Title: Chapter 2

Rating: M to be safe.

Authors note: Thanks for all the reviews and feedback, its greatly appreciated. Keep it coming! A lot of you have reviewed and even inboxed your concern over Sara meeting Doug, so I apologise in advance. But keep reading! It will all be worth it in the end. Thank you. Enjoy the second chapter!

Summary: "Life is to be enjoyed, not endured" ― Gordon B. Hinckley

Monday, May 26th 1997.

"Morning" He mumbled against the bare skin of my back. I awoke sprawled about the bed, stomach down and naked as the day I was born. I turned my head quickly to find the source of my lovers voice, causing my brunette mane to fan out across the pillow. My eyes squinted as they adjusted to the light filling the room. I gradually brought my eyes to the NTSB beside me, his features soft with content. He brought his hand up to softly graze my skin, pressing down gently with his nails. I groaned happily at the sensation as I stretched, pressing back into him.

"And a great morning it is" I sighed as I rolled over to face him. I laid on my back with my modesty barely covered by the sheet while Doug lounged on his side, his left hand tracing circles on my stomach under the sheets. He dipped down to plant wet kisses onto my shoulder, nipping gently while his index finger circled my navel. "Hey, we need to get up. We have an investigation to get on with" I clamped my hand around his arm, playfully pushing him away. He responded by shaking it off and pressing me back into the bed.

"We have time. The air crash site isn't going anywhere Miss Sidle" He growled as he brought his lips to mine. As the kiss deepened, I felt my head clouding with desire. I moaned my delight as he slid his hand up my leg and brought it to a rest on my hip. My fingers climbed through his dark hair. I pulled back long enough to witness the fresh lust in his eyes, before he launched an attack on my now exposed chest.

"How much time exactly?" I smiled as he nipped gently at a patch of fair skin. He broke contact as he turned to look at the bedside clock. He frowned as he worked out the time. It was 7:04 in the morning. Apparently, according to his features, we didn't have as much time as he wanted.

"About...twenty minutes" He soon resumed what he was doing, leaving a slightly wet trail between my breasts. One hand rested on my ribcage, his thumb danced along my skin and rubbed against the underside of the fleshy mound in a delightful tease.

"Oh. So enough time to get it on twice and have a nice long cuddle afterwards" I giggled as I heard him groan.

"Oh is that right?" He shot a brow up.

"That's right" I taunted back, sticking my tongue out for measure.

"Cheeky!" He laughed as he began tickling me mercilessly.

"No, please Doug. Stop it" I squealed, doubling over in a vain attempt at protecting my stomach. I tried to push him away, tears of laugher escaping my eyes as his hands attacked my midriff. "I'm laughing..but..I'm serious" I struggled between bouts of laughter. He chuckled as I twisted my body left and right trying to escape. Eventually he stopped, much to my relief. I gave a mock growl, before pushing him onto his back and cuddling up alongside him. I raised my head slightly to check the bedside clock. It now read 7:08. "Oh look, you've wasted four of your precious twenty minutes". He turned his head in the same direction.

"That's your fault, you're a distraction Miss Sidle" He chuckled, wrapping his arm around my body and resting his hand on my hip once more. I smiled as he began to play with the skin there. "I like this anyway" He sighed, placing his other hand behind his head as he relaxed. I began to relax into the embrace before he interrupted the peaceful silence. "I was thinking, maybe we could go out later. Like a proper date"

"You made me dinner last night. Isn't that a date wise guy?"

"Well...an out date then. There's this new place that's just opened. A dive bar I think, called the 'Rusty Nickel' if you want to check that out?"

"Sounds so..sterile." His torso jiggled as he laughed softly at my germaphobic ways.

"Stop being such a mysophobe"

"Well, lets see how you like it when you get food poisoning because of salmonella or something" My slim index finger prodded his firm chest for good measure. "Bet you would enjoy that, huh?"

"Only if I could pass it on to you" He grinned down at me, pressing a kiss into my head.

"And who says romance is dead?"

Monday, September 16th 2013.

I was quite impressed actually by the turn out. The lecture hall was quite short in length, but wide and packed with eager students and curious parents. Doug stood at the front, on a large platform stretching the width of the room and addressed the crowd clearly. It was obvious from the way he spoke he was indeed passionate about his job, about NTSB as a whole. Sat near the back of the room with my sunglasses in my lap, I felt happy for him. Happy that he had found such contentment in his own life. Even from the back of the room, the burn of anticipation and excitement in his eyes whenever a question was asked, could not be mistaken. That reminded me of a certain someone, although I shook away the thought, banning my mind from reminiscing about those times. Looking back with the knowledge I have now, they are almost bitter sweet.

Laurie didn't know where I could find Doug, but she did give me the number for his main office. They then told me that 'Mr Wilson is currently guest lecturing at the city college of San Francisco'. It took me exactly twenty-eight minutes to drive here, although the crowd of students outside the main hall told me where to head next. A popular speaker it seems, although the dopey-eyed looks and the many 'isn't he just dreamy' statements that were being passed around by the young student girls suggested to be that they weren't here to listen to him talk about mid-air collision avoidance technology, ground proximity warning systems and smoke detectors in lavatories.

"Suppose those smoke detectors kind of suck for those of you in the mile high club that enjoy the post-coital cigarette" He chuckled light-heartedly, earning laughter and praise from the young audience. "But on a serious note, those transportation safety improvements are just one of the many inspired or brought around by the NTSB, and that's just for aviation. In total, the NTSB has issued around 13,000 safety recommendations in its history. Those recommendations stretch to many areas, including rail, highway, marine, pipeline, multi-modal and my favourite, aviation. I'd say that's impressive but-" he threw his hands to the sides as he spoke "-maybe I'm being biased" He flashed a grin, earning sighs and awe-struck looks from the females in the large room and probably a couple of the guys. I did have to admit, the years had certainly been kind to him. A few hands raised in the audience and it seemed for a few moments Doug had trouble deciding who to answer first. He pointed to a young gentlemen a couple rows ahead of me, wearing casual slacks and a loose fitting navy shirt. "Yes? You have a question?"

The freckle faced boy's arm went limp as he spoke above the crowd "Hello, yes. Did you, or anyone you know that part in the investigations of the 9/11 attacks?" One of Doug's eyebrows climbed his forehead as he listened. He was used to such questions, he had once told me. It's just public interest, but someone people could be quite morbid in their enquiries. He once detailed to me that three teenage boys had approached him after he had given a talk at a High School in Minnesota, only for them to ask him about how many bodies he saw on-board the planes used in the attacks and exactly what damage had been done to them. It had dismayed him that they seemed less concerned about the deaths of these people, instead seeing it as some sort of entertainment.

"Well, actually yes I did, along with a few colleagues of mine. We worked with the Department of Justice after the attacks, but they took over soon after. I remember it was a very scary time, for everyone involved. A few of my colleagues, and friends I might add, actually left the department when the investigation was over." There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he answered the young man's question. He forced himself to perk up a little though as he scanned the crowd for more raised hands. "Okay, I'll answer yours next" He extended his arm, his finger pointed on the end to a person I could not see.

"Why is aviation your favourite?" A high pitched female voice. Doug smiled as he clasped his hands together.

"Well...I suppose it probably has something to do with the fact that, as a child, I loved planes" He chuckled as he appeared to reminisce. "But, as I grew older, I became fascinated with the inner workings of the actual plane. Its a huge and very beautiful man-made thing, in my eyes at least. I suppose my curiosity just grew and grew along with my knowledge. Plus, you can have a lot of fun in planes.

"Dudes in the mile high club. Nice!" A young male voice this time, supported by boyish cheers from his friends.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that." Doug laughed along with the crowd, his eyes now filled with amusement. "I have a few moments left, are there any more questions?"

I remained seated as the room emptied slowly. The mixture of reactions on their faces took me back to my college years. Some looked relieved it was other, others disappointed they couldn't have more time. I wasn't the only one hanging around, a few of the dopey-eyed girls had stayed also. A small group gathered around the grinning NTSB as they asked him a range of questions, not all of them even related to the topic of discussion. Used that technique before I smirked. I did have too many questions about anthropology..although I can't quite remember the answers that he gave me. "Well in a lot of cases, air crashes occur when passengers act in a way which may upset or disturb other passengers. For example if someone produces a weapon. A fight ensues when one passenger tries to overpower another" Doug explained to the little group, his deep voice filling the room.

Without warning, I was transported back to the air crash investigation that had taken place in Vegas a few months back. To see Doug there, in the lab that had become like a second home, was a shock that my colleagues were not oblivious to. Finn automatically picked up that we were much closer than I had previously stated.

In the set up plane in the lab, Doug had stood before me helping with the dramatisation of the events. "One of the other passengers sees you-"

"Jane or John Doe" I confirmed, my right arm extended towards the 'cock pit' with my fingers moulded like a gun. He advanced towards me as he continued speaking.

"-tries to overpower you" Warmth gathered as he curled his hand around my small wrist. "And we struggle for the gun" I continued. He brought his other hand up, this time placing it on my lower back and pressed his weight against mine. I pulled my head back, trying to maintain distance but unintentionally pressed my chest into his. My left hand placed on his shoulder for support, I tried to be as professional as possible, which was proving difficult as he gazed at me intently during our 'struggle'. For a moment, I was taken aback by his clouding eyes and half smile. I cleared my throat while forcing myself to look away before continuing.

"In that struggle the gun goes off, entering the cabin door."

"Would explain the initial slow loss of cabin pressure" His tone was smooth and husky. Ignoring it, I continued.

"And then, Harrigan breaks free, commandeers the plane" I cleared my throat again, saddened that my head couldn't be cleared as easily right now. My other hand joined with his shoulder then gently pushed him away, although a part of me didn't want to. My wedding band suddenly felt hot and heavy on my finger. As much as I wanted to avoid looking at his face, I didn't miss the hint of curiosity that spread across it as I stepped away from him.

Snapping back into the present, I looked towards Doug stood near the stage he was on previously. "Okay ladies. I've had a lovely time but I need to get back to my office. Thanks for the interest though" Doug's voice struggled to be heard above the all the giggling. By the looks of it, he still hadn't noticed me quietly sitting here. The girls began to move away, speaking in hushed and excited tones with each other as they did so. After watching them for a few moments, I turned my attention back to Doug.

"Sara?" His knitted eyebrows were matched with a wide smile. "What you doing here?"

"Well, I just couldn't resist learning more about transportation safety" I grinned as I stood. Walking towards him, he parted his arms and embraced me in a bear hug. He stepped back, but held my hands in his as he peered at me.

"As irresistible as that is, what are you really doing here" His eyes dropped to my left hand, noting the absence of something. In an instance I felt bare and ashamed for some reason. "Oh..I see. Sara, I'm sorry"

"Don't be. We...we were breaking down for a long time"

"I knew you were unhappy when I last saw you, I'm sorry I couldn't help"

"You did" My chested raised then dropped with a heavy sigh. "You gave me the wake-up call I needed"

"God. Are you okay? I mean, I know divorce is quite hard but-"

"-we're separated, not divorced" I interrupted with a shot of sadness. His brow shot up.

"Oh..okay. Erm..what exactly does that mean? For the two of you, I mean."

"Doug..I'm really not sure. I don't even know why I'm here" I pulled my hands from his before I stepped away, feeling quite silly at my spontaneous actions. Heat gathered in my cheeks as I made a beeline for the exit. Doug spoke to my back as I left.

"It must be for a reason...Oh! I've got it" He quickly moved in front of me to block my exit. "You missed our beer talks and meat feast pizza nights?" He grinned, fists on hips. I couldn't help but laugh at the change in the man before me. A formal and professional on stage, a big kid off it.

"Yeah, that must be it" I rolled my eyes giggling. "I've got a few days off work but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. Guess I just wanted to check in with you." His hands dropped to his side as he approached me once more.

"Well...how about that dinner I offered? NTSB picks up the tab remember?"

"That..sounds great actually." I smiled at him.

"Cool..I've just got to go to the office first, paperwork." Chuckling light-heartedly, he gripped my elbow and lead me through the exit into the main area of the college. "But I can pick you up later. Where are you staying?"

"The Fairmont" The sun offended my eyes as we stepped outside. College kids wandered in all directions, a group huddled in the smokers corner sharing cigarettes and jock like boys tried to impress preppy girls with their rides and credit cards. All bought by daddy of course. I quickly grabbed my sunglasses and pulled them on. Doug squinted as he looked at me.

"Nice. I'll grab you there at about eight? Or is that too late?" He looked worried for a second.

"No its fine. I work graveyard shift remember? I'm used to eating with the vampires and werewolves"

"Sink your teeth into a nice bit of human?" We stopped as we reached my car parked close to the college entrance. I leaned against the drivers side door as we laughed. The heat gathered in the metal from the sun warmed my back.

My head dipped as I scoffed slightly while shaking my head. "No, I'm a vegetarian. Not my thing" My tongue slid out as I faked being repulsed.

"What? Your a vegetarian? Since when?"

"Since about 2000"

"But you love..I mean loved beef jerky and meat feasts? Remember, we used to get extra pepperoni?" I smiled as I remembered back to our nights in together. When we weren't at the Rusty Nickel, we liked to enjoy each others company in private. Usually, Doug would pick the newest horror film, while I cooked..well, while I ordered in. Meat feast pizzas were our favourite, guzzled down with beer as we laughed at how unrealistic the deaths of the characters were. The thought of all the meat now actually made me ill.

"Yeah, I remember. I can cook better too you know"

"Jeez, it's like a whole new Sara Sidle. You still got that Sidle smile though, I'm happy with that" He was flirting but the attention complimented me. Remembering the tone of the song in the car, I decided to flirt back. What the heck, I reasoned with my conscience.

"Well" I moved from the car closer to him, our lips a few inches away. "I look forward to getting reacquainted." Looking lost for words, I spoke for him. "So..eight o'clock?" He nodded his confirmation before gathering his bearings.

"Ye..yes. I'll grab you then" He flashed a genuine smile as I practically jumped into my car. I waved goodbye before keying the ignition and speeding away.

I apologise for that Doug/Sara bit, but its necessary for the story. I'll be honest though, it was difficult to write. Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think. Thank you. O, and about the updates, are they too frequent or not soon enough? Thanks.

TBC.