Thistle ~ Bradley Rooster Bradshaw

Ten

Maverick slowly creeped into the room where his admiral and friend sat, coughing multiple times in the minute he'd taken to enter and close the door. His heart broke slightly at the sight, Ice looking poorly, and yet still put together.

"How's my wingman?" Mav smiled the best he could at his friend, who'd now noticed his presence in the room.

Ice gave him a large smile, stretching his hand out to point at the seat in front of him which Mav sat in shortly after.

Mavericks eyes trailed the desk, he was typing instead of speaking, he continued to do so until he'd stopped tilting his head toward the computer screen which now read:

I want to talk about work.

Maverick looked down and shook his head slightly smiling, "please don't worry about me," Mav paused looking up at Tom, "what can I do for you?" He gave him a pat on the shoulder, Ice pointed to the screen which still read the same. I want to talk about work. "Okay" he smiled, "things didn't go well today" he scratched the back of his neck thinking back, "or yesterday"

Maverick thought about yesterday and the argument between rooster and hangman, as well as Lucille. Today, when her plane blew, almost with her inside.

I heard, is she okay? And Rooster?

Maverick took a deep breath, "I believe so, she still believes she was in the right though, even with how incredibly reckless it was" he felt an overwhelming anger towards what she'd done, he knew it was partly because of Goose, what had happened to him and how similar it was. He just didn't know why else it would bother him so much. "As for Rooster, he's still angry with me" for pulling his papers he'd thought after speaking.

Reckless, yes, although she reminds me of someone.

Ice smiled after typing as Mav read what he'd written.

Maverick raised a brow, "can I ask you something Ice?" Tom nodded smiling as he did, "who is she? She seems to know you and Sarah well enough, considering the car she's driving about in" maverick had heard of her before, from Hondo and Ice but didn't really know her.

Her mothers from Scotland, father isn't really in her life.

Maverick again looked confused, "her father Scottish too?" He'd asked wondering how she'd joined the US navy rather than the RAF.

No, American.

"Huh, who's her mother? She fly too?" Maverick smiled that gleaming smile everyone knew so well. Ice shook his head.

Her father does.

Before Maverick could answer Ice started typing again, Mav waited for him to finish before speaking once again.

Mothers name is Catherine Ferguson.

Mavericks eyes widened at that name, he knew her. He'd been in Scotland for a short period of time, 3 months of so, and he'd met a Catherine Ferguson. That was many years ago. Over 30 years ago, Mav was young at the time, as was Catherine. "I knew her" Ice raised a brow waiting for the pin to drop. "What age is she? Thistle?"

Ice gave him a knowing look as he typed.

29.

Maverick shook his head, surely not, surely he'd know if what he was thinking were true. "Ice am I?" He couldn't say the word, couldn't say dad. Mav wasn't a dad, he was far from it, he was never in one place, always moving, dangerous.

Ice shrugged, opening his desk drawer. He pulled two envelopes, and began to type.

Sarah was close to Cath, when she passed,