The mission arrives and brings a sense of dread with it. Nora attempts to smooth things over with her brother just in case something goes wrong.
Which it does... horribly.
~~~~~~~~
"Bradley... just... shut up and listen, please." Nora sighed. Bradley put a hand up. "I'm not interested in your pitiful apology. You sold Mom's ring, the one thing she left us. I'll never forgive you for that,"
~~~~~~~~
Nora woke up to a note on her bedside table. She hit the alarm off with a loud groan and braced herself for it.
Morning Norie-Noo.
I got your drunk, or possibly sober, though I doubt it, voice message the other week about this top classified mission you're on. I also get the distinct impression that Fallon might be being a bit unfair about it. But can you blame her? She might lose her mum and her entire way of living. But anyways, I'll grill you about that when you come home from it, which you will, because you're insanely talented in the cockpit. But, I've taken an extended leave from work (which was way overdue, I realised I had nearly a month's worth of leave available for me) and kidnapped Fallon for some daddy-daughter time. We're at a hotel tonight, but I'll bring her by this evening to say goodbye. It might not be a bad thing to have that off your chest: that somebody you trust is watching after her.

Anyway: just thought I'd update you so you didn't think she'd been kidnapped in the night. If I'm right and you still finish around 6, I'll see you around 7 tonight.

James.

She wiped her eyes. Fuck. Fallon would be devastated if she died... and have to move away from the only family she's ever known, to a completely new country, and a completely new environment. Before she could wallow in her pity much longer, her alarm began screeching again.

~

"How's Sarah?" She said to Sydney, who'd spent the night at the Kazansky household last night. "Not good, but doing ok considering," Sydney looked her up and down. "How about you? You look hungover," Nora scoffed and shook her head. "Nah, just worrying about Fallon. Same old, same old." They took their seats in the hangar, waiting for Mav to take over. Instead, Cyclone stood at the front, addressing them. "Maverick will no longer be running this mission," He began. Her anxiety reaching an all-new high, Nora began to feel ill. Her head buzzed painfully as her wonderful brain continued throwing horrid scenarios at her, faster than the speeds she'd ever flown at. Her mouth began to feel heavy, so she pressed a hard fist against it, hoping to ebb nausea somehow.

Sydney elbowed her in the side. "You good?" She asked. "Is your conversation more important than the mission, Lieutenant Blackwood?" Cyclone interrupted before Nora could answer. "No Sir. I apologise," His gaze moved to Nora's and before she knew it, she was pushing back from her desk and flying out the doors before she vomited everywhere.

She barely made it to the bathroom before whatever she'd eaten that morning came rushing back up. Fucking anxiety: it ruins everything. What the hell was she worrying about? She'd flown dangerous missions before and came home! What was so different about this one? Maybe Fallon was older? Old enough to understand what had happened? That she'd probably only receive a flag? Maybe Nora's dog tags if she was lucky enough.

Nora shuddered. She wiped her mouth with some tissue and splashed cold water on her face. It usually helped bring her down. She'd made too much of a scene now, there was no way she'd be going back into that hangar. Not unless she snuck back in when they broke for lunch.

~

She didn't go back. She went home. She felt too anxious to continue and was given a medical pass for the day. After meeting with James again and talking through her worries while Fallon showered in the fancy hotel he was in, they came to a decision. "Do you want to do it?" He'd asked. At first, Nora argued she didn't have a choice. James retorted "you always have a choice. It's if you like the outcome," And the outcome was a dishonourable discharge, forever on her record, tainting her life. "but you agreed to do it at the start... so that means, on a small, maybe even minuscule level, you want to do it. You think you'll come home," And it got her thinking. So, that evening, they'd sat Fallon down and explained everything. "So... if mom dies, I move to London with dad?" Nora sighed quietly. "I won't die... but in that unlikely event, no. James would move back here, and take you home to Texas. You could pick up school at Medford High again if you wanted. So nothing much would change,"

"Except you dying,"

And that evening, long after James turned in, Nora felt cold feet curling up to her legs. "I'm sorry if I worry you with this... I know you like doing it," She pulled Fallon in tightly. "Baby, nothing will happen. Satan ain't done with me yet," Fallon giggled softly. "Plus, not only am I flying with the best of the best in the entire world, but I'm also with Aunty Syd. And we don't even know they'll pick me yet. They could pick somebody else,"

But God held both middle fingers up the following day when Maverick announced her and Sydney as one of the foxtrot teams. Alongside Pheonix & Bob, Rooster as well. So, on the day of the flight, be it her need to please people or wanting to make sure all her wounds were at least taped over, the marched up to her brother. "Rooster, can we talk?" She asked. Rooster eyed her up and down with a shrug. "I'm busy." Nora sighed. "You don't even have to talk, just listen," She tried. He rolled his eyes. "I said, I'm busy. What about that don't you get?"

"Bradley... just... shut up and listen, please." Nora sighed. Bradley put a hand up. "I'm not interested in your pitiful apology. You sold Mom's ring, the one thing she left us. I'll never forgive you for that," And he stormed off. "Well fuck you then, Bradley. My conscience is clear!" She yelled at his retreating form angrily.