AN: New Story Time! After talking with another member of this site *waves* I decided to post this separately from my Brothers collection. As of now I think it will be about five or six chapters long. Not everything in here will be on canon point with the show, which is why I hope to have it finished before the season two finale screws with what I wrote. I hope you enjoy!

Plot: *a "what-if" story* Shaw disbands Bravo. Bravo Team is no more as the former members try adjust to their new reality. But everything that happens next will either make or break them. Oh the lengths these brother will got for each other. *written before S2 finale*

Ch. 1

Jason Hayes was the last person to shuffle into the briefing room that cloudy Saturday morning. It was Bravo's day off, a day off that felt weeks late, considering all they've been through in the last few months. And it only seemed to pile on as he spots Commander Shaw standing at the front of the room, conversing with a few members of brass.

Members they never saw in person.

Unless…

"That isn't good." Jason says as he grabs a bottle of water and sits next to Ray Perry. "Really not good."

"No shit, Sherlock. They've been muttering 'hush hush' things since they got here."

"How longs that been?"

Ray shifts in his seat. "Haven't stopped since I've been here."

Sonny Quinn leans forward across the table, whispers to the two leaders of Bravo. "Shouldn't Spenser be here? I mean, if this ain't a mission but something to do with Bravo-"

"Sonny's right. Clay should be here." Trent Sawyer says. He is spinning a pen between his fingers, trying—failing—to keep his mind from wondering to all of the horrible possibilities for this early meeting.

Brock Reynolds adds, "I don't like this."

"All right, all right. Settle in." Lt. Commander Blackburn speaks in a voice more stern than normal as he turns to the table of Bravo Team. "This meeting will be brief, so let's not waste any more time. Commander Shaw?"

"Thank you, Lt. Commander Blackburn. In my time watching Bravo Team, I have noticed things that simply cannot be ignored." Shaw begins. "I have spoken with various people, people in the room and in DC, including Lt. Commander Blackburn about options going forward. Simply put, Bravo Team is a mess. From poor leadership to failed mission executions time and again. I have given this team more than enough chances to work the problems, to fix the problems, but you have yielded no results. The only solution to the glaring problems is to disband Bravo Team. Effectively immediately."

"What?!"

"That's a load of bulls-"

"You can't just come in here and-"

"Why would you think there's a problem with lead-"

"No!"

"That's enough!" Eric snaps as the team hurls words at Shaw and the rest of brass, while still being (slightly) respectful of their standing rank. "This is not Commander Shaw asking Bravo Team to disband. This is him telling you Bravo Team has been disbanded. For good. Alpha, Charlie, Delta and Echo will remain our Tier 1 teams from this point on. You've each been assigned to aforementioned teams—separately."

Everyone sulks back into their seat, while the look of anything but defeat remains on their faces as Eric waits a minute before he continues. "Except for you, Master Chief Hayes. You'll be under Master Chief Syre on Green Team, learning new methods for leading Tier 1 operators. And that's where you'll stay if or until you prove you are ready to lead your own team again. You all have until the end of the day to transfer your items to your new cages. Report to your new, respective teams at 0500 tomorrow. Dismissed."

#

"This don't feel real."

Brock tips the small glass in his hand back, downing the last of his third—fourth?—shot of Daniels. "Don't feel anything at this point." He mumbles as he waves at the bar tender to slide him another. But before the woman can pour another shot, Trent waves her off. "Buzzkill."

"You've had enough, man."

"Not nearly enough." Reynolds runs both hands down his scruffy face, sighs deeply. "I haven't passed out yet."

"Quit your sulking. 0500 will be here before you know it." Jason says as he throws a dart. It lands a ring shy of the center. "You need to make a good first impression for Delta. Gotta have Cerb lookin' good too."

It was late evening, and Bravo Team—for one more night at least—was grabbing one more round together before they're lives changed forever. Jason tried to reach Clay, tell him the news in person and hang out with the guys, but the kid mentioned something about therapy and quickly hung up.

Maybe he heard the news before Hayes could break the news. They all wondered if the kid would be assigned to a team, or if the Navy would shelf him until they were sure he was 100%. Can't have an operator on a gimpy leg, now can they?

And if he was good enough to be placed on a team, which one of them would be working with a familiar face from 0500 on?

"Is it true those guys have been pining for Cerb for years?" Sonny asks as he munches on a handful of nuts.

"Yeah. Just Cerb, though." Brock mumbles. "They aren't too thrilled that we're a package deal."

"Hey, they're lucky to be getting you. Either of you. Their jobs are about to get a helluva lot easier, that's for damn sure." Ray takes the offered darts from Jason and tries his turn at the board. He then pauses and adds, "Well, maybe not as lucky as Alpha getting Mr. Medic and all, but still. Lucky."

"Shut up." Trent says as he hangs his head. "It was just luck of the draw."

"I heard Derek wouldn't stop until he got the approval for you to go over. Apparently they needed someone like you."

"I'm sure their medic was just fine."

"Not as good as you." Sonny smiles. "Jus sayin'."

"Yeah, sure. Echo should be happy. Though it might take them some time to understand your thick, southern drawl."

Sonny throws a nut at Trent, who simply feigns injury. "Think Beau will give Ray some slack for joining Charlie? It ain't no secret that he and Jase don't like each other. Might put you at a disadvantage."

"I can handle whatever Fuller throws at me."

"Are you gonna glide along, stick with being the 2IC? You and Fuller are the same rank, someone will have to take a backseat on the team…"

The room lapses into silence. Trent places a glass of water in front of Brock, Sonny works on emptying his bowl of nuts. Ray stares at the bullseye but can't bring himself to throw the remaining darts in his hand.

"Hey." Jason strolls over, a fresh round of bottles in hand. "Look, I wanted to say-"

Brock starts to shake his head. "Boss, don't-"

"I'm sorry. For failing you all."

"Jason-" Sonny tries to interject, but he doesn't get far.

"No, no. I need to say this." Hayes hands off the bottles to the guys, except for Brock who seems to be happy with his water, then continues. "Shaw may be wrong about a lot of things, but he was right about one thing. I failed you as a leader, and that was one thing I swore I'd never do. But… it happened. I know we're going separate our ways, that Bravo Team is no more. But… we'll always be Bravo Team. No matter what, okay? Different teams and different schedules, deployments, that isn't going to change. We…" Jason points to Ray, then Sonny, then Trent, then Brock, and the empty seat they left for Clay, "we are Bravo. Always."

"Always." Ray is the first to raise his bottle, and the others join in. "Always."

#

Clay sits on the edge of the bed, in the all too white hospital room. He looks around, tries to pass the time by any means necessary, but it still drags by. So, he waits. And waits, and waits, and waits for the doctor to return with the latest results on his leg. He had just glanced at his watch for the umpteenth time when the door clicks and swings open.

Surprisingly, the doctor is smiling.

Well. As much as a doctor can smile that is.

"All things considered, you have come a remarkable way, Petty Officer Spenser."

"I'm good to go?" Clay finds himself leaning forward, waiting to hear the doctor to say the words.

"Simply put, yes. You are cleared for all drills, meaning you can start getting back into operator shape. But I see no reason why you should take it easy." The doctor says. "You know your limits, and you've work hard to get to this point. All that work has paid off. You'll be back on the Teams in no time."

Clay nods, relief washing over him like a tidal wave. He thanks the doctor and heads home, thrilled to be back officially.

Little does he know, timing is everything.

AN: And things will be going downhill here on out. Like/follow/review. More to come. :)