Author note:

No new episode tonight so I hope this helps bring a smile to your face. Please leave me a review to let me know you're still following Clay & Emma's story.

CH 110- Rest & Recuperation

The days drug some for Emma even though she did have her classwork. After informing her professors about the accident, they sent lecture notes and agreed for her to submit assignments online. Mrs. Johnson had also been more than understanding. She told Emma not to worry one bit about missing her class that week and to call if she felt that she needed more time. The Day Care even sent her flowers along with a get-well card. The only good thing, besides healing and getting rest, was seeing all of their Bravo family.

Lisa had organized the team and true to her word, someone stopped by each day to bring them food, and to check up on Emma. Ray, Naima, and family were first up. Naima made some of Emma's favorites, including her scallion bread. As Ray and Clay took everything into the kitchen, Naima and the kids joined her in the living room. After an admonishment to be careful with Aunt Emmie, Jameelah cuddled up next to her in the chair. The little girl was doing fine and seeing that for herself did Emma a world of good. Jameelah proudly presented her with a home-made card. The crayon drawing of flowers and balloons now hung on their refrigerator. Emma asked them to stay for dinner, but when RJ started to fuss, they declined, stating that Emma needed her rest, and they would see the couple soon.

Sonny came by the next day. The Texan was all bluff and bluster the minute he stepped through the door.

"Hey there, missy. How're you doin'?"

Emma went to get up from the couch to greet him and he waved her back.

"Jest stay sittin'. I can come to you."

He handed off the bags he held to Clay and came over, kissed Emma on the cheek, and flopped down at the opposite end of the sofa.

"I'm doing pretty well, all things considered."

"Thet's good ta hear. Is Romeo here takin' good care of you?"

"Yea, he is. But he won't hardly let me lift a finger."

Clay poked his head around the corner at her comment. She was chafing to get up and do things, while he hovered over her, seeing to her every whim.

"Good, thet's good. Ya need to rest up so yer body can heal."

Clay laughed when Sonny agreed and Emma stuck her tongue out at him, causing both men to chuckle. She shook her head and questioned him about what was in the bags he brought.

"I figured some of my barbeque pork sandwiches would help ya get yer strength back."

Emma licked her lips in anticipation and thanked him for his efforts. It was then that Clay finally spoke up.

"What's in this other container Son?"

Sonny looked a little sheepish as he answered.

"Well…I couldn't just bring ya the meat and nothin' to go with it, could I?"

Emma nodded for him to continue.

"So, thet right there is my Grandninny's special Sweet Potato casserole."

"Wait…You made this, from scratch?"

Clay was incredulous.

"Yes. I made thet. I can cook if I want to. It jest…it take somethin' or someone pretty special to make me do it."

Emma sniffed and held back the tears that wanted to come.

"Thank you, Sonny."

She reached for his hand and squeezed it.

"Don't go gettin' all emotional on me, Sunshine."

Emma laughed through her tears.

"Fine, I promise not to cry if you'll stay for dinner."

"I could be persuaded. Thet is as long as Blondezilla has some decent beer and not just that microbrew crap."

Clay laughed and answered from the kitchen.

"I got you, man."

The three enjoyed their time and Emma slept well that night, worn out from laughing at Sonny's tales.

The next morning, there was a knock on the door, accompanied by an enthusiastic yip. Clay answered and there stood Brock with Koda in tow.

"Someone was missing home."

"Yea, come on in."

"Where's Emma?"

"She's getting dressed. She'll be thrilled to see this guy," Clay ruffled Koda's fur, and the dog danced around, happy to be home.

"Hey, I have something in the truck for you. Are you good with him?"

"Sure thing."

While Brock was fetching whatever was in his truck, Emma finished dressing and joined Clay in the living room. Koda was sniffing around the apartment and ran to see her as soon as the bedroom door opened. Clay cautioned the dog to stay down and gave the order for him to sit while Emma bent to greet him. Clay noticed her wince slightly as she hugged Koda, and he swiped at her face repeatedly with his tongue.

"Why don't you come sit down and he can come to you?"

"I'm fine."

"Em…"

"Okay, my ribs are still sore. But I'm feeling a lot better. Hey! Where's Brock?"

She did go sit in the chair and patted the cushion for Koda to join her. Clay watched with a wary eye, making sure the excited dog didn't accidentally hurt her. But even he noticed how carful the canine was. He seemed to know that something wasn't quite right with her. Koda waited for her to get situated, and then laid his head gently in her lap.

"He ran out to get something. He should be right back."

Almost on cue, Brock knocked at their door. He was carrying a large box as Clay let him in.

"Where should I put this?"

Clay motioned him into the kitchen and Brock set his burden on the counter. Then he stepped back into the living room to greet Emma.

"Hey, Em. You look a lot better than the last time I saw you," he teased, giving her a hug.

"Considering that was in the hospital, I would hope so."

Brock smiled and reached out to pat Koda's head.

"Thanks so much for taking care of this guy for us."

"It's no problem. Cerb and I enjoyed the company."

"What's in the box?"

"I'm not much of a cook, but my chili has won a couple contests."

Clay was aware of this fact, but Emma was totally surprised.

"Really?"

"Yea. It's been a few years though."

Clay, also aware of Bravo five's penchant for spicy food, wondered if they would even be able to eat what was in the large pot.

"Is this the real 'Award-winning, Five Alarm' version?"

"I dialed it back a couple notches for you. It's only 3-alarm, at best. Just heat it up and you're good to go."

"Thank you, Brock, for everything."

The older man rose to leave with a final pat on Koda's head and a one-armed hug from Clay.

Emma spent the day on homework as Clay did their laundry and took Koda for his walks. At dinner time, he heated up the chili and spooned it into two bowls. He joined Emma on the couch. They each ate their first spoonful with a little hesitation, wondering if the savory smelling meal would be too spicy to consume. Both were satisfied that the level of heat was exactly right, and they settled in to enjoy the fruits of their friend's labor.

After dinner, it was time for Koda's evening walk and Emma coaxed Clay into letting her accompany them. At first, he was against her exerting herself too much. When she mentioned that the fresh air would do wonders for her healing process, he relented.

"It feels good to get outside."

"As long as you don't tire yourself out."

She leaned against him and assured him that she was doing fine.

"I'm really not in too much pain anymore. But I have to work on getting my strength back."

He knew she was right, but he was having a hard time dialing back his protective instincts. He grasped her hand and wove their fingers together as they walked back to the apartment.

"Well, I guess we've seen about everyone this week."

"Davis wasn't kidding when she said the whole team would be stopping by with food."

"We're going to have leftovers for days," she commented as they reached their door.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we get another drop off tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"Trent & Vic still haven't stopped by."

"Do either of them cook?"

"I don't think so. But I'm sure they won't let that stop them from checking in on you."

Almost as if he were prescient, Clay's phone rang later that evening as he and Emma were cuddled on the couch watching TV. It was Vic checking to see when a good time for he and Trent to stop by the next day would be. Clay put the call on speaker, and they decided that the guys would pick up tacos and they would all have dinner together.

The duo showed up right on time the next night. As soon as they finished eating, Trent wanted a full sit-rep from Emma on her recovery. She answered each query and finally, he seemed satisfied. He declared her fit to return to her normal activities. Emma thanked him and laughingly asked him to relate his findings to Clay. The guys stayed for a while after dinner. They all enjoyed each other's company, but they were careful not to stay too long so that Emma could get her rest.

She did still tire easily, so it didn't take long for her to fall asleep in Clay's embrace that night. Unfortunately, his phone woke them both before dawn the next morning. Bravo was spinning up. As he spoke to Jason on the phone, she could hear the hesitation in his voice. He was worried about leaving her alone, but he really had no choice in the matter.

As he got up and got ready, Emma tried to calm him.

"Honey, I'm fine. You heard Trent say so yourself last night."

"I know, but what if you start getting dizzy, or, or…"

"I haven't been lightheaded once. I'll be fine. But…I promise that I won't go anywhere alone. I'll only leave to take Koda out, okay?"

She knew she was capable of more, but Clay needed to calm down and focus on the mission, or he would get himself or someone else hurt. This was only way she knew to appease him. He sat on the bed and gathered her into his arms.

"I promise, I'll call Naima if I need something."

She knew she would be fine. But she hoped by voicing that concession, it would give him the peace of mind he needed to be able to leave her with a clear conscience. He held her for as long as he could before he had to go. Then, he left a lingering kiss on her lips and headed out. She laid down to get more sleep but found that she couldn't drop back off. She decided to go ahead and take her shower. It being so early, she took an extra-long time under the hot water. The bathroom was filled with steam when she stepped out onto the bathmat. She glanced at her phone and there was a text from Clay.

-Please take care of yourself. I love you Baby! -

She sent him a back a message, hoping he would have time to check his phone.

- I love you too! Come home safe. -

She was feeling the best she had since the accident. The bruises weren't as colorful and only her ribs were still tender to the touch. Even though Bravo getting called in woke her early, she felt well rested and actually had energy. After taking Koda on his morning walk, she fixed herself breakfast and settled in to finish up her homework. By the end of the day, she hadn't heard from Clay. That wasn't uncommon, but she was hoping for some idea of when to expect him home. She heated up some of Brock's chili for her dinner and went to bed. She slept the best she could without Clay next to her.

The next day was much of the same. She was chomping at the bit to get out and do something. Instead, she cleaned the apartment from top to bottom. She still needed something to pass the time. She decided to see if they had the ingredients for her to bake anything. After looking through the cupboards, she found what she needed to make oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They were close to Clay's favorite and she knew he would appreciate them when he got home.

Clay was doubly thankful the Op was a quick one. Get in, grab the HVT, and get out. They were home the next day. He texted Emma and let her know that the team was back, and he would be home as soon as he could.

It was dusk when he got to the apartment. As he opened the door, he could smell the aroma of whatever Emma had made. He called out for her, but there was no answer. He started to panic, until he realized that Koda was gone as well. She must be taking him for his evening walk. He proceeded to the bedroom to unpack and get cleaned up. He flipped on the light in the bathroom and every surface was sparkling, and the smell of lemons lingered in the air. When he went back to the bedroom, he noticed not a speck of dust anywhere, and a freshly made bed. Apparently, Emma had been busy.

He was in the closet, putting away his bag when she and Koda returned.

"Clay. Honey, are you here?"

She saw his truck in the parking lot and was overjoyed that he was home so soon. He emerged from the closet and met her in the bedroom. She laughed as she had to wait for Koda to greet him first.

"That was fast," she remarked as she hugged him.

"Yep, everything went like clockwork for once."

She went up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

"That's great. And I assume everyone is fine?"

"Yep, we're all good. How are you doing?"

"I'm feeling so much better. It's like someone flipped a switch this morning and I'm back to myself."

"That's great, babe. But are you sure you're not pushing yourself?"

"What do you mean?"

He waved his hand around to the spotless rooms.

"All this. Cleaning the apartment and baking whatever it is that smells so wonderful. I don't want you to over-do it."

He sat down on the bed and pulled her into his lap. Looping her arms around him, she tried to get him to understand that he didn't need to worry anymore.

"Honey, I promise. I'm good. I got caught up on all my missed classes and I don't even have a car right now to go anywhere. I was going stir-crazy after so many days laid up." She fiddled with the buttons on his Henley and bent to place a sucking kiss to his neck. "And you weren't here, so I had to channel my energy into something."

They hadn't been intimate since before her accident and she was missing the closeness, the connection that making love reaffirmed for them. She knew that right after a mission, his blood was pumping adrenaline and testosterone and she intended to take full advantage. She continued to kiss his neck, moving her lips up to his ear and taking his lobe gently between her teeth. There was a rumble in his chest and his fingers flexed into her hip.

Clay was battling with himself. With Emma on his lap, hands roaming, her lips and teeth teasing him, he wanted to strip off her clothes and pin her beneath him on the bed. But his instincts to protect and care for her were too strong to let him act on that impulse. She still had bruises down the left side of her body, and he was sure to cause her pain if he acted so carelessly.

"Em, baby…we can't, I don't want to hurt you."

Emma slowly drew her hand down his chest and stomach to his lap and stroked him through his pants.

"You won't," she breathed in his ear. "You could never hurt me."

"Emmie."

That was all he could utter before he cradled her face in his hands and slanted his lips over hers. He stood up with her in his arms and then laid her down carefully on their bed. She stayed where he placed her, head on his pillow, while he divested himself of his clothing. First, he kicked off his boots and peeled off his socks. Then he reached to pull off his shirt. Emma sucked in a breath as his torso was revealed. Even after all this time, he took her breath away. Clay smirked at her response. He unzipped his jeans and started to shove them down along with his boxer briefs. Emma giggled when they got tangled around his ankles, forcing him to sit down and straighten everything out before sliding them completely to the floor.

He laid down next to her and traced his fingers, feather-light over her face. Outlining her wide, blue eyes, her upturned nose, gliding across her full lips, and finally grasping her chin between his thumb and finger. Her lids fluttered closed as Clay's mouth pressed against hers, as soft as a whisper. She reached for the hem of her sweatshirt, but he lifted her hands away tenderly.

"Please, baby…let me."

She nodded and tilted her lips to his for another kiss. He repositioned himself, sitting on his heels at her feet. He stroked up and down the length of her legs, from ankle to waist and back, until he grasped the waistband of her leggings and slide them down and off. Then he pushed up her shirt, softly, slowly until it rested just under her breasts. He caressed her skin, skating his fingertips over each inch he revealed. When he reached the yellowish discoloration over her ribs, he bent and covered them with delicate kisses, his lips barely ghosting up toward her chest.

Emma sighed and reached a hand to card through his curls, massaging his scalp. He looked up at her, steel-blue eyes shining with adoration for her.

"I love you, Em."

When his lips reached the hemline of her shirt, he slipped between her legs and pulled her gently toward his body, helping her to sit. Raising her arms carefully, he eased the shirt off over her head. Smiling he smoothed down the strands of hair left standing on end, charged by the contact with her shirt. She was left in a plain, white bra and sky blue, cotton panties.

Emma laid back, flat on the bed and pulled him with her. Holding his weight on his arms, unwilling to put any pressure on her, he licked into her mouth. She moaned softly as their tongues met. Wanting him closer, she wrapped a leg around the back of his thighs and tried to pull him onto her. He resisted, holding his position with taught muscles. Whining at the lack of contact, she arched into him.

Trying to give her what she desired, Clay moved again to her side and helped her remove her panties. Then, rolling her into his embrace, he flicked the closure on her bra and flung it onto the floor. They lay next to each other, touching from head to toe. Emma could feel him, hard and thick, pressing into her thigh. Still, he held back, caressing her lightly, almost reverently. Like she was some rare work of art, too precious to touch. He reached for her leg, gingerly bringing it up and over his hip as he rolled her on top of him.

She swiveled her hips slowly, sending jolts of pleasure through them both.

"Mmmm…Clay."

Feeling her heat and arousal coating his erection, his breath hitched. Clay slid back and leaned on the headboard. Emma used his shoulders to steady herself as she lowered herself onto him. Looking directly into his eyes, she rode him. Rocking forward until he was barely within her and then gliding back in one smooth motion to sheath his full length inside her.

"Em…Em, baby. You, ahh, you feel so good."

He cupped her breasts, teasing the left, rolling her nipple between his fingers while he took the right into his mouth and suckled hungrily. Emma clutched him to her, digging into his shoulders with her grip.

After several minutes filled with only the sounds of their heavy breath and skin meeting skin, Clay could feel her rhythm start to falter. He released her breast and looked down to their joining where he could see her beautiful body enveloping him over and over. He positioned his hand between them, so that with each movement up and down, his thumb would come into contact with her sensitive bud. His release was just under the surface and he wasn't sure if he could hold back much longer.

Two, three, four, five more thrusts and Emma cried out. At the same time, Clay broke, filling her with his release. They sought out each other's lips, coming together in a series of deep, wet kisses. Finally, he felt her body shudder once more and a long, low whimper escaped.

He was concerned that in spite of his caution he'd caused her pain.

"Em, honey…are you okay?"

She licked her lips and nodded, then leaned into him, trying to catch her breath. He realized then that she was simply overwhelmed by the pleasure. Clay held her to him, kissing her lips, her cheeks, her temple as he drew his fingertips up and down her spine. Emma stayed astride him until he softened inside her. Then they snuggled down under the covers, cuddling together.

"I knew you wouldn't hurt me."

He brushed a few strands of hair from her cheek and saw the trust reflected in her gaze.

"And" she punctuated her statement with a kiss on his chest. "I think I proved that I'm perfectly fine."

Leaning his forehead to hers he answered.

"I might need you to remind me again…later."

"Now who needs to recuperate," she teased.

They both laughed and he kissed her, right on her sassy smile.