No matter what let it be known that dagger squadron is in fact not oblivious. Well, they are not always oblivious.  They do have their moments though, however this, was not one of those moments.

"So, everyone else has seen the ring on Mavericks dog tags, correct?" Payback asked.

"Yes, and yet we have had no mention of it is." Hangman rolled his eyes at the fact this conversation was starting again. They had been theorizing since they first saw the ring.

"Obviously, it has to be Penny. I mean you guys saw him flirting up a storm with her our first night at the hard deck. How else could he have gotten permission for us to use the beach for football yesterday?" Fanboy asked aloud.

"No, that was more," Phoenix paused for a moment trying to find the right word, "Familiar banter. They've obviously known each other for years, but they are not married. More like long term friends."

Rooster just sat in the corner shaking his head. For he had all the answers, but absolutely no will to give them.

---

The next day was the day everything took a turn for the worse.

Jake stared at the radio from the ground helpless hearing Maverick yelling at his best friend trying to pull him out of G-Lock.

"Come on Javy." He muttered under his breath.

A weight was lifted off his shoulders as soon as he heard Javy say he was okay, and Maverick also took a breath.

Only for the next tragedy to occur.

"Bird strike!" Maverick yelled out over the comms.

This time it was Bradley's turn to freeze and stare at the radio begging anything and everyone that his best friend would be okay as Phoenix spoke everything she was doing. While Maverick told her to eject.

Though even when Maverick announced he saw the two parachutes, he did not let the tension go.

He knew better than most anyone that a chute didn't mean much. Especially after Top Gun in '86.

Until he heard confirmation from Phoenix, he wasn't believing anything.

"Rooster, there were two chutes." Hangman tried to pull him out of his stupor, only still in the room because he was waiting on Coyote to get back.

"Chutes mean nothing Hangman. I'll believe it when I see them with my own two eyes."

Jake nodded, knowing what they had been told in flight school. Before heading out to the tarmac to wait on Coyote.

Rooster knew he wasn't going to get info from anyone, not until the copter was back from picking them up and probably not until medical had checked them out.

So he sat in the rec room until he heard otherwise. Someone with information would eventually make it in here, and he didn't want to miss that info.

Eventually, news did make his way, just not in the carrier he would have wished for.

"They'll keep Phoenix and Bob in the hospital overnight for observation," Maverick broke the silence, "They're gonna be okay."

"That's good," Bradley took a deep breath, "I've never lost a wingman."

"You're lucky. Fly long enough, it'll happen. There will be others."

"Easy for you to say. No family. No kids. Nobody to mourn you when you burn in other than Ice. All you've got left in your life is on man."

"Go home. Just get some sleep."

"Why'd you pull my papers at the academy?" Rooster suddenly moved, having remained mostly still, "Why did you stand in my way!"

"You weren't ready." Maverick said softly, the day Bradley left flowing through his mind.

"Ready for what? Huh? Ready to fly like you?"

"No. Ready to forget the book. Trust your instincts. Don't think, just do." Maverick shook his head, "You think up there, you're dead, believe me."

"My dad believed in you. I'm not gonna make the same mistake." Rooster said putting all the venom he could in that one bite. He knew what words would hurt the most and he was willing to use them.

Before Maverick could say another word Bradley stormed out the door, just like he had all those years ago.

Maverick leaned against the wall and slid downwards til he was sitting on the floor with his knees pulled close to his chest.

Flashes of the night Bradley left covering his sight before changing to his days with Goose. Until his line of sight was engulfed by memories, his mind unable to comprehend anything else.

All he could hear was Bradley's words on repeat, only broken up by the sound of Goose's neck hitting the canopy.

"Maverick." Another noise breaking through the sounds, but he kept fading back out.

Warlock had come to check on the captain after the insane day, and especially after seeing a fuming Rooster leave the room.

Realizing words would not get through to him, Warlock decided to pull the emergency card, one he really hoped he wouldn't have to use.

Seeing Maverick's phone sticking out of his pocket he gently grabbed it, only to realize there was a password on it. One Warlock did not know.

Shaking his head he pulled out his own phone and called Cyclone.

"Warlock?" Cyclone answered professionally though unsure what his co worker would be calling him for having seen him mere minutes ago.

"I need you to get medical to the rec room, and I need you to make another call..."

"Why do you need medical in the rec room?"

"Sir, Maverick is having a panic attack."

"No, we don't call medical-"

"But sir-"

"No, I was given special notes on who to call for this and we avoid medical."

"Understood sir, I'll stay with him."

Cyclone stared down at his phone for a moment, before taking a deep breath and pressing call on a contact he had only ever been called by.

"Admiral Kazansky." The voice on the other end answered.

"Sir this is Cyclone, your orders were to call you directly for anything concerning Mav-"

"Get to the point Admiral." Ice spoke coldly, he was not one for wasted time espeically when it came to the wellbeing of his husband.

"Sir, Maverick is experiencing a panic attack." Cyclone said bluntly realizing it was the best way to go.

"Is anyone with him?"

"Yes sir, Warlock."

"Understood, I will be calling Maverick's phone, have Warlock answer."

"Understood sir."

The phone made a click as it hung up as Cyclone then began texting Warlock the instructions.

---

The phone Warlock had pulled from Mavericks pocket mere minutes ago began ringing as a text from Cyclone came through with instructions.

Warlock answered immediately and was met by the face of the COMPACFLT.

"Sir"

"Thank you, please put the phone in Maverick's hand with the screen facing him and exit the room, wait just outside."

"Yes sir." 

"Mav, I need you to breath ok. Just breath." Ice spoke softly, but still loud enough to be heard through the phones speaker.

Maverick was slowly coming out of the attack, and that was being expedited from hearing Ice's voice.

"Mav, it's Ice, just breath, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, alright now breath out." Ice continued to talk him through breathing as his car took off towards Top Gun.

Ice watched at Mav slowly started to slow his breathing down to match the counts.

"Mav, I need you to start listing off things you can see." Ice saw the panic in Mavericks eyes as he went to speak.

"Hey, Mav, it's okay. Take a second. You aren't in the ocean or in a plane. You are on the ground in the rec room at Top Gun. I need you to keep breathing for me."

The panic began to subside from his eyes once more as he became more aware of his surroundings.

"Ice." Maverick choked out.

"Yea, it's me Mav," Ice nodded over the phone glancing up to see they were approaching the Top Gun building. "I will be there in just a few minutes ok, just keep breathing."

As soon as the car stopped in front of the entrance closest to the rec room Ice jumped out of the car and took off. A few people did a double take as the Commander of the Pacific Fleet ran through the building.

Warlock's eyes widened as he saw the admiral turn the corner. He opened the door as Ice nodded a look of thanks before entering. Slowing his speed as not to startle Maverick.

"Mav, hey, I'm here."

"Ice." Maverick said much more clearly this time.

"Hey, Mav, I've got you it's going to be okay. Just breath with me." Ice spoke softly tugging the other man against him. Maverick held on tight breathing in Ice's scent, mostly coming out of the panic.

"Alright, I need you to name five things you can see."

"You, the tarmac outside, the tables, a radio, umm..." Maverick paused for a moment.

"That's four, just one more Mav."

"The chairs."

"Good, alright, four things you can hear."

"Your voice," Mav smiled softly, just barely, for a second remember the time when they weren't sure they would ever hear it again. Ice smiled with him. "Your breathing, jets taking off, and people talking outside."

"Good, now name three things you can feel."

"Your heartbeat, your arms around me, and your presence."

"I'm not sure if the last one counts Mav, but I'll take it."

"Fine, if your being picky, the floor." Mav snarked back a bit making Ice smile, seeing him really coming out of the panic attack.

"Alright, two things you can smell."

"You and jet fuel."

"Good." Ice breathed out pulling Maverick back into a tight hug.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Ice asked softly.

"Not here. Tonight." Maverick promised.

"Alright, are you good to head back outside yet, or do you want to sit here for a few more minutes."

"Few more minutes. I haven't seen you since this morning." Mav smiled into Ice's neck.

"Yeah well, at least we get to see each other every morning and night right now. Might even be able to keep that up if you don't make another admiral mad."

"Yea well, if they would stop doing stupid stuff I would stop making them mad."

"Yeah I know, though not all of them are your fault some are their fault." Ice rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you know you had fun ruining Cain's fun."

"I did have fun with that one, you ejecting at mach 10.4 not so much."

"Details."

"Are you ready?"

"Ready? To let you go? Never. Can I go out now? Yes."

Ice nodded at the answer, pulling away just enough to give his wingman a kiss.

"You head out, send Warlock in. I'll talk to him then head back to my office. I'll see you at home tonight." Ice promised before releasing his husband from the hug. "I love you."

"I love you too." Maverick said as he went to leave before stopping, "Don't get mad until I tell you what happened at home ok. I just want to talk about it there, not here. I'm not trying to hide it. I promise."

"I believe you." Ice nodded watching as Maverick left and Warlock entered.

"Sir."

"Thank you for assisting. I expect your discretion on this matter."

"Yes sir." 

"Beside this, how has it been going, and don't give me the official wording."

"Maverick is a better teacher than he wants to say. The kids rally behind him. They recognize his skills and abilities, albeit they didn't at first. He definitely has an unorthodox method to teaching and life in general, but that just seems to be Maverick over all."

"Unorthodox is definitely a good way to describe him."

"But I think I understand why you were so insistent on him teaching this mission. I don't think anyone else could. Not with his expectation of them all making it home."

"That's part of why it needed to be him. His acceptable losses are always zero. If he doesn't believe they can execute the mission and make it back, then they never will."

"He believes in them, but I'm not sure they are ready to believe in themselves yet. He finally made them start becoming a team after his beach football stunt the other day, but none of them have successfully completed any part of the mission in the time allotted or the elevation."

"Then maybe he just has to show them..." Ice trailed off coming up with a plan to tell his wingman later that night.

"Sir, I don't want to overstep, but why were there orders not to contact medical?"

"It would have just freaked him out more. I know you are aware of what happened to his RIO during his time at Top Gun," Warlock nodded, "He was with him for medical after, and those moments as well as those once he made it to the medical bay are still ingrained in his memory. To be surrounded by that makes it harder for him to come out of the attack."

Warlock nodded in understanding knowing of others who had a serious distaste for hospitals after certain events.

"Off the record, how is he doing with Lt. Bradshaw?"

"Off record, I'm waiting on the bomb to go off. If it didn't already. In the sky Rooster finally flies as well as he could not being held back, until suddenly he goes back to his careful flying. He bounces between your style but slower and less instinctive and Mavericks in the sky. But not in an efficient way, rather he is too careful then too reckless. If he would just fly he would be fine, but he won't let go."

"Part of that is Maverick being here, and part of that is what has happened between the two in the past. Then Goose on top of all of that." Ice shook his head. "What do you mean if the bomb didn't go off already?

"I was walking here to check on Maverick after the events of the day, and as I was walking up I saw a fuming Rooster leaving."

Ice closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"So that's what set it off."

"That and a couple of other incidents."

"Incidents?"

"Coyote went into G-Lock on the last hop, and immediately after there was a bird strike, Phoenix and her WSO Bob were forced to eject. Everyone should be okay, but that doesn't make the day any easier."

"No it doesn't." Ice nodded taking in the information. "Thank you for you time admiral."

Ice went back into admiral mode and made his way back to his car then back to his office. Knowing he and Mav would have  a lot to talk about when they got home.

---

Dagger Group Chat

Fanboy
GUYS!!! 

Payback
What?

Fanboy
DID YALL HEAR WHO WAS ON BASE!?!?

Phoenix
I've been stuck at medical, who?

Fanboy
Admiral Kazansky! THE COMMANDER OF THE PACIFIC FLEET

Phoenix
I know who Admiral Kazansky! But why was he on base??

Bob
Well is kind of in charge of Top Gun and you know the whole Pacific Fleet and every naval base on this side of the country.

Fanboy
Yea, but apparently he was literally sprinting across base

Yale
Did they maybe call him in since we had two incidents today?

Fanboy
Why would they call him in? Seems like more of a report on his desk kind of thing, unless he was here to chew some people out. Do you think Maverick got in trouble?

Payback
It's not like either of the incidents were within our control. For heavens sake, one was a bird strike.

Rooster
Wait! When was Admiral Kazansky on base?

Fanboy
If the rumor mill is to be believed then about an hour or two after we everyone touched back down.

Phoenix
Well since I doubt we will get any further on this mystery tonight, I need to be entertained while stuck in medical all night, so anymore theories on who wears the ring to go with Mavericks?

Fanboy
To list out our list of ideas we have: Cyclone, Hondo, Penny, and Warlock.

Payback
I still think Cyclone is absolutely not it.

Bob
For all we know at this point we may not even know of this person at all

---

"Mav?" Ice called out as he walked in the front door of their home, locking the door as he hung his keys.

"Living room!" Maverick called back.

"Hey." Ice greeted pulling Maverick into a hug.

"Hey." Maverick sighed holding on tight to Ice.

"Food is already in the crock pot and ready for us. Then we are talking."

"I know, but I just want to stand here for one more minute."

Ice nodded pulling Mav even closer.

Mav took a deep breath before pulling away.

"Alright, I'm hungry and this food has been smelling amazing for the past 10 minutes I have been home, let's eat." Maverick announces.

Ice smiled following his wingman to the kitchen.

They sat down at their table and began eating, when Ice finally broke the silence.

"Maverick-"

"I know," Maverick cut Ice off. "I am trying to find the words."

"Don't worry about finding the perfect words, just get it out and clarify from there." Ice knew his mind was going faster than an f-18 being flown by Maverick and he just needed to start speaking. That was the trick, once he started talking he would figure it out.

"How much did Warlock tell you?"

"Not much, but I want to hear your side and version. He gave me basic facts, you will give me the info I actually need to know."

"We were on a Hop, the goal was practicing the targeting followed by coffin corner. Coyote went into G-Lock." Maverick paused, staring off in the distance.

"Mav..." Ice comforted reaching his hand to take the other mans.

"Just before he would have crashed I got tone on him and he snapped out of it. We leveled out. Everything should have been fine. Then there was a bird strike. I managed to maneuver away in time but Phoenix and Bob got caught in it," Maverick looked down sighing, "She did everything right, she was calling out every step of the way, but there was no saving the plane. It was gone. They ejected. There was two chutes. I saw the two chutes. You and I both know chutes don't mean anything, but they made it. Just a little bruised and shaken."

"Maverick," Ice said softly, "They made it out. You made it out. Everyone is fine."

"I know."

"There is more."

"Yea."

Maverick moved the food around on his plate, taking a few bites, before pushing away the now nearly empty plate.

Ice saw this for what it was, Mav wanted to delay the second part for a few minutes, and he did not want to have it at the kitchen table.

Ice was not a fool, it was not a coincidence that a fuming Bradley Bradshaw was seen just before Maverick was found. That was the reason Ice wasn't pushing the conversation yet.

Ice followed Maverick with his own empty plate. Rinsing them off before placing them in the dish washer.

He wrapped an arm around Maverick, who leaned into him, before guiding him to their couch.

Maverick curled into his side before he began to speak. Ice rubbing his hand up and down Maverick's arm.

"I knew Bradley was in the rec room. He and Phoenix are close. I knew he was waiting on an update. He knows just as we do that chutes don't mean all is well. I told him they would be kept overnight for observation, and it just escalated from there."

"Maverick, what did he say to you?"

"Told me no one other than you would mourn me when I burned it. Told me I had no kids."

"Mav..."

"He told me that his father trusted me, and that-that he wouldn't make the same mistake."

"Pete..." Ice's eyes widened, he pulled Maverick tight against his side. "He knows what buttons to press. He knows how to hurt you. Just as you know how to hurt him. That doesn't make anything he said right. Bradley is our kid. We helped raise him for most of his life, you even before me. Then after Carol we did raise him. He is your kid, no matter how mad he is. He may not want to say it out loud, but he would mourn you. If he wouldn't then he wouldn't care."

"Ice, if I put him on this mission I could actually lose him forever, but if I don't... I lose him anyway."

"Pete. You are a better teacher than you will probably ever realize. You have something that cannot be taught, you give a care about those kids. About their lives. You aren't just there to send them on a mission and be done with them, you want them to come out alive and better pilots. You will choose who is best for this mission, and that is all you can do. That is what you are there to do, you are training them to make it back from the mission. Not just to complete it as everyone else would do."

"They don't believe they can do it."

"Then show them."

"How?"

"I've known you a long time. You always manage to find a way, especially when no one else can."

The cogs in Mavericks brain started to turn.

"Ice, can you authorize and f-18 for me in the morning?"

"Is this you finding a way?"

"I think I already found the way, however it's less paperwork for you later if you authorize the f-18 rather than me just taking one."

"I do appreciate less paperwork considering how often you cause me to have more paper work."

"See, I'm improving."

Ice rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too."

---

Cyclone stood in front of the 12 pilots in the classroom, having no clue what to expect. All he knew was that Maverick wanted them all in the room.

That alone scared Cyclone.

Though maybe not as much as the f-18 authorization he had received for Maverick this morning, conveniently timed after he tried to ground maverick after his panic attack yesterday fearing he wouldn't be able to carry out the mission training much less fly. Maverick and his guardian angel. Honestly, if Cyclone didn't look up to and respect Iceman as much as he did he would call  him insane for putting up with Maverick at all. He didn't see how he did it. Much less why he put up with it. Though he understood it a lot more when he found out the worst kept secret in the navy was true and not just gossip and the wingmen were in fact together. Married at that. Further confirmed when Cyclone got Maverick's file for this mission.

Once again a mess to deal with since that file was filled to the brim.

The aviators were talking amongst themselves trying to figure out what crazy idea Maverick had for them today, and Cyclone couldn't blame them because he was curious too.

"Maverick to Range Control. Entering point Alpha. Confirm green range."

"Maverick, Range Control green range is confirmed"

"What's he up to?" Phoenix mumbled.

"Setting time to target. 2 minutes, 15 seconds."

"2-15, that's impossible." Payback said

"Final attack point. Maverick's inbound."

"Popping in 3, 2, 1. Bombs away."

Cyclone and the pilots all stared up at the screen in shock watching with anticipated breaths.

9.5 G

TIME ON TARGET

00:00.16

"Bullseye!" Fanboy shouted

"Damn." Hangman mumbled, this was the Maverick from the stories.

---

Maverick looked at his phone as he changed out of his flight suit.

Ice
They are making you mission leader.
I'll be on the carrier now.
The third miracle was never optional, but now it really isn't. You will come home to me. That is non-negotiable.

Maverick stared at the messages for a minute.

He was going on this mission.

---

Maverick stood looking out at the water.

"You are coming back to me."

"You know I can't promise that."

"You can promise me that you will do everything possible to come back to me."

"I can promise you that, but I am doing the same to make sure the others come back. Especially Bradley."

"I know. They know that too. They believe in you, and they believe that you believe in them. I saw it in their eyes when you announced your pilots."

Ice hugged his wingman as they stared at the open waters, the calm before the storm.

---

Ice watched the command room with a bated breath as updates came through. They were nearly to the target.

He listened, not speaking a word, letting everyone else do their jobs.

He stayed ice cold as his name suggested and his reputation supported.

He stayed that way, until he heard Bradley's panicked voice announce he was out of flares and SAMs were on him. 

Only those who knew him well or were paying close attention would see the change, but anyone could see it when the words 'Dagger one is hit' came over the comms.

His entire world was shaken. 

Cyclone and Warlock's eyes widened as they risked a glance back at the admiral, scared of what they might see. 

The mighty Iceman's ice cold face was gone, and in it's place was terror and heartbreak.

His world collapsed further when they call out that Dagger two is hit.

---

Ice leaned against the wall of the command room, wishing to Goose above to bring back their kid and Maverick.

Iceman was generally very patient, something that made him very dangerous and feared, but when it came to the well-being of Maverick and Bradley, well his patience went out the window.

His head shot up as fast as Maverick flies when they had something pop up on radar.

"It's an f-14 sir."

"Maverick." Ice finally spoke.

Cyclone shook his head with an impressed look on his face.

"Launch Hangman." Iceman ordered.

"Goose, save our boys." Ice mumbled under his breath.

---

Ice stood in the tower, bracing himself for the inevitable buzzing of the tower. A smile on his face as he laughed.

He watched their landings from above, and watched his husband and son hug for the first time in many years, before heading to his quarters to wait on his wingman. The flight deck didn't need him down there. He would ruin their celebration, and they deserved a celebration.

---

Ice watched from the window as a blue bronco pulled up to his house for the first time since Bradley had left 15 years prior.

"He actually came." Maverick spoke so softly Ice wasn't even sure if he knew he spoke it aloud.

"He will always come back home, it just took longer this time."

A tentative knock came from the door.

"I'll be upstairs. You two talk. I'll join after." Ice nodded knowing this conversation needed to be between just those two for now.

"Bradley." Maverick breathed out as he opened the door.

"Mav."

They made their way to the couch, tension was evident in the air. No one was sure how to start a conversation that had been in waiting for 15 years.

"You said we would talk. Why did you do it?"

"You weren't ready."

"You've said that, but I know that's not all of it. The academy would help me get ready. You and Ice would help me get ready. So tell me the rest."

"I made a promise."

"You held me back because you made a promise? Why would you promise to keep me from the academy? From flying? Like you and ice and dad-"

It clicked. There was only one person Mav would make that promise too. 

"You promised my mom."

"She didn't want you to fly and risk dying young like Goose. She wanted you to live a full life."

"Why didn't you ever tell me that?"

"You weren't talking to me anyway. I wasn't going to hold that over your head."

"Why didn't you tell me when I asked you in the rec room?"

Maverick realized Bradley wasn't going to let this go.

"You hated me. You didn't need to hate her too. I couldn't ruin your memory of your mom."

Bradley froze.

"I'm sorry for the thing I said you. I didn't mean them. I regretted them as soon as they came out of my mouth, but I just kept going because I knew it would hurt you. I could never hate her. I couldn't even hate you, and I tried. Trust me I tried. I couldn't even hate Ice. "

"I love you Bradley."

"I-I love you too dad."

Maverick's eyes watered, it had been 15 years since he had been called that. Bradley had for years used Mav and Dad interchangeably, part of why him saying he had no kids had stung so much. Bradley was his kid.

"Will Pops ever forgive me?" Bradley asked softly hugging Maverick tight.

"I already did Baby Goose." Ice said from the stairs behind them.

"Pops." Bradley gasps, standing up slowly.

"I forgave you the moment everything happened, I've waited for the day you would walk back through the door."

"I missed you Pops."

"I've missed you Baby Goose, now how about you come sit with us for dinner and tell us what you've been up to the past few years that didn't make it in your file and that your uncles never told us."

"Well for starters Dagger Squadron currently has a bet going to figure out who you are married to Mav."

---

More to come!! There will be Mav and Ice with their adopted squadron!