Chapter Text
2008
February
-
“Ms Taylor!”
Dee paused on her heel, waiting for the senior partner to continue what they were going to say. When they didn’t continue, she slowly turned toward her.
“Ma’am?”
“I understand you requested leave as your boyfriend has his flight school graduation in California tomorrow. Is that correct?”
“Yes ma’am.”
The woman smiled, approaching Dee. As much as Dee was suspicious, she was also curious, and. Well. Desperate.
“Consider it approved and fully paid.”
“I- uh... ma’am?”
“My father was in the Navy, and I understand the importance of that ceremony. Please, be with him. You have worked for us for almost two years and not once have you asked for time off, even taking into consideration the fact that annual leave is required.”
“I’ve been saving it up...”
Dee held her files to her chest.
“Thank you.”
“Take the rest of today, make sure you get to California on time.”
To her surprise, tears sprang to Dee’s eyes and she reached up to swipe them away frantically. The last thing she ever wanted to do was cry at work, especially in front of her boss. The raise of an eyebrow told her she was dismissed, and she spun on her heel back to her desk to grab her shit. She reached for her phone to text Bradley and paused. Considered it. He’d been surprisingly good about her leave request to go with him being denied, and now there was no one to tap him out. She had no idea what that meant but apparently it was important to him. Natasha had joked that if push came to shove, she’d do it.
Gathering her keys, Dee grabbed her work bag and barrelled out the door. She had to pack and catch a flight that would give her enough time to find a hotel room in daylight hours.
There was one person she could call, though.
“Hey, Nat. I need to ask a favour.”
-
“Lieutenant Junior Grade Bradley Bradshaw.”
Bradley stood to the crowd, head down as he made his way over to his CO. They shook hands and he managed a smile for the photo, waiting for the moment he could go back to sit down. This was usually the point where he would be tapped out. He hoped and prayed none of the uncles had decided to show up; this was exactly the kind of thing- the kind of thing- the kind of-
“Hi, baby.”
His head snapped up at the soft hands on his arms, the familiar perfume, the smaller frame of the person in front of him.
“Dee?”
“Are you ready, Lieutenant Junior Grade Bradshaw?”
“How did you-“
“-ask me later, yeah?”
His arms circled around her waist and she leaned into him, sighing.
“I missed you.”
“Missed you too.”
They’d been separated for about three months, and Bradley wanted to hold her just a little longer, but he heard his CO awkwardly clear his throat and they separated. Dee squeezed his hand, stepping back.
“I’ll see you later, Lieutenant Junior Grade,” she whispered to him. As she walked off the stage Bradley watched after her, trying to snap back into his Navy mindset. Eventually his CO reached over to touch his shoulder.
“Why don’t you go, son, unless you’d like to stay for the rest of the ceremony?”
“Thank you, sir. Thank you.”
-
“Dee, what the fuck?!”
“Ah, Seresin, I’m glad to see you too.”
Dee patted his cheek, sending him a look in passing. Bradley was off on the other side of the bar, talking to the bartender. He was leaning on the edge, beer in hand, wearing the biggest grin on his face that Dee had seen in a while. Dee politely excused herself from the conversation around her, making her way over to stand by his side. Bradley glanced down at her and extended an arm, gently pulling her into his side.
“Penny, this is my girlfriend, Dee. Dee, this is Penny Benjamin.”
“Hey, Penny. Nice to meet you.”
Dee sent her boyfriend a look and he sent her one right back, a subtle shake of his head told her she could ask later. Penny cleared her throat, reaching over to squeeze Bradley’s arm affectionately.
“It was good to see you, Bradley. I was worried about you when you took off, almost called to make sure you were okay.”
“Well, here I am, okay. How’s Amelia?” he replied. Dee snorted and Penny rolled her eyes. It looked like she had seen him do this a million times and Dee was even more curious than before. Instinctively her fingers tangled in one of the belt loops of his jeans, leaning into his chest. He passed her his beer, as usual, and she took a sip, as usual. Immediately, the grimace crossed her face and she nearly spat it out, handing it back to him.
“When did you start drinking that light shit? Ugh, B, disgusting-“
“-gather ‘round, everyone! It’s time for callsigns! Bradshaw, leave the whore behind, we’ve got important shit to do.”
That was one of the new Lieutenant Junior Grade’s that Dee wasn’t super familiar with- one that Bradley didn’t spend a lot of time with or talk about.
“Shut the fuck up man, that’s his girlfriend!”
And that was Javy, succinct as always. Dee felt Bradley’s hand tighten on her waist and she glanced up at him when he moved to stop the guy who had insulted her from being able to look at her.
“Hey, what’s with the protective caveman approach? It’s hot and all but I’m fine. He’s an ass, it’s whatever.”
He snapped out of it, eyes soft as he gently led her over to where the rest of the crowd were gathering in front of a whiteboard.
“Bradshaw! Perfect timing; as the only one of us who’s stupid enough to get tied down by a woman-“
Bradley’s hand grasped Dee’s, effectively stopping her from going lawyer on this guy.
“-we think you should go first! But first; a little about our man Bradshaw.”
The other man stood on top of the bar and immediately Penny rang the bell earning cheers and clapping. Dee leaned up to get her boyfriend’s attention, whispering in his ear.
“What’s up with the bell?”
“You disrespect the Navy, a lady or put your cell on the bar and you buy a round,” he explained with that grin, the one that told Dee she was dating a shithead of a man. She wouldn’t have it any other way
“Disrespect me and I’ll put my foot up your ass,” she replied evenly.
“-and now he flies slow as hell but you know what they say; slow and steady wins the race!”
“At least I’m not a two pump chump,” Bradley snapped, irritation now clear in his face. Dee watched the other man’s expression change, surprised with a hint of offended. Jake, on the other side of the crowd, cleared his throat.
“Duck,” he suggested, “the fact he always avoids a challenge in the air...”
Bradley looked to Dee in alarm. No one but Dee knew that his father had been in the Navy, let alone his callsign.
“I like the idea of bird-related names, but Duck is too soft. Bradley here is 6 feet of sass and ‘stache,” Natasha piped up. Dee laughed, but then she had an idea.
“Rooster!” She called out. The rest of the crowd immediately started making lewd comments but she waved them off.
“That too,” she teased, before turning to her boyfriend with a soft smile.
“It’s the- it’s the way he tilts his head, when he’s belting out some outdated hit on the piano, and the- god, the way he can be such a dad sometimes.”
“What about Dove? ‘Cos he’s sensitive-“
“-Harries I swear to god, I will put you six feet under,” Natasha snapped. Dee was already stepping forward but Bradley’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned, an eyebrow raised.
“That doesn’t make your blood boil, but him calling me a whore does?”
“It’s not right.”
“You and I know that, but it’s not worth responding because he’s a man in his mid-twenties that doesn’t have manners. How far is that going to get him?”
“Alright, Jake, your turn,” Natasha called into the crowd, holding up her beer. Immediately she wrote Slayer on the whiteboard that had been wheeled into the bar earlier. Jake frowned, but she held up a finger.
“I asked the Admirals, they said Dickhead and Asswipe were taken.”
The crowd roared with laughter and Jake rolled his eyes.
“Alright, Tash, that was straight up rude. What about you, huh?”
“Hangman,” Bradley called out, “because every damn time I need him, he leaves me hanging.”
Silence. Then, Natasha nodded.
“I like it, it’s catchy.”
“I don’t always leave you hanging, Rooster, sometimes you’re too slow to keep up,” Jake complained. Dee sighed, facepalming while Bradley clinked his beer against Jake’s.
“Alright, we’ve got Hangman and Rooster. Trace, you’re up!”
-
Despite the knowledge that she was on vacation time and had maybe had a little much to drink the night before, Dee was up with the sun the next morning as usual. Bradley was officially on a short break, so he was sleeping off his hangover in their hotel bed. Dee had picked up her book and decided to read until she was tired again, however when she realised the sun was streaming through the blinds she glanced first at her watch, and then at the clock above the desk in the living area to double check the time. Neither she nor Bradley tended to sleep more than six consecutive hours, and Bradley tended to sleep even less consecutively between his deployments and whatever was going on in his head. They’d gone to bed around one am, and it was nearing ten. She was starting to get worried and put down her book, crossing from the living room to grab a fresh cup of coffee then head into the dark bedroom. The scent of coffee was potentially the only thing to wake her boyfriend when he was in a deep sleep but he didn’t even move, passed out on his stomach with one arm under his pillow. Dee put the coffee cup on the bedside table, taking a seat at the end. She gently nudged his leg, keeping a safe distance. She’d done her reading, she knew he would never hurt her intentionally but sometimes things got crossed in a soldier’s mind. Bradley had never shown signs of PTSD related to his deployment but she still tried to be gentle. He groaned, slowly exhaling against his pillow, and winced. Dee smiled.
“How are you feeling?”
“The room isn’t actually spinning, is it?”
“No, honey.”
“Shit.”
Bradley scrubbed at his face, glancing up at Dee with a gentle smile.
“Good morning, baby.”
“I’d say good morning but it’s nearly good afternoon.”
“The room is spinning and I’m nauseous.”
“I have coffee.”
“The room is still spinning and I’m still nauseous... pass it over.”
Bradley managed to sit up and Dee passed him the coffee, rolling her eyes as he very tentatively sipped it. Running her hand over his knee, Dee shifted to curl up against him, head on his shoulder. Bradley put the cup of coffee down and kissed her hair, reaching for her hand.
“Hey, I don’t know if I said it yesterday; thanks for coming.”
Dee snorted, standing from the bed.
“I think that might be the first time a man has thanked me for coming.”
She reached for the robe on the bathroom door, tossing it over her shoulder.
“Is the room still spinning? How’s that nausea?”
Bradley was already moving, kicking off the blankets and following her into the bathroom.
-
April
“Hey, mom.”
“Hi honey, how is everything?”
Dee smiled, phone held to her ear by her shoulder as she walked around the grocery store. She was only meant to be grabbing things for dinner but the grocery store run was mildly therapeutic for her, it helped her to decompress before she went home. Bradley was on deployment... again. As much as she’d signed up to and agreed to this life, a part of her wished he was one of those boyfriends who got home before her every night and would try to make dinner so that when she dragged her ass in the door the house was warm and inviting.
“Uh, y’know, it’s been good. Busy.”
“When is Bradley due home?”
“Uh, hopefully in the next couple weeks or so. He managed to get a call through last week and it was only a couple of minutes before he passed out, so it must be a big one.”
As Dee walked around the grocery store she fell into easy conversation with her mother, glad for their healthy relationship despite having five other kids to think about. She passed the toiletries aisle and paused, back tracking when she realised she needed pads as she’d run out on her last period.
“So, I was thinking, when Bradley gets home maybe you two could come and visit.”
Dee smiled, tossing her usual brand of essentials into the cart before collecting toothpaste and mouthwash, adding them as well.
“Mom, c’mon, you know Bradley and I-“
“-honey. It’s been two years and we haven’t met Bradley yet... have you seen his government-issued ID?”
“Oh my god, mom! He’s literally in the Navy,” Dee groaned, but she was grinning as she tossed one last item from that aisle into the cart and moved on. She was starving, so it was time to find the snacks.
“He’s been really busy, and I don’t want to push the big family thing on to him. I told you before, he’s... he hasn’t got a lot of family.”
“I know, and that’s why you should bring him to us!”
“You can’t just replace those he lost, it doesn’t work like that. You of all people should know that.”
Chips, chips, chips... chocolate. Shit, did Bradley ask for deodorant on their last call?
“I do know that, but maybe having people around him would be nice.”
Dee sighed.
“Yeah, you’re right. I just- I’m worried, y’know? He’s... he’s really special, and the last thing I want to do is overwhelm him.”
“Deanne. That just means you care about him. It’s a good thing to care, but at the end of the day he can make those decisions.”
“And what if he decides it’s all too much, mom? It’s a little late for him to- to-oh, shit!“
Speaking of late.
-
Sneaking into the house, Bradley quickly hid his boots in the pile of shoes by the front door and tossed his duffle bag into the hallway closet, beelining for the kitchen. Dee’s premade lunches were on one side of the fridge but there were always leftovers from dinner and he was quick to locate them, glancing toward the door to double check her car wasn’t pulling in. While he ate, he wondered how he was going to surprise her. It had been a shock to him just as much as the others on his deployment when they’d been given early leave home, a full month off to rest, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He made quick work of rinsing the dishes and loading the dishwasher, smiling when he heard the front door open. Dee was quiet, moving through the hallway as she tossed her keys and phone on the counter near their shoe rack. As she approached the kitchen Bradley moved, standing by the island.
“Hey, baby, what are you feeling for dinner?”
“I was thinking steak, but I have to- wait.”
Dee back tracked from where she’d gone into the living room, dumping her work bag. Bradley opened his arms and Dee fell into them. He felt her shoulders relax and the slow exhale she gave against his chest, slowing her breathing.
“Are you okay?” He asked, running his hand over her back.
“Very glad to see you,” she murmured. When they pulled away they shared a gentle kiss and Bradley could see that there was something else going on. Dee was never secretive, not with him, and the lawyer in her went to the back of her mind the second she walked in the door. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, gesturing to the front door.
“I forgot; I got groceries on the way home. Could you bring them in for me?”
“Of course,” he agreed automatically. Her hand softly squeezed his arm, and then she disappeared upstairs. He frowned but took it for what it was, she was probably stressed about work. With her car keys in hand, Bradley went to grab the groceries from the car.
-
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?”
“Your fear of flying despite your career choice.”
Bradley glanced to Dee, a frown crossing his features.
“I’m not scared of flying, Dee, I’m just scared of flying commercial. Give me the controls and I’ll do a backflip in this baby.”
“God I hope not,” Dee smiled. She held out a hand, Bradley linking their fingers together.
“New plan; let’s be scared shitless together.”
“Is that such a good idea?”
“Why not, right?”
They made sure their seatbelts were buckled as the airline staff made their rounds, Bradley turning to Dee.
“Do you want to talk about whatever’s going on in your head or do you want to nap?”
“Right now, I want to eat. God, I’m starving.”
“You just ate breakfast, like, an hour ago.”
“Are you being an asshole?”
Bradley promptly shut his mouth and decided to cut his losses. Dee sighed, giving his hand a squeeze.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. The hostesses will be coming around with food soon, can you hold out until then?”
Dee nodded slowly, detaching herself to prepare for take off. When she glanced over at Bradley again she stifled a snort, patting his cheek affectionately.
“Think of it this way; this is the scary part. After this we’ll be fine.”
“Speak for yourself, I still have to meet your parents... and your siblings. Did you say all five of them are going to be there?”
“Yep. It’s going to be a full house.”
“Oh damn, I’m nervous now.”
“Don’t be; they’re going to love you. I’m more worried about you running for the hills.”
Bradley frowned, feeling the commercial jet move to take off position. He grasped Dee’s hand and the amusement on her face was clear as she squeezed his hand.
“Take a couple deep breaths, you’re fine.”
-
Standing at Dee’s parents’ front door, Bradley wondered if he really could make it through the week. Dee was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement for him to finally meet her parents but a part of him was dreading it.
“Dee! Welcome home!”
Dee’s mom opened the door, throwing her arms around her daughter immediately. Dee grinned, letting go of Bradley’s hand to hug her mother tightly. When they pulled away her father had appeared and he received a hug too, then her siblings started to show from various locations inside. Dee was immediately swept in by her family but at the last second she reached for him, pulling him in with her.
“Everyone, this is Bradley!”
“Holy shit, you are real!”
One of Dee’s brothers shook his hand, clasping his shoulder with a grin. Bradley looked between the busy family, and to his surprise he felt the overwhelming anxiety regarding the situation starting to fade.
“Give him some space, kids, let’s go and sit down.”
Dee’s mother waved everyone off, gesturing further down the small hallway. Dee took Bradley’s hand, pulling him along with the rest of them. They went into the living area and Dee sighed, glancing around.
“Okay, introductions. Bradley you just met my older brother Josh, then we have Jeremy, Meghan, Aaron and Desiree.”
It was clear Desiree was the youngest Taylor daughter, and when Bradley smiled at her she blushed and giggled. He looked to Dee in alarm but she waved her hand at him. They took a seat on one of the couches and Dee’s middle sister Meghan cleared her throat.
“Bradley, I’m not going to lie- we had our doubts.”
“Thanks, Meg, I really appreciate that,” Dee huffed. Bradley squeezed her hand.
“Well the good news is I am real.”
“Tell us about yourself,” Dee’s father said. From there, the conversation felt a lot more natural and the group waited on his every word. Dee was surprised at how easily he fit into her large, borderline-crazy family, but maybe the pep talk she’d given her mother recently had worked.
-
“Alright, I think it’s time.”
“I mean, sure, if you want- wait... are we talking the same thing?”
Rooster had kicked off his sneakers, sitting on the end of the hotel bed while Dee scrambled out of her jeans to put on a more comfortable pair of sweatpants. Rooster reached for her, pulling her into his arms.
“Time for what?” He whispered. She squeezed his arm, standing to lean on the desk.
“Do you want me to just say it?”
“Do you... want to just say it?”
Rooster passed over his sweatshirt when Dee reached for it, getting changed after a full day with her family. They’d decided to stay in a hotel instead of her childhood bedroom considering it was still occupied by her younger sister who only had a bunk bed, which gave Dee a moment of peace to tell Bradley what was going on.
“Honey; you’re making me nervous. Is everything okay?”
The nervous glint in her eyes cleared and she put her hands on his shoulders, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips.
“Yeah, no, I’m sorry; everything is fine. Well; I mean. I am a little annoyed.”
“What? Why? Did I do something?”
Bradley went to pull away but Dee kept her hands where they were.
“Unless we get married in the next couple months, our baby’s going to get your last name before I do.”
Silence. A pregnant pause. Dee watched the cogs turn in his brain for a moment. Then, his eyes lit up and he grinned.
“You’re serious?”
“As a baby in my uterus. That’s what happens when you’re not trying but you’re not not trying, according to the four pregnancy tests I took right before we left. Laugh at me later.”
Bradley smiled, reaching up to give her a kiss as his hand softly covered her stomach.
“Easy, it’s a food baby right now. My mom knows how to make a big family dinner,” Dee laughed.
“You’re really pregnant?”
“Yeah, honey, I’m really pregnant.”
Dee kept her fingers tangled in his curls, gently rubbing her thumb over the back of his neck. Finally, Bradley snorted, and he pulled Dee into his side a little tighter.
“Is now the wrong time to say it was a lot of fun trying-“
“-this is a nice moment. Let's not ruin it."
-