This chapter just seemed to…write itself, and I'm not sure if it was the years of growing up going fishing with my granddad/grandparents, but either way, I won't complain if my muse is on board to help me work to write it! I hope you enjoy and remember to R&R!

Previously, in "Nowhere Left to Fall", Allison returns to Chicago and sees her former high school sweetheart, Scott Rice, after 17 years. They reunite on one of his days off.

Lyrics: "Want To" by Sugar Land

Chapter Three

Seventeen Years Earlier

Slender fingers grasp the handle of a cooler of water bottles for her and root beer for him while the other hand was wrapped around the strap of a machine-sewn shoulder bag. "Are you sure you don't want me to take the cooler?" a deep masculine voice asked from behind her.

"I've got it, thanks though," a teenage Allison was quick to respond. Scott smiles at the quick response. He liked that she was determined and independent – two of the things he loved most about her. Another thing he loves is the way her brown hair falls down around her face when she's in deep concentration over something; whether it be studying for a test or helping administer first-aid to someone in their group of friends.

Scott had high hopes that his girlfriend would follow her heart and her dreams to become a doctor, one that he could be proud of and support. Right now, though, all Scott wanted to do was run his fingers through that soft, silky hair of hers until she is moaning for him to never stop. "Okay," he finally spoke up, leaving his thoughts behind him.

Allison turns her head toward him, knowing he must have been carrying a lot on his shoulders – in the figurative manner of speaking – and shifts the cooler to her other hand before reaching for his. "Hey. Are you okay?"

He pulls her to his side, bending his head to press a kiss to the top of hers. "I've just been thinking."

"Well don't think too hard. We wouldn't want your head to explode." Scott chuckles at this, also loving that she had a sense of humor to go with all that seriousness whenever she worked hard to maintain her number one goal: become a doctor.

Their thoughts were left behind once more as they finally made it to the docks where the boats were docked and Scott takes the cooler from Allison before bending a bit at the waist; chuckling as she jumps onto his back, holding herself in place with her arms around his collarbone. He makes his way to the boat owned by his uncle, a boat that once belonged to his father, and sets Allison down on her feet. "We're here."

"Yes, we are." Gripping his hand with her own, Allison steps aboard with Scott's help then turns to take the cooler so he could also step aboard. A lingering kiss sweeps Allison under the tide of desire she could feel rising to the surface. "Mm. Scott. Start the engine."

"Aye, aye, captain," he said with a firm salute; setting the cooler down and moving over to the steering wheel to start their day adventure. Allison goes to get settled onto one of the seats after setting aside her homemade canvas-cotton bag, loosely gripping a metal bar to hold on while her boyfriend pulls the boat out into the water. "Hey. Come here."

He stretches his hand out toward her and Allison takes it, doing as he asks and standing in front of him at the steering wheel. "Are you sure you trust me to do this? It is your uncle's boat."

"He takes his 'lady friends' out for a ride all the time during the summer," Scott replies, his eyes not failing to notice the way she plays with a chain which had his class ring on it. "You still have it."

"I never part with it," she replies, her tone soft, and Scott can see a tear trickle its way down her cheek. He'd given it to her as a gift at Christmas the year before and to see her still wearing it half a year later made his heart swell. The male teenager leans in until his nose is inhaling the scent of her hair, hands gentle as they grip her waist just above the strings of her bikini. He wanted so much to comfort her but for now he had to help her steer them out further away from the docks. Lifting his hands to join hers, Scott helps her do just that and soon enough they're far enough away from the city limits.

Away from her jerk of a father who hated Scott taking his little girl away from him. Away from other girls attempting to pursue Scott even though he'd told them relentlessly he was with Allison and loved her.

Away from decisions about medical school, and the fire academy.

A soft, gentle caress over his masculine hand jolts Scott out of his thoughts and he looks down to her; taking her hand to guide her below deck. In the main bedroom of the boat's cabin, Scott reaches up to gently remove her floppy straw hat; tossing it over toward the chair in one corner of the room. After it was gone, Scott sweeps his hands up into her hair and leans down toward her, taking the very plunge in kissing her softly.

At first. However she took control of the kiss, the relentless little thing she was, and Scott was lost & vulnerable to stop her. But why would he want to? Being here with her was what he wanted and he'd be helpless to give into her. Backing her toward the bed, tongues tangling voraciously, Scott reaches up beneath her hair to give a gentle tug of her bikini top's strings. Allison reaches up to help him, crossing her arms to ward off the chill that slides over her chest as his hands move to her back; between her shoulder blades. Those strings are loosened as well and Scott turns his attention to her bikini's bottom half. "Scott…"

"Almost there," he murmurs helping, with a wiggle from her hips, get the bikini's bottom half untied and dropped to the floor at her feet.

Now completely nude, Allison stood there under his scrutinizing gaze before moving both of her arms out toward him to clutch at his broad shoulders. They slide beneath the open button-up shirt he'd put on, sliding the shirt down his muscular arms until it was on the floor with her bikini. His swimming trunks came next, slid down carefully past his hips until it reveals his hard-on.

Allison's tongue darts out to lick her suddenly dry lips and Scott watches the action through those slowly darkening stormy blue eyes of his. Eyes that Allison stares deeply into even as she's once again backed toward the bed, lowered to the Egyptian cotton-covered surface, and feeling him cover her. Hover over her.

Her eyes catch onto the question he's about to ask but Allison's fingers move up to stop him from speaking. "I want this."

Scott nods once before reaching out to open up the top drawer of the nightstand beside the bed, digging around until he found what he was looking for. Allison helps him tear open the condom and slide it up his throbbing length. For good measure, Scott rubs himself up against her aching womanhood; using one and then two fingers to test her if she was ready.

She was, so Scott moves his fingers away; hearing her whimper but he quickly & softly kisses her. Encouraging her to keep her focus on him as he slides into her one slow inch at a time.

I packed a cooler and a change of clothes
Let's jump in, see how far it goes
You got my heart in your daddy's boat
We've got all night to make it float

We could sit on the shore
We could just be friends
Or we could jump in

The whole world could change in a minute
Just one kiss could stop it spinning
We could think it through
But I don't want to, if you don't want to

We could keep things just the same
Leave here the way we came
with nothing to lose
But I don't want to, if you don't want to

I got your ring around my neck
and a couple of nights I don't regret
You've got a dream of a degree and a shirt that smells like me

Yeah we both got dreams
we could chase alone
or we could make our own

The whole world could change in a minute
Just one kiss could stop it spinning
We could think it through
But I don't want to if you don't want to
We could keep things just the same
Leave here the way we came
with nothing to lose
But I don't want to if you don't want to

Never waste another day wonderin' what you threw away
Holding me, holding you
I don't want to, if you don't want to

We could keep things just the same
Leave here the way we came with nothing to lose
But I don't want to, if you don't want to

But I want to
But I want you

Author's Note: I came up with this chapter basically as a filler since I'm having withdrawals without my internet working, and I've been working on it for a while but decided to finally finish it so I could continue on with the story in order for the romance to start.

In the upcoming chapters:

Scott finally meets the twins. Allison meets Logan.
Allison introduces the twins to the rest of Firehouse 51.
Scott asks Allison an important question.
Another couple will reconcile.