Baby Mav

Nothing But Rumors

The second Maddlyn and Maverick walked into the bar, Maddlyn wanted to leave. Rooster and the other trainees were in the corner of the bar.

"Can we go somewhere else?" Maddlyn mumbled. Maverick looked over, his eyes instantly landing on the group of trainees.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her over to the bar. "You told me this morning you wanted to see Penny. We'll sit and talk to her for a little and then I'll drive you home."

Maverick sat down but Maddlyn didn't move. He laughed as he patted the bar stool next to him. "Come on, kiddo. One drink."

When she still hesitated, Maverick grabbed her hand and pulled her next to him. Hangman turned and saw this interaction.

"Holy shit," he chuckled.

"What's wrong with you?" Rooster asked. Hangman nodded, the others following his eyeline.

"What?"

"You've gotta be kidding."

"No way."

"Come on," Phoneix sighed. "You don't know."

"Don't know what?" Bob asked innocently. Phoenix laughed and leaned over, whispering an explanation in his ear.  "Oh."

"Maddy!" Penny squealed as she ran out of the kitchen. She handed the drinks she was holding to another waitress and ran over to Maddlyn. She completely ignored Maverick as Maddlyn and Penny hugged.

"How are you?!" Penny asked. "You look amazing! I thought you said you were never going to come back."

"I wasn't planning on it," Maddlyn shrugged. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned towards Maverick. Penny copied Maddlyn's stance.

"I needed her help," Maverick shrugged. "Hey! It was your idea."

"What?" Maddlyn giggled. "Traitor."

Penny shoved Maverick and kissed Maddlyn's temple. "Let me get you your favorite drink, cute girl."

"Thanks, Pen."

All the while, the others were making inappropriate jokes about Maddlyn and Maverick.

"I gotta give him credit," Hangman laughed. "The old man got a gorgeous girl."

"I bet she's got moves in bed," Payback smirked.

"Don't talk about her like that," Rooster snapped.

"Calm down," Payback rolled his eyes. "It's not like she can hear me."

"You got anything to say?" Rooster asked Phoenix.

"I mean. . ." She hesitated. "She came out of medical leave for him. It's a little. . . curious. Don't you think?"

"No," Rooster said instantly. "I don't think."

"Tell me, Roost," Hangman laughed, wrapping his arm around Rooster's shoulders. "You've known Maverick your entire life. How does it feel knowing he can get a girl like that and you're still single, lonely, and depressed?"

"She's not his girl," Rooster said, his jaw slowly tightening.

"Not for long," Hangman said in a singsongy voice. "She's making the decision as to who's flying the mission and who the mission leader is. I plan on flirting her into my bed and convincing her to choose me. Over and over and over again."

Rooster's anger turned boiling. He roughly shoved Hangman away from him, washing his anger down with the rest of his beer.

"Not if I get to her first," Payback laughed.

"Hangman, Bob has a better chance at Maddlyn than you do," Phoenix laughed.

"Hell, I bet Phoenix has a better chance than you," Fanboy laughed.

"I wonder if he needs a walker," Hangman giggled, "or a nurse after. Then again, Maddlyn is probably his nurse."

"Are you sure they're even a couple?" Bob asked.

"A weird one," Fanboy scoffed.

Rooster couldn't take it anymore. They were over-sexualizing his best friend and the man who helped his mother raise him. He glanced over at them, sitting at the bar, talking. Five years ago, he would've been with them.

"I could show Maddlyn a good time," Hangman laughed. "Make her forget all about that F-18-20 flight. Or put her back into the two-week coma. I doubt Maverick has ever gotten her to. . ."

"He's her father," Rooster snapped. His eyes widened when he realized what he'd said. He looked up at his friends and Hangman to see them staring at him wide-eyed.

"He's her what?!" They yelled. Before Rooster could stop them, they ran over to Maddlyn and Maverick.

"You're his daughter?!" They yelled the minute they got to them. Maddlyn looked at her father, half-glaring, half-pleading him to end this.

"Guys!" Maverick yelled, cutting them off. "Yes, it's true. Maddlyn is my daughter."

"That explains you," Payback said under his breath so only Rooster could hear. Before Rooster could punch him in the face, Hangman spoke up and asked the one question Rooster wished he had never heard.

"Maddlyn, I have a question," Hangman smirked. "Is it true that the night of your graduation, the guy who got second ranking, attacked you?"

It seemed like the entire bar froze. Maddlyn looked into Hangman's egotistical eyes, wanting nothing more than to punch that smirk off his face.

And she did.

The group gasped when Maddlyn punched his jaw. He caught himself but was shocked. She took a step closer to him, lowering her voice even more. Her angry glare dropped as she fought her tears.

"You don't have to be such an ass all the time. And you especially don't have the right to talk about things you don't understand."

No one bothered to stop her as she turned on her heel and ran out of the bar. The group glanced at Maverick who was watching his daughter.

"Maverick?" Rooster stuttered. "Is it true?"

After a brief moment of silence, Maverick sighed, "It is."

Everyone glared at Hangman. "What?" He asked innocently. "Not like I'm the one who attacked her."

"You brought it up," Phoenix said instantly.

"What happened?" Bob asked shyly.

"I'm not entirely sure," Maverick said softly. "All I know is what I saw."

"You saw it?" Rooster asked.

"Halfway through the graduation party, I couldn't find her. I eventually went looking for her, and when I did, I heard a scream. When I found her. . . He was on top of her. . ." Maverick's voice changed. "I tore him off and had him dragged out in his underwear. Maddy was in shock. When I went back to her, she was on the floor, hugging her knees. I sat next to her and wrapped my arms around her. That's when she broke. You should know, my daughter is not much of a crier. Before that night, Maddlyn hadn't cried since her mother's funeral. After that. . ."

Rooster couldn't listen to any more of this. He turned and ran after Maddlyn.