Jason was still stewing over his argument with Ray when Alana came into the kitchen, she took him in and saw by the way he was standing that something was not okay. Quickly asking him, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing in the fridge." He snapped, even more mad at himself for taking out his frustration on her.
"Okay, well, that's easy to fix. What's wrong?" She pushed, knowing him since he was younger than their daughter she could read him like a book but Jason refused tell her...to him it was too stupid.
"I could use a beer."
"I guess I got too used to the consistency."
"I'm fine."
"You're clearly not. Didn't you see what being home did for you? You were happy. You were there for Emma and Mikey. Emma came home from Shawboro beaming, told me she loved having you there." Alana told him, trying to get through, to get her Jason back.
"She said that?" Jason asked, his kids always came through for him even when he was at his darkest points.
"But now, two spin-ups, and we're back to, "Which Jason is coming home?" Conquering hero? Or the angry, turbulent soul who saw something go sideways?"
"The mission went fine." Jason lied and she knew it. Technically all of Bravo made it home and uninjured, but it was far from fine and they lost one of their Saudi counterparts.
"What is it then? We might not be together, but I know you better than anyone. We're still friends right?" She asked him.
"Of course, but right now, I don't want to talk about it. I just want my mind off it." Jason said, no longer angry but not quite right.
"Okay. Look, I'm gonna go grab HEB's finest bottle of $12 red, a rotisserie chicken, and beer. When you move into your place, you might want to have a plan for keeping your kitchen stocked." She said before grabbing her keys and walking out the door with a smile on her face. As much as she hated the turbulence she could not imagine her life without him in it. He was her best friend and if they couldn't be the married couple they once were they could still be friends and friends are there for each other no matter what...for a hug...to talk...or to get beer and dinner.
Jason leaned over to the counter and put his head in his hands, trying to suck back the emotion boiling inside. Once he felt like he could breathe again checked the location of his boys on his smartphone, texting Clay and Sonny to see how they were doing before pocketing his phone and going to attempt to turn the television on to watch the news.
'I'm late. Just parked. Wish me luck.' Clay responded to Jason before running into the restaurant, quickly being led to the table. "I'm really sorry for being late." He said to Stella's parents.
"Coming from overseas and only seven minutes late, uh, you're good." Stella smiled, she was just thankful that he made it at all.
"Where overseas?" Her father asked.
"I'm not really allowed to talk about it."
"Well, wherever it was, it looks like they had you playing in the dirt." Her mom said, pointing to his fingernails.
"Mom." Stella snapped.
"Uh No. Uh, yeah, they did, in a sense, yeah." Clay answered before asking, "Uh, some wine for anyone?"
"Yeah. White. French." Her mom answered.
As Clay quickly ordered, french wine...in french, he smiled. It was habit, he wasn't doing it to show off, more for practice.
"You speak French, Clay." Her parents pointed out, surprised.
"Clay speaks six languages." Stella bragged.
"So how does it work between you two, with the amount of time that Clay is gone, fighting? Do you have any control with your schedule, Clay?" Her father asked, clearly not a fan of him from the beginning and not being afraid to let that show.
"Um, no, no, not at all. My-my team and I are called and we go." Clay told him, knowing that whatever he said the man would not like his answer.
"You just go. Follow the order?" Brett asked.
"It is the military, sir."
"Doesn't sound like that would make for a very stable home life. Seems unfair to ask that of a woman, all that worrying, fear of losing you while you're out following orders in the field, doing whatever craven politicians tell you to do."
"Okay, Dad, I think I told you..."
"Yeah. No, I mean, I...I do follow orders. And it's true there are some really terrible people in our government. But I do this so the people I love...like Stella, never have to see the things that I've seen overseas here on American soil. I don't...I don't plan on doing this until I'm dead. You know, I want to have a...a stable future with your daughter, I want to have kids. I want to try and maybe run for office one day. You know, see if I see if I can try and unseat one of those bad eggs you're talking about and maybe make this country a little bit better. Y'all can see me as just a pawn. That's fine, but I'm still gonna love Stella, and that's not gonna change." Clay said, anxious...Stella and him have never actually talked about having kids or him running for office before but the grin on her face he couldn't help but smile.
"All well and good, Clay, until you come home in a box. What about Stella then?"
"Dad!" Stella snapped, thankfully the waiter brought the wine to the table and interrupted any further line of questioning.
They ordered. They ate. Stella made sure the rest of the conversation revolved around her and Clay said very little, just wanting to make it through without punching her father. When they were done Stella decided to go back to the hotel to spend a little more time with her parents...she secretly wanted to yell at them...and told him to go meet up with the boys.
When Clay got into his car he pulled out his phone and text Sonny and Jason that he was headed to the bar and quickly got a response from Sonny that he was already there with some of the rest of the team.
Arguing with himself outloud, Jason mumbled, "I don't understand. You just have one remote for the TV...Can't just have one, right?" Hearing a knock on the front door he went on, "You got to be kidding, she's knocking." A little louder he called, "Alana, why are you knocking? What're you knocking for? You forget your keys?" Dropping the remote and walking to the door he mumbled, "Technology, I don't understand. Why can't there just be..."
As Jason opened the door to find a patrolman he lost his train of thought. "Are you Jason Hayes?" The officer asked him.
"What can I help you with?" Jason managed to ask.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this. It's your wife. There's been an accident. She's being transported to Ramston Medical Center."
"Alana?" Jason asked, feeling like his knees were going to fall out underneath him.
"Yes Sir. If you want, I can drive you there." The officer said and Jason nodded, leaving the house without locking it.
Pulling out his phone and texting Ray, 'Accident. Alana. Ramston.' Was all Jason said and he quickly got a reply, 'On my way.'
As Ray jumped into his car he called Erik, "Alana has been in an accident. Heading now to meet Jason at Ramston."
"Is she okay?" Erik asked.
"I just told you all that I know."
"Should we let the rest of Bravo know?"
"Not yet. Could be nothing." Ray said, not believing it. If it was nothing Jason wouldn't have sent that text and they both knew it.
"Keep me informed."
"Yes Sir." Ray said as he threw his phone onto the passenger seat and put his foot on the gas. He drove past where the accident happened on his way to the hospital and seeing Alana's car he knew that she was not going to be fine...he just hoped that she was still breathing.
Jason jumped out of the patrol car before the officer was fully stopped, running into the emergency department in a near panic. "Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. There's been an accident...My wife. Hayes."
"Name?" The intake person asked.
"H-A-Y-E-S. Alana Hayes." Jason answered.
"She's in surgery. It's down the hallway to the right." She told him and Jason took off running.
He had a near identical conversation with the nurse at the desk outside the double doors. Her finally telling him that she was still in surgery and pointing to the waiting area where he went towards, choosing the hallway over the uncomfortable hospital chairs.
Less than fifteen minutes went by before a surgeon appeared from behind the doors, meeting Jason's eyes the doctor quickly said, "I'm sorry."
As Ray rounded the hallway he saw Jason fall into the wall and he knew his worst fear was confirmed. Alana didn't make it. Knowing Jason as well as he did when he reached him he didn't touch him...as much as he wanted to pull him into a hug...and he knew that would happen later...but at the hospital...Ray leaned against the wall next to his best friend.
"Alana, she she's I can't, Ray...She's..."
"I know." Ray told him.
Seeing Jason struggle to breathe, "She..."
"If you want to see her, I can take you back." The forgotten surgeon said and both Jason and Ray nodded, following him through the double doors. Stopping outside of a surgery suite the man gave a sad smile, "Take all the time you need. The police were able to get all of her information from the base hospital and she had a designated mortuary so we do not need any paperwork from you." He said, mostly to Ray, "Feel free to go when you are ready."
"Thank you." Ray told him as he followed Jason into the room. Alana was laying on the table, only her head and right arm showing from under a sheet. Evident that the nurses did what they could to quickly clean up from the rushed surgery that was unsuccessful in saving her life.
"Baby...no..." Jason whimpered as he went over and leaned against her, the doctor once again appearing out of no where shoving a chair underneath him before he collapsed onto the floor.
Ray stood back and as the tears slid from his eyes he pulled out his phone, texting Erik. 'Alana's gone. Tell Sonny and Clay to go to their house to meet the kids. Boys are at the bar.'
'Do you know how?' Erik asked.
"Doc do you know what happened?"
"Impaired driver ran the light is what the medics told us." He told them.
"Can I leave my information with you and just have whatever officers contact me for whatever they need?" When the doctor nodded Ray gave him his phone number and then the two were left alone in the room.
'Drunk driver ran a light.' Ray told him, 'I passed it on my way here. It was bad.'
'Take care of him. I will go tell the boys now. Meet you at their house.' Erik said before Ray pocketed his phone.
"Make sure it is Clay and Sonny who tell...who tell the kids." Jason mumbled.
"Erik is going to get them now and will go straight to your house." Ray told him.
"They will be home around eight...what time is it now?"
"Little before seven."
"I should be there...it should be me to tell them...right?" Jason asked, looking over at Ray with tears streaming down his face before turning back to his wife, "Alana...why?" He sobbed into her arm. "I can't tell them...I can't..." Ray silently walked over and put his hand on Jason's shoulder as his own tears continued to fall.
"Listen here, Tinker Bell, okay? There is no way in hell that people of your kind are better at throwing sharp objects than my people, okay?" Sonny said as he threw a dart, completely missing the board.
"Ooh, nice."
"Oh, there you go. No look, too." Sonny laughed.
Watching the dart bounce off the wall, "That was nice. That was nice."
Throwing another dart he said, "Here you go."
"So close...I'd probably look next time." Laughing, Clay smiled and taunted, "Listen here, sunshine, all right? My people, the Vikings, we throw rocks, okay? All right, we don't need the sharp objects. That's for the old ladies and the children."
"You see, I am a "Raspatutin" in boots. A Rasputin with a love of rodeo."
"Mm-hmm."
"I'm in your head right now, aren't I?" Sonny asked.
As Clay threw the dart without looking, hitting the bulls-eye the boys yelled out a cheer. "Boom!" Clay laughed.
"That was a good shot there, Cover Girl. Not gonna lie. I'd like to drink a little." Sonny laughed.
Seeing Erik walk in with a look of horror on his face, Clay quickly asked, "Who?"
"It's Jason. Alana, actually."
"Oh no." Sonny said, staggering back a couple feet as his stomach hit the floor.
"How?"
"Car accident. Drunk driver ran a light."
"Who is with..." Clay started to ask.
"Ray is with Jason. They want you two to be there when Emma and Mikey get home."
"I will close out your tabs and gather the rest of the guys and we will meet you at the house." Erik told them.
"Well what the hell are we waiting here for then?" Sonny said as he started walking to the door.
"Take my car." Clay said as he pulled out his keys, "They are used to seeing it there."
"Good thinking Blondie." Sonny said as he climbed into the passenger seat.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Lisa asked as she walked into Harrington's office.
"Davis. There's been an accident. Alana Hayes. She was killed earlier...I don't have all the details. May have been a drunk driver. I know everyone is gonna take this hard, so I'll keep you posted when more information comes, all right?"
"The rest of Bravo knows?"
"Far as I can tell. Erik has been feeding me information he is getting from Ray."
"Where are they?"
"Clay and Sonny were headed to meet Jason's kids. Jason and Ray are still at the hospital."
"Can you take Bravo off rotation?"
"Already done."
"Is it okay with you if I go..."
"Why I called you in here. Ray asked if you could let Miss Ellis know, he said the two of you talk."
"Yes Sir. I will." She said before running out of the office and jumping into her car and driving straight over to Jason's house.
Sonny and Clay reached Jason's home in record time and let themselves into the unlocked front door and both sitting down on the couch. "This is fucked up...Alana cant...fuck..." Sonny said, fighting the tears he knew would eventually fall.
"Are we suppose to tell Emma and Clay or just be here when they get home?" Clay asked.
"I can't...no..."
"I am calling Jason." Clay said, pulling out his phone.
Jason picked up on the first ring, "Are they home?" He asked, his voice evident that he had been crying.
"Not yet."
"I don't know how to do this Kid."
"Do you want us to tell them?"
"What do you think?" Jason asked.
"I think this sucks." Clay told Jason.
"They trust you...I am trusting you." Jason told him as he started to sob again and Clay knew the phone was no longer anywhere near Jason's ear.
"Hey Kid." Ray said into the phone.
"Do we tell them Ray?"
"Think so. We may be here for a while. I just called Alana's parents and they are coming to the hospital. You can give Emma the option to come with you but Jason does not want Mikey to see her like this."
"What happened?"
"Impaired driver ran the light. I passed the car...it was her door that was hit."
"What can we do?"
"You make sure Emma and Mikey are safe." Ray told him, "They aren't going to be okay...but make sure they are safe."
"When will they be here?"
"Soon. Jason said before eight."
"The rest of the team?"
"Going to be heading to the house."
"No." Clay said, "They do not need a crowd. Send them to your house until Jace has time to be alone with his family."
"That is why he has had you as two Kid. Good point. I will call and redirect the boys."
"Davis is fine to come here." Clay said. "Sure she knows by now too."
"On it. Thanks Kid." He said before hanging up the phone.
"How are we suppose to tell Emma and Mikey that Alana is gone?" Sonny asked, "She has been the heart of Bravo as long as I have been..." Sonny froze as the front door opened and Emma and Mikey bounced in, Emma laughing at Mikey about something that happened as hockey practice.
"What's going on?" Emma asked, seeing Clay and Sonny but not their dad sitting on the couch.
"Can you guys come sit down?" Clay asked quietly, looking at Emma only. Knowing that Mikey would follow his sisters lead.
As Emma went over and sat down between Clay and Sonny on the couch, Sonny pulled Mikey onto his lap, "Come here Buddy." He mumbled.
"What happened to Dad?" Emma asked, tears already in her eyes as she looked at Clay.
"Your Mom." Clay told her.
"The accident we passed on our way home from...?"
"Yeah."
"Is she...is she okay?" Emma asked as the first tear slipped from her eye.
"She died." Clay told her and Emma quickly fell into his side sobbing and he pulled her over so he was holding her.
"Mom is dead?" Mikey asked Sonny.
"Yeah Buddy..." Sonny said as he felt the tears fall from his eyes as he pulled Mikey into him as he cried.
"If you are here who is with my Dad?" Emma asked without lifting her head from Clay's chest.
"Ray is with him and your grandparents are on their way to the hospital to meet him." Clay told her.
"No. We need to go. They are going to blame him. I need to be with my Dad." Emma said, quickly sitting up and wiping her face.
"Emma..." Clay started, knowing it was useless to argue with her.
"No. Not up for discussion. He can stay here with Sonny and we can go meet Dad." Emma said, quickly jumping up and pulling Clay's hand.
Davis chose that moment to run into the house, slowing down only when she saw Sonny holding Mikey as he cried into his shoulder. "Clay. Now."
"Take care of them." Clay said as he blinked the tears from his eyes as he walked past Lisa, following Emma out the door. "We will be back with Jason."
"Will you drive?" Emma asked, "I...I don't think I should right now."
"Yes." Clay nodded as he led her to his car, "I don't know how to prepare you for what you will see because I haven't been there."
"They will have my mom under a sheet with her head and an arm out. My dad will be a mess and my grandparents will be blaming him as soon as they get there...he doesn't need that."
"How do you know...?"
"Volunteer at the VA Hospital remember...and I know my family." Emma said, reaching her hand out and putting her hand over Clay's, she was terrified.
"I need you to trust me if I say we need to leave..." Clay told her as he squeezed her hand. "Whatever happens...I will be here...okay?"
"You going to be in family mode or my dad's number two?"
"Your Dad has Ray right now."
"So you are my family and not my dad's number two...so when he needs you...you act like family...not like...not like you are on a mission...that is how my dad works...but with you he can be different and with this...he is going to need you to be different or he wont survive."
"Emma you shouldn't have to worry about this stuff."
"Except I do...it was always my mom's job...but now she is gone and someone has to worry for my Dad and take care of Mikey." She said, "What is going to happen when you guys get called up again?"
"I am sure Blackburn has us off rotation."
"That won't last forever."
"We will see when we get there...we will always have Jace's back."
"If he stays home he will be sick worrying about you guys but if he goes we will be alone."
"I don't have answers for you Emma...this just happened. Focus on now. The next few hours...few days...let us take care of you."
"You sound like him you know...like Dad...that is something he would say."
"Well we do spend a lot of time together."
"Only you and Hannah."
"Only me and Hannah what?"
"Only the two of you can take care of me." Emma said, "I don't want anyone else coming up to me and hugging me or asking if I am okay...because I am not...but I know you and Hannah won't make it a big deal." She told Clay as they pulled up outside of the hospital.
Clay pulled out his phone and called Ray, "Emma and I are here. Where do we go?"
"Second floor. Tell the front desk who you are here to see. Just told the nurse you were on your way. Davis texted."
"Are her parents there yet?"
"Not yet."
"See you in a minute." Clay said as he hung up his phone.
"They live a couple hours away. If they got the call around the same time you told us they will be here in about twenty minutes."
"You sure you want to do this?"
"I don't think anyone wants to walk into a room to see their dead mom on a table covered in a sheet and and see their dad crying." Emma rolled her eyes at Clay. "I need to do this...and yes I am ready." She said, tears in her eyes as she stepped out of the Nova.
"I've got you." Clay said as he put his arm around her shoulder.
"I know." She said, wiping her eyes, "And I will need you later. Right now we need to be strong for my Dad." She said pulling her self out from his arm but quickly taking his hand in her own.
"Mikey, do you want something for dinner?" Lisa asked him.
"No." He mumbled, "I'm not hungry."
"Buddy you need to eat."
"I will eat when Emma and Dad get home."
"What kind of food do you want to have here when they get home?"
"Chicken. Dad will want chicken and we need beer."
"Beer huh?" Sonny smirked.
"For my Dad."
"What about you?"
"Root beer."
"Root beer, beer and chicken." Lisa smiled, "That sounds like a Jason kind of dinner."
"Can we have ice cream too?" Mikey asked, "When Emma gets upset she likes cookie dough ice cream."
"You bet Buddy." Lisa said, texting Erik a quick shopping list that also had pizza on it.
"Sonny can we go play video games?" Mikey asked after a couple minutes.
"Sure thing." Sonny said, following Mikey up the stairs leaving Lisa alone downstairs where she quickly went to work taking stock of what was in the pantry and fridge and starting laundry.
"Dad." Emma whispered as her and Clay walked into the surgical suite so find Jason with his head down on her moms arm.
"Emma?" Jason asked looking up to see her holding Clay's hand and walking towards him and he quickly wiped his eyes.
"Mom is gone." Emma said as she sank into Jason's lap with her head on his shoulder as she reached out and touched her mothers hand.
"Yeah Baby...she is gone." Jason said, barely above a whisper as a fresh round of tears fell from his eyes as he reached out to grab Clay's arm.
"I've got you." Clay said, walking forward and putting both hands on Jason's shoulders and squeezing tight three times before Jason dropped his head forward as he cried onto his daughters shoulder.
Emma looked up at Clay and with her eyes she told Clay to move around to the other side of the chair where she made it so Jason was being held both by her, but also by Clay, Jason's shoulder now leaning into Clay as his arm wrapped around and his thumb stroked Jason's shoulder. As hard as it was for Clay to stand there, he knew it was tenfold for Emma and Jason...and for Ray who had known Alana and Jason nearly as long as he had been alive.
Even when Jason stopped crying he still leaned into Clay's side. No one saying anything and Ray still standing guard in the doorway.
"Oh my Baby!" Alana's Mother cried out when she walked into the room, at first not even seeing Jason, Emma, Clay and Ray as she ran towards her daughters body, leaning forward and kissing her forehead.
"Sir." Ray mumbled a greeting to her father as he walked in.
"It shouldn't be this way." Her father growled back, "It should be him."
Clay saw Emma tense at the words and they held Jason tighter into them until Jason pushed them away as he stood up, "I need to go." He said. Quickly leaning over and kissing Alana's forehead and brushing her hair back one more time before walking out.
"You stay with them. When they take her then you come to our house." Emma barked the order to Ray who nodded and Ray silently transferred the order to look out for Emma and Jason, no one bothering to even say hello to Alana's parents.
Emma quickly took Clay's hand in hers again as they followed Jason out into the parking lot. "Car is this way." Clay said to Jason, leading Emma around him towards his Nova.
The ride home was silent until Clay pulled into the driveway, behind Jason's truck, leaving the spot for Alana's car empty. "Emma can you give us a minute?" Jason asked after the three got out of the car. Emma quickly looked at Clay and he gave a sad smile and nodded, a move not missed by Jason, "My kids questioning my authority...why is that not a surprise." Jason shook his head before walking into the garage, "We will be in in five minutes."
As soon as Emma was out of sight Jason sank down onto the ground in front of his project car and put his head in his hands. "Jace?"
"This is my fault." Jason started, looking up at Clay with tears in his eyes, "I was pissed about Ray and she went to get chicken and beer...and now...and now..." Jason said crying too hard to talk.
Clay sank down next to him and pulled him into his side, holding him, "This isn't your fault." He told him.
"Her Dad was right...it should have been me..." Jason choked out, "I don't know how to do this...Alana...Alana...oh God Baby...Alana has told me what to do since we were sixteen."
"What can I do?" Clay asked Jason, once the man regained control and sat back up.
"I need you to promise me you will make sure Emma is okay...she is going to try and take care of me...I need you to take care of her."
"I can do that." Clay promised. "But I need to know you are being taken care of too..."
"My Mom flies in tomorrow. Ray already arranged for Davis to pick her up from the airport."
"Your Mom?"
"You heard me."
"Do you want me to stay here or stay at my place?"
"Tonight...Here." Jason said, "How is Sonny? Him and Alana...fuck...You and Naima are going to be the only ones who will be able to help him with this..."
"Davis has Sonny covered."
"Not with this." Jason told him, "Sonny and Alana...they were a lot like you and Emma are."
"Naima?"
"She is the only other person who has the same kind of relationship with him."
"Jason...?"
"Yeah Kid?"
"I am only going to say this once...I am sorry...I know you don't want to hear it...or anyone asking how you are doing or anything like that...so I will only say it now...but you need to hear it...I've got you the best I can and I know I can't even come close to Alana and I know it is totally different but...you..."
"Thanks Kid." Jason said with a sad smile as the tears dried on his face, "Now I need to get in the house before my daughter comes and hunts us down." He said as he used Clay's shoulder to help him stand up.
"Hey Jace." Lisa said as the two walked in from the garage. "You want the boys here tonight or not?"
"Family would be nice." Jason said, "Where's Mikey?"
"Video games with Sonny." Lisa told them.
"Emma?"
"Said she would be in her room...wanted Clay to go in there when he could." Lisa said nervously, a little surprised that she would even ask Clay to come to her.
She was even more surprised though when Jason turned around to Clay, "You take care of my Baby Girl."
"On it." Clay said, squeezing Jason's shoulder as he walked past.
"Him and Emma?"
"Are close." Jason said as if that explained everything. "How is he doing?" He asked, wondering about Sonny, not Mikey.
"Right after I got here Mikey asked if they could play a game and they went upstairs."
"Thank you for being here Davis." Jason said, "Call the boys and tell them they can come on over...did you talk to Mandy?"
"She is working on getting back here." Lisa told him. "Anything else I can do?"
"Alana would have the answers." Jason said, his eyes filling with tears. "I don't."
Lisa walked over to him and put her arms around him and for a second he leaned into her before straightening up, "We will get you through this."
"If Sonny pushes you away...Naima or Clay will be the only ones who can get through...remember that." Jason said before walking up the stairs to see his son.
