fanfic_name = What If

chapter = Chapter IV

Rating = AP15

Type = Adventure

fanfic = What If

Rick walked through the halls towards the hangers with a tired sour look on his face. It had been a late night last night with the meeting that had interrupted his and Lisa's date lasting well past midnight.

[Flashback]

Rick and Lisa had walked to her quarters and all the way talked about the discovery of the protoculture matrix and fabricators. "This could mean that we might be able to construct ships and fight back against the Zentraedi, we could never have equal numbers, but maybe we could bloody them enough to get them to go away." Rick remembered Lisa shaking her head.

"Rick, the Zentraedi will never give up, an even if we start constructing ships now, we wouldn't have more then a few hundred by the time the Zentraedi came as us in full strength, I mean not to say more ships wouldn't help, but our greatest hope is the SDF-1." Rick didn't like hearing it, but he knew she was right...she was always right. Rick then got a devilish smile.

As they got to Lisa's door, Rick pulled Lisa in close and kissed her, Lisa taken off guard responded by kissing Rick back. As they pulled back to breathe Lisa gave Rick an equally devilish smile, her hand finding the door open panel and she punched in her number with out thinking, the door opened and Lisa said, "Save that for when we get inside," an she pulled Rick into her room, he didn't resist.

[End Flashback]

Rick smiled as he remembered last night, nothing had happened, they had spent all night making out and somewhere near three in the morning, they had both drifted off to sleep holding each other, it was the happiest night of Rick's life.

As he finally got the hangers he could see a shuttle already being boarded and was completely prepped for launch. Rick walked up to the stair leading to the hatchway and walked in. He gave a quick scan of the interior and saw Lisa in the back with an empty seat to her right.

Rick hurried back and took a seat next to Lisa and tickled her playfully, she slapped at his hands admonishing him like a child, "No Rick, bad, not here." He put on his best pouty face and her face softened; "Save it for later," Lisa gave him a wink after saying that.

Rick looked around and it suddenly dawned on him that this was a big shuttle and he looked out of the window on his right, he saw three or four more shuttles prepped and ready. Then Rick heard someone calling his name, "Lieutenant Rick Hunter, Lt. Hunter are you here?"

Rick stood up and the man told him that he was flying escort, and Rick gave him a quizzical look, Lisa spared him, "Thank you Corporal, I asked Lt. Hunter here to tell him something." The Corporal seeming to buy the lie, nodded and walked off the shuttle.

"I didn't know I was flying escort, when did they say that?" Lisa sighed and looked at him, "I guess you weren't paying attention last night where you? Gloval said Skull and Vermillion where going to fly escort." Rick sighed and gave her a sad look, "But I wanted to ride with you!" Rick stomped his foot and looked as if he was going to throw a temper tantrum, "Guess it'll have to wait huh?" Rick winked at her and gave her a dashing smile and Lisa melted.

Rick changed quickly in the hanger, 'What the hell, not like no one here has seen a guy in his boxer's right?' Rick looked around and realized that some of the female tech and crew's where giving him very approving looks. 'Oh well' and Rick smiled at them and winked at all of them.

Rick jumped into his VT and got into position on the Daedalus, the Prometheus was launching the shuttles and Rick flicked down the black shades stored in his helmet and gave the cat operator thumbs up and gave him a smile and a wink and gave him thumbs up.

Rick punched the throttle and gave the ship full military power, and an old song played in his head:

Off we go into the wild blue yonder,

Climbing high into the sun;

Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,

At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!)

Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,

Off with one helluva roar!

We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!

Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder,

Sent it high into the blue;

Hands of men blasted the world asunder;

How they lived God only knew! (God only knew then!)

Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer

Gave us wings, ever to soar!

With scouts before And bombers galore. Hey!

Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force! (1)

Rick felt himself launched by the catapult and was quickly free of the Daedalus and Rick hurried to catch up the rest of Vermillion. Then Rick heard a familiar voice on the comm. net, "All VT's form up on the shuttles defensive pattern Indigo-Charlie, Skull if you see anything don't hesitate to engage, Vermillion, you stay back and hold off whatever get through Skull's net."

Rick laughed to himself, Sammie was no Lisa, but she was quickly getting the hang of micromanaging all the fighters and all the others things that Lisa would normally be handling.

Rick started to wonder if they would actually have to fight any Zentraedi, he hoped not, he wanted an easy peaceful ride to Earth, and an easy peaceful ride with whatever they were coming back with. But that was not to be as Sammie gave out a cry, "Incoming battlepods their heading right for your position Captain (?) Fokker."

Roy took it in stride, and with a roguish look told Skull, "Let's kick it boys and girls," and Skull hurried off the engage the Zentraedi BP's. Rick was afraid, not for his own life, but for Lisa's because here she was out in space completely at the mercy of who ever was piloting the shuttle.

Rick looked back to the battle raging between Skull and the BP's and was thankful that they were holding them off and with every passing second the shuttles and Vermillion got closer to Earth, and relative safety. But a few BP's got through Roy and his net of Skulls, "Rick, we got inbound hostiles," Max declared rather nonchalantly.

Rick and Vermillion let the BP's close the distance and Rick and Max went off the engage the BP's leaving Ben behind to cover the shuttles in case anymore BP's came at them. But luck was with the escort that day, Skull finished what was left of the BP's and Rick and Max dispatched the few that escaped in short order.

Rick got back into his position next to Lisa's shuttle and banked his way over to the right side of the craft. After a few minutes of work he managed to get to the part of the ship Lisa was in and went window carefully so as to avoid collision.

Lisa happened to look out her window after the red alert in the shuttle had been de activated and saw a red trimmed VT and saw Rick's face and he gave her a wave and a smile that hinted something like, 'Am I the best or what?' and Lisa blew him a kiss and Rick pulled up and away from the shuttle not wanting to get her or him in trouble.

Lisa gave a sigh, it was great that Rick had finally come into her life, and finally stopped talking about that stupid bitch, Minmei. Lisa sat for a moment and mused about what would have happened if she had entered the Ms. Macross pageant. A smile came across her face, she could've won too. But none of that mattered anymore, she had Rick, well sort of, he had never come out and say he loved her. But then again neither had she.

But the thought that they were a couple made her happy. She had been waiting for Rick for a long time. She had found him attractive, but when she started to love him, was probably after their experience with Dolza. An up until recently Lisa had no idea that Rick even cared about her, but she knew now thinking back to the wonderful evening she and Rick had enjoyed.

Lisa chanced a look out her window and saw that Skull was breaking off, and Vermillion was holding it's formation, they where to stay with the shuttles until they returned, to be their long-term escort, Lisa gave a smile, she knew Rick would like that.

Admiral Hayes paced the hastily built Macross Air Field, he was worried about Lisa, and he had just heard from NORAD, that they had been attacked, but he didn't know the details. 'Damn it, where are those shuttles and escorts?' Hayes asked himself angrily. He was about to go back to his quarters and ask NORAD if they were still headed down, but he caught a glimpse of metal out of the corner of his eye.

'The shuttles and the escort!' Hayes was ecstatic, they had finally arrived, and Hayes looked up and say the fighters flying ahead of the shuttles in a arrowhead formation and as they flew over the island they all broke off into a different direction with the lead fighter maintaining his straight course, the fighter to the left banked off that way and the fighter on the right banking off to the right. It was like some sort of honorary guard. Hayes didn't care, he was glad to see all four shuttles landing.

Hayes ran towards the first shuttle that was supposed to the Lisa's and ran to the door and watched as the passengers got off, and a sudden pit in Hayes stomach opened up and a knot formed in his throat, 'Where was she?' But his fears were soon put to rest as she came out of the shuttle last.

Donald Hayes stood rooted to his spot as he watched his daughter his pride and joy walk down the ramp to him. Hayes was filled with happiness his only child was back, but Hayes face suddenly changed, his only child? He knew he was wrong, but he would never see the other child he had helped create.

"Commander Hayes reporting as requested sir," Lisa saluted smartly and Admiral Hayes returned the salute and looked at his daughter. "Lisa...I'm so glad you made it here alright, Are you hurt or anything?" Lisa looked at her father still all business.

"Yes sir, I am fine, I am honored that you picked me for this." Admiral Hayes looked at his daughter a bit shocked, and a bit hurt, here was his daughter the apple of his eye, and she was being all business.

Donald looked up and saw that the VT's where in Guardian (Gerwalk as it also known) and where coming down on the Island. One of the fighters a red trimmed one seemed to have caught Lisa's eye. Hayes looked at his daughter and saw the anxiety in her eyes. He couldn't help but laugh to himself on the inside.

"Commander Hayes," Donald started sternly, but his face softened into a smile, "dismissed." Lisa gave her father a salute and Donald watched as Lisa walked over the pilot who had gotten out of the VT. From what Donald could tell, he was slightly taller than Lisa with an un-ruly mop of dark hair, and as he watched he saw his daughter smile.

'Lisa must care for this man, because she doesn't smile for anyone,' Hayes watched them for a moment more and he found himself quickly proved right as the pilot kissed Lisa quickly. Hayes didn't like it, but he was happy to see his daughter happy, so he decided to talk to her later about it and chalk it up to fate.

Rick sat in his temporary quarters that had been fabricated for the visitors by the now rebuilt fabricators. He looked around at the bland room and noted a cot, which he was sitting on, and a desk and chair. Rick sighed, it had been a long day since he and his team had landed, they had been run through meeting after meeting and Rick was tired. The last time he had been grilled by the brass and scientists was when Max, Ben, Lisa, and he had managed to escape from Dolza.

A knock at Rick's door took him out of his stupor, and Rick wondering who it went to the door, he was hoping it was Lisa so they could spend some time together before they headed off tomorrow to find some recruits. But when Rick opened the door he didn't find Lisa, instead he found Admiral Hayes.

Rick came to attention and saluted, "Admiral Hayes, this is an unexpected visit, umm I'm sorry but I don't have anything to offer you." Rick saw the look on Admiral Hayes face and knew something was up. "Please Admiral Come in."

Donald walked into the small bland room and sat down in the chair and Rick sat down on the cot. Donald looked Rick over and raised an eyebrow, "Lieutenant, I need to talk to you about something important to me, and as it seems you: Lisa, we need to talk about Lisa."

Rick blanched a little, and started to sweat, "Sir, if it was about the kiss this afternoon, I'm sorry, I shou-" Donald waved his hand dismissively and looked at Rick, "Lieutenant, I am very protective of my daughter, I care about her well being despite I might not show it all too much. But Lisa means so much to me."

Rick gave Admiral Hayes a muddled look, "Admiral Hayes, I don't know if you'll believe me when I tell you this, but I truly care for Lisa a lot, she is one of the most important things in my life, an there's almost nothing I wouldn't do for her to help or protect her. Admiral, I would die for her, in a heart beat."

Rick satisfied at his speech saw Admiral Hayes smile, "Well Lieutenant, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and not get in your way, but I swear to god Lieutenant, if I ever find out you hurt Lisa I will get you in front of a firing squad so fast you won't know what happened to you." Admiral Hayes gave Rick a rueful look, and got up to leave and as he opened the door he found Lisa there about to knock.

"Oh, father," Lisa managed, "what are you doing here?" Donald gave Lisa a re assuring look which conflicted with the shocked and somewhat scared look on Rick's face. "Just talking to the Lieutenant about things, don't worry Lisa, its ok I won't so anything." With that Admiral Hayes started to walk away down the hall.

Lisa stood there for a minute in the hallway looking at her father's retreating form. It took her a moment, but then she realized what her father had meant, basically in a way her father had just told her that she had her blessings to be with Rick, an the knew that her father had just given Rick the "you better not hurt my daughter speech," Lisa laughed and walked into Rick's quarters.

Rick watched Lisa as she walked up to him and pulled up the chair her father had just been sitting in. "You ok Rick; you look like you've just seen a ghost or threatened with death." Rick gave her a blank look and Lisa couldn't help but laugh as she say confusion in his lovely blue eyes.

"Oh Rick, you don't need to worry about my father, he is just a little over protective, he wouldn't really hurt you. He knows you care about me." Lisa said these words in hopes of getting Rick to admit her cared for her, Lisa looked into his lovely eyes getting lost in their depth, and she realized Rick was staring into her green eyes. Rick got up and went over to Lisa and got down on her level and looked at her with care in his eyes.

"Lisa...I...I don't know how to say it, I was never much good at this sorta thing-" Lisa leaned forward and kissed Rick, Rick gave a short gasp but recovered quickly and intensified the kiss and Lisa getting into the heat of the moment pushed Rick back onto the cot.

Lisa began to kiss down Rick's neck and nuzzled his shoulder and Rick too was equally as ravenous for her and started to kiss her neck, but he realized where this would go and decided he needed to say something, "Lisa, Lisa! We need to stop, not here, not now." Lisa came up from Rick and gave him a hurt look, and Rick added quickly, "Lisa, you have to understand, I don't want to rush into anything yet, and I only say that because I love you. There's a time and place for everything, and this isn't the time or the place."

Lisa gasped when she heard Rick say the words she had been dreaming he would say the words replayed themselves over and over again in her head, 'Lisa, you have to understand, I don't want to rush into anything yet, and I only say that because I love you.' Lisa couldn't believe it; Rick had just told her that he loved her.

Rick looked at Lisa and saw that she had tears in her eyes, "Lisa," Rick exclaimed his voice full of concern and love, "Why are you crying?" Lisa was so overjoyed that she couldn't keep the tears from falling. "Rick, you have no idea how long I have been waiting to hear those words from you, I love you Rick."

Rick moved up to Lisa and gave her a kissed her again and pulled back and saw a smile on Lisa's face. "Lisa, I love you, I would do anything for you, and I just wanted you to know that." Lisa smiled again and kissed Rick just to let him know she understood.

Suddenly Rick felt very tired and looked at his watch: 11:52 PM. 'Damn,' Rick thought, it's late, "Lisa, it's getting late, do you want me to walk you back to your room?" Rick offered ever the gentleman. Lisa looked at him, "No silly, I al gonna stay here. Me and you, wouldn't you like that?" All Rick did was nod his head and kiss Lisa before he wrapped his arms around her and feel asleep, his first full deep sleep in a long, long time.

A/N: Sorry this was a set up chapter for later things to come. Not really any action for all those of you out there who are craving action, but I managed plenty of romance. Well I hope you enjoy this chapter, next chapter will be more interesting I hope. I added extra spacing to indicate a scene change. Hope that works. Anyway, R&R an I should be updating in a few days.

State = Continuará/To Be Continue

feedback = Sí/Yes