#allyxstebo

He was relatively content watching the pair bump shoulders, until Bob hit her a bit harder and knocked her off balance. She caught her momentum with a spin, stopping short as she found Bradley stumbling behind. Her eyes immediately knit in worry. She looked back at their group; none seemed to pay any mind to them so she met him halfway.

“Rooster, you okay?” She breathed quietly, spinning to tuck her shoulder underneath his. He immediately let out a quiet whimper as a shock of pain shot through his arm. She recoiled away. “Are you hurt? Bradley-”

“S’kay, Phe,” He mumbled through gritted teeth, but her face continued to show concern, stopping him in his attempts to save face. He sighed, closing his eyes as bile rose again. “Sick bay.” 

Her eyes softened, concern still laced in every inch of her being. “Oh, love, yeah. Let’s get you there. How’s your other shoulder?” He nodded slowly, eyes still closed. She shuffled to guide him through the ship, slowly making their way to the medical wing. He focused on her hand around his waist - more proximity to each other than they normally got in public, but he wasn’t complaining. He hated not being able to touch her, hold her hand, play with her hair at all hours. Especially after a day like today.

“‘Tash, I wanna kiss you, but I don’t feel so good.” He whispered into her hair as she led him down a flight of stairs. His head was pounding with each step of his heavy boots on the metal floor. He was going downhill fast.

The shorter pilot let out a small laugh, but was trying to rush them as fast as possible. He was declining quickly and that made her very worried. “I know, Roos, I know. I think you have a concussion.”

“Mmm, probably.” 

When they finally reached the entrance to the sick bay, Natasha forced her way through with the taller pilot. She shoved Bob and Fanboy out of the way, paying no mind to their checkups as she met the head nurse. 

“Fix him.” She commanded, and the nurse looked stunned at the brunet pilot turning green next to her. “He was shot down, the rest of them can wait.”

Bradley’s only protest came when she let go of his hand so they could lead him away, but he couldn’t vocalize it. The medic led him back to a gurney, grabbing as many nurses as he could in the wing who weren’t attending to the other pilot who had been shot down. They asked him a bunch of questions, and he could barely focus straight but still somehow answered them. He felt an IV pinch into his arm, and his shoulder finally went numb. 

He slipped in and out of consciousness for a while, the stress of the day catching up with the lack of sleep he had the last few days. When he finally woke up, he was in a private room, and one person sat in the chair at his side. 

“‘Nix?” 

Her head shot up with a wide smile. “Hey Roos.” She shut her book and stood up, stretching her limbs back out after sitting for so long. 

“How long was I out?” Bradley mumbled, acutely aware of the bright lights in the room. 

“A couple hours. You were in and out for a while. You were right about the concussion.” She seemed to notice the squinting of his eyes, so she shuffled over to the lightswitch. Bradley let out a breath as the harshness died down. Natasha then moved to his side, tightening a hand around his. “Your shoulder is pretty badly bruised, but thankfully not broken.”

He squeezed back with a soft smile, taking in the sight of his love in front of him. “Are you okay?” He could see that Phoenix fire in her eyes, the one that had more to say than she was letting out. 

She looked down at their entwined hands. “Yeah, I’m cleared. Nothing worse than a bird strike, right?” 

“Nat.” Bradley’s voice was stern. He wasn’t asking about her physical injuries. 

Phoenix looked back up at him. “I thought you were a goner.” She confessed. “Being on this side of your partner going down is a lot worse.”

He gently kissed her fingers. “I’m sorry for worrying you. It was a stupid decision, but-”

“You wouldn’t have done it any other way.” Natasha smiled reassuringly. “I know you, B. That’s the kind of man I want to marry. And you’re still here, that’s all that matters now.”

 Bradley shuffled on the cot, patting the space next to him. “C’mere, please.” 

“We might get caught.” She rebutted, but her eyes flicked down to his lips longingly.

“I don’t care anymore.”

Phoenix smiled quietly, happily fulfilling his request but not before she laid a big kiss on his lips. He wrapped his good arm around her tight as she squeezed in, her hand falling across his undershirt; his flight suit was abandoned at some point. Her fingers traced across his chest, both humming in the quiet warmth of one another. Hiding their relationship wasn’t easy to do, and after two years of exhausting secrets, maybe it would do them some good to finally stop caring. Bradley laid gentle kisses into her hair as the stress of the day fell off of them.

“I love you.” She mumbled into his neck. Her warm breath against his skin only centered him back to the ship, brought him out of the spiral he was replaying in his head over the snowy landscape just mere hours before, reminded him that he did, in fact, survive. And Maverick did, too.

“I love you, too.”

The couple couldn’t help but doze off slowly in the dark room. When Phoenix woke up from a quiet noise, she was startled awake by a dark shadow looming in the door frame. She sat up quickly, hand pressing hard into Bradley’s core to propel herself forward. He lurched up with her, letting out an uncomfortable gasp.

The figure at the door let out a laugh, both pilots recognizing it to belong to none other than their Captain, Maverick. 

“Sir” Natasha scrambled off of the bed, “We weren’t- we-”

Maverick put his hand up to stop her. “I was coming to check on you, see if you were awake.” There was a softness in his eyes as the younger male sat up in the bed.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Just need to rest this arm for a bit.” Bradley said sheepishly, moving the slinged arm gently. Natasha was grateful for the low light in the room; she was sure she was blushing like a schoolgirl, especially when she felt Rooster’s fingertips land on her bottom gently. Stone cold Natasha Trace, blushing from being caught. God, she could laugh at herself if the circumstances were different.

“Good to hear.” Maverick said lightly, keeping his focus on Rooster. “Do you need anything?”  

“I’ve got everything I need here.” Her lover’s hand tightened around her waist, pulling her in not so discreetly. 

The Captain nodded slowly, eyes falling to his feet briefly. There was no longer tension fuelled by anger between the two men; instead it filled with awkwardness. He turned towards the door. “I’ll - uh - leave you two alone.”

“Wait, Maverick-” Rooster called suddenly and the older pilot turned back. Phoenix caught the longing in his eyes as the hall light illuminated his tired face, but she was quickly pulled out of her thoughts by fingers slipping between hers. Bradley cleared his throat, sitting up to look at her with a soft face. “Nat, this is my Uncle Pete. He was my dad’s pilot. Mav, this is my fiancee, Nat.”

Natasha let out a breath, surprised by the confession to their superior officer. She knew enough about their falling out to not ask any questions, but seeing them both in the flesh was something that would take some more getting used to. Bradley smiled lovingly up at her; she cupped his cheek. Both felt the weight of a thousand worlds fall off their shoulders - the world would know. 

She turned back to Maverick, the gentle smile on his face breaking the anxious cloud of doubt in her stomach, only to be left with warmth and happiness in her core.

Maverick stuck his hand out to her. “It’s good to officially meet you, Nat. Thank you for taking care of him.” She shook his hand gently before looking back at her fiancé. She understood the look on his poor concussed face. 

“Wedding is in May, if you’d like to come? We’re going to tell the team, too. Invite them out. Just wanted to get through this mission first.” Natasha said softly, confidently, excitement blooming within her at the prospect of inviting his family finally. Maverick was the only family she knew that Rooster had left, and their rift meant that Bradley would have been alone at their wedding. She didn’t want that. Now, hopefully, he wouldn’t have to be. 

Maverick cracked a wide smile, laughing as he did. “Yeah-yeah, if you’d have me. I’d love to.” He looked at Bradley for confirmation, who nodded. Maverick’s smile got impossibly wider. “Thank you.”

“Anything for family.” Nat said. Both men nodded slowly.

“I’ll - uh - I’ll let you guys have some quiet. Get some rest tonight. We fly back at 0600.” Maverick stopped at the door. “Want to have dinner when we get back?”

Bradley nodded as Natasha squeezed their still-entwined hands. “That would be great. You still make that killer chicken parm?” 

Maverick smirked. “It’s only improved over the years.” 

And with that, Maverick left the young couple alone, smiling to himself as he heard Rooster’s echoing voice.

“Oh my god, Nat, you gotta try his chicken parm…”

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Epilogue

Beta’d by my favorite human and bff: @robertcallsignbobfloyd

Bradley’s phone alarm blared into the darkness, causing the pilot to shoot up out of bed. He hadn’t slept well at all, the jetlag of being overseas for so long hitting like a train. He shut off the alarm and leaned over to turn the bedside lamp on, wincing at the sudden brightness. 

He was preparing to get out of bed when a familiar pair of arms wrapped around his torso. He felt her warm skin against his bare back as she kissed in between his shoulder blades softly. 

“Good morning, I made coffee.” He turned slightly, the barely visible morning light glowing on Taylor’s face as she smiled at him. She was still in his shirt from the late night before, but she was a lot more awake than he was. He noticed her hair was wet. “Bradley?”

He shook the tiredness out and smiled back. “Hi baby, you’re up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to wake you up. I know how exhausted you are the first few days home.” 

Home. He was home. 

“You want coffee or nah?” He nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll be back.” She planted a kiss on his cheek and skipped off. He would never get over her cheery morning personality. 

Bradley finally got up and beelined to the bathroom, knowing a shower would be just what he needed to kickstart his body. He was in and out in a few minutes, toweling off as Taylor appeared with a cup of coffee for him. He quietly took it as she disappeared into her closet to change. 

The morning routine came like second nature to them as if they hadn’t spent the last few months apart. The pair had both mastered the art of dressing at this point in their careers, working in tandem to make sure no piece was out of place. He loved helping her pin her hair back with bobby pins while she finished her makeup. She loved tucking his shirt in and buttoning it up, making sure it was pressed tight against his body so his abs would poke through so she could trace them lightly. They always seemed to get ready much faster together, and today was no different. Neither would complain about the extra makeout time they got before heading out to base. 

The ride to base was quiet. It was early enough that most sane people were sound asleep or crawling home from the bars, and the peace was just what Taylor needed to calm her nerves before they walked into the hangar at Fightertown. A classroom setup had been built, and she could already recognize a few faces that beat them there.

More faces showed up before each seat was taken in the makeshift classroom. The California sun had risen and the sound of fighter jet engines rang throughout the large hangar. Phoenix leaned over as they awaited instruction.

“Did the Admiral let you in on any insider secrets for this mission?” She asked.

“For once, Iceman didn’t blab to me.” Astro cheesed at her friend, but deep down she knew who was coming. Her father’s appearance at The Hard Deck last night had knocked her off her axis a little bit. She wanted to warn Rooster, but knew that would be above her rank. She’d just have to see how this played out. They hadn’t seen each other in two years, even longer since they exchanged words past simple greetings. She just wanted to ride the little bubble of ignorant bliss that her and Bradley had as long as possible. 

“Attention.” A voice called, and all twelve pilots stood up immediately. Two officers walked in. 

Taylor recognized them as Cyclone and Warlock, two men she worked with sporadically in her years as an instructor for the new recruits. They introduced themselves to the group, then introduced their own instructor.

“Captain Pete Mitchell, callsign: Maverick.” 

Rooster tensed next to her as the pilots followed their instructor’s walk from the back row of seats to the podium at the front. Phoenix turned to Astro with a confused look, switching between the father/daughter duo. Astro shook her head slowly and kept her gaze forward as they were instructed to sit. 

“Good morning aviators,” Rooster’s hand found her thigh, tightening his grip with every word Maverick spoke. She tried to ignore it, focused only on the instruction. Maverick held up a book. “The F-18 manual. I’m sure you all know everything about your aircraft without it.” A few of the pilots acknowledged him with whoops, which were immediately shut down as he tossed the book into the trash can next to the podium. “So does your enemy.”

“Your target…” 

Maverick explained the mission parameters - a low entry, tight-turning terrain with a nuclear site hidden between two steep mountains at the bottom of a valley. Then a high G climb that no pilot had ever conquered in an F-18 before, with dogfighting inevitable against 5th generation fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles. They had just two and a half minutes to target and two miracle bombs to land in those 150 seconds. Taylor finally understood why they needed the best of the best on this op. The look Ice gave her before she left his house a few nights ago finally made sense.

“Today we’ll be pushing your limits. Suit up.”

The group of pilots stood up and filtered out of the hangar to the locker rooms. Taylor stayed back a moment, locking eyes with her father. The older Mitchell nodded at her solemnly as he walked to suit up himself. 

Taylor lagged behind her fellow aviators into the barracks where their lockers were located, but a hand pulled her aside before she could reach the women’s door.

Bradley pulled her into an alcove, eyes angry. “Did you know?”

“Brad-”

“Don’t ‘Bradley’ me, did you know he was part of this?” He whispered angrily, head on a swivel to keep an eye out for anybody else in the hallway. 

Taylor sighed. “Yeah, I had a feeling.” Rooster let her go forcefully, a hand coming up to run through his curly hair. “I wasn’t supposed to know, Bradley.”

“You should’ve warned me.” 

“How am I supposed to do that when I didn’t even know if you were alive 24 hours ago? Would you have come if you knew?” She snapped and that shut him up. “You had orders, so did I.”

She stalked into the women’s lockers, Natasha already stepping into her flight suit. 

“I didn’t realize your father was teaching us, Astro.”

Taylor opened her locker and began to pull her uniform off forcefully. “There’s no one else as insane as he is to teach this. This is a suicide mission, Phe.” 

“Maybe. But to pull that many Gs in an F-18, how cool!” Taylor laughed. Nat’s semi-sadistic humor would never fail to lighten the mood. “I mean, I know the plane may not be handle it, but-”

A loud thud pounded against the entry door, causing both women to jump. “C’mon ladies, let’s see the show!” Hangman’s cocky voice echoed around the lockers.

“Fuck off, Bagman!”

“Hangman!” He corrected, and Taylor could see the cocky smile he probably had on his stupid face. “I’ll see y’all out there.”

Both ladies laughed to themselves as they finished suiting up.

—

As the sun set over the California sky each night, The Hard Deck became their relief off base. The last few days had consisted of basic maneuvering and light dogfighting against one another, but tomorrow was a new day. They would be showing their skills against Maverick, in a two-versus-one showdown in the sky. 

Taylor sat at a high top near the bar, nursing a drink as she buried her head in her laptop. Amelia tapped her pencil against her homework across from her. Penny smiled lightly at the pair from the kitchen doorway, watching and waiting for their nacho plate to be finished. This little tradition of working side by side stuck with Amelia and Taylor, finding comfort in the quiet presence of one another as they hashed out homework assignments and Naval projects. Despite the rocky relationship she had with Pete, the Mitchell girl remained close friends with the Benjamin family, becoming something akin to an older sister to Amelia over the years. Amelia did much better in school when Taylor was home, and the older girl made sure her presence was still there while she was away on missions. One year, she bought a life-size cardboard cutout of herself for Amelia to use as a stand-in, and the younger girl was so embarrassed. She still used that cutout to this day.

Taylor finished sending her email before Penny walked up with the plate of food, setting it in front of the girls. “Thanks, Pen. These look amazing.”

“They’re the same ones you get every week.” Penny remarked with a smile as she sat down next to them. 

“Yes, but imagine,” Taylor shoved a chip full of queso in her face, “imagine how amazing these taste after flying fighter jets with your insane father all day.”

Penny laughed as she pinched Amelia’s nose teasingly, who shooed her mother’s hand away with a smile. “I’ve flown with your father, I don’t think I could eat for days afterwards.” 

Taylor shook her head as her phone buzzed. “Not this girl. I crave the air.” She shook the crumbs off of her hands and grabbed the phone. “Oops, the boss man must be checking his email. It’s Ice.”

From: Ice Ice Baby

I thought I told you not to worry about the exhibition while you’re at Top Gun?

To: Ice Ice Baby

These emails aren’t gonna write themselves. And I don’t see you volunteering to call news outlets for promotional pieces.

From: Ice Ice Baby

Ha ha, very funny. Make fun of the man who can’t talk. I can have you demoted, you know.

To: Ice Ice Baby

Then who would bother you all the time? You already sent your boyfriend to the Mojave Desert, you can’t send me anywhere worse, what kind of Godfather would you be??

From: Ice Ice Baby

Alright fine, I wouldn’t demote you. Only cause you’re more tolerable than my ‘boyfriend.’ Thought he and Penny were getting back together?

To: Ice Ice Baby

Jury’s still out on that one. Will report back when I know more. Astro, out.

She sat her phone back down and continued to dig into the nacho plate until the door burst open and a bumbling mess of aviators stumbled through the door. The rowdy crowd had arrived, interrupting her peace and quiet with the Benjamin ladies and the few patrons at the bar for dinner service. 

“Astro! We’re doing shots!”

Oh boy. So much for staying on track with her exhibition to-do list. 

“You buying, Coyote?” She teased, closing the laptop for the evening, winking at Amelia as she laughed to herself and packed her school work up. 

“Only if you beat me at pool.” The gang slowly filtered to the pool tables with drinks as Coyote racked the balls. 

Taylor leaned down to break, a shit-eating grin plastered on her face. “Here’s where you’re in trouble, Coyote. You’re in Astro's home turf.” Hangman laughed when she broke, sinking two balls in the back pockets much to her opponent’s dismay. A couple of shots later, and Coyote was buying the first round of booze. 

Taylor hung with Fanboy, Phoenix, and Bob as the next pool game began, Coyote now finding purchase in Hangman as his next target. 

“So, how did you and Rooster meet?” Bob yelled over the music. He was one shot and a drink in, and it was adorable how tipsy he was getting already. 

“Childhood best friend.” Taylor responded shortly. Once the rest of the pilots found out the two were a couple, the teasing and joking remarks were relentless. Taylor didn’t mind, and it usually got Bradley more riled up which meant she got more fun out of him at night in the comfort of their bed.

“Isn’t he like five years older than you? How did that work out?” Fanboy piggybacked off of her response. 

“Only three years, geez, Fanboy! He’s not that old!” Astro shoved him playfully. “I guess for us we were just destined to be stuck together forever.” She winked with a dramatic tone.

She didn’t need to bring up the fourteen months he didn’t talk to her after the fallout with Maverick. How she begged and begged for her best friend to please let her in, to separate her from her father’s horrible decision when she was just sixteen. How, at seventeen, she was wooed by a boy from school into taking a romantic weekend trip to Los Angeles only to be left stranded in the city. Bradley would never forget her name popping up on his phone at 3 AM, and knowing something was wrong. His instincts were correct as he answered, and could only hear her sobbing on the other end. He had never driven so fast in his life, making the two hour drive in just over an hour to get to her. It was the first time they had talked in over a year, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to leave her home alone in San Diego while Maverick was overseas. He had stayed the weekend and they awkwardly rekindled, but that fleeting attempt went out the window as soon as he was sent overseas three days later.

A few months later, she was so terrified to tell him she got accepted into the academy at eighteen while he was still trying so desperately to get in at twenty-one. They only leveled out after he was finally accepted, and she could finally breathe around her best friend again. A couple of years of rebuilding, even more years of pining in between deployments and missions, and one very aggressive yet effective aviator named Jake Seresin led them to the almost four years of dating they were quickly approaching, minus a few months when they would take their extended breaks courtesy of Bradley’s inability to commit. 

“Anyways, enough about me. What about the rest of you? Any special lovers back home?”

Bob raised his hand with a drunken smile. “Ooh! Me! She’s the most beautiful thing.” He was quick to pull his phone out, showing them a photo of the most stunning couple. Bob was dressed in a tan suit, and the woman on his arm had the most gorgeous wedding dress on. 

“Holy shit, Bob. She’s stunning!” Taylor and Nat grabbed the phone, almost drooling over the details in the picture. 

“You’re married?” Fanboy exclaimed, peering over Taylor’s shoulder to see the couple, too.

“Last June.” Bob smiled proudly, pulling a wedding ring on a necklace out. “She’s the love of my life.” 

“Yeah, we’re gonna have to meet her someday.” Phoenix teased lightly, handing the phone back to him. “Rumor has it that Hangman has a girl in town now, too.” 

“Oh god, that poor girl.” Taylor joked before she felt a hand slide into her back pocket. She turned her neck slightly to meet the eyes of her own dreamy aviator. “Hey Roo.”

“You guys talking about me?” He smirked.

“Only because you’re Astro’s arm candy.” Fanboy joked, causing the rest of the aviators to ooh under their breaths. 

Bradley shrugged. “I’ll take what I can get.” The rest of them continued talking as he leaned into her ear. “Arm candy is requesting we get out of here.” He said lowly, causing a chill to run down her spine. 

She bumped her butt into him, causing him to stumble backwards slightly. “One more drink then I’m all yours, Lieutenant.” Bradley smiled, running to grab another round.

A few more drinks and over an hour later, the couple snuck out to Bradley’s Bronco, speeding off in the heat of the night. They could barely keep their hands off one another. He kept her hand laced tight in his as they drove out towards the mountains, finding escape from the city with one another. Before Rooster could fully remove the keys from the ignition, she was flipping on him, straddling his lap as she planted a rum-flavored kiss on his lips.

“Mmm, baby, mmm.” Bradley mumbled as her hands slipped under his shirt to trace his abs. He could already feel himself getting hard as he scrambled to move them to the backseat. “C’mon, you know it’s so much better back there.” 

He didn’t even realize he had zoned out, unable to take his eyes off of how stunning and beautiful she looked as she huffed playfully with an eye roll. She pulled her hair out the ponytail and draped it over his shoulder as she climbed into the backseat, knowing exactly what she was doing to him. He was so in love with this woman, it hurt. She knew exactly how to push his buttons, how to get him riled up, but also how to make him feel safe and comfortable. He was going to spend forever with this woman if he had anything to say about it.

“Rooster, if you don’t fuck me right now, I swear to God.” Bradley pushed the thoughts out of his head and climbed on top of her, laying his lips on hers happily as she laughed. 

The Bronco rocked in the quiet peace of the mountains until the early light of morning.

---

She instructed them one by one to head to The Hard Deck in their comfiest beach attire. By the time she got out to the beach with a speaker and cooler of beer in tow, they were already building sand castles and lounging in the sun. Her dad stood out near the water with two footballs, smiling at his kid as she joked with Hangman over what he could only assume was an inside joke about sand. Taylor took a handful of it and smashed it over his head, instantly turning tail and running as the taller pilot realized what happened and gave chase. He let them lounge around for a bit before calling their attention to the edge of the water.

“Good afternoon, aviators!” The dozen pilots stood tall. “Welcome to Dogfight Football. You have two goals today. Score as many points as your team can without letting the other team score, simultaneously.” Shockingly, with little repetition, they all learned the short rules list and a mad dog of a competition came to fruition. 

The two teams lined up in a football-like formation, before Hondo yelled to start the round. Maverick and Hangman were appointed quarterbacks for the respective teams while the rest of them ran around, playing defense and offense. They all thought they were slick, but Penny’s point of view on the back deck of her bar showed what only looked like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.

Taylor pointed at Natasha, glaring playfully at her over her aviators as they lined up against each other.

“Oh, don’t give me that finger, Astro. I’ll break you.” She teased, and the whistle blew. The two connected, shoving and laughing as they tried to one up each other, not even paying attention to the balls and their teammates. Finally, a wave caught Astro’s leg and Phoenix used that to flip her to the ground, landing with her legs straddled over Astro.

Taylor let out a breath, peering up at her friend above her. “You know, you’re not the worst person I’ve had on top of me.” She winked, and Phoenix splashed sandy water at her face. Taylor squirmed away from the water, laughing as she did. 

“I don’t date pilots.” Phoenix teased, squishing her hands into Astro’s leg to quit her squirming.

“OOOOOH, CHICK FIGHT!” Coyote howled across the beach, as the rest of the boys turned their way. A chorus of whistles and oohs arose from most of their mouths.

Phoenix moved away finally, offering a hand for Astro to climb to her feet. “Sorry boys, no free admission.” She yelled to them.

A retort of disagreements rang out. “What!? But what about your free admission,” Hangman paused, tossing both of his arms up, “to the GUN SHOW!” 

As Hangman flexed his arms, the rest of the very fit, very sweaty, very cocky Navy boys followed in his footsteps. Even Bob flexed his arms, mostly hidden behind his yellow t-shirt. Astro and Phoenix both shook their heads with laughter. Taylor peeked over her sunglasses at her boyfriend, his body chiseled like a God. The salt and sun and sweat accentuated his toned muscles extremely well and it took all she could muster to not jump on him at that very second. He caught her stare and winked, a goofy smile on his tanned face. 

“Don’t make me ring the bell at you boys.” Penny yelled at them with a smile and a tray of water. Maverick was smiling next to her with another tray. The pilots happily took the water break, thanking Penny profusely for hosting them and making sure they didn’t pass out. Taylor eyed her father’s puppy-in-love face as he watched Penny the entire time. She’d tease the hell out of him later.

Before long, they were in their next rounds of football, laughing and tackling each other in the sand again. Taylor got a kick out of tackling her father to the ground during one of the rounds. The older Mitchell stared with a shocked expression as she hollered excitedly, high fiving Jake. Bradley snuck in and extended an arm to him, which he happily took before pushing his kid off of her balance onto her butt as she had done to him. The Mitchell duo couldn’t help but laugh. A few rounds later, Taylor watched Jake throw the ball over her head and was shocked to see it land in Bob’s arms snugly. He looked up at her with wide eyes, unsure of what to do next.

“Run, Bob, run!” She darted with him, protecting him as he slipped through the piles of aviators before they noticed too late. Bob had scored in their endzone successfully. 

The dogfight quickly turned into a dogpile as the group all rushed to Bob, screaming and yelling at his successful score. Somehow Bob ended up on Rooster’s shoulders, the team cheering his name as he was paraded around. 

Maverick, Hondo, and Penny all stood to the side laughing at the show of camaraderie. Maverick’s insane plan to get them to work as a team somehow worked.

An hour later, the party began to disperse as exhaustion took over. Some of the boys were out in the ocean bodysurfing, Phoenix and Bob were building another sandcastle, and Maverick had disappeared into the bar with Penny for some much needed alone time before the bar opened for the evening.

Taylor was standing with her toes barely touching the water when she felt a warm hand slide around her waist, a finger hooking into her swimsuit bottoms comfortably. “Come here often?” 

Taylor leaned up to the sunburnt lips of her boyfriend’s, humming as she kissed him slowly. “No, but we should.”

He hummed in agreement. “Once this mission is over, maybe I’ll convince my command to station me here again. Get to see you and Ice open the exhibition. Finally work on the deck of the house.”

Taylor rolled her eyes, peering over her aviators at him. “Bold statement from Bradley Bradshaw. That deck is never going to be fixed.” She laughed. “I’ll just pay someone to come replace it.”

Bradley gasped and put a hand on his chest, feigning hurt. “Taylor Mitchell, you can’t just disrespect my manhood like that.” 

“Nah, if I’m gonna disrespect your manhood, I’m going to do it right.” She suddenly spun on him, hooking her fingers in the belt holes of his jorts. Before he knew it she was dragging him into the water by his waist, him barely able to keep his pants up. Once she had them both chest deep in the water, she happily turned and planted a salty kiss on his lips.

“Mmm. Taylor.” He mumbled in between breaths, picking her up by the thighs. “I love you.”

“I love you, baby.” They continued the sunset makeout session, only pausing to flip off the rest of the Navy boys as they yelled, ‘Get a room!’ at the couple. 

—

The next few days were much better after the break they all desperately needed. Their flying was better, banter was less targeted, and it seemed like they were finally However, the cheery attitude wouldn’t last. 

The day began with a briefing from Cyclone, informing the pilots of a drastic shift in the timeline. The nuclear plant was set to open earlier than expected, and they needed to move up their attack to avoid the potential of nuclear destruction. By a whole week. Taylor eyed some of her friends as the news broke, their expressions matching hers of absolute bewilderment. If this mission wasn’t already a Hail Mary, it certainly was now. Maverick had already given them the deeper explanation of the route they would be performing, but today he stood up in front of them again and gave his presentation, focusing on the critical importance of staying on time, proximity to their wingman, and constant communication. Maverick’s hardened face once again warned them about the hard turns and insane forces that their bodies would be forced into. 

Today she was partnered with Bob and Phoenix, with Maverick running the simulation from the skies. She had stayed up all night studying the route, jitters finally getting to the best of her as Bradley slept peacefully in their room. She focused on calculating angles of turns that she was expected to make at over 500 knots. She wanted this team leader position so bad she could taste it. Today would be the day she pulled in front of Rooster, in front of Hangman. She was flying for that title. 

“Good afternoon, aviators.” Her father’s cheery voice repeated his iconic phrase as her and Phoenix flew in formation out to their starting spot.

“Hi Maverick. We’ll see you on the other side of this run.” She tipped her wing up to his plane, smiling as he returned the wave. “Phoenix, Bob, you ready?”

“Oh yeah.” Astro clipped her mask in, throwing her jet into high gear. The pair of jets blurred across the California desert at just over a hundred feet as they approached the inlet.

“Starting the timer…NOW!” Astro punched her levers forward, speeding up quickly. Phoenix acknowledged and followed her lead. The pair flew in near perfect formation as they twisted and turned with ease through the canyon. Astro was feeling good on this run thanks to her late night, lack of sleep easily replaced by adrenaline as they continued on. 

“How are we on time, Bob?” Phoenix asked during a brief straightaway. 

“We are three seconds behind, increase speed.” Bob replied. 

“Increasing speed.” Astro acknowledged. They were quickly approaching the first climb. “Phoenix, prepare to climb, here we go!”

Astro yanked her yoke back as the jet nearly went vertical and punched her engines forward again, the force of the speed pinning her to her seat. She could hear Phoenix breathing heavily through the comms as they continued the climb through the G-forces. 

Once they crested, it was time to flip the jets for easier access into the valley. Astro hollered happily as she slightly rose out of her seat at the top of her upside down descent in. Gods, she loved flying. 

“Getting a lock, give me a few more seconds!” Bob chimed in. This part had been the hardest piece to this complex puzzle - the Miracle that no jet had made yet. 

“C’mon Bob, we’re closing in!” They were rapidly approaching the critical spot that would start the rough climb into Coffin Corner. 

“I’m trying, I can’t get the sensor to lock in!” 

“Bob!”

“It’s no good, I can’t get a lock. Blind fire, blind fire!” Astro followed his command, launching two missiles blindly towards the mock target that was prepared in the desert. “That’s a miss, repeat, the target was missed.” 

“Dammit!” Taylor pulled up hard, mimicking the pull they will have to make against the mountain in a week. Her body felt like ten tons as her plane launched into the sky, and her grasp on her yoke was slick. Phoenix was on her tail as the pair of jets climbed higher and higher. 

Suddenly, Taylor’s breath caught wrong in her throat as she struggled through the Gs and immediately her vision was tunneling to black. She pulled off her mask, fighting off panic, doing whatever she could to focus on the pull as they approached the top of the climb. She was determined to make this climb. It was the only way she’d beat out the men for leader. She needed this position. 

Astro’s jet leveled out suddenly, Phoenix having to dodge it narrowly as she completed the climb successfully. “Woah, Astro! You pulled up too soon. We have to breach the SAMs elevations first.” 

Bob turned to keep an eye on her plane as they whizzed by, confused as its nose began to fall. “Astro, are you okay?” He asked, squinting to see if he could see the solo pilot in her cockpit. 

“Astro, do you copy?” Phoenix asked as Maverick swung towards them for their air debrief, as he did with each team. He flipped his mask up to start the debrief until he saw his daughter’s plane lag forward, beginning to free fall. “Talk to me, Taylor!”

“Her nose is dropping quick, guys. I can’t see her moving!” Bob vocalized his fear as the jet gained free fall speed. 

“Shit, she’s in G-Loc!” Maverick panicked at the realization, pulling his jet out of formation with Phoenix and into a dive toward the spiraling hunk of metal with his daughter in it. 

Back in the training room, Rooster’s stomach plummeted as he listened to Maverick, Bob, and Phoenix all scream her name over the radio. He had been listening idly as he chatted with the rest of the team, but snapped to attention at the first sound of concern when he heard Taylor gasp in the middle of her climb. He knew something was wrong then, and only continued to shake in his seat at the continued comms from the air team. He knew what was happening in the skies above them. Bob was calling out her elevations, the number dropping too quickly. She was going to crash if she didn’t snap out of it and there was nothing he could do down here. A hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up at Hangman, whose face was white as a sheet listening as well. 

“Astro, pull up!” Phoenix begged.

Maverick’s jet sped through the air as he flipped his gun lock on. “Come on, sweetheart, come on! Taylor, wake up! Astro!” His lock gave a positive tone.

Suddenly, he heard a gasp through his headset and the plane below him pulled up at the last second. Maverick pulled an evasive maneuver as well, avoiding her plane and the ground. The younger Mitchell slowly steadied her jet below Phoenix and Bob’s craft, her father’s above her.

“Astro? You alright?” Phoenix yelled, looking down towards her friend.

“Yeah, yeah.” Taylor’s shaky voice echoed in the break room and both Rooster and Hangman let out the breath they didn’t realize they were holding. Bradley put his head in his hands and let out his own shaky sigh. He’d never heard anyone go into G-Loc, never wanted to ever again. 

“Let’s head home and regroup.” Maverick ordered before he grunted. “Bird Strike, bird strike!”

Bob screamed. “Phoenix, we’re on fire, we’re on fire!”

—

Rooster and Hangman rushed out of the hangar as her plane finally came to a stop. The canopy opened and Astro stumbled out. As soon as her feet hit the tarmac, she collapsed to the ground in a heap. 

“Taylor!” Bradley took off in a sprint. He could see her shaking as he skidded to a stop, falling to her side. Hangman was on his six as he pulled in next to her as well. Bradley cupped her cheek. “Hey, baby. Look at me.”

Her breathing was labored and in short spurts. She couldn’t get the image of the mountain just a few hundred feet in front of her out of her eyes, despite how many times she tried to blink it out of existence. Jake slowly eased off her helmet and clipped it to his belt, shielding her teary eyes from the bright sun with his body. She was pale, eyelids heavy from exhaustion. His heart ached at the sight of his wingman completely in shambles. Taylor’s hand reached up to grab Bradley’s wrist tight, grounding her to him as she desperately gasped for air. “Phe-Pheonix?”

Bradley smiled and shook his head in disbelief. Even in the face of her own death, she would always be more worried for everyone else. She must’ve been really dazed to not hear them respond to Maverick. “They’re okay, baby. Search and rescue already has her and Bob on their radars.”

“Oh, thank god.” She mumbled, tears catching in her eyes. “Thank god.” 

“What happened up there?” Rooster asked, rubbing her matted hair out of her face. She hadn’t been able to talk in the air with everyone focused on Phoenix and Bob. The Tower just wanted her grounded as soon as possible while Maverick flew search and rescue for the other jet until their emergency trackers came online. The only words out of her mouth had come out as muscle memory responses as she landed her fighter jet back in Miramar, leaving the other three aviators out in the desert. 

Taylor seemed to be reaching for an answer, but instead she let out a quiet sob in response.

“Hey, come on. Let’s get you out of this heat to sick bay.” Hangman commented, helping her to her feet slowly. She leaned into Bradley, legs barely keeping her up. Rooster shook his head and swept her gently off her feet into his arms. She didn’t have the energy to protest. “Base infirmary, this is Lieutenant Seresin. We’re bringing Lieutenant Mitchell in for a checkup.” Hangman mumbled into his helmet before following Rooster towards their destination.

—

“Hangman?” 

Jake stood up, years of attention forcing his body to go rigid until he realized who had called his name. Maverick rushed towards him, the worried look only a father could have adorning his face. This was dad, not instructor, and he loosened as the man approached. “She’s gonna be fine, sir, just a bit dehydrated. They’re discharging her.” 

Maverick let out a sigh of relief. Hangman didn’t catch the quiet ‘thank you, Goose’ that came out of the older pilot’s mouth. 

“How’s Phoenix and Bob?” He knew they were somewhere in the infirmary, but he had stuck to Taylor’s side. He didn’t want her to be alone. 

“They’ll keep them overnight just in case. Where’s Rooster?”

“He bolted a while ago, didn’t say where he was going. I figured I would take her home.” Hangman rolled his eyes in disapprovement. 

Maverick took a deep breath. “Thanks, Seresin. You all take it easy tonight.”

“Yes sir.” Maverick began to walk away before Hangman called out. “Maverick, if you see Rooster, tell him he’s an idiot for leaving her here.” 

A few minutes later, Taylor emerged from the room in a pair of athletic shorts and her favorite black Navy sweatshirt that Jake retrieved from her locker. The color had returned to her cheeks and she was feeling a lot better with the IV fluids they gave her. Her nurse told her to take it as easy as one could while learning to fly a suicide mission. 

“Ready to go?” Jake extended his arm, meeting her halfway. She smiled as she took it, but he couldn’t miss the disappointment of seeing him standing there instead of a different aviator. Jake opened his truck door for her, then climbed in the driver’s seat.

Before he put the key in the ignition, he let out a sigh. “Why do you still love him?” Taylor turned to her friend, eyebrows knitting. “I’ve been in the front row seat of this thing for years, and I just can’t figure out why someone as perfect and sweet as you still stays by his side.” He confessed, refusing to make eye contact with her, already regretting asking such a personal jab.

“Jake.” Taylor sighed, leaning her head back against the seat as she came up with an answer. But he kept opening his mouth instead.

“You almost died today, Taylor. He ditched you at the hospital. What man does that?”

She sighed, blinking the mountain away again. “I don’t blame him for leaving. Last time one of us was in the base hospital, we said a lot of things neither of us were proud of.” Taylor set her hand on his shoulder. “Jake, I promise if anything was out of the ordinary, I would tell you. We were doing really well before he deployed, even talked about marriage. It just sucks that this mission is the first time we’ve seen each other in months, and the history with my father is not helping the stress. We’re gonna be okay, we always are. I know you worry about me, and I love you for it, but I promise I’m okay, too.”

Hangman nodded, satisfied at her response. But he had another burning question. “Are you okay after today?”

She let out an airy laugh, stifled as a lump quickly formed in her throat. “I’m trying not to think about it. No. But I’m ready to get back in the air and forget about it. I won’t make that mistake again, not if I want lead.”

Jake let a smile spread across his face. “Good, that means you’re not going easy on me for the rest of training. Game on. Enough sappiness, let’s get out of here.” He turned up the radio, flipping through his playlists until he found something to jam out to. They pulled out of the parking lot, getting off base as soon as possible.

“God, I’m ready for a drink.” Taylor sighed, running a hand through her tangled hair. She silently cursed Jake for not grabbing her hair brush from her locker while he was in there.

“Ew, no, you’re gonna shower before I’m seen out in public with you. I have a reputation to keep, Mitchell.” Jake teased cockily as her phone rang in her breast pocket. 

“Says the guy with the secret girlfriend.” 

He guffawed. “How did you know about her?” 

“I didn’t, but thanks for confirming it.” She beamed and answered the phone, his face in denial and shock. “Hey Aunt Sarah.”

“Taylor, sweetheart, is your dad around?” 

“He’s somewhere. We had a hectic day so I’m sure his phone got set somewhere in the chaos.” She turned down the radio a few notches. “I should see him soon, what’s up?” On the other end of the line, she heard the quietest sob. “Sarah?”

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.” And suddenly reality felt like it was collapsing on her. “He’s gone, hun.”

Taylor’s breath caught. “W-what?” Jake looked over at her worriedly, only hearing half of the conversation but catching her shift in tone nonetheless. “I just talked to him last night.”

“He was too scared to tell you. He passed in his sleep this morning.”

“It came back?” Tears were falling down her face, Jake’s voice dull in her ears, telling her he was pulling over. All she could do was focus on the woman on the other end. “Sarah, I’m so sorry. I'm so sorry.” 

“It’s alright Taylor, we made our peace. I wish your dad could have told you so you could’ve said goodbye.”

“Maverick knew?” She was shaking, trying hard not to go back to the dark place she had been stuck at up in the air earlier today, fighting to breathe, fighting to stay conscious. But this was Ice, her Admiral, her Godfather, her family. And her own father knew something was wrong.

Taylor didn’t remember the phone being taken out of her hand as Jake leaned in to hug her. She sobbed into his chest on the side of the road. Jake was internally cursing at Rooster the entire time, knowing he shouldn’t be the one picking up pieces of her again, and yet, he wouldn’t dare to be anywhere else right now. 

—

“Phoenix and Bob are okay, they are keeping them overnight just in case.” Maverick said into the dark room. Bradley barely moved, the only movement being the gentle rise and fall of his shoulders with every breath. “Taylor was discharged too, if you care.”

“That’s good.” He mumbled over his shoulder.

He could hear Maverick move into the room, the leather couch behind him creaking as the older pilot sat down. “You wanna talk about today? Bradley?”

“I’m fine.”

“Bradley, I know you listen to every flight she takes. It’s okay to not be okay.”

“I said I’m fine, sir.” Rooster snapped.

Maverick sighed. Even after the raw day they had, he still wouldn’t let him in. Fine. He’d leave him alone and go find Taylor instead. “If you say so.”

Rooster heard his footsteps retreat back towards the door, and suddenly he saw red. “Why did you pull my papers and not hers?” Maverick stopped in his tracks as Rooster stomped up to him. “She’s your daughter, you’re supposed to protect her, not me.” 

“You weren’t ready.” Maverick resigned to the low blow after a moment of pause. This had been the first time Rooster had brought up the mistake of his lifetime in years. The first time it ever reared its ugly head since Bradley and Taylor had started dating three years ago. 

“And she was? You saw her today. She almost died.” Maverick rolled his eyes at the audacity of this kid, blaming Taylor for passing out like there was any way G-Loc would be merciful to its potential victims. “She’s reckless, just like you.” Rooster continued, without letting his instructor get a word in. 

Maverick gritted his teeth. “As are the rest of you pilots up there. Why is it her that’s the problem?”

“Because the Mitchell family has a tendency of killing people when they lose control in the air. It’s dangerous to be around.”

Maverick was up in his face quickly, angry at the younger pilot immediately. “Says the guy who breaks her heart over and over. You think she’s dangerous? Try loving you. You say you love her yet continue to leave her behind, keep her at a distance, dance around her heart like it’s a game. Our issues are ours to deal with, but you don’t get to drag my daughter through the mud because of that. That’s torture, Bradley, not love. God, if your father heard you say that, he would’ve-”

“But he’s not here, and who’s fault is that, Mitchell?” Bradley seethed. 

A small sound caught Pete’s ears and his eyes snapped to it. Bradley followed his line of sight, immediately deflating to guilt. Taylor was standing there, arms folded in on themselves, hiding perfectly in the shadow of the night near the open door of the room in her dark Navy sweatshirt.  

“Taylor?” Oh god, how long had she been standing there? “Sweetheart, you weren’t supposed to hear that.”

She shuffled her feet. “No, I think I needed to.” There was an awkward tension in the air between the three pilots before she spoke up again. “Dad, you should call Aunt Sarah.”

Maverick paled. The dim light caught across her face and he finally saw the red in her eyes and puffy cheeks from tears that long precluded this fight.

No.

“Ice?” His voice cracked. She nodded slowly as more tears fell down her face. He began to move her way. “Taylor, I wanted to-”

She threw her hand up to stop him. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear excuses, from either of you.” And then she spun on her heel leaving the two men alone again, both with awkward, apologetic faces.

It didn’t last long as Bradley gave his instructor one last glare before chasing after his girlfriend.

“Taylor!” He called after her, impressed by how fast she was moving. But his long legs meant he caught up quickly. “Taylor, what happened? Are you okay? Astro!”

“How dare you!” She screamed, turning and shoving him away from her. He stepped back, shocked at the anger in her tone. “How dare you! He’s been making up his entire life to you for what happened to Goose, and you continue to pull this shit? You drag him into the ground and blame him for everything? Even for a mistake I made? You cannot keep blaming him for what happened.”

“This has nothing to do with my father.” 

She rushed him, jabbing a harsh finger into his chest. “This has everything to do with him, Bradley. You’re just too fucking arrogant to give a shit.” She seethed. Thank god it was late and most of their friends were at The Hard Deck and weren’t here to see this explosion. “Goose’s death is his worst nightmare come true. He’s been flying to fix his mistake ever since, and now he’s training his kids to do the same thing that killed his best friend. Why do you think he pulled your papers? Ice wouldn’t let him pull mine, not after what happened with you. All he’s ever wanted to do was to keep us from the same fate as Goose.”

Bradley felt like he couldn’t breathe. He didn’t want his father’s death to be part of the reason why Maverick pulled his papers. No matter how much he convinced him that wasn’t why, it continued to be. But why pull hers? She was sixteen when his got pulled, and she had a front row seat to the disaster that was the fallout with Maverick. He had taken it out on her the most. Hell, he still was taking it out on her. For the life she’d almost had to live herself. Jesus, Maverick tried to pull her papers. Her own father.

“Now you listen here, you piece of shit.” She grabbed his collar and yanked him down to her level. Her blue eyes were bloodshot from all of the tears, but they were even redder with rage. “I will never, ever stop being so stupidly in love with you. But if you ever disrespect my family name again, so help me god.” 

He didn’t have time to process the fight - was it a fight, he had barely spoken? - before she stomped away for the evening.

---

—

The twelve pilots stood at attention in the belly of the carrier as Cyclone and Warlock gave them their final debriefing amidst the deck crew and other personnel of the ship. Her father stood at their side, a solemn look on his face as they ordered him to choose his wingmen.

After his stunt in Fightertown he had been promoted, not court martialed, to team leader. Her father’s guardian angel had pulled through one last time. She was equally proud and angry; losing one of the spots on the 4-jet team just made her odds slimmer after the plummet she took out of the sky less than a week ago. But she left the final decision to her Captain.

“Phoenix and Bob, Payback and Fanboy.” 

“And your second?”

Maverick sighed, looking between Hangman, Rooster, and Astro. This decision could kill any of them, and he didn’t take it lightly. 

“Rooster.”

The silence that briefly followed was palpable. Her chest felt like it had caved in as Rooster tensed next to her. Across the rows, she saw Hangman’s shoulders fall slightly. Then there was movement, ‘Congratulations’ and ‘Good Luck’ phrases thrown to the chosen pilots.

She felt a hand on her arm, and Taylor snapped out of her trance. Nat had a concerned look on her face, focused only on her friend amidst the men talking. Phoenix gave her a small smile and both women embraced, the stress of two weeks of training leading to this final decision.

“You come home, you hear me? I can’t be alone with all of these guys.” Astro joked, holding back the lump in her throat. 

“You know it. First round is on me when we get stateside.” She told her, before giving her another tight hug. Then she was whisked away into other celebrations. 

Taylor looked through the crowd at her wingman, who was doing all he could to hide his disappointment. She snaked through the crowd until she was in his face, and didn’t give him a chance to speak before she hugged him tight.

Jake returned the hug, breathing deep into her shoulder to let out his stress. 

“I’m so sorry, Jake. I know you wanted this.” She mumbled.

“I know how much you did, too.” He replied, still holding on tight. “Wingmen or groundmen forever, right?”  

She laughed at his terrible pun, grateful to have him at her side all of these years later. “Forever.”

He leaned back. “Go find your pilot. He’s gonna need you.”

She nodded with one final squeeze of his arm before going into the crowd to find her boyfriend. They had been given respite for the evening, however they wanted to spend the night before the early morning call time. Some of them agreed to play cards in Payback’s bunk, while some, like Phoenix, retreated back to their own bunks for quiet.

Bradley and Taylor found themselves in the gym, surprisingly alone. No words had to be shared; they knew what was coming. So instead, they found solace in each other’s presence as they pumped out reps, blowing off whatever steam needed to be blown off. 

After they showered, Bradley took her hand and led her through the decks until they found a quiet corner of the carrier, standing on a small balcony that overlooked the dark ocean. They were coasting slowly and by the morning, the carrier would be stationed a few hundred miles from the nuclear plant for staging.

Bradley bumped her shoulder playfully in the peace of the night. “I asked my C.O. to station me at home.” He mumbled quietly, lacing his fingers in hers.

She squeezed his hand. “Really?”

“I think I’ve had enough running around the world trying to figure out what I need in life. It’s always going to be you.” He paused. “And Mav.”

“What are you gonna do?” She kissed his knuckles lightly. 

“Thought I could join you and train newbies. If you’ll have me?”

“In the air and on the ground, baby. I’m yours.” She turned to face him more. “You and dad will have each other’s backs up there, right?”

Bradley shook his head with a sigh, looking down at his boots. “I wish I could go back to that day and take back what I said to him. I was so angry. Might be the biggest regret of life, only second to taking it out on you for so long. He’s the closest thing I have to a father, but I’m the closest thing he has to Goose. And I took that from him for a long time. I’m not abandoning him anymore.”

She wrapped her arms around him tightly. “Your father would be so proud of you. Of him. I’m glad I got to know him through the two of you.” She pecked his cheek. “I love you.”

He reciprocated the kiss on her lips. “I love you, baby.” 

—

By the time their early morning call came in, Bradley was already gone from her bunk. Not that he was ever supposed to be in there, but Phoenix would kill anybody that tried to confront the couple about it. She didn’t mind taking Rooster’s solo bunk at all during their few days at sea.

Astro met Hangman outside the mess hall, neither hungry enough to eat anything but they still scarfed down a few bites of eggs and something slightly akin to pancakes. Then it was time. Their squad was summoned to their stations. 

“You ready, Spare Two?” Hangman extended his fist, and she bumped hers against it. They had picked up their flight gear, completing the routine checkup before making their way out. When they got to the lower deck, their jets were ready side by side.

“Bullshit, I’m Spare One.” She clipped her helmet to her belt as the platform raised up to the main deck. The energy was bustling, a mixture of adrenaline and nerves electrifying the personnel as final preparations were made. It was a chilly, foggy morning, a stark contrast to the hot California sun they had spent the last few weeks in.

Across the deck, she spotted her two pilots. They were standing next to their planes, talking to one another. She could see Bradley’s mouth moving as she approached, but her eyes focused on her father’s solemn face. His Uncle Goose face. God, her heart would never not crack when she saw that face. It would never fail to make her feel sick to her stomach. She was regretting the eggs for breakfast.

Maverick turned as he faintly heard footsteps. He smiled lightly when he saw her but she could tell he was trying to mask the face. “Hey, sweetheart.”

She wrapped her arms around him tight, and he reciprocated with a laugh. Once she squeezed him hard enough, she turned to make eye contact with her aviator. He gave her a small smile, reaching his hand out to her. She gladly took it, mirroring the hug she just gave her father. She took in the smell of his flight suit - a mixture of gas, sweat, and his cologne lingering.

“You both come home to me.” She mumbled into his chest. Rooster and Maverick locked eyes with each other. 

“Taylor, baby-”

“Promise me, Bradley. I can’t lose the only family I have left.” 

He kissed the top of her head gently, nodding towards Maverick who nodded back. “We’re gonna be okay. Besides we have the best spare out there who will save us if something goes wrong.”  

“Don’t inflate Jake’s ego like that, his big ears can probably hear us over here.” She joked, forcing the lump back in her throat as her boys both laughed. 

Someone called Maverick’s name, signaling him to climb into his jet. He gave his daughter one more hug. “I love you.”

“I love you. Good luck out there, Captain.” She gave him a salute and he walked away. She turned back to Bradley as they called for him.

He grabbed her one more time, planting a deep kiss on her lips as he cupped her face gently. He could’ve stayed there all day. Forget the mission, forget the world, forget everything but the taste of her lips on his, the lingering smell of her shampoo, the way her hands fell on his chest. But this mission was now, and he had to go.

“Take me to bed or lose me forever.” She mumbled into his lips, looking into his beautiful brown eyes.

“Show me the way home, honey. I love you.” He replied back, giving her one last squeeze.

Astro watched him walk towards his plane, and if the circumstances were different, she would have enjoyed watching him walk away. She couldn’t resist her man in a flight suit. But she couldn’t suppress the pit in her stomach as he saluted the deckhand, then climbed up into his cockpit. He gave her one final wave as the canopy closed over him. 

Astro made her way back to her jet, smacking Hangman’s leg as he climbed up his ladder. She saluted her team then followed suit, starting her pre-flight checklist like second nature, but for the first time ever, she hoped she wouldn't be flying today.

—

Their jets took off in rapid succession and now it was a waiting game. She listened to the six people in the air give comms to one another as they approached land. The pit in her stomach grew even more as the carrier launched a few dozen Tomahawk missiles a few minutes after the Dagger Squad left. 

“Jesus Christ.” Hangman mumbled as they watched the missiles take to the sky. 

“No turning back now, right?” She looked over at her wingman in his jet. He shook his head in response.

She listened as each Dagger sounded off their timer starts. Maverick had Phoenix and Bob while Rooster had Payback and Fanboy as their wingmen. She could deduce over the first minute that her father had pulled ahead, his wingman staying on him impressively. Astro smiled; Phoenix of course had been the stellar choice. But she also could tell her boyfriend had fallen behind, and the entire crew was yelling at him. 

In the midst of the chaos in her ears, she heard one sentence clearly: “Talk to me, dad.” And relief from multiple voices came through. He was back in the game. 

Her knuckles went white on her yoke as someone announced two bandits in the air, but it seemed that their team was unnoticed for the time being. Maverick called his climb up the first mountain. Rooster was still behind. Bob called the lock, and Maverick made contact.

Hangman cheered beside her. Miracle #1 had been done.

And then Miracle #2 was completed. 

“Smoke in the air! Smoke in the air!”

But there was no time to celebrate as the SAMs launched at the aircraft, and the harrowing leg of their mission was upon them.

“Evasive maneuvers!”

She hated this. She hated this. She hated this. The six pilots in the air were yelling over one another, somehow able to keep each other updated on missile locations and countermeasure use. But they couldn’t shake the dozens of SAMs that were closing in around them.

“You’ve got two on your tail, Rooster!”

Oh god, Bradley. Please. Please no. 

“I can’t shake them. I’m out of countermeasures!”

And then came the cry that sunk her heart into the depths of the ocean below her: “Mav! No!”

“Dagger One is hit!” Taylor’s stomach dropped as the comm came through. She couldn’t tell whose voice it was, but it didn’t matter. They vocalized the horror in the skies. Her father was hit. Her father was plummeting out of the air. Her father wasn’t responding. 

She wanted to cry, wanted to call for him. Anything that she could do to hear his voice. But she wasn’t in the air, so she wasn’t allowed to respond on their channel. She could only listen to her father’s final moments as his F-18 fell to the snowy mountains.

“All daggers floating ECP, you have bandits headed for you.” The tower communicated.

“What about Maverick?” Rooster cried, his voice cracking with fear. Taylor’s eyes filled with tears. 

“Dagger Spare, request permission to launch and fly air cover.” Hangman yelled over the commotion, a begging look in his eyes as he watched his wingman’s face turn whiter and whiter as time went on. He had to try, for her.

“Negative, Spare.” Hangman tossed his mask away in frustration. 

“Daggers, you are not to engage. Repeat, do not engage.”

“Dagger Two, return to carrier. Acknowledge. Acknowledge.”

“Rooster, those bandits are closing. We can’t go back.” Phoenix pushed the ache out of her chest, trying to convince the lone aviator despite how much she wanted to turn around, too. She hadn’t seen a chute appear as they flew away. There was no way to know if he was alive, not in their current state. They had to obey orders or risk losing their own lives.

“Rooster. He’s gone. Maverick’s gone.” Bob added, the same defeated tone in his voice. 

Astro stayed frozen in her cockpit, listening to the Daggers in the air reason with one another about the loss of their leader, convincing and pleading with Dagger Two to disengage with them. Only a few of their twelve-man team had ever had the haunting experience of losing someone in the air, and none of the flying crew were taking this one well, watching their instructor and friend plummet in a fiery mess. Taylor wanted to jump in, beg the tower to search for her father, let her fly to find him. He was the most stubborn pilot out there. If anybody were to survive that, he would.

“Rooster, don’t be a hero!” Phoenix pleaded.

“I’m not abandoning him anymore!” Rooster finally yelled.

He repeated the same sentence he had mumbled quietly to her the night before, when the world had faded from their eyes and all they had were each other. When they were still invincible in their small corner of the carrier. He wouldn’t abandon him. She knew then that she was losing both of her men today. 

Taylor let out a quiet sob as Phoenix told the carrier that Dagger Two had broken off. The Tower continued to order them home, including Rooster. But she knew the inevitable was coming.

“Dagger Two, respond.” “Dagger Two! We’ve lost communications with Dagger Two.” “Dagger Two is hit!”

Hangman watched helplessly as his best friend sobbed in her aircraft when the comm that his signal was lost came through. Rooster was gone. Maverick was gone. Ice was gone. She had lost three family members in a week. How could anyone handle that much loss in such little time? 

Once the remaining Dagger jets landed, they were cleared to leave their aircraft. He rushed out as fast as he could, ignoring the four pilots who had seen death in the face. Instead he scampered up her ladder, grabbing and holding her tight as she sobbed over and over, clutching her photos of Maverick and Rooster tight. God dammit, Rooster. He couldn’t even curse at him anymore for doing this to her. And that thought made Jake tear up, too.

---

She couldn’t help the giddy feeling taking over. She’d never flown fighter jets with her father before this training mission. Just their personal planes when they had time to meet between busy Naval careers. She was too excited to dogfight against him, to show him her own tricks of the game.

“Alright, Astro, game on!” Payback yelled and she strapped her mask on, the engines of her jet roaring to life.  

“Fanboy, where is he?” Astro kept her wing close to the other jet as they banked over a mountain range. “Talk to me, Fanboy!”

“I’m looking, I’m looking!” He exclaimed. “Ah, Tally One, 4 o’clock.” 

“Turn and burn, gentlemen.” Astro banked to her right, her wingman following her lead. Finally she came face to face with her dad’s jet in the distance, closing in on them. The shine of the desert sun reflected perfectly off the wings, camouflaging it briefly. 

“He’s flying right at us, Astro.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious. Fanboy, I need a laser lock now.”

“I’m trying, the sun is blocking my sensor!” 

The three jets were rocketing towards one another at high speeds.

“What are you going to do, Astro?” Maverick’s voice sounded in her ears. “Your partner can’t get a lock on a high speed target coming straight for you.”

“Stay on target, Payback. He’ll back off. Get me that lock!” She ordered.

“I can’t get it, he’s all over the place. Pull up, pull up!” Fanboy yelled, and Payback listened to his WSO, veering off their flight path suddenly. 

“Shit, Payback!” Astro scolded, as Maverick’s plane moved to intercept their path.

“That’s a kill.” Payback yelled out a few curse words as they flew out of the flight path of the remaining two jets. “Alright, Astro. You’re mine now.” 

Taylor veered her nose downward, building speed. “I don’t think so, old man.”

“Disrespecting your Captain, that’s my girl.” Maverick chuckled lightly, following her spiral. 

The two worked in tandem and against each other almost synchronously. Just when one would get the upper hand, the other would spin the odds. 

“You taught me too well, Maverick! It’s mono e mono, bring it on!” 

Back on the ground, the waiting pilots were all crowded around the radio, cheering for their fellow pilot as they listened to the family duo battle it out. All except Bradley, who was staring out the window in the direction of the fight, albeit unable to see anything. He couldn’t find it in him to be excited about this, feeling clouded at the duality of the Mitchell family teasing one another while fighting in the skies. As if that wasn’t the perfect way to describe his relationship with that family for the past decade.

Astro looked around frantically as she spun around the top of a mountain, barely avoiding the hard deck below her. She had lost him in the range, and couldn’t find his plane on radar. 

“Here’s your mistake, Astro. Mono e mono rules don’t apply when your enemy is in a 5th generation fighter.” Suddenly, her dash lit up with a loud sound. “That’s a kill.”

“Dammit!” She screamed, lashing out at the side of her cockpit. 

Suddenly, her father’s jet steadied out next to her. “Nice flying, sweetheart. You put up the best fight so far. Head back to base and see Hondo.” She flipped him off teasingly as they coasted back to the base. “You’re my kid, alright. Maverick to base, prep Hangman and Rooster for testing.”

Oh, that’ll be a dogfight she wouldn’t want to miss.

 —

She regretted her words as soon as she heard Rooster and Maverick plummeting in a downward spiral way below the hard deck. She leaned into the radio, waiting with held breath until finally Maverick made the call that he had locked onto Rooster. That was their last flight of the day, so while everyone went to the showers, she headed out to the tarmac. By the time she was outside, Bradley was already doing his pushups. She watched from afar as Hondo counted, not making it far past 100 when he told Rooster to call it quits for the evening. Hondo left the Lieutenant there alone when he didn't listen.

Taylor watched her boyfriend finish the remainder of his 200 before he collapsed to the ground, spitting and shaking in the California heat. She finally approached him once he sat up. 

“Are you out of your mind, Bradshaw?” She yelled. “The hard deck is there for a reason. Protecting you and your plane, not to mention your training partner.” He didn’t flinch as she reamed into him. “You could’ve killed yourself out there today.”

Rooster stood up, brushing the dirt off of his hands. He briefly connected eyes with her as he stalked away towards the lockers, no words to defend himself. 

“Unbelievable! You are unbelievable! You never change. As soon as the conversation gets serious you’re walking away again. Will you talk to me for once, Rooster?”

He spun back at her. “What do you want me to say? That I wanted to crash my plane and kill myself and my girlfriend’s father? What good would that do me?”

Taylor lowered her voice. “Bradley, I’m trying to stay neutral here. This hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park for me either. But you are both on the same team here. I need you to remember that, please.”

Rooster calmed down at her words, realizing projecting his anger onto her wouldn’t do anything. It wasn’t her fault she shared the last name of the man who betrayed him the most. He approached her slowly, enveloping her in his arms. “I’m sorry about that stunt. It won’t happen again.”

“Good, I can’t lose you.” 

“You won’t, I promise.” He kissed the top of her head, both of them knowing their words were lies in this line of work. They’d both lost men out there over the years, but the words were said, nonetheless.

“Bradley?” He hummed a gentle response. “Take me to bed or lose me forever.”

“Show me the way home, honey.”

—

Another day, another thousand-plus pushups. Maverick was schooling all of them, and the frustration could be felt in the classroom and in the air. The pilots were getting sloppy, losing quicker and quicker with each flight. They had begun running the terrain, practicing the turns they were expected to make in the canyons around the uranium plant. Maverick was flying as an enemy for them, and had shot down most of them. They were exhausted, short-tempered, but still cocky with their heads in the clouds.

“Why are you dead?” Her father’s voice rang through the hangar as he asked each pilot why he was killing them in the air. It pained them to admit mistakes. These pilots were the best of the best for the right reasons, but that didn’t stop them from being haughty about it. Maverick was there to bring them all down a peg or two. It was the only way they’d work together and make it to the other side of this mission in two weeks. 

“Why are they dead?” Her Captain stood in front of her now. He nodded towards Payback and Fanboy, who had been shot first again in their most recent flight with Astro. 

She kept her head high. “Because I pulled away too early to try and get a clearer shot. I left their underbelly exposed.”

Maverick nodded. “And why are you dead?” Her cockiness exploded into rage after he took out her wingmen. She had made a risky spin to throw him off, but it nearly blew out her engine. It pissed him off to no end; she knew better than that. When Astro went to respond, he cut her off. “Don’t give me an excuse for that move. You give me the reason your Uncle will accept when they hand him a folded flag.”

She broke eye contact. The jab stung. A lot. Taylor knew she was the easiest target of the group, having her father as their instructor came with the territory. He knew how to hurt her and cripple her at the lowest level. Her normally compassionate, kind, reckless father was not the cruel, pushing, tactical instructor in front of her. The frustration of the week of endless training was coming to a head for all of them.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I have none, sir.”

He nodded and walked back to the podium. “Not a single plane has made it to the target in time.”

“But we’ve made it.” Rooster spoke up, unable to hold his frustration in after watching Astro get reprimanded unfairly. He had been the only person to successfully survive the training run through the canyon, despite Maverick on his tail trying to shoot him down. He deserved that credit at the very least.

Maverick shot him an angry glare. “Making it a minute late will do you no good when 5th gen fighters are on your tails.”

“You’re not flying fast enough, Bradshaw.” Hangman interjected. “We’re going into combat, on a level no living pilot’s seen. Not even him.” Jake looked at Maverick, the latter’s face twisting in defeat. 

Hangman turned back to Rooster without a pause. “Now’s not the time to be thinking about the past.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rooster snapped. 

“C’mon, I can't be the only one that knows that Maverick flew with his old man.” Taylor paled. “Or that Maverick was flying with his old man when-” Rooster sprung up and lunged at Hangman, shoving him backwards. The rest of the team jumped to pull the two men apart before Rooster could do something he would regret. 

“You son of a bitch!” Rooster yelled.

“That’s enough!” Maverick ordered.

Hangman put his hands up. “I’m cool, I’m cool.” He sneered at Maverick. “He’s not cut out for this mission.” Then he turned to Astro, the venom still dripping. “We all know it.” 

“Go fuck yourself, Hangman.” Astro said lowly, suppressing the anger in her voice. The blond’s cocky smile instantly faded as he realized the repercussions of the line he crossed. She was burning a hole in his brain as she stood there, her hand death-gripping Rooster’s arm to keep him from punching the man. The stress had come to a head, but infighting was not what they needed during this mission.

“You’re all dismissed.” Maverick announced, and Rooster quickly stormed off. The rest of the pilots followed eventually. Pete straightened up his papers for a few minutes before looking back up, noticing Taylor still sitting in the seats. She had her head in her hands.

“You okay, Astro?” She nodded and he sighed, setting his stuff down. “C’mon, talk to me, Taylor.”

“This mission sucks, dad.” He laughed gently. She punched his arm playfully. “I’m serious!”

“You don’t have to convince me of that, sweetheart. I’m the one training my daughter to fly a suicide mission.” He threw his arm around her shoulder as she gladly leaned into his chest. No matter how angry they made each other, that frustration stayed in the air for the Mitchell family. “I’m sorry about the Ice comment.”

Taylor sighed. “Don’t, I deserved it. That was a stupid move on my part. I wanted you so bad I could taste it. I just want team leader so bad.” She adjusted to where she was comfortable as a calm silence fell over them briefly. “Hey dad, do you think Rooster and you will ever talk it out?”

Maverick shook his head, a sigh falling off of his lips too. “We’ve talked about this. I think it’s too late for us, Tay.”

She shook her head. “I just can’t keep acting okay with this. I thought I was getting to him finally. But he keeps pushing me out right as I get in. Jake obviously didn’t help with that one today, some wingman he is.” She frowned as she recalled the viscous tone that came out of her usually cheery best friend’s mouth. She hadn’t seen the vindictive side of Jake in a long time.

“You’re just like Goose, you know that? He always wanted to make sure everyone was happy. You’ve got too good of a heart to be hanging out with us poor Navy boys.” He flicked her ear, trying to get her to smile in the seriousness. But she didn't budge, the stone cold look set on her face. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know there's not much I can do with Bradley, but what can I do with this team? You’ve taught arrogant pilots more recently than I have.”

“I think we all need a break. We’re too cocky and selfish, I’m worried it’ll kill one of us out there.” 

Maverick smiled, a goofy look on his face as his infamous strategy could finally come into play. “I think I have something that can help with that.”

---

“I want to thank you all for coming to the ‘Admiral Tom Kazansky’ Top Gun Exhibition Dedication today. Have fun with that mouthful.” She smiled at the crowd, quiet laughter echoing back to her. 

“For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Lieutenant Commander Taylor Mitchell, callsign ‘Astro.’ I am a Naval aviator and instructor for new recruits that join our great Navy with a dream to fly. Four years ago, I graduated from the Top Gun program right here in Miramar at the top of my class, joining a long line of proud Top Gun aviators. When Admiral Kazansky approached me with the huge task of building a detailed history of the Fighter Weapons School for the public to learn about, I was both terrified and enthralled. And if you knew Iceman, you knew you could not say no to any request or he would talk your ear off until you said yes.” 

There was another round of laughs. His reach had spread so far and it warmed her heart. If there was a person in this audience who didn’t know Ice, they were very much in the minority. 

“I feel very lucky to have had Admiral Kazansky in my life. Iceman graduated at the top of his own Top Gun class back in 1986, just a year before I was born when he also received the title of Godfather as well. Sometimes, I think he liked being Godfather more than Top Gun aviator. But the days when he was both were my favorite. He would sneak me on base as much as possible where I would torment Admirals and Generals with my obnoxious questions about planes. His dedication to the Navy and this project is what made all of this possible.”

She directed her attention to the front few rows of people, filled to the brim with familiar faces. “I want to thank a few of the most important people in our lives that made this huge endeavor possible: Iceman’s wife, Sarah, and his kids, for being the ones that broke us out of our thoughts with cheeseburgers and pool parties for the last two years. He loved you all, and I’m so proud to be part of your family, too. To Cyclone and Warlock, my first mentors after Top Gun, for entrusting me not to blow up multi-million dollar planes with our new recruits every year, and for bringing me the best of the best Top Gun pilots that I now get to call my friends who are also in this audience probably causing all kinds of problems.” 

She could see Hangman, Phoenix, Bob, Coyote, Payback and Fanboy in the audience. The Navy had scattered them across the world again following their mission, but made sure that all of them were given leave to travel back for the exhibition opening. She was so grateful for her friends. They whooped and hollered at her and she rolled her eyes even though she couldn’t contain the smile on her face.

“To the Top Gun graduating class of 1986, who became my uncles over the years; I know a few of them are here as well. Thank you for your service, and I’m not apologizing for all the stupid photos Ice made me use at this exhibition. He will haunt me for the rest of my life if I took them out.”  

Her eyes landed on the dark haired man in front of her pilots who smiled with the biggest toothy grin. Penny and Amelia were next to him. “To my father, Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell of the Top Gun class of ‘86, whose love of flying and the Top Gun program inspired me to take to the skies, I’m sure much to my mother’s dismay. Congratulations on the retirement, dad. It was an absolute pleasure to fly with you.” He nodded at her proudly. God, if her mother could see her little girl all grown up. 

“And, finally, to Bradley, my fiance. My wingman from birth. My best friend. He kept me sane through the last months of this project, a stark contrast to how crazy he makes me about everything else.” 

She laid eyes on her brunet aviator, whose smile showed the brightest amongst everyone there. He had been stationed with her as a co-instructor like he promised, and the last few months of her life had been amazing. They were knee deep in wedding planning, finally replaced the rotting deck at the house, and had a lot more beach dates since they came home. Any free time they had was spent flying out to see Maverick at Darkstar before his official retirement came along, or spending it at The Hard Deck when he was in town with Penny. Occasionally, one of the other pilots would be in town, catching everyone up on whatever hell they were raising on their respective assignments. She had her family back.  

Bradley gave her a flirty wink as she turned back to the crowd as a whole. “Thank you for being here with me and Iceman today. Please enjoy everything this exhibit has to offer, and let me officially welcome you to Top Gun. Thank you.”  

---

Carole clung to Bradley; the blond boy looked more and more like his father everyday. She made sure their photos of Goose were placed in such ways that Bradley could see them at his short toddler height throughout their home. The flag from the funeral was hung proudly over the mantle. She suppressed tears every time she saw it, but would never ever take it down. She fell asleep most nights clutching his dog tags.

Maverick flew a lot. He started flying as a solo pilot soon after he washed out of the Top Gun instructor program. He found it easier on his conscience to fly when he didn’t have a backseatter to worry about bringing home safely. 

Every day the grief became a little easier. Until one night.

Carole called him sobbing about three months after Goose’s death. Bradley had asked ‘who’s that?’ at a picture of Goose and Carole on their wedding day, when he had shaved the iconic mustache, and her heart broke. She didn’t want her baby to forget his father. Maverick had never dropped what he was doing so fast to make it across the country to be with them. 

He brought toy planes and photos of their time in the Navy to show to Bradley, and told the little boy about all of their escapades, PG and toned down, of course. Bradley fell asleep cuddling one of the planes, and Maverick held Carole on the couch as they both mourned their loss all over again. 

Every day the grief became a little easier. Until one night. 

Maverick was laying on the couch in the tiny one bedroom house he bought in San Diego. After a long day of flying, he didn’t have it in him to meet friends at the bar. Instead he dozed off while combing through a book on how to fix up a P-51 Mustang, the beautiful plane he was looking to purchase with his next Navy bonus. 

The dark haired aviator was so close to sleep when a heavy pound on the front door echoed in the quiet house. He peered at his watch - almost three in the morning. It was a hot Saturday night, he was sure it was some group of ding dong ditchers making their rounds through his neighborhood again. But the pounding continued.

He begrudgingly stood up and walked to the door, ready to scold whoever decided to disturb a Naval aviator on his weekend. What he didn’t expect to see was Ice, hair tousled, clothes a mess, and barely able to stand on his own two feet on the porch. His eyes were bloodshot and dilated, and Pete could smell the alcohol on his breath.

“Ice? What the hell are you doing here, man?” The blond pilot stumbled forward slightly, Maverick’s quick reflexes being the only thing to stop Ice’s face and the doorframe from making out. “Woah, man. You good?”

“I killed him, Mav.” The voice was quiet yet hardened. 

Pete’s eyebrows knit in confusion at the odd confession from his friend. “What the hell are you talking about? Did you fight somebody at the bar?” He had just seen Ice earlier in the day; they had flown most of their training simulations together. He couldn’t have possibly gotten in this much trouble since then?

The taller pilot’s whole body was shaking against Maverick’s steady arms. The breath coming out was even shakier as the pilot shook his head. “No, no, no. I-I killed him. It’s all my fault. I killed him.” 

Maverick let out an exasperated sigh. “Ice, you’re making no sense. Who did you kill?”

“Goose.”

Pete’s stomach dropped, the grief flooding his entire system with adrenaline. It was slowly getting easier to breathe day by day, but when the waves of grief came around, it just as easily crushed him under the weight of guilt that loomed in his shadow since July 29th. No amount of Naval documents proving he wasn’t at fault could convince him that Goose didn’t die because of his recklessness. He could never blink away the view of Goose’s lifeless body being pulled up to the helicopter. Couldn’t wash his hand raw enough to get the feeling of his blood off his hands. Couldn’t stop hearing the twenty one gun salute in the quiet of the night, ringing and ringing with the pounding of his chest when the nightmares would come in full force. 

Maverick opted not to respond, instead hooking his shoulder under Ice’s arm. He led the stumbling pilot inside to the couch, collecting his clutter of manuals and books onto the coffee table. The dark haired aviator grabbed a glass, filling it with water from the tap. Ice took the cup quietly, chugging it without a thought. The energy in the air wasn’t enough to sober him, and Mav could see the gears still turning slowly in his friend’s eyes. 

Mav leaned in, bumping shoulders with him gently. “Talk to me, Ice.”

“It was my fault.” Ice’s voice was barely a whisper, lost to the winds of the ocean air against the siding of the house. “I should have pulled away earlier, given you the shot. I killed him.”

“Ice, you read the reports. You didn’t kill him.” Maverick’s voice came out thick and slow. He tried to suppress the forming lump at the back of his throat, the tunnel vision forming around his head, the burning of his fingertips.

“To hell with what the Navy thinks. It was my jet wash. My mistake.”

Maverick could tell this was eating him up. In the few months that they had been training together, Ice became his closest friend, his confidante. You learned to not have any boundaries in the military. These men became your brothers, thicker than blood, and you’d do anything for them. Goose was his brother. Ice was, too.

“Why is this just now coming up? You went through this shit with me, why wouldn’t you say anything?” It’d been almost a year since the accident. God, a whole year. Ice had stood by Maverick’s side through the worst of it. He had convinced the stubborn aviator to at least try talking to a grief counselor, or a therapist, or the goddamn VA. Someone that could understand why Pete would wake up screaming in the barracks some nights. He went to a few sessions, but it didn’t compare to how therapeutic the skies became for him. Ice had caught him a few times having full conversations with Goose, as if the man was still in his backseat. His head was just so much clearer at 30,000 feet. “Ice-”

“Sarah’s pregnant.” A single tear ran down his cheek, prompting him to wipe it away immediately. “She told me last night.”

“Hey, that’s amazing news. You’ve been trying for a while now, you’re gonna be a dad!” Mav smiled, jabbing his elbow into his friend’s side lightheartedly, trying to get him to smile for the first time all night. 

“I orphaned a kid, Maverick.” The admission barely escaped his lips as the sob that followed took over. “I killed his father and I’m just supposed to carry on with my life and be present in my own kid’s life knowing what I did to Bradley? He’s too young. He won’t even remember him.”

“Tom, look at me.” Maverick ordered sternly. The use of his actual name got his attention. “Don’t go down this hole. Please. It doesn’t bring him back, but it’ll take you down with it. Don’t do that to Sarah, to your baby. Bradley will be okay. He’s still got us.”

Don’t do this to me, Maverick didn’t say, but the begging tone in his voice communicated it nonetheless. They’d both seen how grief could consume a man, tear him to shreds until nothing was left but an empty body. Some days getting out of bed was the hardest damn thing to do. Carole and Bradley had stayed in California for a few weeks with Maverick to grieve together, but they eventually flew home to Virginia and Maverick finally allowed himself to crash. He didn’t remember most of his one-month leave between the Enterprise mission and his first day as instructor. Ice couldn’t find him for a week, considered filing a missing persons report, and thought the worst. Until Maverick showed up at his door in a similar manner to the way Ice had tonight. It was the first time Sarah had officially met the man, and the Kazanskys took in the pilot without hesitation. They’d truly been his guardian angels.

It was Ice’s turn to bump his shoulder. “Hey, I know that look. I promise.” Maverick nodded, meeting Ice’s eyes finally. The bloodshot was fading, and only showed his determination behind his words. “I love you, Mav.” 

“I love ya too, Ice. I’m glad you came to me.”

The blond pilot suppressed the sniffle in his voice as he finally let a smile slip through the sadness. He couldn’t help but chuckle, the drastic realization of his life changing finally sobering him. “God, Mav, I’m gonna be a dad. How the hell am I supposed to raise a baby?!”

The aviators both laughed, talking nonsense way into the sunrise when Ice finally said his goodbyes to catch a few hours of sleep with his expecting wife. Maverick would wait a few hours before calling Carole, wanting nothing more than the four year old voice of his nephew to calm his soul. Maybe he’d tell Bradley about the MiG today.

Maybe the grief didn’t always get easier. But today he wouldn’t let himself fall back in that hole.