CLAYS POV
I walked into the apartment and dropped my bags down. My shoulders were sore from a long couple of weeks of being overseas. Our short operation to bring home a few doctors who had been taken hostage had turned into a short stent of a deployment to try to bring down the whole network behind the snatches. It had been long, brutal, and mentally exhausting on the whole team. The only good thing about it was we got released a day early from our post and we had 4 whole days of full leave before we would be green lit again and could be called in for ops. This couldn't have come at a better time considering the voicemail Stella had left me when I was flying back home. I had gotten off the phone around 7 pm and seen that I had a voicemail from her. Typically we went straight from the plane into our respective cages to log all of our equipment back in and then had an hour or so debrief before we were dismissed onto leave.
"Jason, could I step out for just a minute. Stella called and left me a message." I explained as we walked off the ramp of the cargo plane. Cerberus bounded by us both, happy to be off his leash and out of the confines of the plane.
"yeah, just make it fast. Meet us in the cages for logging. Lets get the hell home." He said as he kept walking with his gear. Jason had taken a bit of a beating from this op. We all had but Jason had gotten in a hand to hand combat situation at one point and taken several hard hit to the head and to the chest and ribs. He was certainly sore, although hiding it. Trent had looked him over after a bit of convincing. I clicked on the voicemail and pressed the phone up to my ear.
"Hey, uh, Spencer, it's uh, me. I, I can't do this. I just, I didn't think you were leaving so soon and I, I just, it's so hard not having you here. I can't keep hurting myself by, loving you. I just, I know I sound crazy and I've just, I've had a hard week. God, how can I say that you've probably been having a way worse week then me. I'm, I'm sorry just, uh, get back soon, I can't, I'm just really struggling. That professor, the one in my department. He, he just keeps making moves on me. I just, Spence. I can't wait to see you in just two days. Rachel and Mia convinced me to go out for drinks tonight and try to relax. I uh, I love you. Bye." The message ended and I stared at my phone. Stella certainly sounded stressed and worried. There was something else too though. The professor that had been working on one of her research papers with her had been making moves on her. I thought he had stopped but now that I know he hasn't I guess I'm going to have to let him know to knock it the hell of. Stella could take care of herself. I knew that and it was good that she was going out with her friends tonight. Hopefully they had a good time and were back by the time I get back home. I looked at my watch, 19:32 read back to me. I grabbed my gear and entered the cages.
"Everything ok with Stella?" Jason asked me as I laid out my gear and quickly logged It back into the book.
"Yeah, I think so. She's just stressed with work and this professor won't take a hint that she's taken and she's been upset that I had to leave so suddenly after our last deployment and then we got extended so I think it just took a toll on her." I told him. I didn't like to share all this bullshit with the team but at times they were the only other ones to understand how hard having a relationship while being away all the time was. The compartmentalizing was taxing on a relationship. Ray spoke up, "You'll be back soon. She'll be back to normal after a little time together." Ray smiled as he spoke, I knew he was excited to see his kids and get back to his family. We all headed into the debrief room and quickly got that out of the way.
I walked through the apartment and said Stella's name a few times. I checked in her closet and saw her purse and favorite pair of heels were missing. She must still be out. I looked at the clock. It was nearly 00:00. That was a little strange for her to be out that late. I opened my phone and called her. It rang a few times before going to her voicemail. I frowned at the screen. This was strange. She would pick up no matter what she was doing if she saw I was calling from my cell. She knew that meant I wasn't on active duty. She knew that meant good news. I nearly jumped out of my skin as my phone rang in my hands. A slight worry went through my body as I thought about this. The vibration shooting up my arm. It always took me a few days to ease back into normal life of not being on edge all the time. Sonny's name came across my screen.
"Hey man what's up?" I answered quickly and pressed the phone to my ear as I pulled a few of my belongings out of my bag.
"Hey, did you know Stella's out? I figured you guys would be like bunnies right now." Sonny chuckled, "She's at Rodger's Pub on 7th Street, it looks like she's with her friends but she's certainly had a lot to drink." Sonny continued.
"Yeah, I was wondering where she was actually. I'll come pick her up. Hey, could you keep an eye on her for me? I want to surprise her." I explained as I pulled my shoes back on and grabbed my car keys off the hook.
"No problem man, see ya soon." There was a slight slur to Sonny's words and I knew he was probably adjusting back to civilian life as he always did, with a large amount of liquor. I began my drive to the bar which was only about 20 minutes away. Excitement was building in my stomach as I got closer and closer. My phone rang in the cup holder of my car as I exited the highway. It was Jason this time. I had been driving for nearly 15 minutes, I was so close to her, I contemplated letting Jas go to voicemail but I knew I couldn't. Especially not when I knew Jason had been banged up on our op. He could be hurt.
"Hey Jason, what's up?" I asked as I pressed the phone in between my ear and my face.
"Spencer, listen to me. I know Sonny told you to come to Rodgers but you need to come to St. Meredith Hospital. I can explain when you get here." Jason's voice was shaking in a strange way, it was strained and it sounded the same way it did when missions were going every way but right. I gripped the steering wheel harder as I turned down the other street to go towards the hospital. My foot slamming down on the gas.
"Jason. What happened? Tell me what happened? Is Stella ok? Where's Stella?" I could hear panic in my voice and I tried to swallow it down.
"I-I honestly don't know. Sonny, he saw the guy she was with try to get her outside in the back alley, so he followed them but by the time he found them Stella was pretty banged up. Clay just get here ok? I'll meet you at the front door." Jason hung up the phone and I swore as I floored my car down the side streets doing whatever I could to get to the damn hospital.
SONNYS POV
I watched as Stella sat down in the booth with another drink and laughed with her friends. It was obvious she had been drinking but she wasn't anywhere near sloppy or dangerous. Clay could come pick up his girl and have himself a nice little surprise and then I could keep down these shots as record pace. I had considered going over and saying hi to Stella, letting her know Clay was on his way but for once I wanted to not give the kid a hard time. I turned back to the bartender and ordered another beer before turning back to glance at Stella again. I watched as her face changed and she whispered to her friends something as a guy approached their table. She seemed ok but maybe a little uncomfortable. A girl across the room caught my attention as she danced to the music but I glanced back over to Stella's table as her friends got up to use the bathroom. Stella stayed and the guy sat down in the booth. I watched as Stella went to get up, probably to follow her friends to the bathroom but she stumbled over her own feet as she got up. The mystery guy was up in an instant and helped steady her as she made her way towards the bathroom. She turned slightly at one point and the look on her face made my stomach rumble with discomfort. Something was wrong. In the crowded room I lost her for a second but I got up to follow her. Something didn't seem right. I had never heard Clay talk about Stella being a big drinker, it seemed weird that she would be stumbling drunk. She didn't seem like she would be a big fan of that. As I pushed my way through the crowd her friends emerged from the bathroom.
"Hey, was Stella with you guys?" I asked the first girl I saw, "um, who are you?" They asked me, "I'm a friend of her boyfriends. Was Stella in the bathroom with you? That guy tried to help her over here." I told them as they stared at me like I was crazy. "No, she wasn't in there. That guy was a professor she works with though. He really likes her." One of her friends responded. I shoved through the crowds towards the back door. I slammed open the back door and it didn't take long for me to hear grunts and muffled shouting. I ran at the guy looming over Stella. He was practically lying on top of her, Stella's shirt was ripped, her bra slightly pushed to the side, my eyes wandered to the edge of her jeans. They were unbuttoned but still sat securely on her hips. My anger took over as I yanked the guy off of her and began to beat the living shit of him. Who the hell did he think he was. I would kill him. I could kill him. It would be so easy. A moan from Stella made me stop for a split second and look at his bloody and unconscious face beneath my hands. I kicked him one last time before I knealt down next to Stella again. She shrunk away from me, her whole body shaking from the cold or from fear or most likely both.
"Stella, shh, it's me, it's Sonny Quinn. I uh, I work with Spencer. Do you remember me?" I asked her quietly as I pulled off my flannel and attempted to put it around her shoulders. She flinched with every touch.
"S,S,sonny?" She slurred. He drugged her, looking into her bloodshot eyes it was obvious, she wasn't drunk she was drugged.
"I, I tried to, to fight. I tried." She started crying as the back door opened. One of Stella's friends emerged.
"Oh my God!" she yelled, "What the hell happened? Stella?" She began to come closer which only made Stella start shaking harder.
"Stop, just go inside. Listen to me. Call the police tell them he tried to rape her and he beat her. A man named Jason and Trent are going to be coming here. Wait for them and bring the out here." I instructed her. She stared blankly at me and then at Stella. "Go. I'm telling you, if youw ant to help go do that." I barked at her and felt Stella flinch again. She disappeared back inside. I yanked my phone out of my pocket and dialed Jason, it only rang twice before he answered.
"Sonny? You ok?" He asked, "Jason, get to Rodgers Pub on 7th as fast as you can. It's Clay's girl. Some bastard he, uh, he attacked her and drugged her. Bring Trent. Get here." My voice didn't sound as calm as it should be.
"Did you get the guy?" was all Jason asked as I listened to him hustling around and the slam of a car door. I looked behind me at the bloodied man laying unmoving on the ground.
"yeah, the police are on their way. We need to get her out of here before they come, she isn't in any place for questions." I told him as she continued to groan as I rearranged her in my arm. "Does Clay know?" He seemed to already know the answer to that question.
"No." I replied. Jason hung up the phone then and I turned my attention back to Stella.
"Alright, hey Stella? I uh, I'm gonna put this flannel on you ok?" I moved to wrap it around her shivering body more. The more I moved her to try to put her arms in the sleeves the more she cried and the more she groaned in pain.
"It's ok, we're gonna get you to a hospital, we're going to get you cleaned up, and Clay will be here soon." I tried to speak softly and be comforting but this was just way out of my element. The words left my mouth and something must have registered in her muddled mind because she tried to sit up.
"N,no. No Clay. He, h,h can't, s,see me. I, I no. Ple,please. No, no hospital." As she rambled on about not hospital and no Clay, Jason burst through the back door with Stella's friend.
"I called the police. I told them I needed to report it and they said they're on their way. They asked if Stella is willing to give a statement." She reported. Jason didn't even turn around as he replied "No, she will give a statement when she is in a better state of mind. For now they need to get this guy picked up. I have a friend in the department. I'll call him later. Go back inside and wait for the police. We'll be gone by now." Jason moved towards Stella.
"Listen, is she going to be ok? She's my friend. I should be helping." She tried to continue but Jason ignored her until she went back inside deciding to listen to her instructions. Trent came through the door as the girl went back inside and was at Stella's side.
"Talk to me. What happened?" Trent demanded as he began to feel her pulse. Stella scrambled and tried to sit up again.
"Trent, Christ she's drugged slow down." I grabbed at his arm as she started mumbling 'no' over and over again like a mantra.
"Stella, I'm Jason, we've met before. I work with Clay and this is Trent. He's going to help you ok? It's ok. You're safe." Jason spoke to Stella in a voice I'd only heard him use with his kids. After a few minutes of Trent examining her, only what he could see of her head and taking her pulse and vitals he turned to us.
"We should get her to the hospital. We can put her in our car. Jason, do you still have that friend at the hospital?" Trent asked as he added his jacket on top of my flannel.
"Yeah, I'll call him and then call Clay. Let's go." Jason said and stood up and began moving to his car to get it warmed up and ready to go. He pulled out his phone as he went and called his friend at the hospital asking for discrepancy and help with this situation.
"Jason, she said she didn't want Clay to know." I remembered her yelling out several times about this. "He will have to know Sonny, he is probably worried sick. We don't have to tell him everything but she will need his support. Get moving." Jason told me and I picked Stella up as gently as I could with the bruising on her chest, ribs, and shoulders. She still choked out some discomfort as I carried her. Jason called Clay and as we pulled up to the hospital Trent went in ahead to talk to Jason's friend and I carried Stella inside. Jason waited out front for Clay. As soon as I put her down on a stretcher she was pushed away from me and the panic in her eyes only calmed slightly as Trent appeared in her vision. All these hands on her. The only thing I felt was rage. She wasn't even my girl but she was a part of the team and the family. This bastard would pay for this more than he already had.
JASONS POV
I stood out front as Clay's car squealed into the parking lot. I watched him run across the parking lot and spot me.
"Jason, where is she?" He demanded as I put my hand in the center of his chest. "Clay. Hold on a minute, we need to talk." I tried to slow him down, get him to understand what he was walking into.
"Jason, tell me where the hell she is!" He shouted.
"Spenser! Sit the hell down. I'm damn serious. Sit. Down." My tone had changed from trying to comfort him to demanding but it was the only way to get through to him it seemed. Spencer sank down in one of the waiting room chairs and I stood in front of him.
"When Sonny called you he kept and eye on Stella. He noticed she seemed pretty drunk and thought it was weird that she was so gone. He saw her trying to get up and she could hardly stand. She was with her friends but they had gone to the bathroom. There was this guy with them and he had tried to help her to the bathroom. Sonny lost track of them in the crowd but he decided to go track her down because he thought it was weird. She wasn't in the bathroom though so he checked out back and he saw. Clay, the only person who has a right to tell you what happened is Stella but he tried to rape her. Sonny he got to him and called me and Trent and we brought her here. It seems he drugged her. She has some bruising on her ribs and her clavicle as well as her shoulders and wrists. She fought as hard as she could Clay. Sonny doesn't think he actually was able to uh, do anything but she was roughed up." Spitting all these facts out at Spencer was like watching a car crash. I saw his world get turned upside down in just a few minutes. It wasn't until Spencer was crossing the room that I realized who he was going after. Sonny had just walked in.
"Why the hell wouldn't you call me! As soon as you found her you should have called! You should have called me! She's probably scared shitless! Why the hell would you not call me and tell me what happened!" Clay was seething as he grabbed Sonny by the shoulders and slammed him into the wall, his arm went up across Sonny's neck. I yelled out at Clay to stop but Sonny shook his head. He could take it. "You think I didn't want to! I didn't want that! I wanted to! She begged me not to! She's ashamed and drugged you idiot! It's not my fault you weren't there!" Sonny spat back. As soon as the words were in the air I heard a punch from Clay's fist to Sonny's face. Sonny stumbled backwards as Clay continued to yell, the nurses had gathered around and were staring at the commotion.
"Why the hell did you not find her sooner! We, she, she needed someone! She, I wasn't, I couldn't, Damn it!" Spencer was at a loss for words at this pain. Sonny's voice had dropped in intensity as he saw Spencer breaking down, "Man, you think that isn't eating me up? She's family. I haven't stopped cussing myself since I found her." Sonny walked away after that and Clay took a few deep breaths as the nurses seemed to sink back into their jobs.
"Come on kid, let's go see if you can see her. If she's ready." I reminded him as I put a hand on his shoulder and lead him towards the elevator. This was the worst night back from deployment ever.
CLAYS POV
Jason and I walked out of the elevator and Trent emerged from a room a short ways down the hall. He walked over to us as if to intercept us from the room.