Chapter Three
The flight to London didn't take long when they got into one of Scott's Excelsior jets. Once John programmed their destination, he was able to put the ship onto autopilot. This gave John an excuse to pull his drowsy Ardy into his lap, curling his body around hers. They had been apart for so long, he knew, but knew also that that would be getting a little better. Alan would be graduating with a degree in astronomy and engineering in two years. During the summer, he and Tin Tin could go up and give John a spell on terra firma. Brushing locks of Ardy's thick coppery red hair behind her shoulder, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. There was so much that they were saying right now, with no words at all. The soft strokes of her fingers along his forearms, the way her face turned into his neck, inhaling his scent.
"John, I need a haircut. Do you think we could find a pair of scissors when we get into the flat?" Ardy spoke softly, not really wanting to shatter the comfortable silence of the cockpit. Pulling out a lock of her calf length hair, studying the split ends. It was too long to do anything with, so she opted for tying it into a bun or into a ponytail. Still, wind and dry climates of the Colorado college that she and the boys had attended had taken its toll on her hair.
"Why do you say you need a haircut, love?" John asked, wrapping his fingers around the same lock of hair and giving it an affectionate tug. Ardy closed her tired eyes once more, rubbing her hand over her forehead, trying to massage away the pressure there.
"I just feel like its time for a change, John. It's so long, all I can do is keep it tied back, and so maybe its time to cut a few inches?" Ardy smiled a sleepy smile up to John, stroking her fingers along his arm once more.
"How short then, baby?" John asked, laying the strands over her breast. When she lifted her hand, laying it over a spot, she looked up to him.
"Just about here, do you think?" When he nodded, she gave a soft smile. "Why don't you go get us the scissors then?" She slipped off his lap, going to a stool overlooking a radar console. Pulling the hair tie out of her hair, she flipped out the length that hung down, pooling on the metal deck. In a moment, she felt John pressing up against her back, tugging her head backwards so he could lean over and kiss her. It was long, wet and not nearly enough. With a groan, he released her hair and let her straighten up. Shaking out her hair once more, he pressed his hand to the predestinated place on her back. Balling her hair up in his left hand, he made a snip with his scissors. Three feet of auburn red hair dropped free to the deck.
"Oh God, that feels so much lighter" Ardy said as she swung her head back and forth, getting a feel for her new hair. It still hung down to the middle of her back in soft waves and with this she was pleased. Slipping off the stool, she turned towards John and pulled him into a hug. John set aside the scissors to tug her into his arms, lifting her and walking back towards the cockpit. Placing Ardy back into the co pilot's chair, he stepped back to the pile of hair and scooped it up. He planned to use the hair in the grip of his fencing saber. Putting the hair into a Ziploc bag, he closed the bag and popped it into their suitcase. Going back to the cockpit, he lifted Ardy as he sat down into the pilot's seat. Depositing her into his lap once more, he noted she was sleeping and let her lie as he arranged to land at Heathrow airport in ten minutes.
John lifted Ardy up into his arms, slinging the suitcase's strap over his shoulder as he disembarked. Nodding to the flight attendant who was opening the door for them, he descended the stairs slowly so he wouldn't jostle her. Once he was on the tarmac, a sporty blue car drove up, a man held the door open. Walking around to the passenger side, he opened that door and placed Ardy in, the suitcase in the back. Moving along the front of the car, he thanked the man and got into the car, speeding off to their London flat. London was Ardy's favorite city, at least for the next few years. Feeling Ardy stir, he caught her hand in his, smiling over her as he merged into heavy traffic.
"Well good morn to you, love." John chuckled as he watched her, bleary eyed and trying to fight the urge to slap at the windows, rolling them up to escape the smog of London air. But he knew that they were both grateful for the time away together.
They were soon at their flat, Ardy barely making it up the stairs and into the alcove, where she pressed her palm to a plate and let it read her prints. The door opened, and she stumbled in, falling into bed with her boots on.
John smiled as he leant in the doorway, watching her sleeping form. His poor little bookworm, she was so tired. Letting her rest, he moved off into the office, grabbing a paperback as he sprawled on the new leather couch. It was black, smoothing out into the blue-black décor of the flat. Jeff thought their flat looked like a bruise, and the boys usually agreed. It seemed though, that exhausted rescuers used their flat more than the actual owners did. John credited it to Ardy's innate ability to see exactly what was soothing, and package it into a room that may be a bit love den-ish but it was functional. She had also redone the command center in shades of white and red. So far, it had worked to motivate the procrastination station named Alan. Jeff had actually been talking to Ardy about re-doing the house that Alan and Fermat shared. So far, Ardy had been trying to talk him out of it, but Jeff persisted.
Pushing himself up, John wandered into the kitchen, leaving the unopened paperback on the couch. Uncorking a bottle of cognac, he poured a little into the bottom of a handy water glass, downing the contents in a swallow. He didn't really need it, he just enjoyed that luxury of being able to have a drink at night. Closing his eyes, he braced his hands on the wood laminate of their counters, sweeping a hand over the window shades to open them. Ardy should be all right after a few hours nap, and then he would surprise her with a visit to the shops. She would like that. Picking up the phone, John began arrangements.