Top Gun - Finding Out Our Feelings

9. The Final Dogfight

Mav and I spent the night at his place. He had me on top of him with his arms around me. I looked up at him and smiled. I cupped his face, "I've got the best boyfriend." I leaned down and kissed him. "Do you now?" He reached up and ran his fingers through my hair, keeping his hand there. "Yes, I do. And I have a feeling he's worried about tomorrow, but I just wanna tell you, that you've got this. I'm cheering you on, baby." I said. He sat up with his back against the headboard, sitting me in his lap. He held my face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs underneath my eyes. "Baby, I can't tell you how much that means to me." He whispered. I wrapped my arms around his neck, slid my fingers through his hair. "I love you." I hugged him, he hugged back tighter. "I love you, too. Let's get some sleep." He kissed me and smiled. I smiled and laid down beside him, he laid down and pulled me closer to him. I laid my head on his chest, he ran his fingers through my hair. We fell asleep.

We got ready and headed out. We were both sitting in a room with my RIO, Iceman, Slider, and Merlin. The one Maverick would be flying with. "Nice to see you again, Midnight." Merlin said to me. "You too." I smiled. Maverick looked at me and gave me a small smile. "It'll be okay, I promise." I said quietly to him. He nodded and turned back around when Stinger started talking. "The SS Layton has become disabled and has wandered into foreign territory. A rescue operation will soon begin, your mission is to give it air support. There are MiG's in the area, if you witness a hostile act, return fire. They carry the Exocet anti-ship missile. This is the real thing. This is what you've been trained for. Make us proud. Ice, Hollywood, sector two. Maverick, you back them up with Merlin on ready five." Stinger said. "Yes, sir." Mav said. We all got up. "Excuse me, sir, it's not personal, but with regard to Maverick, is he the best pilot to..." Iceman said. Mav heard, but walked out. "I know what's on your mind, Kazansky. Get on it." Stinger told him. Iceman looked at me. "He's one of the best, Ice." I said and started to walk away, but Stinger caught me, "Look, I know about you and Maverick. So be close by in case we need you out there." "Yes, sir." I nodded. Ice and Hollywood were already up there. Merlin came over to me before getting in the jet, "Do you think he's gonna be okay up there?" He asked me. I sighed. "It might be hard at first, but I know he can do this." I said before heading over to Maverick. "Mav." I touched his arm, he turned. He sighed, "What if I can't do this?" He asked me, looking down. "Mav, look at me." I said softly, he looked up and I cupped his face. "You can do this. I know you can. Remember what I said? I'll be right here, cheering you on." I smiled softly. I looked down then back up with tears in my eyes, I rested my forehead to his. "But you better come back to me, baby, because I can't do this without you." I whispered. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. "I'm coming back to you, sweetheart, I promise." He grabbed my face and kissed me. I kissed him back. "You got this, Mav, okay?" I held his wrists. He nodded and smiled. He got in the jet, I walked away.

I was walking but ran into Viper. "Sorry about that." I said. "Not a problem. Think he'll do okay?" He asked. "Honestly, yes, I think he will. He's got this, I know it." I smiled. "Well, let's get inside. You can sit in the hallway and hear what's going on, if you'd like." He said. "Yes, thank you, Viper." I nodded and walked in with him. I was outside the control room. Mustang came and stood beside me, "Viper told me to come to give you some support." He chuckled softly. "Good to know." I chuckled. "You've got a pair of bogeys, 12 o'clock, 15 miles." "Voodoo One, 090 radar contact 15 miles. They're doing 500 knots." "Roger, that's your bogey." "Dead ahead, 15 miles, 600 knots." "They're at 15,000 feet now, 10 miles." "800 knots. Dead ahead now, eight miles." "Wood, you got them?" Ice asked. "They must be close." Wolfman said. "I'm taking the lead. Let's identify them." Ice said. "Roger, Ice. I'm on your left side, a little low." Hollywood told him. "Maverick's up and ready in alert five." "Good, good." Stinger said. "My bogeys still locked up. He's drifting to the left." "Still maneuvering, course 090. Let's bring it to the right." "Ice, we got a problem here. I have four aircraft on radar. Four bogeys." Slider said. "Wood, we've got four bogeys." Ice said. "Wrong, make that five!" Wolfman said. "There's five, sir." "He's got a radar lock on us." "Get out of there, Hollywood!" Ice said. "I'm hit. We're coming apart. I can't control it! We're going down." Wood said. "Wood's been hit! Wood's been hit! Voodoo One, Wood's been hit. We've lost Hollywood!" Ice said.

"Launch Maverick on alert 5." Stinger said. "Come on, Mav." I said to myself quietly. They were launching the rescue helicopter to get Hollywood and Wolfman. "Iceman, what's your position?" Merlin asked. "090 at 180 miles." Ice said. "They're coming in left." Slider said. "Three MiG's dead ahead." "I'm going after them. I'm bringing it around to the left." "We have four on our tail, that makes six of them! He's firing. Break right!" Slider said. "This is Voodoo One, we are defensive. Launch the alert fighters!" Ice said. "I'll be there in 30 seconds." Mav said. "Hurry and move it! I'm engaged with five." "One MiG, 12 o'clock high, watch your back! Break right!" Slider said. "That was close. Maverick get down here!" Ice said. "Hang in there." "How about some help? Engage!" Ice said. "We've got a MiG on our tail. Watch out! We just flew through his jet wash! Get control!" I leaned against the wall and put my hands over my face. "Hey, he'll be alright." My RIO touched my shoulder. I nodded. "Good recovery, Mav!" Merlin said. I let out a deep breath. "Let's get in there and help Ice. Let's get back in the game." "No, it's no good." Mav said. "Maverick's disengaging." Slider said. "I knew it." Ice said. "No, Mav, you can do this. Come on, baby." I whispered to myself. "Get in there, come on!" "What're you doing? Ice won't last down there alone." Merlin said. "Talk to me, Goose." Mav said to himself. "Maverick!" "Maverick's reengaging, sir." I smiled at that. "I can't get him off my tail." Ice said. "Ice, I've got MiG dead ahead. I got tone, firing!" Mav said. "Two MiG's ahead." Merlin said.

"I see them. I'll take it left." Mav said. "Ice is right below us, he's got a MiG on his tail." Merlin told him. "He's firing! Break left! He overshot!" Slider said. "Coming in Ice, I got two MiG's dead ahead." Mav said. "I got him, Mav. One MiG passing between us." Ice said. "You've got a MiG on your left, he's gonna fire! Maverick, check the guys to the north!" Slider told him. "Banking left, banking left. There he is. Get him, Ice! Get him!" Mav said. "Okay, you guys, I'm coming in." "A MiG's coming around on our tail. We gotta get out of here." Merlin said. "I can't leave Ice." Mav said. "He's still coming around, he's gonna get behind us!" Merlin told him. "I'm not leaving my wingman." Mav said. "I'm on his tail. I'm going for it, I'm going for the shot right now. Roger, engaged!" "I've got radar lock." "I'm taking the shot. Fire!" "Bingo! Wash that sucker, yeah!" Slider said. "Watch out, there's a MiG to your right. He's firing!" "I'm hit, I'm hit!" Ice said. "We're hit in the right engine!" Slider told him. "I'm shutting it down." Ice said. "Coming in, Ice." Mav told him. "That bogey's still behind you. I'm maneuvering for a shot." Mav said. "Take the shot." "I can't get a tone." "Shoot. I can't get him off my tail. We're hit again." "We're okay." "Ice, on the count of three, break hard right. Three, two, one, break right!" Mav told him. "Firing! I missed." "Don't let him go. Keep on him, Mav." Merlin told him. "I got him. Here comes the shot. Scratch three!" "Mav, move. There's a MiG on your tail." Ice told him.

"We've got a problem here. We've only got one missile left." Mav said "I got him. He's on our tail. He's still with us. What're you doing? You're slowing down, you're slowing down!" Merlin said. "I'm bringing him in closer, Merlin." Mav said. "You're gonna do what!? This is it, Maverick." "I'll hit the brakes, he'll fly right by. Now! I've got a good lock. Firing! Scratch four!" Mav said. "This is Voodoo Three, remaining MiG's are bugging out." They cheered in the room. "Yes!" I cheered and gave my RIO a hug. Viper came and got me, "Let's go outside and meet them out there." I laughed and nodded. I followed him outside. "This is Maverick, requesting flyby." Mav said. "Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full." Mav laughed. "Excuse me, something I should know about?" Merlin asked. Maverick did a flyby. Viper looked at me, I shrugged and laughed. He smiled and shook his head. I saw their jets came in, I ran with the crowd, trying to get to Mav. They all got out and were on the ground. I saw the helicopter coming, Wolfman spotted me, grabbed my arm and pulled me to where they all were. "Hollywood, Wolfman, what happened to you guys?" Mav chuckled. Maverick saw me and smiled at me, but before he could say anything, "You!" Ice said pointing to Mav, "You are still dangerous, but you can my wingman anytime." "You can be mine." Mav said. They shook hands and then hugged. Slider picked Maverick up. Merlin hugged Mav as Ice hugged me, "Your boyfriend here is one of the best, but don't tell him I told you that." He told me and laughed. I chuckled and looked at Mav and smiled, "I know he is."

Maverick came over, picked me up and spun me around before he put me back on the ground, he grabbed my face and kissed me hard. I grabbed his flight suit, pulled him down closer to me and kissed him back even harder. He looked at me. "I knew you could do it." I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him. He hugged me back.