Chapter 13

That morning, Liz and Clay fully woke up; they were slightly off about their days start, a bit unsure. Neither one wanted to bring up waking up in each others' arms, and Liz could only assume she had a nightmare again as the rest of the team kept asking how she was and if she wanted to talk about it once she and Clay emerged from her room. The team was waiting for them outside as they all had a tradition to try breakfast with everyone each morning and then a workout, at the very least food of a sort if they were not spun up. They have the first meal of their day together no matter the time, as they would go on ops at various times of the day and night.

Jason and Sonny had huge smiles plastered on their faces as they met up with them, and Sonny even raised his eyebrows a few times in a hinting manner towards Clay when Liz turned towards Cerb for their morning routine. Clay just let off one of his signature cocky grins and shook his head with a low laugh as they all headed towards the mess tent.

"So, how was everyone's sleep?" Trent asked as they all sat down at the table and dug into their meal of bacon and pancakes with fruit. He had a hint of sincerity in his voice; the team gathered was directed toward Liz, and an indication of humour for Clay. More than likely, humour at the fact everyone knew they two spent the night together and loved to tease them at any opening.

"Good, not as eventful as others, though." Brock laughed, grinning as well

"Oh, same with mine. I didn't feel rocking, so maybe not everyone had a good night." Sonny smiled, knowing he was stirring up the pot, but hell, he was tired of them being so damn ignorant. Things would be easier if they only opened their eyes or had a real conversation.

Liz almost choked on her fruit as she looked up at Sonny, and red crawled up her cheeks. Clay just sat there with a smile, head down and shaking, trying to focus on eating. He had no words for the smug Texan but assumed Liz would fire off some remark towards him.

She stated, "I had an amazing sleep; thank you for asking, Trent. First time in a long time, I slept through the night." And continued to eat her fruit and side-eyed Clay. He stopped eating only for a moment and smiled to himself as his cheeks got a slight kiss of pink before he focused back on his bacon.

Trent's hope that she may open up with his question or admit to herself and the others she was having trouble backfired, but he did have a small win. It seemed she and Clay shared something, even just a tiny look that reassured him her sleeping concerns might not be a problem in the future as they both looked refreshed and energized, finally getting a night of good sleep and may realize this may be a nightly occurrence for them both. They were sleeping, and healthy was all Trent could focus on as he continued eating and caught the pink flush that kissed both their cheeks.

…..

After breakfast, the team headed back to their bunk area and branched off for the day as some went to the firing range and the gym or settled back along their firepit to relax and enjoy the break and each other's company. Full Metal ended up coming back over as he joined Bravo on a few missions, and he was here with Delta, trying to help train their team as they were new to the scene. Typically only one team resides at the base at a time during deployment, and they switch off every three months, but Delta had some problems and changes in the team; so they were going through a small training program trying to get into their grove and succeed as a team so they were here for a couple of weeks of Bravos deployment before they would head off to the Philippines for a few weeks and then home for more training.

"I heard from someone in TOC that Mandy and Davis have made a major break with the courier and setting up intel on each of the tribe leaders, so we will probably have some busy nights ahead of us for the next while. It's like a spider web on their board, and they seem overly eager to get started on the loose ends." Metal said that as he sat next to Clay. Jason and Ray talked about training scenarios listening in to Metals' comments.

Ray and Jason constantly strategized on missions, training, and exercises for the team to keep them in top shape, as Bravo did not gain their reputation for anything. As Jason planned for Clay to take over and be Bravo 1 eventually, he had him join in on most of the chats he and Ray shared, and Clay saw the 'Matrix' and both sides of the big picture with the cake eaters and door kickers, his input time and time again was always welcome and invaluable.

Trent and Sonny were in the gym off to the side of the camp; Brock had just come back from the range with Cerb and started on a few drills for him to sniff out his targets. Liz stayed at the range and would probably be there all day if they let her camp with her sniper rifle. The range and being able to let out all her frustrations on a target was her choice of therapy. Clay usually joined in right with her, and they could be lost in their thoughts for hours taking out paper targets, but this time Jason called him over for a chat. As the conversation with Metal, Jason and Ray slowly turned away from the ops talk, and towards sports, Clay made his way up and over to his weapons cage to grab his rifle and head off to the range to get in some much-needed therapy and release some stress and tension he did not know he had been bundling up.

"Hey, stranger, care for some company? I don't want to interrupt your session. Dr. Target seems to be getting a full story today." Clay laughed as he noted her paper target down range was all but hanging shreds at this point. They did have a game where they would outline all the blackout target areas to shoot them entirely off the target and got bigger and bigger until there was just a silout shape hole of a man. And by the time they got to this point, whatever was bothering them had disappeared. And they were not known as the best snipers in the Navy for nothing. They had many demons to work through to get in the practice.

"I think Dr. Target could use a break, I may have gone overboard this time, and there is nothing left." Liz chuckled as she rolled over onto her side to watch Clay set himself beside her and send his paper target down range on the pully system along his lane.

"Wanna change it up this time around? In each shot, we get to ask each other a question. If you miss, you must answer five from the other person. Truthfully. And the other calls the shot." Clay asked, hoping she would bite and slowly, he could ask her to open up with him about their last mission and what seemed to be eating away at her and causing nightmares.

He was her best friend, but something shifted between them, and she was dealing with some inner demons even he did not know about. Still, they were related to him as he noticed her shift away from him, and usually, she would open up about everything in their late-night talks.

"That's not going to be a challenge for either of us. We never miss our marks, even on our bad days, let alone on a stationary target." Liz retorted. But she was always up for a challenge.

"Left eye only in the scope, and the other gets to move the target on the pully after calling the shot. You must answer the question while you shoot; if you miss, can you ask the five more while making the same shot again?" Clay brought up knowing she was right and hoped their bad eyes and a somewhat moving target might at least help make things a tad more interesting; someone may miss a shot.

"Deal, I'm asking first." Liz shot her hand out for a handshake. Clay just laughed as she always had to make things so official.

"How long has it been since you got laid?" Liz blurted out as she got up, started moving the target, and called Clay's shot. She was trying to hint at his Rebecca situation and put out feelers if they were over or if there were slips in their break up.

Clay snorted; a little shocked, she jumped right in with the personal questions. "Wow, holding nothing back, hey, jumping right into the personal ones there?"

"Well, I know everything about you, so unless I want to know again that your favourite colour is green or that you love chocolate, I need to get right into the other questions." Liz laughed as she blushed.

"Hmm, it was the day before we all went to check out the new bar by your house," Clay answered as he made his shot and looked up at her with his cocky grin.

"Wow, Rebecca has been holding out on you." She scoffed. She knew they broke up from what Davis told her, but she could not shake the feeling of them sneaking as he knew the team was not her biggest fan, so he would not open up about her, and Liz saw her name pop up on his phone multiple times after the hospital incident.

Clay looked at her, a bit confused; he thought she knew. "Yea, that's nothing and has not been for a while."

Liz looked at him and didn't know what to say. You usually say you are sorry and ask if they are ok. But she was not sorry. She was glad and didn't need to ask him if he was ok. They could read each other, and she knew he was lighter now. So, she nodded sharply towards him and set herself up for her shot.

"Why have you not dated anyone since you joined the team?" Clay asked as he called her shot and went towards the pully.

Liz took her shot and connected as she spoke, "No one I like has been available or interested." She simply said.

This went on for a while as they danced around their relationship questions, and no one took the plunge into their situation, but each gave off a flirtatious vibe and hinted at ideas. No one missed a shot; Clay decided to take a different approach after multiple rounds. On his next question, he would move the target right as he heard her shot crack but not before he would try and split her attention with his cocky attitude.

"Is there someone you like right now?" Clay asked as he set his plan into motion. He cleared his throat to get her attention as he saw her line up her shot and stick her tongue out just a tiny amount. That was her telltale sign she was concentrating, and as soon as the tongue went back in and she bit her bottom lip, she would pull the trigger. He got her attention right as her teeth connected with her lip, moved the target one last time, and grinned as she shot her eyes at him once she realized she had just missed.

"CHEATER!" she yelled as he laughed at her shocked face knowing she now had to answer five of his questions.

"I did nothing of the sort. I cleared my throat and moved the target like we are allowed to do." Clay batted his eyelashes and played innocent. "Now, my first question will be easy, but you still have to answer my last one."

"Yes." She grumbled out.

"Good, follow up one then. Are they single?" He asked cocking his eyebrow.

"Now, yes." Liz glared at him.

Clay leaned in closer, "Why don't you ask them out?"

"I don't think they like me back the same way." Liz almost whispered.

"I think they will say yes." Clay shot back, hinting and hoping she would catch on.

"No, I am not their type, and they still seem to have this ex in their lives, even if they deny it, and I am not getting involved in that drama." Liz scoffed as she got up and met Clay standing by the benches.

"Did you ask him? Maybe they are over, or there is an explanation?" he noted with a pleading look.

Liz just stood there and pondered his words for a minute, wondering if she did want to go down that road. She shot out bitterly, "It is not worth it. I am happy alone, and it seems he's not over her, and I don't want to be second."

Her stubbornness irritated Clay as he hardened his face. He was not in the mood anymore or wanting to start a fight with her as their flirty relaxed banter had completely fizzled out. He began to pack up his rifle to return to the cages, and as he was about to leave, he turned towards Liz and met her eyes. "You are his type and will never be second to anyone." And with that, he walked away and left her in her thoughts.

…..

Halfway through the day, the team got a text from TOC for a mission briefing. At this point of the day, the team managed to make a friendly competition at the hockey nets for those who had to do the dirty chore of the team's laundry. Of course, Jason was winning, and Clay and Brock were not far behind. Ray and Liz sat comfortably in the middle, and Sonny and Trent, who seemed uncoordinated in shooting the puck into the cut-outs they made, were tied up in last.

"Saved by the bell. Y'all get to deal with your own stinky laundry now." Sonny grinned as he was one shot away from losing to Trent.

As the team headed over and sat down in their chairs within TOC, everyone could feel the tension coming off Blackburn. He knew something and was not wanting to share his news. The team kept glancing around each other, making eye contact. Clay and Liz always seemed to divert their eyes from each other and did not participate in the team's banter as much as expected. Sonny and Jason noted this and tried to get their attention, but the twins kept their heads down as much as possible, listening to Mandy.

As the meeting finished and the team headed to the mess tent for some fuel, they would be wheels up in a few hrs, and everyone wanted a quick bite and nap beforehand. Blackburn called for Liz to stay behind and braced himself for an earful. Jason looked at him with a questioning glance as Blackburn typically had him around for talks with his team or ran things by him first. All Blackburn did was shake his head sternly, letting Jason know he was not needed in this talk and silently asking him to leave.

Once it was just Mandy, Liz and Blackburn left, he looked at her and started with the topic he was dreading. "Delt will go after the other tribe leader we have located tonight, along with Bravo's assault. Unfortunately, their sniper has caught a bug, so they have requested a replacement for tonight's op. Their commander has gone up to Captain Fisher and named you that replacement. He got the orders approved by a General, so as much as I tried to fight it, this is happening."

"Me? Why not Perry or Spenser? They are way more qualified with experience and outrank me." Liz questioned, a bit shocked she was selected.

"Yes, they have more experience and are Bravo's snipers; but there has been talking that this General has caught word of your talents, and he has a son on Delta, so his attention has gone there to make the best of the best team; hence all their extra training and he wants to try and pull you as their sniper. He has a large hatred for Clay because of his dad and his books and thinks Ray will be outshined by you and Clay soon, if not already. He used his pull to work around all the white tape to say he is providing you with the opportunity to be the lead sniper and not be cast in anyone's shadows, rank or not. This will be a great opportunity for you to run with another team and get another perspective, still being so new. And only for one op, and if you do not want to transfer out, I will work as much magic as possible, pull as many strings as possible, and keep you on Bravo." Blackburn answered her question.

"Well, if I have no choice, and it's only for this one night, I will get my ruck packed and my rifle. When do we leave?" Liz asked, feeling deflated as she was not comfortable leaving Bravo.

"Now, they wheels up in fifteen and Davis has gone and gotten your things together and loaded on their helo," Mandy informed her.

"I am not a fan of this." Liz told Blackburn as they started to walk to the door, "I guess ill stop at the mess tent quickly and let Jason know."

Blackburn put his hand on her shoulder to turn her towards him slightly, "Leave that to me. He will need a punching bag as he will not be happy about this, and I'd rather not throw you into that fire. When things are settled and you're gone, ill head over and break the news. It was out of all our hands."