Shadows of the Past

Reflections of the Past

True to her word y/n did in fact take Gunner to the dog park. The two played fetch for an hour or so and Gunner played with a few other dogs as well before y/n decided it was time to go. She loaded the bloodhound into the back of her car and climbed in herself to head back to their shared home.

Upon pulling into her driveway y/n noticed a very familiar blue Bronco sitting next to her parking place, and an even more familiar figure sitting on her front porch swing seeming to be awaiting her arrival. She opened the back door for Gunner and he barreled across the front yard once he saw the man stand from his seat. Y/n approached the porch as the two were greeting each other and offered the man a smile,
"Hey Rooster, what brings you here?"
Bradley stood from his bent position petting the dog to hold open the screen door to allow y/n to unlock the front door,
"I just thought I'd drop by, see two of my favorite people in the world."
The two made their way through the house to the kitchen where Rooster seated himself on the stool Hangman had occupied earlier and watched y/n move around her kitchen pouring him a glass of lemonade that she sat in front of him. He thanked her and continued to watch her as she collected items clearly beginning to prepare lunch.
"Will you stay for lunch Roos?" She pulled her cutting board down from a shelf and began slicing tomatoes and lettuce for sandwiches,
"I guess I could if that's okay, was just gonna come check on you after last night." Y/n chuckled,
"You and Jake are just alike. He was here earlier doing the same thing, I'm fine honestly. You two worry too much."
"We both just love you Shadow neither of us can stand the thought of anything happening to you, especially after..." Y/n paused in her ministrations, feeling the long healed scars on her shoulder burn. Bradley stood from his seat and made his way around the island to her, pressing his large warm palm into the small of her back.
"Y/n? Are you okay?" She nodded her head and met him with a sad smile,
"I'm always alright Bradley, thank you." He moved his hand in circles a few times and bent to lightly kiss the top of her head.

The two made no more mention of the past during their time together, they ate lunch on her back porch and watched Gunner lounge in the grass. They talked and laughed about his most recent assignments and how working at TOPGUN had been for her recently. Once the sun started it's descent behind the trees Rooster made his exit with a promise that he would be back very soon for a visit. Y/n settled the dishes from the meal they had washed together into their designated places in the cabinets before heading upstairs to her bedroom.
She entered the en-suite and dropped her clothes from the day into the hamper with a mental note to do some laundry the next day. She lingered in front of the mirror when her reflection caught her eye, and brushed her fingers lightly over the marred skin.
She closed her eyes as her mind took her back to that night that had changed everything for not only her but Hangman as well. She took a deep breath and forced herself to continue her nighttime routine of showering and putting on clean pajamas.

After she had successfully brushed her teeth she climbed into her bed, pulling the covers over herself. She turned onto her side toward her nightstand and spared a glance at the picture that resided there even after all the years that had passed. Both y/n and Jake had been sporting million dollar smiles when the photo was taken despite the heavy flight suits weighing them down in the Miramar sun. Y/n allowed her eyes to slip closed as she drifted off to sleep with the memory behind the photo.