What if Lisa had entered the Miss Macross Contest?

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CHAPTER 6

Long Live the Queen!

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Lisa Hayes was a tough woman. She had been at the hospital for two weeks. By now, she had almost totally recovered from her injuries. Modern medicine was an amazing thing. After just a week in bed she felt good enough and begged to be released. “There is a lot to do, doctor. Captain Gloval needs me,” she argued. But there was no way of convincing the good doctor. She was to stay under close supervision until she reached full recovery.

“Hi honey,” said Claudia smiling as she stepped into Lisa’s room.

“Hi Claudia,” answered Lisa softly sitting on her hospital bed.

“How are you feeling today?” Claudia asked.

“Totally fine. I don’t understand why the doctor insists on keeping me here. I am sick of this bed and hospital food!” responded Lisa.

“I am afraid you are getting spoiled!” teased Claudia. Lisa laughed. It was good to hear her laugh.

“The voting results are on now. You want to check them out?” Claudia said winking and sat on the bed next to Lisa.

“Nah…” replied Lisa.

“Aren’t you even a little curious?

Lisa smiled. “Okay, just a little,” she conceded. Claudia turned on the TV.

The Miss Macross contest had been halted abruptly by the Zentraedi attack. Due to the destruction and for respect to the lives lost in the battle, it did not continue. Still Macross needed a queen. The event’s organizers presented Captain Gloval and the mayor with a plan allowing on-line voting for the citizens to elect Miss Macross. The Captain welcomed the idea. It was important for the morale. Life had to continue as usual abroad the SDF-1.

“It’s the Captain!” said Lisa watching Gloval on the screen.

“…When humanity’s desire to move forward disappears, then, the Zentraedi, will have truly defeated us,” said the Captain introducing the broadcast of the earlier vote’s count results.

Rick Hunter knocked on Lisa’s hospital room door and peeked inside. He had visited her every day religiously since he found out she was there.

“May I come in?” he asked.

“Lieutenant Hunter please come in,” answered Lisa smiling. She had grown to enjoy his company.

“Hello Commander Grant,” he said. “Hello Commander Hayes,” he added addressing Lisa as he handed her a bouquet of roses. “For your prompt recovery,” he said.

“Thanks, they are beautiful,” she said smelling the delicate scent of the flowers. “I was afraid you might not come today, Lieutenant.”

“No way, Commander. I will come see you every day until you leave this place,” he said. “I heard that will be very soon.”

“Hopefully,” she said.

“I bet you want to get rid of me,” he joked.

“No, Rick, far from that,” she replied.

“That is good, because I am not planning to leave you unsupervised. All the pilots miss you, Commander. I have to make sure you come back to direct us. It is a mess up there without you,” he declared.

“I am sure many enjoyed a break from me,” she replied chuckling. He fixed his big blue eyes on her.

“I don’t know what I’ve done if I had lost you, Lisa,” he said honestly. She blushed and averted his gaze.

“Hey, the results are coming!” said Claudia suddenly. Lisa and Rick looked at the TV.

“Who do you think will win, Lisa?” she inquired.

“Hmmm. Jan Morris was the favorite from the start… But Minmei has a pretty good chance at it,” she said looking at Rick.

“I think you will,” said Claudia. “And you, what do you think Lieutenant Hunter?” she asked.

“I think Minmei will win,” he said. Lisa could not help feeling jealous; she tried to hide it. She thought she saw a hint of pain in Rick’s eyes but on the contrary, a smile was forming on his face. He looked at her. “You know Lisa, I voted for you,” he said holding her look intently.

She was flattered. “You are very kind, Rick,” she replied blushing yet again.

He had a strange effect on her. During the time she had been recovering at the hospital, they had grown close together. She discovered a side in Rick Hunter that she never imagined he had. Although there had been long awkward silences the first few times he came to visit, they finally had opened their hearts to each other. They talked a lot. She saw this young man had the strength to become a great leader. But also, she detected he possessed the sensitivity to people’s emotions and a charisma that made him hard to resist. She had come to admire him. She did not know exactly what he felt for her. If his dedication and care for her were a measure of his true feelings, she could say unmistakably that she enjoyed a privileged place in his mind, maybe even in his heart. Could that really be? She could only hope so.

Rick’s and Lisa’s eyes had been locked on each other for a while. For Claudia Grant, it was obvious that more than friendship was flourishing between them. At this moment, their mutual untold attraction was smothering the Commander. She cleared her throat.

“Do you guys need some privacy?” she asked innocently. That broke the spell. Rick and Lisa felt caught and looked away from each other embarrassed. Claudia smiled covering her wish to chuckle at both blushing faces.

“Look, the final results are about to be announced!” said Lisa changing the subject. She took the remote control and raised the volume of the TV. At the beginning of the count’s final phase, Lisa and Minmei were pretty close. Jan Morris trailed behind. After five minutes, it was clear the movie star would not catch up. After 10 minutes, Lisa had a slight advantage. Claudia could not hold back her cheering. “If the trio was here, this would be madness,” thought Lisa. Five minutes later, they were dead even. The tension grew. Then it was final. Macross chose its queen by a hair. It was the one and only miss Lynn Minmei.

Everyone was speechless.

Claudia sighed. “Oh well,” she said disappointed.

“Oh well,” copied Lisa and looked down. But then, she raised her head proudly. “Long live the Queen!” she added smiling. “If I had a kingdom, I would offer it for a coffee,” she joked.

“Hmmm, that is an excellent idea,” declared Claudia smiling back. “Want one too, Lieutenant Hunter?”

“Yes, that would be great,” said Rick. “I will go get it,” he added.

“No, I will go. You stay with Lisa,” said Claudia. She winked and left the room. Lisa was not really allowed to drink coffee, but as long as the doctor did not find out, it would be ok.

Alone with Rick, Lisa saw it again, there was sadness in his eyes. He sighed looking at the TV screen, he knew Minmei was lost to him forever. Lisa reached out and held his hand in hers. Their eyes were locked on each other’s once more. He marvelled at how she could tell how he was feeling. He smiled at her. She smiled back, with one of those shy slow smiles that he would come to adore.

“You know, Commander, you would have been a wonderful Miss Macross,” he said.

“Bow before me,” she replied theatrically. Rick bowed making Lisa laugh wholeheartedly.

“I never wanted to win anyway, Rick,” she said.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes, really. I am a soldier, Rick. I am not beauty queen material. I hate the press and the fame and everything that comes with it,” she added.

“I understand,” he said. But in his heart he knew Lisa had it all: a sharp mind, a caring heart and incredible beauty. A profound realization came to him. He had fallen in love with her.

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“I knew it then, Roy, history was forever changed,” said Rick to his son. “She was the one for me,” he added looking at Lisa in the garden.

“Come on, Rick. You must admit, it really happened when you saw her in the purple bikini,” teased Max. “You should have seen your dad cheering, Roy. Oh boy!”

“Watch it Sterling,” Rick said jokingly and chuckled.

“But it still took you a while to tell her, dad. Isn’t it so, uncle Max?” replied young Roy.

“Yes, Roy, but then, your mom was his superior officer; and we were in the middle of a war. It took a while, but when he finally told her, your old man did it in style,” said Max and winked.

“Who are you calling old man?” objected Rick.

The three men laughed. Lisa could hear them from the garden. She remembered the Miss Macross competition and how the events before, during and after it brought her and loud-mouthed Rick Hunter together. She could not say if the contest had changed the course of their history, but it certainly had made it all fall into place; a good place.

THE END

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