Age of all (main-) characters (I made Douglas a "little bit" younger so it would work with the "years later"-thing): Martin: 28

Douglas: 35

Amelia: 32

Prologue

Amelia Carter and Douglas Richardson met on a rather cold day for the first time.

For one year she was one of the first officers at Air England before she left for another job in a German airline.

But when they meet again, years later, she's an airline captain, wearing the rather suiting uniform of a Lufthansa captain, and he's again a first officer.

The first time they meet again is at Heathrow, London, where they find out the old chemistry is still there.

The second time at San Francisco International, San Francisco, they go out but are interrupted by a Martin with quite a problem… or better a Martin with a plane and a girl, what made a rather big problem.

The third time they meet in Rome, where they argue about being themselves.

The fourth time in Nuremberg where Amelia tells Douglas she's married, even though not happy.

The final time they meet at Fitton Airfield, where Amelia stops a taxiing plane to tell Douglas that she's divorced now.

04-06: London

04-10: San Francisco

04-14: Rome

04-18: Nuremberg

One year later: Fitton

04-06:

London. Neither Martin nor Douglas liked Heathrow much.

"Sir might keep an eye on GERTI… You never know if they could lose your plane as they lose your luggage…" Douglas muttered in a quite sarcastic way.

Martin, not quite sure if Douglas was joking or serious, turned to him and asked: "You mean… you can lose a plane? A big one like GERTI?!"

Douglas bit his tongue in order to not burst out in laughing.

"Well… I think a Cessna might be possible but your… wreck of an airplane surely can't get lost… it would fall apart…"

Douglas stiffened as he heard the female voice behind him, it somehow sounded familiar, he just couldn't remember who the voice belonged to. However he had stopped and the female voice soon became a young woman.

"Douglas Richardson… long time no see, huh?" she said and smiled at him, her bright brown eyes shining.

The eyes were the ones bringing back the memory and Douglas was surprised and to be honest it was even shown on his face, at least a little bit.

"Amelia Carter… what a nice surprise…" Douglas said and gave her a charming smile, while he looked her over. She wore the uniform of a captain and he was slightly surprised, again. She was young for a real captain. Martin was not a real captain.

"And who are you? Obviously the captain… Mister?"

"Crieff, Martin Crieff… and well… yes I'm the captain…" Martin grinned like a cheshire cat.

"Don't let Dougi here mock you all the time… Anyway… You haven't changed much, still in the co's seat…" she said and smiled a little bit mischievously at Douglas.

"Shut it, Carter!"

"No…" she grinned like a cat and her eyes shone even brighter.

Martin, who somehow and for the first time in his life, recognized the tension between Douglas and this stranger, backed up silently and walked towards terminal five, leaving the two pilots alone.

"So what are you doing? Still working for this German airline?" he asked her maybe a little bit too curious.

"Yeah… I'm now captain on the A380…"

"Wow… you always loved big things, huh…" he asked her with a half-cocked grin. Amelia shook her head in an attempt to look annoyed but she smiled slightly while doing that.

"Idiot…" she muttered and laughed then walked away towards the terminal, showing him to follow her, and he did.

She was still a devil of the skies, she has always been the better pilot. Not that he would admit it.

"Where are we going?"

"Coffee…" she said not turning around to face him, instead walking straight ahead towards the huge halls of the airport.

"Is this a date then, so quick after so many years?" he asked joking, expecting her to turn around and say "surely not". Yet, she didn't, she turned around, yes, but she smiled in a sweet way and said in a mischievous tone: "Maybe…"