Say You Won't Let Go

Shes Lost That Loving Feeling

   "What if I'm not a good teacher?" Abigail asks as her and Jake pull into the Hard Deck parking lot. Earlier on in the day they had arrived home from their honeymoon, a week long trip to New Zealand.

     Jake places a hand on her back, giving her a look. "You're going to do great, Abs." He reassures her as they step out of the car and into the hot California sun. Abigail sighs. She was probably just psyching herself out. Maybe she will do great as a Top Gun instructor. "I hope I'm better at being a teacher than I was a pilot." She mumbles, looking down at her prosthetic left leg, it's covered by her jeans, but she's well aware that it's there.

     Stopping in the middle of the parking lot, Jake turns to face her. "You know I love you, right?" He questions with a stern face. Abigail smirks. "Yeah, you spent the last week showing me in many different ways just how much you love me." She nods, raising an eyebrow. He turns his head slightly to the side. "You should show yourself at least a little bit of that love, Abigail. You were an amazing pilot, that accident was not your fault." He expresses, kissing her forehead.

    Abigail takes a deep breath and nods, stepping inside the bar with Jake. Their eyes scan the slightly crowded area, quite a few older men crowd around the bar drinking together. There's a group of people in their mid 20's gathered in a corner playing darts. Abigail got deja vu, seeing a woman and who seems to be her boyfriend competing in darts. Just last year she had met Hangman in that corner, and had fallen in love with him just a few weeks later.

     Abigail finds Rooster leaned up against the wall, his eyes focused on something...actually, someone, sitting at the piano. She walks over to him with Hangman at her side. "Who's that?" She asks, nodding in direction to the woman who is effortlessly playing the piano. He doesn't blink, but he places a hand on her shoulder as a way to greet her.

      "That's the love of my life, Ice."

      Abigail's jaw drops as she looks up at him. "Bradley, I leave you alone for a week and you turn into a man." She exclaims, a proud smile on her face. Jake clicks his tongue. "Nice, man. What's her name?" He asks, joining the two in observing the lady playing "jingle bells" on the piano despite it being the middle of September.

     "I have no idea."

     The woman gets up from the piano and goes to join the group of people playing darts, her sunglasses pushed to the top of her head, acting as a headband for her dark brown hair. Rooster nods assuringly to himself and makes his way towards her, leaving Abigail and Jake behind.  "Hmm." Jake hums, an amused smirk shared between him and his wife.

    "Newlyweds!" Phoenix shouts, waving them over to the pool table. Bob, Coyote, Payback, and Fanboy are crowded there with her. Phoenix greets Hangman with a hug, their sibling-like bond resembling what Abigail and Rooster have. "When did y'all get back?" Phoenix asks, then hugging Abigail.

     Jake puts his arm around Abigail, a wide grin on his face. "This morning. We canceled our last day because it was supposed to storm. Worked out though because we ran into you guys here." Abigail answers, subconsciously messing with the ring she wears. The promise ring he gave her last year was just a silver band, but she loved it nonetheless. But her wedding ring had three diamonds on it, the one in the middle being the largest and  the two on either side being slightly smaller. She felt rich wearing it.

     Abigail waves to the men surrounding Phoenix. Payback, Fanboy, and Coyote are Top Gun instructors along with Abigail and Coyote. Everyone else from last year's events are either deployed or waiting for their next deployment. Jake, Phoenix, and Bob are going to be in the South China Sea for three months in about a week and a half.

     "You guys look good, you've got that marital glow." Fanboy teases, knowing what really gave them the glow. Hangman bites his bottom lip and shrugs. "Being a married man is the best decision of my life. I'm looking so good right now," he gets elbowed in the side by Abigail. "My wife looks good too." He quickly adds on, hearing her laugh.

    Abigail and Phoenix split from the men to go grab a drink, but the face at the bar takes Abby by surprise. "Maverick. Penny's put you to work, I see." She smirks, placing her palms down on the worn down wooden counter. Someone had engraved a heart into the wood. The 60 year old man looks his age for once, it really shows in his eyes. "It's like she put a spell on me. I do anything she wants." He whispers, leaning over the counter so the woman wouldn't hear him. Penny was busy speaking with the drunk old men that had spent all the money they had on beers. Phoenix chuckles. "That, sir, is called love."

       He just hums, nodding softly. Maverick had flown for the navy for the last time on that mission with Abigail. He was now retired, spending his days with Penny and Amelia. And evidently working at the Hard Deck.

    The two women put in their drink order and he quickly fixes it for them, giving a smile to Abigail. "Glad to see you back, kid." He nods, going over to play bad cop on the drunk men that were exhausting Penny's patience.

      Rooster runs back over frantically, putting a hand on either of Abigail's shoulders. She nearly spills her drink. "Her name's Liliana. But, Abby," he pauses. Abigail raises her eyebrows. "What?" She questions, scared that there might be something wrong. He lowers his face, getting close to her ear,

     "She's lost that loving feeling."

     Abigail chuckles, chugging down the entire beer and setting it on the table next to Jake. "Let's fix that." She replies, walking over to the jukebox and punching in the number 63. The song starts to play and Rooster takes the broken microphone and makes his way over to Liliana. He taps on her shoulder and she turns around with a quizzical look.

     "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips." Rooster sings, a flirtatious smirk on his face. Abigail laughs at him.

      Liliana turns to her friends with an exasperated expression, but they encourage her to let him take his shot.

     "And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips." Rooster waves over the group of Top Gun graduates to back him up. Reluctantly, they all join in. Jake throws his arm over Abigail's shoulder as they sway along with the others.

    "You're trying hard not to show it. But baby, baby I know it."

       Liliana throws her head back and cackles, enjoying the peculiar seduction by Rooster.

     "You've lost that lovin' feeling. Whoa, that lovin' feeling."

     Rooster steps closer to Liliana, pointing a finger at her as he finishes the last line.

      "You've lost that lovin' feeling. Now it's gone, gone, gone."

       Rooster bends down and taps his cheek, turning his head to the side. Liliana smiles, her face flushed as she gives him a peck on his tanned skin. Friends from both sides cheer at the success, the song continuing to blare in the background without a live performance.

     The Hard Deck seemed to be the place where all the happiest memories occur. But the naval base...well, that may just be a whole different ballgame.