My Sweet Valentine

(Writer's Note: contains elements of violence)

I woke up in time to get ready for work. I was grateful because as an assistant I didn't have a uniform. I put on my dark green cargo pants, a white t-shirt, and a thin bomber jacket with Navy written on the back that my dad had given me before we left the family home for Charlotte's job. It was 4 years ago and we often moved depending on where Lotty was needed. Jets could be seen in the distance and the sound of their engines did not subside. They fought to be number one. Lotty got ready and we went to work. Commander Viper had a meeting and I was with Lotty at her lecture. She explained which maneuvers are necessary in combat and questioned the pilots. She competed with Maverick, and that guy annoyed me so much that I wanted to slap him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Ron was looking at me with a kind of half-smile while I frantically held onto the arm of the chair so I wouldn't bump into Maverick. Not because he argued with Lotty but because he didn't want to listen. For God's sake, the state trusts you with expensive jets that I, as a taxpayer, pay for, and you would correct the orders as they suit you. Lotty finished her lecture and ran after Maverick, calling him lieutenant and asking him to stop. I don't know how or why, but I know she left me alone at the base. I looked around because Viper wasn't there yet.

"Lost?" a pilot asked me.

"No. I work here. Everything is fine." I answered and headed to Viper's office. The pilot who asked me if I was lost continued to follow me and shout where I was going and why I was running away from him.

"Leave me alone." I spoke and quickened my pace. Unfortunately, I didn't see anyone to help me. This devilish base was empty. Tears streamed down my cheeks as the pilot still chased me. He grabbed my hand and I managed to pull away a couple of times.

"Beauty, wait. I just want to meet you." he spoke.

Crying like that, I recognized Goose behind whom I hid sobbing. The pilot was telling him to get out of the way because I was, in quotation marks, his.

"Dude, leave her alone. Slider will tear you apart when he finds out, and I'll do my best to make that happen." Goose said shielding me with his body. The pilot cursed him and disappeared. I fell to my knees and leaned my back against the wall. I hugged my knees and sobbed. I didn't hear what Goose was saying as bad memories came flooding back to me like demons from hell.

"Valentine...Valentine, it's Viper. Take it easy. Just take it easy. He won't touch you again. Goose called me." Viper spoke softly, comforting me and helping me into his office. I was shaking.

"Sir, he wouldn't leave her alone. I heard her telling him to leave her and I saw him grab her elbow." Goose said to Viper.

"You did well, Bradshaw. You're free for today and send Slider to my office. Don't tell him anything." Viper ordered him.

Viper handed me a glass of water which I accepted as my hands shook. Ron entered the office and Iceman was waiting for him leaning against the wall across from Viper's office. I saw him jump up and straighten up when he saw me crying.

"Valentine, what happened?" Ron asked me and knelt down in front of me. I hugged him tightly.

"Goose called me that she was attacked by a pilot. I'll take care of it and you and Iceman take care of her. Take care of her as if she were my own daughter. That's an order." Viper said angrily and stormed out of the office looking for that pilot. Iceman stormed into the office questioning what had happened.

"I was walking from the classroom towards here when he asked me if I was lost. I said I worked here and then he asked me to stop and that he wanted to meet me. He grabbed my elbow a couple of times. There was no one in the base except Goose and I hid behind him. He protected me with his body and chased that pilot away. He called Viper, and he called you." I explained and cried again. This was not the first time in my life I was attacked. Ron hugged me. Iceman helped him take me to the car and drive me home. We arrived quickly and Lotty watched frantically as Ron carried me into the house in his arms crying. He took me to the room while Iceman told Lotty what happened to me. In the room, Ron helped me take off my sneakers and jacket to reveal that my elbow was bruised all over. I lay down on the pillows while he sat on the edge of the bed stroking my cheek.