A/N: Hey all! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews- warmed my heart. I was glad to see some familiar faces and a bunch of new ones as well.

As per our agreement (you review, I update) here is the dutifully prepared chapter 2. The story earns its drama stripes starting now. Hope you enjoy!

Oh, and as always, this update is for my inspiration, the ever-sexy, ever-loving Maggsie!

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Catherine hummed to herself as she made lunch for herself and Lindsey. She was so happy, she even let Lindsey have white bread on her sandwich and she cut the crusts off. And they were both having chocolate milk to drink. In fact, they were even going to eat in front of the TV.

Sara was coming home today! After practically a whole week apart, she was coming home. Catherine looked at the clock on the microwave; her plane should be landing any minute now. And, she had promised that she was going to take Catherine out to a fancy, romantic restaurant. All Catherine had to do was get a babysitter.

"Linds, baby? Will you come and get napkins and silverware?"

"One second, Mom." Lindsey called, "This plane on the news just blew up over the airport."

Catherine felt her blood turn to ice in her veins as the plate with her salad crashed to the floor, "What?!"

But Lindsey never got a chance to answer because Catherine was already running into the living room and listening to the broadcast. The anchorwoman, Paula Francis's, voice played over an image of an airplane circling for landing. Catherine's breath caught in her throat as she watched it snap in half and then blast into hundreds of pieces as a second explosion occurred within the plane.

Paula Francis was saying, "…following the explosion just over a runway at McCarran International Airport. We received word fifteen minutes ago that this plane, now identified as Pacific Airlines flight 147 out of LAX, had in fact requested emergency engine assistance upon landing some ten minutes before this catastrophe occurred. That being said, officials will not confirm that this was not a terrorist attack. Please stay tuned, we'll return in just a moment with live footage from the crash site."

Catherine's stomach plummeted through the floor. She couldn't take it in. Pacific Airlines flight 147. That had been Sara and Warrick's flight, she was sure of it. She watched the broadcast again. 110 passengers on board, not counting pilots and staff. No survivors. Why not count pilots and staff? Catherine thought distantly. They were people too. With families. With lovers.

When the live feed came on it was to show the debris that had fallen to earth. It was mostly metal, rubber, and miscellaneous engine parts. Everything else was burned beyond recognition, it could be a limb or it could be a rolling suitcase. Unless you were trained to tell the difference, it could be anything.

I'm trained to tell the difference, Catherine told herself hollowly. I'm trained. I can find out who did this to my angel and my best friend. At that moment, the phone rang. She didn't even need to look at the caller ID to know who it was.

"Gil?"

"Catherine, have you seen the news?"

The redhead felt tears begin to fill her eyes but she willed them back. "Yeah, I've seen it. Is it true? No survivors?"

"I don't know anything, Catherine. I only know what I've heard. But you know the media…"

"Yeah." Catherine's voice had gone flat. She knew the media, but she also knew the footage that had been on TV, and she knew in her heart that even if someone had survived the explosion, no one could survive that fall.

"Catherine, if you think you can…I'm going to need all hands on deck for this one. They're pulling in all shifts."

Catherine didn't need to think twice, "I'm already on my way." She started to hang up when she heard Grissom's voice again.

"Cath- I don't have to tell you that you're going to have to keep a level head; it's a big scene. I know you and Warrick were…close. We don't know what we're going to find. Are you sure you're up for this?"

Catherine found herself laughing bitterly even as hot streams rushed over her cheeks. "Gil?"

"Yeah?"

"Never ask me that again." And with that, she hung up and hastily wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Lindsey," she called to the other room, "go get your bag ready to go to Aunt Nancy's."

"Why?" the girl asked, coming into the kitchen, "I thought I wasn't going until later. What's wrong, Mom?"

Catherine tried to smile at her daughter, but she found she couldn't. Instead, she put her arms around the shorter blonde and pulled her down to the floor where she crushed her in a hug. Cursing herself for worrying her daughter, but not being able to help it, Catherine began to sob. Lindsey pulled her mom tighter and rubbed her back. After several minutes, Catherine's breathing seemed to settle down a bit.

"Mom?"

The redhead pulled out of her daughter's embrace and sniffed, "I'm okay, sweetie."

"What's wrong?"

"Uh…" Catherine knew she had to tell her daughter, but it was as if actually saying it would make it true. If she told Lindsey, it meant that Sara really was never going to walk through her front door ever again. I'll just tell her they might have been on the plane. "The plane that crashed?"

Lindsey nodded.

"Well, that plane might be the one Sara and Warrick were supposed to take home. And I'm…" Catherine began to tear again, "I'm just really scared that something has happened to them."

"Have you called them?"

"Huh?"

"Have you called them? You could call them and see if they're okay."

"Oh, no, sweetie. I haven't called them yet. But that's a good idea. Look, honey, I need to take you to Nancy's now so that I can go to the crash site and see if I can find out what happened."

"Do you think it was a terrorist?"

"I don't know, that's what I have to go find out."

"Okay, I'll get my stuff. And Mommy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I'm sure Sara's okay."

Catherine bit back a cry, "I sure hope you're right, baby."

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"Damn it!" Sara cursed.

"What's up?" Warrick put down the sports section.

"My phone is dead."

"The battery?"

"No, traumatic asphyxia!" Sara said testily, "Yes, the goddamn battery."

She had a right to be upset. The airline had delayed their flight another two hours even though she could clearly see the plane at the gate, ready to go. She had complained to the gate agent several times and nothing seemed to be happening.

"Why didn't you charge it before we left the hotel?" Warrick seemed to be deliberately trying to annoy her.

She looked at him, "I had two bars when we left; more than fifty percent power. I figured that that would be enough to get me home. And if we had taken off on time we would be home by now."

"Well…I'd lend you mine, but…"

"But you left it at the hotel and they are mailing it to Vegas, yeah I know. I let you make the call on my phone remember? Probably used up all the battery." The last part she added mostly to herself but Warrick still heard it.

If Sara wanted to be hot tempered, that was cool. He smirked, "Who you want to call so bad, anyhow?"

Sara looked up abruptly, "No one."

Warrick sat up a little straighter, eyes alight, "Oh, it's on now."

"What's on?"

"Who were you trying to call?"

Sara saw that gleam in his eye and sat back, "No one. None of your business."

The tall man grinned, "See now, those are two different answers. I think I've just figured out a way to pass the time."

"You know," Sara began but was interrupted by an announcement over the PA system.

"Attention all Pacific Airlines patrons. All Pacific Airlines flights have been grounded until further notice. If you wish to refund your ticket or be compensated for your expense at a later date, you will need to do so via our toll free number 1-800-FLY-P-AIR. On behalf of all of us here at Pacific Airlines we'd like to thank you for your cooperation and hope that this inconvenience will not deter you from flying with us again."

"Oh, come on!" Warrick protested, "This is bullshit."

"Wait, Warrick!" Sara kept a level head, "Think about it. They're only grounding PA flights, right?"

"Yeah," said Warrick, calming down, "There had to have been some kind of malfunction on one of the planes. That's the only reason to ground an entire fleet, except maybe a bomb threat or something."

"No, they would evacuate the terminal if it was a bomb threat."

"Alright, so we take a different airline. They said we'll get our money back from these tickets when we call 'em."

"Right." Sara shouldered her bag and pushed her way through the crowd to the gate agent, "Excuse me, Miss? What other airlines are flying to McCarran International right now?"

The girl looked up and gave her a plastic smile, "I'm sorry, ma'am. But McCarran airport is not currently accepting any arrivals."

"What? Why the hell not?"

"I'm afraid I've been instructed not to reveal any details at this time."

Sara stared at her.

"Thank you, ma'am and I hope you have a pleasant journey."

"Sure you do."

Sara turned away in disgust and shook her head at Warrick. "No planes are getting in on the Las Vegas end."

"Hmm. That can't be coincidence."

"What are you thinking? You think that the plane we were supposed to…Oh, my God."

Warrick nodded, "Yeah, I know. I guess it could just been an emergency landing or something."

"So they closed the whole airport? I don't think so. Man, that's got to be one huge crime scene. Think of all the engine parts and the rebuilding…" Sara's eyes glazed over.

Warrick hit her on the shoulder, "You're drooling," he laughed.

Sara rolled her eyes at him. "You have to admit, you're sad you're missing it."

"Sara, a ton of people just died."

"True. And that's sad. But think of the computer simulations that Archie's running and," she trailed off as Warrick grabbed her arm, "Where are we going?"

"Bus depot. If we can't fly, we have to drive."

"But that's got to be at least seven hours," Sara whined. She was realizing that her chances of proposing to Catherine tonight were not looking good.

"You have a better idea?"

"Okay, point taken."

At the bus depot, they found out that many other people had had the same idea they'd had, and they'd had it a lot sooner. So it was going to be three hours until they even got on a bus, and as Sara predicted, at least another seven until they got home. It would put them in Las Vegas at around five in the morning.

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Come on, now how good was that? Admit it, you are amazed and dazzled by umm…me! Alright! Go forth my readers and review! You never know what the next chapter might bring!