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Maverick was pulling on a pair of jeans when Merlin’s voice called out through the apartment, “Mav! You’ve got company! I’m out!”
“See ya later Sam.” She grinned at the amusement in Goose’s voice as Carole giggled. She then heard a different voice.
“Well he’s fun.”
Goose snickered, “He’s got flight training in an hour, and traffic at this time is a bitch if he doesn’t leave now.”
“He’s a pilot?”
Goose was saved from answering by Maverick who walked in while pulling on a Clemson t-shirt, “We both are.”
The new person raised an eyebrow at her as she moved to hug her sister tightly in greeting before turning to Goose and giving him the same treatment- only he picked her up in a bear hug that had her melting into his embrace and holding tightly.
Gods how she missed these two.
“ You’re a pilot?”
When Goose released her she stepped back and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow of her own, “Could ask the same. Can’t see how you’d fit in the cockpit.”
Goose snickered, “Kelly, this is Mitch. Mitch, this is my childhood best friend Kelly.”
Maverick nodded and gave a tight smile, “Pleasure.”
Kelly seemed to return the smile in kind and gave his own nod, “Likewise.”
Carole cleared her throat and pulled Maverick’s focus, “So, what were the plans for tonight?”
Maverick wandered into the kitchenette and sent up a silent prayer in thanks to whoever was listening that Merlin had made a fresh pot of coffee before he’d left. Walking over to the cabinet she pulled four mugs and lined them up on the counter before pouring, “Well, I was thinking we can either go out or I can cook.”
There was a disbelieving snort from behind her followed by Kelly asking, “You can fly and cook?”
She didn’t answer but Carole’s giggle did, “Mitch can cook just about anything.”
Goose was oddly silent at the moment.
“Can she cook better than you?” So Kelly had Carole’s cooking. Good to know.
“Oh Honey.” Carole laid on the Southern accent with what sounded like a dark grin. Which was confirmed as Maverick turned around and placed three mugs on the island in front of them. “We were taught by the same woman to cook. But Mitch has always been better at it than I am.”
Grabbing up her own mug she eyed Kim over the rim as she took a sip of the undoctored beverage, “We can both cook, we can both bake. Carole’s better at baking, I’m better at cooking. But we’re very good at both.”
Kelly was eyeing her critically before he finally asked, “Can you make Veal Parmesan?”
He didn’t seem to be paying attention to Carole and Goose who were both now looking at each other with wide eyes and raised brows.
“I can.” She answered confidently. He didn’t need to know she’d never made that before. “But veal is expensive, so we’ll have to hit up Burbage’s.”
He cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow in confusion now, “What’s that?”
Maverick grinned now, “My butcher.”
Three hours later- after enjoying some time Downtown in the Market and at WaterFront Park the group found themselves in a clean shop run by a smiling man that greeted Maverick warmly, “I see you’re back!”
The man walked around the counter and enveloped Maverick in a hug with a bright smile, “I am. I’m making dinner tonight and I need Veal.”
Marion Burbage grinned and motioned her over to the counter while the other three stood back and talked amongst themselves. “So veal is it? What are we making and how much do you need?”
Maverick turned her back to the group a bit and cleared her throat, grinning as she spoke, “Veal Parm and I’m making enough for five.”
Getting the hint Marion snickered and nodded- dropping his voice so only she could hear him, “I’ve got just the recipe for you. As well as the perfect cuts.” Giving her a wink he moved to take care of what she needed.
As he got to work Maverick walked over to the group and Kelly looked over now, “So you can’t use a grocery store like a normal person?”
Maverick grinned and shook her head, “Nah. Besides, if you want good quality meat why leave it up to chance. In a place like Winn-Dixie or Piggly Wiggly you don’t know if the meat is local or how long it’s been on the shelf.” She shrugged now, “And anyway, Burbage has been here since the early 50s. This place was run by Marion’s mom and pop since ‘53. I found them by accident when I first got here and I won’t go anywhere else for my meat.”
Carole smacked Goose when the mustached man snorted and Kelly tried hard not to do the same and nearly failed until Marion called out, “Maverick, you’re all set.”
She heard him whisper, “Maverick?” but neither Goose nor Carole answered as she walked over to take the bag Marion was holding, “That was quick.”
“I had some already broken down so it was just a matter of wrapping it up and grabbing the seasonings you needed.”
She grinned at him and handed over the cash, “Marion, you’re a saint! Give my love to your wife and the girls.”
He handed over her change and gave a wink, “Will do. See you next time, Maverick.”
She gave a wave and stuffed her change into her pocket before motioning for everyone to follow her out.
Once in Goose’s Bronco Kelly looked over at her now, “Maverick?”
“Yes?” She knew he wasn’t getting her attention but decided to play dumb for a minute.
“Why’d he call you Maverick?”
Goose snorted from the driver’s seat as he pulled into traffic and headed in the direction of Maverick’s apartment.
“Because that’s my callsign. Did you already forget that I’m a pilot?”
“So you’re a Navy pilot?”
“I’m in the Navy. And I’m in training to be a pilot. But yes.”
“And you go to Clemson?”
“I do. Working on two degrees at the same time.”
“But why Maverick?”
She opened her mouth to answer but stopped as she thought about it. With a grin she shrugged her shoulders, “Dunno. You’ll have to ask the guy that gave me the callsign.” She smiled now, “But it might have something to do with how I fly. Or maybe it has to do with my people skills. He never really elaborated.”
Goose and Carole both snickered from the front seats which prompted Maverick’s next line of thought, “That reminds me, are y’all planning to be in town the rest of the weekend?”
“We don’t leave until Sunday evening, so yeah. Why?”
She looked over at Carole as her sister shifted in her seat to look back at her, “Do y’all happen to have formal clothing with you?”
Goose gave her a look from the rear view that clearly said he might regret asking, “At least two of us in this truck carry a spare uniform wherever we go. Why?”
Maverick gave a big old smile now, “Merlin and I are supposed to be attending a gala of sorts and I was told to drag my family along so I wouldn’t be too bored.”
Kelly and Nick both groan and Carole giggles while Maverick turns to look at the man in the back seat with her, “Since you’re not my family, I will say you have the option not to go. But I’ll leave that up to you.”
The smile that he turned on her now was blinding and his voice held every ounce of gratitude in him, “Now who's the saint?”
She laughed as Goose protested, “Oh hell no! If I’m gonna get dragged to this damn thing, so are you, Cowboy! So saddle up and press that damned uniform. I am not going to one of these stupid functions alone.”
At that, Carole and Maverick both look at him with narrowed eyes and sharp tones, “What are we chopped liver?” This prompted Kelly to giggle and shrink down into his seat as if trying to make himself smaller to avoid any female ire thrown his way while Goose flushed and grinned through the windshield as he continued to drive.
Two hours later Sam entered the apartment to the sound of an almost pornagraphic moan and the new person saying, “Fucking hell Maverick, this is amazing!”
A snicker followed as Sam moved into the kitchen area, “What did you make this time?”
The woman in question looked up from where she was sitting with a bright grin, “Veal Parm.”
Sam’s eyes got wide now as he watched his roommate snicker and move from her seat. She walked to the stove, opened the oven, pulled out a covered plate and turned off the oven before turning back to him now, “Didn’t honestly think I’d forget about you, did you?”
“The thought never once crossed my mind.” He took the still warm plate and hopped up on a stool at the island as she went back to the table.
“How was training today?”
Sam snickered, “After the first hour it was nothing but the flight sim all day.”
Maverick snorted and looked over at him, “Oh no. Who fucked up?”
Before he answered he took a bite of the veal and moaned in the same way as the new guy had moments ago. “Fuck that’s good.”
“Right? She’s a magician in the kitchen, I swear to God!” Sam gave the new guy a grin as he nodded.
“Honestly, if it wasn’t for her, I’d probably starve.” Looking at Maverick now he answered, “Preacher. Dumb ass made a bet that everyone in the class could easily beat your scores on the last written test.”
Maverick snorted and shook her head as she continued to eat. But it was Goose that piped up, “Have they seen her college scores? No one I’ve ever met tests like she does.”
Carole pointed her fork at him, “That’s not true. You and Tommy could probably give her a run for her money.”
“Tom yes, me no.”
It was Kelly’s turn to chime in, “I’ve never seen her scores, but I have seen yours Nicky. Don’t sell yourself short. You’re pretty damn smart.”
“Considering he wanted to be a doctor long before he wanted to fly? Yeah, Goose, you could easily match me score for score. And I don’t know who this Tom is, but I’ll have to take your word for it.” Kelly took a second to look at Maverick in surprise for a moment before focusing back on his dinner.
“Anyway Merls, what happened?”
Merlin snorted and swallowed the bite he had taken before he answered, “Captain Johnson took the bet and said that anyone who didn’t match or beat your score by 50 had to run sims all day.” He grinned now, “No one but me and him knew that you had gotten the perfect score on the last written.”
Kelly snickered, “Sounds like it was a rigged game from the jump.”
Merlin grinned around his bite and nodded, “Very much so.”
Maverick hummed and cocked her head, “Where’d you land, Merls?”
He gave a wry grin, “Two points short.”
“Damn.”
“Worth it.” He lifted his fork to his mouth now, “Preacher didn’t even make the top five.”
Maverick was standing at the bar watching as Captain Johnson left her with a pointed finger and a muttered “Behave.” Grinning at him she lifted her glass in a mock salute and turned back to the bartender who was now standing in front of her.
He had moved away after making her new drink when a decorated Admiral stepped into the spot Johnson had vacated previously.
“So you’re Duke Mitchell’s bastard.”
She gave him a cool look over the rim of her glass as she took a sip. She also took in her surroundings and noted the other Admiral now watching them discreetly from a few feet away.
Swallowing the drink she’d taken she gave him a cold smile, “Actually my parents were married before I was ever conceived. So in fact, I’m just his daughter.”
The Admiral snorted as he gave her a once over, “Heard he’d been married. Some mail order Russian bitch.” He grinned lecherously at her now, “Didn’t think the rumors were true.”
She took note of how The Other Admiral went very stiff right then and turned as if to interfere. She lifted a finger off her glass at him and cocked her head slowly and glared up at The Admiral in front of her, “Know a lot about Mail Order Brides, do ya?” Her accent was fighting hard to come through as she spoke.
He snorted and his grin got worse, “Know enough. Heard that when they’re eager to get that green card they’re willin’ to do just about anything.” He got uncomfortably close into her personal space but she didn’t move an inch. “You anything like that mother of yours?”
She lifted her drink to her lips, took a sip, eyed him carefully, and noticed that The Other Admiral was waving someone off but didn’t bother to look at who. Instead she turned her full focus on The Admiral in front of her. Setting her glass down slowly she kept her gaze cold and neutral before turning to face him fully, took a half step back, and took pleasure in the way her fist connected fully with his nose and he dropped like a stone.
She had felt the way his nose had crunched under her knuckles and now as she crouched over his head she got even more satisfaction at the blood now staining his dress whites. n heavily accented English she spoke calmly and coldly, “If you ever speak of my family like that again, I promise you I’ll be the last thing you see as I shovel dirt over your screaming face.”
She was standing up and straightening her uniform as Captain Johnson rushed over followed immediately by Goose and Merlin, “Mitchell, explain now!”
She kept her face tight and controlled as she forced herself to think in English to explain. But she was quickly cut off by The Other Admiral neatly stepping over The Admiral and placing a hand between her shoulders gently, and giving Captain Johnson a smile, “Just a situation that was getting wildly out of control and her reigning it in nice and tight, Captain.” The Other Admiral motioned to two armed MPs that were nearby, “Gentlemen, get this man cleaned up and on the next plane out of here. I dare say I’m about to have his job.”
As Maverick took in her new situation she noticed the closeness at which the MPs were standing and realized that they’d been the ones The Other Admiral had been waving off. She took in her savior’s appearance and as her brain was functionally English again she cleared her throat, “I’m pretty sure you outrank him, Sir.”
He gave her a bright shark-like grin and nodded, “I do at that, Lieutenant.” He turned fully to face her now, extending the hand he’d had at her back, “Vice Admiral Victor Kazansky. And you are?”
Taking his hand she gave a tight smile, “Lieutenant Pete Mitchell, Sir. But most just call me Maverick.”
“I’m starting to see why, Maverick.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go, “I’m assuming Pete is a nickname?”
“Yes, Sir. My first name is primarily used by close friends and family. Not that I have an aversion to it, just that I am very… particular on who gets to know it.”
He smiled warmly and nodded, “I understand that. My oldest sons are the same way. If you’re not family or Ronny my second oldest goes strictly by his callsign. And my oldest only gives his nickname or his callsign as well, until he feels he can trust you.”
“Both your boys are Navy pilots, Sir?”
Admiral Kazansky sighed- seemingly dejectedly, “One of them is. The oldest had to go and decide on the Air Force like is Grandfather. Broke my heart, I’ll tell you that.” As this seemed to get her to loosen up a bit he grinned now, “But Pops was happy, so there’s that. What about you, Maverick? What made you decide on flying?”
The rest of the night wasn’t terrible as Maverick spent a good portion of it talking with Admiral Kazansky and having her hand looked at by Goose once they were in the Bronco.
All-in-all, not a terrible break…