Top Gun - Finding Out Our Feelings

4. Goose's Family

We woke up the next morning and got dressed. Carole and Bradley were coming to see Goose. "Ready?" Mav asked. "Let's go." I smiled and grabbed his hand. We walked out the door and to his bike. I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my cheek on his back. He smiled and took off. We met Goose at the airport, we all grabbed a bite to eat before Carole and Bradley got here. Mav had his arm around me as I leaned into him. "I told her how tough it is here. I told her you two were together finally." Goose told us. "You did?" I asked. "I did. She said 'about time'" He said. I chuckled and looked at Mav. He smiled at me, "I guess it was about time, wasn't it?" He pulled me closer to him. "Yeah, I couldn't hide my feelings from you anymore." I kissed his cheek. He took a drink of my drink. "Hey, that's mine, Mitchell." I said playfully. "But mine's gone." He chuckled. "Well, while you guys do that, I'm going to see my girl." Goose chuckled and pointed out the window. He got up. "Hey, we wanna see her, too." I said. "That's right." Mav said. Goose was out the door. Mav and I stood behind while he went to Carole and Bradley. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. I wrapped mine around his waist and hugged him close. Carole came to us. "Well, aren't you two just the cutest. I'm so happy about you being together. I might've screamed when Goose told me." She laughed. "Really?" I laughed. Mav had Bradley in his arms. We walked ahead of them.

Later that day, "The bogey has good position right here. The F-14 is defensive, has a chance to bug out right here. Better to retrieve and save your aircraft than push a bad decision. You stay in that diamond another three seconds, the bogey's gonna blow you away. You take a hard right, select zone five, you can extend an escape. You made a bad choice." Viper said. "Aircraft one performs a split S? That's the last thing you should do, the MiG's right on your tail. The MiG has you in his gun sight, where were you thinking?" Charlie stood in front of Mav. "You don't have time to think up there. You think, you're dead." Mav told her. "That's a big gamble with a $30 million plane, Lieutenant. Unfortunately, it worked. The MiG never got a clean shot." She said. I reached down to touch his shoulder, he moved his hand up to touch mine and gave me a small smile. I squeezed his shoulder. "Maverick makes an aggressive vertical move here and defeats him with a missile. The encounter was a victory, but I think we've shown it as an example of what not to do." I scoffed quietly. "Gustiest move I ever saw, man." Mustang said. Mav nodded. We were all dismissed. Maverick waited for me at the door, when I got to him, he grabbed my hand and we left. We got on his motorcycle and went to my place.

We arrived and got off the bike. I opened the door, walked inside and closed the door behind him. I turned to face him wrapping my arms around his neck, giving him a small smile before resting my forehead to his. "Are you okay, baby?" I asked him softly. He wrapped his arms around my waist. "Yeah, baby. People like that just don't understand the choices you've got to make up there." He said. "No, they don't. You gotta do what you gotta do, Mav. I've done a move like that, so hey." I shrugged. "Oh, I know. I remember. We're a lot alike, that's why we work so well together." He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "You're exactly right. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else." I hugged him. He hugged me back tighter. "Me either, sweetheart." There was a knock at my door, Maverick opened it. "Thought I'd find you here." Goose laughed. "We have some more training to do, so come on." He said. Mav sighed, "See you up there. And what was it you said? 'May the best pilot win'" He winked at me. I pushed him playfully, "Yeah, yeah, go on, Mitchell. See you up in the sky." He kissed my lips quickly and went with Goose. I laughed and shook my head. I changed into my flight suit and headed out. I met Mustang at the jet. We got in and took off. It was us, Iceman and Slider first. Viper got us, then Ice. We landed. Maverick, Goose, Hollywood, and Wolfman went up next.

"Alright gentlemen. This is hop 19. Multiple aircraft, multiple bogeys. Your training is half over. The competition for the trophy remains tight. First place, Iceman. Second, Maverick, two points behind." Jester said. "There they are. Three miles, 10 o'clock." Hollywood said. "I see them. Two A-4's, left 10 o'clock level. Continue left turn." Maverick said. Viper showed up. "I've got my eye on the northern bogey." Mav said. "Roger, I've got the southern guy." Hollywood told him. "Hollywood, you lead. I'll cover you." Maverick told him. "Break now, Jester." Viper said. "We're losing Viper. Let's just stay on Jester. Goose, find Viper. He's out there." Mav said. "Stay with Hollywood." Goose said. "There's Viper. Three o'clock low." "We're Hollywood's cover." "Don't you leave me, Maverick." Hollywood said. "Hollywood, you're looking good. I'm going after Viper." "I can't believe we're going head-to-head with Viper." "Here's our chance, it's a big one, Goose. Come on." Mav said. "Come on. Keep coming." Viper said. "Okay, sidewinder missile selected. Come on, baby." "Come around, that's it." "He's good. Where's he going?" "Come on, come on. Keep coming." "Come on, baby. Lock up." This kid's good." "He's too close for missiles, I'm switching to guns. Stick with me, stick with me. Hold it, Goose check our tail." Maverick said. "It's Jester." Goose said. "Bingo. Maverick's dead. You're out of there, kid." Jester said.

"The Defense Department regrets to inform you, your sons are dead because they were stupid. Great balls of fire." Goose said. "Knock it off, gentlemen. Let's go home. Viper has the lead." They landed and headed for the locker room. I was in the hallway, I had already freshened up. Maverick spotted me and smiled. He walked over to me, "Just the person I needed to see." He kissed me. I smiled. "Everything okay?" I asked him. "Meet me later in my room and I'll tell you what happened." He said. "Okay. See you in a few, baby." I kissed him. He nodded and headed for the locker room. They all freshened up. "That was some of the best flying I've seen yet. Up to the point until it got you killed. You never, never leave your wingman." Jester said to Mav and walked out. "Maverick, it's not your flying. It's your attitude. The enemy's dangerous, but right now, you're worse than the enemy. Dangerous and foolish. You may not like who's flying with you, but whose side are you on?" Iceman said. "At least Viper got Iceman before he got us. We've still got a shot at it." Goose told him. "That was stupid. I know better than that. That will never happen again." Mav told him. "I know, I know. Come meet up with me and Carole later." Goose said as he got up and patted Mav's shoulder. He nodded.

A moment later, I walked to Mav's room. I knocked, he immediately opened the door and pulled me in. "Baby." He hugged me, I hugged him back. He squeezed me tighter. "What happened, baby?" I asked. "You probably heard it by now, but..." He started. "I mean, I did kinda overhear Hollywood talking to Iceman about what happened while you guys were up there." I said. "Then you know about me leaving him. I know you're not supposed to leave your wingman, sometimes I think Goose is right about me chasing a ghost up there." He sat down on his bed, I sat on the other side of him, I rubbed his back and leaned over to rest my chin on his shoulder, I kissed his jaw, "Mav, we all do things we're not supposed to do. The important thing is learning your lesson and not doing it again. We all make mistakes, baby, but as far as you chasing a ghost, I don't think you are. You just give it all you've got, every single time." I kissed his cheek, he smiled. "And at other times, you're just cocky." I winked and giggled. "Shut up." He chuckled and kissed me.