AN: Written as a part of coping with the happenings of S06E08. It never happened here, Clay returns to instructing the Green Team.
References made to episode 7 where Stella and Clay take time to figure out what their normal is and to episode 4 where Carlson from Green Team challenges Clay.
„You think we are figuring out what is normal," Stella asked when Brian finally fell asleep.
"It's you and Brian. And going to work. Millions of people are going to work without waiting to be spun up and save the world."
"No babe, don't talk like this. I know that SEALs has been your dream forever."
"It was. And I did live the dream."
Stella covered Clay's hands on the table with her own hands.
"Do you want to start over?"
"I wanted to isolate and thought that when I'm not on Bravo anymore I don't belong there. But Sonny is still Sonny as he was when I was Bravo 6. Ray is Ray, Jason is Jason. I can still feel the brotherhood."
Clay shrugged hoping Stella won't find this too pathetic.
"I want to be there, as close as I can. So for now, Green Team is still the best decision."
Stella smiled. Clay was much more calmer than when he started there a few months ago for the first time.
"So uni and Green Team is it," she said.
"Sir!" Clay greeted Blackburn when he went into his office.
Blackburn silently appraised Clay. Ray reported to him that "our boy was down but we can pick him up". Apparently, Bravo had done a good job.
"I take it I don't have to worry about any erratic behaviour."
"Yes, Sir. You don't have to."
x-x-x
"I'm not saying that the physical fitness part could do any trainer from a fitness centre but you can do more."
Clay looked at Blackburn questioningly.
"Generally, younger instructors do physical fitness part, older instructors do the sniper training, tactical preparation training. Perry sung me here praises about your brilliant tactical skills. As if I haven't noticed them myself," Blackburn remarked dryly. "When the new group starts you start taking part in tactical and sniper training of the green too. Maybe you'll smash another DEVGRU record in being the youngest instructor for tactical skills. But for now, return to your old group, Spenser."
x-x-x
Clay joined the other instructors and the Green Team members in the morning.
"Missed me, Carlson?"
Carlson gulped.
"I want the rematch on push-ups on the bar!"
"Oh, Sir, I- that's not necessary," Carlsson stuttered.
x-x-x
"Spenser, Spenser, rule number one is not to compete with the greens. We want to destroy them, not us," one of the instructors laughed.
"No, I can do it now. I've found out that if I push strongly only with the left leg and jump, I'll catch the bar. And then it's easy," Clay explained between grunts as he already demonstrated it.
"Carlson, watch out!" Clay called at the aspiring SEAL as he continued doing the push-ups.
"Sir, I- I'm so sorry. I was being-"
"an ass you wanted to say," Clay laughed when he finally let go of the bar and jumped to the ground."
"Don't worry. Being kind of an ass is treatable. Was in your place six years ago," Clay said.
"I'm so sorry. The Command sometimes sends here operators when they are injured while they are recuperating. And I thought you are just one of them. Another operator who takes us just as an necessary evil before they go operating again. I just heard that Bravo was hit in Mali, so I thought that," Carlson shrugged. "I didn't know," Carlson awkwardly gestured to Clay's leg.
"Don't worry, Carlson, I'm here to stay. We'll have so much fun together," Clay said, but there was no real threat behind his words.
x-x-x
When the Green Team members were completing another gruelling exercise one of the instructors told Clay: "Carlson is a good kid. I think he'll make it. Took it pretty bad, the bet with you, then you vanished for weeks. And Sonny came and had a lecture for Green Team."
Clay almost spluttered the water he was drinking. "Sonny was here? Jason punished him?"
"He was here voluntarily."
"The ornery Texan, Sonny Quinn himself, was doing a lecture for Green Team? Voluntarily?" Clay asked.
"Talked about never giving up. How one if his buddies was injured, how they all found a way from an ambush, how that one SEAL patched himself up and even though he was badly injured continued fighting. And how his battle boo lost a leg. And talked about brotherhood…" the instructor trailed off.
Clay quickly wiped his eyes.
"You know, they are not dumb. Certainly not Carlson. Put two and two together," the instructor continued.
Blackburn went into the locker room and asked Clay: "Satisfied after the first week back?"
"Yes, Sir. I'm satisfied. Alpha, Charlie, Echo and Bravo, they swing by, when they have time. They are on the lookout for new recruits, it's nice to talk to them. And it's convenient here on base, there's gym, food," Clay winked.
"Don't get too comfortable here, Spenser. I do have some plans for you," Blackburn said ominously.
"Hausa, Yoruba, Mende, Arabic, Pashto, Urdu, Marathi, French, Spanish and Mandarin, I read your file."
„Ehm, yeah," Clay mumbled. It still surprised people that he spoke so many languages.
Clay thought about what it could mean.
"Sir, no! You can't do this to me. I don't want to translate intel, it's so boring, a desk job. I'm a man of action!" Clay exclaimed and cursed internally because right at that moment he was sitting, with his legs outstretched and didn't look like a man of action. But it was a long day. Blackburn didn't pay attention to Clay's worries though.
"Quite a lot of the greens speak some foreign languages that could come in handy. Some day you could go to university to get some degree in interpreting to have a paper for it, it could also help you to become an officer, and then you could teach the greens how to use their language skills during ops."
"That… could be cool," Clay pondered.
"Let's discuss it in due time. Now enjoy some fun with Carlson," Blackburn concluded and left the locker room.
Clay put the bag over his shoulder and left the base. In the parking lot, there was Stella, waiting for him with Brian. He sat down on the passenger seat and kissed her.