Chapter 10: To catch a traitor
The next 6 hours were planned out, almost obsessively, down to the second. The extraction was going to take place while the coastal patrol aircraft had to refuel, which gave a short window of about 45 minutes where nothing would be in the air. The Seals would be dropped via helicopter off the coast and they would swim over 2 miles to a coded rendezvous point with Hangman. From there, they would swim back out with the pilot in tow and the helicopter would return to pull them back up. There would be F-18s circling in the event any hostile aircraft were detected. Rooster, Phoenix and B.O.B., Sandman and Martian, and Payback and Fanboy were notified that they might be wheels up at 0300.
Kate, Whitlowe, Cyclone, and Maverick were locked away in the tiny operations secure room, watching Hans book a flight to Tokyo for the following morning. Unfortunately, Whitlowe wanted Kate to be in Tokyo so they could lure Hans out of the airport. As it was, international airports were difficult places to apprehend criminals that were not part of the judicial system. Hans's forced extradition was slightly more extrajudicial, but nonetheless a necessary one. Whitlowe had been given the green light from the US government, and the Germans were playing ball—for now—with Hans (who was a German national) because of the overwhelming evidence stacked against him.
"We'll get you on a flight out to Tokyo as soon as possible," Whitlowe said to Kate, "It looks like his plane will arrive at 9:30 am."
"How soon, is as soon as possible?" she asked.
"Probably before dawn…"
"I-" She started, but Cyclone interjected,
"I think she needs to be on the carrier for Lieutenant Seresin's arrival." Whitlowe looked down at the papers on the desk,
"We have an opportunity-"
"Commander Whitlowe, may I have a word in private?" Maverick suddenly piped up. Whitlowe nodded and the men stepped out of the room and shut the door behind them.
"What is this all about, Captain?" Maverick pulled the tiny black box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a beautiful oval diamond ring. Whitlowe's eyes widened.
"Lieutenant Seresin entrusted this to me, he is going to propose to Kate when he lands on the flight deck, and after everything that has happened—trust me—this flight to Tokyo can wait…" Whitlowe nodded,
"Well, we'll get her to Tokyo on a military transport, so...we can cut it a little closer…"
"Good." Maverick patted the commander on the back and stowed the ring back safely in his pocket. They both stepped into the secure room,
"Change of plans—we're going to leave after Lieutenant Seresin is back." Kate breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She couldn't miss being there for Jake's return. Knowing that Cyclone and Maverick had pulled the strings to keep Whitlowe's leash tight, she nodded in thanks to them.
As the sun set, Jake cozied up against the trunk of a pine tree and concealed himself beneath the branches. He felt the wind come from behind him, so he knew he was safe from any search dogs by staying downwind. He pulled the picture roll from his pocket and looked at Kate. Her smile soothed him. In all this mess, this chaos, she was stability. She kept him sane, focused, and determined to get back to her. He put the photos back in his pocket and waited to radio in for instructions at the top of the hour. The planes were still patrolling the coastline, flying a long circular pattern. Jake could hear their engines fade into the distance as they flew to the east and then banked back around, and the sound of their engines would steadily grow as they neared, then fade as they moved away to the west. He checked his watch, 5 more minutes until he could radio to the carrier, and find out more details about the extraction. As the time ticked down to the top of the hour, he thought about hearing Kate's voice again. His body relaxed somewhat, thinking of her. He closed his eyes for a second and thought back to the first time he saw her walk into The Hard Deck, he thought of their first kiss in his dorm bed, the first time they made love. Quickly, he opened his eyes and looked at his watch. It was time to radio. He turned on the radio and adjusted the channel to the one he had been told previously,
"This is Talon 1." The voice on the other end explained, in sparse details in case the enemy was listening, how the extraction would work, and he was glad to know someone was coming to get him.
Whitlowe stalked back into operations with a scowl on his face,
"We have a problem." he whispered to Cyclone. Kate could barely hear their voices, so she leaned a little closer and hoped Whitlowe wouldn't see her obvious eavesdropping.
"The weather is changing and the Seals are thinking the extraction is going to have to be pushed back, AND I just received word from one of our assets in Beijing—who has been keeping tabs on Mueller—that he has not one, not two, but THREE handlers coming with him to Tokyo." Cyclone rubbed his forehead with frustration,
"This changes things."
"It absolutely changes things. We can't get Seresin back before she has to be in Tokyo." Whitlowe glanced over to Kate and caught her eye. He waved her over,
"You probably heard a bit of that."
"All of it." she confessed.
"Well," he sighed, "Jake is stuck until the seas calm down a bit. A weather pattern is rolling in and the winds have kicked up, hopefully, it will just blow through—at least that's what I'm told by people who know weather better than me. The Seals are hoping they can get him back, but with only a short delay. They will launch an hour later 0400. This is problematic for us, because you have to be in Tokyo." She nodded.
"I understand." She realized that the Seals were going to get Jake no matter what, and she also realized that the only way to get Hans was to dangle her like a piece of meat in front of him. Whitlowe looked surprised, and so did Maverick and Cyclone.
"I can't just sit here and let Hans get away with this." Kate said harshly.
"Alright then!" Whitlowe smiled, "Wheels up!"
The C2A flew swiftly to Tokyo. Kate, Maverick, Cyclone, and Whitlowe were the only passengers on board. The sun was up when they landed, and a small van shuttled them from a private runway to the main airport in Tokyo. Kate's reflection in the window showed a woman who was tired, confused, frustrated, and scared. She pulled her hair back into a fresh bun and leaned her head against the headrest. Cyclone remained on the radio, monitoring the Seals as they took off in a helicopter from the carrier. Whitlowe was on his phone, calling the people who were going to nab Hans—Kate knew these were not your average Navy personnel, but probably intelligence officers who were prepared to apprehend enemies.
The van pulled right up to the airport and the group was met by five intelligence officers dressed in plain clothes. Everything was a blur to Kate. She was told to smile at Hans, greet him as if she knew nothing more of his betrayal—to play along. Cyclone and Maverick would be watching her from inside the airport, and would stay far enough away that they wouldn't draw attention, but could intervene if needed. When Kate and Hans would exit, the intelligence officers would grab Hans and get him into a big black van with no windows. The remaining group would return to the US Embassy and debrief before returning to the carrier. From there, Hans would be remanded to the US Government with the cooperation of the German Embassy.
Once everything had been explained, they looked at their clocks and realized Hans would arrive in 10 minutes. Kate, Maverick, and Cyclone hurried inside the airport to await Hans.
In the dim, pre-dawn stillness, Jake still sat underneath the same pine tree, well concealed from any of the planes when he noticed flashlight beams illuminating the brush just in front of him. He froze. Afraid to even breathe, he quietly watched as the beams of light from behind him swept left and right across the brush. He could hear voices nearing his position. He couldn't make out what was being said—there was a language barrier that couldn't be overcome. Suddenly, shouting erupted and shots rang out. Jake instinctively ducked. Footsteps frantically pounded past him, headed toward the coastline. The Seals had made landfall and the foot patrol was closing in on their position, firing at them. The Seals were returning fire. Jake heard a shot crack off the trunk of the pine tree above him and he toppled over onto the ground. Instantly, he felt a pair of hands grab his ankle and he was drug out from under the tree, and a bright light shone in his face. The words spoken to him were not English. Jake felt fear, true fear, for the first time.
"Up!" the voice screamed. Jake climbed to his feet and the enemy soldier slammed the butt of his rifle into Jake's abdomen. The pain crippled him and he bent over, falling to his knees. He could feel his stomach churn and he dry heaved. Another shot fired, and the enemy soldier crumpled into a heap on the ground, falling over on top of Jake. Terrified, Jake shoved the gasping solider off of him and frantically crawled on his stomach toward the shore. He had no side arm, nothing, no weapon to defend himself. His backpack was still under the tree and his radio was attached to the pack. All he could do was head toward the shore where the Seals were shouting commands back and forth. They operated as a single unit with many moving parts.
"Hey!" Jake called. He didn't know what else to do. One of the Seals broke off while the others covered him. Rifle raised and sweeping back and forth, the Seal closed on Jake's position and knelt by him,
"Lieutenant Seresin? I'm Commander Rice—we're here to bring you home." Jake sighed heavily,
"Thank you, sir."
Kate paced nervously just outside of the secure side of the airport where families waited to see their loved ones, or frequent travelers waited for their rides. She glanced around and saw Maverick sitting at a coffee shop, pretending to read a skymall magazine. Cyclone was casually strolling past a Brookstone, eyeing a travel pillow—perhaps for the flight home.
Suddenly, Kate's blood ran cold. There he was. Hans, wearing his Mr. Rogers khaki pants and polo with a cardigan over top. He looked around, as he did his leather messenger bag swirled from side to side on his shoulder. Kate took a deep breath, and smiled,
"Hans!" she gave a quick wave and his face illuminated with a beaming smile,
"Kate!" he hurried over and wrapped his arms around her, "It is so wonderful to see a familiar face!" Behind him, three tall, slender, men dressed in suits followed cautiously. Kate's skin crawled as he hugged her, but she held the ruse.
"Where do you want to go?"
"I was thinking we might grab a coffee in the airport first!" he smiled. She forced her smile,
"Sure, but my car is parked outside in a 30 minute zone." she lied. It amazed her how easily the lie rolled off her tongue. Hans placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the airport boutique coffee shop where Maverick quickly turned away to hide his identity. Kate selected a booth far enough from Maverick that Hans would never see him.
"As I recall, you are not a coffee drinker—shall I get us a hazelnut cappuccino, heavy cream and sugar?" Kate was surprised he remembered her drink of choice.
"Sure." she smiled lightly.
"I'll be right back." he stood up and hurried to the counter to order. Kate locked eyes with Maverick for a brief second, and he could instantly feel all of her emotions. Hatred, disgust, hurt. He knew that everything Hans had done resulted in Hangman being downed behind enemy lines.
Hans returned a minute or two later with a pair of disposable coffee cups and slid into the booth,
"I want to hear all about how things have been for you...But first…" he reached into his bag and pulled out a letter, "I pulled some strings for you…"
"What's this?" she asked, taking the letter.
"Open it." he smiled. She slowly, cautiously opened the envelope and pulled out a letter. It was an invitation to a professor position at Beijing Technical University. Kate raised a brow,
"A job offer?"
"Yes!" he smiled, "I told them about your work and they asked if I'd like to have you in Beijing with me—so...I pulled some strings…and got you a job!" Kate looked back at the paper.
"That's so sweet of you." She smiled as best as she could, "Why though? I have to go back to Northwestern—two year minimum after my leave of absence."
"BTU would be willing to buy out your contract. They are currently courting the most brilliant minds in science that they can."
"I don't know, Hans...I'm not sure I can leave my family or Jake…" she trailed off. Hans scoffed,
"The pilot?" Kate's blood began to boil, but she took a deep breath,
"He and I are very serious." she said.
"Kate...please." Hans chuckled, "Do you find him intellectually stimulating? I imagine your relationship is decidedly more physical—and physical relationships do not last." Kate scowled at him,
"That's a bit forward…"
"My apologies, I just don't see what you find attractive in him…" She tilted her head to the side and smiled wickedly,
"Everything." Hans shook his head,
"I don't think I will ever understand women." he laughed lightly as he took a sip from the steaming coffee.
"Well, that's one thing you share with every man on earth…" she said with a sly smile. He laughed loudly,
"Kate, you have such a wit!" She still had yet to sip her coffee, mostly because she didn't trust him, but he noticed,
"Do you not want the cappuccino?" he gestured to her cup.
"Oh, I just let it cool quite a bit. That's all."
"You are a box of mysteries." he mused, "Well, I hope you consider the offer from BTU, they will pay you handsomely—they exceeded my current pay by almost $80,000."
"That's—wow—very generous."
"Like I said, they are courting the best and brightest. I am told there is a Harvard researcher who will be joining us to work on nanotechnology!" She nodded, feigning an impressed attitude.
"You would be a most welcome addition to the research faculty. Would you continue your current research project? Remind me what that is…" he asked as he patted her hand. She recoiled quickly, and that seemed to catch him off guard.
"Sorry…" she laughed shyly, "I'm still jet lagged…um...I don't know, my research at Northwestern is still tied to my grant. I'm building a web tool and database for anyone to access and use to predict viral strains and mutations based on currently available genomes."
"How exciting! See! You'd be a perfect fit at the university with us." Kate's phone dinged with a text message, she pulled it up quickly to read so Hans couldn't see it.
If he asks, say it's a family member. You need to get him outside the airport, we can't apprehend him inside unless there is a warrant for his arrest—which we don't have. Kate read the message from Maverick. She quickly typed a response,
I'll do my best, he doesn't want to leave yet.
"Who was that?" Hans asked as he leaned over to peer at her phone. She slid the phone into her pocket,
"My little brother. He's a lawyer in Chicago and asked me about an old acquaintance…that's all." she found that lying to Hans was easier than she realized. She viewed him as having no shred of humanity given what he'd done, made it much easier for her to completely fabricate a reality for him to enjoy—only to have her rip it from him shortly.
"What would you like to do today—I thought we might go sightseeing?" he asked.
"Sure—where about?"
"There are some lovely old dynastic buildings not that far away." he suggested.
"Great! My car is outside." She stood up and he was alarmed by how quickly she was ready to leave.
"I'm not sure they're open for tours yet…"
"There's so much traffic in Tokyo—I think a little lead time is necessary." He shrugged his shoulders and stood up with her. She tossed her untouched coffee cup into the trash when Hans was not looking and they headed for the exit. Maverick nodded to Cyclone and Whitlowe as they watched the three handlers follow Kate and Hans at a respectful distance.
The three Navy men intercepted the handlers just as Hans exited the first of the airport's automatic doors. Hans paused as Kate stalked for the second set of doors,
"Where is your car?"
"Oh—just on the other side of that van, I think—it must have pulled up and is blocking it." Hans nodded, it seemed harmless after all, and Kate was there with him. He hurried to be by her side and they stepped out of the airport and through the last set of automatic glass doors. Kate was relieved, this was it.
"Johann Mueller?" one of the intelligence officers stepped forward and ushered Kate behind him.
"Yes?" Hans asked suspiciously.
"You will need to come with us."
"I don't think so." he tried to signal his handlers and they were now being held up by Maverick, Cyclone, and Whitlowe and were unable to help.
"Get in the van." the officer growled as the black windowless van pulled up. Hans looked back to Kate with a horrified realization of what was unfolding,
"You set me up!" She stepped up to him, an intimidating presence in and of herself,
"I saw what you did in your code, you are a traitor! And I will never forgive you for what you did. You disgust me." she hissed. He reached for her throat, and the intelligence officer immediately twisted him around and slammed him into the ground.
"I heard that Hangman got shot down! And when I heard that—I rejoiced! Hoping that he'd be captured and tortured or killed on the spot." Kate's brows furrowed and she looked at Hans with a dangerous hatred,
"Don't worry, Hans—you'll be lucky if you wind up in Gitmo for the rest of your life…" She turned away and he screamed at her,
"You bitch! I could have given you EVERYTHING!" Kate burst into laughter,
"You couldn't even give me a functioning probe for the mission—how could you ever give me everything? You had ONE job, Hans, and you failed." The intelligence officer pulled Hans to his feet, and the scientist spat toward Kate and missed. She rolled her eyes and looked back to Maverick, Cyclone, and Whitlowe who hurried out of the airport. The handlers had now been detained by the other intelligence officers. Hans struggled as the officer pushed him toward the van. Cyclone stalked up to the rogue scientist,
"Just a second." the intelligence officer stopped pushing Hans, but still held his ziptied arms tightly behind his back.
"Hans, you are now in the custody of the United States Government, although you have not yet been charged with a crime, there is sufficient suspicion and evidence to allow your detainment. The German Embassy has been notified of your detainment and has offered to provide you a lawyer. Should you choose to accept the provided lawyer, you will be given time to discuss the situation with the lawyer, but must do so under supervision of an intelligence officer. Do you understand?" Hans looked Cyclone up and down,
"You know, Admiral Simpson, I hope you and everyone here burns in hell."
"He's yours." Cyclone nodded to the intelligence officer who shoved Hans into the back of the windowless black van. Hans tumbled forward onto his face and the other officer inside the van with him, began to search his pockets. That was the last Kate would ever see of Hans. The doors of the van shut and it rumbled away down the airport arrivals lane.
Commander Rice helped Jake up and radioed to the Seal team,
"Package in tow, need cover." A hail of gunfire exploded down range, over their heads but toward the enemy positions. The two men bolted down the sandy expanse of the shore. Rice's feet were steady, Jake's slid under the shifting sand, making it almost impossible to keep up. He was handed a small flotation device, and was linked up with Rice who had a propulsion device to move them through the water a little faster (it looked like an underwater fan). Two F-18's screamed overhead, deterring any patrol planes from intervening in the rescue attempt. The remaining Seals began their retreat down the beach and into the water. Rice pulled Jake along, while the others maintained cover. The fighter jets dropped two bombs once the Seals were far enough out to prevent the enemy from following. They bounded through the water until their feet no longer felt the muddy bottom. The propulsion fan moved them along quickly. The rhythmic beating of a helicopter's blades could be heard in the distance.
"We have a bit more to go before the he-lo can pick us up." Rice said. Jake nodded as the shloshing ocean waters occasionally covered his face, making him gasp for air. He held on tightly to the strap coming from the propulsion fan as it drug him through the dark waters.
"Are there any sharks out here?" Jake asked the burning question on his mind.
"For sure." Rice responded.
The US Embassy was hectic when Whitlowe, Cyclone, Maverick and Kate walked in. They were debriefed quickly and sent on their way. Everyone was glad to have Hans in custody. The German Government later cooperated and allowed the US to arrest Hans on suspicion of espionage. He would be transferred to a secure location within the day.
The flight back to the carrier was a quiet one. Everyone was glad to be done with this chapter, but also wanting to know what would happen with Jake. They hadn't heard any news since they'd left for Tokyo. Kate leaned her head back and fell asleep for the first time in 2 very exhausting days.
The helicopter hovered over the water creating circular waves, jetting out in all directions. A rope was lowered and Jake was raised up into the he-lo. Each of the Seals were brought back up into the helicopter and the aircraft flew back to the carrier. The sun was shining brightly as the he-lo slowly and carefully made its approach. Wind whipped through the open doors, and it was oddly refreshing and stimulating. Jake marveled at the way the sun cast a gentle glow over the flight deck. The helicopter descended down on the flight deck and touched down with a bounce. The Seals piled out one by one until it was just Rice and Jake.
"I'll let you bring up the rear, Lieutenant." The commander jumped out and walked across the flight deck with the other Seals. Jake took a deep breath, his eyes scanned the crowd for Kate, and Maverick who had the ring.
"Hey!" one of the flight deck crew shouted to him, "We've got another plane coming in—you've gotta get out!" Jake jumped down from the aircraft and hurried across the flight deck as cheers erupted from the crew. Everyone was glad he was back and safe. A group surrounded him and he was engulfed in hugs, handshakes, and pats on the back. Rooster even met him and shook his hand,
"You look good, Hangman…" he said with that sly smile of his.
"And damn, do I feel good, Rooster, real good to be back…" Phoenix, B.O.B., Sandman, Martian, Payback, and Fanboy surrounded Hangman and lifted him up in the air. A renewed cheer grew out of the crowd.
"Where's Kate?" Jake shouted over the noise. The group lowered him down and Rooster pointed up at a plane aiming toward the runway,
"She went to Tokyo to catch Hans." he said.
"She's on that plane?" Hangman asked and Rooster nodded. Taking a deep breath, Rooster clapped his rival on the back,
"Make her happy, Seresin." In that simple sentence, Rooster let go of her. He knew how much Jake loved Kate, and he realized that seeing Kate happy was the best reward—even if that meant she was happy with Jake and not him.
"I promise I will—every day." Hangman replied to Rooster.
The C2A came rumbling toward the runway and its tailhook deployed. As it touched down, the tailhook caught the arresting cable and the plane slowed rapidly and recoiled. Its wings folded upright for storage and it taxied to an out-of-the-way parking spot where the wheels were chocked and the plane was chained down. The door opened and Maverick hurried out, his eyes moved through the crowd coming to rest on Jake. He hurried over and handed him the tiny black box,
"SHE'S ON HER WAY, LIEUTENANT." He shook Jake's hand and stepped out of the way. Jake took a deep breath and opened the box. The diamond shone beautifully in the now-bright sunlight. Cyclone stepped out of the plane, and right behind him, Kate appeared. She made her way out of the plane and Jake could see her eyes looking for him. As soon as their eyes met, she smiled—so genuine, so pure—she instinctively put her hand over her mouth as tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes. She bolted toward him, and leapt into his arms. He held her tighter than he ever had before. His face was covered in dirt and scratches, he had stubble across his cheeks, chin, and jaw, his arms were scraped, knees muddied, and his clothes still damp with sea water—despite the breezy helicopter ride back to the carrier. Her hair whipped around in the wind, swirling around her face. She was exhausted and it showed, but she was never more beautiful to him than in that moment.
"Kate-" he leaned over to her in the deafening sound of the flight deck, and spoke directly into her ear, "I have something I need to ask you…" he took a step back, clutched her left hand in his right hand, and knelt down on the flight deck in front of everyone. He lifted the small black box up and displayed the beautiful oval diamond ring that had been his grandmother's. Her brown eyes went wide.
"Will you make me the happiest man on earth, and do me the honor of being my wife?" he was so nervous, he shook. He knew she'd say yes, but the anticipation of hearing that one word from her lips was agonizing. She smiled and began to nod her head,
"YES!" He plucked his grandmother's ring from the box and slid it onto her delicate ring finger. It fit like a glove—perfectly. He jumped up to his feet and took her in his arms, kissing her with every fiber of his being. The crew that had gathered around them let out a deafening cheer. Phoenix was the first to rush the couple and wrap her arms around them both, tears of joy in her eyes,
"I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH! I definitely get to be a bridesmaid—right?" Kate nodded, "Of course! I can't get married without my wingman!" Jake looked over to Rooster,
"And I can't get married with out my wingman." He extended his hand to his rival,
"Best man?" Rooster felt honored,
"It's the least I can do after you saved my life for a second time…" he smiled.
Maverick, Cyclone, and Whitlowe gathered on the tiny balcony overlooking the flight deck, watching the colorful celebration below,
"You know, when Hans and Kate first started, I never thought this would be the outcome." Cyclone mused.
"I don't think any of us could have anticipated what happened." Maverick said in reply. Cyclone gestured to the pilots that were centered in the mass of deck crew and their bright vests,
"I'm just glad I don't have to call any families…" Maverick nodded at that comment. For a few seconds the three men stood in relative silence. Then, Cyclone spoke candidly,
"Do you know how hard it was for me to NOT punch Hans?" Cyclone burst into a raw laugh. Whitlowe and Maverick erupted into laughter as well.
"I'm telling you—when he spit at Kate-" Cyclone mimed punching the rogue scientist, and the other two nodded in agreement.
"You know, she wouldn't be a half bad intelligence officer." Whitlowe quickly seeded the idea in his colleague's heads, "She really did a good job today, and I could tell it was hard for her. There were a lot of moving pieces and she handled it really well—all things considered, with Hangman and the extraction going on…" The others agreed,
"Do you think she might get an offer for something permanent?" Maverick asked.
"I can see what strings I can pull." Whitlowe said, "Plus...I can almost guarantee Seresin is going to get a promotion and some flexibility in his assignment now…he might even be a good intelligence officer…"
"You're not taking one of my pilots, Whitlowe…" Cyclone warned with a hint of levity in his tone.
"Noted." and the men went back to watching the celebratory crowd-surfing below.
On the flight deck, Jake and Kate received congratulations from almost every one of the flight deck crew. So many asked to see the ring, and gawked at it when she stretched out her hand for them to look at it.
"I'm thinking a June wedding." Jake smiled at her.
"Anytime sounds perfect." she replied. Their lips touched once more with the joy of their engagement. Soon they'd be calling their families, picking the date, the dress, the venue, the menu, the dj, getting the invitations and the wording just right. Just then, a booming voice came over the loudspeaker, it was the captain of the Ike,
"I think a swim call is in order." Another cheer erupted from the flight deck crew. The seas would be warm in the afternoon and everyone would enjoy a swim in the ocean to unwind.
Penny shifted in her seat next to Amelia. They both had on lovely floral dresses on this early summer afternoon. Maverick hurried over and slid quickly into his aisle seat. Admiral Simpson, who was now the Fleet Admiral of the Pacific Fleet's Naval Aviation wing after the retirement of Fleet Admiral Lawson (who had replaced Ted "Iceman" Kazansky two years prior upon his passing), found his seat. The deck of the carrier was a buzz with excitement. About two hundred white chairs were arranged with an aisle running down the middle on this beautiful June 22nd afternoon. The Ike was docked at the San Diego Naval Station overnight. It had taken Admiral Simpson's authority to make it happen, but today was going to be the event of the season, and he was beyond elated to be taking part.
Just past the rows and rows of chairs, two F-18 planes were parked nose-to-nose with an archway right in front of them. White roses and calla lilies, eucalyptus leaves and lotus seed pods were woven around the archway. The romantic atmosphere was subtle and classy. Phoenix, dressed in a soft sweetheart neck, lavender gown, that flowed gently as she walked, hurried up a side aisle and leaned over to Penny,
"Kate wanted to get a few pictures with you and Amelia while she is getting ready—and Jake asked for Mav." Penny tapped Maverick's elbow,
"Jake wants some pictures with you and the rest of the guys." Phoenix hurried to Admiral Simpson,
"Sir, Jake asked to have a picture with you in the gentleman's dressing room…"
"Don't be so formal, Lieutenant Trace—today, we are celebrating."
Penny stepped into the officer's quarters that had been converted into the bride's dressing room. Kate was seated in front of a long mirror as the hairdresser was putting the final touches on her elegant up-do. Her hair was gathered into a lovely bun-like twist. She wore a white satin robe and as soon as she saw Penny and Amelia enter, she smiled brightly to them,
"I'm so glad you are here!" The hairdresser sprayed one last layer of hairspray to cement everything in place so not a strand would slip out on the deck of the carrier. Phoenix popped back into the room,
"Let's get you in your dress!" She grabbed the long white garment bag with the designer name Pronovias emblazoned on the front, that was hanging from a piece of conduit on the ceiling and pulled the zipper from top to bottom. The white gown inside was long, with a flared mermaid hem. It had all the feel of old Hollywood glamour from the 1930s, but with all the regal and refined grace that typified Kate. Phoenix gasped,
"It's so gorgeous!" The photographer pulled away the garment bag and snapped some pictures of the dress hanging. It had a beautiful cowl neck with lace underneath, sheer sleeves with lace cuffs, and a lace back with a row of covered buttons that ran from neck to hem. The fabric was flowy and soft. Kate's shoes were tall white satin pumps with a rhinestone applique on top. Jake's older sister, Sarah, also a bridesmaid, smiled,
"Oh my gosh! Jake is going to die when he sees you in this!" Kate smiled,
"You know, he wanted to do a first look photo, and I told him, the first time he'd see me today is when my dad is walking me down the aisle." Kate's best friend from college, Joanna, helped Phoenix prepare the dress for Kate to step in.
The bride shed her robe, revealing her lacy lingerie under, and the light blue garter wrapped around her leg. She stepped carefully into the gown and Phoenix hurried to button up the back. The makeup artist quickly finished with a tap of blush on each cheek, and some pink lipstick on her soft lips. A final spritz of makeup setting spray and Kate was just about ready. The clock showed 2:45 pm, and the wedding would start at 3:30. Kate looked in the mirror as her mother and father stepped into the room. Barb's eyes welled up with tears,
"You look so beautiful!" she hugged her daughter gently so as not to wrinkle or smudge a thing. Her father, Charles looked beyond proud,
"Jake is a lucky man, I couldn't have picked a better life partner for you if I had done the searching myself." Kate laughed lightly. The click of the photographer's camera echoed in the room, capturing the sweet moment.
"It's just about 3-" Barb said, "They'll be seating me soon." Charles turned to Kate,
"I'll be back to give you away—but first, I've got to get your mother to the ushers…" Kate nodded. The photographer pulled Penny and Amelia over beside Kate and started snapping pictures.
"Thank you for being here." Kate said sweetly, "I owe so much to you and Mav…" Penny smiled,
"Congratulations, Kate! We are thrilled to be a part of your big day." They hugged before Penny and Amelia hurried back up to the flight deck and their seats. It wasn't long before everyone hurried up to the flight deck, the bridesmaids were lining up to walk down the aisle shortly. Kate felt the stillness around her as she sat in the room alone.
A soft knock broke the silence,
"Who is it?"
"Not Jake." came Rooster's voice as he poked his head through the door. His heart nearly stopped seeing her standing in that long white dress with a veil cascading down her back. She held her bouquet of white roses and calla lilies, accented with plenty of eucalyptus leaves and other soft greenery.
"Wow." He wore his formal Navy uniform with a dark jacket, white vest and bow tie, and his white hat. His patent leather shoes were shined perfectly—without a smudge.
"You look…" she took his breath away, "...like Heaven…" She smiled lightly, but didn't speak. He walked over to her and pulled out a small box,
"Jake...ummm...he wanted to give this to you...a gift—something new." She opened the box and it revealed a beautiful pair of pearl earrings. She quickly put them on.
"Something old—the ring, something new—the earrings, something borrowed—my mom's pearl bracelet. Something blue—garter." He smiled at her as she quickly plucked a box off the desk and handed it back to him,
"For Jake." He nodded and paused to take her in. She was stunning. Cautiously, he walked up to her and kissed her cheek,
"If I forget to tell you after, congratulations—I'm so happy for the two of you." She quickly hugged him,
"It means so much to hear you say that." She pulled back and he hurried out the door, back to Jake. He was at peace. As he made his way to the gentlemen's dressing room and he passed Phoenix, with her hair down, she looked gorgeous. Why hadn't he ever noticed her before? They both turned back to the other briefly on their way to Jake and Kate. Perhaps they both had this sudden realization that they found the other attractive.
Rooster burst into the gentleman's dressing room and Jake was finishing up taking pictures with his parents. He instantly smiled at Rooster,
"Back from his mission behind the bride line-" Jake chuckled, "Did you see her?" Rooster nodded as he handed him the small box from Kate,
"Jake…" he began, "I was absolutely speechless...she's gorgeous, you lucky son of a-" he glanced at Jake's mother Deb standing right there, "...gun." Jake opened the box and it was a pair of gold cuff links engraved with the F-18 plane. He smiled and quickly started to put them on. She knew him so well! His formal dress tuxedo was sharp, and adorned with all of the colorful bars showing the military engagements that he had been a part of, but the most prominent medal over his heart was the Navy Cross. He was awarded the medal for distinguished heroism against an armed enemy force.
Deb and Jim hugged their son and headed up to the flight deck, leaving the two aviators alone.
"Am I going to pass out when I see her?" Jake asked. Rooster nodded,
"I almost did." Coyote and Kate's younger brother, John hurried into the room,
"Ready, man?" Coyote nudged Jake, "B.O.B., and the other ushers are seating parents. Mav is in the second row…" Jake looked back at his reflection in the mirror and then back to Rooster,
"You've got the wedding bands?" Rooster pulled the small black box out of his pocket and opened it to show Jake his own gold band and Kate's glittering diamond band set in yellow gold to match. He couldn't help but smile. Rooster safely stowed the bands back in his pocket, and the men hurried out onto the flight deck. The Navy string quartet was playing a beautiful classical music interlude. Jake led the groomsmen up to the archway and stood to the right side. Rooster stood beside him, then Coyote, and John. The Captain of the Ike stepped up to the center of the archway and shook Jake's hand,
"Good to see you again Lieutenant—I hear you are slated to become Commander soon."
"Yes sir."
"Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for a wedding on the flight deck…" the Captain mused, "Perfect, considering this is where the two of you became engaged. I remember it well. Doesn't happen too often on the flight deck of a carrier." He looked down at an X taped to the deck. Jake smiled.
The guests all found their seats, both sides were packed with military and civilians alike. The string quartet began playing a gentle tune and the bridesmaids walked toward the aisle in a single file line. Their lavender gowns were gently flowing in the breeze as they walked down the aisle, generously spaced out to give the song time to complete. They filed up to the archway. Jake smiled to his sister, Sarah as she walked up and stood at the end of the bridesmaid line, then Phoenix, and Joanna the matron of honor. Rooster's eyes met Phoenix's and they shared a sweet smile.
The string quartet finished their melody and began playing Bach's Cannon in D—the popular bridal entrance song. A flash of white caught the corner of Jake's eye and he immediately turned. Charles half blocked Kate as they walked to the aisle. They lined up at the start of the long aisle and Jake gazed at Kate. His heart stopped and he felt his knees go weak. Rooster grabbed his arm to steady him,
"See—I told you…" Jake didn't even hear him. Kate's dark eyes locked with his and she smiled softly. Her father walked her down the aisle and the closer she came to Jake, the more he felt his heart was going to beat out of his chest. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she was his, forever, from today onward. As she and her father reached the end of the aisle, the Captain spoke,
"Who gives this woman for matrimony?"
"Her mother and I." Charles recited proudly. Kate hugged her father and he kissed her cheek, he turned to Jake and shook his hand before placing Kate's hand in the pilot's shaking hand. She smiled at Jake and he could barely utter a word,
"Wow." was all he could muster. She guided him to the center of the archway.
"I think we may need to give Lieutenant Seresin a moment to compose himself. He appears to be afflicted with, what so many sailors are, when they see a stunning woman before them." the Captain joked. The guests let out a light laugh. Jake smiled,
"I'm good." The Captain raised a brow,
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, sir. Ready to marry this amazing woman." Kate blushed as another sweet chuckle rose from the guests.
"Alrighty then-" The Captain smiled as he began, "Today, we are gathered here on the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. For many of you, this may be the first time you have stepped foot on a Naval Aircraft Carrier. For others, this has been your operational home for weeks or months, perhaps years. Lieutenant Jake Seresin's reputation as a Naval Aviator is one of outstanding service and skill. Dr. Kate Norris's research and talent as a scientist is unmatched—and her service to this country is distinguished. She is an expert in her field and a highly regarded professor at Northwestern University.-We all knew they were a power couple from day one, folks!" he laughed, "But aside from that, their dedication to each other is unmatched, and like nothing I've ever seen. Many of you may not know, that Jake earned the Navy Cross for distinguished heroism against an enemy combatant when he was shot down over enemy lines last year. Kate was on the carrier and heard the commotion over the radio. She maintained composure, and continued to perform her duties despite the stress of the situation." He nodded to Kate,
"The mission was a success, and provided much needed intelligence. But what I saw, when Jake and Kate reunited on the flight deck, was a couple who had overcome some of the toughest challenges, and the utmost stress and strain a relationship can bear—but they remained dedicated to one another. I remember watching them embrace right here." He pointed down to the X taped on the deck, "We marked this spot based on reference photos and video. And I will never forget standing on the bridge, and watching Jake drop down to one knee to propose to her right here. It's not often you see that on an active carrier, in the midst of a mission. It was a treat." He gestured to the couple,
"Both Jake and Kate have written their vows, and I would like them to now share those with each other." Jake pulled out his paper, and unfolded it carefully. The Captain angled his microphone so all could hear,
"Kate," he cleared his throat, "Kate, I remember the first time I saw you. Time stood still. To this day I am humbled and honored that you chose me to build a life with. To you, I vow to be your best friend, to cry with you, to rejoice with you, to celebrate with you, and to love you unconditionally until my last breath. Every day with you is a blessing. I promise to love only you, to cherish only you, and to devote every cell in my body to only you.-science reference for the science professor-" he joked, "From today forward, I am yours, eternally." He folded the paper, and Kate quickly took a kleenex from Joanna to blot her joyously tearful eyes. The Captain shifted the microphone over to her and she began to read her vows,
"Jake, you have the most courageous heart of anyone I've ever known. From our first 'work date', to this, our wedding day, and into the future, I have and will always love you. I vow to love you in the good, the bad, the easy, and the hard, on sunny days, and on rainy days. I vow to always be true and faithful to you, to honor you, respect you, and support you. I vow to champion your service to our great nation, and to be your greatest cheerleader. I vow that my heart belongs to you, and no matter what turbulence we may encounter, that I will always be your co-pilot.-an aviation reference for the pilot." she laughed mimicking his earlier joke, and a warm smile crossed his lips,
"Her wit, folks!" he beamed. She handed her paper to Joanna who quickly stowed it with the bride's bouquet. The guests saw that they were so perfect for one another. The Captain was also quite moved,
"Very lovely vows. Now, as Captain of the Ike, I am given authority to preside over matrimonial ceremonies, which is an enormous honor. Best man, the wedding bands please." Rooster stepped forward and handed the Captain the two bands. "At this time, I will ask that Jake, you repeat after me as you place the band on Kate's finger: I, Jake Seresin, give you, Kate Norris, this wedding band as a sign of my love and fidelity, the ring is a symbol of eternity, a circle never ends, just as our marriage will last a lifetime." Jake gently slid the diamond eternity band onto her bare finger. She moved the engagement ring over from her right hand to her left and looked up at Jake with a sweet smile on her face.
"Kate, please repeat after me as you place the band on Jake's finger." Kate took the solid gold band and repeated the same words, finally pushing the band into place on his left ring finger. Their eyes never strayed from each other in that moment.
"Finally," The Captain began, "By the power vested in me as Captain of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, I am honored to pronounce you husband and wife, Mr. Seresin, please kiss Mrs. Seresin."
"Yes, sir." Jake tilted his white cap back slightly and pulled Kate close to him, he pressed his lips into hers and the guests cheered louder than anyone could have imagined. Everyone leapt to their feet, the bubble wands were loosed upon the guests and bubbles started floating through the air. Jake continued to kiss Kate, neither pulled back. He then twisted around and dipped her, causing the crowd to erupt into more cheers. The guests were whooping and hollering, whistling and screaming with enjoyment. The Captain tapped him on the shoulder and playfully said,
"You can wrap this up anytime—that's what the honeymoon suite is for, Lieutenant." Jake gently pulled back and brought Kate upright from the dip. He grabbed her hand and she reached back for her bouquet. With beaming smiles, they made their way down the aisle and disappeared into the carrier. The bridesmaids paired off with the groomsmen and followed down the aisle. The bridal party met in a small room just off the flight deck where the Captain signed the marriage license with Jake and Kate, who signed her name Kate Seresin for the first time. Her handwriting was clear, crisp and sure. Joanna and Rooster signed as witnesses.
"Congratulations, you two." the Captain said as he scooped up the license to file quickly.
On the flight deck, the guests were ushered past the F-18s that were parked nose-to-nose, to a beautiful reception area with one long string of tables nearest to the planes (to be used as a backdrop for the head table). Further out, round tables were covered with tight cloth table covers. A long buffet line had been moved up to the flight deck, and a parquet dance floor was assembled right in front of the head table. A beautiful three-tier cake, white frosting, with an F-18 topper, sat in the center of the dance floor.
Jake and Kate made their way to the flight deck for pictures with the photographer. The guests watched as the pair climbed up into one of the two-seat F-18s parked on the deck. Kate took off her heels as Jake helped her up onto the wing of the plane and she stepped into the back seat of the plane and sat down. The guests applauded, impressed that she could navigate a fighter jet in a wedding dress. The photographer snapped a few pictures of the behind the scenes, before they settled in and took some more formal pictures. Phoenix hurried over with their helmets: Hangman and Professor. They carefully put them on their heads and the guests were loving the adorable couple. After a few more pictures, the newlyweds retreated back into the carrier where they were hidden from view. It was the first moment they were alone together as husband and wife. Jake looked at her as they stood in the empty corridor,
"I love you, Mrs. Seresin."
"I love you, too, Mr. Seresin." He kissed her with a new found passion. She shared his last name, and that meant he was her protector, her lover, her confidant, her best friend—her husband.
"Let's start the honeymoon now." he said with a mischievous smile. She laughed lightly, and at that moment, Rooster poked his head through the corridor from an adjacent door,
"There you two are—the dj is ready for the bridal party entrance." Jake sighed, he took Kate's hand and as they stepped through the door, Phoenix handed them their helmets once again,
"Best entrance ever...when I get married—I'm copying this." Everyone in the bridal party wore flight helmets—if they weren't a pilot, they were given a white flight crew helmet. The dj began to set the scene, the lights dimmed and only the glow of the setting sun illuminated the deck until strings of cafe lights ran across the deck switched on. Everyone ooh'd and ahh'd. Lasers from the dj stand swept over the guests as they took their seats, it awe of the spectacle,
"Welcome aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower! Ladies and gentlemen, this aircraft carrier can launch and land planes at a rate of one plane every 1 to 2 minutes depending on the plane, and tonight, we have an incoming squadron—the Seresin Bridal Party!" The song Sirius (the Chicago Bulls Player Entrance Song) began to play and a fog machine swept a low layer across the flight deck. The dj began to play a pre-recorded skit of a radio relay,
"Green for go, we have the bridal party coming in for a landing. Altitude looking good, descent on mark. Chapel 4 coming in with the sister of the groom and brother of the bride, Sarah Klein and John Norris. The pair hustled out onto the fog filled deck and another pre-recorded radio came on,
"Chapel 3 landing with Lieutenants Natasha "Phoenix" Trace, and Javy "Coyote" Machado." The aviators burst onto the dance floor giving their hand signals for taxiing and pretended to taxi all the way up to their seats at the head table. They held the imaginations of the guests incredibly well due to the accuracy of their performance.
"Chapel 2, with Best man Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, and Matron of Honor, Joanna Gale on board, coming in hot!" The two sprinted in and circled the cake before coming to rest in front of their seats at the table.
"Finally, Chapel 1-"
Jake squeezed Kate's hand, she even looked amazing in her helmet with Professor painted across the front like it was chalk on a chalkboard.
"You ready, partner?"
"As long as I'm with you, always." she smiled. He kissed her sweetly.
"-Altitude and airspeed good. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the team leaders as they land, COMMANDER Jake "Hangman" Seresin, and Mrs. Kate "Professor" Seresin!" The guests burst into a frenzy and the music picked up perfectly as they pair swept onto the floor. Jake twirled Kate around and then tore off his helmet and kissed her. Everyone went wild! The two made their way to their seats for the start of the reception.
The photographer took pictures of them as the meal was blessed by Jim Seresin, and shortly after the pair made their way to the dance floor to cut the cake so it would be taken off to the side, cut and placed on a separate dessert buffet table for the guests. Kate noticed a small speck of frosting on the corner of Jake's mouth and she sweetly wiped it away. Those who saw that moment felt the love and devotion between them.
Penny, Pete, and Amelia enjoyed every moment. Admiral Simpson was also seated at their table. The conversations were continuous and never lagged. When it came time to run through the buffet line, Pete chose the brazed beef, Penny and Amelia took the pretzel crusted chicken, and Admiral Simpson followed Pete's lead with the beef. Every so often someone would clink a fork on the side of their glass and Jake and Kate would kiss between bites of food. While the dinner was underway, the newlyweds made their way around to every table, to thank their 200 guests for coming. When they arrived at Pete, Penny, Amelia, and Admiral Simpson's table, they were wrapped up in a hug by Penny.
"You two! This has been an amazing wedding!"
"That is all Kate and her vision." Jake admitted, "She is a planner par excellence."
"Well, it has been fabulous!" Pete stood and shook Jake's hand,
"Congratulations, Commander."
"Thank you, sir." Eventually, Admiral Simpson stood and approached,
"Jake, Kate, congratulations. This has been a remarkable event. Listen, I've got to jet out of here after dinner, but, I wanted to let you know...I've approved Jake's temporary transfer to the Naval Station Great Lakes for next year, and there is a more permanent civilian position that will be opening up...right about the time your contract obligations at Northwestern end this year." Kate smiled,
"Thank you, Admiral-"
"Please, call me Beau. After everything—I consider you a colleague and friend."
The toasts went off without a hitch. First, Joanna spoke about Kate in her maid of honor speech.
"Kate and I met in undergrad at Harvard. We were roommates, and we couldn't be more different—she was a nerdy scientist, and I was a political science major. But over the course of that year, we became like sisters. She was my maid of honor, and she has been on my speed dial since that Freshman year of college. When Kate called me to talk about Jake, she spoke in a way that made me realize she saw a future with him. And if you know Kate, she keeps most things like that very close to the vest. Jake, you have my best friend, my confidant, the godmother to my kids, and I know you will love her and cherish her like only you can. Let's raise our glasses in a toast to the happy couple, here's to your health, happiness, and to your lasting future filled with the best blessings!" Everyone sipped from their champagne flutes.
Rooster cleared his throat and accepted the microphone from Joanna,
"Jake and I didn't meet in undergrad, we met at the Naval Academy. Both of us were new students, determined to make our mark on Naval Aviation. As you can imagine, the two of us butted heads more than we were friends over the years. To say that we were rivals is a bit of an understatement. After a mission a few years ago, we became friends, and when Kate came into the picture…" he trailed off, "...we became rivals again." a laugh rose up from the guests, "Getting to know Kate over her time at Top Gun, was a treat. She is a wonderful scientist and friend. Working with Jake, competing with Jake, made me a better pilot. When he was appointed team leader on this most recent mission, he drew enemy fire so that the rest of his team could get away safely. That is the man that Jake is, and that man is the only one for Kate. The only man worthy of Kate. And Kate, your heart is sincere, honest, and loving. Jake is the luckiest man alive." he smiled at them both, "I love you guys. Let's toast to Mr.-COMMANDER-and Mrs. Seresin!" There wasn't a single person at the reception who wasn't tearing up at Rooster's heartfelt toast. Jake and Kate stood and hugged him.
Their first dance was to the song "L.O.V.E.", and Jake sang softly to her,
"L. is for the way you look tonight…". They slowly rocked side to side, arms wrapped around each other, cheek to cheek, and a part way through the song, everyone was invited to join them. The guests loved it. The father daughter dance went to their favorite song, Glenn Miller Orchestra's In the Mood. Kate and her father were excellent swing dancers and the fact that they were dancing on the deck of the Ike brought back a 1940s USO atmosphere. All father's and daughters joined after a few turns of the main theme. Pete even took Amelia up as Penny snapped picture after picture on her phone.
The mother son dance brought the roof down (had there been a roof). Jake had chosen the Phil Collins song You'll be in my heart from Disney's Tarzan, because he remembered how much his mother loved that scene in the movie years ago when he and his sister were younger. Deb teared up as they danced across the floor.
"I'm so proud of you." she said as she fixed his hair, "You and Kate are absolutely spectacular. And you're going to have beautiful children."
"Mom...you're embarrassing me in front of my friends." he teased. All the mothers drug their sons out on the dance floor, whether they wanted to or not.
Once the traditional dances (Cha-cha slide, Macarena, etc.) had finished, a slow dance came over the speakers. Rooster sauntered up to Phoenix who was taking a swig of champagne from her toasting glass.
"Hey."
"Hey, yourself."
"Want to dance?" Phoenix smiled,
"I was wondering when you'd ask me…" They walked off to the dance floor, hand in hand, and wrapped their arms around each other, swaying to the song.
At 10 pm, a helicopter fired up its rotors. It had been sitting on the far end of the deck away from the wedding and reception. It was going to be taking the newlyweds from the carrier out to the base, where they'd get in Jake's Camaro, and Jake looked at Kate, she was speaking to Penny and Pete. To him, she was perfect. He walked over to her and gently took her left hand. Feeling the rings on her finger made his heart leap. Married! It was surreal, and the whole evening felt like a blur.
"Our ride is getting ready." he whispered in her ear.
"Oh! Okay. We have to get our things gathered up for Phoenix and Rooster to bring to the hotel for us tomorrow." She turned back to Penny and hugged her, then hugged Pete,
"We'll talk soon, you two. Thank you for coming—it meant so much to have you here with us." Jake marveled at how gracious she was. They interlaced their fingers and walked into the carrier. First, they went to the bride's dressing room and Jake helped her pack up every trinket, makeup palette, curling iron, perfume bottle. Everything was placed on the desk and Kate grabbed a small white tote bag with her overnight supplies for the hotel.
They then headed back to the groom's dressing room. Jake gathered up everything for his overnight bag, and the pair straightened up to make things easier for Rooster.
"Shall we, my dear?" he gave her his arm and she took it happily. They walked out onto the flight deck, overnight bags in tow and one of the helicopter pilots hurried up to grab the bags and stow them on the helicopter. The dj announced the last dance of the evening and the new Mr. and Mrs. bolted to the dance floor.
"There you are!" Phoenix beamed as she wrapped her arms around Kate, "I have a secret to tell you." the pilot was clearly drunk.
"What is it?" Kate asked. Jake tugged at her hand, wanting to dance. Phoenix whispered in her ear quickly,
"I think Rooster and I might be a thing…" Kate smiled brightly,
"That's wonderful!" she hugged her friend and said, "I'm so happy for you both!" Then she let her husband pull her into his arms as they moved gracefully across the dance floor until the end of the last song.
The remaining guests gathered at a safe distance from the helicopter. They blew bubbles as Jake and Kate made their way onto the aircraft. They put on their headphones and belted in, then waved excitedly as the helicopter lifted off the deck creating a gust of wind that they cheered for.
It was only a couple of minutes until the helicopter landed on base and the newlyweds were transferred over to their Camaro, overnight bags in hand. Jake drove them downtown to the hotel and they checked into their suite. It didn't take them long to make good use of their wedding night, although Jake had a terrible time unbuttoning the row of fabric buttons and threatened to cut her out of her dress. Despite their exhaustion from the day, they didn't sleep much that night.
The next day they would leave for their honeymoon in the Caribbean, and the week after they would return to Chicago and Jake would start at the Naval Station Great Lakes, where his job would be mostly administrative. He had been deployed on carrier duty for 4 months at a time during their engagement, while Kate had returned to Chicago to continue teaching and research. The distance hadn't been easy, but they knew it would be this way, and that helped ease the frustration.
They had been in Chicago for 6 months now, and were settling into a respectable routine. On this evening, just before they were to head out for a date night on the Chicago lake front at Navy Pier, Kate stepped into the bathroom right before they were supposed to walk out the door. Jake waited, and looked at his watch impatiently,
"We're going to be late for the comedy show!" There was no response. He hurried to the bathroom door and knocked,
"Just a second." came the reply.
"Hey, we're going to be late."
"Just a second."
"Is everything alright?" The door opened slowly, and she stepped out carrying a pregnancy test,
"Surprise!" His face lit up as he looked at the stick,
"I have no idea how to read this thing…" She laughed,
"It's positive." she showed him the two pink lines.
"Wait...I'm going to be a father?" the realization kicked in, "I'm going to be a father!" He scooped her up in his arms and twirled her around,
"Forget the comedy show! What do you need? What are your cravings? What can I do?" she smiled,
"Let's get to the show—it's Second City! We're not missing that."
"But—don't you have morning sickness?"
"I had some this morning so I stopped by the store and picked up a test after work." He kissed her,
"You are going to be the best mother." He paused for a second before saying, "Let's go—I don't want to miss the comedy show." And with that they left for their date night, on cloud nine, knowing that they were going to be starting their family. They spoke about the eventual sound of little feet plodding through their home, and sweet giggles as a baby belly is tickled. He drew her close as they walked down the pier. Placing his hand on her abdomen he said softly,
"I don't even know this little one yet, and I love 'em so much." As they neared the end of the pier, he turned to her and touched her cheek. His lips never had trouble finding hers. He pulled away and knelt, speaking directly to her stomach he said
"I know you're going to make an amazing naval aviator—just like me, your daddy." Kate smiled, and pulled him to his feet,
"I don't know, maybe they'll want to be a scientist…" They decided to skip the comedy show and instead, walked hand in hand up and down the pier for a bit before heading home.
A few weeks later, Jake accompanied Kate for the first ultrasound at 9 weeks. The doctor pulled up the image on the screen and maneuvered around to show the developing baby,
"Oh my." the doctor smiled.
"Boy or girl?" Jake asked.
"We won't be able to identify sex with ultrasound just yet, but the blood test can." The doctor pointed to the screen,
"Well, this is very exciting."
"What is?" Jake asked, he looked at Kate who had a knowing look on her face.
"Mrs. Seresin, why don't you let your husband know…" Kate took his hand,
"Honey, it's twins—fraternal twins, they each have their own amniotic sac."
"TWINS!" Jake sat back in his chair, "Oooh Rah!" He kissed Kate and his heart couldn't be fuller.
"Wait…" the realization hit him, "We're going to have to register for two of everything! Holy smokes! We're having twins!"
Epilogue
Pete finally retired for good. He and Penny were driving back home after dropping Amelia off to start her sophomore year of college at UCLA, and then tomorrow they had a wedding to attend back in San Diego. They spent most of their time at either The Hard Deck, or the hangar. Pete still flew is old P-51 Mustang, and kept it in top shape. A year ago, they had sold the little rental property on Ocean Street to Jake and Kate (last year upon their return to North Island), who now had two very lively one and a half year old twins: Emma and Reid. Emma was a spitting image of Kate, and Reid was a miniature Jake. Kate had been offered a job on base as a civilian researcher where she worked on securing classified data gathered from environmental probes or monitors. Jake became a Top Gun instructor, teaching fresh faced young pilots how to become skilled aviators with top notch instincts and abilities. Fleet Admiral Simpson also began preparing Jake for bigger and better leadership positions. He fully anticipated that someday, the (recently promoted) Captain Seresin would step into an Admiral position and eventually follow in the footsteps of Cyclone and Iceman, to lead the aviation wing of the Pacific Fleet.
The Seresin house was never dull, nor was it ever spotless. The kids were experts at making a mess from nothing. Today, Grandma and Grandpa Norris had arrived to stay the weekend and into the next week, so Jake and Kate could attend a wedding tomorrow. Tonight, however, they had to move quickly if they were going to make it to the rehearsal and dinner.
"Can you help me zip up?" Kate turned her back to Jake and he smiled, planted a kiss on her bare skin before zipping her into the lovely terracotta hued dress. She smiled while hopping on one foot to get her heeled shoes on. Grabbing a cardigan and her purse, they rushed out the door, giving a few instructions to the grandparents. They dove into Jake's Lexus SUV, the backseat packed tight with two rear facing car seats, and the scent of Goldfish snacks.
The rehearsal was at a lovely church downtown. Both Kate and Jake were bridal party members. Kate was the Matron of Honor, and Jake, the Bestman. As they walked in, just in the nick of time, Rooster greeted them,
"Hey! It's great to see you!" Jake shook his hand and Kate gave him a hug,
"Where's Nat?"
"She's up front talking to the priest, her parents wanted to make sure the scripture readings were printed out for them with bigger words." Phoenix heard Kate's voice and immediately hurried,
"You're here!" The two women embraced.
"When did you get back from your carrier assignment?" Kate asked.
"Two days ago." Phoenix said with a hint of frustration. The priest cleared his throat and spoke,
"Shall we get started?" He then began giving entrance instructions. Everyone lined up and Jake took Kate's hand in his,
"It seems like only yesterday." he said sweetly, "I will never forget you walking down the aisle." They stood at the end of the line of the bridal party.
"And I'll never forget you nearly fainting." He raised a brow,
"I got weak in the knees...there's a difference." She kissed his cheek sweetly. They were instructed to walk down the aisle and then separated and stood on their respective sides of the church's altar. Rooster stepped out from a door to the side of the altar and stood in front of Jake, who clapped him on the back,
"Congratulations, Rooster—Kate and I are thrilled for you and Phoenix." Rooster smiled as he watched Phoenix walk down the aisle toward him.
When the Seresin's returned home that night, the house was quiet, and cleaner. The grandparents had done a wonderful job clearing toys and scraping macaroni noodles off the ceiling. Kate peeked in on the nursery and the kids were sleeping soundly in their cribs, Grandma and Grandpa, who were stuck sleeping on a pull-out sofa bed in the nursery, were also asleep. She closed the door and snuck into the main bedroom where Jake was readying for bed. Shutting the door, she hurried over to him,
"Help me unzip?" He smiled knowing tonight was going to be a good night.
The next day, as the bridal party made their way down the aisle and they parted at the altar, lining up on each side, Kate and Jake smiled at each other. Two of their closest friends were getting married today. It had been a rough road to get everyone to where they were, but a worthwhile journey. Maverick sat with Penny in the front row, they were truly the closest family Bradley had, aside from his step sister (who was a bridesmaid). Rooster stepped out, standing at the front of the line of groomsmen. He wore his white dress uniform, as did the rest of the Naval servicemen. Both he and Phoenix had been promoted to Lieutenant Commander in recent months, and they were both still flying on carriers. As Phoenix entered with her father, the congregation stood. Rooster's face lit up. She wore a sleeveless dress with a caplet that covered her shoulders for the church wedding and her hair was long and curled, her face hidden behind a veil. Her father escorted her down the aisle with a proud smile on his face. Rooster stepped forward to walk her up to the altar. He shook her father's hand and pulled back the veil from her face. Jake looked over at Kate and saw her smiling right back at him.
I love you. He mouthed to her.
I love you, too. Came her mouthed reply.
"Dearly beloved, family and friends, today we are gathered to celebrate the holy matrimony of Natasha and Bradley."
The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a true party at a local ballroom downtown. Everyone had a blast. Rooster and Phoenix left the party early for their honeymoon flight to Cabo. As the last of the guests wound down the evening, Jake and Kate sauntered slowly to their car,
"That was such a lovely wedding." she said as she took his hand.
"Ours was still better." He teased as she playfully punched his shoulder,
"Oh, come on." He smiled and scooped her up in his arms,
"Well, Mrs. Seresin, what shall we do this evening?"
"I can think of something…" she said with a sly smile as they reached the car.
The following week, a new class arrived at Top Gun. Admiral Bates welcomed the class and began his introduction of Jake while Kate stood in the back of the hangar. She would be consulting on data transmission. Jake slipped in behind her and kissed the back of her neck,
"Good to see you back in this hangar again—brings back some memories." She smiled at him,
"Go whip those kids into shape."
"Love it when you talk tough." he smirked. Admiral Bates's voice echoed off the high ceilings,
"Your instructor's reputation is unmatched, and you will be pushed to your breaking point by him, it is my pleasure to introduce Captain Jake-callsign "Hangman"-Seresin."
"That's my cue." he gently placed his hand on Kate's backside and stepped toward the class. His aviator sunglasses hid his blue green eyes, and Kate marveled at her husband. He had confidence, intelligence, and an irresistibly loving attitude. He was the best father and husband she could have ever dreamed of. As he stepped up to the front of the class, a few pilots whispered in the back,
"...I heard he ran 29 miles to the coastline after he got shot down…"
"...didn't he propose to his wife on the deck of the Ike?"
"...they got married on the deck..."
"...He got the navy cross for that mission—his profile says so…" Jake eyed them for a moment before speaking, a tactic to put them on edge. They all fell silent as he began to speak,
"Thank you, Admiral, for that introduction. Aviators, first and foremost, this will be the most rigorous training of your aviation careers in the Navy, because only the best pilots are invited here, only a handful of you will complete this training successfully...steel yourselves, because the next 6 weeks of your lives will be consumed with nothing but advanced fighter training...aviators,
...Welcome to Top Gun!"