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bellaireland1981 · 1 year

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Starting Over | 7

Summary: You come home to work to find your husband of three years in bed with your supposed best friend. It’s the wake up call you finally needed to take your two year old daughter and get the hell out of Texas. With nowhere to go you head to your big brother in San Diego. The sagger squad takes you under their wings, and shows you what having a family means. You get a fresh start… will you find your happily ever after?

Characters: Jake “hangman” Seresin x Sister! Reader, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Seresin! Reader (Eventually), Hangman x Phoenix (eventually) , Adorable OC Gracie! The Dagger squad

Word Count: 10,723

Warnings: Angst, fighting, cheating husband, emotional abuse, eventual fluff, smut in later chapters, Sweet uncle Jake, Adorable Rooster with a toddler… if I miss any please let me know.

A/N: I don’t own the characters or storyline for Top Gun Maverick. All OC’s are mine. I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR ANYONE TO COPY OR REPOST MY WORK TO ANY OTHER PLATFORM! DON’T STEAL! Reblogs, likes and comments ALWAYS welcomed. THANK YOU @waywardodysseys and @beyondthesefourwalls as always for reading over my work and helping me flush out ideas!!

Taglist is open! If I missed anyone who asked to be tagged, please fill out this GOOGLE FORM to be added. It’s getting to hard to keep track of asks.

CH 1 CH 2 CH 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6

The next morning you wake up, still wrapped tightly in Bradley’s arms, neither of you had moved much during the night. He was still sound asleep, his lashes rested against his cheeks, his breathing deep and even. He looked so relaxed, carefree while sleeping, you felt a tug on your heart. This man had come into your life and had quickly captured your heart. You smiled, knowing that soon the mess that was your life would be in the past and you decided to firmly embrace this new life, a life that included Bradley.

You leaned forward, placing featherlight kisses on his forehead, his cheek, and the tip of his nose before you started to stir. A smile instantly appears on his face when his eyes peek open and focus on you. His hands pull you closer to him, wanting you as close as possible.

“Morning, Sweetheart.” He said, leaning forward to capture your lips in a soft kiss. “Did you sleep ok?”

“Good morning” You replied, against his lips. “I’ve never slept better. How about you?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure how I’ll go back to sleeping without you,” He confessed, “That’s the best sleep I can ever remember getting as well.”

“Thank you.” You said, running your hand over his chest, “For last night…for staying with me… for keeping me and Gracie safe… for being you.”

“Sweetheart.” He said, pulling you closer, “You do not have to thank me for any of that. I will happily stay with you any time. I would do literally anything to keep you and Gracie safe. You two are very quickly becoming my whole world…hoping that doesn’t scare you off.”

“You could never scare me off.” You promised, “You’ve become a huge part of Gracie’s and my world and… I know we both want to keep you.”

“I’m yours, Sweetheart.” He said, his voice confident and sure.

You can hear voices in the hall and know that Jake must have gotten up with Gracie again. It had become a sort of ritual between the pair. Jake would get Gracie up in the morning and it was their time together.

“Shhh” You hear Jake shush, followed by Gracie’s giggle. You and Bradley both smile at the sound.

“Unco Jakey, you open?” Gracie asked Jake.

“We need to let Mommy and Rooster sleep, Princess G.” Jake said, “They had a very long night.”

You anticipated the squeal at the mention of Bradley being here.

“WOOSTA!” Gracie exclaimed, happily, “Pwease, Unco Jakey?”

Knowing he’d be unable to tell your daughter no, you prepared for the invasion.

Jake knocks on the door, “Making sure everyone is decent, incoming princess!” The door opens and Gracie comes bounding through.

“Woosta! Mommy!” She yells, running as fast as her little legs will carry her. Bradley sits up, ready to lift her up onto the bed.

“Good Morning, Princess.” He says, holding her close as he scoops her up into his arms. She snuggles right into him, laying her head on his bare shoulder, her chubby arms locking around his neck.

“Y’all ok in here?” Jake asks, peeking around the door.

“We’re good, Jakey.” You replied, “Thank you for getting up with her.”

“I love mornings with my Princess G.” He replied, “I’m gonna go finish getting breakfast made. Should be ready in a bit.”

“Sounds good.” You smiled, “Nat helping?” You giggled at the blush that crept up over your brother’s neck and face.

“You’re a brat, Tulip.” he said, playfully scowling at you before shutting the door again.

“Woosta, you pway wif me today?” Gracie asked, batting her sweet lashes at Bradley.

“I would love to stay and play with you today, Princess.” He replied, “I do have to go home for a tiny tiny bit to shower and change clothes. Maybe we can convince Mommy to go to the park to play.”

“I come wif you Woosta?” She asked, “Pwease?”

“How can I say ‘no’ to that?” He asked you, looking panicked. You laughed, shaking your head and shrugging. Seeing that you didn’t seem opposed to the idea, he decided today wouldn’t be the day he told Gracie ‘no’. “You can absolutely come with me, Princess. We can even stop and get ice cream.”

“Ice cweam?” She asked, eyes going wide in excitement.

“Yup. What do you think, Gracie,” He asked, “Should we take Mommy with us on the ice cream trip? Or should Mommy stay home?”

“Uhh,” She replied, looking at the ceiling and putting her finger to her face, “Yes. Mommy come too.”

“Thank you so much, Gracie Girl!” You said in an exaggeratedly excited tone, grabbing her up and tickling her. She dissolved into giggles, reaching for Bradley to rescue her. He quickly pulled her back dramatically, making a big show of ‘saving’ her from the tickle attack.

“I’ll save you, Princess!” He exclaimed, once more holding her tightly to him. You laughed at their antics.

Once the giggles subsided, Bradley looked at you, smiling, “So, what are your plans for today?”

“Apparently going for ice cream and a park playdate,” You replied, chuckling. “I have to call my lawyer though too and find out from her if I need to do anything.”

“Do you want to do that first?” He asked, “That way, if you need it, I’m here to support you and Jake and Nat are here to wrangle Gracie.”

“Yeah,” You replied, “I might as well get it over with” Bradley leaned in, kissing you softly in encouragement, Gracie copying him and also kissing you. “My own sweet support group. How did I get so lucky?”

“I think Gracie and I are the lucky ones to have YOU, Sweetheart.” Bradley corrected.

Once you were all up and dressed, poor Bradley needing to wear his clothes from the night before, you all made your way to the kitchen where Nat was sitting at the island, sipping coffee. Jake was flipping pancakes on the stove, a stack of already made ones piled high on a plate.

“Breakfast is almost done.” He said, looking over his shoulder, winking at Nat when he caught her checking out his ass. “Just finishing the chocolate chip ones for Princess G now.”

“I swear between you two men, she’s going to be spoiled rotten in no time.” You laughed, heading to the fridge to get her some milk in a sippy cup.

“Impossible.” Jake and Bradley both chimed in.

“She makes it hard NOT to want to spoil her.” Nat said, “She’s literally the cutest little girl I have ever seen.”

“It’s the Seresin genes.” Jake said, flashing his signature cocky smile, to which Nat just rolled her eyes,

“She’s her Mommy’s mini me.” Bradley said winking at you, “She gets all those good looks straight from her Momma.”

You set Gracie in her booster chair at the table, and set the milk down in front of her. Jake brought over a small plate with a cut up pancake on it with the toddler fork for Gracie

While Gracie was occupied with her pancake you made your way to the living room and called your lawyer. You felt bad calling the emergency weekend line but the officers had told you you needed to contact her today.

“Hello, this is Lauren Kennedy.” She answered quickly.

“Hi, Lauren, it’s Y/N.” You answered, “I’m so sorry to bother you on the weekend, but the officers last night said I should contact you.”

“Good Morning, Y/N. '' She said warmly, “Do not apologize at all. What officers?”

“Umm, well when I got home last night, Trent was sitting in a car out in front of the house.” You explained, “I was coming home…from a date. Bradley… the guy I was with and Jake held him off while I got inside and called the police. The umm, defended me….so Trent went to jail a little banged up.”

“Are you and Gracie OK?” She asked, alert and her voice switching to a fierce, no nonsense tone “Did he get physical or verbally abusive?”

“We’re OK.” You assured her, “Gracie was inside in bed. Trent just ran his mouth about me being on a date… and used derogatory language towards me, but he wasn’t able to physically harm me. Jake and Bradley make very effective bodyguards.”

“That’s good.” She said, “I will head to the station to find out what I can and will make sure he is charged with defying the order of protection. I will be in contact with his lawyer today as well and use this to put pressure on them to sign the papers. I know it must have been scary, but in the end, he may have done you a favor in speeding up this process.”

“It definitely shook me up.” You admitted, “Honestly, I didn’t really think he’d come out here. I’m not gonna lie, I’m kinda scared he’ll try to corner me again. I can’t always be with my brother or Bradley. They both have careers.”

“I understand,” She replied, “I will find out all I can about what is happening. I’m sure he’s called his lawyer and he’ll be working on securing his release. I’ll keep you posted on when that release will be and I recommend trying to make sure you’re not alone for the time being.”

“I just want this to be over.” You sighed, the weight of it all once more falling on your shoulders. The lightness you’d felt when you were on the date with Bradley and again this morning before reality hit again was being replaced with a heavy anxious feeling.

As if sensing you were in need of support, Bradley quietly came into the living room and moved to stand behind you, wrapping his arms around your middle and lending you his strength and comfort. You leaned your head back against his chest, taking a deep breath.

“It will be over soon, Y/N.” Lauren again assured you, “You have my word. I’ll give you a call a little later with an update, OK?”

“Thank you so much,” You replied “For everything.”

“It’s my pleasure,” She said, “In the meantime, try to enjoy your day… maybe spend more time with this Bradley fellow… he sounds like a keeper.”

“I will.” You said, smiling, “And he is.” You ended the call, pocketing your phone and turning in Bradley’s embrace, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Everything ok, Sweetheart?” He asked, resting his head against yours.

“Yeah.” You replied, “She said she’s going to call the station to get an update and his lawyer to push to end this. She’s going to call back when she knows more…and when she has information on his release.”

“He won’t get a second chance at getting close to you, Sweetheart.” He promised, “Jake and I already have plans for someone to be with you and Gracie for as long as needed.”

“Bradley, I can’t ask you all to put your lives on hold for me to play bodyguard.” You said, pulling back to look at him in the eyes. “You’ve all already gone way above and beyond the call of duty. Hell you and Jake risked your careers last night physically keeping Trent from me.”

“Tulip, I would do it again in less than a heartbeat,” Jake said, walking into the living room. “I’d bet my future career on the fact that Rooster here would too. You’re not asking any of us to do anything. It’s simply what a family does for one another…for the people you love. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to either you or Gracie. End of argument.”

It wasn’t often that your brother took an absolute authoritarian tone with you… in fact, you could count on one hand the number of times it had happened….and have fingers left over. The times he DID take the no nonsense tone…the one you imagined he’d used on those under his command… were times where your health or safety were in question. You knew not to argue with Jake when it came to what he perceived he needed to do to keep you safe. The look on Bradley’s face said he was on the same page as Jake and would do anything necessary to keep you and Gracie safe and secure.

Times when Trent would use that authoritarian intimidating tone on you, it would cause you to feel physically ill and uneasy. Knowing with him it was simply from a place of wanting to have and exert control over you, to bend you to his will. With Jake and Bradley you knew they would never force you to obey them or blindly follow orders to stroke their egos or make themselves feel better about themselves. In all other matters or situations, you knew they would bend over backwards, move heaven and earth to allow you the freedom to set your own path.

Sighing, you accepted that you weren’t winning this battle and if making sure you and Gracie were safe and cared for made THEM happy then you would do your part and follow their lead.

“I love you, Tulip.” Jake said, seeing your shoulders visibly relax, knowing he’d gotten through to you.

“I love you too, Jakey.” You replied, stepping back from Bradley’s embrace and hugging your brother on your way into the kitchen to get some much needed breakfast and coffee.

“What did the lawyer say?” Jaked asked Bradley once you’d gone into the kitchen.

“She’s going to call the station to find out what the status of the charges are and calling his lawyer to try to pressure them into settling. She’ll call when she knows more and will give us a heads up about his release.” Bradley replied.

“They going to be with you today?” Jake asked, “I was going to ask Nat out on a real date tonight, if you’re plannin’ on sticking close.”

“Absolutely.”Bradley said, “I’ve got the girls. Go on the date. It’ll make your sister happy too. She really likes Nat.”

“So do I.” Jake said, smiling. “She’s tough as fucking nails, man, and loves to bust my balls… but it’s also what I really like about.”

“You’re good for one another.” Bradley said, “Just… make sure you’re sure. She is the strongest person I know but she’s soft too… if she’s letting you in, cherish it for the absolute gift it is.”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” Jake confirmed, “I think she may be the one… and I’m planning on doing everything I can to be good enough to deserve her.”

“You are good enough, Hangman.” Bradley said sincerely, “I think you may be the only one who doens’t believe it.”

“Thanks, Rooster.” Jake replied, smiling softly.

The two made their way back into the kitchen with the girls. Gracie was finishing her pancakes and had managed to get syrup everywhere.

“Ok, looks like a certain Princess G needs a bath already this morning.” Jake laughed, “Let’s go get you cleaned up while your momma and Bradley eat their breakfast, OK?”

“Otay!” Gracie agreed, never one to turn down a bath. “Nix too?”

“I’ll come too, Sweet Girl.” Phoenix smiled at Gracie, “Have to make sure Uncle Jakey doesn’t mess up.”

“I’m wounded, Nat.” Jake pouted, picking Gracie up from her booster seat and winking at you on their way out of the kitchen.

You and Bradley finished eating breakfast going over a rough plan for the day. Once Gracie was all cleaned and dressed, Phoenix brushed her hair and pulled it into pigtails. You’d commented on what a great team Jake and Nat made when they’d presented the final product.

You packed up a diaper bag with snacks, a cup and a change of clothes for Gracie while Bradley got her shoes on her and loaded her into the carseat that they’d loaded into the back of the Bronco.

While Bradley showered and changed, you kept Gracie occupied playing in his living room with a few small toys you’d brought along with you. You looked around the living room as she played, taking in the few pictures he had in frames on shelves and various awards he’d won on display. The space was very put together and clean, which is honestly what you expected from the aviator based on his personality. Even though there wasn’t a lot of stuff in his space, it was still homely and welcoming. Not surprisingly, he had a piano in one corner of the living room, making you smile. You’d heard Jake tell stories of Bradley entertaining the entire Hard Deck with impromptu concerts.

“Mommy, I firsty.” Gracie said, continuing to play on the floor.

“Do you want your juice?” You asked, reaching for the bag you’d packed her.

“Yes, pwease.” She replied, sweetly. You smiled, pulling the cup out from the bag and handing it to her. She took several sips of the juice before setting the cup next to her.

“Who’s ready to go to the park?” Bradley asked, coming down the stairs into the living room.

“Me!” Gracie said, jumping up from where she’d been playing, “Woosta, up! Up!”

He chuckled, swinging her up into his arms. She cupped his face with her little hands, turning his face to hers, “Woosta, I wuv you.” she told him sweetly. Your heart absolutely melted.

“Gracie, I absolutely love you too, Princess.” He replied, leaning forward to softly kiss her nose, making her giggle.

You loaded Gracie back into the Bronco and the three of you made your way to the park. Bradley chased her around through the grass, both of their giggles audible from where you sat on a blanket watching the two play. You snapped several pictures, capturing the moments and fully intending to get some printed and framed. It was easy to daydream to a future scene where Bradley would be chasing after an older Gracie and perhaps a little boy or girl around the age she was now…maybe even with you holding an even younger one. One thing was for sure, it was absolutely easy to picture a future with Bradley in it.

“Gracie wants to go on the swings.” Bradley said, walking over to where you were seated, pulling you from your daydream.

“Ok” You smiled brightly, “To the swings we go.” You got up and walked with them over to the swings, Bradley securing Gracie in one that was an actual seat with a pull over harness.

“How high do you wanna go, Princess?” Bradley asked, pulling the swing back.

“To the Cwouds!” She exclaimed, “Wike you and Unco Jakey!”

“That’s super high.” You said, “You might launch into outer space!”

“Woosta save me!” Gracie said absolutely confidently. You smiled over at Bradley who was puffed up all proudly at Gracie’s words, a look of pure softness and love on his face.

“I will always save you Gracie girl.” He promised her, “I will never let anything bad happen to you.”

Bradley pulled the swing back higher and released, sending Gracie soaring. You pulled out your phone to record a video of her laughing in the swing with Bradley pushing her.

Gracie was content on the swing for several minutes before she demanded to go on the twisty slide. You compromised and convinced her to go on the smaller slide that was safer for her small size, not wanting to spend the rest of the day in the emergency room.

“Catch me, Woosta!” She squealed, scooting down to slide down the slide. Bradley happily ‘catching’ her and launching her back into the air making you erupt into a fresh round of belly laughs each time. That continued several more rounds before Gracie made it known she was hungry. Glancing at your watch you realized it was in fact lunch time and would soon be her nap time as well.

“We should head back to the house so I can feed her and put her down for a nap.” You said. “She’ll sleep well after playing in the park all morning.”

“Come on, Princess.” Bradley said, scooping her up one final time from the slide. This time he swung her up onto his shoulders, much to her delight. “Time to get you some lunch.”

“What a lovely family you are. We’ve enjoyed watching your little one play.” An older woman commented as you all passed where she was seated with her husband. “Enjoy all of these moments. They grow so fast!”

“Thank you so much.” You replied, finding it easier to go with it than to correct the nice lady, glancing at Bradley to check his reaction. He winked at you, smiling, letting you know with one look that he was absolutely more than ok with the comment. Honestly, you wished he WERE Gracie’s dad and you were just a regular little family out for a day in the park.

When you got back from the park, Jake’s truck was gone, as was Phoenix’s car. You assumed they were off somewhere together but figured Jake would check in at some point. Bradley had mentioned that Jake wanted to take Phoenix out on a date that night so maybe they were making plans for that.

After parking the Bronco, Bradley pulled Gracie from her carseat while you carried in her bag. He took her in to get cleaned up from the park, giving you time to get lunch started. You decided to heat up leftovers for you and Bradley and make Gracie a grilled cheese sandwich with cut up fruit and veggies. You were just putting it on plates when they came strolling into the kitchen.

“Perfect timing!” You smiled at them.

“Smells amazing in here.” Bradley said, dropping a light kiss on your head before moving to get Gracie in her booster seat. “We weren’t gone that long getting cleaned up, how did you manage such an amazing spread?”

“It’s just leftovers” You laughed, shrugging, “It doesn't take a lot of effort to hit the reheat button on the microwave.”

“Maybe not, but it DID take effort to make it the first time and I DEFINITELY appreciate getting to eat it now.” He replied, helping you carry plates to the table.

“Speaking of cooking, any requests for the week?” You asked.

“Sweetheart, you really don’t have to do all that.” He insisted, “I don’t wanna be extra work for you.”

“You’re not.” You promised, “I cook for Jake, Gracie and me anyway. Making enough to make sure you at least have a healthy lunch is absolutely no extra work… and it makes me happy knowing you’re not eating vending machine food.”

“If you’re sure…” He said, “I will happily eat whatever you make.”

“Bradley.” You laughed, rolling your eyes, “It’s ok to make requests. I LIKE making things you like.”

“That’s easy, I like everything you make.” He replied, smirking. “Isn’t that, Princess? Mommy is the best cook ever?”

“Yes!” Gracie agreed, although you’re pretty sure she’d agree with anything Bradley said.

“See?” Bradley winked, taking another bite of his lunch.

“Maybe I’ll leave you to the vending machine lunch after all.” you threatened, sticking your tongue out at him playfully.

“Angel…Sweetheart….Baby…” he said, pouting and giving you puppy eyes, “Please don’t make me eat nasty vending machine food.”

“You’re sure changing your tune now, huh?” You teased him.

After you all finished eating, Bradley volunteered to clean up the lunch mess while you got Gracie down for a nap.

You were getting Gracie settled down for her nap when Jake came home.

“Hey” Jake said to Bradley, who’d finished the cleanup and was sitting on the couch. “How was the park?”

“It was a blast. Gracie has a lot of energy.” He laughed, “She loves to get pushed high on the swing, said she wanted to fly high like we do.”

“That little girl is fearless.” Jake chuckled, pride shining in his eyes. “I bet she becomes a kickass aviator when she grows up.”

“Whatever she does, she’ll be perfect.” Bradley said. “How did date planning go with Phoenix?”

“It’s good. She had some stuff she had to do today and I went to run some errands and get stuff done.” He said, vaguely, “I’m picking Nat up though at 6 to take her to dinner at that new restaurant she’s been talking about.”

“What do we wanna do about tomorrow?” Bradley asked, “Do we pack up the girls and take them to base with us?”

“I know Mav would be fine with that, but I doubt Admiral Simpson would be ok with it.”Jake replied, “I went by the police station today… thought I’d have a little heart to heart with my soon to be ex brother in law.”

“How did that go?” Bradley asked, not surprised that Jake had gone. Kind of surprised the police had let him see him though.

“I reiterated our expectations of him, and what would happen if he didn’t comply.” He said, “I also ran into Tulip’s lawyer while I was coming out… she had to officially discourage me from meeting with him but unofficially stated she was happy that there was someone in Tulip’s corner ready to do what was necessary.”

“More than one someone.” Bradley said, “What are your thoughts man… is she safe tomorrow when we’re at work?”

“I don’t know.” He sighed, “I guess we wait and see what the lawyer says when she calls.”

“Hey Jakey, when did you get home?” You asked, walking into the living room, having gotten Gracie settled.

“Just a few minutes ago.” He replied, “Princess G in dreamland?”

“Yeah, she went right to sleep.” You laughed, “Bradley wore her out.”

“She wore ME out!” He said, chuckling, “I’m more tired now than when I spend all morning flying maneuvers!”

“That girl does have a lot of energy.” Jake agreed laughing, “Tulip, I’ll be out tonight so no need to count on me for dinner. Taking Nat on a date.”

“It’s about damn time, Jakey!” You exclaimed! “But, as I was just telling Bradley before Gracie’s nap, I’ll still make enough so that there’s leftovers for lunches.”

“Tulip, I never turn down your cooking.” Jake smiled, “Especially when it saves me from having to eat soggy sandwiches or my own cooking.”

“See?” You asked, looking pointedly at Bradley, “See how easy it is just to accept the food without a fuss?”

“I just didn’t wanna make more work for you, Sweetheart!” Bradley defended himself, putting his hands up in surrender. “I promise, no more arguments, I’ll accept any and all meals.”

“Rookie mistake, Rooster.” Jake laughed, “Tulip is a natural mother hen. She always has been. Hey… maybe that’s why y’all are so perfect for one another.”

“Now that is something I can agree with and not argue with.” Bradley said, winking over at you. You could feel heat rushing over you.

Later that day, while Bradley and Gracie were playing in the yard, Jake was getting ready for his date, and you were making dinner, your phone rang. Wiping your hands on the towel, you saw that it was Lauren calling. You took a deep breath, and answered.

“Hi, Lauren,” You said, your voice somewhat shaky. “Please tell me you've got good news.”

“I’m sorry it took so long to get back to you with some answers.” She replied, “They’re releasing him on a cash bond as we speak with an order to appear before a judge for breaking the order of protection. That being said, he was reminded… by several people… that he needs to stay away from you and from Gracie or he will be put back in jail and not allowed out on a bond the next time.”

“When does he appear before the judge?” You asked, trying no to panic. “I would feel so much better if he was back in Texas.”

“He has a court appearance on Tuesday morning.” She said, “I will be there on your behalf. In regards to the divorce and him relinquishing his parental rights, I was in touch with his lawyer right before I called you and it looks like he’s still dragging his feet but I made it known that I will be filing a petition for a hearing to move forward with a judge in light of the recent events. I promise you, Y/N, I will have you free of this man as soon as I possibly can.”

“Thank you for all that you are doing.” You replied, mind wandering, you were scared your life would just be like this now… where you would always be in fear of him popping up.

“Y/N, I want to caution you, while he has been warned of what will happen if he comes near you again, it really is in your best interest to not be on your own for the time being.” Lauren said gently. “I reminded Jake of the same thing earlier, he said he didn’t plan on you being on your own, but I always feel better reiterating to my clients that these situations are volatile and men like Trent are not predictable or reasonable.”

“Jake?” You asked, confused, “When did you talk to Jake?”

“He was at the station this morning.” She said, “Although on the record I had to caution him against meeting with Trent and threatening him, off the record I definitely applaud him for protecting his sister.”

“I didn’t know he’d gone down there.” You replied, “That can’t come back against Jake can it? I don’t want him hurt by any of this.”

“No. Even if Trent tried to cry foul, there were cameras and witnesses and there’d be nobody to back up Trent’s side.” She assured you. “But, it might be a good idea to caution him against further altercations.”

“I will.” You replied, “Thank you for calling.”

After hanging up you stood with your hands braced on the counter, head down, focusing solely on dragging air in and out of your lungs. If you allowed yourself to think of anything other than simply breathing you knew you would end up having a massive panic attack.

“Hey Tulip, it smells amazing in here.” Jake said, popping into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, “I’ll definitely be looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.”

Unable to respond, you simply nodded, your gaze remaining locked on the counter.

“Tulip…” Jake said, concern creeping into this voice, “Is everything ok? Y/N? Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

The dam holding back your emotions broke. A sob worked its way up and out, then another, releasing a barrage of tears along with it. Jake set the bottle on the counter and instantly engulfed you into his arms, holding you tightly to him, as if he held you tight enough he could keep you from breaking further.

“It’s ok, I’ve got you.” He whispered, resting his chin on top of your head, his hand rubbing circles over your back, while his other just held you tightly. “Just keep breathing, Sweet Girl. Let it all out.”

He simply stood, swaying gently with you back and forth, letting the storm wash over you. He was freaking out on the inside, going through all the possible scenarios of what made you break, none of them good. On the outside, he was doing all he could to just be your rock and to be strong while you couldn’t be.

After a few minutes, the tears slow and you’re able to regain your ability to breathe. Jake, sensing some of the tension and rigidness leaving your body, tilted his head to look down at you.

“Wanna tell me what happened, Tulip?” He asked. “I’m assuming maybe your lawyer called…or it all just really caught up with you. Maybe both?”

“Lauren called.” You whispered. “He’s being released on a cash bond. He has to stay in the area until at least Tuesday to appear before a judge.”

“I promise you he will not get near you.” Jake insisted, “Tulip, I will take all of the leave I have on the books if I need to in order to keep you and Gracie safe.”

“Jake…” You started to protest, but were interrupted when Bradley came in to get Gracie some juice.

“And when his is exhausted, I’ll use all of mine, Sweetheart.” He said without missing a beat. “I’m going to get Gracie her juice quick and I’ll sit with her while you two talk. We’ll talk while Jake is on his date with Phoenix.”

He dropped a soft kiss on the back of your head on his way past, leaving you and Jake alone in the kitchen once more.

“What else did she say?” Jake asked.

“Well she apparently saw YOU today, Jake.” You said, stepping back and eyeing your brother. “I love you and I love that you’re trying to protect us but I think someone needs to protect YOU! I do not want you to ruin your career or get into trouble for him. He is not worth it Jake. Promise me you’ll stay away from him?”

“I can’t make that promise, Tulip.” Jake said, “If he’s a threat to you and Gracie I will stand between you and him Every. Single. Time. I can promise nothing I do to him will interfere with my career and I won’t end up in jail over him. What did Lauren say about the divorce and getting that piece of shit to sign away parental rights? I was pretty clear about what I expected to happen.”

“Well, apparently Trent isn’t very smart because he’s still dragging his feet on that.” You sighed, “I can’t live like this forever, Jakey. I want to be able to fully move on with my life and be openly with Bradley, without feeling like we’re doing something wrong… or potentially getting HIM kicked out of the Navy.”

“Is there anything Lauren can do there?” He asked, “But I promise you, you won’t live like this forever, Tulip. Eventually, something has to give. Also, Rooster will not be kicked out of the Navy” He chuckled at the last part.

“She told his lawyer she’s filing a petition for a hearing to move forward with a judge.” You said, “Hopefully if we get before a judge and she lays it all out, they’ll just order the marriage to be dissolved and his parental rights to be revoked at the same time… but my luck hasn’t exactly been the greatest on that front.”

“Any judge will look at what’s been happening and will dissolve the marriage and will end his parental rights, Tulip.” Jake assured you. “Just keep some faith, sweets.”

“I’ll try.” You promised, “I got your shirt all wet, and you need to get going to meet Nat.”

“I’ve got plenty of time.” Jake assured you, “I gave myself a little extra room for getting ready because…honestly… I’m a little nervous.”

“Jakey, it’ll be fine.” You promised, offering him a reassuring smile. “You’re both half in love with each other anyway, this date isn’t going to go badly. I promise.”

“I just can’t screw this up.” Jake said. “This time, it matters… SHE matters.”

“You won’t.” You said confidently. “Go change your shirt. Take a deep breath. Knock her socks off… but not literally, it’s your first official date.”

“I love you, Tulip.” He said, hugging you tightly once more. “Enjoy tonight with Bradley and Gracie. Don’t worry about what tomorrow will bring. We’ll figure it out tomorrow.”

“I love you too, Jakey.” You replied.

Jake left for his date with Nat a while later. You’d finished making dinner while Bradley played with Gracie. After dinner you gave Gracie a bath while he cleaned up the kitchen, packaging up leftovers into the fridge. Before tucking Gracie into bed for the night the three of you watched a Disney movie on the couch and then read books, taking turns, until Gracie started to fall asleep between you two. After tucking her in, you and Bradley sat and you opened up about what had happened earlier. The phone call with the lawyer and your breakdown in the kitchen. You communicated your fears about him being with you causing problems for him with the Navy as technically as far as the military was concerned separated or not you were in fact still married, and it was against regulations, punishable by jail time and even discharge from service, to be in a relationship with someone already married. Bradley was very quick to reassure your fears and promise his career was not in jeopardy.

“Sweetheart, if it makes you more comfortable we can take a step back and take this much slower until your divorce is finalized.” He offered, “I don’t want us to do anything that it’s 100% something you’re on board with. I know we talked about going slow but then this thing between us… the pull… is really strong… and then everything happened with Trent showing up… I just…. We’ll do whatever you want us to do.”

“I don’t know that we can slow this down or control it.” You reasoned, “I AM comfortable, Bradley. I feel safe with you. I’ve only ever felt safe with Jak before. I WANT to be with you. I just know that I couldn’t live with myself if being with me hurt you. I care about you too much already. But if you’re sure that you won’t get in trouble and you want to be with me then I am all in. We’re all in… because obviously Gracie and I are a package deal.”

“The perfect package, Sweetheart.” He said, a wide smile spreading across his face. He pulled you against him, dipping his head down to capture your lips with his own in a soft and tender kiss.

***

Penny closed the bar on Monday for inventory, you’d gone in to help her and Ameliak who’d had off of school had come in to help keep an eye on Gracie. Tuesday, the weather ended up grounding flights so Jake had gotten permission for you and Gracie to spend the day on base in the rec room while they were in and out of the classrooms.

Lauren had called to let you know that Trent had appeared in court and his lawyer had actually flown in from Texas to appear with him. He’d been given a $2000 fine and one year probation. In addition Lauren had been able to meet with his lawyer and let him know that the request for a hearing had been approved and was scheduled for two weeks from that appearance. You were hoping that it would all be over then, but you were waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“I’ll put in for emergency leave the remainder of this week.” Jake said, while everyone was together at lunch. “I’m not taking any chances, and as much fun as Gracie is having hanging out here, this isn’t the best solution.”

“I’ll put in a leave request for next week.” Bradley said quietly, his hand tracing over yours where they were joined, resting between you. His other arm holding Gracie, who was laying against him, fighting to stay awake.

“I’ll cover the following week.” Nat said, sitting down next to Jake, much closer than she normally would have, and not going unnoticed by anyone. He looked over, smiling warmly at her, not even trying to hide his feelings.

“I’ll make sure Admiral Simpson approves all of the requests.” Mav said from the doorway. “I’ll fill him in. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Consider the rest of us Dagger Spare.” Coyote said. “Anything goes south, one group text and we all come running.”

“I don’t even know what to say.” You whispered, unable to actually voice any words. Tears filled your eyes at the outpouring of love they were showing you. “I’ll keep feeding you all.” That garnished several chuckles from the team.

The rest of the week went by uneventfully. Jake was home during the day with you and Gracie, which she absolutely loved because it meant lots of play time with Uncle Jakey. In the evenings Bradley would end up at the house spending time with you and Gracie, to the point Jake jokingly suggested he just move in. Jake took advantage of Bradley being around though and would go out at night to spend time with Nat. They went out on another formal date on Wednesday night, and she cooked dinner at her place for Jake on Thursday. You were happy that things were going well for them.

“We need to go to the store today, Jake.” You said, Friday morning as you were getting breakfast ready so Bradley could eat before leaving for base. He was currently in the shower and Gracie was still sleeping since it was early. Jake had just gotten back from a morning run, unable to sleep in, even though he was off. “We’re outta mostly everything and I need to get stuff to make dinner for everyone tonight. I’m thinking barbeque again. I want to make a chocolate cake too for dessert.”

“That sounds good. We can go after Princess G is up and dressed.” He said, “Maybe stop at the park first and let her play. We need to build her a playset in the backyard.”

“Jakey, you’re not building her a playset.” You laughed, “She’s not even 3 years old. The most she needs is one of those plastic playskool slides or a swing to hang from a tree.”

“Tulip, do you see a tree that will hold a swing out there?” He asked, “My Princess G needs a whole ass playset… with a playhouse… a CASTLE playhouse! That has a swing AND a slide on it.”

“Absolutely not.” You vetoed, “First of all, it would take up your whole back yard, secondly, it’s way too expensive, thirdly she’s too little, and finally… just no.”

“Uh oh,” Bradley said, walking in wearing his flight suit, the top undone and tied around his waist. “What’s she tellin’ ya ‘no’ to?”

“You’ll back me up on this one!” Jake insisted confidently, “Tulip is saying Princess G can’t have a playset that has a Castle playhouse and swing and slide. She NEEDS one in the backyard, doesn’t she?”

“I mean, it WOULD be really cool” Bradley said, “A princess needs a castle, and every little kid needs a playset.”

“She isn’t even THREE yet!” You insisted, rolling your eyes at both of them.

“She WILL be.” Jake said, latching on to that, “Actually, she will be VERY soon. We need to start planning that. So I’m gonna go ahead and find her the playset of her little dreams and that’s gonna be her birthday present from Uncle Jakey.”

“I’ll go in on that with you, man.” Bradley said, winking at you. “Princess needs her castle.”

“I can’t with you two.” You said, throwing your hands up and turning to finish making breakfast. “When she’s spoiled beyond reason, I will blame the pair of you!”

“Fair enough.” They agreed.

Later that night the whole squad descended on the house for dinner. Everyone was out in the backyard since the weather had finally broken and was beautiful. Gracie was in her element playing with her adopted uncle and aunt. Jake was at the grill, making sure the meat didn’t burn while you made sure everything else was prepared. Most of the sides were on the table. You just needed to go inside to finish icing the cake and to grab some of the remaining condiments for the table.

“I’ll be right back.” You told Bradley, standing on tiptoe to steal a quick kiss, “I need to finish the cake and grab condiments quickly.”

“Need any help?” He asked.

“No, it’s ok.” You smiled. “Stay and relax. I’ll be right back out.” You headed inside and to the kitchen. The icing was already made so all you needed to do was assemble the cake on the platter and apply the icing.

You were pulling the spatula from the drawer when the doorbell rang. You set down the utensil and wiped your hands before heading to the front door, assuming it was another one of Jake’s friends or someone from the base.

Opening the door you immediately regretted your decision but before you could slam the door, a foot was blocking it, a hand shooting in to grip your arm hard. Trent had dared to show up once more.

“Let. Go. Of. Me.” You seethed. “You shouldn’t even BE here. You need to leave.”

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere.” He slurred, clearly having been drinking. “You’re goin’ to go get the brat and we’re goin’ to go back to Texas.”

“You’ve lost your mind, Trent.” You said, fear spiking, “We’re not going anywhere with you.”

“I own you and the kid.” He answered, gripping your arm tighter, by now definitely leaving bruises. “I’ve had enough of this bullshit and you whoring around. You best believe when I get you back to Texas you will NEVER see your brother or anyone you hold dear again.”

“Let go, Trent.” You begged, “You’re hurting me.”

“Not yet I’m not.” He promised, “But I will be soon. Go get the little brat. And if you tip off any of those mindless flyboy goons out there, I swear to you, I will make you regret being born.”

Unbeknownst to you, while Trent was threatening you, Phoenix had brought Gracie in to help her use her potty, as she’d just started to potty train that week. Realizing what was happening she quickly kneeled down to get eye level with the little girl.

“Gracie,” She whispered, “I need you to run outside and get Uncle Jakey and Rooster really fast and tell them Mommy needs them inside ok? Can you do that?”

“Yes!” She said, her eyes wide in fear, knowing something bad was happening. She turned and ran back out the backdoor to do as Auntie Nix had asked.

Phoenix immediately charged towards the front of the house in time to hear Trent making his threats.

“Take your fucking hands off her your piece of dog shit pond scum bottom feeder.” She yelled, immediately grabbing hold of his arm and using his shock and at her entrance to break his hold on you. She placed herself between the two of you. “You were given fair warning the last time you came not to make the mistake again. You were also told what would happen if you did. You will be fucking lucky if there is enough for the police to even pick up this time dickhead. Newsflash… We are ALL here this time.”

“You think I’m afraid of some wannabe pilot bitch that I could literally punt across the yard?” Trent asked, recovering from his initial shock. You saw Natasha’s whole body tense, anger radiating off of her. Trent had made a gross miscalculation in underestimating your new friend.

She didn’t even give him the satisfaction of a verbal comeback or any warning. She simply drew her arm back and let loose with all of the power she had in her entire body. She put all of the fury she had toward him for daring to threaten her friend and an innocent child, she harnessed the fury of all of the times someone had underestimate her because she was a female, and she unleashed it all in a single uppercut to Trent’s jaw, sending his head backwards, knocking him off balance. Not wanting to allow him time to recover, you used your self-defense training and sent your knee flying straight into his groin, effectively disabling him for the time being until backup arrived. You knew they’d be arriving any second.

At that moment absolute chaos broke out. The entire Dagger squad, led by Jake and Bradley came flying into the room with pure fury on all of their faces. Mav had his phone to his ear on the line with 9-1-1. Jake, seeing Nat holding her fist and Trent on the floor in the fetal position, cradling his jaw, immediately looked back to Nat to see she was ok.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, barely able to control the rage running through his veins.

“No, I’m good.” She said, “It was worth the bruised knuckles. The fucker had his hands on Y/N.”

“Sweetheart, are you Ok?” Bradley asked, his heart in his throat, pure fear, like he’d never felt before coursing through him. He ran his hands over you, checking for injuries before his eyes dropped to the angry red marks on your arms where’d grabbed you. Bruises were already forming. In that moment all of the fear turned to absolute white hot rage that the man had dared to harm the woman he loved.

“I’m ok.” You whispered, shaking from the adrenaline. “Bradley, please… I’m ok.”

Jake, seemingly just registering that Nat had said Trent put hands on you, lunged forward, leaning down to grab the man and hoisted him up in one swift move.

“I fucking warned you that if you came near her again or if you fucking hurt her, there would be nothing for the cops to come and collect.” Jake said, his voice deeper and angrier than you’d ever heard it before. “I promised my baby sister I would keep her safe… you came into my home and fucking put hands on my sister in a place she should feel safe.”

He started walking out the front door with him, Trent’s feet not touching the floor. The rest of the Squad followed him out.

“Bradley, please don’t let him kill him.” You begged, sobbing “I can’t lose Jake. He’s not worth it. Please.”

“He won’t kill him, Baby.” He soothed, his voice still rough. You knew he wanted to be out there beating the shit out of Trent. Instead, he was in here, holding you tightly, his hands rubbing circles on your back. “Mav won’t let him. Nat won’t let him. They’ll just let him rough him up some more. He needs to do something… you know your brother.”

“Gracie!” You exclaimed, your thoughts suddenly clearing, “Where’s my baby? He was going to take her! He was going to take us both and said he’d make sure I never saw any of you again.” Saying it outloud caused the last of your hold on your emotions to slip and you dissolved into sobs, collapsing completely into Bradley’s hold.

“Shhh” Bradley soothed, “Baby, it’s ok. She’s with Bob. He has her outside. He won’t let anyone hurt her. She’s safe. You’re safe. Nobody is taking either of my girls anywhere.” He picked you up and carried you to the couch sitting down and holding you against him, rocking you as you cried. “I’ve got you, Angel. I promise you it’s all over now. You’re safe.”

Flashing lights appeared outside of your window for the second time in as many weeks. The neighbors were going to really start to hate you. Bradley continued to hold you close while the police took care of once more arresting Trent and questioning Jake and everyone involved outside before coming inside.

“Tulip” Jake said gently, sitting down next to where Bradley held you on the couch, “The officers need to take your statement, Sweet Girl.”

You nodded, scooting off Bradley’s lap to sit between them on the couch.

“Ma’am, can you walk us through what happened this evening?” The officer asked gently.

“We were cooking out like we do every Friday as a family and I needed to finish the cake. I came inside to do that and the doorbell rang.” You said softly, “I figured it was another one of Jake’s friends or maybe Penny and answered the door without looking. I know that was stupid. As soon as I realized it was Trent I tried to slam the door, but he shoved his foot to block the door then grabbed my arm and pushed his way in. He wouldn’t let go. He said Gracie and I belonged to him and he was going to take us back to Texas…that we’d never see Jake or any of our friends or family again. He wouldn’t let go of me, I couldn’t get out of his grip. He told me to go out back to get Gracie and that if I let on that he was there he’d make me regret that I’d ever been born.”

You paused for a moment to take a deep breath and collect your thoughts. Bradley had his arm around you, his hand in your hair, soothing you. Jake held your other hand, squeezing three times letting you know he loved you.

“Right when he threatened that is when Nat came in and was able to get him to let me go. She got between us and when he threatened to throw her across the yard she damn near knocked him out with an uppercut to the jaw. While he was stunned I kneed him in the groin to put him down and that’s when everyone else came in and got him out of the house.” You finished. You glanced at Jake who was looking at Phoenix with what could only be described as heart eyes, drawing a tiny smile from you.

“We’re already aware that he is in violation of an order of protection for a second time in addition to the probation he was just put on for violating the order the first time.” The officer said. “I am confident he will not be given the option of a cash bond this time and will have to sit for a court appearance. This time he will be looking at mandatory jail time. I’m assuming you have an attorney, you should give them a call as soon as possible to let them know the situation. In the meantime, is it for use to take pictures of your arm and wrist for evidence?”

“Yes.” You said, agreeing to anything that will help to get Trent out of your life for good. The officer had you turn your arm over and took several photos with his phone. He gave you his card and told you if you had any questions or concerns to feel free to give him a call.

Once the officers left, the rest of the squad came back inside, shutting and locking the door behind them.

Bob came in with Gracie from the back, carrying a platter with the meat from the grill.

“We managed to keep it from burning in case anyone was hungry.” Bob said, “Princess Gracie makes a wonderful helper.”

Coyote reached for the platter and carried it to the kitchen, the rest of the group going out back to get the rest of the stuff cleaned up.

“Mommy, you otay?” Gracie asked, coming over to the couch. Jake lifted her into his lap so she was close.

“I’m ok, Baby Girl.” You said, tearfully, reaching for your daughter and hugging her to you tightly. She wrapped her little arms around your neck, knowing you needed her hugs. She was too little to understand what had happened but she knew something had happened and that it had been scary. Bradley reached over and smoothed the curls on Gracie’s head where it rested on your shoulder. It scared him to think how close he’d come to losing these two girls tonight. Had Phoenix not come inside when she did and sent Gracie out to get them, the evening could have had a completely different outcome.

“I wuv you Mommy.” Gracie whispered into your shoulder.

“I love you too, Gracie.” You replied, “So so very much.”

She lifted her head and looked at Bradley, reaching one of her hands out to him. He took it, smiling at her, leaning in to kiss the top of her little head.

“OK, I think we need to take a raincheck on dinner night.” Mav said, coming from the kitchen. “We put the food up into the fridge and got everything cleaned up in there. If you guys need anything, call.”

“Thank you, Mav.” Jake said, “For everything.”

“No thanks needed.” He replied. “I’m glad we were all here.”

“Me too.” Jake replied.

“Call us tomorrow if you all feel up to it and maybe we can have a beach day with this sweet little Princess.” Coyote suggested, “A little fun might do everyone some good.”

“That sounds wonderful, Javy.” You said softly, smiling up at him. “I agree… fun would be nice.”

“Do you need anything tonight?” Bob asked.

“We’re good, man.” Jake replied, “Thank you for keeping Gracie safe.”

“Of course.” He replied.

Once everyone had gone, Jake got up to make ice packs for Phoenix’s hand and your arm. Bradley got Gracie some dinner and gave her a bath for you while you iced the bruised arm and called Lauren.

She said she'd push for the maximum sentence this time and ask if the hearing could be moved up. You said as long as he was in custody without the chance of getting out, you could wait the two weeks, but if she COULD work miracles and get it moved up you wouldn’t say no.

After getting off the phone with her you reheated some dinner so everyone could eat if they were hungry. You didn’t have much of an appetite but knew you needed to eat something. You carried plates to the living room, setting them down on the coffee table. You smiled at your brother and Phoenix. He had her perched on his lap, while she iced her bruised knuckles.

“Your girlfriend has a pretty fierce uppercut, Jake.” You smirked, “Don’t do anything to piss her off.”

“Oh, I’ve always had a healthy fear of this one, Tulip.” He said smiling at Phoenix, “She’s fierce. Talented. Beautiful. So damn smart. Best damn pilot. I respect the hell outta her.”

“Why were you always giving me such a hard time then?” She asked, a smile lighting up her face at Jake’s words.

“Because you scared the shit outta me.” He admitted, “I knew how fast and completely I’d fall for you if I let myself and honestly, you’re so far outta my league Nix… I didn’t think I ever stood a chance.”

“Jake, you’re an idiot.” She laughed, “I had the biggest crush on you the moment we met… even when you were acting like an asshole, I still liked you… which just pissed me off. I’m glad you finally came to your senses.”

“Well… THAT…” He said, “Is another thing we can thank my sweet baby sister for. She saw right through me the first day I had you all over here. She told me to STOP being an idiot and ask you out.”

“I had ulterior motives.” You shrugged. “I wanted a badass bestie as my future sister in law.”

“She is a badass, isn’t she.” Jake said proudly. “My beautiful badass girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend, huh?” Phoenix questioned, smiling at Jake. “Guess that means you wanna be my boyfriend?”

“So so much.” He replied, smiling back.

“You two are adorable.” You laughed, getting up to head to Gracie’s room. “I’m going to go find my daughter and Bradley now.”

“Speaking of adorable.” Phoenix called after you. You laughed, continuing to walk. She wasn’t wrong. The bond your daughter had with Bradley WAS adorable.

You found the pair in your room. Bradley was laid out on your bed with Gracie snuggled up on him while he read her a book about a princess. You stood in the doorway taking it in, letting the stress and terror from the evening wash away from you.

“Hey, Beautiful, wanna come join us?” Bradley asked, seeing you standing there. You smiled, walking into the room and sliding into the bed, cuddling into him. He relaxed even more, as having both of his girls in his arms felt amazing. He turned his head to kiss your forehead before continuing to read Gracie’s book.

When he reached the end of the book, he expected Gracie to be asleep, but the little girl was just relaxed and content to lay in his arms where she felt safe.

After a minute she looked at you then up at Bradley, smiling she crawled up so she could reach him and kissed Bradley’s cheek.

“I wuv you Daddy Woosta.” She declared before settling herself back down onto his chest and laying her head against his heart as if she hadn’t just dropped the biggest love bomb on the man. His heart exploded in his chest, happiness radiating into every part of his body. At that moment he didn't think anything had ever made him happier. He froze then, unsure what to do or what to say. What did you want him to do?

He looked at you quickly to see your reaction. Relief flooded him when he saw pure happiness on your face and tears in your eyes. He instantly relaxed and he used the arm holding Gracie to pull her closer to him, turning his head to kiss her forehead.

“I love you too, my little Princess. So So So much.” He told her, his voice thick with emotion, tears forming in his own eyes “I will forever and always love you.”

“Mommy, I sweepy.” Gracie yawned, “I go my bed now? You and Daddy Woosta take me night-night?”

“Yes, Baby Girl.” You said, “We can tuck you in. Do you want to go say goodnight to Uncle Jakey and Aunty Nix first?”

“Yes!” She crawled over everyone to jump down from the bed and head out on her own to the living room leaving you and Bradley in the room alone for a moment.

“Are you OK with your new title?” You asked, standing up from the bed. You were already pretty sure of his response, but needed confirmation.

“Sweetheart, I can’t even tell you how incredible that was.” He said, a smile spreading across his face again. “That is a title I am absolutely honored to hold if YOU’RE ok with her calling me that.”

“Bradley you’re everything I’ve always dreamed of and wished for in a father for her… but you’re even more.” You said. “Gracie would be the luckiest girl in the world to have you as her Daddy.”

“I was so scared, Sweetheart.” He admitted. “When Gracie came out and said you needed us and Nix sent her out… I knew something was wrong. Then when said he planned to take you and Gracie… Fuck… Sweetheart had we been any longer and it’d have been too late. I could have lost my girls. I don’t ever want to be without either of you. Life is so much better with you in it. It’s brighter. I can’t go back to life without you.”

“I was scared of never seeing you again. Of being back in Texas and trapped in hell with Trent.” You said, “You make me happy Bradley. I feel safe with you. You make Gracie happy and she adores you. You’ve become a huge part of our world and I kinda wanna keep you.”

“That’s great to hear, Sweetheart.” He smiled, pulling you into his arms. “Because I DEFINITELY wanna keep you both.”

Once Gracie was tucked in, you and Bradley joined Jake and Phoenix in the living room to watch a movie and decompress from the day. It wasn’t how you’d pictured the day going, but in the end some good had come from it. Trent would not be a threat, for the time being at least, and from what Lauren said, this would pretty much guarantee your divorce being granted and his parental rights being stripped. You’d happily deal with a few bruises and moments of fear if that was the outcome.

Later, the movie finished and everyone turned in, you were cuddled in bed with Bradley, your head pillowed on his chest, your limbs tangled, arms wrapped around one another. It was exactly what both of you needed after the emotional evening. Bradley listened as your breathing evened out and you’d fallen asleep.

“I love you, Sweetheart.” He whispered, his fingers gently stroking your hair, until he too drifted off to sleep.

A/N: PHEW! What do we think???? That was an emotional rollercoaster. More to come!!

Taglist: (let me know if you get missed.... some @’s weren’t working from the Google list... message me if you didn’t get the notification!)

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@super-btstrash-posts

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#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x reader #Miles Teller #top gun fanfiction #starting over #big brother Jake Seresin

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twig-tea · 8 months

Text

BL/QL Ask game : The Ugly, the Bad and the Worst

Thank you for the game, @clara-maybe-ontheroad! And thanks for tagging me @clara-maybe-ontheroad and @lurkingshan! I started out by saying to myself that I'm going to do my best to ignore my urges and just answer the first thing that comes to me rather than treating this like a quiz. And then I went into a fugue and worked on this for >5 hours. WHOOPS.

Original version here for anyone else who wants to play!

Also quick warning, this is asking about the worsts, so TW for mentions of horrific plot points below.

Worst soundtrack / weirdest song choice in a BL

Ohhhhh man, ok so the first thought that came to mind was Never Let Me Go, which mostly had fantastic background music, and that's maybe why when it didn't hit it stood out so badly (sorry to my man Pond, not all BL actors should be singers! And having his OST play over their kiss in Part 7 4/4 was just mean). For the record I love this show (actually maybe it should go in one of the below categories because so many tumblr folks dislike it) but this was rough.

Most cringe-inducing line (cute)

These don't tend to stick with me...there are so many, and I am allergic to sincerity so everything earnest is various levels of cringe to me. So with that in mind, basically everything Gavreel ever said in Gameboys counts.

Most cringe-inducing line (actually bad)

Anytime someone said "Once I start I won't be able to stop" or some variation.

Most stupid decision made by a character

Jun Ho deciding to die rather than bite Min Hyun in Kissable Lips. Min Hyun was offering. it would have made Jun Ho human. He could have had his friends around to make sure he didn't go too far and kill him. Instead he decides to fade away in his arms like a dick. WHY.

Special mention to NuengDiao going back to his hotel where his murderous uncle is waiting with no plan other than to walk in wearing a suit and a cocky expression in Never Let Me Go.

[@bengiyo and @wen-kexing-apologist are correct about Teh giving up his spot to Oh Aew in I Told Sunset About You as the actual correct answer, btw]

Worst plot line

Every penultimate episode crises resulting in the leads splitting up so that they can reunite in the finale that are not earned and significantly detract from my enjoyment of a series [this list is not comprehensive]: 2Gether, Minato's Laundromat S2, Enchanté, Love Class, Plus & Minus.

The most problematic show you've watched

I've seen literally all of them so this feels like an unfair question lol there are layers of problematic; like, is it even worth considering all of the problems with A Round Trip to Love, or The Shortest Distance is Round, or What the Duck s2? I wrote out summaries for these and then decided no thanks. If anyone wants to know they can DM me.

In terms of series that are problematic but not often considered problematic, I'm calling out Love Area the series. It hits two of my pet peeves: shitty treatment of a poor character by an oblivious rich love interest that directly affects their sources of income, and an ableist subplot. I think it also has an unearned separation in the penultimate episode but honestly I remember thinking they should stay split up so maybe it was earned.

A show people love but you find bad

Vice Versa. Sorry to all who love that show. I wanted to like it; the colouring and cinematography are beautiful and the alternate universe was neat worldbuilding. But the plot makes me so, so angry.

Ditto Cutie Pie the series. I just can't enjoy it.

A show people find bad but you will defend

Honestly there are several, but the one that is most disliked that I will ride hardest for is probably Secret Crush On You (which I argued ended with one of the most healthy relationships in a BL here LMAO). I get why people find this show hard to watch, the cringe is real. But the gender expression! The found family! The "he's a weirdo and that's why I love him" dynamic! The mutual lusting! The body dysphoria! The fact that both start by playing into BL tropes and it's only by throwing those out that they can actually have a meaningful relationship! The way both characters have real growth! And like yes Toh is a fanboy stalker but that is problematized in the show! It gave us the growth from fanboy to faen that Be Mine Superstar didn't. I have a lot of emotions about this show.

ALSO because I cannot stop, I will forever to my dying breath defend Color Rush. I don't care what you say about dead fish kisses I can't hear you over the incredibly powerful metaphor about the queer experience!

A show that is just objectively bad but you enjoyed it

Bahahhaha. Um. So many, my friends. OH I'm going to take this chance to shout out the lesser-known webseries Discipline Z: Vampire (Korean, YouTube, 2020). It's ostensibly a sequel to Discipline, but the only thing they share is a single character so you don't need to watch it to understand what's happening in Discipline Z (they are entirely different shows in every way; Discipline is more youth slice of life with a queer story as part of the ensemble). Listen, I'm talking about this show in this category for a reason; it's about a vampire who falls for a street dancer, whose motley crew of hacker friends help rescue the vampire from an evil corporation that wants to experiment on him to understand his immortality. It is BAD.

But. BUT! I love it. Everyone is so pretty. There is a cute hacker girlie. There is scifi nonsense to explain immortality. There is a good kiss. There are characters willing to sacrifice to do the right thing. I am a simple woman. [Fair warning to my happy ending only pals: this ending is ambiguous at best; there was supposed to be a follow-up epilogue for the couple, but it never got filmed.]

Bonus, En of Love was absolutely trash and it has a very special place in my heart. It's not good (like, at all), but it's great.

A bad show that you kept watching because you were intrigued/fascinated

Let's go with Physical Therapy the series. At some point I just kept watching like a car wreck to see how bad it could get. Also shout-out to Dinosaur Love, which was...similarly bewildering.

A bad show that you kept watching because you were horny

@lurkingshan already stole my first answer for this, but oh man I stay a Why R U apologist for the Fighter/Tutor chemistry. I actually think somewhere in there is a really interesting show, if the pandemic hadn't made it impossible for them to film the ending that they wanted to, but based on the Korean version and the parts that we were told had to be cut, maybe it would have actually made it worse. But just to get on my soapbox for half a sec, Tutor was in debt, working himself to exhaustion, and Fighter (after he got over himself) protected him at his one job, joined him to help him meet his sales targets at another, hired him for a third, paid off his debt collector to take the pressure off, and then took him on vacation to help him relax--twice. I have issues with depictions of poverty in BL but at least my man secured the bag while also pursuing love or whatever. Also he whispers "get inside me" while they're making out, sorry, Tutor will forever be a fave of mine.

Since that's taken, I'm going to use this as an excuse to shout out the hotness of My Day the Series. It was predominantly not great but the heat moments....

A bad show that you kept watching because of that one character

I'm giving this to Noey Watplu from I Will Knock You. I was obsessed with him. I want his confidence so badly. I love how he's essentially a dork in cosplay but gets away with it because of his rizz. Truly iconic. This man decided he was being seduced and said "bet". I really enjoyed this show because of him and him alone.

A bad show that you would still recommend

I'm going to put Ghost Host Ghost House here. It's "bad" in the sense that it had low production values (like, really bad, so bad the time of day changes at random because they lost the light while filming). But the romance was cute, the story around the romance was interesting, the worldbuilding around the merit credits was fascinating, the side mystery was so heartbreaking, the various characters actually had a lot of difficult emotions to portray, and overall I think this show is underrated.

I also already have and will again recommend YYY as a fun and fascinating watch to anyone who asks about it, @waitmyturtles is correct on that call.

The character that ruined a show the most

There are several annoying sides in BL, but I'm giving this to the side hets in My Oxygen. A fujoshi who records people without their consent for online clout is bad. A doctor using his role as a doctor to get closer to his patient is really bad. Pretending to be interested in his friend because the girl he likes is a fujoshi is worse; then using her brother as his friend's stand-in when his friend won't put up with it anymore is the WORST.

Most awful character that you hated

I mean, Lhong in TharnType takes it for not only arranging the gang rape of Tar, but being forgiven for it in the series. Neung in Tonhon Chonlatee comes a close second for attempting to rape Chonlatee and then claiming the moral high ground against his homophobic "friend". Tony in History 5: Love in the Future doesn't get enough hate for trying to murder someone just because he was his love rival. Namning in La Cuisine had her love rival bullied, beaten and who knows what she was going to do with that gun. Also shoutout to @wen-kexing-apologist's answer of Korn, in KinnPorsche, he was so insidiously evil, it was so well done.

Most awful character that you loved

I'm going with "awful" as not necessarily (just) morally bad but that people didn't like: Jaime from Win Jaime's Heart. Objectively he's a fuckboi of the worst calibre. He agrees to go on a webshow in which he dates Heart so that he can seduce the creator of the show Winston. And Jaime is so charming that I don't care about his bi wrongs (partially, to be fair, because the premise is ridiculous so it's hard to take too seriously).

Special mention (because it's not a series) to Wine in Red Wine in the Dark Night. I love a murder twink (speaking of, things are looking really good for me to stay in love with Ai Di from Kiseki if it keeps on this track).

If we're interpreting "awful" as characters that other people don't like, it'll probably go to Toh from Secret Crush on You or Gus in Diary of Tootsies. They're flawed, they're femme, they're fantastic.

A character that wasn't awful but that you just don't like

Can in Love By Chance and the sequels. Tinn is an asshole and knows it; Can is an asshole but is also self-righteous, but in all honesty his biggest flaw for me is that he's not competent and I have little patience for that.

A hero that should have been a villain

Tempted to give this to Ko from Love Poison for essentially trying to love spell date rape his love interest--this is only not that bad because magic isn't real so of course it doesn't do anything.

Possibly Athit (Boun's character) from Even Sun? I put a question mark there because this was so convoluted and hard to follow I'm not even 100% sure I remember it right, but from what I remember, this was not a romantic story at all.

Taking a totally different approach to the question, Joke from Hidden Agenda should have been a secret villain (in the sense that he should have been scheming and sociopathic but hiding it, ineffectually, from Zo) in order to make the series make sense, but apparently I can't have nice things.

And finally, special mention to Phu in The Promise for being the villain for so many of us already.

A morally bad character you're into

Zhu Zi Shu, canon war criminal and child murderer from Word of Honor. He thought he was doing bad things for good reasons (protecting the people he loves), realized he was just doing bad things and the people he loves were all dead anyway, and crafted a convoluted plot to get out of the secret society rules that he created to prevent anyone from leaving. And then he wanders aimless until he meets Wen Ke Xing and becomes as loyal to this equally morally dubious man as he was to his secret society. I love him (and them) so much.

Same type of deal, different scale of crime: Akk from The Eclipse. I have a soft spot for this trope.

A morally bad character you're not into and you wish people would stop being into

Xue Yang from The Untamed. Also a mass murderer, but doing it just for the vibes/to avenge his finger, so he gets zero love from me. People woobify him just because he's sassy it's...rough.

The show that disappointed you the most

From hype to execution? So Much in Love / Ni Yam Ruk. I slogged through such awful subs TWICE (because they claimed they redid them, but they are still terrible) to try to give this show a chance, because the premise sounded right up my alley. I still think there's a show in there that I would have liked, but it is literally unwatchable.

Most disappointed from what the show seemed like it was doing at the start to what it delivered in full is a tie between The Shipper and Step By Step.

The Worst Show of Them All Because of Your Own Reasons

That's My Candy. I've only ever dropped/not finished I think 3 or so shows? And this was the most painful and the one I am least likely to ever finish. The pairing was overplayed, the comedy was heavy handed, and the plot was absolutely cringe inducing. It was literally torture trying to watch this.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading!

Tagging @visualtaehyun @nothingsbetterthancoffee @lurkingteapot @snidgetwrites @formayhem @slayerkitty @respectthepetty @ginnymoonbeam no pressure as always! And if you play and I didn't tag you but you're reading this, tag me anyway! I love reading everyone's answers.

#worst bl shows the ask game #ask game #tag game #thanks for the tag!#this was a fun mental exercise #multi bl

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