A/N: I swear all your amazing reviews just give me the motivation to keep writing, so THANK YOU. This chapter was really difficult to write because I had so many ideas about how Lauren's fallout with her mother would go. I finally settled on something that worked for me and hopefully for you too. I'm also going to apologize in advance at how short this chapter is going to be. I did want to make it super long but I just haven't had time and I wanted to get this chapter out before I go MIA. I'll be going on a last minute trip overseas this week and I'm also in the middle of moving houses so unless I get me a portable WiFi modem within the next couple of weeks, I'm not so sure when the next update will be. But I promise that the next update will be super outrageously long!

Hope you all enjoy and thanks again for the amazing reviews and the feedback. I love reading them!

P.S: Due to my rush to get this chapter out, it's possible that there are more than a few mistakes in this chapter so I apologize for that too.

Chapter 12: We all learn to make mistakes.

Lauren had been home for semester break and was out one night with a few friends. A few drinks turned into shots and soon Lauren was at the point of no return. With no money left to pay for a cab, she called her Dad. It was almost two in the morning and Lauren had no other choice. One of her friends had already passed out on the pavement.

Little did Lauren know, things took a turn for the worst that night. When her Dad had stopped at a red light, witnesses told the police that three masked figures ran up to his car, breaking the driver side widow, shot him point blank. The guy that shot him threw open the door and pulled him out of the car as the other three jumped in. They drove off that night with a hefty helping of 25 million dollars from the bank. Mr. Lewis had died instantly. The cops had called her mother and Lauren received the news of her father's shooting via Mike.

"Since then, my Mother hasn't spoken a word to me. She blames me for my father's death," Lauren says sighing heavily. I'm quiet throughout the entire exchange.

"Mike had to come and get me. My Mom couldn't even stand to look at me when I arrived home that night. I...I don't blame her. If it hadn't b-been for me, he would still be…" Lauren's voice trails off as a small quiet sob escapes her lips. Sitting up on my knees and turning around to face her, I cradle her face gently in my hands and press my lips to hers. When I pull away, her eyes are still closed and a few tears have fallen down her cheeks.

"Lauren, look at me," I whisper wiping away the tears. "Lauren, please look at me," I repeat again when she doesn't open her eyes immediately. The pain, the loss and the sadness I see in them when she opens them tugs painfully at my heart.

"Honey, what happened that night wasn't your fault! It could have happened to anyone. I absolutely can't imagine the pain you went through…still are going through. You can't blame yourself for something that you had no control over!"

"But Bo, I DID have control over it! It could have been avoided if I had just stayed home like my Mom had asked me to in the first place. The only reason I was able to go that night was because he…he l-let me…It's my fault that my Dad's dead and she has every fucking right to hate me!"

"Don't say that!" I whisper back fiercely. "Don't you dare say that! Your Dad was in the wrong place at the wrong time. You can't have known that these assholes were out there that night Lauren," swallowing the lump in my throat I force myself to continue.

"She doesn't hate you Lauren. No matter how much pain she's still feeling about what happened, she doesn't hate you. She lost the love of her life that night, but you are her daughter. You're her flesh and blood. I know that if something were to happen to you, she would be the first one by your side come hell or high water."

"Which is why my brother can't die, Bo. I don't think I could handle it if she has something else to blame me for. I c-can't. I j-just can't…"

Pulling her into a tight hug, I let her cry it out again. Not being able to help myself, I too can't hold it in any longer. For a long while we sit there wrapped in each other's embrace, crying until there are no more tears to be shed. As if on cue, my stomach gives a loud growl, causing both Lauren and I to let go off each other as we burst out into a fit of laughter.

"OH, my god!" I say wiping the tears from my eyes and moving over to the other side of the bed again.

"Come on," Lauren says, once her own laughing fit subsides. I watch her as she gets up out of bed. My eyes follow her as she makes her way over to her wardrobe, opening the doors; she puts on a robe before turning to face me.

"I'll make us some breakfast."

Smiling at her, I get up out of the bed and make my way over to where she's standing, stopping in front of her. Wrapping my arms loosely around her waist, I pull her closer to me.

"Feeling better?" I ask, my eyes searching hers. Wrapping her own arms loosely around my neck she pulls me forward for a chaste kiss on the lips before giving me a small nod and smiling.

"Much. Thank you."

"Mmm…I could get used to this," I whisper. To my horror, my stomach gives another loud growl, causing my cheeks to heat up with embarrassment again.

"Come on, we better put get some food in that thing before the entire apartment complex hears it." Lauren jokes giving my stomach a gentle poke.

"So did they ever find the guys who did it?" I ask Lauren as she finishes piling pancakes on a plate topping it off with fresh fruit and some bacon on the side.

"Oh god, that looks amazing," I gush. My mouth is literally salivating at the site in front of me.

"No," Lauren replies handing me my plate of pancakes. "I spent almost nine months trying to figure out who they were but I came up empty handed every time. I've poured over the evidence countless times, I've spent late and sleepless nights trying to solve it but I've hardly gotten anywhere. I stopped once my boss saw the that it was starting to affect my work."

"So is that why you joined the force?"

"I would be lying if I said no, but yes. It was my intention at first. To help try and solve my father's murder, but then I found out I was good at my job and I loved it so, now, here I am."

"Well…I'm glad you stuck with it," I reply before popping a strawberry into my mouth. "By the way, can I just say that this is amazing? I can happily say that my little cave monster is now satisfied."

"What can I say? I live to satisfy others," Lauren replies winking at me.

"Oh? Really now?"

'Two can play this game.'

"I might just have to test out just how true that really is some time," I continue giving her a cheeky grin. Getting up off of my seat, I make my way around the kitchen island to where Lauren is standing and pull her to me. "Just so you know, it takes a lot more than just a few pancakes to really satisfy me."

"Oh honey, you'll find out just how truly satisfying I can be when you finally decide to test that out. The question is, can you handle just how true it will be?"

"Oh I think I can handle just fine," I fire back and absolutely loving the playful twinkle I can see in her eyes. Leaning forward, I kiss her. Unlike last night, it's gentle and slow. Taking our time to explore each other. I moan aloud when my tongue slips past her lips to fully taste her. The taste of strawberries and maple syrup fill my senses.

As our kisses start to deepen and become more passionate, I break the kiss and start to trail hot wet kisses down Lauren's neck. Our breathing has become heavy as I continue to nip and run my tongue along the length of her neck. When she lets out a moan of her own I just about cum on the spot. Just as my hand starts to trail up the side of her body, the sound of a knock on the door causes us stop what we're doing.

'Fuck! Really?'

"J-just a second," Lauren yells out trying to steady her breathing. Reluctantly we back away from each other, straightening our clothes before I make my way to my half-eaten pancakes while Lauren answers the door.

'Whoever that is better have a fucking good excuse for interrupting right now,' I think to myself stabbing my pancakes and cutting off a piece.

"Mom!"

My head snaps up as my eyes watch Lauren stiffen at the door. I sit there with my mouth slightly open as Mrs. Lewis brushes past Lauren to make her way inside.

"Oh," she says when her eyes land on me. "I didn't realize you had company."

"I ah…that's Bo, my new partner."

"Pleasure," Mrs. Lewis replies uninterestedly, turning back around to face her daughter. "I'll be quick. I'm going to be here for the next two weeks to look after Michael so you can go back to work, no point in you stopping that. I'll be staying over at the Redman's Hotel."

"You know you're always welcome here," Lauren says meekly.

"No. I already paid my two weeks and I don't want to cancel. That's all from me," like last night at the hospital and so much as a goodbye, Mrs. Lewis makes her way hastily out the door. Before she's completely out the door, she turns around again.

"Michael's awake by the way, I'm going to my hotel room to get a few things sorted out at work and have a shower. You can visit him if you wish," and with that, she's gone. Closing the door again, Lauren leans her back against the door.

'Kenz was right, she is a bitch.'

"In other words, visit him when she's not there," Lauren says to me.

"Hard cookie she is," I say trying to lighten the mood. Straightening from the door, Lauren walks back into the kitchen.

"You have no idea," she replies starting to pack away the dirty dishes. "I'll have a shower and then we can go over to yours so you can shower and get a change of clothes before we head over to see Mike. Your leather pants must be missing you."

"Oh hush you! You know you love my leather pants," I retort winking at her.

"That I do," she answers playfully giving me a cheeky little wink of her own.

When Lauren and I arrived at the Crack shack, Kenzi is surprisingly awake. She is sitting at her laptop watching something intently. When she spots us she motions for us to come over.

"Come look at this," she says excitement evident in her voice. "I was going through the footage again and I noticed something." Pointing at the screen.

"Vernon's…Point…fisheries," I read out loud, barely able to make out the words on the screen. "Is that supposed to mean anything?" I ask Kenzi giving her a confused look.

"Yeah. I had a cousin of mine who called a friend of a friend's and they said that Vernon's Point fishery is the name of a dock down town. She told me that it's not very well known but the only way people get in and out of there are if they're employees or delivery trucks. Apparently they're supposed to specialize in the importing and exporting of rare exotic seafood. What you're looking at right now is the side of the truck Jason got into! I think that wherever they're keeping your mom, it's somewhere there!"

"Kenzi, did I ever tell you how much I love you?!" I exclaim, swooping in to plant a kiss on the side of her head.

"Not enough times Bo-dacious," she replies.

"Anyway, we came here for me to have a shower and get dressed. Lauren and I are going to visit Mike in the hospital. You wanna come?"

"Hells to the bells yes!" She replies sitting up straight in her chair.

"Great, now you two make nice while I go have my shower. Oh and Kenzi, if you could get an address, I'll make you breakfast for the next month."

"Already have it and its two months thanks."

Looking over at Lauren, I mouth 'Help me'. Laughing at me she shakes her head and holds her hands up letting me know I'm in this all by myself.

"Traitor," I say grinning at her.

"So Lauren how's Mama Lewis?" Kenzi asks turning around in her computer chair to face the blonde.

"She came in this morning actually. It was her that told us about Mike."

"You guys weren't bumping naked bits were you? Cos' that woulda been all kinds of awkward!"

"Kenzi!" I let out in horror. "You are so not funny! Another remark like that and I'll reduce your two month breakfast allowance to just one."

"Just testing," she says swiveling around to face her laptop screen again. "Come on Hotpants, I'll show you how to hack into the CIA."

"Kenz," I hiss at her, giving her a dirty look.

"Kidding, kidding, I'm just going to show her the footage. Neither of you have seen it yet so hurry up and go wash yo' ass."

"Fuck you."

"You wish honey."

About an hour later, the three of us arrive at the hospital to find Mike sitting up in his bed flicking through channels. Mike is definitely looking more alive than what he was last night. I couldn't help the feeling of relief that washes over me as I watch him alive and breathing.

"Hey hero!" Kenzi greets him, making her way over to sit at the foot of the bed.

"Thank god you guys are here. Was getting a little bored."

"We noticed," I say smiling at him and taking a seat nearest to the door while Lauren took the one by her brother.

"How you feeling?" Lauren asks.

"Like I've been run over by a truck but it's not so bad I guess…" he answers shrugging his shoulders, immediately wincing at the action. "Okay…ow."

"Look Laur…I'm sorry I was stupid enough t—" Mike starts but Lauren holds up a hand to stop him.

"The important thing is, you're alive."

For a good five minutes the four of us just sit there in silence. The ticking sound from the wall clock the only thing we hear.

"I take it Mom came to see you?" Mike asks breaking the silence. Lauren just nods at him.

"She'll come around you know?"

"Sure she will." Lauren replies with a sense of finality in her voice. Mike stops pushing and just returns to flicking through channels again.

"So any news about Jason?" He asks looking over in my direction.

"He's in lock up at the moment. Lauren and I will be heading over to his apartment a little later to check things out. Kenz found something useful in the security footage that we took."

"Nerd alert!" Mike fires at Kenzi who sticks out her tongue and gives him the finger. "Anyway, how come you guys have to leave so early anyway? I'm injured here!"

Neither Lauren nor I say anything.

"Your mom." Kenzi answers for us.

"Oh…"

"Speaking of Jason, how did the interrogation go with him last night?" Lauren chimes in, quickly changing the subject, turning in her seat to face me.

"Oh…he ah, he won't say anything unless either of us are present. Truthfully if it hadn't been for Dyson, he'd probably be in a coma right now." I reply remembering how I lost my temper and almost strangled the kid to death.

'Had that really been just a few hours ago?'

"Then we'll talk to him. This is the first break we've had since this case started and to be honest, I'd like to see how Detective Dennis instills fear within her victims," she finishes with a grin and a twinkle in her eye.

'God, I love playful flirty Lauren…wait…Love? Could I really be in love with Lauren?"

"I like to lure my victims seductive into my web," I reply snapping out of my thoughts.

"Oh get a room already," I hear from Kenzi as she proceeds to make gagging noises. Grabbing the small pillow next to Lauren, I throw it at Kenzi. Everyone in the rooms bursts out laughing as the pillow hits her right on the side of the head.

"You bitch!" Kenzi screams as she too starts to join in the merriment. For the first time since things started going wrong, I couldn't help but feel like things were slowly falling into place. Today had started off good, aside from Lauren's mom, but it was a good start.

Michael was awake and acting like he hadn't been shot not long ago. Jason was in custody, away from Taft, with his apartment at our disposal. Kenzi had managed to find something else that was useful from the footage we got. Dyson and I were able to sort things out and now things with Lauren were slowly starting to progress. For the moment I would enjoy the light atmosphere because I didn't know exactly what the next few hours of the day would bring.

The sound of my phone ringing brings a stop to the laughter in the room. Checking the screen, I see Trick's name appear.

"Dennis," I answer curtly.

"Dennis, I need you and Lewis to Mumford Park now. Another body has been found."

"It's not Aoife is it?!" I demand into the phone.

"What? No! But Taft's message is clear. He's not too happy that his right hand man is behind bars. Now get to the park now! Thornwood and Santiago are on their way there now too."

Ending the call I place my phone back into my pocket.

"Bo?" Lauren asks concern crossing her features. "Everything okay?"

"We have to go. They've found another body."