Bonus for Week 12, UDC 10
Detritus
"Mr. Rotor, sir?"
O'Reilly glanced down at the kid, taking in the puzzled expression on his face. "Yes? And you don't have to be so formal."
"Habit," Pete said with a shrug. "Mom and Dad were always saying to be polite and respectful."
Glancing again at the kid's name tag, realizing just whose kid this had to be if his father had been a test pilot and then returned to active duty, he nodded. "Just Rotor, then. No honorifics, not out here on the tarmac unless it's a superior officer. What's your question?"
"How did you run off the only runway?"
O'Reilly chuckled. "There was a crosswind while I was training for my pilot's license and I wasn't prepared for it. Ended up in the grass. Mine's not bad, though. I know a guy who goes by Gear Down because he kept forgetting a small detail." He motioned to Aaron, who was rolling his eyes at that. "And didn't you get yours because your girlfriend was teaching you to knit?"
"It was still the best third date I've ever had," Aaron said with a smile. "Married her, too."
Monolith
At home after school, they were both doing their homework at the table when Nick noticed a car pull up and someone familiar with red hair get out. "Ma?"
"Yes, Nick?"
"Were you expecting company?"
"They're here already?" Helen joined them at the table and looked out the window, then went to greet them. Pete turned and looked, squealed with surprise and bounced out the door after her so quickly that Nick was left staring at his empty chair.
Watching as Pete met them with his mother, Nick smiled and started putting their books away. There would be no studying, not with that much distraction.
Lodestone
"Noah!" The shout was his only warning, and then a short person grabbed him by the waist and Noah Finney blinked down, surprised at how affectionate Pete was being. "Dad was testing F-14's!"
Noah nodded, shared a glance with Helen, and then frowned down at him. "And we know this how?"
"They have F-14's at the base! And they look better!"
"Oh," Helen interjected with a smile. "Their JROTC unit had a base tour today. Pete, you can tell him more inside, all right? They're here for dinner. And I'm sorry, but we don't have high chairs."
"That's all right," Chelsea said, also smiling as she pulled Maggie out of her car seat in the back of the vehicle. "We'll make do."
"Helen, can you get Nicky for me? Pete doesn't seem to want to let go."
"Of course."