Nightingale 》Jake Seresin

Iceman's Warning

It was simply a normal day. Well, as normal as a day at Top Gun can be.

Jake, well aware of Nova’s disregard to all flirtations made by Navy personnel, was not giving up on his quest to at least have one date with the woman.

He could confidently state he had never been as infatuated with a woman before. There was just something about Nova that pulled him in. He didn't know why she wouldn't give him a chance, after all he had been on his best behavior since meeting her.

No flirting with other women, no buying others drinks at the bar, and keeping his comments to a minimum (around her at least), so what more could he do?

All he knew was that anytime he asked her out she said a variation of the same thing. “I don't date Navy men.” Why, he still couldn't get out of her.

Did someone in the Navy hurt her in the past? Did she lose someone she cared for in the Navy? But why would she be working with the Navy if that was the case? He just couldn't figure Nova Mitchell out.

But all those questions were about to get answered. Let's just say, the answer is not something he was expecting.

And things had just become extremely more difficult.

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“Who are we waiting for? We've never waited this long before starting,” Matt, a fellow Top Gun pilot, questioned lowly. No one would dare ask that loud enough for the instructors to hear.

Jake shrugged, keeping his voice just as low. “Who knows, but I want to get into my jet, so I hope they hurry it up.”

Apparently their conversation wasn't quiet enough, as Nova turned to look at the two men. “Now I know you two aren't that stupid.”

Jake smirks. “Oh yea darling, what do you mean by that?”

Nova simply rolls her eyes, but answers his question. “Who would have enough power and respect that they would hold up a Top Gun class? Come on, use your brains, no matter how small they are.”

Before either of the men could reply a call came. “Attention on deck!”

Everyone in the room stood at attention, Nova included, although she didn't have to.

In walked the one and only Commander of the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky. It wasn't every day the Commander observed a class, so it made the aviators wonder why today was so special.

In reality, Ice just wanted to see his goddaughter, especially after beating his throat cancer. He didn't make many appearances after the diagnosis, wanting to preserve his strength. And while he knew Nova would be visiting the house for dinner many times before she was done, he wanted to see her work. There was something there that always amazed him.

(Part of that could just be because he had watched her make some of the dumbest decisions he had ever seen, alongside his son JJ. So seeing her actually putting her smarts to good use was always a relief.)

“At ease,” he called, his voice still a bit shaky and not back up to full strength yet. “I am simply here to observe today's flights, no need to be nervous. I was in your shoes once, I know what it's like.”

That did not ease the nerves of the majority of the pilots, but one aviator looked as calm as ever, if not a little smug.

The normal combat runs went on without a hitch, no problems at all, despite the extra pressure of Ice observing that day.

Through his observations, Ice stood with Nova checking the vitals of his pilots as well as the signals for the plans. He did notice that when one pilot in particular came up, Nova tensed just a little more.