You and Me, Kid

○ Chapter 13 ○

"What's the plan for today?" Pete muttered to himself as he helped his wife make breakfast. Autumn was still asleep upstairs; the girl being exhausted from the playdate with Leah and Jamie yesterday. Turns out that everyone had gotten good photos of them having fun at the park yesterday, but his favourite had to be the one Bob had taken without anyone's knowledge.

In the picture, he was holding Autumn with his hair still wet. He had just shaken his head, getting the water droplets onto the blonde who was squealing as she tried to get away. Both had wide grins on their faces as they laughed, Pete looking at his little girl with so much adoration.

He had convinced Bob to send it to him and had gotten it printed out twice, placing one with all of the pictures he had with Nick, Tom, and Bradley, and the other in a photo album they had of Autumn. Funny enough, it was Warlock who had suggested to do a photo album of the girl's childhood after he had taken a few photos of the four-month-old baby having fun with the team. Pete had immediately agreed and mentioned it to the team, each of them eager to make the photo album. What they planned to do with it was, once it was finished which they hoped it was either when she graduated from college (if she wanted to go) or from Top Gun (again, if she wanted to go), they would give it to her as a form of 'congratulations'. It was a fun little thing to do, and Pete had even gotten Autumn's teachers involved.

As Sandra began to dish up breakfast, Pete headed upstairs to wake up the young girl. What he was surprised to see was that she was up and dressed, her bed made, looking at the letter Bradley had written for her first day at elementary school. Hearing her door open, she turned to look and smiled when she saw her father. "Hey, sweetpea," he smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"Hey, papa," she smiled back, eyes turning back to look at the letter in her lap. "Papa, what... What was Rooster like?"

Pete paused, mulling over his words, contemplating which ones would be right for his six-year-old daughter. "Well, he was much like you. Stubborn as all hell." The young girl giggled. "Then again, I think that's my fault. You both got it from me. But, he was a good man, just like your Grandpa Goose."

"I've heard about him," the six-year-old nodded. "Was... Was a good RIO?"

"An amazing RIO," Pete nodded, sighing sadly as memories flashed through his head at the mention of his old friend and first RIO, Nick "Goose" Bradshaw. "If you ever do become a pilot or a RIO, promise me one thing, Autumn. No matter what, you don't eject until that canopy is clear. No matter what anyone tells you, make sure the canopy is clear. Got it?"

"Got it, Papa!" She grinned, unaware of the fate that would bestall those who didn't wait, those who rushed even if the canopy wasn't clear.

Smiling, Pete leaned back on the bed slightly and ruffled Autumn's dirty blonde hair. "That's my little girl. Now, Mama's got breakfast ready so how about we head down, hm?" Grinning, they both got off the bed and headed downstairs for breakfast, Autumn excited for what the Sunday was going to bring.

After eating breakfast and brushing her teeth, Autumn went back downstairs and met her father by the front door as he was saying goodbye to her mother. "You ready?" He asked as he looked down at the six-year-old by his side, said child nodding excitedly. Hugging her mother goodbye, the two headed towards the car and got in, their destination being the naval base. "So I was thinking today you could spend some time with Grandpa Comet while the team and I do patrol. After, we can all hang out with Aunty Leila as well. How does that sound?"

"Fun!" She cheered, a bright grin on her face as her hair was pushed back by the wind. Pete also grinned as they got closer to the base, nodding to the guard stationed at the gate as he waved at the two before heading in. once parked, they exited the vehicle and Pete lead his daughter to Commander Howard's office, hand holding hers tightly, so he didn't lose her. Eventually they arrived and Howard was more than excited to see the young child, hugging her as soon as she ran over to him.