Chapter 5

It had been three months since Ash had joined the team, three months since the guys all met Clay. They had been busy with operations within the past three months that they hadn't been able to see Clay since the day they spent at the beach. Today they were all gathering back at Jason's place for another barbeque to relax and hopefully have some down time before they would be spun up again. They just got back yesterday after a week-long operation. Everyone was in need of a bit of a recharge and Sonny's ribs were the best way to go about it. Adam had joined them again along with Hannah this time and Victoria. Everyone was here, but Ash and Clay. They expected as much with how much work it seemed to be to get Clay out of the house. They were all confident that Clay had some type of autism, but it didn't seem like Ash was looking to find out those answers. They couldn't blame him, they wouldn't want to see anything different in their children. At the same time though, he wasn't helping Clay by trying to make it seem like nothing was going on with him. He was incredibly smart and with that comes with having to help him in other areas. Ash needed to make sure he was socialized and growing his mind properly. Having a set diagnosis would help to better plan for him.

It was just before dinner when Ash and Clay finally arrived. They instantly noticed that Clay had some new bruises on his arms and they were worried about his seizures. Clay also had a bruise on the right side of his face. Everyone moved closer, but not too close so they wouldn't overwhelm Clay.

"Hey Sunshine, you ok?" Jason asked, gently. Clay seemed to be more tired today and he could have sworn he saw bags under his eyes.

Clay just gave a small nod as he looked around at everyone. He smiled when he saw Emma.

"Hi Emmy." Clay said.

"Hey little man. This is my friend Hannah. I was telling her all about the spanish shows you watch, think you can show us one of your favorite ones?" Emma said with a warm smile.

Clay gave an excited nod and he took Emma's outstretched hand. The three of them headed over to the seating area so they would be away from the adults. The wives made their way inside, knowing their husbands would want to talk to Ash about the new bruises.

"What happened to his face?" Adam instantly asked.

"He banged it while we were away." Ash said with a small shrug.

What really happened though, when Ash came back Clay was bugging him about having no food. He was really getting sick of this kid. For the past three months things had been amazing for him at work. He was able to start making a name for himself within DEVGRU. Having to come home to Clay every other week is what made his life miserable. Clay was whining about no food, about being hungry, about his mother's new uncle touching him. Ash was sick of it. He knew better than to hit him in a spot where people would see, but he just wanted him to shut up. He would have loved to have left him home today, but he knew everyone was expecting to see him. He needed to get a hold of that work camp to get Clay sent away.

"Banged it how?" Adam pressed.

Adam wasn't sure what it was, but there was just something about Ash that he didn't like. He's never liked him and he would have bet money on Ash not getting picked by a team. Ash was a snake in the grass and Adam didn't trust him. He was trying because he was now a brother within DEVGRU, that made him a brother to him. Now though, he was more interested in Clay than Ash. He wanted to be there for Clay, to watch him grow up. Adam couldn't shake this feeling in his gut that something was going on. His gut hadn't led him wrong yet and he was not about to stop listening to it now.

"Seizure. The babysitter didn't notice in time." Adam easily lied.

"He's got a lot more bruises on him. Are you sure his babysitter isn't hurting him?" Ray asked gently.

"She's been watching him since he was born practically. She's amazing with him and he loves her. He's been getting more seizures recently and he doesn't have any warning signs before they happen. He's not always sitting down when they come on." Ash explained, doing his best to keep the annoyance from his voice.

"Does he have a helmet? Have you spoken to his doctor about it?" Trent asked, taking control of the conversation now.

"No, he doesn't have a helmet. Even if he did he won't wear it. He wears the headphones all day. And his doc isn't worried about it. Says he'll grow out of em, just like the asthma."

"He might grow out of them, but typically seizures don't get worse for kids who do grow out of them. He could have damage done to his brain from falling and hitting his head. He should be getting regular CT-Scans to make sure everything is ok. Were you able to get the second inhaler for him yet?" Trent said. The guys could tell he was not happy with how the doctor was handling Clay's health. Seizures and asthma were not something you play fast and loose with.

"His doc says he doesn't need it. It was just a temporary increase. He's been his doctor since he was born. I trust in his judgement and I'm not in any position to argue with him. He says Clay is fine and I believe him."

"He should be on two inhalers and any doctor with half a brain knows that." Trent countered.

"No offense Trent, but you're a medic, not a pediatrician or a doctor. I'm going to listen to my kid's doctor about his health." Ash said and it was clear to everyone he was done with this conversation.

Before Trent could counter though Jason spoke up. "No one is saying you don't. But if his seizures and asthma are getting worse, you might want to think about a second opinion."

"I'll take it under advisement. I gotta hit the head." Ash said, before he turned and headed inside.

"I don't like this Jase. I don't trust him." Adam said once they were alone.

"Since when?" Jason asked, surprised that Adam hadn't warmed up to Ash yet. Sure they weren't going on missions together, but he had trained him for six months. Normally Adam built a connection to the trainees during that time.

"I've never trusted him. I didn't think anyone would pick him to be honest. I know he cares about his career, but I don't think he cares about Clay more and that's wrong."

"Hafta agree with that Jase. He don't even have any photos of his kid in his cage." Sonny added. He hadn't warmed up to Ash really either. He was playing nice, being a team player, but he didn't like him either.

"We don't know anything about Clay's mom, if she's alive or dead. It might have been hard on him. I can't imagine losing Alana, having to try and raise the kids on my own. That type of loss can change a man. He just needs to get used to having family around him again."

Jason knew Ash wasn't a warm and sunny person. He was quiet and liked to keep to himself. He was always interacting with the Upper Brass and on missions he was a valuable member of the team. He knew what he was doing and Jason couldn't really ask for more. Yes, he wasn't warm and he didn't talk about Clay much, but Jason and Ray didn't talk about their kids all the time either. If something was going on sure, or if it was brought up they had no problem sharing, but Ash wasn't used to people asking. It was going to take some time before he was good with it all.

"If you say so Boss." Sonny said.

"I still think Clay needs a new doctor." Trent added.

"We'll work with him on it." Jason promised.

It was going to take time, but eventually and together they would gain Ash's trust and work with him on sharing more. They would make sure that Ash and Clay were both taken care of and healthy.

XXX

Ash made his way through the house, easily heading in the direction of the bathroom. He turned to make sure he was alone before he skipped over the bathroom and walked into Emma's room. He closed the door behind him and took a moment to take it all in. It looked like a typical sixteen year old girl's room, nothing special. He walked over and started to look through her drawers, he paid close attention to the underwear drawer. He was pleasantly surprised to find a vibrator.

"Naughty girl." Ash said with a deadly smirk.

He made sure everything was back in where it was supposed to be before he closed the drawer. Ash went over to the open door and saw that she had her own private bathroom, which was perfect for his plan. He made quick work of pulling out the bag that he had in his pocket. He had purchased high-end mini cameras that he would be able to hide and also control from the app. If he wanted to zoom in he would be able to. He quickly hid one in her shower higher up so he could see her chest and one lower so it would be at the perfect height for her private areas. He then went out and added three within her bedroom, one at the foot of her bed so he would be able to see her masturbating. With that done, he did a quick check on his phone to make sure they were all working. He was pleased to see they were. He put his phone back before he went over to her dirty laundry hamper. He opened it and searched through it until he found what he was looking for. A red lace thong. Ash brought it up to his nose and breathed in deep.

"Fuck you smell so sweet." Ash said, loving the intoxicated scent of Emma's private area.

He placed it into the ziplock bag to seal in her smell for him to enjoy later. He put that away in his jacket pocket and zipped up the pocket to keep it hidden. He then made his way out of the room and headed back outside, no one being the wiser of what he had just done. They all mingled for the next little while before dinner was finished at five. Sonny has done it on purpose so Clay would be able to eat with all of them. They all made their way to the table and sat down. Clay had his tablet once again, but he also had a notebook with him. Emma sat to the right of Clay with Sonny on his left. Adam was across from him so he could watch Clay and see how he reacted to everyone and to see what he would eat. So far the only thing he's seen Clay eat are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Alana placed a plate down in front of Clay that held his favorite food on it.

"Thank-you." Clay said with a warm smile.

"You are welcome Sweetie." Alana said with a warm smile before she went and sat down next to Jason.

"Hey Clay, do you want some celery?" Adam asked, trying to see if he could get Clay to eat anything else. He couldn't survive off PB&J forever.

Clay wrinkled up his nose and shook his head. Everyone gave a small chuckle to that.

"I don't blame you." Sonny agreed.

"Don't like the taste?" Adam asked.

"It feels funny." Clay said, before he took a bite of his sandwich.

"In your hand?" Naima asked.

"On my tongue. It feels like hair."

"Oh, I can see that. It can be pretty stringy. So we know your favorite food is PB&J sandwiches. What's your second favorite?" Adam asked.

"Frosted Flakes." Clay easily said.

"Do you eat that for breakfast?" Adam asked back.

"Every morning." Clay said with a nod.

"He's particular about food." Ash interjected.

He was really getting sick of Adam putting his nose into things where it doesn't belong. He wasn't on the team, he shouldn't even be here for any of this. He thought he would be rid of him once Green Team finished and now it seemed like he was going to be stuck with him for a while yet. It was just another reason why he needed to get rid of Clay once and for all.

"A lot of kids are." Victoria said with a warm smile. She wasn't sure why her husband seemed to be so fascinated with Clay. Yes, he was a very interesting little boy, one her husband seemed to mention at least once a day. He had been worried with not seeing Clay since the beach.

"How is school going Emma?" Ash asked, looking to get the attention off from Clay. At the same time he was very interested in learning more about Emma.

"It's going good. We are nearing the end of the semester soon. It's next month and then summer time." Emma answered with a big smile.

"I cannot wait for this school year to be over, but I'm not looking forward to exams." Hannah added.

"What grade are you in?" Ash asked.

"We're in grade ten. Hannah is fifteen and I turned sixteen just before you joined the team."

"But I'll be sixteen soon and getting my learner's permit." Hannah said with a big smile to her parents.

"And that would depend on how well you do on your exams. Driving is a privilege Hannah, we've talked about that." Adam instantly said.

He knew Hannah wanted to learn how to drive, he couldn't blame her. That is what every sixteen year old wants, but he also didn't want her to be one of those drivers that didn't pay attention, drove drunk or got into an accident all because she wasn't taking it seriously.

"Do you drive Emma?" Ash asked.

"Dad has been teaching me when he's been home."

"That must be an experience. You're not scaring her to death are ya Boss?" Ash asked with a playful smirk.

"Defensive driving is important." Jason simply said with a small shrug.

"Mom also teaches me when he's spun up." Emma said with a smirk to Ash, causing Ash to laugh.

"Smart girl. Though, knowing some basic defensive driving is important. There are a lot of idiots on the road, you can't trust that they will do everything right. You can guarantee they won't." Ash commented.

"And you just remember to write down those idiot's license plate numbers and give em to Uncle Sonny to take care of." Sonny said in a deadly protective tone.

Emma and Hannah both rolled their eyes to that. Their uncles were fiercely protective of them. It seemed like the older they got, the worse it got. They weren't little kids anymore, they could take care of themselves. They didn't need all of the added protection from a bunch of Navy Seals. It was why she would sneak out to parties and why she had a fake ID. She needed some freedom in her life that didn't revolve around the hawk eyes of her dad's team. They spent the next hour just talking and eating. Once they finished they had cleaned up. Clay was able to sit with them without the headphones on, but he still had his tablet going on low. They heard it was still in Spanish and Clay seemed to be writing in a very old looking notebook.

"What are you writing there Kiddo?" Ray asked.

"The words." Clay simply said.

"The words from where?" Trent asked this time.

Clay gave a small huff before he paused the show. The guys couldn't help the snicker, they had obviously interrupted something important to Clay. "I have the closed caption on the videos so I can read the words and learn as they talk. I write them down so I remember how to spell them. Then I use them in my own sentences."

"Wow, that's impressive Clay. What have you learnt since the last time we spoke? Has estado practicando hablarlo?" (Have you been practicing speaking it?) Adam asked.

Clay smiled before he spoke. "He estado intentando hablar más. Pero realmente no tengo a nadie con quien hablar en español." (I have been trying to speak it more. But I don't really have anyone to talk to in Spanish.)

"Bueno, siempre puedes hablar conmigo. Estoy feliz de poder enseñarte más español. Hay un área en la que estás atascado?" (Well you can always talk to me. I am happy to teach you more Spanish. Is there an area you are stuck on?)

"Algo así como. No siempre sé dónde van las marcas divertidas en una letra." (Sort of. I don't always know where the funny marks go on a letter.)

Adam gave a nod as he spoke. "Sí, eso puede resultar muy confuso. Es mejor tener a alguien allí que pueda ayudarlo. Me encantaría enseñarte." (Yes, that can be very confusing. It is best to have someone there that can help you with it. I would be happy to teach you.)

"Ok, now I'm feeling stupid. The six year old knows more spanish than all of us." Sonny said, cutting the conversation off.

Everyone laughed at that. It was true, but it was also really cool how Clay could speak Spanish at his age. It just goes to show that he was a very bright little boy that needed a proper education. Adam wasn't sure if his tutor was the only one helping him learn or if Clay's love for his tablet was because it taught him anything he wanted to learn. Clay went back to writing the words from the show, no longer interested in having a conversation. Everyone started to talk amongst themselves, enjoying each other's company. It was Trent that noticed the slight difference in Clay. He was writing, but suddenly stopped and stared off into space. Trent waited to see if maybe Clay was thinking, but once his eyes started to blink rapidly and his eyes rolled, Trent instantly sprung into action.

"Sonny, catch Clay."

The urgent tone to Trent's voice instantly had everyone, minus Ash, on edge. Sonny looked at Clay and quickly reached out and caught Clay as he fell back. He managed to catch Clay before he would hit the ground. Sonny did his best to hold onto Clay as his whole body shook from the seizure. Trent and Naima were instantly at Clay's side.

"Grab a pillow." Trent said.

Brock quickly grabbed one of the pillows off the outdoor couch and placed it under Clay's head.

"Ok Sonny let him go." Naima said, as her and Trent were ready to hold onto Clay gently so he couldn't hit his head, but they also wouldn't be restraining him.

Sonny let his hands go as Jason spoke. "Trent?"

"Ash, where's his spray?" Trent asked.

"He doesn't have one. He takes a pill in the morning."

"He doesn't have a rescue treatment?" Naima asked, shocked that a doctor wouldn't have given them one. Clay was the perfect age for a rescue treatment nasal spray. It would stop the seizure and protect Clay from any potential injuries or problems with his brain.

"No." Ash said with a bit of an edge to his voice.

"You need a new fucking doctor." Trent said, not impressed at all.

"He gonna be ok?" Jason asked, Trent.

"He'll be ok. Once it stops he'll be tired and just need to lay down for a bit." Trent said with a tight voice.

"How long is this supposed to go on for?" Adam asked this time around. His heart was in his throat as he could do nothing but stand there and watch as Clay's little body shook.

"Should stop in a few moments. If he had the nasal spray it would have already stopped. That's why it's important for children especially to have one. It stops it almost instantly and drastically reduces the recovery time." Naima answered.

It was another intense thirty second before Clay's little body slowly stopped shaking. Clay's eyes slowly opened and he gave a groan and it was clear he didn't enjoy the seizures at all. Not that anyone could blame him. It would be scary for an adult to wake up after a seizure, for a six year old, it had to be terrifying no matter how many times he's had to go through this.

"It's ok Kiddo, you're safe." Adam instantly said.

"Clay, can you tell me what day it is?" Trent asked gently.

"Saturday." Clay said in a small voice.

"Good, do you remember my name?" Trent asked, pleased with Clay's answer.

"Uncle Trent."

"That's right. How about we get you up and laying down on the couch?" Trent said. It would be better for Clay to be resting right now.

Clay gave a small nod and went to get up, but Trent stopped him. "I'm gonna pick you up ok?"

Clay seemed really uncertain about that, but gave a small nod. Trent carefully picked Clay up bridal style in his arms and they headed inside, the rest of the group following just behind them. Trent went and placed Clay down on the couch while Emma headed off to her bedroom for a moment.

"Do you feel dizzy?" Trent asked Clay as he bent down.

"No." Clay said softly, as his eyes started to drift closed.

"Just tired?" Trent asked next.

Clay gave a small hum in response just as Emma came back with a book in her hand. "Hey Little Man, would it be ok if I sat with you and read you a book? It's about wizards."

Clay opened his eyes as he spoke. "Wizards?"

Everyone smiled at that, Clay was suddenly very interested in keeping his eyes open now. "It's called Harry Potter, there's wizards and a school for magic that is this huge castle." Emma said with a bright smile, as she moved over to sit down on the couch by Clay's head.

Trent moved back to give them some room as he spoke. "We'll be right outside if you need anything, ok Clay?"

"Ok." Clay said, completely distracted as he was looking at the book in Emma's hands.

Everyone made their way back outside and once again everyone moved away to leave the men on Bravo to discuss what happened. Everyone had noticed that Ash, who was supposed to be Clay's father, didn't run over to his son's side while he was having a seizure.

"Are you ok brother?" Ray asked Ash.

"I'm fine, why?" Ash asked, confused by why they would be asking him that.

"Because your kid just had a seizure." Sonny supplied.

"A seizure that he's been getting since he was three. This isn't anything new to me or to him."

"You weren't by his side, you didn't ask if he's ok." Adam started, but Ash cut him off.

"Because everyone else was there by him. And I don't need to ask, I already know. I've been doing this for three years with him. He's been doing this for three years. He knows what he needs to do and he does it. This isn't anything new to us." Ash said with a shrug.

Ash knew he should have done more, he should have acted like a caring and loving father. The problem was though, he couldn't bring himself to put on the show today. It was exhausting having to act like he loved Clay and was a proud single father. He just wanted to have his own life. He needed to get rid of Clay and he needed to do it now. Before any more could be said all of their phones were going off and they knew what that meant. The guys didn't even need to look at their phones before they were moving. Everyone who had a girlfriend or wife here went over to them to let them know.

"Ash, I can take Clay home shortly. Give him the chance to recover from the seizure." Adam offered.

"Ah, ya ok. I'll call the babysitter and have her meet you out front, just text me when you are on your way." Ash said. He wasn't happy about that. He wanted to just take the brat home and drop him off. Now he was going to have to hire some sitter to stand there and take Clay into the apartment and then leave. The problem was, he had no valid reason why Adam couldn't bring Clay home. It made sense and would be the fatherly thing to do.

Adam gave a nod and Ash headed inside to say goodbye to Clay. He had no interest in doing it, but it would allow him to look at Emma one more time before he had to leave.

"Daddy has to go to work." Ash said, but he imagined he was saying that to Emma. What he wouldn't give to hear her call him Daddy.

"Ok." Clay said, completely confused as to why Ash was telling him. Normally he just left and Clay knew he was gone for work when he didn't come back that day.

"Uncle Adam is going to take you home. Your babysitter will meet you out front."

"Ok." Clay said again.

Ash turned his full attention over to Emma. "Thank-you for what you did for him. You're a sweet girl."

"It's no problem at all. Be safe out there." Emma said with a friendly smile.

"Always." Ash said with his award winning smile.

Ash made his way out of the house with some of the other guys. They were getting spun up again, but Ash didn't care. Every time he got to go on a mission was just more time he was getting to spend away from his worthless son. He would go on this mission and then when he got back he would make sure Clay was out of his life for good.