Eye of the Storm

-> our end

7 years later...

Life went on for me and Bradley.

And he kept all of his promises too.

After the mission, we dated, and most of it was long distance because we had different assignments, but we made it work.

Then he eventually proposed and we got married.

We've got two kids now, our oldest is Theodore Nick Bradshaw after Rooster's dad, and Isabella Maverick Bradshaw after mine.

She's 3, and her brother is 5.

After Top Gun, I made up with my father. It wasn't easy, but it was the right thing to do. And besides, if I could forgive Bradley, I could forgive my dad.

Bradley is a now Lieutenant Commander, the commanding officer in charge of his own aircraft squadron.

I'm a flight instructor at Top Gun, so I didn't retire straight out of flying either.

Life was good.

I hear loud noises coming from the kid's room, Bradley is probably entertaining them before bed.

"And then he crashed landed in the mountains. Your granddaddy saved me, but then I saved him from a helicopter attack. We were behind enemy lines, when we stole an old F-14–"

"Bradley!" I call from the kitchen, "You better not be keeping up the kids past their bedtime again!"

"Of course not honey!" He answers back, putting his finger over his lips, telling our kids to stay quiet.

They fail their mission, and erupt into a fit of giggles.

I tiptoe down the hallway, trying to sneak up on the rest of my family.

I throw the door open, and my kids dive into their covers, pretending to be asleep.

Bradley just laughs at them, they're too late and they've been caught.

"Are you telling stories again?" I stand, putting my hands on my hips, and looking at him sitting on the floor between their beds.

"Rach I would never." Rooster says dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest.

I roll my eyes. "Izzy, and Theo, it's time to get to bed."

They leak out from under their covers, "One more story?" Isabella begs her daddy.

"Not telling stories, huh?" I asked him.

Bradley shakes his head, "You know I can't say no to her."

"Looks like we've both got him wrapped around our fingers." I joke to my daughter, laying down next to her in bed.

"Come on momma." Theodore adds in.

"Shoot. I can't say no to both of them." I groan, they were angels. Most of the time.

"Now you know how I feel." Bradley says, stroking his mustache.

"We have some pretty cute kids, don't we Brad?" I start combing through Isabella's hair to calm her down.

"Of course we do honey," he says with a wink.

"Okay, one more story." I relent.

They cheer.

"But a short one, it's way past y'all's bed time." I admonish them.

"Okay I've got the perfect one," Bradley says with a twinkle in his eye. "Years ago, there were a pair of best friends, who lived right next door to each other. The oldest was a stubborn boy, and the younger was a girl who was the prettiest girl you could ever imagine. They were attached at the hip; wherever he went, she wasn't far behind. And wherever she went, he followed her blindly..."

★★★

I stand out on our porch, right next to my husband, after tucking in our children. I look down at my engagement and wedding rings, and softly smile.

Husband.

Sometimes it feels a little unreal.

I sigh, looking right to see the man I love.

He worried me sometimes, Bradley could get a court martial, discharged, or worse, if little Isabella or Theodore say the wrong thing at the wrong time about their daddy's 'adventures'.

I look out to the night sky, "Bradshaw, it's illegal to tell this typa stuff to our kids, y'know."

"So? Rules are meant to be broken, just ask Maverick." He turns around, leaning against the railing.

"Don't you bring my dad into this. Next thing I know, the kids will call you and grandpa super heroes, and the next time we get to base, you'll be pulling so many tricks to impress them, you'll end up crashing on accident."

"Your dad's finally retiring from flying at the end of this year. And I'm too much of a good pilot to do that." Bradley says, trying to grab my hand to hold, to assure me.

I swat his hand away, "And I don't want to get the 'Mrs. Bradshaw' phone call."

"Who says you won't be flying up there with me?" He asks a valid question.

"I like my job too much. And if Phoenix couldn't handle me in her cockpit, what makes you think you could?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I've heard all her complaints about those days."

I roll my eyes, and as much as I'd like to say that she over-exaggerated the stories, Natasha probably didn't. We had some crazy times and close calls.

This is the moment.

"As much as I would love to go flying again, I wouldn't want to hurt Bradshaw #3."

He stumbles a bit when he hears me say that. Bradley looks back at me, making sure he didn't mishear me. When I have the biggest grin on my face, his eyes widen, he takes a couple of breaths before gulping the nervousness down. He wears a smile that matches mine, and he wraps me in his arms.

I've seen this look on his face plenty of times before. When he proposed to me and I said yes, again at our wedding, at the announcements and the births of both of our children.

"You're joking." He says, pulling back from our hug, meeting his eyes with mine.

"Nope." I reiterate. I've always wanted to have a big family, and it was killing me to keep it a secret ever since I found out last week.

My Bradley picks me up, and twirls me up in the air.

"Put me down!" I say giggling, ecstasy filling my veins.

He kisses me softly on the lips.

"I love you, Hurricane."

"I love you too, Rooster," I repeat, tracing the edges of his mustache.

"Are you sure about this? You'll have to go in medical leave again. You won't be able to fly again for a while."

I shrugged, as much as I loved flying I loved something else more. "Anything for my babies."

"And know that I'd do anything for you." He says, trying to pull me in for a second kiss.

I manage to dodge his hands, and I run inside, only teasing him more.

Bradley immediately chases after me.

I look behind me, he's almost caught up. "Hey Rooster, ya big stud!"

His eyes are glazed over with lust when he answers, "That's me, honey."

"Take me to bed or lose me forever!"

"Show me the way home, honey."