Melting Ice
Chapter 7
Fen tried to quell the panic in her stomach; she remembered all to well the last time she had been on a rescue where a friend had needed pulling from the ocean. Her stomach had been in knots since the crew had taken off, Ice had winked at her as she casually hung out the side of the chopper while he made his way to the F14 that he would fly into the unknown. Slider had tipped her a wave. Hollywood had been rather more expansive, breaking formation to turn and shout at her.
"Hey! Hope you're gonna wipe that dopey smile off your face if one of us needs rescuing!" he had hollered, she had merely grinned as he'd nodded towards Ice and saluted her smartly before racing over to his plane and 'saddling up' as they called it. She had watched them take off and said a little prayer, Mav was on ready 5, and if he had to go she hoped he could hold it together. This could be battle, a naval ship had become stranded and the rescue mission needed air support. The enemy had Migs in the area. She had listened to the relay and her heart had stopped as she heard Iceman announce that Hollywood had bought a missile.
"Oh shit! He's got a radar lock on us!" Wolfman yelled
"Get outta there Hollywood!" Ice joined "Get outta there God damn it!"
"Break left!" she heard Wolfman shout just before her ears were met with the fuzz of static that meant only one thing.
"I'm hit! I'm hit" Wood shouted over the cockpit alarms "I can't control it! We're going down!"
"Wood's been hit!" she heard Ice say almost like he didn't believe it "Voodoo 1, voodoo 1, Wood's been hit, Wood's been hit, we've lost Hollywood, repeat we've lost Hollywood, we've lost our wingman"
The chopper had already been in the air at Ice's first words that Hollywood was going down, Fen fastened her harness as the helicopter sped to the co ordinates given by the control room, they were vulnerable, there was only Ice still in the air against five enemy aircraft, he would not be able to help should the chopper come under fire. She listened as Maverick was launched to replace Hollywood. She prayed at that moment, that Wood and Wolfman were alive, that Ice would survive being engaged with five Migs and that Mav would hold it together. She scanned the Indian Ocean for the green blaze that would indicate where the pilot and reel were as she listened with a sinking heart to Iceman's despair as Maverick disengaged after coming close to being hit. Shit, she thought, Mav this is not the time to lose it.
"God Dammit! Maverick's disengaging!" Slider announced.
"Ah I knew it!" Ice sounded triumphant yet defeated.
She could hear Merlin, Mav's reel shouting at him to reengage, she willed him to go back, Ice would not last alone and then the Migs would go after Mav anyway, she didn't want to have to pull all six crew out of the water, that was supposing the Migs didn't come after the chopper, they had been known to shoot down rescue helicopters. She breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Mav's voice over the relay.
"Ice, I've got your Mig dead ahead, he's dead ahead"
She smiled, he was back in, and now all he had to do was stay alive. She scanned as the chopper lowered, she could hear the planes, the high pitched almost whine of the Migs and the low rumble of the F14's as they dived and spun around the sky, even over the chopper, they must be close because she could hear them. She ducked involuntarily as an F14 flew above them, she watched it go, knowing that whoever the pilot, she loved them. She listened as explosions rocked above them, hearing Mav and Ice announce each Mig they shot down with relief. She spotted the green trail as the chopper circled, she could see that Wood and Wolfman were waving from the water, she felt relief again, they were alive. The last thing she heard as she prepared to jump made her smile, the exchange between Merlin and Maverick was typical Mav, all the way. Damn it the guy was good!
Merlin sounded panicked "what are you doin'? You're slowin down!"
"I'm bringin' him in closer Merlin" Maverick sounded totally in control.
"You're gonna do WHAT!" Merlin clearly thought Mav had taken leave of his senses.
"I'll hit the brakes, he'll fly right by" Mav explained.
Fen heard no more, she plunged into the water, adrenaline surging, she knew that they had to be quick. As she surfaced she heard another explosion, looking up she saw debris lit up across the sky. Praying that it was a Mig she swam towards Hollywood, adjusting her waterproof earpiece as she heard Merlin.
"Mustang this is Voodoo 3, remaining Migs are bunking out"
She high fived Wood as she hitched him up "We won!" she said.
"Yeah baby!" he gave her a wet kiss of glee as he was winched into the helicopter, she hooked Wolfman up as the line came back down. Looking upwards as she waited for the line to come down to her after depositing Wolfman she caught both F14's doing aerial rolls as they returned to the ship. She smiled, it seemed even Iceman was fond of a little goofing around sometimes.
She watched the excited ground crew as they returned to the ship, as they circled and prepared to land she heard the unmistakable roar of the planes as Mav and Ice performed a high speed pass on the ship, making the chopper sway slightly from the down draught. She watched as they landed, both pilots executing text book landings despite the damage they had sustained in the dog fight. The helicopter landed and Hollywood and Wolfman leapt out and ran towards the assembled crowd, unable to stop herself Fen followed. She eyed the situation warily as Ice and Mav faced each other.
"You!" Ice hollered "You are still dangerous" relief coursed through her as Ice smiled "But you can be my wingman anytime"
"Bullshit" Mav returned, a smile breaking out "You can be mine"
Fen smiled as the two men hugged and Slider lifted Mav up. She felt happy. It was a great moment. She hung back; the guys were all laughing and clapping, slapping each other on the back. Slider led them away to be debriefed and she watched until they were out of sight, walking back to the helicopter to sort the gear out and make sure it was ready to go up again at a moments notice.
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Fen walked down the ships corridor, the navy were still quite old fashioned in their view of men and women and the ladies shower room was secreted away miles away from where an errant and horny sailor could stumble across them. She whirled around as a door opened and a gale of laughter followed the flight crew out of the debriefing room. She spotted Mav, the huge grin on his face mirrored on her own. He engulfed her in a hug. She buried her face in his neck.
"Goose would be proud" she said, blinking as tears threatened to take over "I am"
He put her down, his hands resting on her shoulders as hers rested on his chest, they just looked at each other, both fighting the tears.
"Hey!" Ice's voice boomed across to them, Fen looked over Maverick's shoulder as Ice pushed his way through to stand next to them "I said you could be my wingman Maverick" he was talking to Maverick, yet his eyes held Fens "That doesn't include feeling up my girl" he smiled softly. She looked at Maverick who backed off a few paces and nodded his head towards Ice with a mischievous grin on his face. She looked up at Ice as he held her gaze.
"See you decided not to fly that desk then" she quipped, hiding behind humour, she had barely finished the sentence when Iceman's arms went around her and he kissed her deeply, to much whooping and backslapping from the group. She felt Mav's hand on her shoulder and Ice was shoved forward by a hefty slap on the back from Slider as the guys left them alone in the corridor.
"Well, Mr Iceman" she said a little breathlessly as he pulled away "About that celebration…" she grinned back at him as he raised a hand to brush the hair out of her eyes.
"Yeah" he said "Much more to celebrate now" raised an eyebrow at her, closing in again for another scorching kiss.
They sprung apart like school kids behind the bike shed as a rough voice echoed around them.
"There's a time and place for that Lieutenant Kaczanski" Fen hid slightly behind Ice as he turned to face the bald and stocky Captain "And my ship is not it, kindly resume your celebrations somewhere else"
"Sorry Sir" the gleam in the captains' eyes was not lost on Iceman as he saluted his superior with a sly grin on his face.
The captain looked at Dreams crash helmet that had fallen to the floor, catching the top gun legend and her call sign emblazoned above the visor.
"Ah, Dream" he said, she stood up straight and saluted.
"Yes sir!" she rapped.
"You fancy making this permanent, rescue on my ship? You are braver than most men from what Hollywood tells me, leaping in for those guys without a second thought amongst one of the worse dog fights I've ever seen" he raised his eyebrows at her and she looked back at him, momentarily shocked.
"Thank you sir" she replied "But I like top gun"
He smiled at her, his eyes casting over Ice "No doubt you do" he said, nodding towards Ice he said "Kaczanski" with a nod and continued on his way.
She sighed and leaned against Ice "Geez Tom" she said "I feel like my mom just caught me making out in junior high!"
He laughed and put an arm around her "You fancy a shower?" he asked cheekily.
"Here?" she said "Together?" her eyes wide with shock.
"Hell yeah" he grinned.
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