A/N: This has been dancing around in my head for a while and since the FOW sequel isn't doing much of anything in my head, I thought forcing myself to write would be better than writing nothing at all. Give this a go, if you're so inclined. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, tweeted, DM'd or otherwise supported The Hunted. I hope you find something you can enjoy in this one as well.

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HONOR

Chapter 1: Rebirth

Bo McCorrigan hated airports. The crowd, the security, the lines, the waiting but most of all she hated the planes. She hated the damn big assed planes that would get her to her destination... slowly. She hated that she had to board a plane in line and sit in a seat that gave her no leg room among the same crowd of people she had just finished sitting with for hours in the airport. Small talk. She hated small talk. She especially hated small talk that became about political opinions. She hated politics. More importantly, she hated politicians and the mess they usually made of things.

Sitting to her left was a guy in a suit with a briefcase that surely held a laptop. He would likely pull it out once the fasten seatbelts sign was turned off and until then she would have to endure some discussion about the political decisions that were being made in some country so was not traveling to and had no knowledge of... not anymore.

She heaved out a sigh and looked out the window at the wing, her mind running through all of the mechanics that made it work. She knew that the pilot was running through his pre-flight check right now and that soon the flaps would start to move telling her take off was a stop closer. The pilot seemed like a nice enough older gentleman who'd meant well when he reached out a hand to her and said,

"Thank you for your service."

It was about the twentieth time she'd heard the phrase today and while she was thankful people took the time to voice it, the phrase was beginning to sound all too rehearsed in light of what she'd seen... of what she'd lost. She forced the unpleasant memories from her mind and instead chose to focus instead on the female co-pilot who stood dutifully at attention beside the pilot when she'd boarded. Bo gave her a wink, the slender, yet well-endowed green-eyed girl with thick curly hair responding with a hard swallow and a shy smile. She wondered for a moment what it would be like if the brunette took her hair out of that tight bun and allowed it to flow over her naked body. Bo chuckled to herself as she watched the wing check in progress,

'Maybe this trip won't be a total wash. Flaps... check.'

Bo licked her lips as she watched the pre-flight safety lecture being given by the flight attendant. For a moment, she wondered if the airline was called Hot Flights, because whoever was doing the hiring for this airline was definitely finding one thing to be a requirement... nice tits and firm, well-defined asses. Then again, it had been a while since Bo had gotten laid. Maybe it was time to scratch that itch. As her eyes raked over the woman's form, she thought this might be the perfect occasion to renew her membership in the Mile High Club. She'd bet anything that the woman smelled like daffodils.

Her attention was drawn from the beautiful flight attendant when the announcement came from the flight deck,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your pilot, Captain Jack Pierce. I'd like to welcome you to Flight 287 from LaGuardia to McCarran International. It is our pleasure to serve you. I'd especially like to welcome our military personnel. It is an honor and privilege to carry you to your destination. The ride may get a bit bumpy, but we'll do our best to find you smooth air for your travels. We'll be making a quick landing for those of you catching other flights out of Chicago, but we should board our new passengers quickly and be on our way to our final destination. We're next in line for take off, so sit back, relax and enjoy the flight, everyone."

Bo rolled her eyes as the thank you's began from the people all around her, but smiled tightly and did her best to be polite. These were, after all, the people she had fought for all of her life. If only they knew what was really going on while they were going about their daily lives. Her bigger frustration was that she'd been booked on a flight that wasn't direct. She hated layovers – especially when they didn't give enough time to get out and stretch your legs. Maybe she'd try a bus or train next time. Planes weren't the only method of travel, although she was in the Air Force, so she could understand the logic.

'Thank you for your service' rang in her ears causing her to smile and nod uncomfortably. She hated attention. Correction. She absolutely loathed this kind of attention. Still, it continued with her polite smiles until the plane began to move. She smiled at how quickly everyone's facial expressions changed amidst the knowledge that this was one of the two most dangerous part of the flight. Looking around, she watched as some people leaned back in their seats, others checked the seatbelts of children and others gripped the arms rests tightly.

It was in this moment that Bo could pick out the people who traveled for a living, like mister laptop who was sitting next to her, waiting for the moment he could pull the device out of the seatback pocket and get back to work. He'd been typing away since he'd sat down, grumbling in annoyance when he'd had to stop his work to let her into her window seat. When he saw her uniform, he'd frozen mid-grumble to give her a tense nod. Thankfully, he didn't utter those annoying words.

Bo knew she should be grateful that people did thank her, but she was just... tired. She did the math in her head and figured this was going to be about six hours. Maybe she could bang the flight attendant and then sleep the rest of the way. She sighed, looking out the window as the plane rushed down the runway. Faster... faster... faster... faster... shit. They were up in the air with that lightweight floaty feeling. It was nothing like taking off from an aircraft carrier. There was nothing like the rush of riding a slingshot into the air and traveling fifteen thousand feet into the clouds in twenty seconds. Riding on a commercial airliner felt like riding an 80-year old man.

Bo chuckled to herself. Her little sister Kenzi would be so proud that she was thinking like her. She missed her sister, but since her career in Washington D.C. had picked up, they rarely had a chance to see each other unless it was in security briefings. Bo had chosen to live her life flying Mach 3 with her hair on fire while Kenzi had chosen to get involved in the strategic side of the military after basic training. Military Intelligence was lucky to have her little sister and nobody new that better than Bo. Her little sister's expertise was in the Russian air fleet. She loved their jets and the two of them used to play the Jack Dennis 'Beat My Jet' game the way the other kids in the neighborhood played Madden's NFL games.

"Can I get you anything?"

She turned her head to see the well-endowed flight attendant speaking with mister laptop. He waved her off as if she was a stray fly leaving the woman to sigh with annoyance. She turned her eyes to Bo and smiled,

"The Captain told me whatever you need is on the house. Is there anything I can do to make your flight more comfortable..." she smiled, her eyes traveling to Bo's name plate, "...Officer Dennis?"

Bo smiled, "It's Colonel Dennis, but you can call me Bo."

She reached above mister laptop's head, extending her hand, which Bo took smiling as she spoke, "I'm Angela, but you can call me Angel."

Bo smiled, shaking her head, "Of course I can."

"So what can I do for you, soldier?"

"I'm wondering if I can tour... uh... the cockpit?" Bo asked, her eyes traveling over the woman's form.

"Well the Captain said whatever you want, you get so come on. I'll show you around for a bit. I'm sure sitting in that cramped corner is far from your style."

Bo smiled and nodded, "I'm afraid if I'm cramped in a seat, it's usually the cockpit of a fighter jet going Mach 3. This is a little... slow for my tastes."

Angel smiled, "Well, let me see if I can... liven things up for you. Come on."

Bo smiled, excusing herself to an annoyed mister laptop and continued into the aisle.

"As you know, the cockpit door is locked during flight, so let's see if the Captain can see you." She picked up a phone and spoke to the Captain while Bo's eyes roamed her long, lean neck before dropping to her well-rounded ass. Yes, this could definitely make all of the annoying things she had to deal with on commercial fights worthwhile.

"Come on, the Captain will see you." Angel smiled.

Entering the cockpit, Angel closed the door behind them, introducing Bo to the Navigator, Co-Pilot and Pilot once again. Bo paused for a long moment as she shook the co-pilot's hand.

"Bo."

"Sarah." The co-pilot replied with a smile.

In that moment, Bo wondered if three women could fit in a commercial airliner bathroom. She was shaken from her thoughts by a throat clearing and turned to see Angel, arms crossed staring at the joined hands of the two.

Bo pulled her hand away and smoothed out her pants before turning to the Navigator, "Boy, I wish I could have you in the cockpit with me. I have to rely on a navigational computer. I'd think that having a real person watching the nav console is a bit more reassuring than relying on a computer that could glitch out at any moment."

Bo's voice was nervous as she spoke, but the navigator smiled, "Well, I think the military must have top grade computer equipment loaded into your planes. You fly second seat then?"

She tried not to be offended, but in that moment her anger rose a bit knowing that a female was flying second seat on this airliner as well,

"Actually, no. I'm first seat, but my missions are usually solo... and classified. Returning back to base or at least to U.S. soil is always the most important part of the mission."

"So you're flying the stealth reconnaissance planes?" he pressed.

Bo shook her head, "I'm in fully engaged fighter jet models."

"Damn. Cap'n, this chick's for real. She's flying the real shit."

The Captain smiled, "Yes, Carl. She's flying the real shit."

He turned to Sarah, "Switching to auto-pilot."

The woman nodded as he turned to Bo, "I knew as soon as I saw you. Well, as soon as I saw your nametag, anyway."

"Knew?" Bo asked.

"You're Jack Dennis' daughter. I flew with the General back when we were just Colonel's like yourself. He's be proud of those bars."

Bo lowered her eyes as they welled up with tears. She fought back against the surge of muscle contractions around the orbits before closing her eyes tightly and opening them. She looked up at the Captain,

"So you were friends?"

The man nodded, staring down at his hands as the memories overtook him. Bo knew the look of a solider lost in thought and listened intently as he spoke, "We were and he talked about you and your sister every minute we were on the ground. If he wasn't talking about his daughters, he was talking about his wife. God how he loved that woman." He looked up at Bo, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Bo nodded, "Yea, cancer is a bitch." She sighed, shoving her hands into her pockets, "I got leave for the service. Now they're sending me to fly test jets until my next deployment."

The Captain smiled, "Taking after your old man, huh?"

Bo smiled, "Yea, but I plan to stay away from the X-2."

"They ended the program after his crash. You didn't hear?"

Bo nodded, "Yea, I heard but apparently some company is reviving the program. New name, same plane according to my sister."

"Ahh, yes. The little spitfire as your Father used to call her."

Smiling, the elder Dennis sister nodded, "That became her call sign. She started out flying experimental aircraft like Dad, but switched to military intelligence."

"A Washington girl, huh?"

Laughing, Bo nodded, "Can you believe it? A Dennis in the backrooms of D.C.. Scary, huh?"

"Maybe she'll set things right."

"You mean my Dad's military record." Bo stated.

"He should have a string of Purple Hearts among other medals, not some damn pilot error as the period at the end of his career. We all know it. The damn suits in Washington don't get it. I'd love to see one of them sit first seat in something that's only been flown in a computer simulation."

Bo laughed, "Wow. When you put it that way, I have to wonder if they're sacrificing me to Arlington."

He smiled, "Any jet jockey worth their salt has done test flight time. It's an honor to be chosen. Hell, even Neil Armstrong did his turn before heading to the moon. Just make sure you read the manuals from cover to cover, run your pre-flight twice, know your mechanics and don't allow anyone to work on your planes you don't know and trust. Most of all, remember that the engineers are paid to get the plane in the air. They know there's always another pilot the Air Force can send over to get in the seat. They care about dollar signs and their planes are their babies. You are merely a babysitter and babysitters are a dime a dozen."

"Advice noted and logged for use, Sir."

He smiled, "I never advanced beyond Colonel. I never re-upped after my wife had our second child. She was getting nervous after Desert Storm."

Bo nodded, "You were with Dad."

He nodded, "We were sent out on a recon mission with permission to engage hostile forces. When we got into a firefight, your Dad was detoured from his recon mission because he was in the Osprey." He chuckled, scratching his head, then replacing his cap, "Talk about a cool bird. Anyway, he was sent to evaluate the damage when word came in that I was shot down and landed behind enemy lines. My team was recalled and your Dad was sent to scope out my wreckage. It was recon only, but he landed against orders and saved my ass, Bo. I still can't believe he spotted me. Anyway, the wife was done after that. She put up the old ultimatum and... well... I loved my kids and my wife, Bo."

"No disgrace in that, Sir. I'm sure if my Mom had ever given Dad that ultimatum, he would have done the same."

"She never would have done that. She knew he had to be up there going like a bat outta hell."

Bo smiled, nodding, "He loved to fly and he wanted us to experience it. Hell, he snuck me into the cockpit of an F-16 when I was just eight."

He laughed, "I know. I was the one covering the paperwork that authorized the flight. As you know now, you don't just go up in a billion dollar plane without a whole lot of permissions."

She laughed, "I never thought of that. How the hell did you guys pull that off?"

"That is a secret promised to the grave, Bo. Sorry."

She nodded, "My Mom hoped that Kenzi and I wouldn't get the bug. She knew it was a hopeless wish, but I think she was always worried."

He nodded, "She called my wife when you were called up after 9/11. Sheila talked her down, but she was definitely terrified of you and Kenzi getting into the thick of things. She'd just lost her husband a few years earlier. She wasn't ready to lose the two of you."

Bo dipped her head to the ground, and swiped her foot across the floor, "Well, at least she doesn't have to worry about us anymore."

'Flight 287, turn left course heading 478. Rough skies ahead. I say again. Rough skies ahead. You have permission to head to 50,000 feet. You should find clean air there.'

"Well, I guess I have to get back to work, Bo. Angel will see you out."

They shook hands, their eyes locking for a moment until they felt the first bump. Bo smiled at him before she released his hand, then turned to Sarah,

"Have fun."

"The passengers don't like it much, but this is where the fun of commercial starts to feel a bit like the old days."

Bo smiled, "You flew?"

She nodded, "Naval Aviator."

Bo laughed, "How is it that a Navy girl ends up sharing a cockpit with an Air Force jockey."

She nodded to the Navigator who waved, "Marine. I flew that Osprey you were talking about earlier. Your Dad is a legend. Sorry for your loss."

Bo nodded, "It was a long time ago, but thank you. Well, I'll leave you to it. Have fun kids."

She smiled before turning back to Angel who waved to the exit and followed Bo out. When she had secured the door, she picked up the PA System microphone,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the seat belt sign. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Secure any loose items in the cabin. Thank you."

The Captain came over the PA, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we're about to hit some of that rough air I mentioned earlier. Flight crew, secure."

Angel turned to Bo, "Want to sit up here in the jump seat with me? You seemed particularly uncomfortable back there."

Bo smiled, "That would be fantastic. I have more leg room in the aircraft I fly and that's meant to fit me like a glove so I don't get knocked unconscious."

They settled into the seats as Angel continued, "You should try flying those airlines that have less rows. They're just starting to renew our fleet, so we haven't gotten to those fancy planes yet."

Bo shrugged, "Well, unfortunately, I fly whatever airline Uncle Sam puts me on. We fly no frills. Besides, it's better than sitting in sand, I suppose."

"I wish there was something I could do to make you more comfortable." She said, placing a hand on Bo's thigh.

Bo smirked, looking over her shoulder down the aisle, "I'm sure you can think of something."

Without hesitation, the woman stood and unbuckled Bo's seat belt, pushing her into the galley and pulling the folding door closed,

"We have about ten minutes until the Captain finds clear air and turns off the seatbelt sign."

Bo made quick work of the woman's skirt zipper, letting the cloth drop to the floor before spinning her around, "Waste not, want not... whatever the hell that means."

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Bo had slept the rest of the flight after renewing her membership in the Mile High Club. It wasn't as great as she'd hoped, but standing in turbulence while trying to dance the nasty isn't the most comfortable of positions. Still, it did the trick. She'd had her release and given as good as she'd gotten. She had apparently slept through the layover and when she awoke, she found that mister laptop was gone, replaced by miss laptop. There was a long, blonde curtain of hair shielding her face from view, but what Bo could see were the reports the woman had apparently dropped on her lap while she slept.

"Uh... excuse me? Your desk would like to use the bathroom."

The blonde mumbled something incoherently to which Bo replied, "Do you want to take the pencil out of your mouth so that I can understand you?"

Frustrated, the woman removed the pencil and repeated, "Seat belt sign. You can't get up."

"Lady, if I don't get up, you will be sitting in a puddle with me." Bo replied.

"Our seats aren't connected, so feel free to do your worst to airline property. I'd think a soldier could hold her bladder for a few more minutes until we've taxied off the runway."

Bo turned to the window to see they were, indeed, on the ground, "Wow. I slept through the entire flight."

"You snored through the entire flight." The woman said, her eyes still on the papers in her hands while she went back and forth between those and her laptop.

"I do not snore."

"You do."

"Do not." Bo replied, watching as the plane pulled up to the gate. Thank God. She could get out of this tin can and into a real plane.

"Are you a child?" The woman asked.

"No, I'm a desk, remember?" Bo replied, still looking at the side of the blonde's head.

"Right." The woman continued to stare at the screen while she reached over and pulled the stack of papers beneath her laptop.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived at the gate and are ready to disembark. We hope you enjoyed your flight. Please be sure to check around you for all of your belongings and thank you for flying Swift Air."

Bo watched as the woman began to pack up her papers and laptop, hurriedly pushing them into her briefcase, then strapping the laptop into place so it was secure. She reached over to the seat next to her and pulled on her jacket before standing to exit the aircraft.

Bo laughed at the empty aisle seat, "She couldn't sit in the aisle seat and put her papers in the middle?"

The woman turned to her, "Aisle seats are not as safe as the middle seat. If you sit in the middle seat of the rear third of the aircraft, you have a 32 precent survival rate."

Bo looked up to find large, beautiful brown eyes staring back at her as her ears were filled with the sound of the most adorable geek out she'd ever witnessed. Kenzi always said she needed to find a lover who would talk dirty math to her in bed – that she would be the one to last a lifetime.

"H-how would you know that?" Bo asked.

"Planes are kind of... my thing. Nice to meet you." She said before turning back, "Oh, and thank you for your service."

And there it was. Talk about pouring cold water on a hot flame. Bo watched as the woman scurried out into the aisle, catching a glimpse of an even better ass than she'd seen earlier on this flight.

It was a known fact that Bo Dennis was an ass woman. She had rated every one she'd ever had the pleasure of getting up close and personal with. Stacey Morgan was still at the top of the list because hers was like two perfectly shaped cantaloupe... no, honey dew... they were much sweeter than cantaloupe. Anyway, as Bo leaned out into the aisle, watching the blonde walk away, she groaned at the opportunity she had just missed. That woman may have well defeated Stacey Morgan who had been on top since that Y2K party she had gone to with her friends after Red Flag training at Nellis. She'd flown all out for three weeks and then found Stacey in a bar after graduation to celebrate... and they celebrated all week long. It wasn't long until she was deployed in 2001 to Afghanistan. From then on, shit got real.

Bo sighed, collapsing across all three seats. She wished she could just fall back to sleep, but it was time to go. She sat up and tucked in her shirt, then stood and walked to the front where Angel was waiting to hand her the rucksack that was too big for the overhead compartments. The woman went to lean in to give her a kiss, but Bo turned her head and attention to the Captain. It was a shit move, but the woman needed to understand that she wasn't available. She was married to her aircraft and that's the way it had to be. Pilots who fly the missions she flies make terrible partners in romance. It was only a matter of time until her world would be shattered by a couple of military guys in full dress uniforms showing up on her doorstep to give her the bad news and her dog tags.

"Well, Colonel, I guess this is goodbye. Thanks again for telling me a little bit more about my Dad."

"You're very welcome, Colonel. They'll always be watching over you and Kenzi, Bo. I really believe that."

"Thank you, Sir." Bo smiled, shaking the man's hand, though his words bounced off her like a dud off the side of a war ship. When her Dad was killed, she'd lost all faith in an afterlife. Dead was dead as far as she was concerned and there was no sense in pretending otherwise. Her parents were gone and with it, all of the joy she'd ever experienced with them. Many people told her to hold on to the memories, but remembering happier times just made her feel like shit.

She turned to Sarah, "It was a pleasure, Captain."

"Thank you, Colonel. Be safe up there." She replied.

Bo smiled, "I make no promises."

The Navigator reached out and shook Bo's hand, "Well, Mach 3 it is, then."

Bo laughed, "Keep them on course, Navigator. Steady as she goes."

He nodded, "Always. Take care."

As she stepped onto the concourse ramp, she took a moment to look back at the five people who now stood smiling and waving at her. She laughed, realizing she hadn't interacted with Rahul behind the initial hello. Still, it was probably the least unpleasant commercial flight she had experienced in some time.

Sighing, she turned away and headed to the next hateful part of her journey – finding transportation to Nellis Air Force Base. Checking her watch, she saw that she still had a few hours before she had to report for duty, so she headed to the Captain's Club and the roast beef sandwich she'd been craving for weeks.

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Bo leaned back in her chair, her hands going to her full belly. She grabbed her napkin and wiped her mouth before nibbling at the last of the fries on her plate. She then took a huge gulp of water before turning back to the newspaper she had picked up at the newsstand.

"Mind if I join you, Colonel?"

Bo turned to the voice and smiled, "Well, isn't this a small world."

The woman smiled, taking a seat, "I'll take that as a yes then. Roast Beef sandwich?"

Bo smiled, "It's the best. So, co-pilot Sarah, I take it you have a layover?"

She nodded, "I have about twenty-eight hours to kill. I usually go to my room and... nap unless... well, sometimes I'm hungry or... restless."

Bo nodded, "Well, I've got a few hours before I have to report to base if you'd like some company."

"Angel wasn't enough for you?" Sarah asked with a smirk.

Bo blushed. She'd never been caught trying to put her hand in two cookie jars before.

"Bo, I'm kidding. Your body is your business. Just know that Angel couldn't stop talking about you to Rahul and he can't keep his mouth shut."

She rolled her eyes, "Great. Colonel..."

"I shut them up. Don't worry. I reminded Angel that she could be fired for banging a passenger during her work hours and I reminded Rahul that gossiping was unprofessional. I may be the co-pilot in the cockpit, but elsewhere on the plane, I'm their boss."

Bo sighed, "Thanks, Sarah. I really shouldn't have... ya know... but..."

"It's been a while?"

Bo nodded, "A really, really long while. Then with my Mom's funeral and the death of my reel..."

"Oh, Bo. I'm sorry. I didn't know. Was there a crash?" Sarah asked.

"No, no, nothing flight related. He went to the grocery store to get ice cream for his pregnant wife. It was a wrong place, wrong time kind of thing. He was shot and killed by a kid holding up the store. Imagine that. He flies some of the most dangerous missions in the war and survives – even when we were down an engine – but he gets shot by an American kid."

"Damn. That sucks." She replied.

"Yea. So until I get a new reel, I'm heading to the wonderful world of test pilot."

"So the Colonel said you did Red Flag training."

Bo laughed, "I've done them all, actually. Test Pilot School was one of the first I did since it was what my Dad did when I graduated the Academy. I used to love walking through the hangars and watching the latest birds being built. Anyway, I recommended by my squadron leader for Red Flag training and the year after that, I was in Afghanistan. After that, I came home and was sent to Green Flag training and the big wigs there went me on to Air Force Weapons School."

"Wow, so you're WSINT trained too? Aren't you... well-rounded." Sarah said with a wink before taking a bite of her sandwich.

Bo blushed, "I do have quite a few... assets. I'd love to learn more about yours."

"Are we still talking about our military qualifications?" Sarah asked.

Bo laughed, "I think we passed that topic a few words back."

"Agreed. So, you want to get out of here?"

"Are you sure you've taken care of that appetite of yours?" Bo asked.

Sarah laughed, "Not completely. But I don't think this is the place to take care of my... other cravings."

Bo almost died in her chair as she watched Sarah throw sixty bucks down on the table and walk out of the club. Bo stood and pulled on her jacket before turning to the waiter and pointing towards the cash on the table. The young man nodded in reply, signaling Bo she was clear to head for the door.

"Best transfer ever." She said, looking to where Sarah was waving her to an elevator.

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Bo sat on the end of the bed, pulling on her shoes before going to the mirror across the room and pulling on her dress uniform coat. She would be meeting her new General and was warned he was a stickler for protocol.

"Wow. You clean up nice, Colonel Dennis." Sarah said, wrapping her arms around Bo's waist, but the brunette ducked out of her grasp,

"Don't wrinkle me. My new boss is a real by-the-book kinda guy."

"Got it."

"Just like that?" Bo asked.

"Hey, do you think the Navy doesn't have an Admiral equivalent to your Generals with all of the same quirks?" she asked, placing a kiss on Bo's cheek.

The brunette looked at her cheek in the mirror and wiped at the red mark, "Lipstick will not impress either. Don't ask, don't tell may be gone, but I still don't put my sexuality on display. It's dangerous for my career."

Sarah put her hands up, "Hey, I totally understand. If I were still in, I'd be saying the same thing. Under wraps it is."

Bo nodded, "Yea. Sucks, but it's the world we live in."

"For now." Sarah said, straightening Bo's medals and tie.

Bo smiled, "Thank you."

Sarah stepped back, saluting the other woman, "You look perfect, Colonel Dennis."

Bo turned and pulled together her belongings. She had hoped that Sarah would remain asleep until she left. They'd had a great time... amazing time, actually. Bo had come more times than she could remember, but still, she couldn't start a relationship. Of course, Sarah didn't say she wanted one so... still, she hated this awkward moment... she really needed to work on her getaway game.

"Bo?"

"Yea, sorry. I tend to drift off into my own thoughts sometimes."

Sarah smiled, "Trying to make a graceful getaway, huh?"

Bo turned to her and smiled, "I'm a... just..."

"Bo, look... I like you. We had fun together. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to do it again, but I'm well aware of what fighter jocks are like. I am one, remember?"

A gentle nod and smile followed before Sarah continued, "This doesn't have to be... a thing, but I would like to see you again... have more... fun."

Bo laughed, "Yea, that would be nice."

"I usually come through on this route once or twice a week. So what do you say you give me your number and I call you when I'm in town. No strings, okay?"

Bo smiled, "No strings."

Sarah slid Bo's bag up and over her arm, shouldering it in place before she placed a soft kiss on her lips, "Be safe, okay?"

Bo chuckled, "Yea, well that will sort of be up to the engineers who build my rides, eh?"

Sarah nodded, "I guess so. Just make sure you double up on your pre-flight checks, know your mechanics and..."

Bo turned to Sarah, placing a finger over her lips, "Trust me, I know every precaution I could possibly take and will take all of them. My sister would find a way to kill me a second time if I died due to pilot error like my Dad did."

Sarah frowned, "Bo, listen to the Colonel about that, okay? We talked after you left the cockpit. He really doesn't think it was pilot error, Bo."

"Then what was it, Sarah?"

She shrugged, "He's suspicious of what happened. Apparently something didn't add up in the reports." She sighed, "He thinks there was some sort of cover up."

Bo took a deep breath and let it out long and slow, "Yea, we heard something about that. Honestly, it's one of the reasons my sister went into intelligence. Of course, her teeny body also can't handle the G-forces of jet flight, so she didn't have a lot of options."

"That's a bummer."

Bo nodded, "Yea, she was definitely bummed."

Checking her watch, Bo looked up at Sarah and smiled, "My Uber should be here. I've gotta go. Don't want to be late for my first day with the new General."

Sarah nodded, giving Bo a light kiss on the lips, "Remember, no strings."

Bo smiled, taking Sarah's phone in hand and typing in her number before handing it back, "No strings."

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Bo walked up to the gate at Nellis Air Force Base and showed her credentials to the guard. He saluted, took the creds and then waved a jeep up to the entrance. Handing back the documentation, he nodded towards the ride,

"Colonel Dennis, Airman Masters will give you a ride up to the barracks, then take you to your meeting. General Flanders and the rest of the test group arrived about five minutes ago."

"Thank you, Airman." Bo saluted again before hopping in the jeep.

As they drove, she looked around the familiar base, asking the Airman to pull over near the flight runway. The young man did as she asked,

"I hear you fly jets, Ma'am."

Bo smiled, "That I do, Airman."

"That's the newly revived X-15 prototype. She's a beauty."

Bo nodded, "Yea, I know her Mom."

The Airman looked at the Colonel, confused, "Mom?"

"Well, some of us female pilots have aviation slang of our own. You see, these planes are our babies. We want them to grow up and succeed, but we're more the Tiger Mom type than the positive-reinforcement type Mom."

The Airman laughed, "That's actually kind of funny."

"Yea. We like it."

"So who's the Mom?"

"That would be Major Tamsin Sorensen." She watched as the plane came to a stop, the pilot pulling back the cockpit glass before the ladder was brought for her eventual exit.

"Word has it she's testing the new version of the Valkyrie."

Bo's eyes went wide, "The XB-70 Valkyrie? There were only two in existence and one crashed. The other is in a museum somewhere. It failed miserably. Why are they bringing it back?"

The Airman laughed, "That's what our Aeronautics Professor told us, but hey, I'm just the transportation around here."

"Right, sorry." Bo smiled, pulling her aviator glasses back into place, "On then, James."

The Airman smiled, "Yes, Ma'am."

She kept her eyes on Tamsin as she exited the plane, hoping to make eye contact with the blonde. Sure enough, she tilted her head, pulling her aviators down her nose to smirk at Bo as she drove by. In reply, Bo responded in kind, the two laughing as they stared at each other over the silver rims of the standard issue lenses.

"Officers Club at Zero-Dark Thirty, Dennis!"

Bo laughed, yelling back, "Make that twenty-three hundred and you've got a deal!"

"See you then!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bo was led into the situation room along with another officer she recognized as a former Airman on board a carrier she had flown from during her time in Afghanistan. Eyeing his bars, she smiled in the knowledge that he had gained grades to Master Sergeant since then. He smiled at her as they walked along, giving salute before he spoke,

"Colonel Dennis, it will be nice to work with you again."

"Likewise, Master Sergeant Manes. It's nice to see more metal on those shoulders of yours."

"Likewise, Ma'am."

"So, are we ready for this?" Bo asked.

Manes laughed, "We have General Hank Green. They say he's getting a bit loopy. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but a buddy of mine told me that everyone who has been brought into this project has requested a transfer. Supposedly some big wig is coming in to determine his future, whatever that means."

Bo scowled, "So are you saying this Green is loony tunes?"

Manes shrugged, "Just the word on the street. I'm new here just like you, Colonel."

"So he's still the man in charge of this project?" Bo asked.

"I'm not completely sure. This big wig they're sending in may be taking over the project, but I guess it depends on what they think of Green's fitness. Here we go." Manes said as the Airman opened the door for his superiors.

They entered the room to find several civilians on one side of the table and a row of military brass on the other side. Apparently, this was a mixed forces operation, so Bo's interest was immediately heightened. She turned to her superiors, saluting as they all waved the two of them off. They took their seats, both sitting at attention as the General turned to them,

"Dennis, Manes. Nice of you to join us. For future reference, when I say rally time is 0900, I actually mean fifteen minutes earlier."

"Yes, Sir." They replied in unison.

"So, Dennis."

"Sir?"

"I flew with your Dad."

Bo's heart sank, "Sir."

"Best damn pilot in the world."

"Sir." Bo said, trying to keep her face from breaking into a broad, proud smile.

"Shame we lost him. Losing great talent to stupid mistakes is a waste of military personnel. You got me, Dennis?"

"Sir?"

A voice that sounded oddly familiar rang out from the other side of the table. Bo's eyes were still on the General, trying to wrap her head around the accusation... or was it an insult... maybe a threat... that he'd said in front of the entire room, but she managed to turn her head towards the voice,

"I think what my... uh... the General... is trying to say is that we want you alive. We realize there are some companies who treat their test pilots like a disposable part of their operation, but here at Lewis Aeronautics, we want our pilots to finish their flight in the same condition as the plane."

It was the blonde hair curtain that used her for a desk on the plane. How the hell did she end up in this room?

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm not up to speed on this project. You are?"

"Not up to speed?" The General interjected.

"Sir. I was told that my mission briefing would arrive by courier at my home before my flight departure, but it did not arrive. I hopped on the plane, feeling it would be more important to be present for this meeting than wait for a briefing and be late."

"As it turns out, you were both late and unprepared. How did you make Colonel, Dennis?"

"Excuse me, Sir?"

"I think it was a simple question, Dennis."

"I believe my record speaks for itself, Sir and if I'm correct, my service record is in the third file down in your pile of neatly stacked papers. Feel free to pull it out if you'd like the history of my promotions, Sir."

The General counted down three files and smirked, "Observant, but I believe you just talked back to your Commanding Officer. Did you just talk back to your Commanding Officer, Dennis?"

"That was not my intent, Sir. I just wanted to give you the information you needed to answer the question asked, Sir." Bo sat, her back perfectly erect while her eyes remained set on the table before her. She now understood the rumors Manes had mentioned. This guy was definitely a section eight and she was brought here to work under his command. Great.

The blonde stood, "If you'll excuse me, General, I've got a schedule to keep today. If you would like to discuss qualifications with your personnel, I could come back at a later date, but we poured through hundreds of pilot service records until you, personally, decided on Colonel Dennis. Now, if you want to get on with the program, then I suggest we get on with the briefing. Besides, I'm pretty sure the failure of Colonel Dennis to receive the mission briefing would have been the fault of your office or my own, so let's not get caught up in semantics. The purpose of this meeting is to review the mission briefing."

She nodded to a young man Bo assumed was her assistant. The man responded by standing from the table and walking to Bo to give her a copy of the mission briefing marked highly confidential.

"Master Sergeant Manes, do you have a copy of the brief?"

"No Ma'am. Mine did not arrive either." He replied.

The blonde scowled, looking at her assistant, "Martin, leave now and track down those briefing copies. I want... no, I need to know where they are. General Green, Martin may need a ranking military officer if the copies made it to your office."

"Dr. Lewis, are you insinuating that I lost the briefing copies?"

Bo smiled as a name was finally attached to the blonde who was clearly trying to run interference for her with the General. Maybe she could forgive the use of her body as a desk while she was sleeping. Doctor Lewis. It was more of a title than a name, but at least now she wouldn't have to refer to her as the blonde curtain who used her as a desk. That was a bit of a mouthful, after all.

Bo watched as the doctor smiled at Green, "No, General. I'm insinuating that the chain of command was broken and those copies were redirected. It would be negligent to perform a test flight until we are sure the briefings were not stolen."

Bo's eyes went wide, "You're talking security breach?"

The Doctor turned to the brunette, "I'm afraid so, Colonel. We can't rule out that possibility. As I said, Lewis Aeronautics does not take chances with its pilots or its planes."

Bo nodded, opening the briefing as Martin left the room with a Lieutenant the General sent to accompany him as the doctor had requested. She took a quick glance at Manes who shrugged and rolled his eyes before opening the briefing as well.

Bo looked down and paged through the confidential oaths of the document before reading the cover page at the guts of the report,

'Project Resurrection'

She turned the page and froze, her blood running cold as her entire body shuddered before going completely rigid. There on the page in front of her were the words that had changed her life forever,

'X-2 Starbuster'

"Uh... excuse me. Sir? Dr. Lewis?" Bo spoke, barely able to pull her eyes from the page to look up to the people she wished to question about the project.

The two turned to look at the Colonel, Dr. Lewis looking at Bo over the top of her reading glasses while the General smirked and said,

"Something wrong, Dennis?"

"Are you kidding me?" Manes said unexpectedly, "This plane is a disaster."

The General snapped back, "I'd remind you that you were hand-picked for this mission, Manes. To refuse it would be career suicide."

But Manes persisted, "With all due respect, Sir, I'm more concerned about Colonel Dennis committing suicide by test craft than my career at this moment."

"Mind your mouth, Master Sergeant." The General replied.

The Doctor interrupted, "No, General. This briefing is to get the opinions and ideas of all involved in this project. We agreed that this meeting would be conducted as one of the business world, not the military."

"Well, this program is good business, Doctor. To keep these planes locked up in a museum is a waste of our best ideas and technology."

"Agreed, however these planes were locked up in a museum for a reason. It is my intention to make these aircraft viable for flight and when I say viable, I mean safe." The Doctor argued.

"No flight jockey is ever fully safe up there. While we don't want to go crashing aircraft and costing the taxpayers billions of dollars, we do need to continue to advance our flight arsenal to compete with the arsenals of the world."

The blonde's frustration was growing, "That is a completely different topic, General."

"No, Dr. Lewis, it is the very reason for the existence of this program!" The General replied, slamming his fist down on the table.

"Are you trying to intimidate me, General?" The blonde asked.

Taking a deep breath, the General replied, "No, of course not. I'm just trying to passionately make my point."

Doctor Lewis laughed, "I see. And your point is that you want me to push the envelope and put your pilot at risk for the sake of having yet another jet that can go Mach 3 so you can keep up with, catch up with or counter any potential enemies that attack our homeland, correct?"

"There is always risk."

"Calculated risk, yes but not blatant risk, like the original X-2. You have a whole arsenal of planes that can attain Mach 3. Why do you need this one?"

Bo's attention was peaked with the Doctor's comment, "Dr. Lewis, are you saying there was something wrong with the original X-2?"

The blonde began, "Well..."

"I'm sorry, Colonel, but Dr. Lewis is about to discuss something above your security clearance." He turned from Bo to the blonde, "Doctor, we'll table this discussion for a later date."

"But General, surely the test pilot has a right to know..." she began, but the General cut her off,

"She has a right to know the things she needs to know about the newly redesigned X-2, yes I agree."

"That is not what I was going to say and..." the Doctor began again,

"Doctor Lewis..."

"General..."

"Lauren! That's enough!" The General slammed both hands down on his desk as he stood, towering over the blonde.

Bo and Manes snapped to attention in their seats as the room went deathly quiet. The two leaders were leaning across the table, their glare fixed on one another until Bo finally broke the silence,

Bo stood, "So... it's Lauren, is it? Nice to meet you." Bo said before turning to the General, "With all due respect, Sir, I would like to state for the record that I believe you are acting in a manner unbecoming an officer."

The General turned away from the Doctor, his full attention now on the Colonel, "How DARE you!"

Bo remained standing, holding her ground as the General keyed on her, "I have a right to state my opinion for military record, Sir. You are using both emotional and physical acts of intimidation on a civilian you are, by oath, sworn to protect and defend. I would like it noted for the official record of this meeting."

Bo turned from the General and nodded to the Airman who sat in the corner of the room taking down the meeting notes. The woman nodded to Bo in reply, making note of her concern for the record.

"I would like noted for the record, Colonel Dennis' blatant insubordination." He turned to the Airman who nodded, glancing at Bo when he turned away. The brunette nodded and smiled at the Airman before turning her attention back to the table. Bo returned her attention to the briefing, but the General wasn't finished,

"Dennis! I'm talking to you!" He took two steps and stood, looming over Bo.

"Sir?" She asked.

"I'm writing you up for insubordination! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Don't you have anything to say about that?" the General demanded.

"You're my superior officer, Sir. You can do as you please." Bo replied, desperately fighting to keep herself calm and emotionless.

"Drop and give me twenty, Dennis!"

Bo sat for a moment, shocked at the request, but decided it best to heed his request. She dropped to the floor and began to comply when she noticed a pair of black shiny shoes beneath her chin,

"Dennis? What on earth are you doing?"

Bo kept her head down and continued, counting out her effort as she replied, "The General has given me twenty, sir. I'm complying with a direct order."

"Dennis, get your ass up. This is a briefing, not a daggone basic training exercise."

Bo stood to find her old Commanding Officer standing before her. She smiled, at the additional stars on his shoulders before saluting the older gentleman,

"General Walker, it's good to see you, sir. Congratulations on those new stars."

The man smiled, "Dennis, it's nice to see you as well. I see you've added some new bling as well."

Bo laughed as she took the offered hand and shook it. He smiled, "We're glad to have you aboard, Dennis. I assure you that Dr. Lewis here is the best astrophysicist in the business."

"Astrophysicist?" Bo asked, looking at Lauren, "But I thought you were a Doctor."

Lauren smiled, "I am... just not the kind you think. I'm a doctor of the PhD variety. I'm well known in the military for my work as an Astrophysicist, but I also have a Doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering. I've just diverted my attention from space flight to flight a little closer to Earth. There's a bit of a learning curve, but I've got a fantastic team."

"Well, I certainly hope so." Bo said as she placed her fingertips over the brief on the tabletop, and looked at General Walker, "So, the X-2, huh?"

"Dennis, I know it must have spooked you to see that, which is why I intercepted these." He tabled his briefcase and pulled out two copies of the briefing, "Sorry, Doctor Lewis, but I believe there's some history here that you were not made aware of... at least, not all of it." He glared at General Green before turning back to Bo, "I'm sorry, Dennis. I wanted to be here before you arrived so that you and I could take a moment alone in the hallway. Shall we?"

Bo hesitated, looking at General Green, but General Walker shook his head, "I outrank Green. Don't worry about him, he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, right Green?"

"Sir." The General replied, sitting down in his seat.

Bo looked across the table and could have sworn the Doctor looked upset for a moment. Her gaze traveled to General Green's before she lowered her eyes to the rolled up scrolls of paper in front of her. General Walker turned back to the room,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you'll give us about ten minutes, we'll resume. Dr. Lewis, if you could ready your presentation, we'll continue upon my return without delay. I want to see what you and your team have come up with. I've heard you feel the prototype shows great promise."

"Yes, Sir." Lauren replied, standing nervously before sitting, then standing again.

God, she was adorable, Bo thought to herself as she moved out of the room with General Walker. He led her down the corridor until they were alone. Looking left then right, he spoke to Bo in a soft voice,

"Dennis, I've reopened the investigation into your Father's death."

"Sir?"

"I can make no promises, but something Green said when we began this program just didn't sit well with me. So, behind his back, I set into motion a thorough examination of the aircraft crash remains as well as the plans from the original build. It just made sense to use Doctor Lewis to handle the investigation since she was going to have to look at all of that history anyway. I told her it was absolutely confidential, but I just learned that Green has been limiting her access. I'm going to assume command of this program and send Green for a complete physical including a competency hearing."

"Sir."

"I heard and saw everything that was going on in that room, Dennis. We had eyes and ears on. Once I saw him yelling at his own daughter the way he did, I knew there was something..."

"Daughter? Sir?"

"Right. Doctor Lewis is General Green's daughter. He never married the woman, so she carried her Mother's name. They've just reconnected after decades apart. Lauren's mother was killed in a car accident, so when she was about twenty-five or so, they got back in touch when he ran into her at a NASA event."

"So I guess this is a bit awkward for her?" Bo asked.

"Not really. Doctor Lewis is the one who called me about his recent behavior. She said she was concerned about him making decisions that might put the health and well-being of soldiers at risk. She was wildly against Resurrection until she began to comb through the flight designs. Bo, she found structural design flaws but she needs more evidence before she will have definitive proof."

Bo hated to get her hopes up, but this was the best news she'd had in years, "So she could prove that it wasn't pilot error?"

"That is my hope." General Walker replied.

"So, I'm really going to be the test pilot for the new X-2?"

General Walker smiled, "The new and improved X-2. We'll be renaming it eventually, but for now it's my hope that we can take a bad name and turn it into something good."

Bo smiled, feeling a little better about... well, everything... especially the fact that General Green would no longer be her commanding officer. She felt bad for Lauren, but that feeling was dimmed by the knowledge that the blonde had been the one to refer her Father to his superior. He walked with the General back to the situation room, catching up on what they'd been up to over the years since Afghanistan, but were quickly back to reality.

"You ready?" The General asked.

Bo smiled, "Yes, sir."

"Ask questions. Lots and lots of questions."

"Yes, sir."

"If there's anything you're not comfortable with or calculations you want double checked, you've got it. If you don't feel safe on the ground..."

"I won't feel safe in the air." Bo smiled.

"Right and that could impact your judgement when you fly, so no holding back. You have a right to know."

"Thank you, General." Bo replied as he opened the door and entered the room, motioning for Bo to take her seat.

General Walker, on the other hand, tapped General Green on the shoulder and asked him for a word in the corridor. Everyone sat silently in the room, Bo chancing glances at the blonde whose pen was inserted sideways between her lips again. She couldn't figure out what it was, but there was something about this woman that just pulled her in. She could watch her work for days and not get bored.

General Walker re-entered the room without General Green, "My apologies for the delay. I've assumed command of Project Resurrection and will be streamlining this team to have the pilots work together as well. There's no sense in having all branches of the military represented as well as all of the physicists and engineers, but not all of the pilots. I'm sure that Colonel Dennis would love to have more pilot eyes and ears on this briefing."

Lauren spoke, "Sir, I was told that I could not have more pilots due to confidentiality. Is that not a concern anymore?"

"Confidentiality is of the utmost concern, Doctor Lewis, but there is not a pilot in Project Resurrection that is not aware of the importance of secrecy here. If the specs of our planes ventured outside of this facility, they would be as useful to us as the original iPhone would be to a civilian."

The doctor nodded her understanding, "So, are we ready to begin then?"

"We're just waiting on three pilots. Once we have them, we're good to go. I sent the Airman at post after them. They should be here any minute."

Just as he finished, the door opened and three pilots walked in, still wearing their flight suits. Bo smiled at the group, relieved at the experience that had just joined the briefing.

"Everyone, I believe most of you know these pilots, but I'll introduce them anyway. This is Naval Aviator Lieutenant Hale Santiago, Air Force Captain Mark Thornwood and Air Force Major Tamsin Sorensen. Army Captain Sam Evans and Marine Captain Seamus Williams will be joining these briefings as well, but they are currently in maneuvers and could not be present. Last but not least, there will be a team from D.C. joining us from the Intelligence Community. They were supposed to be here today, but their flight was delayed. They should arrive for tomorrow's flight tests."

Bo turned quickly to the General, "I go up tomorrow?"

"That's the plan unless we find a problem here today." The General confirmed.

"Do I get sim time?" Bo asked, looking between the General and the Doctor.

Lauren replied, "We do have a simulator available for your use, yes. My plan was to go through the briefing, take you over to the hangar so you could see the bird and walk through her with Manes who will be your lead mechanic if that suits you, then head over to the simulator. Of course, depending on how long all of that takes, you can take a break for lunch or dinner... or both. I'll be at your beckoned call so we can work around your schedule."

Bo smiled, "Well, as much as I'd like to have you as my beckoned call girl, I don't want to inconvenience you either."

Lauren shook her head, "This plane... all of them... but this one imparticular is like a child to me. I've poured my heart and soul into this project for almost five years now. I want a fully fed and rested driver to procure the best possible result. If I lose a little sleep or miss a meal, the plane won't crash. I have a whole team backing up my calculations. You, on the other hand, are the only one flying the plane."

"No second seat?" Bo asked.

General Walker replied, "We took it out. One of the things that the design team wanted from the start was to make the plane lighter. You will see a much different plane than the one your Father flew, Dennis."

Lauren's head snapped up, "I'm sorry General. Did I hear you correctly? Her Father?"

General Walker cocked his head at Lauren, "Well, surely your Father told you when he hand-picked Dennis for this particular job that the Colonel's father was the pilot who died in the crash of the original X-2, didn't he?"

Lauren's brow furrowed as she looked nervously between the General and Bo before she finally spoke, "I'm so terribly sorry for your loss. I promise you this is a very different plane."

Bo nodded, "So you do believe the plane had issues before it crashed?"

Lauren shook her head, her eyes traveling to the General who simply said, "I'd remind everyone in this room that this briefing is classified under the highest military level and to utter even a word about anything said here outside of this room would be high treason against your country. Understood?"

A verbal 'aye' resounded around the room as the General spoke,

"Doctor Lewis, please speak freely."

She looked at Bo and swallowed hard, "It is the opinion of my company that this plane never should have been permitted in the air. We are still researching, but we've come to a stand still. I was directed to a girl by the name of Kenzi Malikov to get permission for what I need to finish the investigation, but she has refused to take my calls."

The General looked at Bo as did Tamsin. She looked up at them, then back at the Doctor who seemed confused by all of the staring that was going on.

"Does someone want to tell me what I'm missing here?" The Doctor asked.

Bo shook her head, "Kenzi is my sister. She works in the Intelligence Community, so her name was changed to our Mother's maiden name to separate us in all military records."

"So you can't be used against each other if either is captured on a mission." Lauren nodded, her eyes leaving Bo's and landing on the paper in front of her. She thumbed the edges for a moment before passing it across the table to Bo, "That's the request form I sent her. She was upset and would not discuss the matter with me."

Bo looked down at the form and frowned, "You... you want to exhume my Father's body for study?"

Lauren nodded, "I'm sorry... believe me, I am. But having his remains would allow me to study the forces inside the cockpit pre-impact that were not included in the report. It's the missing piece of the puzzle about the pilot's final moments." She folded her hands in front of her, speaking quietly, "It would finally give you the answers I'm sure you've been seeking."

Bo looked up at the General, "The casket was closed. We were told his body was essentially vaporized."

The General shook his head, "Then why the casket, Dennis? What was buried?"

Bo sat, stunned for a long moment before she looked at Lauren, "You think something was buried in the casket?"

She shrugged, giving a slight shake of the head, "Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm following a hunch. There are some pieces of the wreckage that were never found... supposedly burned up on impact and combustion, but... well, the temperature estimates from the fire and the types of metals... well, it just doesn't add up and I..."

Bo nodded, essentially cutting off her explanation before picking up the pen, signing the form and giving it back to Lauren. She then turned to the General,

"I was young. I didn't ask any questions. I guess it's time I got answers to the questions I have now."

The General nodded, "Do you need a minute?"

Bo sighed, "No. Let's get this briefing started. Everyone has waited long enough."

"Colonel, I'm sure that we would all..."

"Thank you. That's very generous, but... I'm good... really."

Nodding, the General turned to the Doctor and signaled her to begin. She looked at Bo for a moment before looking down at the table in front of her. Sighing, she gave one last glance to the pilot who returned her gaze with a tight smile, letting the Doctor know it was time to begin. Lauren gathered up the large technical drawings and rolled them out across the table before she stood and turned on the projector. Large images of the X-2 came up on the screen, causing Bo to physically shudder... something that did not go unnoticed by the presenter. Lauren sighed, looking away from the pilot and began,

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the new X-2 Starbuster. We believe we have built a lighter, faster, more agile and more capable aircraft than the original. Naturally, with speed comes G-forces and a greater possibility of pilot error, but the technology in this aircraft makes it much easier for a pilot to avoid errors that may be life threatening. Let's get to it, shall we? If you'll turn to page five in your briefing, you'll see that the new X-2 is capable of much greater speeds..."

Bo watched Lauren's mouth move, but her eyes were zeroed in on the plans she had waited so long to see. There, before her eyes, was a side-by-side comparison of the old plane her Father had flown and the new one that she would fly. It was an ironic and yet full circle moment for Bo. Maybe it was fate? As she looked more closely, she realized that the two jets were completely different. She studied the old design... there was a flaw, she just new it. It was in this very moment that Bo decided she would clear her Father's flight record and restore his good name.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The briefing ended and the room emptied out quickly. Bo and Tamsin made their way out into the hallway,

"Are we still on for drinks tonight?" Tamsin asked as she started for the exit, but when she realized Bo wasn't next to her, she stopped, "Hey! Dennis!"

"Wh-what?" Bo asked, her head snapping up to see Tamsin staring at her with a questioning gaze, "Sorry. I'm just... forget it."

Tamsin took a few steps back towards the other pilot and stopped, her arms crossed over her chest, "Come on then... spill it."

"Really, it's nothing." Bo smiled, "We still on for drinks tonight?"

Tamsin laughed, "Wow, I forgot to ask. Sure. Drinks it is. Now talk. You're not going up in that new toy before you clear your mind."

Bo nodded, "Right. I just can't stop seeing the plans for the old X-2 in my head. Did you see anything unusual about the design?"

Tamsin shrugged, "I'm no engineer, but Blondie in there is. I'd suggest we leave the designing of things to her."

Bo looked back over her shoulder and sighed, "I know, but... can I trust her?"

"Has she given you a reason not to, Bo? Besides, you haven't even met the guy who built your F-16, but you still fly it." Tamsin asked.

Shaking her head, Bo replied, "Right. I guess I'll find out when I fly that plane."

Tamsin shook her head, "Bo, if you have questions, go ask her. That's what the briefing was for, but you just sat there like a stone the entire time."

"What?" Bo asked.

"You didn't ask one question, Bo. Manes and I did all of the questioning."

"Right." Bo replied, "I noticed. Thanks for looking out for me."

Tamsin sighed, "You know I've always got your back, Bo but are you sure you should be going up in that sweet new ride?"

"You don't think I can handle it?" Bo asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I didn't say that. You are the best pilot here and we all know that. No one is questioning who should be in that seat. It's just that... well, you're really close to this one and..."

"I know. Believe me, I was as shocked as anyone that my name was pulled for this particular plane. I think it was the General."

"General Walker?"

"Yup. He said General Green picked me specifically. He seemed surprised by that, but I don't know why. I'm telling you, there's something going on. I mean, the fact that they brought me here and delayed my deployment specifically for me to do this test flight when there are other pilots. It's all just... suspicious."

Tamsin shrugged, "Well, keep your eyes open and your spidey senses tingling then. Still, I think you start in that briefing room with the hot blonde. She knows stuff, Stick. What's the harm?"

Bo nodded, "Fine. I'm going to go in there and talk to her. See you later for drinks?"

"You'll see me sooner than that, Stick." Tamsin smirked.

"Oh yea? And where exactly will I see you, Hawk?"

"I'll be the one on your wing."

Bo smiled, "No shit!"

"Yea, girl! The General asked me to fly observation on your wing for the first flight. I've got your back, Stick... promise. First sign of trouble, you're punching out."

"Now we both know that is not an option... punching out means crashing the Doctor's precious billion dollar baby."

Tamsin laughed, "A billion five, actually."

"Great! Even better!" Bo said, waving her arms up and down.

"Go see the Doc, Bo. Ask her what you want to know. Be direct and don't beat around the bush. It's like the General said, you have a right to know everything there is to know about that aircraft."

Bo nodded, "Thanks, Tam. I'll see you for wheels up."

Turning to face the entrance to the situation room once more, Bo straightened her jacket and smoothed her hands down her pants before heaving a heavy sigh and walking into the room. She cleared her throat to get the Doctor's attention,

"Colonel Dennis? Do you have another question? Oh, wait... you didn't ask any questions which, by the way, I found particularly interesting since all of the other pilots had them but the one who is actually flying my plane did not. Care to explain?"

"No offense, but I don't believe I need to explain myself to you at all. You're not my commanding officer. You're the engineer. I trust that the military powers that be would not allow me to get in that hunk of tin unless you did your job at least as well as I do mine."

The Doctor laughed, "Wow. A cocky pilot. What a surprise."

Bo scowled, staring down at her hands, "Look... I'm... sorry."

"Big apology. Another surprise."

"You know what? Forget it." Bo said and turned to leave, but as soon as she gripped the door handle, she stopped and turned around, "Actually, your job is to answer my questions, so I'm going to ignore your digs and get to the point."

Placing her hands on her hips, the blonde's eyebrows knit together, "Now you want to ask questions?"

"Yes. I'm sorry if my timing is bad for you, but... well, you wouldn't understand. Just... can I ask you a question or not?"

Sighing, the blonde folded her arms over her chest, "The floor is yours."

"Do you think my Dad's plane was tampered with?"

"Excuse me?"

"The X-2. I know you know it was my Dad's plane... the original. General Walker told me you've re-opened the investigation which is why you want those parts I signed for, so is that what you're looking for?"

Lauren lowered her eyes, fumbling with a pen that was atop the pad of paper by her laptop, "I uh... well, it's certainly a possibility."

Bo nodded, "I've thought there was fowl play ever since the program began. It's the only plane my Dad and I never spoke about even though it was supposedly going to change our national defense capabilities forever... General Malone's words, not my Dad's."

"General John Malone?" Lauren asked, writing down the name.

Nodding again, Bo replied, "He was the five-star in charge of the program at the time."

"I didn't know that. There is not a single piece of documentation with his signature on it."

Bo scowled, "That's strange. I mean, as a kid I remember him being handed clipboards with papers to sign while he stood next to my Dad."

"We don't know, Colonel. He could have been signing something for another project even though he was talking to your Dad."

"I guess so. I just..."

"Need to know." Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, "Exactly." She paused before adding, "Look... I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be so... such an ass."

Lauren smiled, "Me either."

"It's just... when you pulled up that side-by-side comparison of my Dad's plane and the one I'll be flying, it was just... like a time warp. Then, with my Mom passing recently, well... it was just..."

"The past slapping you in the face?"

"More like pounding my face with a fist." Bo smiled.

"Colonel Dennis, there is a quote in a book that was written by your Father, are you aware?"

"Please, I beg you. Call me Bo? I mean... that is if my assumption that you aren't actually military personnel is correct. It's just that... well, I get so little time with civilians and when I do, it's nice to do normal, ya know?"

The Doctor smiled, "I'm not sure I've ever known what any sort of normal, but no, I'm not military... well... not me, anyway. I mean, obviously my Father is a General, but my Brother, Aunt and Uncle... well, there's a few. My Father is the highest ranking and he can be... difficult."

"Condolences."

The Doctor smiled, "Thank you. It's not all that bad, really. I mean... I've had the chance to live in many places and learn so much about the planes that have always fascinated me."

Bo nodded, "Yea, I know the life. I used to ride my bike out to the end of the runway at night and wait for the jets to land just so I could watch all of the lights and hear the rush of the engines. Yea, flying is in my blood, I guess. I've always wanted to be up there."

"My experience was a bit different. My Dad used to have the gear heads in the hangars babysit me when he had to fly. There was this guy named Scottie who worked on the engines. Ironically, he was into Star Trek just like me and..."

"Ironically?" Bo asked.

The blonde laughed, "I take it you're not familiar with Star Trek?"

Bo shrugged, "I mean, I've seen the new movies, but never watched the old show."

"Or the old movies? Wrath of Khan? None of them?"

Laughing, Bo replied, "Am I breaking some important right of passage for a pilot?"

"Absolutely!" She laughed in reply.

"Well, I'll have to find the series on Netflix somewhere." Bo smiled, brightly.

The doctor smiled in reply, "Good idea, Stick."

"Wait, you know my call sign?"

"It's my job to know everything there is to know about you, Colonel. You're about to fly in one of my planes."

Bo smiled, "You mean I'm about to fly in your baby."

"That's exactly how I feel about her." She replied.

"You know, I can't speak for the men, but me and the other female pilots think of the planes as our babies as well. She'll be in good hands with me, Doc."

"Thanks. I have no doubt. You come from a long line of hero pilots, after all."

"So, you said you know of my Dad's history and something he said?"

"Well, the one I really like is 'Truly superior pilots are those who use their superior judgment to avoid those situations...

"...Where they might have to use their superior skills." Bo finished, shaking her head, "Yea, I remember that piece of advice."

"You must have loved him very much." The Doctor said, noticing the reminiscent look on the pilot's face.

Bo nodded, "He wasn't just my Dad... he was my best friend. I mean, I loved my Mom, but when my Dad was home, it was always me and him building model planes or soap box derby carts or launching rockets we built. Of course, there was always flying model airplanes, riding ATV's, rock climbing..."

"Really adrenaline junkies, huh?" She smiled.

"Yea. I guess so. My Mom called us two peas in a pod."

"How about you and your parents?" Bo asked, ready for a change of subject when she felt her throat tighten over memories of her parents.

The Doctor shrugged, "My Mom is... well, she's a General's wife. She takes care of the things she's obligated to take care of... planning luncheons, watching out for the partners of the soldiers, helping with housing and financial issues when the spouses are away... that sort of thing."

Bo nodded, "Yea, I heard General Green is your Dad."

Nodding, Lauren replied, "He is and... well, I'm sorry for his behavior in there. He's been a bit... off... lately. He's been under a lot of pressure in this program and... well, he was against the X-2 from the start, so..."

"How far from the start? The first one?" Bo asked.

Lauren shrugged, "We don't talk much about that. He is a pretty by-the-book guy and the crash is classified. I only know what's in the reports. Still, whenever I bring it up, he seems to tense. My Mom told me to just give him space. I think she's struggling with the changes that come with being the wife of a guy who has stars."

Nodding Bo smiled, "I can't imagine being a military person's spouse. Of course, once you are... well, I remember how much of a change it was for my Mom after Dad died. We had to move off base and live among civilians. She said it was the first time she'd lived off a military base since she was my age. For me, it was the first time I'd ever lived off base."

The Doctor chuckled, "I know that feeling. When I left for Boston, I was so excited to be getting off base, but once I got to campus, I instantly felt out of place. My roommate commented on the way I made my bed. I didn't understand why until I noticed hers." She laughed, "I spent all of my college years throwing quarters at my bed to make sure they didn't bounce just so I wouldn't look like such a nerd."

Bo laughed, "No offense, Doc but I'm pretty sure you are a bit of a nerd."

"Hey!"

Bo waved her off, "You're a great nerd! I love nerds! I mean... uh... your nerdiness is going to keep me alive up there... hopefully."

"Hopefully?" The Doctor asked, mocking offense.

Laughing, Bo replied, "Well, it all depends on if your nerdy enough."

The two laughed together, each holding eye contact with the other for a long while before the Doctor cleared her throat,

"So, is there anything else you need to know?" Lauren asked.

Bo shook her head, "I think I've learned enough for now."

Lauren, "I promise, Colonel. I will do everything in my power to get to the bottom of what happened to your Dad."

"Thank you. I do not have the words to express what that means to me." Bo replied.

"Then maybe you have the time to share lunch with the new kid on the block?" Lauren smiled.

Bo's mouth dropped open, but she recovered quickly when she saw disappointment flash every so briefly on the woman's face,

"Come on. I'll introduce you to the rest of the gang." Bo smiled.

"Oh, if you're having lunch with your fellow pilots, I wouldn't want to interfere." Lauren said, picking up her papers and tightening her jaw.

"Not at all. It's just Tamsin and Mane. It's a little ritual that we eat together when we work together."

"Oh, I didn't realize you all knew each other." Lauren replied as Bo held out her arm to exit before her.

"Tamsin and I flew together in Afghanistan and Manes worked on the carrier we flew off of for a time."

"I didn't know Air Force flew off of Navy carriers." Lauren replied.

Bo shrugged as they walked outside towards the mess hall, "It was a joint mission, so the Naval Aviator flew with the Air Force jockeys for several months."

"I see." Lauren replied.

They walked in silence for a while, neither feeling uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, Bo couldn't remember the last time she had felt so comfortable around a civilian she wasn't picking up for a late night lay in a bar. There was something about this woman that made her feel... well, she wasn't sure what it was just yet but she knew that she liked being in her presence.