#top gun reader insert

-Being bff with Phoenix   (fluff)

head canons of you being a top gun pilot (and in a relationship with hangman)

Jake came back from his running session and entered the house he shared with you, his wingman in life and in the air

'I'm back sweatheart!' he shouted entering the house

'I'm upstairs!' you replied

jake jogged up the stairs and opened the door to your shared bedroom, leaning on the door with a smug grin as he looked at you as you adjusted your outfit in front of the mirror

'liking what you see?' you asked eyeing him through the mirror as you checked your outfit

'a lot. care to join me in the shower? javy won't be here for another hour' he asked  with a suggestive grin

you turned around looking at him sensually 'would love to but i'm going out with nat' you replied

his grin fell as he remembered that you had told him so

'sh1t i forgot. where are you girls going?'  he asked moving from the door and taking off his shoes

 'just the hardeck' you replied fixing your accessories

 'oh a lay back night then?' he said with relief. he always worried when you went out with nat because you too had a tendency to get in real trouble but of course he would never tell you what you could or could not do

 'yep' you replied popping the 'p' as you put on some lip balm

 'thanks god' he replied letting out a breath he did not know he was holding

'oh you make it sound like you get worried' you replied as if you didn't know that he always got worried when you and Phoenix went out 

'i get worried' he replied gerring nearer

 'no reason to' you dismissed him

 'no reason? since i know you you and phoenix got arrested' he said as he counted with his fingers to make a point

'the charges were dropped' you replied looking at yourself in the mirror

'you got a concuscion' he continued, sticking out a second finger 

'minor' you replied getting near to him now. you did not care if he was sweaty from the run. you placed your arms on his shoulders and interwined your hands behind him as he places his hands on your hips

'ended up in mexico' he continued , now his hand too busy to count but he tilted his head towards you 

'blame the best margaritas in the world what can I say'  you told him your hand playing with the hair on his neck 

'got a weird tatoo'

'you love it' you whsipered with a wicked smile

 'of course i do but how can i not be concerned?'  he said, now serious 

' i don't get concerned when you go out with javy and rooster' you replied well knowing that they got in trouble too but not as much as you and phoenix

 'because we don't do anything craxy' he stated in his defence

 'ok true' you admitted.

'just be safe okay?' he asked his tone changing. for him it was no joke. you picked up the change of mood immediately and felt a little bit of guilt for making him always worry

'i promise' you say truly

'thank you. that is all i need' he replies with a sigh of relief

  you lean in to kiss him as he brings you closer by the hips making you squeel, the moment is interrupted as the house bell rings

'It must be nat. have fun with the boys. i'll pick your offer up when i come back, if it still stands' you told him leaning on him to kiss him again

'for you it always stands sweatheart. have fun baby' he replies with a last peck as you exit the room and jake starts to undress for the shower

-.-.-.-.

javy rooster and jake were watching the game on the sofa. they had invited mav over too so penny and amelia could have a mother-daughter night.

‘Come on man!’ Shouted Jake as the team missed a point

He had just sat again on the sofa when his phone rang. He turned to look at it as a smile crawled on his face as he saw your name and a photo of you two pop up on his phone

 'hey baby-' he said

'jake its nat' Phoenix replied interrupting him. His dementor changed. He did not want to panic but he knew that when Phoenix called from your phone it meant something had happened 

'hey is everything all-right? why are you on y/n's phone? Do you want me to pass you rooster?' He asks 

nat’s only reply is a sob. Every muscle’s in jake’s body tensed. He tried stadying his voice from preventing panic to slip

 'trace why are you cryign and where is my wife' he demanded to know

By uttering those words the rest of the boys stopped playing attention to the game and looked at Jake 

 'she is in the hospital, some guy stabbed her- i'm so sorry-‘ she said between one sob and the other. Jake did not let her even finish as he ran to take his car keys 

‘Which hospital?’ He asked in panic as the others by hearing the word 'hospital' started running with him towards the car

.-.-.-

It wasn’t the first time Jake had to come pick you up at the hospital, between being a pilot and doing reckless stuff with Natasha he was used to it. But this time it was different. Natasha had called him, not you , and he had not heard Nat cry in a long time, not since the last time you were seriously hurt. And she had said ‘stabbing’. He was panicking and his anger was rising. Someone had hurt you. He did not know the extent of your harming, Nat had told him only that you were with the doctors. He did not know what to expect but the fact that it wasn’t you who had called him scared him to death. 

Javy was driving as he always was in this situations. They did not trust Jake behind a wheel when you were in danger. and after him mav , who was your honorary uncle, basically a father to you, and the same with rooster but as a honorary brother their level of fear was high too. So Javy was the designated driver, and as you joked also the designated damage control, meaning stopping Jake from doing or saying stuff he would later regret as when you are in danger he does not think clearly 

They reached the hospital and javy with the car not even parked let them get out of the car. Jake opened the door before the car could stop with the other two men right behind him while javy quickly parked the car.

He ran to the desk, Mav and Roster close behind, as he said to a nurse  ‘i'm jake seresin my wife-‘

 'jake!' He heard Phoenix voice shout at him before he could even finish talking 

He ran to her leaving the desk. She was crying and visibly a bruise was forming on her cheeks. In any other situation he would have asked her how she was, checked on her bruises and mentally note that he would have personally punched anyone who had touched his friend. But in that moment he could only think of you, to know where you where, how you were, so instead he just asked 

 'where is she?'  he asked frenetically

'she is under surgery right now . the knife took her stomach, there was so much blood. They told me we must wait here' Nat explains to him as mav and rooster’s face falls but Jake can only look at Nat’s clothes covered in strains of blood, you blood

  'nat are you ok?' Rooster askes her placing a hand on her shoulder and checking her bruise

'i'm fine i just got some bruises, she was the only one that got stabbed ' she reply’s wiping her tears

'what happened' Jake asks jaw clenched his eyes still locked on the strains of blood. 

Before Nat could reply the doctor shouted jake's sourname and name. The whole group ran to the desk. They gave a lot of medical terms but the summary was that until you were under the surgery they did not know your conditions exatcly and how bad they were

Nat covered her mouth to suprress another sob . As rooster and mav fought tears. Jake was silent his anger about to explode. Coyote, that had arrived in the meantime,  thanked the doctor as the others were processing the info. While Nat looked at Jake in shame. 

Jake remained silent as he moved about to take a chiar and crush it against the wall, but coyote stopped him placing his hand on his arm before jake would do something that would get him banned from the hospital. Javy took the chair away from Jake and made him seat on it instead. As the others came near too. 

‘Jake I’m so sorry’ she said voice low almost a whisper 

‘How did this happen’ he asked his anger rising , his fists clenching

‘There was this guy who was bothering the new bartendender at the hard deck. We interviened and it escalated. He would not stop and we got into a fight, some costumers called the police but the guy aimed at me and y/n punched him but then he grabbed her and stabbed her, he went for me too but she punched him again and knocked him out. Then the police arrived and I called you as soon as the doctor got her’ Nat explained visibly still shaken from the scene

Classic you, jake thought, defending and protecting eveyone. It was one of the many reasons why he loved you. In a different situaion pride would rise in him, but now he hated it , in that moment he hated how selfless and brave you were, because that had brought you to be here in an hospital.

He also knew you and phoenix were even more brave together, but you two could be also rekless and that is what he feared in your freindship with the fellow pilot. He adored natasha, she was a great friend and even more a great pilot. He knew she always would have your back, but often she was the reason why you ended in dangrous situations that ended up in hospitals or police offices. And in those moments he despised her. Not actually her but the consequences that your shared actions had on you, the most important thing in the universe for Jake. 

So the next question was the most natural one for him

‘who through the first punch at the guy?' jake asked his jaw clensing his eyes with flames about to burst out

phoenix stayed silence

'so?' he aked again,  knowing the answer before it was spoken

'me...' she said voice small, as jake gave almost a laugh, which sounded sinister and out of place even for him, the others witnessed the interaction knowing jake was ticking bomb now. 

‘it’s all your fault!!! My wife is fighting for her life and it’s all your fuckign fault’  he said turning towards natasha and shouting at her

'i'm sorry. we were trying to help-'  she said trying to explain tears forming again

' 'you are sorry? well i'm fucking sorry that you are her best friend. she deverse more than someone who always puts her in danger!All these years I said nothing no matter in what conditions she came back home to when after  she had gone out with you- but this- this would have never happened if anyone else would have been her best friend!’ He shouts 

at that phoenix freezes as silent tear runs down her cheeks and she looks down at the floor. With javy intervening putting a hand on Jake’s shoulder  ‘ man stop’  meanwhile bob who had just arrived hugged  pheonix and gave Jake a terrible stare 

'who side are you on? y/n could die and its all her fault!' jake shouted at javy too

'jake' bob scolded him as Phoenix cried on his shoulder. Javy had called him and explained what had happened and Bob had left his previous commitment and had run to be with nat and the group 

'you know I'm right. You did this to her' jake said teeths gritting and pointing at Natasha

 'jake, son. stop. you know the way y/n is, you can't stop her. phoenix might bring out her risky side but it was her choice to get in that fight' maverick tried to make him reason although his heart ached at the thought that you his adopted honorary niece were in danger 

jake clenches his jaw staying silent looking at no one in particular. Everyone waited tensily, fearing jake's next move

He raised his head again, eyes red 'out' he spatted looking at natasha direclty 

 'jake...'  she replied With a small voice, something that was strange for natasha trace

 'i said out!' He shouted pointing at the door. Bob and javy tried to make him reason as Nat looked at them wiping a tear 

Even rooster could not look at her and phoenix took it as a silent accusation

At least  mav was in  tears but tried stopping their fighting but Jake had made his decision

'okay' she said getting her bag and moving towards the door

'i'll drive you' bob told her looking at jake sternly before jogging towards nat. 

Rooster and mav had not liked that but they were scared Jake would throw them out too so they decided to save the conversation for later. 

when you were in danger jake could not reason, it was useless to try. He would go full on hangman mode and answer to no one.

jake fell back on one of the chairs passing a hand through his hair as the group waited for hours. 

 …. 

when it was almost morning a nurse appeared in front of the group of men 'jake seresin?' the nurse called

the pilots spirnted towards her asking how you were

‘'your wife is stable. she lost a lot of blood but the stabbings didn't damge widely any major organ. The surgery went well and in a few weeks she will fully recover. you may wait in her room for her to wake up if you wish. Only one at the time though until she wakes up' the nurse explained

Jake closed his eyes as happy tears streamed form his eyes As he ran towards the room number the nurse had said. Maverick thanked the nurse as rooster said ‘I knew it she is strong’ , ‘she is’ maverick replied as they walked to the room to wait outside for you to wake up and leave Jake to be with you. 

 ….

Jake opened the door. A sight too familiar to which he still never got used to, seeying you broken in a hospital room. You had a black eye and he could not see the stab as you were under the hospital covers. For the rest you seemed okay. Much better than other times he saw you in a hospital bed but still his heart broke at the sight. of you, the love of his life, hurt.

He walked towards you, your image sinking in as he took a chair and placed in next to you. Tears steaming as he took your hand in his

‘Hello sweetheart .’ He said gently  before wiping his tears. He kisses your palm as he held you hand waiting for you to wake up

 …..

A few hours passed before finally you woke up. You stirred and that prompted Jake to press the button to call the nurse

‘Baby. I’m here. You are ok’ he said  getting up and letting your hand go to gently caress your arm as he leaned towards you to see if you opened your eyes

‘Jake?’ You asked as you finally opened your eyes and saw him. You tried to sit up

‘hey hey go easy you lost a lot of blood' he said gently stopping you ‘how are you feeling?’

‘Like I got stabbed’ you replied humouring him, his face fell 

His face falls but before he can reply the nurse arrives and checks on you asking him to give her space

‘How is she?’ Jake asks her as she examines you

‘She is fine. A few weeks of rest to make the wound heal and she will be brand new. You were lucky, the knife did not damage any organ, but it was a close call’ the nurse explains as Jake sighs in relief. You both thank her and she leaves, Jake takes again his seat next to you. He kisses your forehand and then pecks your lips 

‘You got me so scared baby’ he tells you sincerely trying to steady his voice,  you cup his face and stroke his cheek with your tumb before kissing him again. 

‘I’m fine baby. The guy was not the first drunk dickhead I had to put in his place for assault’ you reply. Spending a lot of time in bars with your colleagues meant you saw this situations quite commonly, still was the first time one of the misogynist dickehad attacking girls had a knife . Also usually the rest of the uranium squad was with you 

'i'm so sorry. i should have been there to help you' he tells you sincerely squeezing your hand. Classic Jake seresin feeling guilty even when he wasn’t even there 

‘Honey. You could have not known. Of all the times we spend  time there together that this was going to happen the one night it was just me and Phoenix’ you tell him your hand touching his cheek to reassure him as realisation hit you 

‘where is nat?' you ask worried looking around  as panick surges in you  'is she okay?' You try to get up but Jake gently stops you

‘she is fine. Not a scratch on her, just a black eye' jake is still so mad that it takes him self control to not roll his eyes. You sigh in relief and fall back into the hospital bed

‘Thank god. can i see her?' you ask him 

‘she is not here' he replies  dismissingly falling back on his chair 

'she left? Or is she hurt?’ You ask eyes wide and worried, Nat usually spent nights in the hospital when you were in danger and you did too for her , her leaving was something impossible to comprehend 

‘I sent her away' he replies with nonchalance, crossing his arms in defence subconsciously, he is still so mad

You don’t understand ‘why?' You ask him confused 

‘why? she almost got you killed!’ jake says trying not to raise his voice at you but his calm was slipping

‘what are you talking about?’ You ask him still confused but this entire situation

‘she got you in this mess. !’

‘ no she didn't’

‘ she said you did it to protect her!’ He replies not understanding why you don’t get him 

‘jake, baby , you would have done it too’ you tell him taking his hand trying to calm him 

 he knew you were right. He would have stepped in and helped that girl and he would take a knife for natasha trace any day. She was his friend and he cared about her. Maybe he had overreacted blaming her for something out of her control. 

‘I know you did it because you were worried about me handsome. And I know she knows it too. But please can  you call her? I want her to know I'm okay’ You ask him gently giving him a small smile

Jake weighted his options for around 10 seconds before giving in, He nodded  and  exited telling the others they could enter and told javy  to call natasha. As maverick rooster and javy took turns checking on you 

natasha was home on her sofa with bob, eyes still red from the crying and worry. Javy had texted them that you were ok but only now he had called them to have them come back to the hospital she had seen the message. They quickly drove back to the hospital

.-.-.

Natasha rushed in as Javy gave her a sign towards the room. ‘I’ll wait here. And will punch him if he makes you cry again, so that you know’ bob told her taking a seat next to rooster.

Natasha nodded as she entered the room and saw you awake and well ‘heya Nat’ you told her smiling, she let out a breath FINALLY knowing you were okay. She was about to step closer to you but then her eyes mets Jake that was sitting next to you holding your hand and she stopped  

There was a Tense look between Jake and nat that you could do nothing but notice 

‘I will wait outside’ he says as he gets up. He kisses your forehead ‘call me if you need anything’ you peck his lips in reply as he goes towards the door ignoring Natasha 

Nat rushes to your side but is afraid to hug you as she stops nearby. You read right through your best friend 

'hug girl come on' you tell her inviting her in and at that she crumbles as she hugs you tight

At that nat cries, gosh for someone who never cried today had been a crying day For Natasha trace 

‘Natasha trace crying for Me? Gosh I’m special!’ You told her trying to humor her to make her stop 

‘ i'm so sorry its all my fault’ she tells you still sobbing 

'Its not. Nat I'm serious. you would have done the same for me, also  got in that fight at my choice. I'm sorry for what jake told you. He didn’t tell me what he said exactly but I know him. he must have gone hard on you' you tell her

'He is right its my faut I always put you in these situations' she replies shaking her head at all the times you two got into trouble. You never get into toruble with rooster but with her yes

'You might make me take unecessayr risks but you never obliged me to do anything, I'm as much to blame as you are nat. its not your fault And he knows it too , you know how jake is , he gets all bagman when I am in danger but he is not relaly angry with you.  We are all fine, understood?'  you ask her as she nods

'good. hug me again trace' you hurmour her and she finally laughs hugging you again 'I'm glad you are okay' you tell her 'I;m glad you are okay' she replies.

 'you ready for the apology? Might be the only time you get them' you ask her referring to Jake 'no there is no need-' she tries but you are faster 

'honey?' you shout and jakes come in

'you ok baby ? what you need?' he rushes to your side asking you, again not looking at nat 

'No I'm fine, I thought you wanted to say something to nat now before it gets all weird at work' you tell him, his shoulder remain tense as he takes a moment to think his options but he knew you were right as always 

Jake turned towards  natasha finally looking at her and taking in her state. He had never seen his friend like this. Tears yet to dry on the cheeks , guilt and bruises. he felt like shit knowing she had suffered too and he had only made it worse instead of helping her like he usually does 

Jake then did something he does only for you, he apologised 'I'm sorry for what I said. You are a good friend even if you put her in danger. I -  I just can't loose her and you two always make me worry and today when you called me saying she was stabbed i relaly thought the worse and I lost it ' he explains, this time with no trace of anger

'I know and I'm sorry, I will tone it down I promise' natasha replies swearing 

'Ok but not too much. We like you as you are trace' he says giving her a smile  and moving his head as a sign for her to come closer. Natasha careuflly comes closer not sure what to expenct as jake engulfs her in a hug taking her by surprise as he bring her forward to you too. The three of you hug as he les her go

'I know I don’t show it sometimes but I care about you too trace ' he tells her with a small smile as with his shoulder he hits her shoulder  playfully 

'I know bagman, me too' nat replies smaking his shoulder away in laughter. And they finally exchange a smile and your heart sweels of joy 

'you guys want to exchange friendhsip bracelets or what?' you humour them , but in reality you could not be happy, your huband and your best fiend getting along again 'Come here you two' you tell them as all hug again this time in laughter

'okay that is enough' jake says wanting to end the vulnerbility it always magically arises when you are in the hospital. Nat crawls in your bed layign down at your side to give you another hug as Jake shakes his head playfully, as always Natasha pushed him out of your bed 

'Can I sleep at your house when they discaherge you?'  she aks you looking up at you from your side 

'No' jake said as you said 'yes' as nat and you started laughing but jake was serious ‘come on trace we said to tone it down’ 

‘Exactly at your house you can check on us we will make no trouble! A sleepover!’ She exclaims 

‘No!’ He exclaims as you say ‘yea!’

The two start bicker again as you just laugh and try to relax looking at your best friend and your husband basically playing at who loves you more 

.-..-.-.-

-Being bff with Phoenix   (fluff)

head canons of you being a top gun pilot (and in a relationship with hangman)

Hi. I'm tagging you as you had commented the story that inspired this years ago as this is from the same universe

@avgvst-7th @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @kaitlyn-weber @alittlereadingcorner

"Bradley?"

The past two years of Bradley's life feel like taboo when he hears your voice call out to him. The fight you two had nineteen years ago comes flooding back to him and guilt pools in his stomach. Your young, crying face flashes in his mind.

The moment your eyes land on Pete behind Bradley, rage sets in. The only man who acted like a dad to you and then cut you off. The man who was the reason you lost your brother was standing six feet away from you.

"Braidy..." Pete whispers as your mouth runs dry. Silent, you look from Bradley to Pete and back to Bradley. He's so different from the teen you knew nineteen years ago. He's a man now. He's taller, his hair is darker, there's faint scars on his neck and face, and most of all, he looks like the spitting image of your dead dad. Looking at him makes you sick, and you force yourself to look at Pete.

Jake, uncomfortable with the tense atmosphere, comes up behind you and places his hand on the small of your back. His touch makes you jump and you grab his arm before twisting it. A pained cry escapes his mouth as the people around you move to help Jake. Realizing what you've done, you let Jake go and take a step away. Your breathing is uneasy and your body feels hot.

"What the hell!" a black man says as he comes to step in between you and Jake. You see more people start to close in and your body goes rigid.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm not good with touch- I really am sorry," you stutter. Jake is rubbing his shoulder blade and looks at you with worry and confusion, except you never look at him because your eyes are back on Bradley.

The rest of the dagger squad now have their eyes on you and Bradley. Natasha is the first one to make the connection. You and Bradley almost look the same. Your features are more feminine, but the similarities are undeniable. The only difference between the two of you is that your eyes are blue, a trait you inherit from Carole. Despite the difference in eye color, Pete's reaction to you proves a relationship between the three of you.

Also, your name is Braidy? Wow, Bradley and Braidy. Your parents were comedians. "Shaw!" a young voice calls out. All eyes turn to see a little blonde girl running towards you. As all your worries and problems fade away, a wide smile makes its way to your face. You crouch down and pick the little girl up.

"My girl!" The girl wraps her arms around your neck and she places her hands on your each side of your face.

"Daddy said to come save you," she mumbled before she buries her head into your neck. You chuckled before patting her back.

"I'm saved. Thank you."

"You have a kid?" Bradley asks, his eyes wide as he looks at the girl who's trying to hide from all the prying eyes. You brush him off before turning to Jake. You sigh again and a guilty and sorry look over comes your face.

"I really am sorry, Jake." Jake simply nods his head and you take a deep breath. "Who brought you here?" you ask Sarah as she plays with your hair.

"Eva." At the mention of the woman, you turn to look at the bar and see her watching you with Zack. Nodding at the two of them, your eyes go back to the girl.

"I'll take you home now. How about I read you a story and we can rewatch that disney movie you like." Sarah nods happily to your offer. You're about to leave when Pete calls out to you. Reluctantly turning your eyes to the older man, the sorry look he has on his face gives you a little satisfaction

"I-"

"Don't. Just don't. I don't care." Heartbreak spreads onto Pete's face at your words. Your heart aches at his face and the memories of the despair you felt when you realized that Pete abandoned you runs through you.

You quickly turn on your heel and start walking to Zack and Eva. Telling them the situation, Zack agrees and gives you the keys to his car. After, you make your way to your friends and tell them you're taking Sarah home. Bradley calls your name and you pray that he doesn't make a scene.

Your friends eyes watch with confusion as the your brother tries to plead you to talk with him. Jensen's the first one to act when he sees the tension in your shoulders. "Sorry, bud, but we've gotta get the little lass home. It's late, you know." Bradley dismiss him as he tries to get you to look at him but your eyes are stuck on the floor.

"Braidy, please. I'm sorry! Please look at me! Talk to me! I'm your brother!" You scoff in disbelief as you roll your eyes.

"My brother left me when I was fourteen. As far as I'm concerned, he might as well be dead cause I've been on my own since freshman year of high school." Sarah's small whimper makes you cradled her head as you calm yourself. "Look, we're gonna be working together. Just stay out of my way and leave me alone, Bradley."

Jensen puts a hand on your back and acts a wall to separate you and Bradley. When your brother tries to get closer to, Carlos and Ethan are quick to their feet to push him back, and Amy and Nolan are trying to stop the questioning eyes from watching any further.

When you make it to the parking lot, your shoulders feel lighter and the night air is calming. Sarah's head becomes heavier on your shoulder and you know that she's fallen asleep. You take the keys that Zack gave you and toss them to Jensen. You strap Sarah into her car seat and settle into the passenger's seat. The drive to the Ramsey residence is quiet and your mind is running at high speed.

When did Pete and Bradley make up?

Why hadn't they told you?

Why did Pete cut off all contact with with you after you told him about the argument between you and Bradley?

Why is it that Bradley is one that always gets a dad while you don't?

Jensen softly closes Sarah's bedroom door behind him as he runs a hand through his hair. After years in the raiders, his footsteps make no noise as he makes his way to the living room. He sees you leaning against the couch with your knees pulled to your chest and your head buried into your arms.

"(y/n)?" he asks softly. You don't move at all and he sighs before sitting down next to you. "You in there?" He bumps his shoulder with yours and you finally look up. Your eyes are blank and he frowns. He's seen this version of you, and he hates it. The last time he's seen you like this was after what happened in Russia.

Before he knows what he's doing, his hands are cradling your face. You let out a shaky breath and your eyebrow twitches as you try to stop yourself from crying. Jensen smiles softly as he brushes your hair out of your face. "There you are beautiful girl," Jensen mutters softly.

That's all it takes before you let your tears fall. You let Jensen pull you onto his lap and wrap your arms around his neck. By now, you're straddling his legs and you face is buried into the crook of his neck. "I hate him, Jensen..." you croak, your hiccups almost making it impossible for Jensen to understand what you're saying. The only thing he can do is rub your back and give you soft whispers of reassurance.

By the time you're done crying your heart out, your eyes are puffy and you feel exhausted. You've shifted from your previous position and decide to lean your head on Jensen's shoulder instead. The rattling of the doorknob sends you both into flight or fight mode and you both relax when Zack walks through the door, a tired and worried smile on his face.

"You feeling ok, (y/n)?" the blond asks you as he moves to set his things down. Silently nodding at him, you grab your things and let him press a gentle kiss to your forehead and thank both you and Jensen for taking Sarah home and staying. You wait by the door as Jensen and Zack exchange a couple words. You know they're talking about Bradley but don't have the energy to tell them to just leave it alone.

Once he's done, Jensen leads you out the door and is at the bottom of the stairs when you stop. You're standing at the top of the porch stairs and look down at him. He turns to you with a confused look and asks what's wrong. "I love you," you say, you eyes staring into his. His cheeks slightly flush as he chuckles.

"I know."

"I'm serious. You're my best friend."

'You're the only person who I really think of as my brother' is what you don't say out loud, but Jensen understands what you're trying to say.

"And you're mine," he replies.

Your eyes are still puffy when you wake up. The sun isn't even up when you rise from your bed. Grumbling, you shut off your alarm and begin to get ready for the day. A day you dreaded once you found out that Pete and Bradley were going to be a part of the team that your own was going to have to cooperate with for a mission.

Knocking at your door stops you from thinking any more about your family. Checking through the peephole, you see Jensen standing with a tray of two iced coffees in one hand and a bag in the other. Opening the door, you let him walk into your apartment.

"Brought you breakfast. Ice coffee and an everything bagel, toasted, with strawberry cream cheese." Smiling, you let him set everything up on the dinner table before sitting across from him. Silence fills the room as you both eat your own bagels. Jensen's the first one to break it. "You gonna be alright today?"

Wiping your mouth with a napkin, you nod. "Like you said, I'm gonna have to be ok with them being here.” Jensen frowns before throwing his trash out.

“Still. Maybe we get Nolan to talk to Chambers. Get them switch out or something.”

You shake your head, “They’re here and this mission is happening.” You wipe at your mouth again and grab your personal things. “Ready?” Jensen nods

You’re grateful that the pilots aren’t here when you and Jensen join your squad in the conference room. Ari enters and requests to speak to you in the hall for a minute. Your team gives you worried looks and you assure them it's ok.

"I heard what happened yesterday," Ari starts and you curse under your breath. "I need to know if you can work this mission." You sigh and look up at the taller man. Your frown causes him discomfort and it's visible in his furrowed eyebrows.

"I can and I will."

Ari purses his lips and runs a hand through his neat hair. "I knew. I knew that your brother was one of the pilots chosen for this assignment. I thought- that you two were on good terms, so I apologize for any problems that have come up." You chuckle softly at his words. Always prim and proper.

"It's not your fault, Chambers. You didn't know."

"I do know that the dagger squad has been stationed at Miramar for the past 2 years."

Miramar? Wait- that's

"45 minutes from here," you whisper and Ari frowns. Pete and Bradley have been 45 minutes from you for the past two years? What a sick joke.

"SOO Chambers?" Pete calls out from behind you and you're faced with the group of pilots from yesterday. Jake seems to light up a little when your eyes meet. Your heart skips a beat and you gulp.

"Captain Mitchell," Ari says, his voice void of any emotions. "Welcome to Camp Pendleton."

"Thank you." Pete's eyes are on you. You take a deep breath in and exhale before turning your head to Ari.

"I'll be inside." You're quick to walk inside and take your seat in between Ethan and Nolan.

"(y/n)?" Ethan asks, his voice soft. You give him a small smile and try to calm your anxiety. The door opens and you stare at your tangled hands that are resting on the table. Feet shuffle around the room and the pilots take their seats on the opposite side of the table, parallel from your team. There's a thick aura when everyone's seated.

Jensen's glaring daggers at Bradley, who keeps his gaze on you. Nolan's having his own staring contest with Pete. You raise your gaze to look at the person who's sitting opposite from you and you're glad that Jake's the one who you see. The dirty blond gives you a smirk and you feel the corners of you mouth start to turn up.

Ari clears his throat while he stands at the head of the table. All eyes turn to him and blinds start to shut while the lights dim. "This needs to end. This mission will not function with all the hostility. Meadows, Mitchell, keep your teams in line." The two men nod and Ari continues, "Your assignment. It's a warehouse that is suspected to be run by an international criminal group. Ghost team," your team perks up at the name. "You're assigned to infiltrate, recover, and asses. From our intel, there's a chance that there's confidential information stored in the warehouse that may reveal more information regarding the criminal group. From there, you'll asses the threat the this group poses and whatever action you deem necessary.”

"Chambers, I have to question the credibility of reconnaissance information," Nolan says and your team shifts uncomfortability. "We don't what a repeat of what took place in Russia."

Ari nods in agreement, "I've already taken precautions. Reconnaissance was conducted by elemental leader Bud Buck, who I know you're aquantanced with." Your team smiles at the mention of the older man.

"That's where he's been?" Amy laughs and Carlos grins.

"You know Buck. Man is made to be in the military and even more a spy," Carlos muses.

"Satisfying enough, Meadows?" Ari asks, keeping his professional demeanor. Nolan steals a quick glance to you and nods. "Now then, that leads us to the Dagger team. While this sounds like a job for raiders, I assure you your skills are necessary. Elemental leader Buck has done some geographical recon and the warehouse is surrounded by enemy missiles. In addition, there's an enemy base located south that's filled with enemy pilots. Your job is distraction and protection. You keep the skies busy and we'll take care of the groundwork. Any questions?"

You raised your hand and Ari nodded at you. "How does a international criminal group afford and set up missiles to guard their warehouse?"

"That relates to the information suspected to be held within the compound. Buck and his group have a theory that they may have serious funding from international government figures. Get the info, and we can trace where and how the money came from."

Sighing, you fell back into your seat as Ari continued to explain how your team would infiltrate and how the pilots would be proceed in order to not get your team caught up in their fighting.

"You'll ship out in 1 week. The weather will be at its best so it won't pose any trouble. With that, I wish you all good luck." Ari stood and respectively nodded to everyone before leaving.

A silence followed and no one moved. "My team is willing to call a truce, if you can put your own personal matters aside Captain Mitchell," Nolan says. He's standing tall, his back straight, his shoulders are square, and his face is tense. You've ever only seen him act like this once. After Russia, when your team was on the ropes and you could've lost everything that mattered to you.

"Of course, Meadows," Pete smiles. Nolan narrows his eyes.

"Good. My team has a scheduled training session right now, so if you'll excuse us." Your team let’s you be the first one to leave the room before following after. As you all make your way to the locker room, Amy holds you hand into the woman’s locker room.

"We'll all here for you," she whispers. You let her give you a tight hug before she moves to grab her stuff and change into her workout clothes. You do the same and bite your lip so hard it almost draws blood.

45 minutes. They've been 45 minutes away from you this whole time. You wondered if they ever thought about you while they having the time of their lives together. Anger filled you and you know one way to get it out. You have to hit something.

His skin was so warm in comparison to yours. He had only just gotten home a few hours prior, and he wasted no time in shedding his clothes and crawling into bed with you. He was exhausted, his caramel locks all askew, and soft bags resting below his eyes. He was only supposed to be gone for two months, then it turned to three, then a full six months had passed since he had been home.

You were fine, keeping up with the house, making sure the Bronco got it’s oil change, everything was fine. But Bradley felt horrible for leaving you at home for so long. He always felt bad leaving you. Even after a six year relationship, he was crushed everytime he had to go. You learned to cope, but you wondered if he ever would.

He sighs softly, nuzzling his face against your chest, his arms tightening around you. You were a bit jealous that he falls asleep so quickly, and so deeply. Soft snores escape him, and you can’t help but run a hand through his hair. 

The two of you are supposed to go to a barbecue tomorrow, and as you look down at him, you wonder if you’re ever going to make it. He had a habit of ‘hibernating’ for day or two when he comes back home. The only time he ever lets go of his Rooster persona, waking up much later than normal. He looks so scandalized everytime he wakes up half passed noon after a mission.

You look towards the window, the curtains pulled back, and the windows cracked to let some wind in. The central air conditioner had been broken for about a week, and you wanted to wait until Bradley got back home to have someone come look at it. This was a habit you’ve had since the early days of your relationship, when Bradley had found out that the maintenance man had been overcharging you for his services, and not your landlord.

The breeze blows against the curtains, and outside you can see the trees swaying softly as the sun slowly starts to set.

“We should get married,” You whisper softly, running your nails across his scalp. You said it so low, you barely heard it yourself, and you wonder if you ever even said it at all. You had been fantasizing about it for a while, maybe a year or two. But you knew just as much that Bradley wasn’t a wedding kind of guy. In the past, he had danced around the subject, avoiding it expertly, much to your chagrin. 

You know that in the morning when you both finally rise and pull yourselves from your comfortable bed, the idea of marriage will still sit heavy on your shoulders. You know that eventually, you will need to have the conversation, a conversation that will either end in marriage or end in a breakup.

Jake was never this needy when he first came home. Well, not unless something horrible happened. Considering his job, it was always a possibility. But you also knew that there were many times that he couldn’t tell you what was going on.

“Just a long day,” He murmured. “And all I wanted when it was over was to see you.”

“Want me to order dinner, and you can tell me about it?” You turned in his arms to face him.

He nodded, “I think I’d like that.”

“Your usual?”

“Please.” He kissed your forehead. “I’m gonna go shower while we wait.”

You stretched up on your tiptoes and kissed him. His rough, calloused hands found their way under the hem of your shirt as he pulled you impossibly closer and deepened the kiss. That man could kiss you breathless in two seconds flat, and he enjoyed every moment of it. You broke the kiss only when the need for air became too much to ignore.

“Go shower,” You smirked. “If you don’t go now, dinner is never getting ordered.”

He laughed, kissing you chastely. “Yes, ma’am.”

########

You had agreed not to talk about the heaviness of the day until after you were both done eating and could devote all your attention to him. His phone had gone off a handful of times, all Dagger Squad members seeming to check in? It was hard to tell, but you started reading between the lines when Bradley texted you to ensure that Jake was with you and not home alone.

“Babe, I hate to ask this. But does your bad day have anything to do with the reason Bradley just texted me to make sure you weren’t alone?”

“Yes,” He let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know if I should be worried or impressed that he has your number.”

“All of Dagger Squad does.” You chuckled. “How do you think I keep track of you when you’re not here?”

“Valid point.” He turned and laid his back across the couch, his head on your lap.

“Talk to me, babe,” You ran your fingers through his hair, his eyes closed at the contact.

“I almost lost Coyote today.” He spoke softly. “He was in G-lock.”

Your heart sank. Javy was Jake’s best friend and wingman. They were practically inseparable from when they first arrived on North Island as Top Gun cadets.

When he opened his eyes, he had a thousand-yard stare, “Then Phoenix and Bob had to punch out because of birdstrike.” He continued.

“Oh, babe,” you cooed.

“This was all within minutes of each other.” He continued. “I had to sit in the Ready Room and listen to Maverick call it out over the radio. Over and over, he called out Coyote’s name just to try and pull Javy out of it.” He let out a deep breath, “He almost wasn’t in time.”

“But he was,” you reminded him.

“But what if he hadn’t been?” He questioned. “What if Phoenix or Bob weren’t able to eject in time? It’s happened before. That’s how Rooster’s dad died.”

You had heard the story of how Rooster’s dad died, as well as a few other pilots in the Top Gun program. It was heartbreaking, and every day that everyone came home was a day you were extra thankful for.

“Jake,” You spoke softly, cradling the side of his face. He turned into it and kissed the palm of your hand. “You can’t let yourself live in that thought process. Accidents happen, and you can’t keep reliving those moments. But you can keep the people you care about the most close to you and remind them every day how much you care.”

He was quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. You weren’t oblivious to the fact that most people never experienced this side of him- the kind, caring, actual human side. A part of you always hoped he would share it with the rest of the world, but that wasn’t likely to happen.

“I guess I don’t do a good job at that,” He spoke so softly you weren’t sure you were supposed to hear.

“Vulnerability is courageous in its own way,” You encouraged, moving your hand to rest on his chest.

He chuckled softly. “And dangerous.”

“At times,” you nodded, smiling at him.

He reached out and grabbed your hand in his. He intertwined your fingers and pressed a kiss to your knuckles. “You know that I love you, right?”

You were shocked by the concern evident in his expression, as if you may actually doubt his feelings for you.

“Jacob Seresin, I question many things in the world; but the fact that you love me is certainly not one of them.” The smile that stretched across his face could have lit up the night sky.

“After this mission, I have no idea where they’ll send me next.”

“It won’t matter. You always find your way back here.” You squeezed his hand softly.

“What if we didn’t have to worry about it?”

You looked at him with a scrunched forehead. There was no way this man was considering leaving the Navy, so what on earth could he mean.

“What if you and I never had to worry about where I was stationed. You could come with me.”

“Jake, the only way that would happen is if we were married.” You pointed out the obvious.

“I know,” He looked down at your intertwined hands. The man, confident in everything he does, finally came across a situation that made him nervous.

“Oh,” You let out a heavy breath, completely caught off guard by the direction of the conversation.

“I always knew that this was what I wanted, to marry you.” He spoke again, “I honestly thought I’d ask in a different way. Probably at the beach or back at home on the ranch. But I’ve wanted to ask you for a while now.”

You already knew the answer to his unasked question. It was always going to be yes. “You haven’t asked me a question, Jake.”

He laughed and rolled off the couch before kneeling in front of you. You had to bite your lip to keep from laughing.

“Will you (y/f/n) (y/l/n) marry me?” The tone in his voice and the smile on his face were more confident than a moment ago. He knew the answer. You would haven’t have pushed him to ask the question if you were going to say no.

A giggle escaped your lips as you nodded your head, cheeks hurting from smiling so wide. You leaned forward, wrapping your arms around his neck, and kissed him.

He pulled back, still smiling down at you. “You haven’t answered my question.”

You rolled your eyes, still smiling, as he turned your statement around on you.

“Yes, a million times, yes.”

He smiled, thrilled with your answer and satisfied he could turn your sarcastic response back on you. He closed the distance between the two of you and kissed you breathlessly.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the nurse says on the other side of the door, “but outside of visiting hours I can only admit family, and––”

“I am family,” he says, impatient. 

“I understand that, but when a patient is separated––”

“Separated,” Bob interrupts, “not divorced. That is my wife and the mother of my child, so will you please let me see her?” It sounds much more like a demand than a question. The nurse sighs, clearly frustrated. 

“Let me go speak to her.” She steps out from behind the counter and cuts Bob a severe look. “If she is awake, I’ll let her know you’re here. But given that rest is one of the most crucial things for her right now, I will not be waking her up. You can wait.”

“Thank you,” comes his clipped reply. The nurse approaches your room, only a few steps away from the front desk–– Bob would have just gone straight in, had he known— and when the door creaks open, he can be seen standing over her shoulder–– a respectful distance behind, at least.

“Ma’am, there’s someone here to see you,” she says. You can tell it’s taking everything Bob has not to run to you, but he’s smart enough to know that showing this nurse any more disrespect isn’t wise. “He says he’s your husband,” she continues, “but if you don’t want to see him, I can tell him to leave.”

“No, that’s okay,” you say, “he can come in.” She turns around only to discover Bob right behind her. He squeezes quickly past, murmuring a hurried thank you before practically flying to your bedside. All his frustration quickly dissipates as he leans over you, a deep furrow in his brow. Over his shoulder, you see the nurse shake her head, exasperated, and leave, shutting the door behind her.

“Hey honey,” Bob says, hand lifting to brush across your cheek, as if it’s two years ago and nothing has changed. “Are you alright? What happened?”

“I’m okay, Bobby,” you reply, tired. You surprise yourself, though, using his old nickname like that. Since you two broke up, you’ve only ever called him Bob. “Someone lost control of their car in the rain, apparently. You owe that nurse an apology.”

“And I’ll give her one later. First I need to know that you’re okay.”

“I just said that I’m okay,” you laugh softly. “Bob, I’m fine.” Reluctantly, he nods, leaning back to grab at a chair. He won’t even stand all the way up, refuses to take his eyes off you lest you run off somewhere else to nearly get yourself killed.

“How’s Charlie; is he with your parents?” You nod, heart clenching at the thought of your son, how distressed he must be right now.

“Yeah,” you say, voice getting a little watery. “Yeah, I got to talk to him a little while ago. He wants to come visit after my surgery tomorrow.” Bob’s brow furrows. 

“Surgery?”

“Just my left wrist. The right one and the leg only need braces, but,” you sigh, “yeah, the left one took the door pretty hard, so.” He nods.

“How about your head? All okay up there, no bleeding?”

“I have a concussion, but that’s all. They know what they’re doing here, Bob. Don’t worry. I’m gonna be just fine.” He studies you for a moment, then sighs, nodding his head again. “Not so fun being on the other side of it, huh?” you say without thinking. It isn’t meant to be cutting, but blue eyes snap up to your face, a faint expression of shock on Bob’s features. 

Still, you have a hard time feeling too guilty. How many times have the roles been reversed? How many times have you held your baby boy to your chest murmuring reassurances that you can’t promise are true? How many times has Bob been gone, unable to tell you he was okay or even alive? Or looked up at you under the harsh white light of a hospital room on base and told you there was nothing to worry about when you both knew that there was? 

Bob schools his expression into something a little softer and gives a curt nod. You can’t decide if that was over the line. But that had always been the problem, hadn’t it? 

Neither of you had known how easy it would be to push each other over their limits. You’d thought love and a thick skin would be enough to survive the looming fear of losing your husband. Bob had thought it would be easier to outrun the guilt he always felt leaving you behind, the way it weighed on his chest like an anvil. Eventually, your wounds were rubbed raw and his ribs began to crack beneath the pressure.

The times when he was home were supposed to be precious, but they had become tense, uncomfortable. It wasn’t good for either of you, and it certainly wasn’t good for three-year-old Charlie. Splitting up had been the best choice, even though it pained you both to admit it.

Bob had been adamant about a separation rather than a divorce. Ex-spouses of the military were still entitled to some benefits, but for Charlie’s sake and yours he wanted to remain legally married. You’d both agreed that if you met other people and got serious enough, a divorce would be back on the table. It hadn’t been the easiest decision, but now, laying in a hospital bed, you can’t help but feel grateful. And how many people can say their ex husband came rushing to their side in an emergency? 

Regret is already creeping up across your skin.

“I’m sorry,” you say softly, reaching to touch the back of his hand. Your fingers brush awkwardly against his skin where they protrude from your brace, but you can see the gesture means something to him–– his eyes shine a little sadly when he looks at you. He gives a faint shake of his head. 

“S’okay. Me too.”

Despite your best efforts to persuade him otherwise, Bob stays the night in your room, sleeping with his legs slung across a second chair the nurses had been kind enough to provide for him. (He’d apologized to the nurse he spoke to when he arrived, and she’d taken it rather graciously, all things considered. In her place, you’re pretty sure you would have had him thrown out.) You fall asleep fairly easily, exhaustion having taken its toll, but you wake up in the wee hours needing the bathroom. You press the call button, hoping it won’t wake your sleeping companion, but Bob rouses when Jermaine, one of the nurses, comes in. The whole bathroom song and dance is a process you certainly don’t enjoy, but you’ve gotten used to it over the past several hours. 

“Can’t get enough of me, huh?” Jermaine quips, walking to your bedside.

“I keep guzzling water when he’s not looking,” you say, nodding towards a still groggy Bob. Jermaine only laughs and pulls back the covers.

“All right, ready?” 

“Yep.” You grimace as he braces his hands beneath your armpits to help lift you up enough to get into your wheelchair. You sigh as Jermaine rolls you to the bathroom and braces an arm around your waist to help you onto the toilet. The door stands open, but you’re too drained to care–– besides, this isn’t anyone’s first rodeo.

You don’t see the way Bob’s eyes widen with worry. How he watches each maneuver carefully, filing it away in the back of his mind. The decision had been made before he walked through the door, really, but seeing you struggle only cements it. He doesn’t say anything as Jermaine helps you back to bed–– only a quiet thank you as the nurse leaves the room. He can talk to you about his plan tomorrow.

A low murmur of voices filters into your consciousness as you wake that morning, your eyes flickering open to see Bob standing with Dr. Alvarado, who will be performing your surgery. She notices you shifting in your bed and comes to your side, Bob following suit on the opposite, returning to his seat.

“Good morning, Mrs. Floyd,” she says warmly, “how are we feeling?” Your mouth is dry and you swallow thickly before responding.

“I’ve been better,” you rasp, wincing at the scrape of your voice. Bob is holding out a cup of water before you even have a moment to think, and you start to reach for it before faltering. In the fog of waking up, you’d almost forgotten.

“I’ve got it,” he says quietly, bringing it to your lips. You drink, far too worn out to protest.

“Your procedure is scheduled for 12:30 this afternoon. It’s about 8:15 right now. That’ll give you some time to rest before pre-op. I’ve also been told you have a special visitor, if you feel up for it.” Your heart lifts, and you can’t help but look expectantly up at Bob. 

“Charlie?” 

The hopeful lilt of your voice splinters something in his heart. He smiles, tight-lipped but genuine all the same, and nods. 

“Uh-huh. I know you said the plan was post surgery, but your mom called saying they were up and ready to go. I figured you’d want to see him.”

“Yeah,” you say, voice high and thin, “yeah I’d like that.” Dr. Alvarado smiles. 

“I’ll let them know. They’re all very anxious to see you.” You nod, tears slipping down your cheeks. Ordinarily, you try not to let Charlie see you crying. With the separation, you’ve been doing everything you can to be his rock. You remember how scary it was when you were a child to see your parents upset, or worse, hurt. But today, you don’t know if you’ll quite be able to manage it. Gracelessly, you swipe at the tears on your cheeks, but before long, Bob is at the ready again, tissue box extended toward you. You nod your thanks and clasp one in between your fingers. Blotting is much easier. 

You’ve just about gotten it together when the door opens again. 

“Mommy?” Charlie calls, and you hate how you can hear the frightened tremble of his voice. He makes it a few steps over the door jamb when he sees Bob. 

“Daddy!” For a heartbreaking moment, wide eyes dart between the both of you, unsure of where to run. 

“Go say hi to Daddy, sweetheart,” you say, heart swelling to see the reunion. Charlie beams and runs directly into Bob’s arms.

“Hey, big man!” he says, scooping Charlie off the ground in a strong embrace. “I missed you so much, little bear.” He presses a big kiss to your son’s cheek and is rewarded with a delighted giggle that has you crying again. Hurriedly, you dab at your eyes once more.

Your parents enter the room behind Charlie, your mother’s smile wavering and your dad’s brow furrowed. The braces make hugs awkward, but your parents’ presence is an enormous comfort.

“Charlie’s been very brave,” your father informs you. “And we’re all very glad you’re okay.”

“Me too,” you say wetly, wishing you could hold their hands. “I love you guys.”

You cast a glance over to your left, where Bob and Charlie are engaged in conversation, faces close together and voices hushed. Watching Bob parent has always made your heart ache, even now when things have fallen apart. He was meant to be a father, plain and simple. People who don’t know him might expect a Navy man to be gruff, tough on a child, especially a son. But Bob is all gentleness when it comes to your Charlie. He is patient and invested and even though you two aren’t together, it’s difficult to imagine parenting Charlie with anyone else. 

You tear your gaze away to talk with your parents, explaining what happened and asking about how Charlie has been coping over the course of the last few hours.

A few feet away, Bob has his son cradled close in his arms. 

“I was really scared,” Charlie confides in him, “but I gotta be brave for Momma.” Bob’s heart breaks just a little, and he smooths a hand over Charlie’s hair. Perhaps this instinct to protect is just built into the little boy– knowing you and Bob, that’s a distinct possibility. But Bob can’t help but worry it’s a result of the split. 

“You don’t have to be brave for Momma, honey,” he says softly. “That’s our job. Parents get to be strong for their kids, not the other way around. It’s okay to be scared when someone is hurt. And it’s also okay to express that. Especially with me and Mommy. And being strong doesn’t mean you can’t feel your feelings. In fact, being able to feel your feelings is a part of what makes a person strong, because some feelings are really hard.” Charlie listens to his father with rapt attention–– he always has. “But it’s important not to ignore them. Does that make sense?” He nods sagely when Bob is done talking.

Bob can’t help but smile, heart swelling with affection. It’s moments like these when he thinks he could leave it all if it meant getting to spend every second of every day with his baby boy. 

“Should we go say hi?” he asks, bouncing Charlie gently against his hip. Charlie nods, his gaze flickering over to you. 

Though you’re talking with your parents, you can’t take your eyes off of your son. Call it selfish, but ever since you’d been able to think straight you’ve wanted nothing more than to see him. You’re reaching out for him the second Bob starts towards you, but he gives you a look.

“With your leg?” he asks quietly, even though Charlie is right there in his arms.

“I still got one good one,” you quip,” and I think a hug is gonna help me get better much quicker. Besides, all my problems are below the knee— I’ll be fine.”

Bob has always had trouble saying no to you. 

“Be gentle, okay bud?” Charlie nods.

Carefully, he sets Charlie down in your lap, positioning him mostly on your uninjured right leg. 

“Hi baby,” you beam, the pain you’re in practically forgotten. “I’m so happy to see you!” Charlie snuggles immediately into your chest, eyes impossibly big when they look up at you. Tucking him under your arm is awkward, but you do it anyway.

“Hi Mommy,” he says quietly, like he’s afraid talking too loudly will hurt you.

“Hi,” you say again, matching his hushed voice, smile wider than it’s been for the duration of your stay. Bob stands slightly off to the side, feeling a little bit like an intruder. Still, he can’t help but watch the way your eyes sparkle when you look at your son. He’s never seen anything like it. 

A gentle hand on his shoulder catches his attention, and he turns to see your mother, her expression warm. He counts himself incredibly lucky that your parents don’t hate him. Sometimes he hates himself for what happened, and yet they still treat him like one of their own. The three of them exchange hushed greetings, each thanking one another for taking care of the two of you.

Over in your hospital bed, you’re playing with the ends of Charlie’s hair. He’s been telling you about everything that happened between yesterday afternoon and now, cheerily informing you of how much he cried and how he got to choose what he and your parents had for dinner last night. You drink in every detail with enthusiasm, grateful as ever for his enormous heart and his resilience.

“I was really scared,” he says softly after a moment. You nod.

“I bet. I was scared too.”

“Daddy says it’s okay to be scared.”

“Daddy’s right, baby. It’s more than okay to be scared. It’s important— it’s how our brains keep us safe.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh. You know how I’m scared of snakes?” Charlie nods. “Well, not every single snake is dangerous, right? But there are some that are. And because my brain remembers that some snakes are dangerous, I get a little scared when I see them. That fear is my brain telling me to be careful and stay safe.”

“So I was scared because it’d be dangerous if you got hurt?”

“Kind of! It can also be scary to not know what’s happening, right? Because if you don’t know what’s happening, it’s hard to get ready to deal with it. And it can be scary to know that something sad might happen, because it’s hard to feel sad.”

“I don’t like feeling sad,” Charlie says, nodding his understanding.

“Me neither, baby bear. But today I’m not even sad, because you’re here.” Your son’s cheeks turn pink and he hides your face in his chest. Heart swelling with fondness, you cross your arms over his back in an awkward embrace and press a kiss to the top of his head.

“Is it okay if I’m a little sad?” he asks, voice muffled by your hospital gown.

“Of course it is, sweetheart. You gotta feel your feelings. And feelings don’t last forever; they change all the time, right?”

“Right.”

Out of sight, Bob swipes a few tears from his eyes. He’s always proud of Charlie, but he’s proud of you, too–– with three limbs freshly out of working order, you would be well within your rights to be out of sorts, but there you sit, still parenting admirably. Beautifully, even. Your father squeezes Bob’s shoulder and he looks up, almost a little startled. Your father smiles and the two men exchange a nod. 

Your mother steps over to your bed and pets a hand over Charlie’s hair.

“I think me and Grandpa are gonna go home for a little while, honey,” she says to him before looking at you and resting a hand on your shoulder. “Someone gave us a good scare yesterday and I don’t think either of us slept very well. We’re both a little worn out.” Suddenly, she seems to catch herself. “Unless you want us to stick around and––”

You shake your head and reach out an appreciative hand to cover hers.

“Go get some rest, Ma.” She nods.

“We will. But we’ll be back when you come out of surgery. Bobby told us he’d keep us updated.” Too tired to even think that far ahead, you nod. 

“Thanks for looking after Charlie,” you say, tangling your fingertips with hers.

“Well, that’s my pleasure,” she says, pressing a loud kiss to her grandson’s cheek. “And we can figure out next steps, we’ll find someone—“

“Mom,” you say softly, “let's just— can we take things one step at a time for now?” She nods–– the anxiety of it all reads clear on your face.

“You know, you’re right. Let’s get you through surgery first.” You nod, grateful. “We’ll see you soon, then.” Your mother smiles and turns to get her bag. Charlie giggles as his grandfather comes over to playfully jostle his shoulders.

“Be good for your mom and dad, okay kiddo?” Charlie nods eagerly.

“That’s my guy,” your dad says fondly, giving your son a hug before turning his attention to you. “You give ‘em hell in there.”

“What,” you laugh, “in surgery? Dad, it’s just my wrist; I’m gonna be fine.” He shrugs.

“Can’t hurt though, right?” he says lightly, but you can see a glimmer of anxiety in his eyes. He leans down to kiss your cheek and you return the gesture.

“Right,” you affirm, softening. “I love you, Dad. I’m gonna be okay.” Your dad gives a final nod and links arms with your mother as they leave the room. 

It’s so easy to forget that to him— to both your parents— you are still a child. Charlie is still so young, it feels impossible that he’ll ever be as old as you are now. Of course, you still marvel at the fact that he’s as big as he is; that he can walk and talk and do math equations and paint pictures. But it’s easier to manage how much he’s grown because you can still bundle him up in your arms and count on one hand how many birthdays he’s had. Maybe if you were having less of an emotional day, you’d be able to imagine what it’ll be like when he’s grown up, but you can feel tears welling up in your eyes again so you push the thought out of your mind.

“Mommy?” Charlie asks, bringing your attention back into the present.

“Mm?”

“Did Grandpa use a bad word because he’s very stressed?” Laughter sputters out of you before you can help it, and Bob raises an amused eyebrow.

“Yeah, baby,” you say, “I don’t think he was thinking very hard about which words he was choosing. He just meant that he wants my surgery to go well, that’s all.”

“It’s like telling someone to give it their all,” Bob explains, coming to sit down at your bedside again.

“It’s what Daddy does when he’s on a deployment,” you offer, curling your arm into something akin to a flexed muscle, “he gives ‘em heck.”

“And that’s what Momma’s body is gonna do when she’s in surgery. It’s gonna do everything it needs to do to keep her safe while she’s asleep.” Charlie looks between you two, worry creeping back into his features at the mention of the surgery.

“Hey,” you murmur, “I’m going to be okay, Charlie-bear. I promise. Sometimes things can go wrong during a surgery, but the likelihood of anything bad happening is very, very low.” Charlie nods, wide-eyed. “So there isn’t anything to worry about sweetheart. But it’s still okay to be scared, right?”

“Right,” comes his hushed reply. Your heart aches not to be able to soothe his anxiety, but you know there’s no sense in trying to talk him out of it–– especially in the wake of what you’ve been trying to teach him. Still, it seems to you that the rules shouldn’t apply to Charlie, with his delicate soul and enormous heart.

Bob lays a comforting hand on your son’s back and his little form immediately relaxes into the touch. The three of you sit in comfortable silence for a little while, but soon the door creaks open and Jermaine enters with a wheelchair.

“Is this Charlie?” he asks brightly. 

“It is!” you chirp. The boy in question looks up shyly. “Charlie, this is my friend Jermaine. He’s been helping me since I got to the hospital.”

“Your mom is a tough lady,” Jermaine says warmly, squatting to be closer to Charlie’s eye level. “I promise we’re gonna take very good care of her.” Charlie nods.

“Pinkie promise?” he asks, heartbreakingly earnest. Jermaine smiles.

“You got yourself a deal.” He locks his pinkie with Charlie’s and stands up. “I’ve gotta take Mom for a couple of tests before her procedure, and then we’re gonna take her off to surgery. But you’ll get to see her in a few hours when she wakes up, okay champ?” Charlie holds on to you a little tighter and peers up at his dad, who nods encouragingly.

“Okay.”

“Mom is very lucky to have people that care about her so much,” Jermaine says. “You should be proud.” A little divot of determination forms between Charlie’s brows and he nods. Bob starts to stand and Charlie clambers around to give you one last hug.

“I love you Mommy,” he says. You squeeze him as tightly as you can and press a big kiss to his cheek.

“I love you too, baby bear. I’m gonna see you so soon, okay?”

“Okay,” he says, a heartbreaking waver in his voice. You give him another kiss before Bob scoops him up again, and before you know it, Jermaine is wheeling you off into the hospital halls. 

Back in your room, Bob has Charlie wrapped up in a tight embrace.

"I had me a partner just like them when I was your age, damned if I hadn't screwed that up." He grumbled as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Jake said as he took the drinks from Penny before turning away, wanting to avoid more of that conversation.

His eyes landed on you as he watched you tease and laugh with Coyote. He smiled, as he thought back to about a year ago, the first time you came into the Hard Deck.

"Penny, this is Y/n! A.k.a Mirage! Newest member of the Top Gun program." His tone held a hint of pride as he introduced you.

Shaking your hand Penny leaned on the bar, "That's a good call sign, how'd you get it?"

Before you could speak, Jake broke in "Because by the time you see them, they're already gone, like they weren't even there to begin with."

You rolled your eyes lightly "He's proud of that, because he came up with it."

"Yeah, and you love it!" He defended as he leaned against you, arms pressed together.

Penny smiled as she watched the two of you. It was rare Jake so easily boasted about another pilot. Let alone seemed to close to one.

"I didn't know you were dating anyone Seresin, it's good to see."

You and Jake shared a look before you chuckled under your breath. Jake shook his head "Common mistake. Actually we're not dating, we've just known each other for a long time."

"Too long really." You commented playfully.

He rolled his eyes as Penny chuckled "Best friends then, got it. How does Coyote feel about that?"

"He's coming to terms with it." You commented jokingly.

As he set the drinks down beside Coyote, he watched the two of you argue about the next game to play. He smiled to himself as he watched.

You were his best friend, and so was Coyote. But, there was more to his relationship with you. Or at least, he wanted there to be. Something he had only recently started to realize.

--- --- ---

As you walked briskly across the compound, you were startled as one of the pilots came jogging past, slowing down as he got in front of you.

Spinning towards you he grinned as he jogged in place "Hey Mirage, did you hear your boyfriend just broke a course record!"

You smiled, not surprised by the fact. You called out casually as you continued to walk away. "He's not my boyfriend, but I'll make sure to kiss his ass for you T-Bone!"

As you walked away, you took in a breath. Sometimes when people assumed you and Jake were dating, it made you laugh, or even feel a bit giddy. But sometimes, like now, it just made your chest ache a little. Sometimes the thought was too good to be true.

Behind you, you were unaware that T-Bone was now jogging up to Jake, as he made his way from the hangars.

"Hey Hangman, congratulations on your new record."

"Thanks." Jake said casually, his eyes locked on you in the distance, disappointed he missed you.

"So," T-Bone began, "Is it true that you and Mirage aren't dating? 'Cause I seriously thought you were a thing."

Jake looked over at him, he didn't like the look on his face. "No, we're not dating. Why does it matter." He felt odd saying you weren't dating. It was the truth, but for some reason, it felt like a lie when he said it out loud.

T-Bone shrugged while trying to hold back a grin "Well, I just wanted to make sure man, before I make my move."

Jake stopped and turned to him "Make your move?"

"Yeah, I been wanting to for a while, but I didn't obviously, 'cause I thought you and them were a thing ya' know? But since you're not, what's stopping me?"

"Yeah...what's stopping you." Jake said softly, trying to push down the clear jealousy and anger that was rising in his chest.

T-Bone gently punched Jake in the shoulder with a smirk before jogging off, leaving Jake watching him with an uneasy glare.

Surely you wouldn't say yes to a date with T-Bone. Jake shook his head, but couldn't get rid of the anxious weight that sat in his chest at the thought.

That anxiety only built throughout the day as Jake kept thinking of you and T-Bone going out. It seemed like such a ridiculous thought, but it still bothered him.

What really hit him though, was when he spotted you and T-Bone across the base, later that day. You were walking and talking, and what looked like, smiling. He felt his chest tighten as jealousy took over.

Finally fed up with his own inner turmoil, he decided to find out for sure what was going on. Not just between you and T-bone, but between you and Jake. Was there a chance that you felt the same as he did? If there was a chance for the two of you, he would need to take it.

So, when the sun began to set, Jake walked out to the beach, waiting for you. You almost always went on a walk in the evening, so he knew this would be his chance to get you alone.

Spotting you in the distance, as you walked back towards the base, towards him, he felt his heart start hammering in his chest. But as you spotted him, and a smile spread across your face, he felt a fond familiar warmth wash over him.

"What's up Jake?" You asked as you reached him.

"Just wanted to see you, haven't been able to since this morning."

You smiled "Are you saying you missed me?" You half-joked.

He smirked at you as he motioned his head towards a nearby bench "You could say that. But, I also wanted to ask you about something."

You sat on the bench beside him and rose your brow "What's that?"

Jake laid his arm across the back of the bench as he faced you "T-Bone."

He saw a small hint of a smile cross your face "What about him?"

Jake closed his eyes briefly "He told me he was going to ask you out, since he found out we weren't actually a thing."

You nodded your head "Yeah, he did ask me out."

Jake watched you for a moment "And?"

"And I said no." You chuckled "He's a good guy, for the most part, but I'm definitely not interested."

Jake nodded, repressing a smile. The anxiety and jealousy seemed to fade almost instantly. "How'd he find out we weren't a couple?" He asked casually.

You sighed a little "It was a passing comment after he called you my boyfriend." Jake nodded his head, but stayed quiet as he stared out at the beach. "Why?" You added on, noticing he seemed to be distant.

Jake looked back at you, his eyes were darting around your face, as he seemed to be thinking of what to say, before a soft, barely noticeable smile crossed his face.

"It's odd to admit, but, I'm so used to everyone assuming that we are dating, that sometimes I forget we actually aren't."

You smiled softly as you looked down at you hands. Your ears and neck were burning, and your heart was racing.

You nodded your head "Yeah, yeah I've done the same thing." Looking back up at him, his smile was a bit bigger.

He tilted his head a bit as you felt his hand gently touch your shoulder. His voice was soft, not teasing, or serious, just genuine "So why aren't we?"

You felt our breath catch for a moment as your heart palpitated. "Why aren't we....dating?" You asked softly, clearly caught off guard. Jake just nodded softly. "Oh, well, I, you-" you let out a soft breath, obviously bewildered "You don't like me like that, do you? I mean, you can't just date someone because you are close."

Jake could tell as you spoke that what he said effected you, more than he was expecting. For the first time, he felt hopeful.

"But we aren't just close, are we? Ever since we met, we got along like we were two sides to the same coin. And no matter what paths we took, we always ended up together again. My choices were all made because all I've ever wanted was a place to belong. Somewhere to call home. And you gave me that. Because you are my home. Whenever or wherever we are, as long as you are there with me, I'm home. Because you, Y/n, are home to me."

You had never heard Jake talk like this. You had seem every side to him, but he only opened himself up a certain amount, never all the way, unless you dragged it out of him. So him opening up this way because he wanted too, felt almost overwhelming. So much so, you didn't realize you had stopped breathing until you took in a sharp breath.

"Jake." His name came out a whisper, one you barely even heard.

"I love you Y/n, hell, I know you know that. But I think, a while ago, something changed. I don't just love you Y/n, I'm in love with you."

Jake could see you were clearly surprised, in awe, or shock. Your eyes were misty as your mouth sat agape. He watched as you finally took a breath and swallowed before shaking your head a bit.

"I honestly thought you would never see me like that Jake." You almost laughed "All this time, after the same thing happened to me, I just...dealt with it, because I was afraid I'd ruin our friendship."

Jake let out a soft breath "So you feel it too?"

You nodded and smiled "Of course, how could I not?"

Jake grinned as he lifted his hand, gently touching the side of your face, almost timidly. "It just makes sense doesn't it. Us?"

You nodded your head softly "Like it was supposed to happen."

He nodded as well "I thought I'd have such a hard time telling you, but the second I started to talk, it was easy. I think, part of me knew you felt the same, I was just afraid, like you said, of ruining our friendship."

"Too bad we didn't figure it out a bit earlier though huh?" You said softly with a laugh.

Jake chuckled "Yeah. But we know now, that's what matters." Caressing your face again, he gently brought his thumb to your lips, gently brushing over them. His eyes grazed over your lips as he did so, his heart beginning to pound.

You watched with baited breath and pounding heart, as Jake slowly leaned towards you, hooking his fingers under your chin as he tilted you face to meet his.

As your lips met, you expected fireworks, or electricity coursing through you. But what you felt was warmth, gentle familiarity, like finally coming home.

xx End xx

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @caswinchester2000, @imaginesfire, @rexit-mo, @onuen, @witchygagirl, @alexxavicry

“I told you we can switch.” you say.

“Yeah, but they won’t let you.” Fanboy shoots daggers at Rooster and Hangman. He huffs as he playfully bumps you with his hip, “And as if I’ll really let you go in there alone, Burton. No matter how much you like creepy stuff.”

You playfully pinch his cheek. “Oh, you’re so sweet, Micks!” you coo and shove him away, “Now, the game plan!”

Since the teams/pairs have already been established, you begin the briefing of the assigned roles and location, as well as a few reminders.

“Everyone knows and understand their roles and locations?" you inquire.

They give you a scattered response, so you viciously bark at them— "Hey, I asked a question!"

"Yes, ma'am!!!"

"Good.. now, listen well to these reminders."

While everyone keeps their eyes and brains open, Bob jots down your crucial reminders in ghost hunting.

“Always wear your face mask and gloves on. It’s an abandoned hospital, we don’t want any microbes or tetanus now, don’t we?”

“Keep comms on. As much as I want to capture paranormal sounds, it is imperative we contact each other every 5 minutes. But the Getaway Squad will contact us every 12 minutes.”

“Have your baseball bats at the ready at all times. But please be certain before you swing, or else we’ll send each other to the hospital.”

“The Getaway Squad is our foundation. As soon as they call for help, we all go.”

“If any one of the paired teams needs help, inform Maverick or Coyote immediately so they can contact the other squads assigned to them.”

“Got it?" you regard each of them, "Answer me or I'll force you all to go alone in there— yes, even the Getaway Squad."

"Understood, ma'am!!!"

The Investigator squads soon bid their goodbyes to the Getaway duo. Firing up your phone, you begin recording as you excitedly lead them into the hospital. Cautiously stepping through the broken glass doors, you halt at the middle of the lobby and turn to your friends. "Welcome, one and all, to an abandoned hospital!" you exclaim, listening to your voice bounce around the first floor.

Fritz, Halo, Omaha, and Payback choruses a whoop; Rooster, Yale, Harvard, Bob, and Phoenix applauds; Hangman whistles like he's in a soccer game; while Fanboy crosses his arms and grumbles.

"Okay, this is the meetup point." you gesture to the darkness around you, which is briefly illuminated by your headlamp. You then point to a map on wall, directing your phone camera as well. "There are still coherent maps around if your squad gets lost. So, to those in charge of your squad's comms, make sure to always let your location be known during the 5-minute and 12-minute check-ins."

"This is the most organized ghost hunting ever," Phoenix comments, amazed.

You curtsy. "Best be prepared for anything. Plus, no matter how organized it is.. if any of us sees something paranormal, panic will spread like COVID-19."

Everyone regards Fanboy in unison. "Why the hell are you all looking at me?" he yells, frowning.

You laugh. "Even though we might not stay calm in those situations, I would still advise everyone to stay calm. Is that clear?"

"Crystal!!"

"Okay, let's do a short pop quiz to calm our nerves!"

"Pop quizzes irritate me," Fanboy remarks.

"Then stick with that feeling when you're ghost hunting later!" you beam, "Better to be vexed than frightened!— Now, first question.. what's the appearance of the camera person in a squad?"

Bob's hand shoots up. "They're wearing a headlamp, carrying an extra flashlight, and holding the camera all throughout the investigation!"

"Correct!" you give him a thumbs-up, "Second question.. why do we need to separate into teams?"

Halo answers this time. "So that we can explore every nook and cranny while having each other's backs!"

"Nice!— Third, why do we need baseball bats?"

Surprisingly, Hangman is the one to answer next. "To whack the shit out of any ghosts or hobos who threaten our safety."

You and everyone else stare at him in deadpan. He stares back confusedly, saying that he's right.

"In short, for protection." Rooster chimes in.

"Title of your sex tape," Hangman scoffs.

"Thank you, gentlemen." you interject before a royal rumble can start and ruin the paranormal investigation.

The pop quiz continues for another five minutes. You then turn the camera around while the group stands behind you. "We'll be starting our Halloween ghost hunting!" you announce enthusiastically, "Hands in!"

All of you huddle up and place your hands together in the center. "One.. two.. three— GO DAGGERS!"

"Meetup back here in one hour!" you remind, leading your teammates and the other teams to the stairwell.

"Why's it gotta be an hour?" Fanboy cries.

"C'mon, Fanboy, we'll stay with you until the entrance to the East wing." Bob claps him on the shoulder.

"Will you switch with me?"

"No." says Phoenix.

"Aww, worried for your boyfie—" Fanboy croaks in pain after receiving a punch to the gut.

"Say one more thing and we'll take your flashlights."

5th Floor | 21:03

"See you three on the other side!" Fritz waves as he and Halo enter the 4th floor.

"Be careful!" you call and proceed up the staircase.

"So many stairs," Rooster groans.

"How much candy did you eat to still have that energy, Burton?" Hangman asks, huffing and puffing.

You chuckle. "That's between me and my stomach."

Soon, the three of you reach the 5th floor. Hangman offers to push the door open when it only budges two inches. But you tell him it's better for Rooster to help you since Hangman is their safety officer / weapon carrier.

"Shall we start on the rooftop? That way we'll just be exploring the 5th floor for the rest of the hour." you suggest, taking a gander around the blackness.

Rooster shrugs. "Why n—?"

He's cut off by a sudden sound. 

With how quiet the abandoned hospital is, a rattling from somewhere in the floor appears as though it's right next to them. "What the fuck was that?!" Rooster whispers, wildly looking around.

"Backs against each other!" you instruct, and the guys oblige.

"Sounds like it came from there," Hangman tips his flashlight towards the west wing.

"Where? Let's move our circle around so I can get it on camera," you start sidestepping, Rooster and Hangman follows suit.

"It's probably just the wind," says Hangman.

"The wind?" Rooster glances at him incredulously.

"Or a rat," you add, zooming the video to the end of the hall, where the flashlight of both your headlamp and phone barely reaches.

"A rat? I thought you believed in ghosts?" Rooster questions shakily.

"Yeah, I do, but I'm a logical believer." you're now zooming in at doorways, trying to capture anything moving (or peeking). "We have to think realistic when ghost hunting, not just believe that every clink or clank is a ghost, doy!"

Hangman snickers. "Scared, Rooster?"

Rooster scoffs. "You wish, bitch."

You swivel around to face them. "Can you two try that one more time but with a British accent and pretend your flashlights are wands?"

"Or maybe you know a spell to make Bradshaw less scared?" Hangman quips, whirling the baseball bat around.

"Why don't you just kiss him?" you retort.

"I thought you're on my side." Hangman frowns.

"I'd rather side with the ghosts." you sashay away to the map on the wall next to the reception desk. "C'mon, the stairs to the roof are straight across here."

You round the reception desk and enter the main corridor dividing the west and east wing; Rooster and Hangman swiftly strides at each of your sides. There's a low groan that attracts your attention back to the reception desk. Looking over your shoulder, you point the camera and notice the stairwell door is halfway closed— when you and Rooster pushed it all the way open earlier.

4th Floor | 21:08

Coats of blackness are periodically vanquished by Fritz's flickering headlamp. He and Halo have ceased their venture to try and fix the device, they're in a lounge area at the east wing.

"No way Burton didn't put fresh batteries in that," says Halo.

"Then, what? I'm being haunted?" Fritz makes ghostly sounds, snorting.

She frowns. "I'm just saying.. it's unlikely the headlamp is broken or has old batteries."

The pair were walking in every room that's open, looking around for any paranormal signs, Fritz aggressively asking the ghosts to show themselves, before moving to the next room. It was after the ninth room they've been in when his headlamp starts acting up.

Fritz is sitting on a single couch with his phone propped against a vase on the coffee table. While Halo is standing between the table and a sofa as she’d rather not have her back turned to the darkness.

"This should do it," Fritz murmurs, taking the batteries out and putting them back in.

"Ingenious.."

"Thanks," says Fritz.

"What?" Halo blinks at him.

He chuckles. "It's only the two of us, Halo. Don't be embarrassed about complimenting me."

"What the fuck are you going on about?"

"You just said ingenious."

She furrows her brows. "I wasn't saying anything until you said thanks out of the blue."

Fritz and Halo share an astounded look, everything going quieter and darker than it already is, until he doubles over with laughter. "Nice try, angel." he snorts, securing the headlamp shut, he slips it on his head and powers it up. "Vióla!"

“Don’t point it at me,” Halo turns away, eyes squinting until they widen abruptly. She swivels and directs her flashlight to where was looking, “Who’s there?! Seresin, I swear to God..!”

Fritz jumps to his feet. “What? What?!”

Halo gulps. “I thought I saw somebody in that room.. same height as Hangman.” and bobs her chin towards the room adjacent to the lounge. “But it was too shadowy…”

“It’s just your shadow,” Fritz sighs exasperatedly, grabbing his phone.

“How could it be my shadow when I’m right here and there’s no mirror to reflect it over there?!” Halo snaps, pointing from the wall behind her to the room across.

Fritz feels his scalp sweating. “Fair point. But I’m not checking that out— have you watched Wrong Turn? And if there’s some insane, experimented freak as tall as Hangman, I ain’t confronting it.”

Halo rolls her eyes. “Would you rather we still go around the floor not knowing if there’s something in that room or not?”

“Well, I’m certain there’s nothing in that room.”

“You just said that there may be a cannibal in there.”

“And if there was, I ain’t walking into its trap.”

“You fucking— shit! Fritz! There it is! Quick, the camera!”

3rd floor | 21:10

Team 4 / The 3rd Floor Squad are either somewhat enjoying their time or trying to preoccupy their thoughts instead of thinking that something lurks in the dark besides their shadows. 

Payback frequently hits the doorframes of every room they pass with the baseball bat. Sometimes, he’d even pretend to kick down an imaginary door and yell— “FBI” —while pointing the bat into the room as though it’s a gun. Meanwhile, Omaha is narrating everything he’s recording on his phone, down to the last rusted doorknob. He would also turn the camera to him and Payback from time to time, telling any “ghosts” to take a selfie with them before he snaps a photo.

“Have you had any.. paranormal shit happen to you?” Payback inquires, glancing over his shoulder.

“A few when I was young. But they were only told to me by my family, I don’t really remember them.” Omaha shrugs, “So I don’t really believe them. How about you?”

Payback sighs. “None,” and raps the bat on a closed door thrice. “That’s why I’m excited to see some ghosts tonight. Burton sure knows how to make Halloween more fun.”

Omaha nods in agreement. “Burton is the go-to when it comes to spooky stuff.”

“I hope this becomes an annual event for the squad.”

“Fanboy would disagree.”

The pair roars out laughing in unison, slightly drowning a knock, which Omaha somewhat catches. “Hey, what was that?” he stops laughing, pointing his camera to the closed room they passed. “I heard a knock over there.”

“That was me earlier, dude.” Payback says in between laughs.

“No, we were laughing and there was a knock.”

“Ooh~ somebody finally answered my knocks!”

Omaha brusquely shushes him, steps up to the door, and brings up his fist to slowly knock twice. The sound bleeds into the room and echoes around the hallway hauntingly. Payback shakes his head, looks around, and can’t shake the feeling that they’re being watched.

“Hello?” Omaha calls, glancing at Payback.

[“Hey, you guysssss!”]

“Jesus—!” Omaha jumps back like a cat dumped with water.

[“What’s the situation on the 3rd floor? Over.”] Coyote’s normal voice crackles through the transceiver in Payback’s hand.

Omaha snarls. “Fuck you, Machado!” and stomps back to Payback.

Payback snickers, pressing the ‘talk’ button on the device. “Nothing much.. but you just scared the living shit out of Omaha. Over.”

[“Whoops. Sorry, didn’t mean to. Over.”]

“Yeah, you better be sorry!” Omaha snatches the transceiver, “I thought a ghost or some shit responded when I said hello!— Over!”

Coyote laughs. ["Are you mad because you didn't hear a response? Or because you thought you heard one? Over."]

"Neither! Over!"

"Anyway," Payback snatches the transceiver back, "We're at the.. west wing, finishing up on Room 3-A11 to 3-A20 corridor. Over."

["Copy that. Stay frosty. Over and out."]

"It's still 21:14.. what do we do when we sweep the whole floor and still have time left?" Omaha asks, eyeing the closed door sideways.

"Weren't you listening? Burton said to find a place on the floor that we think is the creepiest and attempt contact there," Payback says and pockets the transceiver.

"Oh, right, right.."

"Let's hussle."

When Payback and Omaha are out of earshot, scratches can be heard from behind the closed door of Room 3-A17. Two soft knocks follow, along with a gentle response in the voice of a little boy.

2nd Floor | 21:21

"I can't believe you're still Team Christopher!"

"I can't believe you won't respect my ship!"

"That's because you said Luke doesn't deserve Lorelai!"

"And I still stand by it!"

Harvard shortly lets out an exasperated yell. While roaming around the 2nd floor's east wing, Yale and Harvard have made a silent agreement to chat in order to think about anything else other than walking around a haunted hospital. TV show after TV show they exchange titles and plots, and even comment on a show that they both have watched. 

It's a great bonding experience, if they're being honest. 

However, a difference in opinion regarding Gilmore Girls couples has induced a heated kerfuffle.

Their team has yet to encounter anything paranormal. It’s possible the ghosts were disturbed and decided to move to a different floor. Yale likes to encourage that thought to ignore the occasional chill enveloping the back of his neck. Harvard, on the other hand, thinks there’s a cobweb on his shoulder whenever he feels a little weight on it before brushing it off.

In the back of both men’s minds, a terrifying thought remains: what if the ghosts on this floor decide to bother them since they loudly invaded their premises?

With such an oppressive notion, it’s hard for Harvard and Yale to contemplate that their minds may be playing tricks on them. Or that it’s just them feeling such spectral stirrings.

“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Yale scoffs out of the blue, puffing his chest out, he takes a gander with his phone. “And I ain’t afraid of no ghosts.”

Harvard heaves a brow. “What are you talking about?”

“Mind over matter, pleb.”

“You’re scum.”

“You’re a joke.”

“Says the jester.”

“You fucking—!”

“....”

Yale cuts himself off, sharing a wide-eyed look with Harvard, he pans the camera around. “Did you fucking hear that?!” he whispers panickedly.

Harvard gulps. “It sounded like it was behind you.”

“Bitch, don’t say that!” Yale shrieks, blanching from head to toe. “Let’s stand back-to-back!” 

They press their backs against each other, eyeing every direction for any threat. Harvard adjusts the angle-head flashlight hooked on his jean pocket and hoists the baseball bat up. Yale tries to hold his phone still and picks up debris from the ground, ready to yeet it at anything that may pop up in their faces.

“Burton, if you’re pranking us, please stop!” Yale laughs shakily.

“She would never.” Harvard shakes his head, “It’s probably either Hangman or Fritz.”

“Show yourselves, pussies!”

“Can you elaborate that it’s our friends who are the pussies and not the ghosts?”

“There’s no such thing as ghosts, okay?!”

“And if there are, my friend over here is insulting our friends not you!”

“Sshhh..”

Harvard glares at Yale over his shoulder. “Don’t shush me, bro!”

“That,” Yale is trembling, “That wasn’t me, bro.”

1st Floor, West Wing | 21:30

“Did you hear that?”

Phoenix turns away from the room she’s inspecting. “Yeah.. probably just the dipshits jumping at their shadows.” she smirks, inclining her head sideways. “I’m surprised you’re cool, calm, and collected.”

“Burton and I actually bond over paranormal things,” says Bob sheepishly.

“Oh, yeah.. you two were watching those top 5 ghosts caught on camera videos a few days ago.”

“Yeah, we were.”

“You know most of those are fake, right?”

“Of course.. but it’s entertaining and creepy, which— as Burton would say— is a fun combination for a good time.”

Phoenix laughs and nods approvingly. “Definitely her ingredients for a nice cup of tea.”

The pair have been meticulously traversing the west wing of the 1st floor, scanning every room from ceiling to wall to floor.  Phoenix is a skeptic to the paranormal, more concerned about real people rather than the apparitions of dead ones. While Bob shows concern for both. People have dubbed him as a scaredy-cat for how “soft” he is for a man, which Phoenix scoffs at and tells them that he can watch the Saw movies while eating spaghetti without his eyes leaving the screen.

He and Burton are extraordinary beings, Phoenix respects the two of them equally in and out of fighter jets. As she pans her phone around the darkness, she can’t help but think she’d be lying if she said this isn’t the best time to spend Halloween. Organizedly hunting for ghosts with friends absolutely captures the spooky season’s essence.

“Hey, Phoenix—”

“Pretty bird…”

She swivels around, scrutinizing the corridor they just walked out of. “What was that? Was that you?” she questions, synapses firing fear to her every nerve at the sudden voice that was neither from her nor her partner. She composes herself with a quiet breath in and out.

“No, it wasn’t me.” Bob shakes his head, taking a gander, he raises the baseball bat.

“Hello?” Phoenix calls out, strong yet wary. “Anyone there?”

There’s no answer.

“Maybe it’s just the wind,” she suggests.

Bob gulps. “It’s possible.”

The pair restarts their gait, moving cautiously now, until they halt outside the morgue. Phoenix peers in, the blackness recedes from the light of her headlamp and phone, and she takes two steps in.

“Careful,” Bob says, entering sideways, he keeps his back to the wall and glances out of the corridor.

“Ugh! Smell that?” Phoenix coughs, “The facemask is not helping at all.”

“Do you think there’s still dead bodies in there?” Bob nods toward the mortuary fridges.

Phoenix jabs him on the shoulder. “Why would you think that, doofus?” she sighs exasperatedly, “But to answer your question, no.. this smell is not of a decomposed body. I know because my sister is a mortician.”

“There's probably a dead animal in here. Let’s go,” Bob gently grabs her elbow, leading her out of the room.

Three steps out, they cease as a humming from inside the morgue freezes their spines.

1st Floor, East Wing | 21:33

“Yeahhh~ I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road. I’m gonna.. riiiide ‘til I can’t no more~”

Fanboy continues to sing as he marches around the pool area. His cautious footfalls ricochet around the empty vicinity, like slow, rhythmic clapping. He shortly tightens his grip on the baseball, relaxing after a deep breath in and out, he adjusts his phone on the breastpocket of his jacket. It’s as though he’s fated to explore the haunted hospital on his own, wearing a jacket with too many pockets enough to attach ten angle-head flashlights (but he only has one on the right breastpocket since he’s already wearing a headlamp).

The east wing of the 1st floor isn’t as noisy as Fanboy. Sure, there’s the occasional gust of late October wind, inducing scraping and rattling noises, and the momentary groan of the old building. Other than those, nothing has bothered him, and he has bothered nothing.

No doors swinging on their own.

No whispers in the wind.

No shadows leaping away from the light.

No—

Footsteps behind him.

Fanboy quickly spins around, ready to swing. “Who’s there?!” he demands when he finds no one. “Hello!?”

[“Fanboy, this is Bob. Do you read me? Over.”]

“Fuck,” he flinches at the transceiver crackling and fishes it out of his jean pocket. “Fanboy here, I read you Bob. Over.”

[“Where are you?” Over.]

“At the pool.. but on my way out since I’ve already circled it.”

[“You didn’t check the locker rooms?”]

“No way I’m going in there, Jose.”

Bob laughs. [“Okay, okay.. we’ve got something mind-blowing, Fanboy. You probably won’t believe this, but we heard someone humming in the morgue. Over.”]

“Are you sure it wasn’t the wind? Over.”

[“No, it definitely wasn’t—”]

[“..Hmmm…”]

Phoenix’s gasp shoots out of the transceiver. [“There it is again!”]

[“Did you hear that, Fanboy? Over.”] Bob asks.

“Guys, please, this was supposed to be a check-in. Not a prank! Over!” Fanboy shouts, hastening his pace to the doors.

[“It’s not a prank. Over.”] says Phoenix.

“Whatever—”

Fanboy freezes from opening the door, and once he hears it again, he slowly turns back to the pool area, where footsteps are echoing from. “H-Hello?” he sputters, trying to illuminate every inch of the premises at once, still he finds no one but himself and the darkness.

Hushed footsteps respond to his call, then soon they become rapid, as though the owner is running. And when the footsteps become louder, Fanboy realizes it’s coming nearer— heading right for him.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

Parking Lot | 21:36

With nothing else to do, other than contacting the ghost hunters every 12 minutes, and nothing else to discuss.. Coyote invites Maverick to play a mobile game with him.

He offers to the older naval aviator the infamous Two-Player Games. The app consists of a variety of games from sports, board games, and children’s games— but make it all virtual. 

Coyote regrets challenging their most-favorite instructor.. because Maverick has won every round. And he owes him a week’s worth of drinks at the Hard Deck.

They have just finished a game of tag, wherein Maverick has held the crown the longest. “How are you beating me?” Coyote is stupidly, exasperatedly baffled.

Maverick lifts a shoulder. “Apparently, instincts can age like fine wine.. kind of like me.”

“Wow, poetic.” Coyote remarks flatly, but he can’t hold being monotonous for long and shares a laugh with Maverick.

The haunted hospital’s parking lot is pitch black if it weren’t for the cloudless sky that freely lets the moon highlight the darkened parts of the Earth. The getaway squad hasn’t experienced anything paranormal, probably because music is slightly blaring from the car’s radio. They decide to let the car run after the first 12-minute check-in— obviously, for emergency purposes. 

Not because they thought they spotted a black-eyed child wandering behind the treeline.

A trick of the moonlight and probably just a wild animal, as Maverick reassures.

“Team 2, check-in. Over.” Coyote lifts his finger off the button.

[“Team 2, checking in. We’re near the morgue. Over.”]

“Thanks, Bob.” Coyote pauses, “Fanboy, check-in. Over.”

Fanboy screams through the device. [“COYOTE! HELP!”]

The getaway squad exchange looks. “Fanboy, what’s happening?” Coyote asks puzzled, “Are you okay? Over.”

[“SOMETHING’S FUCKING CHASING ME!”]

[“Fanboy, where are you? Phoenix and I will meet up with you. Over.”] Bob chimes in.

[“I don’t know— I don’t fucking know! Shit!”]

“We should help him,” Coyote begins gathering his things.

“Wait, we can’t leave our post.” says Maverick.

“But—”

He claps Coyote on the shoulder. “Let’s move the car right outside the hospital.” and climbs in the driver seat in a flash, “Contact everyone else about the situation.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Damnit, where is he?” Phoenix pants, waving her phone around, which is still recording, to highlight every corridor.

“Follow the screaming?” Bob suggests and glances behind them.

“Contact him—”

“AAAHHHHH!!”

They exchange wide-eyed looks and rush to where the screaming resounds from. Beams from their artificial lights bounce around the hospital’s blackness like a signal of a rave party. The first floor of the hospital is teeming with their urgent footfalls, echoing from one hallway into another.

“Fanboy!” Phoenix hollers, “I swear if this is a prank..!”

She and Bob round a corner, stopping at the sight of Fanboy bolting through the corridor, they sigh in relief.

“Hey, you’re okay—”

“JUST RUN!” Fanboy bursts past them.

“The hell, man?!” Phoenix yells at him.

“What’s that?” Bob narrows his eyes at the corridor, hearing another set of footfalls.

“What’s what?— BOB!” Phoenix explodes when her backseater suddenly carries her onto his shoulder. “What are you doing?!”

“Sorry, I’ll ask for permission later!”

She lightly elbows the back of his head. “That’s not what I meant!”

“Someone was running towards us.” Bob blurts out, evading every debris in the way. “But I couldn’t see it.”

Phoenix looks back to the corner of the corridor— heart dropping at the sight of a shadowed head peeking out. She raises her phone and still sees it through the camera.

“Holy fuck… Bob, go faster.”

Bob obliges, pumping his legs like The Flash, and catches up to Fanboy’s side. Neither of them look back as they hurtle out of the hospital, even Phoenix has kept her eyes down but continues to direct her phone towards their rear.

“What the hell happened?” you ask, strolling out of the hospital with Hangman and Bradley.

“Something was chasing me!” Fanboy cries.

“Something?” you repeat, gesturing for him to continue, you stand at the top of the steps.

“Maybe it was a rat,” Fritz shrugs.

“A rat? After what we just saw?” Halo scoffs.

“You two saw something, too?” Phoenix asks.

“Too?” Fritz begins sweating.

Fanboy glares at him. “Why the hell would I run away from a rat?”

"Alrighty!" you loudly clap your hands five times to silence the growing squabble, "Let's focus on Fanboy for now before we all share our encounters, okay?"

They scatteredly murmur in agreement, you thank them and turn to Fanboy. Just as you're about to interrogate him, you hear a rustle and look over to the entrance. "Heard that?" you ask, pointing your camera to the direction. "It sounded like shoes stepping on glass."

The color on Fanboy's face drains. "Can we get out of here first?" he asks pleadingly.

"I concur," Maverick nods, "I'm getting an unpleasant vibe now that I'm up close to the hospital."

You pout. "But the hospital in the background while we exchange our experiences is brilliant!— Okay, okay, sorry," you quickly say when you sense Fanboy becoming livid, "We can go—"

You stumble forward, but manage to stay in place at the top of the stairs. "Really?" you pull a face at Hangman, "I said we'd go, you don't have to shove me, Seresin."

He looks stupefied. "I didn't. I was actually going to catch you 'cuz I thought you were going to trip down."

"There's a lot of witnesses here.."

"Burton," Phoenix gulps, glancing between you and Hangman. "He didn't touch you."

Your arm moves up on its own. For a second, you think your reflexes have ordered your body to smack Hangman. But that isn't the case.

You let out a yelp while everyone else shouts your name and chases after you. Someone— something unseen is yanking you back to the hospital.

Rooster and Hangman grab hold of you first since they're the closest. Whatever that was pulling you has ceased. "Start the car!" Phoenix yells to Coyote, who snaps out of his stupor and jumps in the driver seat.

Half of the squad clambers in the van while the other half hauls you to follow suit. "Floor it!" Fanboy screams at the top of his lungs, sitting at the rearrest seats, accidentally looking back at the hospital. "I said— FLOOR IT!"

"Wait!" Maverick yells and swiftly does a headcount from the passenger seat, "Everyone's here?"

"Yes!!!" The rest of Dagger Squad yells back.

"So that person by the window near the entrance is not one of us?"

Dagger Squad looks over instinctively. A woman in white is standing by the window, eyes boring straight into each of theirs.

"Of fucking course not— DRIVE!" Fritz shrieks, closing his eyes.

Coyote has practically made the van soar as he drives all of them away from the haunted hospital. No one complains about the first bumpy minutes, everyone is more than glad to have distance between them and the hauntedness.

“OKAY! I DON’T CARE IF YOU HAVE RELIGION OR NOT, AND IF YOU’RE RELIGIOUS OR NOT—" Fanboy bellows, "—WE’RE GOING TO A CHURCH RIGHT FUCKING NOW AND GET BLESSED BY A REVEREND WITH HOLY WATER AND WEAR ROSARIES FOR A WEEK!”

You roar with laughter. “Now, that’s the Halloween spirit!”