Meanwhile outside a truck pulled up to the bar playing its old tunes from the radio. The driver stepped out, shutting the door and strolling into the bar like he owned the place.

"Oh god" I grumbled when I looked up from the pool table where I had been playing against Bob to see who had entered the bar.

"Bradshaw! Is that you?" Phoenix called over to him when she noticed his presence. I let out an annoyed groan to Phoenix as he started to walk over through the crowded room.

"This is how I find out you're stateside?" I asked him, not having spoke to him since I took the desk job.

"Yeah, I just thought I'd surprise you." He claimed with a grin, taking off his sunglasses and standing behind me as I took my turn against the other WSO.

"Hmm." I hummed along, pulling the stick back and hitting him in the crotch with it before hitting the pool ball casually. A grunt left him as he hunched over in pain from the impact. "I guess I surprised you back." I stood and turned calmly to face him as he looked up at me with a grimace on his face.

"It's good to see you." He looked up with an attempt at a smile.

"Good to see you too." I smiled at the comfort of having him around again, missing his presence over the past few months. He patted my shoulder as he stood properly to his full height.

"You really did surprise me though, didn't you go on desk duty after getting engaged?" He asked and Phoenix winced at him bringing up my biggest mistake.

"She broke off the engagement last month, which is a shame because she looked beautiful in her dress" Phoenix commented to Rooster as I continued to play against Bob.

"I bet" Rooster agreed before another thought came up. "Is she back to fly the mission?" He asked in a more hushed tone.

"Yeah, but she hasn't been in a jet since we left Top Gun" she added a concern.

"Do you know who's she's flying with?"

"Well now that her pilot is here I thought that answer was obvious" she pointed out, looking to him as he watched me laugh along with Bob.

"I really messed up with her didn't I?" He asked, gaze still focused on me as he questioned his friend.

"Yeah, but I think she's willing to forgive eventually" Trace said and he got an idea. A new song started playing on the jukebox as Bob and I finished out round of pool. I handed the pool cue off to Phoenix to play against her WSO before Rooster was in front of me.

"You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips" He started singing along with the song, catching me off guard. My eyebrows raised in shock and a few heads turned towards us, including that of a legendary pilot who had once used this trick on many woman over the years. "And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips"

"What are you doing?" I asked in a harsh whisper.

"You're trying hard not to show it, but baby, baby I know it" he continued. "You lost that loving feeling" the pilot finished, getting onto one knee in mock proposal. "Sunshine Danvers, please accept my apology and be my WSO again" He looked to me with hope in his eyes.

"I accept your apology" I stated with a smile breaking out on my face.

"Yes!" He cheered out, lifting me in a hug as I squealed slightly. The song changed yet again, me standing beside Rooster as Phoenix played pool against Bob.

"Bradshaw. As I live and breathe." Hangman approached us again with a new round of drinks, taking the pool cue from Bob who was about to make his move. I rolled my eyes as the ever so cocky pilot made his way to greet Rooster.

"Hangman. You look... good." Rooster debated the words sassily as Bob looked up confused at why is cue had been taken.

"Well, I am good, Rooster."  Hangman made the shot in the game casually. "I'm very good. In fact, I am too good to be true." He claimed. Phoenix shared a look with me while I scoffed at Hangman's attitude and Phoenix simply shook her head.

"So, anybody know what this special detachment is all about?" Payback looked at us all curiously, trying to break up the obvious tension building.

"No, mission's a mission. They don't confront me. What I want to know: Who's gonna be team leader?" Hangman made his next shot as he spoke, Rooster glancing over at me as we shared a look of annoyance, falling back into our usual pattern.  "And which one of y'all has what it takes to follow me?" He glanced around at us all, eyes landing on Rooster finally.

"Hangman, the only place you'll lead anyone is an early grave." Rooster stated confidently yet calmly with a small smirk.

"Whoo!" Fanboy laughed at Roosters comeback. Hangman's smile tightened as he stood to his full height looking at Phoenix as he walked past her to stand up to Bradshaw.

"Well, anyone who follows you is just gonna run out of fuel. But that's just you, ain't it, Rooster? You're snug on that perch, waiting for just the right moment... That never comes." Hangman taunted, sparing a glance towards me to let Rooster know what he was really referring to. Bradshaw kept up his confidence looking over at me to find me watching the interaction closely before he looked back to Hangman calmly, no fear. "I love this song!" Hangman told Rooster cheerily.

"Slow ride, take it easy" the jukebox played out as Hangman walked away with a grin, everyone standing still around us due to the tension between the two pilots. Phoenix moved to stand beside me while we watched Hangman leave our area of the bar, Bradshaw shaking his head with annoyance.

"Well, he hasn't changed." I claimed with a shrug.

"Nope. Sure hasn't." Rooster agreed with his hatred for the other pilot still there. He spared a small glance out of the side of his eye towards me before walking off too, no mention of where he was going.

"Check it out. More patches." Fanboy pointed out as a few more aviators arrived in the already crowded bar.

"That's Harvard, Yale, Omaha. Shit, that's Fritz." Payback pointed each of them out as they stood beside Phoenix and I.

"What the hell kind of mission is this?" Fanboy worried.

"That's not the question we should be asking."  Phoenix shook her head.

"Everyone here is the best there is. Who the hell are they gonna get to teach us?" I posed the question to the group. Suddenly the music cut out as the jukebox was unplugged and the crowd roared in complaint.

"What is he doing?" I wondered to Trace as Rooster sat at the old piano, playing a few keys and putting his aviators back on. Phoenix smiled at me with enthusiasm as I knew right away what was about to happen.

"Hey, guys. Come on." She waved the others over to the piano. A few followed us with laughter, eager to see what was going on while Hnagman stood confused at why they would just up and leave in the middle of the game. Fanboy patted Roosters shoulder as Rooster looked up at me and moved over to have me sit with him. He shone a bright smile that I reciprocated, taking my place beside him.

The bell rang out again and the crowd cheered at another free round. "Overboard! Overboard! Overboard!" Everyone cheered out. I glanced back to see Hangman, Coyote and Payback carry the man sitting at the bar out. Rooster glanced back but couldn't see anything as he turned back to the piano calmly.

Our attention was pulled back to Rooster at the piano quickly as he played out the first few notes of 'Great Balls of Fire'.

"You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain" he sang out, raising a hand to adjust his glasses which were slipping off slightly. "Too much love drives a man insane" he looked around the group, nodding his head to the music. "You broke my will. But what a thrill" he played next as Phoenix and the others leaned in to sing the next part with him.

"Goodness gracious great balls of fire!" We all cheered out the lyric, leaning close to one another.

"I laughed at love cause I thought it was funny. But you came along and you moved me honey. I changed my mind, this love is fine. Goodness gracious great balls of fire!" Everyone in the crowd started to join in singing.

"Kiss me baby" Rooster sang as he leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, catching me off guard and causing me to go bright red.

"Oooh" the crowd called out.

"Oooh, that feels good" Rooster continued the song as though nothing unusual had happened. "Hold me baby, I wanna love you like a lover should. Your fine, and so kind, imma tell the world that your mind mine mine mine." Rooster sang as Fanboy and Phoenix started jumping eagerly, singing along with enthusiasm.

"I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs. I get nervous but it sure is fun. Come one baby, you're driving me crazy. Goodness gracious great balls of fire!"

"Whoo!" Everyone cheered as Rooster stopped singing and began playing a piano solo while everyone danced around some more.

"Kiss me baby" he sang out this time me kissing him on the cheek catching him off guard. "Ooh that feels good" he sang as Phoenix laughed. "Hold me baby, I wanna love you like a lover should" he leaned over to me, looking up at Fanboy and Phoenix while his glasses were slipping off his nose. "Your fine, your so kind, imma tell the world that your mind mine mine mine!" He nodded his head with each word. "I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs, I get nervous but it sure is fun. Come on baby, you're driving me crazy. Goodness gracious great balls of fire!" The whole crowd sang out.

"Whoo!" We all cheered.

"Rooster! Rooster! Rooster! Rooster!" Everyone cheered his call sign out as he stood from the bench and started dancing around as I laughed while watching him enjoy his moment of fame in the busy bar.

"Yeah!" He cheered, finishing off his little dance with a kick. Everyone laughed out as he adjusted his glasses on his face calmly as though nothing happened. He smiled around at the crowd and his eyes settled on me chatting with Phoenix who caught onto the look he gave me.

After a few moments we had all moved back to the pool table where I sat back, watching Phoenix play against Hangman, laughing at the insults they're ere throwing at each other.

"Hey" Rooster came up beside me, holding out a beer.

"Thanks" I accepted it with a smile, tuning back to focus on the arguing aviators.

"So, how long have you been back at Top Gun?" He wondered curiously, trying to act like he wasn't that interested in my sudden return to flying.

"About a month ago after I broke it off with Daniel" I shrugged back mindlessly.

"Why?" He asked next before realizing what he just asked. "Never mind, you don't have to—"

"I finally came to realize that this place is my home more than my fathers house or Daniels house will ever be, so as soon as I broke it off I stayed the night with Phoenix before calling in to Warlock who gladly accepted my return and I've been here ever since"

"And have you flown much?"

"No" I looked down slightly ashamed that I haven't flown in months and was being put on a dangerous mission. "I haven't had the chance yet and then they said they were putting me on the mission and I don't know if that was a good choice or not, because what if I mess it up and someone gets hurt because of me" I started to rambled when suddenly his hands were on my shoulders, pulling me back to focus.

"You're the best backseater I've ever had, it'll be just like riding a bike" he claimed.

"But won't I mess you up just by being there since you've been flying solo?"

"You, mess me up? Never. I do that all on my own" he proudly stated, getting a small laugh out of me. "There's that famous Sunshine smile that I missed so much" he nudged my side slightly.

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Question of the day: what's your favourite song from the top gun movies?