Always Page #2

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Oh, boys.

You want to dance with my girl,

you've got to wipe your hands.

That's not a towel.

That's good. Very good.

You missed a spot.

Oh, God!

Is that your plane?

Yes, that is mine.

Come on. A shortcut.

Pete?

Haircut.

You want me to get a haircut today?

Cat food.

Green apples.

-You're shopping in your sleep again.

-Chicken wings. Tempura batter.

-What is for dinner?

-Toilet paper. soap.

-And dessert?

-Kitty litter.

Q-tips.

socks.

Pete?

What?

You have a bad dream?

It's cold.

Come on.

I'm watching the fire.

We don't do fires at night.

We do fires in the day.

At night, we eat, drink

and be mad for each other.

-sounds like an all right life.

-I like it.

-I thought I might try it.

-Try what?

Tankers.

I'd like to get type-rated for air tankers.

Then we'd both be up there instead of...

...one of us on the ground and the other...

Forget it.

I could make it in a year.

With three years of hauling freight,

I've done 1,000 hours.

I saw the last four minutes. Forget it.

It's none of your beeswax.

It is my beeswax and I won't let you do it.

-How will you stop me?

-By telling you "no."

By asking you nicely.

Dorinda, honey, please.

Don't be a pigheaded fool.

That is irresistible.

Now you listen to me for a change.

I'll make you a deal. Here's your chance

to get me out of the air.

I'll ground myself in Flat Rock

and be your girl.

-Have you been talking to Al?

-Or...

...I head off on my own

and tonight is goodbye.

I'll find my own piece of sky

and a guy who flies sensible.

I fly sensible.

Not when something is on fire.

That is the deal.

Then it is no deal.

Let's change the subject.

What's going on?

Why are you doing this?

Why?

-Why are you doing this?

-Because I love you.

Fighting fires is what I do

and it is what I love, and you know that!

What the hell is going on

that you want me to quit?

You want me to move to Colorado and...

...teach pretend fires to trainees

like I'm going to an office?

Your number is up.

When my number is up...

...it is up.

Right?

I could just as soon buy it

ferrying bibles to salt Lake City.

When it is your turn,

I don't want to be around.

I think that is very selfish of you.

You should be at the funeral...

...crying and looking terrific

before you enter the nunnery.

You wish!

I'll have better things to do

and better men to do them with.

Forget about these other men, Dorinda.

You'll never be with another man.

I will, too, and he'll be tall.

-No, Dorinda.

-Why not?

-You'll never get over me.

-Don't kid yourself.

No one will ever be as much fun.

Fun?

You think I have fun when you have fun?

When you fly into some narrow canyon...

...you think I'm on the ground going,

"Boy, this is fun"?

I could understand how you fly...

...if you were risking yourself

for civilization.

If you were...

...putting your life on the line

for another life...

...anybody's life.

I love you, Pete.

But I'm not enjoying it.

Every time you take off...

...I wait for the phone to ring.

I go to bed sick and I get up scared.

I don't like being sick inside all the time.

Do think I like being afraid

that you won't come back.

Look...

...I have an idea. Bear with me a second.

Keep an open mind

because it is a pretty radical idea.

Al told me about a training school

in Flat Rock, Colorado.

They need a commanding officer

and I was wondering...

...why don't I take you to Colorado

and you could be my girl...

...and I could teach those geeks

to fight fires.

You know, put out a cigar at 200 feet

and I'd come home every night...

...and we'd have an apartment

with a microwave oven.

Don't answer it.

I won't.

It's not my phone.

Hi, Al.

No.

No, because it is my day off.

Get yourself another pilot.

I'm hanging up my spurs.

That's right.

Yes, she's a great girl, isn't she?

Al is on his way over.

It's your lay-off day.

There is a new burn in the south rim.

There are already two pilots down.

Down?

sick.

What you got?

We've got nine hot spots.

We're only taking care of three of them.

I love you!

You can't leave without knowing that.

I know you do and you know I do.

How would I know that?

You never say the words!

These days we've had, last night.

These things are fragile!

What? We got a lot of things

settled last night.

shut up!

Kiss me and fly!

Dorinda, I love you!

I love you!

Al the Pal, this is Pete st. Pete. Over.

This is Al the Pal.

I've got you loud and proud.

This is Fire Boss, over.

This is Al the Pal.

Roger, Al.

Go for the leading edge of the fire.

You got it.

Two minutes behind him, Boss.

Good enough, good buddy.

Get down!

save some fire for me.

There is plenty of fire for everybody.

Watch his next pass and build on that.

Bad strike!

Pull up.

Goddamn it, I thought that was it, man!

Oh, sh*t.

Al! What happened?

Talk to me.

My engine is on fire! Can you believe that?

And I was in such a good mood.

You think you can make it back?

It ain't happening! The fire will hit

the fuel tank any second! Damn!

-Use your extinguisher.

-Already did.

I'm screwed.

Pete, lighten up

or you won't pull out of that dive!

Pete, this ain't a dogfight, man!

Pete, this is the boss!

That dive is way too steep!

Pull out of there!

You're too heavy! Get out of there!

Now!

Baby, you're the greatest!

Come on.

Get up!

Come on, Pete, pull up.

Come on, man.

Get up!

Oh, yes! He made it!

That lucky son of a b*tch.

Hello, Pete.

Hap.

That was quite a show back there.

Yes, ma'am.

Take a seat.

I sure saved Al's bacon, all right.

Too bad about my port engine.

My fuel tank went up like...

-Just a minute.

-Comfy around the neck?

Listen, how did I get out of that one?

You didn't.

My plane blew up. I remember that.

A real fireball.

Now I'm sitting in the woods,

getting my hair cut.

Either I'm dead or I'm crazy.

You're not crazy, Pete.

Don't think...

...l'm doubting your good faith.

I just want to get something clear.

Okay?

I'm dead?

That's right.

I'm dead?

Keep the sideburns.

What a jerk I turned out to be.

Dead.

What do you think of that?

Dorinda.

she's still not over it.

I hope not. I've only been dead 20 minutes.

Yes and no.

Down there they think it's six months.

Time is funny stuff.

A lot funnier than Einstein ever figured out.

How did he take it?

That'll do it.

Where was I?

"Time is funny stuff."

space has its points, too.

so in the five months since you crashed...

You said it was six months.

That was then. I'm explaining this

to you in the wrong order.

Hey, look!

I did my first solo in one of those!

That's right.

I did that!

Boy, was I nervous!

But you want to know a funny thing?

Once I got up there, I felt like a veteran.

I couldn't do anything wrong.

I flew that plane like Fats Waller

flies his piano.

I circled the field, then I found

a perfect sideslip in the wind...

...and I came in just like a leaf.

That's right.

You think you did that by yourself?

There was nobody else up there with me.

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