Come Home || Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

4.

"Danielle, oh, it's been a long time since I last saw you, you're taller than me now!" Sarah smiles, hugging me.

"Oh please, if anything we're the same height. Mav didn't help much in that department." She chuckles, holding me by my arms.

"It is so good to see you again. I wish you wouldn't be such a stranger." I nod.

"I know, I'm sorry. I've missed you, Aunt Sarah. You and Uncle Ice." Her smile falters and I glance up at the pictures on the wall. A few of Mav and Ice when they went through Top Gun together, one of me sitting on Ice's shoulder's, and more of their family and friends. I always loved being at their house, it felt like a home for everybody. Mav used to tell me about how Uncle Ice was his rival when they first met, they practically hated each other. I never believed him, I always remembered them being so close. Even now, it's hard to believe.

"He's down the hall, in the office. He really wants to talk to you, Danny."

"Thank you, Aunt Sarah." She nods and heads off into the kitchen while I make my way down the hall. More pictures, a few with Goose and Mav, some more familiar faces and a few I don't recognize.

I knock on the office door before slowly pushing it open, taking in the soft familiar smell of his cologne. All these years and he never picked a different cologne. He used to tell me it was his signature scent, everybody knew where he was, where he'd been, just by the lingering smell.

"Hey, Uncle Ice. I like the scarf, very sophisticated." He smiles as I lean down to hug him in his chair. As I sit down across from him, he reaches over to his keyboard and types out what he wants to say.

How have you been kiddo?

"I've been managing. It's getting a little tough with this mission we're working on, but hopefully we'll all pull through. How are you feeling, is there anything I can do to help because please do not hesitate to ask."

No, don't worry about me. I want to talk about you.

And your dad.

And Rooster.

My heart clenches. Three things I don't want to talk about right now. I sigh, looking down at my lap before back up at my uncle. His eyes watch me knowingly.

"I... uh, I guess things haven't been great. Mav and I got into a fight because of what he did to Bradley, Bradley isn't doing okay with the stress of this mission, it's kind of a mess."

Your dad feels bad about what he did.

"I know he does, and I wish I could find a way to forgive him right now, but he's the reason I lost Bradley for so long, Ice. I feel like I have to choose between my dad and my best friend." Ice tilts an eyebrow.

Just a friend?

"Please, Ice, don't make me talk about it. I... I do love Bradley, probably more than he'll ever know, but that is so not important right now-" He holds up his hand, typing again.

Nothing is more important than what your heart is saying.

"I'm just scared. I'm scared that Mav is gonna send Bradley out there and that he won't come back, and then I'll have to lose him a second time. And I'm scared that I'll lose my dad."

He's scared that he'll lose you too. He doesn't want you or Bradley to fly.

"I know he doesn't, he's never failed to make that clear." I chuckle through watery eyes. "I'm stuck between wanting him to let us fly and prove that we can do it and wanting him to keep Bradley on the ground so there's no chance of him... leaving me again."