The man turned his head towards her before straightening up and his smile widened as he guessed why she would have killed him if she could.

"Poppy my dear, you've never been better named than you are right now by the color of your face." He chuckled as she approached dangerously, determined this time to slap him in the face no matter what she risked next.

"You deserve to roast in hell!” A group of pilots formed around them intrigued by what was happening, as she was about to jump at his face, two arms encircled her waist to prevent her from going through with her gesture.  "Rooster let go of me! I'll take that stupid smile off your face and you'll see. Rooster, let me go!"

Jake looked at her with a proud look on his face without batting an eyelid as Bradley tried to restrain his friend.

"Leave him he's not worth it."

"What's going on?" Phoenix finally interjected as lost and stunned as the others.

"Maverick just grounded me on orders from Simpson, who was reportedly told that I didn't feel I had the shoulders for this mission, which was too much pressure for me. You're so afraid of getting passed over that you manage to sink whoever you can. You tried to undermine Bradley's confidence in his own abilities because he's your biggest competitor and now you're taking it out on me? Wouldn't it be you Seresin who doubt your abilities to the point of resorting to such low acts to oust the competition?"

Maybe he was hiding behind his smile or he was unaware of the lack of morality of what he was doing but Jake didn't bat an eye, still wearing his smirk.

"They made a mistake on the selection, it was about recalling the best. But maybe some of them couldn't make themselves available. So they had to plug the holes." Jake said.

"That's so low of you, yet not surprising." Interjected Bob who had placed himself next to her.

"It doesn't matter who will be chosen for this mission Jake, we are all on the same team. But maybe you don't really grasp the meaning of what that means?"

Not wanting to hear what he might have to say, if he had anything to say, she turned and walked out of the room to Vice Admiral Simpson's office. Once in front of the door she took a deep breath before knocking twice on it and entering when he gave permission.

When she entered the room, Cyclone was sitting at his desk, Warlock sitting opposite him, she stood by the door, straight as an i, hands behind her back, both men facing her.

"Lieutenant Caldwell." He sank into his seat with his elbows on the armrests, his hands folded in front of him. "To what do I owe your presence in my office?"

"I would like to speak with you about your recent decision about me sir."

A silence followed.

"We'll pick this up later." He finally said to Rear Admiral Bates who nodded and gathered his documents before getting up and leaving the office, nodding to Poppy who greeted him with a "Sir." Once the door was closed she walked towards the office.

"What the hell is this? You have no right to stop me from flying!"

"I have every right, in this case I'm not stopping you from flying, I'm removing you from this mission."

He straightened up in his seat, leaning slightly over his desk on which he crossed his hands.

"Are you aware that Hangman said all that just to get rid of me? Would you have called me back if you didn't think I could do it? Do you doubt my abilities?"

He passed his hands over his face while posted on the other side of the desk she leaned forward putting her hands flat on it.

"Of course not. But under the circumstances, under the method you are being taught, under the only way to complete this mission, there will be casualties." He paused, anchoring his gaze in hers. "And I won't risk losing you." She straightened up, gritting her teeth.

"Then it's personal."

"This is not the time to discuss this Molly."

"It's time if I decide to." She replied curtly, Beau's gaze turning stern. "You can't interfere with my career and ground me as soon as the danger is too great for your taste. It’s part of our job, if you constantly do that I will never fly again!"

"Molly that's enough, we'll discuss it tonight."

"Oh no, we're going to talk about this now. Put me back in."

"Molly..." He ran a hand over his face, his tone dragging.

"Beau, if you do this it’s over."

Her words had the effect of a bomb and he looked her straight in the eyes stunned by what she had just said.

"Your choice Beau, either accept the risk without something necessarily happening to me, or lose me."

A silence settled between the two of them, looking into each other's eyes and it seemed to last forever until he finally spoke again in a neutral tone.

"After careful consideration Lieutenant Caldwell, your abilities making you a suitable pilot for this mission, you are reintegrate in it."

She straightened up and her chest heaved as she took a deep relieved breath, she didn't realize she had been holding it until then.

"Thank you sir." She turned on her heels about to leave the office when he rose from his seat, slipping one hand into his pants pocket, the other touching the desk with his fingertips.

"I didn’t authorize you to dispose of Lieutenant." He spoke in a sharp tone.

With her hand on the doorknob she turned her head towards him, his downcast look had given way to a threatening one, knowing full well what was coming next her fingers slid from the door handle to the lock below and locked the door.

"Good." He commented on her gesture.

With a feline gait she returned to the office.

"You seem irritated."

"Why wouldn't I be? You show up into my office and discuss an order."

"Seriously Beau?" A frank laugh shook her chest. "I don't think I stormed in here like a fury and almost revealing our little secret. And as for discussing an order, it's within my rights to want to discuss a decision with my superior and express my point of view. You never would have made that decision if Hangman hadn't come in to screwed it up."

"Are you really going to blame me for wanting to protect you?"

"You can't protect me Beau, I blame you for letting the personal override the professional. We agreed this wouldn't happen! Do you know what it's like to be put on the spot for that reason?! No, you didn't think about that, did you? Maybe you were more focused on the possible loss of your toy, who would have sucked you under the desk on your lunch break otherwise?"

A dull growl escaped from his chest. "You're going too far, be careful."

"Or else what? Fire me, my career won't end there. Fire me, and what will Admiral Kazansky think of a Vice Admiral who sexually blackmailed one of his subordinates?"

His jaw clenched so hard he could have broken it in anger.

"You are going way too far Molly, stop this right now."

"It was you who started Beau, assume that for once you didn't take the right decision, even though the intention was laudable I admit, it was unprofessional." She paused and thought for a moment before going too far and regretting it. "It's up to you if you'd rather sleep on the couch tonight, if not it'll be me." She was about to turn her heels and leave once and for all of his office when in a flash he made the turn. Everything happened quickly, a hand sliding in her neck he drew against her to crush his lips on hers, pressing her against him with a hand in her lower back. Surprised but without any intention to push back him, she rolled up her arms around his nape and pressed her chest against his deepening this passionate kiss, one of those which follow the reconciliation of an argument. Taking off his lips of hers he put his forehead against hers.