It was the weekend and everyone made plans to go out in the afternoon but first many of them would be coming over for lunch at the Kazansksy household and after the fiasco from the other day absolutely nobody wanted to be in such an awkward environment but they could never turn down food. Everyone had received a message from mav saying "meet behind the hard deck at 1300 on the dot Monday, bring suitable workout attire" Olivia found it strange as to what the hell they'd possibly be doing the following day at the beach. Everyone in the house was up and getting dressed for the lunch, family and friends would all come over and hang out for a while since many didn't know when it was that Olivia would deploy, Sarah thought today could be more of a celebration for all the aviators. Olivia was in the kitchen helping her grandmother cook meanwhile Peter set the table and the decorations on the back patio while Olivia and her grandmother cooked a knock was heard from the front door and Olivia had gone to see who it was and opened the door to reveal Maverick standing at her front door.
"To what do the Kazanskys owe the pleasure?" He smiled at her and hugged her and she let him in and saw her grandmother walk on over and she hugged him as well.
"How is he?" He smiled at her but it quickly faded when he saw her expression. Olivia looked confused as well and Maverick now knew that she didn't know as well.
"Dear could you check on the roast for me?" Olivia only nodded confused and walked off into the kitchen to do as asked.
"The cancers back, and more aggressive" Maverick looked down and questioned what she had just said.
"Is there anything that can be done?" Sarah shook her head no and gave a weak smile and Maverick hugged her and she told him where he was. Walking up he could hear him coughing and it hurt him to see his friend in such a state where he couldn't do anything to help him. He closed the door slightly and Tom looked up at Mav and gave him a smile.
"Admiral" Maverick pulled up a chairs to sit beside him and Tom smiled at him the entire time.
"How's my wingman?" Tom smiled and turned over to his computer and began to type and Maverick looked over to see what he spoke back.
"Want to talk about work?"
"Please don't worry about me, what can I do for you?" Immediately Tom pointed at the screen and Maverick gave in knowing he wouldn't win.
"Rooster's still angry with me about what I did, I thought eventually he would understand why...I hoped he'd forgive me" Tom nodded being cry attentive at what Maverick spoke to him. He turned back to his computer and began to type once again.
"There's still time" Mav shook his head not believing it to be true.
"The mission is less then three week away, the kids not ready" Tom nodded and typed once again.
"Then teach him" Maverick sat up straight and shook his head again.
"He doesn't want what I have to give" Tom put his hand up in expression trying to say oh he will.
"Ice please don't ask me to send someone else to die, please don't.....don't ask me to send him send me" Tom smiled fully comprehending why Maverick would ask him to do such a thing and so he turned to type.
"It's time to let go" Maverick stared at those words for a while and Tom stared at him waiting for whenever he was ready. The tears were evident in his eyes and he blew out a breath before speaking in a low whisper.
" I don't know how" Maverick looked all around trying to evade from his tears falling.
"I'm not a teacher Ice, I'm a fighter pilot a naval aviator...it's not what I am it's who I am, how do I teach that?"He took a pause and Ice observed him.
" Even if I could teach it, it's not what Rooster wants it's not what the Navy wants that's why they canned me the last time the only reason I'm here is you" Maverick and Tom continued to speak and Olivia and Sarah continued to get Lunch ready and that's when the knocks began to come more often at the door, rushing over to open them Olivia was greeted by Fanboy, Payback, Phoenix and Bob she hugged them all and welcome them in and they brought packs of beers with them and she lead them to the backyard and they were amazed at how big it was.
"Olivia dear, will you go get Maverick and your grandfather lunch is ready to set down!" Olivia nodded and she went up the stairs and walked over to where the office was and she stopped as she heard someone clear their voice.
"The Navy needs Maverick....The kid needs Maverick, that's why I fought for you...that's why you're still here" Olivia pressed her back up against the wall as she gasped at the sudden sound of her grandfathers voice and she could tell they were making their way down so she choose to beat them to it and charge her way down the stairs but then was greeted by someone who she did not want to see.
"Olivia look who made it!" There's stood her grandmother Sarah with her arm on Bradley's shoulder and all olivia wanted to do was scream but she decided to just give him the best smile she could give.
"Nice to see you Lieutenant" Sarah laughed at how formal her granddaughter was being and stood in between them and shook her head.
"Stop with the formalities Olivia Maeve Kazansky and hug the boy already" Olivia tightened her teeth together and faced towards her grandmother and shook her head no and her grandmother wouldn't have it so Olivia looked at Bradley and just gave him a side hug.
"There is that more informal for ya" Sarah rolled her eyes and walked off leaving the two to stand awkwardly in the doorway.
"This was for your grandmother but I guess you can hand them to her" Olivia looked at the flowers and nodded and walked off to place them in water and Bradley stood in the same spot so when she didn't hear footsteps following she stopped and turned.
"Well you gonna come eat or stand there like a fool?" He smirked at her and walked towards her and they both walked in to the kitchen to place the flowers in a vase. Bradley only watched as she did everything and placed them in the center of the island, then as she pulled out dishes that were in the oven and ready to take on over.
"You need help with those?" He questioned as he saw her pull three out at the same time but knowing how stubborn she is she shook her head no but when she was going to place them down one slid off of her arm and he quickly grabbed a towel and caught it before anything could occur and Olivia stared down at him and he looked up at her with a smirk.
"Don't need help huh?" She rolled her eyes as he got up and and placed it down next to her and he let out a laugh and soon after she did as well. It had been a while since the two laughed together and there wasn't the presence of the tension from the past. When the laughter died down it got quiet and Olivia only cleaned up the dish because some of the juice splattered and the two remained next to each other.
"Jake told me the truth" Olivia was caught off guard and she looked at him confused and Rooster pointed at the pilot who was outside with the rest and she hadn't noticed when he arrived.
"He talked to me a day after what happened and told me he found out on his own and that you never once went into depth of what happened to my father" He looked down guilty of what he had said that exact day and Olivia only took in his body language.
"I want you to know I'm sorry, I know you'd never do such a thing but every time I speak to you all my mind goes to first is "She kept what maverick was going to do from me" and me lashing out on you was not okay and I'm so sorry Liv" She gave him a smile and turned to fully face him and hugged him and he hesitated in the moment but then gladly returned the gesture. They both held each other for a while until they could hear protests of wanting the food out already so they let go and smiled and grabbed the dishes and walked on out.
"Oh finally you were gonna have us all starving liv" She flipped Jake off with her free hand and he only laughed at her and Phoenix winked at her. They both set down the stuff on the table and they all sat down, Olivia next to her grandma and grampa with maverick next to her grampa and Bradley sitting directly in front of Olivia and Peter sitting g next to her and everyone else seated around them. They all talked about anything and everything and barley brought up work unless they were arguing about who flew better. Olivia looked up to smile at her grampa and he smiled back but there was something sad about that smile, she didn't put too much thought on it but she still felt like something was wrong. Bradley noticed her change in posture and when she looked up at him he smiled at her and she smiled back what made her look away was her brother calling her name.
"Now I'm thinking we should've gotten gifts for everyone but Lie Lie, I got you a little something for your deployment" Olivia had a questioning look on her face and Peter only grinned at her and handed her a rectangular box. She looked at her brother and he moved his hands indicating to hurry up and open it so she removed the wrapping paper that she most certainly knows he did not wrap himself, and open the red velvet box. She didn't say anything she only pressed her lips together trying to contain herself from crying and she looked up at her brother and gave him a tight lip smile then looked back down at the gold necklace that had a not too thick chain and the charm was of a heart locket with a small silver design that formed 3 long triangles with a diamond in the middle and around it had beautiful flowers and a butterfly above it. Peter watched Olivia closely as did everyone else awaiting for her to open the picture up.
"Open the locket Lie Lie" Olivia nodded and opened it up and once she saw it a tear fell from her eyes and she smiled at the picture and looked at Peter who also had a tears in his eyes and she immediately hugged him and he hugged her back. Sarah didn't know that Peter was going to gift his sister something, or that it would mean the world to her. Sarah got up to where they were and Olivia showed her the photo and she teared up almost immediately and everyone else was wildly confused.
"What's the picture of Liv?" Natasha spoke up and Olivia smiled at the photo and held the chain in her hand.
"Mama" She whispered it almost and then everyone understood why they reacted that way and they all smiled at her. The bond Olivia and her mother had was very beautiful, the two always cracked the jokes around the house and would always bake together and she'd tell Olivia story's of what her grampa would do for her before he'd be deployed. Tom sat in his chair with tears forming in his eyes and Olivia walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder and he placed his hand over hers and smiled at her. Everyone went back to eating and Olivia went up to her room to place the necklace somewhere secure, Rooster stood against the door frame of her room and watched as she roamed around finding a place to put it.
"I think it'd be safer around your neck" Olivia jumped a bit and turned to look at who spoke and she smiled showing him to come in.
"Yea it would, could you help me put it on?" He nodded and she handed it to her and she stood near her mirror so she could see how it looked on her. He removed her hair from the way and he went above her head and towards her neck to place the necklace against her skin and clasp it on, his fingers brushed her skin lightly went sent goosebumps down her spine which Bradley surely noticed and once he placed it on he held his hands on the sides of her shoulders and she looked at in on her.
"It's beautiful" He looked not even paying attention to the object and just admiring her.
"Yea it is" It is implied Olivia, though he'd never say it or not yet at least. She turned around and looked at him and he looked at her attentively.
"I'd give anything to see her again" Her smile was now more so sad, and he placed his hand on the side of her check and removed her hair from her face.
"I know, but we learn to live with the pain and the absence of them despite how sad it makes us, we'll be okay" She looked up at him and he kept smiling at her. How he brought such peace to her she could never figure out how, she felt at home with him and that was a feeling she longed for a while. Stability. She leaned and laid on his chest and he held her there with his head laid on her hers and they both welcomed the warmth they shared.
"Don't leave this time" Those words startled Bradley knowing what she meant, and it pained him knowing how much it must've hurt her to see him walk away from her life knowing what her father did to her when she was young.
"I'm not going anywhere, so long as you'll have me" She parted from him shortly and she looked at him and him at her. She found the best way to let him know she wanted him to stay was to kiss him so she leaned in and he instantly kissed back not hesitating for a second both missing each others touch. When they both needed air they separated and held foreheads together and Bradley smiled at her and she hid her face in the crook of his neck.
"I think we should go back down before they think we're doing something else" he raised his eyebrows up and down and smirked and she gasped and smacked his arm and he laughed and they walked back downstairs and kept looking at one another and smiling when they looked away and when they reached the backyard everyone was still talking and drinking Bradley went over to where phoneix and Bob were and conversed while Jake came up to olivia all happy dancing.
"What do you have ants in your pants?" She laughed at him and he put his arm around her and gave her a kiss on her temple.
"No dear I simply can tell you and Bradley are doing much much better" he gave her goggly eyes and she shoved him and laughed.
"What the hell did you tell him?" He shrugged his shoulder and took a sip.
"That he'd be stupid to let go of a girl like you over something you had no control over, and me bringing up his father was no reason to get mad at you" She smiled and hugged him and when she let you she looked at Bradley who was playing now with her little cousins and she smiled widely her life was finally getting someplace better. The night was now around and all the aviators went out to the hardeck to shoot pool and drink, Penny greeted them all as they walked in and when she saw Olivia and Bradley walk in together she smiled brightly at them both and waved at them and they waved back. Everyone voted Olivia to go order the dozen drinks and they shoved her towards Penny and she laughed at them all.
"What are they having sweetie?"
"Bunch of beers" She winked at her and got to grabbing the bottles and opening them up for her but while she did she saw Olivia watching Bradley as he high fives Bob for making the right ball in the pocket.
"So you and Rooster" She made the same face Jake did to her a while ago and she blushed a bit.
"We haven't made anything official we're just getting to know each other again" She nodded understanding that more then she knew.
"If he breaks your heart let him know I'm coming for him"Olivia smiled at her as she handed her the drinks she ordered and she went back to hand them all each one and lastly one to Bradley and she stood next to him and she took a sip.
"You're being warned by Penny" She pointed at her and Bradley looked over and smiled awkwardly and waved and she only gave him a smile and he looked back at her with a terrified face making Olivia laugh. Everyone let playing pool and Bob was surprisingly winning Jake and Natasha couldn't help but laugh at how confused and upset Jake was.
"I love seeing you smile, it's my favorite thing about you" Olivia looked over at Bradley and couldn't help but blush a little and he put his arm around her bringing her closer, this action was made aware to all of them making Jake hold up the stick and pause the game.
"So is this actually something now?" Mickey questioned the two. Bradley and Olivia looked at each other but Olivia didn't know what to say because she didn't really know herself besides that they were trying again.
"We're giving it a go again, but this time I'll do it all right now even if it kills me" Jake stepped in front of Bradley and smiled at Olivia then got serious with Bradley.
"You better, or I'll make sure me and Peter remind you who you messed with" He smiled at him and then laughed and Bradley laughed as well shaking his head and pulled Olivia even closer and Olivia only laughed against his chest. Things weren't so bad for Olivia and those around her.