It was midnight by the time Steve wandered back to his quarters. He forced himself to sleep but it was only for four hours. Grabbing some coffee he skipped breakfast and arrived at Kayce’s bedside by 0500. Rudy was already tending to his only patient. He took one look at Steve’s pale face and the large coffee in his hand. “Did you at least eat breakfast?”

Steve glared at Rudy with annoyance, “I’m not hungry. How is she?”

“She’s still sleepy. I gave her a mild sedative late last night because she was too uncomfortable to rest.”

Steve nodded and leaned over her peaceful face, kissing her gently on the lips. He was surprised when her glassy eyes began to slowly open.

“Hi beautiful.” He greeted her with a smile.

Smiling weakly at the familiar voice she tried to reposition herself more comfortably but quickly realized it wasn’t a good idea when the pain traveled up the right side of her body causing her to wince involuntarily. It was obvious she was already in the most comfortable position possible. Her eyes closed without her saying a word and she fell back to sleep.

After placing a second kiss in her forehead the operative headed to the deck above. “I’ll see you later Rudy.” The doctor noticed the sadness in the words and hoped Kayce would be feeling better by the time Steve did return.

The sun beat down unmercifully as Steve, with the direction of the deck crew, moved his aircraft into a space reserved for his F-4. He remained in the quiet confines of the cockpit for a few moments after shutting down the engines wondering if this was all worth it. The realization that he had just soloed his first carrier landing should have caused elation but he didn’t care. Dragging his tired body from the plane he walked across the deck where Oscar was waiting for him.

“Steve I need to talk to you.”

“Later Oscar.” He said curtly, still angry at Oscar’s earlier lack of compassion, and continued walking.

Oscar reached out and grabbed the operative’s arm. “Please Steve I want to apologize for yesterday.”

Steve halted his steps and locked eyes with his boss. “Fine.” He responded coldly.

“Steve, It’s just that this mission is very important and…”

“I know how important this mission is Oscar.” Steve interrupted. “Why do you think Kayce and I have been busting our butts to pull it off on schedule?”

“I guess I just let the pressure get to me yesterday.” The brown eyes were soft as he stated his position. “Steve, I care about Kayce too. I’m sorry if it didn’t sound that way.”

Steve nodded his understanding. “Just get one thing straight. My wife comes before any mission. Understand?”

Oscar hesitated then nodded after seeing the steely blue eyes of his agent. Each let out a sigh feeling the tension between them evaporate. Oscar slapped Steve on the back, “Tell Kayce I said hello and I’ll see her a little later.”

“Will do.” The Air Force pilot replied and headed to the infirmary.

Stepping into the room Steve was shocked to see Kayce sitting forward in bed with Rudy listening to her lungs, his stethoscope against her upper back. “One more deep breath.” He said and she tried to comply but her bruised ribs prevented it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Steve walking silently to the bedside, grinning. He was in surprised that she wasn’t only awake but moving on her own.

“Okay, you can lie back.” She did, pulling the covers to her chin to hide her injuries. Steve didn’t miss the tightly closed eyelids as she repositioned herself.

“Hi.” He greeted with a lopsided grin under his concerned blue eyes.

“Hi.” She said quietly.

Rudy looked at Steve and asked, “Could you bring Kayce some street clothes?” The doctor waited for the inference to sink in. Steve’s eyes grew as did his grin. “You mean she can get out of here?” Rudy nodded. “She’s still sore but I think moving around would loosen her up. She’s getting stiff lying here.”

“But she can’t fly yet can she?” Steve asked knowing Kayce would be wanting to head out to the deck as soon as she could.

“No, not until she has 72 hours without dizziness, headaches and nausea. Then we’ll talk flying.” Wanting to give the couple some privacy Rudy excused himself.

“Well, did you solo?” The young woman asked with interest.

Steve nodded. “Yeah.”

“That’s great!” She said tiredly. “I wish I could’ve seen it.”

“I’m sure I’ll do it again.” He joked and she smiled.

“I’m sorry to be holding up the mission.” She reached out to hold his hand. Looking at his wife’s small hand in his he considered calling the whole thing off, there was too much at stake. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.” He took a deep breath. “Don’t worry you aren’t holding up the mission.”

“What do you mean? Oscar’s not sending you in there alone is he?” She tried to sit up in her panic.

“Kayce calm down.” He sat on the edge of the bed and gently settled her into the pillows. “No, Oscar’s not sending me in alone. We still have time for you to rest and get better.”

He watched as she fought to keep her emotions controlled. “Steve, I want this assignment over so we can go home and…” Her voice cracked and the tears suddenly flowed down her cheeks, the reality of a different outcome to her accident too fresh in her mind. Her blue eyes looked into Steve’s. “I want to see my little boy again… soon.”

Steve caressed her cheek tenderly knowing she was frightened after coming so close to never seeing their son again. “I know, I know.” Seeing her quiet he promised they would call Kyle that evening.

After awhile he left her to gather the clothes she requested, sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt. While he was gone Rudy brought her some lunch but she couldn’t bring herself to eat. Seeing Steve looking so tired and haggard was too much. She knew she was the cause of the added stress, something her husband didn’t need right now. Rudy caught her pushing the food about her plate.

“Something wrong?” She looked up at her friend who had seen her through some awful times. She nodded silently and pushed the food away. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“It just…Rudy is it me or does Steve look like he aged 10 years since this cruise started? Has he been sleeping at all?” Rudy smiled at the description as Kayce confessed. “It’s all my fault, I have no doubt he’s worried about what happened. If he sees these bruises he’ll just worry even more...”

Rudy was honest and nodded. “Don’t worry he sees that you’re getting better. He’ll bounce back.” Noticing her unfocused stare he added, “Kayce this isn’t your fault. You need to concentrate on getting better, get this mission over with and then take a long family vacation.” The suggestion brought a slow smile to her face. “You’re probably right.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Steve’s return. “Here you go.” He laid the clothes on the bed. “Would you like some help?” Steve offered.

Kayce looked at Rudy then at Steve. “If you gentlemen don’t mind I think I can handle this assignment alone. The two men chuckled and Rudy pulled the privacy curtain around the bed. Steve followed his friend to the desk.

“Steve I don’t expect anything to happen but I’ll want to see her daily. She still needs to rest but moving about will help with the stiffness as along as she doesn’t overdue it okay?” Steve nodded with an anxious smile. The thought of springing his wife from the infirmary made him feel relieved.

“Ready to go!” She announced as she moved slowly towards them.

“Any headache?”

“No.”

“Nausea?”

“No.”

“Any dizziness?”

She hesitated. “Just a little.”

“Well, have a good night and I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”

Steve wrapped a gentle hand about her waist and escorted her to the door. As soon as they left the confines of the sickbay all physical contact was avoided keeping with the captain’s wishes.

Once in their quarters Kayce settled on her bunk. She had the F-4 manual on her lap as well as an aerial map of Russia. She read for awhile but soon she dozed off, the reading materials strewn across her body.

Steve had left her to meet with Oscar to discuss the newest Intel. When he returned to his quarters he smiled at the sight of his studious wife. “Oscar certainly can’t accuse you of loafing that’s for sure.” He commented softly as he gingerly removed the objects and draped the blanket over her. She was still wearing her street clothes and for a moment Steve considered undressing her for bed but didn’t want to wake her.

He quickly got himself ready for bed and quietly climbed up onto the top bunk, his body tired and the hour late. He hoped he would get some decent amount of sleep now that Kayce was close by.

The young woman awoke feeling hot in the enclosed cabin. In the dim light from the digital clock on the desk she could tell that she was still dressed in her blouse and pants. Usually with the warmth of the ship she slept in a tank top and her underwear, keeping pants nearby in case of an emergency. She looked over at the desk, the lighted clock giving the dark room an eerie reddish tint. It was just past 0200 hours. She figured Steve was sound asleep above her and hoped she wouldn’t wake him as she undressed. At least the darkness would hide the results of her impact with the water.

Sliding slowly and quietly from her bunk she stood by the desk and used it to steady herself while she completed her task. Unbuttoning her blouse she stiffly slid it off before donning her tank top, unaware she was being watched from above. The soft, low voice startled her.

“My god Kayce.” She spun and saw him sitting in his underwear with his legs folded under him Indian-style, his back against the wall. Obviously he had not been sleeping for some time. She gave him a small smile and finished sliding off her pants. When Steve saw the rest of her he gracefully swung himself off the top bed onto the floor in front of her. She stood, unsure what to say, knowing it hurt him to see her with the large deep purple coloring of her right shoulder, ribcage and hip.

He moved to stand before her and took her face in his hands. “Kayce, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay Steve it’s just bruises. They’ll heal.” She smiled weakly, the sadness in his eyes easily readable.

He caressed her jaw line with his thumbs. “I thought I lost you out there.”

She placed her arms around his waist. “Is that why you haven’t been sleeping?” He didn’t respond, not wanting to trouble her. “Steve, I’m here and I’m fine. Let’s just focus on the job at hand and go home okay?”

He gave her a crooked grin, “Sure.”

Kayce settled back on her bunk and was shocked to see Steve pulling on his jeans and shirt. “What are you doing?”

“Go to sleep. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

“Where are you going?”

“For a short walk… maybe it will help me sleep.” He quickly exited the room before she could question him further. She lay with her eyes closed wondering if it was the mission ahead of them or her accident that was causing his insomnia.

Steve aimlessly wandered about the ship trying to sort out the thoughts filling his tired mind. He wished he could tell Kayce about his nightmare. She always knew the right words to calm him. Unfortunately this wasn’t something he could share with her so he continued his walk until he found himself at the maintenance hanger just before the morning work crew was to arrive. He looked around the quiet space. There off to the side he saw the damaged arrest wire that had been the cause of Kayce’s accident. He swallowed the large lump of suspicion in his throat and went to examine the item. Using his bionic eye he could see the frayed thin cords that made up the heavy line. Unfortunately he couldn’t tell if the fraying was intentional or not. Letting out a tired exhale he stood and left the hanger.

Kayce, as ordered, went to see Rudy right after breakfast. Concerned that Steve had yet to return she explained the late night’s events that concerned her. Her anxiety was not calmed when Rudy commented he didn’t know what was distracting Steve to the point of insomnia. Kayce, being excused for the day was assured by the doctor that he would dig a little deeper into her husband’s concerns.

Steve was headed back to his quarters and ran into Rudy exiting the dining hall. The experienced physician quickly made up an excuse to get Steve alone in the infirmary.

“Steve I need to see you.”

“What’s up Rudy?” He asked with a raised brow.

“Oscar wants you medically checked out before the mission. Since I heard you were free this morning I thought it would be a good time to grab you.”

“Sure why not. Give me some time to shower and shave and I’ll see you in half an hour.” He replied in a distracted tone knowing arguing would not get him anywhere.

As promised Steve arrived looking slightly revived after his shower. Rudy quietly went about his routine exam trying to broach the subject he was most interested in. He didn’t have to fake it.

The doctor’s heavy sigh brought the blue eyes to his face. “Something wrong Rudy?”

“Not really considering.”

“Considering what?”

“Well you have moderate signs of exhaustion. Kayce’s on the mend and the mission’s going on schedule. Would you like to tell me what’s keeping you up at night?”

Rudy saw the annoyed look on Steve’s face. The pilot suspected his wife had mentioned his sleepless night. Taking a deep breath he explained his trouble. “I just can’t sleep. I keep having the same nightmare every time I fall asleep.”

Rudy casually took a seat and nodded for his patient to continue. After a long exhale Steve elaborated. “It always begins with reliving Kayce’s accident… except… except you can’t revive her.” He took another deep shuddering breath and became silent.

“Then what?” He noticed Steve’s eyes took on a haunted look as he revisited the dream and all its minute details.

“You, Oscar and I take her… body home in a chopper. The next thing I see is….” he closed his eyes and ran his hands over his face; the sight was too much.

Rudy leaned forward and placed a hand on his friend’s knee as he sat on the examination table. “What Steve?”

Steve’s eyes opened and his voice was barely audible, his eyes glued to the floor, as he described the scene that broke his heart.

Steve stood over the newly dug grave with a comforting hand on his little boy’s shoulder, hearing the sniffles escaping the small body. “Come on Kyle. It’s time to go.”

“No!” Kyle cried out and lunged forward, both of his small arms wrapping tightly around the grey marble tombstone, his head resting against his mother’s name carved into the cold, polished stone. The tears and sobs tore through Steve’s heart like a knife. The tall man stepped forward and dropped to one knee. He tried in vain to pry the little boy away from the grave marker. The attempt only increased his son’s cries of “Don’t leave us Mommy…Please!”

When Steve finished the story he looked spent. Gazing at his friend’s compassionate expression he commented, “That’s why I can’t tell Kayce. It would stress her out even more. She’s already afraid of not seeing him again after…. What happened?”

“Let me give you something just to get some decent sleep tonight. Maybe now that Kayce is up and moving around your subconscious will finally be convinced she’s okay and the dream will stop.” Steve didn’t argue which worried Rudy further. After a moment the doctor went to get the mild sedative.

“Here.” He handed Steve the two pills. “Take these tonight when you’re ready to sleep. They are mild enough not to give you a hangover effect.”

“Rudy there’s something else.” He cocked and eyebrow at the physician. “I went to check out the arrest wire, the one that caused the accident. I can’t be sure it wasn’t tampered with. What if…. when Kayce flies her next flight…?”

“Have you talked to Oscar?”

“Not yet. But she needs to finish the training in the next few days.”

“I’ll talk to him. Right now I want you to eat a decent lunch. I saw you are on the flight schedule for this afternoon.”

Steve just nodded and ambled out of the room. Rudy immediately went to talk to Oscar about Steve’s concerns.

The next two days flew by. Rudy’s sedative was enough to provide Steve the rest he needed to recover and continue with the training. Kayce was keeping busy with any mission-related activity that could be done without getting into a plane. Now that her bruises were less painful the couple took comfort in sharing the bottom bunk at night. Steve’s nightmare was kept at bay and Kayce rested well in her husband’s protective embrace.

Oscar was able to meet with the couple to discuss the investigative findings, which had commenced within an hour of the accident. As it turned out, after review of the maintenance logs, the failed arresting wire had never replaced as ordered while the ship was docked for routine work. Steve relief was audible when the report was shared. The captain added that someone at the shipyard would be seriously punished for the oversight that nearly cost several lives

When 72 hours passed without any symptoms of her concussion Kayce was cleared by Rudy to fly again. Steve watched from the deck as the young woman, the first in history, landed a military jet on a naval carrier. The look of pride on Steve’s face would take awhile to be extinguished. In a little more then 48 hours and the mission would commence.

The couple spent the last day reviewing the game plan with all contingencies. It was just after lunch when Lieutenant Stephens intercepted the couple as they headed to their quarters. Even though neither Steve nor Kayce knew Silver that well they both noticed the twinkle in his eye when he requested their presence in the briefing room.

The two followed the nervous lieutenant and where greeted by more then twenty fellow pilots and crew members. “What’s this all about?” Steve inquired.

Silver looked back at his group before speaking. “Kayce, we know things did not get off on the right foot when you came aboard. I, I mean we, don’t share the chauvinistic views of some of our shipmates.”

“Thanks guys. I do appreciate all your help with this assignment. I couldn’t have done it without most of you, especially you, Silver.” The blush on the instructor’s face as she spoke was becoming more and more noticeable.

The couple turned as if to leave and the lieutenant stopped her with a gentle touch on her arm. “Kayce wait. There’s something else.” She turned back and Steve stood just behind her. Silver retrieved a grey flight helmet, her flight helmet, from a corner table. He slowly handed it to her with the face shield downward. “We wanted to make sure you were official before the mission started.” He said simply and looked at her confused expression. Steve, suddenly aware of what was happening, whispered in her ear.

Her dark blue eyes lowered to the helmet as she rolled it face up and a huge smile grew on her lips. There at the top in was her call sign, bestowed upon her by the men in the room. At first she didn’t know what to say looking at the white cursive letters. Finally she had to ask, unable to hide her embarrassment. “How did you come up with this name?”

Silver stared at her with a goofy grin. “What else would we call a pretty woman who was obviously born to fly?” He looked at Steve hoping the colonel didn’t take any offense to the adjective used to describe his wife. “It fits don’t you think colonel?”

“Absolutely.”

Silver smiled at Kayce. “Well it’s official. You are now a member of our air corps.” He held out his hand and she shook it with enthusiasm and gratitude. Then the men in the room slowly made their way forward to congratulate her and wish both operatives luck on the mission.

When the room emptied she stood still, looking at the helmet. Steve slid his arm around her and asked, “Interested in taking a walk, ‘Angel’?”

She giggled, “Sure.”

It was just before sunset, husband and wife had a few hours personal time before they would be on their way into foreign territory and Rudy followed an anxious Oscar through the ship in search of the couple. No one had seen them and the director was already edgy about the evening ahead. Finally he paged the colonel overhead and waited but Steve didn’t appear as expected. Finally an unknown seaman called up to the bridge to inform the OSI director that the man he was looking for was in the maintenance hanger and wasn’t making any move to reply to the overhead order, confirming Oscar’s suspicion.

Oscar and Rudy immediately headed that way. Half way across the hanger the two stopped when they saw the couple’s profile. Off the hanger, located at the rear of the large carrier, was a small deck that opened to the ocean. The married pair sat against the wall of the ship gazing out at the brilliant orange sun melting into the horizon. Kayce had situated herself between Steve’s long legs and it wasn’t long before he had pulled her back against him, her back resting against his chest.

With the cool air rushing by them, softly rustling their hair, Steve unzipped his flight jacket and cradled her in it with him.

“Steve, I don’t think the captain is going to very happy if we are seen like this.” She couldn’t see Steve’s half grin that was above and behind her head.

“Well, I figure the risk is insignificant when compared to tonight and tomorrow.” He felt her let out a heavy sigh as they both considered the upcoming days.

The serene picture took Oscar by surprise, causing him to stop in his tracks, his anger at his rebellious operative vanishing quickly.

“I thought we were here to talk to them?” The confused doctor asked, surprised at Oscar’s unexpected halt.

Oscar responded distractedly, “We are. I just hate to spoil the moment. You know?” Rudy nodded and the two men watched as the operatives slowly untangled themselves and got to their feet. Steve immediately removed his jacket to drape over his wife’s shoulders before giving her a tender kiss on the lips.

The two turned as one, Steve’s arm wrapped tightly around her waist as they walked towards their friends.

“Are you two ready to go?” The pair nodded silently. “Let’s go over the details one more time before you leave.” The pair followed Oscar and Rudy to the briefing room.

The threesome exited the small room, the detailed briefing complete. Rudy approached Oscar as he stood in the passageway staring at the retreating backs of his operatives heading for their quarters.

“Are they ready?”

“As ready as they can be. Unfortunately in this game we can only plan so much the rest is up to them.” The taller man replied then headed in the direction of the flight deck, the doctor following closely behind.

On the windswept deck the crew prepared the non-descript grey F-4 Phantom for its flight. Several moments passed before the two observers watched Kayce and Steve walk across the deck towards the plane.

Seeing the pair wearing black flight suits lacking the usual insignia made the danger of the upcoming mission all the more real to the men staying behind. Both pilots displayed a confident air with their parachutes draped over one shoulder and their helmets in the other. A casual observer could not read the expression on their faces but Rudy and Oscar knew the pair was tense by their stiff postures and lack of conversation as they donned their parachutes. The two men ambled over to wish them luck before the two pilots scaled the small ladder before taking their places in the cramped, tandem cockpit.

The spectators stepped to a safe area as the individually hinged canopies were closed and locked. Steve and Kayce worked together to complete the pre-flight checklist quickly and thoroughly. Rudy, without taking his eyes off the plane asked his boss, “You think this will work?”

Oscar let out a sigh knowing Rudy was questioning the unconventional way of getting the agents embedded in the foreign territory. “It’s risky but it has to work.” He moved his gaze from the aircraft to the doctor, “If not I’m sure between the two of them they’ll figure something out.”

Rudy let a smile relax his serious face. “They do work well together don’t they?”

“Like two sides of the same coin.”

The two watched silently as the signal was given and the engine revved up. Steve gave the crew a ‘thumbs up’ sign followed by a quick salute and the plane was launched. It cleared the illuminated deck before ascending into the darkness, its lighted wingtips and glowing exhaust the only indicators of its position. The aircraft eagerly climbed into the clouds, unaware that this, its final flight, would only last little more then 10 hours.

For most of the flight the cockpit was very quiet as both agents had their minds on the same thing, a little three year old boy with bright, blue eyes and a charming smile. Steve’s voice broke the quiet, “We’re ‘feet dry’” he informed his co-pilot indicating they had passed over the coast. He made some adjustments before contacting the carrier on a secure frequency. It was time to prepare for the next step.

Oscar paced the bridge with his hands deep in his pants pockets as Rudy, his stomach in a knot, stood and watched. The radar officer pulled his headset from his left ear. “Sir, we have confirmation. Wanderer is ‘feet dry’ and ready for phase two.” Oscar nodded and continued his trek across the small area. The Captain called over to one of his best pilots. “Give it your best Silver.”

“Aye, Sir.”

The bridge remained eerily quiet for another hour. The call from the radar officer caught everyone’s attention, “Sir, I’ve lost contact with the F-4. I’m not getting any transmissions at all.”

“See if you can hear any Soviet chatter.” The captain looked at Oscar, “They would have been clearly seen on radar at that altitude. There should be MiGs close to them by now. Let’s hope they weren’t too close.” Oscar nodded absently, his face displaying his deep concern for his operatives.

“Sir, I’m getting some info from the soviet trackers.” The young man hesitated, slowly translating the Russian words he was hearing. “They picked up the F-4 on radar about two hours inland.” He held silent a few more minutes which felt like an eternity to Oscar and Rudy. “Another pilot has confirmed a fiery crash approximately 1200 miles northwest from where Wanderer cleared the coast.”

“Keep on it. Let me know what they say about survivors.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Oscar and Rudy locked eyes for a moment hoping for the best.

...Continued