Oh No, Aliens
Chapter Twenty-Two
Things had turned out more than okay in the end. With Tommy's blessing and Brand's scowls, Hadley and Jack said their goodbyes. Without proper military training, they couldn't stay and continue the fight. Still, they'd had a huge part in it and were promised that aside from military protection from LeonAir goons, they'd get a call if their help was needed.
Hadley's family all ran out to group hug her when they saw her return, and Jack was surprised when he was yanked into the hug too. News traveled fast, it seemed. Jack had already been accepted into the family, whether or not he wanted to be. And he did want to be. He never imagined he'd move back to Fairlee, but he and Hadley stayed with her parents a little while longer until they got themselves a nice little apartment about twenty minutes away.
By the time they got started on moving, two of the larger alien ships had been taken down to the ground. There was discourse within the military with people being forced to choose between serving the people and serving the corporate and government overlords that offered them money, but the ones supporting the public heavily outnumbered anyone else. With the technology from the green chip being harvested and studied, it was becoming easier and easier to defend themselves.
A month into the fight, the crafts began disappearing. Hadley sat by the window with Hershey curled up in her lap, and started staring out the window when a beam of blue light began flashing. Jack joined her, offering her a mug of tea and a blanket before sitting beside her.
"It's retreating," she said.
Jack opened the window and poked his head out. She was right. The massive craft flew right over their heads, blowing dust around as it passed. And then it was gone in a flicker. They turned on the news to find that one by one, all of them retreated.
"Michael Porter was just arrested," she said. "LeonAir is being shut down and investigated, too."
"Too bad," Jack sighed.
"Too bad?" she questioned. "I thought you were happy to be a waiter again, instead of working for him."
"I am," he agreed. "I just thought it would be fun to take a vacation together, and their prices are dirt cheap right now."
"It's okay," she laughed. "We can pay a couple extra bucks to take a vacation without worrying about getting shot out of the sky. What were you thinking?"
"Road trip back to New York?"
She flicked his forehead, but grinned.
"Never again," she said. "I don't know if I can handle more of 'ooh you drive too fast' or 'boo hoo my back hurts and my neck hurts and I'm tired'."
"Woah," Jack said. "That's a cheap blow. I do not complain that much."
"Yes you do, you big baby," she teased.
"I bet Brand doesn't complain," he pouted. "Maybe you should just leave me forever and run away with- OW."
She punched him hard in the arm and laughed.
"You need to stop crying over that guy," she said. "I'm worried you might leave me for him."
"Wouldn't that be a turn of events?"
She unfolded the blanket and put it over the both of them, snuggling into his side with her mug of tea. He put an arm around her and kissed the side of her head.
"I promise I won't leave you for Brand," he told her.
"Ditto," she laughed. "And I'm happy right where we are."
"How about a movie?"
"Deal."
Hadley's family all ran out to group hug her when they saw her return, and Jack was surprised when he was yanked into the hug too. News traveled fast, it seemed. Jack had already been accepted into the family, whether or not he wanted to be. And he did want to be. He never imagined he'd move back to Fairlee, but he and Hadley stayed with her parents a little while longer until they got themselves a nice little apartment about twenty minutes away.
By the time they got started on moving, two of the larger alien ships had been taken down to the ground. There was discourse within the military with people being forced to choose between serving the people and serving the corporate and government overlords that offered them money, but the ones supporting the public heavily outnumbered anyone else. With the technology from the green chip being harvested and studied, it was becoming easier and easier to defend themselves.
A month into the fight, the crafts began disappearing. Hadley sat by the window with Hershey curled up in her lap, and started staring out the window when a beam of blue light began flashing. Jack joined her, offering her a mug of tea and a blanket before sitting beside her.
"It's retreating," she said.
Jack opened the window and poked his head out. She was right. The massive craft flew right over their heads, blowing dust around as it passed. And then it was gone in a flicker. They turned on the news to find that one by one, all of them retreated.
"Michael Porter was just arrested," she said. "LeonAir is being shut down and investigated, too."
"Too bad," Jack sighed.
"Too bad?" she questioned. "I thought you were happy to be a waiter again, instead of working for him."
"I am," he agreed. "I just thought it would be fun to take a vacation together, and their prices are dirt cheap right now."
"It's okay," she laughed. "We can pay a couple extra bucks to take a vacation without worrying about getting shot out of the sky. What were you thinking?"
"Road trip back to New York?"
She flicked his forehead, but grinned.
"Never again," she said. "I don't know if I can handle more of 'ooh you drive too fast' or 'boo hoo my back hurts and my neck hurts and I'm tired'."
"Woah," Jack said. "That's a cheap blow. I do not complain that much."
"Yes you do, you big baby," she teased.
"I bet Brand doesn't complain," he pouted. "Maybe you should just leave me forever and run away with- OW."
She punched him hard in the arm and laughed.
"You need to stop crying over that guy," she said. "I'm worried you might leave me for him."
"Wouldn't that be a turn of events?"
She unfolded the blanket and put it over the both of them, snuggling into his side with her mug of tea. He put an arm around her and kissed the side of her head.
"I promise I won't leave you for Brand," he told her.
"Ditto," she laughed. "And I'm happy right where we are."
"How about a movie?"
"Deal."