Wild Heart - Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell

17. The Difficult Truth

Pete: Meet me at the Hard Deck after work tonight?

Finley: Sounds like a plan! :)

Pete: <3

She got there first which allowed for some time to chat with Penny.

"Uh oh, here comes the boyfriend," Penny announced, picking him out from the crowd. "Get lost, you." She waved Finley on. Then she stopped and said, "Oh."

Finley turned. Oh was right: Pete was dressed in full white dress uniform. Penny seemed to understand this more than she did.

"Hey!" Fin ran up to him and into his arms. 

"Hey. How was work?"

"Oh good, same old. You?"

"Eventful.  Want to take a walk?"

"Yeah sure, it's a beautiful evening."

They left the bustling bar and headed out into the quiet calmness of the beach. From out here they could hear the Ring! Ring! Ring! of the bell and a cheer from the crowd back inside.

"Uh oh," Finley chuckled. "Sounds like someone broke one of the rules. Hey, this is just like the night we met."

He smiled.  "It is."

"So does the uniform  mean you're back to work?" she asked, giving him a playful nudge, and he was glad she initiated the topic, because he was really struggling with telling her.

"It does, yes."

"Did you do something dramatic then?"

"I did. I successfully flew the course - and now Admiral Simpson has appointed me as Mission Leader." There, he'd done it, he'd said it. He'd told her. 

Understandably she was confused. His words sank in.  "Wait so, what does that mean?" She needed more details, more context. 

"For our upcoming mission,  there's a Leader, three Daggers, and one spare. Six fliers total, seven with the spare."

"So you're going on the mission?"

"Yes."

Again, this sunk in. "You're going on the mission now? I thought you were the instructor, that you weren't actually participating in the mission part at all."

"Yeah, so did I. But that changed today. I was promoted."

She was silent for a moment. Then, "Wow..."

"Yeah..."

"I mean, congratulations, I knew you still had it in you. Take that, U.S. Navy! And I know how much this must mean to you, Captain." She gave his arm a playful punch, but the fun of the gesture was lost due to her now sullen expression. 

"This is a shock to me too," he said.  "A real shock. I was thinking I was going to be fired for sure, go out with a bang, as usual-" She chuckled a little at this and he saw that as a win. "But now this... I don't know what's going to happen," he admitted. 

"No one can. But we shouldn't expect the worst." Because that was definitely what his serious, low tone was suggesting.

"No, but we should also prepare for it."

"No, don't say that."

"But it's true."

"You're Pete Maverick Mitchell - the Maverick.  You can do this."

"Fin," he gently took her arms, turning her to face him where she had been turning away.  "I'm not suggesting what will or won't happen, but I want us to be prepared - I want you to be prepared..."