The roar of departing engines thundered across the tarmac, shaking the ground beneath their feet as Jenny, Rosa, Lucia, and their grandmother stood just beyond a marked yellow safety line, craning their necks to watch a Boeing 787 ascend into the clear blue sky. Jet exhaust billowed behind it, creating a white cloud that caught the morning sun.

Lucia clapped her hands like a child on her birthday, bouncing slightly on her toes. "Ahh! It's so impressive! I've never been this close to a plane before!"

"Shoo, shoo," the grandmother said, waving her hand dismissively while smiling with pride, her face crinkling into a thousand lines. "Our Jenny does this every day. She could fly one of those giants if she wanted to."

Rosa lifted her chin, her chest swelling with pride as she adjusted her bright purple jacket. "This is nothing for her," she said, glancing at Jenny with an expression that demanded admiration. "She practically owns this place-everyone knows her name here."

Jenny forced a smile, her fingers tightening slightly at her sides until her knuckles turned white. She'd managed to sneak them past the first security checkpoint by pretending they were part of a maintenance crew-but she knew they couldn't keep pushing their luck like this.

Lucia turned suddenly, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she spotted a set of glass doors marked "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY." "I heard there's a private captain's lounge here-luxurious, like a hotel suite. Take us there! I want to see where you relax before flights."

Jenny hesitated, her gaze darting toward the security cameras mounted near the ceiling. "I don't know if that's a good idea-"

But Rosa stepped in immediately, placing a firm hand on Jenny's shoulder. "Of course it is. Let's go. Our Jenny is a captain now-today, we go anywhere we want. Show them what you're worth."

She gave Jenny a look-sharp, commanding, leaving no room for argument.

Jenny swallowed hard, her throat dry with anxiety. "...Right. Stay close to me. Don't wander off, and don't touch anything. Security is strict here."

"No worries!" Lucia said-already wandering toward a nearby service door, peering through the window with curiosity.

Jenny's anxiety spiked as she hurried after her, Rosa and the grandmother following proudly behind, their voices carrying loudly across the quiet tarmac.

The private lounge doors slid open with a soft whoosh, revealing a space that looked more like a high-end club than an airline facility. Polished marble floors gleamed under warm recessed lighting, reflecting the plush leather chairs and glass-topped tables arranged around the room. Original artwork hung on the walls, and a fully stocked bar sat in the corner, tended by a uniformed attendant who looked up in surprise as the group burst in.

Lucia gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "This place is beautiful! Look at those chairs-they must cost a fortune!"

The grandmother ran her hand along the arm of a leather chair, her eyes wide with wonder. "So soft...! I've never felt anything like this in my life."

Rosa turned to Jenny, her eyes shining with satisfaction. "Go on. Show them everything. The bar, the flight planning area-whatever captains get to see."

Jenny opened her mouth to protest-

But before she could speak-

The door burst open with a sharp bang against the wall.

"Jenny Burrows."

Jane's voice cut through the room like a blade, clear and sharp and impossible to ignore.

All heads turned.

Jane stood at the entrance, her uniform crisp and immaculate, her captain's bars gleaming on her shoulders. Her expression was sharp, her eyes scanning the scene in disbelief-taking in the four unauthorized visitors, the way they were touching everything in sight, the attendant standing frozen behind the bar.

Jenny's face drained of color, leaving her pale as paper. She'd known this was coming-but not this fast, not by Jane's hand.

"Don't you know aviation regulations," Jane continued, stepping forward with deliberate grace, "forbid unauthorized personnel in operational areas? This lounge is restricted to active crew only-no exceptions."

Rosa scoffed immediately, placing her hands on her hips as she stepped forward to confront Jane. "Watch your tone, little girl. You're speaking to your elders."

Jane didn't look at her. Her eyes remained fixed on Jenny, watching the way her cousin shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

Rosa stepped forward anyway, her voice rising with indignation. "You're incompetent, yet you speak like this to our Jenny? She's a captain-has more authority here than you ever will. And we are family-this is just a tour. What harm could it do?"

At that word-captain-Jane's gaze snapped to Jenny, her eyes narrowing slightly. A long silence stretched across the room, heavy with unspoken understanding.

They both knew the truth.

Jenny's fingers curled slightly into fists at her sides. She leaned toward Jane quickly, lowering her voice to a frantic whisper. "Do me a favor," she muttered, her eyes darting toward her family. "They want to see the cockpit. Your flight is off-duty for the next few hours, right? Just let them look for five minutes-then I'll get them out of here."

Jane pulled her arm away instantly, her expression cold with disgust. "Why would I agree to that? You know the rules-no unauthorized personnel in the cockpit, ever. It's a safety violation that could get us both fired."

Jenny's expression tightened, then she raised her voice, trying to turn the tables. "They're your relatives too, Jane. Don't you care about family?"

"Exactly," Jane replied coldly, her voice carrying clearly across the quiet room. "That's why I won't allow it. I won't put their lives-or the lives of every passenger who flies this plane-in danger just to feed your ego."

She stepped closer, her voice steady but cutting as she looked directly at Jenny.

"If something happens-if they accidentally touch a control, if they disrupt the systems-can you take responsibility? Can you explain to the FAA why you brought untrained civilians into a restricted area?"

"What could possibly happen?" Jenny shot back, folding her arms defensively. "They just want to look. They won't touch anything. I'll make sure of it."

"No."

Jane pointed firmly toward the exit, her finger steady and unyielding.

"They leave. Now. Before I call security and have them escorted off the premises."

Rosa stepped in, shoving Jenny slightly aside as she moved to stand between Jane and her daughter. "Why are you asking her? You're the captain-you can do whatever you want. She's just an errand girl, running around doing your dirty work."

Silence.

Then-

Jane laughed.

Soft at first, a quiet sound that made everyone freeze. Then sharper, more bitter, echoing off the marble floors.

She turned slowly toward them, her eyes landing on Jenny with an expression that was part amusement, part pity.

"She told you I'm an errand girl?"

"Yes," the grandmother said without hesitation, leaning forward slightly as if sharing a secret. "Otherwise, you would've helped Lucia's son get that job. Our Jenny is the capable one. A real captain. She arranges everything for us-jobs, flights, whatever we need."

Rosa nodded proudly, wrapping an arm around Jenny's shoulders and pulling her close. "That's right. She's the one with influence here-not some hothead who got lucky with a promotion."

Jenny smiled stiffly, her discomfort growing as she felt Jane's eyes on her. She wanted to shrink into the floor, to disappear-but there was nowhere to go.

Jane's gaze darkened, the amusement fading from her face as she stepped forward again, her voice now low-and dangerous.

"You placed people in my crew?" she asked, her eyes fixed on Jenny. "You told them you could arrange positions for family members on my flights?"

A beat. The room was so quiet you could hear the hum of the air conditioning.

"I reject it," Jane continued, her voice clear and final. "Any applications submitted under false pretenses will be immediately denied. I won't compromise my crew's integrity for anyone."

"Don't yell at Jenny!" Rosa snapped, stepping closer until she was nearly face-to-face with Jane. "You ungrateful wretch. She helps this family while you sit up on your high horse and refuse to lift a finger. She's done more for us than you ever will."

Jenny nudged her mother urgently, her voice low and frantic. "Mom-stop-you don't know what you're saying-"

But Rosa continued, stepping closer, her tone turning hostile as she jabbed a finger toward Jane's chest.

"So who are you to say anything?-she has connections you can only dream of."

Silence fell. The attendant behind the bar had stopped breathing, watching the confrontation with wide eyes.

Then-

Jane smiled.

Amused.

"...Oh?" she said, her voice light but carrying an edge that made Rosa step back slightly. "Is that what she told you? That she could have my job? That she has more authority here than I do?"

She turned to Jenny, her expression now completely calm-but her eyes burned with a fire that made Jenny's knees weak.

"Mom," Jenny said quickly, tugging frantically at Rosa's sleeve, her voice lowered but urgent enough to carry across the quiet lounge. "We're family. I still have to work with Jane... let's at least save her some face. It'll be easier for everyone if we just leave now."

Jane heard every word.

She didn't respond. She simply looked away-her gaze drifting to the framed flight maps on the wall-then let out a soft, amused scoff that made Jenny's cheeks burn with shame.

Rosa's face hardened immediately. "Save face?" she repeated, her voice rising with incredulity. "You're thinking about her dignity, but look at how she's treating you-a captain?"

She emphasized the last word proudly, as if it were a title Jenny had earned through years of hard work rather than borrowed prestige.

"You only got into this company because of Jenny's boyfriend," the grandmother added sharply, lifting her leather purse and pointing it at Jane like it were a weapon. "He pulled strings for you when no one else would. And now you dare act superior to the very person who made your career possible?"

Her voice rose with each word, drawing the attention of the bar attendant who'd been trying to disappear into the background.

"We are going into that cockpit today," she declared, her voice ringing with finality. "And you cannot stop us. Not when our Jenny has already given us permission."

Silence followed-heavy and tense, broken only by the distant roar of engines on the tarmac.

Then-

"Jenny."

Jane's voice cut through the quiet like a switchblade, calm but carrying a weight that made everyone freeze.

"They don't understand the consequences," she said, her eyes locking onto Jenny's, holding her gaze with an intensity that left no room for evasion. "But you should. You've been with Aurelia long enough to know better."

Jenny stiffened, her shoulders squaring defensively even as her eyes darted away.

"Bringing unauthorized personnel into a cockpit," Jane continued, her tone measured and precise, as if reciting safety protocols she'd memorized years ago. "Can result in disciplinary action-salary cuts, public reprimand, suspension from duty..."

She took a step closer, her voice dropping slightly but losing none of its sharpness.

"At worst-termination. And compensation for your entire training may be demanded by the airline. Every dollar Aurelia invested in teaching you to fly-you'd have to pay it all back."

Jenny's face visibly changed. The pale flush of embarrassment gave way to genuine fear, her confident facade cracking like ice under pressure.

She lowered her head slightly, her fingers fidgeting with the zipper of her jacket.

A beat of silence stretched between them as Rosa processed this, her earlier boldness wavering for the first time.

"Jenny..." she said, her voice softer now, tinged with worry. "Is it really that serious?

Jenny hesitated, scratching the back of her neck as she avoided everyone's eyes. "...Maybe we should just go."

"Go home?" Lucia snapped immediately, her face twisting with annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest. "No way! We drove two hours to get here. After this, we can go back to the neighborhood and proudly say we've seen real airplanes up close-sat in a real cockpit!"

"Exactly," the grandmother agreed, her resolve returning as she straightened her back. "Jenny is the captain here. What's wrong with showing us her workplace? It's not like we're going to steal anything."

Her eyes flicked toward Jane with open disdain.

"I think you're just overreacting. Trying to make yourself look important by stopping us."

Jane inhaled slowly, her chest rising and falling in a deliberate rhythm as she maintained control. She'd dealt with difficult passengers, mechanical failures, and severe turbulence-but nothing tested her patience like this.

"Auntie," she said evenly, her voice carrying clear across the room. "I can show you other areas. The maintenance hangar, the passenger boarding bridges, even the training simulators-all areas that are safe for visitors. But the cockpit is strictly off-limits to outsiders."

"What outsiders?" Rosa snapped again, her earlier hesitation gone as she planted her feet firmly on the marble floor. "We are family! Family isn't 'outsiders'!"

She waved her hands dismissively, her voice rising with indignation. "We just want a quick look. Five minutes tops. We won't touch anything-we'll just stand there and admire it."

Her tone shifted suddenly to mock concern, her eyes wide with false innocence.

"Would we sabotage you? Hurt you? We're your own flesh and blood!"

Jane didn't answer. She just looked at Rosa, her expression calm but her eyes cold as winter.

"Jane," Jenny said, stepping forward now, trying to reclaim control of the situation. "Stay out of this."

She pulled out her phone and lifted it slightly, angling the screen so Jane could see what was on it.

"I already got approval," she said, her voice steadier now that she had something to hide behind. "Reuben secured me a special access pass. It's all above board."

Jane glanced at the screen briefly-saw a blurry photo of what might have been a pass, but no official stamps or authorization codes.

Then looked back at her.

Cold.

"Reuben has no authority over my crew operations," she said flatly.

Her voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper.

"Leave. Before I have to make you."

The word landed heavily in the quiet room.

Rosa let out a short, bitter laugh, stepping forward boldly as she squared off against Jane.

"I'm going in," she said, her chin raised defiantly. "Let's see if you'll really throw your own family out in front of everyone here. Let's see if your precious airline will support you when you embarrass your blood relatives."

Before Jane could move to block her-

Rosa shoved past her, her shoulder hitting Jane's arm hard enough to make her stumble slightly.

"Out of the way," she snapped, heading for the door that led to the tarmac and the waiting aircraft.

Lucia followed immediately, calling out over her shoulder. "We're coming! Don't go in without us!"

The grandmother trailed behind, muttering under her breath about "ungrateful children" as she hurried to keep up.

Jenny froze for a second-her eyes darting between Jane's furious face and her family's retreating backs. Then, with visible hesitation, she followed them inside, casting one last worried glance over her shoulder before disappearing through the door.

The cockpit door shut behind them with a soft but final click.

Silence.

Jane stood still, her jaw tight enough to grind teeth, her fingers curling slightly at her sides until her knuckles blazed white. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest-furious at their recklessness, worried about the consequences, and deeply hurt that her own family would choose lies over safety.

Then-

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

No hesitation now. Her movements were deliberate, precise-like she was preparing for an emergency landing.

She dialed a number, holding the phone to her ear as it rang once, twice.

"Chief Pilot's office," a calm voice answered on the third ring.

Jane's voice was calm-but edged with steel, sharp and unyielding.

"This is Captain Jane Harley."

A brief pause on the other end-recognition, then concern.

"I'm reporting a security breach," she continued, her eyes fixed on the closed cockpit door down the corridor. "Unauthorized personnel have gained access to aircraft GC2711. I repeat-security breach in progress."

The cockpit door shut behind them with a heavy click that echoed in the confined space, sealing them off from the outside world. The familiar hum of the aircraft's systems filled the silence-soft at first, then growing louder as the auxiliary power unit maintained pressure and temperature inside.

For a moment-silence.

Then-

"Ahhh!" Lucia squealed, spinning in place with her arms outstretched, her cheap polyester dress swishing around her legs. "Look at all these buttons! All these screens! It's like a spaceship!"

Rosa had already claimed the captain's seat, sinking into the leather cushion like it was a throne she'd been waiting for her whole life. She laughed loudly, gripping the armrests with both hands and leaning back with obvious satisfaction. "So this is where you fly planes every day? Incredible! No wonder you wanted to show us-this is impressive!"

The grandmother shuffled forward slowly, her weathered hands hovering over the panels as if they were sacred objects. She ran her fingers lightly across the smooth surfaces, tracing the edges of screens and switches with wonder. "Our Jenny... truly exceptional. Who would have thought our little girl would end up here, commanding giant metal birds through the sky?"

Jenny stood near the door, forcing a smile that felt like it might crack her face in two. She'd managed to slip past the ground crew by telling them she was doing a pre-flight check-but every second they stayed here increased the risk of being caught.

But her eyes weren't smiling.

They kept darting-from critical switches labeled "FLAPS" and "LANDING GEAR"... to navigation screens displaying flight paths... to hands that didn't belong there, reaching out to touch everything in sight.

"Don't touch-" she started, her voice tight with anxiety.

Lucia brushed her off with a wave of her hand, already pressing her finger against a small green light on the overhead panel. "Relax! We're just looking. We won't break anything."

The grandmother chuckled, tapping lightly on a panel that controlled the aircraft's communication systems. "What could possibly happen? We're just touching the surface."

Jenny stepped forward, trying again to gently guide their hands away from sensitive equipment-but they pushed her aside, laughing and chattering excitedly, completely absorbed in their new surroundings.

Her chest tightened, a knot forming in her stomach as she watched her grandmother trace the outline of a switch labeled "ENGINE FIRE EXTINGUISHER."

"Jenny," Rosa called, already digging into her large handbag-embroidered with fake diamonds that caught the cockpit lights. "Take my picture. I want to show everyone back home what my daughter's workplace looks like."

She pulled out her smartphone and thrust it into Jenny's hand, her fingers smudged with lipstick and hand cream.

"I'll show everyone back home," she continued proudly, adjusting her hair in the reflection of a screen. "My daughter-the captain. They'll all be so jealous of what we have."

Jenny hesitated, her fingers curling around the phone like it was made of glass. Every photo they took was another piece of evidence-proof that they'd violated every safety protocol Aurelia stood for.

Then she raised the phone, pointing it at her mother in the captain's seat.

Click.

The flash illuminated the cockpit briefly, making Lucia squint.

The grandmother jumped in immediately, pushing past Lucia to stand beside the seat. "Me too! Take mine! I want to stand next to the 'flying chair'!"

Lucia followed right behind, shoving the grandmother slightly. "No, me first! I was here before you!"

Phones were shoved into her hands one after another-Rosa's, Lucia's, even the grandmother's old flip phone that she'd insisted on bringing. Jenny's hands were full, her mind racing with every possible way this could go wrong.

"Wait, wait," Rosa said, adjusting herself in the seat, pulling her dress down and smoothing out wrinkles. "I'm not done. This pose isn't good enough-I need something more... professional."

She placed one hand lightly on the control yoke, her fingers wrapping around the polished metal as she lifted her chin in what she thought was a commanding pose.

"This pose is perfect. Like I'm about to take off."

Jenny's breath hitched. Her eyes fixed on her mother's hand-on the way her fingers rested directly on the controls that controlled the aircraft's pitch and roll.

"Mom... don't touch that," she said, her voice dropping to an urgent whisper. "The controls are sensitive. And the rules are clear-no beverages, no contact with controls unless you're certified crew-this is restricted airspace for a reason-"

"I know," Rosa interrupted, rolling her eyes as she adjusted her grip on the yoke. "Stop acting like I'm a child. I know how to be careful."

Click.

Another photo. The flash reflected off the glass screens, leaving spots in Jenny's vision.

"I'm done," Jenny said quickly, lowering the phone and holding out her hand. "Please-move your hand-"

"Wait," Rosa cut in again, her eyes lighting up with a new idea.

She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she looked around the cockpit.

Then her face lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

"Oh! That pose I saw online-captains with a glass of wine, looking sophisticated and in control!"

Before Jenny could react-

Rosa reached into her bag again, digging past tissues and candy wrappers until she pulled out a tall glass cup-clear crystal, with a gold rim that caught the light.

Set it-directly-on the control panel between the yoke and the throttle quadrant.

Jenny froze. Her blood ran cold as she stared at the glass, placed inches away from switches that controlled everything from the aircraft's hydraulics to its navigation systems.

Then-

A bottle followed. Red juice-cranberry, from the look of it-sloshing slightly as Rosa set it down beside the glass.

"Mom-!" Jenny gasped, stumbling forward as she reached for the bottle. "You can't-you absolutely cannot have liquids in the cockpit-"

Too late.

The liquid poured smoothly into the glass, filling it three-quarters full. The red color stood out stark against the gray and black of the control panel, like a warning sign.

Far too close to sensitive instruments.

Jenny's hands trembled as she reached out, her fingers shaking violently. "Give it to me. Please. If that spills-if it gets into the electronics-this plane could be grounded for weeks. I could lose my job-"

"Relax," Rosa said, lifting the glass elegantly with her free hand, not even looking at the panel beneath it. "My hands are steady. I've never spilled a drop in my life."

She extended it outward, holding it up beside her face as she posed again, tilting her head to the side.

"This looks classy, right? Like those airline ads you see in magazines."

Lucia clapped enthusiastically, bouncing on her toes. "Yes! Take it! This will look amazing on my social media!"

The grandmother nodded eagerly, pushing closer to get into the frame. "Hurry! I want to be in this one too!"

Jenny crouched slightly, holding the phone with shaking hands as she snapped the photo quickly-her eyes never leaving the glass, watching every tiny movement of the liquid inside.

"Done. Now give it to me-please-"

She reached for the glass-

But Lucia grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the co-pilot's seat.

"My turn! I want to sit there and hold the glass!"

The grandmother pulled at her other side, her grip surprisingly strong for her age. "Take mine first! I want a picture with both hands on the controls!"

Phones shoved toward her again, their screens bright and demanding attention. Jenny struggled, trying to pull free, her focus split between keeping them away from the controls and saving the glass from disaster.

Her balance shifted-she stumbled backward slightly, bumping into the door with a soft thud.

Rosa adjusted her grip on the glass to keep it steady-

And then-

It happened.

The glass tilted. Just a fraction of an inch-but enough.

A single second.

Too fast.

Too late.

The red liquid spilled-

A thick stream pouring over the edge of the glass, flowing across the control panel like blood. It seeped into the gaps between switches, dripped onto circuit boards visible behind small access panels, and began to soak into the fabric of the control yoke's grip.

Jenny's heart dropped into her stomach. Her breath vanished completely, leaving her gasping for air like she'd been plunged underwater.

"Oh no-"

Her voice cracked, barely more than a whisper.

"Mom!"

She rushed forward, scrambling for the box of tissues in her pocket, her hands shaking so violently she could barely pull them out. She pressed handfuls of tissue against the panel, trying to soak up the liquid before it could seep deeper into the systems.

"You've ruined me!" she cried, panic flooding her voice as tears welled in her eyes.