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 Thirteen

The next three days continued in a cycle for Sonny and the team: Clay oscillated between cheerfully chattering their ears off to receding into Sonny as if sheer proximity would allow the boy to disappear into the older man.

"You doing okay?" Ray was the first to ask. Sonny raised an eyebrow. "Taking care of a kid is hardwork, let alone one who is relying wholly on you emotionally, like Clay is right now."

Sonny pointed his gaze at the miniature Spenser. He was playing with Cerberus again, attempting to win a game of tug-a-war as Cerberus dragged the boy around the room via chew toy.

Ray knocked his shoulder with Sonny's, "We all know he only sleeps when he's curled up on you."

"Can't wait to give him hell about that, he grows up," Sonny grinned, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "You talk to Seaver yet?"

"He had Green Team out on a training op," Ray drops his concerns, for now. "He got back an hour ago."

Sonny nodded, pursed his lips. Clay had finally relinquished his hold on the tug rope. He'd collapsed back onto his back to pout. "You good, Baby Spenser?"

"He has an unfair advantage!" Clay pointed over at Cerberus, leaning his head back to glower at Sonny upside down.

Sonng barked out a laugh, "He's a trained sailor kid."

"If he can't beat you," Ray spoke up with a chuckle, "We'd have to send him back to school."

Clay continued to pout. To add insult to injury, Cerberus came over and rested his front paws and head on the four-year-old's stomach. Clay gaped at him, but didn't shove the dog off.

"At least I know Cerb will do well with kids," Brock walked up, eyes crinkled as he watched Clay ignore Cerberus' attempts to induce petting.

Ray raised an eyebrow, "Something to announce, Reynolds?" Sonny placed an elbow on the younger man's shoulder.

"Bravo Junior getting some additional units?"

Brock shook his head, "Not yet. Just…keeping my options open." Sonny gave Ray a look and the man returned it.

"Hope the kid takes after Vanessa." "Or the dog." "Be awfully ugly otherwise."

"You're both horrible." Brock stuck his hands in his pocket as he stalked away. A quick whistle and the dog was following him. "I'm telling Mom!"

Ray placed a palm to his cheek, "Stop calling Naima that!" The finger was out as he followed after the man, a nag already on the tip of his tongue.

"Who's Naima?" Clay tugged on Sonny's hand.

"Ray's wife," Sonny leaned over to whisper conspiratorially, "She and Jason's wife share Team Mom responsibilities - Ray gets jealous cause she's better at it then him."

Clay scrunched up his eyebrows, "I don't get it." Sonny shrugged.

"It's a bit of an inside joke." Sonny stood back up, "When you're a SEAL, you'll have them with your team too."

Clay responded with a vigorous nod to the idea of his being a SEAL. The rest of the conversation forgotten as he started pulling Sonny towards the reading chair. Clay was almost to Hades now.

Within the hour Ray was walking with Jason to the training headquarters. Seaver had finished debrief, would be in his office finishing paperwork on the wannabes that had flunked out during the last exercise.

"Shoo, Frankfurt," Seaver didn't look up from his writing, "You're evaluation was given in-field, that's all you're getting."

"Not Frankfurt," Jason plopped into the empty chair in front of Seaver's desk. Adam looked up at the two with knitted eyebrows.

He set the pen down, "I heard Bravo was in quarantine."

"Clay is," Ray watched the man's forehead wrinkle further. The man had a soft spot for the kid, it was an open secret.

"We're on an intel gathering mission," Jason's arms spread wide over the back of his chair as he crossed his legs. Seaver raised an eyebrow, "You were on Ash's team a long time."

"I was his 2IC when he retired."

Ray would never fail to be impressed that Ash Spenser had managed to get his own team without surpassing the rank of Senior Chief. It was rare, if not impossible in the present environment.

"He retired a month before an expected promotion." The fact popped into Ray's head out of nowhere. The two Master Chiefs looked at him with skeptical looks. Ray shrugged, "Why didn't he wait for the pay raise?"

Seaver shifted in his seat. His face puckered. Jason's eyes locked on his peer, "Adam?"

"I had my suspicions," Adam leaned back in his chair, fingers lacing.

"Which were?" Jason prompted, leaning forward.

"He retired a month after Clay enlisted." Adam's forehead wrinkled. "I always got the impression he was forced out, not sure why exactly. He'd been bucking with the brass a lot, but no more than usual for him."

Ray's eyebrows jumped up at the implication. An 18 year old recruit was a much easier target than an E-8.

"He'd turned down E-9 twice before," Seaver kept up, "So I doubt the pay raise had much to do with it."

Jason's eyebrows shot up this time, "He turned down Master Chief?" Seaver nodded. "What the hell for?"

Ray agreed with that statement wholeheartedly - he sure as hell wouldn't turn that down. Ray gripped the back of Jason's chair as his CO gestured out.

"He never explained," Seaver shook his head, eyebrows knitted again, "And trust me, I asked, Donahue asked, Fuller, everyone. Never said."

"Sonny's right," Ray tapped Jason's shoulder, "There's more to that bear than what he said."

"Bear?" Seaver's face screwed up into confusion, eyes wide, "You mean the one Ash kept in his cage?"

Jason looked up at Ray, "That depends, what was the bear in the cage about?"

"A good luck charm," Seaver shrugged, the forehead wrinkles relaxing. "It was there when I joined the team. He'd squeeze it before big missions, whisper something."

Seaver rolled his shoulders back, stretched his arms.

"It had a navy uniform and goggles, kind of cute," Seaver grinned. "I asked him where he got it once. Thought Hannah might like it. He hemmed and hawed, said he got a long time ago. No one was allowed to touch it either."

"Ash Spenser kept a teddy bear that no one could touch," Jason's eyebrows were low as he spoke to himself, "How did I not know about that?"

Seaver chuckled, "It was pretty established practice by the time I was assigned to Team Six. By the time you lot came up? Ancient history."

Fingers folded on his desk, Seaver eyed the two.

"There a connection between Ash and the quarantine?"

"Something like that," Jason sighed as he leaned back. "Not allowed to disclose much."

Ray crossed to lean against the wall, "We're just trying to get background on Clay, the stuff he doesn't talk about."

"So everything?" Seaver chuckled, shaking his head, "That kid is more like his dad than he'd ever care to know."

"We won't tell if you don't," Jason grinned.

Ray shook his head - there was no way Jason wasn't going to throw that in Clay's face next time he went all stoic lone wolf on a mission.

"What do you know about Clay's childhood?" Jason cleared his throat. Seaver paused, lips curling.

"I know he went to live with his grandparents when he was six," Seaver leaned back in his chair again, arms crossed.

"What about before that?" Ray clarified, gesturing with his hands, "Around 4-ish."

Seaver scowled, "I didn't know Ash till Clay was like 13. Saw a few stilted phone conversations, met a gangly teen one Fourth of July in the early 2000s. Ash didn't talk about his son much. And no one was dumb enough to ask."

Jason nodded, stood, "Thanks for the info." Seaver took the offered handshake, scowl still firmly in place.

"We appreciate the help." Ray followed Jason out, felt Seaver's gaze go with them. "He's gonna ask around."

They exchanged a look. Jason shrugged, "Discreet is a relative term." Ray felt a pang of sympathy for Blackburn.

-.-.-

"Belinda Spenser lives in Boston." Davis pursed her lips as she sat down at the folding table. "Same address as Ash."

"Spensers man," Trent shook his head, "Never simple." Sonny nodded his agreement, arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair.

Jason's head fell into his hands.

"They found out that Master Chief lived in Ash's cage for most of his career." Brock pointed to Jason and Ray. He popped a strawberry into his mouth. "Fair to assume he's got the bear still."

Davis laughed, palmed her head, "Great."

"So…" Blackburn sighed, clapping his hands together, "For either theory…"

"We need Ash Spenser." Jason confirmed.

Blackburn groaned, "Admiral Doherty will never go for that." He ran his hand down his face, then looked to the never-silent Bravo 3. "Sonny?"

"Ash Spenser was one the best SEALs to ever serve." Sonny gave the group a pointed look, silencing any comments. "Man's got himself a well-connected sampling of contracting businesses on top of that."

"You leading up to something?" Jason snapped, mouth set in a firm line.

Sonny smirked, "He's got more political capital than anyone in this room."

"Are you suggesting that we get Ash Spenser to rip through the red tape for us?" Ray's mouth dropped open, shaking his head.

"What are the chances he even would?" Trent crossed his arms. "The Spensers aren't the Bradys. Obviously."

Blackburn raised his arm, silencing the group. "I considered that." Jason's eyebrows snapped up. "There's no way that won't lead back to us. And no promises we won't face backlash."

"You think Doherty would punish a Tier One team over a civilian's actions?" Davis knit uer eyebrows together, wrinkling her forehead.

"I think," Blackburn looked directly at Jason, "Doherty is the one Seaver was talking about when he said Ash was forced out."

Ray slapped the table, "Damn." He shook his head, eyes narrowed on the plastic like it had insulted his mother.

"I'll do it," Sonny spoke up again, drawing their eyes, "I'll talk to Spenser again. The buck can stop with me."

The table stayed silent for a moment. All eyes looking at their resident cowboy.

"That's not how this works, Sonny," Jason shook his head, jaw unclenching as he leaned back in his chair.

Ray tipped his head sideways, "All or nothing." Trent and Brock nodded their agreement.

"We all willin' to risk it then?" Sonny pulled his phone out of his pocket. Each member of Bravo traded a look with each other before nodding.

Blackburn took his seat, sighed, "Make the call."

Thanks for reading! Reviews Appreciated!