Noa sits across from her mother at a fancy brunch spot. The same one that they frequented over Noa's youth and early adulthood. Where Noa had shared plenty of good news with her mother. From high school valedictorian, university acceptance, nursing school acceptance, and graduation. Except now, Noa no longer feels happy here. No, now it's turned into a place where her mother can openly pick her part, knowing Noa won't make a scene.

Her relationship with her mother was complicated. Noa had always been more attached to her father, Sanjay, so it pushed Noa and Esmeralda closer when he passed. In her childhood, it had been perfect, they had been a perfect pair. A mother and daughter conquering the world together.

It wasn't until Esmeralda remarried and Noa reached her teenage years that it began to crumble. Esmeralda herself had been a victim of pushing the perfect Mexican daughter stereotype and, instead of breaking the cycle, had continued it with Noa.  

"So, have you seen Bradley recently?" Noa resists the urge to roll her eyes. Out of Noa's three boyfriends, Bradley had been her mother's favorite. She had fought so hard to keep her relationship with Bradley to please her mother. It wasn't until Noa realized that having Bradley as a friend benefited her. 

"No, he's busy with work. But I'm stopping by later to see dad." She tries to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Her mother looks up from her omelet, her brows shooting up in surprise. "Are you taking Sutton?"

"Of course. Sutton wants to see Beau and her uncle Bradley."

"Do you really think that's wise, Lennon?" Her mother questions.

"She's been to base before, mother."

"Jason will be there. I thought we had an understanding, Lennon." Understanding. Noa wants to laugh. That's one way to phrase it.

Noa does a quick scan of the restaurant. It's fairly empty, with three other parties scattered around. Noa and Esmeralda are situated in a corner booth tucked away from everyone else.

"His name is Jake, and he knows about Sutton." If this were a cartoon, her mother's head would have exploded in anger. But instead, she sets her utensils down and frowns.

Esmeralda reaches across the table and places a hand on her daughter's arm. "Noa, we've talked about this. Jake being in Sutton's life is not healthy. It's unstable."

She remembers the conversation clearly. Except it wasn't really a conversation. Noa categorizes a conversation as two people sharing words and speaking to each other. Noa hadn't spoken one word.

"Unstable? Like when you almost talked me into having an abortion?" The frown on Esmeralda's face deepens. It's no secret that her mother had thought less of her for ending up pregnant. All it had taken was an unplanned pregnancy to make Noa lose her golden girl status in her mother's eyes. It had also been enough to have her mother shamed by her own family. 

She remembers the day clearly. After Bradley had talked her down and promised to be at her side for everything, she had gone straight to her mother. It had been a moment of weakness, and Esmeralda had taken advantage. She had whispered soothing words and almost convinced her that an abortion would be the best scenario. After all, her nursing career was just taking off. No one wants a screw-up, Noa.

"Or unstable, like when you married Beau, and he was also on deployments." Esmeralda's hand tightens around Noa's arm, her nails digging into her golden skin. Noa hates dragging her stepfather into this. After all, Beau had taken her in as his own. "I owe it to both of them to give Jake a chance. He's already in love with the idea of her, mom."

"And what happens when he breaks your heart again? Or worse, Sutton's?"

"He won't." She says it with such certainty that it makes her mother sit back in surprise. Esmeralda releases her grip on Noa's arm and sighs. Noa glances at the marks on her arm and throws a napkin over her food.

"Think carefully, Noa Lennon. If you let that man back in, I won't be there when he breaks your heart or Sutton's." Years ago, her mother's words would have been enough to make Noa think twice. But the image of Jake pleading to meet Sutton is burned in her mind. Their conversation and Bradley's advice are still fresh.

"I'll see you next time, mother." Noa stands and walks out of the restaurant. It isn't till she's in the safety of her car that Noa realizes she's free now. The bond between her and her mother is broken, and Noa feels relief. The same bond that kept her glued to her mother's side and away from Jake is gone; she knows she has to make things right now. 

✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈

The silence in the room is almost suffocating. The candidates are sitting in the control room waiting for Maverick and the Admirals to arrive. Everyone is quiet and tense as they keep sneaking glances at Jake.

He's aware that the entire close-knit group of aviators know the shit show that happened a couple of days ago. It doesn't help that he can feel Rooster glaring at him and Phoenix's guilty looks. His conversation with Noa hadn't ended on a good term. Jake had only let Noa leave under one condition. She let him see Sutton.

Broken. That's the only way he can describe it. Everything is broken. His heart. His life. The only thing keeping him grounded is the mission and Javy.

Even everything with the mission is going sideways. They were currently waiting to discuss their current training. Each team had been given three minutes to execute the mission. Everyone had failed. Except for Bradley. 

He turns to Javy and gives him a discreet nod that makes the man's face light up. Jake turns and sends Bradley an equally icy glare. Jake turns back around when Maverick walks into the room.

The tension is thick when Maverick walks in alone. He doesn't look pleased, and Hangman keeps his head down as Maverick begins his critics. 

"What happened?" Maverick moves from Pheonix, Bob, and Coyote to Hangman's group.

Hangman sits up straight and smiles. "Well, I flew as fast as I could. Kinda like my ass depended on it."

"And you put your team in danger, and your wingman is dead." Rooster pipes in. The mere sound of his voice is enough to aggravate Hangman even more. Coyote shoots him a warning glance. 

"They couldn't keep up," Hangman states in a borderline teasing tone. He remains quiet as Maverick begins to go critique Rooster's team. 

"Why are you dead? You're the team leader up there. Why are you and your team dead?" Maverick ask.

Pheonix lets out a sigh. "Sir, he's the only one who made it to the target." 

"A minute late." Maverick sighs. "He gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down. He is dead."

"You don't know that." Rooster finally speaks up.

"You're not flying fast enough," Hangman interrupts, emphasizing each word like Roosters a child. "You don't have a second to waste."

Rooster ignores Hangman. "We made it to the target."

"And a superior enemy aircraft intercepted you on the way out."

"Then it's a dog fight."

"Against fifth-generation fighters?"

"In an f-18?"

"It's not the plane, sir. It's the pilot" Hangman rolls his eyes.

"Exactly!" Maverick finally snaps. Silence follows as Maverick and Rooster stare down, neither saying anything. 

Hangman can't take any more of Rooster's talk, so he makes his final decision.

"You really don't get it" He turns to look at Rooster. "On this mission, a man flies like Maverick here, or a man does not come back. No offense intended." His last words are directed at Pheonix, his anger toward her taking over.

Bob, who'd watched Pheonix take Hangman digs, finally speaks up. He leans forward and gives the man a deadly look. "Yet somehow you always manage."

Hangman finally turns to look at Rooster completely. The anger flooding back in. "Look, i don't mean to criticize. Your conservative, that's all."

"Lieutenant," Maverick warns.

"It's no time to be thinking about the past." He gives Rooster a sly smile. He's placed the bait, and he knows Rooster will take it.

Rooster turns to look at him, his brown eyes narrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Rooster," Maverick warns again. He knows precisely where Hangman is going with this. Coyote watches the scene unfold with eagerness.

"I can't be the only one that knows Maverick flew with his old man" Hangman leans back into his seat, almost like the information is common knowledge to everyone. "Or that-"

"That's enough."

Hangman knows he should stop, that Rooster doesn't deserve to have his business aired out as his had been. But jealousy and anger win, and he continues in a teasing tone. "Or that Maverick was flying when his old man-"

Hangman doesn't get to finish as Rooster lunges for him, ready to attack. Everyone reacts quickly, creating a barricade around the men. Rooster is being held back by Bob and Pheonix, his face red with anger. 

But the words that fall from Bradley's lips surprise everyone, even Bradley himself.

"And you wonder why I got to be a part of Sutton Marie's life, and you didn't." Everyone stills at Rooster's words, and Jake is practically seeing red. Bradley is certain he's going to hell, but at that moment, all he feels is satisfaction as he watches Jake's features morph into an expression of anger.

Later, when they're called into Vice Admiral Simpson's office, they won't be able to explain exactly who started it, but before they can register, Javys arms are snaked around Jake's waist as he tries to pull him off, Bradley.

"Son of a bitch " someone yells. It's a tangled mess of fists and limbs as everyone tries to break up the fight.

"Pull him off!"

"I'm trying!"

"Rooster, let him go!"

"Seresin, calm down!"

"Lieutenants!"

"Where the fuck is Phoenix."

Jake groans when a fist collides with his side, almost knocking him off Rooster completely. It's enough to snap him out of his rage, and he finally notices Phoenix. The sunkissed woman is pinned down beside Rooster, her arms creating a protective barrier around her head.

Phoenix tries to look for a way out, but it's essentially a dogpile, and she's trapped all the way at the bottom, Rooster's top half pinning her down. She makes brief eye contact with Hangman and hopes her eyes communicate exactly what she feels. Fear. Anger. God, she hates men and their fragile little egos.

Phoenix gives him another shove, and Jake gets the message. He rolls off Roosters and shoves him away, finally freeing Phoenix. Even though he's still angry with her, he wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her out of the pile before it completely collapses.

"You bitch," Phoenix is seething. Her brown eyes are narrowed in an icy glare. Jake scoffs.

"A thank-" He doesn't get to finish his sentence as Pheonix's knuckles make contact with Jake's sharp jaw. Her punch sends Jake back on his ass as the female aviator stands up from the floor.

"Thanks, bagman. Keep your attitude in check next time." With one last glare, she walks back to the dogpile and yanks Bob out. The blond male gratefully takes her hand, and they begin separating everyone else. Bob's expression matches her own. They are so over it.

It takes a couple of minutes before everyone is untangled and standing around looking stressed. The last one to stand up is Rooster. Blood is gushing from his nose and bottom lip, and his knuckles are bloody. He makes eye contact with Hangman, who sports a matching lip and bloody knuckles. Coyote stands next to Hangman, sporting a fresh bruise on his cheekbone courtesy of Fanboy, who looks overly proud.

Everyone else is unharmed, but their disheveled hair and flight suits prove they had been involved in the tussle. The only one completely unharmed and picture-perfect is Maverick.

He stands in the middle of the circle, hands on hips, as he glares at every candidate. His glare softens when he looks at Bradley and Hangman. He sends everyone an icy glare. "I want to make it clear that this is a one-time occurrence. Any form of violence moving forward will result in immediate suspension from this mission training. Do i make myself clear?"

A beat of silence follows as everyone watches Hangman and Rooster stare down. They nod at each other before turning back to Maverick.

"Yes, sir!" Everyone choruses.

"Your dismissed." The command is clear as day, and everyone files out of the room. The aviators slip in different directions, leaving the core group to walk in the same direction. Phoenix pulls Rooster along in the direction of the infirmary, walking ahead of the group.

Phoenix stops abruptly when they round a corner, causing everyone else to halt too. Noa stands at the end of the hall, focusing on Admiral Bates. Sutton stands beside her, her small hand firmly grasped in Noa's

"Uncle Lee!" Sutton wiggles out of her mother's grasp and runs full speed at Bradley, who barely has time to kneel.

Warlock and Noa turn their attention to the group of aviators, and their mouth drops open in shock.

Noa eyes Bradley's bloody knuckles and face, then Phoenix's disheveled appearance. She's confused until her eyes land on Jake and Javy. Jake has a matching bloody lip and bloody knuckles that he tries to hide. Javy looks down in shame. They had gone too far this time.

"What happened?" Sutton carefully places her small hands on Bradley's face and moved him around. Her small eyes widened at the blood. Her attention shifts to Natasha as she reaches for the older woman. "Natty."

Natasha carefully takes Sutton from Bradley and hugs her close like she's afraid the child might disappear. "I've missed you button."

Warlock places a kiss on Noa's head and excuses himself, sending the aviators a questionable look.

Sutton wiggles out of Phoenix's arms and practically all but jumps down. Her green eyes are now focused on Hangman. Sutton weaves through the aviators, watching everyone with curious eyes until she stops right in front of Jake.

Sutton tugs on the fabric of his flight suit, making him kneel to her height. Sutton turns back toward her mother and waits for the nod of approval. Noa nods and watches as Sutton Marie throws her arms around Jake's neck, pulling him closer.

Sutton tightened her grip as she squishes him with all the might in her tiny body. "I'm glad your back, daddy." She whispers so low Jake almost doesn't catch it. It takes him a minute before he collapses on the floor, bringing Sutton with him, causing her to shriek in surprise.

"I am, baby. I'm back."