IN THE CLOUDS ~ BRADLEY BRADSHAW

some base in maryland

GRACE WAS TYING UP her bleach blonde hair into a high pony as she was in the midst of packing her car.

She couldn't believe she was going to be back at Top Gun after all these years, and wondering if a certain someone would be there too.

She jumped in the drivers seat, ready to leave her base in Phoenix and go to San Francisco. Back where everything started. Grace was the best pilot in her graduating class. She finished first, Hangman coming in as runner up, and Rooster coming in third.

Barbie was her call sign. You could thank Hangman and the then admirals for that.

Grace was only 5'0 feet tall, blonde hair, blue eyes. So when they called her Barbie at orientation, it just stuck.

Grace now was driving on the freeway with her car all packed up, and so many different thoughts just entering her mind.

What is this mission? Why do they need me back if I already graduated? Who all would be back? Bradley?

*

Grace got into town about at dinner time, so she decided to go to her favorite bar while she was at Top Gun.

Although she had come from base, she changed her clothes so that she could be comfy during her car ride. She wore a cropped graphic tee, with some jean shorts, and she had her aviator sunglasses on top of her free flowing blonde hair.

She parked in the lot and walked in. Looks like rush hour was just about to come, or had already left. This place was not as packed as it usually was.

As she made her way over to the bar she saw someone she hadn't expected to see sitting right in front of her.

"Dad?" Grace spoke as her dad spun around in his seat.

"Grace? What are you doing here?" He asked her as a smile creeped up on his face. With the dad and daughter duo both being in the navy, they didn't see much of each other.

"Well Dad, I think we might both be here for the same thing." Grace said as her dad got the two of them beers.

"Let's pray to God that we are not." Maverick said under his breath so his daughter couldn't hear.

After their initial convo, they caught up. Grace had never told her father about what happened between her and Bradley. They didn't talk about boys.

*

"Barbie is that you?" Grace heard a familiar voice call out as she was now walking out of the restroom.

"Unfortunately." Grace said with a heavy sigh. As she turned around to face one of her former classmates, Hangman.

"Well your still looking sexy, but who does that surprise?" He told her with a wink.

Grace just rolled her eyes and walked towards the pool table to the others dressed in naval attire, with Hangman following closely behind the blonde.

A brunette girl saw the two approaching and held out her hand with a warm smile.

"Hi, I'm Phoenix, and this is Bob." She said as she gestured over to a man sitting down at a table close by.

"I'm Barbie." Grace said as she took Phoenix's hand and shook it.

"What's your call sign dude?" Hangman asked the timid looking pilot.

"Bob. Just Bob." Bob said as Grace sent him a smile.

"What does that even stand for? Baby on Board?" Hangman said as the other pilots were now laughing with him.