#lwah npt

[callsignspirit]

line without a hook / chapter one - homecoming

a/n - if you’re thinking ‘i���ve seen this fic before’ you’d be completely right! someone may or may not have deleted their account and now has to repost everything (i will be taking no further questions at this time) : this version is about 500 words longer however and is just better overall so enjoy !!

the cool summer breeze whistled through the open windows of a half-empty bar. soft music was playing from the jukebox in the corner as officers played various games of darts and pool.

sadie “hotshot” mitchell was sat down, happily chatting to elodie, one of the bartenders that evening. her auburn hair was loosely tied into a bun that sat at the collar of her neatly ironed uniform. her skin was slightly tanned from the months she'd spend out in the floridian sun.

"pete!" she overheard penny say, looking past elodie, she could see her dad sitting, nursing a beer. she sat observing the conversation until penny had spotted her out the corner of her eye. "two mitchells at my bar.. to what do i owe the pleasure?" she laughed, cleaning some used glasses.

"sadie?" pete said, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "i didn't see your name on the list.. what are you doing here?"

"if anything, i should be asking you that question after 3 years with no contact! and c'mon dad that's the first thing you say to me? no hug? no how've you been sadie, my favourite daughter?" she laughed.

"you're my only daughter.." pete challenged.

"doesn't mean i can't be your favourite!" she smiled, jumping up out of her seat and moving to his side of the bar they were sitting at.

he stretched his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in, "i missed you kid."

the pair talked and shared stories from the past few years they'd spent apart, the resemblance between the two was uncanny. they shared a similar smile and had the same twinkle in their eyes when they told a story. there was no doubt that sadie was pete's child.

growing up, sadie had always admired her father; "maverick", one of the toughest pilots the navy had seen yet it was until he brought her to the base that it was decided she wanted to be just like her dad when she grew up.

it wasn't easy being female and the daughter of notorious maverick, for the first half of her career she was called "nepo". eventually iceman had to step in and suggest they picked a better callsign for her although this only fueled the relentless teasing. what's worse that being saved by your daddy? having to be saved by your daddy's friend who just so happened to be an admiral.

-

after a while of catching up, maverick had urged his daughter to join her new teammates and get to know them before training began in the morning.

she started by sitting next to the sweetest backseater, he told her tales of his last pilot and kindly offered her a handful of bar nuts. after swapping stories about past deployments, sadie had turned her attention to the scene in front of her.

she was mostly interested in the cocky blonde aviator who had no problem offering up his money for a challenge. sadie had definitely seen his face before, vaguely remembering seeing it years ago on the desk belonging to her honorary uncle iceman; something to do with a promotion or maybe an invitation to top gun.

"if it ain't phoenix!" his loud voice bellowed throughout the bar, sadie turned around to subsequently lay her eyes on possibly the most beautiful woman she had seen, accompanied by her entourage.

her brown hair was neatly tied up complementing her expressive eyes of a similar shade. her uniform was fitted perfectly and as sadie looked closer she could make out 'trace' imprinted on the nameplate. her lips curled into a tight smile as she recognised the blonde.

she introduced the opposing aviator as 'bagman' though sadie knew that definitely wasn't his callsign. the two continued the kindergarten bickering until they noticed the two uniformed officers in the corner: sadie and bob.

"who are they?" phoenix asked, looking directly at the pair.

"who's who?"

suddenly it seemed everyone in the group was  studying them.

"i'm bob!" the backseater chirped happily, after his encounter with the bunch the pressure was on sadie to introduce herself.

"hotshot, sadie to those of you who earn my respect." she stated bluntly, she knew that tomorrow they would be competing against each other so why try and make friends now (even if one of them was the prettiest girl sadie had met)?

"sadie as in sadie mitchell? maverick's daughter?" 'bagman' asked.

in response sadie simply smiled and laughed. "guilty." she giggled.

"i've heard a lot about you," he continued, smirking.

"all good things i hope?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"i wouldn't get your hopes up." he remarked, turning back to face his game of pool.

the group started to return to what they were doing, play various bar games or heading up to order a beer. all except phoenix, no, phoenix had begun to stride towards sadie, eager to introducing herself to the renowned pilot.

"phoenix, or natasha. which ever works best for you," she offered, outstretching her hand out in order for a handshake.

"it's a pleasure to meet you phoenix," sadie declared, smiling warmly at the women.

"pleasures all mine, i've heard about some of your missions, you're insane!" she praised, her eyes lighting up as she went into detail about different missions she had heard about.

sadie laughed at her amusement, "simply managing expectations is all."

the bell of the door rang, signalling that someone had entered and phoenix was ready to rush off, "i look forward to working with you!" she said before meeting the aforementioned someone in the middle of the bar.

'god i hope she's single' sadie thought as she glanced over to a familiar face hugging phoenix: bradley. if bradley was here that meant violet was too.

violet is sadie’s back seater, they’ve been through thick and thin together. hell sadie was even maid of honour at her wedding, in fact, sadie was the one who set violet and bradley up.

violet’s callsign was widow, it was chosen by sadie after there was a spider in the cockpit and violet freaked out.

“sadie mitchell, the one and only, is that you?” she called out from the doorway.

making eye contact, the two girls quickly pushed through patrons to engulf the other in a hug.

“i can’t believe you left me for bradshaw,” sadie jokes. originally, the pair were going to spend their 2 weeks leave from their previous deployment on a roadtrip through the countryside however bradley surprised violet with a vacation she couldn’t refuse.

suddenly a loud bell rang throughout the bar and pete was being carried out by a few of the aviators from earlier. sadie chuckled to herself wondering what her dad had said to get in trouble this time.

as other gathered by the piano, joining rooster to sing a navy classic, sadie sat back, reflecting on the mission ahead. from what she had heard it was going to be dangerous, all she hoped was that she could make it through.