"You were flying!" John said, snapping her out of her daydream. His smile fell when he saw her expression. "What's wrong?"
Bradley climbed out of the Bronco, seeing the bike as well before looking at Elizabeth.
"Don't let that asshole rattle you," he said shortly.
"I'm the asshole Roo..." she said softly. "I just need a minute," she mumbled, looking up at the tall mustached man. He looked at her, smiling softly and ruffling her braided hair.
"We will leave you be then," he said, waving for John to follow him.
"Wait, who's he?"
"Don't worry about it. Come on," Rooster said, dragging the 30-year-old into the bar.
It wasn't long before she walked in herself, looking around the room and noticing the group of aviators in the back corner where so many usually were. Her eyes hit the bar top seeing the familiar figure she hadn't seen in seven years. Her eyes lifted a bit higher seeing another familiar figure. A quick breath left her nose as a smirk formed on her lips. She walked past her father, whose eyes immediately locked onto her.
"So there inviting suicidal maniacs to this little pow-wow?" her voice called from behind the 6' man. She wasn't able to see the smirk forming on his lips but was fully aware it was there before the blonde turned around.
"Elizabeth Ghost Mitchell," he said, leaning against the bar counter.
She felt her father's eyes boring into her side and she tried her best not to steal a glance. She was afraid of what she would see. Was he old and decrepit now? Or did he still have that handsome charm? She hoped he still had his handsome charm.
"Jake Hangman Seresin, or is it Bagman? I hear it's Bagman now," she said, crossing her arms. He laughed a bit and decided to gloss over it.
"Whatever you call me, sunshine, it will sound good coming from those sweet lips of yours," he said, causing the girl's jaw to drop before laughing a bit in his face.
"You're disgusting," she scoffed, glancing over at Penny who only glanced back at her. Jake had no clue her father was right there. That's mostly why she was embarrassed.
"You know the last time we met in a bar on navy business," he said, voice trailing off.
He glanced over and noticed the stare the old man at the bar was giving the two of them before looking back at her freckle-covered face. She didn't notice her father's eyes widen. Nor did she care. She was too locked into the conversation before her. Her eyes glossed over his face. God sure did know how to sculpt a good-looking man.
"We said we would never talk about that again, Seresin."
"Whatever you say, sunshine," he said with a grin.
"You know, I'm no man but usually when you flirt with a pretty girl, you offer her a drink."
"Ooh well drinks aren't on me sweetness. They're on him," he said, nodding over to her father.
This caused her to look at him for the first time. Her breath hitched a bit.
—-----
The next 4 lines of dialogue are from givethispromptatry on Tumblr
—-----
"You have changed, you know," her father said. He had come for her TOPGUN graduation. She wasn't aware he knew. Though she deduced that her uncle Tom told him. She had graduated second in her class. For her, that wasn't something to celebrate but here she was. If anything, she was there to celebrate Natasha and Bradley. Nat took first and Bradley took third.
She and her father had found a secluded spot on a balcony, both dressed in their whites as the sun set on the horizon.
"I am aware." She glanced over at her father before looking at the shoreline, fingers fiddling with her cap.
"I'm not really sure it was for the better."
"Perhaps not for you. But that doesn't really matter, does it?" she snapped at him, shifting to face him now.
"Lizzy, you have been through enough. You don't have to do all of this," he said, turning to face her, his concern evident.
"Stop it!" she shouted at him, earning one or two looks. "Stop babying me. You know I used to think you actually liked that I applied myself to school. But you know what I think it truly was? You were just glad I never lived my life as a teenager should. No, instead I was trapped in a house and scared to tell you I wanted to go to some party!" she said letting out a bunch of pent-up thoughts he had no clue about.
"Lizzy-"
"No, don't Lizzy me!" She was tearing up a bit now. He moved forward, resting his hand on her shoulder and squeezing tightly.
"I just don't want to lose you. You almost died, Elizabeth."
"Maybe I almost died because I was too worried about what you would think of me, like everyone else who seems to die around you," she spat.
She pulled away and stormed off to compose herself, leaving her father to stand there, taken back by her words.
—-----
"He stole your drink," Penny said, pulling Elizabeth from her trance.
Elizabeth's eyes looked over at Penny and then back toward Jake, who was headed over toward the jukebox. She took note of the fruity drink in his hand along with the four beers. He really did have large hands. She didn't even hear him order. She was surprised he even remembered - it had been almost 5 years since she had seen him last. She followed him, meeting him by the jukebox. She carefully took her drink from his hand before sipping the top so it wouldn't spill.
"Thank you," she said softly with a smile, looking up at the green-eyed man.
He looked her over for a moment. Her russet-colored skin glowed in the warm bar lighting. She didn't realize the position they were in until he leaned in closer. His arm leaned against the top of the jukebox, his body relatively close, effectively trapping her in. The proximity made her blush and peer up at him, backing into the jukebox a little more as she sipped her drink again.
"I asked what's wrong," he said, looking into her eyes.
"Oh, nothing, I'm great!"
She gave him a big cheesy grin which made him chuckle. He saw there was something up. He just wasn't going to push it. He simply leaned in closer to her reaching his hand behind her to press the 8 and 6 on the jukebox behind her before pushing off and walking back over to where the pool tables were. She stood there for a moment, a bit flustered. She shook her head and laughed a bit before catching a glimpse of her father again. She stared at him for a moment before walking to the other aviators.
"Bradshaw, as I live and breathe," Jake said, taking the pool pole from a man in glasses. Elizabeth stood a little over to the side, watching as the two. She and Bradley stole a glance at one another before looking back at Jake.
"Who's that?" John asked from next to her.
"Hangman, you look..." Bradley hesitated as he looked over the man, unsure if he should stroke his ego any further than he stroked it himself. "Good.
"Well," the man bent over to line up a pool shot. "I am good, Rooster." He looked up at the taller man as he hit the white ball, making the others scatter in various places. "I'm very good. In fact, I am too good to be true."
"He needs an ego check," John whispered.
"Oh you have no idea," Liz replied, downing the rest of her drink before setting it down on the table next to her. She eyed some of the others, catching the eyes of Phoenix which made her smile grow as she excitedly waved.
"Sooo," said a familiar face. They truly did call the best. "Anybody knows what this, uh, special detachment is all about?" Payback continued, eyes landing on Jake.
"No, a mission's a mission and they don't confront me," Jake said, looking over the table to see his next move leaning down to take the shot. "What I want to know, who's going to be team leader?" He took the shot before standing. "And which one of y'all has what it takes to follow me?" he said, a smug look on his face.
God, she wanted to punch him right in the face. It made her little sick just how cocky he was. Bradley looked away from Jake for a moment before looking back at him.
"Hangman, the only place you'll lead anyone is an early grave."
Elizabeth's eyes shot over to Bradley as he looked at her and a few others taking glances at her, as well as Jake. Why would he use that incident for his pissing contest? Jake only grinned a bit as he slowly walked over to the man.
"Hell, anybody who follows you will just gonna... run out of fuel." He twitches his head a bit, the two getting a bit close for comfort. John and Elizabeth didn't know if it was going to escalate any further. "But that's just you, ain't it, Rooster?" Jake leaned back against the pool table holding his pool pole between his legs. "Your snug on that perch waiting for juuust the right moment..." He pushed off the table, moving up closer to Rooster now. "That never comes." The two stood off before Jake broke it. "I love this song."
He swiftly walked past Bradley, lining up another shot to shoot. Elizabeth walked over to Rooster and Phoenix.
"Well he hasn't changed," Natasha said, watching the man with her friends.
"Nope, sure hasn't," Bradley responded. He walked past the two girls to see if he could find something. Both women watched him before turning to each other, letting out girlish squeals and hugging one another tightly.
"How have you been?" Elizabeth questioned as she grabbed a pole to start playing.
"I've been good."
"Mom and dad?"
"Both good and they ask about you a lot." That made Elizabeth smile. "How are you?"
She only gave the taller woman a smile, making her shake her head. Elizabeth stepped forward, lining off her shot and successfully hitting two balls into the holes. She was observing the table when one of the airmen who she wasn't acquainted with spoke up.
"Check it out, more patches," Fanboy said, causing her and Reuben to walk over, seeing a bunch more walk over towards them.
"That's Harvard, Yale, Omaha," Reuben started.
"Shit that's Fritz," Elizabeth said. She had worked with him and Halo during OEF as well.
"The hell kind of mission is this?" John muttered, equally as curious.
She didn't know but she had a feeling her father had something to do with it. Why else would he be here?
"That's not the question we should be asking," Nat said, looking between her three friends. "Everyone here is the best there is. Who the hell are they going to get to teach us?"
Before Elizabeth could interject her theory, the blaring music stopped, making the bar erupt in protest. The sound of piano keys caused her head to twist around to see Bradley at the piano. She smiled briefly before turning to take another shot of pool. Phoenix and the others walk over to hang out with Bradley, leaving John, Harvard, Yale, Fritz, and Elizabeth at the pool table. That's when the bell rings. Her eyes went to the counter to see her father and Penny talking. Everyone around her shouting their favorite words.
"Overboard! Overboard! Overboard! Overboard! Overboard!"
Javy walked past her handing her his pool stick as Jake and Reuben followed after him, coming up behind Pete. Jake and Reuben looked to Penny for her orders. The woman nudged her head. Jake and Reuben hook their arms under her father's arms, picking him up. Javy gripped the old man's legs as they led him to the door. Elizabeth walked up to the bar to order another drink, watching as the boys walked back inside. Rooster's piano playing got more intense, causing the bar to erupt in chants transitioning from overboard to his name.
"~You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain. Too much love drives a man insane. You broke my will. But what a thrill. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!~" the man sang, causing the bar to sing along. Elizabeth was eager to get back over to her friends to enjoy the night. She hadn't had this much fun in a long time.
"Here you go, Lizzy," Penny said with a smile.
The young woman thanked her softly.
"So..." she says, unsure how to talk about the presence of her father on the island.
"I'm not sure why he is here either," she said simply.
"~I laughed at love 'cause I thought it was funny. But you came along and moved me, honey!~" Bradley's voice rang through the bar as the two women spoke.
"Well, he's one of the best, if not the best fighter pilots who have experienced things we haven't in the field. I'm assuming it has something to do with that," Liz said, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for her father being back in North Island.
"I think you should talk to him," Penny finally said. "Knowing him, I'm sure he's forgiven you."
She looked out the window and saw her father standing outside, a sadness on his face one would only see from him if he thought nobody could see him.
"~I've changed my mind. This love is fine. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!~"