Long Lost Son

by DianneRose2016

Sixteen years ago when Jason was captured in Africa the very last thing he expected was to find an eight-year-old boy that would become his son. Only his time as a father to that boy was short-lived when his new son was killed in a Rebel raid. Now sixteen years later, Jason is getting the chance he never thought he would have when that son walks back into his life.

A/N: Ok I wrote this before I watched Season 5 of Seal Team. So I wasn't sure how old everyone was or what age they were when they started Green Team. Now I know, but it's too late this story was already half-way written so go with it.

Summary: Sixteen years ago when Jason was captured in Africa the very last thing he expected was to find an eight-year old boy that would become his son. Only his time as a father to that boy was short lived when his new son was killed in a Rebel's raid. Now sixteen years later, Jason is getting the chance he never thought he would have when that son walks back into his life. Jason had dreamed of this moment, but he never expected it to go quite like this. He might have memories of those months that he spent with his son, but his son has no memories of him. Even worse, he doesn't seem to like him at all. How will Bravo cope with the return of Jason's long lost son from the dead? And how will they be able to heal a broken man that refuses to allow anyone to get close to him? There is a great deal more to Jason's son's story and the guys are all determined to find out what it is. Jason is not going to give up on his son, not while there is still breath within his body. He failed him once, he is not going to fail him again, even if that means he dies trying.

Story Warnings: Sexual scenes, gay sex, drug use, drinking, swearing, violence, flashbacks and nightmares, PTSD, mentions of child torture and abuse.

This is my early Christmas gift to you all! Happy holidays and please stay safe!

Prologue

Sixteen Years Ago…

Jason couldn't believe this was happening. He never expected to be in this position and now that he was, he didn't know what to do. Bravo had been given an operation within the heart of the rebels playground to help with gathering intel on the Rebel's leader. It was strictly an intel gathering operation and even though they knew it could be dangerous, none of them expected for anything like this to happen. Bravo had headed out to an area that was suspected to be a Rebel stronghold. Jason had been sent into an Overwatch position. Bravo didn't have a sniper and Jason had the longest shot out of the guys. Plus, he was still considered a rookie, even though they had picked up a new guy almost six months ago. It hadn't mattered to Jason, because he knew he had the best shot on the team. He might be Bravo Five, but he knew one day he would be Bravo One.

Jason still doesn't know how it all went to shit, but one second he was up on the ridge alone and the next he was being attacked by ten Rebels. He hadn't even had the opportunity to radio in for help when his world went dark. He knew the guys would be looking for him. Their new Commander, Commander Blackburn, he didn't come across as the type to leave a man behind to Jason. Plus, he knew the guys on Bravo wouldn't leave him either. They would be bringing him home one way or another. Jason wished he knew where here was though. When he had come to he was in a cell without any of his gear. Jason knew that the Rebels would know they had caught an American soldier, but with any luck they wouldn't know he was a Seal. Jason wasn't sure what they would do with him. He knew the Taliban loved having an American soldier, but the Rebels might not. He figured eventually he would find out.

SERE had prepared him for whatever could come his way. Jason was determined to get out of this alive. He had a beautiful wife and a beautiful baby girl to go home to. Emma was only a few months old and he couldn't wait to get back to see her. He hated having to leave for this operation, but Alana had said she would be fine. That they knew it was going to happen eventually. Still, it was hard to leave them both. Jason leaned against the wall of the cell. He could tell he was underground. There were no windows and the only way out that he saw was a set of stairs that lead up to the main level. Jason knew if he was able to escape he would have to go through that door without a weapon, something that could very well be suicide. He would be better off waiting for Bravo to storm in and break him out of here. Before he had much time to think about an escape he heard a door opening, followed by footsteps as someone came down the stairs. Jason was fully prepared to come face to face with a deadly Rebel. What he was not prepared for was seeing a white, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes boy that was maybe eight years old. He was truly not prepared to see the boy holding an AR-15 rifle. The rifle was almost as tall as he was and the boy was so thin he was surprised he could even hold onto it.

Jason might have been a new father, but he wouldn't have needed to be a father to feel the deep hurt that engulfed him at the sight of the boy. He was a soldier for the Rebels. They were most likely forcing him to be here. Jason knew that a great deal of the Rebels were children that had no choice, but to join them. Those that said no were killed. If you wanted to live, you had to join them. And when you were a child, you always did whatever it took to stay alive. Jason couldn't believe that he was standing here in front of an armed child. The boy didn't look good either. He was very thin and Jason could see the bruises all over his thin arms and legs, as well as his face. Jason also could have sworn he saw a faint bruise of a hand around his neck.

"Hey, I'm Jason, what's your name?" Jason knew that this kid was supposed to be a Rebel, but he couldn't bring himself to treat him like the enemy. He was just a kid trying to survive in a war zone.

"I haven't earned a name yet." He softly said, clearly worried about someone overhearing them.

It broke Jason's heart to hear that the boy didn't believe he had a name. He must have been born with one, but he either didn't remember it or he wasn't allowed to say it out loud. Jason had never wanted to kill someone so badly before in his life. Jason bent down so he was eye-level with the boy as he spoke.

"Well, I'd really like to not refer to you as kid or boy. So how about I call you Sunshine?"

"Why Sunshine?" He asked, confused.

"Your eyes are very blue, I bet when you get happy or excited they really shine, like the sun."

"What does happy feel like?" He asked, confused once again.

Jason honestly didn't know what to say to that. He had no idea how to explain happiness to someone. The fact that his boy didn't even know what it felt like at his age broke Jason's heart. This wasn't what a childhood was supposed to be like.

"Do you know that feeling when you eat something you really love? Like chocolate." Jason started.

"I've never had chocolate. The Bosses say it is very good, but I don't deserve it. I am only good enough for rice and moldy bread. Have you had chocolate?"

"Ya, I've had it. And your bosses are wrong, every child deserves to have chocolate." Jason said, as he fought to keep the hurt out of his voice.

He hated that this young boy had to go through all of this. He wanted to save him, but Jason knew that most likely wouldn't happen. It wasn't like he could bring the boy back to the States with him. He wasn't American. Legally Jason couldn't put him on the plane. He had seen plenty of children since he enlisted at eighteen, but none of them had ever pulled on his heartstrings like this boy. Maybe it was because this was the first kid he was seeing since Emma had been born. Or maybe it was because this boy didn't belong in this type of world. Whatever the reason, Jason found himself feeling guilty that he wouldn't be able to save him. To give him a real life in America.

Before anymore could be said, Jason heard arguing coming from upstairs, but no one came down. He had no idea what they were saying though because they were speaking one of the African languages.

"They are arguing over what you are. The one Boss thinks you are just a foot soldier and the other thinks you are with the National Guard to help protect one of the aid camps. They don't know you're a Seal."

That shocked Jason. There was no way this boy could know he was a Seal, that just wasn't possible. Jason kept his features in check so the boy couldn't try and pick up any hints of worry. This could easily be a trick and Jason was not going to fall for it.

"I'm not a Seal. What makes you say that?"

"The patch, I've seen it before at the missionary camp. Just once, you're not very common here. I won't tell them."

Jason was hoping that this boy wouldn't tell anyone, but at the same time, he wasn't going to hold it against him if he did. There was no telling what these Rebels have done to him. Jason wasn't going to save his own skin at the cost of a child being hurt.

"I would understand if you did. I don't want you being hurt just to keep me safe. I can handle myself. Where are your parents Sunshine?"

"Mommy is dead. I don't know about father. He sent me here with Granny and Grandpa when Mommy died, but I haven't seen him for two years. I'm glad I don't see him. He's really mean." The boy said sadly.

"I'm sorry about your mom and grandparents. And I'm sorry that your dad isn't a good man. Did the Rebels grab you when your grandparents were killed?" Jason asked, gently.

The boy just nodded his head and Jason could tell it was still a very sensitive subject. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt this boy more than he already was. Before anymore could be said someone was coming down the stairs. Jason's attention turned to the new invader and he saw that it was an older man. Around thirty and he wasn't carrying a gun. He was perfectly happy to have children killing people for him. Jason could see the anger within the man's eyes at seeing the boy down there with him. He raised his hand and punched the boy hard across the face. The punch was so powerful the boy landed on the ground.

"Hey, you wanna hit someone, why don't you come in here and see how you do against me." Jason growled.

The man didn't even acknowledge Jason as he spoke to the boy. "me kuke yi a nan?" (What are you doing down here?)

"Ina gani ko ya farka har yanzu Jagora." (I was seeing if he was awake yet Master.)

"Tashi sama, wasu mazan sun gundure. Lokaci naku ne don nishadantar da su marasa daraja." (Get upstairs, some of the men are bored. It is your turn to entertain them Worthless."

"Ya Jagora." (Yes Master.)

Jason had no idea what the hell they were saying, but he could see the fear running through the boy. Whatever was being said, it wasn't anything good. The boy got up and ran up the stairs.

"Where is he going?" Jason demanded.

"He is none of your concern. Tell me, what is a soldier like yourself doing in my area?"

"I have been assigned to help with security at an aid camp. I was just scoping out the area to make sure they were safe. I wasn't aware I was in anyone's area." Jason easily lied. This Rebel seemed to be operating on the premise that he was just another soldier. Jason was not about to correct him.

"You are in my area and soon I will decide what I will do with you." The man said, before he turned and headed back up the stairs.

Jason let out a sigh once the door closed. He hated that he was trapped down here, but he hated it more that he had no idea what was going to be happening to the boy upstairs. Jason knew that his team would be coming for him, but he had no idea how long that would be. He was going to have to try and survive and hopefully he would see the boy again and maybe get some information out of him. If he knew what the upper level looked like and how many people could be up there, he might be able to escape without too much trouble. Unfortunately, all he could do was wait for the boy to come back, assuming he did.

XXX

Jason had no idea how long it had been before the door was opening again. He immediately looked over to it to see if it would be the boy again. He was relieved to see that it was, but he was also instantly pissed. The boy was covered in more bruising and had some blood on him. What scared Jason though, was the dead look in his eyes. He just looked drained, like all of his energy and life had been sucked out of him.

"Hey Sunshine, you ok?" Jason asked, gently but he already knew the answer. This boy was far from ok.

"I'm fine Sir."

"You don't have to call me Sir Sunshine. And you're not fine. It's ok to not be fine. I can see you are hurt. I have medical training, maybe I could help you."

"Real men don't complain. They don't feel pain or talk about injuries. That's a weakness and real men are not supposed to be weak." The boy said in a dead tone and Jason could tell that had been beaten into him.

"That's not true Sunshine. Real men can be in pain, they can be hurt and be sick and tired. That's not a weakness, it's being human. We're all human and sometimes we need to talk to someone about what is bothering us. What is hurting us, because sometimes people can help make it better. They can help make it stop hurting."

Jason saw the boy's lip quiver for a moment before he locked his jaw and forced himself to stop. Jason hated seeing this eight year old boy forcing himself to be so brave and hard. He was only a child, he should be able to cry and be scared. The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a wrapped sandwich.

"I snuck this out for you. It's a Braaibroodjie, I think Americans call it grilled cheese, but it has onion and tomatoes in it." The boy said, as he held it out to Jason.

Jason gave him a warm smile, as he took the offered food. He unwrapped it and took half of it and held it out to the boy as he spoke. "You look like you need this more than I do."

"I haven't earned it." The boy said sadly.

"Trust me Sunshine, you've more than earned the right to eat."

Jason saw the boy debating on what he should be doing. He looked up to the closed door and Jason knew he was worried about someone coming down there. After a moment he slowly reached out and took the offered sandwich. Jason gave him a warm smile as he spoke.

"Tell me something Sunshine, what do you enjoy doing?"

Jason didn't want to just ask the boy what was going on upstairs and who was here. He didn't want to put him in that position, the boy had already been through a lot in his young life. He didn't deserve for Jason to be trying to pry information out of him that could result in him being hurt.

"I don't get to do anything that I'd like to do anymore. But before I used to read. I love to read and learn."

"Ya, what's your favorite thing to read or learn about?"

"Anything. I love history and math. And I love languages, I already know four, three African and English." The boy said proudly, but once again there was no smile.

"Wow, that's really impressive Sunshine. You must be very smart. I was never very good where languages were, but I am pretty decent with math and I love history too. Who taught you the languages?"

"My Grandpa, he knew a lot of languages."

"He sounds like he was a smart man too. You must get it from him." Jason said with a warm smile.

Speaking about his grandparents, Jason could see was upsetting the boy. He could see the pain that was within him. He was clearly still grieving the loss of his grandparents. He decided that it would be best to change the topic again.

"You know, I have a daughter. She is just a few months old."

"Aren't you scared you'll die?"

"Ya, I am. But I also know that if I stop doing this job a lot of other people could die. People I care about. People I've never even met before. Innocent and good people could die if I quit my job. It's hard, it's really hard, but I have to have faith in my own skills and in my team. There's a lot of trust involved, but the teams are a family. And I know if something should happen to me, that my little girl will have a lot of dads in her life. A lot of great men that will be there for her and make sure she grows up to be a strong woman. Knowing that helps take some of the fear away."

It hadn't been easy on Jason, but he did take comfort in knowing that Bravo and the other teams would all be there for Emma and Alana should the worst happen to him. They would make sure they were well taken care of and that Emma never felt like she was missing someone within her life.

"What are the teams like?"

"The teams, they're a family, a brotherhood. As long as you are in a team, you will never be alone. They will always have your back in and out of the field. If you are sick or feeling sad, they are there for you. You have family barbecues and spend your days off together. You all become this big family and it's amazing. It's one of the best feelings in the world." Jason answered honestly with a warm smile.

The boy couldn't help but think about how amazing that would be. He didn't really know what family was. He had his grandparents, but only for a short amount of time. He didn't even really know who his father was. He just remembered him being really mean and he would hit him at times. What Jason was describing sounded really good, but the boy knew that would never happen for him. He would never be free of this place. Talking could be heard once again from upstairs and Jason watched as the boy quickly ran up the stairs. He hated that he didn't know what was being said. Jason really wished he could have been able to get the hell out of here. He needed to speak with the kid again and see if he could tell him more about who was upstairs. If he could get out of this cage then he might be able to get outside and figure out where he was and a safe place to go. He knew he was supposed to wait for his team to rescue him, but he also knew that anything could happen to him while he was waiting. Not to mention there was no guarantee that he would be alive when the team did track him down. The best bet he had was to get out and try to figure out a way to contact his team. Now Jason just needed to figure out how to get out of this cage.

XXX

Jason wasn't sure how much time had passed before the door was opening and the boy was coming back down the stairs. The first thing that Jason could notice was that he seemed panicked. He had the gun in his hands still, but to Jason's surprise he also had a set of keys.

"What's going on Sunshine?" Jason was instantly asking.

"You don't have long. They all stepped out, but they will only be gone for a few minutes. The compound has twenty guards at all times, they patrol and watch the parameters. You only have a few minutes to get out the gate without the guards getting you." The boy said as he quickly unblocked the gate.

"Why are you doing this?" Jason couldn't help but ask.

"Because they are the bad guys and you're one of the good guys. I don't know where your stuff is. Take my gun." The boy said, as he held the gun out to Jason.

Jason took it and gave the boy a warm smile as the boy spoke again. "You have to shoot me."

"What?" Jason asked horrified.

"You don't have to kill me, just shoot me in the shoulder or the leg."

Jason couldn't believe this kid was asking him to do this. That this eight year old kid was standing there asking him to shoot him. It was insane and there was no way he was going to be shooting him. It wasn't happening.

"I'm not going to shoot you."

"You have to. When they find out you're gone they will blame me. If you don't shoot me they will think I willingly let you out, that I helped you escape. They'll torture me for weeks before they kill me. They've already done it to someone else. But if you shoot me, then I just failed at keeping you here and they'll kill me quick. Please, you have to shoot me." The boy said with tears filling his eyes as they started to roll down his cheeks.

Jason couldn't believe this was happening. This kid was begging him to shoot him. He was actually begging to be shot so he wouldn't be slowly tortured. Jason couldn't do this. He wasn't going to allow this kid to be tortured to death. He wasn't going to shoot this kid or allow him to be killed. He was just a little boy, he didn't deserve this. He deserved a better life and he was going to make sure he gave him the chance at a better life.

"I'm not shooting you Sunshine and I'm not leaving you here either. You're coming with me."

"What?" The boy asked, surprised and confused.

He couldn't figure out why Jason would want to take him with him. He wasn't anything special. He was just a boy, a worthless one at that. He had accepted that he would be killed, he accepted it a long time ago. He knew his place and he never forgot it. There was no reason for Jason to want to risk his life by taking him with him. The boy knew his life wasn't worth that risk. He just couldn't seem to understand why Jason hadn't just shot him already.

"You're coming with me. I'm not leaving you behind to be killed. Quick, up on my back." Jason said, as he bent down so the boy could climb on.

The boy didn't understand what was happening or why Jason was going to risk his own life just to help him, but he also knew they didn't have time for him to argue. He wrapped his thin little arms around Jason's neck as he climbed onto his back. Jason stood, as he placed his one hand underneath the boy as he spoke.

"Hang on tight, I'm going to have to run and use two hands for my gun."

"I will." The boy promised.

Jason moved his hand and got his gun up. He then slowly started to mark his way out of the basement. He reached the door at the top of the stairs and poked his head around and only once he was confident that they were alone did he start to make his way out.

"The gate is to the left, but they sometimes have guards on the roof, you have to be careful." The boy said.

"Ok, you keep your head down."

Jason started to make his way towards the compound's gate. He hugged the walls, trying to provide as much cover for himself and the boy from the slight overhang that the building roof's had. Things had been going well and when he was halfway to the gate shit hit the fan. Gunshots erupted all around them and Jason was instantly putting his back against the wall to make sure the boy was protected. Jason's heart was pounding against his chest and he thought for a second that this was how he was going to die. In a Rebel compound in some shitty African village. All of that changed though when Jason's mind was able to pick up two things; the first, there were multiple gunshots from different guns and the second, none of them were aimed at him. Bravo was here.

"Hang on tight, we gotta move. My team's here." Jason said to the boy before he started to run along the building walls.

He could feel the boy's grip tighten around him and Jason was just hoping he could get this kid out of here without any injuries. He saw his team off in the distance and Jason had to stop and take cover behind a beat up pickup truck as the gunshots increased. The firefight had alerted the attention of the others that had been out on a walkabout.

"Bravo Five, call out!" Bravo One, Guzman, yelled.

"Here!" Jason yelled back, as he poked his head out so the guys could see him.

Jason could see Guzman radio and he knew he was calling the others to inform them that he had been found. They began to cover fire and Jason took off at a run to be able to rejoin the rest of his team. He could instantly see the shock and confusion on their faces with him having a child with him,

"What's with the kid Bravo Five?" Guzman asked.

"He saved my life, I'm saving his." Jason simply said.

"Works for me. Everyone, move back to exfil." Guzman ordered.

"You keep your head low kid, don't worry we got ya." Bravo Two, Jackson, said.

Jason followed the others out of the gate and over to where their vehicles were left. The guys immediately took up cover fire as Jason got the boy safely into the back of the humvee.

"Stay low." Jason said, as he got in and the others started to jump in.

Jason and their newest rookie, Adam Seaver, started to take over cover fire from the back sliding window. It was only seconds later and they were out of there and leaving the Rebels behind in their dust. The second they were clear both Jason and Adam sat back and everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Everyone ok?" Guzman asked.

A series of good came out from everyone, but Guzman still turned to look at Jason and the boy. He didn't see any injuries on Jason, but the boy didn't look too good. He was covered in bruises, he was far too thin and his whole body was vibrating. Before he could even say anything Adam was already grabbing one of the blankets they keep just in case one of them is injured. He was handing it to Jason to wrap around the boy and Donaldson, their medic, was already scooting closer to take a look at the boy.

"Hayes, you sure you're good?" Guzman asked, looking for direct confirmation.

"I'm good Boss. They just knocked me out." Jason said, as he had wrapped the blanket around the boy and pulled him in for a hug.

"What about Baby Bravo?" Guzman asked Donaldson.

"Exhausted, malnourished, dehydrated and clearly injured. I don't feel anything broken though. He needs some TLC that's for sure."

"We'll take him back to the base with us and go from there." Guzman said.

"What happens to me now?" The boy asked, as he looked up at Jason.

"Do you have any family? Your parents?" Jason asked, because he honestly didn't know what was going to happen now to the poor boy.

"Mommy's dead, she died when I was three. Grandma and Grandpa said my Daddy died before I was born."

"Ok, where are your grandparents?" Jason asked next.

"They died when I was four. The Rebels invaded the aid camp where we lived. They killed the adults and took all of the kids. I'm the only one left alive now. I don't have any family, so where do I go now?" The boy asked, as tears started to fill his eyes.

"It's gonna be ok. We're gonna figure it out. I promise I will make sure you go someplace safe where the Rebels can't get you." Jason said with complete strength and determination to his voice.

He wasn't going to allow this poor boy to go through this horror any longer. He didn't have any family to protect him so that made him their responsibility and he was not going to let anyone tell him otherwise.

"You'll be ok kid. None of us are going to put you in a place where you'll be hurt again." Guzman confirmed.

"What's your name?" Adam asked with a warm smile.

The boy looked up at Jason before he looked around at the others. He was never allowed to tell anyone his real name. He was always supposed to be called Worthless until he proved himself, but with an encouraging nod from Jason the boy said his name for the first time since he was four.

"Clay, Clay Spenser."

Now that got everyone's attention. They all shared a look with each other and they could all tell what everyone was thinking.

"Sunshine, is your father's name Ash Spenser?" Jason asked.

"I don't know. Grandma and Grandpa would only tell me that he died before Mommy had me." Clay said with a small shrug.

"Here kiddo, you need to try and drink some water." Donaldson said, as he handed Clay a water bottle.

"I'll make the call when we get back." Guzman said,

They didn't know if this was Ash Spenser's kid or not. No one had heard of him having a child, but with him clearly not being African and the last name, it was better to be safe than sorry. His grandparents could have easily hated Ash and didn't want Clay anywhere around him for their own personal reasons. It wouldn't be the first time a parent tried to keep their child away from a military man. They didn't ask Clay any further questions. They wanted to get him to the base so he could properly be looked over and they would hopefully be able to figure out where to bring him. They were going to make sure he was safe, they knew that much.

When they finally arrived at their base location they all got out and Jason picked up Clay and carried him towards where they had a makeshift HAVCO. They were in a small village that was being used for the aid camp. There wasn't much room for them and they had been sleeping on cots underneath one of the tents. It wasn't a fun time, but they were making it work.

"It's good to have you back Bravo Five and I see you have brought a friend." Blackburn said, as he took in Clay.

"This is Clay. He got me out." Jason said warmly as he looked at Clay.

"Well hello Clay. Thank-you for saving my guy. My name is Eric." Blackburn said with a warm smile.

"Hi." Clay said, slightly shyly.

"Why don't I take the little man and get him looked at by a doctor. I can also get him cleaned up and we can find him some food." Adam suggested. He knew that Jason needed to be debriefed and Clay didn't need to be around for that.

Jason looked over at Clay and he could tell he wasn't certain about leaving him. Jason didn't want to let Clay out of his sight, but he did need to be looked over by a doctor and he desperately needed food into him. He also knew he had to tell the others what happened and Clay wouldn't be able to be around here for that.

"It's ok, he's my friend. He won't hurt you Sunshine. I am just going to talk to my boss real quick and then I will come find you. I promise."

Clay gave a small unsure nod, but Jason was taking it. Adam held his arms out and easily took Clay as he spoke. "Come on Kiddo, let's see what food we can find for you."

Jason watched as Adam took Clay off to get looked at. He really didn't like the idea of Clay being out of his sights. He wanted to know more about him and make sure he was going to be safe. Once Clay and Adam were gone into another tent Jason lost sight of them and he had to turn his attention back to his new Commander.

"What happened Jason?" Blackburn asked.

"I was on Overwatch when Rebels got the jump on me. I was knocked out and taken to one of their compounds. I woke up in a cell, unharmed. I don't know how long it was, but the first person I saw was Clay. He came down with the AR-15 in his hands. I tried to talk to him, to get his name, but he just said everyone called him Worthless. There was talking from upstairs and Clay had said they were trying to figure out who I was and what branch I was from. He said they thought I was just infantry. He said he knew that I was a Seal, that he had seen them before in the aid camp before the camp was attacked. The guy in charge came down and talked shit for a few minutes before he made Clay go upstairs. Clay came back a few hours later and he was beaten up and had a sandwich. He gave it to me and I gave him half. I tried to get more intel from him but he didn't know much. He ran back upstairs when the talking got loud again then he came back down with keys. He let me out of the cell and he told me where to go to get out and what to watch out for."

"I'm glad you weren't hurt and that you were able to get out. Now, I'm not saying you were wrong for bringing the boy back with you, but how did this happen?" Blackburn asked, because they weren't supposed to interfere with the locals like this. They were to work in the shadows and keep things professional. There had been plenty of times when he himself had found himself wanting to help local children. There had been some close calls where he wanted to save a child or help them, but they had to do their job and leave the rest to the locals. He knew Jason just had a child though and his parental side could be clouding his judgment.

"When he let me out he handed me his gun, then he told me to shoot him. This eight year old boy wanted me to shoot him in his shoulder or his leg because then they would kill him quickly for me breaking out. If I didn't they would torture him for weeks until he eventually died. I'm standing there with an AR-15 and this eight year old boy is crying and begging me to shoot him so it won't hurt when he dies. He saved my life and he did it knowing that he would be killed for it. That kid is a hero and he doesn't deserve to be trapped with those monsters. None of those kids do."

"Jesus fuck." Guzman said, disgusted.

Blackburn let out a deep breath to calm himself before he spoke. "What do we know about him?"

"His name is Clay Spenser. His mother died when he was three and he was sent here for his grandparents who worked in an aid camp. The camp was raided by the Rebels when he was four, killing the adults and taking the children. We asked if Ash Spenser was his father, but he said his grandparents told him his father died before he was born." Jason answered.

"I'm going to reach out back home and see if Spenser did have a child. It's possible Clay's grandparents didn't like him and wanted to keep him away. The kid doesn't have an accent, he's white with blonde hair and blue eyes, he could easily be American." Guzman said.

"Look into it and see. If he's American, I don't want to leave him behind. We'll have to get it Green Lit to bring him back with us. If he's Ash Spenser's son, then the Upper Brass won't have a problem with it." Blackburn said.

"I know this isn't our job, but I don't think we should be leaving. This Rebel faction, they are using young children as their soldiers. They are killing hundreds of people and taking the children to make more soldiers. If we leave, this Rebel faction will continue to slaughter and capture children. And I know this isn't what we're here for, I do, but I could argue that they captured a SEAL and there's no telling what they could do with that intel if they figured out I was a SEAL." Jason started.

"They are also in possession of American military equipment, including a radio. They could use it to get intel on anyone within the area using that channel." Guzman said with a small shrug.

Jason gave him a small appreciative smile. He knew that this wasn't what they were here for, but he couldn't just leave these people like this. He appreciated that Guzman was backing him on this. Guzman had kids and he knew what it was like to want to protect them. Children were supposed to be kept safe, they were supposed to be protected and allowed to have fun and not know that monsters existed.

"I can float it to the Upper Brass and see what they say. I can't make any promises though." Blackburn said.

"Hayes, go and get checked out by the doc and then see the kid. I'll make the call and see if Ash Spenser has a kid." Guzman ordered.

Jason just gave a nod and headed off. He didn't need to see the doctor, but he knew that is where Clay would be and he wanted to see him. He made sure to stop off at their supplies to grab something first. Jason walked into the tent to see one of the aid doctor's looking over Clay. He felt rage flooding his chest at the sight of all of the bruises and scars on him. This kid had clearly been through something horrible.

"Hey Sunshine, how are you feeling?" Jason asked, as he bent down so he was eye level with Clay.

"Ok." Clay said with a small shrug and Jason could tell he didn't like having his shirt off or being touched by a stranger.

"He'll be ok. He needs some food and rest and he'll start to feel better. Why don't you go grab a shower and I'll grab you some clean clothes." The doctor said with a warm smile.

"You go with Adam and I'll wait here for you. I have to get checked out as well. And when you get back, I have a surprise for you." Jason said with a warm smile.

Clay just gave a small nod and Jason could tell he was feeling unsure, not that Jason could blame him. His whole life had just changed and he had no idea what was going to be happening to him. Jason was hoping that he would be able to figure out a safe place for Clay to be if Ash wasn't his father. Jason watched as Adam got Clay off to get cleaned up. He watched them head off before he went and got himself checked out real quick by the doctor.

XXX

It was thirty minutes later when Clay came running towards Jason freshly cleaned and in new clothes. Jason gave him a warm smile as he scooped him up as he spoke.

"Hey Sunshine, you look much better now that you're clean. I can actually see your skin."

"The water could go hot." Clay said, amazed.

"It's a great thing. Let's get you some food. We gotta fatten you up." Jason said, as he took him over to where their mess tent was.

Once they arrived Jason saw that it was pretty quiet in here right now, which was good because he wanted to ease Clay into being around a lot of people. He got Clay sitting at a table before he went and grabbed him a sandwich and an apple along with some water before he joined him. Jason then pulled out a Hershey chocolate bar from his pocket as he spoke.

"I also have a surprise for you. This is chocolate." He said, as he unwrapped it and broke a piece off for Clay.

"Really?" Clay asked, surprised as Jason held out a piece of the chocolate bar to him.

He had never had chocolate before and he had been told he wasn't good enough for any type of reward. Clay wasn't really understanding why Jason was allowing him to have it. He hadn't done anything for it.

"Ya Sunshine. You can't eat the whole bar, it'll hurt your belly, but you have more than earned a treat." He answered warmly.

Clay was hesitant, but he did reach out and take the piece of chocolate from Jason's open hand. He brought it up to his nose and smelt it before he brought it over to his mouth and took a small nibble on it. He wasn't sure what it was going to taste like but the second the chocolate hit his tongue it felt like his taste buds exploded with joy. It was sweet, very sweet, but it tasted amazing. Clay took a real bite as Jason spoke.

"Look at that smile. You look good when you're happy."

"It's good." Clay said, as he ate another piece.

"I told you chocolate is amazing." Jason said with a warm smile.

Guzman walked over and joined them. He gave Clay a warm smile before he spoke to Jason. "He said no, doesn't have any children."

"Damn, well it was worth a shot." Jason had been hoping that Clay was Ash's son because then he would have a place to go. Now they were back to the drawing board.

"We'll figure it out. For now, rest up." Guzman said, before he patted Jason on the back of his shoulder blade and headed out.

"What happens to me now?" Clay asked, sadly. He knew that Jason and his boss were talking about the possibility of him having a father back in the States. He also knew that who they suspected was not his father, making him an orphan again.

"I don't know, but I will figure it out. Don't worry, I'm going to make sure you are safe." Jason said with a warm smile. He had no idea what he was going to do with Clay, but he was going to make sure he was safe. He knew he couldn't bring him back to Virginia Beach with him, because he wasn't an American citizen. That would take time and until Clay had paperwork there was nothing he could do. Jason was going to figure it out, no matter what.

XXX

It was five hours later when Jason and the rest of bravo made their way into the small command tent. Blackburn had called them all there to discuss something and Jason was hoping it would have something to do with the Rebels that had grabbed him.

"Thank-you gentleman, I know you all are tired and just want to rest. As you know Jason was grabbed by the Rebel fraction in the area. I have reported to Command and have discussed with them the severity of the situation down here. They have agreed that the Rebel fraction has grown too dangerous. On top of that, they need to ensure that Jason's identity within the Seals has not been compromised." Blackburn started.

"So we take them out?" Jason asked.

"It's more than that. It's looking like we are going to be having an extended stay here. We will be setting up in homes that have been abandoned and staying until we have eliminated the Rebels within the area. It is projected to take six months to do a complete overhaul."

"We're staying six months?" Adam asked, surprised.

"Roughly. Command wants to ensure that the Rebels within the area are dealt with and this area is free from them." Blackburn confirmed.

"What about Baby Bravo?" Donaldson asked.

"I ran his name, but nothing came up. No birth certificate for the States. I made a call to a buddy of mine who works as an immigration lawyer, specifically for parents looking to adopt children in another country. He says he can start the paperwork on getting Clay American citizenship status. It can take five to six months to come through and before it can be finalized he will need to have either adoptive parents or foster parents that will take legal custody of him. However, that can happen after the paperwork has already started. When we're done here, he should be able to come back with us."

"We can bring him home?" Jason asked, surprised that they would be able to take Clay back to the States with them. He thought for sure he would have had to fight to get Clay to be able to come back with him. He didn't know what he was going to do with him, but he owed Clay his life and he was not about to leave him here in an active war zone, not if he could help it. If nothing else he would have brought him back home and made sure he got great adoptive parents, assuming he couldn't take him himself.

"We can. The paperwork will be complete. Thanks to Clay you're safe. There's no telling what could have happened to you if he hadn't been there. He has no parents, no family, I am not about to leave an orphan in an active war zone where he could be captured all over again. He's more than earned the right to be in the States where he can be safe after everything he has done." Blackburn confirmed.

"He deserves the chance for a real life. Where will he stay while we are here?" Guzman asked.

"He can stay within the camp. We'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't get grabbed again." Blackburn confirmed.

"When will we be able to relocate to one of the houses? There's not much room around here." Guzman asked.

"By the end of the day we will have something set up. For now, everyone rest up. We will work on finding actionable intel for you." Blackburn ordered.

Jason gave a nod and headed off to get back to Clay. He couldn't believe that they were going to be able to stay here and continue to help this small village. He was also very happy that he would be able to bring Clay back to Virginia Beach with him. He had no idea if he would be able to foster and adopt Clay, he would have to talk to Alana about it. He knew this would be insane. They had an infant, who he was now going to miss six months of her life. It would be a lot to take on Clay, an eight-year old boy who had spent years with Rebels doing who knows what. He was going to be a lot of work and he would need a lot of love, but Jason was willing to take that on. He didn't want to risk Clay's safety or health with anyone else. He owed Clay his life and he wanted to make sure Clay had a life. Jason found Clay sitting off on his own with some medical book that he must have found in the tent. He went over and sat down next to Clay.

"That's a pretty big book for an eight-year old."

"There wasn't another book that I could find. I like reading. Grandma used to read to me all the time. She taught me."

"Do you like reading?"

"I love books. I've always loved reading. Grandma would read to me all the time. Whenever it got scary, she would read me one of her novels or textbooks that she could find. Reading makes everything better." Clay explained sadly.

"I'm sorry you lost them. I do have some good news though. We are going to be here for about six months helping to eliminate the Rebels within the area. When we get to go home, you get to come with us." Jason said with a warm smile.

"What?" Clay asked, confused. He thought he would be here in the aid camp for the rest of his childhood years.

"You are going to get to come back to Virginia Beach with me. I'm hoping you can stay with me. I'm not sure yet, I have to double check that it would be possible. But if it is, would you like that?"

"Yes, please." Clay said with a small warm smile.

"I'd like that too Sunshine. Why don't we find you a place where you can rest and I'll see if I can scrounge up a book that might be a bit more interesting than that one."

"This one could be interesting."

"It might be, but how about we find one with less latin for me to try and pronounce." Jason countered with a warm smile.

Clay gave a nod and Jason stood and held his hand out for Clay, who easily took it. Jason had no idea what the next six months were going to be like, but he was really hoping it went well and by the end of it Clay would be going home with him to his new family.

Six Months Later…

Explosions were going off all over the small village. Bravo had been in their command tent going over their next and hopefully final operation here to eradicate the Rebel fraction. For the past six months Jason had been spending all of his down time with Clay. He had grown to love him and they referred to themselves as father and son. Jason could still remember the weeks after he had discovered Clay, how amazing it felt to see this traumatized little boy laughing and smiling. Jason had waited three weeks before he called Alana on their computer so they could meet. She had instantly fallen in love with him and when Jason mentioned Clay getting to go to the States, she had ordered Jason to bring that boy home with him. She had even set up a room for him in their home. And now they were set to be returning when all hell broke loose. They had been receiving threats from the Rebels, but that was to be expected given the number of them they had killed and the children they had freed. All of the guys in Bravo knew it was only a matter of time before one of the main Rebel fractions came down to take them out. They were fully prepared for it though. What they weren't prepared for was for them to ambush the village they had called home for the past six months.

Jason and Adam were instantly taking off at a run to reach the house where the team had been living in, along with Clay. They had left him there, believing he would be safe like he was everytime they had to leave for Command. When they went on an operation they would have Clay in with Blackburn in HAVOC so they wouldn't have to worry about something happening to him. Clay was very well behaved and often he sat in the corner reading and ignoring everything going on around him. The kid could read and he loved it. He loved getting lost in the world within the book or the knowledge of a technical book. As Jason ran full blast through the dirt streets his heart was in his throat. He was praying that Clay would be ok, that his son would be ok. He was praying that he wouldn't lose him before he truly had the chance to raise him. Biologically or not, it didn't change that for Jason, Clay was his son and he loved him as deeply as he loved Emma. He couldn't lose him. They arrived at the house to see it completely engulfed in flames. Jason tried to run towards it, but Adam grabbed him, stopping him as he spoke.

"You can't, you'll die before you even make it through the door. It's gone, but he might not be in there. He might have gotten out when the explosions started. We'll find him."

Jason was praying to whoever was up there listening to him that his son wasn't in the house. That he was still alive. As badly as he wanted to run inside and make sure, he knew Adam was right. The whole house was on fire, there was no way he would make it through the door to even look. Gunshots started to go off and both Adam and Jason knew they had to go and help. There weren't enough of them in the village for them to be able to afford to lose two more operators. Jason had no choice but to go and join the front lines, but he was going to be looking for his son while he was and he was going to be coming back here. One way or another he was going to find his son.

XXX

It was six very long hours later when Jason and the rest of Bravo had finally been able to return to the house. They had managed to eliminate the Rebels that invaded the town and the locals were already making plans for evacuation to another safer area. Their job here was done, but it didn't feel like a win. They had managed to eliminate a good number of the Rebels, but they all knew it wouldn't take long before they were back up in numbers once again. They couldn't count this as a win, but they were hopeful that the people here they could have would have a better life ahead of them and that was good enough for them. They arrived at the house to see that it was completely burnt down. What little wood there was, it was completely black and laying in a pile that had once been their house. Everything within the house had been completely destroyed and there was no salvaging any of it. They had yet to find Clay and Jason's hopes of him being alive and safe had quickly dwindled down. Now he just had false hope that he had managed to escape and was grabbed by one of the adults within the aid camp to get him to safety. As badly as he didn't want to shift through the wreckage, he had to. He needed to make sure his son wasn't here.

The guys all carefully made their way through the wreckage, moving pieces as they went. They were all hoping to find nothing, that Clay was safe somewhere else. They had all grown attached to him and saw him as their nephew and the very last thing they wanted was to have to bury him. All of their hearts were in their throats as they fought with the fear and panic within their bodies.

"Over here." Gozman called out from his location in the wreckage. He was roughly where Clay's room had been.

The guys all went over to him and they looked down to see the body of a child. The body was completely black and nothing but bones. There in the child's open hand was a piece of metal that had managed to survive the extreme heat. Jason bent down and picked up the metal, wiping the ash and soot off of it to see it was one of his dog tags. He had given Clay his dog tags so he would always have something to remind him of himself while he was out on an operation. It was something he would be able to keep should the worst happen to him and now here he was holding it. The remains were of his son and he died all alone in what Jason had to assume horrific pain clutching one of his dog tags. Jason's mind couldn't help but think he must have been so scared. He must have been wondering and praying for his dad to come and save him. He had failed his son. He had lost his son and it was something he was never going to recover from.