Eventually they got back home, after a long 7 weeks in 'The Island of suck better known as Guam' they were reunited with their loved ones. Seeing Clay standing before them whole and upright and smiling and looking pretty much the same as he had before the accident was a relief to them all, like finding and fitting a missing jigsaw piece into a puzzle. Bravo Team were close but there were very few true hugs, it wasn't really done, but that day they all lingered a little longer when they embraced their friend. Then promptly went back to giving him shit about leaving them in the cold for 4 weeks, banter, team guy stuff, and if there was a tiny bit of sadness in it too, nobody said anything.

Over the following weeks everyone seemed to find their own way to reconnect with Clay.

Jason surprises everyone, including himself by being openly concerned about Clay's recovery, speaking to his PT, getting into Clays files through a nurse he was friendly with, making sure Spenser was claiming benefits and by spending time just talking to the kid, about Manila, Guam, the team, Swanny. Before this, Clay was never 100% sure where he stood with Bravo One. Felt like there was this rivalry there, always silently between them, rarely if ever spoken out loud, but clearly Jason Hayes was threatened, even if he couldn't admit it. However, Clay knew he had messed up more than his fair share of times, gone too far, been too cocky, arrogant even. And no matter how pissed Jason was he'd kept rolling with Bravo Six, given him more responsibility, let him away probably with more than other master chiefs had. Clay had spent a lot of time in his hospital bed trying to figure out where his future lay. Now, whatever else happened, he knows that Jason Hayes wants him back. And it helps.

Ray and Naima take on unofficial parenting, inviting Clay over for dinner or to hang out. Jameelah is borderline obsessed with Uncle Clay, who can swing her over his head and carry her around upside down way longer than mummy or daddy would allow, and she didn't even mind if she felt just a bit sick afterwards, it was so much fun it was worth it. RJ is stubborn and funny, single minded and determined and likes nothing better than to snuggle onto Clay's lap when he is meant to be napping in his own bed. Clay laps it up, sneaking in Jam's favorite treats, enduring Naima's lectures with good grace. Not that Naima really minds, it is good to watch her oldest daughter and the injured operator interact with each other, and if there were a few late night bedtimes afterwards the joy on Clay's face as he swung Jam through the air makes it totally worthwhile. Clay has spent so long without parents, without grandparents, without siblings, sometimes he feels like he wouldn't be able to handle a family of his own, that it would be too much, too overwhelming. Now he thinks maybe it will be possible eventually, and it helps.

Trent worries. They all can see it. Even when he tries to brush it off, even when he sees Clays progress and understands for himself that the younger man is working hard, is bouncing back, is probably going to re-join them, he still worries. He worries about the wound reopening, worries about Clay pushing himself too hard, coming back too soon. But mainly he worries about Clay's head. Trent knows what life changing injuries were like, he has the scars, right there on his arm looking at him every time he lifts his gun. Clay has scars now too, long winding knotted scars on both legs. They would fade a bit over time, but never go away. Trent worries, and Clay lets him because he figures he knows a little of what is going on in Bravo Fours head and he also knows that Trent's quick action with the junctional probably saved his leg. So Clay figures Trent can be as worried as he wants, can hover all he wants, that's its only fair to let him, and to answer his questions and reassure him as best he can. And maybe something inside of Clay likes the fussing, despite all his protests and maybe something even deeper inside wants to be able to accept help no matter how hard that comes to him. Because he's had to do it alone for so long, and it wasn't easy and he survived and he succeeded but he didn't have anyone to share those successes with. Brian maybe, but that was gone. So now when he's had a really good PT session or the docs tell him his leg is making progress he can share it with Trent first. And Trent will smile and nod and not say too much, and it helps.

As for Sonny, well Sonny seems to be always there. Except when he's not and Clay Spenser is starting to think he knows why the Texan has changed, and who might be the cause of it. But he also knows its Sonny's business, and Davis's and that he will leave it alone. Sonny comes in the morning complaining he has no food in his place and drags Clay out for breakfast, he collects him from PT and brings him shopping, he hangs out on the couch beside the younger man day after day, drinking beer, watching football games, he complains about the weather "too damned cold for this time of year", about whatever training mission Blackburn wants to send them on. "Fuckin jungle full of spiders and scorpions, leeches as big as my arm like to suck all the blood out of me". Sometimes he feels like he's just talking for the sake of it and Clay starts to realise maybe he's not talking that much anymore and Sonny's trying to fill the space. He got so used to being alone. After Swanny, before the guys came back it was just him and his apartment and his thoughts. He hadn't minded really, but maybe he'd gotten too used to the silence. He and Sonny are close, maybe as close as he and Brian had been, they have survived ops, saved each other countless times, gotten drunk together, shared stories that no one else in the team heard. But most of all they had talked. Talked so much it drove Brock and Trent crazy sometimes. Now Clay wasn't talking, and Sonny was foundering. So Clay talks, tells Sonny about how his PT session went that day or what hot nurses he'd chatted up. One night after 2 beers that he really shouldn't have had since we was still on so many meds he tells Sonny he is worried he won't be the same operator when he comes back, that maybe he won't be good enough for Bravo anymore.

"From what I hear Claymation, it seems to me like the only issue is gonna be stopping you from rushing headlong into the next disaster"

Sonny looked him straight in the eye as he said it, and Clay knew there was a lot more to that sentence than just reassurance. But he also knew Sonny believed in him. And it helps

Then there's Brock. At the hospital, when he was at his lowest point, laying in bed feeling sorry for himself, still not able to stand up for more than 5 minutes at a time, Swanny had called out all the texts he'd gotten, gotten and ignored "Jason, Jason, Sonny, Sonny, Sonny, Ray, Trent" Not Brock. At the time Clay hadn't thought about it, too busy wallowing in his own misery. But later, when Swanny had pulled him out of it, when he'd talked to the guys and later replied to their texts, he noticed it. But wasn't surprised and definitely wasn't pissed off. He knew that Brock would get it. Because Brock always got it.

Brock is by far the quietest member of Bravo team but might just be the the most solid, the most dependable and the most switched on of them all. He sees Jason and Clay interact and knows what is behind it. He respects his Master Chief 100% but sees that maybe he is coming towards the end of his time, that he is struggling with his life and what was ahead. He sees through Sonny's macho bullshit and calls him out on it more than anyone else because he knows Sonny wants to be better, wants to do more and is the only one holding himself back. He saw the anger in Ray long before everyone else did, knows that Ray loves Naima, that Ray loves Bravo too but struggles to keep it all going. He knows that Trent gets tired of trying to stick them all together every time there is an op. He also knows that Trent loves the fight, never backs down, and never wants to give up.

He knows that Clay Spenser still sometimes struggles to find his place on the team, struggles with Jason, with them all. Knows that the kid is ambitious and wants change, wants it more than just team guy stuff, but also really wants all the team guy stuff because he loves their family so much and loves that they accept arrogant, cocky, flawed, lonely Bravo Six. Jason had said Clay was a true believer. Brock never thought that. Clay is a fighter for justice, and Seal Team is a good first step, but there is more to Clay than just war.

Brock doesn't particularly like war, sometimes he hates it. But he knows that with Cerbarus he is making a difference. The dog helps more than anyone could ever articulate. Having someone to tell you that it was safe to go into a room, that you weren't going to get blown up, that is what keeps Brock going. He's not a true believer in war, but he believes in people, and sees this as his opportunity to help. And if he gets to be part of this Bravo family as a result, well all the better.

Brock didn't text Clay because he knew that his team would, telling him how well he was doing, reassuring him that he was going to get back on the team, that he would soon by Bravo Six again. Brock also knew that Clay needed someone to talk to about what might happen if he didn't come back. Brock is careful, he lets Clay lead the conversations and never put ideas into his friend's head. But he holds that space for Clay to think about what might happen, not to just block it out forever. Jason Hayes blocked it out, was still blocking it out, and Brock wasn't sure it had helped him all that much. So it's not unusual for Brock to see Clay walking up his driveway at odd times of the day, maybe with a 6 pack of beers or a tennis ball for Cerb. And they might take a walk and just talk about what might be, and what might not. They aren't easy conversations, but Clay also knows that when he leaves Brock his heart is a little lighter, and the way ahead clearer than it had been that morning. And it helps