A/N: We know what Catherine's been doing the past seven years. What about Vincent? He's no slacker. Surprise, Catherine.

Reunion

Chapter 8

"Wheels up in ten, Boss," the man said to Vincent. "Corporate office in New York called in the flight plan. We've got clearance." He was dressed in black slacks, a starched white shirt with black lapels on the shoulder. A pilot's uniform.

"Thanks, JT," Vincent said.

Catherine sat back in the Learjet's leather seat, staring around the cabin wide-eyed. She'd been shocked when Vincent told her he wanted to take her to Oregon. He offered no additional explanation other than to tell her she needed to see something - something important. She was curious when Vincent had hailed a cab outside the hospital. Her curiosity had grown when he'd told the cabbie to drive them south to Chicago's Midway Airport. Her eyes had bugged out when he'd led her out onto the tarmac and climbed the stairs into a twin-engine Learjet.

My God, she thought, this is gonna cost him and arm and a leg. This is insane. I can't let him spend this type of money on … on, whatever.

But shock, curiosity and bug-eyed took a backseat to her jaw dropping when JT, the pilot, called Vincent 'Boss'.

JT turned toward her. "It's a pleasure to see you, Dr. Chandler. You may not remember me, but we've met before - in Kandahar."

Catherine thought she'd used up her quota of surprises for the day, but when the pilot spoke to her she realized she was wrong. She looked at him, amazed. He did look familiar. She struggled to find the man's last name hidden in her memory, but tantalizing close to the surface. "Franks? Ford?" Catherine tried to pull the memory out.

"Not bad," JT said. "It's Forbes, Ma'am". He stretched his had out to her and she took it slowly, as she stared at the man, dumbfounded.

"You were the base MEDEVAC helo pilot," she said, memories of years ago rushing over her like waves.

"Roger that, Ma'am."

Catherine shook her head, pulling her wits about her. "Still a pilot, I see," she said.

"Yep. Can't keep me out of the sky." JT nodded at Catherine and withdrew his hand. "Excuse me, but my co-pilot and I need to finish our pre-flight. Enjoy the flight, Ma'am."

"We're not in Kandahar any more," Catherine said. "So, it's just Catherine."

"Enjoy the flight, Catherine," JT said with a two finger salute. He turned and nodded to Vincent, then stepped into the cockpit, pulling the door shut behind him.

Catherine turned to Vincent who sat in the leather seat opposite her. "He was in Kandahar," she said, and she could hear the astonishment in her voice. Then her thoughts clicked and pieces fell into place. "He was in Kandahar," she said again, this time with intention. "And he called you 'Boss'."

Vincent chuckled. "Yeah. JT and I met there. We've been close since then. I hired him on about five years ago. He's been with me ever since."

Revelations continued to come to her as she looked around the plane again. "This …," she gestured at their surroundings, temporarily at a loss for words. She cleared her throat and tried again. "This is yours?"

Vincent gave her an apologetic grin. "Yeah. I guess it's kinda overkill. But after a while I needed to travel a lot and this was the best option."

"You needed to travel a lot … for what?" Catherine stared at him.

"My business," Vincent said, matter-of-factly.

"Which is …?" Catherine said, leveled a chastising look at Vincent, frustrated with his evasiveness.

"Do you remember what my job was in the Army?" he asked.

Catherine furrowed her brow and rolled her eyes at him.

Vincent gave her a sheepish grin. "Of course you do. Sorry."

"What's that have to do with a Learjet?" Catherine asked.

"I was able to use the computer training I received in the Army to start my own business. It kinda grew."

"If you need your own personal jet, that's an understatement," Catherine said. "What type of business?"

"Integrated, military grade, security systems for high end corporations," he explained.

The jet lurched forward and JT's voice came over the loud speaker. "Boss, Catherine, buckle-up please. We've begun our taxi and should be airborne in about five minutes."

Catherine buckled her seatbelt and pulled it tight around her. As Vincent did the same their knees touched in the small space. Neither pulled away, keeping the contact, and Catherine relished the warm tingling that traveled up her leg and rested in her belly.

They sat, quiet, looking out the jet's windows as they passed the terminal buildings brightly lit in the gray winter evening. True to JT's word the jet rounded to the end of the runway, picked-up speed and was airborne in just under five minutes. Catherine watched in awe as the lights of Chicago spread out below her as the plane gained altitude. Eventually the jet leveled out and the city lights were left behind.

Catherine wasn't sure how much time had passed when JT stepped through the cockpit door and closed it behind him. She gave him a grin. "So, who's flying the plane?"

"That'd be Joe," JT said. He turned to Vincent. "We'll be in Redmond in about three hours, Boss," he said.

"Thanks, JT," Vincent said. "Go grab some water."

JT nodded and walked the short distance to the back of the plane and opened a small refrigerator recessed into the rear bulkhead, pulling out two bottles of water.

Catherine returned her attention to Vincent. "So, you've been busy the past seven years," it was a statement, not a question.

"Work keeps me busy," Vincent said, shrugging his shoulders.

JT turned toward them and snorted. "Busy is not exactly the term I'd use."

Vincent frowned and Catherine picked-up on his annoyance.

"Oh yeah?" Catherine said, giving JT a conspiratorial grin.

"Yeah. Vincent doesn't work, he obsesses, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week."

Vincent gave JT a quick scowl, but it didn't last long, testimony - she thought - to their close friendship.

JT handed Vincent one of the bottles of water. "Take this to Joe. Your turn at the stick."

Vincent's eyes lit up and his smile conveyed his delight at the prospect of flying.

"You can fly this thing?" Catherine said.

"JT's teaching me."

"He's not certified to take off and land yet, but he can take command when we're airborne," JT said.

"Sounds a little scary," Catherine said.

"Not to worry," JT responded. "Joe will make sure he doesn't screw up."

Vincent turned toward Catherine, a worried look on his face. "Will you be okay? It'll probably be only an hour or so."

Catherine let out a laugh at his concern, reaching out to take his hand. "You go ahead and enjoy yourself. I'll be fine. It's not like I can run away again." She gestured toward JT. "And JT will keep me company."

Vincent's smile returned and he squeezed her hand. He stood, leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, then turned and entered the cockpit.

Catherine was surprised by Vincent's unexpected kiss. She watched him disappear through the cockpit door. Her lips were hot, tingles of electricity traveling down her body, adding to the warmth pooling in her belly. She hadn't felt his lips on hers in over seven years. She wasn't sure whether to be angry for him kissing her so obliviously and then running off to enjoy himself, or to be joyful that in his moment of sheer bliss his automatic, unconscious need was to kiss her, as naturally as if they'd never been apart. She decided on the later, her joy definitely influenced by the desire his kiss had sparked in her.

JT sat in Vincent's place, taking a long pull from his water bottle. Long moments of silence passed and several times Catherine caught JT looking at her from under his eyebrows. After a while JT said, "He thought you were dead, you know."

Catherine sighed and nodded, looking out the window at the star-lit sky. "I know."

"I should have died with you," JT said.

Catherine looked at him and raised her eyebrows.

"I was scheduled to pilot the EVAC helo that went down - the one you were supposed to have been killed on." He turned his head, his thoughts far away. "The day before, they reassigned me to Kabul. Another pilot took that flight."

Catherine nodded, remaining quiet.

JT turned back to her. "I thought you died on that flight, too, along with everyone else." He paused and took another sip of water. "When Vincent found me and hired me five years ago, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was like he'd come back from the dead."

Catherine sucked in a startled breath, realizing that JT had also thought Vincent was dead.

JT continued. "His business was skyrocketing when he found me and he wanted me to be a part of it. I don't just pilot. I drive for him and serve as a bodyguard, although he's definitely able to take care of himself. We've grown closer over the years. He's my best friend."

"I'm glad you two found each other again," Catherine said, wishing she'd spent the past five years with Vincent as well.

JT sat silent for another minute or so. Then he said, "Vincent's been so successful in his business because all he does is work. He doesn't do anything else, just work."

"Nothing but work?" Catherine echoed JT.

"Just work," JT confirmed. "No family. No friends, except for me. No fun, except for flying, which took a long time for me to get him interested." JT shook his head. "When he came back from the hospital in Germany he was a broken man. When he found me two years after that he was an uber-successful, up and coming entrepreneur. But he was still broken and empty. He still is."

"Why?" Catherine asked, although she trembled inside at what she knew must be the answer. JT confirmed her fears.

"Your death changed him," JT responded. "It took something from him - his will to live. I don't mean living like breathing and eating. I mean living like feeling happiness, loving others, letting others love him. He's tried a few times over the years to re-engage with life, but he didn't know how. He didn't believe he could be in the world without you. So, he'd retreat back into his work. And, as you can see, he is good at his work."

Catherine tensed. Vincent had tried to re-engage with life. Did that include relationships? Had Vincent taken a lover in the past? Had another woman reveled in the hardness of his body and the gentleness of his spirit? Had another woman been seared by his passion? Jealously flared hot in Catherine's chest imagining a woman other than her being pleasured by Vincent and pleasuring him in return. She knew her feelings were irrational, but they burned hot, just the same.

JT continued. "When he learned a month ago that you were alive, he changed. A spark ignited inside him. He couldn't do anything else but look for you. He focused entirely on tracking you down. And when he found you in Chicago - well, other than being scared as hell, he came alive like I hadn't seen in him since the two of you were together in Afghanistan."

JT's words swirled in Catherine's mind. Vincent had been irrevocably damaged when he thought she had died. Empty and without purpose. Immersing himself in his work to avoid the pain of his loss. And she was just like him. Unable to function in the world. Burying herself in her work in the ER where she found relief from her pain by helping save the lives of others. If Vincent was broken, then certainly she was, too.

JT broke the silence once more. "I'm afraid what finding you alive will do to him."

Catherine shook her head, bringing her thoughts back to JT. "What?" she said, confused.

"I'm afraid this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back," he said. "If he looses you again …," he paused, "… I don't think he'll survive it."

A flash of anger shot through her at JT's comment and she glared at him. "I'm not going to hurt him, no matter what happens."

He met her gaze, not with anger, but with a soft smile of compassion. "I know," he said. "It's not about what you would or wouldn't do to him. It's about him. I don't think he has the strength to lose you a second time."

Fear pushed away the anger in Catherine's chest. She wanted to be with Vincent. Wanted to embrace their relationship and pull it back from the pit that life had tossed it into when they both thought each other was dead. But, was that too much of a fairy tale? Was that a happily ever after that couldn't happen?

JT's voice intruded on her thoughts. "He's scared. You probably are too."

Catherine swallowed hard and stared at JT.

"I can tell you one thing," he said. "Vincent is devoted to you, beyond reason. And he's taking you somewhere special - sacred to him - to prove that to you."

"Where are we going?" Catherine said, her voice a hoarse whisper.

JT smiled. "That's not for me to say," he said. "Vincent wants to surprise you."

Catherine felt her brow scrunch in worry.

JT must have understood her expression because he said, "We're going to an amazing place. When you get there, you'll feel right at home."

Catherine felt she could trust JT. He had the honor and convictions of the soldier he had been and he was completely devoted to Vincent now. How could she not trust someone so dedicated to the love of her life?

"Al right," she said. She gave JT a smile. "What's life without a little adventure?"

JT snorted and smiled.

Just then Vincent emerged from the cockpit, a smile plastered on his face. She looked at her watch. Sure enough, an hour had passed. "Thank you, JT," she said.

"Thank him for what?" Vincent said as he sat in the seat beside Catherine.

"For taking care of your butt," Catherine said with a chuckle.

"He does a pretty good job of that," Vincent said.

JT stood. "How'd it go, Boss?"

"Outstanding," Vincent said. "Thanks."

"Sure. We've got about another ninety minutes before we touch down. You two might want to grab some sleep. I imagine you're both pretty tired."

At the mere mention of sleep Catherine couldn't keep herself from yawning. "Good idea," she said and leaned her body into Vincent's, resting her head against his upper arm.

Vincent wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his side and she felt safe. The warmth of contentment flowed through her and ten minutes later she was asleep.

Some time later Catherine felt Vincent pick her up and carry her out of the jet. She was so tired she barely managed to pry her eyes open to narrow slits as he lifted her into the back seat of a large SUV, cradling her in his lap. She wondered for a moment where he was taking her, but then realized that it didn't matter. As long as she was with him, she didn't care. Taking a deep breath Catherine nuzzled into Vincent's chest, breathing in his scent and feeling his arms tighten around her, lulling her back to sleep.