was upset as the woman lifted her hood and pulled her sunglasses back down over her eyes. She picked up the room key that Kenzi had laid on the counter, pulled her pack onto her back, put all of the food back onto the waiters tray and gave Kenzi a nod. She picked up the tray and headed upstairs.

END FLASHBACK…

The group stepped up to the counter, Patrick looking for Lauren who was still trying to snap Bo out of whatever trance she was in. He smiled at the woman,

"Hello. We're the Dennis Family, four adults and two children."

"Yes, welcome to Animal Kingdom, Mr. Dennis. We're happy to have you with us."

Patrick began to interrupt her to clarify his name, but Jake elbowed him and shook his head, whispering,

"It really doesn't matter. She won't remember you anyway."

He nodded, handing her the credit card Penelope had gotten Bo for the trip.

"Black platinum card?" Jake asked.

Patrick smiled, "It turns out that Mrs. Dennis has been quite responsible in her spending all of these years. She paid everything in cash until Lauren got hold of her. Our doctor opened a savings and checking account for her so that banks and such could see her healthy finances."

He laughed, "The bank gave her a credit card two weeks later, but Bo marched into the bank and forced them to lower her limit to two thousand dollars, swearing she would never use it anyway… and she hasn't."

"Really?"

Patrick nodded, "So, last month, Penelope opened a card in her name and started using it to pay Path and Slate's bills for the company so that she would have a healthy credit report."

"I take it she does?"

Patrick laughed, "She's at the top of the credit scale. Penelope said if the scale went higher, so would Bo. She's even higher than Lauren and that's saying a lot because Lauren is meticulous about her finances."

"Too bad the daughter didn't rub off on the parents."

Patrick shook his head, "We grew up in families that didn't know how to turn off the faucet. They live and die by their credit line. Now, Lauren is living so far below her means, she has money for… well, a resort like this."

"Hey, they're not footing the whole bill for this, right?"

"Oh, no. Never. I bought three flights – you, me and one of the girls – the park tickets for all of us, half of our restaurant passes and an upgrade to this room we're staying in. I wanted the girls to have the best view of the animals."

"Okay, but make sure you let me know what you need from me in the way of money."

"I'm the one that dragged you on this vacation. Why should you pay?"

"Because I don't want to be a kept man."

Patrick smirked, "Well, if you don't mind, I'd just like to keep you for the night."

Jake smiled, "I suppose that might be okay if you let me shower the girls with gifts and ice cream."

"Ice cream?"

He shook his head, "I don't know what it is, but I'm craving ice cream."

"Maybe you're pregnant," Lauren said from behind the pair.

Jake laughed, "Will you be my mid-wife?"

Lauren chuckled, reaching back and gripping Bo's hand tightly.

"She okay?" Patrick whispered.

"Yes. Just deep in thought. First time in a hotel, too. Closed in, crowded…"

Patrick nodded, turning back to the woman at the counter,

"Okay, Mr. Dennis, you've selected the Disney Animal Kingdom Villas Kidani Village for your stay. I see that you have reserved a 3-bedroom Villa. We have several available tonight…"

Bo leaned forward, "We'd like a view of the Zebra Trail by the Arusha Savannah."

All of the adults turned to Bo, the woman at the counter looking to Patrick who smiled,

"This is Mrs. Dennis. She's the boss."

The woman nodded, "Of course, Mrs. Dennis. Um… we have one room available that fits your request. Is that the one you want?"

Bo frowned, looking at Patrick who nodded, "Yes, that's the one she requested, so that's the one we want."

"Um… the price will be…"

"We'll pay it," Patrick said, cutting her off, "We'd prefer that Doctor Dennis didn't hear our discussion about pricing as this is a honeymoon gift to her."

The woman looked between the three, "Um… honeymoon?"

Patrick smiled, "This is Doctor and Mrs. Dennis with their daughter Elise and Mrs. Dennis' charming little sister, Rudy. My name is Mr. Patrick Lloyd, Esquire and this is my partner Mr. Jake Mammoth. The Dennis' are on their honeymoon and we're along to help with the children as best friends of the brides."

"Oooh! Now I get it!"

She held up a finger, "Just one moment, please…"

Waving over a young man near the counter, she whispered in his ear. He looked up at the group, nodding once, then again, until finally, the woman turned back to the group,

"Okay. We're just going to need a minute to get the room ready. That was Jacob. He'll be seeing to your needs during your stay. Now, I see that you have arranged dinner at…"

"CHEF MICKEY's!" Rudy shouted, jumping up and down with Elise.

The woman smiled, "You're absolutely right young lady! Was it Rudy?"

"Yes! Rudy Dennis! Sister of Bo Dennis!"

"Bo Dennis?" A man behind the counter smiled, walking to the counter, "Ohmagosh! It's you! You're… you're her! Ohmagosh! Dani, do you know who this is!"

She pulled her head back as he leaned forward, "Um… Mrs. Bo Dennis?"

"She's not just Mrs. Bo… wait… you're married?"

Bo smiled and nodded, though she was growing more uncomfortable by the second as people started to stare at her.

"So you…" he turned to Patrick who shook his head, "Oh… then…" Jake was already shaking his head before he turned to Lauren, "No way! No way! You're gay! Ohmagosh! You're family! Dani, she's family!"

Lauren, Patrick and Jake all burst into laughter as the young man was elbowed by the woman at the counter,

"Chip!"

He straightened up, blushing mildly, "I'm so sorry. I just… you don't understand. I grew up in Anchorage. I saw the start of every race you were ever in. I even saw you in your first race when you were sixteen over in Nome!"

"That little sixth street race?" Bo asked.

"I'm as gay as they come, but I fell in love with you that day. I've got posters of you on my wall that are still there because my mom was so happy, I had a woman on the wall!"

"Wow. You made your way to Florida from Alaska?"

He smiled, "I went to UCLA for a degree in Business Management and a minor in Hospitality, worked at Disneyland which had been my dream since I saw my first Disney Movie as a kid and they had a management opening in Florida, so… well, here I am, breaking every rule of Hotel Management and Disney Theme Parks by talking to you like I am, rambling on and on and on…"

He leaned over and spoke more softly, "I'm so sorry I outed you in public, but something just came over me and I couldn't… well, I just forgot where I was. The little Chip came out and well, once I'm out, I'm all the way out."

Bo smiled, "Well, Chip, if you want to stop by Chef Mickey's for dinner tonight, we'd love for you to join us."

"Are you kidding?"

Bo shrugged, "Nope. Stop by and you can tell us all the secrets about what we want to see before we leave tomorrow night."

"Wait – you're only staying today and tomorrow?"

Bo nodded, "Unfortunately, this is just a layover for us. Our final destination is elsewhere, and the rest of our family will be waiting for us."

"Are you sure you can't add just one more day… maybe two?" he asked, looking down at the screen, "You've purchased the Magic Kingdom Pass, the Animal Kingdom Theme Park and the EPCOT pass. You need at least one day in each park in order to get your money's worth. If you're only staying for two days, I would spend more time in two of those places rather than try to speed through all three spaces. If you're only staying for one, we could refund two passes right now."

"Can you give me a minute to call my mom to see what the family has planned for us?"

He snapped his fingers and pointed at Bo, "Mary Dennis! The new head of the Iditarod Committee! My Uncle John is going to be on that committee!"

"John Wise?"

"You know him?"

Bo laughed, "Yes, I know John. He's the biggest smack talker on the race circuit. He told me I have the ugliest dogs on the planet."

Chip laughed, "That's because he's jealous. Back home, he tells me that the lineage you've bred will keep you winning the Iditarod for decades to come and apparently your little sister after that. He just met her this year and couldn't stop talking about what a bold kid she is. Anyway, he said if you ever stop racing, your dogs could be models for ever cover of every animal magazine on the planet – especially that Harper."

He threw his head up and laughed, "He's so jealous of that cover of you and her in Alaska magazine."

Bo smiled, "Well, it's very kind of you to tell me that. I'm sure your uncle would kick your ass for telling me the truth about what he thinks."

"I'm sure. Go make your call. We'll wait."

While Bo made her call while Chip pulled Dani away from the counter and began talking. They both turned back to the computer, jotting down notes until Bo returned. She looked back at Rudy and Elise,

"Are you two up for an extra day or two here?"

"Yes!" They said together, jumping up and down as Bo turned and asked Patrick and Jake the same question.

Finally, she turned back to the counter, but Chip shook his head,

"Shouldn't you ask your bride?"

Bo smiled, "Apologies, my love. Would you mind an extra night or two at this resort? We can decide for sure later if you'd rather."

Lauren laughed, looking at Chip, "Do you know that this is the first time I've been asked what I want during this trip?"

"Really?"

Lauren smiled, "We had wedding planners and mind you, the wedding itself was a surprise. We hadn't set a date, just a month. My wife and the girls here set it all up without my knowledge."

"She threw you a surprise wedding and honeymoon? That's… well, I hope it was amazing. Did she get the guest list right?"

Lauren nodded, "How could she not? She invited most of the town," she said, smiling at Bo, "Oh, Chip it was a grand evening… more than I imagined."

She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling, "But, if you saw the race, then you know she was injured. She had surgery on her knee shortly after, so we delayed the honeymoon. Now, I'm just following her lead."

Chip smiled, "So I take it you two gentlemen were the wedding planners?"

Patrick laughed, "No offense, but I don't think Disney would have been our honeymoon destination. These two young ladies were the wedding planners."

Bo smiled, down at the two, their chins barely reaching the counter,

"We did it! We threw the Gala and the wedding and planned our whole honeymoon!" Rudy shouted with a great big smile. Elise added, "This is the only thing we put in for us but they weren't ever here either! It's so exciting!"

Bo nodded, "They did a fabulous job with the wedding, though they have expensive taste in travel."

The group laughed as Chip got their rooms together with Dani. When they was finished, he turned to the group,

"Okay, so you now have a three-day pass that includes each park and your 3-bedroom villa, Arusha Savannah, Zebra Trail. I've upgraded your passes to include anything offered at Kidani Village as well as anything offered at Jambo House since they have restaurants available in house. Here, we have a kitchen but just the one restaurant, so to avoid having to go out all the time, you can go to Jambo if you wish."

"And what restaurants do they have?"

"They have two table-service restaurants, Boma and Jiko and the Jambo House has The Mara, a counter service restaurant that resembles cafeteria style dining."

Bo looked at Lauren, unsure of what any of that meant. Lauren smiled and nodded, "That's perfect."

"This should also help to accommodate the note about wanting a more private experience," Chip added.

"Private experience?" Bo asked.

Chip nodded, "Celebrities at Disney don't really get to vacation as the average person, so by giving you celebrity status, it will allow you access to a more personalized experience. These are special bracelets you will wear to the parks. When workers see them, they will assign you two park walkers who will help you through your day."

He leaned closer, whispering to Bo and Lauren, "They're young and great with kids. They'll say yes to everything the girls want to do unless you shake your head no. So, if you say no to a certain roller coaster, they'll distract them to go in or on something else. They're very good at their jobs."

He stood back again, "Now, these park walkers will give you a personalized experience for the time you have available. When you enter the park and they greet you, they'll ask the girls a few questions that will help them to have the best experience. They'll ask the adults questions as well, but it sounds like this part of your honeymoon is about the kids, yes?"

"Yes. Definitely," Bo smiled.

"Yes, well just remember that there's a little kid in all of us, so enjoy yourselves too."

Lauren grinned, "Oh, I definitely will."

Chip smiled, "Your first time at Disney?"

She bit her bottom lip, "Honestly, I've waited for this trip my entire life."

Chip looked at the two wedding planners, "I guess you ladies should have booked a week here for this one."

"Oh, Sister is going to love it too! She just doesn't know it yet!"

Chip eyed Lauren, "You look very familiar to me. Do you race?"

Lauren shook her head, "Not like my wife, but I started sledding last year and have fallen in love with it. I'm an east coast girl, so I was raised racing sailboats with this guy."

"Oh. So you two were…"

"Best friends since we were about five," Patrick said, cutting off anymore cringeworthy statements.

"That's a long time."

"It's been a good time," Patrick smiled at Lauren, turning to Jake, "But this guy is another Alaska native. He moved to the east coast for a while, but he's back in his home state again."

"I've often thought of moving back, but until they build a Disney Theme Park there, it's not likely to happen. I just love my job."

Lauren smiled, "It's good to find something you love."

"And do you like being a doctor?"

"I've actually never been asked that question before. It's one of those careers that once you're at the peak of your peer group, it's just assumed that you'll continue and that you must love it. I mean, who wants a surgeon standing over them with a scalpel if they don't love their job, right?"

"I suppose that's true," Chip smiled.

Bo sighed, "Well, is there anything else we need then? We'd like to get settled so we can get out to the park in a few hours."

Chip nodded, "Everything opens in seven hours. If you'd like a wakeup call, we can give you one. Your privacy package also gets you a room service breakfast that you can order now."

Bo looked at Lauren who nodded, "Great. Can we get six plates with…"

She turned to the group, "How do western omelets sound? Keep it easy?"

"And pancakes?" Rudy asked.

Bo nodded, turning back to Chip, "Six western omelets, each with a side of bacon. Send up some rye toast and multi-grain toast."

"Pancakes!"

Bo nodded, "And pancakes all around."

Chip smiled, "Got it. Orange juice? Cranberry juice?"

"A pitcher of each, please?"

"Okay. We'll send up some fresh fruit as well. I know how important that is to Alaskans."

"Thanks, Chip."

"Okay," Chip waved, "Jacob, will you see them to their room? Second floor, room 207. Enjoy everyone!"

The group waved and followed Jacob, Chip holding Patrick back for a moment,

"If you meet me in the lobby tomorrow night at nine, I know a great club you guys would enjoy."

He gave them a wink, the two men smiling as they followed behind the rest of their party.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE NEXT MORNING…

"Patrick! Jake! Come on! Hurry! A giraffe stuck his head in our window! Come quick!" Rudy said, jumping on the bed between the two men and shaking them awake.

Lauren ran into the room, getting an eyeful of Jakes bum. She raced to the bed and covered him quickly,

"Rudy! We said don't wake them!"

"You did? But they'll miss it!"

Patrick opened one eye, "We'll be right there, Rudy. You're right. We shouldn't miss the giraffe in our suite! As long as he doesn't come all the way inside…"

"Silly! He won't fit! Come on!"

She raced out of the room, leaving Lauren standing awkwardly, "Good morning, Guys! Welcome to day one with two excited little girls. So sorry."

She turned to leave, but Jake lifted his head, "Wait! Did she say a giraffe has his head in our suite?"

Lauren nodded and smiled excitedly, "Yes and it's amazing. Chip happened to stop by when they brought our breakfast, and he had something sent up for us to feed her. She's pregnant, so they're letting her get her calories wherever she is. It's really not to be missed."

Jake sat up, shaking off the sleep, "There's really a giraffe out there?"

Lauren nodded again. Jake turned and looked at Patrick, "There's a giraffe in our room! A real giraffe!"

He jumped out of bed, ran to the bathroom to grab his fluffy hotel robe and ran back in while putting it on. Lauren tried to look elsewhere,

"Uh… Jake… close the robe, please?"

He looked down, "Oh. Right. Gotta pee. Be out in a sec - Patrick come on!"

Patrick pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked at his friend, "I hate you."

Lauren nodded, "I know, but you're going to love the giraffe. The girls are so excited, and they want you to see her before she goes away and… well… Bo wants to open a safari, so I need you to come out here and talk her down."

"I'm getting up."

"Thank you," she smiled.

Lauren left and Jake followed, but Patrick protested,

"Hey! Good morning? Do I get a kiss?"

Jake pointed to the room outside the door, "But the giraffe…"

"Fine," Patrick said, slamming his head back down on the pillow, "I'm in hell."

Meanwhile, out in the living room, Rudy and Elise stood, branches in hand on the balcony of their room, smiling with wide eyes over the animal they were currently interacting with. Lauren and Bo were just behind each child, smiling right along with them.

"I don't think she likes the Smimonza tree as much as the Acacia tree," Rudy commented.

Bo smiled at her sister, "That's a Mimosa tree and I think you're right, Roo."

Elise smiled at her friend, "Do you want to hold the Acacia tree branch so she eats more from you?"

Rudy shook her head, "Nah. It's your birthday treat to come here so you can keep it. You want to be a veterinarian, so you should learn how to feed the animals."

Elise smiled, "Thanks, Roo."

"You're welcome."

Bo whispered to her sister, "That was very kind of you."

Rudy smiled at Bo, then snapped her head back when the giraffe started to tug on her branch, "Look! She must have heard me! She's eating it!"

Jake arrived behind the group, his eyes wide, "Wow. Will you look at that."

Elise turned and smiled up at Jake, "We named her Beauty because she's beautiful."

Jake grinned, "Well, good morning, Beauty. I hope you're enjoying your Acacia and Mimosa tree breakfast."

Rudy's head spun back, "You know what kind of trees these are?"

He smiled, "I do. My undergraduate major in college was Horticulture."

"But how did you end up working for the FBI?"

He shrugged, "They came to my hometown to work on a case when I was just starting my job with a tree farm. They came around investigating and, well honestly, I thought their jackets were cool."

Rudy giggled, "No you didn't!"

"Okay, I didn't but I did find their work interesting. I started talking to this one agent who told me about his work and that the FBI was always looking for new agents. I told him I didn't major in Criminal Justice and he said it didn't matter. That they had agents from all kinds of backgrounds and I would fit a niche they didn't have."

"What's a niche?" Elise asked.

"It's a particular group or segment of the population."

"You mean Alaskan?"

"Alaskan, tree farmer, horticulturalist, handy man – someone who didn't have any bias or favoritism with regards to the law or the legal system since we have so many different groups who enforce laws here."

"Oh," Rudy replied, "So do you ever think you'll go back to being a tree farmer?"

Jake smiled, "I've thought about it. I'm not sure at this point. I like a lot of things, so I might be interested in doing something completely new if I left the bureau."

"So maybe you would join the family business?" Rudy asked.

Jake hesitated, his eyes moving to Bo who was talking to Elise across Rudy as she spoke to Jake. Thankfully, Patrick arrived at the door,

"Hey!" he said, before his eyes saw the large giraffe head hanging over the railing of the second floor balcony, "Wow. She's really tall!"

Elise smiled, "She's a giraffe, silly! Of course, she's tall. Her legs are tall and her neck is even taller!"

Patrick nodded, "So it is! She's amazing."

He looked at Elise who was looking up at the majestic, gentle giant, a smile brighter than any he'd ever seen on the child who would soon become his best friends' daughter. His eyes welled with tears at the sight of Lauren's arms wrapped around her torso, the two in awe of the beast they were feeding together.

He turned and ran back to the bedroom, rifling through his belongings until he found his camera. He quickly switched to his wide-angle lens and turned it on, rushing back out to the balcony. He stood, watching Elise and Lauren. He began… snap… snap… snap… then turned to Bo and Rudy… snap… snap, snap… snap… before taking a few of Patrick as he watched the women with their girls.

He held his camera, watching the family together and smiled. Jake had never had this kind of family. He respected his Mom and Dad, but they didn't talk much. He could remember being held by his mom when he was young, but he didn't remember the sort of connection he could easily see between this group. His sister was twelve years older than him, so he didn't remember much of her either.

Patrick leaned in, "They're such a perfect little family, aren't they?"

Jake nodded, "A beautiful little family. Rudy is more Bo's twin than little sister and if I didn't know better, I'd believe that Elise was Lauren's biological child. They're so much alike and the love between them is so pure."

"Hey, are you okay?" Patrick asked, noticing his boyfriend's eyes were welling with tears.

He shrugged, "I'd heard about families like this one, but I was never actually invited to be with one like this. Don't get me wrong – my parents were kind and caring, they taught me right from wrong and always allowed me to pursue my interests but the love between all of them… between you and Lauren… it's palpable," he turned to Patrick,

"Do you feel that from me?"

Patrick smiled, "I feel many things from you. Especially last night… or was that this morning?"

Jake smiled, shaking his head, "Come on, Patty, you know what I mean. Do you feel my love for you even when we're not in bed?"

Patrick lowered his eyes, "You can be a little… stiff?"

"My Secret Agent persona. I've never really been able to shed it outside of work. The last two relationships I was in… well, the only other relationships I was in, they both had a problem with the armor I wore. I mean, do you see any armor?"

Patrick smiled, "It's subtle but it's there… well, not as much as it once was."

"That's the Dennis Effect."

"The what?" Patrick asked.

"The Dennis Effect. Being around them… well, they make my heart ache," he looked at Patrick, quickly clarifying, "I mean, in a good way. I saw Lauren and Elise together, so I ran and got my camera. The bond between them… I want that with you, Patty."

"We have it, Jake and we'll keep working on making it deeper – if that's what you want."

"Of course, that's what I want."

Patrick lowered his eyes, placing a hand on Jake's chest, "You don't exactly let that show."

Jake's shoulders slumped, "You see? You're my partner and you don't even know I want a deeper connection with you."

"It's okay, Jake. You know, we're raised in one environment for decades and then we find ourselves in a new environment when we go to college, so over those four years we change. When you went back home, you were back in that sort of… well, stoic environment is the best way I can describe what I saw when we visited… other than your Dad thinking I may have had some contagious disease."

Jake smiled, "He thought you were great, Patrick."

"So you said. It's just not the vibe I got. I just thought that it was a quiet place full of self-reflection, hours of hard labor on the farm, finding food and cooking it, keeping the house in good repair and praying."

He nodded, "Yup. That's mom and dad. As long as I've known them, they're more roommates than lovers. I've often wondered how I was even made. I think maybe they only had sex twice in their lives – once for each kid."

"I'm sure that's not true. Some people just don't express their feelings easily, Jake. And there's also the possibility that they're the type of people who don't express love in public."

Jake sighed, "I suppose that's possible. I just know that I want to be more open with you. I just haven't been in the habit of wearing my heart on my sleeve."

Patrick nodded, "Well, your job for the last decade has been about hiding the truth about yourself as an undercover agent. Do you think your professional life may have overlapped with your personal?"

Jake nodded, looking at Rudy and thinking about her question, "I guess it may have. I've never really considered that before, but it may have."

The sound of Patrick's stomach growling interrupted the two men. He smiled, "I guess Patty's hungry. Would you like to have breakfast with me, Mr. Mammoth?"

"Why yes, Mr. Lloyd. That would be lovely."

The two locked arms and headed into the kitchen where plates of food lay on the counter. They each lifted a plate lid and smiled,

"Mickey Mouse pancakes," Jake smiled.

"There are real vegetables in that omelet. They're not frozen or canned. I'm so excited."

They heard Elise and Rudy shouting goodbye to Beauty from the balcony. They both looked up to see the giraffe walking away while two frantic hands waved her off. The four came into the kitchen, Lauren reminding everyone to wash their hands. Jake and Patrick raised their eyebrows, standing from their seats to wash their hands before heading back to the table.

Once they were all seated, they started to eat, Lauren picking up the page that Chip had left for them,

"Okay everyone. Chip prepared a recommended agenda for us today. Here's what he has to say…"

Everyone listened while Lauren detailed the recommendations for their day at Magic Kingdom Park. When they all decided it would be best to follow Chips' advice, they finished up their breakfast, cleaned up, got changed and headed out to the lobby area.

"Hello. We're the Dennis Family. Chip said that…"

"Good morning everyone!" Chip said, sauntering towards them, "Sorry I'm a minute late."

He turned to the concierge, "I've got them from here, Mattie. Thank you."

He waved the group outside where there was a shuttlebus waiting. Everyone boarded before Chip who stepped on to speak with the driver and then picked up the microphone at the front,

"Ladies, gentlemen, and beautiful little girls, I welcome you to your chariot. Granted, it's not a pumpkin carriage, but this is the best I could arrange on short notice. Our first stop… if I can assume you are following the agenda I made for you?"

Lauren nodded and Chip grinned in reply, "Perfect! Now, I'll be your escort for the day as your previously assigned gentleman has been assigned elsewhere."

The shuttle began to move as Chip spoke, hanging onto the pole behind the driver's seat, "This is where I get to do my professional pole dancing routine."

He kicked his leg high, swayed his hips and blew the group a kiss,

"That's about my skill set. Don't applaud, just throw money."

Rudy turned to Bo, holding out her hand. Bo began to dig into her pocket, but Lauren shook her head, "He was just kidding."

Bo nodded, "Oh. Okay."

Rudy looked confused, but she simply shrugged and turned back around, focused on Chip's commentary,

"So, we're going to begin at the Cinderella Castle at the entrance to the park where you will meet – in person – Mickey and Minnie Mouse!"

Elise and Rudy applauded, their smiles stretching ear to ear.

"As you walk through the park, many of your favorite Disney Characters will be in the area. If you want to take a picture with them, just ask. They're very friendly and always willing to pose for a selfie or even a group picture."

"We'll head to Its A Small World where you'll take a boat ride past singing children from around the globe, then we'll head to Jungle Cruise, charting a course for high adventure on a scenic and humorous boat tour. Watch out for alligators!"

The girls' eyes went wide before they began to giggle as Chip continued,

"Next, we'll head to the Haunted Mansion where you'll climb aboard a gloomy Doom Buggy for a grave journey through a maze of haunted chambers! If you hold tight to each other, you'll be just fine."

The girls held hands tightly, wiggling around in their seats at the thought.

"We'll head next to Country Bear Jamboree where you'll see a beary fun country-western musical show. Feel free to sing along if you know the tunes!"

The girls clapped again as Chip continued to tell them about the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride where they would soar through the sky and the Hall of Presidents where they would get to trace American History from the first through the latest president.

"Now, once we've gone through those featured events, we'll backtrack to anything that peaked your interested before the Hall of Presidents. There may be rides or shows that you wanted to see that we will go back and pick up before we head to dinner. If you change your mind and would rather eat in the park, we can certainly do that as well."

"Then what?" Elise asked.

Chip grinned, "Then, we go to the fireworks!"

"Fireworks?" Rudy asked, "Really?"

Chip nodded, "Really."

Rudy turned to Bo, "It's a good thing Harper went with the family. I don't think she would have liked fireworks."

Bo nodded, "I think you're right."

"Now, I've reserved a special spot for you to view the fireworks at Garden Plaza. When you arrive, there will be a fabulous Magic Kingdom 50th Fireworks Dessert Party tray there for you. I've tasted all nine of the desserts now and I can guarantee that there isn't a bad one in the bunch."

"We love dessert!" Rudy smiled.

"So do we!" Jake added, winking at Rudy.

The driver pulled into the large parking lot and headed down towards the front gate away from the rest of the traffic.

"Now, this shuttle will be returning to the hotel to pick up other guests, so be sure you have all of your personal belongings before you exit."

He lowered the mic and took the steps down, waiting for the group on the sidewalk. They walked through the gates and to the ticket booth where Chip picked up all they would need for the day,

"Park maps for the adults, MagicBand+ for everyone. Please note that these bands have not yet been released to the public. We are field testing them on some of our groups to see how they work out. We have green for you, Lauren. We have yellow for Elise. We have pink for Rudy. We have orange for Bo. We have purple for Patrick, and we have blue for Jake."

He gave everyone a chance to get their bands on their wrists, smiling as Elise and Rudy showed everyone their new watches.

"Now, my lovely little ladies. For all of our piece of mind, I'm going to give you two this tiny device called a Tracki. If all of the adults would please go to your app store and download this app," he showed them the name on the device, then turned back to the children,

"The park is a very big place and when I lived in Alaska, the scariest thing to me was running into a bear on a trail or sometimes a big moose. I loved them and I loved watching them from far away, but when they got too close, it was very scary."

"Tell me about it," Rudy said.

Chip looked at the faces of the two girls, then looked up to see a concerned Bo who offered a weak smile with her explanation,

"Rudy was attacked by a bear a few months back while Elise watched. As you can see, they're fine, but mentally it was quite an ordeal."

Chip nodded and smiled at the girls, "I was attacked by a grizzly when I was just twelve years old. I was out hunting with my Uncle Mike. It was my first time and I had just fired at a rabbit and missed, so I loaded my rifle again and started walking while my uncle told me everything I did wrong."

He sighed, kneeling down in front of the girls, "I knew exactly what I did wrong. I didn't want to kill that poor little bunny."

"You mean you missed on purpose?"

Chip nodded, "Yup. If he was attacking me, it would have been different but he was just minding his business and I was pretty sure he had a family somewhere who was expecting him to bring home dinner so I shot behind him so he would run off before my uncle could shoot him."

"So, what happened?" Rudy asked.

"Well, Uncle Mike was pointing at all of these little holes where a rabbit might hide and when the next one came out, I turned and there it was – a massive grizzly. He reared up on his hind legs, so I lifted my rifle, ready to shoot but I just couldn't do it. I laid down and curled up in a little ball and prayed he wouldn't eat me."

He smiled, holding out his arms, "I'm still here, just like you."

"How?" Rudy asked.

Chip shrugged, "My uncle did what he did best. He shot that bear three times and then threw him on the sled behind his snow machine and took him home, proud as a peacock."

"Poor bear," Elise said.

Rudy looked up at Chip, "But we're glad you're alive."

"Thank you, Ladies," he helped the adults set up the app and pair it to the Tracki's, then handed the devices to the girls,

"Now, those devices will allow the adults to track you within one to three hundred feet of where you are. If you get lost…"

"Hug a tree!" Rudy said.

Chip smiled, shaking his head, "Find a park employee. Go into any shop, find Minnie or Mickey or Daffy or a Princess or even the street sweeper. They will take care of you until we get one of your adults to you. Remember – find someone who works here. A shop is your best bet."

Rudy and Elise looked up at the two women,

"But you'll still hold our hands, right?" Rudy asked.

Bo smiled, "Absolutely. This is just in case we get separated. It's like Chip said – it's a big park and there are a lot of people here."

Chip nodded, "And while we don't have grizzlies, we do have some people who are not so nice."

"Like kidnappers?" Elise asked.

"They could be, so if someone tries to take you somewhere you don't want to go or someone tries to tell you that they have something they want you to see, you don't go with anyone no matter what unless one of your adults is with you. Understand?"

"But what if we have to go to the bathroom?"

"Then they'll go with you."

"But what if Patrick is the one watching us?" Elise asked.

Patrick smiled, "Then I'll go with you. I'm not letting you out of my sight if you're my responsibility, baby girl."

She smiled, "You'll look pretty funny in the girl's bathroom."

He nodded, "Okay, so maybe I'll walk you to the door and then stand right outside of it with my app open waiting for you to come back out."

"Okay," Elise smiled.

Chip stood tall once again, "Now remember, do not take those out of your pockets for any reason. They are waterproof so if they get wet, that's okay."

Lauren smiled, "Make sure they're way deep down in those pockets girls."

Rudy held up a finger, "Wait! We have zipper pockets on our new jeans!"

Elise smiled, "On our legs!"

Bo nodded and smiled, looking down at the side pockets on the girls' matching jeans. She opened the zippers on each and then closed them once the devices were inside.

"Now we're ready to go," Bo smiled.

Chip looked at Bo, "You just let me know if the walking gets to be too much. Remember that you have another park tomorrow and a third one before you leave the following night."

Bo smiled, "I'll keep you posted."

"Great. Let's go see the castle!"

"Hooray!" Rudy and Elise shouted, reaching up to grab Bo and Lauren's hands as they ran towards the castle.

"Hey! Hey! Injured sister here!"

Elise and Rudy stopped, waiting for Bo, "Sorry, Sister. We forgot!"

"It's okay Roo. Just go easy on me."

"We will," Elise smiled as they headed down the walkway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

LATER, BACK AT THE VILLA

Lauren held the door while Patrick and Jake carefully carried the two sleeping children into their bedroom. Bo pulled down the bed covers and removed their Mickey Mouse ears and their shoes before the men laid them down, tucking them into bed.

"They had a great day, Bo," Patrick smiled.

She grinned, "They did… she looked up at her three companions, "We all did."

Jake nodded, "I've never had so much fun in my life. The rides, the food… oh the food! Hell, I even liked the kiddie rides."

Bo grinned, "Let's take this outside so we don't wake them up."

The group took turns kissing their foreheads before leaving the room, closing the door carefully behind them.

Lauren walked to the counter and opened the refrigerator, "Anyone else want tea?"

Three hands went up, Bo adding, "On the balcony? I want to see if there are any animals around."

"Those horses were magnificent," Patrick smiled, "The golden reminded me of Missy. Remember her?"

Bo's head snapped up from the park map she was reviewing for tomorrow, "Who's Missy?"

Lauren looked at Patrick, giving him a wink as she turned her back to Bo and set the kettle on the stove for tea,

"She was my first love."

"I thought that was Crystal," Bo said, moving from the open balcony sliding doors to the countertop bar to sit beside Jake.

Lauren moved back to the fridge, pulling out the leftover desserts that Chip had delivered from the fireworks,

"Wait. He sent us a whole new tray instead of our leftovers?"

Jake grinned, reaching for the short cup, "Works for me. This fluffy green stuff is amazing."

"It's pistachio," Patrick smirked, taking a chocolate truffle for himself, "Mmmm, this stuff is sinful."

"I'm okay with sinning," Jake smiled, taking another bite.

Patrick chuckled, "Well, that lady in the big hat didn't seem to appreciate you holding my hand in front of her children. What was it she said?"

"Sinful behavior!" Jake chuckled.

"Wait… you have to get the look of absolute rage and disgust as you say it," Patrick said, making the face.

Jake smiled, "But you did notice that her kids talked to us like we were normal human beings until mom showed up? I swear, if adults thought more like kids, this world would be a much more peaceful place. Adults start pushing all their fear and hate on the kids and raise more fearful and hateful kids."

Lauren nodded, "It's like they say – hate is a learned behavior. I truly believe we are all born inherently good."

"Um… I realize my question wasn't very important, but who is Missy?" Bo asked again.

"I told you. She was my first true love, and I was absolutely devastated when we parted ways," Lauren said, pulling mugs from the cabinet.

Patrick's wicked grin stretched across his face as he bit into a cookie, "I popped in to surprise Missy once and when I got there, all I saw was Lauren, riding her like a pro."

The blonde turned wide eyes towards Patrick who was desperately trying to stifle his laughter. She looked at Bo whose head was down as she folded the park map. Lauren opened her mouth to explain, but Patrick – as always – had to push his humor without regard for his victim,

"I'm telling you that she and Lauren were a perfect fit and her parents completely approved of their relationship."

Bo stood, heading to the balcony, but Lauren gritted her teeth,

"Patrick!"

"Bo, I'm just kidding! Bo, come back!" he laughed as Lauren glared at him, "What? I'm kidding. You know that!"

The brunette kept walking as Lauren turned to Patrick, "Damn you, Patrick! Sometimes you are such as ass!"

Her friend was apologetic as he asked, "Too much?"

"You? Always. My first statement was the joke and that was enough. I was going to explain, but you started to push like you always do. I swear if you've ruined this perfect day, I'm uninviting you tomorrow."

"You can't do that! Tomorrow is Animal Kingdom!" Patrick said, watching Lauren hurry to the balcony. As he turned back, he could see the disapproval on Jake's face as well. He sighed, "I'm an ass."

Leaning on the railing next to Bo, Lauren spoke softly, "Sweetie, he was just kidding."

"Well, I didn't find it funny," she said, turning to Lauren, "Who was she Lauren and why have you never once told me about her? I hate when Patrick knows things that I should know. I thought we had no secrets."

Lauren smiled, "I didn't think it was important to tell you about her because…"

"Not important? Seriously?"

"Bo, please… Misty was my horse. I rode her in competitions. My parents started me when I was young. I did show jumping."

"A horse?"

Lauren chuckled, "Did you miss the part where Patrick said that the golden horse reminded him of Misty? I'd kick his ass if he ever compared any woman I dated to looking like a horse. That would just be rude."

Bo smiled, "Well, before me, you did have questionable taste in women. I mean Nadia did say 'nay' a lot."

Lauren nodded, "She did… to pretty much anything I wanted to do. But – let's not speak ill of the dead."

"Fair enough, as Patrick would say, but I'll get him back. I promise."

"Let me know if you need any assistance. I'll be happy to help," Lauren grinned, leaning in and kissing Bo.

The brunette wrapped her arms around her wife, deepening the kiss. She slowly moved her hands to Lauren's face, cupping it as she pulled back,

"I love you and I'm sorry I overreacted. I suppose the old, angry Bo surfaced and she's the insanely jealous type… and maybe a little overprotective and just a tad possessive of her new wife."

Lauren leaned in, kissing Bo deeply before she pulled back, "Well, one thing you should never forget is that I married you for this life and beyond. I will never let you go, Bo Dennis."

As Bo went to kiss her wife once more, the tea kettle sounded, "That is the most annoying noise in the world right now."

Lauren nodded, "But I'd really love that tea. I'm a bit chilly."

"Come on," Bo smiled, leading her back into the kitchen.

Patrick intercepted Bo at the end of the counter, "I'm sorry, Bo."

He wrapped his arms around her, "I can be a jerk sometimes."

"Yes, you can. But my sister and daughter-to-be love you, so I will continue to tolerate you until Jake is able to purge your jerk persona from existence."

Jake stood tall and saluted Bo, "I'll do my best, Captain."

Bo nodded to Lauren as she took a seat at the bar, "She's the captain. I'm barely a first mate."

"Aw, come on, Bo. You handled that sailboat like a pro the other day. If it weren't for your knee, you would have kicked all our butts in that race up the mast."

Bo shrugged, "You barely tapped me out in that climb to the top and, Sweetie…" she turned to Lauren, "…can you remind Patrick why the girls thought the race wasn't fair?"

The blonde grinned, "I believe it was because you were climbing hands only and he also had his legs in play… and may I say that your torso looked amazing in your black sports bra and shorts as you flexed and climbed your way to near victory."

Bo smiled, "Thank you, my love. And how far behind did I finish?"

"I believe Elise said it was by barely a fingernail."

Patrick rolled his eyes, "Fine. You'll kick my ass when you're healthy."

"Oh yes I will," Bo smirked, "I cannot wait for that rematch."

"I'll pass and spare myself the humiliation."

Bo shook her head, "Uh, I don't think so. After what you just pulled, you will not dodge a mast race with me. Besides, if we're going to do this northwest passage crossing, I'd better learn more about sailing than climbing a mast."

Lauren dropped the tea kettle, turning to Bo, "Did you say we?"

"Sure. Why not?" Bo shrugged.

"Seriously?"

"Yup."

The blonde's smile grew wider, "Are you sure? I mean, your training, your businesses, Rudy and Elise, your mom…"

Bo shrugged, "We'll have a helluva lot of logistics to figure out, but I think it's safe to discuss about all of that, but first we have to see if this trip is even possible."

It took a second for Patrick to catch on to the fact that Lauren hadn't told Bo she had talked to him about a potential trip, so he played along,

"What trip?"

Lauren mouthed a silent thank you to her friend as she spoke, "Repair Nameless, then sail her from Boston to Alaska via the Northwest Passage using the southern route in summer. The same route the Alioth took in the summer of 2019 when they sailed from Newport, Rhode Island to Sand Point, Alaska in the Aleutian Islands."

"The Alioth?" Jake asked since Lauren hadn't mentioned that vessel in their first discussion.

Lauren nodded, "Well, I had researched many boats that did the crossing, but last night when I was on my laptop, I found the Alioth and it seems a little closer to what we were talking about."

"I've read about those crossings too, but wasn't that an aluminum boat?" Patrick asked.

Lauren nodded, "A fifty-three-footer."

"Well, we've got fifty-four feet on that boat, but it will be substantially heavier since it's made of wood," Patrick suggested.

Bo shook her head as she examined, then took a bite of a wonderful crunchy chocolatey item that was displayed on the tray,

"Actually, Lauren's old boat is a mix of black locust and teak woods, so it's not necessarily heavier. Both woods are pretty much waterproof and very lightweight compared to other species of wood."

"You know about wood?" Jake asked.

Lauren chuckled, "She's opening a furniture store, Jake."

"Oh… right."

Bo nodded, "My construction company was born out of my previous work as a carpenter."

"How did you get into carpentry?" Jake asked.

Bo shrugged, "I don't know, really. It was just something that was always a part of my life. I mean, not wood necessarily. As children on the North Slope, we were taught to use what the land or the sea gave us. We created toys, carvings and furniture from whale bone or baleen, driftwood, sand, or anything else we had at our disposal."

She took a bite and a sip of her tea, "When I was forced to flee my village, I headed south and southeast through the interior of Alaska and found these wonderful things called trees. They were magnificent. Until then, I'd only read about them in books at school. I didn't know much about them – just that they cleaned the air and that they were beautiful."

Bo smiled at the memory, "I became curious about the differences between the trees, so I decided to head into a small town and find a school or library that would allow me to look them up. I found a library."

Her smile grew wider, "The library in my hometown was a one-room hut, but the library in this town had two floors. I stayed in that town for three weeks just to keep reading books. I really missed being in school. I was a great student and had dreams…"

Lauren knew this was difficult for Bo to talk about, but she proudly continued to speak, "I think I'll always recall my time in that town as one of the best times of my life."

"Where did you stay in town? I thought you'd always lived on your own," Patrick asked.

Bo smiled, her mind racing back, "There was this kind old woman who gave me hot chocolate and cookies while I sat with a set of encyclopedias. I read all about the various species of trees. She had been concerned that I wasn't in school like other children, but I assured her that I was on my way to visit a sick aunt at the request of my mother."

She shrugged, "Sure, it was a lie, but it was a necessary lie at that time in my life. I did what I had to do to hold, smell, feel and read books again… I so loved books…"

She sat thinking about the old woman…

"Bo?" Lauren asked, placing a hand on her wife's wrist.

The brunette smiled, looking up at her wife, "Sorry. I was just thinking about the old woman. I slept under one of the tables in the back near the bathroom. She would wake me in the morning so that I could go clean up," she grinned, "She even washed my clothes twice so that I would be clean when I saw my aunt."

Lauren smiled, "It's nice to know there was kindness showed to you during that time in your life."

"I'd forgotten," Bo said, now wondering if she'd buried the best of her life along with her father, "Maybe there was more of that than I remembered."

"Maybe it's something you can meditate on," Lauren suggested.

Bo shook her head, "I haven't done my meditations this entire vacation. The memory just came to me. Maybe having fun is better for my memory than those long arduous meditation sessions."

Lauren grinned, "Then I will do my best to be sure we have more fun."

Jake looked at Bo, "Um… I'd really like to know more about the wood."

Bo smiled at Lauren, then turned to Jake, "I didn't know you were interested in carpentry."

He shrugged, "You're not the only one with a past."

"Oh?"

He looked at Patrick and sighed, then turned to Bo, "Let's just say that growing up, my subsistence lifestyle meant long hours working on a tree farm."

"A tree farm?" Bo asked.

He nodded, "It was my backyard. I pretty much planted, dug up and replanted trees. Sometimes when we had a state contract – which was pretty much every wildfire season – I was out with the crews tilling soil, adding nutrients and replanting acres and acres of burned land."

He shrugged, "My parents didn't talk much – or show me love and affection like you two do for the girls. They were pretty much all business – no time for fun or idle chatter. But my dad… he would sit on the porch after dinner and carve toys from the dead trees, so I learned from him. He would then trade them at the general store for whatever we needed."

Bo smiled, "Sounds like the old me."

She looked up to see Jake's head drop and felt terrible, "Sorry, Jake. I meant that I had good in me – I just couldn't let it show. It would have made me appear weak to my enemies."

Jake nodded, "I guess my dad may have felt the same – or maybe I was the one who wasn't man enough. Maybe I was just a big disappointment to him."

Bo sighed, "Well, regardless of what he may have thought, you are certainly more than man enough in my book. What you did for me in the Quest… the men you took on to save me… I can never…"

He smiled, "No need, Bo. I know how grateful you are."

She nodded, deciding a change of topic was in order, "Those species of wood typically only have about a thirty-year lifespan, so most of it would need to be replaced."

Jake agreed, "Did you get a look at the hull?"

Bo shook her head, "It's still fully enclosed, so no, but I'm guessing the framing needs repair as well. The nice part is that I can essentially replace one board at a time to reframe the boat. It will take a lot less time than trying to rebuild the boat from scratch, but it will be a new boat when finished."

Bo cocked her head back and forth for a moment as her mind was flooded with thoughts about the build,

"Of course, my ancestors navigated those waters every day up on the North Slope when fishing. They had to go out beyond the ice pack and the seas were rough… violent even."

"I thought you said you didn't have boating experience," Lauren replied.

"Not like what you do. Up on the North Slope, we used kayaks."

Patrick sat up straight, "Like regular kayaks that you buy in the store?"

Bo looked at Patrick, "Really, white man?"

Patrick chuckled, "Sorry."

"I'm just kidding. Our kayaks were made with driftwood."

Patrick's face showed his disapproval, but Bo shook her head, "Like I said. White dude. Think about it, smarty pants. Where does drift wood come from?"

"Busted ships!"

"Yes, the ships met with an unfortunate event such as a crash with another ship or more likely an iceberg or even more likely, engine trouble that left them floating helplessly in heavy, turbulent seas that pushed them onto the rocks where the wood did its best work, crushing the hull and sinking the ship. Now, tell me about the wood from that ship."

He shrugged, "It broke away from the hull after years of the currents thrusting against it. Then it drifts with the current, earning the name driftwood, eventually washing up on the beach."

"Right. The ship broke apart, but what happened to the wood?"

"It's still mostly intact."

"Small pieces make it to shore, but the wood that's attached to the boat is not only intact, it's also been conditioned by the salt, the cold and the water. What's left is wood that won't further disintegrate. Remember what I told you about how we're building your house on the river?"

"You intentionally set it on fire to make it stronger. Something that still boggles my mind, by the way."

Bo smiled, "That's because you haven't spent a lifetime working with wood, but he has."

Patrick looked to Jake who nodded and smiled, "She's right, Patrick."

"Okay, so we're going to replace that nice thick wood with driftwood?"

Bo shook her head, "No. You asked what we used to build our kayaks and I told you driftwood. We also covered them in snug-fitting seal skin. Lauren's boat is way too big to use that method, but there are materials that are both strong and light just like driftwood."

"Really?" Patrick asked.

Bo nodded, "Teakwood is best if you want to use natural materials…"

"Which you're known for," Patrick concluded.

"That's true, but it doesn't have the strength to survive the ice pack up there."

"But if we travel in summer…"

Bo shook her head, "Ice up there doesn't melt like it does here, Patrick. It all depends on the previous winter, the currents, the weather and the water temperature."

"Okay, so if we need a hull stronger than teakwood, then we go with a non-wood boat, right?" Patrick asked, "Can you bottom line this, Bo? I feel like we're talking in circles."

She nodded, "If you're going to add a synthetic layer for strength, I would use a Carbon-Kevlar mix. I would also recommend you add solar power just in case the engine cuts out. You don't want to be stuck in the arctic without power even in these uncharacteristically warm summers we've been having. It will still get cold when the sun is just above the horizon."

"But will solar really work?"

"Summer means twenty-four hours of light," Bo reminded, "It will work. I can also hook up windmill power and align the blades, so they work with the sails rather than force the sails to work harder."

"You mean as the wind catches the sails, it catches the windmill too?"

She nodded, then looked up at Lauren, "Is there a pencil in one of those drawers?"

Jake held up his hand, "Hang on. I have one and an extra notepad you can have."

"Thanks, Jake," Bo said as he walked back to his bedroom.

"We can do all of this later, Bo," Patrick said, thinking of Mary and her reminder that they were there to help with the kids and ensure Lauren and Bo had some honeymoon alone time.

The brunette shook her head, "I have an idea and I don't want to lose it," she turned to Lauren, "Is that okay?"

Lauren nodded, "I'm curious to see where this is going. I never imagined we'd be able to get that ship to Alaska. I thought it was destined for an east coast life and a decade's long overhaul."

Bo grinned, "You know I'll always help you achieve your dreams, but don't hold me to this one, okay? I'm not sure it will work and I'm not willing to rebuild that beautiful boat with these modern upgrades if it's not going to be able to make the journey. If it's going to stay at your house, it needs to be refinished, not rebuilt."

Jake returned, switching seats with Patrick as Lauren placed mugs of tea in front each of them, then sipped from her own. Patrick gave a nod to Jake,

"You should have him do this with you. I'd be willing to bet the two of you could come up with the right design."

Bo nodded, "Lauren, you don't happen to have any pictures of that boat, do you?"

"Actually, I do," Patrick said, raising his mug, "They're in my briefcase."

Bo's head snapped towards him, "You're carrying pictures of her old boat in your briefcase, Patrick?"

"I'm working on her personal property assessment for her taxes. Penelope needs the numbers."

"Oh, shit! My taxes!" Bo said, "They're so hard ever since I won my first Iditarod. I hate doing them! Wait – Lauren, you have to show me how to pay for them!"

Patrick chuckled, "Whoa, bring it down, Dennis. What's with the panic? It's the same old thing you've always done, right?"

Lauren shook her head, "Really, Patrick? How about business taxes, payroll taxes, the Iditarod is from winnings, not standard income. She has properties on the land now and she's still got to pay taxes for the hunting/fishing business since it's not in LJ's name yet. Her taxes are very complicated. Stop being an ass… request number two."

She turned to Bo, "It's okay, Sweetie. Penelope is already working on them. She was going to ask you for what she needed from the race and kennel when we got back. Kyle already gave her your business records for the store and animal clinic, Path and Slate gave her the construction business records and LJ just turned in his receipts before we left. She just needs what you have from before they all took the reins… and I gave her your medical receipts the day after the wedding since I now have permission to do so."

Bo grinned, "Because you're my wife."

Lauren circled around the counter, leaning into Bo as she wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek,

"I hope it's not too much of a bother for Penelope. I can go over and do them in her office so she can help me if I get stuck," Bo offered, but Lauren shook her head,

"It's routine for our team and we have a whole accounting firm helping Penelope with ours. Patrick's taxes were done a month ago. We just have to tell her if we're filing a joint return next year or not."

Patrick shook his head, "Keep them separate, Lauren. You may have a pending legal battle and you don't want Bo's income attached to that if things get sticky."

Lauren sighed, nodding, but Bo shook her head, "Whatever happens, we're in this together, Lauren. We can file a joint return. It's only money. I don't care about…"

The blonde placed a finger over Bo's lips, "We have to think about Elise. We need to protect your finances in order to protect her."

Bo kissed the finger and nodded, "You're right. I have to start thinking like a parent. I'll catch up, I promise."

Lauren cupped Bo's face and kissed her, "I know you will. I'm not worried. You're going to be a great mom, Bo. I just know it."

The brunette's eyes welled up, "I hope so. Great Spirits, I pray I can be all I need to be for her… and you."

Lauren's eyes watered as well, "You're more than enough for us, Bo. Just keep being you. You're perfect just as you are."

Bo sighed, turning to Jake who slid the paper and pencil over to her before he asked,

"Can you two sketch the boat?"

Patrick headed back to the bedroom and pulled out the schematics of Lauren's boat, giving them to Bo,

"Here, Bo. These are the actual schematic drawings. I'm sure you would prefer these 3D plans over the still photos."

She nodded, "Thank you, Patrick."

Bo turned to Lauren, giving her one last kiss, "Are you okay with me doing this now?"

Lauren nodded, leaning in to whisper, "I think I'd like to have a little chat with Patrick, so yes, you work on that and I'll work on figuring out what is wrong with my friend. He's not usually so…"

"Nasty?" Bo whispered.

Lauren smiled and whispered back, "I was going to say judgemental, but nasty works. Something's going on with him."

Bo nodded, "I'll be right here."

"I'll be out there," Lauren said nodding towards the balcony before she walked to her friend,

"Let's let them work on their drawing and planning. We can have our tea out on the veranda, Darling," Lauren said, flipping her hand towards the door in a regal manner, mocking her fancy upbringing.

Patrick followed suit, grinning, "Yes, Darling. I'm sure the view is absolutely stunning this time of night," he turned to Jake,

"Please feel free to interrupt us when you and your friend are ready for bed," he winked, "Tata, Loverboy," he said. He picked up his hoodie, draping it over his back and tossing a sleeve around his neck. Head high, he did his best sophisticated glide towards the balcony.

Bo and Jake could only laugh at the display as Patrick walked, tossing his hips, palm out and down as he sauntered outside,

"He's all yours, Jake," Bo said, shaking her head, "Spirits help you."

"I know and Spirits help me, I love him – even when he's moody as all hell. I'm not sure what's up with him tonight. He's being pretty rough on you for whatever reason."

Bo shrugged, "I'm not worried about it. Let's get this going. I'm actually really interested to see if we can pull this off."

Jake nodded, "Me too. You know, I read this article about this boat from France and a guy named Charles. Give me a second…"

She nodded as Jake hurried off and returned with his laptop. He pulled up the boat online and slid the screen between them,

"See? It's a rowboat and this guy rowed the boat through the Northwest passage for three years to support something French. It was superlight and made of the same materials you mentioned. It was specially designed for his journey, had a windmill and solar panels… look… it can move on sea, ice, ice floes or be dragged as a sled."

Bo smiled, "That could be our lifeboat."

"I was kind of thinking we could build the whole ship like this. What do you think?"

"There's a link. Click on that," Bo said, waiting for the page to load.

"Crap. It's in French."

Bo nodded, "Send the link to Lauren. She's fluent in French."

"Really?" Jake asked.

"She's supersmart."

"I know. So is Patrick. Sometimes I just sit there wading in his brilliance feeling like I'm drowning in someone who is way out of my league."

Bo smiled, "I used to feel that way too, but then I realized that I brought something to Lauren's life that none of the people in her league ever could."

"Oh? Care to share the secret?"

"It's simple. We give them something they never had in their world. A loving, kind and caring family. We give them fun and a sense of normalcy – even though our lives until now have been anything but normal."

A slow smile spread across Jake's face, "Wow. I never thought of it like that."

Bo nodded, "I didn't either. Not until Lauren figured it out during our break."

"We went to this party last week with all his old Boston friends. They were all in polo shirts, nice pants and shiny shoes. I walked in dressed in jeans, sandals and a hoodie. I was furious with him for not lending me clothing, but he laughed it off saying no one would care."

Jake shook his head and Bo could see he was upset, "So, did they care?"

He looked up, his face red with anger, "I cared! I wanted to make a good impression with his friends and instead… I was just so embarrassed. He should have told me. I was so out of place and…"

He looked towards the door, suddenly realized he had raised his voice. Patrick and Lauren were looking towards them. He froze, but Bo smiled and waved it off, giving Jake a nudge so he smiled and waved as well.

He turned back to her, "I never felt so out of place in my life… and thanks for covering for me."

Bo smiled and nodded, "I get it, Jake. I really do. I mean, you know my background now so just imagine me the first time I came to Boston with the most well-known cardiothoracic surgeon in the world. I didn't really know just what that meant back then but when I saw her picture on a hospital billboard at the top of a high-rise in the city, it was intimidating as hell."

She smirked, "Of course, I wanted to take the billboard home, but…"

Jake laughed, "Getting it on a plane would have been rough."

Bo nodded, "Then I had to go into a meeting with all of these rich professional-types – Lauren, Patrick and their team of lawyers, Evony, Nadia and their team… I've never seen so many suits and fancy clothes in one place in my life. They were all… well… them and I was… well, just me."

She looked up at him, her eyes drifting over to Lauren who was in best friend mode, "It took me a while to trust it and even longer to believe it."

"Believe what?"

She looked up at Jake, "That I'm enough for her… just the way I am. She loves me, Jake. Sometimes I wonder why, but she does. I just know that I don't need to be anyone other than who I am. She doesn't try to change me… I mean, well, I think for a time there she had wanted me to... not live my life the way I always had."

"How do you mean?'

Bo shrugged, "Putting myself in danger."

Jake nodded, "Same. I mean, I carry a service weapon for a living, Bo. Even when I'm off duty, there's a gun on me and Patrick isn't particularly crazy about it."

Bo offered a tight smile, "None of us are, Jake. But it's your job and he seems to understand that – according to Lauren."

"She told you that?"

Bo nodded, "He mentioned something to her. I guess they have that in common about us."

Jake shrugged, "I bought a gun safe for each of our houses so he would feel better."

"I'd call that a compromise."

"I mean, if I gave up my career…"

Bo shook her head, "You shouldn't have to, Jake. That's what I mean about not changing for someone else. He knew you were a Fed from the start."

Jake nodded, "I mean, if we ever get to the marriage thing, he'll be called into the Bureau and will be taught all about life with an agent, but until then, I do what I can to help him cope and I tell him what I can when I'm able. It's tough to keep secrets… about cases and stuff. Leaving in the middle of the night when my phone rings."

He looked out at Patrick, heaving a great sigh.

Bo smirked, "I guess they don't call you secret agents for nothing."

"Funny," he smiled, "You said you thought that Lauren wanted to change you at first."

Bo shook her head, "She wanted me to change me – there's a difference. If she had tried to manipulate me like that, it would have been like every other relationship I'd had and we wouldn't be here today."

"So how… or what happened to change things?"

Bo shrugged, "We took our break and after months apart, we decided we couldn't live without each other. Of course, she didn't handle the Iditarod well last month and got mad at me for my injury, but like I said – she knew who I was from the start and that's for her to deal with. I suppose we still have some work to do on that front."

Jake nodded, "I think it's fear."

"I think you're right," Bo replied, "Fear of the unknown. Where are they? What are they doing? What if something bad happened?"

"Fear of the unknown," Jake nodded, "You're on to something there. So, how did she get past it?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't think she has yet – not if the Iditarod was any indication. But we talked."

"Talked?" Jake asked.

Bo nodded, "We've agreed since our break that if there's something I do that bothers her, she tells me about it, but then leaves it up to me as to whether or not I'm willing to change that particular aspect of myself. Either way, she'll continue to love me and just accept that piece of me as something she'll tolerate."

"But what if it's something she can't live with?"

Bo smiled, "Believe me – we've already hit those roadblocks. They're big, but we talk through it and if we have to, we talk to Faith or Anna – separately and, if necessary, together. Of course, sometimes I just can't see that I'm being an asshole and if that's the case, Lauren will eventually unload on Kenzi and she'll have a little chat with me."

"I guess that helps Lauren get things off her chest."

Bo shrugged, "More than that. My bestie has a way of making me see the light about things when others can't – more specifically, she can make me see when I'm getting in my own way… or not giving Lauren what I should. Remember, being new to civilized life also means being really new to doing what's right by Lauren sometimes."

Jake nodded, "Penelope is kind of becoming my Kenzi, I guess. She knows Jake so well and hanging out with her, Tamsin, Kyle, Kurt and Kelly is just… well, they're just an easy group for me. I mean, not that I don't love you and Lauren, but you have all of this family around you."

He lowered his eyes, "I guess honestly, it's hard for me to be around your family. I'm kinda jealous. I want what you have so bad, but Patrick's family was such a mess, and I don't think he really believes in family."

"You've got to talk to him, Jake. He's not a mind reader. If he doesn't know your dreams for your future, how can he think you even want a future that includes him?"

"I guess I hadn't thought about that," Jake replied, slowly nodding his head, "and I think being here has pulled my focus to his life as a city person and I'm just not that kind of guy."

Bo smiled, "Well, look at the bright side. You don't have to go to the city if you don't want to."

"We'll see. He said he understood what Lauren meant when she told him about the first meeting she went back for. She didn't have anything in common with them anymore."

Bo nodded, "I was prepared for Lauren to want to be in the city a lot more last week. She really just wanted to be at the beach house except for the few times she and Stephen went into the city for meetings."

Jake agreed, "Patrick told me he realized just how different he was a year ago. He said that all he can see now is that his friends all live to excess – his words, not mine – and he's just very aware of everything he does now and how it affects the world and the people around him. They seem to do things without even thinking about the impact every action has on something."

Bo smiled, "Wow. Patrick going deep."

Jake nodded, "Then he told me that he couldn't wait to leave that party, but since I was smiling and talking to people, he thought I wanted to stay," he shook his head, "I finally told him I was just pretending to have fun so that he would stay if it's really what he wanted."

"Ah, the things we do for love," Bo smiled, "but remember that being honest with him should always be your first priority. There has to be compromise between your two worlds. You can't always be the one bending to his needs any more than he can do that for you. It's just not a sustainable lifestyle."

Patrick nodded, "I guess that's what I'm afraid of."

Bo smiled, "Believe me – I know it's a scary proposition when you love someone as much as we love those two nerds, but we're entitled to a happy life just as they are. Lauren's the one who taught me that. She's the one who insisted on many of our compromises. We took that break so that we would learn that we would rather compromise than be apart."

She smiled and chuckled to herself, "Now, I can't remember the last time was that I did anything I was really hesitant to do. I just sort of automatically do what I feel like she needs me to do and she seems to know when I've had enough."

"Like going to that dinner with all of her friends the other night?"

Bo smiled, her eyes wide, "Exactly. I couldn't believe it when the words came out of my mouth. I was actually the one who suggested we all get together that night."

Jake nodded, "I was standing with Patrick when Lauren told him it was your idea. He was afraid she was putting you into a bad situation – socially."

Bo smiled, "It's nice to know that Patrick's looking out for me, but I was okay. I mean, I was fishing on a beach – how could I not be?"

Jake laughed, "I wish I had been there. That tuna must have been huge."

"You didn't see the picture?" Bo asked.

"Nope."

"Ask Lauren. She has it in her phone," Bo smiled, thinking about her life with her wife as opposed to before, "I suppose I don't feel invisible around her anymore. She's learned how to flip the atmosphere to be one that includes someone like me. There was a moment when someone made a comment… I don't even remember what it was anymore… but she was right there reminding them of who I am and what my life is about. I felt so supported and so loved in that moment it was amazing."

Jake nodded, looking down at the research they'd been doing when it suddenly hit him,

"That boat… that's it! He had a hybrid version of a sailing catamaran with him! It was carried on a tugboat that they had along as well. He compromised on his usual sailing habits to ensure his equipment met the conditions he would encounter."

"You went from talking about our love lives to a solution?"

Jake laughed, "It's what I do. What do you think?"

Bo nodded, "I guess I would agree, but it says here that to be credited with the crossing, you have to do it with your own hull. I guess those boats were just for emergencies."

"But still, look at that bottom… we could do that. I mean, the whole idea is for Lauren to have this boat in Alaska so she can sail, right?"

"Yes, so we don't really care about credit for the crossing."

"Well, we don't but that doesn't mean those two competitive sailors don't want that credit."

Bo shook her head, "Okay, so we don't want to change it too much, but we also don't want it to sink on the way. In addition, once we get it to Alaska, it still has to be able to survive in the waters there or it was a waste of time and money to sail it there to begin with."

Bo sighed, "We'll need to rent a slip… or build one at the cottage."

Jake shook his head, "The river is too shallow in some places to make it from the cottage to the open ocean. A slip is a better idea."

"I've got a guy down there," Bo said.

Jake pulled out a page from the bottom, then turned to another page, eyeing the plans carefully,

"I think we can agree that as is, the boat won't last long in our home state."

"The question is, what did that hybrid catamaran have that Lauren's old sailboat doesn't? I think the materials are key."

A smile stretched across his face, "We use the materials from both boats, keeping it light yet ice worthy."

"Well-insulated for sleep. Sails have to go up and down no matter how cold the weather," Bo added, "I don't know anything about sailing rope."

Jake grinned, "Sure you do. You've climbed Denali and done other cold-climate mountains all your life just like I have. We use climbing rope… or maybe sled rope?"

Bo thought about the rope she'd held in her hand on the Gracie Marie and nodded, "I guess you're right."

"Sure I am. What do you use for climbing?"

"Dry treated rope that's 8-9.8 millimeters in thickness. We use half-rope systems for long or multi-pitch climbs where rappelling is a must. I guess raising and lowering sails is just like rappelling in a way."

Jake nodded, "Agreed, so we can figure this out, right?"

Bo agreed, "We'll need extra rope down below deck and space to hang rope to dry so we can rotate them in and out."

"I wouldn't want anyone climbing a mast out there. If they go overboard…"

Bo nodded, "They could land on the ice and get killed on impact or go through the ice and never resurface. We'll have to rig a way to run lines up and down without the need for a mast climb or if we can't figure that out, then anyone climbing the mast has to be on belay when they go up."

"Right. We take harnesses along and climb safely," Jake suggested.

Bo smiled, "Even better. We can research materials separately and then come back to the planning table to pool our resources and make decisions. I think it's better to have two different points of view before we decide on materials."

"Or more. I have a buddy in the boat-building business back home. Is it okay with you if I give him a call?"

Bo nodded, her eyes drifting to Lauren, "We do anything we must to keep them safe. Stephen may have friends too… and my brother… maybe even Faith Gray… of course, she'll suggest I go to Point Siku and my former village elders."

Bo felt her throat tighten as she thought about entering the village. She shook her head, "Whatever it takes to find the best materials, I'm going to do. We'll pull everyone in who is willing to be involved in the planning of the rebuild."

Jake looked up, a pang hitting his heart as he eyed Patrick, "Agreed. But no one touches that boat but the four of us unless we're present."

Bo eyed Jake suspiciously, "You think there are still people who are threat to me… and my family?"

Jake slammed his eyes shut, knowing he couldn't tell Bo all she would want to know. But still, he shook his head and spoke from the heart,

"Like you, I don't trust easily, Bo. If Patrick and Lauren are getting on that boat, I want to know that it's not going to sink. You?"

Bo smiled, "Sorry. I guess I'm paranoid."

"Good," he smiled, "I'm paranoid about people I don't know getting sloppy and leaving a weak spot in the hull where water can get in and sink the ship."

"Okay. Good point," she nodded.

"I've seen your work, Bo. You're very dedicated… very precise and thorough. You check and double check everything you do."

"And… that's a bad thing?"

He smiled, "No, absolutely not. That's a good thing. A very good thing. I'm the same way. Together, we'll make sure that if they don't make the crossing, it won't be because she wasn't seaworthy."

Bo smiled, "Agreed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE NEXT DAY, ANIMAL KINGDOM PARK

Rudy and Elise had been chatty all morning while the adults were reaping the consequences of a late night. Thankfully, Chip was with them again today and had the energy to match that of the girls.

They had all commented on how perfect he was for his job. He was like a big kid who was just in love with all things Disney. He was proud of what they had to offer their guests and it showed.

They had left the hotel and traveled by bus to the Kilimanjaro Safari – a replica of the African Savanna with similar wildlife. When they boarded, Rudy and Elise introduced themselves to every guest on the bus, taking a moment to ask each of the children where they were from. Rudy even gave one of the lollipops she had gotten from a Mickey Mouse in the hotel lobby to a shy little girl who was sitting between her parents and not speaking. She smiled and had been eyeing Rudy and Elise ever since.

Bo's attention was drawn to her left when Rudy and Elise shouted and pointed in tandem,

"Lion!"

Chip turned from the group to the animal, smiling and nodding, "Good eyes, my young friends!"

"Whoa… he's big," Rudy said.

Chip grinned, "Actually, he's the son of the lion standing above on that patch of brush right there."

They looked at where he was pointing, "Whoa. He's definitely bigger."

Elise nodded, "Definitely."

Chip smiled, "This is the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, home to thirty-four species that live on this one-hundred-and-ten-acre plain. We've added shady forest landscapes and rocky wetlands to accommodate the needs of the animals," he pointed to the man behind him,

"This is Jimmy, and he will be sharing many fascinating wildlife facts during this extraordinary eighteen-minute expedition, so sit back and enjoy the sights while remembering to obey the safety rules we reviewed before our departure."

Lauren leaned forward, tapping the girls on the shoulders, "Stay seated. Remember?"

"And no shouting," Bo added.

"Right," Rudy said, lowering her eyes, "We don't want to look like food."

"Exactly," Bo said, "Just like at home, right?"

"Right," Rudy nodded as they drove past a still pond. She spotted the head and two large nostrils first, her hands flapping wildly before she raised her hand and pointed frantically, cupping her mouth and whispering as loudly as she could, "Isn't that a hippopotamus?"

The guide smiled, speaking into the microphone, "Thank you, Rudy. That is, indeed, a hippopotamus on our right."

Elise pointed up and to the left to a rocky perch hanging over the plain where the lions had been. Jimmy nodded,

"To your left, you will see the rest of the pride on that rocky outcrop. The father and son duo you saw earlier will join them shortly. The mothers and cubs are likely behind the lions up there."

"Because the lions protect the women and children?" Rudy asked.

Jimmy nodded, "Exactly."

"You know, women and children aren't as weak as people seem to think they are."

Jimmy looked at Chip with a smile before turning back to Rudy,

"I agree, Rudy."

"Good," she said, turning back to the window while Bo and Lauren stifled their laughter behind her.

They drove a while before a young man in the front pointed out a giraffe grazing on the tall trees while shortly after, Elise pointed out a baboon swinging from another group of trees.

They saw rhinos, cheetahs, crocodiles, elephants, hyenas, zebras and other animals. Each time there was an encounter, the children jumped from their seats and leaned through the window frames while the adults grabbed hold and gently pulled them back down for safety. Elise and Rudy eventually handed off the camera to Jake and Patrick for the picture-taking since they kept forgetting.

It hadn't taken long for Lauren to recognize the look of awe on Bo's face as she quickly turned to face each animal that was pointed out. It was when they saw the elephants that Lauren made the decision to take the family to Africa at some point in the coming years.

Maybe when the girls graduated high school, maybe sooner but seeing the look on her wife's face convinced her it would be worth opening a vacation account for the trip when they got back to Alaska.

When the trip came to an end, Chip watched as Elise and Rudy said goodbye to each of the guests and joined their family in front of the hotel.

"Wow! That was SO cool, Chip!" Elise smiled, "I want to be a veterinarian even more than I did before!"

Rudy smiled, "The man driver said that we could go safari at night. Is that true?"

Chip looked up at Bo and Lauren who nodded before he spoke, "It's true and it's a whole new world at night. There are places we go at night that used to be off limits to visitors after sundown. We've put special lighting in certain places that allow you to see nocturnal animal behaviors."

"Noctunnel?" Elise asked.

Chip smiled, "Nocturnal, the word we use to describe the animals that come out only at night."

"So, what now?" Rudy asked.

"It's time for the Kali River Rapids!" Chip shouted, waving his hands over his head with the girls.

"Cool!" Rudy smiled, looking up at Bo, "It's the white-water rapid raft ride!"

Bo smiled, "Well, let's get going then!"

The group hopped on the shuttle bus and headed off to the next activity, all excited and ready for the water. It was heating up and Lauren was breaking out the sunscreen to slather on everyone's face, neck, shoulders, and arms.

"Do we have to take off our watches or our trackers, so they don't get wet?" Rudy asked Chip.

"Nope. They're fine. Are you ready?"

The girls responded with an excited nod.

"Okay then – step up to get your heights measured," Chip smiled, checking to be sure both girls met the required thirty-eight-inch height requirement, "And we're off!"

"Yes!" The two girls smiled as they moved to the large round raft entering the entrance where their passes were moving them right onto the ride.

The entire group moved in, Chip sitting by himself. Lauren and Patrick were on either side of the girls, so helped them with their seatbelts before the ride began to move.

"Hold on tight everyone and prepare to get wet!" Chip shouted, his smile wide enough to match those of the youngest riders.

There were excited squeals and shrieks throughout the ride as they spun and rolled along the man-made river through a scenic canopy of safari-related vegetation. None of them remained dry, as promised, and the screams grew loudest when they plummeted off the twenty-foot drop at the end of the ride.

Naturally, the girls wanted to go again, but Chip reminded them that if they did repeats, they would have to skip one of the other activities he had planned. They agreed to move on,

"Okay then! It's time to head over to Expedition Everest, Legend of the Forbidden Mountain!" Chip smiled, "Have either of you ever been on a roller coaster?"

Bo noticed Lauren's smile grow wide as the girls shook their heads.

"Well, you're both topping off at just over fifty inches, so you're tall enough to ride the train over the icy Himalayan peaks…" he lowered himself to the girls, making his arms wide, "…while we duck and dive to avoid the scary clutches of the mythic Yeti!"

Rudy's eyes went wide, "Like the Abominable Snowman in Rudolph?"

Chip grinned, "Oh, the Yeti is much bigger and scarier! Bumble in Rudolph turned out to just have a toothache, remember? The Yeti is just a massive hunk of evil!"

"Whoooaaaa!" the girls replied, Elise asking, "Is the train fast enough for us to get away?"

Chip nodded, "So far, the Yeti has never caught any of our guests. Our train is very fast. Do you like going fast?"

Rudy and Elise looked at each other and nodded, "Yes!"

Bo grinned, turning to Lauren, "I see that look on your face."

"If I can just get on one adult roller coaster before we leave, it will make our honeymoon."

A look of shock came across Bo's face, "Funny. I seem to recall you mentioning that I made your honeymoon last night when I rocked your world… your words, not mine."

Lauren chuckled, "You'll have your work cut out for you if we find a good roller coaster."

The blonde walked away, leaving Bo standing there – stunned. Patrick walked up to the brunette, leaned in and whispered,

"Summit Plummet. It's a one-hundred-and-twenty-foot drop, about sixty miles per hour and it's one of the world's tallest, fastest water slides. I saw it in the brochure last night. Lauren has never been on it. Chip said that in his opinion, it's much better than a coaster."

Bo grinned and Patrick added, "But the ride we're going on next has an eight-foot drop. It's no joke – one of the biggest drops in all of Disney even though the short stacks can go on it."

She turned to Patrick, "Can the girls handle it?"

"You're worried about those two little daredevils of yours? They'll be fine."

Bo nodded, "Will you watch the girls while I take her on the water slide?"

Patrick smiled, "Of course. It's your honeymoon. We're here to watch the girls first and foremost. I'm sure we can find something to do while you and Lauren take some time on your own."

"Thanks, Patrick."

"Of course, Bo."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek before climbing into the trolley car next to Jake. Bo raised the camera and snapped a picture of the group, Rudy shouting to take a second one with everyone waving when she noticed her sister had the camera out.

Bo climbed into the seat next to Lauren and quickly pulled up the picture. She smiled,

"If anyone had told me I would be at Disney World two years ago, I never would have believed it. Look at my life, Lauren… at our life. How lucky are we?"

The blonde smiled, taking Bo's hand, "Today, we're the luckiest women on the planet."

Bo nodded, "We are."

They were quickly carried to the attraction where the girls suddenly developed doubts about riding the train after seeing it speed down the sharp incline, but a little excited nudge from Bo had them both changing their minds – especially when she learned their reservations were more about the mythical Yeti than the ride itself.

She reassured them that no beast could be worse than the bear they survived, and that the Yeti could never best all seven of them. As they exited the tram, Chip stretched his arms out wide,

"Now, this is the Tibetan village at the base of Mount Everest where we're going to board the train to the top of the world! Some people say the snow monster lives deep in the mountain. What do you think?"

Rudy smiled, "I think he lives on the top!"

"I think he moves around a lot so he doesn't get caught!" Elise decided.

"Well, let's keep our eyes open and maybe we'll catch a glimpse of the elusive creature!"

They headed up to the ride entrance, Patrick and Jake chasing after the two girls who rushed ahead of the group. Chip leaned over to Bo and Lauren,

"Just a heads up, as the train goes up the first ascent, it will pick up speed and head into darkness. Will that be a problem?"

Bo smiled, "Elise has always known winter darkness and Rudy handled it just fine since she's lived in Alaska, so I don't see an issue."

"Okay, well when they come into the light, a broken and twisted track will be right in front of them, so some kids get a bit freaked out. It may be best to ride with an adult next to each child just in case. Inside the cavern, the Yeti will appear as a massive shadow and the speakers will project the growling sound. That's when they'll need all of their courage."

Lauren smiled, "It sounds exciting. I think we can keep them in the proper frame of mind."

"Okay. I just wanted you to be forewarned that there are a lot of loud noises, fast drops, high speeds, scary creature effects and darkness. When you get home tonight, you can use the app to play some home games that feature this attraction as well."

"Thanks, Chip," Bo smiled, "We'll keep that in mind."

"Are we going to go over to The Avatar area after this? It's one of their favorite movies," Lauren explained.

Chip nodded, "I promised we'd do all of the animals and then hit some roller coasters before we went there. I believe you said that you wanted to do some adult coasters. Is that still the case?"

Bo smiled, "I'd like to do the Summit Plummet if that's okay. Lauren can pick any other coasters she wants to do."

"I've never heard of that one," Lauren said.

Bo gave a quick shake of her head to Chip who took a moment before turning to Lauren, "It's new but we can squeeze that in. It's quick. You want to see Avatar at night, correct?"

"Yes, if possible. Did you get the special passes?" Lauren asked.

Chip nodded, "I did. Let's do some coasters and then we'll head over there. What about the girls?"

Bo smiled, "I already asked Patrick if he and Jake would take them for some free time to do some things of their choosing, so if you can point Lauren and I towards the coasters, we'll split up and then meet up again at a time you set."

"Perfect," Chip smiled, "With the speed pass, you should only need about two hours apart, then we'll grab something to eat and head over to The Tree of Life."

"Sounds perfect," Lauren smiled.

"Great," Chip nodded, turning to the girls, "Okay – here we go!"

The rest of the day was filled with the thrills of water slides and roller coasters for both young and old. Naturally, Jake and Patrick had to take the girls to do some shopping so that they could each get a few souvenirs.

When they finally met up for dinner, Chip took them over to Tiffin's Restaurant to experience the global cuisine on the menu. They ordered a few sampler plates and talked about their experiences since going their separate ways.

Lauren couldn't stop talking about the water slide that she and Bo had gone on four times. It was quite the hit with the blonde and Bo couldn't have been happier for the thrill it gave her wife. They'd gone on a few other roller coasters before heading off to see Western Lowland Gorillas.

Patrick, Jake, and the girls had also gone to see the Gorillas in addition to the Asian Tigers before heading over to see the Disney Kite Tails exhibit. They couldn't stop talking about the brilliant colors and showed Bo and Lauren the kites they had bought to fly when they met up with the rest of the family after Disney.

Of course, the men had also taken them for burgers and milkshakes when they heard their growling tummies. Bo and Lauren confessed to grabbing soft pretzels to hold them over as well.

Finally, it was time to head over to the Tree of Life exhibit. They jumped onto a water ride that took them through the dark, glowing world of Pandora with the coyote-like animatronic creatures all around them.

They then walked through the trees until they reached the underground lab of the Avatar program. They settled into the link chairs where they were paired with their Na'vi Avatar.

Next, Dr. Grace from the movie explained the process to get linked via an overhead screen. They looked down at their feet to note the number they were standing on and then moved to the same number chair to put on their flight visors. They were held in by back and leg restraints and instructed to hold onto the hand grips.

They looked at each other, laughing at the Avatar ears they were now wearing, before the room went silent, the walls glowing orange as the screen switched to the image of two glowing brains.

Finally, the lights flashed and they were connected through their neurolink to their Ikran which soared up into the sky and zipped down over and under trees, banking hard left and right while narrowly missing obstacles and fellow Ikran.

They all ducked when they rushed under a thick forest of trees and out across the open crystal blue waters. A gigantic fish jumped out of the water, eating the Ikran in front of them before they banked hard to avoid the same fate and dipped into a steep cavern.

They encountered Toruk, the large red Ikran that made Jake Sully the Toruk Makto in the movie. They dove away from him deep into the forest where they were surrounded by the small glowing white tawtsngal or sky cups that linger near Home Tree and The Tree of Souls.

As they traveled, they entered the blue and red fauna that projected plumes of color common to the secret lands of Pandora. The flight continued as they soared straight up into the sky, then straight back down to earth, the pattern repeating over and over as Rudy shouted,

"This is better than a sled!"

It ended as it began, the group drawn back to reality with smiles plastered across their faces, the girls shouting,

"Again!"

When they were finished their tour, it was nighttime and they found themselves exiting the underground area of the park to a land now awash with the same bioluminescent glow they'd found in the caves below.

"This is SO cool!" Rudy smiled.

"I know! It's like we're really inside the movie! I can't wait for the Avatar 2!" Elise smiled.

Chip leaned over to Lauren, "Big fans, huh?"

"You have no idea," the doctor replied, "So, what now?"

"Fireworks?" Chip asked.

"I have a feeling they won't mind seeing them two nights in a row," Bo chimed in.

"Okay then, we can walk a little more of this area, but since it's closed, I can't show you everything. Just remember that this is all super top secret, so keep your camera and phones stowed away."

The adults all nodded, following Chip and the girls as they walked the rest of the areas they were permitted to see. They pointed and talked as they walked, talking about the things they recognized from the movie.

The group headed off to the fireworks display, the girls proving just as excited the second night as they had been the first. When it ended, they all headed back to their Villa where Chip had planned a room-service dinner for the group.

They ate out on the balcony, pointing out the various animals that wandered into the dim lights of the safari area before them. Rudy stood, shouting,

"Hey! That man looks just like Adam!"

Bo's eyes swung to wear Rudy was pointing, but no one was there,

"Where, Roo?"

"He disappeared," Rudy said, looking, "He was right there. I guess he took the sidewalk behind the trees."

Bo nodded, "I guess so. Lauren told me that you and Elise told her that everyone in the world has nine twins. Is that really true?"

Rudy smiled, looking at her sister, "I don't think there's anyone like you, Sister. This trip is amazing. Thank you for inviting me on your honeymoon."

Bo chuckled, "Well, how could I say no to my most amazing little sister?"

"You couldn't," she grinned, wrapping her arms around Bo's neck and squeezing her long and hard.

"I love my Rudy hugs," Bo smiled as the youngster pulled away.

"I need a kiss right here," Rudy said, pointing to her forehead. Bo leaned down and kissed her forehead, then grabbed her and started planting kisses all over her face.

Rudy giggled and giggled until the pair heard Chip enter the room,

"Aristocrats Bubble Waffles!" Chip smiled, as he entered, heading straight for the balcony, "This is your special dessert, kids!"

Patrick's eyes went wide, "I died and went to heaven. Is that strawberry shortcake?"

Chip nodded and smiled, "There was a whole store of these that closed, so they're now part of a restaurant. I thought it might be a great end to a great day, so I did the strawberry shortcake as you said and in addition, we have the salted caramel, and this is chocolate chip. I'm going to head home but will meet you downstairs bright and early tomorrow for our trip to Epcot."

"Will we still be able to squeeze everything in?" Bo asked.

Chip shrugged, "Everything except the evening light show since you're planning to leave at dusk."

"Sister, can't we stay until morning? Please?"

Bo looked at Lauren who shrugged. She sighed, looking at Chip, "Can we keep the room for the additional night?"

Chip smiled, "Already done."

"Really?" Bo asked.

He shrugged, "I had a feeling you wouldn't want to miss evening at Epcot and the light show."

Bo sighed, "My mom is going to ground me."

They all laughed, Rudy adding, "Duh! Now you know what it's like to be me!"

The adults laughed even harder, silencing their laughter long enough for Bo to call her mom and explain the added time in Disney. Surprisingly, Mary was quite accepting of the idea, telling Bo that everyone was taking advantage of the time without the girls. Bo knew that was code for they were having adult time and likely getting plenty of rest in preparation for the high gear they would all have to shift into once the girls arrived.

Rudy and Elise then asked to talk to Mary and Molly who heard all about their trip before passing the phone around to Tosh who looked much better, Shannie, Lynnie and LJ who all got a shorter version of their Disney escapades.

Tamsin then asked to talk to Jake, who walked into another room when she told him it was a business discussion. Bo and Lauren thought it was odd, but also knew that even when the agents had time off, they were never really completely off – much like Lauren and Stephen.

When the call was ended, Chip rushed off to re-arrange their schedule and Bo called the airport to adjust their flight plan and her co-pilot schedule. Kurt had texted her about the interviews he had done and explained to Bo that he had scheduled video calls that would now happen soon after she arrived from Disney. Bo agreed to keep the schedule he had set up since they needed the pilots when they returned to Alaska.

Getting them signed, their paperwork, training and licenses settled and their housing completed would take another week or two so delaying in any way was unacceptable. Besides, Lauren also had meetings scheduled when they landed, so they might as well get their work obligations done at the start of their final seven days of vacation.

The group finished their desserts and put the girls to bed before heading off to bed themselves. Once Lauren had locked the outer doors and entered their bedroom, she found Bo standing in the doorway of their private balcony. She smiled, seeing her wife leaned against the door frame, eyes closed as she listened to the sound of the waterfall below.

"Settling down from the day?" Lauren asked, moving to wrap her arms around the brunette from behind.

"I love the sound of the water. It reminds me of the river in our back yard."

Lauren smiled, closing her eyes, "Mmmm, you're right. It does."

"The girls had so much fun today. I'm so glad we could do this for them."

"And for us," Lauren smiled.

Bo nodded, "It was nice of the guys to take them for a couple of hours. They really had fun."

"So did we," Lauren smiled, kissing Bo's neck.

"Are you tired?"

"Mmmm exhausted," Lauren smiled.

"Me too," Bo nodded, "Sleep?"

"In your arms?"

"Of course."

The two headed into the bathroom, got ready and then slid into bed, Bo welcoming the blonde into her arms. They each took deep breaths and released them, relaxing into one another,

"I love you, Doctor Dennis."

"I love you, Mrs. Dennis."

They closed their eyes and fell asleep to the soothing sounds of the lands that surrounded them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

EPCOT CENTER

"Sister! Have you ever seen so many flowers ever in your entire life? Look at all the colors! I wish our greenhouse could be this big!" Rudy shouted as she ran along the sidewalk, fingers tickling the tops of the immaculately sculpted bushes as her eyes wandered over trees trimmed to look like her most beloved Disney characters.

"Roo! They're trees! I mean – real trees like the ones we trimmed at Dr. Faith's greenhouse workroom!" Elise shouted, stopping at Captain Hook to feel the tiny evergreen needles on his hands, "Do you think we could learn to do this?"

Rudy ran to her friend, "It's kind of like art class and the greenhouse all in one!"

"I know! It's so cool!" Elise smiled.

Jake laughed, "With all there is to see here, the Dennis girls are most impressed with the trees. That about says it all, doesn't it?"

Patrick nodded, "They are a unique pair, indeed."

"There it is! There's China!" Rudy shouted, grabbing Elise's hand and dragging her towards the magnificent structure.

Elise turned back towards the adults as Rudy dragged her forward,

"Come on! We're gonna see the round film!"

Jake looked at Bo and Lauren, "Round film?"

Lauren grinned, "It's a film on a 360-degree screen called Reflections of China. We promised them the movie and a meal there."

Patrick took Jake's hand, "China it is!"

The group rushed to catch up with the girls, taking in everything the China exhibit had to offer. They moved on to Germany and stopped for the Oktoberfest celebration and entertainment at the Biergarten Restaurant, then headed to Morocco where their taste buds were filled with spices they'd never experienced before.

They saw the Seas with Nemo and Friends, venturing underwater to see a large aquarium, then headed to Mission: SPACE for a rocket ride to Mars aboard a NASA-style shuttle simulator. When they finished there, they stopped to listen to the Mariachi band from Jalisco, Mexico. They walked through the pyramid of Mayan-inspired ruins and then checked the map to decide on their next stops.

The music continued at the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along where Rudy and Elise were the loudest voices in the hall and were in awe of Belle from Frozen who was waiting outside when they exited the building.

Lauren snapped pictures while the girls spoke excitedly with the gracious young woman portraying the character. She answered all of their questions about her powers but stopped at the requested demonstration explaining that she didn't want to turn all of Disney into an icy amusement park.

They headed off to the Awesome Planet film that gave them ten minutes of incredible images from across the globe, leading to the girls telling Bo and Lauren all the places they wanted to go on their coming summer vacations. Bo and Lauren agreed that it was time for a family vacation savings account.

After touring all of the rest of their chosen spots, they decided on Italian food from Ratatouille and then followed Chip to the perfect spot to watch Harmonious, the new evening spectacular at the World Showcase.

Once settled, Chip performed his final narration of the now four-day tour,

"Epcot's new transformation comes to life with the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney Park. It's called Harmonious and it's based on a medley of classic Disney music and visuals that have been reinterpreted by a culturally diverse group of two-hundred and forty artists from all around the world."

"So, we're going to get to sing again?" Elise asked, hopefully.

Chip smiled, "You can sing along if you like, of course! Even kids who don't speak English will sing along because that's the beauty of Disney. Our stories transcend cultural barriers."

Rudy frowned, "But you don't have any characters like my Sister and Lauren or like Patrick and Jake… or…"

She looked up at Bo, then looked down, "… or anyone else like them."

Rudy leaned on her sisters' arm, falling silent. Bo put an arm over her shoulder, well aware of what her little sister had almost said and why she didn't. Bo had never hidden her sexuality, but Lauren did. Perhaps this was a topic best left to her wife's experience.

Chip continued, unaware of Rudy's internal struggle,

"Well, your mom's generation got the world started on accepting people like me and your adult companions. Their generation worked to continue raising awareness and acceptance and I'm pretty sure that in my generation, LGBTQ+ groups will move into the mainstream with representation."

"What does representing have to do with anything? I just want people to treat my family like they treat everyone else," she crossed her arms, her eyebrows knit together in anger, "You think that because I'm a kid I didn't see that lady who called Patrick and Jake a bad word when they were holding hands."

Chip's eyes went wide as he turned to the adults in the group. As Lauren went to speak, Jake knelt down, taking Rudy's hand,

"You know, there are a lot of people in the world that have all kinds of hang ups about all kinds of people that aren't like them for one reason or another."

"Well, they're stupid. And I know I'm not supposed to use that word, but that's what they are."

Jake nodded, "Well, I have to agree with you there, but I, for one, am not about to stop living my life just because one stupid lady says a bad word about me and my partner or about my sister and her wife."

"You have a sister who has a wife?" Rudy asked.

Jake smiled, "No. I meant if I were you."

He realized he was just confusing the youngster, so he tried a different approach,

"Roo, there are people who have problems the color of people's skin, people who have different religious beliefs than them and people who are richer, poorer or anywhere in between them. There are people who have problems with women who love women and men who love men and people who don't feel like they fit into the category of man or woman."

He smiled, "There are people who have problems with people who they think wear the wrong clothes for the wrong occasions and there are people who have problems with people who believe anything that they don't believe."

He shrugged, "The bottom line is there are people who believe that their way of thinking is the only way to think and it's ridiculous since most of those people also believe in a God who believes that love is the most important characteristic of humanity."

Rudy shrugged, "Sounds like they're stupid just like I said."

Jake nodded, "That's about it and no matter how much you try to explain it, you're not going to change the minds of stupid people. You're not going to change the way they behave, the way they talk, the things they believe or the way they treat us."

He reached out and took Patrick's hand, "But what we can do is change the way we respond to them. That is the one thing that we can control. I know and I believe that the God that I believe in wants me to love everyone, so regardless of how stupid I may think a person is for judging others for what they believe and feel, I'm going to do just that."

Smiling at Patrick, he released his hand and knelt down before Rudy again,

"So, the only question that remains is what will you do?"

Rudy huffed, "I'd like to beat up all the stupid people."

"Roo…" Bo cautioned, but her little sister looked up at her and defended,

"I said I'd like to – not that I would," she turned back to Jake, "I know that I should try to love everyone, but they make it really hard. I don't think I could do that. I don't think I can even like mean people."

"But if they were drowning, would you save them?" Bo asked.

Rudy shrugged, "Yes. I don't want anyone to die. They may have a sister or a best friend or a mom who loves them. But after I saved them, I wouldn't have to pretend to like them for being so mean."

Bo nodded, "Sometimes doing the right thing is the only kind of love you can offer a person."

"That's for sure," Rudy nodded, "Because calling people a bad word while there are kids around is never okay."

Jake stood, giving a nod to Chip who continued,

"You know, Rudy, regardless of what the… stupid… people do, the employees here at Disney are working really hard to make this world be one that portrays what we want the world to be. That's why it's called the happiest place on earth. Here at Disney, that woman you saw is one of the few who have her narrow world view. She's entitled to believe what she wants, but she's not going to be permitted to do more than call us a name."

"I wish it was like that in the real world," Rudy said, frowning.

Bo and Lauren watched as Elise slide closer to her friend and threw an arm over her shoulder. Lauren leaned in and whispered,

"Okay, now I'm sure something happened at school."

Bo nodded, "Maybe you can talk to her on the flight to… our next destination."

Lauren smiled and nodded, "I'll do my best."

Chip sat up straight and smiled, "Chin up, little one. Things will get better."

"Are you sure?"

He smiled, "Of course, Roo. Things will probably go backwards before they go forwards, but in the end, love will win. It always does."

"In the end, we won't be here any more. That's too long," Rudy pouted.

Bo shook her head, "You've gotta have faith, little Roo. Love always wins, right?"

A smile slowly stretched across the child's face as she looked up at her big sister, "Because love is the most powerful force on earth, right?"

Bo nodded, "That's right."

Chip grinned at the love he felt from the small and unique family before he continued to explain what they would be seeing in a short while,

"Well, if I may introduce you to the World Showcase Lagoon," he pointed, "You can see the floating giant screens where there will be choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, and lasers in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view."

He turned to face them, "You'll see the worlds that were inspired by Moana, Aladdin, Coco, Brave, The Lion King, Mulan, The Princess and the Frog and other classic stories. All of that will be accompanied by familiar Disney tunes and stories told in different languages bringing together everyone gathered here tonight."

He turned the girls around, "Okay, here we go. Focus your attention on the center of the lagoon."

The two girls clapped excitedly as whisps of pink shot over the center of the water followed by a large brilliant blue ring. Music from the Lion King began to play as color spread across the lagoon. It changed to the brilliant orange-yellow hues they had seen in the Savannah show before changing to the light blue hues of Pandora.

As varied shades of pink appeared, a song from Moana began to play, the lyrics in several languages. The Hercules theme song began with fireworks as the music built to its climax, followed by a newly dark pallet across the sky shifted to the Aladdin theme. Rudy and Elise commented on the colors matching the Genie just before they were startled by brilliant red fireworks exploding up from the lagoon.

"This is amazing, Bo," Lauren smiled.

The brunette nodded, "It's cool how they have the characters singing the songs inside of those rings on the water."

"It is. The girls love it," Lauren nodded.

Bo elbowed her, nodding towards the men, "Patrick and Jake are enjoying it to."

"Jake did good with Rudy."

"You're not going to say he should have stopped her from saying stupid?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I think we've found an appropriate use for the word if we keep it to the definition of people who are narrow-minded and unaccepting. Did you hear the woman?"

Bo shook her head, "No, but if I had… well, forget it."

Lauren smiled, "This part of the country is different than Alaska, Bo."

"I already had the briefing, Lauren. You don't have to lecture me."

"Bo, I wasn't going to lecture you. I'm sorry that you think that I would."

The brunette lowered her head and sighed, "I'm sorry. That was out of line. I just hate that she has to fight these battles at all."

"None of us should, Bo. But until Jesus Christ - or whoever they believe in - comes here and tells them otherwise, I fear we'll always be fighting this battle."

"So, you think Chip is wrong? You don't think it will get better?"

Lauren shook her head, "I think there will always be people who cannot move past their own prejudices and bias. It's just the way some people are."

"Judgmental pricks who feel a need to judge and control the lives of people they don't know and will likely never associate with?"

The blonde smirked, "That is one way of putting it."

Jake leaned over, "You've gotta speak their language."

"Oh?" Bo asked, "And what language is that, Jake? Asshole?"

He shook his head, "Bible speak. Let ye who is without sin cast the first stone."

Lauren sighed, "Do you think that would have helped Matthew Shephard?"

"Who's he?" Bo asked.

Three pairs of eyes went wide, leading Bo to sigh and shake her head,

"Hello. Girl who's been living under a rock for most of her life here. Go easy on me."

Patrick leaned in, "Maybe this isn't the proper place for this discussion. Can we just enjoy our last few hours here with the girls?"

Bo chuckled, "Such a lawyer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Patrick asked.

"Always the diplomat."

Patrick scowled, "Honestly, if I had heard the woman call us a name, I would have stepped right up into her personal space and told her to shut her fucking mouth. But I didn't hear her, so nothing was done."

He looked at the girls, "I also think it's sad that Rudy didn't feel like she had a right to say something. I think stupid is a much too kind label for the likes of that woman and I will never… never… like or love a woman like that and yes, I would let her fucking drown!"

He stood, running his hands through his hair as he walked away from the group. The three adults sat stunned by his remarks before they realized the anger in his voice had drawn the attention of the girls. Elise turned to Lauren,

"Is Patrick okay?"

Lauren smiled, "He will be, Sweetie. It's okay. Watch the show."

She nodded and grinned, laying back onto Lauren's lap, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"It really is, Leesie. It really is," Lauren smiled, hugging the youngster back.

Elise spoke softly, "It's hard to know this can be so beautiful and people can be so ugly inside."

Lauren turned to her wife, eyes slowly welling with emotions of the truth the child spoke. She shook her head and whispered,

"One of us should go after him."

Bo looked from Lauren and Elise to Jake, "I'll go after him."

Jake shook his head, "It's okay. You stay with the girls. I'll go."

Lauren reached for Jake, shaking her head, "Jake - there's history to this. I don't know if he's opened up to you about his family. If not – maybe just give him a minute, okay?"

Jake's eyes remained trained on Patrick as he listened to Lauren's words. He nodded, watching his partner as he rounded the lagoon,

"Okay… but just a minute."

They watched as Jake began to walk slowly, following in Patrick's angry footsteps.

Rudy laid back on her sister's legs, taking one of her hands, then took Elise's hand, holding tight to one another. They cheered and pointed at the display, the laser lights bright and ever-changing, the music familiar enough that the girls sang at the top of their lungs while Bo and Lauren joined in for the parts that they remembered.

Finally, the show came to an end. The girls were sad it was over, but Bo and Lauren kept them busy talking about their favorite parts of Disney as they headed towards the trolley.

Rudy was quick to point out that they would need at least five more trips to Disney to see everything they really wanted to see. Elise agreed, but decided that it may take more than five visits. Bo and Lauren could only laugh at their banter.

They found Chip waiting in a trolley for the group. The girls excitedly told answered the questions to his unofficial poll since they were now experts on the park and eventually, Chip asked about Patrick and Jake.

Bo smiled, "They'll be along."

"I can take the four of you and send a golf cart back for them if you'd like. I'm sure you still have to pack and want the girls to get to bed since you have to be up early to catch your flight. So… do I make a call for the golf cart?"

Bo looked at Lauren who smiled and nodded, "That would be great, Chip. Thank you."

"Of course," he replied, pulling out his radio to arrange for the extra transportation before turning back to Lauren,

"Maybe send Jake a text so that they know? The cart will pick them up where you were seated, then drive them to the parking lot trolley stop."

The blonde nodded and sent off the text as the vehicle headed for the exit. There, they would get in the hotel shuttle and head back to their room.

Bo sighed thinking of all there was to do. Tonight, they would pack, and in the morning, they would board another flight for their next destination.

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