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.

Sonny asks questions and develops a theory for just what point Clay's been warped back to.

Chapter Nine

Sonny stopped tucking Clay into his own bunk after the third nightmare. This time he just settled back in his own and let Clay sprawl out on his chest. It'd worked on the plane after all.

Twenty minutes in Clay was still clenching and unclenching Sonny's shirt. And Sonny was battling his eyelids.

"Why don't you tell me some more about Master Chief?" Sonny whispered, mindful of Trent snoring in the bunk next to them.

Clay shifted around, "Like what?" He too spoke quietly, his voice cracking slightly.

"Anything. You two get up to anything adventurous lately?" Sonny let one hand rest on Clay's back as he tucked the other under his head.

"We went to the beach," Clay burrowed underneath Sonny's hand, the blond drill bit of his head finding its spot beneath Sonny's chin. "To test out the wetsuit."

Sonny grinned, picturing some sort of stuff sailor doll in his head. "What's Master Chief look like, eh? Paint a picture." Clay huffed.

"He's Master Chief Teddy Bearsovelt." Sonny could practically hear the dang eye roll. "He looks like a bear."

Sonny grinned. Bearsovelt? Trent would get a kick out of that, hell, Jason would.

"He's with mommy though." Clay fidgeted, fingers splaying out on Sonny's chest as he moved around. Sonny winced as the kid's elbow made contact with his ribs. "She went to visit Granny and Papaw, and plane rides are scary, so Master Chief is keeping her safe."

Even in the haze of sleep, Sonny caught the tremor of Clay's voice. The kid had stilled. His head was starting to lull into Sonny's shoulder.

"Daddy will go get them soon though. When he gets home." Clay's voice shook, wispy words spoken into the cotton shirt Sonny wore.

Despite his fatigue, Sonny found himself staring up at the rungs of the bunk above him for another hour.

A restless night's sleep didn't slow his mind. Once Clay was up and chatting Davis' ear off about the eggs he was vacuuming into his mouth Sonny pulled Jason to the side.

"I think we've overlooked an obvious information source."

Jason - with hair sticking up on the side and eyes squinty with sleep - just stared at him.

"Stella." Sonny raised an eyebrow and Jason's brows furrowed.

"Blackburn can't even get command to approve talking to Ash Spenser," Jason shook his head, "Stella's a civilian."

Sonny grinned, "Now, you're making an assumption there." He crossed his arms and leaned in closer, "I wasn't planning to ask command."

"Sonny." Jason groaned, his hand moving to his hair as his jaw clenched up. Sonny waited. "No details." Sonny nodded.

Jason grumbled to himself as he moved to grab his breakfast, something about bearded bastards and aneurysms. Sonny took a few steps further from the group.

He checked that Clay was distracted, and calm: which, given he was playing some odd blinking game with Cerberus, Sonny figured he was.

"Sonny?" Stella yawned into the phone, answering on just the second ring. "Is Clay ok?"

"He's wrestling with Cerberus," Sonny answered honestly, smile pulling at his lips as he watched Clay squeal and laugh. Cerberus had tackled him. "Just got a question or two for you."

Stella grunted, voice groggy, "Shoot."

Sonny shifted, crossing and uncrossing his legs. "What do you know about Mama Spenser?"

"Billy?" Stella snorted, "Probably less than you."

"Well, I didn't know her name was Billy," Sonny reasoned. Stella chuckled.

"Belinda Spenser is #1 on the Ways to Immediately Shut Down Any Conversation with Clay."

Sonny nodded to himself, pursing his lips. "Mind giving me what you got?" Sonny shuffled his feet, glancing over to see Cerberus whining at Clay's apparent mimicry. Brock had almost his entire hand stuffed into his mouth. Davis had her phone out.

"That depends," Stella hummed, "Why do you want it?"

Sonny laughed, "Interesting story. Classified, but interesting." Stella hummes again.

"Well then," Stella's voice primmed up, "I don't believe I'm cleared to share that information with you."

"What if I tell you this directly relates to the health of our young Spenser?" Sonny prodded. He was met with another hum. "And mission readiness."

Sonny could almost hear the eyebrow raise in her voice, "Readiness?" Stell huffed, "She's been on and off the wagon his whole life. In and out of rehab. The whole stereotypical cycle. Ash sent him to live with her parents in Liberia when he was six - they ran an orphange or mission or something. He talks about them even less, if that's possible."

"Huh," Sonny grunted. Stella breathed out, loud and long.

"Seriously, Sonny, Clay good?" Stella's voice was quiet and Sonny's lip twitched down.

"He will be."

Stella was quiet a minute, then cleared her throat, "Okay."

"You know anything else?" Sonny asked, straightening up, "Maybe how to reach Ash?"

"Nope," Stella scoffed, her voice lilted, "Barely spoke to him the one time we did meet."

Sonny shook his head: Spenser and his daddy issues were a matter for another day. Preferably one with two dollar beers and an adult Spenser for him to rib.

"We good?" Stella cleared her throat again. Sonny nodded to himself.

"Thanks, Stella."

She hummed, "Yeah." And the click. Sonny slid it back into his pocket and rejoined the group.

Cerberus was now on his back, paws in the air, and tail awaggin' as Clay rubbed his stomach. He looked up when Sonny walked over, Cerberus whined.

"Now, Baby Spenser, you aren't neutralizing our dog now, are ya?" Sonny crouched down, one eyebrow brought low and the other raised high. Clay laughed.

The kid wrapped his arms around Cerberus, earning a warning bark, "He's my doggie, Brock said so." Sonny looked up at Brock.

The man just grinned and gestured at the pile of adorableness, "Who denies a child a dog, Son?"

"Not me," Sonny raised his hands up in surrender and stood up. Clay cheered and then returned to his petting and belly rubbing with great enthusiasm. Cerberus barked and Sonny swore that dog smirked at him.

He walked over to the trays of food. Davis stood there, hipped cocked and arms crossed, "Whatcha got, Sonny?"

Sonny stabbed some eggs to plop onto a plate, "A theory." Across from him, Ray's head popped up and Jason's fell into his hands. "Yeah, that's about right."

"Well?" Trent elbowed him as he sat down.

"I'm thinking the kid gave his mama his teddy bear when she went to rehab." Sonny swallowed down what tasted vaguely like blended carboard. "And then Ash left him with a buddy when he got spun up."

Ray nodded his head, waved his fork around, "The mythical Uncle Jerry." An uncle none of them had ever heard mention.

"Ya think Clay has any family he still talks to?" Trent set his chin on his hand, eyes focused on the kid as Brock showed him some commands for Cerberus.

"He's got us," Jason breathed in through his nose, a tight smile. Clay squealed and a rush of blond energy slammed into Sonny's side.

"He sat down!" Clay was grinning up at Sonny, pulling on his arm until he'd dragged the man over to watch the dog obey simple orders.

Sonny applauded at the appropriate times, "Well, see, that's how you do it, Baby Spenser. No spoiling a hard core sailor like Cerb."

Thanks for reading! Reviews Appreciated!