Work Text:
As somebody who has, actually, lost their best friend, this was tough to write.
Ella consoles Mav after Rooster dies.
She's 18.
Mav is 24
Ella sighed shakily from the porch. Maverick had run in a few minutes ago, barely glancing at her. She rubbed her arms. It wasn't cold by any stretch, but the feeling kept her grounded. Her throat felt thick with tears, but she refused to let them fall. She stared at the sunset in the distance, clenching her jaw. She sniffled and sighed deeply, trying to rein in her emotions.
She'd only lost her brother. Bradley and Carole had lost their father and husband. That was far worse.
Except... she couldn't help but envy Bradley's young age. He didn't really know what was happening, and soon, he'd forget it. The pain wouldn't be as bad. She flicked some of her fringe out of her eyes as she inhaled deeply again.
She'd been through this pain before.
Just last year, when Ella was 17, her best friend had been murdered by her father. Ella was ringing her one day, and within a week, she'd been announced missing and likely dead.
She'd been told that Rooster was dead by a man in the navy. Not Maverick. Apparently, he'd been signed off on bereavement for two weeks. Carole had broken down into tears instantly. Ella took Bradley away to the park while she grieved. Carole was waiting for Ella to burst, just as she had when her best friend died. Goose had been the one to rock her back and forth until the tears stopped, reminding her that Maddie was in a better place, away from such a horrible man, and justice would get him in the end.
But what justice would there be for Goose? Nobody killed him, there was nobody to blame except fate.
And she hated it. More than anything. It was easier to grieve when there was somebody to blame.
"Mav." He stopped. "Mav, please," In his haste to gather Goose's things and apologise to Carole for taking her husband away, he'd forgotten about Ella, Goose's younger sister.
He heard Ella, sweet, innocent Ella, make her way up the stone path. He clenched his teeth. "I'm sorry," He mustered. "It wasn't your fault," She said by his shoulder. He refused to meet her eyes. "Yeah, people keep saying that." He said back. Ella sighed loudly. "Come sit with me? Please?" He debated saying no and walking back to the base, which was only a mile away. But he owed Goose this, if anything.
He owed his sister closure.
He followed her over to the bench outside and sat stiffly. He watched as she kept her composure expertly. "How aren't you crying?" He couldn't help but ask. She blinked slowly. "Bradley already has his mom in a state... he could do without me doing it as well... somebody needs to keep strong for him,"
His guilt doubled. "Ella... I-I'm so sorry." He said, glaring at the sun. She was silent for a few moments. "No matter how badly one's heart is cracked, the world doesn't stop moving... all you can do is try to keep up," She said. Maverick blinked in shock. That was an awfully deep statement for an 18-year-old. Ella was quiet. "I know how you feel though, Pete," He looked at her slightly hunched-over form. "I lost my best friend too." He didn't speak and just allowed her to mourn in her own way. "Her death was far more preventable than my brothers, and you know that as well as I."
"When she died... I thought my world had ended. The grief... it was like the ocean, honestly." He shook his head. That was the last place he wanted to think about right now. "How so?" He asked softly. "It came in waves. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it's overwhelming. All you can do is learn to swim,"
He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. "That doesn't make it any easier," He mumbled to himself. He sat up in shock when she sniffled, tears racing down her face. "I am barely holding on right now, Pete. I'm keeping myself together until I know Bradley's gonna be ok." She said with a quivering voice. His own tears burned in his eyes. "But you don't have to hold on. Bradley isn't depending on you to keep his mom from breaking down, so... don't bottle it up. It'll explode without you even realising it, over a stupid thing."
Without even intending to, the tears fell, hot and fast. "You deserve to hit me. I took Goose away," He whispered. Ella sobbed quietly. "Say it was your fault again and even death can't save you, Pete Mitchell." He wrapped an arm around her quacking shoulders, and together, they cried over the life that was lost.