Sunshine (Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x OC)

Chapter 15

"Rooster, you just did an incredibly brave thing. What you should have done was land your plane." Stinger began his scolding after the door had been shut behind us. "You don't own that plane, the taxpayers do. Son, your ego is writing cheques your body can't cash. You've been busted. You lost your qualifications as section leader three times. Put in hack twice by me. With a history of high-speed passes over five air-control towers." He continued to calmly yet sternly adress Roosters mistakes. "And you, assholes. You're lucky to be here." He stood and moved around the desk to stand behind us.

"Thank you, sir." I said, facing forward still at attention.

"And let's not bullshit, Rooster, your dads pals name ain't the best in the Navy. You need to be doing it better and cleaner than the other guy. Now, what is it with you?" Stinger asked, moving in front of Rooster as I furrowed my eyebrows slightly not knowing who they were talking about even after two years of flying alongside Rooster.

"Just wanna serve my country, be the best fighter pilot in the Navy, sir!"

"Don't screw around with me, Rooster. You're a hell of an instinctive pilot. Maybe too good." He pointed harshly at Rooster chest. "I'd like to bust your butt, but I can't. I got another problem here. I gotta send somebody from this squadron to Miramar." He continued to rant to us both as we shot him a quick glance. "I gotta do something here. I still can't believe it. I gotta give you your dream shot. I'm gonna send you up against the best. You two characters are going to Top Gun." he told us and my eyes went wide in shock while Rooster stayed calm.

"For five weeks, you're gonna fly against the best fighter pilots in the world. You were number two, Yankee was number one. Yankee lost it, turned in his wings. You guys are number one." He pointed to us both as we tried to hide the pride in our faces. "But you remember one thing. You screw up just this much, you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong." he got up in Roosters face.

"Yes, sir!" Roster replied.

"That is all for you." He told Rooster. "You can tell me about the MiG some other time." He added while Rooster walked towards the door and I stayed in place, not having been dismissed. "Good luck, lieutenants." He told us both.

"Thank you, sir."

"Thank you." Rooster paused in the doorway, waiting for me when Stinger looked back to him.

"I need to speak to Danvers alone for a moment, she will meet you outside" Stinger said calmly with no harshness in his tone, causing a shiver to come over me in fear of what he could want. Rooster glanced over to me to check that I was okay before nodding and walking out to wait in the hallway for me. "At ease, Danvers" Stinger told me and I released a breath, relaxing slightly in front of my superior.

"I regret to inform you that former Naval communications officer, Mary Danvers has passed away" he reported to me, trying to keep things formal while also understanding that I was a human too who had just lost her mother.

"What?" I gasped out as I stumbled back slightly.

"Your father has requested that you return home and retire from the Navy" he continued.

"No" I shook my head as all of my emotions began to bubble to the surface.

"I'm not finished" Stinger said before continuing. "It is your choice, but I know that you are too good of a WSO to sit on the sidelines and that Rooster will need you. Go to Top Gun and be the best of the best" he told me simply. "You are dismissed"

I had walked into the hallway, closing the door behind me as I was still in shock at the news I had been given.

"Sunshine, is everything alright?" Rooster worried as he took in my expression. I shook my head as tears started falling, unable to get the words out through my choked sobs. Rooster pulled me close for a hug, rubbing a hand up and down my back comfortingly as he grew concern with what I had been told.