Devil's Bargin •Bob Floyd•

Chapter 16

Abigail stood up quickly "Why? What's happened?" she asked.

Iceman took hold of her arm gently pulling her to the side further from the shouting pilots

"Their moving the mission up" He told her

Despite the warm San Diego sun Abigail felt like a bucket of cold water was taken from the sea and dumped over her

"B-But we barely even figured out after mission protocol and they want to send them in now?"

"In a week, they've already had the training and new information highly suggests we move now, believe me it's the worst option but we can't delay" Iceman told her

"Should we stop the game? Tell them?" Abigail asked.

"Why do you think Maverick organized this game" Ice asked

"They'll be told tomorrow, until then let them have this moment"

Abigail turned back to see the aviators playing football

Phoenix charged at Jake going for his stomach, knocking him flat onto the ground, Phoenix stood in triumph, high fiving Rooster

"Yeah, one last day of happiness before doomsday truly begins" She said

"You have one last day as well Abigail, don't weigh yourself down" he said

Abigail nodded going back to her towel just as a new round started Maverick now retired to the beach chair

"Who's winning?" she asked.

"Oh they never track who's winning, they always start and then they loose track along the way" Maverick smiled

Abigail nodded

"Whoo! Go Bob!" She cheered as Bob caught the ball sprinting down the beach

Bob dropped the ball at the end of their makeshift goal zones

Maverick and Abigail cheered loudly, Abigail waved one of the small pom poms around, Maverick took the other laughing

The game seem to devolve from actually playing to just trying to wrestle each other into the water

Rooster and Pheonix teamed up on Hangman trying to wrestle his down, it took fanboy basically clinging to his back like a Koala to pull him down, admittedly he fell right on top of Fanboy

Bob came over sitting next to Abigail "Enjoy yourself?" he asked

"Immensely" she beamed

Bob went to put his arm around her but Abigail retreated

"Ew no, you're covered in wet sand" she said

Bob grinned basically tackling her to the floor as she squealed

"Let go of me!" She shouted lightly hitting at his arm

"Nope" he said simply

"I hate sand" she complained

"Exposure therapy" He answered "Also it's San Diego, there's sand everywhere"

"This is not how exposure therapy works!" she said as Bob finally let go of her

Further up on the beach Iceman sat on one of the outside tables of the Hard Deck, Maverick going to join him

"Their basically kids" Iceman said

"Since when were you sentimental?" Maverick joked,

"It happens in old age" Iceman answered

"we're the same age"

"You're young at heart, it's dangerous sometimes" Iceman said

"Their kids, Their young, their bearly older then we were when. . .Well you know"

"Their adults, they chose the Navy, their young yeah but they know the risks of this mission" Maverick assured

"Until then, we just let them be young and enjoy their time as it is"

Maverick turned to where the dagger squad was on the beach, Hangman picking up Fanboy throwing him into the water

"Payback!" Hangman shouted

"Yeah?" Payback asked from across the way

"Not you!"

"Payback?" Fanboy spluttered "How the hell was that payback?"

"For pushing me down into the water"

"You got your payback when you fell on me and crushed my spleen"

"Fanboy! He couldn't have crushed your spleen!" Abigail called

"Are you a doctor?" Fanboy shot back

"Not but I listened in Biology"

"She wanted to be a vet" Hangman added

"Vet to Lawyer, interesting change" Rooster commented

"Couldn't watch me Da put a sick cow down, how could I do it to a puppy?" She shrugged

"Without a shotgun" Hangman suggested

"Shotgun!" Phoenix and Rooster shouted

"Yeah, have you never seen old yeller?" Bob agreed

"Hicks" Phoenix muttered and Bob threw one of the footballs at her

"Let's be honest Maverick" Iceman said solemnly "They never got to just be young"