You're On Your Own, Kid (A Lt. Bob Floyd Fanfic)

Chapter 7

A/N - I think this is my favorite chapter so far. Mainly because I treated it as a character study for Caroline.

Caroline gave him directions to a 24/7 diner.

They walked in and sat down, but not before Caroline waved to the cook and a waitress.

"I take it you come here a lot?" Bob asked.

Caroline nodded. "My father and I come here all the time. He used to bring me here when he got back from being deployed. Now...not so much."

"What's it like having an Admiral as a father?"

Caroline laughed. "It's a lot less glamorous than you think. We moved around a bunch before he became Admiral. So I guess you could say I'm a typical Navy kid."

"No one in my family has been in the military, so I wouldn't know," Bob told her.

"Why'd you join the Navy then?"

Growing up around Navy personnel, most of their kids were Legacies.

Bob shrugged. "I guess I wanted to be part of something greater than myself. Stereotypical answer I know, but I didn't want to get stuck in my little hometown. Why'd you join?"

Luckily Caroline was saved from answering by a waitress coming by and taking their drink order.

Caroline wished she could say that she joined for the experience. The chance to be a part of something greater. As much as she loved flying, she had only joined because she felt like it was what she was supposed to do.

So many of her father's colleagues had asked her when she was going to go to the Academy. She hadn't really thought about becoming a pilot, but being the product of an affair, Caroline felt like she had to prove herself. Make herself worthy to carry the last name of Kazansky rather than the last name of the woman who had given birth to her and abandoned her.

They talked more about their childhoods and teenage years until the waitress came back with their drinks and took their food order.

"So why 'Bob'?" Caroline asked.

"Why 'Kamikaze'?" Bob countered.

Caroline shrugged. "I guess because I fly like I have nothing to lose."

Because she didn't. her father would never say it out loud, but she could see the way he looked at her. Like he expected her to exceed his expectations. Caroline flew the way she did because people expected her to fly like her father. Ice cold, no mistakes. But like she had told Maverick, she wasn't her father.

"Well I didn't know your callsign had to be something suave or cool. People just always called me Bob," Bob told her.

The waitress arrived with their food.

"So what's up with Hangman?" Bob asked.

"Oh, just ignore him. He's always an asshole." Caroline had known Hangman a long time. Long before he earned his infamous callsign. Like herself, Jake was a Legacy.

His father was Lieutenant Commander Leo Seresin. A rough, hard, no-nonsense man. He was tough on Jake and pushed him to be the best.

Like many Legacies, Jake had entered the Academy with a chip on his shoulder. All he was missing was a silver spoon in his mouth. Hangman was an asshole, but he had a soft side to him that only a select few got to see.

Caroline was one of those lucky few.

They finished their dinner and Bob got up and rushed over to the cashier before Caroline could even think of paying.

"Why did you do that? We could have split it!" Caroline protested.

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a lady pay on the first date?" Bob said.

Caroline followed Bob to his truck with flaming red cheeks.

They pulled up to the house.

The lights were on outside, so Caroline knew her father was awake and waiting just inside the door. Just like he had when she was a teenager. Caroline leaned over and kissed Bob on the cheek. "See you tomorrow."

"I...I can come get you if you want."

"It's fine. I wouldn't want you to go out of your way..."

"I don't mind."

Caroline smiled. This special detachment was only a few weeks, so she'd take any alone time with Bob she could get. "Okay. Well, see you tomorrow morning then."

"Do you want me to walk you to the door?"

Caroline looked back at the house and shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, but I know my father is waiting for me just inside."

Bob blushed. "Okay. See you tomorrow."

Caroline hopped out of the truck and went inside. "I'm back. You can go to bed now."

Her father was giving her a look. Cyclone must have called him.

"You can lecture me in the morning. I really just want to go to bed."

"Did you have a good date?" her father asked.

Caroline blushed and nodded.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, daddy." Caroline kissed her father on the cheek and rushed up the stairs.

Iceman looked out the front window to find Robert Floyd sitting in his truck. It wasn't until Iceman flipped off the light that he pulled away from the curb.

Out of everyone, Iceman was glad his daughter had chosen the WSO.