“I don’t know if I can do this without her.”

Lauren propped herself up on her elbow. “Hey,” she cooed. “You are not alone.” Bo turned in her arms, Lauren rested her forehead against Bo‘s. “We’ll get through this.”

The tears in Bo’s eyes and the lump in her throat told the story. Lauren knew that Bo had a lot to process and she knew it was going to take time to make peace with the situation. It didn’t matter, though, Lauren had nothing but time.
__

On days when Lauren needed to catch her breath, escape Bo’s grief and let loose with some science, she would employ Dyson or Tamsin to keep a watchful eye on Bo. The atmosphere at the clubhouse was oppressive and Bo had made her swear that she wouldn’t leave her alone when this had started. When Kenzi had died. She had to keep in touch with that fact. Kenzi was gone. Her human compatriot had paid the ultimate price for loving Bo. Lauren imagined being in the same position and reacting as Kenzi had. As dramatic and foolhardy as it sounded, Lauren would sacrifice herself similarly. For mankind. For love. For the time she had been privileged to share her life with Bo.

As Lauren dosed a batch of test tubes with her latest experiment, she sighed. The pleasure she derived from the scientific method was dulled. All else failed to compare to Bo’s pain. Living with it every day, tempering it when it became too intense and loving her, always loving her no matter what. She slid the test tube rack into the small refrigerator under the counter. She’d been gone for two and a half hours and despite the fact that Tamsin had relieved her, Lauren had become hopelessly co-dependent.

She peeled the latex gloves from her hands and tossed them in the trash and within minutes she was en route to Bo, once again.
__

The first time Bo had courted her through the hollowness, through the tears, Lauren hesitated. But a kiss that pulled Lauren in left her gasping. Bo was bound and determined to escape her emptiness and Lauren stayed by her side. She needed Bo as much as Bo needed her in those days after the loss of their friend.