Author Note:

I hope there are still a few following this story. Drop me a note with your favorite part. (see notes at end)

Ch 86-Pride and Joy

Clay was just about to leave base for the day when he was notified that Captain Harrington wanted to see him. He wasn't exactly nervous, their mission had been an unqualified success, but he was curious. Diverting from his path to his cage, he followed the officer in front of him to Harrington's office. He knocked firmly and was told to enter.

Clay walked in and stood at attention until the captain spoke.

"At ease Spenser."

"Yes sir."

"Spenser, this last mission Bravo was on…it went very well."

"Yes sir. I believe it was a success."

"That is an understatement. Bravo expanded the mission to bring home our captured diplomat and ended up uncovering a newly formed terrorist network."

Clay stood still, not interrupting the captain.

"I understand that with Jason out, and Perry as Bravo 1, you were 2IC on this one."

"That is correct sir."

Now he started to feel a little uncomfortable. Was there something that Harrington had read, or heard, that was making him question Clay's actions and decisions? Whatever it was, he would stand accountable.

"I have read all the AARs and discussed the Op with Lt. Commander Blackburn," Harrington paused, stopped flipping through the pages on his desk and looked directly at Clay. "To a person, they all agree that the key to this mission, was you, Petty Officer."

"Sir?"

He picked up a printed page and read aloud.

"Petty Officer Spenser performed above his pay grade and rank at all times. His experience and knowledge of the local language and customs enabled the expansion of the original mission parameters."

Setting that paper down, he selected another.

"Spenser stepped into the role of Bravo 2 and operated above expectation. His insights and innovative thinking were the catalyst to a larger scope of operations that netted volumes of intelligence and the capture of multiple assets."

After that, Harrington rose from his chair and came around to lean on the front of his desk.

"First, I want to congratulate you on your temporary placement as Bravo 2. It seems that Master Chief Hayes and Sr. Chief Perry's confidence in you was not misplaced."

"Thank you, sir."

"I also want to inform you that I recommended you to the selection board for promotion to Chief Petty Officer. Normally, it would be Fall before the promotions are announced. But, based on your stellar performance in the field since you joined the team and Bravo Team's hectic schedule, I asked the board to expedite their decision." The captain drew himself up straight and Clay did likewise. "Congratulations Chief Petty Officer," Harrington said, saluting Clay.

Clay snapped off a salute in response and then stood in stunned silence. He never expected this. In his eyes, he was just doing his job and ensuring the mission goals and the safety of the team. After the salute, his captain offered his hand.

"Thank you, sir," Clay managed to answer.

He moved back behind his desk and called for his aide.

"There will be a pinning ceremony. It will be arranged for when Bravo is off rotation, of course. You can work out the details with Petty Officer Lewis here. Also, beyond your team, we will need the names of anyone you would like invited to the ceremony, and if there are any family members etc. that you would like to take part in the pinning of your new insignia."

"Yes, I do. In addition to the team, I would like to include Sr. Chief Perry's wife and children, Master Chief Haye's son, and our CIA liaison, Mandy Ellis."

"Very good. And who would you like to pin on your new rank insignia?"

"Emma Hayes, sir."

"As in Jason Hayes' daughter?"

He could see Captain Harrington's surprised expression. Clay coughed slightly.

"Yes sir. We're…she's my girlfr…my significant other, sir."

"I see. Now that we have that out of the way, the Petty Officer can come up with some possible dates and you can run it by your…well, by Miss Hayes."

He turned on his heal and sat back down behind his desk.

"Well deserved Spenser. You have a bright future with DEVGRU. Dismissed."

Clay left the office and walked back to his cage in somewhat of a haze. No one had let on that this was coming. Surely Jason, and Ray, and definitely Blackburn knew about this. As soon as he opened the door someone jumped him, and he felt cold liquid being poured over his head. He realized that Sonny had him in a headlock and that Brock and Ray were pouring water over him. Once he was thoroughly soaked, Jason tried to restore some order.

"Alright, alright everybody. Get this man a drink."

Vic handed him a beer while he tried to shake the excess liquid out of his hair and beard.

"Raise a glass everyone," they all lifted their bottles and cans in the air. "To Bravo 6. One hell of an Operator and now Chief Petty Officer."

"To Spenser," they answered in unison.

After a drink, the manly banter began again. Clay was still stunned. It was the first time he realized that he now outranked several of his more seasoned teammates. He was hoping it wouldn't cause any issues or tension. He certainly didn't plan on changing how he interacted with his brothers, or to start pulling rank on them.

Sonny approached him, handing him a towel. Clay scrubbed at his face and hair while the Texan spoke.

"Listen here Boy Wonder. Don't you be expectin' me ta go an salute you now," he drawled.

"You hardly salute Harrington. Why would I be any different?" Clay joked.

Sonny clapped him on the back and took another swig from his bottle.

"Seriously, good going."

"Thanks man. Means a lot."

"Alright enough touchy-feely. Who's in for moving this party to a better location?"

The guys chimed in. They even got Blackburn, Davis, and Mandy to agree to join them. Clay did make one request. That was for a change of venue from their usual haunt. He knew that Emma couldn't join them if they went to The Bulkhead. He wanted her there, beside him. They opted for a place he and Emma had been before for dinner. It had a sizeable bar, a pool table, and darts for the guys, and a dance floor too. Once that was decided, he gave Emma a call.

"Hi honey, are you home yet?"

"Yea, why?"

"Can you come meet us at McGuffey's?"

"Sure. I guess. What's going on?"

"We're celebrating."

"Ok. Celebrating what?"

He wanted to tell her in person but went ahead and let her know his news.

"Well…I received a promotion today, to Chief Petty Officer."

"Babe, that's amazing! I'm so proud of you! Of course, I'll meet you. Let me get changed and I'll see you there."

"Just take an Uber honey. I'll have my truck."

"Okay. See you soon. Love you!"

"I love you too."

Emma arrived about 20 minutes later, paid the driver and went in search of Clay and the rest of Bravo. She found them over at the bar, as expected. She walked up behind Clay and laid her hand on his shoulder.

He turned and his face broke into an enormous grin. He bent to greet her with a kiss.

"Hey babe."

"Hi there. Congratulations Chief Petty Officer," she teased.

"Thank you honey," he answered, wrapping her up in a bear hug.

"I'm so proud of you Clay."

Sonny took over then.

"Alright, Princess is here now. Let's take this party over to the tables and I show y'all some of the Sonny Quinn magic."

Clay ordered Emma a seltzer and she ordered some food as well. They followed over to the pool table and Clay paired up with Brock against Sonny and Vic. She stood near her dad and questioned him.

"Did you know about this Dad?"

"Harrington told me he was recommending Clay for the promotion and asked my opinion. And, of course, I was on board."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"It was Harrington's show, not my place. But he was right. Clay deserves this."

"Yea, he does." She grinned and gave him a one-armed hug.

"Besides, he's got to make Master Chief so he can take over Bravo in a few years."

Before she could discuss that train of thought further, her attention was drawn back to the game in front of her. Apparently, Clay and Brock had run the table and left Sonny stammering, demanding a re-match or a game of darts for revenge. Clay was about to oblige when "their song" started. He grabbed Emma's hand and led her to the dance floor.

Pulling her close against him, she laid her head against his shoulder and they began to sway.

"As much as I love dancing with you, you didn't have to leave the boys."

"I know. But this is our song. Besides, I wanted to get a few minutes with you. I haven't had a chance to talk to you alone."

"That's okay. This is your moment. I know that you want to share it with the guys."

"I do. But most of all, I want to share it with you. Em, you're a lot of the reason for this."

She interrupted and stuttered her disagreement. Clay silenced her with a finger to her lips and then continued.

"It's true baby. You're my rock. You're there for me when I doubt myself. You calm me and help me focus. You support me when I'm down and help me think through things. And… you kick me in the ass when I need it too. You take care of me when I'm injured or sick. Most of all, you love me and understand me for who I am. I couldn't do any of this without you. I love you Emma Hayes."

There were tears on her soft cheeks now and he wiped them away with his thumbs and they looked into each other's eyes. The rest of the world melted away as he lowered his lips to hers and she tilted up to meet him. It was slow and sweet and full of emotion. Jason was walking over to get Clay so that Sonny would shut up about being beaten at pool and saw their embrace. He stopped short, not wanting to intrude on this private moment.

When Clay lifted his head and opened his eyes, he saw Jason hesitating a few feet away. He gave Emma a small wink and then addressed his boss.

"You need me for something Jace?"

"Ah, yea," he coughed. "Sonny's bitching about a rematch and won't shut his mouth. I said I'd come get you."

"Okay, tell him one more song and then I'll come beat him again."

"Fair enough," Jason answered and left the two alone.

"We can go back now. It's fine with me."

She started to turn away from him to walk back to the team, but Clay pulled her back.

"I know. But I want to hold you for a little while longer."

She smiled up at him and there was a tenderness behind his eyes. One hand slid low on her hip and the other splayed across her back as he gathered her to himself and tucked her head under his chin. Closing her eyes, she nuzzled into his neck and breathed him in. Clay too closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of holding the woman he loved in his arms.

The night didn't last too much longer, as they all had to report for duty in the morning, and Emma had work also. After the last round of drinks, which Clay bought, they all headed out. On the way home Clay explained his conversation with Harrington and that he had requested the she be the one to pin on his new rank insignia. She was proud and honored that he wanted her involved. She promised that she would get in touch with the Captain's aide tomorrow and settle on a date for the ceremony.

It was two weeks until Bravo was off rotation and the pinning ceremony was scheduled for the first Friday they were free. Emma had arranged for the day off so that she could participate. Clay was up and dressed in his service khakis as per the regulations. Emma debated up until the very last minute what she should wear. She finally settled on a long-sleeve navy dress with her nude pumps. She wore her hair half-up and pulled back. She made sure she was wearing Clay's necklace.

They arrived on base and Clay escorted her to the small meeting room that was set up for the ceremony. He left her with Naima and Mikey and proceeded to the room where he would meet the team and Harrington. As Emma greeted everyone, she realized how nervous she was. She had watched pinning ceremonies online and practiced a bit too. She had even reached out to Naima to see what would be expected of her. She didn't want to embarrass Clay or her Dad. Naima could sense her mood and reached out for her.

"You doing okay sweetie?"

She bent and kissed RJ and Jameelah. "Yes, just a little nervous, I guess."

"It can be nerve-wracking. You'll do fine."

As Emma sat down next to Mikey, Mandy came in and sat next to Naima. Soon after that Bravo, sans Clay, walked in and stood in line against the wall. Blackburn took a chair at the end of the row and Captain Harrington proceeded to the podium. His comments were short, given that this was a private ceremony for only Clay. At the end of his welcome, Sonny stepped over, rang the bell, and piped Clay into the room. Clay double-timed it in and then turned to face the room and stood at attention. At this point Blackburn got up and discussed the qualifications necessary for and the expectations of becoming a Chief Petty officer. Bravo stood the entire time motionless in honor of their brother.

After the comments Blackburn stood and invited Emma to come forward to pin on Clay's new rank and for Jason to place his new cover on his head. Emma's hands shook just a little as she affixed the insignia to Clay's collar. He bent slightly so she could reach better and gave her an almost imperceptible wink. This accomplished, Emma returned to her seat. Naima reached over and patted her hand to reassure her. Then Clay recited the Chief Petty Officers' Pledge. Sonny again stepped over to ring the bell and pipe the traditional tones. Harrington then spoke once more. Emma was teary-eyed with pride.

"Please stand and join me in congratulating Chief Petty Officer Spenser."

They all applauded. Clay was then dismissed, and he took the few steps forward that brought him straight to Emma. As soon as she stood, he embraced her and gave her a chaste kiss.

"I'm so proud of you honey," she whispered in his ear.

He then turned to greet Naima, Mandy, and Mikey, thanking them for coming and receiving their congratulations. As they stood talking the rest of the team joined them. RJ immediately reached for Ray. Clay was discussing something with Mikey when Jameelah tugged on his sleeve.

"Hey little J! Thanks for coming today."

She hugged him tightly around the neck and then posed her question.

"Is it time for cake now, Uncle Clay?"

Everyone laughed and agreed that cake would be a good idea. The Captain's aide escorted them into an adjoining room where a table had been set up with coffee and water and a simple cake with the tell-tele gold anchor adorning the top. Naima had informed Emma that the family was responsible for the cake and beverages, so she arranged everything with Harrington's office.

While everyone was enjoying the refreshments, her phone vibrated. She had it turned on silent during the ceremony, so this was the first time she looked at it. The Day Care was calling. Clay was in conversation with Mandy, so she stepped away to answer. Mrs. Johnson apologized profusely for calling on her day off, but the news was worth the interruption. She let Emma know that her Grant proposal was accepted and that they would be receiving funding to start their Early Childhood Music program.

Emma thanked her director ended the call. Clay left the group and walked over to her.

"Who was that on the phone Em?"

"Uh… it was nothing. I can tell you later."

"Sweetie, your eyes are sparkling, what was it?"

"Well, that was work. My grant proposal was accepted."

Clay whooped outright and picked her up, spinning her around.

"Em, honey, that's amazing!"

Every eye in the room was on them as she tried to quiet him down and get him to set her back on her feet.

"Clay, shhh. You don't need to tell everybody," she said as she smoothed down her hair and dress.

"Why? Why shouldn't we tell everyone? This is huge!"

Laying her hand on his arm she spoke quietly.

"Because this is your day. We are celebrating you. And, I don't think the Navy cares about music time at a Day Care."

"I care Em. This is our day babe. I told you that. Now there's even more reason to celebrate."

Of course, everyone gathered around, wanting to know what all the hubbub was about. Clay encouraged Emma to share her announcement. They were all over-joyed for her. The news even made it to Captain Harrington, and he offered her his congratulations. Emma was nervous as he addressed the young couple. Clay reached for her hand and squeezed it to let her know there was no reason to be anxious.

"Well, I hear there's good news all around today. Congratulations to you too, young lady."

"Thank you, sir," she managed.

"A banner day for the Spenser house-hold."

Emma blushed and Clay accepted it in stride, smiling from ear to ear. He wrapped his arm around her and responded.

"Yes, it is, sir. A great day."

*I researched the Promotion process Pinning ceremony etc. and tried to be as true to it as I could. I did take some liberties to fit it within my story. I also realize that in Season 2 Clay's rank was indicated as Petty Officer Second Class. I again took license and made him a Petty Officer First Class before his promotion.*