No Going Back

Chapter One

"Earth to Jaime," Steve said softly, "permission to land in this stratosphere is granted." He peered across the table into eyes that seemed a few million miles away. "Anybody in there?" He watched as she blinked and came slowly back to the present. "Jaime? Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Jaime smiled back at him with confusion in her eyes. "I'm sorry; what were you saying?"

"Where were you, just now?" he asked in a gentle voice. She'd been quiet and pensive all evening, and Steve wasn't able to hide his concern over her un-Jaime-like behavior anymore. "'Cause you sure weren't here. You've barely touched your dinner, and I didn't make it, so I know it's edible." When even humor didn't get a response, he reached over to gently take her hand. "Sweetheart, talk to me – what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered, a little too quickly. "Just...not hungry, I guess."

"Well, I've been done for awhile, so how 'bout we take the wine into the other room and just talk awhile?"

"Ok." Jaime followed Steve to the sofa by the fireplace and wordlessly accepted a fresh glass of wine. Steve couldn't help noticing the tears she was trying so hard to hold back.

"Jaime, I love you. Whatever it is..."

Jaime took a deep, shuddering breath. "I wanna know what really happened to my parents."

Steve wrapped a gentle arm around her trembling body and pulled her close, running his fingers softly through her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Sweetheart," he said carefully, "you know all about the crash; you've been to the site."

"Yeah, but I only went to see where they died. Now that we know they were murdered -"

"Presumably murdered," Steve said quietly.

"Right," Jaime sighed, "but if it's true, no one has ever paid for stealing Mom and Dad from a 16-year-old! An accident's bad enough – I mean, in one split-second, I'm...an orphan – but if it wasn't an accident..." Jaime sat up straight, suddenly filled with ferocious determination. "Steve, I'm gonna find out who did it, and I'm gonna put them away."

- - - - - -

"I'm sorry, Babe," Oscar said, knowing Jaime wouldn't believe him, "but I've given you everything we have on file about your parents."

"Then help me find what you don't have," Jaime insisted, pacing like a tiger in a cage. "That's the whole point; there are too many missing pieces!" She sighed audibly at Oscar's lack of response. "Ok; my mother was OSI, right?"

"Yes, she was, but -"

"Then where was she supposed to be going, the day they died? That's gotta be somewhere in her file!"

Oscar looked at Steve, who'd come along for moral support, as if to say 'help me out here', but Steve merely shrugged. "It was more than ten years ago -"

"Please, Oscar..."

"She worked for Oliver Spencer, not for me, but I'll tell you what: I'll have Russ dig through the CDI archives, and I'll call you with whatever he comes up with. Ok?"

Jaime stopped pacing; she knew it was the best he could do for her. "Thank you. And -"

"And I'll have him put a rush on it," Oscar finished for her.

- - - - - -

"Why hasn't he called yet?" Jaime wondered aloud, pacing her living room instead of Oscar's office, but every bit as anxious as she'd been all day. "What's taking so long?"

Steve smiled. "Sweetheart, we just walked in the door ten minutes ago. Russ probably hasn't even gotten into the CDI files yet. Gotta give it some time." He tried to lead her to her favorite chair with a supportive arm around her shoulders. "If you don't sit down, you'll wear us both out."

"It's probably something terrible," Jaime persisted, walking to the phone and then back to the window, staring aimlessly through the glass. "He just doesn't want me to know about it..."

"Oscar wouldn't lie to you – you know that. If he did find something awful, he might tell you he didn't think you should hear it, but he wouldn't just say nothing and he definitely wouldn't lie about it."

"I wish I was back in Ojai right now; then I could drive over to CDI myself and -"

"Russ knows that whole place like the back of his hand," Steve reminded her. "If there's anything buried in those files, he's the best one to have looking for it." His arm moved from Jaime's shoulder to her waist, and the gentle urging turned into a firmer, more insistent tug. "C'mon – just sit down, put your feet up and I'll make you something to eat. I can stay here as long as you need me to." Truth be told, he'd much rather spend his time with Jaime than alone at his own house anyway, but it hurt Steve to see Jaime so restless and upset.

"Thank you," she sighed, sinking down onto the sofa instead of the chair and pulling him down beside her. Steve's other arm moved to completely envelop her, pulling her close. "I'm so glad you're here," she told him softly, curling up with her head resting on his chest. "I don't think I could eat right now, but if you're hungry, go ahead and grab something..."

"Maybe later." Steve held her, tenderly trying to massage the stiffness from her muscles and wishing there was more he could do, for a very long time. They sat in silence, knowing each other so well that every thought and emotion was conveyed without the need for words. Finally, he felt Jaime begin to relax and allow herself to be at least somewhat comforted. Steve bent over and kissed her softly, just as the phone startled them back to reality. "Let me get it," he told her, picking up the receiver before Jaime could protest.

"Hello?"

It was Oscar. "Steve? I'm glad you're still there."

"Did Russ find something?" Steve asked, his other arm still protectively holding Jaime.

"Bring Jaime back to my office, and we'll talk."

"Oscar, what's -"

"When you get here, Pal. I'll be waiting."

- - - - - -