Bradley knew the next day was going to be interesting. 

Though the rest of the Daggers remained unknowing, except Bob, because the little stealth pilot was smart enough to realize that Ice and Mav's devious smirks did not end after Slider showed up. Therefore there was clearly more to the plot.

Which meant Phoenix was now aware there was more, as she was paying attention to her WSO and realized he knew something, and after the previous thing he figured out she wasn't going to doubt this one.

So, the Daggers showed up to base the next day with all but three completely unaware of the chaos the day would bring.

"Good morning Daggers," Maverick greeted with a smirk, which is when all the Daggers knew something was Afoot. "Today we are going to be trying something a little different, I've called in some guests to help us out with this one."

The Daggers turned in theirs seats so fast, Hondo feared they might have gotten whiplash, as they heard the door open behind them.

In walked Slider, and two more mysterious men, one of which was in a cowboy hat.

"I present to you, Top Gun class of '86 Alumni, Admiral Kerner, and Retired Captains Neven and Wolfe."

Each made their way to the front of the room as the Daggers watched.

"Today, you will be engaging in dogfights with pilots with years of experience on you. The goal is to work as a team to take down your opponent." Maverick explained the excersise, leaving out a few details they would find out later.

"Go ready you planes, we will see you in the sky." Slider dismissed them.

Meanwhile, Cyclone was looking over the paperwork for the day, eyes going wide as he rushed to the control tower. He was not missing this. Chaos it may be, but chaos he was not willing to miss.

Though he was cursing Maverick mentally the whole way there.

---

As Hollywood and Wolfman approached their jet they slowed as they neared Bradley.

"Hey kid," Hollywood and Wolfman said catching Bradley's attention, whose eyes went wide. "What Slider said."

Bradley nodded understand the message, they nodded back before making their way to their plane.

Though thrown off by their appearnce but not as much had he had no heads up. He was intrigued that there was an odd amount of pilots and RIOs /WSOpresent. 

While techincally Slider could be WSOing for Mav, Slider had sworn revenge on Ice if that ever happened again.

Leaving Bradley only one conclusion to draw when he saw Slider walk up to and F-18: Iceman was joining them.

"Guys!" Bradley jumped on comms as he finished his pre-flight check.

"What Rooster?" Phoenix asked doing the same.

"I'm pretty sure Ice is flying with us."

Silence consumed the comms, until a voice peeped up.

"Bob, we might just have to change your call sign." Phoenix sighed.

"To what? We still need to find out what BOB stands for." Payback spoke up.

"To Sherlock."

"Well, I figured since last time I was supposed to join a meeting came up, I might as well hop in on this one." Ice finally spoke over the comms system.

"Don't lie to them, you planned to do it with us too. You just wanted first dibs without us." Hollywood chimed in.

"This way he got to do it with the best RIO first."

"Slider, please don't." Hollywood begged over coms.

"Slider, I guess we should switch pilots then. After all: I am the best." Wolf replied.

"NO NO NO!" Bradley interjected. "Ice and Mav are still on about the who is the better pilot we are NOT starting a who is the better RIO or WSO."

"Careful there Rooster, remember how many stories we have of you." Wolf lovingly threatened. "But yeah, I think Mav and Ice's argument over who is the better pilot should just be left to them."

---

The Daggers quickly realized the Class of '86 had a tight knit family bond. Even though they hadn't met them all yet.

Between the jokes in the air and on the ground and the allusions to stories left untold, they knew there was a lot to discover.

Which led to a group trip to Ice and Mav's after the work day was over.

"You think we are cohesive as a group of three, wait til you see just Mav and Ice team up." Slider shook his head.

"We've only heard legends of such a thing." Fanboy said eyes wide as he silently begged for a story.

"Let's just say, despite being in the backseat, I didn't know what was going on half the time. They wouldn't even speak to each other they would just do."

"Yea, it would get pretty creepy at times." Hollwood nodded.

"Wood, you and Wolf are creepy at times. Don't act like Ice and Mav are the only idiot flyboy couple."

"I wouldn't dare insinuate such a thing, however you do have to agree those two take it to a whole other level."

"I'll give you that. Though atleast you two never tried to flirt through an agressive chomp."

"Oh, don't remind me of that dark day." Wolf shook his head, placing his cowboy hat over his face trying to block out the memory.

"Those two were the most obviously oblivious people to ever meet."

"Hey, Flyboys, we got over it." Ice chimed in shaking his head walking into his own living room at just the right moment.

"Careful or we will tell them about the time during leave in San Diego that you and Mav-"

"Nope." Ice cut Hollywood off.

"No, no, tell it uncle Wood."

"Careful, kid we all have plenty of stories on you too. Such as the incident of '96." Wood smirked.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh I would."

"Fine, then I will tell the Halloween stories, and I have pictures."

"We need all the stories." Several of the daggers chimed in.

---

Maverick watched from the corner the interactions of his families beginning to mesh. His eyes kept focusing back on one pilot though, Hangman.

Hangman looked both right and home and like he was ready for a rug to be pulled out from underneath him as a shoe dropped at the same time.

Jakes eyes kept flicking over to watch Bradley's reactions to different stories being told by the Flyboy uncles, and to watching the others as well, but they always found their way back to Bradley.

Maverick watched as Jake tried to laugh just the right amount with the others, throw in enough snarky comments to fly under the radar, but he also noticed his hesitance to throw in anything substantial. Watching as he shied away from revealing much of anything. His light ever so hidden flinches as each insult or remark was hurled at him by another Dagger, even in the most light hearted way.

Eventually Hangman saw an escape route and took it. The others were distracted enough they would notice one of the 12 daggers disapear.

Though 3 in the room did, Ice, Mav, and Bradley.

Bradley though being because he also was subconciously watchign Jakes reactions to everything, but he wasn't picking up the same small clues Mav and Ice were. Though he didn't know to be looking for them.

Mav slipped away too, just as another story began.

"Jake," Mav said softly before nodding his head to the garage door.

Jake simply nodded and followed.

"You wanna talk about it or something else?" Maverick asked picking something up off his work bench to fiddle with as they talked.

"What would we talk about?"

"I know those looks."

"What looks? I was just hanging with the others."

"And carefully watching reactions and carefully constructed snarky comments."

Jake went silent and started to fiddle with a random tool he had seen.

"Your not obvious about it Jake, but I know because I've been there. Ice knows because he's known me long enough and well enough."

"You don't know what I was thinking or have thought."

"Your right kid, I don't know every thought that has gone through your head, but I know a lot of them. Like in there, you were waiting on the rug of a family to get pulled out from underneath you and another shoe to drop with something just as bad to go right along with it: loneliness."

"Please, I don't need any of them in there. If I got shipped away tomorrow I would make friends elsewhere."

"But you don't want to. You actually like this bunch, but you don't know how to connect with them?"

"They are my squadron, squadrons come and go." Jake said after a breath.

"Not all of them." Maverick said, a tone to his voice that left nothing to question. "You saw Wood and Wolf today, they are retired and still close to us. Slider he was Ice's RIO, and is practically his brother now. Our Class of '86 squad, we stayed together. There are more of them, the Flyboys. These are the only ones who could come right now. But we have a groupchat and even when we are spread across the globe, we are still close."

"You class was an anomly, brought together from-"

"Tradgedy? Yea. Gooses death brought us a lot closer together, but that wasn't what made our connection. It may have helped build the bridges, but it is not the whole thing."

Hangman stayed silent before finally speaking.

"I don't belong with this group."

"Why do you feel that? Maverick asked, his voice soft but solid enough that Hangman knew he was truly asking.

"I just don't."

"Because you are cocky, and love to do your own thing. Fly by the seat of your pants?"

"I can do what I do solo."

"But it's a lot better to have others with you. It's why you should always have a wingman."

"Remember, my name is Hangman, I leave my wingmen hanging." Jake looked down, his statement starting with his false bravado, but fading with each word.

"I don't think you really believe that."

"What does it matter what I believe? It just matters what others do."

Maverick sighed.

"Jake, I'm sorry that that is what other people may think of you or that you think they think of you as. But I know otherwise. Ice knows otherwise. The squad, they know otherwise."

Jakes head snapped up.

"No they don't."

"You didn't leave Rooster and I hanging."

"Yeah well, one occurance doesn't dispell a repuation."

"I know that."

"Do you?" Jake asked his tone coming out harsh and rough, his walls were flying up and the cocky too good to be true bravado was coming up in full force.

"I do. You know, Ice and the others hated me at first. If they didn't hate me they atleast didn't like me. Called me plenty of stuff behind my back. Every superior heard my name and judged me before knowing anything else. I was judged based off of my last name. Because the Navy had to cover something up and they placed the blame on my dad. Labeled him a traitor and a deserter. And those that would give me the slightest bit of chance to know me for me changed their mind after hearing my call sign. I flew like I did because I had a lot to prove. I had to be better thant he best pilots out there becuase that was the only way I could be. Any less and I was considered even less. I flew like I did because I needed to prove a point. I did what I did to save others. To keep them safe. All everyone else saw was recklessness. They didn't know the calculations and thoughts that went behind it."

"I'm not you."

"No, your better than me. You have a lot to learn, but your on the right track."

"I'm still not one of them."

"But you are."

"At every turn there is an insult hurled my way, there is no trust from any of them. They only have me around because they have Javy around, and Javy for who knows why keeps me around."

"Javy keeps you around because you are his best friend."

"If I lose Javy then I lose the whole squad then."

"No, Jake. They keep you around because you are apart of the squad, not just the navy side."

"They will just dump me whenever they get tired of me or annoyed enough."

"No they won't, I know this because I have gone through this exact thought process before. Goose, he was my best friend. He was my bridge into squads and friends. They just accepted me because I was around him, but the class of 86 squad, they were different. Sure at first it was just because of Goose. Then it was because Goose was dead, but in the end it wasn't. Here I am some odd many years later, and I am stilll friends with them. I am still close to them. That maybe how this started for you, but it's not how it ends."

"Trust me, that is how it will end. I've been through this dog and pony show enough times to know."

"But you haven't been through this one."

"Your right, this one is just here to pull the rug out from underneath me and let me get settled first. They still don't trust me-"

"They hurl insults at you? Yea I noticed. I am not going to tell you that is okay. That is a toxic enviorment to be in and one you should never be in. However, that is how you relationship was with them prior to this mission. Justified or not change takes time. This however can be fixed. If those insults hurt you then they need to be stopped. They may not even realize it because that's how it's alway been with you. I am not saying they are right, but I am saying you need to speak up about it."

Jake just sat down on a stool and leaned up against a wall, squeezing his eyes shut as his head ran a million miles an hour.

All those insults, they didn't used to bother him much at all. They were just words from other pilots, but now... now they were supposed to be his friends. Yet they still treated him like- like Hangman. The nototious cocky, too good to be true pilot with an air to air kill.

He was so much more...

"You are more than what they once saw. You know. I know it. Now let them know it. I know letting people in is hard. Allowing yourself to put your trust in anyone is always a risk, but life is nothing without a little risk. You can't get close to people if you don't let them get close to you. You've obviously let Javy in some. He sees something in you worth keep around. Now let the rest of them see that."

"But how... how do you just override everything else they know? How do you let them see what no one has ever been allowed to see? How do you be someone you don't even know anymore?" Jakes eyes were beginning to water. Scaring him even more at this unfamiliar feeling, one he wasn't allowed.

Jake began blinking at rapid rates trying to fight back the watering in his eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't fight it. Just let the tears out. Just cry Jake." Maverick said softly slowly wrapping the aviator in his arms. Careful to make sure he was comfortable with the contact. "You are allowed to cry Jake. You are allowed to show emotions."

With those final words, a series of dams Jake didn't even know he had broke, and Jake broke in the safety of Maverick's arms.

Maverick carefully guided Jake to the bench and kept him tucked to his chest. Rubbing his hand up and down Jakes back. A familiar motion he had done with Ice a many of times and a several times with Bradley.

"You are enough Jake. You yourself, that's all the world needs. You don't need to be too good to be true. You are good enough. You are more than enough. You don't have to live up to anyones expectations."

"But I am supposed to be perfect. I am supposed to be too good to be true. I have to be I just-"

"You don't have to be anything but yourself Jake. That is more than enough, and anyone who has told you otherwise is wrong. They aren't worth even half of what you."

"But I was raised to be that person. I have to be better than..."

"Than everyone else." Maverick finished. "Pressures are placed upon us young sometimes. They never should be placed upon us at all. I know this isn't a switch that can just be flipped in your head. This is a process, and it is not immediate, but Ice and I are both here for you. The squad will be there for you when you are ready. You just have to show them who you are. Even if it's just pieces at a time."

"How do you just know all of this?"

"Becuase what I didn't experience personally, I helped Ice through. We told you the other day, living up to a carefully cultivated personality, it's not healthy. It keeps you detached and forces gaps between you and everyone else."

"But how do I do that? You make it sound so simple and easy but it's not."

"No, it's not. I am not going to lie to you and say that it is. You spend long enough acting like something it's hard to shake. It's why Ice refuses to be Admiral at home. That persona, it's left at the office and it doesn't cross through the front door. His office is a slight exception, but even there he doesn't fully become the Admiral again. He isn't the Iceman in the house, he is just Ice or Tom."

"So how do I do that?"

"Leave Hangman at work, and let Hangman and Jake mix some at work. Let a little more of Jake come through. You act like I did once, but then I let a little of myself throught and suddenly those I flew with understood and saw that I wasn't a lone ranger. I was a wingman. I was a partner. For me that came from choosing a person to let in and show that to. Same for Ice. Eventually is spread to locations and other people. So, choose someone to let in like that."

"How do I just pick that?"

"I picked my wingman and so did Ice. Maybe try that. Show it in the air and the others will see. When you go to the Harddeck, leave Hangman at work, and be more Jake."

"I think I know who to start with." Jake said softly.

Maverick didn't have to ask, he knew who it would be, and he knew it wasn't Javy.

---

Eventually they rejoined the others in the living room, slipping in nearly undetected.

Though Jake this time chose to sit on the couch next to Bradley this time, rather than standing behind the other couch and leaning against the wall.

Maverick smiled just slightly enough for Jake to see it and softly nodded his head in approval and encouragement.

"So Jake, I hear you are a Texas boy." Wolf commented.

"Born and raised."

"I'll have to show you my cowboy hat collection sometime."

"Then I guess I'll have to show you mine."

"I look forward to it, and getting to know you Jake. That goes for all you Daggers. Now that you are IceMav's kids, you are our nieces and nephews like it or not. You just got a whole squad of flyboy uncles."

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Sorry guys it's been a while, who knows more might be coming soon hopefully. I have a list of ideas but just need to get them executed lol. I know this isn't all of the flyboys and there wasn't much of them in this chapter, but I cannot handle writing all the flyboys and the daggers. It's just too many characters so they will be coming around in small groups.

I know this has kind of focused on Jake a lot in recent chapters but I am enjoying fleshing out his character more. The next chapter will most likely either be some Hangster or Icemav or both. Maybe some Bob and Phoenix too, I've been sprinkling them in. Can't have it develop too fast for any of them.

Thank yall so much for still reading this story! Please give me your thoughts!