Rooster couldn't believe he had just admitted that out loud and at the exact time Charlotte and Hangman decided to join them. What the hell was he going to do, what if she didn't feel the same. Had he just destroyed their entire friendship.

Everyone was silent, Charlotte and Rooster hadn't taken their eyes of each other.

Phoenix cleared her throat as she got up and walked out the kitchen taking Hangman with her, "We will leave you guys alone" They both left the house, closing the door behind them.

"Char.. I'm sorry, i…" Rooster started but was cut off as Charlotte walked over to him and kissed him.

Rooster hesitated for a second as he was in shock but quickly got over it as he returned Charlotte's kiss, this kiss felt different to them both. After a while Charlotte pulled away needing to breath, she rested her forehead against Roosters as they both caught their breath, Rooster opened his eyes and brushed his finger against her cheek to get her to open hers, once she did, he went to speak but Charlotte cut him off again.

"I've waited 10 years to hear you say that" Rooster pulled back shocked at what she had just said. 10 years, she had felt the same way for 10 years, he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

The pair fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, Charlotte was still sat on his lap straddling him in her kitchen.

"So, what do we do now?" Charlotte asked feeling slightly awkward as she fiddled with the collar of Rooster flight suit.

"Well, I know exactly what I want to do" Rooster wiggled his eyebrows, Charlotte giggled as Rooster snuggled his face into her neck tickling her with his moustache.

"Roo, don't you think we might need to talk? We both just admitted we are in love with each other"

"What's there to say? I've always felt like we are a couple anyway, we have always acted like it, it's just never been official and neither of us thought the other felt the same" Charlotte got off Roosters lap and walked over to the fridge grabbing a bottle of water.

"Your right, I guess we just carry on the way we always have".

"Except now I get to say your mine" Rooster walked behind Charlotte wrapping his arms around her waist. This caused Charlotte to smile contently.

"You do but I think we should just keep this between us" Charlotte noticed the hurt look creep onto Roosters face as she turned in his arms to face him "I don't mean a secret, I mean like don't make it completely obvious to everyone, especially my dad, I don't want him to break us apart thinking we can't work together and be a couple"

Rooster nodded, she was right, he knew Maverick didn't really want either of them in the Top Gun Squadron hell even the Navy at all, them being a couple would just fuel his desire to get them both out.

"Your right, we will just carry on as we do, keep the PDA to a minimum and if anyone asks, we are just friends" Rooster smiled as he kissed her again, Charlotte kissed him back moving her hands up to his hair running her hands through it as his roamed her back and sides. Things started to heat up between the pair when Charlotte's phone went off again, groaning Charlotte grabbed it to make sure it wasn't important, she opened her phone to see a text from her uncle.

We need to talk.

Charlotte quickly replied.

Can it wait? I'm a little busy.

She received a reply almost instantly.

No, we need to discuss a few things... Bring Bradley too.

Charlotte groaned as she got off Roosters lap. "What's going on, where are you going" Rooster asked as he dragged Charlotte back attacking her neck with his lips. Charlotte giggled as she pushed him away.

"Uncle Ice wants to see us, he doesn't sound so happy" Rooster grimaced, he knew he was going to get a telling off for his fight with Hangman.

Both pilots went straight to Iceman's house still in their uniforms. Charlotte had grown up knowing Iceman or Admiral Tom Kazansky as he was known as now, he flew with her farther whilst he was at Top Gun. Both her and Bradley spent so much of their childhood with the Kazansky family, Tom's wife Sarah was good friends with both their mothers and always treated Charlotte and Bradley as if they were her own. Charlotte kept in close contact with her uncle Ice, especially after her falling out with her dad.

Rooster pulled his Bronco into the driveway of the Kazansky household, they both got out and Charlotte knocked on the door. The door opened and Sarah ushered them both inside giving both a hug.

"Oh, you two, it's been so long" Sarah gushed as she released Rooster from the hug.

"I know, I'm sorry we haven't visited for a while" Charlotte softly smiled at Sarah, always feeling guilty that she didn't get to visit the Kazansky's as much as she would like.

Sarah led the two into the kitchen where she poured them both a drink, Charlotte was just about to ask where her uncle was when she heard a throat clear from the doorway. There stood Ice and Maverick.

Charlotte could feel her blood starting to boil, "Hell no" Charlotte placed her glass down on the kitchen island "I'm out of here, I'm not doing this" Charlotte made a beeline for the door on the other side of the kitchen which led out to the foyer, she could hear Sarah and Rooster calling for her to come back, this wasn't the first time Ice had tried to get her and Maverick in a room together although then she wasn't in the Navy so as soon as she saw Mavs bike out front she would turn around and leave. I guess this time they anticipated it, and he must have parked elsewhere. She was just about to open the front door still hearing her name being called, she wasn't expecting what happened next, she wasn't expecting Ice to ever do what he was about to do.

"Lieutenant Mitchell, I command you to stop" Ice called out in the sternest voice she had ever heard from him, Charlotte could feel the tears in her eyes as she knew she couldn't disobey an order from an Admiral, she slowly turned around standing at attention as tears streamed down her cheeks, she hated Ice in that moment for pulling rank on her.

Roosters heart broke as he watched the woman, he loved crying her eyes out all whilst being made to stand at attention by Ice, he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and leave but he knew that would do more harm than good. A few seconds past before Ice told Charlotte to be at ease, she almost dropped to the floor as she did.

"This can't go on any longer Char, not now he's your Captain, you both need to make peace with the past" Ice said as he looked between Charlotte and Rooster. Ice motioned for them all to step into his office, he was going to get this sorted even if it killed him.

Ice sat behind his desk, Maverick in a seat next to him and Rooster and Charlotte on the sofa to the side of his desk.

"Right, who's going first? "Ice asked looking between the three pilots in front of him. All three of them looked around the room as if they were trying to ignore the fact they were in the same room as each other.

"Char?" Ice looked over at the blonde woman. Charlotte huffed. Just as she was about to speak Maverick interrupted her.

"Before we start, I don't want to talk about pulling Bradleys papers, that's a conversation between me and him".

Charlotte looked at her father with rage in her eyes. "You pulling Bradleys papers was the main reason I was pissed at you all those years ago but trust me it's gone way beyond that with me now. Let's talk about how you abandoned me huh?"

"Abandoned you? Char I didn't abandon you, you moved out and didn't want to see me".

"I was angry at what you did, I didn't want to be around you in that moment, like you do with any other teenage girl you give them space and then try again, but you, no, you didn't do that did you? I moved into Carols and 2 days later you were gone. You didn't even try to speak to me or even say goodbye! I woke up to Carol telling me you had been deployed and I never heard from you again" Charlotte had completely broken down by this point, all the pent-up emotions she felt towards her dad leaving her were finally coming out.

"I was 16 years old; I had lost my mum and my dad had just left me without a word. Then Aunt Carol died, and we heard nothing from you. We were completely lost and alone, we didn't know what to do"

Rooster couldn't help it anymore he took Charlotte in his arms as she completely broke down, sobs raking through her body, being best friends, all their lives thankfully didn't make this look odd.

Maverick held his head in his hands as he saw his daughter crumbling, he wanted nothing more than to comfort her himself but knew she wouldn't let him, thankfully Rooster had that part covered for him. Releasing a shaky breath, he spoke.

"Char… I'm so sorry, I know that's not enough to make you even consider forgiving me, but I really am. I'll be honest when your mum died, I had no idea how to raise you. Thankfully she had done an amazing job before she went and Carol was an absolute life saver, but when you told me you hated me and moved out, I honestly thought you never wanted to see me again. What I should have done was come and speak to you but like an idiot I didn't. As soon as I got the call to go, I just left, and I have regretted that decision ever since. Charlotte, I love you more than anything your my daughter, I always have and I always will. I do admit I have been a real shitty dad and nothing I say or do will ever change what I did but please, please accept my apology".

Charlotte's sobs had slowed slightly as she listened to what her dad said, she wouldn't be able to forgive him not just like that, it would take time, but she knew she had to try and start. Taking a shaky breath, she spoke "I accept your apology, but I haven't forgiven you and it will take me a very long time to do so"

Maverick nodded, taking anything, he could get from his daughter right now. Ice smiled from his position behind his desk, he kept quiet giving the father and daughter chance to hash it out, he looked over towards Bradley, this was going to be a hard one.

"Bradley" Ice spoke as he looked over to the male pilot "Shall we discuss what happened today".

Rooster hung his head; Charlotte placed a hand on his knee.

"I'm sorry sir, I let Hangman get under my skin and I shouldn't have, I should have kept my calm" Bradley spoke.

"Yes, you should have, I agree that what Mr Serisen said was out of line. As your Admiral, I say you should have kept your composer and remained professional, but as your father figure and friend I say you should have punched him".

Bradley and Maverick both let out a small chuckle at Ice's words.

"Bradley, i.. I'm sorry" Maverick started before Rooster interrupted him.

"No, not today. I agree we need to talk but I can't not today. I don't think any of us have it in us to tackle both of us today" Maverick nodded at his words agreeing that he should start with Charlotte, and they would talk another day.

"Char, we need to talk about what Hangman said today" Maverick looked over at his daughter.

Charlotte knew this was coming, she stood up and walked over towards the floor to ceiling window in Ice's office. "There's really nothing to talk about".

"Well, there is actually. As your dad I just found out in front of the whole squad that my daughter was or wasn't I'm not actually sure may have been pregnant and I wasn't there for you"

"And I as your Admiral have just found out that my god daughter was having a sexual relationship with a fellow student in the academy" Ice interjected.

Charlotte whipped her head around at the pair "You know there is no actual rule that we can't have relationships in the academy. You both know it happens all the time".

"Yes, we aren't stupid, but you know it's not something we encourage, and in your case, it got you into a situation" Ice answered.

"Look I really don't need to have this talk with either of you. For disclosure I wasn't pregnant, ok? It was just a scare, nothing for either of you to worry about".

Maverick felt his shoulders relax slightly at hearing her confirm she wasn't in fact pregnant in the academy.

"So, who was the guy?" Maverick asked.

Charlotte saw Rooster tense ever so slightly out the corner of her eye, thankfully both Maverick and Ice were to busy focusing on her to notice. She smirked as she looked over to the two men "Do you both really think I'm stupid? There is no way I'm telling you".

Both men looked towards Rooster who suddenly was feeling very warm "Bradley do you know who it was" Charlotte held her breath hoping his startled look wasn't going to be a giveaway to the older men.

Rooster managed to pull himself together to answer, "No idea, I only found out about this today".

Both men looked at each other before looking back to Charlotte.

"Fine, we will let it go... for now" Ice spoke to the woman. Before anyone else could speak Sarah popped her head through the door.

"Dinner is ready guys, your all staying and I'm not taking no for an answer".

All four left Ice's office and made their way to the kitchen where Sarah had cooked dinner. They all spent the evening talking, things slightly less tense between Rooster, Charlotte and Maverick.