Sonny'd had a bad feeling before they entered the damn cave network - add in a creepy tunnel that dead ends at some old statue? Asking for trouble. And Spenser just had to go and touch the damn thing.

Rated T. Age regression/de-aging. Kid fic.

Chapter Two

Baby Spenser was a clingy kid, octopi were probably jealous. He'd woken up to screech, very loudly, when Sonny had attempted to hand him off to Ray.

"Gotta use the head, kid," Sonny attempted to reason with him, setting him down in one of the jump seats.

The straps all scurried away from the screaming child. Sonny envied them.

"Alright Baby Spenser."

Sonny sit back on his honches again. Clay had let himself be set down in the chair, but his hand stayed clutching Sonny's uniform until it became obvious he wasn't leaving.

Clay sniffed and wiped at his face to hide his tears. He looked swiftly to his shoes as Sonny stared at him, eyebrows raised.

"So, we're not gonna talk about?" Sonny gestured out what his hands. "You got nothing to say?" Sonny could feel the eyes of his team on the back of his head.

"I don't have Master Chief," Clay sucked his bottom lip in, tiny teeth gnawing on it.

Sonny gestured back towards Jason, "He's a Master Chief." Clay rolled his eyes at him. Jason started a bit, eyebrow raised.

"He's not MY Master Chief."

Well, ok then.

"You can just come with me then," Sonny stood up, took the clothes Davis offered him, and immediately offered them to Clay. "Before the dirt hardens, huh?"

Clay slipped from the seat to the floor, standing barefoot on the metal. He followed behind Sonny, three steps for every one of his.

As soon as the two disappeared into the bathroom, the hens began to chuckle. Sonny heard them through the damn door.

Trent would pay for that Mother Goose reference. In beer and whiskey. And possibly chicken.

"So, what's so important about a master chief, huh?" Sonny asked his minature shadow after scrubbing first his hair and then Clay's - because apparently four year olds were not coordinated enough to not blind themselves with soup.

Clay rubbed his eyes, "A master chief's primary mission is always the safety of his men."

"Is that from a manual?" Sonny grinned as he helped Clay into the tiniest (and most adorable) hoodie Sonny had ever seen. It was even OD green.

"I don't know," Clay shrugged, biting on his lower lip again. "But that's what Daddy told me."

Sonny kept his mouth shut as he lifted Clay up against his chest again. Davis had clothes, not shoes, and Clay was already swaying.

"Daddy had lots of Master Chiefs that looked after him last year," Clay mumbled. Sonny carried the kid out into the belly of the plane.

Jason was quorumed with Ellis and Blackburn. Trent and Ray were already asleep in their hammocks. Payback would have to wait.

"He gave me my Master Chief so he wouldn't worry when he was gone."

Sonny plopped himself in his hammock, let Clay curl up on his chest, ignored the smirk on Brock's mug.

"Ash Spenser gave you a master chief?" Sonny squinted at the roof of the plane. It shook a little from turbulence. They'd taken off while Sonny'd been cleaning the dirt off Clay's face.

"Yeah." Clay's voice was quiet, muffled against the fabric of Sonny's shirt and his own hood.

It hit Sonny like a cowpie to the face, "Would your Master Chief happen to be of the stuffed animal variety?"

Clay didn't respond but for a half-snore and head wigggle.

"Seriously, Baby Spenser?" Sonny looked down at the munchkin. "Just gonna doze off while I'm talking to ya?"

Clay drooled on him. Sonny set his head back down, tried to ignore the literal weight on his chest.

"Can't see a damn difference, nuhuh, just shorter."

Thanks for reading! Reviews Appreciated!