AN: I am SO sorry for the late update! Work and a big big writers block got in the way. With that solved, I hope you like the new chapter. Thanks again for all the favs and follows! You guys are awesome! Enjoy!
Lennox called her five days later, telling her that the insects would be transferred to a classified location.
"Let's say it's warm and sunny." he replied when she asked about the destination.
"I might have a hunch. Are you going to tell me?"
"Of course."
For a moment the thought that she had heard some hesitation, but then Lennox' voice came thought the speaker once more.
"I wanted to ask you for some close-air support."
"That's what we are here for." Felice smiled, pleased that her naval NEST pilots would finally have their first deployment. "So?"
"Hickam Air Force Base." was his short answer. "At least that's our first stop."
Felice whistled.
"Nice." she smirked. "Your idea?"
"Kind of." the Colonel laughed. "Anyway, we're flying with two C-17, so I think four jets should be enough as escort. Plus a tanker."
"I'll notify our guys at Fallon." she said, already calculating the gallons of fuel the KC-135 Stratotanker would have to have aboard for the mission.
"Good. We'll have a video conference brief with Hickam in about an hour."
"I'll be there."
"Alright then. I'll see you at Andrews tomorrow." he replied, then added in a softer tone: "Take care, Felice."
"You too." she smiled and ended the call.
When the four F-18 Super Hornets touched down at Andrews Air Force base the next day, the sun had barely risen. They rolled over the tarmac and taxied next to the two C-17 that waited for take-off. After exiting their jets, Felice and her fellow pilots walked over to Lennox and his men who were already waiting next to two armored trucks. The Autobots were in their Cybertronian form, forming a perimeter around the aircrafts and soldiers.
Greetings were exchanged between the NEST soldiers and the pilots before Lennox pulled Felice aside.
"Hey, I just wanted to say sorry for what happened at Oceana. I didn't mean to yell at you." he said, keeping his voice low so that they wouldn't be overheard.
Felice looked at him, momentarily taken aback. She had not expected this topic.
"But you still don't approve that I helped with those insects." she said cautiously, not intending to start a new fight but wanting to know the truth nevertheless.
"Of course I don't!" Lennox said, now looking surprised. "You scared me to death when you collapsed the first time. Do you think I ever want to relieve that?"
"No, of course not." Felice mumbled, slightly abashed. She thought of her nightmares and how the panic and fear had enveloped her and suddenly she could relate to him. But a small part still defied Lennox. She had done something worthwhile. And she wanted Lennox to be grateful at the very least.
"I want you to be safe, Felice." Lennox said, his blue eyes piercing though hers. "And although I can't keep you from your job, I cannot and I will not approve such actions."
Felice held his gaze, torn between affection and rebellion. She shifted in her spot, unsure what to say. Lennox seemed to sense her discomfort so he did not press for an answer. Instead he asked: "How are you doing? Any more nightmares?"
The young woman looked up to him once again, her expression guarded.
"I am not seeking for a reason to ground you." Lennox clarified.
Felice pondered his reply for a second before she answered.
"Nothing you have to worry about." she said evenly, yet as he looked at her Lennox wasn't sure if the nightmares themselves or the mere thought of them troubled her. But he did not want to stir anything before the mission started, but instead turned and took a look around.
"Where's Chris?" he asked, his gaze hovering over the group of men.
"He broke his leg two days ago. I told him that Americans should stick to football instead of soccer but he didn't listen. I am flying with Demo as my RIO."
"Why not Bricks?" Lennox wanted to know, failing miserably at hiding his intentions. He did not want her to fly with somebody he did not know.
"Because I need Bricks as my wingman and not as my RIO." Felice said irritably.
Lennox wanted to say something else, but thought of it otherwise. He knew that he was not going to win this fight. And there was nothing he could do to change the situation anyway. So he settled for a curt nod before he beckoned her to follow him back to the group.
"Alright guys, let's get started." he spoke up and every man turned his attention to the Colonel. "We will board one plane; the Autobots will take the insects with them on the other. Commander Manning and her men will provide close-air support until we touch down at Hickam AFB. From there on NEST and the Autobots will take the insects to the classified location. Routes and exit-strategies as discussed yesterday. Any questions?" He looked around. "Good, then let's roll."
"Hawaii, huh?" Bricks murmured as the men dispersed. "Shame I didn't bring my swim trunks."
Felice laughed at the statement and put on her helmet. She turned to see Lennox and Epps looking in her direction.
"Have a safe flight!" Epps called, but she only focused on Lennox. Eyes locked with each other for a second, their silent exchange of good wishes just like when she'd been with her team gave her faith and confidence.
"I'll see you on Oahu!" she waved her goodbye, before she followed her men to the jets.
The four F-18 took off before Lennox' and the Autobots' planes did. As the Colonel settled in his seat near the pilots and looked out of the window which provided him a good view of the cloudless sky, he thought of Felice.
Why on earth had she and Ratchet conducted those experiments? Sure, the Intel they'd gathered was valuable, but under no circumstances should she have tested the venom on herself. He hadn't asked neither Ratchet nor her about the dosage and frankly he didn't want to know the details. He sat up straighter in his seat, determined to shake the gloomy thoughts about her collapse in front of that warehouse and reached for the headphones. After adjusting them he listened in to the radio traffic.
"Here they come." the pilot called over his shoulder after a while and nodded to the right.
Lennox bent forward to get a better look and saw four jets approach from the right. Then, two gained altitude and crossed to the plane's left side. Lennox redirected his gaze to the plane on the right side and saw that it was wriggling its wings – a sign to say hello. Squinting, he could make out the blonde ponytail peeking out from under the helmet and knew that it was Felice who had greeted the other pilots. He watched her for a while and heard her orders as she sent the other jets into a fluid formation so that they followed the two C-17 at a specific angle.
"Must have been kinda awesome to fly in one of those, huh?" Ray Jones said, leaning forward to get a look at the jets which were patrolling on either side.
Lennox, who hadn't heard him coming, looked up to his second in command and smirked. Still marveling the fact that this talented skilled woman was his to keep, he recalled the look on her face when she'd exited her aircraft that day. He doubted that he would ever forget it. Her passion for flying those jets had been infectious.
"You bet, but landing on that freaking carrier again… thanks but no thanks." he admitted with a grimace.
Jones laughed.
"Hey, call me when they tank. I would like to see it."
"Sure." Lennox replied with a vague smile, his thoughts already miles away. He just wanted this thing to be over yet he knew that the hardest part was yet to come. It was not the actual transport of the insects however that worried him but a moment some two hours ahead. She would see through his plan immediately and she would do everything to prevent it, he was dead-certain of that.
It's for her own good, he reminded himself – a lament he'd become accustomed to recite mechanically ever since he'd been forced to lie to her once again. But dealing with her anger and possibly hurt feelings had to wait until the mission was completed; though he had no idea how and assuming that he ever got the chance.
He looked at his watch. Just a few more hours and he would find out, he thought closing his eyes and tried to relax.
The flight to Hickam passed uneventful. When they entered the airspace of Oahu, the sun was still blazing down on the canopies of the four jets. Thankful that at least the air they received through their masks was not as hot as the rest of the cabin, Felice radioed in for the C-17 to inform the pilots that she and her fellow pilots would shortly break the formation in order to continue patrol the airspace over and around them. What she got however was not the expected answer.
"Negative, Vicious 1-1. You are to touch down with us at HIK and await further orders." the crisp voice of the C-17 pilot told her.
Swearing under her breath, Felice glared at the cargo plane to her right. She knew exactly what was happening here, yet she could not believe it that Lennox dared to pull it off – again! Her thoughts trailed to the conversation they had just before take-off from Andrews. I am not seeking for a reason to ground you.
Well, tell yourself that! Felice fumed. He didn't need any specific reason. The fact alone that he thought that she was still coping with the latest incidents seemed sufficient for him to handle her with kid gloves. But had she agreed to have Ratchet test the venom on her if she hadn't been ready for it?
"Roger that." she replied though gritted teeth, then passed the order to her team.
Ten minutes later, all planes were safely on the ground and Felice dismounted from her aircraft. As she and her team mates walked towards the hangar, her gaze fell on Lennox and his men who were just unloading the boxes containing the Decepticon-insects. The Colonel looked up and for a brief moment their eyes met. Felice could have sworn that she'd seen him stiffen and felt a grim satisfaction.
Just you wait, she thought still fuming and turned away, walking into the hangar where the rest of the NEST team had gathered to receive further orders.
It turned out that – as discussed the day before – Lennox and his team would transfer the insects to a classified location. They'd decided to keep a low profile, meaning that they would use two unmarked inconspicuous SUVs while the Autobots would tail them in some distance, thereby securing the perimeter. But the Colonel had decided to go without air support.
"Alright, departure in fifteen minutes. Get ready." he finished his briefing, then turned and followed a soldier who was not from their team but apparently from Hickam towards one the administrative buildings.
"What the hell?" Bricks exclaimed once the Colonel was out of earshot. "He's grounding us? Why did he want us to come in the first place then?"
Felice rolled her eyes at him.
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked.
Commander 'Bricks' Cole gave her a long look, then his expression changed from anger to incredulity.
"Oh, you can't be serious!" he hissed. "Why the hell did he put you in charge of the squadron when he doesn't trust you to do the job?"
Deciding that this was neither the time nor the place to fill Bricks in about the details why Lennox was behaving the way he was, let alone confide in him that she was in a relationship with her CO – only Chris and Epps really knew – she settled for a muttered: "I am asking myself that question every day."
"But that's ridiculous." Bricks snorted. He had had some reservations about women in combat aircrafts – Felice being the first female pilot he had trained – but they had been dispelled the first time he'd seen her fly. So why would Lennox, who had wanted her on his team so badly, who had trained her and who knew her skills, ground her now?
"Welcome to my world." Felice grimaced.
"You have to talk to him." Bricks said imploringly. "Maybe he'll change his mind. He listens to you."
Not when it comes to my safety, Felice thought grimly but nodded. "He's the one in charge of this op. But I'll see what I can do." she promised and headed for the building Lennox had just vanished in.
Having talked to the CO of Hickam ABF and settled the last details for their transport, Lennox was on his way back to his men, when a door to his left opened and Felice stepped into his way, arms akimbo.
"What do you want?" he snapped, well aware of the stunned and momentarily hurt look on the young woman's face at the cold indifference in his voice.
Had he not been forced by General Morshower to take the Naval NEST squadron with him, she would not be here in the first place. Now, all he could to was minimize the damage. He did not want her in any more danger if he could help it, yet as he looked at her, the full flight gear she was still wearing somehow forcing the dangers of her job at him once more and a nasty little voice in his head whispered: You can't protect her from everything.
Pushing the thought aside, he held her gaze coolly and said: "I have no time for your games. We're about to deploy."
"Without us."
"I don't see any reason why we need your team for the op." he attempted to step past her, but she did not budge.
"Bullshit." she hissed. "You don't want me anywhere near the 'Cons."
"This is ridiculous." he dismissed her words.
"Oh really?" she drawled in mock surprise.
"Don't you dare questioning my orders." he said, his voice dangerously soft.
"I question them as long as they are unreasonable and chauvinistic." she shot back fiercely.
Out of the corner of her eyes Felice saw that he flexed his wrists; a sign that he was tempted to release the tension physically, yet she knew that he would never harm her. Instead he just made another step towards her, his jaw clenched with anger.
"Just to make one thing very clear: I am giving the orders at NEST and you'll be well-advised not to forget that." he growled and with that he strode past her without so much as looking at her again.
"We'll see about that." she muttered furiously, turned on her heel and walked back where she came from.
"And?" Bricks asked hopefully when Felice returned to her team mates.
The young woman merely shook her head. She was beside herself with anger but shouting about was not going to change a damn thing. Bricks' urging voice rose her from her thoughts.
"Felice, you have to do something about it. If they are attacked, we'll never get to them in time when we are here on the ground."
"I know. I know…" she mumbled, pacing up and down the room.
But her strides did not only just represent the anger she felt about Lennox decisions, but the fact that he and his team were out there with next to no protection. The anxiety was almost unbearable. It was just a gut feeling, but she just knew that something was about to happen. And she was condemned to just sit here and watch.
"Maybe Morshower can…"
Felice' head jerked up. She did not hear the rest of Bricks' speech for the name had sparked an idea in her mind.
"Wait here." she ordered and strode towards one of the soldier lingering at the other end of the hangar. "Is there a telephone I can use?" she asked hastily.
"Yes, ma'am. This way." the soldier said, obviously perplexed but gesturing towards a grey metal door. "Through there. Second door on the left."
"Thanks." she called, already jogging towards the door and not bothering with courtesies. All that mattered was that she had to speak to General Morshower as quickly as possible.
When the door to the hangar opened some ten minutes later, seven pairs of eyes were locked on Felice.
"Departure in five minutes!" she called before she had reached her men. There was a general noise of content and some approving nods at which she could not help but grin. "Take-off clearance for 1200, so let's move!"
"How did you do that?" Bricks asked, mildly in awe as they jogged towards their aircrafts.
"I had a hunch." she smiled mysteriously.
"About what?"
"That Morshower did not know about Lennox grounding us." she told him her confirmed suspicions.
"So you denounced Lennox."
"God, no." Felice shook her head. "I told him that we had to land due to refueling and when we wanted to take off and radio Lennox for his latest position we could not establish radio contact. So I thought it best to call him and asked for instructions."
"What a cunning woman you are, Lieutenant Commander Manning." Bricks drawled with a wolfish grin.
"Thank you, Commander." she quipped with mischievous smirk. "Now, let's go. We have a NEST team to keep watch on."
"Roger that."
The landscape that rushed past the tinted windows of the SUVs Hickam had provided was just magnificent, yet Lennox barely saw it as they drove north towards their destination. His thoughts were still lingering on the last conversation he had had with Felice. He had expected her to be angry at his refusal to let her participate in the final stage of this op, yet her hurt look at his final words still gave him an unpleasant pinch. He thought about their mutual agreement not to leave the house angry with each other and suddenly regretted that he had been that harsh with her. He would have to set that issue straight when he was back at Hickam.
The scenery of the dark blue ocean on one side and light green shrubs on the other changed as they turned into a smaller road. Big trees lined their path now, the narrow spacing between them blocking out the blazing sun to either sides. The sun was shining directly at them, bathing the road in bright light. Lennox adjusted the sun visor to have a better look at the road in front of him, glad that it was not his turn to drive. He checked his watch. They were only ten minutes from their destination. He pushed the button on his collar and spoke.
"This is Lennox. Radio check. Over."
One after the other, his men responded to his call, Scott being the last.
"This is Scott, hearing you loud and clear. Over." Lennox heard the voice of his team mate.
He was about to speak again but the words never left his mouth. There was a flash of blinding white light and then the world around him exploded.
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