"Dagger 2 is hit." What no... He can't be. He was just behind us. I whip around in my seat, seeing that it's true, Rooster's jet isn't behind me anymore. "Skylar-" Phoenix voice rings through my ears. "No," my voice comes out weak. "No," Tears start to reform in my eyes. "No!" I remove my left hand from the flight control and bang it on the canopy glass. Anger fills my veins. Am I not good enough for him? What was he trying to prove? That I was right about letting him in. My biggest fear, one of us wouldn't come back from this mission. I never should have said that forever bullshit. He broke my heart into a million pieces. I was hoping he was different from the others I brought home. He was supposed to be my forever.
...
I ignore the yelling of my fellow pilots as I angrily march off the deck and to the locker rooms. I push open the door so hard that it hits the wall behind it. I walk over to my locker as the door slams shut. I did it, my goal was achieved. Fanboy is back on the carrier, safe and sound. But why did it cost me everything - everyone, I care about. My uncle, the person who was supposed to be there for me in my biggest moment, standing in my father's place. And the love of my life, stupidly went to find Maverick and got shot down.
Tears start flowing down my cheeks. I don't move to stop them. I hear the locker room door open and the sound of footsteps walking towards me. I feel two arms pull me closer to their chest. I sink further into their chest and let out all my tears. Their hand comes up to my hair and gently starts playing with it. "I'm sorry, Sky. I'm so sorry." Phoenix's voice rings through my ears. Why me? What did I do so wrong that this universe hates me? Why did they have to take all the important men in my life? Wait...
I abruptly stood up, Phoenix arms falling to the bench where I was just sitting. I shove my helmet into my locker and slam the door shut. I turn and walk out of the locker room, tears still streaming down my face. I hear Phoenix yell my name from behind me, but I ignore her. I walk up some stairs, make a few turns, go down some stairs, go straight down a hallway, then up a shit ton more stairs. All while getting sorry looks from passing people.
I finally arrived at the door I've been wanting. I open the door, not caring to knock. "Lieutenant! You can't be here!" Admiral Bates says. Everyone stops what they're doing to stare at me as I make my way to the man standing in the corner. I stop in front of him. I open my mouth, but no words come out. He sends me a sad smile. My body is frozen in place, I can't move. "Hondo..." He wraps his arms around me. His touch feels nothing like my father's or Maverick's or even Rooster's. But I feel comfortable in his arms. I find myself leaning into my chest. He doesn't say anything, he just holds me. He doesn't smell like anyone I know, but it's a comforting scent - he smells like wood from a wet forest. Eventually, both Admirals have given up on getting me out of there. And all the tech people have returned to work. I just stand there wrapped in Hondo's arms.
And so, we stand there, for seconds, minutes, hell maybe even hours. Either Hondo or I move. My mind is racing, half of me what's to get back in an F-18, and fly until I find them, or I get shot down. But the other half reminds me that my mom is waiting for me to come home. My brother, my nieces, my Best friend. I can't leave them, especially after we just lost our dad.
I stand there sniffling, clinging onto Hondo with all my might. I listen to his heart, the typing, and mumbling of the tech guys. I feel my eyes slowly closing, my mind suddenly replaying everything that has happened in the past few months. Me walking into my Captain's office. Flying back home to California. Seeing my family. Meeting my fellow pilots. Seeing Maverick and Rooster for the first time in years. Training for this mission. Expressing my feelings for Rooster. Training some more. My dad's funeral. Realizing, all of my feelings for Rooster have returned.
Then this mission. Feeling the pressure build up in my head. As I turn each corner and the climb over the mountains. The sound the SAMs make as they shoot off and into the sky. The beeping of the radars. Watching in slow motion Maverick destroyed one of those SAMs that was on Rooster tail, but then watched Maverick's plane get hit. Seeing it spin out of control with smoke and flames. Hearing that, Rooster was shot down. That feeling of numbness I felt.
"Sir, we’re receiving a signal from Rooster’s esat." I lift my head off of Hondo's chest. My eyes meet his, his eyes dark, trying not to get me any hope. I turn to the two admirals, then to the tech guy. "But there seems to be a malfunction." My heart drops. "Have you lost him?" Admiral Simpson asks. "No, sir." I feel my heart slowly restarting. "He’s supersonic." Wait... What? "He’s airborne." Admiral Bates says. What the hell is he in? "Sir. Overwatch reports an F-14 tomcat is airborne and on course for our position." Rooster has no idea how to fly an F-14. "Can’t be." Warlock says in disbelief. A small smile forms on my face. I know only two people that can fly an F-14. One was my father and the second one was just shot down.
"Maverick."
The name spilled my mouth. Maverick is flying an F-14 back to the carrier. And Rooster's esat sent a signal. That means... Both of them are in that plane. And I'm making sure they make it back home. "Skylar," I look back at the man, I still have my arms wrapped around. The look in his eyes says, go get them. I unwrap my arms from Hondo's chest and quickly walk out the door as fast as I walked in them.
The path from the control tower to the deck is engraved into my head. My legs started to walk faster and faster until I was running. I ran past tech guys, crew members, and other pilots. All of them were staring at me. My tear stained face and red eyes. I look horrible, but that's the last thing on my mind. All I can think about is how there is an F-14 in route to this carrier, and it was picked up by Rooster's esat.
As I run past the "break room". I feel a hand wrapped about my arm and pull me through the doorway. "Wow!" I say, stumbling through the doorway - looking like a drunken sailor. I look around and find the eyes of my fellow pilots staring at me. "What's..." I start to say, but Phoenix cuts me off. "Are you okay? I mean, Sky. Maverick and Rooster just got shot down. When I tried to be there for you in the locker room, but, you ran." I try to interrupt Phoenix, but she isn't having it. She gives me the look that your momma gives you when you interrupt an important phone call. I shut my mouth and continued to listen to her ramble on and on about how worried she was when she couldn't find me. Then, seeing me run down the hall, she was even more nervous. She ended her ramble by saying that I can talk to her and giving me the 'you better start talking look'.
"I'm sorry," I say looking at Phoenix but saying to everyone in the room - Bob and Fanboy. "I'm sorry, I ran, but I was so caught up in my head. I still am. I was just so angry and hurt. I needed to break, slam, or throw something. And I did that. Once I felt like I was able to breathe again, the only thought I had was to see Hondo."
"Hondo? Why him?" Bob says, sitting at a table. "We grew close while training for this god awful mission. I felt comfortable around him. I don't understand why I need to see him and let him hold me, but I need it." I pause for a second, it seemed like the first time I've done that in a while. I feel my heartbeat and breathing steady. My mind starts to clear. The F-14.
"Rooster and Maverick are alive, and they are heading this way. That's why I was running." I look at the shocked look on their face. I would laugh at the looks on their faces if it was the correct time, but it's not. "How?" Fanboy asks. "Hondo was up in the control tower. So, when I was hanging out there, one of the tech guys said they got a signal for Rooster's esat. Then Comanche said that an F-14 was heading this way." I got confused looks from Fanboy and Bob. "What?" I ask. "How do you know it's both of them?" I open my mouth to answer, but Phoenix cuts me off, "Rooster doesn't know how to fly an F-14."
"And Maverick does." I add.
They don't look 100% convinced, but I don't have time for this. I look at Phoenix, silently telling her I have to go. She nods. We look back at the two backseaters, who are arguing about their card of cards. I shake my head, before I could leave, I hear Phoenix yell my name. "Be safe." I nod before running to the deck.
...
I ran out to the dock and over to my plane. "Shit!" I forgot that my jet was back at Top Gun, and I'm not dragging Fanboy back out there. Not for me to do something stupid. "What are you doing, Skylar?" I hear a man's voice behind me yell. I turn around and see Hangman sitting in his plane. I slowly make my way over to him. "Looking for a plane..." I say, shyly. "Why?" He gives me the same confused look that the others gave me back inside. "Mav-." I look up and see him, the confusion on his face. "You know what," I place my helmet on the ground. I reach up the side of his plane for the handle for his ladder. I use both hands to pull the ladder out and lower it to the ground.
I quickly climb the ladder until I was the same height as Hangman. "Maverick and Rooster are alive and heading back here."
"How?" Was all Hangman managed to get out. "I'm guessing Maverick stole an F-14. But the odds of them making it back here in one piece with those enemy plane out there is slim..."
"So you were going to steal a plane and fly out there to make sure them make it back?" Hangman looks at me like I'm crazy. I nod my head. "Skylar, how the hell were you going to get a plane off the carrier without anyone noticing?"
"Skylar!" I turn around to see Hondo in a headset and some crewmen behind him setting up the runway. "With their help." I turn back to Hangman, "But the problem is, I don't have a single one here for me to use. And before you ask, I'm not being Fanboy out with me." A smile grows on Hangman's face, "Well, that's the smartest thing I've heard!" I feel a smile creep onto my face, "Shut up!" I watch as his face turns serious again, "I'll do it."
"Jake..." I start to tell him that it's not a good idea, but he isn't listening. "Savannah, it's my choice." I pause for a second. He is already in his plane and ready to fly. I look at him, "I can't talk you out of this. Can I?" I watch as he shakes his head and a smile grows on his face. "Okay... Bring them back to me." I say as I tap the top on his plane before I start to climb down.
"You have to do something for me in return." I stop and look at him. "Take him out of his misery and make him yours." I smile at the thought of being able to see Rooster again, "I plan on it." I say as I climb down. My feet reach the deck. I pick up the ladder and slide it into its spot before grabbing my helmet and walking towards Hondo. "All good!" I yell over the sound of Hangman's engine starting. "Good, now get off the deck before you blow away." I chuckle and shake my head as I head back, to the inside of the carrier.
...
After about ten minutes, Hondo comes down to the break room to let us know that it's all good. I watch as he sets an old radio on the table in front of me. He turns it on, spins the knob on top to find the channel. He lands on channel 9 before pulling out a chair and sitting next to me. "Now we wait," I mumble to myself. Hondo places his hand on mine. The break room was dead silent, no one was playing card games anymore, the coffee pot magically stopped dripping, all you could hear were people letting out shaky breaths.
"I've got Rooster's esat on radar," Hangman's words break the silence. I feel like I can't breathe, I can't go through that again. I feel Hondo squeeze my shaking hand, I let out a shaky breath. My lungs still feel tight, and It hurts to breathe. "Hey, Rooster got the radio working!" I let out a breathy laugh. "Wait, I'm picking up another plane," I look over at Hondo hoping that plane is one of ours, he slowly shakes his head, "Shit." "Well, that answers that question," Hangman says with a panicked voice. I find myself staring at the radio in front of me, waiting for him to say more, but he never does. There are a few moments of silence that ring through my rings, my breathing starts to quicken. I should have done this, I should never have let Hangman go for me. I rest my head into the palm of my hand, wanting this day to be over, hoping it's just a horrible dream. "Bullseye!" Hangman shouts, causing me to jump, I wasn't expecting that. "Did I miss something?" Bob asks. "I think we all did," Phoenix answers.
"Let's see if I can connect to them really quickly." I look around to everyone having the same look on their face; confusion. "Ah ha!" Hangman clears his throat, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is your savior speaking. Please fasten your seat belts, return your tray tables to their locked and upright positions…" I heard laughing, I know those laughs. I feel tears building up in my eyes, a smile starts to form on my face. "And prepare for landing." Hangman finishes his speech. "Hey, Hangman, you look good." My smile grows, I never thought I would hear that voice again. "I am good, rooster. I’m very good. I’ll see you back on deck." With that, I look over at Hondo, "Go!" He looks at me, "What if-" I shake my head, "I'll be fine, I need you to go and make them land alright."
"Hey, I don't know if anyone is listening but Maverick is downwind. No front landing gear." I look at Hondo, silently telling him to go. When he finally does, I feel so many arms wrapped around me in a giant hug. We sat there for a while before deciding to head up to the deck. I run up the stairs and swing the door open, as I do I wait for an F-14 to hit the tarmac and slide into the barricade, coming to a complete stop. The crew rushes around it, extinguishing the fire. I see the canopy open and two men wave from inside. They climb down and I run over to them. I push my way through the crowd of crewmen and women. When I finally make it to an opening, I see him. Bradley Bradshaw. He looks like he's looking around to someone, but when his eye met mine. I felt my heart start to beat faster. It happened so fast, one second I'm running to him and the next I was in his arms with my legs wrapped around his waist. His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me close. My arms wrapped around his neck, my hands in his hair. My head resting in the crook of his neck.
"Don't do that ever again." I say into his neck. A few tears of happiness were falling down my face. "I won't, I promise." I feel his chest vibrating as he says those words. I can hear the regret and sincerity in his voice. I lifted my head from his neck and looked into his eyes, "You better not. I don't know what I would do if you weren't in my life anymore." A small appears on his face, "You still wait for me around?" I found myself nodding before he even finished his question. "Ye-" before I could finish Bradley crashed his lips onto mine. We easily fell into sync. The kiss was short, but it felt like it lasted forever. As we broke apart, I could hear the surrounding crowd cheering, the loudest one, of course, was Phoenix.
Rooster lowered me back to the ground, and within seconds our friends were rushing around us. Everyone was hugging and congratulating Rooster. I just clung to his side, holding his hand. Never once, in his probably a hundred hugs, did his hand leave mine. I saw the crowd part and walked Hangman. He walks over us, looking over at me then at our intertwined hands, then at Rooster, then back to me. A smirk appears on his face, "I see you completed my request."
"You completed mine." I said as I squeezed Rooster's hand. I let go of his hand and walked over to Hangman giving him a hug, "Thank you," I whispered into the hug. "You're welcome." Breaking the hug, I took a step back to Rooster. He looked down at me confused, I smiled back at him. Rooster looked between Hangman and I trying to figure out what had just happened. If only he knew he was the reason. Rooster shook his head, giving up. "Chalked yourself another kill." "That makes two." Hangman said proudly. "Mav has five." Phoenix interrupted, "Makes him an ace."
I was so focused on finding Rooster that I forgot about finding Maverick. I started looking around for him and saw him talking to Hondo. "I'll be right back," I said to Rooster. He nods, still watching the two in front of us fight or flirt, haven't figured it out yet.
"Uncle Mav!" I yelled as I walked closer to him. He turned his attention away from Hondo, a smile plastered on his face. "Savannah," he said quietly. I reached for a hug, I wanted to make sure he was real. Yes, I was mad, but the most important thing was that he was alright. And he was. I sank into his arms, breathing in the salty ocean air, gas, and sweat. "Captain Mitchell! Captain Mitchell!" Mav and I broke our hug. I watched as he smiled at the young pilot, "Sir."
"Thank you for saving my life." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, to bring me closer. "And thank you for bringing me back home to my family." I always knew Maverick was part of the family, but hearing him say it but a small in my face, that, I think, will never go away. "It’s what my dad would’ve done." I felt the weight of Maverick's arm being lifted from my shoulder and watched as the two most important men in my life hugged. Letting the past go.
I smiled at the group in front of me. I smiled thinking about the remarkable friends I made during this time together. This is all thanks to my dad. So... Thanks Dad.
...
One more chapter guys!!
Til the next chapter, My Loves!