Sophie had had a rough couple of days since the news of her parentage had broken, Rooster refused to talk to her other than in a professional manor and everyone else seemed to be giving her a wide berth with judgemental side glances. There had been even more chatter and uneasy looks when she'd been assigned to Phoenix, Bob taking her previous spot behind Rooster. Sophie had tried to keep her head high throughout the situation but Hangman didn't want to let her forget it and had latched on to her as a target. Without Rooster to back her up she had mostly just sat back and taken it.
She sat by herself in the break room reading a book on aerospace engineering, most of her hours now being spent there as Rooster went to the bar with Phoenix and Bob. Phoenix had spent the last hour trying to convince her to try and join them, but she'd shrugged her off, explaining Rooster wouldn't join them if she did. It hadn't surprised her that Phoenix had tried though, it seemed that every moment they weren't in the air, Phoenix's main aim was to try and get the Rooster and her back to speaking terms.
"Hey." A voice greeted, making her head snap up. She eyes her dad with confusion, setting the book to the side and preparing to stand to attention when he waved his hands to signal her to stop.
"Hi." She offered seeing the man debating something.
"I've just been to see Iceman." He explained, "he asked about you."
"Oh, he did?" Sophie frowned, not having spoken to the man since her recruitment way back when. Maverick nodded, glancing at the book she was reading before rubbing a hand over his face as he tried to phrase what he wanted to ask.
"He also mentioned Goose and told me he was your inspiration and your reason for joining." Maverick revealed, his emotions of horror mixed with pride returning as he recalled how Iceman had explained his daughters hero was his dead best friend.
"Everyone has a hero dad, Goose happens to be mine." She shrugged, a bit embarrassed at the admission but not feeling the need to hide it.
"Is that why you joined?" Maverick questioned, worrying his stories about the man had created his daughters potential deadly career path. Sophie half smiled, seeing why this was such an issue and shook her head.
"I didn't just do it because of your heroic stories Dad." She smiled, it still not making it to her eyes, "I was always an adrenaline junkie. I wanted to fly like you, but I also wanted to be close to mom and her career. I was planning to be an aerospace engineer. It was mom that actually told me I had to stop trying to make her proud and do what I wanted. So I refocused on being a pilot like you. It wasn't until I talked to Iceman and told him about you and Goose then listing off every procedure he asked about he suggested I become a WSO, a bit pilot a bit engineer."
Maverick took a breath as he stared at her, rethinking his conversation with Iceman, it suddenly hitting him why the man had brought Sophie up. He'd been clinging on tightly to Rooster, trying to protect him since he'd failed to protect Goose, clinging onto old memories every time he looked at him. Then there was his daughter, a symbol of his past and future, and someone he'd always let grow and make mistakes and even if he'd been disappointed, he'd never stood in her way. She'd made her own choices and had landed the same place as Rooster, and now his inability to see Rooster for the man he was was affecting his daughter.
He needed to fix his mistakes, try and make it up to Rooster and try to help him see it wasn't Sophie that had done this, it was him. He needed to let go of the past and try to look forward, try to build what relationship he could with Rooster and Sophie before the chance disappeared completely.
It was like a switch suddenly went in his head, his eyes flickering to his daughter who was sitting alone in the break room. Relationships. Team working. Something this group of graduates had never truly known. They'd only ever competed to be the best.
"Dad." Sophie cut in, seeing the man getting lost in thought. Maverick look up at her, offering a smile.
"Tell everyone to meet me at the beach outside Hard Deck. 0800 tomorrow morning." Maverick ordered, turning to leave the room, needing to find Hondo. Sophie watched him head to the door, frowning but pulling out her phone nonetheless to text Phoenix the new orders.
"Any reason why?" Sophie called as her father pulled the door open.
"You'll find out tomorrow kid." He smirked before closing the door behind him. Sophie shook her head at him but sent the text anyway. She glanced at the clock, and picked up her book deciding it would be best to head back to the barracks for the night.