TITLE: Choices – Chapter 8
AUTHOR: Alison Hart-Burnett (B)
PAIRING: Wait and see.
SUMMARY: It would give too much away.
RATING: PG-13 for now. Could change later.
NOTES: This is written with the help of my dear friend Stormo.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own anyone in this story but Paul and his father. Don't sue cause I don't have anything.
Jaye was waiting impatiently in the Control Room. There had been no call coming in from Flint or Wild Bill, so she began pacing.
About an hour later Lift Ticket landed the Tomahawk on the tarmac. Paul jumped out and headed for the control room.
Jaye crossed her arms over her chest and began rubbing her biceps with her hands, almost as if to comfort herself.
As Paul came in the room, he noticed his wife's actions. He approached her with a sad face. "Honey, I am so sorry, but I didn't see anything." As he attempted to reach her, Jaye quickly moved out of his reach.
She turned to face him, tears threatening to flow from her eyes. "Are you sure?"
"I'm positive," he stated, trying to control the anger and hurt that she inflicted upon him by moving away. " It's been a busy and emotional day for you. Why don't you come back to my place?"
Jaye looked into his eyes and knew immediately he was lying. "No, I'm going to stay here just in case he radios." She sat down at the communications desk. "I will meet you later."
Paul grabbed her arm. "I think you ought to come with me. You are my wife," he said, glaring into her green eyes.
Jaye returned his glare and yanked her arm out of his hand. "Not for very long," she growled.
"And what is that supposed to mean," he retorted loudly.
"Nothing," Jaye said in an tone seething with anger. "Just get away from me!"
Paul wanted to say more, but he knew better. Jaye's tone of voice and the narrowed eyes told him that he had better lay off otherwise, she might just deck him. He turned on his heel and stalked towards the door.
Just before reaching it, he turned back. "This isn't over yet," he threatened before walking out the door, towards his assigned quarters.
Jaye took a couple deep breaths before going to the next room to find Dialtone and asked him to monitor the communications table. Once that was taken care of, she went to find Scarlett. She found her in their shared quarters. "Shana?"
Scarlett glanced up with a worried look on her face. "Allie, did they find anything?"
"No, but I think Paul is hiding something. I need your help." Jaye gave her friend a look of controlled anger and worry.
Scarlett eyed her roommate but nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to help me go over where Paul searched earlier," Jaye stated with determination.
"But isn't that where Lift Ticket flew today?" she asked questionably.
"Yeah, Lift Ticket was his pilot." Jaye stood with her arms crossed. "I want to take two Tomahawks. Who else do you think we should take?"
"Well, Lift Ticket would be your best choice, since he would know the flight path he took Paul on. Um, what about Gung Ho? I can get him do just about anything for me," she grinned.
Jaye grinned back at her friend. "Great. Now I just need to get someone to throw Paul off my tail so we can do this."
Scarlett noticed the tears in her friend's eyes earlier and knew she had to find a way to keep her and Paul away from each other. She even wanted to give him a trip to the sickbay as a patient the other day. Thinking, she said, "Allie, you stay here and don't answer the door. I'm going to see if I can figure something out."
Jaye nodded and sat down on the sofa to wait for her friend. She grabbed the photo album that contained photos of their lives on base and began to flip threw it.
Scarlett smiled and gave Jaye's shoulder a quick squeeze before she exited their quarters. She went down the hall and knocked on Cover Girl's door.
"Shipwreck, I told you no. I'm not going to strip at your friend's bachelor party," Cover Girl yelled as she flung open her door. "Oh, Scarlett. I thought you were Shipwreck again."
Scarlett stepped back quickly as the door was flung inward. "God, Courtney, Duke will kill you if you pull that door off it's hinges again."
"Yeah, then tell Duke to send Shipwreck to Siberia," Cover Girl retorted with a grin. "What's up?"
"Siberia, eh?" Scarlett asked with a raised brow. "Can I come in?"
"Sure." Cover Girl took a step back and motioned her friend to come in. "Any news yet?" she asked, hoping that something good happened for her other friend.
Shaking her head, Scarlett entered and walked towards the sofa. "Paul and Lift Ticket just came back from scouting around the White Mountains region, but Paul says they didn't see anything."
Cover Girl crossed her arms in front of her. "And I take it you don't believe him."
"Allie doesn't believe him, and that is good enough Ho for me. I personally think he works for Cobra but..."
Cover Girl laughed. "Now he's one person I think even Cobra wouldn't want." She went over and grabbed two Coke's out of her fridge and tossed Scarlett one. "So, what are we going to do?"
Catching her Coke, Scarlett answered, "Well, Allie wants to go back to the mountains and check for herself. I told her I would go with her. We'd take two Tomahawks. But," she hesitated then continued, "we need to keep Paul off of Allie's tail." She stopped again, looking at Cover Girl.
Cover Girl nodded. "And you want me to do that?"
Scarlett smirked, "Well, you are the best. Do you think you could run some interference for us?" She asked.
Cover Girl grinned evilly. "Nothing would give me more pleasure at this moment then to mess with that guy's head. You can count me in. Let's go."
"Good," Scarlett laughd. "I think he would probably be in his room."
"Okay let's go get some of her clothes and I'll get to it," Cover Girl said as she went to her door, Coke in hand.
Scarlett led the way out of Cover Girl's room to her own room. She opened the door slowly, so as not to startle Jaye.
Cautiously, she asked, "Allie?"
Jaye was looking at the pictures of the last time her, Flint, Scarlett, Duke and Cover Girl were all out together. There were tears in her eyes.
She didn't respond to Scarlett when she entered.
Scarlett walked over to the sofa. "Allie, honey, are you okay?"
"He's got to be alright," Jaye cried softly. "I can't go on without him."
Cover Girl went and sat next to her on the floor.
"He'll be just fine, Allie. Dash is a trooper," Scarlett said as she sat next to Jaye on the sofa.
Cover Girl squeezed Jaye's knee. "Yeah, he always finds his way back to you."
Jaye wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks you two." She put the book down and looked at Cover Girl. "Well, let's turn you into me."
Scarlett nodded and said, "I need to go sweet talk the guys. I'll be back shortly."
"Alright," Jaye answered as she rose from the couch.
Scarlett glanced at her two friends before she left the room. Once outside, she headed for the Rec Building, the best place to find Gung Ho this time of the day.
"Alright Court, let's get you dressed." Jaye went to her room and opened her closet. "What should you wear, my uniform or casual?"
Cover Girl followed Jaye into her room, "I think your uniform would work.
I'll hang out with the guys. If Paul comes looking for you, he surely won't mess with 'me' when I'm around everyone else."
"True." Jaye took out one of her uniforms and handed it to Cover Girl. "Here you go."
"Okay, and I have some hair color to darken my hair," Cover Girl answered, taking the uniform Jaye handed her. "Hmm, what else might I need to know about him?"
"Just that you want to stay away from him, that's all." Jaye smiled at her brightly. "Thanks for doing this for me."
"Sure, no problem," Cover Girl replied, giving Jaye a hug, "That's what friends are for."
Jaye hugged her back. "Okay, give us an hour, then feel free to have all the fun you want."
Cover Girl smiled, "Well, I'd better get my hair dyed before Scarlett gets back." She grinned evilly, thinking of all the fun she could have with good old Paul.
Jaye watched her friend leave and then turned back to all the pictures she had of her and Flint around her room.
As Cover Girl was leaving the room, she passed Scarlett in the hallway, who was followed by Lift Ticket and Gung Ho. Scarlett smiled when she saw the uniform in Cover Girl's hand. "Thanks for doing this, Court."
"Anytime," Cover Girl said with a smile. "This will be fun."
Scarlett chuckled and continued to the room. " Come on boys, we have to keep moving," she said to her two cohorts in crime.
Jaye was strapping on her boot knife when the door opened. She pulled it out and went to see who was coming in.
"Easy, girl, " Scarlett said, wide eyed as Jaye exited her bedroom, knife in hand. "It's just us."
Jaye let out her breath. "Sorry guys. I thought it might be..."
"It's okay, I understand," Scarlett paused, "Are you ready? We need to go see Hawk."
"Yep, ready, willing and able." Jaye smiled at the two men with them. "Thanks guys."
Gung Ho and Lift Ticket nodded their acceptance.
Jaye knocked on Hawk's office door. Scarlett, Lift Ticket and Gung Ho were behind her.
"Come," Hawk said, looking up from his desk as the door opened.
"Sir," Jaye stated as she entered, followed Scarlett and the men followed her.
Hawk looked at the four, brow raised and skeptically asked, "Yes, Jaye?"
"I want to go back over the area Lift Ticket and Paul went over earlier. Scarlett, Lift Ticket and Gung Ho already agreed to come along," Jaye stated as she stood at attention in front of her commanding officer.
Hawk rubbed his temples. This whole Paul thing was giving him a headache and now two of his best men were missing. "Did Paul talk to you? He said he didn't see anything. Has he given you any reason to not believe him?"
Jaye looked down at Hawk. "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
"Granted," Hawk responded.
"I've known Paul since I was 6, and I can tell when he is lying. He was lying to me today when he said he didn't see anything," Lady Jaye answered. "He's hiding something."
Hawk glanced at the other three in the room. "Lift Ticket, did you see anything or did Paul act different that you noticed?"
"I was watching my instruments. The wind was pretty heavy up there," Lift Ticket answered.
Hawk leaned back in his chair. "Jaye, you know Paul is not going to like this much, but I tend to agree with you. I think he is doing this for his own personal advantage." Crossing his arms, Hawk said, "Lift Ticket, I want you to take Jaye along the same flight path that you flew earlier." Turning his attention to Scarlett and Gung Ho he said, "I want you two to take the alternate path that Wild Bill may have taken just in case it was too windy. The coordinates are here." Hawk pulled out two sets of papers, one for Lift Ticket and one for Gung Ho.
"Thank you, sir." Jaye smiled at him. "As far as Paul not liking it, I have Cover Girl taking care of that."
The two pilots reached for the instructions.
"Really, and how do you have that covered?" Hawk asked.
Jaye grinned wickedly. "She's going to pretend to be me while we are gone."
Hawk tried to surpress a grin. "Okay, I'll just have to keep my eye open for any trouble. Any other questions?" He waited for any responses, before saying, "You're dismissed. Good luck and happy hunting. Bring back Wild Bill and Flint."
Jaye left with the others and headed to the tarmac. After Jaye, Scarlett, and the guys left his office, Hawk rang Paul's room. Paul grabbed his phone, hoping it was his wife. "Hello?"
"Lt. Burnett," Hawk said authoritatively into the phone.
"Yes, Sir," Paul replied, his hopes dashed by the General's voice on the other end of the telephone line.
"Come to my office. I have a few more questions for you," Hawk ordered.
Paul frowned when he heard Hawk's orders but said, "Yes, sir. I'm on my way, Sir."
Hawk hung up the phone without saying anything else. He had a huge grin on his face.
Paul hung up the phone and exited his room. He glanced down the hallway, always hoping to see his wife coming down it. The hall was empty so he made his way to Hawk's office. Within a few moments, he stood outside of Hawk's office and knocked.
Hawk knew who it was and decided to make him wait for several minutes. Paul shifted his feet, waiting for Hawk to respond. Finally, several minutes later he answered. "Come."
Paul opened the door, saluting the General. Hawk looked up from his desk for a moment and quickly saluted. "Shut the door."
AUTHOR: Alison Hart-Burnett (B)
PAIRING: Wait and see.
SUMMARY: It would give too much away.
RATING: PG-13 for now. Could change later.
NOTES: This is written with the help of my dear friend Stormo.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own anyone in this story but Paul and his father. Don't sue cause I don't have anything.
Jaye was waiting impatiently in the Control Room. There had been no call coming in from Flint or Wild Bill, so she began pacing.
About an hour later Lift Ticket landed the Tomahawk on the tarmac. Paul jumped out and headed for the control room.
Jaye crossed her arms over her chest and began rubbing her biceps with her hands, almost as if to comfort herself.
As Paul came in the room, he noticed his wife's actions. He approached her with a sad face. "Honey, I am so sorry, but I didn't see anything." As he attempted to reach her, Jaye quickly moved out of his reach.
She turned to face him, tears threatening to flow from her eyes. "Are you sure?"
"I'm positive," he stated, trying to control the anger and hurt that she inflicted upon him by moving away. " It's been a busy and emotional day for you. Why don't you come back to my place?"
Jaye looked into his eyes and knew immediately he was lying. "No, I'm going to stay here just in case he radios." She sat down at the communications desk. "I will meet you later."
Paul grabbed her arm. "I think you ought to come with me. You are my wife," he said, glaring into her green eyes.
Jaye returned his glare and yanked her arm out of his hand. "Not for very long," she growled.
"And what is that supposed to mean," he retorted loudly.
"Nothing," Jaye said in an tone seething with anger. "Just get away from me!"
Paul wanted to say more, but he knew better. Jaye's tone of voice and the narrowed eyes told him that he had better lay off otherwise, she might just deck him. He turned on his heel and stalked towards the door.
Just before reaching it, he turned back. "This isn't over yet," he threatened before walking out the door, towards his assigned quarters.
Jaye took a couple deep breaths before going to the next room to find Dialtone and asked him to monitor the communications table. Once that was taken care of, she went to find Scarlett. She found her in their shared quarters. "Shana?"
Scarlett glanced up with a worried look on her face. "Allie, did they find anything?"
"No, but I think Paul is hiding something. I need your help." Jaye gave her friend a look of controlled anger and worry.
Scarlett eyed her roommate but nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to help me go over where Paul searched earlier," Jaye stated with determination.
"But isn't that where Lift Ticket flew today?" she asked questionably.
"Yeah, Lift Ticket was his pilot." Jaye stood with her arms crossed. "I want to take two Tomahawks. Who else do you think we should take?"
"Well, Lift Ticket would be your best choice, since he would know the flight path he took Paul on. Um, what about Gung Ho? I can get him do just about anything for me," she grinned.
Jaye grinned back at her friend. "Great. Now I just need to get someone to throw Paul off my tail so we can do this."
Scarlett noticed the tears in her friend's eyes earlier and knew she had to find a way to keep her and Paul away from each other. She even wanted to give him a trip to the sickbay as a patient the other day. Thinking, she said, "Allie, you stay here and don't answer the door. I'm going to see if I can figure something out."
Jaye nodded and sat down on the sofa to wait for her friend. She grabbed the photo album that contained photos of their lives on base and began to flip threw it.
Scarlett smiled and gave Jaye's shoulder a quick squeeze before she exited their quarters. She went down the hall and knocked on Cover Girl's door.
"Shipwreck, I told you no. I'm not going to strip at your friend's bachelor party," Cover Girl yelled as she flung open her door. "Oh, Scarlett. I thought you were Shipwreck again."
Scarlett stepped back quickly as the door was flung inward. "God, Courtney, Duke will kill you if you pull that door off it's hinges again."
"Yeah, then tell Duke to send Shipwreck to Siberia," Cover Girl retorted with a grin. "What's up?"
"Siberia, eh?" Scarlett asked with a raised brow. "Can I come in?"
"Sure." Cover Girl took a step back and motioned her friend to come in. "Any news yet?" she asked, hoping that something good happened for her other friend.
Shaking her head, Scarlett entered and walked towards the sofa. "Paul and Lift Ticket just came back from scouting around the White Mountains region, but Paul says they didn't see anything."
Cover Girl crossed her arms in front of her. "And I take it you don't believe him."
"Allie doesn't believe him, and that is good enough Ho for me. I personally think he works for Cobra but..."
Cover Girl laughed. "Now he's one person I think even Cobra wouldn't want." She went over and grabbed two Coke's out of her fridge and tossed Scarlett one. "So, what are we going to do?"
Catching her Coke, Scarlett answered, "Well, Allie wants to go back to the mountains and check for herself. I told her I would go with her. We'd take two Tomahawks. But," she hesitated then continued, "we need to keep Paul off of Allie's tail." She stopped again, looking at Cover Girl.
Cover Girl nodded. "And you want me to do that?"
Scarlett smirked, "Well, you are the best. Do you think you could run some interference for us?" She asked.
Cover Girl grinned evilly. "Nothing would give me more pleasure at this moment then to mess with that guy's head. You can count me in. Let's go."
"Good," Scarlett laughd. "I think he would probably be in his room."
"Okay let's go get some of her clothes and I'll get to it," Cover Girl said as she went to her door, Coke in hand.
Scarlett led the way out of Cover Girl's room to her own room. She opened the door slowly, so as not to startle Jaye.
Cautiously, she asked, "Allie?"
Jaye was looking at the pictures of the last time her, Flint, Scarlett, Duke and Cover Girl were all out together. There were tears in her eyes.
She didn't respond to Scarlett when she entered.
Scarlett walked over to the sofa. "Allie, honey, are you okay?"
"He's got to be alright," Jaye cried softly. "I can't go on without him."
Cover Girl went and sat next to her on the floor.
"He'll be just fine, Allie. Dash is a trooper," Scarlett said as she sat next to Jaye on the sofa.
Cover Girl squeezed Jaye's knee. "Yeah, he always finds his way back to you."
Jaye wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks you two." She put the book down and looked at Cover Girl. "Well, let's turn you into me."
Scarlett nodded and said, "I need to go sweet talk the guys. I'll be back shortly."
"Alright," Jaye answered as she rose from the couch.
Scarlett glanced at her two friends before she left the room. Once outside, she headed for the Rec Building, the best place to find Gung Ho this time of the day.
"Alright Court, let's get you dressed." Jaye went to her room and opened her closet. "What should you wear, my uniform or casual?"
Cover Girl followed Jaye into her room, "I think your uniform would work.
I'll hang out with the guys. If Paul comes looking for you, he surely won't mess with 'me' when I'm around everyone else."
"True." Jaye took out one of her uniforms and handed it to Cover Girl. "Here you go."
"Okay, and I have some hair color to darken my hair," Cover Girl answered, taking the uniform Jaye handed her. "Hmm, what else might I need to know about him?"
"Just that you want to stay away from him, that's all." Jaye smiled at her brightly. "Thanks for doing this for me."
"Sure, no problem," Cover Girl replied, giving Jaye a hug, "That's what friends are for."
Jaye hugged her back. "Okay, give us an hour, then feel free to have all the fun you want."
Cover Girl smiled, "Well, I'd better get my hair dyed before Scarlett gets back." She grinned evilly, thinking of all the fun she could have with good old Paul.
Jaye watched her friend leave and then turned back to all the pictures she had of her and Flint around her room.
As Cover Girl was leaving the room, she passed Scarlett in the hallway, who was followed by Lift Ticket and Gung Ho. Scarlett smiled when she saw the uniform in Cover Girl's hand. "Thanks for doing this, Court."
"Anytime," Cover Girl said with a smile. "This will be fun."
Scarlett chuckled and continued to the room. " Come on boys, we have to keep moving," she said to her two cohorts in crime.
Jaye was strapping on her boot knife when the door opened. She pulled it out and went to see who was coming in.
"Easy, girl, " Scarlett said, wide eyed as Jaye exited her bedroom, knife in hand. "It's just us."
Jaye let out her breath. "Sorry guys. I thought it might be..."
"It's okay, I understand," Scarlett paused, "Are you ready? We need to go see Hawk."
"Yep, ready, willing and able." Jaye smiled at the two men with them. "Thanks guys."
Gung Ho and Lift Ticket nodded their acceptance.
Jaye knocked on Hawk's office door. Scarlett, Lift Ticket and Gung Ho were behind her.
"Come," Hawk said, looking up from his desk as the door opened.
"Sir," Jaye stated as she entered, followed Scarlett and the men followed her.
Hawk looked at the four, brow raised and skeptically asked, "Yes, Jaye?"
"I want to go back over the area Lift Ticket and Paul went over earlier. Scarlett, Lift Ticket and Gung Ho already agreed to come along," Jaye stated as she stood at attention in front of her commanding officer.
Hawk rubbed his temples. This whole Paul thing was giving him a headache and now two of his best men were missing. "Did Paul talk to you? He said he didn't see anything. Has he given you any reason to not believe him?"
Jaye looked down at Hawk. "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
"Granted," Hawk responded.
"I've known Paul since I was 6, and I can tell when he is lying. He was lying to me today when he said he didn't see anything," Lady Jaye answered. "He's hiding something."
Hawk glanced at the other three in the room. "Lift Ticket, did you see anything or did Paul act different that you noticed?"
"I was watching my instruments. The wind was pretty heavy up there," Lift Ticket answered.
Hawk leaned back in his chair. "Jaye, you know Paul is not going to like this much, but I tend to agree with you. I think he is doing this for his own personal advantage." Crossing his arms, Hawk said, "Lift Ticket, I want you to take Jaye along the same flight path that you flew earlier." Turning his attention to Scarlett and Gung Ho he said, "I want you two to take the alternate path that Wild Bill may have taken just in case it was too windy. The coordinates are here." Hawk pulled out two sets of papers, one for Lift Ticket and one for Gung Ho.
"Thank you, sir." Jaye smiled at him. "As far as Paul not liking it, I have Cover Girl taking care of that."
The two pilots reached for the instructions.
"Really, and how do you have that covered?" Hawk asked.
Jaye grinned wickedly. "She's going to pretend to be me while we are gone."
Hawk tried to surpress a grin. "Okay, I'll just have to keep my eye open for any trouble. Any other questions?" He waited for any responses, before saying, "You're dismissed. Good luck and happy hunting. Bring back Wild Bill and Flint."
Jaye left with the others and headed to the tarmac. After Jaye, Scarlett, and the guys left his office, Hawk rang Paul's room. Paul grabbed his phone, hoping it was his wife. "Hello?"
"Lt. Burnett," Hawk said authoritatively into the phone.
"Yes, Sir," Paul replied, his hopes dashed by the General's voice on the other end of the telephone line.
"Come to my office. I have a few more questions for you," Hawk ordered.
Paul frowned when he heard Hawk's orders but said, "Yes, sir. I'm on my way, Sir."
Hawk hung up the phone without saying anything else. He had a huge grin on his face.
Paul hung up the phone and exited his room. He glanced down the hallway, always hoping to see his wife coming down it. The hall was empty so he made his way to Hawk's office. Within a few moments, he stood outside of Hawk's office and knocked.
Hawk knew who it was and decided to make him wait for several minutes. Paul shifted his feet, waiting for Hawk to respond. Finally, several minutes later he answered. "Come."
Paul opened the door, saluting the General. Hawk looked up from his desk for a moment and quickly saluted. "Shut the door."