Rigel sat between Preston and Antoine, feeling mildly crammed in between the two men. There had been a passive-aggressive arm-wrestling match between her and Antoine for control of the arm rest. Eventually she won. The plane slowly pushed back from the gate, and Preston sighed quietly. It seemed easy, in theory, to fly out for Springfield. Now that he was on the plane however, the old fear was beginning to gnaw at his bones. He closed his eyes, and did several deep breathing exercises. They helped, but not by much.
Antoine was watching the flight attendant giving the typical safety spiel with rapt attention.
Rigel glanced over at him. "Mister Tucci," she asked. "What exactly are we doing again?"
Preston flipped through a SkyGalleria magazine. "I an associate, a friend more aptly, named Waylon Smithers. He and his business partner run a nuclear power plant in Springfield. Though we're primarily going out for pleasure, I need to spend some time with him going over procedures and getting a bit more insight on how to truly maximize success of our plant back home."
Antoine leaned in. "Notice he said 'our plant.' That means you too, Riley. Cuz we're all like a family, and everyone who works there is part of it." He grinned broadly.
Preston made a shooing gesture. "Go watch the pretty flight attendant," he muttered.
Antoine folded his arms across his chest, and did just that.
Preston returned his attention to Rigel. "Waylon Smithers is a partner in Burns Worldwide Consolidated. Are you familiar with that company?"
Rigel's brow furrowed as she sifted through the files in her mind. "A Fortune Five Hundred company, right? That's the one who sent you the package, shortly after I arrived. The same group you told me to always patch through when they call."
Preston nodded, impressed. "You don't miss a beat, do you Miss Vought."
She regarded him neutrally. "It's my job to be attentive, sir."
The flight attendant had finished her speech. The pilot's voice cracked through the intercom, instructing the flight attendants to prepare for takeoff. Preston clutched the armrests of his seat anxiously, then hastily let go before anyone noticed. As the engines cycled up from a dull rumble to a deep whine, Preston felt his stomach drop. "I immediately regret my decision," he muttered as the plane hurtled down the runway, gathering speed. Fortunately, his soft voice was lost in the roar of the engines.
He kept his eyes focused straight ahead, and tried to appear relaxed.
Several thousand feet later, the captain granted permission to use approved electronic devices. Rigel reached into the carry-on bag at her feet and pulled out a familiar leather case. Preston's former tablet, now hers. She unfolded the tray table from the seat in front of her, and set the tablet up on its little kickstand. Rigel pulled a pair of earbuds from her pocket, and plugged them into the device.
A few swipes and she had a movie playing.
Antoine kept leaning his blue head over to watch the movie, his hair tickling her face. After several moments, she glared at him. "Do you mind?" she asked, pulling an earbud from her ear.
Antoine shook his head. "Not at all. I love Lilo and Stitch."
Preston, who had been trying to nap against the window opened an eye. "Come again?" he asked sleepily.
"Lilo and Stitch. Riley's watching Lilo and Stitch!"
Preston made a confused gesture with his hands. "What's that?"
Both Rigel and Antoine stared at him, mouths agape. "You've never heard of Lilo and Stitch?" Antoine gasped.
Preston shrugged. "Should I have?"
"Yes," Antoine replied vehemently. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his own set of earbuds. "Here, you need these more than I do." He passed them and a splitter over the Preston. The perplexed CEO carefully plugged his ear buds in. "You had a deprived childhood, Mister Tucci," Antoine remarked smugly. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
For the next ninety minutes or so, Preston found himself refreshingly distracted from his own mind by a both comedic and sentimental animated tale about a small blue alien and a lonely little girl who befriended him.
Preston had to admit, he never watched much in the way of television growing up. His parents had a strict limit on TV, and things like animated movies weren't considered approved media. He'd been able to watch a few old Bugs Bunny cartoons now and then. His housekeeper thought it her duty to spoil him on occasion, and he was grateful for it.
After Lilo and Stitch ended, Rigel loaded a second movie. Another Disney story, this one titled Treasure Planet. The story was familiar to Preston: a retelling of the classic by Robert Louis Stevenson. Preston knew the story quite well. Reading had always been encouraged in the Tucci household, especially of the classics. The story closely followed Treasure Island, presented in a world of science fiction. Preston watched in rapt attention.
They'd just finished the movie when the pilot's voice came over the cabin speakers, announcing the initial descent into Springfield.
Preston felt the familiar anxiety claw at his ribs. He took another slow, deep breath. He closed his eyes, and replayed the movies in his head. Anything to keep the old memories from his mind. Antoine must've sensed his anxiety. He reached across the center seat, oblivious to Rigel's protests about her personal space, and grabbed Preston's hand. "You okay there, Prep?" he asked, eyes concerned.
Preston squeezed Antoine's hand once. "A little overwhelmed, that's all."
Antoine gave him a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine. Just tackle the day one positive affirmation at a time, you know?"
Preston returned the smile. "I know, Antoine. I know. Thank you."
"Don't mention it." Antoine tucked his hands back into his own lap, and closed his eyes.