Emma looked in her bathroom mirror as she put the finishing touches on her outfit. She was wearing a deep red mini dress and three-inch heels, her hair slightly curled with light makeup. She smiled as she remembered her conversation with Clay this morning.
FLASHBACK
"Hey, Emma."
"Hi, what's up?"
"I made it. I'm on Bravo."
"Yay! Congratulations! I guess this means that we'll be seeing each other more often."
"That may be the best part. Why don't we get together and celebrate?"
"Sure, when?"
"Tonight?"
"Absolutely. Can't wait."
"1800?"
"Sounds great. Where are we going?"
"Does it matter?"
"Well, I do need to know what to wear."
"Something nice. I'm taking you out to dinner, a real dinner."
"Really?"
"Yeah, you could give me some advice on how to survive the team."
"I'll see you tonight at 6?"
"Sure, do you want to meet at the restaurant?"
"Why don't you come and pick me up?"
"Yeah…okay. Send your address."
END FLASHBACK
She bounded down the stairs and saw that her dad had just walked in the door. He looked up and noticed that she was dressed as if she had a date.
"You look nice. Date?"
"No, I'm going out with Clay to celebrate. I'm glad that you decided to draft him."
"You're going out with Spenser?"
"Yes, he and I are friends. His best friend died a few weeks ago and he doesn't know anyone on Bravo."
"Are you sure there isn't anything going on with you and Spenser?" He asked skeptically.
Emma rolled her eyes, "Daddy, I told you that the only thing going on between Clay and I is a friendship."
"If you're sure." Jason didn't seem convinced as he took in her outfit.
"He's taking me to a nice restaurant. Somewhere it isn't too crowded so that I can prepare him for you guys."
"As long as he doesn't get fresh."
"Get fresh? What is this a 90s sitcom?"
Before Jason could say anything else, there was a knock at the door.
"That's Clay, behave." Emma gave her father a stern look, which was received with a mock salute.
Emma opened the door to Clay who was decked out in a button up, suit jacket and dress pants. A small smile spread across his face at the sight of her.
"Wow, Emma, you look great," He took in her appearance before shifting his gaze over her shoulder to where Jason was standing, glaring at him. "Master Chief Hayes."
"Spenser." Jason greeted in a disapproving manner. Emma turned to her father and locked eyes with him, glaring. Jason wilted slightly, something Clay never thought he'd bear witness to, then moved his gaze back to Clay and added in a more pleasant tone, "Nice suit."
Clay watched the silent interaction between father and daughter with interest before Emma said her goodbyes and closed the door behind her.
"Never seen Jason Hayes fold that easily, you must have a gift." Clay placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her to his Nova.
"Oh, I can make any operator tremble in fear. Just a heads up, Mr. Spenser." She sent him a teasing smile.
"I'll keep that in mind," He smirked, opening the door for her to climb in.
"So where are we going?" Emma asked as Clay began backing out of the driveway.
"A place down by the beach called Zoe's. You ever been?"
"Never."
"Well, it has great food and it will give us privacy to talk without it being too loud."
"Sounds great."
With that, Clay drove to Zoe's and they were seated fairly quickly. He had made a reservation and asked for them to be seated in a corner away from the main dining area. They sat in a round booth near the secondary exit, with Clay in a position where he could still survey the rest of the room. Emma chuckled lightly, remembering all the times that her father and her uncles would do the same thing. She slid into the booth beside him and they waited patiently for their waitress.
"So, are you excited?" Emma glanced at Clay before returning to her menu.
"Yeah, I'm happy but nervous too. Even though I've made the team I know there's still some hurdles with all of the animosity towards my dad. Which I get, but some members of Bravo are having a harder time with it than others."
"Mainly my dad and Uncle Sonny." Emma gave him a knowing look.
"I forgot that you know Bravo better than I do." He responded with an awkward smile.
"It'll take some time to get used to."
The waitress came over and took their drink and food orders before leaving them alone once again.
"So, tell me about my new teammates."
Emma spent the entire time telling Clay about everyone on Bravo. From Commander Blackburn to the team's much loved hair missile, Cerberus. By the time they left the restaurant, Clay thought he had a well-rounded view of Bravo. Commander Blackburn was the stern one. Jason was the boss. Ray was optimistic yet rational. Sonny was the hotheaded clown. Trent was the serious one. Brock was the quiet one. Mandy and Lisa were the ones with all the information.
Clay led her to his car and opened her door before walking around to the other side. He climbed in, turned on the ignition, and began pulling out of the parking lot when he suddenly remembered what Jason had told him.
"Do you mind if we make a stop at the store? I need to get beer for Bravo tomorrow."
"No problem."
He pulled into a deserted grocery store parking lot and they made their way inside. Clay stood in the middle of the aisle, eyeing the vast selection of alcohol before deciding to reach for the most expensive beer. Craft.
"Oh, no, no, no, no. That is a bad idea. Bravo will eat you alive."
"Why?"
"Because Bravo doesn't do craft or imported beer. They like domestic." She waved her hand towards the section containing choices like Coors, Miller Lite and Budweiser, her dad and Uncles' preferred beverage. Grateful, Clay nodded and grabbed two cases before moving towards the cash register and walking out of the store.
Clay pulled into Emma's driveway and turned off the car before getting out and walking around to her side.
"This wasn't a date. You don't have to be so chivalrous."
"I'm just being a perfect gentleman. I don't want Jason to hold it against me if you fell down your stairs after I brought you home."
They walked to the door and said their goodbyes before Emma entered the house and saw her father staring out the window of her mother's office.
"Really, daddy?" She exclaimed, exasperated.
"Just making sure nothing is going on."
"Do you not trust me? Because I'm absolutely sure I told you there was nothing going on between us."
"I trust you, it's Spenser I don't trust."
"So what? You trust him enough to put your life in his hands every day but you don't trust him to hang out with your daughter as her friend?" Emma crossed her arms as she waited for his response.
"I know how men think. We can't be just friends with any woman."
"Really? What about you and Mandy? You and Aunt Lisa? Aunt Lisa and Uncle Sonny?"
"That's different."
"Not really."
"All I'm saying is that you're an impressionable young woman, a teenager, and you need to be careful. I don't want you to get hurt."
"I can make my own decisions. Clay and I are just friends. IF it moves towards something other than friendship, you'll be the first to know. Clay's a good guy, dad, you just have to give him a chance." With that, Emma turned and walked up the stairs.
Clay&Emma-Clay&Emma
Clay walked into his apartment after his celebratory dinner with Emma, ecstatic about joining Bravo. He had spent the day thinking about what Adam, Brian, and Emma had told him about what DEVGRU teams mean to each other. He wondered if the team would be as receptive towards him considering his unfortunate connection to someone with the label of PNG. Trying to not dwell on thoughts of Ash, his mind went back to Emma and he smiled. She was like a breath of fresh air in the middle of everything he's gone through the past few months. Even longer than that if he's being totally honest.
He thought back to their evening together as he started changing for bed. Clay would happily spend the day with her anytime. Her smile, her laugh. How easy it was to talk to her, connecting so effortlessly.
Climbing into bed, he pulled out his phone to text her when he noticed that he had missed messages from the LetsChat app.
"Hey, how are you today? You mentioned something about waiting to see if you were going to be promoted?"
"It's been a great day! And yes, I did get my promotion!"
"Wow, congratulations! How do you feel?"
Clay actually took a moment to think about how he felt before responding. "Like I'm floating. I've been working towards this for so long, it seems a bit surreal. It's everything I've ever wanted."
"I'm so happy for you! Having everything you want isn't something everyone gets to say."
Reading the message made him pause and really think about his life. Yes, he had always wanted to be a SEAL. He had always wanted to be DEVGRU. Professionally, Clay is exactly where he's always wanted to be. But outside of that it still feels like something is missing.
"Well, not exactly everything."
"What's missing?"
He looked around his silent bedroom. The cold, empty spot next to him.
"Someone to share it all with."
"Doesn't seem like that's too hard to do."
He gave a wry chuckle and thought about everything a woman would have to give up to be with him. "Well, in my line of work it is."
"Really?"
He knew that he would never be able to convey his life to her over the phone. "Yeah, but we agreed to not give any personal information out."
"Ok, you tell me why it's hard in your line of work to have a relationship and I'll tell you something about me."
He thought about it for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. Clay really did want to get to know this woman and he didn't see the harm in giving a broad answer. "I'm in the military."
"Ah, I understand. I kind of figured that by what you mentioned in our previous discussions. My father is military too."
A sense of relief washed over him at her answer. With a father in the military she must have some understanding of how difficult a relationship with him would be. "So you know that it's hard to have a real relationship with someone, especially when you're gone more than you're at home."
"Yeah, it's hard. But if you really love someone, you can make it work."
"Would you date someone in the military? After watching what your parents have gone through together."
"Yes, if I found someone."
Clay felt a little tug at his heart when he read the message. But this felt like it was entering territory that he wasn't ready to analyze. Thinking quickly, he decided to change the subject. "What do you do for fun?"
"I sing. What about you?"
"Go to a bar."
"You are such a guy! Is there anything other than drinking with buddies for you?"
He chuckled at the response and nodded in agreement. "I like movies."
"Let me guess: action movies."
He laughed again before replying sarcastically, "How did you know?"
"Ha, ha. Lucky guess. But surprisingly, I love action movies as well. There isn't a way for me not to, my father and uncles are basically real-life Jason Bournes."
Clay thought about the men that he would call his brothers after reading what she had written. "They sound like good men."
"The best."
"What's your favorite place in the entire world?"
"The beach. It's calming and I love watching the waves roll."
He smiled, they were alike in many ways. "I love the water, I could basically live in it if I had to."
"I assume that you're in the US military, are you stationed in the United States or overseas?"
He thought about how to answer it. What harm could it do? "United States. Virginia actually. What about you?"
"My dad is stationed in Virginia as well. What are the odds?"
"One in a million 😉." So we live in the same state? Clay thought as he wondered where but didn't want to ask, fearing she would think he was being a stalker.
"As lovely as this has been, I have class in the morning so goodnight and good luck with your new job!"
"Thanks, goodnight."
Clay&Emma-Clay&Emma
Emma walked into her bedroom with a smile. She had a great time with Clay tonight. As she took off her heels she remembered her previous conversation with RealDealSEAL about him possibly getting a promotion and wondered if he had received any word on that. Picking up her phone, she opened the app to shoot him a message. "Hey, how are you today? You mentioned something about waiting to see if you were going to be promoted?"
She noticed that he was not online so she decided to get ready for bed before checking her phone again. After she had changed from her dress into her sleep shorts and tank top, she grabbed her phone and climbed into her bed. She saw that there was a message.
"It's been a great day! And yes, I did get my promotion!"
"Wow, congratulations! How do you feel?"
"Like I'm floating. I've been working towards this for so long, it seems a bit surreal. It's everything I've ever wanted."
"I'm so happy for you! Having everything you want isn't something everyone gets to say."
"Well, not exactly everything."
Emma's brow furrowed at his response. She thought this promotion was everything he ever wanted. "What's missing?"
"Someone to share my life with."
She nodded in understanding. "Doesn't seem like that's too hard to do."
"Well, in my line of work it is."
"Really?"
"Yeah, but we agreed to not give any personal information out."
While she remembered the ground rules they set when they started talking, Emma couldn't resist asking why if only to satisfy her curiosity. "Ok, you tell me why it's hard in your line of work to have a relationship and I'll tell you something about me."
She held her breath as the screen remained unresponsive for a moment before an answer finally came.
"I'm in the military."
Emma once again nodded her head, not at all surprise that her assumption about his job turned out to be right. "Ah, I understand. I kind of figured that by what you mentioned in our previous discussions. My father is in the military too."
"So you know that it's hard to have a real relationship with someone, especially when you're gone more than you're at home."
"Yeah, it's hard. But if you really love someone, you can make it work." She thought about her mother and father and her Uncle Ray and Aunt Naima.
"Would you date someone in the military? After watching what your parents have gone through together."
She thought about that for a moment before answering, "Yes, if I found someone."
"What do you do for fun?"
She chuckled at the sudden subject change. He really did a complete 180 away from his love life. "I sing. What about you?"
"Go to a bar."
Emma rolled her eyes, "You are such a guy! Is there anything other than drinking with buddies for you?"
"I like movies."
"Let me guess, action movies."
"How did you know?"
"Ha, ha. Lucky guess. But surprisingly, I love action movies as well. There isn't a way for me not to, my father and uncles are basically real-life Jason Bournes."
"They sound like good men."
She smiled as she thought about the men in her life, "The best."
"What's your favorite place in the entire world?"
She thought momentarily before replying, "The beach. It's calming and I love watching the waves roll."
"I love the water, I could basically live in it if I had to."
"I assume that you're in the US military, are you stationed in the United States or overseas?"
"United States. Virginia actually. What about you?"
Emma smiled, he lives in Virginia! "My dad is stationed in Virginia as well. What are the odds?"
"One in a million 😉."
"As lovely as this has been, I have class in the morning so goodnight and good luck with your new job."
"Thanks, goodnight."
Clay&Emma-Clay&Emma
The next morning, Clay stood in the ops room waiting for Bravo to join him. He had the case of beer on the table and was pacing slightly. The door opened and in walked Jason, followed by Ray, Sonny, Trent, and Brock.
"Look who's here early!" Jason commented as he threw his notebook on the table.
"And he brought the right beer! How'd you know, rookie?" Sonny walked over to look at the case.
"A little birdy told me," Clay responded mysteriously with a smirk. He glanced at Jason, who did not look impressed.
Ray noticed the look that Jason gave Clay but decided to wait until they were alone to mention anything.
Clay moved to sit beside Jason, who stopped him. "End of the table, rookie." Jason's voice was aggressive making Ray even more confused about his actions.
Clay nodded before moving to sit behind Brock.
They went about their briefing with minimal input from Clay. The first time he tried to say something, Jason cut him off sharply. As they walked out of the room, Ray pulled Jason aside.
"What's going on brother? You were even harsher on Spenser than I thought you would be."
"Emma."
"What about Emma?"
"Clay and Emma are friends. Or at least they say they're just friends."
"You think Spenser's seeing Emma?"
"They went out last night to 'celebrate' his joining Bravo. How else would he know our favorite beer?"
"Maybe they are just friends. I don't see Emma lying about who she dates. And brother, you can't treat Clay like this just because you aren't happy about his relationship with Emma. He has good ideas, we need to listen to him." They stared at each other for a moment before moving towards the cage room.
Inside the cage room, Clay was becoming acquainted with his cage and Sonny walked over, "So, Claymation, you have a girl?"
"Um, no, not really. I mean I'm talking to someone but nothing concrete right now."
"So you're free to go clubbing with me?" Sonny leaned against Clay's cage.
"Well, actually, I was thinking about getting together with a friend of mine after this mission."
"A lady friend?"
Clay glanced at Jason, who had his back turned towards him as he dug through his cage, "Just a friend."
"Alright, let me know when you are free. Technically, you aren't a member of Bravo until you get christened by a lap dance."
"I'll keep that in mind."
With that, Clay turned around picking up his phone. He saw two messages. One from Emma and one from Songbird2000.
"Good luck today with Bravo, don't let my dad intimidate you too much. Oh, and don't let Uncle Sonny corrupt you on the first day. 😉 Dad said that you would be spinning up, let me know when you get back."
Clay smiled as he read Emma's message, "Thanks, I'll be sure to watch out for Jace and Sonny. I will let you know when we get back."
"Hey, good luck with your first day in your new job. I hope everything works out."
Another smile came to him as he read the simple message from Songbird2000, "Thank you, you have no idea how much I appreciate that. Talk to you when I can."
He was brought back to the team room by Jason, "Alright, boys. Let's get suited up. We have a Russian scientist and his wife to save from the Chinese and the Russians."
Clay&Emma-Clay&Emma
The mission went FUBAR. Clay didn't know how it happened but he was already in the woods with Jason Hayes.
"You should get some sleep, Spenser."
"I can go a day without sleep, boss."
"You need to sleep while you can."
"What if he tries to rabbit again while we sleep?" Clay acknowledges the unconscious man between them.
"He isn't going anywhere, trust me." Jason looked at Clay for a moment before continuing, "so… how did your celebration with Emma go last night?"
"It was fine, we had dinner, talked, and I brought her home."
"Maybe stopped at the grocery store?" Jason gave him a knowing look.
"Before you say anything, I didn't ask her what your favorite beer was. I was going to grab something completely different, but she pointed it out to me."
"I'm just making polite conversation, since we aren't getting any sleep. My daughter keeps preaching to me to give you a chance."
Clay smirked slightly, "She told me not to let you intimidate me."
Jason scoffed, "You know I was not happy about her jetting off with you to Bakersfield."
"Yeah, that's what I told Master Chief Seaver."
"You can call him Adam now, you aren't on Green Team anymore."
"Hard to believe."
"Heard you tell Sonny that you were talking to someone. Is it serious?"
"You know, when I thought about my first day on DEVGRU, I never thought that my team leader would be Dr. Phil."
"I'm just trying to make sure that my daughter isn't being jerked around."
"I'm not dating Emma. I'm not dating anyone at the moment. I am talking to someone but it hasn't moved towards a relationship."
"That someone, is it Emma?"
Clay was silent for a few moments and before he could say anything, they were interrupted. Once the mission was successfully completed and they were on the plane, Clay walked over to Jason who was secluded from the others and in the middle of paperwork. He sat down and took a deep breath.
"I'm going to be straight with you. I know that you don't like my father, okay. I don't really like him either. So, you don't have to worry about me being like him. But, I do like Emma. She's the only person I've had in my life other than my grandparents and Brian that actually care about me. But, I promise you, nothing has happened between us. I don't have anyone other than her and I wouldn't jeopardize that by making an unwarranted move on her. She's the most important person in my life and I'm not going to screw that up by doing anything that might hurt her."
Jason was quiet for a moment after he said his peace. Thinking that was the end of it, Clay stood up before stopping when his boss answered.
"That's not true, Spenser. You have us now. We are your family. I don't want you to forget that. I care about the men on my team, and that includes you. You're my responsibility now."
Clay watched Jason for a moment before shaking his head and moving to his hammock. He pulled his phone out and texted Emma.
"Hey, we're on the plane back home."
"Great! How did your first mission with Bravo go?"
"It was a little rocky but everything worked out."
"Good, so everyone is okay?"
"Yep, everyone is in one piece."
"Good, can't wait to see you guys."
"We should be home around noon, you got anything planned?"
"I have school until 3 but afterwards I'm free, why?"
"I was hoping we could get together when we get home."
"Yeah, let me know when you land and we can meet. I'll have Hannah drop me off."
"How about I just pick you up from school?"
"Okay, that's works."
"See you in a few."
With that, Clay fell deeper into the hammock and rested peacefully until the plane came to a stop on the tarmac. He grabbed his gear, followed Jason to the cage room, and dropped off his equipment before heading to his car with a small wave to his new brothers.
"Where's Spenser going in such a hurry?" Sonny questioned Jason, who was looking at the text Emma sent him. Clay's picking me up from school. We're going to spend the afternoon together. I'll be home before curfew. Jason took a deep breath before turning to Sonny and shrugging.
Clay&Emma-Clay&Emma
Clay pulled into the parking lot of Emma's school at 2:55. He sat patiently thinking about how close they had gotten over the last couple weeks. With him finally being on a DEVGRU team, he could look towards his future. He could see Emma in it, but also the mystery girl he had been talking to on the app. They didn't know much about each other, but he could tell that she was compassionate, sincere, and caring.
He was broken from his thoughts when he saw Emma practically skipping towards his car. He climbed out of the driver's side and walked to open her door. She went straight in his arms and wrapped him in a hug. He returned the embrace and sucked in a deep breath, I could get used to this.
"I'm so glad you're home safe." Emma smiled before climbing into the passenger seat.
"Me too. So, what do you want to do?"
"Can we hang out at your apartment?"
"Sure, how about we order in and watch a movie?"
"Sounds perfect."
They drove in silence to his apartment before Clay asked, "what does the rest of your week look like?"
"Well, mom and dad insist on throwing me an 18th birthday party so that will be Friday. You are invited, of course."
"Well, I wouldn't miss it for the world. What does the birthday girl want?"
Emma tilted her head as if she was pondering, "anything you get me will be fine."
"That doesn't really help me, you know."
"I'll love anything from you." They shared a smile as they drove to his apartment for a fun night together.
Clay&Emma-Clay&Emma
Emma and her best friends, Hannah Seaver and Cathy Porter bounded down the stairs wearing a white sundress and small wedges. She smiled as she entered the kitchen and was met with her uncles, mom, and dad sitting around the center island drinking beer.
"Hey, everyone!"
"There she is. Hello Moonbeam! Happy Birthday!"
"Thank you, Uncle Sonny." Emma kissed his cheek before moving to her other uncles and stopping at her dad. "Has Clay gotten here, yet?"
"How do you know Spenser, Em?" Brock leaned over the counter top to grab a cookie.
"Uncle Adam sent me to Bakersfield with Clay when his friend, Brian died during training." Emma shrugged her shoulders before turning to grab something from the fridge.
Sonny turned his head slowly to peer at Adam, who was leaning against the kitchen sink. "You sent a teenage girl across the country with a man she didn't know?"
"Jason okayed it." Adam pointed at Jason, who in turn raised his hands in the air.
"Emma said that she wanted to go and you know as well as I do that when Emma sets her mind to something, she does it."
"Besides, Uncle Sonny, nothing happened except us becoming friends."
"What kind of friends?"
"Just friends." Emma rolled her eyes and heard the doorbell ring.
She bounced over and opened it to reveal the man himself with flowers in one hand, chocolate in the other, and a smile on his face.
"Happy Birthday, Emmie!"
"Thank you! Clay the flowers are beautiful!" She took the flowers from him and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders before placing a small kiss on his cheek.
"I got you another gift."
"Clay, the flowers and chocolate were plenty."
"No, ma'am. Not on your 18th birthday." Emma led him into the kitchen and showed off her flowers to the guys.
"I'm going to put these in water."
"I'll help you grab a vase, Emmie Lou." Alana motioned for her daughter to follow her into the hall closet.
"Hannah, Cathy, this is Bravo's rookie, Clay Spenser." Adam introduced his daughter and niece to Clay.
"It's nice to meet you ladies." Clay shook their hands and they nodded before going to find Emma.
"So, Spenser, your first get together as a team member. Don't worry, we won't overwhelm you too much." Ray nudged him lightly.
"I appreciate that." As Clay was about to say something else, Emma grabbed his hand and pulled him with her.
"I'll show you around the house. You're going to be spending a lot of time here now."
She gave him a tour of the house, telling him where everything was so that he would feel more at home. The last room she showed him was her own.
"And, finally, this is my room." She waved him in and closed the door behind them.
"Seems like the stereotypical girl room." He looked around and noticed that she was leaning against the closed door.
"Exactly how many girls' bedrooms have you been in, Mr. Spenser?" She inquired comically with an arched brow.
"Should you really close your door with me in here?" Clay deflected the question, mostly because looking at her right now he couldn't think of any past girls.
"It's alright. I'll protect you if they say anything."
They spent a few minutes in her room talking about her book and movie collection before returning downstairs to eat and have time with their family. Everyone gave Emma their gifts before turning to Clay to see what he would come up with.
"So, I guess it's my turn." Clay pulled an envelope out of his jacket and handed it to Emma, who had planted herself beside him to open her gifts.
They guys looked skeptical at the envelope while Emma pulled a card out of the envelope and opened it.
"Ah! Wow! Clay, you have to come with me!" She wrapped her arms around him as she looked at the concert tickets he had given her.
"I'd love too, Em." Clay returned the hug and saw that everyone on Bravo except Jason, Ray, and Adam looked on skeptically.
Just friends.
Peeking out of the corner of his eye, Brock gave a quiet snort when he saw similar expressions of disbelief on Trent and Sonny's faces. Especially seeing the clear adoration in their rookies' eyes as he smiled down at the boss's daughter, which she clearly returned.
Yeah. Right.