A/N: Hi guys, here's one more chapter for TITM. The next one will be for TPOR. Thank you for your patience.

I hope you like the story so far.

Please review/comment and keep me motivated. Thank you!

XXXXX

"Everybody is waiting for you." Lauren hurried over to Bo, gave her a quick smile and took her hand. "I came looking for you –" Lauren noticed Bo's paleness, "Bo, what's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost…"

Bo blinked in confusion, shook her head and blinked again, wondering if her vision or her mind was playing tricks on her. The woman was right there, holding her hand, displaying a concerned smile and her big brown eyes searching for hers. Could this be real? Hesitant at first, Bo slowly moved her hand to the other woman's face and ran a thumb over her chin. Her index smoothed down Lauren's eyebrow, then down to caress her cheek. "Lauren…is it…is it really you?" Bo asked in a murmur as if she had lost her voice and hadn't realized she got it back.

"Honey, are you feeling okay?"

"I…I don't know…Am I?"

"Bo…" Lauren cupped Bo's face, "You're worrying me…"

Bo looked around and appeared more lost and confused than ever. Was it the amount of alcohol she had? Simply too drunk to even realize she was dreaming? But needless to say, it felt scarily real. She looked back at Lauren, "I've missed you so much Lauren…" Bo's voice almost broke over the last word, over the woman's name.

"Okay baby, let's get you back to the compound. I'm going to give you a quick checkup.

xxxxx

In the exam room, Lauren sat Bo on the table and took the blood pressure cuff and other medical tools out. She was about to start a short physical examination with her stethoscope when her cellphone rang.

"Yes, I found her. We are in the lab..."

The lab, Bo recognized every aspect of this room, not in detail as Lauren would, but she had spent many, many hours here with Lauren over the course of their relationship, their short life together. She had listened to Lauren's science monologue when she was conducting her researches. Bo had never understood a thing about it but never got bored watching Lauren do her things. Because of the lack of spaces and resources, the lab also served as medical exam room, so Bo had had many occasions to end up here as a patient too unfortunately. Given the fact that she had decided a few years earlier that she was not going to live a life of a gentle civilian, but one of a warrior, she might had injured herself more than once.

"I'm running some test on her right now, she doesn't look…too well." Lauren spoke on her phone but her eyes never left Bo. She observed the woman who had been acting a little strange earlier, acting even stranger now. Seemingly unaware of the world around her, Bo looked like a lost girl.

Lauren quickly ended the call. Seeing the look of confusion and amazement on Bo's face, she went to place herself between Bo's legs and put her hands on Bo's thighs, rubbing them gently.

A gesture Bo had also missed, when Lauren tried to comfort her, to relax her mind and body when she needed it the most. As the leader of a rebel group, Bo had never allowed herself to show her vulnerability but somehow, Lauren always knew when Bo needed comfort and with a simple touch, Lauren would heal anything. Bo had always been the one to have this effect on other people, almost as if she was born with a supernatural power, but whenever she was the one struggling inside, only Lauren had that power to heal her mind and body, any silent pain she could be having.

Bo could feel the warmth from the palms of Lauren's hands through her jeans and she craved for more of her touch. More of Lauren.

With a soft voice, Lauren asked, "Bo, tell me, what's wrong?" and she searched for Bo's gaze. Bo was still lost in her thoughts. Her thoughts were somewhere in a far distance place, a place Lauren had never been nor did she think Bo had been before either.

"I had a couple of drinks." Bo finally said.

"I know, I can smell it, and you had quite a few." Lauren looked down and took Bo's hand in hers. "As unusual as it is for you to…drink so much, especially now, no one would blame you. You've put so much stress and pressure upon yourself, you've been working non-stop on the planning with the guys, it's only normal you would need to decompress somehow, at some point."

"Have I told you I've missed you? It's just been…so long…" With a lump in her throat, Bo tried to fight back tears. She tightened her grip on Lauren's hand, not wanting to ever let go.

Lauren chuckled lightly. "Bo, we had hardly been separated for more than a few hours at a time in the last two years. But I miss you too…every day, every hour." She looked down to their joined hands. "I don't know what I would do without you." brought their hands to her lips and kissed Bo's fingers. "What would we all do without you?…"

They stared at each other in silence, until a knock on the door disrupted their moment.

Lauren gave Bo a kiss on the cheek before turning to open the door.

Bo still couldn't believe this was real; the kiss she just received was real. It was real in her mind.

Dyson walked in. "Where has she been?" he asked Lauren.

"Dyson! You're here too? And…you can see Lauren too?"

Dyson looked at Bo, then back at Lauren, "What's wrong with her?"

"She…she just need some rest."

"Everybody is waiting for her."

"Well, you will have to postpone that meeting. Tonight, she won't be able to think properly, even less make plans with you and take major decisions."

"D-day is approaching rapidly Lauren, we can't afford to waste time."

"I know Dyson, but she needs that rest. Badly. She'll be okay tomorrow. You can go and reassure the others. I'll take care of her."

"Alright, I hope you're right. I'll call you in the morning to see how she's doing." Before leaving, Dyson observed Bo for a moment. Indeed, she didn't look normal and acted a little strange he thought, as the woman touched every single tool on the table as if it was the first time she saw such objects and pet every surface her hand found.

Once Dyson had left, Lauren came back to Bo and smiled, "Come on babe, let's go home and get you to bed for a good, well deserved night sleep." Lauren said, cupping the other woman's chin with her slim fingers.

xxxxx

After getting Bo out of her leather jacket and jeans and into comfy night clothing after a warm shower, Lauren tucked her in bed. She put a kiss on Bo's forehead and turned to leave the bedroom.

"Lauren, where are you going? Don't go."

"I was gonna let you sleep and go read my –"

"Stay with me…please."

Seeing Bo's shimmering eyes, pleading with her, Lauren had no choice; she walked back to the bed and lay down with Bo, under the warm covers, "Okay, let's have a good night sleep, shall we?"

Bo gazed at Lauren in awe and wonder, and inhaled the sweet scent of the silky blond hair. Her index traced over Lauren's face, studying every features as if to memorize them again, lest she would forget them one day.

"Do you remember the first time we met?"

"You mean…when we first met officially? When you and your group abducted me that day? It was certainly no coincidental encounter, but yes I do. I remember it so clearly as if it was yesterday." Lauren chuckled. "And I'm glad you did. In 24 hours you convinced me to join you and your group, to be part of something bigger than…than anything I could've imagined" Bo's hand in hers, she tightened her grasp and smiled. "And I've never looked back."

"But what if you had known all the risks? That joining us in our fight might…might one day…cost your life?" Bo felt the lump in her throat again as she said it.

"I knew all the risks, Bo. I knew the dangers. I made a well thought out decision, a life changing one, but most importantly, I listened and trusted my heart. I've never regretted anything, and never will. And don't you ever regret anything Bo Dennis…" Lauren put her palm against Bo's chest, "…because everything you did, you did it with your heart. I know you will continue to do so no matter what. This is what I love about you. This is why I love you."

Bo tried to absorb every word Lauren said. It made her happy to hear it, but deeply sad at the same time. "But what if –"

"Shhhh…no more buts, no more ifs." Lauren wrapped her arm around Bo's waist and pulled her in, locking her in an embrace. "I chose this life, I chose you, and everything that came with it." She put a tender kiss on Bo's lips and smiled fondly. "Sleep now."

Feeling her eyelids become heavy, Bo tried in vain to fight the fatigue, afraid that the incredible woman cuddling with her would suddenly vanish like a dream, but it didn't take long for Bo to surrender.

With the sweet taste of Lauren on her lips, Bo drifted off to sleep.

xxxxx

"Lauren…Lauren."

"Bo!"

"Lauren…where are you?..." Bo mumbled. "Lauren!" She finally woke up in a jump, her heart racing in her chest.

"Bo, it's okay." The blond woman said, putting her hand on Bo's shoulder, "It was just a bad dream."

When Bo's vision cleared, she turned to the naked woman under the sheets, "Amanda…"

Confusion and dismay took over her. She was in Amanda's room, in Amanda's bed, naked as well.

"How did I get here? Did we leave the pub together last night...right after the celebration?

Amanda gave Bo an odd look. "No…but you came knocking on my door at 4 am and we…you know…spent the rest of the morning…well, you needed…female company. You…you don't remember?"

The expression on Amanda's face didn't hide her disappointment, but Bo was too deep in her thoughts to notice.

This can't be. It felt so real. I swear it was real. Lauren…

Bo didn't know what to answer to her late night, female bed companion, so she thought it would be wiser not to answer at all. She slowly got out of bed and started to get dress with pieces of her clothing as she found them one by one, scattered in the bedroom. "Sorry Amanda...gotta go."

"I know. You always do."

In that moment, Bo felt slightly bad. In fact, it made her sad to hear Amanda say it like that.

"Don't worry, I won't be expecting any call from you." Amanda said with a low tone, trying to convince herself not to be foolish, especially when it came to her unexpected growing feelings for the mysterious, unreadable brunette.

"I'll see you around." Bo looked up to the woman with a certain regret, turned and left.

xxxxx

On the way home, Bo made a small detour and took the direction of the city park. The sun had already fully come up and it hurt her eyes, but surprisingly she didn't feel hungover despite the amount of alcohol she had the previous night. She located the alley and went all the way to the other end again. The shop was there, but it was closed.

Trick's shop. Come in and find what you have been looking for and other unique surprises was still written in yellow paint on the window glass. But inside, the shop was empty.

Completely.

"What…the Hell!"