Chapter 25: Clay what are you doing?
Chapter TextUnnamed hotel on the Mexican border
Mandy opens her eyes and smiles as she turns over. She's only wrapped in the bed sheet. She bites her lip thinking as she runs her hand up and down the arm that's draped over her.
"You know I always said there had to be some pleasures to be found in Mexico" she smiles
"Mmmm!... I think I must agree with you Miss Ellis" the cool English voice says as he kisses her neck and down her back.
"Reuben..." she turns around to face him ".. stop!...You know I have a flight to catch"
"Hmmm! Shame... but yes, I remember you said that now" he leans in kissing her "Best not make you to late then"
They spend another half an hour making love again before Mandy sneaks a looks at the time on her phone
"mmmm!" she sighs "I'm ... I really must go?... I don't want to miss my flight!"
"Shame .. but if you have to you have to" he kisses her "still... it's been a worthwhile trip. Positive outcome all round as I see it" he smiles
"Reuben ...Why did you come down here?... I'm puzzled... was it for business or pleasure?"
he smiles "Oh, always a bit of both... You know that Mandy. Its all about balance. You can never have one without the other"
She frowns "I hope you're not playing me Reuben?... what are you up to? " she sits up and looks him in the eye "Why did you come here?"
"Mandy what have I told you before about asking questions?" he smiles
She's annoyed and feels he's toying with her. She gets up and starts to get dressed. He doesn't move, just lays in the bed covered only by the white cotton sheet.
"Oh, before you go..." he reaches in his jacket pocket hanging on the chair "...I have something for you"
She frowns as he hands her a small black memory stick "call it an gift if you like. A one of a kind thank you for your eyes only" he smiles and kisses her again
She furrows her head "a gift of what?"
"Just a video I thought a keen-eyed person like you might like to take a look at" he smiles "you'll find it of interest I'm sure!"
Mandy frowns. Now she's intrigued
"I'll leave it with you to decide what to do with it but… the caveat is if you are ever in the position to return the favour with something you may think I might like then.. I would appreciate if you return the courtesy"
She looks at him puzzled "what's this about?" she frowns
"So this wasn't pleasure then... this was business?"
"Oh no Mandy... this was all pleasure" he kisses her "I'm even hoping we might do this again?" He pushes her hair back off her shoulder and pulls her down to kiss
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Clay's standing in the corner of the garden drinking his beer by himself. Davis wanders over drinking hers. She smiles watching the kids and Sonny running around after them
Clay smiles too.
"You ever think about having kids?" He asks
"Me? No not really..well... I suppose...maybe I guess one day" she thinks about it "I don't know! It's not really compatible with this career... Well not now. How about you?"
"Yeah, I suppose.. one day be nice. I don't know haven't given it much thought really" he takes a swig of beer "I suppose it's probably easier for me than you ...if you know what I mean" he shrugs
"Yeah need I'd to be in a relationshipe first though "she laughs "I mean doing this job and being a single parent?... is never gonna be easy" she drinks "it's a tough life...then throw a kid in the mix... Wow! That's a whole other game"
She pauses looking at Sonny running round "You need a good support network behind you to continue this life with kids. I mean Jason gonna be Okay!... I think. He has lots of help ...his Mom, Naima and Emma...likes of me and you...hmmmm!" she looks at Clay "we don't have that"
"Yeah suppose you're right" he sighs
Davis lets out a laugh as one of the kids brings Sonny crashing down to the ground, she shakes her head smiling.
Clay watches her "You two get on well"
"Yeah I suppose!...never thought about it really. He makes me laugh... but He's no different than anyone else" she brushes off his comments
He doesn't look at her just carries on watching the kids playing. "You know... she told me" He doesn't look at Davis just continues staring forward
"Told you?.. Who? Told you what?" Davis frowns puzzled
"C.J." he pauses "she told me about you and Sonny. ... he last night she was at mine before she..."
Lisa doesn't know where to look
"Clay I don't know what she told you what about me and Sonny?...but there's nothing to tell" she nervously laughs and there's a slight feeling of panic inside her
"she said she saw you .. kissing... In your kitchen... when she stayed on the couch"
"I don't know what she thought she saw but she was wrong!" she protests
"Yeah... that's what I told her ... they wouldn't ... it would be too much to risk" he smiles "but if you were... You know I wouldn't ever tell anyone right?"
She nods and drinks her beer she wonders why Clay brought it up then. She's worried now. Someone else knows other than them. How much longer would it stay a secret?
"Yeah well it wasn't down to her to say anything" Davis is annoyed now
He pauses and bites his lip before he continues "Did you know she lost my baby?"
"She what?" Lisa stops and frowns puzzled
"Sonny didn't tell you?...the Nigeria op... she'd lost it,.. her injuries.." he drinks "she said she didn't know before she went?" He drinks " I wonder what if ... how different things might be now?"
"WOW!" Davis doesn't know what to say "No! No I didn't know... but Clay you can't think like that ... it won't bring her back"
"No! I know... just talking out loud! ... and what I just told ya... No one knows except Sonny I told him" He looks at her and smiles
She nods.
She starts to think wondering why Sonny never mentioned it to her.
She takes a worried gulp and looks at Clay "It'll be Okay!.. It will.. it'll work out" she puts her hand on his arm! "What's meant to be will"
"I know" he sighs "looks like I need another beer!" he walks away
"SHIT!"
Davis rubs her hand on her head "Oh my god!" she starts to think and she starts to realise something.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"DAD!... DAD! Wake up!" Emma's standing in the bedroom doorway
Jason comes around "Emma?...What?.. What is it?"
"He's crying again!" Emma says as she sets J.C down on the bed beside her dad.
Jason looks at his phone clock "02:15am ...Shit!" he puts his head back in the pillow "urrgghhh!"
he rubs his forehead trying to wake up "Come on little man .. it's sleep time!" but JC keeps crying. "Okay ... let's get you some milk!"
He heats him some milk in a baby cup He flicks the hockey re runs on the TV and lays down with J.C sat leaned against him under his arm on the couch
He spots the brown box file box with CJ's belongings in under the table where he put it.
He coughs as he pulls it out. He sits there just staring at it. He leans his head back, he can't open it and pushes it back under the table with his foot but he can't stop staring at it.
Jaycee's fallen back to sleep and he lays him carefully on the bottom of the couch. He then pulls the brown box out and takes a deep sigh as he opens the lid.
Seeing her stuff in the bottom of the box he leans back on the couch closing his eyes the he bites his lip and empties the contents on to the floor.
Some hair tie backs, he chucks those back in the box. Some newspaper clippings, a makeup bag and deodorant. Chewing gum, couple miniature whiskey bottles, he raises his eyes! Hairbrush and there in the bottom her Navy dog tags.
He picks them out and holds them. Just feeling them in his hand, looking at her name on them sends a wave of emotion through him. He gulps back the lump in his throat as he puts them round his neck.
There left on the floor is a black plastic flash drive which he picks up. It has sticker on the side saying baby pics.
He looks at J.C as he thinks about it and puts it on the side table. He puts everything else back in the box and pushes it back out of the way
He relaxes back into the couch his hand on her dog tags round his neck and thinks. Despite the protests he made he's glad Blackburn has stood BRAVO down for 2 weeks everything is starting to take its toll on him now.
"I need to get some organised routine here!" He looks at J.C asleep "we need to work this problem out... if you're staying" he lays his head back on the couch and drifts off to sleep.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Mandy's on the laptop still.
She has re-run the video several times. The beginning is pretty gruesome showing the hostage receiving a beating but so far it's nothing she hasnt seen before.
"Western journalist, hostage, Syria! What's so interesting about this Reuben" she questions herself as she watches it again for the third time. "okay so I organise a hostage rescue... but as a target package it's pretty standard" she frowns " why would Reuben think this was something he had to give me?" She sighs and pushes the laptop away.
Davis come in and grabs a coffee from the machine "You talking to yourself there Mandy?..." she laughs " You want a coffee?"
"Yeah sure" she nods "No I was just ...trying to make some sense of this video footage... anyway what are you doing here?" she frowns at Davis "I thought Blackburn stood BRAVO down for two weeks... you know while Jason gets himself together?"
"Bravo T1s yes!... Support staff ..errr...NO!. We're not that lucky" she laughs
"Anyway how's Jason holding up?... I haven't seen him since I got back from Mexico"
"yeh he's okay I think...the others are helping keep him focused... plus with little one I don't think he's had much time!" Davis checks the outer office then closes the door "between you and me... I think Clay's struggling a bit." she sighs "You know everyone's been focused on Jason ... we all kinda forgot he was involved in this too"
"Hmmmm! that's a difficult one" Mandy sighs "Jeez...she always did know how to leave a mess behind her, that's for sure!"
"anyway what are you doing in here? New target package?" Davis leans over her shoulder
"Well I got given this as target package as such... but ... yeah definitely a hostage we need to get out... but... I can't see anything about it that's not just a standard rescue op?" she shrugs "Well...from what I can see and I've watched it a few times now "
"And …?" Davis looks at her puzzled "should it be?"
"Well the guy that gave it to me... He said I'd be interested and normally he's not the type of guy that gives you something ... this basic." she smiles "he's a bit more ... well " she smiles again "complicated than that .. something like this would normally come through my usual CIA channels but... him giving it to me..." she sighs
Davis smiles "really?.. so he's exciting then?" she leans on her arms on the table listening "come on spill .. who is he?"
Mandy takes and deep intake of breath thinking about Reuben and their time together "More...a Man of mystery!" she laughs blushing "but this that he's given me doesn't do it for me but he said it would?!"
"Can I see?"
Mandy looks round "Sure!... Can't see why not. It's nothing you'll not get to see at some point when we follow up" she plays it Davis screws her face up as it pretty shocking first view but continues to watch "Who's he?"
"He's a journo went out there 3 yrs ago from what I remember. Disappeared, kidnapped... believed dead...Now this video has surfaced. Its good he's alive"
the video continues to play then stops they play it again. Davis studies harder this time the hostage at the front on the chair. Looks like other people in the room being held too.
"There! . .. oh my god STOP it!" Davis point and stares at the screen "Go back...go back..go back...stop...Now Pause!... Pause there! ..Just...there. Look!"
Mandy wonders what she's seen and winds it back again "there!...Look!" she points "do you see...in the background"
"Oh MY GOD!...shit ... that's what he wanted me to see!"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Clay lays back on his bed and closes his eyes.
He can see her standing there at the end of the bed. She's smiling calling him willing him back to bed. He can feel her touch on his skin, that feeling of excitement from touching her.
He opens his eyes with a jolt "SHIT! he rubs his face. He just can't get her out of his head.
He jumps up and grabs his jacket "I need to find something to do!... all this downtime is driving me crazy"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Jason's running around trying to find a shoe. Nappies in one hand and screaming tired child on his hip.
Finally exhausted he caves in and sits down.
"shhhh! come JC ... quiet...what do you want?... PHhewww!" He sits J.C on the couch beside him and rubs his hands on his temple and lets out a long exhausted sigh
"ahhh! please ..just give me a minute" JC's been crying on and off most of the night and just won't settle "shhhh! .. please just quiet for a minute"
He picks up the phone "I don't think I can do this!"
"I'll be there give me half hour... I'll be there" Naima is calm as alwayso-o-o-o-o-o-o
The living room is tidy a last.
They have moved the cot out of Mikey,s room into Jason's. They've decided on a plan for what of action when they get spun up. Naima will look after JC when that happens
And... though she took a while to get her head round the whole situation and admits it's not ideal. Linda is willing to help with the JC too. As she said "he did not create this situation and he's still my grandchild"
Even Emma's offered once a week baby sitting in exchange that her and Mikey gets at least one day a month just the two of them and their Dad. She's actually quite taken with her new baby brother
Naima hands Jason a bit of black plastic "I found that on the side when cleaning up. Looks important?"
He looks at it the flash drive and turns it over "baby pics" he puts it in his pocket for now. "Thanks"
"Okay so are we sorted?" she smiles "You know It's all going to work out fine!"
Jason nod "be better if we could find her!... but yeah... we're sorted. Guess then its time we got back to work then"
"Yes!" she nods "Yes it is!... Jason … "he looks at her "...I'm proud of you" she thinks for a minute "C.J would be too...taking care of him .. it's not easy but .. you're trying" she smiles and kisses his cheek as she hands J.C back to him "he's lucky to have such a great Dad"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
He's making coffee in the kitchen the laptop's on the counter. Emma's on the rug with J.C playing
He takes the flash drive out of his pocket and plugs it in and calls up the pictures files on it.
He clicks on file open and there is a pic of C.J holding a newborn baby. He shuts his eyes and closes the laptop lid and takes the flash drive back out. He clips the small clip on the end of the flash drive on his key chain.
"It's been a Good Day but ..." he sighs to himself " I'm not sure I'm ready for those"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Okay heads up" Blackburn starts the briefing
They're back and ready to be spun up. Sonny is so glad he was going stir crazy with the downtime though having extra time with Davis has been nice
"helo drop over the Afghan border. Infil details as discussed " Blackburn looks round the room "Okay... Wheels up 14hrs. Do what you need people"
They all come away and start preparing but Spenser stays at the table
"You coming?" Davis frowns at him
"yeah,...errmmm .. I just wanna check something on computer.I'll be right there" he smiles
"You Okay?" she's concerned he seems apprehensive
"Yeah sure!... I'll be right there"
He moves seats so he sits at the computer opposite the door so he can see who comes in but they can't see the screen. He swallows nervously as he starts to type. He's anxious and he stop and takes his hand off the keyboard.
He lets out a deep sigh.
"Okay!... Let's do this!"
GOOGLE "What's needed for a paternity test?"
He looks up at the door as the results come up, he starts to scroll through and Clicks to read on some local details.
Davis startles him as she comes back in the room and he looks up nervously
"Blackburn forgot this!" she picks up the file off the table "you sure you're okay?" she frowns "you need any help there?2
Heslams the laptop lid shut
"Clay are you okay?2
"Yeah sure!" he smiles "Just errr... just an address for something... best get on"
She nods "Okay!" she smiles "you need to talk.. you know I'm here!"
"Yeah sure!... thanks... I need to go get prepped"
"hmmmm? what's he up to there's somethings not right".
She bites her lip and looks at the door. She feels a little bit guilty checking on him but she opens the laptop he was using. She has a quick search of the history files "Oh Jeez!...shit!" She sighs "Clay what the hell are you doing?"
Sonny catches her as she leaves the office "I'm going to get some fried chicken you want some before I go?"
She smiles but its a worried smile that gets Sonny questioning "Hey Davis... What's wrong?"
"Nothing" she shakes her head
"Davis don't lie to me"
"No!...it's nothing to worry about...Its fine...I'm just gonna miss ya that's all" she smiles
"Well you know we have a few hours before I go ...we could... grab some chicken and have a couple of hours hot delight at my place if you wanted" he winks
She smiles "Maybe?!... we could do that... sure!"
"Maybe? Okay... well I'll take you maybe as yes"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Davis looks at her phone clock "you know we need to head back soon"
"Uh huh! " Sonny's still half asleep
"Sonny are you listening to me?" she kisses him
"uh huh!"
"Uh huh! ... that all you gotta say? ... Come on!...Get up"
He looks at her as she kisses him again "Oh, I'm up already!" he smiles
she frowns at him "I don't mean that" she blushes " I mean get u, dressed. Work?"
"Oh yeah that...hmmm! maybe we could ... just ...you know ... first"
She giggles as starts kissing her as rolls on top " SONNY!"
"what?... You wanna go work instead?" He runs his hand down her curves
"Mmmmm! Would I be weird if I said yes?" she smiles and kisses him
"Uh Huh! ... very weird! but I don't think you seriously wanna go to work.. come here..."
She sighs as they lay there after. She's looking up at the ceiling.
"What you thinking about there, Davis? I can hear your cogs ticking"
"Nothing"
"What is it with all this nothing that people are thinking about all the time?" Sonny shakes his head
She gulps & lets out a long sigh "Spenser knows about us"
"What the … How hell?"
"C.J!... she told him"
"and how the hell did she know?"
"She saw us in the kitchen that night we brought her back drunk. Oh she made sure I knew that she knew. I didn't know she'd told Clay though"
"And you didn't think to tell me this?... that she knew... Jeez Davis …you know what she's was... is like!... SHIT!" he's annoyed
"He says he won't say anything...He also told me you knew about the baby C.J lost"
"He did?"
She nods
"Hmmmm!" he sighs "Jeez... What a fuckin' mess this all is!"
"It gets worse." Davis frowns
"Worse?! ...How the hell can it get any worse?"
"Okay look you can't mention this to anyone" she looks at him "ANYONE!... Sonny I mean it" she stares at him
"You know you can trust me Davis.. .my word!... now just tell me"
"He was on the computer in the briefing room and well... I checked the history after he left" He frowns at her " yeah I know... but I was worried... and with good reason…."
"And What?... Davis spill"
"He was searching...for errmmmm... paternity tests"
"What the hell does he want a paternity test for?"
She looks at him." Sonny think about it!"
"Oh Holy SHIT! ...Jeez...Nah... nah nah! no that's not happenin"
"I don't know why any of us didn't think about it ... we just all assumed"
"Yeah but ... she made Jason guardian so it must be the truth!?"
"Sonny what if it's not?" she frowns "What if Clay is?... then what?" she's waiting for a reaction from Sonny " Sonny it'll end his career... Jason can do it he has family, a support network, but Clay? ... He doesn't have anything like that. Sonny I'm not sure he's thinking this through... you need to speak to him!"
Sonny sits up and rubs his head "Holy crap!...How the hell am I gonna speak to him about this?... Jeez... I need a drink"
" Sonny! ... you're now about to leave"
"Yeah, I know!... it don't mean I don't want one though!...this kinda thing ... makes me nervous!" he thinks for a miniute "okay...we hold off for now. We don't say anything to anyone" he frowns at her
"Okay... yeah you're right.. we'll deal with it when we get back"
"so... before we go there nothing else you need to unburden is there Davis?"
"No!" she shakes her head nervously she was going to tell him about the video of Mandy's but for now she decides to hold off
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
They're back at base after the mission and are all getting showered and dressed
as Jason comes back in the office he grabs a coffee
"Davis, is there any chance you might be able to have J.C for a few hours for me tomorrow?...only errrmm... Emma's got a recital and was gonna go watch and errrm then take her and Mikey bowling after. Give them some 'me time' as Emma calls it!" he smiles
"Errrm! ... well I have something to do but I might be able to juggle my plans"
" I don't wanna put you out ... I could take him.. so don't worry"
Spenser looks up from computer "I'm free. ... to have him... I mean ...I'll look after him... if it's only a couple hours?" he shrugs " I'm sure I can manage a couple of hours looking after a small child and I don't mind helping" he smiles
"You?" Jason looks up frowning
"Yeah sure how hard can it be?"
"Okay!…" Jason's puzzled "you sure you can do this? " he frowns
"Yeah sure it ll be fun right?" Spenser shrugs and smiles
Davis looks at Jason. "Okay you're on! that be great" he nods "say pick him up about 11:00"
Spenser nods "Sure!"
"Okay... I'll him ready! and Clay... thanks!"
Jason looks at his watch "I better go pick him up from Naima I'll speak tomorrow"
"You sure about that ?" Davis doesn't look up from her computer
"Yeah it'll be fun" He grabs his keys and phone "Im heading off now .. got some calls to make"
Davis shakes her head she's not sure that's a good idea but no way she can stop it now
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Clay's' in the corridor on his phone "Yes so that's appointment tomorrow 13:00 Dr Khan's office" he's listening ..."Yeah I'll be there... thanks" he gulps and looks round "Phewww! Jeez what the hell are you doing?" he's shaking now as nerves kick in.
Davis puts her head against the office door. She closes it quietly behind her. She overheard Spenser's conversation "Oh shit Spenser what the hell are you doing?"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Davis waits in the street outside the Doctors office.
Clay comes out carrying J.C and sees her. He's angry now
"OH my god Davis!... What? Are you are spying on me now? What the Hell are you doing here?"
"What the hell am I doing? What hell are you playing at Clay? ...Do you know how stupid this is?" she stares at him
"Yeah!... but I had to know"
She shakes her head "Well?... and what did you find out?"
He sighs "they can't do it! ...I errrmm have to have the mother's or an active guardians consent for them to take his sample" he shakes his head "I can't believe it... I'm never gonna get that am I?"
"Clay do you really think he's yours enough to risk this?"
"I don't know?... but I need to know"
"Clay you need to stop and think... it's such a big commitment. I mean what about your career ... about being an operator? you spent all your life wanting that?"
" I don't know? I hadn't thought that far. Look I have to get him back" he looks at her "Davis this needs to stay between us! One of our secrets"
She shakes her head."Clay .. "
o-o-o-o-o-o
He stops at the grocery store on the away back to his apartment.
Jason called a while back to see if he can hold on to JC for another hour or so as he wants to take Mikey and Emma for something to eat. It isn't a problem. He smiles at the thought of having time with J.C a while longer
They grab some bits at the store. Clay has J.C in the trolley.
A cute blonde woman is following behind doing her grocery shopping and she smiles at J.C sitting in the trolley. The baby smiles back
"He yours?" she asks smiling at Clay
"errrm... yup!" Clay nods "what the fuck are you saying?" he questions his remark
"Yeah you can see in his eyes" she smiles "he looks like you"
"everyone says that" Spenser awkwardly smiles back
"Not very often you see a dad with a baby shopping! It's cute" she smiles "Oh I'm Nancy by the way"
"Hey Nancy"
"Your wife she's a lucky woman... a man who'll take the baby shopping... don't always get that" she smiles
"oh I don't have a wife"
"oh! I'm sorry ... single dad?" She frowns then smiles
He nods "pretty much" he smiles back Spenser what the hell are you doing!
"I'm not normally this forward but would you like to get a coffee"
Clay thinks about it "Okay!... sure why not we've got some time before we have to get back "
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
They walk across road to the coffee shop and spend an hour chatting with coffees. She seems genuinely nice and they exchange numbers agreeing to meet for a drink later in the week before she leaves.
The waitress comes over with the check "Hey he yours" she smiles at J.C and rubs his cheek
"errrm... yes"
"he's cute" she chews her gum "you married"
"errrr...No!" she leaves the check he looks at sees she's written her number on the bottom.
Spenser smiles "Hey J.C looks like you're a girl magnet" He shakes his head laughing
As he leaves the coffee shop he walks past the pharmacy next door. He notices they have a poster in the window
TESTING:kits -home pregnancy / DNA / paternity test kit - available here!
He frowns before open the door and enters the pharmacy.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Back at his apartment he seals the samples in the envelopes. He sighs and takes a minute. "Should I really be doing this? Jason will go mad if he finds out!" He bites his lip
"Sorry JC I have to know" he kisses him on the head.
He looks at his watch "Right better get you back now I suppose"