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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 1 year

Text

Ghost Story - Chapter 48

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 1689

Warnings: PTSD

Summary: No one will miss a ghost. It'd been a running joke for as long as anyone could remember, something Ghost herself started, and she always said it with a smile on her face or with mirth in her voice. The untouchable stealth pilot in every sense of the word, no one could've predicted the depth of her turmoil over recent events, nor the extremes she would go to in order to protect the man she loved, not even those closest to her. Now, all that was left of the young aviator for Maverick, Hangman, and Rooster were the memories of the past, which would slowly fade with time. She'd come into their lives and made an unforgettable impression, and then, like a ghost, she was gone... Then again, ghosts can't die a second time.

Notes: None

Chapter Songs: Eyes Open Tell Your Heart To Beat Again

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Bryn

The only times the youngest Kazansky had ever seen Annalise Winchester have a full-blown breakdown had been when her parents and sister died. Not even when she and Hangman broke up- either the first or the second time- did she react this way. Bryn had no doubt the breakdown had something to do in part with the traumatic experience she'd gone through with the mission, but still, seeing her best friend lose it after barely saying a word struck a chord with her.

"Talk to me, Ghost. What happened?" Bryn asked, refusing to let her go until Annalise pulled away herself.

"It's everything," Ghost admitted, hiccupping.

"What made it boil over?"

"Rooster... he's been acting strangely ever since the mission. He won't look at me, he'll barely talk to me, and when he does, it's short and to the point, and so I thought he didn't want to be around me but-" Ghost pulled away and wiped her tears away angrily- "he is always choosing to stand beside me. We could be in the kitchen surrounded by people. I could be on the other side of the room, and he finagles his way over to me. I don't get it. I finally confronted him about it after Mav and Penny left, and all he said was that it isn't me, that he's not mad at me, but I know he is! What else could explain his behavior? And then add these God-awful, post-traumatic stress nightmares I'm having of being shot down and dying and coming back, not having anything to distract me from the grief of losing my mom and the fact that my dad might not actually be my dad and that Maverick might be my dad instead, I- I don't know what to do, where I should go..." Ghost continued her tangent, jumping between the topics so frequently that Bryn had difficulty keeping up with everything and understanding the totality of the situation, but she caught enough to understand the devastation Ghost was going through.

"Annalise, easy, take it easy," Bryn consoled, worrying how fast her friend had started breathing and concerned she might begin hyperventilating. "How long have you been holding all this in? From beginning to end?"

"Pretty much since I got here. It was just one thing after another, and I internalized it, pushed it down, or pushed people away, thinking it would solve my problems because that normally worked in the past, but it didn't this time, and Rooster being upset with me and not telling me why pushed me over the edge. I just want to go home, but I don't even know where that is now."

"Before all this happened, where was home for you?"

Ghost sniffled and turned her attention to the ocean, watching its waves crash gently on the shore. Bryn could see the gears turning in her friend's head. "It's changed over the years. When I was little, it was my family. In college, it was Hangman. When we broke up, it was Rooster. Even when Hangman and I got back together, Rooster was the person I went to. He's the one I thought about returning to, and even now, it is taking every ounce of willpower I have left not to go in there and beg him to tell me what I did so I can fix it because he's still my home, but I don't know what to do now that my home doesn't want me anymore..."

Bryn squeezed Ghost's hand. "I may not be able to bring your family back or help with the nightmares, and I don't know how I can help you figure out if Mav is your dad or not- which, for the record, I'm still trying to wrap my head around that and will demand a full explanation when you're not having a breakdown- but I can help with Rooster," Bryn declared, standing up. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?!" Ghost asked worriedly.

"To chat with Rooster. I'll be back." Without another word, she flung the front door open with the full intent of knocking Bradley upside the head in hopes it might simultaneously also knock some sense into him. The light remained on in the kitchen, the only one in the house. Everything else remained eerily dark. Bryn scoffed until she saw a light emanating from underneath a shut door at the end of the hallway. The guest room. Rooster's room.

Bryn strode furiously toward it, not caring that he may not want to be bothered or even sleeping. She had a bone to pick with him. Swinging the door open, Bryn demanded, "Rooster, what in the absolute fuck is wrong with y-"

She stopped short, her anger swiftly replaced by confusion and concern. Rooster sat on the floor, slumped against his bed, head in hands, white-knuckling his hair. His crutches lay scattered haphazardly on the floor as if he'd let them fall wherever they wanted. Strangest of all, her friend acted wholly unfazed by her presence, like he hadn't even heard her. As upset as she was, Bryn recognized this wasn't normal behavior. So, calmly and slightly cautious, she knelt next to him. "Rooster?"

No response.

"Bradley?" Bryn prodded, gingerly placing a hand on his arm. He reacted instantaneously, jerking violently away from her. When his eyes met hers, she noticed how bloodshot they were, along with the dried tear stains on his cheeks. He looked around dazedly, taking in his surroundings. Bryn scooted closer to him ."Bradley? You okay?"

"Wh- where's Ghost?" He stammered, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"She's on the porch."

"Is she alive?"

What kind of question is that? "Yeah, she's alive."

Rooster's body visibly relaxed, and he braced his head against the bed, closing his eyes. "Good. That's… good."

A realization dawned on Bryn. She'd seen this behavior in others, and it was not something to take lightly. "Rooster, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"How long have the flashbacks been going on?" She asked sympathetically, leaning against the bed with him. Although he didn't respond, his head snapping to look at her told Bryn she was on the right track. "Ghost told me about the mission and what happened."

"She- she was dying," Rooster croaked out. "I couldn't save her."

"But you did save her. She would've drowned had you not reached her when you did. Ghost told me as such. Is that what you see in your flashbacks? Ghost dying?" Once more, Rooster didn't respond, giving Bryn her answer. "Is that why you can't look at her? Is it a trigger?"

Rooster opened his mouth but quickly shut it. When he repeated the motion but never managed to say anything, Bryn reached out and took his hand in hers. "Oh, Rooster…

"I-I don't know what to do," he confessed. "I want nothing more than to be around her, but I promised I'd leave her alone and-"

"When did you promise that?"

"After I found her. She was furious at me for being there because she knew that-" Rooster trailed off, shaking his head. "I promised I'd leave her alone once we returned to North Island. She didn't acknowledge the comment, so I took it as her agreement with it. I thought it was what she wanted."

"Rooster, if that's what she wanted, Ghost wouldn't be sobbing over the fact that you will barely give her the time of day. She thinks she did something wrong, and until you tell her the truth, as difficult as it may be, no matter how much you tell her it's not her that's the problem, she won't believe you."

"Ghost is hurt enough, though. She's been through so much, and to add onto her plate by burdening her with my issues, I can't do that to her."

"She wouldn't see it like that," Bryn assured. "Hell, if anyone would understand what you're going through, it'd be her."

"I have loved Ghost for so many years, but every time I have the opportunity to be with her, I fuck it up. I don't- I can't cause her any more pain than I already have."

"The only way you'll cause her more pain is if you keep avoiding her. Be honest with her. I promise she will be open to it, but Ghost isn't going to reach out to you after earlier. You'll have to go to her."

"I know…" Rooster rubbed his face and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Bryn."

"For what?"

"I'm a grown man. I should be making my own decisions, not having to be encouraged by my best friend to do what I know needs to be done and having to deal with more of my shit."

"You're also dealing with some nasty PTSD."

Rooster nodded reluctantly. "I thought I was stronger than this. H-how did you know?"

"That you were having flashbacks? A good guess based on your behavior that I saw in both my dad and brother after they witnessed some deaths of their comrades." Bryn squeezed his hand. "I'm not going to push you to do this, but can I at least go tell Ghost that it really isn't her that's the problem?"

"No," Rooster said, shaking his head. He leaned over with a wince to grab his crutches. Recognizing he wanted to stand, Bryn helped him up. "I need to do that. I-I need to face this. Can I make one request?"

"Of course."

"Stay until this is over. If it goes badly, I want Ghost to have someone to turn to for support."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"If this goes badly, who will you have to turn to for support?"

"Don't worry about me."

"I already am, so it's a little late for that."

"Take care of Ghost first, then come to me if needed. I'll be back." He took a deep breath and then started for the door. Bryn let him go, watching and waiting until she heard the front door shut. Then, she headed to the living room to wait and pray that her friends finally worked things out for the better.

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Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32 Chp 33 Chp 34 Chp 35 Chp 36 Chp 37 Chp 38 Chp 39 Chp 40 Chp 41 Chp 42 Chp 43 Chp 44 Chp 45 Chp 46 Chp 47 Chp 48

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