𝔹𝕒𝕞𝕓𝕚 | Bradley Bradshaw

|8|

ᴴᵉᵃʳᵗᵇʳᵉᵃᵏ & ᴿᵉᶠˡᵉᶜᵗⁱᵒⁿ...

Bambi's heart was shattered into pieces. She would be lying if she said she wasn't heart broken or that she was strong. Because that would be complete bullshit.

Bambi stared in the mirror making sure every piece of strand was tucked away. Thumper came in, The friends hugged it out. "The world has gone to shit." Thumper said. "It already has." Bambi said. "It went when we lost Goose and even when my mom passed. " Bambi added as her and Thumper left her room. "I hope my dad is holding himself together." Bambi mumbled, sadly. 

...............

Bambi stood in between Rooster and Thumper. Bambi closed her eyes as the fires went off, it was like a flashback to her mother's service. Rooster noticed Bambi's emotions, Thumper's heart ache at her best friend. 

Ghost saw his daughter, holding herself together as he was trying to. He and Maverick stood next to each other, Maverick took off his wings, then slammed it into the coffin, then Maverick and Ghost saluted.  A tear slipped down both Bambi's and Ghost's cheeks.

................

After the service, Ghost stood there, Bambi approached her father and pulled him into a hug to which he held onto his daughter tightly. "I hate damn funerals." Bambi mumbled. "I know... it felt like your mother's all over again... it sucks." Ghost said croaking that last part. The crew approached the father and daughter duo. Bambi looked at Rooster then lost it, he held onto her.

"We are sorry about your lost Ghost, I knew you and Iceman were close." Harvard said. "Very close, today well, it brought back a painful memory for Bambi and I, the day we buried her mother... my wife Valor." Ghost said

"Valor was such a incredible pilot, she left quite a legacy." Payback said. "My wife, she was something, if she was here right now, she would tell you all so many tales about our time at Top Gun." Ghost admitted. Bambi pulled away from Rooster and looked at her father. "Mom was very proud of her adventures at Top Gun." Bambi said which made her father smiled at her.

He looked at the group, "How you all come over to my place, We can all just relax, honor Iceman, honor Valor, Honor Goose..." Ghost said. Rooster smiled at the man. "I just got to drop off something to Cyclone, Bambi you know where the house key is, make yourselves comfortable." Ghost said.

....................

Ghost was heading towards the office, but he saw Maverick was in there. "Your grounded... permanently..." Cyclone said. Ghost's jaw clenched. Then he thought back on his daughter, "No..." Ghost mumbled. Then Maverick walked out, "Mav, wait." Ghost said. Maverick looked back. "Come by my place... You need to work things out with my daughter, because you and I know, deep inside, she misses her uncle maverick, even if he messed things with her, also work things out with Rooster, even if that boy is stubborn." Ghost said. Maverick smiled. "Alright..." Maverick said as he then walked away. 

Ghost knocked on the door, "Admiral?" Cyclone questioned. "I'm here to drop off something." Ghost said as he sat the item on the desk. "You got something on your mind?" Cyclone questioned. "Do you think it was good idea to ground Maverick especially when the mission is not that far away?" Ghost said. "I think it was the best." Cyclone said which made Ghost chuckled. "What's funny?" Cyclone questioned him. "I think you have it out for Maverick." Ghost said as Warlock stepped inside of the office.

"Look Maverick can be reckless, but he's the best damn pilot out there." Ghost said. "Ghost..." Warlock said. "That's why Iceman and I thought he would be great choice for this mission." Ghost said. "I made this choice for a reason..." Cyclone said. 

"You know what I lost?" Ghost questioned. Cyclone and Warlock stayed silent. "My wife, Bambi is going on this dangerous mission, let me make this clear if anything happens to those pilots especially my daughter because of one of dumbest decisions, her blood will be on your hands." Ghost said sternly as he then stormed out of the office.

.........................

Pete made his way to the front porch after speaking to Penny, he got an idea. Pete knocked on the front door, Blain opened it. 

Blain smiled a bit. "Here to speak to Maria?" He asked and Pete nods. "Maria! you got someone that wants to speak to you!" Blain exclaimed. "I thought it was inside voices in this household?" Maria asked as she made it to the front door.

She saw Pete standing there and she was about to walk away. "Maria Isabella Perez..." Blain said, sternly which made her halt. "I hate when you do that." Maria said sternly. "You two, are going to talk, soon, so will Bradshaw because this is getting damn old." Blain said sternly to his daughter. "I don't give a damn that your in your thirties." Blain added.

Maria rolled her eyes and stepped on the porch, "Have fun..." Blain said as he shut the door. As he was going into the kitchen, "Where did Maria go?" Robert asked. "Someone wanted to speak to her, she'll be back." Blain answered.

.............................

Maria and Pete stared at each other. "This cannot go on forever..." Pete said. "It can..." Maria said. "Can I explain myself?" Pete questioned which made Maria sighed. "Why?" Maria questioned. "You... I did it out of protection but Bradley..." Pete said. She looked at him. "I made a promise to his mother..." Pete finished. 

"Carole didn't want him to fly..." Pete said but Maria interrupted. "Because of what happened to Goose." Maria finished as she sighed while Pete nodded. "But Mav, my parents supported my decision on flying, they were scared because of what happened to Bradley's father but they knew they couldn't stop me, even my father told me that after you did what you did to Bradley and I." Maria explained.

"Moral of the story, I shouldn't have done what I did to you and Bradley." Pete admitted. "You think?" Maria questioned. "You owe this apology to Bradley but it's going to be while before I can forgive you but... it's a start." Maria added as she slightly smile at Pete. Pete smiled back. 

"How are you doing, I knew you two were close." Maria asked. "Painful, but what about you?" Pete asked. "You saw my reaction." Maria replied and Pete nodded. "It was painful to think back my mother's service, but to be fair, I hate funerals." Maria admitted. "Same here kid." Pete said. 

Then the both of them heard the front door opened. "I was checking to see if something happen.." Blain said. "Like a murder? no, nothing happened. Just a start of forgiveness." Maria said as she slightly smiled.

"I need to talk to Maverick." Blain said. "Yeah, my friends are wondering were I'm at, it was nice talking to you Pete." Maria said and headed inside the house.

Blain looked at Pete, "I heard what Admiral Simpson did." Blain said as he took a seat. "It's over for me..." Pete said. "Bullshit." Blain said bluntly. "I've been grounded." Pete said. "Yeah and He forgot who else appointed you on this mission, I'll fix this Mav." Blain said.

............

Pete had just left, Blain called Sheldon. 

"Yeah..." Sheldon said as he answered. "Maverick got grounded, threw off the mission." Blain said. "Oh... that's not good idea." Sheldon said. "Yeah and I have an idea how to fix it." Blain said, confidently. "Blain... what are you going to do?" Sheldon asked, concernedly. "You'll see." Blain answered