Our Old Friend, Death.

Prologue

3rd Persons POV:

-Six Years Old-

Hadley sat in the back porch steps watching the planes take off and come back home. Her parents and her twin sister lived in a tiny two story house right outside of a famous Naval base in Alabama.

Her green and white plaid dress swayed in the air due to the airplanes above her head. She had two braids in and knees to the chest. Hadley's mothers voice rang through the house.

"Hadley! Time for bed!"

She didn't move, not even a little. She watched and watched until she was dragged inside.  Cash, Hadley's father stood at the back door watching his little girl dream about her future. He moved himself and sat right next to his daughter.

"That's gonna be me one day Dada." Hadley spoke up quietly with her tiny southern accent peaking.

"Is that so?" Cash said lovingly.

"Yeah. I'm gonna fight off all the bad guys!"

"I don't doubt that."

"I'm gonna make sure to make you and mama proud."

"You already do sweet pea."

"Dada?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I stay up tonight?"

Cash sighed, "I'm afraid your mama would have my head." She said standing up and picking Hadley up.

Hadley placed her head on her fathers shoulder watching the planes one last time for that night.

-Fourteen Years Old-

Hadley held her twin sister's favorite flowers while walking in front of her parents down the halls of the hospital. She cracked the door open and saw her sister watching TV and a scarf in her head to keep her bare head warm. Hadley set the flowers down on a nightstand before laying down with her sister.

The two girls parents watched as the twins fell asleep like how it's been the past few months. IV's ran up and down Riley's body. Machines beeping all around her.

*a few months later*

Hadley stood in front of the church not wanting to go in. She was dressed in all black along with everyone else. Getting the courage to go inside she walked up to her parents waiting to for Hadley to say goodbye to Riley for the last time.

Hadley walked behind her parents with tears in her eyes. Everyone stared at her. As Cash and Wendy stepped aside Hadley walked up to the casket. She did their little handshake they always had done to the side of the wooden basket. Finishing she kissed two fingers and pressed it against.

She moved aside with her parents and sat down as the Preacher began, "today we are here, not to mourn a loss of a loved-" Hadley drowned him out as she stared at her twin sisters casket. "Now if anyone would like to say a few words, now is the time."

Hadley stood up, everyone looked at her shocked. She slowly made her way up to the podium and pulled out a piece of paper. Every person in the room watched her as she unfolded it.

She cleared her throat before starting.

"My sister Riley was extraordinary. She always found a way to help others around her. Anytime she saw an older person struggling with their groceries, she helped them load them into their car. She always made sure our friends under stood and did homework. So no one would be left behind a year in school.

"Riley always made sure that everyone knew how smart I was. It was like I was a shiny trophy to be shown off. She was always my biggest supporter. While she was in the hospital, and she was losing her hair, I took a razor to my head but she stopped me. She said, 'don't, grow it out for me. It's your best feature.' I think why she said that was because it reminded it of hers.

"Not only was she beautiful on the outside, but she had the truest soul I ever had met." Hadley glanced at the casket and sniffed, "if only you could have stayed for years to come. If only God didn't take you home at such a young age, maybe you and I could be out pranking our parents like we loved. So here's to Riley, for the girl who fought until she couldn't anymore, for the girl who always loved everyone, for the girl who had a place in everyone's heart."

Everyone started saying, "to Riley!" as Hadley kissed her sister one last time before sitting down by her parents.

-Eighteen Years Old-

Cash and Wendy stood behind Hadley sitting down at the table opening a letter form the Naval Academy. Hadley was waiting to hear if she made it in or not.

"Dear Hadley Parker Lee, we are pleased to inform you that you are accepted into the United States of Americas Naval Academy!" Hadley read, getting louder and louder. She stood up and cheered with her parents.

"I'm so proud of you sweet pea." Cash whispered into Hadley's ear as he held her close in a hug.

-Twenty One Years Old-

Hadley made her way through the Top Guns classroom. She was informed that she had the shot of winning first place at Top Gun, in a thirteen week span. As the class wouldn't start for another ten minutes she sat down by a man who was probably her same age. She turned to him and stuck out a hand,

"Hadley Lee. Callsign Raptor."

The young man smiled back at Hadley, "Javy Machado, Coyote."

"Pleased to meet you."

"I could say the same. I love your accent by the way. Where you from?"

"Alabama. You?"

"Washington."

"I've heard it's beautiful up there."

"It is. You flying duo or single?"

"Single."

"Duo."

Over the next few weeks the two became best friends and kept in touch even after Hadley took first place and they left Top Gun.

-Twenty Six Years Old-

Never in a million years, Hadley thought she would be reporting back to the school Top Gun again, but here she was. She got a call from her Admiral saying that she was needed in Fightertown, for a second time around.

Hadley packed everything up into her black SUV and drive from Florida all the way to California, making a special place her first stop.