F, 30+| 18+ only, DO NOT FEED WORK INTO AI Minors DNI AGELESS AND BLANK BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED. | AO3 Semperhuggs This is a fan page for fabulous writers.
I've updated this to include all of my story posts. You may trip across a ficlet on my timeline or as a reblog sometimes too. I don't usually include those here. The bigger stories are cross-posted on A03.
I have two Flyboys series completed, two ongoing, and at least two to come. The Dagger/modern-day writings are below the Flyboys. The Flyboys series are listed in chronological order. **Note: I do not have a beta reader. Please do not steal my work and please don't feed it to the AI***
Thank you and please enjoy your journey.
Summary: Viper and Jester know the ins and outs of the life of a fighter pilot. They believe everyone deserves the type of love and partnership they both have. They don't care what the Navy thinks (but keep it quiet anyway). Will they be able to help out our flyboys? Will others get involved and help or mess things up entirely? What will it take to get idiots to pay attention?
Status: Complete
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 /Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 (The Talk) / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15 / Part 16 / Part 17 / Part 18 / Part 19 / Part 20 / Part 21 / Part 22 / Part 23 /Part 24 /Part 25 / Part 26 / Part 27/ Part 28 /Part 29 (Pancakes and Baseball fits in during this chapter)
After the events of '86, including their successful but unconventional time at Top Gun, the Flyboys attempt to settle into their spots as top aviators on the Navy. As it happens, '87 is a tough year for the Flyboys.
Part 1/ Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6/ Part 7/Part 8/ Part 9/ Part 10
Shore Leave
(This does not indicate proper timing, this is a place holder. I'll rearrange it to proper chronological order when I can.)
Part 1 The Flyboys have a little shore leave mid-deployment
Part 2 Slooserole gets creative on shore leave (explicit, 18+)
Part 3 HollyWolf make use of their time off the boat (explicit, 18+)
Part 4 IceMav being IceMav on shore leave (explicit, 18+)
Celebrate the holidays with IceMav and the Flyboys. Snapshots of holiday preparations and celebrations. This work is set 18-24 months after the conclusion of Matchmaker. No real spoilers, but definitely some callbacks and tie-ins.
Status: Completed
Part 1 Thanksgiving preparation
Part 2 Thanksgiving
Part 3 Deck the Halls
Part 4 I'll Be Home for Christmas
Part 5 Blue Christmas
Part 6 Christmas Time is Here
Part 7 Pretty Paper
Part 8 Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Part 9 I Wish You a Merry Christmas
Part 10 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Part 11 Auld Lang Syne
Need You Tonight - Valentine's '89, as always with IceMav, it is a little complicated. This fits after the holiday series and will lead into the upcoming series. '89 Is Fine.
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Slider's Matchmaking Again?
Present day Christmas with the Daggers and the Flyboys. Status: Completed
Part 1 -Slider takes a more direct approach to Matchmaking this time.
Part 2 -The Daggers join the Flyboys for a party and ghosts of Christmases past make appearances.
Part 3 - The Reckoning. Slider holds someone to count for their actions. Who will it be?
______________________________
Flyboys Cozy and Content prompts
Flyboys and Daggers
When Tom wants to take all the Daggers under his wing, Pete knows he needs to do something. He schedules a draft of the Daggers by the Flyboys. Through their mentorship and growing friendships, we will get current day glimpses of both the Daggers and Flyboys with plenty of flashbacks along the way. This story fits into the Flyboys verse and follows the events from '86 on.
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 /Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12/Part 13/ Part 14 /Part 15 / Part 16
Dagger Squad/Modern-Day
Short stories and ficlets
Yes Ma'am Jake in enthralled with the woman across the bar. (This is a prequel to Admiral Seresin)
Cyclone Did What? Cyclone need help planning the Christmas party for the Dagger squad and backs himself in a corner.
First Annual Dagger Christmas Kickoff Brunch Jake loves Christmas and so does his girlfriend. They want to start the season off the right way.
His Tribute Maverick pays tribute to those he's lost at the holidays.
Among The Stars The Daggers process the mission together. They find they all have feelings about it.
The Weight It's always going to be a little different for Phoenix.
Distracted Cyclone tries to get in Admiral Kazansky's good graces while Maverick blows off the assignment.
Thank You Post-mission, not canon compliant, Maverick is home.
When Cyclone Understands How Cyclone comes to understand what Iceman was thinking and who Maverick is.
Synopsis: Jake Seresin was always at the top of his game. In his early days as a brash, loudmouth fighter pilot, he learned how to showcase his flying skills to back up his cocky attitude. It took longer for him to let his skills speak first, a lesson he learned best from Captain Pete Mitchell. With geopolitical tensions soaring and increasingly complicated, Jake Seresin finds himself on the cusp of the biggest promotion of his life, Commander of the Pacific Fleet. He has big shoes to fill. Legends have held this job, and so have jokers. How will he handle it all, and can he balance family and work in this new role?
I'm running out of entertainment options with my personal unsupporting of corporate conglomerates that bend the knee. Therefore, I'm going to need this hellsite to keep it together as my little respite. Our family refuses to conform so we have an absolute ton of physical media in the form of movies and music, but I love it here too.
Since you aren't writing as much anymore, any chance we could get a peek of the outline for the stories or some idea of where they are going? I'm so invested and I need to know.
Hi Anon, you are correct, the updates are not as fast as they used to be, but I'm still writing. Because of that, if there were an outline, I wouldn't share it before they were written. But since you asked, I'll share a couple of deep, dark secrets about my writing.
First, I mostly write on my phone (pathetic I know, but at least it explains some of the odd typos and punctuation.)
Second, I don't often have time to proofread or edit. Again the typos, etc. give that away. Sometimes I am too busy, sometimes I get too excited to wait and I fling it out to the readers as soon as I type the final punctuation.
Third, there are no documents about my little universe save the written pieces. It all resides in my brain. I know where I want to end up and have ideas on the interceding parts. Mostly, I just grab my phone or laptop and pick up where I left off the last installment. That's easier with the Flyboys focused stories. The Daggers and Flyboys take a minute to remember all of my OCs and how everyone is interconnected. This is all made easier because it is one universe covering the better part of 40 years. I didn't set out to wrap Flyboys and Daggers into the same verse, but the storytelling opportunities were too rich to not. We can see glimpses of times with the Flyboys and back stories of the Daggers without having to do the whole backstory separately. Speaking of, the next Flyboys and Daggers installment will include my version of the backstory of Hangman's callsign so stay tuned. I had it mostly written but Tumblr ate it. (Another bad habit of mine is to just write it in Tumblr, it bites me sometimes.)
Well, that's all the deep secrets I care to share. I hope you'll check in sometimes because more is coming. Thank you for reading. As a reminder, I don't consider myself a writer, I just like to tell stories. In other words, please don't let my bad habits and secrets deter you from reading. I'm just telling the stories of the pilots when I can. Have a wonderful day!
Maverick stood there in his dress blues silently cursing his departed wingman. He knew Ice hadn't been the one to submit this one and wasn't DIRECTLY responsible, Mav had to take responsibility for his fancy flying himself. But if Ice hadn't called him back, and he hadn't flown that mission, he wouldn't be forced to stand here in his dress blues at the White House. Of all the places, Pete Mitchell was certain he didn't belong, this one was right up there.
He watched as the rest of the Daggers were awarded their Meritorious Service medals. He couldn't help thinking of them as babies, far too young to be flying these missions. He knew he and Ice had more hardware on their chests well before the Daggers, but that seemed right. Sending these kids would forever feel wrong to him now.
When the Daggers took their seats, Admiral Simpson rose to address the room. His introductory remarked were kinder than Pete expected, but he wasn't about to let Beau off the hook for this nonsense. He really wanted to be anywhere else. No, he really wanted to be flying somewhere.
SECNAV and SECDEF took turns speaking about the honoree and Maverick bit back a laugh as they both said nothing but nice things. The time had come and there was nowhere to run. He stood and took his place, offering salutes to his superiors and POTUS. As the President himself pinned the medal onto the already weighed down jacket he looked at the pilot with awe. There were medals from Kuwait, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, UN medals, NATO medals, four commendations, a distinguished service medal, and a Silver Star. He hung the Medal of Honor beside the Silver Star.
He shook Maverick's hand, "That's quite a collection, Captain."
Maverick bowed his head slightly, "It's a pleasure to serve, Sir."
When the President stepped back, the room erupted in a thunderous ovation. A blush crept up Pete's neck. He was all to happy to be the best of the best among the aviators and to be called upon for the toughest missions. What he didn't care for was the spotlight. Here amongst the highest brass, so many civilians, and the press, Maverick was uncomfortable.
Beau dropped a hand on Pete's shoulder as the group assembled for a photo. He leaned in close so only Pete could hear, "I know you hate this Mav, but you deserve it. You've more than earned it."
When Pete started to argue Beau squeezed his shoulder tighter, "Look at them, they are all here, alive. That's because of you, Mav, you did that."
The reception after was slightly less formal and Maverick spent as much time with the Daggers as possible. He has purposely been ignoring the way SecNav looked like a member of the Skittles crew trying to get him to call the ball. His back was to the crowd as he talked with Hangman when the sea of people parted behind him.
Maverick froze when POTUS asked him to take a walk with him. The two strolled down the sidewalk by the West Wing and the President asked, "You're an asset to the Navy, Maverick. Why can't we manage to get some stars on your shoulder?"
Pete chuckled to himself, "I'm meant to fly among the stars, Sir, not wear them. Ice, Admiral Kazansky understood that."
"Surprising we never lured you over to NASA then. Surely, something there was interesting, right?"
Pete nodded, "Actually Sir, I was almost an astronaut. After the wall came down in '89, we all talked about what would happen next. We knew they wouldn't be recruiting pilots as much, less needs for the readiness we had to maintain. So I applied to the test pilot program as the step toward the astronaut training program. Just as the paperwork was approved, Iraq invaded Kuwait and President Bush made it pretty clear we were willing to help. So they rescinded my orders and I went to the Gulf. Then Kosovo, a couple of NATO missions. After 9/11 I knew we would be back in the Gulf. I was, several times. I finally made it to the test pilot program a couple of years ago."
The President chuckled, "Darkstar, right? That is pretty close to the stars."
Pete nodded, "And almost too fast to see them."
A comfortable silence fell around the pair, both had dedicated their lives in service of this country. The President leaned in closer, "You're wrong about Kazansky though. He lamented not having you in the upper ranks nearly every month. Every time a more complicated mission came up, he would wish aloud that you were in the room with your tactical brilliance."
Maverick stiffened at the idea his name was that well known by POTUS. "Sorry about that, Sir. Ice always was too kind to me."
The President shook his head, "I don't think he was, Captain. So here's what we're going to do. To honor Admiral Kazansky, you're going to take a promotion. We're going to skip a rank and put two stars on that shoulder. We're keeping you at Top Gun to teach, but we want you to do a seminar at the War College too. In exchange, we will also let you supervise the rebuilding of the Darkstar program. Or, you can retire. You certainly have earned it."
Pete knew he'd run out of road to keep the stars from settling on his shoulder. "No Sir, I'm not ready to retire yet."
The President nodded, "Good. Now you'll have to choose a new primary pilot for Darkstar. You can fly her occasionally but she'll need a dedicated pilot."
Pete nodded, "I know just the pilot."
Back in California, Pete was hanging up his dress uniform when he heard a knock on the door. He opened to find Beau Simpson standing there with pizza and a six pack. Mav cocked his head inquisitively, but stepped aside to let the Admiral in.
He led Simpson to the kitchen table, determined not to ask, but rather force Simpson to explain. Beau gave in quickly, "I know you hated the trip and the ceremony, but it had to be done. It's the highest medal in the Navy." Before Mav could speak he continued, "But we do have some leeway on a promotion ceremony so I thought pizza and beer? We can do something small with the Daggers, something that includes the call of 86 or this can be it, your call."
Mav shook his head, "You are just as by the book as Ice was, Cy. Don't lie to me, he never did. If this is going to work," he trailed off.
Beau's voice was softer this time, "I'm not lying Pete. I talked to SecNav and really whatever you want for this one is fine."
Pete took a beer and handed one to Beau. He motioned for him to sit. "Thanks, Cy. I appreciate that." They clinked their bottles in a makeshift toast and after a long sip, Pete asked, "Why are you being nice to.e? I thought you hated me."
Beau smiled, "I did at first. Your track record, your attitude. You came in assuming you would fly the mission and in 12 seconds solved a puzzle I spent weeks trying to sort out. I never could find a way to bring them home. You wouldn't let that part go. After you proved it could be done, I started to see why Iceman sent you. Why he always talked about you like you were God's gift to the Navy. You might actually be. As it turns out, your callsign isn't entirely accurate. It just appears to be accurate to people who don't know you."
The pair sat back and enjoyed their pizza, beer, and conversation. Perhaps Mav would have a new wingman.
I need you to know, dear folks here with me that if they overturn Obergefell, I will rage through my characters here. I will rage IRL too, but be prepared to see it from all of my characters.
As a cishet woman who has been married more than a decade and a half, it is high time the government realize they have no authority over this issue. They can issue records of civil union for everyone for tax and benefits purposes. Because the thing they get so damn caught up in is the word. But that word has too much religious connotation wrapped up in it. So ditch the word, not the rights.
People are going to love who and how they want. You can do harm by trying to force them into the shadows, or we can accept people as they are and let everyone live, freely, you know, one of those big ideas for the country. Anyway, I wanted folks to be prepared.
Maverick has been wary the whole time Jake packed and prepared to go. He looked haunted, sad, and resigned. If Pete was honest, he was certain it was like looking in a mirror and he hates it. He wants to spare Bradley and Jake so much of what he and Ice have experienced. Hell, he would love to take all of the Flyboys and Daggers away from the Navy at this point. The prices they've paid have been steep. At least they would have a dinner before Jake left, something the Flyboys rarely managed despite their desire.
Ice was only half surprised the next day when a watery eyes Pete leaned against the doorframe of his home office. Ice was doing the essentials, COMPACFLT is not a 5 day a week job. He glanced at Pete's hand and sighed softly to himself. He knew Pete would read all of Jake's file one day, he was a little glad there hadn't been time before the uranium plant mission. Ice dropped his pen gently on his desk and looked up at Pete, waiting.
"Tom, I don't know if Wolf is the right Flyboy for Jake. I was reading his file and it should be me. Wolf is amazing but, I don't know the file it is so similar in places. Shouldn't we switch?"
Tom couldn't help the small, sad chuckle. He motioned for Pete as he turned his chair, making his lap available. Pete scrunched his brow in confusion, but accepted the invitation. He curled into Ice's lap, dropping the folder on the desk.
Tom's voice was calm and gentle, this was delicate territory. "Pete, I think Wolf is the perfect Flyboy for Jake. Besides, you and I will have new roles for him soon and he deserves a bigger circle than just us."
Pete argued again, "Bradley is doing well now,maybe Slider would be a good fit, someone who can reach Jake, I'm certain this part is locked up and part of why he is closed off."
Ice nodded into Mav's hair with a soft "Mhmm," in assent. "Except Sli and I couldn't help you, remember?" He instinctively lifted his head for Pete.
Pete's eyes met his, "What are you talking about? You and Sli were my lifeline."
Tom pressed a kiss to Pete's lips and nodded, "Yes, we were there to support you, but you wouldn't talk to us about it. We tried, Merlin tired, Sunny and Chipper tried and so did Wood. But there was only one person who finally got you to open up so you could really heal."
Pete's eyes lit up with realization, "Oh my god, how could I forget that. It was Wolf." Pete stared off into space for a moment, stuck in the memory. "You're right, Wolf is the right Flyboy for Jake. I hope he gets there soon, this weight is so heavy for Jake."
If ANY of yall EVER do this shit to me, im deleting every single fic out of spite.
If I ever catch one of yall doing this to another author and I know youre a follower of my work I will block you personally on every platform
None of yall are the fic police. I DESPISE genai. I think its an insult to art, humanity, and the planet itself. But aint not a single fucking person here qualified to pick apart a strangers fic looking for a gotcha moment to make yourselves feel superior. If you think something is ai you can ask the author (most are proud of the ai use and will just tell you straight up) if they say yes you have your answer and can warn people. If they say no and you dont believe them you block and quietly keep it between you and maybe a close group of friends. Spreading misinformation is DANGEROUS. And NONE of you doing this shit are anywhere near qualified to do it.
Please know that I despise gen AI (and will never use it). Besides, it could never replicate my unhinged run-on sentences, extensive use of parentheses, and superfluous use of commas. All of my typos, errors, etc. are generated by me.
idk if this is a young fan thing or new fandom culture but some of yall think fics are abandoned way too quickly. a few months or a year or two is not unusual to go without a fic update. sometimes fics take longer to write, other times writers have rl events, or maybe there's multiple fics and one gets more priority. there are tons of reasons for fics not to be updated every week or every month. it also isn't uncommon for people to come back and update fics after a number of years—ive read updates that took five, or ten years. people's lives change, but they still want to tell their stories. personally, i never consider a fic abandoned unless the author has said so; though if it's been a few years i manage my expectations. but a last update being a year ago is... generally not a sign that a writer has abandoned their fic
Original fic usually goes through this same process before being commercially published. Readers just don't know that bc they aren't receiving it in bite-size chunks online. Large periods of stagnant writing are historically just another Monday for most writers.
Summary: Pete is overwhelmed in DC, Ice is nearly thawed out in Cali, Viper and Jester search for some bailing twine and chewing gum to hold this group together.
For the third time this week, Slider chased Ice down the hall from the locker room. Today's offense: Admiral Kazansky requested that Ronnie Cain, Chipper, and Ice participate on a conference call with the payload project at the Pentagon.
Slider found Ice just outside the door, huffing long drags from a cigarette. His jaw clenched as he jerked the offending object from Tom's hand. "No!" He looked at Ice until he met Slider's gaze, "We're not doing this, you hear me?"
Slider pressed the lit end into the sand filled ashtray atop the trash can. Tom huffed petulantly, "Well, I can't exactly drink vodka right now, what would you have me do, Sli?"
Slider muttered under his breath, "Mav, if I could arrange it." He looked at his pilot's face, screwed up in abject horror.
"Not here! We don't know where the ears are." Ice gritted out.
Slider sighed and nodded, "Nobody heard me, but I hear you. Now listen, you have to keep it together in there. Ronnie will be looking for excuses to knock you and Chipper. We all know this is a setup."
As the pair split down the corridor, Sli wound his way through the halls to Viper's office. Viper waved him in before he knocked and held up his hand before Slider could start.
"I know about the call, and I can't let you in the room." Viper looked around Slider and nodded subtly. Jester closed the door as he entered. Viper's voice quieted conspiratorially, "But if you happen to be in Jester's office as he oversees it, I know nothing about that."
Slider nodded and turned to leave, "See you at 14:15, Sir."
When the door closed behind Slider, Jester asked, "What ARE we going to do Mike? Ice is fraying, I worry that he is going to break. Chipper might just quit on us and I still don't know what the hell Mav is doing in DC."
Viper brushed his finger over his mustache, "Ice will be ok, we need to keep an eye on Ronnie though. Chipper is going to be fine. I just saw the request to move Carrie back East. I'm not sure why Cain submitted it, but I assume it is a favor for Ronnie."
Viper leaned back, taking a sip of his lukewarm coffee. Jester was undeterred, "And Mav?" Jester bit his cheek before he continued, "As much as I hate to admit it, he is the center of that group, in the sky especially, but also on the ground. Why did he go?"
Viper set his cup down on his desk, "He's trying to make amends for ghosts and save his wingman."
"And you let him go? Straight into that lion's den?" Jester yelled at Viper, a rare occurrence. He placed back and forth huffing out breath desperate to regain control. "Do you think he'll get through that OK? Come back to us? All of us?"
Viper shrugged his shoulders subtly, "I don't know, Rick. I hope so. Pete is maybe the best I've ever seen, but the ghosts and the self sacrificing, those are hurdles only he can overcome."
The call went smoother than expected, though you couldn't tell it from Ice's demeanor. Ronnie seemed oblivious, but Chipper was well aware the blonde pilot was expecting another voice to pipe in, one they both hoped to hear, but Maverick wasn't there.
Ice left the room before the call was disconnected, but Chipper saw the malicious smile that Ronnie threw at Ice's retreating figure. Chipper was certain the Cains were responsible for their missing Flyboy on the call.
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The Flyboys finally got back in the air for regular hops. Ice, Slider, and Goose prepared to start the next Top Gun session and Chipper, Sunny, Wood and Wolf were tasked with flying the new configurations from the Pentagon.
Three weeks later, and FIVE weeks since Maverick was originally scheduled back, three of the Flyboys were surly. Goose was rotating as a test RIO to measure the skill of the pilots without their RIO. Ice and Slider were pissed to be flying without their other instructors.
The trio were skulking toward the instructor locker room after the final hop of the day when they encountered Lt. Parker "Kathy" Royce. Goose had not been able to resist asking about that call sign, but it became all to apparent in the first day of class. Lt. Royce never shut up. Chatty Kathy was wearing on them all.
Goose dropped his head and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand at the sound of the voice. A small group of the current class were listening intently. "So anyway, I heard that Maverick nearly got thrown off base last week. I thought he was supposed to be here, but I guess he couldn't hack it so they shipped him out East. Well, with a legacy like his, you wouldn't want him anywhere important."
The three Flyboys slowed their pace but looked ahead, listening but not reacting. Royce continued as he answered a classmate, "Yeah, I don't know about his RIO, some bird name or something, but apparently he wasn't THAT good if Maverick left him. I hear he is flying with someone Admiral Cain out him with. Admiral Cain is amazing, I hope I can be in his command one day. Anyway, apparently Maverick might be transferred to the Atlantic Fleet permanently or something. I know last I heard he wasn't coming back for our session, I guess he'll bring his new RIO with him if he comes back. Hate to be the sad sack that used to fly with him."
From the rear of the trio, Slider herded them toward the instructor locker room quicker now. When the door closed behind, he slapped a hand over Goose and Ice's mouths, there was a shower running in the back. Wordlessly the three changed, foregoing showers to get somewhere safe.
Just as Ice slammed his locker door closed, Ronnie emerged from the showers looking smug. Slider exhaled slowly not wanting a confrontation. The trio left the room without a word.
Ron steered them all to the Bronco and held his hand our for Nick to give him the keys. Ice climbed in the backseat numbly as Nick took the passenger seat.
He would have to explain it to Carole later and they would make up the missed movie with Bradley, there was no way they could go tonight.
He drove them straight to Bud's ordered the works, burgers, fries, onion rings, and shakes. Then he drove them up to Mav's favorite lookout, far enough away no prying eyes would try to find them.
When he parked the car, Ron finally found the courage to look at his husband. Nick looked heartbroken, gutted, and small. Never did Ron think he would see the day that his larger than life husband would look small. As he searched for words, he glanced over his shoulder at Tom, face as stoic as ever. That would be a tough nut to crack.
Slider felt his own heart break when Nick finally found the words, "I can't believe Mav left me, I can't believe he is flying with someone else. Why wasn't I good enough?"
Ron pulled Nick into his arms, prepared to reassure Nick of his meaning to Mav. Instead, Ice's voice growled from the back seat.
"He didn't leave you Goose, Mav would never. He's been taken from us. From you, from me, from the Flyboys. They stole Mav from us. Goose, you know Mav would never leave you. He only agreed to this stupid assignment for me. Blame me if you need someone to blame."
The pair in the front seat sat straight again, and Slider answered, "None of us are to blame. We're all caught in a high stakes game of something, but none of this is on us."
The trio ate in silence, emotions flooding the space. Even Ron felt sad and like he'd been punched in the gut at the idea Mav might not return.
Monday morning, the three avaitors we're waiting when Viper arrived at his office. "Gentlemen, please come in." He scarcely his the grin under his mustache knowing why they were here.
He let them fumble over each other words battling like a dog fight, only the word Mav clearly discernable every few seconds. Viper let them go on for another thirty seconds before he held up his hand, "Ok, that's enough."
Viper reached down and pulled a file from the top of his inbox, "I have Lieutenant Mitchell's new orders right here, he should be back Wednesday at 09:00."
Viper looked the three over and was surprised to see Slider just as relieved as the other two.
"Unfortunately, I have other orders here too. Chipper, Sunny, Wood, and Wolf are being deployed. They leave on Sunday. Sendoff cookout Friday night."
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Chipper wasn't upset to get the orders, he was mad for Sunny. Domi was well into her second trimester and he wanted Sunny to be home for the birth. If they were lucky, which as of late was not something the Flyboys were, they would be back in time.
Frankly, Chipper was excited to be on a carrier soon, Carrie had moved back East and he was being moved back to the barracks. Somehow the carrier felt roomier. He could put that move off a little longer.
Wood and Wolf were just laying low and following orders. They were almost excited to be on a carrier where they had "safe" spaces, but they wished all the Flyboys were going. It never felt right to be apart now.
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Wednesday morning came and went. Ice bounced his knee nervously while they briefed the planned hop. Goose kept one eye on the door hoping his pilot would stroll in, cocksure smile on his face and help him show these new pilots how it was done.
When the afternoon session let out, there was still no sign of Maverick. Jester strolled in as the class filed out, scowl fixed firmly on his face. "They delayed Mitchell's return again. They want him to answer some questions to a Senate committee."
Ice stormed out of the room knowing full well who kept Maverick and what he was trying to do. He wasn't sure if Admiral Kazansky knew something or if he just had it out for Mav because they flew together, but it was time for it all to stop.
He slipped into his office and picked up the phone, dialing the Pentagon number from memory, direct line to the Admiral. It rang once when a long finger pressed the button down to disconnect it. Viper spoke softly but firmly, "Lieutenant, don't do something stupid, something I can't help you with. Give me a day to figure out what is going on. Ok?"
Ice nodded, but his instincts were still to confront his father. He would wait for now, but he guessed it was time for another family dinner. Ice was busy figuring out how to handle dinner and didn't hear Ronnie slip into the room.
He felt the breath on his neck and his skin immediately crawled. Ronnie caged him in with his arms, palms flat on the desk. "What's got you so worked up Tommy? Missing your little play thing? Perhaps I can help you out?"
Ice knew he was trapped and he willed himself to stay in the present and not go back to the Academy in his mind. Ice spoke carefully, "What's got me irritated, is that I was supposed to have another instructor here helping me with this session. I'm annoyed that I don't. We had plans to show this session some of the new maneuvers but I can't do that with a single F-14. We need two pilots and RIOs. Can you help with that?" Ice knew his voice dripped with sarcasm on the last question, but he wasn't in the mood for games or for any of this.
Ronnie leaned in, breath rushing against Ice's ear, "Actually I can help. I can get Maverick back here, if you give me what I want." He pressed himself into Ice closer and Ice froze not moving, not thinking, not breathing. Ronnie was leaning in to force a kiss from Ice when the door handle turned. "Not now, Kerner, we're busy." Ronnie knew the phrase would be clear to Slider, he'd used the same one at the Academy.
Ronnie was not prepared for the door to swing open violently and he certainly wasn't prepared to see Jester standing there with Slider. Jester grabbed Cain by the collar and pulled him through the doorway. "Absolutely not, not on my watch." Jester's voice boomed through the hallway. Chipper looked around the corner carefully but enough for Jester to notice.
"Lieutenant Piper, please escort Lt. Cain to my office. Don't let him do anything."
Chipper didn't know what was going on but a glance into the room showed a frozen Ice and Chipper understood. "Yes, Sir." He roughly maneuvered Ronnie to Jester's office but didn't say a word. For his part, Ronnie was snarling threats under his breath the whole way. Chipper couldn't help himself at the end though. As he pushed Ronnie into Jester's office, he lowered his voice, "I would be careful who I threatened these days, Ronnie. You and I both know a secret that could sink your Dad's career. How far will you get without him?"
With that, Chipper closed the door and stood guard outside it until Jester arrived to relieve him. As he walked toward the locker room he felt like he was safe for the first time in months.
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Maverick was exhausted. He could handle most anything, but hours of answering the same questions repeatedly wore on him. There were really only four questions with small variations. Could he be trusted with a plane? Why did he start flying with an Admiral's son so much? Did Viper put them up to their antics? Why did he want to be in the Navy given his legacy?
Over and over, Mav answered the questions, careful to keep the threads straight. He always answered truthfully, but he knew they were hunting for inaccuracies and small differences between answers. At first, he was certain Admiral Kazansky was behind this all, but he learned the day before that Kazansky had been in California for two weeks. That only left Admiral Cain. Maverick didn't know him well, but after last year and the stories about the family, he knew to take the threat seriously. All he wanted, though, was to be back in Miramar.
-------
Viper knew he had to play his hand very carefully. He wanted to protect Tom, get Mav back, and not endanger his own career further despite apply pressure to a couple of admirals.
"Mike," Nancy scolded, "Don't you risk those boys to get the upper hand for yourself. They have enough going on."
Viper shook his head and held his hands up in surrender, "Ok, Nanc, I'll make a different plan. You know that I'll protect them."
Nancy arched her left eyebrow, "You can only do that effectively if you are still in the Navy yourself."
Mike swirled the ice in his glass, she made a good point. This would take some finesse.
The next morning he started his plan. He called Admiral Cain at the Pentagon and requested Maverick back. He hoped that would be enough. It wasn't.
Viper exhaled slowly as he made his next move, he called Charlie. "Viper? This is a surprise."
He spoke carefully to her, "Listen Charlie, I have a situation that I don't want to get out of hand. As it turns out, Admiral Cain's son is predisposed to conduct unbecoming. It was aimed at someone with friends in high places. Overall, I think he's a good kid," Viper knew he was lying with the last part but he was in it now. "I would hate to see his career blow up and certainly hate for it to reflect on his father. I'd like to keep this quiet, handle it here and move on."
Charlie saw through Viper quickly, "And all you want in return is a certain instructor back, right?"
Viper nodded to himself, "Something like that, yes."
Charlie assured Viper she would handle it delicately and see what she could do. Viper knew how Cain and Charlie felt about this particular thing and he felt confident Maverick would be home soon.
Then he could put phase two into motion.
-------
Maverick struggled to keep still in the seat as he answered the same question for what felt like the hundredth time. His dress uniform felt itchy and he longed for his flightsuit and Tomcat. The three times they sent him to Virginia to fly had been awful. No RIO was Goose and the other pilots were not the Flyboys.
Nevertheless, Maverick focused again on the task at hand, recounting the answer, hoping the committee would be satisfied this time. He was just about to start another question when Admiral Cain burst through the chamber door. He stepped toward the Chairman and quietly spoke with him. Two minutes later, the Chairman adjourned the hearing and dismissed the room. Perplexed, Maverick stood and saluted Admiral Cain. Without a word, Cain returned the salute quickly and handed Maverick and envelope. He turned on his heel and disappeared through the doors as abruptly as he entered.
Maverick opened the envelope and found new orders sending him back to Top Gun. Behind it, a plane ticket, first class back to San Diego International Airport. He grinned to himself and high tailed it to the hotel to change and head to the airport.
Maverick knew that he would fit in better in first class in his dress uniform, but weeks of wearing the stuff fabric grated on him. He quickly pulled on his jeans, a T-shirt, and his boots. He held his jacket hooked on this thumb the other fingers carrying his duffle. He said his sunglasses on with a grin and hailed a cab out front. He couldn't get out of this town quick enough.
The flight was too long, Mav just wanted to be there already. It was Friday night and he was ready to go the O Club to see everyone.
When his flight landed, Mav gathered his jacket and exited the plane. As he navigated through the gate area he heard someone yell "Great balls of fire!"
Mav turned to his right and saw Goose towering above the crowd, a sight for sore eyes. He flashed his RIO a blinding smile before the pair hugged as they met. "What are you doing here, Goose? I was going to get a cab."
Goose grinned, "I'm picking you up. Hurry up, we have plans tonight."
After Pete grabbed his bag from the carousel, the pair headed out to the Bronco. "What plans do we have? O Club?"
Goose realized Pete didn't know of the goings on while he was away. "Cookout at Viper's, Chipper, Sunny, Wood, and Wolf leave Sunday."
"Oh, I hadn't heard that anyone was being deployed."
They rode in a comfortable silence for a few miles. But Goose couldn't take it, he had to know, "So, scuttlebutt says you flew with another RIO out in Virginia. Same scuttlebutt says you might replace your backseater."
Maverick jerked his head toward Goose, "No!" It was forceful, and Maverick started to explain. "Yes, they forced me to fly with someone else. No, nobody will EVER replace you, hear me? It's me and you or it's nobody."
Goose knew immediately Mav was telling the truth. He grinned, "You can let Sli fly with you, that's always ok."
The pair laughed remembering the chaos of swapping RIOs last year.
The smile faded from Mav's face and he asked, "How's Ice? I'm sure he's a fantastic teacher. Did he find any honeys in this group or at the O Club? How did that date go at his family dinner?"
Goose gripped the steering wheel, he didn't know about the date at the dinner. "Don't do that Pete, you know Tom only has eyes for you. Don't get antsy again. And stop running from him, would you? It's hard to watch Iceman pine."
The thought that Tom missed him despite his own father sent a thrill through Pete. Still, he wondered if it was all too complicated to work out. He didn't want to harm Ice's career.
Finally they pulled up to Viper's house. They walked around the back and let themselves in the gate. The Flyboys gathered around Mav welcoming him back, all but his wingman. Ice stood across the lawn fidgeting nervously and not meeting Mav's gaze.
Pete noticed and turned into the group further, unwilling to press anything. Across the yard Nancy and Denise made eye contact and nodded.
Nancy called out, "Tom hon, could you be a dear and help me in the kitchen?" Tom followed obediently.
Meanwhile, Denise strolled into the group of pilots and RIOs and wrapped her arm in Maverick's. "Mav, rumor has it you make a killer cocktail, make me one, please?"
Mav was confused, but he knew better than to say no to the ladies, not with all they do for the group. "Sure Denise, lead the way."
Inside the house Nancy and Tom walked through the kitchen. The front parlor of the house had doors on either end, and Nancy gently guided Tom toward one. Denise led Maverick to the bar cart on the other end of the parlor. Nearly simultaneously, the ladies shoved the pilots into the room and closed the doors.
Nancy yelled over her shoulder, "We'll be outside. Everyone will be outside."
Denise chuckled as she pushed the screen door open, "Subtle, Nancy, very subtle."
Nancy grinned, "Subtly would have them avoiding each other for another two weeks."
Inside the parlor Mav and Ice stood staring at each other. Mav smiled first, "Hey Ice."
Ice nodded, "Mav, good to see you."
Mav took a tentative step forward, carefully watching Ice. On the third step, Ice tensed up.
Mav stopped, "I'll just go."
Ice reached out and caught Mav's wrist, "Please stay."
The plea was for more than just this minute, even Maverick heard that.
Mav looked Ice in the eyes, "Can I kiss you? I want to so badly."
Ice stepped forward wrapping Mav tightly in his arms. He let Pete take the lead on the kiss. Dangerous as always, Mav dove right in, licking at Ice's lips requesting entry.
Long minutes passed until they had to breathe. The pair stayed locked together on each other's arms.
"I've missed you Tom, so much. I'"
Tom cut him off with a kiss, then he mumbled against Pete's lips, "missed you too."
They kissed a few more minutes neither rushing anything more. There was a distance now, something Pete couldn't put his finger on, but that was for another day. For tonight, he had Tom in his arms and his friends/family in the backyard.
The rest of the evening passed with laughter, stories and good food. If Viper was a little more reserved than usual no one mentioned it. For this one night, all seemed right again.
Ok, I'm genuinely getting back into my writing, sorry for the starts and stops, life has been lifing over here. So, please feel free to send asks, requests, and let me know if you want to be tagged in updates.
Summary: Chipper gets court martialed, The Cains are still trying to take down the whole group. Admiral Kazansky makes a move.
A/N: This is a work of fiction, details of this process may be inaccurate.
Goose sat in the living room not moving a muscle. He was too nervous to sleep but unwilling to wake his family by pacing the creaky floors of the house. He rubbed the back of his neck considering Jester's information. Cain was out for them all, but seemed willing to settle for Chipper and Mav, but he would gladly take a shot at Ice too.
Secretly he was glad Viper had them in the classroom all week, he was sure his pilot would be wound tighter than he was and there was no telling what he might do. None of the Flyboys (except he and Ron) had seen anyone off base since the parking lot with Jester.
Wood was staying with Viper, Chipper was in a suite at a nearby hotel. Goose was wrapped up in his thoughts so deeply he didn't hear Slider come in. He jumped when his husband squeezed his shoulder.
"Oh Nick," Ron sighed out, "We're going to get through this. It will be ok, I promise." Goose nodded, but he wasn't so sure. It had been days since he had talked to Mav off base and he worried about his pilot once again alone, cut off from the world outside of flying.
Three days later, Chipper sat at the Defense table hands shaking and a lead weight in his stomach. The Prosecutor laid out charges for Conduct Unbecoming. Chipper's vision narrowed, sound whistled and he couldn't make out the other charges. He managed to get himself back together in time to hear the Prosecutor recommend a dishonorable discharge.
The witnesses for the Prosecution ripped his character apart, lies mingled with half truths of an officer that abandoned his family, abused his wife, and was generally unsuitable for his position. When Carrie took the stand, Chipper fought to keep the bile down. She wiped at a fake tear as she lied about the baby, claimed Chipper requested deployment knowing she was pregnant. She shot Chipper a look that could kill, and honestly he wished it would. He didn't know how to sit here for this, watching his life, his reputation, and his career being destroyed.
When Carrie was finished, she stolled casually toward the door without a glance at the man who she was destroying for a second time.
Admiral Cain took the stand after lunch describing a call from a wife in distress. He didn't mention their affair or that the baby was his. He mentioned the troubles with the landings on the carrier. He took a shot at the whole group, suggesting they should be relieved of duty en masse, but then refocused on Chipper and the danger he put his RIO in. He claimed Sunny had not been benched by the Navy, but had requested not to fly with Chipper anymore.
Normally, Chipper would shake that off as nonsense, but after a day of lies, and constant attacks, he wondered if it might be true. When Ronnie took the stand to lie about the fight, Chipper slid a note to his lawyer. "I should just quit, save everyone this trouble."
The day concluded and Chipper was put up in the barracks. He had no contact with anyone and he spent the night contemplating just going AWOL. He couldn't see a way out.
The next morning, the Prosecution wrapped up with a few more witnesses and Chipper could barely keep his composure.
The defense mounted their case after lunch. First up was Jester. Chipper tried to listen, but he couldn't focus on the words or his superiors face. He did his best to sit straight without looking anywhere, but his head hung anyway. Chipper didn't need to look or hear the name of the second witness, he would know the cadence of those steps anywhere, it was Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.
At first, Chipper kept his head down. But something was different and it pulled Chipper's attention back to the room. Maverick was carefully explaining events on the carrier. The striking thing was Pete's voice. Missing was the smirk, the ego, instead there was nothing but a furtive, kind, voice of a friend and the truth. They asked him about picking Chipper up at the hospital and Pete answered honestly. The only flare of anger came when the Prosecutor suggested Chipper might have started it. "If that were true, Sir, he would have let me finish it. As it was, he was trying to diffuse the situation, despite needing medical attention of his own."
Chipper felt more grounded as the rest of the Flyboys testified, Wood, Wolf, Slider, and Goose all recounted time on the carrier and events as they knew them.
Chipper's stomach tightened again when Sunny took the stand, he wasn't sure he could take it if his RIO revealed he didn't want to fly together anymore. That fear was misplaced. When Sunny was asked, he jumped to his feet, "No offense to any of our talented colleagues, but there is nobody I want to fly with besides Chipper, I mean Lt. Piper."
He took his seat again, but caught Chipper's gaze. For the first time, Chipper thought there might be light at the end of this tunnel. He was feeling neutral about it all when they assembled in the room to hear the decision. The back row was full of superiors, Jester, Viper, and Admiral Cain. The latter looked disgruntled when the whole row was shuffled over a seat with the arrival of Admiral Kazansky.
The panel read the verdict and Chipper blacked out. He managed to stay on his feet and it was only the smile of his lawyer that clued him in. Sound rushed back to him just as Admiral Kazansky stood up to address the room.
"I don't necessarily find fault in your findings, though I think there is more going on. I do believe the panel to be remiss in addressing the reckless behavior of the group. Perhaps we should consider those actions separately in two weeks."
The action was highly unusual but not out of the scope of the authority of the admiral so the panel nodded dumbly. As the panel rose the leave the room, the Flyboys joined Chipper to quietly congratulate him. The real celebration would wait for a gathering.
As the group meandered down the corridor, Admiral Kazansky's voice rang out. "Tom, hold on a minute."
"Lieutenant Kazansky!" The voice rang out in a clear command that could not be ignored in the hallowed halls of a Navy building.
Tom immediately spun a 180 degrees and stood at attention with a perfect, sharp salute for the Admiral. His dad tossed an angry salute in return and took four steps to close the gap. "You've been remiss in coming to our family dinners since your return. Your mother misses you and I'm getting fed up with you not meeting my expectations anywhere. Now, you will be a dinner at the house on Sunday. Plan for the whole day, we'll expect you for church before. Wear your charcoal gray suit for services and bring that Navy blue sweater and khaki pants for dinner." He sneered as he leaned in, "The pants with the pleats, do not wear jeans this time and do not wear that pair with the drawstring. Now, certainly the events of the past few weeks have shown you that I am correct and it is high time you find an appropriate partner and get to settling down. You'll never rise through the ranks of the Navy without the right woman by your side. Since you haven't been making the effort, we will have a guest for you on Sunday." He leaned in a little closer, "Don't you dare embarrass us, you hear me?"
The Flyboys had not heard much, Ron and Nick herding them down the hallway as quickly as possible without noticably rushing. But when Ice cleared the door and caught up with the waiting group outside, Ron knew what happened without a word.
That night the trio huddled over the kitchen table desperately trying to figure out how to help Tom and keep Pete from running. Logically, Pete would understand, but his fragile heart and all of this so new? Nobody knew exactly what Mav might do.
As expected things got worse for the group as a whole. Ice played the role at church and behaved politely at dinner, but when the woman followed his car and chased him down to try to give him her number, he very politely declined. He was not rude in any way, but he was clear in telling her that he wasn't interested. Word of that got back to his mother and now his father was on the war path.
He somehow managed to bench all of the Flyboys for three days. But his target was honed on Maverick. He was so determined to ground Mav, that Chip wondered if someone had told him. But no, the admiral had no inkling of how close the pilots were on the ground. What he did know was that Iceman would do anything to protect his wingman's career and fly together. That gave him a pressure point on his son.
Maverick was taking it all in remarkable stride. Ron was certain that of Mav had to give up his wings to protect Ice, he would. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. On the 13th day of not being in the air, Maverick knocked on Viper's door.
Viper nodded the pilot in, "What can I do for you Maverick?"
"Sir, I wanted to know if the two week assignment to the Pentagon was still available, and if so, I'd like to volunteer."
Viper spilled his coffee all over the front of his shirt. "The Pentagon assignment?!? You realize that is a joint assignment with Cain and Kazansky, don't you?"
Mav sighed, "I do, Sir. Thing is, I am not doing much good here right now and if they will listen to me, I think I can actually help with payload distribution and flight efficiency."
Viper chuckled, "I know that, Mav. Hell you calculate everything better and faster than anyone and you usually do it while flying. Why do you really want to go? We all know you aren't happy unless your ass is on fire."
"Truthfully, Sir? I need to do something useful and it doesn't seem like there is a spot for me to fly right now. But also, maybe they will lay off Tom some if I go. And maybe he can find what he wants then."
There it was. Maverick wanted to save Tom and give him a way out. Viper wondered if Mav would always be so quick to sacrifice for others.
Viper knew it wasn't a safe place to talk. "I'll put in the request today. But you know the rule, new assignment means dinner at the house."
Maverick shook his head, "That won't be necessary, it's just temporary."
Before Pete finished, Viper had already dialed. "Nancy, set an extra place tonight, would you? No, just one, Mav will be joining us."
Nancy hung up the phone curious, it was common to have the aviators at the table, but rare to have just one. She headed out a sigh wondering what chaos the Navy was causing her boys now, and on the heels of Chipper's court martial. She was certain she would need to weigh down Pete Mitchell that night, remind him of all he has here. She hoped it would be enough.
Everyone was surprised to see Goose sitting alone in the classroom the next morning. Viper didn't say anything about it and the whole group was perplexed until they finished the morning hop. In the locker room, the all but cornered Goose.
Goose held his hands up in surrender, "Mav called last night said he had a new temporary assignment and he would be back in two weeks."
The pilots and RIOs wore various confused expressions until Sunny yelled out, "Wait, did he take the Pentagon assignment?"
Chipper's eyes widened and Ron punched Nick in the shoulder, "You didn't tell us that part."
Iceman, currently looking anything but, slammed his locker closed. It took them all by surprise. Hollywood opened his mouth to speak but Ice's snarl had him snapping it closed again wordlessly. Ice clenched his fists and nodded to himself before turning on his heel. Slider knew there were a select few who could draw that face from Ice. Slider chased after his pilot hoping to stop him from doing something uncharacteristically reckless and stupid.
--------------
Mav held onto the door handle for dear life as the taxi driver raced in and out of lanes down the road. There hadn't been any military transports heading East at the right times so Mac was forced to fly commercial. Now he was hoping he would make it to Arlington in one piece. In the back of his head, he heard Tom make some crack about how he drives his bike and he smiled to himself. Then he frowned, he couldn't let thoughts like that free in his mind, not here, not now.
He got checked in to the hotel and changed into his service blues. He was lucky to have a hotel just blocks from the Pentagon so he walked over today. He handed his ID to the gate guard who eyes him curiously.
"It says avaitor, but you don't have wings on your uniform."
Shit, Mav thought to himself. He'd assumed his medals were in order when he grabbed his case. He wasn't accustomed to wearing the wings since they spent so much time in their flight suits of late. He reached into the pocket of his pants and there was a set of wings. He sighed in relief and attached them to his chest. The guard chuckled, "First time, Sir?"
Mav nodded sheepishly and walked through the open gate. At the first meeting of the day, he was glad to find nobody above a Captain in attendance. If these were the sessions they would have, this might not be such a bad two weeks. The second and third meetings were similar and he was feeling okay about this choice as he ate lunch. He should have known that wouldn't last. He didn't let his mind wander to the Flyboys, lest he start thinking about Tom, instead he reviewed the parameters they agreed on in the second meeting.
After lunch, he was to report to Admiral Kazansky's office. He wasn't expecting Cain to be there too. They ushered him to a small conference table and tried to make small talk. In reality they were probing for slip ups.
"So Lieutenant, how big a shopping spree will the wife need after this short term assignment?" Admiral Cain asked.
Pete knew they had his files but obliged an answer anyway, "No wife for me, Sir. I prefer to keep my options open." He saw the eyebrow lift and continued, "You know how it is, a favorite gal in every port. One or two close enough to the Navy to understand, and the others with no idea." Cain leaned back in his chair and Mav hoped it was good enough.
"Is that what Thomas does too?" Admiral Kazansky's voice boomed and Mav's brain short circuited at the idea of calling Ice Thomas sometime.
"Sir?" Mav asked to buy time.
"Does my son play the field with the ladies? Is that why he won't settle down?"
Mav answered quickly, "I don't really know much about Ice's personal life. The group of us are friendly, but it's mostly to do with respect for each other up there. I would guess Slider would be better able to answer. But for my part, I have seen him out with a blond a few times."
Admiral Kazansky stared at Mav, waiting for more. When it didn't come, he changed subjects.
"Loyalty is important, I'm glad you see that, but some things can't be overcome, right?"
Mav thought this might be a shot at Cain, but he didn't want to be caught in the middle. "Loyalty is important, but I suppose blind loyalty is bad, leaves you vulnerable."
Admiral Kazansky sat upright, "Exactly! So you do understand my concerns about Duke Mitchell's kid flying with MY son, or at all for the Navy."
There it was, the connection he couldn't escape. One he shouldn't have to if they would declassify the report. Mav knew this was a test of him and Viper. So he answered simply, "All I can say is that I'm not him."
The meeting lasted another half hour and Pete was exhausted. By the end of the day, all he wanted was a quick sandwich and some sleep. Now he wasn't sure how he would get through these two weeks.
Slider was thrilled to be home in time for Ronnie's first birthday. He relished his role as a dad and he hadissed his son and several milestones. As he softly bounced their son on his hip, Slider took a moment to look at his wife. She looked tired but also relieved. Deployments were doubly tough on her since Ron flew with Ice but this one was worse because Mav was still on a different carrier and none of the Flyboys had been out with them. She worried every night without the Flyboys on their six. Ron rubbed a gentle thumb across the dark circle under her left eye. Sarah melted into his touch and he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. He silently vowed to do whatever necessary to get her the rest she needed.
- this is from a snippet of the lives of the Kerner family.
Iceman, currently looking anything but, slammed his locker closed. It took them all by surprise. Hollywood opened his mouth to speak but Ice's snarl had him snapping it closed again wordlessly. Ice clenched his fists and nodded to himself before turning on his heel. Slider knew there were a select few who could draw that face from Ice.
'Ice, don't. Don't do something you'll regret. Something we might all regret." Slider hoped his plea would get through.
Ice paused just for a second as if he was reconsidering, but then glanced over his shoulder. "No Sli, this ends today. Whatever happens, happens, but it ends today." Ice walked out of the room leaving Slider, Goose, Hollywood, Wolfman, Sunny and Chipper staring after him.
I'm not Catholic so I don't have any real opinion about the Pope in terms of leading the Catholic Church. However, the Pope is the head of state for a sovereign nation and that very much interests me because that nation does wield a specific kind of moral authority as a nation.
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