At 4:30 our alarm rang out for the last time in our shared room.

Natasha and I got up like it was another normal day of training but today would be different. Today is our last day at the academy where we will become naval aviators.

Our final inspection passed with flying colours. Trace and I had all of our belongings set in our duffle bags, sitting at the end of our beds waiting for us to leave.

Walking out of our room we fell in with the rest of the Academy graduates, excitement buzzing through all of us.

"Can you believe it's over already?" Trace questions as we met up with Bradshaw and the rest of our group before the big ceremony.

"It's hard to believe" Bradshaw replied with a simple sigh at the thought of how fast our time her went by.

"Oh, the ceremony's starting" I urged them all. "See you after?" I glanced at Bradshaw and Trace.

"See you after, darlin'" Bradshaw smiled before the group of us split up to take our places.

We marched out onto the large open field where our friends and family were watching us. One of the Admirals made a great speech about how we would be amazing pilots to protect our homes from danger. When the formal business was finished we had all officially graduated and were now naval aviators.

We watched as everyone was called up to the stage to be given their placements. Trace was called up with her new backseater named Murphy who I had trained beside to become a WSO.

"Bradshaw" his name was called and he stepped out of line to approach the stage. "Danvers" he called next and I joined him on the stage, keeping a straight face as I avoided looking to my new partner. "You two will be shipping out for a deployment in the Pacific in three days" he explained and we both saluted in response before being dismissed back to our places.

Once all of the aviators had been called up we were dismissed to gather our things and celebrate with our family's. I looked around lost in the crowd until I spotted Trace and opened my arms for a hug to her. She gladly accepted, gasping slightly when she spotted someone from behind me.

"What?" I pulled back with worry to look at her.

"It's your new partner" Trace smirked, turning me to face him and pushing me towards him gently.

"Bradshaw!" I called him over with a smile and a wave.

"Hey, partner" he smiled back as he joined us.

"What? He gets no hug?" Trace nudged me teasingly.

"Trace gets a hug but I don't?" He mocked offence at the new information.

"Do you want a hug?" I faced him, talking to him as though he was a little kid.

"Hell yeah, I want a hug" he stated back. I shook my head with a laugh and went to hug him, stepping into his open arms.

"Mom?" I gasped in surprise at seeing her when I looked past Bradshaw.

"Huh?" Bradshaw looked down as I stepped away from him and in the blink of an eye was crossing the field to hug my mother.

"You're looking a little red there, Bradshaw" Trace commented with a knowing smirk as she walked up to his side.

"Shut up" he muttered before they both smiled and walked over to join us. "What's that?" Bradshaw wondered as he noticed me clipping something around my neck with slight struggle.

"Oh! Look at this cool necklace my mom gave me!" I cheerfully held it out to show both of my best friends, giving up on putting it on.

"That's so nice" Trace commented with a soft smile before turning to greet my mother like they were long time best friends.

"I can, uh, help you with that" Bradshaw offered, gesturing to the necklace in my hand.

"Oh, thanks" I handed it to him and turned around for him to clip it together, gently brushing his fingers against the back of my neck.

"There" he stepped back once it settled against my uniform shirt.

"They are cute together" Trace commented to my mother as they watched the simple interaction between us.

"What?" My mother was pulled from her thoughts. "Oh, yeah" she nodded with a distant smile.

"Ma'am" Bradshaw reached out to shake her hand but she pushed it away muttering nonsense and hugging him in greeting like she had done to Trace a few moments ago.

"I can't believe my baby is a pilot now" my mom cheered again, pulling me closer to her and holding my face in her hands.

"I'm a WSO, mom" I corrected with a slight groan.

"I'm still very proud" she reminded.

"I need a picture" I started as we all stood on the field together and I eagerly remembered.

"Really?" Trace groaned in complaint as my mom watched our interactions with a smile.

"Just let her take the photo" Bradshaw told Trace and she sent him a sly smirk while I went to ask my mom to take the photo.

"Mom can you?" I handed over the camera to her and she carefully took it in her hands, remembering the day it was given to me.

"Of course sweetheart" she smiled and took a nice photo of us before getting a photo of us all being chaotic in our own ways. I had jumped onto Bradshaws back as Trace laughed at us.

"So where are you three off to for the rest of the day until you go off to your deployments?"

"I'm gonna head home after lunch, enjoy my few days off" Trace claimed with a sigh at the idea of relaxing.

"We were actually going to go out for a celebratory lunch, you wanna join us?" Bradshaw offered politely.

"No, I couldn't overstep, you kids have earned this" she refused kindly.

"Come on, ma, it'll be fun to spend time with my three favourite people" I pleaded to my mother.

"Oh alright" she agreed with a laugh.

"Yes!" I cheered out, pumping a fist into the air.

"Did you drive here yourself?" Bradshaw questioned her as we walked back towards the barracks.

"No, I took the bus" she replied.

"Ma, the bus would have taken you like six hours" I shook my head at her.

"I wanted to see my baby graduate" my mother replied.

"Ma" I groaned.

"Aww, you're her baby" Trace teased, nudging my side with laughter.

"Hey, I'll meet you all by my truck" Bradshaw pointed as he took a turn to leave towards his own barracks to grab his bag.

Trace and I led my mother down the hallway where we opened the door to our shared room, walking in one last time. Picking up my bag I threw it over my shoulder and turned to the girl who became a sister to me.

"Ready to go?" The girl stepped up beside me again.

"Let's go" I nodded to her and we all joined Bradshaw again at his truck where he was leaning against the side.

"I can take those off your hands, ladies" he offered to take our bags but neither of us let up, staring at him blankly. "Or you can put them in the truck" he directed us to the back of the truck with a sigh, knowing neither of us would give up due to our stubborn nature. He walked around and opened the passenger door for my mother as Trace and I climbed into the backseat together.

"Thank you, Bradshaw" she read off his name tag to thank him as he walked around to the other side.

"Off we go!" He called out as we exited the base and pulled into the dinner down the street. Over the radio music softly played, the Beatles, come together.

We pulled up to the dinner where Trace and I managed to jump out of the truck before Bradshaw had the chance to open a door for us, though he made a point of opening the door for my mother and helping her out.

"Such a gentleman" she commented.

"My mom made sure of that" Bradshaw smiled back at her and she had a longing smile on her face in reply. I had opened the door to the dinner, allowing everyone to walk in, Bradshaw last, giving me a look of teasing annoyance as he wasn't the one to hold the door open. I jutted out my chin at him proudly and followed him inside, joining my mother and Trace at the table where I sat beside my mother.

The group of us ordered from the same kind waitress from a few weeks ago and began eating and talking to each other when my mom fell into a fit of coughing.

"Hey, you alright, mom?" I worried, rubbing her back while handing her her cup of water to drink. She nodded back silently, taking a sip of water and acting as though nothing happened though I shared a worried look with my friends.

"So, do you have any funny story's from Danvers childhood?" Trace leaned her elbows on the table with interest.

"Oh, Nick, yeah" my mom laughed and I grumbled with embarrassment. "She has always been such an independent woman, never letting anyone tell her what to do, not even me" she continued fondly. "I remember there was this one time we had some of my old friends over, they were naval aviators too and one of them brought their son. Nicks brother and this other boy were listening to the aviators telling them wild story's when Nick sat right in front of them, listening intensely to the story's. Her brother told her that she shouldn't be interested in flying because it was a man's job and she, at the age of three, told him she would prove him wrong"

"That sounds like our girl" Trace agreed with a nod though Bradshaw seemed to be deep in his thoughts for a moment.

After our meal we had driven Trace home first, to the apartment she had been renting since she graduated high school.

"You better not forget about me, Danvers" Trace pointed as she got out of the truck.

"I could never" I replied with a sad smile as I got out to say goodbye. "I promise to stay in contact with you" I said as I hugged her close.

"I look forward to it" she told me before I got back into the truck and Bradshaw gave her a hug goodbye. "Take care of our sunshine" Trace told him in a soft tone.

"I will" he promised her before waving as he got back into the driver seat, waiting until she was in the building before driving off.

"This is it" I claimed as Bradshaw pulled the truck to a slow outside of our house. "Home sweet home" I muttered with clear distaste.

"I live like ten minutes down the street from here" Bradshaw commented in thought, nodding down the street. "If you ever need a drive in to work, just give me a call" Bradshaw told me simply.

"She will need it, her car is practically falling apart" my mother joked as I got out and helped her out of the truck, Bradshaw grabbing my bag from his trunk and handing it to me. I slung the bag over my shoulder and made my way into the house with my mother. I sent a wave back to Bradshaw before he pulled back onto the road and drove home for the night.

"Welcome home, Nicole" my dads voice dropped with anger as I closed the door behind me.

"Dad" I nodded back sternly, face void of emotion.

"You shouldn't have gone to that stupid flying camp, and you shouldn't have encouraged her" he pointed to my mother harshly.

"It's not a stupid flying camp, I'm a naval aviator now, I have a career and there is nothing you can do to stop me" I argued back.

"You don't need a career, you need to find a good husband, not some pilot you met at camp" he directed out the front window to where Bradshaw dropped us off.

"Excuse me?" I asked back with offence.

"We were worried sick when you ran off, only to find out it was to be with some stupid pilot who has probably already forgotten your name. He can't support you, you need a real man" my dad continued.

"Dad, stop" I held up a hand to him before shaking my head and storming up the stairs to my room.

"Oh here comes the perfect child" my brother mocked as I passed him on the stairs, his wife and him staying temporarily while my mother had snuck out and gone missing from them just to visit me at graduation. I flipped him off and slammed the door to my room shut, dropping my duffle bag at my feet as I looked around the pale pink room with all things 'girly'.

These next few days will be more hell than any mission.

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Question of the day: what are your first impressions of Danvers father?