Page 81 of Forever Fickle

“A girlfriend? He can’t keep a girl longer than a day,” Vapor grinned, looking at a couple of the other guys and laughing. “We all know that he’s incapable of being faithful. He can’t keep it in his pants and will screw…”

Jace saw red.

He threw himself forward angrily at the other pilot as the room exploded. He heard the scrape of the bunk as it slid across the floor, seeing Caboose launch himself off of it, nearly tackling Houdini who stepped forward to help Vapor just as Jace reached him.

Reaper slung Sparky and Ghost right into each other in a sickening crunch that was audible. X-Ray backed away, grinning, and waved at Handsy across the room.

“Hey Handsy…” X-Ray called out, playfully.

“What?”

Jace ducked as Vapor swung hard towards his face, barely missing him. He launched his shoulder at the man, hoping to stop him… not hurt him as he pushed him into the lockers. The guy had a temper and an axe to grind, trying to prove himself.

Vapor didn’t have to prove himself to anyone – but himself.

“You’re right,” X-Ray said loudly. “Maybe these guys can get it out of their system, and we can all have a civil discussion? I had no idea Sorensen had a girlfriend.”

“Because Hot Cakes keeps his mouth shut about everything,” Caboose bit out, pulling Houdini up off the floor by his flight suit.

“Weren’t supposed… to say… either,” Jace bit out as Vapor landed a fist in his side, near his kidney. That was going to leave a mark! “Ooomph… good one… Vapor…”

“Yup. He met her in Texas when he flew out to see some of the former pilots. We are a family… and the team needed help.”

“A realteam…” Reaper snarled, reinforcing the word angrily, causing Jace to look over his shoulder to see the dark haired man who earned his call sign by being deadly in the skies, had both of their heads locked in his hands, his fingers entangled in their short hair.

Jace knew from Sparky and Ghost’s expressions that they were exceedingly close to losing several hair follicles… at once.

“Caboose…” Jace gasped as Vapor landed a punch on the same kidney again. This had to stop before someone found them all fighting! “Let… my… wingman… go…”

Caboose dropped him immediately, causing Houdini to land in an audible thud on the concrete floor as he looked at Jace incredulously.

“So even though the other pilots left – you still help when called?”

“They are our brothers,” Handsy shrugged. “Our team.”

“VAPOR…” Houdini snapped, interrupting everyone as they drew to a halt, some of them in mid-swing.

Jace saw the disbelief and understanding on his wingman’s face.

Houdini might have left him, repeatedly, but Jace was still there… helping him, because it was the right thing to do.

He could feel Vapor tense, where the younger guy had him locked under his arm, violently banging on Jace’s back and sides to free himself from where he was pinned against the lockers by him.

Vapor was pinned, because he knew that the other guys would pummel the arrogant, smart-aleck man to the ground. The kid had repeatedly alienated himself to several people over the last few weeks since arriving.

“Vapor, leave Hot Cakes alone and let him go!” Houdini barked, getting to his feet as the barracks door swung open.

Reilly walked in.

Jace cursed softly under his breath. He was going to lose his time off – there was no doubt about it in his mind now.

“What is going on here?” Reilly said with deathly calm that caused everyone to hesitate.

“Lice check, sir,” Reaper said bluntly, causing several of them to chuckle softly before they muffled it. “We don’t want it spreading.”

“I was cleaning, sir,” Caboose offered, “Houdini was helping me check under the beds for dust bunnies.”

“We are clear, too,” Houdini grinned, wiping his nose quickly to hide the fact that it was bloodied. “Cleanliness is next to godliness, sir.”

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