Title: Journey to Homecoming Pt. 24/?
Author: Sheila
Category: Romance
Pairing: Clay/Sarah
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: As If
Spoilers: Up through 'Need to Know'
Summary: Clay and Sarah come together during an investigation
A/N: For Lynne: New Friend; Great Friend; Author Extrodinaire!
Clay's POV
September 26th
1545 Hours
CIA Headquarters
Langley, Virginia
"Damn." I slowly reached down to pick up the pen I had clumsily dropped; now I was woozy.
"Webb, pick up the pen and you're dead meat. Get on the sofa. How many times have you been told no bending over?" Yelled my assistant Lynne. She walked in from the door where she must have been standing. She helped me up right and hustled me over to the sofa that had been moved into my office. "You're only back to full days IF, you take it easy, and I get to decide what EASY is, CAPISCHE?"
"You're enjoying this way too much." I griped as she settled my slowly recovering body. She, like Victor, Bud and Sarah didn't let me overdue but certainly didn't coddle me.
"No, I'm not enjoying this one bit. You're absolutely no challenge; you tire too easily to fight back with any fire." She joked back. "Besides I'm too grateful to be back from steno-pool hell to give you too much lip. Give us both a few weeks and we'll be back in prime fighting form."
She sat at my desk and put her feet up and started going over information that had come in from analysts in our search for the "APEX". Neither Victor nor I believed that Faad had been the big player for al Queda in South America. We had taken out a major cell but not the group. Al Queda was like a Hydra, we kept on chopping off parts but we had to get the entire body, and the APEX was our goal. Victor had gone to Buenos Aires to set up a connection at a cattle ranchero where drugs and arms running were common. I was anxious to over his report.
"Hey, did you here anything I just said?" Lynne snapped her fingers to get my attention.
"Not really, I was thinking about Vic's operation and what he may have found out."
"Webbette, he's a big, bad Marine. If he pulled your ass out of Paraguay, he can make it back from Argentina."
"When's he due? And stop calling me that" I was unsuccessfully trying to focus on the papers in front of me.
"He should be here any moment. Arms too short?" She laughed at me and shook her head. She left for a minute and when she returned she tossed a pair of wire framed half glasses at my chest.
"Put them on, they'll help. I promise I won't tell anyone." There wasn't a smile or smirk anywhere on her face. She knew I would feel embarrassed to have to wear reading glasses at my age, and I knew I could always believe her promises. I put on the glasses and as usual she was right, I could see more clearly.
"I hate it when you are right." I groused at her.
"Don't worry; I'm giving up that job to Sarah. She now gets to be right all the time. You may now whine to me. I will be the sympathetic shoulder you can cry on until you find me the rich husband you promised me? Remember? You promised me that if you got married you would find me that husband right away. I'm waiting here!" She stood there tapping her foot and smiling at me like I was supposed to conjure up her dream millionaire instantaneously.
"What are you waiting for?" Victor said as he walked into the office. He was still dressed for the field and unshaved. Lynne yelped as he picked her up and swung her around in a hug.
"Put me down. I'm waiting for a rich husband. You are handsome, sweet, a gentleman, but alas, you are a spook and definitely not rich. Nope, not for me. I know I'm shallow but you love me anyway." She returned his hug and the two of them chattered like magpies for twenty minutes completely ignoring me. When they came up for air they acknowledged my presence and we got to work.
Lynne had been my assistant for several years and was not a SECRETARY, thank you very much. To get to me everyone went through her, hell it's the only way I got anything done. She did all of my paper work, which she used to blackmail me on a regular basis. Apparently no one else's assistant did the amount and type of paperwork. I have never checked this out, but it didn't really matter. She had no problem speaking her mind and I had to have her security clearance upgraded many times because I used her to bounce ideas off. She kept my schedule and knew where I was at all times even when I was on assignment. When I left for Paramaribo she was one of the few contacts that I had at the agency. The DCI in his infinite wisdom had consigned her to the secretarial pool but failed to remove her security clearances. She had managed to keep me informed and funneled pertinent information to me while hiding behind firewalls she had created.
She had met Sarah and Rabb during previous JAG/CIA operations and disliked Rabb and was indifferent about Sarah. After the Angelshark and my banishment she actively hated Rabb and thought that anyone that even remotely liked Rabb should be consigned to St. Elizabeth's. (St. Elizabeth's is huge psychiatric hospital in DC). When I informed her about my engagement to Sarah, she at first laughed in my face, she then sobered when she realized I was serious. She said that she would make an effort to like her for my sake.
When I disappeared into jungles of South America, she put aside her hesitations and tried to support Sarah as much as possible. She helped monitor the e-mails for Bud and Victor so they could get rest. Apparently they had taken shifts to monitor so everyone could get rest. She also helped my mother cancel the wedding arrangements and was in the process of getting it going again, but only much, much bigger.
We got down to business discussing the Argentinean op for close to an hour before I started to shift from the discomfort of lying in one position too long. Victor immediately noticed and wrapped everything up in a few minutes and asked me if I was ready to leave for the evening.
"Have you been doing your exercises?" Victor asked with a knowing smile.
"Like I have a chance not to. I have the assistant from Hell, the Marine JAG at home, the JAG LT. amputee, THE JAG and his wife, my cousin, two JAG Cmdrs, and a slew of other people taking turns making sure I've done my walks, strengthening exercises and swims. Other than that I've just been lying around on the sofa eating bon bons." Lynne's smile got very wide and her eyes twinkled with evil glee.
"Ah, getting a little cranky are we? How about a night off? I'll come over make dinner; only thing you've got to do is a few laps on the way home. Will that do?" He bargained.
"Sounds like a plan, but I was going to do it anyway. Bud and I have been meeting at the gym for laps in the evening. It's helping with the upper body strength without tiring me out so much. Sarah will definitely enjoy the meal. Lynne want to come over for dinner?"
"Thanks, but I've got a date. I'm not waiting for you to find me Mr. Right. I'm actively out there searching." She waved us out as she shut everything down.
After changing we walked into the pool area to find Bud already doing laps. When he paused we got his attention.
"Clay, tell me you didn't bring the Marquis de'Sade with you!" Bud exclaimed
Victor looked around as if to say 'who me' and burst into laughter.
"Come on Lt. get it in gear and give me ten!" He ordered with as much of a straight face as he could.
"Gunny, don't you need to get back to Quantico or something?" Bud fired back.
I ignored both of them and started doing laps; maybe if they got on each other Vic would ignore me.
"Clay, more arm, less leg." No such luck; I used more arm and less leg. I swam mindlessly until Vic stopped me by pulling my shoulders out of the water.
"Enough, you've been at it for forty minutes. Cool down now, or I'm going to have to carry you
out of here." I gave him a weary grin and started to slowly paddle about to cool down.
We were dressing when I finally decided to ask them a question that had been on my mind for months. It had had gotten stronger when I had become engaged and had reached a head when I had been tortured.
"Bud, Victor I'd like to discuss something with you before we head home. Let's go out to the deck and talk." They looked at each other and could tell I wanted to talk about something quite serious. The tables on the deck were deserted and we would have ample privacy.
"Bud, I've told you Vic and I are looking for the APEX of al Queda in South America. We've got some excellent leads and Vic and I believe that we should find him within a year. When we find him I'm leaving the Agency." They both gave me unsurprised looks and I smirked back at them.
"Since I fell in love with Sarah my priorities changed and I can't put myself in the constant danger anymore, and after Suriname I don't want to put up with the crap with DC politics. But that doesn't mean I want to get away from investigations and security. I plan to form a company that specializes in high end industrial espionage and security. Basically preventing a company's exposure to espionage. In addition the company would offer free lance services to the government. I want the two of you to be partners."
"Clay, I don't have anything to invest in such a company." Bud stated and Victor nodded in agreement."
"Ah, Bud, but you do. You have that magnificent mind. You have one of the greatest investigative minds that I know of and you are an excellent lawyer. Yes, I have money, that's a thing that I have to offer. And Vic, you have complimentary investigative and military skills. I think we'll make a great team. I've talked to Ramon and Jim and want them to join. It will take close to a year to get this incorporated the way it should, build up a client base, and a hundred other details. Lynne and I have been working on this for several weeks and we've gotten to a point where I felt could talk to you about it." I handed them each a CD.
"On the CD is a prospectus of the proposed company; a potential client list; and other details I want you to go over. Examine them, jot down questions. Bud discuss it with Harriet. Both of you show it to a corporate attorney. I want you to both be comfortable with this before we proceed with anything." I was figuratively holding my breath. No matter what, after the APEX was apprehended, I was leaving the Agency, but I wanted these two to go into business with me.
"Clay, after what we have been through together in the last months I'd follow you into hell and back, and since I don't have a wife to talk this over with, I'm in." Victor jumped with both feet.
"The Navy isn't going to let me advance much further than where I am now, and this is made for me. I want to talk this over with Harriet, but I'm in barring any objection from her."
"That's two in. Now I've got to talk this over with Sarah."
"You've haven't talked to Mac? Are you out of your mind?" Vic bent over in laughter.
"Now that I've talked to the two of you, I'm going to talk with her tonight. I believe she will be happy that I will be out of field operations in the near future. My latest foray practically killed me and almost emotionally destroyed her. I don't plan on ever doing that to her again." We continued talking for an hour about the proposed company. Both Bud and Vic asking pertinent details, that for the most part I could answer. I made notes for those I couldn't and would get Lynne on the case to find the answers.
We left the gym, Bud for his home, Vic and I for the grocery and finally home. Vic and dinner were greeted enthusiastically by Sarah. When we finished coffee Victor left wishing me luck. I had sent Sarah upstairs to soak in the tub and joined her shortly after locking up.
Sarah's POV
"Hmm, smells like lemons. Is someone planning on hot bunny sex tonight?" Clay asked as he entered the bathroom. I was covered in bubbles up to my chest as I was many nights.
"How did you guess, did you use your superior sleuthing skills?" I flirted as he undressed
"No the aroma of lemons was the give away. It's on the list of Webb approved aphrodisiacs." He deadpanned as he climbed in behind me.
"Sarah, Princess, I've got something to discuss with you." I stiffened slightly then relaxed in his arms. I didn't know what he was going to say, but I could tell he was nervous.
"What do you mean?" I turned to him with a worried look on my face.
"Hey, don't worry. It's a good thing," He soothed.
"Sarah, I'm going to leave the Company. I've had all of the political bullshit and infighting that I can stomach. Too many lost their lives because of that. I almost didn't survive to share what we have. I want to form an Investigation and Security agency and I've asked Victor, Bud, Ramon, and Jim to be partners. Bud, Jim and Ramon want to talk it over with the wives, but I'm sure that they will say yes. Victor agreed immediately, he said someone had to watch my ass. What do you think?" He asked. I almost collapsed in relief; he wasn't going on a mission. He continued to tell me various details of an obviously well thought out plan.
I could tell he sincerely wanted my opinion. I thought for several minutes while he continued to stroke every one of my erogenous zones. I finally spoke up.
"I think it's a great idea. Two techno weenies, two investigators with excellent instincts, Lynne to keep you all in line, and you to lead them will form a great team. What are you going to call this new partnership?" This should prove interesting.
"Ramon came up with the name and I thought it quite fitting. It's going to be SRU Investigations."
I could tell there was something behind the acronym, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what 'SRU' stood for. Clay was trying and failing to hold back laughter. Suddenly it came me.
"No, you couldn't. I know you and Ramon have warped senses of humor, but that?" Clay finally let go with the laughter.
My laughter faded as he began stroking my chest and I was too busy feeling the fingers squeezing my nipples. When his laughter had subsided to chuckle, he finally managed to confirm my answer.
"Yes, my love, we're going to name it 'Spys 'R Us' Investigations."
I managed to turn so I was floating facing him and we kissed and caressed each other between soft laughs, sighs, and moans. Clay moved my knees to either side of his waist, pulled me down onto his lap, and with very little preliminaries I guided him into my core.
"I told you in Indonesia lemons do more than make lemonade Princess."
TBC
Author: Sheila
Category: Romance
Pairing: Clay/Sarah
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: As If
Spoilers: Up through 'Need to Know'
Summary: Clay and Sarah come together during an investigation
A/N: For Lynne: New Friend; Great Friend; Author Extrodinaire!
Clay's POV
September 26th
1545 Hours
CIA Headquarters
Langley, Virginia
"Damn." I slowly reached down to pick up the pen I had clumsily dropped; now I was woozy.
"Webb, pick up the pen and you're dead meat. Get on the sofa. How many times have you been told no bending over?" Yelled my assistant Lynne. She walked in from the door where she must have been standing. She helped me up right and hustled me over to the sofa that had been moved into my office. "You're only back to full days IF, you take it easy, and I get to decide what EASY is, CAPISCHE?"
"You're enjoying this way too much." I griped as she settled my slowly recovering body. She, like Victor, Bud and Sarah didn't let me overdue but certainly didn't coddle me.
"No, I'm not enjoying this one bit. You're absolutely no challenge; you tire too easily to fight back with any fire." She joked back. "Besides I'm too grateful to be back from steno-pool hell to give you too much lip. Give us both a few weeks and we'll be back in prime fighting form."
She sat at my desk and put her feet up and started going over information that had come in from analysts in our search for the "APEX". Neither Victor nor I believed that Faad had been the big player for al Queda in South America. We had taken out a major cell but not the group. Al Queda was like a Hydra, we kept on chopping off parts but we had to get the entire body, and the APEX was our goal. Victor had gone to Buenos Aires to set up a connection at a cattle ranchero where drugs and arms running were common. I was anxious to over his report.
"Hey, did you here anything I just said?" Lynne snapped her fingers to get my attention.
"Not really, I was thinking about Vic's operation and what he may have found out."
"Webbette, he's a big, bad Marine. If he pulled your ass out of Paraguay, he can make it back from Argentina."
"When's he due? And stop calling me that" I was unsuccessfully trying to focus on the papers in front of me.
"He should be here any moment. Arms too short?" She laughed at me and shook her head. She left for a minute and when she returned she tossed a pair of wire framed half glasses at my chest.
"Put them on, they'll help. I promise I won't tell anyone." There wasn't a smile or smirk anywhere on her face. She knew I would feel embarrassed to have to wear reading glasses at my age, and I knew I could always believe her promises. I put on the glasses and as usual she was right, I could see more clearly.
"I hate it when you are right." I groused at her.
"Don't worry; I'm giving up that job to Sarah. She now gets to be right all the time. You may now whine to me. I will be the sympathetic shoulder you can cry on until you find me the rich husband you promised me? Remember? You promised me that if you got married you would find me that husband right away. I'm waiting here!" She stood there tapping her foot and smiling at me like I was supposed to conjure up her dream millionaire instantaneously.
"What are you waiting for?" Victor said as he walked into the office. He was still dressed for the field and unshaved. Lynne yelped as he picked her up and swung her around in a hug.
"Put me down. I'm waiting for a rich husband. You are handsome, sweet, a gentleman, but alas, you are a spook and definitely not rich. Nope, not for me. I know I'm shallow but you love me anyway." She returned his hug and the two of them chattered like magpies for twenty minutes completely ignoring me. When they came up for air they acknowledged my presence and we got to work.
Lynne had been my assistant for several years and was not a SECRETARY, thank you very much. To get to me everyone went through her, hell it's the only way I got anything done. She did all of my paper work, which she used to blackmail me on a regular basis. Apparently no one else's assistant did the amount and type of paperwork. I have never checked this out, but it didn't really matter. She had no problem speaking her mind and I had to have her security clearance upgraded many times because I used her to bounce ideas off. She kept my schedule and knew where I was at all times even when I was on assignment. When I left for Paramaribo she was one of the few contacts that I had at the agency. The DCI in his infinite wisdom had consigned her to the secretarial pool but failed to remove her security clearances. She had managed to keep me informed and funneled pertinent information to me while hiding behind firewalls she had created.
She had met Sarah and Rabb during previous JAG/CIA operations and disliked Rabb and was indifferent about Sarah. After the Angelshark and my banishment she actively hated Rabb and thought that anyone that even remotely liked Rabb should be consigned to St. Elizabeth's. (St. Elizabeth's is huge psychiatric hospital in DC). When I informed her about my engagement to Sarah, she at first laughed in my face, she then sobered when she realized I was serious. She said that she would make an effort to like her for my sake.
When I disappeared into jungles of South America, she put aside her hesitations and tried to support Sarah as much as possible. She helped monitor the e-mails for Bud and Victor so they could get rest. Apparently they had taken shifts to monitor so everyone could get rest. She also helped my mother cancel the wedding arrangements and was in the process of getting it going again, but only much, much bigger.
We got down to business discussing the Argentinean op for close to an hour before I started to shift from the discomfort of lying in one position too long. Victor immediately noticed and wrapped everything up in a few minutes and asked me if I was ready to leave for the evening.
"Have you been doing your exercises?" Victor asked with a knowing smile.
"Like I have a chance not to. I have the assistant from Hell, the Marine JAG at home, the JAG LT. amputee, THE JAG and his wife, my cousin, two JAG Cmdrs, and a slew of other people taking turns making sure I've done my walks, strengthening exercises and swims. Other than that I've just been lying around on the sofa eating bon bons." Lynne's smile got very wide and her eyes twinkled with evil glee.
"Ah, getting a little cranky are we? How about a night off? I'll come over make dinner; only thing you've got to do is a few laps on the way home. Will that do?" He bargained.
"Sounds like a plan, but I was going to do it anyway. Bud and I have been meeting at the gym for laps in the evening. It's helping with the upper body strength without tiring me out so much. Sarah will definitely enjoy the meal. Lynne want to come over for dinner?"
"Thanks, but I've got a date. I'm not waiting for you to find me Mr. Right. I'm actively out there searching." She waved us out as she shut everything down.
After changing we walked into the pool area to find Bud already doing laps. When he paused we got his attention.
"Clay, tell me you didn't bring the Marquis de'Sade with you!" Bud exclaimed
Victor looked around as if to say 'who me' and burst into laughter.
"Come on Lt. get it in gear and give me ten!" He ordered with as much of a straight face as he could.
"Gunny, don't you need to get back to Quantico or something?" Bud fired back.
I ignored both of them and started doing laps; maybe if they got on each other Vic would ignore me.
"Clay, more arm, less leg." No such luck; I used more arm and less leg. I swam mindlessly until Vic stopped me by pulling my shoulders out of the water.
"Enough, you've been at it for forty minutes. Cool down now, or I'm going to have to carry you
out of here." I gave him a weary grin and started to slowly paddle about to cool down.
We were dressing when I finally decided to ask them a question that had been on my mind for months. It had had gotten stronger when I had become engaged and had reached a head when I had been tortured.
"Bud, Victor I'd like to discuss something with you before we head home. Let's go out to the deck and talk." They looked at each other and could tell I wanted to talk about something quite serious. The tables on the deck were deserted and we would have ample privacy.
"Bud, I've told you Vic and I are looking for the APEX of al Queda in South America. We've got some excellent leads and Vic and I believe that we should find him within a year. When we find him I'm leaving the Agency." They both gave me unsurprised looks and I smirked back at them.
"Since I fell in love with Sarah my priorities changed and I can't put myself in the constant danger anymore, and after Suriname I don't want to put up with the crap with DC politics. But that doesn't mean I want to get away from investigations and security. I plan to form a company that specializes in high end industrial espionage and security. Basically preventing a company's exposure to espionage. In addition the company would offer free lance services to the government. I want the two of you to be partners."
"Clay, I don't have anything to invest in such a company." Bud stated and Victor nodded in agreement."
"Ah, Bud, but you do. You have that magnificent mind. You have one of the greatest investigative minds that I know of and you are an excellent lawyer. Yes, I have money, that's a thing that I have to offer. And Vic, you have complimentary investigative and military skills. I think we'll make a great team. I've talked to Ramon and Jim and want them to join. It will take close to a year to get this incorporated the way it should, build up a client base, and a hundred other details. Lynne and I have been working on this for several weeks and we've gotten to a point where I felt could talk to you about it." I handed them each a CD.
"On the CD is a prospectus of the proposed company; a potential client list; and other details I want you to go over. Examine them, jot down questions. Bud discuss it with Harriet. Both of you show it to a corporate attorney. I want you to both be comfortable with this before we proceed with anything." I was figuratively holding my breath. No matter what, after the APEX was apprehended, I was leaving the Agency, but I wanted these two to go into business with me.
"Clay, after what we have been through together in the last months I'd follow you into hell and back, and since I don't have a wife to talk this over with, I'm in." Victor jumped with both feet.
"The Navy isn't going to let me advance much further than where I am now, and this is made for me. I want to talk this over with Harriet, but I'm in barring any objection from her."
"That's two in. Now I've got to talk this over with Sarah."
"You've haven't talked to Mac? Are you out of your mind?" Vic bent over in laughter.
"Now that I've talked to the two of you, I'm going to talk with her tonight. I believe she will be happy that I will be out of field operations in the near future. My latest foray practically killed me and almost emotionally destroyed her. I don't plan on ever doing that to her again." We continued talking for an hour about the proposed company. Both Bud and Vic asking pertinent details, that for the most part I could answer. I made notes for those I couldn't and would get Lynne on the case to find the answers.
We left the gym, Bud for his home, Vic and I for the grocery and finally home. Vic and dinner were greeted enthusiastically by Sarah. When we finished coffee Victor left wishing me luck. I had sent Sarah upstairs to soak in the tub and joined her shortly after locking up.
Sarah's POV
"Hmm, smells like lemons. Is someone planning on hot bunny sex tonight?" Clay asked as he entered the bathroom. I was covered in bubbles up to my chest as I was many nights.
"How did you guess, did you use your superior sleuthing skills?" I flirted as he undressed
"No the aroma of lemons was the give away. It's on the list of Webb approved aphrodisiacs." He deadpanned as he climbed in behind me.
"Sarah, Princess, I've got something to discuss with you." I stiffened slightly then relaxed in his arms. I didn't know what he was going to say, but I could tell he was nervous.
"What do you mean?" I turned to him with a worried look on my face.
"Hey, don't worry. It's a good thing," He soothed.
"Sarah, I'm going to leave the Company. I've had all of the political bullshit and infighting that I can stomach. Too many lost their lives because of that. I almost didn't survive to share what we have. I want to form an Investigation and Security agency and I've asked Victor, Bud, Ramon, and Jim to be partners. Bud, Jim and Ramon want to talk it over with the wives, but I'm sure that they will say yes. Victor agreed immediately, he said someone had to watch my ass. What do you think?" He asked. I almost collapsed in relief; he wasn't going on a mission. He continued to tell me various details of an obviously well thought out plan.
I could tell he sincerely wanted my opinion. I thought for several minutes while he continued to stroke every one of my erogenous zones. I finally spoke up.
"I think it's a great idea. Two techno weenies, two investigators with excellent instincts, Lynne to keep you all in line, and you to lead them will form a great team. What are you going to call this new partnership?" This should prove interesting.
"Ramon came up with the name and I thought it quite fitting. It's going to be SRU Investigations."
I could tell there was something behind the acronym, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what 'SRU' stood for. Clay was trying and failing to hold back laughter. Suddenly it came me.
"No, you couldn't. I know you and Ramon have warped senses of humor, but that?" Clay finally let go with the laughter.
My laughter faded as he began stroking my chest and I was too busy feeling the fingers squeezing my nipples. When his laughter had subsided to chuckle, he finally managed to confirm my answer.
"Yes, my love, we're going to name it 'Spys 'R Us' Investigations."
I managed to turn so I was floating facing him and we kissed and caressed each other between soft laughs, sighs, and moans. Clay moved my knees to either side of his waist, pulled me down onto his lap, and with very little preliminaries I guided him into my core.
"I told you in Indonesia lemons do more than make lemonade Princess."
TBC