IN THE CLOUDS ~ BRADLEY BRADSHAW

let's get married

THE PLANE ON THE RADAR entered the starting time zone, and Grace couldn't believe it.

Maverick had come back.

He finished the course in the time that it would have to be finished, and the pilots then knew that this was possible and going to be happening.

All that was on Rooster's mind now was to stay alive; since he had now had a reason too, and someone to come home too.

*

"Hey babe, you want to go out tonight?" Rooster asked the short blonde girl who was walking to his car.

"Seeing as your the one who drove me here, yes of course." The blonde returned with a smile.

She herself was starting to get worried about the upcoming mission, and regretting not spending as much time with Bradley as she would have liked.

"I think we should go golfing. Test your patience a little ." Grace said as she was getting buckled into the old Bronco.

"You know I can't golf for shit." Bradley says starting the car.

"How about we go to the beach?" Brad says pulling into their complex so they could change out of their flight suits.

"I like that. Good thinking Bradshaw. I'll pick you up in ten." Grace said wanting to drive.

"Alright I'll be ready for you." Brad said as he pulled out of the driveway.

*

Brad heard honking from outside as he smiled to himself knowing that his girl was waiting outside for him.

He got into Grace's car and was overjoyed that this girl was his, and with the mission approaching it made him more aware of his feelings for the girl.

He wanted to be with her forever, and planned on it.

They both rode to the beach in their thoughts about the mission and what that would mean to them.

They arrived to the beach and set up a towel on the ground.

Brad sat down and motioned for Grace to come and join him on the ground between his legs.

Grace obliged and they both sat their intertwined for a few moments, just soaking in their feelings.

"I'm kind of nervous." Grace stated, diving right into what Brad also wanted to address.

"Me too." Bradley agreed.

"The thing is, I'm not only nervous for myself, but i'm nervous about losing you." Grace said turning around in his lap to face the brunette.

"Honey, my goal is to come to back to you. I live and breathe you." He said trying to reassure her.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you Brad, and I feel like now might be too late to make up for all of the time we've lost." Grace said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Grace. Listen to me, if one or both of us gets chosen for this mission, I will make sure we both make it back to land alive." Brad said sternly hugging his girlfriend.

Grace laughed to herself thinking about the mission.

"This is a suicide mission Brad. I hate to admit that i'm scared, but I am. There's just so much I want to experience before I leave the world." Grace professed.

"My only goal is to be with you." Brad said placing a kiss on her cheek sweetly.

"Let's get married." Grace said to Brad very seriously.

"Honey, we will get married someday." Brad smiled and laughed at her urgency.

"Brad I want to right now. We've just lost so much time and I don't want to live without you being mine or thinking that I don't love you," Grace said as Brad cut her off.

"Grace Addison Mitchell, I'm not going to marry right now because your not thinking clearly and i want you to be in your right mind when you say yes to my marriage proposal." Brad started.

"Anyway, you deserve more than a thrown together last minute courthouse wedding. Hell, you deserve more than the stars and the moon." Brad said pulling in Grace for a hug.

"Okay, let's talk about the future though," Grace started as thoughts and questions started to rack her brain.

Grace was 26 soon to be 27 and Rooster was 32. They both were at the point of wanting to settle down, and possibly have a family.

"Do you want kids?" Grace asked the brunette staring right at her.

"If their also your kids, of course." Brad happily responded.

Brad's comment made Grace just warm with happiness. She was so in love with this man.

"Well obviously they would be with me. How many kids you thinking?" Grace asked him.

"However many you want to pop out, but since I was an only child, definitely more than one. How many do you want, Gracie?" He asked her.

"I always thought four or five. I want a big family you know?" She said as she chuckled.

The serious conversation dying down and now they were just imagining their future together.

"That's perfect. Little Grace's running around. So cute." Brad said as he pictured their future kids.

"Where do you want to live?" Brad asked her.

"Somewhere warm, I guess." Grace said never truly caring about where she was because she was in the military.

"Me too." Brad said and then pulled her in for a kiss.

"Spend the night tonight." Grace said to him in between their now heated kisses still on the beach.

"Anything you say, i'll do darling." Rooster responded kissing her once more before they ran off to the car hurriedly on the way home.

That night felt different and more passionate than ever for the couple.

authors note: back from my hiatus!! so sorry y'all truly, there's only 4 chapters left. thank you all sm for all the love and support of "in the clouds" !!