Chapter 42

Oh boy, I have so many thoughts about SEAL Team after 4x09. I don't particularly like the drama tone this show has taken. I still feel like the writing is all over the place. I'm also ready to protect Jason at all costs. Give the guy a small break already! Good news is that 4x10 is directed by Jessica Pare and the promo pics confirm she will guest star. Not sure what this means though because I do NOT trust the writers on this show. I just feel like they're pulling me in, only to sucker punch me in the gut lol. Anyways, I will continue to write. I have about a month of craziness at work left before more time is available and I can get back to a better schedule of updating. I really wish the ideas and scenes in my head would just appear in words because that would help me a lot. Anyways, enjoy this next chapter.

Mandy was fiddling with the radio in Jason's truck as they drove off base. She settled on an old classic rock station. She leaned her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes. Waking up early after a night out and then sitting through a briefing had made her feel tired. Jason looked over towards her as he heard her let out a breath.

"You okay?" Jason asked as he reached down to link their hands over the console.

"I am now," Mandy said opening her eyes and looking towards Jason. "For once, I think I'm looking forward to some time off."

"Me too," Jason said bringing her hand up to his lips to kiss. "So, what did you say to Clay last night?"

Mandy laughed, "Does it really matter?"

"Just curious," Jason said.

"If you must know, I told him he'd do well in either job. I also said to follow whatever he thought his true calling was," Mandy replied.

"You're always good with words," Jason said shaking his head fondly.

"So are you," Mandy said squeezing his hand. "When it counts, you know exactly what to say."

Mikey's flight was landing at the Norfolk airport around one. The airport wasn't far from base either. It was quarter to one when they pulled into the parking lot at the airport. Mandy had been on her phone for the last twenty minutes.

"Something going on," Jason asked as he got out of the truck and walked towards the front of the car where Mandy met him.

"No, it's a surprise," Mandy smiled sweetly at Jason as he grabbed her hand and started walking for the arrivals terminal. "Just planning some things for us to do over the next couple weeks."

"Really? I have few plans of my own too," Jason smirked as he pulled her in close for a kiss.

"That's all you have planned everyday it seems like," Mandy laughed as she playfully shoved him. "It's okay that I'm here, right?" Mandy asked suddenly unsure.

"Woah, what?" Jason asked confused. He saw the unsure look on Mandy's face, which was a rare sight to see as she was always so confident and sure of herself.

"I just mean…. I'm not overstepping the boundaries here, right? I don't want them to think I'm trying to take Alana's place, because I'm not. I know we're doing this trip, but I hope it's not too fast. If they need more time-," Mandy rambled but was cut off by Jason kissing her.

"You're right where you should be. The kids love you. You make me happy. I'm done wasting time. You and I have danced around each other for a while, and we've given nearly twenty years of our lives to everyone but ourselves. This is our time, one day at a time," Jason said holding her face in her hands as Mandy let out a breath. "You're amazing you know. Always worried about everyone else."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Mandy said with a knowing look as they leaned in for another kiss.

"Dad!" Mikey called out rushing over to hug Jason as Mandy and he broke a part.

Mandy smiled watching the father and son reunite. She knew Jason tried to be in the kids' lives more since Alana passed. It was work on everyone's part trying to make it work between each other. She knew Jason could do it though. Jason was hard wired to be an operator, just like her, but she promised herself she wouldn't let him get lost along the way. If he did lose himself, she'd find him.

"Mikey, how you are doing kid," Jason said kissing his son's head as they hugged.

He closed his eyes and took a moment to feel the moment. He cherished what time he had with his kids. He always said he was a better solider than he was a father or husband. Opening his eyes and looking at Mandy smiling back at him though, maybe he could be more.

Mikey too took the extra moment to relish time in his Dad's arms. He knew his Dad loved him, but he also knew his Dad loved his job. As Mikey squeezed him one last time, he saw his Dad looking at something. Mikey turned to see Mandy there as well.

"Mandy!" Mikey called out and then proceeded to throw his arms around her as well.

Mandy froze for a moment before cautiously bringing her arms up to hug him back. She looked over at Jason with wide eyes who just smiled back at her softly. Mandy could sit across from some of the worst terrorists in the world and handle herself yet when it came to Jason's kids, she felt like a fish out of water. She'd been around the kids all these years and talking to them while deployed but now it was all so real.

She meant it when she said she didn't want to replace Alana. She knew what it felt like in a way to lose a parent and then have someone else step in and take their place. Her mother wasn't the greatest parent, but she remembered the transition with Jack and Susan taking her in. They'd tread lightly and she'd rebel back. The first year or so was rough, until one day Jack had left for an op and came back injured. It was the first time she'd almost lost her Dad, and something had changed seeing her mother worried while her Dad was laid up in a hospital room.

Mikey gave Mandy a tight squeeze causing her to let out a breath because she had been caught off guard. Mikey heard and pulled away quickly.

"Are you okay? Are you still hurt?" Mikey asked worriedly and Jason straightened up as well watching her response.

"What? No, no I'm good. Just wasn't expecting such a strong hug," Mandy assured him.

"Did Dad take care of you? Did he catch the guy that hurt you?" Mikey asked as they started to walk towards baggage claim.

"Yes, he did take care of me," Mandy said looking over at Jason, who grabbed her hand on one side and Mikey, took her other. "We caught some bad guys as well. What about you? How's hockey going?"

"We won the championship before you came home! It was awesome. Maybe next time you guys can come," Mikey said.

"Next time," Jason sighed thinking about what he'd missed out on yet again.

"Tell you what," Mandy said squeezing Jason's hand and bringing Mikey in closer. "Next time, maybe we'll make it," Mandy said confidently.

"Promise?" Mikey said looking up at Mandy.

"I promise we'll try our hardest to both be there or one of us," Mandy replied as Jason let go her hand to squeeze her hip before going to grab Mikey's bag.

"Okay," Mikey said. "What are we doing today? I'm starving."

"We can grab lunch and then hang out," Jason said as they left the baggage claim area and headed for the truck.

"What if we head over to the beach house? My mom said she'd have lunch there and we can start our vacation early on the beach?" Mandy suggested.

"Beach house? Awesome!" Mikey exclaimed.

"Plus, we can stay over after dinner as well since we're leaving in the morning," Mandy added on.

"You sure?" Jason asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I told you my Mom is over the moon about it and is eager to meet Mikey and dive into all your deep dark secrets," Mandy laughed.

"Uhhh, have you never brought anyone home?" Jason joked back.

"No," Mandy said seriously. "I was either always working or it never lasted to a point to really introduce anyone to my parents."

"Oh, seriously?" Jason asked surprised.

"How long have you known me, Jason? You probably know more about my dating life since we met than my parents ever knew. Or that I've told them at least. Pretty sure my Dad probably knew though," Mandy said shaking her head as they reached the truck. "You've got nothing to worry about. My Dad already loves you and my Mom does too."

"Your Mom doesn't even know me," Jason replied.

"Yeah, and she loves you more than me already," Mandy smiled watching Jason be nervous. It wasn't often you saw Master Chief Hayes be unsure of himself.

"Well, I'm pretty lovable," Jason smirked.

"Yes, you are," Mandy said giving him a kiss. "Ready for the beach Mikey?"

"Let's go! You guys can kiss later," Mikey declared, and the adults laughed.

Jason went to open the passenger door for Mandy, "So, does the beach mean you in a swimsuit?"

"Yes?" Mandy asked confused. "Why, excited to see me in a bikini? You already know what's underneath," Mandy huskily replied putting a hand on his chest.

"Exactly," Jason smirked while letting a hand cop a feel of her backside as she got in the truck causing Mandy to smile.

Jason drove back to his apartment to pick their stuff up before heading to Mandy's parent's home. The three talked about everything from what Mikey had been doing to what they'd do over the next two weeks. Mandy was taking notes in her mind to the ideas Jason and Mikey were coming up with and planned to somehow incorporate as many of them as she could.

As Mandy had told Jason and the guys, her family came from money. They didn't flaunt it a whole lot, but they did enjoy some of the finer things in life. Mandy's parents always showered her with things but most of all love. Mandy never really had anyone to shower her wealth on. She didn't want to overwhelm Jason but if he'd let her, she wanted him to have the best of the best. The two of them were pretty down to earth and chill for the most part though. Mandy and Jason enjoyed the simple things in life and that made them happy.

Mandy gave Jason directions to the beach home. As they got closer, Jason noticed the neighborhood was more modest than he thought it would be. He knew beach homes weren't cheap and you could see some houses looked more expensive than others. He found it interesting learning this new side of Mandy. They knew a lot about each other over the years, but she'd never mentioned her family's wealth. He'd been to some of her apartments over the years, but nothing ever screamed wealth. Sure, they were nice places, but they seemed pretty average. At this point he figured Mandy was so all in on the job that having a nice place was pointless.

"It's the last house on the block," Mandy said bringing Jason back to reality.

Jason turned into the driveway of a white cottage looking house. The front yard had the U.S. and Navy flag flying proudly at full mast. There was a wrap around porch out front with a swing and couple chairs. As Jason got out of the car, he could hear the ocean in the backyard. He could also hear dogs barking.

"Is this yours, Mandy?" Mikey asked looking around.

"It's my parents so sort of," Mandy laughed. "C'mon, I got some introductions to make," Mandy said as they walked up the sidewalk to the steps that lead up to the porch.

As they got closer, Jason realized the barking was coming from the front door of the house. Jason could see through the screened door two German Shepherd barking. Suddenly Mandy's Mom was at the door and she was opening it. The dogs shot out as Mandy crossed the distance of the porch as well. Before he knew it, Mandy was on the ground with two dogs eagerly welcoming her.

"Hey guys," Mandy laughed as both dogs excited ran around her while trying to get her attention. "C'mon, settle down. Settle down," Mandy commanded, and both calmed down enough to sit in front of her as she got up from the ground. "Jason, Mikey, meet Gunner and Sarge. They both retired from the military a couple years ago. Over the years, my parents take in retired service dogs."

"They missed you quite a bit this deployment. Always wanted your things by you, no matter where we were. Right around when you got hurt, it was like they knew as well," Susan, Mandy's Mom, commented. "Good to see you again Master Chief and nice to meet you Mikey. You guys must be hungry, come in."

Gunner and Sarge got up as Mandy went to open the door. They followed her every move and kept running into each other or Mandy with how close they were sticking to her. Mandy would laugh and scold them to be good or no treat.

"She seems to be a dog whisperer or something. Cerberus acts the same around her," Jason chuckled as he and Mikey followed behind Susan.

"She's always seemed to connect with our dogs over the years. They always miss her when she's gone for long periods of time. One minute she's playing around with them and the next she's their master who they obey," Susan chuckled as well. "When we adopted Mandy, we didn't have any dogs at the time. We figured she needed to adjust first. Mandy gave us hell during that first year, but then Jack got hurt on an op and things changed. I'd gone to see Jack and Mandy stayed in the waiting room with Jack's team. When I came out, there she was with the team K9. About a year later, the dog was retiring, and Mandy begged to take him in. The rest as they say was history."

As Susan lead Jason and Mikey to the kitchen, you could see through the family room bay windows the back yard. There was a pool and patio to hang out on. At the end of the patio, there was a set of stairs that lead down to the beach and ocean front. It was beautiful and peaceful. The family room had a high open ceiling that also had side windows to let in natural light. Jason walked over to the fireplace and saw pictures on the mantel. Pictures of Mandy from her teenage years to adult were littered across it. He smiled as he picked up a picture of teenage Mandy.

"I was hoping I'd have time to hide those before you saw them," Mandy said as she came over to Jason.

"You were cute," Jason smiled holding the picture next to her face.

"Cute? I'm just cute," Mandy replied.

"Well, you're much more than cute now," Jason said putting the picture back. "You're beautiful," Jason said pulling her close.

"Fair warning, if we're going to your Mom's, I'm getting all the blackmail I can get," Mandy smirked as Jason put his hands on her hips and she put her arms around his neck. "We better go eat," Mandy said just barely touching Jason's lips.

Jason closed to the tiny gap and kissed her. He couldn't stop kissing or touching her. Maybe it was because they weren't at work and didn't need to be the professionals they always were. Away from everyone, he wanted her always. He didn't want to miss a moment with her.

The only other person he'd ever had such deep feelings for was Alana. She would always be his first love, but Mandy was different. Mandy knew sides of him he never shows anyone else. She knew him the best. Somewhere along the line with Alana, things had changed. He chose the team as his first family over Alana and neither knew how to fix it. Alana always wanted him to talk but it was difficult explaining what he'd seen or done to someone who wasn't there. With Mandy, he didn't worry about what she'd think of him after the gory details. Mandy was there for that part of his life and understood the decisions made in the moment and how they could weigh on someone. Mandy was similar to him in that way.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Mandy asked almost like she could see the wheels turn in Jason's mind.

"No where and everywhere," Jason said honestly looking into her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if this is a dream and I'll wake up only to find myself all alone."

"We're here," Mandy said taking his hand and putting it on her heart. "One day at a time and if you need a reminder that's it's all real you ask me."

"Same goes for you. All in," Jason said taking her hand and putting it on his heart.

"All in," Mandy said looking into his eyes and then kissing him again. "Now let's go eat. I'm starving."

"I think you're worse than the guys when it comes to eating. Where do you even put it all?" Jason joked.

"Well, I exercise," Mandy flirted.

"Really? What kind of exercise?" Jason said squeezing her hips.

"The night kind," Mandy said. "Let's go," Mandy said slapping his behind.

"You're gonna be the death of me," Jason shook his head leading them to the kitchen.

"What a way to go then," Mandy smirked.

The three enjoyed the lunch Susan prepared for them. Susan was fawning all over Mikey like a doting grandma. She was so happy to see her daughter smiling. In the last couple years since being demoted, she worried about Mandy. Mandy had made the job her everything and Susan could see her falling a part not being able to do what she did so well. Over the years, she'd heard about Jason Hayes quite often. From him being married, to separated, to losing his wife, and everything in between. Susan knew her daughter was smitten for this man even when he wasn't available for the taking.

Susan watched how the two moved together so flawlessly. The little gestures with each other happening without them even knowing. She watched how Mandy interacted with Mikey and treated him like an adult. She could see Mikey adored Mandy. She knew despite Mandy's apprehensions, that she'd be a wonderful mother.

Susan saw the way Jason's eyes never left Mandy and the way they lit up when she laughed. Susan always held out hope that Mandy would one day find love. That's what she saw between the two. They hadn't been together officially for that long, but the years of friendship and partnership showed. One could see that they trusted each other without a doubt.

She saw that these two would be able to face anything that came their way and that they'd never be out of the fight. When Jack had called to say Roman had shown up and attacked Mandy, Susan was ready to get on a plane to her daughter. Jack didn't have too much information on Mandy's condition and that he was headed out to J-Bad. Eventually she got to talk to Mandy and could see she was fine physically, but Susan could see something else had changed. That change was one Jason Hayes. The two seemed to have the weight of the world on their shoulders yet with each other it seemed the load was lifted some. Susan knew Master Chief Jason Hayes was going to be around for a long time.