Two Ghosts (A Rooster/OC/Iceman Fanfic)

Chapter 1

"Good morning, aviators. This is your Captain speaking," Maverick's voice came through their comms, "You know the rules. Only guns, no missiles. We do not go below the hard deck of 5,000 feet."

"That means you, Roos," Mongoose quipped.

Rooster rolled his eyes at his wingman.

"No one bet any pushups this time," Fanboy said.

"What's the matter, Mickey Mouse? Didn't you like all those pushups?" Mongoose asked.

"I know you did, Mongoose," Hangman teased, "I caught you staring."

"I'd rather get blown out of the sky."

"You have! Twice!" Rooster reminded her.

"Roosie, have I told you how much I hate you?" Rooster chuckled.

"Not today, darlin'. I was afraid you'd forgotten."

"Okay, enough chit chat. Let's turn and burn!" Maverick said.

Mongoose anticipated Maverick's move and shot up into the clouds.

"Mongoose! Where the hell are you going!" Hangman yelled.

Mongoose laughed. "Keep up boys!"

"Where is she?" Hangman asked Rooster.

"I don't know. She disappeared from my radar."

Mongoose leveled her jet out in the clouds, keeping an eye out for Maverick. The clouds started swirling around her. "Guys, anyone else seeing this weird storm?" Mongoose asked.

"What weird storm? The sky is clear," Fanboy said.

"Where the hell are you?" Rooster asked.

"Mongoose, descend now!" Maverick ordered.

Mongoose tried to descend, but nothing happened. "My controls won't work!"

"Where are you? I'm coming for you," Rooster said.

"I don't know! Rooster!"

Rooster could hear the panic in her voice. "Just hold tight, princess."

"Ro....he..."

"Mongoose?"

There was nothing.

"Noel?"

Rooster was starting to panic.

"GOOSE!"

The next thing Mongoose knew, she exited the clouds and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked down at her radar and saw nothing. "Rooster?" she asked.

There was silence.

She looked down and saw water.

"What the fuck?"

She'd been flying over the mountains of California, not the sea.

"Hangman?"

Mongoose scanned through radio frequencies until she heard a voice.

"Uh guys, I'm picking up a plane."

"Is it one of ours?"

Wait. She knew that voice. She'd heard it on videos at the Academy. "Admiral Kazansky?"

"Holy shit! It's a girl," the other voice said.

"Admiral Kazansky? That sounds good doesn't it?" Iceman said.

Mongoose rolled her eyes.

Great. Another Hangman.

"You? An Admiral? Yeah right, Kazansky!"

"Mav?!"

Maverick's brows furrowed.

"Of course you fucking know her," another voice said.

She looked over and saw Maverick next to her and in his backseat was Nick "Goose" Bradshaw.

What the fuck was going on?

Suddenly there were alarms screaming at her. She let out a pathetic whimper, really wished she had Rooster and Hangman covering her.

"Eject! You're gonna go into a tailspin and trust me, you don't wanna hit that water in a jet."

Mongoose laughed. "You know, I always feel so much better after we've talked, Mav." She pulled the handle under the seat, but her parachute didn't deploy.

"Shit," Maverick cursed, "We're gonna need the coast guard."

Mongoose tried again and it deployed partially.

Well it was better than nothing.

The last thought Mongoose had before she hit the water was of Rooster.

When Mongoose came to, her vision was blurry. All she could make out was a blonde man with a mustache and a dark headed man.

"God Roose, you are not gonna believe the dream I had..."

Her vision cleared and Goose and a younger Maverick were standing in her room.

She immediately started freaking out. "No, no. This cannot be happening. It's not possible. Please tell me Rooster and Hangman are punking me."

"Rooster and Hangman? Are they part of your squadron?" Maverick asked.

"They're my wingmen. They were covering me when..."

"We'll have a search and rescue team sent out. See if they can find anything."

"Wait. I'm in hospital. They must have given me something. I'm hallucinating. I have to be."

Mongoose tried to sit up and nearly cried out at the pain in her ribs.

Goose lightly pushed her back down. "Don't try to move, darlin'. You hit the water pretty hard."

Tears filled Mongoose's eyes. She didn't understand what was happening.

Where was Rooster? Why was his dad here? Why was Maverick so young?

Before she could freak out again, Maverick asked, "What's your name?"

"Lt. Noel Genier. Callsign: Mongoose."

Maverick laughed. "Mongoose?"

"Me and my...my squadron were at a bar and the guys got into a fight. I took four of them down on my own."

"Like a mongoose," Goose said.

Mongoose nodded.

"Do you know what year it is?"

Judging by the fact that she was most definitely still in Miramar and Goose was still alive...

"1984."

"And the president?"

Shit.

She didn't know that answer. History had never been her best subject. So she faked a headache.

Mongoose pressed her hands to her temples. "God. My head is killing me."

Maverick gently lowered her hands and kissed her hairline. "I'll have a nurse get you some painkillers."

Goose stood up and patted her on the knee before leaving with Maverick.

She stared at the place where they stood.

What the fuck was going on?