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“Mav!”
Maverick had felt truly helpless few times in his life. When his mother was slowly dying and he knew he was about to be orphaned. When he flew through Ice’s jetwash and couldn’t reach the ejection lever and Goose and the eternity in the cold water, his almost-brother’s body in his arms. When Carole got sick. When Carole asked him to pull Bradley’s papers. Ice’s cancer, the first and second time, and the eternity it took Warlock to tell him that cancer had stolen someone else from him.
And now, with Bradley right behind him, they might die, because Mav had no more tricks up his sleeves. No more stunts or maneuvers to get them out of this. No more missiles, no more bullets. Ejection was not an option, not if Bradley was stuck in the backseat. All he could do was keep climbing up, avoiding the inevitable tone that would spell the end for them.
“I’m sorry,” he choked out. “I’m sorry Goose.” It was all he could say. The pain he had been carrying since that awful day – cold, panic, salt, blood, you have to let go – seemed to be squeezing his chest, robbing him of breath and speech.
He could hear Bradley breathing heavily behind him and wished more than anything that he could turn around and gather him into his arms, shield him from what was coming. But all he could do was pull the stick up as far as he could, feeling the Tomcat shuddering around him.
A percussive boom erupted behind him, and he twisted back to see a Super Hornet flying through the smoke and fire that had been the fifth-gen chasing them.
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, this is your savior speaking,” a familiar voice drawled out. “Please fasten your seatbelts, return your tray tables to their locked and upright positions, and prepare for landing.” A glance to the side showed Hangman leveling out with their jet. Bradley let out a relieved laugh behind him.
Maverick knocked the side of the cockpit before throwing a thumbs up at their wingman. He wasn’t sure he was capable of words in that moment, the relief so heady he felt dizzy from it.
“Hey Hangman, you look good,” Bradley said behind him.
“I am good Rooster, I’m very good,” Hangman shot back before pulling his plane to the side. “I’ll see you back on deck.”
Maverick shook his head, letting out a slow breath to calm his nerves. He could feel a tremor starting in his hands and he needed to get that shit on lock, now. He still needed to get them back onto the carrier and after what they just went through, he wasn’t going to let shaky hands prevent their homecoming.
He radioed the carrier, feeling a rush of gratitude for his godson figuring out the radar and radio system of the F-14. He had felt déjà vu before with Bradley, but nothing like now. He could almost feel Nick’s warm hand on his shoulder, his soft smile turned towards Maverick and Bradley. I’ll get him home Goose, Maverick thought as he descended.
He brought the plane down to the carrier, focused on keeping the jet level, and winced as the barricade brought them to an abrupt halt, jarring bruises and aches he hadn’t noticed before in the drive to get both Bradley and himself to safety.
“You good?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m good,” Rooster replied. Mav could hear the smile in his voice.
Once the canopy was up, he stood, turning to see Rooster standing as well, and for a moment all he could see was Goose. But then Rooster’s lips rose in a small smile, and all Mav could see was Bradley, and he felt pride rush through him for this man he had helped raise. He took a moment to think Goose, Carole, that’s one hell of a kid you have there.
Looking down, he saw Hondo rushing forward and Bradley scrambling out of the jet. Maverick hopped down carefully a moment later, feeling the protest in his knees as he landed. He grinned widely as Hondo pulled him into a hug.
He nodded to Warlock and sent a salute to Cyclone – he was sure words would be said about his actions in the debrief later, but he wasn’t going to worry about that now – and he turned, seeing Bradley walking towards him.
“Captain Mitchell,” his godson yelled. “Sir,” Bradley said, staring at him with so many emotions on his previously-cold face.
Without thinking, he moved forward, needing to reassure himself that Bradley was okay. The tremble in his hands was back, and despite Bradley’s reassurance, he needed to see and feel that he was back in one piece. He pulled him into a hug, bringing his head down to tuck into his neck.
“Thank you for saving my life,” he said, trying to convey all of the emotions he was feeling as he stared at his godson. All of the gratitude, relief, love he felt.
Rooster stared at him, a small smile growing on his face. “It’s what my dad would have done,” he responded, his voice sounding choked up.
And there was that feeling again, that warm feeling on his shoulder. He could almost see Goose standing at Rooster’s side, staring down at the shorter pilot was a warm smile on his face, his blond hair glinting in the sunlight. He blinked and it was just Rooster staring down at him, his face warmer than it had been at any time in the previous two weeks.
He pulled Bradley into another hug, too choked up for words. He could see the love and forgiveness on Bradley’s face, and after nearly two decades of anger and avoidance, he had no words to convey the relief and happiness at having this small part of his family back. He wasn’t sure if he deserved this, the regrets that had occupied his mind for so long still circling in the back of his mind, but he also heard his wingman’s voice – let go.
And so he closed his eyes and hugged Bradley tighter.
In what seemed to be no time at all, the other pilots had gathered around them, pulling Rooster and Maverick into hugs of their own, each expressing their awe and happiness at seeing them again.
“So, how does it feel to be an ace, Captain?” Phoenix asked slyly, glancing over at Hangman briefly, whose eye twitched slightly.
Maverick laughed, belatedly realizing she was right. “To be honest, I have no idea yet,” he responded with a laugh. “Give me a minute to process everything and I’ll get back to you.”
Coyote walked over to them, slinging an arm over Maverick’s shoulder as he reached over to tap Hangman on the shoulder. “I don’t think he’ll stop until he can pull some of the same tricks as you, sir,” he said to Maverick with a laugh. Hangman punched him back, and Coyote jostled slightly, squeezing Maverick’s arm and upper back as he adjusted his stance.
Pain that he just thought was bruising from the ejection suddenly roared to life and Maverick gasped, hunching forward as fire roared down his back and side. He couldn’t hide his wince, and he saw Phoenix frown in concern and Hangman take a step forward, his smirk fading into panic.
“Captain Mitchell, what’s wrong?” he asked, crouching down slightly.
“Ribs, I think,” Maverick gasped, finding it suddenly difficult to take a full breath. He fought the urge to sink to the ground, hands coming up in a primal urge to protect his side.
Phoenix stared at him for a moment before standing up straight, cupping her hands around her mouth and yelling “Medic! We need a medic!” The people around them turned, and seeing Maverick hunched over with Coyote helping keep him upright, also began yelling for help.
Rooster spun around from where he had been speaking to Bob. His eyes went wide and his face paled before he rushed over. “What’s wrong?” he asked frantically, hands hovering over his godfather. Mav just shook his head, focusing on staying conscious. The pain was spreading and making it difficult to breathe and spots were beginning to dot his vision.
“He said something’s wrong with his ribs,” Coyote told Rooster, still supporting the captain. Rooster glanced up at him before looking back at Mav, who had gone pale and was starting to sway. Before he could say anything a team of medics rushed over.
“Help us get him onto the stretcher,” one corpsman said after taking one look at Maverick. “We need to get him to medical before he passes out.”
Coyote, Rooster, and Hangman each sprung into action, carefully guiding Maverick onto the stretcher, making Maverick grunt in pain as he was laid flat. The corpsmen lifted it and prepared to move to the infirmary.
Before they could move, Maverick’s hand shot out, grabbing Rooster’s wrist. “Bradley,” he gasped out. Rooster glanced at the corpsmen before hunching over.
“Mav, they need to get you to medical,” he said, his brow furrowed in worry as he looked down at his godfather, who had paled further and had sweat across his brow. But Maverick needed to get this out before he was taken away, before the darkness at the edge of his vision enveloped him.
“Bradley…so proud of you,” he gasped before his eyes rolled back, finally losing his fight to stay awake.
“We’re moving now,” one of the medics said, prompting the corpsmen to quickly move below deck. Bradley was frozen in place, silently watching Maverick being taken away.
“Rooster?” Phoenix asked carefully, stepping forward and tapping his shoulder.
He startled, and looked down at her with glassy eyes. “I…he said…”
Phoenix’s eyes widened in alarm as tears began to run down Rooster’s face. “Rooster,” she said, stepping forward and pulling him down into a hug as he broke down.
A faint beeping was all he heard as awareness began to return, slow and rhythmic. The sound was familiar, evoking memories of pain and the smell of disinfectant. A smell which was present all around him now, unless he was actually in a memory?
With more effort than seemed normal, he opened his eyes, blinking slowly at the fuzzy dim light above him. After a moment, things seemed to focus, and he realized he was staring at an off-white ceiling, the lights on the wall giving the room a faint glow. Another deep breath confirmed the smell he first noticed – he was in some kind of medical facility.
He lazily turned his head to the side and blinked, seeing someone in the chair beside his bed. Another blink and he realized it was Bradley, sound asleep and neck tilted awkwardly to the side. From experience, Maverick knew it would hurt him when he woke up.
He looked around the room some more, noticing the monitor hooked to his finger and other tubes attached to his elbow. Distantly he was aware that he should have felt a pinch, felt something, but any sensation seemed distant. Mostly he just felt warm and soft.
“Hey,” he rasped, trying to lift his hand towards Bradley. He tried to swallow at the dryness in his throat before a cough involuntarily came out. Some of the softness seemed to fade away and he became aware of an ache in his side, but he didn’t feel pain yet.
At his cough Bradley started, wincing as he straightened up and looked at Maverick.
“Mav!” he exclaimed, leaning forward to grab his hand. “Hey, how are you feeling?”
Maverick looked at him for a moment, still feeling his throat spasming. Another cough forced its way out, increasing his awareness of the ache in his side.
“Oh, crap,” Bradley said, leaning out of Maverick’s sight for a moment before returning with a small cup with a straw in it. “Here, small sips,” he warned, bringing the straw to Maverick’s lips and helping to lift his head up.
The water was a cooling balm to his dry throat, soothing the urge to cough. He took a few sips before leaning back into Bradley’s hand, exhausted. Bradley gently leaned his head back so it was on top of the pillow again.
“What’s the damage?” he rasped, looking at his godson.
Bradley looked at him for a moment, and it struck Maverick suddenly how red his eyes were. Worry began to crest, but Bradley began to answer his question before it could explode out of him.
“You broke a couple of ribs on your left side,” Bradley started, taking Maverick’s hand in both of his own, gripping it like an anchor. “One of them lacerated your spleen, it was causing you to bleed internally. They had to open you up to fix it.”
Oh. Well that certainly wasn’t what he was expecting to hear. “How long?” he asked, feeling exhaustion start to pull him down. But he couldn’t leave Bradley like this, not when his kid was so obviously struggling to hold it together, fidgeting with his hand.
“We landed on the boat about 24 hours ago,” Rooster told him. “They took you into surgery almost immediately, they had you for just over six hours back there.”
Maverick swallowed, imagining the panic Bradley must have been feeling. Unbidden, he remembered how Rooster sounded in the cockpit, that final, pleading “Mav.”
“How are you doing?” Maverick asked, suddenly desperate to know he was okay, that the only thing that had gone wrong was him.
Bradley let out a wet laugh, leaning back in his chair. “I’m fine,” he said. At Maverick’s look he rolled his eyes. “I am. A few bruises from the harness but that’s it.”
“Good,” Maverick breathed out in relief. “That’s good.”
Bradley sniffed once, looking away for a moment. “Mav,” he started, looking at the bed. “I don’t know what I would have done if you – if you didn’t—”
“Hey, hey,” Mav said, reaching for Bradley as his godson began to cry. “It’s okay, we’re okay.” He winced as he tried to sit up, but his discomfort was a distant thought to Bradley’s obvious distress. He pulled Bradley into a hug, relishing the closeness of the child he had lost for so long. Bradley clung to him, crying with the same soft whimpers he had as a child, calling out to Maverick or Carole after a nightmare. He ran his hand through his godson’s curls, making soft noises in an attempt to comfort him.
“Wait, Mav, your side,” Bradley protested after a minute, trying to pull back with a sniff. Mav just gripped him tighter, and Bradley relaxed into his hold with a huff. “You haven’t changed a bit, old man,” he muttered.
“Just give me a moment, kid,” he responded. “I really thought…I didn’t think we’d – ” he cut off, feeling tears well in his own eyes. He pulled back then, clearing his throat. His next words slipped out without conscious thought. “I already broke my promise enough.”
Bradley pulled back sharply, leaning back into his chair. His eyes were sharp on Maverick. “Promise?”
Maverick’s eyes widened when he realized what he said. He swallowed roughly and winced as he leaned back into the pillows, feeling whatever energy he had drain out of him.
“I promised your mother I’d keep you safe,” he hedged, looking carefully at Bradley.
Bradley leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees as he looked seriously at his godfather. “Safe from what, exactly.”
Maverick shifted on the bed, wincing as his muscles pulled on his side, his eyes finding the ceiling. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Bradley. The fight from all those years ago was echoing in his mind, “I hate you, never speak to me again, you killed my father and now you killed my dreams.” He couldn’t let that anger, that hatred, be directed to Carole.
“Hey,” Bradley said, some heat in his tone now. “You don’t get to brush this aside. Not when its my life. What did you do?”
Maverick continued to stare at the ceiling, but after a moment, he sighed. The kid had a point. Maverick had gotten fifteen years of silence for making decisions for him.
“You have to understand,” he started, keeping his eyes on a brown spot above him. “Your mom loved you so much. She would have done anything for you, anything to keep you happy and safe. And at the end…well, she knew she wouldn’t be there for you anymore. Wouldn’t get to see you grow up, finish school, become the great man she raised you to be.” He glanced over at Bradley to see that his eyes had grown distant, focused on the bed. “She wanted to make sure I’d be around, do for you what she would have done. When she was in the hospital, we – we had a lot of conversations, and she made me make a lot of promises.”
“Like what, Mav?” Bradley asked, raising his eyes to Maverick’s.
Maverick swallowed roughly. “Stuff I mostly would have done anyway. To be there for you, support you, make sure you were taken care of. I never would have left you alone, not then, but she wanted me to promise. But I couldn’t say no to her, not then.”
“And you don’t break your promises,” Bradley murmured softly.
Maverick shook his head slightly. “Not if I can’t help it.”
“Let me get this straight,” Bradley started, leaning forward again. “Mom was in the hospital, and made you promise to take care of me. Something you were already doing. Is that the promise you’re talking about? The only one?”
Maverick closed his eyes. “No, kid. She made me promise you wouldn’t fly.”
He heard Bradley inhale sharply, but he couldn’t look at him. He had just broken the promise he made to himself, to protect Carole’s memory. But it wasn’t a fair promise, was it? All it had done was hurt them. Let go. How he wished Iceman could be here, talk some sense into both of them with his calm sincerity.
He jumped slightly when he felt Bradley grip his hand tightly. “Mav, look at me, please.” Maverick turned his head and looked. Bradley was staring at him, tears in his eyes. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
Maverick let out a humorless laugh. “I couldn’t let you hate your mom kid. She didn’t deserve that, and neither did you.”
“But neither did you,” Bradley said softly, his voice cracking. “Hell Mav, I was awful to you. The things I said…they were horrible.”
“No, no,” Mav said, shaking his head. “Bradley, you had every right to be angry. It was all you ever wanted.”
Bradley released Maverick’s hand, covering his face for a moment. When he lowered his hand, it struck Maverick suddenly how old he was. There were still traces of the kid he watched grow up, traces of Goose and Carole, but here was Bradley, a grown man. And he had gotten here all on his own. Tears prickled Maverick’s eyes, making the serious look on Bradley’s face fade away into alarm.
“What, what’s wrong?” Bradley demanded as he stood to lean over Maverick, glancing at the monitor next to the bed.
“I’m just so proud of you,” Maverick choked out. “Look at you. All grown up, and you got here all by yourself.” Bradley sat back down heavily.
“Mav,” Bradley choked out. “I was so scared when they took you away. You said you were proud of me and then you were gone. I can’t do that again.”
Maverick sniffed, his heart panging at the pain in the kid’s voice. “I’m sorry.”
Bradley shook his head sharply. “No, no, don’t be sorry. But this has all made me realize how dumb I was. I cut you out of my life, even after I got my wings, even when I made it to Top Gun. I got all your letters, and there were so many times I almost reached out, and I just couldn’t take that step.”
“I kept an eye on you from a distance,” Maverick admitted wryly. “You’ve done a ton of impressive stuff, kid.”
Bradley gave him a small smile. “Well, I think it’s my turn to watch out for you, old man. Someone's going to have to make sure you don't overdo it.”
Maverick gave him an answering grin. “Have you ever seen a Mustang, kid?”