Chapter 7: 2-weeks to mission-go
There was a more serious tone around the hangar as the two-week countdown began. Excursions to The Hard Deck were less lively, and now filled with focused conversations about the mission. Jake spent every second he could with Kate. He kept his grandmother's diamond ring close by in the nightstand, waiting for the perfect moment to drop down on one knee and ask Kate to be his wife.
Rooster was in one of three places: the camper in Maverick's desert hangar, the dorms on base, or he could be found at Maverick and Penny's house for dinner most nights. On this Sunday night, Rooster was seated at the table next to Maverick and across from Penny and Amelia.
"Thanks for having me again." he said to Penny.
"It's no trouble, Bradley." she replied, "We do enjoy having you over."
"Are you going on the mission?" Amelia asked suddenly. She had grown to see Rooster as her older brother.
"I think so." he looked over to Maverick.
"We haven't decided who will fly the mission yet…" Maverick informed. Penny shuffled some food around her plate with her fork,
"As long as you're not flying again, Pete."
"I will not be flying." he smiled at his wife. The routine that they had settled into was comforting, but it would be thrown into chaos again when Maverick and Rooster shipped out for the mission.
"What about Kate?" Penny asked suddenly. Hearing her name, Rooster drew in his breath sharply.
"What about her?" Maverick asked.
"Well, Hans has gone back to MIT, when does Kate leave?"
"I haven't heard." came the reply. Rooster listened intently.
"I'm going to miss her." Penny said as she took a bite of her brussel sprouts, "I should grab coffee with her soon." she mused to herself.
"Pen…" Maverick's eyes shifted over to Rooster who was clearly uncomfortable at the mention of Kate. Penny realized her mistake,
"Sorry...I didn't realize…"
"It's okay, Penny." Rooster said softly.
"We were all hoping you and Kate would work out…" Penny inadvertently said. Again, Maverick's eyes nervously shifted to Rooster for his reaction.
"Yeah...I was too…" came the reply.
"Well, you never know—life has a weird way of bringing two people together if they're meant to be…" her eyes met Maverick's and he gave her that look.
"Don't give me that look, Pete." she warned.
"It's the only one I've got." he smiled back at her. Rooster found a warmth and belonging in their dining room that evening.
Kate and Jake were curled up on the couch watching the Dallas Cowboys play against the Chicago Bears. As of halftime, the Bears were winning by one touchdown, and Jake was almost inconsolable. Kate, as a die-hard Bears fan, was thrilled.
"Listen…" she sternly began, "Don't be a sore loser...the Bears are not usually the winning team. So, this is a momentous occasion for me." He flopped on top of her as she wrapped her legs around his waist,
"Sore loser? Wow! Maybe you might be a sore winner…" he smiled down at her. Was this the right time? Was this the moment he should get his grandmother's ring? Her phone buzzed and she quickly glanced at it.
"It's Nat…"
"Is she okay?"
"No...Last week, Maverick grounded her as medically unfit…"
"Well, she is. She has a broken ankle." Kate tilted her head as she looked at him with a raised brow. He realized that his comment was perhaps a little insensitive.
"I don't say that to be mean…"
"I know, but she is clearly upset. She asked if she could come over?" He smiled,
"Do you two need a girl's night?"
"I think so." He leaned forward and kissed her sweetly,
"Then...I will let you two ladies enjoy your evening." He slowly stood up, stretched, and put his shoes on, then grabbed his keys off the counter. Kate met him at the door,
"Are you headed back to the dorms for the night?"
"Yep—the boys won't know what to do with themselves when I show up." He kissed her one last time,
"I'll be lonely without you." Truthfully, he didn't want to leave, but he understood how close the two women had grown during training and after the crash. He trotted down the steps and to his Camaro. As he climbed in to the driver's seat, Phoenix came racing up in her black Honda Civic hatchback, a recent addition on base since she broke her ankle. She pulled a U-turn and parked right behind him. Hopping out, she hollered to him,
"Thanks for lending me Professor for the night." He nodded,
"You two behave yourselves." She laughed, locked her car and hurried up to the porch where she hugged Kate. As they turned back to the house, Kate blew a kiss toward the Camaro, and Jake honked the horn before driving off toward base.
The two women plopped down on the couch and Phoenix wrapped herself up in the warm fleece blanket,
"Thanks for letting me come over—I'm such a mess." Kate felt for her,
"You just have to focus on getting back to 100%."
"But it's not fast enough."
"Healing can't be rushed."
"That's the worst part. I'm not patient—so this is miserable." Kate grabbed the remote and pulled up one of her favorite movies: The Original Parent Trap with Haley Mills. Phoenix looked at it,
"Are you serious? Isn't this the one with Lindsay Lohan?" Kate laughed,
"The Lindsay Lohan one is the remake—it's good, but this is the original and it is OUTSTANDING." Phoenix laughed,
"Alright—let's watch it." Kate got the movie started and then hurried to the freezer, she pulled out two pints of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate chip cookie dough, grabbed two spoons out of the drawer and brought them over to the couch. Phoenix happily accepted the ice cream,
"This is my favorite." She peeled off the lid and dug in. They settled in and watched the classic movie about two twin girls separated at birth after the divorce of their parents, and they meet at a summer camp, only to discover they are actually sisters. The pranks were met with laughs, the love story was met with tears, and eventually, both women fell asleep on their respective sides of the sectional couch as the tv transitioned from the end of the movie to the screen saver.
Back at base, Hangman entered the dorms and his fellow pilots were shocked. Payback poked his head out of his room when he heard Hangman's door open in the room adjacent to his,
"Kate finally wised up and kicked your ass out, huh?" Hangman laughed,
"Sorry to disappoint, she and Phoenix are having a girl's night."
"Well, we have a poker game going right now—we'll deal you in-$20 and under, bills only." Hangman smiled,
"I'll be right over." He quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and his white t-shirt, shoved his feet into his slippers and walked next door. The poker game was dealt out around a small card table. Fanboy, Payback, Sandman, Martian, and B.O.B. were all deep in concentration when Hangman walked in,
"Deal me in, fellas." he said with a sly smile.
Phoenix woke up around 1 am with a massive headache—no doubt from the ice cream—she nudged Kate,
"Hey...sorry to wake you, I have a headache, do you have any aspirin?"
"Yeah—if it's not in the bathroom cabinet, check one of the nightstands…" Kate was barely conscious, she was exhausted. Phoenix sauntered into the en suite bathroom and flicked on the light; she opened the cabinet. There was Pepto-bismol, Robitussin, Mucinex, Carmex lip balm, a box of condoms—she cringed thinking about Hangman and Kate being intimate, and slammed the cabinet shut. Kate had mentioned the nightstand, so she sauntered into the bedroom and pulled open Kate's nightstand, it was impeccably organized, but there were no pill bottles. She shut the drawer and walked to the opposite side of the bed, opening the night stand, she saw a bottle of Tylenol beside a small black box. Curiosity got the better of her and she picked up the box, opening it slowly, she gasped as she saw the 2.5 carat oval diamond ring set in a yellow gold band. There was a small slip of paper fitted into the lid and she pulled it out carefully, unfolded it, and began to read it in the dim light coming from the bathroom.
Grandma Francine (Parker) Seresin's ring from 1951. Grandpa Joe Seresin bought it before he was drafted for the Korean War. He saved every penny and spent $1200 on it in 1951. It is 2.5 carats, nearly flawless. Worth well over what he paid for it in today's money. They married two weeks before he was sent to basic training for the Navy in June of 1951. Grandma moved back home with her parents while he was away at war. She decided to go to nursing school while he was away, and wound up graduating top of her class just after the war ended and he came home. The rest is history. They were married for 67 years with four children and 13 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. Grandma passed first, and two years later, Grandpa passed. We hope this ring brings you and Kate as much love and longevity in your marriage as it did Grandma and Grandpa. Couldn't be happier for you son! Love, Mom and Dad.
Phoenix was moved by the sweet note. Despite how cocky and frustrating Hangman was, she realized he was a good man, and she was thrilled for the eventual engagement of her best friend, Kate and fellow pilot, Hangman. Carefully, she tucked the note back into the lid, pulled out her phone, and snapped a picture of the ring in its box, sitting in the nightstand, to send to Hangman with the text:
Find a better hiding place or she'll find it…like I did…
Hangman's phone buzzed and he set his hand of cards down to look at the screen. His face paled and the other noticed,
"What's up? You look sick?" Payback noticed, "Bad hand of cards?" he teased. Hangman immediately stepped away from the table and called Phoenix. As he entered the hall, he prayed Phoenix would answer the phone.
"Bagman!" her voice was excited on the other line.
"What are you doing going through my things?" he demanded.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I'm actually happy for you."
"Well, make sure you put it back, and cover it with one of my t-shirts. I don't want her to find it."
"Are you going to surprise-propose?"
"Of course. I've been trying to find the right time…"
"How long have you two been dating now?"
"Almost 8—no—over 8 months…" he corrected himself.
"When did you know she was the one?"
"The very first time I spoke to her at The Hard Deck…"
"Well, you have my blessing." Phoenix said softly, "You seem to make her happy...I can't understand that...but...take care of her, and I swear to God if you hurt her—I'll bomb your ass." He laughed,
"Gee—thanks Phoenix. It warms my heart to know I have your blessing...now put the ring back where you found it and make sure Kate doesn't find it."
"Already done." And with that they hung up, and Hangman walked back in to the poker game.
"Sorry, fellas, a little hiccup—where were we?"
Phoenix took her Tylenol and went back out to the couch where she curled up under the warm blanket. She glanced over to Kate, who was nestled under her own blanket, fast asleep. Phoenix could see Kate's phone illuminate on the coffee table. She didn't mean to pry, but she could read the text on the screen from where she was lying on the couch, it was Hangman:
Missing you too much tonight. Sweet dreams, my love.
Kate shifted when she heard the buzz and grabbed her phone off of the table. Phoenix could see her smile in the glow of her phone screen as she responded. Kate's phone began buzzing repeatedly, and she quickly hopped up off the couch and trotted into the bedroom.
"Hey." Phoenix could hear her whisper.
"Good! We watched the original Parent Trap…" The bedroom door shut, Kate clearly didn't want to be too loud for Phoenix, yet some of the conversation could be heard by Phoenix out on the couch.
"Glad you didn't lose all your money-" Kate laughed.
"I'll see you tomorrow—I need to get to sleep." She said after a moment.
"Love you. Goodnight." The light that shone from under the bedroom door turned off and it was clear that Kate had climbed into her own bed for the night.
The next day, as the sun poured into the living and bedrooms of Kate's house, Phoenix stirred slowly. Kate was already up and readying for her day on base. She was dressed in a sharp pair of black wide leg trousers and soft lavender blouse with a ruffled neck. Not wanting to wake Phoenix, she was shuffling back and forth in her bare feet. She pulled her hair back into a bun and worked on breakfast for herself and Phoenix. Eggs, bacon, toast with avocado spread, orange juice—it was better than the food on base. The smell roused Phoenix, and she stretched as she climbed to her feet.
"You can stay as long as you like." Kate said as she fixed a plate for her wingman.
"No, I won't stay, I have to be at training today. Even if I'm grounded because of my ankle...I want to be there." Kate smiled at her,
"You are dedicated—something I've always admired about you."
"Aww shucks." she took the plate heaped with food from Kate and sat down at the kitchen island. The food was delicious. Every bite was a comfort to Phoenix.
"You are a great cook—honestly—is there anything you don't do? You are a brilliant professor, you created an amazing detection probe, you're a great pool player…" Kate laughed lightly,
"What about awesome wingman?"
"Add it to the list." They both laughed as they ate at the kitchen island.
"I'll drive you to base." Phoenix offered, "I figure, Hangman will drive you home?"
"Thank you—I appreciate it—I'm guessing he'll bring me home."
"So…" Phoenix wanted to broach a delicate subject, "I don't want to be nosy, but...you and Hangman seem serious…" Kate nodded with a smile,
"I think so."
"You know, I never would have guessed he could be the way he is with you…"
"What do you mean?"
"He cares about someone but himself, he puts you first...I think he really loves you." Kate blushed,
"I really love him." Phoenix smiled back,
"What would you say if he proposed to you?"
"WHAT?" Kate looked completely flummoxed.
"Well, you two have been dating for—what—8 months or so? No one has ever seen him this head over heels before...we've all been wondering...so...what would you say if he popped the question?"
"I'd say yes."
"Oh my gosh!" Phoenix blurted, "That's so exciting!" Kate was still trying to hide her rosy, blushing cheeks,
"Well, don't tell anyone-"she said suddenly, "I don't want to scare him off…"
"Pshhh…" Phoenix waved off her worry, "I don't think you could scare him off if you tried…" After breakfast, the two women climbed into Phoenix's car and headed for base shortly before 8 am.
The lab was bustling with activity when the pilots arrived at the hangar just before 9 am. Kate was rushing back and forth between a couple of different stations, and the lab assistants were all either, nose deep in their laptops, or bouncing between microscopes, 3D printers, and entering or exiting the lab. The mood was more somber with the aviators as they found their seats. Written on a big white board at the front of the hangar was a note reading:
13 days to mission-go.
Phoenix made a point of sitting directly behind Hangman,
"Hey." she whispered to him. He turned slightly to hear her, but said nothing. She continued,
"I asked Kate what she'd say if you proposed…"
"You what?" he hissed.
"Don't worry—she said yes…" He suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over him from head to toe. Hearing that Kate wanted to be his wife, that she would accept his proposal whenever he found the right time to ask—was a weight off his soul.
Maverick walked to the front of the hangar, commanding the pilot's attention,
"We are now under the two-week mark to mission-go." he said matter-of-factly, "This means we will now be running drills in addition to the probe routes, to determine which of you will be flying the mission. From here on out, you are in competition not with each other, but with yourself. Your job is to excel, to anticipate, to be the picture of perfection as you fly each route. You will gain or lose points based on your daily performance. So, you had better make sure your head is in this." He looked directly to Rooster and then over to Hangman, making his point perfectly clear.
"You will eat together as a team, you will be on base as a team, you will become a team that fights together, and survives together, starting now. This mission is dangerous, there is no sugar coating that. So, we will train as a single unit and therefore, operate as a single unit. When the points are totaled, the four aviators at the top of the board will be selected for this mission. Fifth and sixth will be alternates. Everyone else will return to their squadrons." His words hung in the air, the final say on who would fly the mission, and it was a definite and powerful motivator to all the pilots.
The first drills were low altitude dogfights in teams of two. First pilot to achieve target lock tone received one point, the other received no points. To start, Payback and Fanboy, took on Rooster. By now the numbers of aviators recalled by their carrier squadrons had left the pilots training at Topgun at a dwindling number. There were 9 total pilots left to vie for the mission spots, one of which was Phoenix, and she was declared medically unfit. However, Maverick guaranteed her that he would do everything in his power to make sure she could be on the carrier for the mission.
Rooster guided his plane over a hill, hugging the contours of the ground as he flew at 600 feet above the land. It was dangerous. On radar, he was nearing Payback and Fanboy. If he was going to win this bout, he would need the element of surprise. The other F-18 was attempting to take the advantage by reaching for the ceiling of the low altitude training at 3000 feet. Rooster spotted his opponents only seconds before they saw him. He pulled up and pursued. The jet groaned under the stress as he arched upward into the sky. Both planes weaved right and left, dipping their wings in an attempt to out run and out maneuver the other. Rooster was in the perfect position after twisting through the air, and following Payback and Fanboy in a steep dive back down toward the desert ground. Rooster followed the red targeting diamond back upward as his opponents pulled up once more, rolling the plane as they did. The tone sounded.
"Tone!" Rooster called out as his targeting system locked onto Payback and Fanboy.
"Dammit!" Payback grumbled, "Acknowledged." he said as he turned the plane back toward base. Rooster followed, rather pleased with himself for winning this round.
Hangman went up next against Sandman and Martian. Again, it was an intense drill. Once the planes appeared on each other's radar, they went hard at one another. They rolled and arced upward into the sky in pursuit of each other. Hangman looped overhead and came up on the tail of Sandman and Martian. The other plane tipped its wings quickly to avoid the target lock, before rocketing upward to the 3000 foot ceiling for the exercise. The two planes dipped and rolled, pulled up, then nose dived. It was a visual spectacle. Finally, Hangman pulled upward, and rolled left, the nose of his plane whipping back into position for the final kill.
"TONE!" he bellowed as it sounded, indicating the targeting lock on his opponent. Sandman slowed his plane and came up even with Hangman's wing,
"Good one. I thought we were going to pull it off—but…" he trailed off.
"Well, if it's any consolation, you didn't make it easy." Hangman paid his fellow pilots a compliment. The planes landed shortly after and as the pilots entered the hangar, it became clear the last of the match-ups were going to be rather intense.
Sandman/Martian vs. Payback/Fanboy, and Rooster vs. Hangman. That would be the main event. Phoenix hobbled over to the laboratory and signaled to Kate. As the scientist stepped into the vestibule, Phoenix delivered some sobering news,
"Looks like Hangman and Rooster are going head-to-head tomorrow…" Kate's sweet expression fell and was quickly replaced with concern,
"That's not good."
"Let's hope they keep it professional."
"I highly doubt that…" Phoenix raised a brow,
"Would this have anything to do with Rooster's little visit to you in the ladies' lockers?" Kate nodded slowly,
"This is a mess…"
"Well...just remember what you told me this morning...there's only one you'd say yes to…" Kate smiled and glanced over to Jake. He was deep in conversation with Sandman, but as if he could feel Kate's eyes on him, he glanced over and gave her a gentle nod to let her know he saw her. Phoenix smiled at the sweet admiration between the two.
"You guys are so stinking cute." Kate instantly blushed, and Phoenix teased her mercilessly as Rooster passed by the lab. His eyes never left Kate until he was through the hangar doors. Tomorrow both Hangman and Rooster would square off for the top position, and every other pilot had a feeling that it wasn't going to be as straightforward as a simple dogfight for dominance of the skies. There was no doubt they would also be using their time to display every ounce of masculinity as if they were a pair of peacocks trying to win over the peahen.
Hangman sauntered slowly over to the lab, and as he entered, Phoenix quickly excused herself.
"See you tomorrow, Prof!" she gave a quick wave as she exited. Jake smiled at Kate,
"Guess what?"
"Hmmm...you are going to fly for top spot tomorrow?" Kate took his hand and pulled him close. His smile beamed from ear to ear,
"YES!" He picked her up and twirled with her in his arms, "Let's go home." he kissed her cheek sweetly.
"I have a few more things to finish up here, it'll take me about 30 minutes…" He sighed,
"Alright, how about this. You finish up, and I'll go get us some dinner, come back and we'll go home?"
"It's a plan." And with a kiss, they parted ways temporarily.
Kate sat down to work on the last few lines of code for the probe. She double checked that, when executed, the program ran flawlessly. And it did. Then, she double checked Hans's probe software, since he was officially done with his contract and she had oversight over his work now. It seemed to work just as well, but the files were twice as large as Kate's. She didn't seem too puzzled by the excess code. Hans was particularly thorough, and she wrote off the extra file size as simply his insurances that nothing would go wrong. He had written some beautiful code, she marveled as she scrolled through the first few hundred lines.
"What is that?" she noticed a sub command, and it appeared to be an encryption for data transmission. She gave it one more look before deciding Hans simply had a different method of encrypting data than she did.
Thirty minutes on the dot, Jake walked back in, and knocked on the lab doors. She packed up her things and closed the laboratory for the night.
"So, I grabbed some Sebastian's—your favorite." he said with a sweet smile.
"Popcorn shrimp!" she was elated. The pair headed out to the parking lot, hopped in the Camaro, and were quickly on their way to Kate's place.
Jake parked out front of the house and they sauntered slowly up and into the house. The smell of Sebastian's take-out was more than welcome after the long day, and they wasted no time getting in the house, and flopping down on the couch with their meals. They ate in relative silence, both exhausted from training and preparing.
"You're awfully quiet." he finally said as he wiped his mouth with a Sebastian's branded napkin and set about picking up the remains of his meal.
"Yeah, today was a very long day...and when Phoenix told me you and Rooster were going head-to-head tomorrow…" she stopped mid-sentence as if to collect her thoughts.
"Are you worried?" he interjected.
"Yes." she looked him directly in the eyes, "Be careful tomorrow." He sighed,
"I heard about what he did in the locker room—he pushed you against the lockers…why didn't you tell me?" Kate looked surprised that he knew,
"I didn't want you to feel like you had to defend me…"
"But I want to defend you."
"To what end? The two of you will get reprimanded and pulled from the mission?"
"If that's what it takes. He's out of line." He began to raise his voice.
"I can deal with him on my own."
"Not when he's getting physical with you."
"He didn't hurt me. I don't think he ever would hurt me." He threw his hands up in frustration,
"That doesn't matter. The fact is, he keeps forcing these encounters with you, and it is disrespectful to me—more importantly—it's disrespectful of our relationship."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Don't let him corner you like that. He has a talent for getting you alone."
"Easier said than done…" she said with a sarcastic tone.
"I'm serious, Kate. He acts like he's trying to win you back, and I don't like it."
"He never had me to begin with, so there's no winning me back."
"He doesn't see it that way…" She scooped up the trash from their meals and walked into the kitchen as he remained firmly affixed to the couch. He was beginning to feel a jealousy creep in. Why was she protecting him? It felt like there was more to the story, and suddenly he wanted all the details he couldn't get from eavesdropping on Maverick and Rooster's conversation. He stood up and turned to her in the kitchen as she was separating out recycling from trash.
"Did he kiss you?" he blurted. She dropped a handful of freshly rinsed take out containers into the recycling bin and looked up at him with a frustrated expression,
"Yes."
"Goddammit, Kate!" he hissed, "Why did you let him?"
"You think I let him kiss me? Jesus, Jake!"
"Tell me what happened." he demanded. She sighed as she dropped the last of the trash items into the steel garbage can at the end of the island,
"He caught me in the hallway and explained how worried he was after hearing about the crash...I let him have that, because it was traumatic for all of us. He touched my cheek. I don't know why he did, but I walked into the ladies' locker room thinking he'd leave me alone, and he followed me in." Jake was irate now, he stalked up to the kitchen island and slammed his fist onto the marble,
"You should have come to me!"
"You were in training with Pete! Was I supposed to just barge in there and say can my boyfriend be excused for a second?" She matched his intensity for the first time, and he was wildly surprised by her powerful rage. She was a beautiful and dangerous force to be reckoned with.
"No!" she continued, her dark eyes wild with anger, "He followed me into the locker room and proceeded to back me up against the lockers and ask me if I felt something between us still. And I told him there would always be something because of what happened—but then I told him I love you! I want to be with YOU! NOT HIM! I told him I can't hurt you like I did before…" Jake felt his heart melt. What had he done? Picking a fight with her wasn't what he intended, he just wanted her to tell him what happened.
"And he kissed me...right after I told him that...I pushed him so hard he fell down on the bench." Jake stepped up to her and she took a step back, for the first time ever, he felt her put space between them. He knew he had messed up now.
"After that, he shot up and kissed me again. I pushed him away and as I was leaving…" she paused and drew in her breath, "He told me he'd never stop loving me." All he wanted to do was hold her now. He took another step toward her and again she stepped back, clearly avoiding his attempt to hold her in his arms.
"I'm sorry…" he said softly, "I didn't mean to…"
"To what? Make me feel like shit?"
"Kate…" he reached for her hand, and she jerked it away.
"There you go...now you know what happened." She side stepped him and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
"Our first official fight as a couple…" he whispered as he walked back to the couch and plopped down, "And it is one for the books…" A moment later he heard the shower turn on and he considered his options: 1) do nothing and let her calm down or 2) see if "make up sex" is really worth the hype. He decided on option 2, and hurried into the bedroom. He undressed and with a quick prayer, opened the bathroom door to see Kate already in the shower, eyes closed and rinsing the last of the shampoo out of her hair. He quietly stepped up to the shower door, pulled it open and stepped in beside her. As the steamy water rolled down their bodies, he leaned down and kissed her,
"I'm sorry…" he said softly, "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that...I just wanted to know, and I understand why you didn't want to say anything…Rooster and I—well, let's just say there's no love loss between us..." She glared at him for a moment, and he was worried that perhaps he should have gone with option 1, but then she wrapped her arms around his waist and drew in close to him.
"Thank you." she whispered, as she looked up to him. Their eyes locked and in that moment, Jake wondered if he should ask her to be his wife, right here, right now. But the ring was in the nightstand, and a proposal isn't as exciting without the ring. He tabled the idea for now.
"Kate…" he breathed as their lips met and soon, they discovered the power and pleasure of "make up sex."
Early the next morning, Kate and Jake untangled themselves from each other and the bed sheets. Their mood was much improved despite the argument from the evening. Each hurriedly dressed and prepared for a busy and nerve-wracking day. Kate put on a nice pair of gray trousers and a black button down shirt. Jake dressed in a fresh flight suit. As he sat on the bench at the end of the bed, tying up his brown boots, he glanced behind him to the nightstand. Is now the time to propose? The thought crossed his mind, but Kate quickly raced past him in her stocking feet, hurriedly packing up her laptop and hopping on one foot as she put on one of her heeled shoes, then the other. He couldn't help but smile, but now was not the right time for a proposal. They had overslept by a few minutes, and he knew that was his fault—he kept her up quite a bit last night. The pair grabbed a light breakfast before rushing out the door and diving into his car, headed at a fast pace toward the base.
The remaining pilots were all congregated in a small group, near the front of the hangar when Hangman walked in. The volume level rapidly and sharply decreased and he knew everyone had been gossiping about his dogfight with Rooster today.
"Don't stop chatting just because of little old me…" he said as he strutted up to the group. Phoenix laughed,
"We are taking bets. That's all."
"Odds on...who?"
"No clear favorite, just yet. I'll have to get Kate to bet…" Hangman smiled,
"Well, you know who she's betting on…" he gestured to himself. She rolled her eyes, just as Rooster stalked into the hangar. He came right up to the group and with a serious look on his face said,
"Well, should we get this over with?" Maverick stepped out of the classroom and stood at the front of the hangar,
"Today's the day...Sandman, Martian, and Payback, Fanboy—suit up. You're wheels up in 15. This will decide 3rd and 4th positions. After they finish, Rooster, Hangman, you're up in the air."
"Yes sir!" came the unison reply.
The bout between Sandman/Martian and Payback/Fanboy was longer than anticipated. They were equally matched as they rolled, pitched, dove, and climbed away from each other's target lock. Eventually, Payback and Fanboy were victorious, catching Sandman and Martian as they came around from a steep climb away, only to find that their opponent had drifted into the correct alignment rather fortunately.
"Hey, Payback—nice flying." Sandman was always one to complement and maintain a positive attitude. As soon as they landed, Hangman and Rooster were airborne. Phoenix hurried into the lab and pulled Kate into the hangar's radio room,
"They're going up now…" Kate bit her lip, a nervous habit.
The bout started much faster than the previous one. Rooster and Hangman were out for blood. At first Rooster seemed to have the advantage, sliding into the perfect weapons pocket, but Hangman dove and rolled out of the target lock. He flew low to the ground, at the bottom of the exercise's hard deck, exactly 600 feet. Rooster's targeting system couldn't keep up with the trees and dust kicked up by Hangman as he turned on the burners to increase his speed. He pulled up rapidly and Rooster followed, but he was able to pull all the way around and come right up behind his opponent. Rooster weaved back and forth, slipping just out of the target lock with each pass left or right. Hangman was beyond frustrated, he sped up and flew over top of Rooster and inverted, flipping him the bird as he did. This only aggravated his rival, who spiraled up after him. Their planes came within inches of each other, and they were lucky neither contacted the other. Hangman dove once more, and Rooster pursued. He almost had target lock. Just a little closer. Rooster pushed the burners, and the plane groaned as it sped up. Hangman was a notoriously fast flyer, and Rooster was not.
"They're so quiet." Phoenix mentioned to Kate.
"I don't think that's a good thing…" her friend and wingman responded.
Rooster brought the nose of his plane around and nearly got a lock, but Hangman once again pulled up and looped back behind him. Again, Hangman gave chase, they bobbed and weaved, pulling up, then diving down, rolling and banking sharply. Finally, Rooster's voice came on the radio,
"She still loves me." there was an air of dark confidence, meant to incense Hangman. Kate's face went pale. This was it. What she had feared—that they would pull her into this match up and emotions would run high and tempers—hot. Hangman didn't respond, but Kate knew his blood was boiling. Phoenix hugged her friend,
"It'll be alright."
The planes suddenly seemed to take on a new edge as they flew faster and closer. The maneuvering was sharper, and more dangerous than it had been just moments ago. Hangman came around behind Rooster, this time he was determined to get a lock. Rooster banked right and pulled up, the airframe of his plane creaked and groaned as the forces pulled at it. Hangman followed, right on his burners, but this time he broke left and came around, pushing the throttle to its maximum, the plane broke the sound barrier with a bang. He hit Mach 1. The plane lurched forward and he turned in a large arch coming around nose-to-nose with Rooster. They were headed for a very fast game of chicken. The planes flew past one another, a mere foot or two apart. Rooster's voice once more came on the radio,
"She told me that, Hangman, she said she still loved me…"
"You know, Rooster, I feel bad for you. It must be hard to watch the woman you love with the man she loves…" Back in the radio room, Phoenix's eyes went wide,
"Shit…" Kate began to pace,
"This is bad…" she hissed. Maverick burst in,
"Are you hearing this?" Both women nodded. Kate looked mortified.
Rooster's plane turned nose up and he flipped over Hangman, coming up right behind him. Hangman spiraled out of the targeting system's lock before diving down and banking sharply right. This was going to go on until they ran out of fuel if someone didn't think quickly. Hangman looked up at the sun and remembered how Maverick had blinded him using a similar tactic. He shrugged, it was worth a shot at this point. He pitched the nose upward, hard, and made the steep climb directly into the sun. Rooster followed. After a few seconds they neared the 3000 foot ceiling of the exercise, and Hangman let his plane come fully over, as he did, he spied Rooster and as the nose of his plane came into alignment with his opponent, Hangman achieved a target lock on Rooster. The tone sounded in both plane's cockpits. Rooster slammed a fist into the canopy and cursed. Hangman happily announced,
"That's a kill." Rooster pulled away and headed back to base to land first. Hangman followed triumphantly.
Rooster burst into the radio room in a fury and Maverick quickly put him down,
"Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again!" He gestured to Kate,
"There are more hurt feelings than just yours today…" Rooster's eyes met hers, and suddenly he realized the damage he'd done.
"Kate…" he took a step toward her, "I'm sorry…" She turned and walked out of the radio room. Phoenix hurried after.
"Shit…" Rooster collapsed into a chair, "I didn't know she was in here."
"That shouldn't make a difference, you took the exercise to an inappropriate level. You're lucky Hangman has enough composure to put you down gracefully. You are second, he is first. He will be team leader for the mission. Get cleaned up and report back to the hangar immediately." Maverick stormed out of the radio room leaving Rooster to feel the full weight of his comments about Kate. Despite the veracity, it hurt her, and now he felt as though there was a weight crushing his chest. The guilt was almost unbearable. He had to find her and apologize.
Kate was in the laboratory, beginning to pack up some of the extra probe parts, in preparation for the mission. These parts would accompany her and the pilots on the air craft carrier for any repairs or replacements as needed prior to the mission. She was finding it hard to concentrate, so she stepped back and took a seat. Sighing heavily, there was a part of her that was glad for the mission because it meant that her time here was going to draw to a close. In many ways, she was proud of the work she had done, and all that she had accomplished. The opportunity had brought out a strength and resilience in her that she had sorely needed.
A soft knocking on the glass lab doors brought her back from her thoughts. She turned to see Rooster.
"Can we talk?" he asked through the glass. She didn't know what to do. After the argument with Jake, she knew he didn't want to deal with Rooster on her own. But no one else was around. She looked away for a moment, trying to decide what to do.
"Please, Kate…" his voice spoke through the glass. She sighed once more. They had to speak. She pulled out her phone and sent Jake a text message:
Rooster wants to talk. Are you alright if I speak with him now? In laboratory. She waited for the response.
"Kate…" Rooster rested his forehead against the glass door, "I'm sorry." Leaving her ID badge on the table to avoid triggering the doors, she walked to the glass. Standing before him, but behind the doors she spoke loud enough for him to hear,
"Why did you say what you did?"
"I'm an idiot." He pressed a hand against the glass, "I don't have any control when it comes to you…"
"This needs to stop…" She was clearly frustrated.
"What do I need to do, Kate? I need you back." She shook her head,
"There is nothing you can do…" He was hurt, visibly, his features twisted into a pained expression,
"I've never loved anyone the way that I love you…" She sighed,
"Please don't say that…we're just going around and around in circles."
"BRADSHAW!" came Jake's booming voice as he entered the laboratory vestibule. He stalked right up to Rooster,
"I told you, you and Kate were over months ago...what are you still doing pestering her?"
"Fuck off…" Kate grabbed her ID badge and waved it in front of the door, as it opened, she stepped out and forced herself between the pilots before a fight broke out.
"Enough."
"Kate…" Rooster took her hand. Jake quickly pulled her away from him. She felt like she was the rope in a tug of war game.
"Stop it!" she hissed as she pushed back from Jake, "I'm so tired of the two of you fighting like this. Bradley," she turned to him, "Jake and I are in a serious relationship. Period." she turned to Hangman, "Jake, Bradley and I have a complicated history, you need to understand that. Now, I cannot do this with either of you anymore. I'm tired of the fighting and the jealousy." she looked back to Jake, "I'll be waiting by the car." She gathered her things and walked with a fiery anger out through the hangar doors.
Both men stood in a deafening silence. Jake was the first to speak after a moment,
"She's a handful sometimes…but she's right." both men laughed lightly.
"You're lucky." Rooster said.
"I know...I'm going to propose soon." Rooster felt his heart sink, there was a certain finality about a proposal, as if she would suddenly disappear off his radar,
"Well, I wish you the best then...if she says yes, you'll be the luckiest son of a bitch in the world."
"Listen, Bradshaw, I know what I said up there—it was in the heat of the moment-"
"Me too, Hangman...look, we both love her. Let's put this aside until after the mission."
"Fair enough." Jake extended his hand to his rival and they shook jovially. This was the first time, in a long time, that they were willing to set their differences aside.
Jake walked into the parking lot to see Kate leaned up against the hood of his Camaro. Her long brassy brown hair was caught blowing in the misty ocean breeze. She was a picture out of a car magazine. Her arms were folded across her chest, sunglasses hiding her dark eyes. He felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest as he walked up to her. He reached up and rested his hand along her neck and jaw. Gently, he drew her near him and their lips touched. This kiss was different. It was deep, but gentle; passionate, but soft.
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Kate." he said suddenly. He couldn't see her eyes behind those dark sunglasses, but he knew they were locked with his. He didn't have the ring, but he didn't care. He stepped backward and took her hand. Just as he started to bend his legs and begin to kneel, the MP jeep drove up, and stopped with tires squealing, right before them,
"Lieutenant Seresin, Admiral Simpson has requested a meeting with you immediately."
"Seriously!?" he croaked as he stood up straight, "You have terrible timing…" he muttered. He passed Kate his car keys,
"If you need to go home, take the car—I'll call you when I'm done." He leaned in and kissed her. The MP's looked at one another then back to Jake with impressed looks on their faces. It was clear they thought he was a lucky man too.
"Lieutenant, Captain Mitchell has informed me that you will be team leader for the mission."
"Yes, sir."
"That is quite an honor, coming from Maverick." He looked down to a stack of papers on his desk and continued,
"These are the orders I am filling out for the remaining pilots. I have Rooster, Sandman, Martian, Payback, Fanboy, B.O.B., and Phoenix. Who will be wingman?" Hangman drew in his breath,
"Rooster." he hoped he wouldn't regret that decision.
"And your team?"
"Payback and Fanboy."
"Rooster's team?"
"Sandman and Martian."
"Standby?"
"B.O.B. and Phoenix—if she's able."
"I don't see why she wouldn't be. She has made great progress in physical therapy...and was given the green light just today. She will do her first flight tomorrow, and if all goes well, she'll be on standby." He scribbled a few notes on his pad of paper, and looked back to Hangman,
"Your team will fly the nuclear route. Rooster's will fly the biological." Hangman nodded.
"Dr. Norris will be on the carrier as well for technical support." At that moment, Hangman was elated. He knew where and how he was going to propose, and it was going to be perfect. The admiral continued,
"She will be monitoring the probes remotely from the operations room during the mission. Afterwards, she will disembark in Japan and fly home a civilian. I think we will all be sad to see her time here end." Hangman nodded,
"Yes, sir."
"I know the two of you are...close. But I do need to remind you, the mission comes first."
"Of course, sir."
"That is all, you are dismissed."
Jake turned and left the admiral's office, and walked back toward the parking lot as he dialed Kate on his phone. She picked up right away,
"Hey."
"Hey—you still here?"
"Yep."
"I'm on my way out." He trotted outside and saw her sitting in the driver's seat. The Camaro looked good on her in his opinion. He hustled up to the open passenger's window and leaned in,
"Hey sugar, you lookin' for a date?" he quoted Julia Robert's first line to Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. Kate smiled brightly,
"No, I want to find Beverly Hills…Can you give me directions?" she replied with Gere's line. Jake smiled,
"Sure...5 bucks."
"Highway robbery." Kate chuckled as he climbed into the car and leaned over to kiss her.
"I don't think Julia Roberts kissed Richard Gere when she got in the car…"
"I'm improvising." he said with a wink.
"What did Simpson want?" she asked quietly.
"He has our orders, and he wanted me to select the team…" he gently tucked a stray hair of hers behind her ear, "You're coming too…"
"I know." She smiled sweetly at him, and all he wanted to do was remember this moment forever.
"Shall we?" she asked, insinuating that they should head home.
"Yes. Let's go home. I'll make dinner tonight, we'll fill that big old tub and add one of your bath bomb things that smell so good, and then we'll climb into the tub and relax…" She started up the car and with a cheeky smile said,
"I bet this car corners like it's on rails…" As she shifted into drive and pressed down the accelerator, the Camaro responded immediately, and they zipped out of the lot and toward her house for their relaxing evening.