FIREBALL

Chapter 2

"auntie sarah!" the woman in question squealed to see thalia at the front door.

"oh, how are you sweetie? tom's been hoping you would come by! he's been missing his favourite niece!"

thalia half-smiled, but wasted no time getting to the point. "it's back."

it wasn't a question. sarah's smile dropped as she nodded silently. "there's uh- there's nothing they can do. chemo isn't working anymore, it's just making him feel ill with no results. there was no point carrying it on. he has a maximum of two weeks left. it's one of the reasons he wanted you back, sweetheart. to say your goodbyes."

"where is he?"

sarah understood thalia's urgency to see tom. "in his office upstairs. he's not talking though, so you might want to put on your glasses."

thalia thanked her aunt before heading up the grand mahogany staircase to where her godfather sat in his office, slowly wasting away.

she knocked on the door to make herself known before entering to see her uncle at the desk, a chair next to him. he smiled at her, a grin that hadn't changed since he was a student at TOPGUN. 

the younger pilot rushed forwards to give him a hug that was immediately reciprocated as she leant over the arm of his chair. when he pulled away slightly and gestured to the chair next to him, thalie shook her head and knelt next to him, looking up at her only blood relative. 

"how are you feeling uncle tommy?" her eyes were wide as she looked up at him as if she were seven again and he was telling her about all the adventures he'd been on when he was younger. her clear framed glasses added to this image as they slid down her nose slightly.

i'm alright, gracie. tell me about what mischief you've been getting into. 

she shook her head. "but uncle tommy-"

he shook his head and pointed at the screen, so she relented, informing him of all her latest missions since they last spoke. they sat there together for hours and talked- well, she talked, and he interrupted with messages on his computer when necessary. 

----

time flew by, and it was soon half-past nine in the evening. thalia could see her godfather getting tired, no matter how he denied it. his eyes were half closed, and his focus was wavering.

"i think it's time for bed, uncle tommy."

he shook his head until thalia gave him a knowing stare, to which he backed down and nodded. 

iceman stood, and motioned for his niece to do the same, before bringing her into a close embrace. thalia couldn't help but let a tear escape at the action, which didn't go unnoticed by the man. 

"thalia grace jackson, i want you to look at me, ok? whatever happens, i will always, always be with you, yes?" his southern american twang was almost the complete opposite to her full on yorkshire accent.

---

the next day, it was another early start. 

thalia woke early for her morning workout, opting only for a run. she pulled on her marine issued combats and combat vest over a sports bra and shorts before heading out the door and locking it behind her. the hallway lights flickered on at her movement and she smiled, and started her dynamic stretches down the corridor.

 it was barely sunrise, and no sound came from the other pilot's rooms. she was surprised at this, until she remembered what rear admiral bates had told her the previous afternoon about the candidates all meeting at the hard deck for drinks and chuckled quietly. hopefully none of them were nursing bad hangovers. from what she had seen in the files, maverick's syllabus would hold no mercy for the group.