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tip-top-cloud-surfer · 3 months

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The Danger Zone (Part 19) - Hangman

Pairing: Hangman / Fem!Bradshaw!Reader | OC

Word Count: 4.1k

This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ ONLY.

Warnings: Unplanned Pregnancy; Military Inaccuracies; Medical Inaccuracies; Crying; Deployments; Use of "You," No Use of Y/N, No Set Physical Description

Summary: Life goes on, even though Jake is still deployed.

Series Master List

Master List

Standing in the bathroom, you applied the final touches to your makeup and hair. Sarah had been kind enough to host your baby shower and you were currently trying to think of gifts to get her, Penny, Emma, and Phoenix to thank them for the party.

You put on a pair of earrings that used to belong to your mom. You were getting more and more sentimental and found yourself wearing your mom’s jewelry around more. Heading out to the kitchen, you greeted Mav, who was supposed to drive you.

“You’re not hiding the fact that you know?” Maverick asked, gesturing to your pink dress.

“No, what’s the point?” you replied with a shrug, walking over to your shoes. Sliding on a pair of flats, you added, “Jake knows and that’s all I care about.”

“Well, let’s get going. I’m pretty sure that Penny will have my head if you’re late.”

After a short drive, Maverick pulled into the Kazansky’s driveway. You slowly slid out of the car despite Maverick’s offer to help you and walked into the house. Heading down the hall into the main space, you paused at the entrance.

The room had pink ribbons draped all around. Balloons decorated the corners and streamers framed the windows. They set up tables along the wall and there were already trays of pink cupcakes and other desserts on one of them. Emma and Phoenix were unboxing the catering in the kitchen and Sarah and Penny were finishing up some of the decorations.

“There she is,” Penny called, straightening up. “Happy Baby Shower!” She walked over and pulled you into a hug that you happily returned. “Are you excited?”

“I’m hoping that something interesting happens,” you replied with a small smile. “Thanks for doing all of this for me. And thank you Sarah for hosting.”

“Oh, please, I used to host the most ridiculous naval events here. At least this is a party I’ll actually enjoy,” Sarah mused, accepting your hug with a bright smile. “How’s Baby Girl doing?”

“She’s been pretty quiet today. So, she’ll decide to kick me when I’m least in the mood for it.”

“Are you hungry?” Phoenix asked, walking over and holding out a plate of food to you. “Everything is safe for you to have. Except for the booze, of course.”

“Thanks,” you mused, picking up an hors devour from the plate.

You ate quietly as they walked you through the whole set up. And you quietly kept grabbing little snacks along the way. Staring around at the whole set up, you turned to your family.

“You guys didn’t have to do all of this stuff for me.”

“Don’t start that. You deserve a nice baby shower and you’re getting a nice baby shower,” Phoenix stated firmly, causing you to nod and smile.

“Do you guys need help with anything?”

“No, grab a drink and go relax. People should start getting here in about twenty minutes.”

It wasn’t a huge baby shower, at least compared to some that you had been to before, but you saw so many faces that you hadn’t seen in years. Emma really went through your whole list of contacts. But speaking of Emma, you hadn’t seen much of her.

“Where’s Emma?” you asked Bradley, walking over to where he was standing.

“She ran out to grab something.”

“Is she alright?” you asked worriedly.

“Yeah, she just hasn’t been feeling well lately,” Bradley explained, a note of worry in his tone. “I told her to stay home, but she insisted on coming.”

“Did she go to a doctor?”

“She has an appointment for next week,” Bradley explained quietly. “Thursday. I told her just to go to urgent care or the hospital even if she feels that sick, but she said she wanted to wait. And I don’t want to upset her.”

“I’ll talk to her when she gets back.”

“She’ll just tell you to focus on your party,” Bradley reminded you, but you simply smiled.

“Exactly. It’ll just be part of your gift to me.”

“You couldn’t have told me that before I spent three hours in a baby store for you?”

“Did I mention how I appreciate how supportive you are?” you remarked sarcastically, patting your brother on the shoulder before moving on.

Making your way through the crowd of people to head back inside to be in the air conditioning and to grab some more food, you looked up to see Maverick talking with a group of familiar aviators in the corner of the yard. You turned a bit and made your way over to greet them.

“Well, here’s the woman of the hour,” Maverick announced, causing all of them to turn to you.

“Hi, everyone,” you stated, waving to them. “I wasn’t expecting any of you to make it.” Turning to the man closest to you, you offered him a hug. “How’d you get the time off of work, Uncle Slider? I would have thought you would be flying now.”

“I timed my flights and got an extended layover in San Diego,” Slider replied, returning your hug.

With the exception of Maverick and Iceman, Slider was the aviator who spent the most time with your family. Especially because he retired earlier than either Mav or Ice had. He didn’t have the stories about your dad that Maverick did nor did he provide the same sort of stability that Ice did with Sarah and his family, but he was a pillar in your childhood.

“I thought you said you would stay away from naval aviators,” he joked, gesturing to your bump.

“I know,” you laughed, resting a hand on your back. “But we all make exceptions for the right people.”

“And is it true that you got married already?”

“Right before he left,” you agreed, showing your rings. “It was both a shotgun and a pre-deployment wedding all in one.”

“Well, you know if he ever wants to fly commercially, I can get him in no problem,” Slider offered, causing you to smile.

“Thanks, but I think Jake’s the type to be forced to retire from the Navy.”

“He’s been spending too much time around Mav then?” Slider guessed, nudging Maverick in the side jokingly. “I still can’t believe that you’re actually retired now.”

“Well, I’m needed here now,” Maverick replied, glancing over at you. “And I’d like to enjoy the rest of my time with the kids and Penny.”

As Maverick and Slider continued to talk, you moved around the group. Thanking Hollywood and Wolfman for driving down, you turned to Viper and his wife, who still lived locally despite Viper’s retirement over two decades now.

“It’s been so long,” you remarked, pulling Viper’s wife Linda in for a hug. “How are you?”

“Oh, don’t worry about us. Look at you! You’re so big now,” Linda called, causing Slider to snort. “And pink! You’re having a girl then?”

“Yeah, we’re having a little girl,” you confirmed with a proud smile.

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you.” Turning to Viper, you moved to give him a hug. “And how are we, Admiral?”

“Still strong,” Viper reported, offering you a smile. “And we’re very glad to hear that Jake finally took his responsibilities seriously.”

“Oh?” you asked, confused.

“Marrying you, dear,” Linda explained with a smile.

“Taking responsibility for his actions,” Viper stated bluntly, causing your eyes to widen.

“Right,” you trailed off, nodding with a polite smile.

“Why don’t we see if we can find Bradley then?” Maverick suggested, stepping up beside you. “He’s separating from the Navy, you know.”

“After the hissy fit that he threw about getting in, he’s just leaving like that?” Viper barked out, causing his wife to admonish him.

You shared an amused look with Slider before you headed inside. Chatting with Phoenix and Coyote, you paused when you saw a stressed-looking Emma walk into the kitchen with a few bags. You walked into the kitchen as well, cautiously approaching your obviously skittish sister-in-law.

"Emma?" you called, causing her to whip around.

"Hey, did you need something?" she asked, unpacking a bag.

"No, but did you?" you offered, moving to stand beside her. "You look a little stressed and I don't want you to worry about the party anymore. It's amazing."

"I'm not stressed about the party. I'm just . . . stressed," Emma sighed, avoiding eye contact.

"Is it something with the house?"

"No, it's all fine."

"Is it my stupid brother?"

"No," Emma replied quietly. "Where is he anyway?"

"Getting a lecture from Viper, I think," you stated, glancing out the window. Turning back to Emma, you offered, "You know, I'm here for you. And forget the fact that this is my party. I'm honestly just trying to stay busy so that I can ignore the fact that Jake isn't here."

Emma gave you a sympathetic look and sighed. Looking around, she slowly turned back to you.

"I don't want to ruin your party."

"The Navy ruined my party. What's bothering you?"

"I'm . . . late."

"Late for what?"

Emma shot you a look.

"Oh, sorry. Wait, how late? Like a day?"

"More like . . . sixteen," Emma replied, causing your eyes to widen.

"Have you taken a test?"

"Not yet."

"Go get one."

"I have one. I bought it at the store a month ago and it's been sitting in my glove compartment ever since. But it's your party. Today isn't about me, it's about you and your baby," Emma reminded you quietly. "I'm not going to take the test."

"Even if I tell you that you should," you stated, causing Emma to sigh. "Or at least do it when you get home." After a moment, you asked, "Why have you been avoiding it for this long? You bought the test a month ago and you still haven't taken it?"

"Because then it becomes real," Emma replied, not meeting your gaze. "And we had our plan. We were going to start trying after Bradley separated from the Navy and settled into his new job. And a lot can go wrong in the first few weeks . . . I'm just trying to process it some more."

"Have you told him yet?" Emma shook her head slowly and you offered her a supportive smile in return. "Look, whatever happens, Bradley loves you and I love you and we’ll all be here to support you. And, hey, at least your dad already got the whole threatening phase out of his system. It's smooth sailing in that department."

Emma managed a soft chuckle at the memories, closing her eyes for a moment. The two of you turned when you heard footsteps. Bradley stepped into the kitchen with his sights set on you.

“Penny said it’s time to open presents.”

“Alright, I'll go out there."

You shared a glance with Emma, who nodded quietly, before moving to move past your brother. But before you could make it too far, Bradley gave you a lightly annoyed look.

“And please don't send anyone else to give me a lecture today. Because I barely survived the last one.”

“Viper found you then?” you asked, amused.

“And then talked my ear off with the most disappointed dad look I’ve seen in years.”

“Well, it was either you or me, and it's my party, so it had to be you.”

Glancing between Bradley and Emma, who was already staring at her husband, you headed outside to open your presents. They were all lined up for you by the time that you arrived, and Penny was there to hand you your presents.

Penny and Maverick bought you a beautiful crib. Sarah got you a bassinet and told you that her kids loved it for their own kids. Javy and Nat bought what seemed to be an industrial stroller—Javy insisted that it was going to be necessary given your child’s genes. And you got piles of baby clothes of various sizes, diapers, and some formula.

“And this one seems to be from Emma and Bradley,” Penny stated, handing you a card. “But I don’t know where they are.”

“I think they’re setting up the cake,” you lied, opening the card. Inside was a picture of a rocking chair and an order slip with a promise to have it delivered to your new house. “They got me a rocking chair.”

You were folding a set of baby onesies when Javy walked over with another box for you. You were a little confused but took the present from him anyways.

“You already gave me a gift, Javy. What’s this?”

“See who it’s from,” he replied, before moving to take his seat next to Phoenix.

You flipped the box over and when you read Jake’s name, albeit in Javy’s handwriting, you looked up suddenly. Locking eyes with Javy, who motioned for you to open it, you quickly tore through the wrapping paper. Pulling out a box, you opened it and gently set the cover aside when you saw a photo album inside.

You ran your finger down the leather spine before slow opening the cover. The inside cover was plain, but it had a printed-out email from Jake laid over the top. Picking it up, you smiled to yourself as you read through his short message.

To My Beautiful Wife,

I know that the best gift that I could give you would be being by your side today and every other day, but this is the next best thing that I could think of. Admittedly, this wasn’t actually my idea, though I’m still going to take credit for it, but here’s a collection of memories over the last year. But there’s still plenty of space for the years to come and new memories that we have yet to make together.

I miss you and I love you so much. And tell Baby Girl that I’ll be home soon to feel her kick.

Love,

Your Smoking Hot Husband

“Well,” you croaked out, placing the paper down. “I think I’ll open it later because I don’t want to start sobbing right now.”

“Who wants cake?” Maverick suggested loudly.

You smiled as you wiped a tear away, trying to stay positive. Phoenix walked inside the house to go and grab the cake as Maverick squeezed you into his side.

~~~~~

Jake sat out on the deck of the carrier, staring down at a photo of you and your bump.

It had been about two months since he left you behind and he was counting down the days until he could be there with you and your baby again. There was some talk of a few aviators in his program returning back to the States soon and Jake was doing everything that he could to make sure that he was on that list.

The sun was starting to set below the waves, casting an orange glow over the ship. The steady sea breeze dried the tears on his cheeks, but Jake didn’t move from his spot. Your due date was in three weeks and even though he read that first children were typically born later; he knew that your daughter was a stubborn one and moved to the beat of her own drum.

She would come when she wanted. Not when it was convenient.

“Do you think you can wait just a little longer?” Jake asked the photo of your bump softly. “You know, we still haven’t picked a name for you yet, so if you want a normal name, you should give us a little more time to decide, alright?”

Leaning back against the wall, Jake stared out in the direction of California. He always made sure to know what direction home was. After a moment, Jake pursed his lips together and took a breath.

“I’m coming home. I promise.”

~~~~~

“And just sign there on the bottom line,” your realtor instructed you, handing over a pen.

You slowly signed your name to officially buy your first home. It was also the first time that you fully wrote out your surname as ‘Bradshaw-Seresin,’ but that just left an even more bitter taste in your mouth. It was supposed to be a happy moment, a triumph, a celebration to buy your first family home.

But without Jake here, it just felt like a hollow victory.

“Congratulations, you’re officially a homeowner,” your realtor replied with a kind smile.

“Thank you.”

Your realtor walked off, leaving you standing alone in the middle of your new home. And when the door shut and the sound echoed around the empty space, you instinctively held your new keys to your chest. Bradley and Maverick were coordinating everything to get your apartment officially packed up and brought over. You would have to return to the apartment to return the keys and everything, but you weren't in a rush.

Walking through the house, you silently took in the moment. You ran your hand along the wall as you headed to the front of the house. Slowly stepping up onto the bottom stairs, you rested your hands on your bump.

“Welcome home, Baby Girl,” you murmured, pressing your hand to where she was kicking.

You texted Bradley that everything was signed, and it was time to bring the truck over. You would have moved to unpack the baby stuff that Maverick shoved into your car earlier that morning, but you knew that you would have given Maverick a heart attack if you did, so you simply waited for everyone to arrive.

A knock at the door made you turn to see Emma waving to you through the glass. You slowly waddled over to the door to let her into your home.

“Morning,” she greeted, pulling you in for a hug. She straightened up and offered you a bag. “I brought you breakfast.”

The two of you sat on the lawn furniture that the sellers left for you as part of the sale. You kicked your swollen feet up and balanced your breakfast on your bump, leaning heavily on the couch. Bradley and Maverick, with some help from the other Daggers and other friends, were currently moving your boxes into the house.

“Are you sure that you don’t want to supervise that at all?" Emma asked you, a bit worriedly.

"It's fine," you murmured, dismissing her concerns. "There's no point in fully unpacking. Minus our bedroom, the kitchen, and the baby stuff. We still have to paint and buy new furniture."

“Alright,” Emma replied, not trying to push you.

The topic of your clear mood shift was becoming an increasingly common conversation among your friends and family. Your due date was growing closer, and you were making more and more comments that concerned them. Or tasks that you refused to do without Jake there beside you.

And everyone was quietly worried about what would happen if you went into labor and Jake wasn't home yet. If it was time for your daughter to come out, it was time for her to come out.

“Has she been moving around a lot?” Emma asked conversationally.

“Yes,” you sighed, sounding exhausted. “She kicked my ribs yesterday and knocked the wind out of me.” Offering a small smile to Emma, you added, “Things for you to look forward to.”

“I’m trying to survive the first trimester,” Emma chuckled nervously.

“I hope you have a girl too,” you spoke softly with a smile, resting your hands on your bump. “They’re only going to be about six or seven months apart.”

“I know. But I think we’re going to wait until they're born to find out. My sisters did and my parents were always so excited to find out at the hospital, so I want to do that with our baby.”

“Have you told any of them that you’re expecting?”

“No, not yet. We’re going to take a trip up to see them after you have your baby and we’ll tell them then. I wanted to do it in person.”

You smiled and nodded, finishing up your breakfast. After chatting for a little bit more, you headed inside the house for the cooler air. You were temporarily living in the first-floor guest bedroom and that room was your main priority.

“Did you want all of it in the nursery or down here?” Phoenix asked, setting down the last box of baby stuff.

“Down here is fine for now.”

“Did you want us to set up anything for you?” Javy asked, standing beside his wife.

“No, I’m alright. We already got the car seat installed and that’s the most important thing right now. We can put together the rest of it when Jake gets home.” Slowly standing up again, you sent Javy and Phoenix a small smile. “Thanks for your help.”

As you waddled off to the kitchen to help Penny and Maverick, Phoenix and Coyote shared a concerned look.

“She’s not herself,” Coyote told his wife quietly.

"She's in her last trimester and her first few months of marriage. And her husband isn't here." Phoenix sighed, watching you with concern. "And everyone has their breaking point."

~~~~~

Dear Jake,

We moved into the house today. Maverick is sleeping on the sofa to keep an eye on me. I think that he thinks that I’m going to go into labor soon. Which I’m not. Baby Girl is snug and comfortable, and I have a feeling that she’s going to take her time coming out. Bradley and I were both late babies, so I’m sure that she’ll follow the trend.

I had them leave all of the baby stuff on the first floor for now. We can set up the nursery when you’re home with us. It didn’t feel right setting it up without you here.

Baby Girl is keeping me up again. She’s been kicking and now she’s even ignoring your warnings to go to bed. I have a feeling that she’s going to be payback for all of the crap that I put my mom and Mav through. Isn’t that what they say anyways?

I miss you. Come home soon and safely.

Love,

Your Wife

~~~~~

At nearly thirty-nine weeks pregnant, there was no other way to describe your existence beside ‘uncomfortable.’ You were pretty sure that you resembled a penguin or a seal lion with the stupid way that your bump made you walk. And your stomach had ballooned out to make you look all the more ridiculous as you went through the last few days of your pregnancy.

And fucking hell, your back was killing you.

“Why don’t you sit down?” Maverick suggested as you wiped down the countertops. “You’ve been walking around all morning.”

“I'm fine, Mav.”

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“No,” you muttered, tossing the paper towel into the trash. “I couldn’t get comfortable.”

“Maybe you should try taking a nap.”

“I’m fine, Mav,” you repeated as the laundry machine went off. Waddling over despite Maverick's call that he could fold the laundry, you rested a hand on your back. “I'm just a little restless.”

“I’ll fold all of that. You should eat.”

Sending Maverick an annoyed look, you handed off the laundry and made you way over to the couch. While Maverick was focused on the laundry, you let out a quiet moan of pain, leaning having on the couch. Resting your hand on your back, you took a few deep breaths before sitting down. You kicked your feet up just as Penny walked through the door.

“How are you feeling today, Mama?” Penny asked, walking over to you with a container of food.

“Pregnant. Very pregnant.”

“You’re in the final stretch now," Penny assured you, offering a maternal smile. "And I brought you some food. It shouldn’t get your heartburn to act up.”

“Thanks.”

Slowly getting up from the couch, you made your way over to the table. Maverick walked over and held the chair for you as you sat down. He had turned into a bit of a helicopter parent over the last week or so and you were too tired to fight him on it. You managed a few bites, before you got up.

"You don't want anymore?"

"I'll be back," you replied, waddling away. "Just need to . . ."

You froze when a gush of liquid suddenly soaked your shorts and pooled on the floor below you. Clutching your bump in fear, you gave Penny and Mav a deer in the headlights look that caused them to jump up and spring into action. Mav steadied you carefully as Penny slowly assessed the situation.

“Okay, it looks like your water just broke. We need to get you to the hospital. The baby’s coming.”

And you couldn’t help but immediately burst out into tears.

A.N. And the baby's coming! But just wanted to give everyone a heads up that this story does not end once the baby is born. There's still more to come. Thanks, and I hope you'll stick around for more!

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the-ace-with-spades · 1 year

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family of seven (based on one of my posts, I can't link it b/c tumblr is doing brr if I do but...)

a non-chronological series of drabbles about Jake and Bradley adopting five kids: telling Mav

(no kids here yet but you might still enjoy it @emseebeans😉)

“Why are you making those faces? Did the meeting—Did it not go well?”

Mav turned to them, hands on his hips, and Bradley kind of couldn’t get over how domesticated he looked like that — he’d turn sixty this year and to Bradley, he had stopped aging sometime around his fortieth birthday. He was standing there, in Mav and Ice’s kitchen (Mav’s kitchen, if they were honest) with a stupid Kiss the Cook apron, the same one Bradley had at their house, and had a blob of tomato sauce smeared in the corner of his lips.

Jake nudged his side, tilting his head. Bradley really didn’t know how to tell him.

“No, it went well, Nina is lovely, she’s the most adorable kid you’ll meet,” he said, carefully.

“Why the long faces, then? The adoption is still going through, right?”

Jake nudged him with his elbow again from where he was sitting next to him at the kitchen island. They had split who will tell who between them and since Bradley was obviously Mav’s favorite, he was supposed to tell Mav and Jake would tell Ice.

They decided Jake’s parents didn’t deserve to know a long time ago.

“It is, we’re just going to need a bit more time, that’s all,” Jake replied.

Mav frown, eyebrows creasing. “More time? Why?”

“Can we step outside for a minute?” Bradley asked instead of replying. Maybe it’ll be easier to show him.

Bradley got up from the chair and waited for Mav to follow. Jake gave him thumbs up and Bradley rolled his eyes at him before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and turning to the foyer. He slipped his shoes on and waited for Mav to switch from house slippers to garden slippers, still in that stupid apron.

He was sending him suspicious looks but he followed Bradley to their driveway.

Right there, behind Ice’s Subaru, was their brand new Ford Turneo Custom.

They’d already sold Jake’s truck and were supposed to buy something more family-friendly before they met Nina, so that was the easiest part of the plan to complete. They registered it yesterday.

Mav took a look at it and Bradley saw in real-time the disgust appear on his face. “Is that your—”

“Our new kid-friendly car, yeah.”

They took it out today so Bradley could slowly get used to driving it — the thing was huge and not exactly the most dynamic. It was blue, in a slightly darker shade than the Bronco, and hybrid, so they could save a little bit on gas. They were going to get one of those electric chargers in their driveway soon, too.

“So, what do you think?” he asked, aiming to avoid the elephant in the room for a bit longer.

“It’s… Well, it’s a car,” Mav said, diplomatically.

“It’s hideous, isn’t it?” he asked. Despite that, Bradley was aware that he was smiling while saying it, probably making himself appear a bit crazy.

“It really is,” Mav said. “I thought you were going with a BMW? The one with that big trunk? That seems a bit big, even for when you adopt another kid.”

“Well, it turns out, it turns out that we won’t be adopting one kid at a time,” Bradley explained, his gaze set on the car.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, Nina has—she has a baby sister, three months old, mom gave her up before naming her, but yeah,” Bradley said.

“That’s—That’s great, really,” Mav replied. “I mean, that’s a small change of plans, but that’s— yeah. Although, I’m pretty sure the BMW would be okay to fit a baby seat in it…”

Bradley took a deep breath, turning to him, and licked his lips. “Well, Nina has a three-month-old baby sister and an older sister that’s seven years old, named Stella,” he said, watching as Mav’s eyebrows raised on his forehead, making his wrinkles so much more visible. “And another seven-year-old sister, Julia.”

“Four? Four kids?” Mav asked, stunned.

“Five,” Bradey corrected. “There’s also a boy, he’s the oldest sibling, fourteen. His name is Peter, actually. But he prefers PJ.”

“Jesus Christ,” Mav managed.

He was wide-eyed, looking at Bradley like he lost his mind and glancing at the Turneo like he was seeing the car in a completely new light. Bradley’s never seen him so speechless, so dumbstruck.

“You can still back out, you know?” he told him, joking but also offering it completely seriously. “You signed up for babysitting one or two kids, not five, and we can manage on our own.”

Mav had been so adamant that they wouldn’t need babysitters or daycare or full-day pre-school — he was retired, absolutely bored out of his mind most of the time, since Ice was still working as SecNav for another two years and in and out of the house, and he had a grandbaby fever almost as bad as Jake’s baby fever.

Even with Bradley’s nine-to-five working hours, they had to think about who would take care of the kids when they were both on base. Mav had been so offended when Bradley told him they’d probably invest a good chunk of money in on-base childcare.

“It’s not babysitting when it’s your grandkids,” Mav replied, frowning, but with new determination on his face. “Now, show me this—this car.”

He waved his hand at the Turneo, but he was still looking absolutely disgusted by it.

“It can have up to nine seats so if we decide to have more kids, we’re all set,” he told him, taking the keys out of his pockets and stepping down the driveway.

Mav sounded absolutely scandalous when he gasped, “Bradley,” but he followed him.

Bradley was joking, mostly. He wouldn’t mind more kids but five was, realistically, the maximum they could afford to have, financially, while still keeping a certain standard of life.

“The trunk space is big enough that we can load a stroller without folding it,” he continued, tone turning more serious. When he looked at Mav, he was already staring back, eyes wet. “What?”

“I haven’t used a stroller since you were in a stroller,” he whispered.

And Bradley just—Bradley just kind of melted at that, at how soft Mav’s face looked, at how he was gazing at Bradley like he’d brought him a star from the sky.

He stepped closer, grabbed Mav’s arm, pulled him into his side, close enough that they were half hugging, and tucked him in as they went to get familiar with the Turneo.

---

This is how a Ford Turneo Custom looks btw:

this might at some point be posted on ao3?? I just don't know if I should make a collection/series or post it all in one work in chapters?? thoughts??

i'll make a tumblr masterlist next week, too, or as soon as there's more than one drabble

#hangster #mavdad #my fics #fo7 tag #icemav mention??

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shouldershimmycity · 2 years

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Brother Knows Best (Rooster x Sister Reader)

"Hey! I absolutely loved your latest fic! Is there anyway I could request a reader who is Roosters adopted teenage sister she’s like 16 or 17 and he has custody over her.

Maybe she gets involved with a older guy who is around 19 or 20 and Rooster has a huge problem with it and starts a fight because he is so over protective and can see that he is bad news, and the reader sneaks out that night and runs away to the guy but ends up getting hurt and Rooster and maybe Maverick find her and she apologizes and it’s just a cute sibling moment.

I would love if you could write this but I also completely understand if you can’t!! Thanks in advance!!!"

FIRST OF ALL, YES I CAN ABSOLUTELY WRITE THIS!

SECOND OFF ALL, I LIKED THE IDEA TOO MUCH TO NOT WRITE IT TONIGHT SO MERRY CRISIS/CHRYSLER/CHRISM TO YOU DEAR ANON! *MWAH!* I KNOW IT'S KIND OF SHORT BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!

TW: Assault, swearing, and being drunk

*****

You were tuning out your older brother. He was in the middle of scolding you for something you didn’t care about. He was too uptight, being a military man. You on the other hand, were the complete opposite. You weren’t even related to Bradley by blood, which explained so much about the differences between you two.

Carole Bradshaw adopted you when you were six, and she died when you were ten. You loved her to death, but it made you upset to think about her when you ended up with him. Bradley was such a friggin’ control freak and it drove you up the wall. You looked over to find Bradley staring at you, waiting for a response.

“Sooooooo are we done?” you asked him, the boredom dripping from your tone. Bradley made a face that was something between frustration and just giving up.

“You’re not seeing Jared again. He is seven years older than you! You are seven-fucking-teen!” he ordered.

“You joined the fucking Navy when you were eighteen, I’m basically an adult, Bradley!” you shouted back. He looked around and threw his hands up in the air.

“I got a JOB, when I was eighteen, I didn’t date a MINOR!” he countered.

You rolled your eyes and walked upstairs, Bradley shouting after you. FUCK he was so annoying. You slammed your door for good measure, and turned to read the text message that had caused your phone to ding.

“Hey baby, we still on for tonight?”

You texted Jared back with zero hesitation, wanting nothing more than to piss your brother off again.

“Hell yeah. Do you have my fake ID for me?”

‘“Course babe. Can’t fuck shit up without one.”

You turned your phone off and grinned like the Cheshire cat.

Excellent.

*****

Bradley sat on the couch, flipping through the TV blankly. Maybe he was too hard on you. He knew you had been given the crappy cards, crappier than his. But he just wanted you to be safe, that’s all he needed to know. He sighed and turned the TV off, it was nearing eleven thirty at night and Bradley wanted to try and have a civil conversation with you so he could sleep alright tonight.

He trudged up the stairs and knocked on your door lightly. You didn’t answer. He looked at the bottom of your door. Lights are on. He turned the knob and the door creaked open quietly. The pilot stuck his head into your room to peer around. SHIT. He pushed the door open all the way and looked chaotically around your empty room. He opened your closet to make sure you weren’t hiding from him, and he looked around maybe six times until he realized he was just spinning in circles.

Ripping his phone out of his pocket, he called the only person who knew you better than Bradley did.

“Maverick, my sister snuck out, and I think she ran off with that dickhead boyfriend,” he explained quickly.

“Any idea where they might have gone?” he asked, putting his shoes on in the background.

“None, maybe a bar? She wouldn’t go to the Hard Deck, Penny knows her. God, Mav, I have no idea,” he said, his words rushed and nervous. Maverick was quiet on the line for a second, and Bradley waited for the older man to answer him.

“Let me make some calls.”

*****

You were on the beach, sitting in the bed of your boyfriends truck. There was a bonfire going while Jared and his friends drank all the liquor your group of “friends” had collected. You were drunk, but not as drunk as Jared.

Jared was going on a very loud tirade about how all military men were a bunch of cowards and bitches. It was starting to make you uncomfortable. You often got pissed off by your brother, but he was a hero for all the shit he’s done and gone through. Don’t even get started on Maverick. You would defend your uncle until the day you died. You were starting to want to leave.

You saw it before you heard it, what with traveling faster than the speed of sound. An F/A-18 flew in a low pass past the beach, and you smiled a little. Late night training. Jared, on the other hand, threw a bottle into the air, with the hope he could hit the aircraft that only a drunk man could have.

“FUCK! OFF!” he slurred, shouting. Alright, enough was enough. You got out of the bed of his truck, hopping down to talk to Jared.

“Jared, I’m ready to go now,” you stated. He gave you a sneer.

“I’m not going anywhere yet,” he said. You stared back at him.

“But I want to leave now,” you said, trying to reason with him. You didn’t like Jared when he was like this, drunk off his ass.

He turned to look at the rest of the group, who were glaring at you, then backhanded you across the face so hard you fell into the sand. His rings had cut your face in a few places and you stared at him in shock.

You stood back up shakily and he punched you in the gut, knocking the wind out of you. You looked at your boyfriend with wild eyes, unsure why he was doing this. He slapped you once more and this time you didn't stick around. You were, literally, pounding sand. You ran into the dark night, unsure of where you were going to go.

You needed your brother.

*****

“They’re down by the beach, I had some late night trainees see if they could find his truck anywhere public they might be,” Maverick said, hanging up his cellphone.

Bradley’s phone began to buzz and he answered it before he could even read the caller ID.

“Hello?” he asked, frantic.

“Rooster, I just saw your sister come into the Hard Deck about five minutes ago. She was looking for you, man. She’s got some cuts and bruises on her face,” Bobs voice filled the other end of the line, full of concern, “I tried to make it over to her but she left and I couldn’t find her.”

“Bob! You’re the best!” Bradley hung up his phone and grabbed his keys. On the way out to his Bronco he told Maverick the information Bob had relayed to him.

The drive to the Hard Deck was about ten minutes, and Rooster gripped the wheel like his life depended on it. He was so concerned with finding you, it left the question of what Jared had done to you unanswered. Was Jared looking for you too? Were you in danger? Rooster was so caught up in his thoughts that Mavericks cry of surprise made him jump.

“There she is!” he shouted, pointing you out. Bradley pulled over and his headlights showed in your face. You squinted and prepared to bolt, scared that Jared found you and wanted to kill you or something.

Then you heard your brother and Maverick call your name, Bradley walking out from behind the bright lights.

“Bradley!” you sobbed, running into your brother's arms. You hugged him so tight he could take 9Gs of force and say awake.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again! Oh my god are you hurt?” He pulled you away to look at your face. Bob was right, you were super banged up. “What happened? Did he do this to you? I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

You hugged Bradley again, sobbing loudly, and he just cradled you, rubbing your back and telling you it was all gonna be okay.

“I’m so sorry Bradley,” you cried, pulling away, “I should have listened to you, the guy is a FREAK!” You hugged your brother again.

He didn’t care whether or not he was right or wrong, but he was right. He wasn’t going to ever vocalize it to you, but he just stood there, appreciating the fact that you were safe in his arms, his baby sister.

*****

“Bradley!” you shouted.

“Will you hold on just one second!? God you are so impatient!” he complained across the house.

You sat in front of the TV with the remote in your hands, as Bradley walked in with two bowls of ice cream. You laughed, then looked at him with the most intense deadpan stare that you could muster.

“Bradley, is the ice cream in your hands, fudge brownie?” you demanded.

“What else would it be?” he asked, concerned.

“Thank God,” you smiled. Bradley shook his head at your antics, handing you your sundae.

“You forgot my sprinkles, fucker.”

“Get them yourself.”

“If I ask for sprinkles, I expect sprinkles Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw!”

“Just press play.”

“Okay.”

#rooster x reader #bradley bradshaw #rooster top gun #bradley bradshaw x reader #topgunmaverick

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cup-noodle · 4 months

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3, 5, 6, 8, 13, and 18 for the fanfic new year asks!

Alright let's go, thanks for the ask!! It got long so I put it under the cut

3. Do you anticipate writing for a new fandom this year? Which one?

Honestly, I probably will! I've only put out two fics and one original work so far, so there's a good chance of getting attacked by a fic idea for something else and writing it. Currently I've been back in the Top Gun: Maverick brainrot so it might be that!

5. Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you post a snippet?

You probably guessed this one but I'm hoping to wrap up Project Jade sometime this year (probably in summer), it's been the one I've been working on for over a year now. Although some shorter fics might happen before that if inspiration strikes. For a snippet, you can have this one from a later chapter:

Her eyes flitted over to the closet door. Inside, underneath her box of winter shoes, lay hidden the files. Had she known how much hell those pieces of paper would raise for them, she never would have opened her mouth in that hallway. Never.

They'd decided keeping the files close and secret was the best plan of action for the moment. They didn't know what else to do but hold on to them and wait until an opportunity to do some real damage presented itself - that's why they were waiting.

That's what Freya kept telling herself, anyways. That's and what she and Oscar had agreed on. But in truth, there was another thing at play. She knew what kind of power those files possessed, and she was scared shitless. They had seen first-hand the ramifications of interfering with the wrong people, and she wanted nothing more than to forget about it all. To stop worrying about who was going to drop dead next. But it couldn't be nearly that simple.

So she closed the notebook, threw a pillow onto the floor next to Oscar with his laptop, and took a seat. "Alright, what now?"

"You're the green chicken," he hurried to explain, pointing at the avatar of a neon green hen with a comically large knife in its beak. "You have the arrows to move, Q for attack, and- Hey, stop laughing! This is deadly serious," he chided, but she couldn't help but crack up too as they locked eyes. As far as distractions went, this would do just fine.

6. Which yet-to-be-started fic is first on your list?

Like I said I've been thinking about Top Gun: Maverick a lot and I've got a pretty detailed idea for a 5+1 fic about Mav and Rooster over the course of the kid's life. More specifically it's five moments when Mav has to parent Bradley after Goose's death and has no idea what he's doing, and then one time when he knows exactly what to do (at the end of the movie, unsurprisingly).

8. Is there a story idea in your mental vault that you’ve never been brave enough to try writing? Is this the year? Can you tell us about it?

At some point I'd really love to try writing something more dystopian or apocalyptic (or post-apocalyptic), I adore those kind of settings. I have some vague ideas but nothing concrete yet, and honestly I doubt anything's gonna happen this year cause I already have a big project on my hands. Hopefully sometime in the future though!

13. Aside from fanfic, are there any other fan works you’d like to try creating? Fanart, or fanvids, gifsets, or podfic?

I occasionally do some drawing and fanart, so I'd love to do more of that if I have time. Learning how to draw people has been a pain in the ass but getting better at drawing characters is the current goal. Gotta do my blorbos justice.

18. Do you typically post multi-chapters as you write, or finish it all and then start posting? Would you like to change your posting method?

I've done one two-parter and one longer multi-chapter thing, and for both I did something in between. I like to have a fair amount written for the whole thing before posting anything, and then I write the missing bits and edit chapter by chapter as I go. It does result in pretty inconsistent posting but I'm a sucker for feedback and wanting to post it helps with motivation, so I'm sticking with it for the moment.

#local woman has zero ability to be concise #but again thanks for the ask they were great picks!!#i guess these past two years i've really kinda accepted being a writer (as a hobby ofc)#while before it was just a thing i secretly did sometimes lol #so it's been good and i hope it gets even better #ask games #we write at dawn #noodle rambles

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sarahjane0886 · 7 years

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Begin Again 11

Chapter 11

"How would you two like to take Louis for a walk?" Maks asked Lottie and Maverick. The group had just finished dinner and now they were trying to leave Sharna & Noah alone.

"We see the ducks?" Lottie asked.

"I think we might, we'll have to look for them." Maks said as her face lit up.

"I come too?" Maverick asked.

"I think so, huh Lottie?"

"Yes, Mav come with us."

"What about us?" Noah asked.

"Well, how about Maks and I just take the kids?" Peta suggested.

"I, umm, might wanna talk to you for a bit." Sharna murmured softly. Noah had noticed that she was extremely quiet the entire night. He had planned on trying to talk to her as well but hadn't wanted to push the issue while everyone was around.

"Okay, you good with going with Uncle Maks and Miss Peta, Mav?" He said lifting his arm and letting it rest on Sharna's shoulders.

"Yes, I haves fun." He said coming and hugging Noah's legs, then Sharna's before heading back to Maks and Peta. "Bye daddy, Bye Sha-na."

"Bye buddy, be good." They both said laughing. They got the Lottie & Maverick's shoes on and then headed out, leaving Sharna and Noah alone.

"You okay?" Noah asked once he was certain they were alone.

"Uh huh." Sharna's head shook back and forth as pulled her knees up. He thought she was going to pull away but she tipped into his body, her knees resting on his thighs while her head was on his shoulder.

"You want to talk about it?" He said as his hand dropped to her back and rubbed it softly.

"In a minute." She said softly finally feeling a sense of calm settle over her. She suddenly knew what Peta had meant when she had said to talk to Noah. If Noah could fix it, then it would mean a lot. And this, just having him beside her, was speaking volumes to her.

"Alright." He said as she pulled her in a little closer. He found her hand and squeezed it gently. She closed her eyes and breathed him in while she tried to sort out what she needed to say and do.

"Mav, asked me to not leave him today, and I told him I wouldn't, but I realized I was lying to him. And then all of this suddenly became huge to me."

"Well was he talking about the daycare or was he talking about more?" Noah asked gently, not wanting to discount her feelings or thoughts.

"The daycare, for sure, but at the same time it just clicked for me. I love him Noah. I already love him. And I don't want to leave him. I don't want to leave you."

"Sharna.."

"I know. That's what gets me. It's huge, and it's crazy. I can't just move halfway across the county to potentially date a man that I just met a little over a week ago."

"It's definitely huge, that's for sure."

"Yeah, and then my head spins. There's so many what ifs and what abouts that are mixed in that I just don't know. I don't know what to do. I panic. I feel it coming hard. He fell asleep on me this afternoon when they took their naps. And his arms around my neck, it felt so different. It's like he was afraid to let go. And that's when it really set in. Peta told me to talk to you and see what happened, but I don't even know what to talk about Noah. I don't think this is a fix it situation. I just have to make a decision." She said as she started to pull away from him but stopped realizing she didn't want to move away from his body.

"Hey, look at me for a second. You don't have to move but, just for a minute." He coaxed her. He could feel her hesitation when she started to pull away and quite frankly he didn't want to let her go either. This conversation was filling him with such anxiety as well and having her within reach was settling.

"Better?" She said as she tried to shift up so she could see his face. She couldn't get herself situated though and squirmed around a bit.

"Wait, will you lay down with me?" Noah finally asked realizing that neither of them were comfortable. She nodded and let go of him long enough for him to lay down and then pull her with him. Peta's couch wasn't that big so their bodies were pressed together but their faces were even.

"This I can deal with. Sorry, I just feel safer with you. The pieces that are so scary, seem to be less scary." She whispered.

"So do I, so don't apologize. You were right, this conversation makes me want to vomit honestly. But I think we need to have it, sooner, rather than later." He said reaching up and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Why does it make you want to vomit?" She asked as she slithered a little closer to him if that was even possible. She suddenly needed to hear things from his perspective.

"I never thought I would be dealing with this again. When Kinsley left Maverick and I, I swore off women with the exception of those in my family. I promised that I would never let that happen again. I know I talked about this with you some already but I think you need to hear it all. Kinsley and I were together for 6 years. We met at the end of college and got together with the help of a few friends we had in common. From then on out, you might as well of called us Barbie and Ken. We were together always, we were happy, we were in love. I thought she was my forever. We got engaged on the anniversary of our 6th year. The day after was the day she found out she was pregnant. From that point on things changed, she stayed at work later, she kept her distance from me in the house, the closer she got to the end the more closed off she got. We fought some but I tried my hardest to not because I didnt want to work her up. Well one day close to the end of the pregnancy, I got a call from Kinsley's mom, she said that Kinsley had Mav and that she was signing away her rights along with giving back my engagement ring. That was basically it. She didn't clue me in, she didn't let me have my say, she just left us. It was rough. I immediately went to the hospital and the nurses let me see Mav. He was so tiny but so gorgeous that I immediately fell in love. There was no other thought than to raise him myself. Some people asked if I was going to give him up but I couldn't, I wouldn't. He's my world and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Noah..." Sharna said softly. While he had been talking, his eyes had filled with tears numerous times. He collected himself each time and continued on with explaining to her. She knew it wasn't the whole story but what he had told her was huge.

"But so, that's why, I said no. Never again. But then you came and it was like a moth to a flame almost. But I wasn't getting burnt. And I wasn't panicking. And that may have scared me even more than when I did panic. And then I would remember that you were forever away and leaving in less than 20 days. And then I would think, this is stupid, I'm putting myself at risk of getting hurt and I'm putting Mav at risk of getting hurt but something in me, my gut said, it's gonna be okay."

"And has it been?" She asked softly.

"So far. I'm scared of you leaving, I'm scared of losing this calm you bring me but at the same time, I don't want to let it go." He said. He hesitated for a second but leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers kissing her softly. She returned the kiss and then slithered down and curled into him tightly.

"I'm afraid if I move here that we're going to implode and then I'll look like an idiot." She said into his chest.

"You're not going to look like an idiot. I can't promise that this will be all peaches and cream but I can promise that I won't just give up."

"I wouldn't either. And I wouldn't even think of this if I wasn't serious about it mainly because Maverick is already involved so I wouldn't want to hurt him. I mean I don't want to hurt you either but at the same time, we're adults. We make our own decisions, he's just gonna get caught in the fall if that occurs."

"I agree. And honestly, he's part of why I hesitated so much at first, even those first few days. I knew I liked you. I knew I felt something different that I didn't feel with Kinsley, it was more real, more honest, more concrete. But at the same time, I had Maverick, so I really had to weigh my thoughts and feelings when it came to you both. But there was this nagging feeling in the back of my head that said, it'll be alright."

"I feel that way too. I think my own insecurities take over though and out ride that voice that says this is what is right. Noah, if you'd have asked me a year ago, heck a month ago, if I was ready to settle down with someone who had a kid, I would have laughed in your face. I was always on the go. Traveling for work, going out, having a good time, whatever you thought of I probably did it. I didn't date anyone for long periods of time, no I wasn't out dating everyone but I was careful, I had more friends than I had boyfriends. I kept things platonic because I wasn't ready but just like you said, when I met you, there was something that said, maybe this is what you want. And then more time I spend with you and Maverick and everyone else, the more this feels better than the life I was living. This, right here, this is the life I want. I want to put Maverick to bed and then curl up with you. I want adventures to consist of going to the aquarium or movies. I want to see Maverick enjoy new things. I want to explore things with us as a couple. I want that. Originally I was afraid I wanted something new but yesterday, I had a friend call and ask if I wanted to go down to Puerto Rico when I came back. She had to go for a long weekend and she wanted a buddy to go with her. My immediate thought wasn't my old instinct to say yes, my immediate thought was well if I do go back, I need to be able to talk to Noah and Maverick. I need to figure things out so I can't go. I don't want to go."

"I don't want you to stop living your life for us." Noah said his mind immediately spinning to Kinsley.

"I'm not. I've had more than enough opportunities to live my life. I've had adventures on my own, now I want someone and a family to share them with. I want to share them with you." She said softly.

"So what comes next?" Noah asked accepting her answer. The way that she said it and looked at him at the same time, he knew she was serious. He knew she had thought it through and wasn't just looking for the next big adventure.

"I figure out if I can relocate. Well not if, but I figure out how. There's a lot of stuff that would need to be done. My job, my apartment, my puppies. This isn't going to be quick Noah." She said as she could feel her head begin to spin on a new handful of things.

"I know, but as long as we have something to look forward to, we can do it. There's Facetime, and calls and texting."

"You're sure, this is what you want?" She asked suddenly needed to hear him say that he wanted it. They had talked around it and about it but neither had straightforward said, I want this.

"I want this. I'm sure. Even if it explodes, I want this. We'll never know how great it could be if we don't try. And you want this too right?" He asked as his fingers ran through her hair.

"More than anything, I want this." She said as she finally pulled away and shimmied up the sofa to look at him, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his as they kissed for quite sometime. There were interrupted but two little voices however.

"Ewwwww! Kissing!" Maverick and Lottie shrieked from the doorway as Maks and Peta looked on.

"What do you mean ewww? We kiss you guys!" Noah said, sitting him and Sharna up and moving to grab the two. he began to tickle them relentlessly as they shrieked in amusement. Peta smiled before looking over at Sharna to see how she was doing.

"You okay?" She mouthed silently. Sharna's head nodded in response before she joined in on the ticklefest too.

*That's a wrap! Next part will be more Chmergs, promise! Enjoy peeps, don't forget to like it up and let me know what you think. This one was a bit shorter but the next part will be a continuation of the night and I kinda want to keep the couples separate. Thanks for all your love and support, love you guys! xoxox

#Maksim Chmerkovskiy #peta murgatroyd #peta and sharna #maks and peta #Noah Galloway #noah and sharna #chmergatroyd #shway #chmergatroyd fanfiction #shway fanfiction #Lottie #begin again #alternate universe #Chattanooga #sarahs stories #chmergs #chmergatroyd fanfics

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mastcomm · 4 years

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Kobe Bryant Saw His Greatness Mirrored in Gianna

The N.B.A. on Thursday is scheduled to announce the players chosen by Eastern and Western Conference coaches as All-Star Game reserves. On the internal calendar I keep, this is traditionally the ideal time to unveil my unofficial All-Star selections.

That won’t be happening this time.

In the wake of the horrific helicopter crash on Sunday that killed the legendary Kobe Bryant and eight others aboard, normal operations have been pretty much suspended for anyone who has anything to do with the N.B.A.

Bryant’s worldwide stature is obviously a huge part of that. He was one of the giants of this game, an immense figure globally, revered by the overwhelming majority of current N.B.A. players — and incomprehensibly struck down at the age of 41. Grief like this will not fade quickly.

It is doubly true in this case because Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was on that helicopter with him.

Beloved by members of the University of Connecticut women’s basketball program, which she dreamed of joining someday, Gianna received a moving tribute from the team on Monday when it placed flowers and a UConn jersey bearing her No. 2 on the bench for an exhibition game against the United States national team.

“Mambacita is forever a Husky,” the school posted on Twitter, referring to the nickname that Kobe Bryant, the self-styled “Black Mamba,” had given the second-born of his four daughters.

Also on board were two of Gianna’s teammates from the AAU squad coached by her father: Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester. The lives of three teenage girls with so much to look forward were taken in the crash, along with those of Bryant; Alyssa’s parents, John and Keri; Payton’s mother, Sarah; Kobe’s assistant coach, Christina Mauser; and Ara Zobayan, who piloted the helicopter.

The list gets sadder every time it is recited.

Kobe Bryant was 17 when I met him, then freshly acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers. On Monday, I wrote about how he was convinced, from the first minute of his pro career, that he was bound for the Hall of Fame.

Bryant was equally convinced that Gianna was likewise destined for greatness. She was his ever-present companion at countless games in recent years — to watch her W.N.B.A. heroes, or the Huskies, or maybe on a special trip to see her favorite N.B.A. player: Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks.

Perhaps by now you have seen the clip of Kobe from his visit to the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show in 2018, telling the world that Gianna bristled any time she heard a fan suggest to her father that he and his wife, Vanessa Bryant, needed to have a boy to uphold Kobe’s legacy.

“She’s like, ‘Oy, I got this,’” Bryant said of Gianna, then 12.

The last time I saw Kobe, on Dec. 29 at Staples Center, he had never looked more joyful. Wearing a bright orange hoodie and a green ski cap to rep his hometown Philadelphia Eagles, Bryant was sitting courtside beside Gianna as they watched — make that studied — the Lakers’ LeBron James and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks going head-to-head.

Also in the building that night was God Shammgod, whose extraordinary dribbling ability made him a New York playground legend. Despite the briefest of N.B.A. playing careers, Shammgod has landed on the Mavericks’ staff as a player development coach — yet he remains so revered for his ball handling that, even in a coaching role, he has his own Puma signature shoe.

Days after that Lakers/Mavericks game, never realizing the sorrow that was looming, Shammgod told me some moving stories of his workouts with father and daughter — how he had the extraordinary opportunity to coach them both.

“I knew him when he wasn’t this Kobe,” Shammgod said. “He knew me when there was no Shammgod moves.”

In their high school days, Shammgod — then known as Shammgod Wells — wound up at an ABCD youth camp with Bryant in New Jersey. Kobe had spent some of his formative years in Italy, where his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, was playing professionally, but Shammgod said Kobe’s fellow campers knew only that he had mostly played abroad somewhere.

“The boy from France,” Shammgod said. “That’s what we called him. After the first game, guys were saying, ‘Who’s this guy who actually thinks he’s Michael Jordan?’ He’s walking like Jordan, he’s doing every Jordan move, shooting all the balls.”

Bryant was clearly a special talent, but his ball handling was a weakness. Joe Bryant had noticed Shammgod’s slick handles and asked the 16-year-old if he could help Jellybean’s 15-year-old son.

Shammgod told the elder Bryant that he would be happy to work out with Kobe — at 6 the next morning. “I was thinking, ‘He’s not going to show,’” Shammgod said. “I get there and he’s already there.”

A bond was forged, and the two remained close. The friendship endured even as Bryant rose to stardom and his dribbling mentor was forced to scour the globe for jobs (in Poland, China, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Croatia) after an N.B.A. career that lasted just 20 games with the Washington Wizards in 1997-98.

During the All-Star break last February, Shammgod received an urgent summons from Bryant to Southern California. Kobe was now coaching Gianna’s travel team and wanted to introduce her and the rest of the squad to the move known in hoop parlance as “The Shammgod” — which requires the dribbler to bring the ball to the side with one hand to get the defender off balance, then snatch it back with the opposite hand to execute a crossover dribble. Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul and the Nets’ Kyrie Irving are two of the most accomplished modern practitioners.

Shammgod spent two days at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

“When I say that’s all he wanted to do is dribbling, that’s all he wanted to do,” Shammgod said. “From 10 to 12 in the morning, then from 2 to 4. These girls were dribbling four hours straight without shooting the basketball.”

One-on-one tutorials with Gianna would soon follow. Shammgod said they had worked out about a dozen times over the past year. Kobe wanted to fly him in more often, but Shammgod said he had to remind him occasionally, “I work for the Mavs and I can’t leave.”

When the trio huddled at that Dec. 29 game at Staples, Gianna excitedly told the story of how she “did the Shammgod on this girl” in a recent game.

“She was so locked in,” Shammgod said. “Her mind-set was just like his mind-set.”

That was evident in a 2019 glimpse of Gianna on camera with the Las Vegas CBS affiliate during a trip to watch that season’s opener for the W.N.B.A.’s Las Vegas Aces. Explaining her fascination with film study, Gigi could not have sounded much more like her father when she said, “More information, more inspiration.”

Those of us who were there for the start of the Kobe Bean Bryant experience and watched him grow up can’t help but flash back to those early days now. Even though the journalism handbook says we’re supposed to be detached and unemotional — even at times like this — Bryant’s sudden death has been a gut punch for many scribes like me who covered him closely over the past two decades.

What messes me up most, though, is when I start thinking about Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, her two teammates on that chopper and the shattered families that have to try to move on without them.

Gianna, Alyssa and Payton — gone at an age just a few years younger than Kobe was upon his league-shaking arrival in the N.B.A. So, so unspeakably cruel.

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In tribute to Kobe Bryant and his second of two jersey numbers, we present a 24-item assemblage of standout statistics from his career with the Lakers.

Bryant was the youngest player in N.B.A. history when he made his regular-season debut for the Lakers on Nov. 3, 1996, at 18 years and 72 days old. A future teammate with the Lakers, Andrew Bynum, eventually became the youngest player in league history at 18 years and six days old when he made his debut in 2005.

Only four players — all big men — made the jump directly from high school to the pros before Bryant and Portland’s Jermaine O’Neal were selected in the 1996 N.B.A. draft. Those four predecessors: Moses Malone, Darryl Dawkins, Bill Willoughby and Kevin Garnett. Shawn Kemp sat out a year after graduating high school in 1988 before he was drafted in 1989 by Seattle.

1,346

Both of the Lakers’ rookies selected in the first round of the 1996 N.B.A. draft — Bryant (1,346) and Derek Fisher (915) — rank in the top five in club history in games played.

Bryant started only seven games in his first two N.B.A. seasons.

Bryant’s four air balls in a 1997 playoff game in Utah — one at the regulation buzzer and three in overtime — came against the same Jazz franchise he riddled for 60 points in his final N.B.A. game on April 13, 2016.

The Lakers’ championships in three consecutive seasons — 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02 — represent the league’s only three-peat this century. The Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls had three-peats twice in the 1990s (1990-91 through 1992-93 and 1995-96 through 1997-98).

38.3

A conversion rate of 38.3 percent in 2002-03 marked Bryant’s most successful season from the 3-point line.

35.4

Bryant’s highest single-season scoring average was 35.4 points per game in 2005-2006, the Lakers’ second season after trading away Shaquille O’Neal.

16,866

Bryant scored 16,866 points and won three of his five championships wearing No. 8 through his first 10 seasons.

16,777

He scored 16,777 points and won two championships wearing No. 24 over the final 10 seasons of his career.

Bryant’s 20 consecutive seasons with the Lakers left him one shy of the N.B.A. record for playing with only one team: Dirk Nowitzki’s 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.

No other Laker played more than 14 seasons (Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006.

Bryant’s eruption against the Raptors, the second-highest scoring output in league history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962, came just 33 days after Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks.

220

Bryant appeared in 220 career playoff games, which equates to more than two and half seasons of extra wear and tear.

The Lakers missed the playoffs in each of Bryant’s last four seasons.

35.6

Bryant averaged just 35.6 games played over his final three seasons following his torn left Achilles’ tendon in April 2013.

The 60 points Bryant scored in his farewell outing beat the previous record for an N.B.A. player in his last official season by 11 points. Boston’s Larry Bird scored 49 points on March 15, 1992.

Bryant is the only player in league history to have two jersey numbers (No. 8 and No. 24) retired by one franchise.

Bryant’s 18 N.B.A. All-Star appearances are one shy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record 19.

Bryant was voted in by fans as an All-Star starter in his third season with the Lakers and in each of the subsequent 17 seasons.

$328,238,062

The value of Bryant’s contracts over 20 seasons with the Lakers, according to Basketball Reference, was nearly $330 million.

Bryant and LeBron James never met in a playoff game. James has made nine trips to the N.B.A. finals, winning three titles.

5-2

Bryant posted a career record of 5-2 in the N.B.A. finals, winning five championships in seven appearances.

Hit me up anytime on Twitter (@TheSteinLine) or Facebook (@MarcSteinNBA) or Instagram (@marcsteinnba). Send any other feedback to [email protected].

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giantsfootball0 · 7 years

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The worst superstar breakups in the NBA in the past 30 years

For three years, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were a dynamic duo for the Cleveland Cavaliers, teaming up to make three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and winning a title together in 2016. Then it all came crashing down when Irving asked out of Cleveland, possibly to get out from under James’ shadow — though if history is any indication, we won’t know all the reasons Irving left until years or decades down the line.

The James-Irving breakup is far from the first, and it won’t be the last. In fact, messy endings have become something of a staple of the NBA over the years. Fresh off Irving’s attempt on First Take to explain how things ended in Cleveland, we look back at some of the worst NBA breakups of the past three decades.

Isiah Thomas and Adrian Dantley (1989 Pistons)

After losing the 1988 NBA Finals in seven games to the Lakers, Pistons general manager Jack McCloskey traded forward Adrian Dantley, the Pistons’ leading scorer, for Mavericks misfit Mark Aguirre and a 1991 first-round pick. Dantley blamed Pistons star Isiah Thomas — even as teammates, they were seen as rivals — for the trade that brought Thomas’ Chicago buddy to Detroit. The “Bad Boy” Pistons won back-to-back titles after Dantley left. In 2014, Dantley called Thomas a “con man” during a radio interview with Detroit Sports 105.1. — Marc J. Spears

Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway (1996 Magic)Andrew D. Bernstein/NBA/Getty Images

This breakup seems so juvenile in retrospect. Shaq and Penny beefed over who was the bigger star? Who could sell more shoes? Who had more power in Orlando? Those hardly seem like good reasons to derail a potential dynasty. Now, people conveniently forget that Orlando bungled the negotiations with O’Neal before he bolted for the Lakers in 1996. Or that O’Neal yearned to play in L.A. Those were equally important reasons for the breakup, if not more important. Either way, Shaq’s departure — which Penny learned about while they were sharing a podium at a pre-Olympics news conference — was a seismic event in the NBA that still reverberates. — Ramona Shelburne

Jim Jackson, Jason Kidd and Jamal Mashburn (1997 Mavericks)

During a revealing interview on First Take, the former Cavaliers star detailed the motives behind his trade request that shocked the NBA this summer.

Kevin Durant says NBA trade requests occur routinely behind the scenes without anyone knowing and that he isn’t surprised by the developments of Kyrie Irving wanting out of Cleveland.

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It’s one of the juiciest NBA breakup rumors of all time and is often discussed like it’s an unsolved mystery from the ’90s — did Toni Braxton break up the Three J’s? Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn were a trio of budding stars only to be broken up after less than three seasons together. Egos got in the way, and rumor had it that a love triangle involving Braxton created a Texas-sized rift in the locker room between Kidd and Jackson, who would go weeks without talking.

The two repeatedly denied the rumor over the years and noted that it didn’t hurt Braxton’s record sales. “[Braxton] didn’t full-out deny it, and she kind of played it up because her album was coming out,” Kidd said in 2002. “I’ve never met her. But those type of things hurt a young team. We didn’t know how to handle it.” Mavs fans were singing “Unbreak My Heart” until Kidd returned and helped Dirk Nowitzki win a title in 2011. — Ohm Youngmisuk

Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury (1999 Timberwolves)

This breakup can largely be blamed on the 1998-99 lockout, or at least the collective bargaining agreement that ended it. Because of the new max salary limits, Marbury found himself in a situation where he’d never be paid as much as Garnett — who’d signed his big contract before the lockout. As former teammate Tom Gugliotta told Jackie MacMullan a couple of years ago, “If you ask Steph, I’m sure he’s the one kicking himself a bit. No matter what Steph did — he could score 25, 30 points — he still wasn’t going to be the best player on our team. That was KG.” It wasn’t long after the lockout ended that Marbury got his wish. He was traded to New Jersey just 18 games into the shortened season. — Adam Reisinger

Michael Jordan and the Wizards organization (2003 Wizards)Heather Hall/AFP/Getty Images

Michael Jordan arrived in D.C. in a splendid suit with the nation’s capital buzzing over His Airness taking over as Wizards president of basketball operations in 2000. But three-and-a-half seasons later, Jordan pulled out of the Wizards’ arena parking garage in his Mercedes convertible seething after being fired by owner Abe Pollin. Despite coming out of retirement and trying to turn the Wizards around himself for two seasons as a player and executive, a 40-year-old Jordan sold plenty of tickets but couldn’t get the franchise to the playoffs. Expecting to return to the front office full-time after retiring again, Jordan was fired after Pollin saw dissension within the organization and unhappy players. The owner told Jordan he was going in a different direction in a short but heated meeting. Jordan told “60 Minutes” he felt “used.”

In her self-published memoir, Irene Pollin detailed the breakup between Jordan and her husband — two competitive men who once famously argued at a players-owners labor negotiation. “This was not what Michael expected. He was shocked,” wrote Irene Pollin. “What followed was a heated discussion of what had and had not been promised. But after Abe repeated his decision ‘to go in a different direction,’ Michael lost it. He became very angry and began shouting. At that point, Abe walked out of the room as Michael called him several unflattering names. Michael stormed out of the room, went down to the parking garage, jumped into his Mercedes convertible with Illinois license plates, took the top down, and drove directly back to Chicago.” — Ohm Youngmisuk

Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant (2004 Lakers)Vince Bucci/AFP/Getty Images

There’s been a lot of making up in the years since this breakup, starting when they shared MVP honors at the 2009 All-Star Game in Phoenix. To hear Shaq tell it now, the whole feud was “all marketing.” But make no mistake, their animosity was very real before their breakup and afterward. Shaq said everything that ever needed to be said in that infamous freestyle rap heard round the world. You know the one: “Kobe, how my ass taste?” Meanwhile, Kobe showed his cards only after the Lakers won two more championships, and he admitted he was driven to win more titles than Shaq. — Ramona Shelburne

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce (2012 Celtics)Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images

It’s hard for players now to secure a place in the deep Boston Celtics lore, but Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen did earn their spot in Celtics history by winning the 2008 NBA title as the Big Three. The Ubuntu feeling that Pierce, Garnett, Allen and guard Rajon Rondo enjoyed, however, ended in 2012 when Allen departed to the rival Miami Heat without notice. Despite a lengthy cold shoulder, Pierce and Allen have recently reconciled. Will Garnett and Rondo follow suit by the time the Celtics celebrate their 10-year title anniversary? — Marc J. Spears.

Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant (2013 Lakers)Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

This time Bryant was the jilted superstar after Dwight Howard chose to leave the Lakers to sign with the Houston Rockets. Bryant unfollowed Howard on Twitter and then posted a photo of himself and Pau Gasol on Instagram with the hashtags, #vamos #juntos #lakercorazon #vino. Translation: let’s go, together, Laker heart and Vino (the nickname Kobe gave himself that season as he nearly won a scoring title at age 36 before tearing his Achilles’ tendon. — Ramona Shelburne

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (2016 Thunder)Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports

This breakup has probably been the messiest since Shaq and Kobe. First, there was Westbrook’s infamous cupcake Instagram post after Durant bolted for the Golden State Warriors (and its obvious tie-back to Durant). Then, Westbrook showed up at Golden State’s Oracle Arena in a photographer’s vest (a passive-aggressive shot at Durant’s day as a photographer for The Players’ Tribune). Durant and his teammates responded to the cupcake photo — and cupcake shirts worn by OKC fans — by wearing those shirts after Durant’s first game back in OKC. For an extra bit of frosting, Durant had one of his signature shoes dubbed “Red Velvet.” Of course, things went to a new level this week when Durant responded to a fan’s tweet with a negative post on Thunder coach Billy Donovan and the entire organization. He’s since apologized, but obviously this isn’t over. — Ramona Shelburne

Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson (2017 Knicks)Robert Sabo/NY Daily News/Getty Images

This relationship got off to a rocky start when Jackson said in 2014 that he “wasn’t losing any sleep” over the possibility of Anthony leaving New York in free agency. And things only got worse from there. Jackson openly discussed trading Anthony in June. His issue, in part, was Anthony’s failure to adapt to Jackson’s desired system. Phil was fired before he had the chance to move Carmelo. Melo, of course, is still in New York. But his future in the city is uncertain at best. — Ian Begley

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving (2017 Cavaliers)AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

The only thing certain about Kyrie Irving’s decision to ask for a trade out of Cleveland is that the only person who truly understands why he wanted it is Kyrie Irving. He took the first step at explaining his motivation Monday on First Take, but the most memorable part of the interview was Irving’s admission that he has yet to speak to LeBron about it. For his part, LeBron has mostly stayed above it. His only subtweet so far was an Instagram post that showed him singing along to a Meek Mill song with lyrics that allude to betrayal. — Ramona Shelburne

The post The worst superstar breakups in the NBA in the past 30 years appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

from https://dailystarsports.com/2017/09/21/the-worst-superstar-breakups-in-the-nba-in-the-past-30-years/ from https://dailystarsports.tumblr.com/post/165587455546

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footballleague0 · 7 years