The Captain's Daughter (Bradley Bradshaw)

Chapter 12

The group hung out a lot in the 3 days they had off. They knew the funeral was tomorrow, but felt the need to be around each other in order to not think about it. Katie and Rooster spent occupied their alone time at night together. The night before the funeral, Katie woke up to Rooster still being up watching television. She pulled the cover over her bare chest as she turned around.

"What are you doing up?" She asked as she turned to face him. His hair was messy. She smiled at how cute he looked with messy hair.

"I can't sleep." He looked down at her.

"What's got you up?" She asked.

"Everything, babe, everything." He told her.

"We'll both make it back from this mission you know that right?" She put her hand on his thigh.

"What if we don't? I can't lose you, Katie. It took me eight years to suck it up and even attempt at telling you, and you heard it from Jake. I can't lose you." He looked down at her, water brimming his eyes.

"Hey hey hey. We're gonna make it back from this mission. And then when we get the leave they all promised us, you and I are going on a vacation. I don't care where we go. We could even stay here I don't care. But the important thing is that you know that we will both make it out of this." She had sat in his lap and cupped his face. He was so worried.

"I just love you so much, Kat. You're everything to me. I was scared when I pushed you that I lost you, because of how angry you were. That's why I called frantically and came here to see if you were home." He looked at here and wiped the tear that had fallen.

"Oh Bradley..." She kissed him. "You could never lose me. Ever. I love you too goddamn much." She kissed him again.

He rolled her over, not breaking that kiss. He got on top of her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Out of all times they had sex...that was probably the most memorable. She woke up the next morning, dreading as she knew what day it was. She had to say goodbye to a family friend. She looked at Bradley laying on his stomach. His face was facing her, but his hair got in his eyes, because it was even messier than it was before. She had to wake him up so they could get ready. She started scratching his bare back very lightly. She could see the goosebumps he got by her doing that, and he looked up at her.

"You always wake me up in the nicest ways possible." He chuckled and put his head into her pillow.

She smiled and rubbed his back more.

"Brad we gotta get ready." She said unfortunately.

"I know. I just wanna enjoy this peace we have before having to go." He propped his head up on his hand.

"What is it?" She asked him as he stared at her and smiled.

"You're the most beautiful woman on this earth." He said as he kissed the palm of her hand.

It made Katie's heart skip a beat.

"I love you so much you know that right?" She pulled him up to kiss him.

They got ready in their formal military uniforms.

"I know this is a sad event we have to wear these to, but Jesus. Brad, you look so damn good right now." She said as they walked down her stairs cackling. It was her way of lightening the air.

"Woooow. I could say the same for you, Blaze." He looked at her and smiled.

They got into Rooster's bronco and drove to the cemetery. The funeral was taking place where he would be buried, so they had to drive for a good 30 minutes. When they got there, they saw the rest of their group getting there around the same time. Katie smiled at them, all dressed up in their uniforms, proud at seeing all their medals and ribbons, but remembered why they were all here wearing them. She grabbed Rooster's hand as they walked near the casket. Once she got close to it, she stopped.

"You okay, babe?" Rooster stopped and asked, his voice shaky.

"That man, once my mother told him I was in the Navy, that man kept tabs on me my entire career. He watched me do everything. He knew my mother, they weren't best friends, but he was one of the few people she trusted most to watch me while I escalated my career. She could have chosen Maverick, considering they were actually close, but she didn't. She chose Commander Kazansky. I've known him for as long as I've known you Brad." She looked up at him, tears threatening to fall. He pulled her in for a hug, and wiped her tears away.

The funeral went on...Katie could barely contain her tears. Bradley sat there, hand on her thigh as a sign of comfort, and his tears slowly fell. Katie held his hand to comfort him. Katie held hands with Jake, who was upset that he was at the funeral of one of his idols. She watched Maverick. He hadn't said a word to anyone upon getting there and the funeral starting.

When they folded Iceman's flag and handed it to his wife and did the 21 gun salute, Maverick stood above his casket with Ice's wings. As he smashed his hand down, making Ice's wings forever with him, TAPS played from afar. Maverick stood there and saluted him. All members of the military, active and retired saluted him as well. Katie was close enough to see the tears that had fallen. When Maverick stopped saluting, he looked at her, as if he wanted to tell her something.

Katie looked at him confused as he abruptly looked down. They all stood as 4 planes performed the missing man formation as TAPS finished. We all watched the planes fly and watched the one fly away from the rest. She held Bradley's hand tightly. She was witnessing her biggest fear. That in a few weeks, she could be potentially doing this exact same thing at another funeral. She just pictured everyone she was in that group with being in Iceman's spot, and it absolutely terrified her.