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12 minutes ago . . .

THE CAST WAS FINALIZED.

It was just a matter of days until they'd officially meet and begin training. 

Well, Taylor would be supervising the training, beside a couple of her buddies from her old squadron, the Red Knights.

Yes, Taylor Cruise did serve in the Navy.

She was an active Naval aviator.

Until the accident.

Coincidentally, just like Mav and Goose in the first film, had flown into jet-wash of a bogey, and had spiraled to the ground.

Thankfully, it was just her in the Super Hornet that day, and she'd ejected out before she could go down with it.

But it's not always you're let off the hook that easy, right?

Both lungs punctured, left shoulder fractured and jaw broken, saved by a medically-induced coma. She woke up after fourteen days, just how the doctor had estimated. She was let off with honorable discharge and a few more medals.

Even with the accident being so grueling, Taylor never found herself scared to get back in the jet. No, it had become more of a home to her, being in the sky. It had a calming sense to it.

Back on the tarmac, Taylor hands her helmet to her crew, giving them a quick salute they returned.

Her father began walking beside her down the tarmac to the hangar, remaining absolutely quiet until they stopped before the door of the women's locker room and she'd turned to face him, "What's up, why are you so quiet?"

Tom looks down, and Taylor knows he's done something, so she quickly questions, "Dad?" She drags the word.

"What have you done?" Tom looks up to meet her eyes with a sheepish smile on his face. Taylor tried her best to keep her face stoic and not unleash the grin fighting its way onto her face.

"You remember how you said you didn't want to meet the final cast until you were done choosing their front-seaters?"

Taylor gives a simple nod, head leaning forwards as her hands cross against her chest, eyes narrowing as she awaited her father to continue.

"Well, they're all here, right now." It's a low mutter that escapes him, and her brows further ever more, leaning even further as she questions, "Huh?"

"They're here, all of them." Tom remains silent after repeating his words, looking down at his shoes with his hand in his pockets.

Taylor takes a deep breath, in through the nose, out through the nose.

She gives her father a quick smile that drops the second her hand finds the handle of the door, pushing it open as she mutters in annoyance, rubbing her forehead with her other hand, "I'll be out in five, dad."

Tom shakes his fist in victory of not being yelled at by his daughter.

A yell from the other side of the door is rather loud, making him jump in his place, "I practically saw that, dad."

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

DRESSED IN A PLAIN WHITE T-SHIRT, RIPPED BLUE JEANS AND A RED AND BLACK PLAID THROWN ON, TAYLOR'S HAIR WAS FLOWING BEHIN HER AS SHE WALKED BESIDE HER FATHER.

The door opens, and the pair of Cruise's walk down beside each other with excited smiles on their faces.

The cast was here, finally, after weeks of searching for the right people, they were finally here, ready to be trained.

Well, they still had to ask them about that, and make them sign a waiver, but they'd figure that stuff out later.

They were stood in a single file, reminding Taylor of the times she'd stand by her squad, poised and determined, ready for combat.

Lewis Pullman. Bob Floyd. She shakes his hand, patting him on his shoulder as he holds her hands with both of his, "It's great to be here, we're all very excited." Taylor smiles wider, nodding as she replies, "It's gonna be great, man."

Jay Ellis. Reuben Fitch. 

Taylor shook his hand, giving him a smile as she did so, one he returned, telling her, "It's an honor to meet you, Taylor!"

She pats his shoulder twice, smile widening, "It's an honor to meet you, Jay! We, are gonna have a shit load of fun on this project."

Jay nods with an excited smile, before Taylor moves to the next person with a mutter of bye.

Greg Tarzan Davis. Javy Machado. She shook Greg's hand, and he returned the shake firmly and with vigor, "You ready, man?" She asks, and confident as ever, he replies, "As I'll ever be, Ms. Cruise."

"Oh, stop it, with the Ms. Cruise shit, call me Taylor,  or Tay, or Lor. Whatever fits your liking." Greg nods, shaking her hand once before she's moving on to the next person.

Danny Ramirez. Mickey Garcia. "Hey, man!" Taylor shakes his hand, giving him a smile as he returns the shake with just as much excitement, "Hey, Taylor!"

Glen Powell. Jake Seresin.

Taylor extended her hand forward, and Glen looked down at her hand, slapping it away gently, and pulling her into a hug.

Not knowing what to do, she pats his back twice awkwardly, as he tells her, "Thank you."

At that, Taylor slaps his back.

Hard.

He groans, and Taylor pulls away first, telling him sincerely with a genuine smile, "Don't thank me, Glen, I'm gonna make you work for it." 

His face falls.

She pats his shoulder twice, giving him a knowing look and smug smile, looking over her shoulder as she moves on to Miles.

"Hey." Miles says, lips quirking upwards by their edge. 

Taylor returns the smile, "Hey." She pulls the word out in a sing-song way. His smile widens, and she asks him, her own lips pulling further upwards, "I hope you're ready to work your ass off."

"Well, I have a few good co-workers, we'll just wait and watch." Miles nods, extending his hand out for a shake.

Taylor returns it with the Cruise smirk, "We'll see about that." Miles keeps that smile on his face as she moves to Monica beside him.

"Monica, it's really good to see you!" Taylor says, excited to have another woman on set.

The other woman herself is ecstatic, having been a long-time fan, "Hi, Taylor! God, I can't believe all this is happening!" The girls giggle into the hug.

"Well, you better believe it, and the fact that we are gonna have a lot of fun together." Taylor replies, wrapping her arm around the shorter girl's shoulder, as Monica smiles, wrapping her own arm around Taylor's waist, looking over her shoulder at Miles, mouthing the words, "Oh my god!"

He chuckles, walking beside Tom and Jay as they walk into the meeting room.

Was it weird to say they both felt a certain spark ignite at shaking each other's hands?

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

BEING BACK NEVER FELT SO GOOD.

She could feel tears in her eyes, though a huge smile was coating her face as they walked through the familiar hallways and closed briefing room doors.

Opening the door to the meeting room, Taylor and Monica walk in first side by side.

Taylor turns to Monica, "I'll be right back."

A familiar face turns around just as Taylor makes her way closer to the head of the table.

Pops, was the Commanding Officer of TOP GUN. He was also Taylor's mentor when she was training, all the way through her career in the Navy. He'd assigned her to posts, he'd let her out on deployments, he'd taught her most of what she knew about flying an F/A-18.

"Lil Val!" Pops is wrapping his arm around Taylor's back, nudging her forehead with his fist as they chuckle into the hug, "How've you been, Pops?" They pull away, Taylor wraps her hands around his forearms, as he replies with a smile, "Oh, really good. Your squad's givin' me hell, though, you gotta put 'em in check for me."

"Will do, Pops." Taylor gives him a side-hug as they turn in the direction of the cast. 

"Guys, this is Pops. He is the CO of TOP GUN, and he'd been my mentor from when I'd served a few years back. He's practically taught me to fly." 

A chorus of 'hey Pops' runs out through the room.

"Hey, guys, let's take a seat." With that, they all take their seats by the table in the middle of the room, Taylor sits between Pops and Tom.

Oh, was it mentioned they'd actually be flying the F/A-18's?

Nope.

Here goes nothing.

Pops nods over at Tom, both father and daughter sharing a look before Tom is blurting out,
"You've all made it to the final list. Now, here come the consequences." Taylor refrains herself from slapping the back of her father's head. He's doing his absolute best to scare all of them off.

"Look, guys, if you're gonna take this role, part of it is being in the F/A-18. We don't know how we're gonna pull it off any other way." Taylor warns, meeting everyone's eye. Her face was serious, dropping the excitedness of it all.

"What do you say?" Under the table, Taylor's fingers are crossed as she hopes everyone does take the job with all of it's seriousness.

"We're gonna be flying the planes?" Glen questions, brows furrowing downwards as his eyes widen with surprise.

Taylor shakes her head, "No, you guys are gonna be back-seaters. You're basically gonna sit behind actual fighter pilots, while they're pulling all the maneuvers. You're just gonna act, several feet up in the air, sitting in those jets, doing your own camera-work and make-up and most of the above."

Tom eases them out a bit, "You guys have six months for your training, it's gonna be slow, and easy, if you're doing your best and working hard. It's gonna be a bit scary at first, but once you get the thrill, you learn how to have fun with it."

"So?" A silence settles.

The seven actors look between themselves.

"I'm in." A few replies come in simultaneously, and Taylor does her best not to jump up in excitement.

Glen had replied immediately, so had Monica, Danny, Lewis and Greg.

Miles was the odd one out.

"Come on, Miles..." Came Glen's convincing.

"You don't have to, if you don't want to." Taylor throws out, letting him know he has a choice.

"It's just," Miles stutters, trying to explain himself. 

He remains silent after no avail, keeping his gaze in Taylor's whose eyes are full of hope even if she doesn't want to show it.

"Ah, fuck it, I'll do it." Everyone cheers, and Taylor leans back in her seat satisfied. Miles laughs as Glen claps his shoulder, still not turning his eyes away from her.

She gives him a curt nod, and he returns it after a few seconds of just smiling at her.

What the actual fuck was going on in her stomach?