Time for a second chapter! I lost most of my data over the holidays and had to get the old computer fixed, but all is well now, and the story shall commence.

Thanks Very Kindly to:

BookWorm714 My first review, yea! I adore Pinky too. I was hoping he'd get a few more fics around here, but you never know. Thanks for the kind words, and I hope you enjoy ch 2.

ShieiniRyoTenchiMeshiko Thanks for the words of encouragement, and now that I'm back online, I can finally read the rest of your fic!

Disclaimer: Doom is own by id software, Universal, and other people so not me. I'm not making anything from this.

In this installment, we see that poor Samantha Grimm is all work and no play. Jenna isn't about to let that happen, though...

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Sam, look! What about that one?" She asked, a finger seemingly glued to my person. Poking my shoulder. She always did this to make her point, put a little emphasis on what she wastrying to say. If I didn't love her like a sister, I'd jettison her ass through the Ark. We'd only been at Papoose Lake a little under a month, and already Jenna was trying to set me up...appearently with anything, judging by the pasty, tired 'prospects' making their way through the main lobby.

"Well, how about him? He's a looker, don't you think?" I guess I should explain a little about dear Jenna Naykovski. She has a brilliant mind, the finest in the area of recumbent DNA research. That's why she's going to Mars, why she's on my team. Never mind the fact that we've been best friends since grad school, shared the same burning desire to get to Olduvai and study what most of our peers only dreamt about.

Plus, she'd been there for me when my things with John went to hell.

Her only problem was her incessant fear that I was going to condemn myself to the confines of a laboratory for weeks at a time, so enthralled with my research that I'd soon have neither the time nor inclination to find the man of my dreams, let alone go out for the occasional cup of coffee. It wasn't that I wanted to be alone.

I just wanted to find the answers to my questions more.

"Hold, on, I've found him! Even you can't deny his obvious cuteness!"

"Whoa, him? Now I know you have been known to have strange tastes in the opposite sex, but come on, that's taking it a little far, don't you think?"

"Eww, not Dr. Carmack!" She shook her head clear of the thought, looking as though she'd just ate a particularly sour lemon.

Just then, a tall, sandy blond in a sharp pair of glasses and perfectly pressed lab coat entered.

"Is that Steve I see?" I swear Jenna's head whipped around so fast, her freckles nearly flew off her face. "You know, the way you two go around making moon eyes at each other, you're never going to get much work done."

"You need someone to make moon eyes over, kiddo. Life isn't just about work, and think about it; there's a lot of cute men here, and best of all, most of them are single and will be here a long time! Like the fine specimen I was pointing out before my eye were redirected toward my beloved." She gave a sheepish grin. "I just want you to be happy, too."

How could I be annoyed when my best friend in the world was doing her level best to insure I acquired true love, too?

"What do you think? See, the fellow who is just off to the side of the check-in counter? The one with the boyish charm? What do you think? Do you like him?"

I decided to play along. It was that, or I'd never find a moment's peace. "Yes, I suppose, a little short though. But he's got a certain charm."

Big mistake.

"Great! I'll be right back." Before I could open my mouth to stop her, she was up and making a beeline for the poor, unsuspecting guy...