Stars - Iceman (Top Gun)

The Funeral

From this point forward, I am putting a blanket SPOILER ALERT down for "Top Gun: Maverick". Some scenes from the second movie may appear in here, so read at your own risk!

All of these next chapters are my own ideas and speculations, so I am sorry if time doesn't move smoothly or correctly!

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The next day, Tom and Sarah decided to rent an apartment with their savings until they could transition from TOPGUN to other careers in life. Tom wanted to stay as an instructor because his goal was to become an Admiral. Sarah decided to become an instructor to follow his path. She didn't mind, after all, she could still fly.

Once they got settled into their apartment, they lived comfortably for a few days. Sarah walked downstairs to check the mail, scanning through the letters. Nothing really interested her, until one letter caught her eye. It was written in loopy handwriting and addressed to both her and Tom. She went back inside and called for Tom.

"I have a letter here that is addressed for both of us, let's open it together," she said while Tom walked down the stairs and into the kitchen with her. They sat at the counter and opened the letter, despair falling on their faces. It was from Carole. It was an invitation to Nick's funeral. With shaking hands, Sarah read it out loud.

To Tom and Sarah,

I would like to personally invite you to Nick's funeral. He saw both of you as friends, and I know that it was one of his wishes for you to be here. Please, try your best to come.

Thank you,
Carole

Tom held her close to comfort her. Of course she would make time to attend, and Tom will do the same. They stood there in silence, then she shook the envelope again and a card fell out of it.

Sarah teared up when she saw his face once more. The face of someone who was so full of life, now gone, reduced to memories. Tom held her closer and she looked up, seeing tears forming in his blue eyes as well.

October 1st was a few days from now, so they began to prepare for the funeral. Both of them haven't put in applications to be instructors yet, so they had some downtime.

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On the day of the funeral, Sarah and Tom got dressed in their TOPGUN white uniforms. Even though Nick was not of a high rank, they still wanted to present themselves as his former classmates. Sarah took the dish she cooked, which was one of Nick's favorites, and placed it in the car. She closed the trunk with a heavy heart. Tom grabbed the small box that contained their gift— a cross necklace for Carole, and a small plane for Bradley— and put it in the car, away from the food.

Both of them looked at each other with sad smiles. They knew Nick was in a better place, but that didn't stop them from wishing he was back. Sarah locked up the apartment and got into the passenger side of the car. She could not bear to drive at a time like this, afraid she would get lost in her thoughts on the way there. Tom started the car and drove to the park, where a Navy guard greeted them.

Sarah handed Tom the invitation and he showed it to the guard, which in turn opened the gate for them to drive through. They found a parking spot and got out, Sarah holding the gift and Tom taking the food. The procession was outside, and it was closed casket. Tom put the dish on the table where the rest of the food sat, and joined Sarah to find Carole.

Carole was in the back corner, eyes watering. Sarah walked up to her and hugged her, then handed her the gift. Carole could not speak, afraid of letting everything go, so she nodded with gratefulness. Tom headed over and shook her hand, showing that he was there for whatever she needed. She nodded in the direction opposite to them, where Pete just arrived. They nodded at her and left to go say hi to him.

"Pete..." Sarah said as she went up to Pete and hugged him. She did not let go until he lightly squeezed her hips.

"I'm okay, it's fine..." he replied, reading her mind.

Tom held out a shaking hand and Pete accepted it. They pulled each other into a hug and let go. Tom simply nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Everyone, please proceed to your seats," the priest addressed the crowd.

Tom and Sarah sat together, while Pete sat on her other side. Both men took her hands and held them like they were hanging on for dear life. The priest began his speech.

"We are solemnly gathered here today to celebrate the death of Nick Bradshaw, also known as 'Goose' to his fellow classmates. He was a great man, a loyal friend, and a careful observer. He did everything he could to keep his friends out of harm's way..." Pete sniffed, trying to hold everything in. "...his untimely death was caused by a broken neck while trying to eject from his plane. He was pronounced dead on the scene."

Lots of people began to cry. Many people knew him because of his jokes and outgoing personality.

"I would like to address your attention to Carole Bradshaw, Nick's wife. She has a few words to say about him," the priest handed the microphone to Carole.

"First of all, I would like to call upon Sarah Woods and Pete Mitchell to come to the front to join me. These pilots were Nick's closest friends at TOPGUN, and they never left him behind." She began, and Tom let go of Sarah's hand so she could walk to the front. Pete followed behind her, and both of them stood on either side of Carole. Sarah looked at Tom, and he inclined his head ever so slightly. Carole began talking again, slowly breaking down across her speech.

"I've known Nick for many years, and he was an amazing husband and friend, as many people have pointed out before. His jokes and kind heart could make anyone stop fighting. I just... wanted to thank you... all for coming..." she sobbed and both Sarah and Pete put their arms around her. She handed the microphone to Pete, signaling for him to speak if he wanted to.

He opened his mouth, trying to form words. It was tough, but he managed to get a few sentences out.

"Nick... he was the best wingman anyone could have... he always lightened up my day and I looked forward to spending my future with him... I'm sorry, Nick..." he passed the microphone to Sarah, who held it up.

She blinked back her tears before beginning to speak.

"There isn't a day where I don't think about Nick and all the memories we had together. Even though I only knew him for a short amount of time... every second was memorable. Thank you Nick, for being in my life." She finished and handed the mic back to Carole.

Carole smiled and allowed them to go back to their seats. Sarah sat down and Tom grinned at her and put her hand in his. She smiled sadly and watched as the casket was lowered into the ground.

"Goodbye, Goose..." she whispered.

The procession ended and Sarah walked over to where Pete and Carole sat. She gave both of them hugs and bid them goodbye. Something told her that she would still see Pete later in life.

She went back to the car where Tom sat and got in. They drove back to their apartment, the funeral still fresh in their minds. One thing was for sure: they were glad that Nick was surrounded by loving family and friends the whole time.

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I felt like Goose didn't have a proper sendoff in the movie, so I improvised!

Also edit: I added this fanfiction to AO3, my username is SuperCatgirl006!