Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw One-Shots

Five Fingers

You had met Brad during your highschool days. Some might say you two are highschool sweethearts, but that technically wasn't true because you two didn't start dating until the summer after graduation when you found out you both got into Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps program just before you went to collage, and kissed out of excitement, kind of revealing that you two liked each other. A lot.

Nevertheless, he was your first love (you were probably his third but we can ignore that), and he was defiantly your last. Even though you went through the ROTC program first, Rooster soon followed same with the Aviation Selection Test Battery and Station Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi in Texas, when you went first then he did. Yet you two still became the iconic couple, the power couple, who battled everything together.

Things got rocky when Brad got accepted to fly with the fighter squadron, VFA-87 Golden Warriors, and you didn't get accepted for any. The two of you still made it work, you'd fly older planes to keep them running, while he would practice and go on short missions with his strike fighter squadron. Six years later, you changed courses and joined the United States Naval Test Pilot School, where you passed with flying colours.

You were quickly moved to California, near the Edwards Air Force Base. Brad came with you since the two of you moved in together not too long ago. He would go off on six week missions around the same time you would test older or newer planes, then you both would leave for about two weeks together. It seemed to work out perfectly.

'The mission was moved forward a week.' Brad said over the phone one evening. He was back at Top Gun, training for a mission that you didn't have clearance to hear about. 'I should be home by next Friday.'

'I count on that, Brad.' You replied, your ragdoll cat, Dolly mewed as she strode onto your lap. 'Dolly and I really miss you.'

'I miss you too. And Dolly, of course.' You could hear the smile in Brad's voice as he spoke. Not long after you two moved in together in California, a small wet rat looking thing showed up in your backyard with half a paw missing. You took her in and quickly fell in love with what you discovered to be a ragdoll cat. She was so small and fragile, she was like a china doll, hence the name Dolly. 

'I should be going to bed soon, it's nine and we need to be up early tomorrow.' Brad sighed.

'Right. Well get a good night sleep, my darling. I love you.' You said into the phone.

'I love you too.' Brad blew a kiss into the phone before hanging up. 

'You miss Dadda, don't you bubs?' You cooed to your cat. 'I miss him too.' 

~~~

The next few days went by with texts from Brad here and there, mainly 'I love you' or 'hope your day went well', to let you know he's alive but too busy to talk, which was usually the deal when he went away.

You didn't know the date of the mission, but you could guess it was about a week later when Brad texted. (his name was still Roos from years ago back in the Academy) It was unsual for him to text since he normally called the night before so you could speak to him face-to-face. 

Roos: Baby, I love you so much. I carry you in my heart with me wherever. I promise you I'll be home soon. I love you xxx ~ Your Man 

Brad always made a point of texting a short yet heartfelt message when he was about to go on missions.

You: I love you too, Sweetheart. So much xxx

You texted back before stressing out for the next few days. Nothing came from Brad's end, as per usual, for about three days until your phone got a call from an official number.