automatic stop, bradley bradshaw

forty-four.

SKYE AND HANGMAN WERE SURPRISINGLY CONTINUING WHATEVER CONVERSATION HE'D STARTED ALL THE WAY TO THE PARKING LOT OF THE HANGAR. she honestly didn't remember how the conversation had begun, or why he was talking about his family, but she was laughing as she got to her car.

"i gotta wait for kat before i leave, we took the car today." she explained, putting a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun as she scanned the area for the blonde. "she's probably with phoenix and bob somewhere."

hangman seemed to be thinking for a moment before he smiled. "hey, i can give you a ride home if you need one."

this caught her off guard. "oh, no, you don't need to-"

"it would be my pleasure."

she didn't really know how to say no now, not with him smiling like that. "you sure? i'm about five or ten minutes that way," she pointed to her right, "how out of your way is it?"

he shrugged. "it's not out of my way at all, riot. i live that way, too, i can just drop you off on my way." he was still smiling that stupid smile.

"i mean, if you're sure it isn't too much trouble-"

hangman then chuckled. "you're too modest, riot. come on, what happened to you being mean to me?"

skye chuckled. "what, would you rather i be rude about it?"

"kind of." he shrugged. "now it feels suspicious; you're being almost too nice right now."

"well, that's how i lure you into my home." she said. "then i bring out the bone-saw."

hangman let out a hearty laugh. "is that so, riot? you're a real modern day serial killer?"

she nodded as he opened his passenger side door for her. "oh yeah. i'm surprised it's taken you this long to figure it out, seriously."

he rolled his eyes, but there was still a smile on his face closed the door after she climbed in. he got into his seat and then started the vehicle, looking behind himself as he backed out of his parking spot. "hope you like country, mitchell."

she did, in fact, like country music. it just depended on how drunk she was and who was singing it. her father had always taken a liking to rock and roll, but he'd often told her that her mother was fond of country music. she'd then found her mother's old records and cds and had listened to them enough to know that country music wasn't nearly as bad as a lot of people claimed it was.

skye reached into the pocket of her flight suit and sent katia a text to let her know that she was getting a ride home, and that she could go ahead and take the car. when she put the phone back away, she looked out the window. "you're southern, right?" skye asked, avoiding his previous country music comment.

"did the accent not give it away?" he countered, smirking as he drove out of the lot.

she chuckled. "i'm just checking."

he smiled. "yes, i am from the south. born and bred, really. and you're a california girl, right?"

"don't say it like it's the katy perry song." skye scolded. "sun-kissed skin so hot, we'll melt your popsicle? no, no. i just so happened to be born and bred in fightertown usa, where i've spent probably all but three or four years of my life."

hangman nodded. "and those three or four years were with your squad. who were you with?"

"sunliners." she replied, a proud smile coming to her lips. "before top gun, kat and i were with the tomcatters, but that gig only lasted about six months. we stayed with the black aces for a bit before we got shipped back to virginia. and you were with.."