To say Jake was thrilled to find out Rooster and Maverick were alive was an understatement. As much as they had their disagreements, Jake didn't mind the little bastard as much as he once did. He brought Brandi joy, and seeing her happy made him happy, even if saving Rooster's ass caused him to forfeit whatever relationship he might have had with her. He'd rather not see two more deaths destroy the girl he loved - he wasn't strong enough for the two of them.
The shore was barely visible from their position across the ocean. Maverick had gotten them away from the bandits, shooting them down. But another popped up on his radar and Jake pushed his plane, willing it to go faster.
The mere fact that they were climbing higher and not fighting back, alerted him that they were out of flares and missiles, they had this guy chasing them for a while. The guy opened fire and not a second too late did he launch his own. It hit its mark swiftly, the missile was caught in the explosion. Emerging from the black cloud of smoke, Jake grinned.
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is your savior speaking. Please fasten your seat belts, return your tray tables to their locked and upright positions, and prepare for landing," he joked.
Rooster managed a laugh. "Hey, Hangman, you look good."
"I am good, Rooster. I'm very good. I'll see you back on deck."
When he landed and climbed out of his aircraft, Brandi was there to greet him. He had barely had his feet on solid ground for a second, when she jumped on him, hugging the living daylights out of him.
"Thank God!" she gasped.
He embraced her back. "What are you doing down here, doll? You should be inside."
"I had to be the first one to thank you." She pulled back, the most breathtaking grin gracing her lips. "So thank you, Jake."
"Anything for you, darlin'." He unhooked himself from her but kept a hand on her lower back. "Come along, let's get you off the runway. Mav and Rooster are coming in hot." He rushed her aside as the crew called foul deck and raced to raise a barricade. The F-14 was missing its front landing gear and tail hook, this was going to be an extremely difficult landing.
Maverick came soaring dangerously closer around the carrier like the madman he was. He looped a few times to try and lose momentum and once the barricade was set, he came in hot to attempt a landing. The plane screeched against the tarmac and Brandi threw her hands over her ears at the horrendous noise. She thought that they wouldn't stop as they continued to slide the length of the ship. Then, just feet from the edge, the jet halted.
Brandi didn't know what to do with herself as Maverick and Rooster exited the F-14. She wanted to run to Bradley and hold him until they were forced to break apart. But she also wanted to punch him. She eventually decided to stand at the edge of the crowd and let him come to her if he so pleased.
The crowd parted after a long celebration, the crew cheering and the team sharing hugs, patting each other on the back. Rooster stood ten feet before her, face void of any emotion and, despite the harrowing situation he had just gone through, he was as attractive as ever, if not more.
Brandi crossed her arms and he shortened the distance, eyes darting between her and every other thing that moved. He was nervous, unsure of what came next. She found it amusing.
"You owe me twenty bucks," she stated.
He was taken aback. "What?"
"You said twenty bucks Hangman was my number one."
The two stared at each other for a long moment until they couldn't keep it together and they burst out laughing. Rooster shook his head, grinning, and inched closer. A foot was left between them now.
"It's good to have you back," Brandi said softly.
"I had a promise to keep."
Brandi squinted, tilting her head. "Wasn't really a promise."
He took another step. "I'm a man of my word, Hooker."
"You're loyal to a fault, is what that is," she teased.
He chuckled, shaking his head.
Suddenly, there was no more distance between them. Brandi practically flung herself onto him. He stumbled but righted them, hugging her back instantly. He wanted to kiss her, to let her know he was here to stay. That he was finally home. But he didn't. Instead, a hand slapped his back.
Letting Brandi go, he turned to find Hangman beaming at him with pride. It was a sight he never thought he'd see. He held a hand out and he took it, shaking it.
"Chalked yourself another kill," Bradley said.
"That makes two"
"Mav has five," teased Brandi. "Makes him an ace."
The men shared a look and Jake was off to talk to Phoenix.
Brandi glanced up at Rooster. "You know, I think you two have a better love story than us."
Rooster rolled his eyes. "Nothing can beat us, sweetheart."
She grasped his hand, capturing his full attention. "I really did mean what I said back there. I forgive you, and I'm more than sorry, Bradley."
"I know, but there's nothing to forgive." He pulled the ring out of his pocket that he managed to save. He brought her hand up and placed the piece of jewellery in her palm, wrapping her fingers around it. "Keep it safe for me. I'll be right back." Not waiting for a response, he maneuvered through the crowd.
"Where are you going?" she called after him.
"To amend another relationship!" He spotted Maverick in the crowd and called to him. It took a few tries but he eventually heard, having been preoccupied somewhere else. "Captain Mitchell!" He turned to him. "Sir-"
Mav pulled him into an embrace. It felt like how a father should hug his son, pride and love pouring from him. "Thank you for saving my life."
He pulled away, nodding. "It's what my dad would've done."
Maverick tried for words but nothing fit, so he pulled him into another hug. Between Brandi and Mav, he felt at peace. He was finally sure of himself. He was sure that he was where he belonged.
