Robotech 2018
Chapter 3: Lisa
She paced the floor of her temporary quarters onboard the Factory Satellite, thinking about the fight she and Rick had had. She knew she had been harsh with him. But sometimes it was like they weren't engaged and that Rick was still the hotshot fly-boy with a big mouth and that she was 'That old sourpuss' as Rick himself had put it. She still put her carrier first and her love life second and he still enjoyed spending time with his 'friend' Lynn-Minmei.
"How can I still be jealous of her? I'm going to marry Rick, so why do I feel she's going to take him away?" Lisa felt her face flush with anger as her mind answered her. Because she's prettier? Because she's younger? Or because Rick didn't call her an old sourpuss? It wasn't fair, really. Minmei had said that she was happy for them; she gave Rick up to her. Letting bygones be bygones was definitely going to be hard work, especially when Rick still cared for Minmei. Well, not the way he used too. She was like a sister to him now, maybe.
"This is getting me no where!!" She was about to kick her trash can over when there was a knock at her door.
"Uh, Admiral Hayes?"
"Come in."
"It's just me, Jean." Jean Grant opened up the door and stepped in. "Lisa, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, really Jean." Lisa ran her hand through her hair, looking distant.
"Listen, I don't know you as well as my sister-in-law did, but I know something's not right either."
"Well, me and Rick got into a little fight earlier. He lost my ring, although he promised to get a new one, I was harsh with him. I just wish I could take it all back. But I can't."
"Lisa, I'm sorry. I know it's not going to be easy, Lord knows me and Vince have had our share of tiffs." Jean smiled at her, "Don't worry hun. It'll be all right."
"Thanks Jean." Lisa smiled back.
"No problem, now I've got to go. But here are the files that you requested from Vince."
"Let him know I'm grateful for these files on such short notice."
"Sure thing, see you later." Jean called as she closed the door behind her.
Lisa was left alone, to her own musings once again. But she couldn't help but remember that last day in Macross City.
***********************
Rick held Lisa while she cried, her body convulsing in his arms.
"I though I'd lost you," he whispered, "Just when I realized how much you mean to me." He tightened his embrace. "You do have something to live for-we both do now."
Neither of them heard Minmei approach. Reflexively, they separated when she spoke; but Rick, in a rush, began to stammer an explanation.
Minmei spared him that.
"You're in love with Lisa," she said quietly. "I knew that."
"I would have told you sooner, but…I don't think I knew until today." Rick reached for Lisa's hand. "Forgive me, Minmei."
Now Minmei faltered. "Well, uh, only if you can for give me, Rick. For trying to make you into something you're not. And, uh, pretending to be something I'm not." Rick and Lisa looked confused, so she continued. "You see, I wasn't really that eager to get married. I realized that my music means as much to me as the service does to you."
Lisa seems to stiffen, somehow able to locate just a hint of anger through her sadness. "Oh, really?" she said flatly.
"My life is music," Minmei said innocently.
Lisa smiled to herself and gave Rick's hand a squeeze. Minmei couldn't bear to admit that she had lost Rick; and why bother to think that when it was so much easier to rearrange the facts? Looking around, Lisa wondered if she could do the same: just pretend all this hadn't happened, see blue skies instead of storms ahead.
"Good luck on your mission, Lisa," Minmei said straight-faced.
As though all this hadn't happened!
"I know you'll be a bigger star than ever by the time we return," Lisa told her, willing to give Minmei's blinder game a try.
Rick, too, wore a slightly puzzled look. But this began to fade when Minmei turned to him, wishing him well and kissing him lightly on the cheek.
"Don't forget me Rick-you have to promise me you won't!"
"I'll never forget you," he said, meaning it.
She spun on her heel, in an almost weightless turn and walked away, stopping once to wave to him before rejoining the crowd of survivors.
***********************
Lisa sighed again, if only that had been the last they had heard of her. But Minmei always had a way of showing up. More so then Lisa would ever know.