Two Ghosts (A Rooster/OC/Iceman Fanfic)

Chapter 18

Mongoose smoothed out non-existent wrinkles in her dress. She looked at herself in the mirror.

She never imagined in a million years she would be getting married. But if she had to get married to anyone, she was glad it was Rooster. Her best friend.

A knock at the door startled Mongoose out of her thoughts.

"Come in," she said softly.

Maverick entered the room. "Wow...Noel, you look..."

Mongoose blushed. "Thanks, Mav."

"You ready to do this?"

Mongoose nodded and grabbed her bouquet. She wrapped her arm around Maverick's and they made their way to the door. Mongoose froze when she heard the wedding march.

"Hey, you okay? Not getting cold feet are you?" Maverick asked.

Mongoose was half afraid that when the doors opened, she'd see Iceman instead of Rooster. While some of her memories of her second Top Gun training had begun to fade, there were still moments where she swore she'd see Iceman.

Glimpses of blonde frosted hair in the hangar. Seeing him in one of the new pilots.

"Rooster will understand if you don't want to go through with this."

Mongoose shook her head. "No. I want this. I do."

The doors opened and the two of them started to walk down the aisle.

Rooster had to stop his mouth from dropping open.

Hangman leaned towards Rooster. "She looks gorgeous, man."

Rooster smiled. "I'm a lucky guy."

Hangman clapped him on the shoulder. "You sure are, Bradshaw."

Rooster wished his parents could have met Mongoose. They would have loved her. But they were here in spirit.

Three seats had been set aside. One for Goose, one for Carol, and one for Iceman.

Mongoose and Maverick came to a stop in front of Rooster.

"Who gives this woman away to be married?" the preacher asked.

"I do," Maverick said. He took Mongoose's hands and placed them in Rooster's. Maverick brushed his lips against her temple. "He's always with you. Remember that."

Mongoose nodded and turned to look at Rooster, while Maverick took his seat next to Penny.

"You look beautiful," Rooster told her.

Mongoose handed her bouquet off to Phoenix. "You don't look half bad yourself, Bradshaw."

He looked so handsome in his dress whites.

Mongoose and Rooster had chosen a traditional ceremony with traditional vows despite not being very traditional themselves, but it was the ceremony his parents and Admiral Kazansky would've wanted.

Rooster and Mongoose entered the reception hall on base and glided onto the dancefloor.

The sound of "How Do I Live?" by LeAnn Rimes started up.

"May I have this dance, Mrs. Bradshaw?" Rooster asked.

Mongoose rolled her eyes and nodded. Mongoose wrapped her arms around his neck and set her head on his shoulder while Rooster's settled on her waist.

The song had been Maverick's idea since it had become clear that the two couldn't live without each other. They refused to fly without each other, except when it came down to orders.

After their marriage, there was a good chance they'd never be allowed to fly together again. But they'd deal with that when it came up.

Mongoose looked up at her new husband.

"Are you happy?" he asked her.

She smiled. "I'm the happiest woman on earth, Rooster."

Rooster smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Rooster gently turned and Mongoose was facing the bar.

Two people stood there dressed in their Navy whites.

One with a mustache and another with blonde spiky hair. They raised their glasses at the couple and Mongoose smiled.

Her and Rooster would always have two ghosts following them.

The man who had lover her, if only for a few weeks and a father who had loved his son and wife more than anything in the world.

Mongoose couldn't ask for anything more.