A/N: So... let's call this a late Valentine's Day box of chocolates for anyone who didn't get any! As for the story, happy to see many of you are interested in this one, but please know that I've never been in the military, so am writing via research and the experience of my family and friends who were in the military, not my own. Sorry in advance for anything that isn't realistic or is just flat out wrong. Let's call it poetic license? I'll do the best I can, based on the accuracy of the research and advice I receive. Feel free to DM me if there's anything glaring in the storyline that makes you say "ouch". Thanks for reading and reviewing.

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Chapter 2: Trust

Bo McCorrigan, or 'Stick' as she was known on the flight deck, was always meticulous. She came by it honestly having learned from her Father, but Doctor Lauren Lewis... well, she was at a whole other level. Bo had stood outside the simulator watching as the blonde tweaked the instruments, rolling her eyes at Manes before whispering,

"Manes, what is it with this chick? I'm was supposed to start in the simulator ten minutes ago. They gave me two hours and I haven't even run the pre-flight. It's going to cut my sim time short and, while I know Doctor Perfect thinks I have nothing to worry about, I certainly have my concerns..." Bo looked at Manes, a wicked grin on her face, as she leaned in the cockpit doorway and finished, "... I mean, after all, my Dad did DIE in the first X-2. Maybe I'll live if I have some flight time BEFORE I actually have to get in the damn thing. I mean, it would be nice to know where the eject button is..." she looked at Manes, "Am I right?"

Manes chuckled, shaking his head at the brunette. The Colonel always was known for her quick wit in situations that would make other pilots pucker. As the brunette stood with her hip cocked, her hand tapping out a frustrated rhythm on the roof, the former mechanic could only laugh. He watched as the Colonel huffed, walked to the nearby bench and sitting down on the bench while his memory took him back to Bo's last night on the carrier where they were stationed for a joint task force two years ago,

Flashback – Admiral's Quarters

Admiral: "Green, you can not be serious! A solo pilot flying into a war zone in an F-16 with no stealth capabilities to land and pick up a POW whose whereabouts are only rumored to be in that building is a suicide mission. I will not give that order."

General Green: "Dennis follows orders. She always follows orders. She will do what she's told to do without question, no matter the risk. She's the best in the biz. If the job can be done, she'll get it done."

Admiral: "I cannot believe Top gave the okay for this mission. I want verification."

General Green: "You received the authentication code from my office. You will give the order. Dennis is going up and that's final."

Admiral: "I want verification from Walker."

General Green: "It's not his call and he is not my superior. Top is making the call on this one."

Admiral: "Top told you to send Dennis on a suicide mission?"

General Green: "Top told me to get the job done, no matter the cost. Our guy has intel we need. Orders are to bring him home. Dennis is your pilot."

Admiral: "Then let me send Sorenson, Santiago and Thornwood up with her."

General Green: "Negative. Risk too high. Solo mission is what I'm authorizing. If she fails, we'll reconsider the contingency plan."

Admiral: "You mean the plan that has the best chance of being successful."

General Green: "Discussion is over, Burke. Do the job."

The Admiral stared at the receiver for a long moment before he realized he'd been hung up on. To the right of his desk, a young Airman stood at attention awaiting orders from the Admiral. Instead, he watched as the man stood from his desk and paced back an forth the short distance across the width of his quarters, mumbling to himself as he walked,

"Damn Air Force idiots. They're going to get a perfectly good pilot killed on MY watch! I'll be damned if I'm going to follow those orders! Shit! This is going to be one massive cluster fuck! Fucking Green is a fucking idiot! I don't care if she's fucking Supergirl, she's not getting out of this one alive. What the hell is he thinking!"

"Sir, if I may?" Manes interrupted.

The Admiral turned to face the Airman, "Sorry, Son. I forgot you were here. What was it you wanted?"

Manes struggled not to squirm, instead taking a deep breath and tightening up his posture, "Sir, there's no way out of this one, Sir. When Top sets his orders, they don't change. I can tell you that from experience."

"Oh, because you've had so much, Airman?"

"Begging your pardon, Sir, but with Major Dennis, yes sir, I have."

"Explain."

"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

The Admiral mumbled, "Damn Air Force and their tight ass... speak, man! I'm supposed to send Dennis up when the sky turns red. Talk fast."

"Sir, this is the fifth time I've heard someone refer to one of Dennis' missions as a suicide mission. You'll notice she's still alive, Sir."

"You mean your brass has sent her solo into enemy territory before?" The Admiral asked.

Manes shrugged, "She's the best, Sir. Somehow she's always managed to make it back. None of the return trips were pretty, but she's here and not afraid to do it again if it means saving a fellow soldier."

"Call me old-fashioned if you'd like, but I just can't get used to the idea of sending a woman into the shit. It's just not right."

Manes sighed. He'd heard other men have this debate since basic training and at one time, he'd felt the same, "You know, Admiral, I used to think like you but Major Dennis is a pilot through and through... born bred and altitude fed from the time she could walk... her little sister too. Her Dad..."

"I know who her Dad is, Airman. Everyone knows Jack Dennis no matter what branch of the military you're from. The guy's a goddamn hero and Green trashed his reputation and blamed him for that shit show of a crash. Losing a damn good pilot to some damn experiment is as idiotic as sending a pilot solo deep into enemy territory to pick up a POW who may or may not be where they think he is."

Manes' eyes went wide, "Sir?"

The Admiral looked up at the Airman, "You know Dennis well?"

Manes shrugged, "Her and her crew trust me. I'm the only wrench they allow near their jets even though I'm just an Airman."

The Admiral laughed, "Rank has nothing to do with your ability to keep a plane in the air. That's all about instinct if you ask me. Some men are just born to work on machines."

Manes smiled and nodded, "Yea, it's sort of my thing and it's nice to take them up for a spin once in a while."

"You're flight certified?" The Admiral asked.

He nodded, "But not for combat."

Manes stood silently for a moment as the Admiral leaned back in his chair and tossed the confidential mission report on his desk,

"Well, I've got a real problem, Manes. I'm being ordered to send your friend up in an F-16 to pick up that POW... tonight. Can you have her plane ready?"

Manes nodded, the concern on his face evident.

"She's going to have to land about two clicks from where we think our target is being held, possibly return fire to get him out and then hump it back to the jet and take off before anyone detects her presence."

Manes shook his head slowly as the Admiral added, "We're not sure what condition our guy will be in either."

"Sir, with your permission, I may be able to add some tech to her jet that may help her remain undetected a bit longer. There's this engineer I met at a..."

"Do it."

"But sir, it's not military issued equipment. Hell, I'll have to cobble together the parts from what you guys have on your ship to..."

"Manes, do you question your Air Force Officers as much as you question me?"

"No Sir, Admiral."

"So is there a reason you feel a need to torture me with more questions than your AFO's when I have extended you and your jockeys the use of my carrier's catapults?"

"No Sir, Admiral."

The Admiral picked up his phone, "Chief, I need Air Force Major Bo Dennis. Get her ass up here." He paused for a moment before adding, "Get me her buddies Sorensen, Santiago and Thornwood too."

Hanging up, he looked at Manes, "Change of plans. You have four hours to get four planes prepped. Got a team you trust to do the work with you?"

"Yes, Sir. I think so, Sir."

"You think so, Manes?"

"I know so, Sir."

"That's more like it, Manes."

Two taps on the door drew their attention, "Enter."

The door opened revealing Bo, "Sir, you asked to see me?"

"Sit, Dennis."

Just as Bo took her seat, the other three pilots entered, "Sit. Manes, don't you have work to do?"

"Sir, yes Sir. I'll need Dennis in about three hours, Sir. I'll need to show her the tech."

"She'll be there."

The Airman saluted the Admiral, then turned and gave salute to Major Dennis before exiting the office.

"Dennis, I've just gotten a call from General Green. It seems he has one of your super special missions planned and I'm being ordered to follow through on his orders."

"Whatever you need, Admiral." Bo replied.

"Just one question, Dennis."

"Sir?" Bo asked.

"Do you have a death wish?"

"Sir?" Bo asked.

"Well, Manes tells me you've done missions like this before, so I'm just wondering if you've passed your most recent psych eval. You have a death wish?"

"I assure you, I wish to live a long and happy life, Sir." Bo replied.

"Good to know. So, I've been ordered to send you solo, but this is my ship and Green doesn't outrank me, so I'm planning on sending your friends here on a mission of their own... a mission I need them for tonight."

Bo looked at her three friends, then back at the Admiral, "Sir?"

"Dennis, you're being sent to pick up a POW. I'm sending the rest of you to pick up a different package." He said, turning to the other three pilots in the room.

"Sir?" Tamsin asked.

"Sorrenson, you and your brothers in arms are to bring Dennis and her package home. Are we clean?"

"We're clear, Sir." Tamsin said with a grin.

"Good. Let's get to it then." The Admiral opened the mission file...

Nine Hours Later...

"Where the hell is she, Tamsin." Manes asked as the three pilots knelt in the rain, scanning the skies for any signs of lights.

"I'm telling you she made it off the ground, Manes. We wouldn't leave her behind." Tamsin replied.

Thornwood added, "A bomb went off behind her plane, but she was up. I'm sure she was up."

Manes looked at the man, "You're sure, Mark?"

"I'm telling you she was right off my wing and gaining altitude with me."

"THERE!" Hale said, pointing up to the sky.

Tamsin shook her head, "Manes, you better get your checkered shirt up there and call for the Green Shirts."

"Shit." Manes said, jumping up, to run on deck, waving the Green Shirts to follow, "Get the net!"

The well-drilled team rushed to raise the nets, hoping that the pilot could make a controlled landing on the deck and not crash into the ship.

"Cover!"

Everyone rushed away from the landing area and watched in horror as the plane came in hot and out of control.

"Ready the fire crews! No landing gear!" Manes yelled, "Shit." He said, raising both hands to his head as the nose of the plane looked as if it would crash into the hull at the aft portion of the carrier, but the nose was suddenly up and the plane was skidding across the carrier deck, flames immediately flooding out of the engines as it skidded into the arresting nets.

Manes watched as the fire crews immediately rushed to assist, the medics following closely behind. He looked up to see three planes circling overhead,

"Saint Joseph of Cupertino, thank you. Now help Stick." Manes whispered, turning back to see the crews quell the flames and break open the cockpit.

He watched as they pulled two limp bodies from the cockpit, his heart clenching in his chest before he heard the admiral summon him,

"Manes! Get that deck clear! Three incoming and they're light!"

Manes motioned for his crew to follow, knowing he only had minutes before one of the three planes following a standby pattern in the sky would have to make their approach or run out of fuel. They worked as quickly as they could to clear the wreckage, the Admiral calling in extra crewmen for extra support. Finally, the deck was sufficiently clear enough for landing. Manes was shocked to hear the Admiral's voice come from just over his shoulder,

"Admiral?"

The older man waved him off, settling onto the deck beside him, "I started out like you, Airman. I have no problem being in the trenches when our Naval Aviators land. I'll be here for your Air Force Pilots as well. Good job on that deck. Let's just hope the fact that they've been able to circle us this long also means they're not shot up as badly as Dennis' plane was. What a clusterfuck."

Manes cleared his throat, "Is she... alive."

"Barely, but yes. So's her cargo. You were right about her."

Manes shook his head, "Thanks for sending back up."

"It's a determined bunch you have their Manes. Watch out for them." The Admiral replied.

"As long as we're stationed together, I will do that, Sir. They're good people and good soldiers."

The Admiral laughed as the first plane made its' approach, "They are and that's amazing since they chose the Air Force over the Navy."

He slapped Manes on the back before pointing up at the sky...

"Manes!" Bo yelled, pulling her mechanic out of his memories.

"Sorry, Colonel. I was just... sorry, I was thinking."

"Manes, I need your head in this game. You with me?" Bo asked.

"I am. I just... well, does this seem familiar to you, Ma'am?"

"What do you mean?"

"You being asked to do something ridiculous?" He replied.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Suicide missions, testing the X-2... seems... strange." Manes replied.

Bo shrugged, "Not sure what you mean, Manes."

"Me either, Ma'am. Just a mental note."

"Okay, but do you think you can get me in the damn cockpit so I can run the pre-flight? Bo asked.

Lauren stuck her head out of the cockpit, "I don't understand why you can't understand that I am running the pre-flight, Colonel. Manes, could you please tell her I'm more than capable of running a pre-flight on my own simulator?"

Bo watched as she disappeared back into the simulator, her face twisted with frustration as she spoke,

"With all due respect, Doctor, pilots do their own pre-flight checks. We don't have engineers do them for us. I mean, your body is not the one in the cockpit, your life is not the one put at risk on takeoff and you're not the one who has to make sure the plane stays in the air while flying at Mach 3."

Lauren thrust her body out of the sim's cockpit opening, her hands gripping the metal sides as she turned on the pilot, "Are you saying I would put your life at risk?"

"No, that's not at all what I was saying. I was saying that it's my life, so my responsibility!" Bo replied.

"So I am irresponsible with your life?" Lauren asked.

Geez, Bo thought, this woman is a real piece of work, "No, I'm just..."

Climbing out of the simulator, the Doctor's anger was made known, "I'll have you know that when I put a pilot up in one of my company's prototypes, they are not only safe, but they are in an aircraft that a child could fly!"

Bo's fists curled at her sides as she took a deep breath and then let it all out... with some choice words for the blonde,

"I am no child and flying in a test aircraft at Mach 3 is not some damn kids game! Pilots are trained to follow protocol and that protocol includes a pre-flight check on a simulator OR an actual aircraft. I will do my own fucking pre-flight check, so you will step aside and allow it, Doctor or your plane will remain grounded!"

Lauren spun on the pilot, her finger wagging in her face as the blood vessels bulged from her neck, "Are you threatening me and my work?"

Bo smirked, wrapping her arms over the helmet she held at her waist, "If you don't let me run my pre-flight, I will not get in that simulator or in that plane."

"Arrgghh! You are... infuriating!"

Lauren said as she turned and walked away, tossing a wrench into the toolbox. She glanced up at Manes who put up his hands, his face showing fear at the blonde's outburst before she stormed off in a huff,

"Arrgghh!" Was all the two soldiers heard before Bo laughed and called out to the blonde,

"Does this mean I can do my pre-flight now?"

"Damn cocky Air Force jockeys! Think they know more than the people who built their damn jets! I'd love to see them calculate thermal velocity, torque on liftoff and maneuvers or wind..."

"What's she saying?" Bo asked Manes.

He removed his cap, scratching his head before replacing it and picking up the wrench the blonde had thrown down,

"Honestly, Colonel I couldn't hear her once she slammed the control room door but I think there was something about cocky jockeys and torque. I think there might have been a damn jets thrown in there as well, but I'm not completely sure."

Bo laughed, slipping into the cockpit of the simulator, "Anything I need to know, Manes?"

"Other than the fact that she's probably going to throw a tornado scenario at you in the simulator?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll get that and worse. Anything else I should know?"

"Well, I'm sure you've learned by now that the Doc does not like anyone messing with her baby, which should make things very interesting for your first flight. She may want to sit second seat to make sure she has a hand on the second stick just in case."

"Over my dead body." Bo replied.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Manes mumbled, "That woman be cray-cray, Colonel."

Bo laughed as Manes helped her buckle in. She pulled on her helmet adjusting the mic on the headset before pulling her mask over her face and securing her chinstrap with a firm snap. She smiled back at Manes, giving him a thumbs up as he closed the Plexiglas canopy and moved into position to begin her cockpit preflight routine.

She looked up at the Chief and almost busted a gut when she saw him pull off his jacket, revealing the traditional yellow shirt he would wear tomorrow, only this one had 'Bo's Bitch' emblazoned across the chest. He turned around, cocking his hip and sticking his butt out while the pilot read the back of his shirt... 'Tamsin's Boy Toy'. Giving him a thumb's up, the two returned to the pre-flight routine, both settling into business mode.

Bo began her routine, exchanging signals with Manes as she flipped through her flight manual making sure not to miss a step of her usual ritual. As her Father always told her, leave no stone unturned in looking for the thing that's going to bring your plane down. She paused, thinking about her Father's crash. He was meticulous in every pre-flight check. It's the one thing he insisted on before take off. There had to be something else to what had happened.

She looked around the cockpit. She had sat in the backup X-2 at the aerospace museum at least once a year since her Father's death. She knew the instruments well and just as the Doctor had said, this was a completely different aircraft. So why the same name? Shaking out her thoughts, continued, her eyes locked on Manes as he examined the movement of the flaps, tail and so on, following Bo's lead with speed and precision.

Finally, she was ready to go. Manes did his dance before waving her off and saluting. The Colonel returned the salute and taxied into position on the simulator runway. Bo knew from their morning meeting that Lauren's new simulator was meant to make this entire experience exactly like the real deal. Of course, Bo wouldn't feel the G's that would be making it hard for her to breathe, nor the sense of weightlessness in that moment. She would also be surrounded by the gray walls of this hangar rather than crystal blue skies. Still, the nervousness of taking flight settled in her gut as her excitement started to build.

She wished she were on a carrier at night, about to be launched from a catapult into the blackness. It was one of the most terrifying, yet amazing sensations she had ever experienced in her life... it was also her favorite... well, maybe second favorite since the multiple orgasms she experienced with that co-pilot... what was her name? Right... Sarah. Maybe she should... a bump. Was that a bump? Taking a deep breath, she refocused, checking her grip on the stick as her Dad had taught her... firm, not loose and not tight. Settle into the seat because you're gonna be sitting here for a while. Helmet visor down. Pull up on the glove of your stick hand and make sure it's comfortable and launch... what was that bump she felt?

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X-2 Test Flight Mission Briefing...

"I'm telling you, General Walker... something doesn't feel right."

Lauren slammed down the papers she was holding and brought her eyes to bear on Bo, "You saw the simulator results. The plane flew exactly as expected despite three pilot errors over the course of the twenty-two attempts."

Bo glared at the blonde, "Yea, thanks for that, by the way, I'll be lucky if I can stand after sitting in your damn simulator seat for what should have been five and done. Take off, flight maneuvers, tactical, weapons and landing were all perfect five straight times and you kept saying 'again'."

"There is nothing wrong with being cautious." Lauren insisted.

"You mean obsessive. Hell, you ran my pre-flight before I ran my pre-flight!" Bo replied, tossing her pen down on the desktop. She sighed, straightening up in her seat and putting her feet flat on the floor when she heard the General clear his throat,

"Ladies, I think we've done enough for today. Doctor Lewis feels the plane is ready to go. You flew... the most simulator flights on record for the X-2, so I think it's safe to say we're ready for tomorrow."

Bo shook her head, "I'm telling you, General. There is a shimmy or a shudder... a bump... just before you hit Mach 3. Something is not right with that aircraft."

The General turned to Bo, "So are you saying I need a new pilot, Dennis?"

Bo scowled, "Absolutely not, General. I just think that it's worth another look under the hood."

He nodded, considering Bo's thoughts before turning to Lauren, "On the way in to this meeting, Colonel Dennis asked that I permit Chief Manes to give the plane a once over. Any objections?"

Lauren hesitated, but replied, "Begging your pardon, Sir, he knows nothing of the newly modified X-2. What could he possibly see that me and my team have not after five years?"

Bo blew out a frustrated breath, "Oh, come on, Doc. Manes has been studying your plans for days. He knew more than our Top 3 when he was working the carrier. Why are you so opposed to giving him a chance to have a look? If your plane is so perfect, you shouldn't feel threatened by him giving it a check up. Besides, I thought you said you could never check a plane enough when it comes to safety?"

Lauren shook her head, "I'm opposed to anyone going anywhere near that plane if I'm not present. I am the person solely responsible for whatever happens tomorrow. If he's checking it out, I'm present to be sure he doesn't screw anything up."

Bo laughed, "Manes, screw it up, huh? Right. Well, don't worry your pretty little head, about all that responsibility, Doc."

"Dennis." The General warned.

Bo sighed, "Apologies. What I meant to say is... if I crash your precious investment tomorrow, I promise you top brass will blame me first and then the General. No one will blame the fact that this jet is being rushed to the runway..." she looked at the General, "...just like it was for my Dad."

Bo stopped short of blaming the Doctor's father, but she was pretty sure General Walker knew what she was thinking. No one seemed interested in laying any of the blame for the rush to take off on Green, but the thought was not far from Bo's mind. Her Dad had been called up to test the first X-2 in a very similar fashion. Now that she thought of it, it was very curious... her thoughts were interrupted by the Doctor's voice,

"Fine. Have your boy give the plane a once over, but with me present and we still fly tomorrow. Agreed, General?" Lauren asked, ignoring Bo as she was about to interrupt.

"Agreed. Colonel Dennis, Major Sorenson, Chief Manes, we'll see you all tomorrow morning at 0500 hours."

The three officers stood, all saluting in unison before exiting the room with their binders under their arms.

"Dennis." General Walker called to Bo.

The brunette turned, holding her stride at the door while Sorensen and Manes kept their eyes forward, "Sir?"

"Sleep, Dennis. History doesn't always repeat itself."

Bo frowned, her gut stirring at the General's comment, "I wish my gut agreed with you. Sir."

They held eye contact for a long moment before Bo dropped her eyes to the floor and exited the room followed by the other two officers. General Walker turned to speak to Lauren and her right hand, but was interrupted by the door opening. He turned,

"Sorenson?"

"Permission to enter, General."

He tossed his pen on his notepad and leaned back, waving a hand towards her previously abandoned chair,

"Granted."

The three watched as Tamsin removed her hat and returned to her seat, her eyes finding her commanding officers'.

"Something on your mind, Major?"

"Sir, permission to speak freely."

"Granted."

She turned to Lauren, "Bo's right. You have little to no experience with jets and even less with jet pilots, so lesson number one - it's not a good idea to twist your pilot's gut and mind into knots before you send them up in an untested aircraft." She paused and then added, "Top brass may not blame you, but the pilots who will be taking your planes up? Let's just say that if anything happens to Stick, it's on you."

Lauren laughed, "I'll say it again. The aircraft is fine. I've never missed a deadline and have never put a failed aircraft into the sky."

Tamsin laughed, "Yea, well is that the plane talking or is that your ego I'm hearing? Let me guess, you promised Top you'd deliver your plane by tomorrow and now they're holding you to that deadline."

Lauren tried to speak, but Tamsin shook her head and sat forward in her seat, her eyes set firmly on the blonde engineer as she spoke,

"The way I see it, you have everything to lose by not going up on time. If she crashes, I know you have another X-2 in our other hangar."

"Wh- how did..."

Tamsin laughed, "You're on a military base, not in a Lewis Enterprise hangar. You can safely assume that anyone in uniform is looking out for others in uniform. My point is, you have another X-2 as well as a whole platoon of pilots and you're willing to sacrifice Stick for your streak."

"Sorenson! You are way out of line!"

She turned to the General, "All due respect, Sir, I don't think I am. I know she's General Green's daughter and that he is a friend of yours. Everyone knows he's not well and the two of you are trying to cover for him. I'm sure it puts you in a difficult position, but I'm concerned about a conflict of interest here, Sir. I've known Stick for a long time."

"But you don't know me and all I see is that you're questioning my integrity and making assumptions without fact."

Tamsin turned on the blonde, "And all I see is an engineer with a career perfect record who is as obsessed with her aircraft as she is with maintaining that impeccable performance. You're talking about integrity? Well, you're not showing much if you send Bo up tomorrow. You're pushing and you know it. You're just too damn stubborn to admit it... putting your own accomplishments before the life of Stick – or of any pilot - is just plain wrong. We're not machines, we're people with families and lives."

She realized she was getting emotional and took a second to gather herself before looking at General Walker,

"Sorry, Sir but I believe Doctor Lewis' ego is going to get Stick killed and no one seems to care. I had to come back in and speak my mind... for the record."

"Ego?" Lauren gasped.

Tamsin tore her eyes from the General's to respond,

"Yes, ego. You're so insistent on getting this plane airborne that you haven't stopped to listen to what that incredibly experienced pilot out there is telling you. There is something wrong with the plane. She can feel it. And just for good measure, there isn't a pilot in this Air Force that would get into the cockpit of any plane if Stick said it wasn't flight ready."

Tamsin's plea was passionate and she knew she was getting her point across when she saw the General lean forward, his elbows finding the edge of the table.

"Doctor..." he began, but Lauren wasn't hearing it,

"She hasn't even been in it."

"Beg your pardon?" He asked, but Tamsin understood exactly what the blonde was trying to say,

Tamsin turned to her C.O., "Sir, the Doctor is saying that Stick hasn't even sat in the cockpit yet, so how can she say there's anything wrong with the plane." She turned to Lauren, shaking her head, "Wow. You don't get it, do you?"

"Tamsin." The General cautioned.

"Sir, with all due respect, it's our asses on the line up there. I again request permission to speak freely."

The General looked at Lauren who was staring down at her aircraft designs and spoke, "Permission granted."

Tamsin looked up at Lauren, "You said that Stick hasn't even been in your plane. What you don't get is that the first time she gets in your plane could be the last if you're wrong and she's right. It's why we use simulators. She said something isn't right. What's the big deal about delaying launch a day to recheck her suspicions?"

"The plane is perfect! I've checked it myself!" Lauren said, "I've been building planes of all types for almost twenty years. My company employs the best engineers on the planet..."

"And I'm sure all of that is true, but we are talking about jets here."

Lauren sat back in her seat, an exasperated breath escaping her mouth, "And I have told you cargo plane, commercial airliner, puddle jumper, I've designed and built them all."

"Have you designed and built simulators for all of them?" Tamsin asked.

Lauren paused before she admitted, "Only the commercial planes, but my software engineers have and they're the best."

Tamsin shook her head, "it's always 'the best' with you. Do you think the U.S. Military became 'the best' by using anyone who wasn't the best at what they do? And for the record, there's always someone better. I thought I was the best until Stick kicked my ass in a training flight."

"If your pilot is the best, she'll handle any emergency that comes about. The X-2 has safety features that make it the safest plane every built."

"Compared to what? She's going Mach 3 and has an emergency, she'll do what, exactly? Eject? She'll be lucky if she isn't ripped to shreds when she bounces off the canopy at that speed!"

"The canopy has a special eject..."

"Just stop." Tamsin said, waving the blonde off, "Safety won't matter if she explodes mid flight. You said you built the simulator to fly exactly like the real thing. Was that a lie?"

"No, but..."

Tamsin leaned in as she spoke, her hands balling into fists on the table, "No buts, Doctor. She says she feels something right before Mach 3. Did you know that her Father died just before hitting Mach 3?"

Lauren shook her head, as she rifled through the stack of papers in front of her, "No... Sir... I haven't been able to get the records declassified and the information that was given to me by General Green was truncated."

Tamsin opened her briefcase and tossed a file in front of the blonde, "I took care of it. Find the flaw Doc. Find the flaw or cancel the test flight tomorrow until you know for sure. This whole thing has been rushed and you know it. Have the integrity to give a shit about the life of my friend and a great pilot. Don't make her go down like her Dad did... not in the same plane."

Tamsin stood and turned to the General, "Sir."

"Major." He replied, nodding at her salute as she exited.

Lauren's eyes were on the drawings in front of her as she mumbled, "It's not the same plane."

"Doctor?"

The blonde's tired eyes looked up to find the General smiling at her, "Lauren, you've got to get some sleep."

She shook her head, "I'll sleep when I go over my designs and make sure that plane is safe."

The General shook his head, "Maybe we should delay."

Her head popped up, "Not you too."

"You know, I've known you since you were a little girl in pigtails running around the hangar back on base. You've always loved watching jets, building jets and hanging around the military personnel. Maybe it's time you actually sat in one."

"What?"

The General laughed, "I've always found it funny and slightly ironic that someone who is as obsessed with flight and building planes has such an incredible aversion to being up in a plane."

Lauren shrugged, "It's not that I don't want to be up in one, it's just that I don't trust the people that build them."

"You won't even fly in your own commercial airliners." He laughed.

"I don't trust their mechanics."

"Who do you trust?" General Walker asked as he closed his leather portfolio and slid the pen into the elastic pen holder.

"I trust you." Lauren replied, "I always have."

General Walker sighed, "Okay. Then I'm going to ask you to trust me with that impeccable record of yours. I'm going to recommend the test flight be delayed three days."

"What? Why!" Lauren said, hustling to her feet, her face covered in defeat, "You believe them?"

He pursed his lips, "They're my pilots and I know them well, Lauren. I trust your design, but there are an awful lot of working part that go into these machines. You know the laws of physics. Once Colonel Dennis is in that aircraft, she's nothing more than an egg and it's my responsibility to preserve the life of my pilot... unless you want to notify her next of kin tomorrow?"

Lauren sighed at the memory of the angry voice who refused to allow the recovery of Colonel Jack Dennis' body. General Walker smiled,

"I'll take that as a no."

The Doctor nodded, "No, Sir. I'd rather not speak with Miss Malikov about the demise of her beloved sister."

"Well, that makes two very smart people in this room. Malikov's bark is nothing compared to her bite. She would take down your company and sell it off for parts if anything happened to her sister... especially after she learned that you were told by three officers that the flight shouldn't take place."

Lauren looked up at him, a small smile stretching slowly across her face as she nodded and tapped her pencil on the desktop,

"I guess I am being pretty stubborn."

"I'd expect nothing less."

"Determined is one thing, but if I become a stubborn ass, I become just like the engineers who get so many test pilots killed."

He smiled. He'd known Lauren Lewis for a very long time. He knew she would come to the truth in her own time. He was just glad she hadn't argued with him. He would have hated to have to pull rank. He knew that deep down inside, she was still trying to prove her worth to her Father after rejecting her nomination to the Air Force Academy and choosing civilian life instead. He watched as the blonde gathered her things, then stopped to look up at him,

"Do me a favor, General?"

"Anything you need, Lauren."

"Please tell me when I'm being a stubborn ass."

He smiled, "Only when I have to. I knew you'd do the right thing."

"Yea, well you approved a flight despite knowing I was doing the wrong thing."

"Flights can always be cancelled." He said, sliding his portfolio under his arm and opening the door for the blonde, "The military is no different."

They walked side-by-side down the corridor, "I'd like you to do something for me, Lauren."

"You name it, General."

He stopped, gripping her elbow gently to bring her to a stop as well, "I want you to go up second seat with Bo in an F-16 tomorrow."

"What?"

"Lauren, it's time. Besides, I think you need to spend some time with a pilot... this pilot. You don't respect her and she doesn't trust you. There couldn't be a worse combination between a scientist and a pilot."

The blonde sighed, biting her lip, "I'm... afraid."

"You said you trust me, right?"

She nodded, "With my life."

"Well, I'd trust Stick with my life. I actually did once."

She smiled, "Will you tell me about it?"

He smiled back, "Now you know that's classified, but you know I never that word was always a bit... flexible... when it came to you and me."

Lauren smiled, "You're the only one who ever gave me that kind of trust."

"Yes and I seem to recall that being the reason you ended things with that beauty Nadia. I thought she was the one who would finally talk you into taking a vacation."

Lauren scowled, "I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me as much as I trust them. I refuse to have secrets in my personal life when I have to spend all day in my professional life living with one secret after another."

He nodded, "I understand, Lauren."

They stood in silence for a moment before Lauren asked, "How's my Dad?"

He sighed, "You didn't speak to your Mother?"

She shook her head, "She called, but I was doing a pre-flight check in the simulator so couldn't talk."

Laughing, he replied, "Bo was right about that, by the way. Pilots do their own pre-flights."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure..."

"Lauren..." He warned.

"I know. I'm stubborn, overbearing, overprotective and... controlling."

"The worst." He laughed, "But at least you can admit your faults."

"To you, anyway." She replied.

"And to yourself. I won't tell Stick she was right about you." Lauren laughed along with him before she asked again, "So... you're dodging my question."

"About?" He asked.

"About my Dad?"

"Right." He said, offering a sympathetic smile with his pause, "It's as we expected, Lauren. He's in the early stages of Alzheimer's. I'm afraid word of his health moved quickly up the chain. They'll be giving him an Honorable Discharge if he won't retire gracefully."

"Nothing about that man is graceful." She scowled.

General Walker wrapped an arm over her shoulder, "That is true. Your Mother was going to tell him tomorrow morning. She thought you might want to be there."

Shaking her head, she replied, "I'm busy."

"Lauren, you're done for the day and tomorrow's flight is cancelled, so..."

"I want to go up." She interjected abruptly.

"What?" He stopped, turning to face the blonde,

"With Bo... I mean, Colonel Dennis. I want to go up." She pointed towards the ceiling.

He smiled, "You're sure?"

"Yes." She nodded, seemingly trying to convince herself as much as the General.

He shook his head, "So you would do something you are deathly afraid of just to avoid being in the room when your Mom tells your Dad he can't be a soldier anymore?"

"You can take the uniform off, but that man will always be a soldier... and yes, I would rather fly than be in that room. Please send Mom my apologies."

"What?"

Lauren smiled, "I know you'll be there. You wouldn't leave her alone for this and besides, I know this is information that is only presented by someone of at least equal rank. You wouldn't let anyone else do this, so I know you're planning to be there. Please offer my apologies for my absence."

He smiled, knowingly, "And explain to her that you are working?"

She chuckled, "Exactly."

"Fear does not become you, Lauren Lewis." He said, placing a hand on her back as he turned her towards the exit, "But at least you'll be facing one fear tomorrow."

"I'll be facing multiple fears, but that's one way I can earn a little respect from my pilot, right?"

General Walker smiled, "Okay Sketch, I'll set it up. Tomorrow morning, 0500."

"Don't call me that." Lauren frowned.

"You're going up in a jet, Lauren. You'll need a call sign."

"I'm a passenger, not a pilot. Passengers do not get call signs." Lauren huffed.

Laughing, he shook his head, "Well, I'm afraid it's out of my hands. Pilots give pilots their call signs."

"I'm aware and as I said, I'm not a pilot. They would never deem me worthy of a precious call sign. Damn jockeys."

"Well, you need to respect those jockeys if you want them to take good care of your baby."

Lauren laughed, "Well, it's in their best interest to do so, wouldn't you think? It wouldn't be good for their health to hurt her."

The General rubbed his chin, looking up at the Doctor, "If I didn't know you better, I'd say Sorensen had a point about the way you think of pilots."

"You know I respect the job they do." Lauren replied.

"I know you're an Air Force daughter who always felt she fell short of her Father's expectations when she chose not to join up. Could it be you've held some animosity towards pilots all of this time?"

Lauren sighed, "Don't be ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? I think it's time for you to check the old feelings meter. You said you respect the job they do. You didn't say you respected them. Maybe a little time in that cockpit will help you to understand exactly how much they deserve your respect." He replied.

Lauren took a breath, about to reply, but stopped short when something came to mind, "Wait. You said take off would be at 0500 tomorrow? The same time the test flight was scheduled to take place?"

The General shrugged as he put his briefcase into the backseat of the jeep, securing his hat on his head and giving the private the signal to start the vehicle before taking his seat on the passenger side,

"She's already planning to be up."

"You're not going to tell her?" Lauren asked.

He shook his head, "You are. If I know Dennis, she'll be laying in the grass beneath the stars at the end of the X-2's airstrip for the rest of the night."

Lauren looked at him curiously, "Really?"

He kissed the top of Lauren's head, "Go get to know your pilot, Lauren. Do yourself a favor and learn to trust her instincts. I've known Colonel Dennis for her entire career and I promise you that Major Sorensen was right on the mark when she said she's the best. Everyone who has ever sat in a cockpit knows that or their ego is too bruised by a woman breaking their records to admit it."

Lauren laughed, "You're talking about Lambert."

He smiled and nodded, "Lambert is a good pilot, but we sent him to the Academy to teach Cadets for a reason. He was pushing the edge to try to beat her and almost got his reel killed."

Lauren nodded, "I'm glad Dyson is going to be okay."

The General sighed, "Well, the word okay depends on whether you're a pilot who still wants to fly. You really should go see him when you have a chance, Lauren. It's not like you to check on a friend."

She smiled, "Did you know he's my oldest friend?"

He nodded, giving her an understanding smile, "I did. The two of you were inseparable until his Dad was transferred."

"Hardest year of my life." Lauren replied, "I had no friends after he left."

"Your greatest friends were the guys in the hangar."

Giving him half a laugh, she nodded, "I have them to thank for my two PhD's, I suppose. I had nothing else to do but hang out with jets and gear heads. I guess it served me well to lose my best friend."

He nodded, "Well, you haven't lost him yet. Go see him, Lauren. He's alive, but his mind isn't right."

"Go kick his ass?" She asked.

"Precisely." He smiled, "Now, go to the hangar and find Command Chief Master Sergeant Ellison about an F-16 for tomorrow. He works under Manes and will be handling the pre-flight tomorrow unless Stick decides she wants Manes out there."

"She can pick who does her pre-flight?" Lauren asked.

"Stick has earned the right to make such a request, yes. She trusts Manes."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Lauren asked.

The General sighed, "I was Stick's C.O. in Afghanistan. We were dispatched to join a carrier group where Bo met Manes. Tamsin was her wingman until she was sent on the first of several missions that – well, we all thought they were suicide missions... but Stick..."

"She lived." Lauren nodded.

"More than that... she nailed every mission... and trust me, the odds were not in her favor."

"Why her?"

"What?" The General asked.

"Why did they send her? On all of those missions, they sent the same pilot. Why?"

He shrugged, "She's the best."

Lauren shook her head, "That makes no sense. Why would you sacrifice your best pilot."

"The missions were that important." He replied.

"Or..." Lauren began, but held her tongue.

"Or what?"

Shaking her head she replied, "Nothing. But... maybe I should fly with another pilot. Sorensen?"

He laughed, shaking his head, "I'll give him a heads up that you're coming and then take care of filing the flight plans before I leave the base tonight. Sorensen isn't flying your multi-billion dollar X-2 investment. Stick is the pilot you seem to have a problem with, so she is the one you need to learn to trust. Besides, Dennis outranks the Major, so she is the one who should take up our highest ranking civilian."

"Damn protocol." Lauren mumbled.

"Lauren, I need you to listen to me." He said, waiting for the blonde to turn to him, "I know that you know planes, but there is more to building a successful plane than drawings and parts. Let her help you be successful. It wouldn't be a bad thing to extend that streak of yours because you actually had to share the credit."

She nodded, leading the General to smile, "You'll be in good hands, Lauren. Godspeed."

"Thanks." She replied as she watched the Private take the wheel, put the truck in gear and head off down the auxiliary road.

She stood there silently for a moment... her eyes focused on the runway behind the fence where an F-16 was prepping for take off. She covered her ears when the engines ignited, the sound sending shivers down her spine. She smiled at the sensation. She loved watching jets take off and land – she always had, even as a little girl. She turned her eyes to the road, watching as the emergency crews stood ready in case anything went wrong. Turning back to the jet, she smiled,

"Flaps, check... tail rudder, check..." She'd been in a cockpit in the hangar as a kid and Randy, one of the oldest mechanics, used to play make believe with her. She was the pilot and he was the tower controller talking her through her pre-flight check. She smiled warmly at the memory. Randy was gone now and she was no longer a child. Tomorrow was real and so was Colonel Dennis. Somehow, she was going to have to find a way to work with this woman... this pilot. She was going to have to learn to trust her.

Sighing, she looked up at the sound of the turbines spinning up and smiled as the plane began to accelerate down the runway until it lifted into the air leaving two perfect circular contrails in its wake.

"Beautiful." She whispered before giggling to herself, "I'm going up."

She raced down the road to her card, fumbling with her keys as she ran before hopping into her car to head to the hangar. Tomorrow, she was going to fulfill a lifelong dream and overcome a lifelong fear.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Pops, Dad. How you guys doing? Well, I'm sure you were listening in on the whole conversation at the meeting with that engineer. So... what do you think? Am I going to join you guys in the great beyond tomorrow or does she somehow keep me alive? They say she's brilliant, but... well, you guys felt it, right? I mean, maybe the simulator's off, but she swears it's an exact replica of the cockpit on the new X-2. Is it fear I'm feeling in my gut or is it a legit sense of doom I'm feeling?"

She frowned, "Pops, you taught Dad to follow his gut and he passed that on to me. I sure as hell would like to have the chance to pass that on to my kids one day, but right now I'm worried that... I won't get the chance."

Sighing, she laid back in the grass, placing an arm behind her head before crossing one leg over the other. Her eyes traveled over the clouds streaked with pink and purple hues as the sun began to set. A lone jet sat at the end of the runway preparing for take off. She envied the pilot. Sunset was a beautiful time to fly. She rarely got the chance to fly in daylight anymore. Most of her missions were done under the cover of darkness and now... well, as a test pilot, all of her missions would be done in clear, perfect daylight conditions. Anything to help the plane succeed before it was rushed to production.

"Damn politicians." She mumbled under her breath, "Damn engineers."

She lay at the end of the runway for a long time, watching take off after take off. This strip was one of the busiest military strips in the country, so at least she had known she would be thoroughly entertained when she decided to come here tonight. Of course she came here tonight. It was a habit she'd started when she'd first gotten her wings. Now it was just superstition... or habit... or a way to shake off the nerves before a mission... or maybe it was just a way to pass the time knowing that she wouldn't sleep the night before a mission. It was probably a combination of all of those, she concluded, but regardless of what it was, she found comfort in being here before she went up.

She closed her eyes and listened to the squeal of brakes on the tarmac. She knew that sound well. It was a cargo plane... the Big Bertha of the fleet. She's flown cargo as her first job with the Air Force. Her greatest fear was that, as a woman, she would never fly jets but she'd proven herself quickly once General Green had nominated her to attend Red Flag training. He'd told her that Top Brass was under pressure from the Senate to put a woman in a combat cockpit, so he chose her. She had the highest scores of any woman in her graduating class from the academy, but was warned that if she screwed up that no woman would ever see flight time in a jet for a very long time. She'd seen G.I. Jane. She knew what this was and she proved them all wrong... thankfully.

She sighed looking up at the darkening sky, watching as the stars came out to perform their dance for her. This is what she loved about this part of Nevada. It sucked that it was hot and dry, but it made for good stargazing. She watched as a military escort marched towards the fence in full military dress,

"Shit." She said, "Bad juju, BoBo." She whispered as the cargo hold slowly opened on the massive plane.

Bo sat up, waiting in anticipation to see if her suspicions were correct. Minutes later, her worst fears were confirmed. She stood, wiping the sand from her pants and boots. She removed her hat and placed it under her arm before standing at attention. In unison with the honor guard, she slowly raised her hand to her brow in salute as a group emerged carrying a flag-draped coffin. Her throat tightened at the sight, her eyes watering and bottom lip quivering. She didn't even try to hide the lone tear that trickled slowly down her cheek, rolling from her face to the ground. No one could see the show of emotion and if no one could see, no one would ever know that the steel nerves of one Colonel Ysabeau 'Stick' Dennis had broken at the sight of a lost soldier being carried back to his home soil.

The escort turned, leading the guard towards the hangar where the body would be kept until it could be sent to its final destination. Bo wondered what would happen to her if she were killed tomorrow. She knew she wasn't supposed to think such things. As a pilot, no fear was your motto, but this particular flight in this particular plane had her on edge for the first time in her life. If she refused to fly, her career was essentially over. If she went up, her life could be over. Could she really trust this blonde? Was she right? Was Bo making a mountain out of a molehill?

As the group lowered the body to the ground and gave a final salute, the group broke apart and went in their separate directions, some consoling each other. They must have been the soldier's friends. She guessed that was the beauty of what she did for a living. If she died tomorrow, there would be nothing left to bury. Still, who would care? Her parents were gone and there was only Kenzi now. She knew that General Walker would contact her if anything happened, but still... would anyone else mourn her? She guessed that's why the brass liked her so much. They could risk her life and feel little to know guilt if anything happened to her. She chuckled,

"You know, Dad, maybe they told her I have no one, so she didn't have to worry about getting me killed."

She sat down and lay back on the grass again, watching the cargo hold close and the large plane taxi off towards the adjacent hangar. There was a line up of plane in the sky now, each awaiting their turn to return to ground. This would be a nice light show even though she enjoyed take offs more than landings.

"You know, it was you Pops. I blame you. All of those 'dumb blonde' jokes you always told have me questioning her ability to build a plane. Mom told me that you and Dad used to tell me those jokes so I would feel smarter than smarty-pants Carol Bonner and prettier than Amy Saunders. I was so self-conscious about having dark hair when all of the other girls were blonde. They weren't, of course, but they were the only ones I could see. The pretty cheerleader types who all of the boys used to fuss over and all of the teachers seemed to love were the bane of my existence in high school."

"I assure you, I am not a dumb blonde."

Bo sat up and spun around at the sound of the familiar voice. When she saw the engineer standing not five feet away with her hip cocked and arms crossed over her head, she rolled her eyes and laid back down, covering her face with her arm,

"Great. Just great." She mumbled before adding a little more volume to her voice, "What do you want."

"Nice to see you too." Lauren replied, walking up to stand next to the brunette.

"How did you find me?" Bo asked.

"General Walker told me I could probably find you here... well, I checked two other runways first." Lauren replied.

"Traitor." Bo mumbled, "What do you want?"

"To talk." Lauren replied.

"I said everything I wanted to say. You and three generals agreed that I was going to die tomorrow anyway."

Lauren rolled her eyes, "You're not dying tomorrow, Colonel."

"Says you." Bo replied.

"I mean, you're not going up tomorrow... well... not in the X-2, anyway."

Bo popped up to her feet and turned her angry eyes on the blonde, "You fucking had me replaced? How dare you!"

"I did not have you replaced." Lauren replied, her voice raised to match the pilot's.

"Then who, pray tell, is flying the mission?" Bo asked, "Sorensen?"

Lauren laughed, "No, but she played a great part in convincing General Walker and the rest of the lower ranking Generals in the room that your man should have a look at the X-2 before we proceed."

"What?" Bo asked, shocked.

"You won." Lauren replied, hanging her head and shoving her hands into her pants pockets, "Okay? You won. Satisfied?"

Bo searched the blonde's face for signs that she was joking, but her solemn mood told Bo that the engineer was anything but amused,

"Actually, I am satisfied. I can stop trying to think about who will attend my funeral tomorrow." Bo said, turning away and sitting back down on the grass, pulling at the blades between her legs.

Lauren wanted to scream at this woman. She didn't know what it was about her that sent her into fits of anger and frustration, but she steeled her emotions and took a few deep breaths before speaking again,

"Do you mind if I sit?"

"Here?" Bo asked, looking up at the blonde.

Lauren rolled her eyes again, "I can go out and sit on the runway if you prefer, but here would probably mean I get to see tomorrow as well."

Bo sighed, "Fine. Sit."

While she wasn't too keen on spending more time with the frustrating blonde, she didn't wish death on the woman. She did say she didn't have to go up in the X-2 tomorrow and that Manes would have a shot at the plane before she took it up. Bo froze,

"Wait... you said 'not the X-2, anyway'. Exactly what am I taking up tomorrow?"

"Me." Lauren replied, staring at the ground.

"What?" Bo asked, her eyes burning into the side of Lauren's head.

"You're taking me up in an F-16 tomorrow - General Walker's orders." She replied. He hadn't ordered Lauren to go up, but she knew that she would give Bo the order on her behalf if the brunette resisted the idea.

"Why?"

Lauren considered her answer before deciding it would be in her best interest... and prevent further argument with the pilot... if she fed her ego a bit,

"He wants me to learn to trust you. He wants us to spend time together if we're going to work cooperatively on the X-2. It's in the best interest of the Air Force and the X-2 program."

Bo smirked, "So he believes me."

Lauren couldn't help herself, "No, he believed your buddy Sorensen."

"What did Tamsin have to do with it?"

"She came back in after you left. She convinced them to wait long enough for Manes to confirm my analysis."

Bo nodded, "Sorry if that fractures your ego a bit, but it is my life on the line tomorrow."

"You're life is not..." Lauren began, but took a breath, "Safety is the first priority. I'm confident in my plane."

Bo laughed. This woman was adorable when she was being stubborn, "I'm sure safety is your first priority, especially since you were so willing to do the extra check before Sorensen ambushed you at her private meeting in front of the generals."

Lauren knew that she had screwed up, so she said nothing in reply. She had pushed the flight and pushed that she was right. Bo was right. She had been thinking only of staying on schedule. She hadn't once considered Bo's life or the possibility of failure despite the pilot's urging that something was wrong with the plane. Then, there was what General Walker had told her... something wasn't adding up. She wanted to ask the Colonel, but the woman clearly hated her.

"Doctor?"

"Wh-what? Sorry. I was a little lost in thought." Lauren replied.

Bo lay back down on the grass, pausing as a plane flew overhead, the scream of the engine drowning out all sound for a long moment. She followed the flames of the engines with her eyes before turning her head back to gaze up at the star-filled sky,

"I asked why you came to see me." Bo replied.

"I told you why. I came to tell you that you're taking me up in the F-16 tomorrow so we can build some trust."

Bo turned to the blonde, "Command Chief or Master Chief would have given me my new orders in the morning when I arrived at the X-2 platform. You didn't need to come."

Lauren shrugged, "General Walker told me to come and see you."

Bo nodded, "Walker told you to come. Why?"

"He was doing the paperwork for the flight plan and told me to see Ellison about the F-16." Lauren replied, "I have to follow orders too."

The brunette was silent, "Have you flown before?"

Lauren fumbled nervously with her fingers, "No."

"Never?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Never."

"All that time hanging with the wrenches and you never flew?" She asked.

"It's complicated."

Bo turned her head back to the sky, "I've got time. You really should relax, Sketch."

Lauren's head spun sharply towards the pilot, "Who told you to call me that?"

Bo chuckled, "It's what all of the pilots call you."

Lauren shook her head, "So it wasn't General Walker?"

"General Walker? Why would a General give you a call sign?"

"Why would a pilot give someone who's not a pilot a call sign?" Lauren countered.

"Okay then, consider it a nickname. You're the reason we're all here and since you're not military, we have to call you something. Doctor or Doc is too obvious. Hale noticed that you're always sketching things, so... Sketch."

Lauren nodded, a small smile stretching across her face, "Wow. I have a call sign."

"And honorary call sign." Bo clarified, "So, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Lauren replied, cautiously.

"You said you grew up in hangars, but you also were estranged from your Dad until you were twenty-five..."

"Actually, it was twenty-two. General Walker was guessing at my age."

"And you mentioned your Mom..."

"Stepmom. I met her the same year my biological Mom died in a car accident... the same year I reunited with my Dad at a NASA event and he offered me this contract. He had been dreaming of Project Resurrection for almost a decade." Lauren explained.

"That doesn't explain how you became so familiar with Air Force hangars and jets." Bo replied.

Lauren nodded, "My Dad... I mean, the man I knew as my Dad... the man who raised me with my Mom... he was an Air Force pilot. He died... lung cancer... smoked like a fiend. We all told him to quit and he tried... God how he tried, but it never quite took. He got pneumonia when I was a senior in college and... well, they found a spot on his lung. It happened so fast."

"I'm sorry." Bo replied, "I really am. Cancer sucks."

Lauren nodded, "So, I lost both parents in two years time and then ran into my Dad. It felt like it was meant to be, so when he offered my company Project Resurrection..."

"You couldn't refuse." Bo finished for the blonde.

"Pretty much. Anyway, when I was a kid, my Mom taught at the Academy all day and my Dad flew jets."

"Your Mom was a teacher?"

"My Mom was an Astrophysicist and a college Professor... well, until she met my Dad. He used to say that as soon as he saw her, his engine stalled and he fell into a flat spin. He kept at her until she finally said yes and became an Air Force Officer's wife, but eventually, she got bored sitting around base. One day, she saw a teaching job at the Academy was posted, so she went for it. They almost didn't hire her, saying she was over qualified, but she convinced them to give her a shot. She fell in love with her job. I was really young then, but once I was old enough to go to school, I was quite a handful. I would roam around base to find anything with moving parts. The engines fascinated me... that a machine could actually fly. Anyway, they were always in a panic trying to figure out where I was, so they got me a 'job' in the hangar."

"A job? How old were you?"

Lauren laughed, "I was seven or eight? It wasn't a real job, of course, but I thought it was so I was always there on time and ready to work. There was a guy named 'Bolt' who would have a list of things for me to do every day. I didn't know it then, but he had orders to keep me busy until my Mom came to pick me up."

"Smart parents."

Lauren nodded, "They were great. They really were."

"Mine too." Bo replied, "It sucks that they're gone. Do you have any siblings?"

Lauren shook her head, "Just me and my Step Mom now."

"Do you get along?"

Lauren nodded, "We do. We both understand my Dad. She's going to tell him tomorrow that they're giving him an Honorable Discharge."

Bo sat up, looking at Lauren, "Why?"

"Come on, Colonel. We both know why. The way my Dad treated you in that briefing... we both knew there was something wrong with his mind. It's been like this for months and getting worse."

Bo nodded, "What is it?"

"Early stages of Alzheimer's."

"I'm so sorry." Bo replied.

Lauren shrugged, "Yea, me too."

The pair were silent, Bo laying back on the ground. After a long moment, Lauren joined her, staring up at the sky,

"This is peaceful." Lauren replied just before a jet took off overhead.

Neither realized how hard the other was laughing until the jet passed. The two looked at each other and broke out laughing again,

"Okay, so peaceful with the exception of the occasional jet engine overhead." Lauren corrected, causing both of them to laugh even more.

They watched as another jet flew overhead before Bo asked,

"So, all that time around the hangar and you never got to go up?"

Lauren shrugged, "I was terrified of flying... I know, I know... an astrophysicist and aeronautical engineer who is afraid of flying is the strangest thing you've ever heard."

"It really is." Bo smiled.

Lauren nodded, hesitating before she asked, "You'll take care of me up there, right?"

Bo nodded, "Killing a General's daughter would be a bad idea."

"True, but... well... I mean... I..."

Bo turned onto her side, resting her head on her hand, "Whoa, Sketch. Relax. I promise you'll be okay."

"It's... it's not you I'm worried about. Colonel..."

"Please, it's Bo."

Lauren took a few breaths, trying to calm herself, "Bo, I'm... worried."

"I told you..."

"No, it's not about you. I'm sure you're an excellent pilot. But... look... I'm adding up the pieces to a massive puzzle here and maybe I'm just being paranoid, but... look..."

Lauren sat up, crossing her legs and placing her elbows on her knees. She was struggling to organize her thoughts, but as she saw Bo sat up and mirror her position, she took a leap of faith that the pilot was smart enough to fill in any blanks she had and began,

"Your Father... if his death was more than a mere accident, we'll need to know who did what and why. There was a report that I read about your house being robbed twice."

Bo nodded, "Yes, about a week before my Dad was killed and then the day of his funeral. Pretty shitty day all around."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but if you put the three events together, does it seem at all suspicious to you?"

The pilot sat staring at Lauren for a moment before she looked out across the runway towards the hangars in the distance. She stood and began pacing back and forth as she searched her memory for any information she may have overheard during the investigations that took place for the three events, but could come up with nothing.

"Did anyone try to talk you out of becoming a pilot?" Lauren asked.

"You mean besides my Mom who was paranoid about losing me like she lost her husband?" Bo asked.

Lauren made note of her Mom's reluctance for Bo to become a pilot. She might need that information later, "Is there anyone else who was vocal about you joining?"

Bo searched her memory, "Well, your Dad was certainly not the most encouraging voice in the room. He was surprised that I was interested in getting into the cockpit of a jet after how my Dad died. He kept telling me how much of a fan of his he was and that I'd have to work hard to achieve was he had. I explained that I wasn't trying to compete with the ghost of my Father. I just wanted to fly jets."

"Oh." Lauren replied, unsure of how far she should push the issue. Despite what Bo thought about how she felt about pilots and despite the fact that she had been so obsessed with the X-2 that she had pushed to the point of potentially putting her pilot in danger, Lauren didn't want to screw up now. She didn't want Bo second guessing herself up there or getting paranoid that someone was out to get her, but she was worried.

"Lauren?"

"Wh-what?" Lauren looked up, "Sorry."

"I lost you again. That big brain of yours certainly does work overtime, huh?" She smiled.

Lauren stiffened before deciding she wasn't going to push the issue any more tonight, "You have no idea."

Bo nodded, "My sister Kenzi is like that."

Lauren smiled, "Your sister Kenzi didn't show up today."

"Why would she?" Bo asked.

"She's the person from the Intelligence community that is being assigned to Project Resurrection."

"Oh boy." Bo replied.

"Oh boy?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "She will not be happy that I'm flying in the X-2."

Lauren connected the dots quickly, "She'll be even less happy that your Dad's body is being exhumed."

"It'll be a coin toss between the two, but if she gets wind of any of this in the next twenty-four hours, she'll be on the first jet here."

They sat quietly for a moment before Bo sat up, taking a deep breath, "Well, I suppose we should get some rack time. Morning comes early around here."

She stood, offering Lauren a hand up which the blonde took with a smile. The pair began to walk back towards the barracks,

"Are you staying on base?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head, "Hotel."

"Wow. Posh digs. Good for you." Bo smiled.

"I'd hardly call my hotel room posh. It's definitely a no frills place." Lauren replied.

"I should give you some of my miles for an upgrade." Bo laughed.

"Anything I should know for morning?" Lauren asked.

"Eat breakfast at least two hours before take off so everything has a chance to digest... or skip breakfast altogether. You never know how you're going to react to flying and I'd hate for you to spew all over my cockpit."

"Noted. Anything else?"

Bo smiled as she turned left at the parking lot, walking backwards as she parted ways with the Doctor, "Don't be late, Sketch. Pre-flight at 0500. I know how much you like that pre-flight check."

Lauren stood watching as the brunette turned away. She smiled before calling out to the brunette, "I don't just like the pre-flight, I love the pre-flight, Stick!"

Bo gave her a wave, but kept walking. The blonde took a few steps backward, her smile stretching from ear to ear before she turned and walked to her car, happy that General Walker had refused to allow her to switch pilots.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Bo? I thought we were meeting on the tarmac?" Lauren asked, entering the hangar where Bo and Manes were working on an F-16.

Bo stood and ran her eyes over Lauren's attire, "Nice gear, Doctor. Have you been holding out on us?"

Lauren shook her head, "No, the Command Chief Master Sergeant gave this to me to wear."

Bo nodded, "I'm glad he did. We'll be pulling a few G's up there, so it's nice to know you won't pass out on me. I hate when passengers fall asleep. The least they can do is to stay awake for the driver, right Manes?"

"That's right, Colonel." Manes said dropping a wrench into the toolbox and coming to stand next to Bo.

"Is there something wrong with the plane?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged, sharing a glance with Manes before turning back to Lauren, "There was something wrong with the first plane. This one is ready to go. Checked from stem to stern by my favorite mechanic who is actually no longer a mechanic but the overseer of all mechanics... and budgets... and flight plans, etc. etc, etc."

Manes chuckled at the Colonel, "You're good to go, Ma'am."

Bo nodded, "Thanks, Manes. I appreciate the last minute change."

"No way I was sending the best of the best up in that hunk of junk, Ma'am."

"Hunk of junk?" Lauren asked.

"No worries, Sketch. Come on, let's get you the best view on the planet." Bo smiled, as Manes moved the ladder to the second seat and waved Lauren up the stairs.

The blonde looked like she might pass out at any moment, but Bo had seen that look a million times before. She smiled and walked up to the blonde, gently grasping her elbow to guide her to the base of the stairs,

"Lauren, I made you a promise."

"You did."

"So, this morning I came out and checked the plane that had been arranged for us. I didn't like the looks of a few things, so I called Manes who I have trusted with my life in combat situations. He agreed with what I found and had one of our newest F-16's brought into this hangar for a checkup."

Bo turned to Manes, "Everything checks out on this one, right, Manes?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Now, look at that face. Have you ever seen a more honest face in your lifetime?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled at the Chief, "I suppose not."

"And that's how I know we're in the best of hands," she leaned into Lauren's ear, "That and the fact that I personally stood staring over his shoulder the entire time he was tuning up the aircraft. Now, if you'd like to give it the once over yourself, you can but then we'll have to enter a new flight plan. We have ten minutes to get onto that tarmac of lose our position."

Lauren sighed, looking between the two for a long moment before nodding and climbing the stairway. She stepped into the 2nd seat of the cockpit and pulled on her helmet while Manes moved the stairway for Bo.

"You think she'll be okay, Colonel?" Manes asked.

Bo shrugged, "We'll soon find out, Manes. At the very least, she'll finally understand what it's like on my side of the fence."

"You're going to let her take the stick?" He asked, surprised.

"That's an affirmative, Chief. She needs to feel the parts move to understand what I'm talking about in the X-2 simulator. This is the only way I know to get my point across."

"I'm sure you have many ways of doing just that, Colonel." Manes chuckled.

Bo climbed the stairs and entered the cockpit. She pulled on her helmet and gave a wiggle of her thumb and pinky finger, signaling Manes that she was ready for her headset. The Chief scaled the stairs and made sure both women were settled in, that communications were up and running and that all instrumentation was functioning properly. He descended the stairs and pulled the platform away before moving to the front of the plane giving a go-no go signal for flaps, rudder and lights to his pilot. He then moved to where they had mounted two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and two AIM-7 Sparrows beneath the wings. He checked that they were secure and moved on to the underbelly of the plane.

Since Bo had missed her monthly weapons qualifying round last week due to her Mother's funeral, General Walker had added it to her flight plan today to keep the brass happy. The flight plan had her flying a NATO mission, so she'd quickly reviewed the language for weapons release to make sure she'd get it right.

The chief hopped into the cart and began to push the aircraft back to the tarmac under the direction of his crew. Once in position, he pulled on his headphones and mic,

"All clear, Stick."

Bo ran through the pre-flight with Lauren, "Okay, Sketch. Let's run it. Fuel gauge."

"Check." Lauren replied with a giggle.

"I'm sorry, did my second seat just giggle?"

Lauren cleared her throat, "Sorry, Colonel. I just... I've only ever done a pre-flight in a simulator. This is the real thing and... well... it's just so exciting."

Bo laughed as she heard the woman rapidly clap her hands. She looked down at Manes who gave her a knowing grin before listening to the Colonel resume the check. When finished, she also reminded Lauren that no names or rank were to be used for the duration of the flight... call signs only.

Lauren nodded, leading Manes to jump into the conversation, "Sketch, remember that Stick can't see you nodding. When asked a question, you must give a verbal reply."

"Check." Lauren said, giggling again, her two thumbs popping up, signaling through the window to the Chief.

Manes and Bo laughed, the Chief shaking his head as he moved out in front of the jet on the runway. He held up two hands, waving one left to aid the pilot in lining up for take off. Once course was corrected, he gave Bo his little dance and thrust both arms towards her destination. She gave him a thumbs up and a salute before throttling up and hurtling down the runway with the sound of Lauren's excited giggle in the background.

Lauren's smile was stretching from ear to ear as the jet picked up speed and before she knew it, she was airborne, screaming with excitement as the sensation of weightlessness combined with the forces of takeoff made her stomach drop. She swallowed hard, convincing herself that there was no way she was spilling her cookies while Bo was her pilot. It would be way too embarrassing.

"Sketch? You good back there?"

Lauren grinned from ear to ear, "That was amazing."

Bo smiled, "Glad you liked it. Now, I've got orders to do a qualifying run."

"I was wondering why we had four missiles on our wings." Lauren acknowledged.

"You noticed, huh? It's a couple of Sidewinders and a couple of Sparrows. Sketch, be warned that they'll be sending up decoys that I will be required to avoid before they send up my aerial targets. It's going to force me to take evasive action, which could make this ride a bit more exciting than your stomach can handle. Manes put bags in the pocket next to your right knee. Please use them if you need them."

"I am determined not to soil your cockpit, Stick."

"Well, let's hope determination is a good replacement for experience. Here we go." Bo said, before beginning her descent towards the hard deck.

Lauren braced herself quickly, the steep dive taking her by surprise. Her eyes went wide as she felt the pressure build against her body, barely getting out the word,

"Bo."

The pilot felt her chest tighten at the sound of the blonde's voice, her anger flaring slightly hearing her name used on air, but kept her eyes on the first target, her hand firm, yet relaxed on the stick as her index finger wrapped around the trigger. This test was with radar down, so Bo was to eyeball the first two targets as she fired the two infrared-guided Sidewinders. It had been a while since she'd flown blind like this, but she liked her odds as the airborne mark came into view. She grinned as she whispered to herself,

"Hold... hold... hold... and..." She gave the trigger a squeeze and pulled back on the stick as she spoke clearly and quickly,

"Fox Two." Indicating, in NATO speak, one of her Sidewinders had been released.

"Whooaaaaaa." Came the groan from the 2nd seat.

"Hang in there, Sketch. Round two coming up."

Lauren nodded, unable to speak, instead bracing herself once again as the pilot looped up and over before making her descent. The blonde felt her stomach roll before the ground came into sight once again. She shook her head, trying desperately to shake off the dizziness only to feel her stomach drop again. She looked out on the wing, watching as another missile took flight,

"Fox two."

Again, the doctor groaned as the plane flipped wing over wing two times before righting itself again. The plane went into a steep dive and the blonde's helmet pressed against the glass, watching as the sandy ground below quickly approached. She pressed both of her feet against the floor of the aircraft, desperately trying to apply the brakes she didn't have before they crashed into the earth. They leveled out about two-thousand feet about ground before she heard Bo's voice again,

"Fox one."

The plane made a steep climb and Lauren saw spots forming in front of her eyes as she felt the G-forces pressing against her body yet again. She looked at one wing and then the other, thankful there was only one missile left. Her stomach was rolling and she wasn't sure she would be able to hold back...

"Mmmmwwoooaaaa." She groaned as the Colonel swept around for the last run. Just a few more minutes...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sketch? You with me yet?" Bo asked of her 2nd seat. She'd been calling to the blonde for the last few minutes. She'd either fallen asleep after the last run or passed out. She wasn't sure, but she had turned and headed back to base just in case it was the latter.

Finally, she heard a grumble followed by a moan,

"Sketch? You awake?"

"Mm-hmmm. I think I fell asleep... or passed out. Actually I'm not really sure." She admitted.

"I've turned us back to base to get you medical attention..."

"Don't you dare! I love it up here and I may never get another chance!"

"But..."

"Stick, I swear, if you put me down, I'll make your life a living hell for the duration of the Resurrection project."

Bo giggled, "You mean you haven't already?"

Lauren laughed as she replied, "I have not yet begun to be stubborn and controlling."

"Okay then. Off into the wild blue yonder we go." Bo said, looping around and heading back out to join their original flight plan, "Flight."

"This is flight. Go ahead, Stick."

"Change of plans, flight. The painting isn't finished yet. Sketch wants to continue. Belay medical."

"Roger that, Stick. Climb to 25,000 and we'll watch you from there. Paint the sky, Stick."

Bo smiled, "Got that, Flight. Out."

Bearing down on the throttle, Bo climbed to the designated altitude, rolling into the flight lane and continuing on the flight path.

"Any chance we can... I don't know... not... roll?" The Doctor asked.

Bo chuckled, "I'll do my best."

"Stick?"

"Yea, Sketch?"

"You were right."

"About what?" Bo asked.

Lauren sighed, "Everything."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Manes crossed his arms, signaling the pilot she was on target. The engine was silenced and the cockpit hatch opened, revealing the two women. He moved the ladder into position as they disconnected all of their gear. Finally the helmets came off, revealing smiles and laughter,

"Well, looks like someone had fun."

Bo smiled, "She's a natural, Manes."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. I did have that momentary lapse of... consciousness."

"Stick pulled a few too many G's for ya, Sketch?" Manes asked.

"I think she broke every theory of motion and physics ever written." Lauren replied, climbing from the cockpit as Bo stood by expecting her legs to be a bit wobbly... and they were. She extended a hand which the blonde took until she was steady, then headed to the stairway with Manes watching her carefully.

"Well, she is the best of the best, so I'm not surprised she put you into a bit of a tizzy there." He replied.

Lauren smiled, "Well, you'll be happy to know you have nothing to clean up in the 2nd seat. I managed to keep my cookies to myself... not that they didn't threaten to make an appearance. Of course, passing out probably helped."

Manes noticed how unusually chatty the Doctor was and looked at Bo who shrugged. The next thing they knew, Lauren was bidding them farewell and walking away,

"Hey, Sketch!"

The blonde paused for a long moment before turning to face the pilot, "Yes?"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Lauren nodded, her hand coming to her mouth before she suddenly ran for the nearest patch of grass and unloaded the contents of her stomach. Bo wasn't too happy when Manes suddenly let out a laugh,

"Chief!"

He looked at Bo, the smile slowly disappearing from his face, "That'll be all, Chief."

He saluted, but Bo only shook her head, pulling her aviators up onto the top of her friend before releasing a long sigh. She waited until the third bout with her stomach stopped then walked to the blonde, kneeling just beside her and placing a hand on her back,

"Better?" Bo asked.

Lauren groaned, shaking her head, "Not even a little bit. The entire planet is spinning."

Bo laughed, "It does that."

"I mean spinning off its axis." She clarified before heaving again, only there was nothing left to dispose of since she took Bo's advice and ate very little this morning. Bo watched until the bout subsided before she'd seen enough suffering,

"Okay, okay. Here, let me help." Bo said, helping Lauren to sit down some distance away from the contents of her stomach.

The blonde gave a weak smile as she took the offered rag from Bo, "A bandana?"

"To wipe your mouth."

Lauren did as she was told then folded it, "I'll wash this for you."

Bo shook her head, "Nah, I'll do it."

"Really, I'm not going to let you handle my slobber. I promise you'll get it back." Lauren insisted as she began to put the cloth in the side pocket of her pants, but Bo stilled her hand, shaking her head,

"I really need you to give that to me. Please."

"Uh... okay?" Lauren replied, seeing the slightly irritated look on the pilot's face.

She watched as Bo folded the cloth over one more time before sliding it into her pocket and gripping the inside of her wrist between her thumb and first two fingers,

"What are you doing?" Lauren asked.

"It's a little acupressure trick. It doesn't work on everyone, but hopefully you're one of the lucky ones and the motion sickness will subside."

"Strong grip." Lauren commented, feeling awkward about the pilot's hand on her wrist and still wondering about the bandana, "So, is the bandana..."

"My Mom's. Well, technically it was my Mom's but to my Dad... well, he called it his good luck charm."

They sat in silence, Lauren staring up at the brunette's profile while Bo kept her eyes trained on the second hand of her watch while timing the acupressure treatment she was administering. Lauren felt something stir inside of her as she watched the pilot apply firm, constant pressure to the specific spot on her wrist. Her hands were strong from her job, yet her touch felt gentle... and something more that Lauren could not identify. Her dark strands of hair were beginning to curl slightly in the heat and she could see small beads of sweat beginning to form on the pilot's brow. Her eyes were almost black and her lips looked incredibly soft.

Shaking out her thoughts, Lauren pulled her head up and leaned it back against the tree while she watched Bo release her wrist, placing it on the blonde's thigh before she looked up at her,

"I'm sorry if I was abrupt. It's just that..."

"You don't have to explain, Bo." Lauren interrupted, "Clearly the bandana means a great deal to you. I don't blame you for not wanting to let it out of your sight."

Bo nodded, "It's okay."

She turned her back to Lauren and slid back to lean against the tree, their shoulders just touching, "I remember my Mom telling me that – when they first got married – my Dad used to come home and throw his change, his watch, his wedding ring, his pocket knife and often some lug nuts and washers on the table before going to take his shower. She would have to pick all of the stuff up to set the table for dinner. It used to drive her crazy, so one day she put a basket on the table for his pocket-emptying ritual. In the morning, he would put on his watch and ring, put his pocket knife in his pants and then head off to work."

She paused as a nearby jet engine cranked up, causing both women to cover their ears. Both women watched as the deafening sound launched into forward momentum, the plane disappearing from sight in fifteen seconds. Bo continued,

"The first day he was stationed here to test planes, he was sent up to test an engine that would eventually become the same engine they use on the space shuttles. Something went wrong on lift off and he had to make a hard landing. Obviously he lived, but my Mom caught wind of what happened and, well... let's just say she was a bit shaken up. It was the 80's, so when she worked out she always wore this bandana. She decided it would be useful and lucky for my Dad to carry. I think she just wanted him to have a piece of her with him."

"Don't most pilots carry a picture of a loved one?"

Bo nodded, "Some do, but my Dad said her beauty was a distraction. My Mom knew it was more than that. For a pilot to make life and death decisions for the 'good of the many', they have to think of them and the mission. He found that staring at the single most important person in your life makes it hard to take risks. Anyway, he agreed to carry the bandana."

Lauren's brow knit together in confusion, "But how..."

"Did it not burn up with my Dad?" Bo chuckled, "The night before his death, we were all working on a puzzle together as a family and he had moved the basket to give us room. We didn't finish the puzzle, so he never put it back on the table. He was late to work because our power was out, so left without the contents of the basket. My Mom always believed that's why he crashed."

"So you fly with it now?" Lauren asked.

"Always." Bo replied.

"And why do you think he crashed?" Lauren asked.

Bo looked over her shoulder, "Is this on the record?"

Lauren smiled, turning back to stare out at the sky, "Let's just say that, while I know we have our differences, I'm hoping that we can be friends, so no, this is not on the record."

"Friends, huh?" Bo asked.

"Is that so hard for you to imagine?"

Bo chuckled, "You want to put me up in the plane that killed my Father."

"I really didn't know..."

"You knew, Lauren. Come on, if you want to be friends, you can at least be honest."

She sat up quickly and spun towards Bo, instantly regretting it. She groaned as she grabbed her head, taking a moment to wait for the word to stop spinning before she spoke,

"Bo, I promise you that my Father did not disclose the reports of who you were to me. Until I was given the copy of the report that was not dedacted, I had no idea."

"But you picked me..."

Lauren shook her head quickly, "My Father picked you... well, I picked you from a list of qualifications, but he knew who every pilot was whose resumes I was given to read. There were no names on the files – it was a blind selection process."

"Why would they use a blind selection process?"

Lauren shrugged, "I don't know, Bo. Look, my Father brought me on to this base to do this job. I was given designs of five planes that had failed. I was hired to make those planes work by changing as little as possible."

"There's a fleet of each plane, right?"

"What?"

"They're trying to save on parts by making use of planes they already have." Bo replied.

Lauren was silent for a long moment before she replied, "I suppose that is possible. They are having me build the planes without changing the exterior. I've essentially been given free reign to built the guts of the aircraft inside the existing shell."

"And have you done that?"

Lauren shook her head, "Not with the X-2. It was... off the record, right?"

Bo nodded, "Off the record."

"I'm sorry, Bo, but the X-2 never should have gone up... never should have been built. Maybe it was just the engineering knowledge of the time, but... well, even that doesn't really make sense. The former plane was just never going to fly. I'm not sure what they were thinking or how it was approved."

"You don't?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I only know that my Dad was one of the youngest Generals on the project and he was determined to make it a viable plane. His exact words were 'to right the wrongs of the past' with these planes."

Bo sat fumbling with the ring on her middle finger, her mind a million miles away from where she sat listening to the blonde. Her mind raced with possibilities, but the more she learned about the past, the more she felt like it was coming back to haunt her.

"Is that your Father's wedding ring?" Lauren asked, trying to draw the brunette back out of her thoughts. Lauren didn't want to be intrusive, but she needed more information about the past in order to

Bo nodded, "It is. My Mom had it sized to fit me. I keep it in my pocket while I'm flying or on a mission, then put it on when I'm back on home soil. My sister Kenzi has my Mom's now. They were really close. While I was off with my Dad, Kenzi was always with my Mom. Of course, she wanted to be like me so it was only a matter of time until she fell in love with jets too."

They were quiet for a moment before Bo asked,

"So, what are you expecting to find in my Father's coffin?"

Lauren shrugged, "I don't know. What I do know is that I plan to leave no stone unturned. I will find answers for you, Bo. I worked two years with the TSA, so I know what to look for and so far, what I'm looking for isn't there."

"So something is missing?"

"There are parts of the plane that should not have burned up – at least not completely. My Dad was against exhuming the body and honestly, we fought loud and long over that one. You'll have to talk to your sister, but I heard him talking to someone in Washington two nights before we met. They don't want that coffin opened and I want to know why."

"Someone got to Kenzi." Bo said.

"What?"

"Kenzi wants answers as much as I do. Someone convinced Kenzi that exhuming the body wouldn't help... that she should just let it go."

"Do you know that for sure?" Lauren asked.

"No, but I'll find out soon enough. Do you know anything else about when she's arriving?" Bo asked.

"Only what my Dad said – she's delayed."

Bo shuddered, "But alive?"

Lauren looked up at her, "Why would she be anything but?"

"You want to be my friend?"

"I do."

"Then trust my gut."

Lauren sighed, "I'm not much on gut instinct, Bo. It's not that I don't trust you or want to be a friend to you. I work in science and scientific facts are how I make my decisions."

"Yea, well I'm a fighter jet pilot and I follow my instincts... instincts that come from thousands of hours in the sky and years dealing with the bureaucratic bullshit that happens on the ground. I know when I smell a rat and right now it seems like we have a problem that's going to require an exterminator."

"Well, then we have to find the facts that back up your gut, Bo. We can't just go pointing fingers. We need evidence."

Bo nodded, "So we're back to my Dad's body."

"I'm afraid so." Lauren replied, watching as Bo leaned her head back against the tree trunk again. She felt bad there wasn't more she could tell the pilot at this point, but she was pretty sure she would eventually uncover more on what had happened to her Father. For now, all she could do was to make sure she was safe flying in the X-2. She leaned her head back, smiling when she realized the world was no longer spinning,

"Thanks."

"For what?" Bo asked.

"For stopping the world from spinning. Whatever that pinch thing was, it worked."

Bo smiled, "Well, I had to do something. I mean, you looked kind of pathetic and it was probably my fault."

"Totally your fault, but I think I understand why they call you Stick. You really can handle a plane."

"I love flying. It's the one place I feel like myself." Bo replied.

"You don't feel like yourself on the ground? I mean... I hope you feel like you can be yourself with me. I mean... we are friends, right?" Lauren asked.

"The jury is still out on that one. I mean, if I crash and die in the X-2, we definitely weren't friends." Bo smiled.

Lauren chuckled, "Well, I guess I'll have to have a chat with your man Manes then... make sure he does a good job on the check up."

Bo nodded, "I know you're not happy about someone second guessing your work. I'm sorry that I have my doubts, but..."

"It's okay, Bo. You know, today opened my eyes to something I'd never realized. What you do up there... I mean, I was terrified right up to the moment where I finally realized that there was absolutely nothing I could do about what may or may not happen."

Bo looked over her shoulder at the blonde, "Why did that stop you from being terrified?"

Lauren smiled, "Because it was in that moment that I decided I had no choice but to trust you. It was a shitty feeling, but I knew that you had been flying F-16's since you were out of high school, so it just made sense to give you that trust. Besides, there wasn't anything I could do about it."

"Wow. The great Doctor Lauren Lewis gives up control."

"I know, alert the media. It's the story of the century." Lauren laughed at her own expense, "Seriously though, while we were up there, I realized what I'd been asking you to do and how wrong it was."

Bo looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"I was asking you to trust me when you have no reason to trust me. All you know about the X-2 is that your Dad was killed in it. Even though this one is a completely new interior, you have every reason to fear it."

"I'm not afraid." Bo replied quickly.

"I didn't mean to offend you. I only meant..."

"I know what you meant and I'm not afraid. I'm just not keen on putting my life on the line to see if your experiment worked. I have worth and I don't appreciate being tossed into a tin can like I'm recyclable."

"I understand that." Lauren began, but Bo was far from finished,

"No you don't. You don't know how it feels to be sent on missions knowing that you might not come back. You have no idea how many times I've been asked to risk my life for the good of the citizens of a country who barely know I exist." Bo raged, her closing remark leading her to stand and brush off her pants.

"Bo, please don't walk away angry." Lauren replied, standing up too quickly and needing to use the tree so she didn't fall.

The pilot sighed, "I'm..." She took a breath, "I'm not angry. I just... I don't know... when we talk about the X-2, I just get... I just don't trust you... I'm sorry, but I don't. If I don't trust you, I can't trust that plane."

"You don't have any reason to trust me. You don't know me. You don't know what I've done. You don't know my mind. But I'm getting to know you. Being up there with you today... seeing how you handled the F-16, seeing how focused you were and how determined you are in that aircraft was amazing. I know that if and when you get in the X-2, you will give her a fair and thorough test. It's exactly what I want for her. But Bo, I want you alive. You have to know that."

Lauren stood, staring at the brunette's back for a long while before she finally turned around, "I don't know that. I've been taught not to trust engineers and mechanics. As a matter of fact, on the flight here, I ran into one of my Dad's former 2nd seat pilots and he reminded me of that lesson. He reminded me that to engineers, pilots are a dime a dozen. If we crash, there's always another pilot who is ordered to take over their cockpit. The difference is that having the X-2 isn't life or death now, is it?"

Lauren shrugged, "If we want to have the best aircraft to protect our country then..."

Bo was ready to pull her hair out, "Oh, bullshit, Lauren. Who's feeding you that load of crap?"

"My Father told me the five planes my company was hired to make flight capable could make all the difference in..."

"Oh, stop! Listen to yourself! Your Dad is losing his mind and you're following his lead with my life and the lives of my friends!"

Lauren scowled at the comment about her Father. They weren't all that close, but the words still stung nonetheless. She'd known he was starting to degrade, but she'd acted on it by calling General Walker in to see for himself,

"I know all about my Dad's mental state. I'm the one that called General Walker and reported him. Do you think I feel good about that? Do you have to rub it in? I'm supposed to be there with them today when they tell him his career is over, but here I am listening to you trash him instead."

Bo frowned, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"Yes. You did. You meant every word and I understand."

Bo sighed, "I didn't have to be mean, so I am sorry."

Lauren nodded in reply.

"You know, some days I feel like pilots are going to be replaced by drones and the world is going to become one big video game to determine who wins wars. It would be nice, actually, but then what would I be? It's sad that I need a war to have a job. It's kind of sick, right? It's always bothered me. Anyway, I just... why can't we put the X-2 up by remote control for its' first flight?"

Lauren looked up at Bo, her eyes wide as saucers, "I... uh... I've just... well, no one has ever suggested that before, but... well, we have drone technology... I might be able to..."

"Wait... if you're about to go off on some science tangent, just save it for someone who understands." Bo replied, looking up as an incoming jet made itself known.

She turned to face the aircraft, "What the hell?"

Lauren smiled, "When General Walker told me I needed to work on our trust factor, I decided I would have to go a step further than flying 2nd seat with you."

Bo looked at Lauren, and then back to the aircraft, "What is it?"

"That's the plane your friend Lieutenant Santiago is flying. He ran a little errand for me."

"An errand?" Bo asked, "What is it?"

"It's called the X-15. It was well before your time, but..."

Bo nodded, "I saw Tamsin in the original yesterday. I recognized it right away, but I had no idea you were building a new version." She looked at Lauren, "Did you know that Neil Armstrong was one of the test pilots on the original? It was retired in 1970 and was a joint operation between NASA and the U.S. Air Force that started in the 60's. It set records for speed and altitude. Did you know it can crank to a velocity that's more than six times the speed of sound and that it still holds the world speed record?" Bo looked back at the new version of the X-15, "Damn! General Green gave that plane to Hale and gave me the X-2 instead? That's just not right!"

Bo moved to walk towards the plane as it touched down with Lauren right on her heels, "I asked him why he wasn't putting you in the X-15. He said the X-2 was more important."

"Why? It's a piece of crap. This could make it to space. I mean, it has a real shot. I don't know why they ever retired it."

"Cost." Lauren replied.

Bo chuckled, "Of course."

She leaned against the chain-linked fence, her fingers pushing through the opening as she looked in awe at the piece of machinery before her. She watched as the cockpit opened, revealing Hale and a second occupant,

"Who's flying 2nd seat?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled, "That would be my errand."

Bo looked at Lauren, "Did you build this?"

The blonde smiled and nodded, "It's much the same as the original. I just upgraded parts and tech to make it flight ready for today's military. It has solar backup to increase flight distance. That was one of the biggest complaints about the craft in the 80's."

"She is a guzzler, huh?" Bo asked.

Lauren's face was filled with pride as she replied, "Not anymore she isn't."

Bo turned towards a familiar voice and saw her sister standing up pulling her helmet off.

"BoBo, you have GOT to fly this baby! Is my hair on fire? I think my hair must be on fire!"

A big smile spread across the elder sister's face, "Your hair is not on fire! Get down here and give me a hug! You're late!"

She laughed as she watched her sister exit the aircraft and run across the airstrip to the gate. Bo ran over to meet her, giving her a long hug, tears filling her eyes.

"It's so good to see you, Kenzi." She whispered.

Kenzi pulled back, looking into her sister's eyes, "Hale told me everything. Don't you dare get in that fucking plane, Bo."

"I had my orders, Kenz, but Sorensen went balls to the wall and bailed me out. Manes is checking out the plane."

"Manes? He's here? I thought he was in love with carriers for life." Kenzi laughed.

Bo smiled, "I think he's in love with Tamsin for life."

"Rage and the Machine. Cool."

Bo turned to Lauren, "Kenzi Malikov, this is Lauren Lewis. She's the engineer..."

"I know who you are and you're out of your mind if you think you're putting my sister into the cockpit of that death trap no matter what you've renamed it." Kenzi lashed out. As she went to dish out more, Bo stopped her,

"Kenzi, you left the Air Force for Military Intelligence, but I didn't. I have my orders and Lauren has nothing to do with those. She was hired to do a job and so was I, but for now, the X-2 isn't going up. Manes is giving it a check up before it goes up and..."

Lauren interrupted, "And Bo just gave me an idea for how we might keep everyone safe and give the X-2 her virgin flight while still satisfying the brass."

Bo looked at Lauren, "I did?"

"The drone idea? I think I can make it work." Lauren explained.

"I was just thinking out loud. I don't know if..."

Lauren shook her head, "You let me worry about General Walker. I have a feeling if I approach it from the angle you gave me, it might work."

"What angle was that?" Bo asked.

"The one that states that the original orders were given by a General who is mentally incapacitated." Lauren replied.

"Lauren, I don't expect you to..."

"It's the right thing to do, Bo." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "I just feel bad that you have to sacrifice your Dad's reputation..."

Lauren turned Bo away from her sister and pulled her a short distance away, "Look, Bo. I wanted to say something last night... I'm still not ready to say anything now, but... well, to quote you... my gut is telling me that what went wrong with the X-2 wasn't an accident. Tomorrow I'll have your Dad's coffin and the proper team to analyze everything. Manes should have his assessment of the new X-2 finished and we should all have answers. At that point, we'll start deciding what should happen next. Okay?"

Bo nodded, "Okay."

"Why don't you spend some time with Kenzi. I'm going to head over to see how Manes is doing."

"Sounds good, but don't hover, okay? Manes doesn't like it anymore than you do."

Lauren held up a finger as she answered her phone, "Doctor Lewis."

Bo watched as the blonde listened and nodded before she replied to the caller, "We'll be right there."

"Looks like you're going to have to delay that time with your sister. We're going right to work. General Walker is going to meet us at the hangar. Manes found something."

Bo's face went pale, "You mean..."

Lauren shook her head, "Apparently when he arrived this morning, a panel was open on the belly that my guys swore was closed last night. General Walker checked the video surveillance with the Chief Security Officer and apparently, they were unable to identify two of the guards and a mechanic who were at the hangar last night."

"Are you starting to like my gut a bit more?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded, "I'm starting to like my own gut more. Come on."

"What about Kenzi?" Bo asked, turning to see her wrapping an arm around Hale's waist as he threw one over her shoulder.

"They're both part of Project Resurrection. They need to come with." Lauren replied as a private pulled up in a jeep.

"Santiago! Kenz! Duty call!" Bo said, getting into the jeep next to Lauren. She knew she needed to serve as a buffer between the blonde and her sister.

"Aw, come on! I haven't eaten for..." She checked her watch, "...almost three hours!"

"Come on, lil' mama, I'll buy you dinner after we get this business taken care of. Big brass is on base, so we need to make tracks."

Kenzi mumbled something to herself in Russian, but followed Hale as requested, sitting beside Bo in the jeep while Hale took shotgun next to the Private.

"So, what's up, BoBo? Did the Doctor find another body she wants to dig up?" Kenzi asked, leaning forward to look at Lauren, "Yea, I know who you are, bitch and you're not digging up our Dad."

Bo went to reply, but she felt Lauren nudge the side of her thigh. Looking at the blonde, she saw her shake her head and mouth the word, 'later'. She immediately understood that Lauren didn't want her to get into an argument with her sister over her decision to allow her access to the coffin and its contents. She would bring her up to speed later. For now, they needed to know what was going on at the hangar.

She felt Lauren's breath against her ear and it sent a shiver down her spine before she heard the words, "I'm so thankful you didn't get into the X-2 this morning. I'm also grateful that Tamsin is as stubborn as I am. Her little temper tantrum with General Walker forced him to put the flight on hold despite the brass wanting him to push forward."

Bo smiled, whispering back, "Well, I'm starting to wonder which of the brass is pushing this flight and the project. As for Tamsin, her call sign is 'Rage' for a reason."

Lauren chuckled, turning her attention to the road ahead and the answers she hoped to find for the Colonel and her sisters. Of course, she was also starting to feel she was pulled into more than just a plane-building project.

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