The Captain's Daughter (Bradley Bradshaw)

Chapter 3

Katie and the rest of the former Top Gun graduates were on base first thing in the morning! She picked the seat next to Rooster. 

"Attention on deck!" Someone called out. 

They all stood in formation before they were seated.

Cyclone stood in front of all of them, telling them of their achievements, and why they were brought back to Top Gun. 

"Oh shit." Katie whispered to herself. 

That's when they announced their teacher...Capt. Pete Mitchell, callsign "Maverick". Katie had heard of him. Her mother said that she taught him when she worked as a Top Gun instructor. He smiled at Hangman, Coyote, and Fanboy. She remembered seeing them throw a guy out of the bar last night. Captain Mitchell must've been that guy. Then he looked at Bradley...who looked very pissed off. Katie looked at him when he looked away, and then looked at Maverick. She looked confused as he was now staring at her, as if he had seen a ghost. She smiled and nodded towards him politely as he came back to reality. 

"You good, Brad?" She whispered over to him. 

"It's nothing. I'm fine." He said bluntly.

His bluntness and eager to no longer talk about it surprised her. She sensed something was up, but it confused her. She knew everything about him, but what bothered him so much about Captain Mitchell, she didn't know. 

When they were getting ready to go up to fly, Katie was standing next to her plane, which was next to Hangman's plane. She looked over to see Rooster and Maverick having a discussion.

"What the hell is that about?" She asked Hangman.

"I have got no idea." He said staring at them, just as confused. 

They all eventually went up in the air. They all got killed...except for Katie.

"That's a kill, Maverick." She said proudly.

"I'm impressed, Blaze." He said in shock. 

"Holy shit she did it." Hangman said, listening in after he was just "killed". 

"Awww Hangman...is your ego bruised?" She said smugly.

"In your dreams, Tiger." Hangman laughed.

"Yeahhh, well you can go do your 200 pushups now." She said as she flew off. 

Everyone made their rounds. Everyone got "killed" except for Katie. She got him every time. Hangman, Coyote, and Rooster all went up for their final round. Katie listened to them through her coms. 

"I can go as low as you, and that's saying something." Rooster said angrily.

"You two are running out of room." Hangman yelled out.

"What's going on?" Katie chimed in.

"Rooster is about to run Maverick and himself right into the ground. You're below the hard deck gentlemen!" Hangman called out.

"Rooster back down!" Katie yelled. 

"Stay out of this, Blaze" Rooster told her. 

She was shocked that he snapped at her. She turned her coms off and went to go shower. As Katie was leaving to go back to her house, Rooster yelled after her.

"Blaze!" Rooster ran up to catch up with her, still sweaty.

"I'm sorry I budded into your little fight with Maverick. I just you know didn't want you to kill yourself on the first goddamn day." Katie said heatedly.

"I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you." Rooster smiled down at her.

"What's your issue with him anyways?" Katie asked, still confused.

"He flew with my dad. He was Maverick's RIO. During a training exercise, my dad died. Maverick was flying the plane. Maverick has known me since the day I was born, but my father is dead. I resent him for that, because it screwed my mom up." He explained as they walked to their cars. 

Katie stopped and hugged him. 

"Bradley, I'm so sorry. I didn't know." She rubbed his back as she hugged him.

"I didn't tell you that part about my dad's death. Mom said that it wasn't Maverick's fault. I wanted to believe her, but my dad is still dead. I left it out, because I thought I would never see him again." He continued.

"I can tell he didn't intend for that to happen. You told me they were best friends in the past, but I did't know they flew together and that he was flying the plane when your dad died. I understand why you're angry, though." She walked with him to his bronco. 

"I won't let it get in the way of us hanging out tonight, though. I can follow you back to your place?" He asked.

"Yeah! You can shower while I cook!" She smiled as she started to walk to her jeep. 

As she walked to her car, Rooster drove off, honking as he flew past her, waving his arm out as a "see you there" gesture. Katie chuckled as he drove off. She could feel herself starting to have the feelings she had about him a long time ago again. Only this time, they were stronger.