𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐱𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫

❝ 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 ❞

















































✈ ✈ ✈



IT HAD BEEN A LONG COUPLE OF DAYS OF TRAINING. THANK GOD, IT WAS THE WEEKEND.

The final lyrics to 'Great Balls of Fire' play rather loudly in the car as she drives down the road, belting them out.

Faith was currently a minute away from the Kazansky household in Fightertown. Sarah had called for her to visit. She had the next two days off, so, she decided to see her family. It was Saturday, and almost time for Saturday family dinner which Faith had missed for three consecutive years till today.

Everyone had gathered for two reasons. Faith was back home. Tom had not long to live.

Faith shakes her mind off of her thoughts, focusing on parking before she's jumping out her car and skipping those steps up to the house with a huge smile on her face. And then, she's running back to her car, pulling out the gifts she'd brought for June, her niece.

Sarah and Tom watch behind the glass doors as Faith runs up the stairs once again, hands full of holding many gifts. Sarah opens the door with a huge smile plastered on her face, moving aside to let the younger woman place all the goods on the dining table, before she returns back to her parents, falling into their arms when they pull her in for a hug.

The young pilot seems to forget all her worries in this moment, as her arms are wrapped around her two confidantes. They were her everything. Her family, her parents, her caretakers, her go-to's for advice about probably all the things she was confused in this life about. She loved them with her entire heart, even if they weren't her parents by blood.

The three of them pull away, smiling at each other, before Faith is lifted into the air by her waist from behind. The woman laughs, knowing exactly who it was. James, her brother.

"Hey, jerk." James lets her down, and Faith turns around, wrapping her arms around his waist, as she whispers in content, closing her eyes, "Hey, punk."

"How're you holding up?" James asks, placing an arm around her shoulder as they walk towards where all the gifts Faith had brought were sprawled out on the ground, grabbing as many as they could before moving towards the coffee table in the living room.

"Uh, not bad. Work's a bit rough, currently. But, I have my old squad back, so it's kinda fun to school 'em." Faith shrugs as she replies.

"How's Nat?" James' eyebrows are furrowed, avoiding Faith's gaze as she turns around to look at him with narrowed eyes and a hint of a smirk. "She's good. She was asking about you the other day, you know." Faith mentions, pressing her lips in a thin line as she hides her smile.

James' eyes widen, and his brows shoot up, as a gift box drops from the pile in his hands, "Really?"

Faith just raises her brows too, tilting her head to the side. Her brother's eyes narrow at her, "She didn't ask about me, did she?" Faith shakes her head, smiling sheepishly. James throws the gifts onto the couch, and Faith does the same before she's running towards the backyard, in an attempt to escape as her brother yells, "Come back here, you lil' shit!" Faith returns a laugh at his words, making her way outside to greet her niece.

The woman sees the little purple tent of Jane's smiling as she walks towards it, clapping in a rhythm before yelling, "Chow time!"

She smiles when some giggles echo around her, taking a seat on a tiny wooden chair, calling out, "Janie." Faith calls out in a sing-song voice, looking to her side, at the small purple table where a little teddy bear sat, from when she'd sent it over when she couldn't make it to Jane's delivery, smiling down at it when it's in her palms.

"Jane J. Kazansky. You want some lunch?" At those words, Jane's out of her tent, wearing the purple Ironman helmet she'd gotten her for her third birthday. The little child is pointing her gloved hand with a bright light in the center at Faith, "Define wunch, or be disintegwated."

Faith raises her hands at her words, telling the girl with raised brows as she pulls her closer, "I take it you like the gift?" She places a kiss on the helmet, placing her hands around it before taking it off Jane's tiny head. When it's off, Faith pushes away the hair gathered on Jane's face as she smiles at her, asking, "You thinking about lunch? I'll give you a handful of crickets on a bed of lettuce?"

Jane whines softly, "No, I don't..." Her aunt tells her with a serious look on her face, "Well, your dad was telling me that's what you want." Jane raises her eyebrows, speaking rather loudly, "Dad said that?"

Faith hums, nodding her head, pulling the girl in her arms and walking back towards the house, leaning her head against the girl's shoulder and smiling as she rambles on about how much she wanted to trouble her father.











































✈ ✈ ✈



AFTER FILLING THEIR STOMACHS TO THE BRIM, FAITH AND JANE WERE IN THE LITTLE GIRL'S ROOM.

Faith had been rambling on and on about her uncle Maverick and his escapades and her memories with her squad, as she fed the little girl the orange juice pop while she listened intently.

"You done?" Faith asks, when there's barely a bite of the juice pop remaining, putting her hand forward towards Jane's mouth, who opens up, ready to eat the last bite, when Faith is pulling it away, finishing the final part of it with a smile, "Now you are."

The aunt brings the sleeve of her grey shirt to Jane's face, wiping her mouth, "Here, wipe." She brushes her hand around the girl's face, pushing the hair fallen ahead behind her ear, "Good." Jane simply smiles at her.

Faith pushes the girls face with her palm to lay her head back on the pillow, whispering, "That face, goes there." The girl lays back with no hesitance, crossing her hands over her chest and demanding, "Tell me a story."

"A story?" Faith's eyebrows raise, eyes falling to the covers of her bed and pulling them over her body, before looking back up into the girl's big brown eyes, "Uh, once upon a time, Janie went to bed. The end."

Jane's brows furrow in discontent, though her smile widens, as she replies, "That is a horrible story."

Her aunt's voice goes up an octave as she returns the girl's smile, "Come on, that's your favorite story." Faith moves closer to place a kiss on the girl's forehead who closes her eyes and gives her a smile when her aunt tells her, "Love you tons."

"I love you three thousand." Jane immediately replies as she pushes her hair behind her ear. Faith chuckles silently, closing her eyes and muttering a 'wow', standing up and moving towards the door, whispering, "Three thousand, that's crazy."

On the way out, Faith tells the girl in all seriousness, not at all missing the giggle Jane lets out, "Go to bed, J, or I'll sell all your toys. Good night!" And then she closes the door.

It's a quarter past nine, and the woman thinks she'll find Tom still in his cabin, probably working until his eyes close in tiredness.

Making her way downstairs, she walks through the dim hallways to her father's cabin, knocking thrice, before opening the door.

"You busy?" Tom looks up from the stack of papers in his hands and placing it to the side when he looks up to see Faith. He shakes his head, waving his hand for her to come in, and she closes the door behind her, pulling the chair to the side of his desk.

She sits, leaning against her chair as she yawns, crossing her hands. Tom gives her a small smile, typing on his monitor.

Not tired yet?

Faith shakes her head, muttering, "No, not really." Tom nods, typing again.

How's work?

"Uh, okay. It's just a bit hectic." Faith nods, and Tom looks back at the screen with his own nod, moving his hands across the keyboard.

How's Maverick?

"He's... Maverick. Still staring at those polaroids." Tom scoffs in delight at her words, smiling when he meets her eye. Then he's typing again.

How's Bradshaw?

Her heart drops to her stomach. She shifts in her chair to not lean against it anymore, looking down at her lap, putting both arms on the hand-rest, as she stutters out a response, "He's-"

Faith looks back at Tom, answering, "He's not ready. He's... selfless in the air. If not, down right reckless with his own life. He jumps in to save the day, puts himself in danger. He thinks there's other ways to fly the mission." She plays with her fingers.

When she hears him typing, she looks back at the screen.

What if he's right?

"Maybe there are other ways, but if he keeps flying like he is, then...." Faith shakes her head, unwilling to continue. If he kept flying like this, then someday he might not make it back.

You should have gone with him.

"No." Faith shakes her head again, in complete disagreement with Tom's words as she continues with a shaky voice, "No, don't you dare think for a second that I'd leave you. If he can't understand that I needed to stay, then that's his fault. Not yours'. His."

Silence falls between the two. The only sound heard was the chirping of crickets, and the winds whooshing in from the open windows.

Her palm runs across her face, as she tries changing the topic, "What're the doctors saying?" Tom's face falls grim, looking down at his keyboard, typing.

It'd be a miracle if I make it through the month.

Faith's hand finds itself before her mouth. Tears are held back in her eyes as she takes a wavering breath. There's nothing she can say, nothing she can do, to make this better. All she could do was accept this, and move on. But how could she? Her angel, her lifesaver, his life almost drowning in the waters of death. He'd given her a life, and now his was being taken away.

Then, Tom opens his mouth to speak in a rough, strained voice, "I'm still here." He places a hand on her knee, leaning forward as he continues in the same tone, "I'm telling you this, not as your father, but as an Admiral. Right now, your utmost focus should be on the mission and it's success. Let's talk about that."

Are they a team?

Tom's typed out on the screen. Faith shakes her head, but still answers, "Not yet. But don't worry, Mav and I have a plan."

He gives her a smile, knowing exactly what the two had planned, but asking still, as Faith looks at the screen.

Dogfight football?

Faith nods with a smile, beginning to explain the mission he probably knew most about.

Tom had always liked hearing about assignments from her point of view. He'd point out tricks with her, pat her on the head and say, 'good job!'. He hands her the model of the F/A-18 her fourteen-year old self had fallen in love with, one that she loved still to this day, wanting her to show him just how her and Maverick had planned on running the mission.

She takes the model with a smile, waving it around in the air to imitate flying patterns her and Maverick had already discussed.





























✈ ✈ ✈



AFTER A NIGHT OF PEACEFUL SLEEP AND A FEW SONGS PLAYED ON THE GUITAR, IT WAS TIME TO GO BACK FOR FAITH.

The family of five, Tom, Sarah, Faith, James and Jane had breakfast together, played some board games, had delicious lunch which Faith and Sarah prepared together while the others sat by the dining table just a few steps away from the kitchen and singing songs.

When Faith is done throwing her duffle into the trunk of her car, she turns back around to look at her family. They're faces had fallen, even though there were smiles on their faces to hide their sadness. She presses her lips in a straight line, opening her hands and leaning down in Jane's direction, who was hugging James' leg with one hand and the teddy bear cuddling to her side.

Faith gives her a comforting smile, bringing her hand to push a few rogue strands of hair behind the girl's tiny ear. Jane says nothing, stepping away from her father and wrapping her hands around Faith's neck who closes her eyes, arms by the girl's back to pull her closer.

Jane pulls away, her lips in a pout, as she softly speaks to Faith, "You're bringing me ice cream the next time you come home." Faith scoffs in delight, as the other's chuckle at the girl's demands. Her aunt nods with a smile, bringing her lips to kiss the top of her head, "As you wish, princess."

She stands up, wiping her clammy palm on her shirt, eyes finding James'. He says nothing, stepping forward and pulling her into a hug. Faith leans her cheek against her brother's shoulder, whispering to him when she pulls back, arms still on his shoulders, "Don't do anything stupid 'till I get back."

James chuckles, shoving Faith backwards gently, "How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you." Faith laughs at his words.

Then, Faith steps towards Sarah, who brings her arm around her neck, kissing her cheek when she pulls back with her palm on the younger woman's forearm, "You remember to come home, alright? I'll whip you some apple pie next time." Faith's eyes widen at Sarah's words who chuckles at her expression, hugging her again.

Faith pulls back, pressing a kiss on her mother's cheek, before stepping in Tom's direction.

The Captain salutes her father.

Tom nods, and she falls back. He puts a hand on her shoulder, rubbing, as he strains out, "You remember what I told you." She nods in response, speaking simultaneously with her father, "Fly ice cold. No mistakes." She gives another nod, as Tom gives her a soft smile.

"Come back home, Fae." It's a request from her father. She knew what he wanted to say. Soon, he won't be home. Soon, they'd all have to live in his absence. She had to be home for her family. She had to take care of her family, when he's gone. And she was ready to do it all.

Faith takes another moment to look at the blue smiles on everyone's faces, before she's making her way around the car, and stepping into the drivers' seat, starting it and pulling out of the driveway. When she's on the other side of the fountain, she opens the window, waving back at them all.

Time to get back to work.